tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82487600773320405742024-03-08T17:26:29.267-05:00A Pilgrim's WanderingsThese are the meditations of one pilgrim as he wanders through this world on his way to the Celestial City.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-6621636972183061772015-06-22T20:47:00.000-04:002015-06-22T20:47:20.774-04:00It has been a long time since I last posted an entry to this blog. I have had some life and health issues that occupied my attention. However, it is time to resume posting.<br />
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Events of the past years, and especially events of the past few days deserve some comment. I am specifically referring to the murder of nine people by one hate-filled individual. These were not criminals. These were people created in God's image. They were in a Bible study. They were not prepared for someone to come in and start murdering them, not for anything they had done, but simply because they had a different skin color. In this terrorist's mind, this made them less than human.<br />
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The Bible teaches that we are all of "one blood" (Acts 17:26). We are all human regardless of skin color, hair color, eye color, eye shape, nose shape, or any of the other various traits by which we divide the human race into "races." There is only one race. The genetic distinctions are minor. The Kingdom of God is not limited to those of pale skin. God does not forbid those of different characteristics from entering His kingdom. God's salvation is for anyone who will repent and believe the gospel. The gathered saints around God's throne will be people who have been redeemed "from every nation and tribe and people and language" (Revelation 7:9).<br />
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The hatred that motivated the killer is a poison which not only affects the victims, but those who harbor the hatred in their hearts. It blinds them to the truth. While there may have been individuals who have committed crimes such as rape and murder, these people who were killed were neither rapists nor murderers. He is blind to the fact that his actions are worse, for he shed innocent blood.<br />
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It is high time for men and women of honor to repudiate the attitudes and symbols of hatred and oppression.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-12095805513519600852012-04-15T17:48:00.000-04:002012-04-15T17:48:29.167-04:00Conclusion and Response<style type="text/css">
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<h2 class="western">Conclusion</h2><div class="normal-paragraph">Jesus followed up on His statement. His disciples did not fully comprehend what He was saying. In their midst was the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the risen one in whom we can find life. We can trust His word for His word is truth. He comforted His disciples, who were anxious about what He was telling them. He told them that He is the way we can not only know God, but through whom we may have access to God. Paul tells us, “Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and <i>having</i> a High Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies having been washed with clean water” (Heb 10:19-22 [EMTV]). <span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The exclusive claim of Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life means that there is no way apart from Him by which one may be saved, nothing true contradicts Him, and that only through Him may eternal life be found.</span></span></div><h1 class="western">Response</h1><div class="normal-paragraph">In light of the claim of Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, what will you do? Each of us must decide whether we will humble ourselves and accept what God has said to us in His Word. We can choose in our pride to reject Christ. In doing so, we would reject the only way we have of approaching a holy God. We can humble ourselves and accept that Christ is the truth, or we can persist in thinking that we in our human weakness can become the arbiters of truth. But by doing so, we wander about with no way to tell what is true and what is false. We can look to Christ, the first-fruits of the dead in the hope of being raised or we can go on in a way that will lead to death. Each of us has a choice. Will we, like Frank Sinatra, insist on doing it our own way, or will we repent of our rebellious pride, humble ourselves, and submit to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life? Consider carefully your response. Your eternal destiny depends on how you respond to Christ. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30 [EMTV]). Come to Him. Place your hope and trust in what Christ has done. </div>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-15364158220447382302012-01-11T22:02:00.000-05:002012-01-11T22:02:33.166-05:00Jesus is the Life<dl><dt>The third part of this “I Am” statement is Jesus saying, “I am the life” (John 14:6 [EMTV]). Just as there is no way apart from Jesus and no ultimate truth apart from Him, there is no life apart from Christ. Jesus said, “For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is <i>the</i> Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice and shall come forth–those who have done good, to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to a resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:26-29 [EMTV]). Jesus would lay down His life at Calvary. He would rise again on the first day of the week. Paul wrote, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit indwelling in you” (Rom 8:11 [EMTV]). We find our hope for life, not in the latest medical treatment or so-called miraculous nutritional supplement, but in Christ, the first-fruits of the dead.</dt>
<dt> Application: When we look at Jesus, we see the very definition of life. We do not need to continually try to describe it. We do not need to look for the latest guru to reveal some profound new teaching to us. What we do know is that in Christ we have redemption. Baptism serves as a sign of our uniting with Christ in His death and resurrection. As He has life, so He will grant to us to live. We may die now, but we have a hope that just as Christ was raised from the dead, so too will we be raised from the dead.</dt>
</dl><h1 align="CENTER"> </h1>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-5549064302170607842011-12-01T10:41:00.001-05:002011-12-01T10:44:00.614-05:00Jesus is the Truth<dl><dt>Jesus is the Truth. Jesus does not merely convey truth to us. He does not just communicate partial truth to us. He does not communicate the opinions of men. He claims to be much more. Hendricksen points out that Jesus is “the very embodiment of the Truth.”<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc"><sup>1</sup></a> John told us that Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God incarnate when he wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 [EMTV]). He also said, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 [EMTV]). Hendricksen reminds us, “Jesus is the truth because he is <i>the dependable source of redemptive revelation”<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote2sym" name="sdfootnote2anc"><sup>2</sup></a> </i>When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38 [EMTV]), he did not see that the Logos, the Word incarnate was standing right before him. </dt>
<dt>Application: We can look for truth, but if what we find does not lead us to the Truth, then what we have found is something other than the truth. We can find no ultimate truth apart from Jesus Christ. The Islamic works or the Buddhist middle way are not valid, authentic ways to reach God. Jesus Christ has not only revealed the Father to us, but is the only way in which we can reach God. Any other claim to truth leads into a false path that will lead to destruction.</dt>
</dl><div id="sdfootnote1"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote1anc" name="sdfootnote1sym">1</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hendricksen, <i>John</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">., p. 268.</span></div><div id="sdfootnote2"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote2anc" name="sdfootnote2sym">2</a>Ibid.</span></div>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-34129783154717177352011-11-17T22:14:00.001-05:002011-11-17T22:17:36.770-05:00Jesus: The Way<dl><dt>Jesus is the way. He is not “a way” or “telling us about the way,” or pointing us to someone else who can show us the way. No, Jesus claims to be <b>the</b> way. There is a uniqueness to Christ. This is nothing new. In chapter 10, Christ referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. He also characterized Himself as the door to the sheepfold. He did not say that there were many doors. We can see from the beginning of the Old Testament things which show us that God is not a pluralist.</dt>
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<dt>There was one entrance to the garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had been expelled, an angel with a flaming sword was stationed at the entrance to guard the way so that they might not be able to get to the tree of life. No matter how hard Adam may have searched, there was no way He and Eve could get back into the garden and have access to the tree of life.</dt>
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<dt>There was one entrance into the Ark. God told Noah to build the Ark and to have a door in it. It is through that door that Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives entered. It was through that door that the animals who were to be preserved entered. It is that door that stood open for anyone who wished to enter the Ark. The Scripture teaches us that God waited patiently to execute His judgment while the Ark was being built.<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc"><sup>1</sup></a> However, those who did not heed the warnings of Noah to enter the Ark, who chose to stay outside, perished. There were not hundreds of little boats going along in the wake of the Ark, nor were there other arks prepared by other people directed by other gods. There was but one Ark, and one entrance into it. The one way in which anyone then could have been saved was to enter into the Ark via the door.</dt>
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<dt>There was one entrance into the Tabernacle, and later, into the Temple to get to the most holy place. There were not multiple entrances. by which people could get in. There are many other examples which could be used, but this should illustrate that Jesus did not teach the ideas we have of pluralism and inclusivism, that there are many ways to “get to God.”</dt>
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<dt>Hendricksen says, “This is another of the seven great I AM's of John's Gospel . . . . In the predicate of each of the words <i>way, truth,</i> and <i>life</i> is preceded by the definite article.”<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote2sym" name="sdfootnote2anc"><sup>2</sup></a> He goes on to say, “Jesus does not merely <i>show</i> the way; he <i>is </i>himself the way. It is true that he <i>teaches</i> the way (Mark 12:14; Luke 20:21), <i>guides</i> us in the way (Luke 1:79), and <i>has dedicated</i> for us a new and living way (Heb. 10:20); but all this is possible only because he <i>is </i> himself the way.”<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote3sym" name="sdfootnote3anc"><sup>3</sup></a> Hendricksen also makes a valid point about us being saved by the person of Christ, not some nebulous principle or undefined force. He uses this illustration: “In the school the pupil is educated not primarily by blackboards, books, and maps, but by the teacher who makes use of all these means.”<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote4sym" name="sdfootnote4anc"><sup>4</sup></a> Jesus did not come to merely teach us about God, but to reveal God to us and to make a way for us to God through Himself. He is our way to God.</dt>
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<dt>We cannot hold on to the thought that there are other, equally valid ways of approaching God. There are many examples that God is not pleased when we try to do things our way. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram give evidence of that. They rebelled against the appointment of the Aaronic priesthood, and they perished. Scripture tells us that “the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them” (Num 16:32-33 [ESV]). Jesus is the way, and there is no other.</dt>
</dl><div id="sdfootnote1"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote1anc" name="sdfootnote1sym">1</a>See 1 Peter 3:20</span></div><div id="sdfootnote2"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote2anc" name="sdfootnote2sym">2</a>William Hendricksen, <i>New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to John</i>, Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1953), p. 267.</span></div><div id="sdfootnote3"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote3anc" name="sdfootnote3sym">3</a>Ibid.</span></div><div id="sdfootnote4"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="sdfootnotesym" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8248760077332040574#sdfootnote4anc" name="sdfootnote4sym">4</a>Hendricksen, <i>John</i>, p. 267.</span></div>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-31982923591630325802011-10-02T01:11:00.001-04:002011-10-02T01:19:43.680-04:00An open letter to the Iranian mullahs: Your god is too small.The situation regarding <span style="font-weight: normal;">Pastor Youcef Nadarkhan demonstrates conclusively the bankruptcy of the Muslim religion. If their god has to rely on the power of the state to enforce belief, if their god cannot draw people to himself on the basis of ideas, but people have to be compelled on pain of execution by the "religious" authorities, then their god is too small. If they have to issue fatwas against "infidels" and cajole their followers into pursuing and killing anyone who dares question their authority then their god is too small. If, because of this post, they should now say that I deserve to be killed, then their god is too small. If they do not allow any freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, then their god is too small.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">If the Muslims believe that their god is truly the God who is everything they claim with the many names ascribed to Him, then they would acknowledge that God can and will defend His honor. He does not need people to commit murder in His name. He does not need men and women to strap on bombs and blow themselves up in crowds, murdering people indiscriminately. They would not believe that they should teach the hatred of others, teaching, for example, that some descendants of Abraham are "pigs" and "apes" while ignoring that they also claim to be descendants of Abraham (What does that make them one might ask.). They deny that we are all descendants of Adam and Eve through Noah"s family. We were all, in Adam, created in the image and likeness of God. Because we were in Adam, we also bear that image Therefore, none of those descendants can possibly be a "descendant of pigs and apes" because we are all related.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">They claim to be submissive to God but they serve a god that bears only superficial resemblance to the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the prophets. They claim to believe that Jesus, whom they call Isa is a prophet, but they refuse to believe His words. They have accepted the words of a false prophet instead. How do I know this? Because Paul said that even if an angel from heaven came and preached any other gospel than that which was revealed through the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, then let him be accursed. Is the message of Mohammad the same message given through Jesus and the apostles? Judge for yourselves. Read both the Bible and the Koran. Compare them in detail. Tell me that the message of Mohammad is that same gospel spoken of by Paul. You can't because it isn't. Mohammad is a false prophet, and is therefore accursed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">My God is big enough to have taken on the sin of the world, nailing it to the cross in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He conquered death when He arose the third day. He ascended to Heaven and sent His Holy Spirit to be with His church. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. At His name, not the name of the false gods every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of God the Father. This will not be optional. They will not be bowing at the name of Mohammad. They will not be bowing down toward a stone. They will bow before the living God. There is only one name by which people must be saved. That name is Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Instead of murdering yet another follower of God who happens to not accept your form of religion, why not begin a dialogue? Instead of continuing the hatred and the pursuit of violent imposition of your religion, why not finally undertake your own reformation? Instead of continuing to provoke violence, why not seek peace? Why not truly submit to the True God, the one who said that He was the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one could come to the Father except through Him. That one was not Mohammad, but Jesus. One with a sword can compel conformity to a certain outward standard, but the gospel of Jesus Christ can change the heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">This will not be received well by the radical Islamist who might read it. It might generate thoughts of hatred and murder. Some cleric might issue a fatwa against me. If so, then my point will have been proved. Their god is too small. My God is big enough to let me say that I pray that they will give up their hatred and turn to the One True God, that they will find forgiveness for their sins, not in a bomb, but in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. May God grant them ears to hear and eyes to see.</span>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-20334945834593519552011-09-23T21:31:00.000-04:002011-09-24T09:20:14.919-04:00Hungering for the Word?Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:1-3 [World English Bible]).<br />
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We have enough babies that have been born in our church recently that we could ask the new parents to give an account of how much their newborn babies crave milk. They are insistent that they be fed. They do not exhibit any sort of patience when it comes to this desire. Their very life depends upon them being fed regularly with milk.<br />
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“Growth in any area of human existence is progressive, incremental. This growth, it goes without saying, is dependent on food as nourishment. Having noted the enduring character of the word of God, Peter depicts this 'word' as being the means by which nourishment comes to the Christian.” Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews-Revelation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) p. 313.<br />
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“. . . the main point of the imagery—illustrated by the verb 'crave'—is to stress the idea of hunger and focused pursuit. Peter wishes foremost to convey motivation for growth, not to suggest immaturity on the part of the readers (thus Grudem, 94).” Expositor's Bible Commentary: Hebrews-Revelation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) p. 313.<br />
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Contrast this with what Paul says in Corinthians: “I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?” (1 Cor 3:2-3 [WEB]). and what the author of Hebrews says: For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby” (Heb 5:12-13 [WEB]).<br />
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The craving described by Peter is not the immaturity described by Paul. Peter reminds us that we need God's Word for our survival. Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matt 4:4 [WEB]).<br />
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"if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious"<br />
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Peter here challenges his readers and us to not take for granted our salvation. Are we exhibiting evidence that we have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious? Are we striving to put away all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking? Are we craving the Word of God even as a newborn craves milk? Or are we just content with thinking we have our “get out of hell free” ticket so we can now live the way we want?<br />
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Have we tasted that the Lord is gracious or are we avoiding dealing with our sins, excusing them as “not so bad” when in the sight of our Holy God, they are an affront? Have we placed our trust in the blood of Jesus Christ to save us from the wrath to come or are we thinking that because we are not as bad as some people that God will somehow just excuse the sins we practice?<br />
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James challenges us saying, “faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26b [WEB]), and Paul tells us, “However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness” (2 Tim 2:19 [WEB]).
The Bible does not give us the luxury of taking God for granted. Let us indeed examine ourselves, asking ourselves whether indeed we have “tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-75586918966031234722011-06-16T13:51:00.002-04:002011-06-17T13:34:33.424-04:00Speaking up againLest anyone think I am driven by hate toward those of different national origins, particularly those from the Hispanic nations of north, central, or south America, I can assure you that I have a great respect and love for the hard-working among them who desire to come to the United States in order to make a better life for themselves. However, I cannot condone the blatant disregard for the laws of this land by some who enter illegally. Nor can I condone the efforts of those who wish to reward those who have broken the laws of the land by establishing some form of amnesty and legalization of status. To do so would be a slap in the face of those who have made the effort and sacrificed much to follow the legal paths to immigration. We must not reward those who break the law with a path to citizenship unless they first return and follow legal means to come here.<br />
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At one time, this nation had a viable guest-worker program that allowed people to come in and work legally. The current situation is a result of changing that program, leaving no legal way for those who desire to come here and work to do so. It is high time for our representatives to realize the negative impact of the current system and to do something about it.<br />
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The current situation does not allow control of entry. People who can ill afford it pay large fees to "coyotes" to bring them into this country. They are packed into the back of tractor-trailer rigs and hauled to the border. Sometimes, the one hauling them realizes that he cannot get them through and unhitches and abandons the trailer with the people packed inside with no adequate ventilation, food, water, or sanitary facilities. Many have suffered this way and many have died. Others are led on paths through the desert with inadequate water and subject to being robbed by the very ones they paid to take them though the desert.<br />
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Consider also the impact on the land. Those who live in the border areas regularly have these illegal aliens trespassing across their property, destroying fences, leaving behind litter, and despoiling the beauty of the land. Those who come out to confront the trespassers are subject to violence, some being shot at and at least one being murdered by the illegal aliens (and yes, they are illegal aliens, not "undocumented immigrants," which is politically correct mumbo-jumbo that confuses the issue and hinders real discussion of the situation). We have laws in place, but those who are supposed to enforce them do so with inadequate staffing and with rules so strict that they cannot even effectively defend themselves if assaulted by the illegal aliens.<br />
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The situation as it exists is complex, only because of the way this has not been effectively addressed. During President Reagan's administration, there was what should have been a one-time amnesty granted. With that was supposed to come effective control of the border. The border remained porous, and many more poured across, thinking that the "one-time" amnesty would morph into repeated amnesties. Indeed, there have been many discussions to do so. To date, they have not succeeded, and must not do so. However, there have been no effective discussion on solutions that would provide a legal means for workers to come here openly.<br />
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Why not? Why can we not address the underlying issue? Why can we not have a viable guest-worker program whereby those who desire to do so could do so legally. Why can we with that not have a strong and enforceable border that would be effective in keeping out those who are undesirable--those who are drug runners or those coming to do harm. If those who are currently crossing the desert to come in order to work could cross legally at established checkpoints and walk openly with full documentation as to their status, then the presumption could be that those crossing at other points fall into those who wish us harm, either by terrorism, gang violence, or running drugs. More potent force to intercept and deal with those criminal forces could then be brought to bear since those crossing for work would be able to do so easily.<br />
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Why not let those who wish to come to work be able to do so with pride and not with a sense of fear? Why not let them work openly and above board, being fairly compensated for their labor and not being paid under-the-table in an underground economy which is then not taxed fairly? Why not let them be contributors to society instead of a burden to our health-care systems? Compassion is not extending some form of amnesty, regardless of whether you disguise it by giving it some other politically-correct name. Compassion is giving these people a real, legal means to come in and work, and allowing them to move freely with documentation between their work and homes, assisting their families in countries where their earnings are supporting their families who live in sometimes desperate circumstances. Compassion is treating with respect those who come here legally and taking appropriate means against those who come here illegally.<br />
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What about children brought here, who have grown up here, and have no recollection of the land of their nativity? Yes, that is a difficult situation, but if the issue of adults who enter illegally, knowingly and willfully breaking our laws, and who are accountable for their actions, is first dealt with, then the more difficult one of these children who were brought in and are not willful lawbreakers can and should be dealt with differently. For these, mercy should be exercised. And for these, there should be discussion as to ways by which these can be integrated into society or assisted in integrating into the society of the nation of their birth. To discuss things like granting in-state tuition to these children when citizens of this country do not get such privileges is again disrespectful to all those who have made the effort to do things legally and have struggled to be able to afford to attend institutions of higher learning. Until there is a legal status, there should be no discussion of state of residence and privileges that go along with such residence.<br />
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There will also need to be discussion and resolution of the "anchor baby" situation. Since these people come here illegally, such a birth should not grant automatic citizenship in the United States of America. This would also remove the incentive for many to come here illegally, and would keep women from endangering their lives and the lives of their unborn children in order to have a baby here. It would also lessen the burden on our hospitals and health care professionals who are mandated to provide care but have no means to collect the money needed for such care from the indigent people who come under such circumstances.<br />
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I do not pretend to have all of the answers, or even that my proposals are viable. However, I do know that the current situation is untenable and that there needs to be substantive discussion of viable solutions, not political posturing which only seeks to gain votes for one's party while doing nothing to actually fix the problem. It is my earnest prayer that our leaders will understand that real solutions are needed. May God grant them insight into ways to address this situation.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-58402462080589877232011-06-15T01:52:00.000-04:002011-06-15T01:52:51.854-04:00Speaking upSomething I never thought I would be doing, I decided that I wanted to do something to make theological academic books more affordable for our students. To do this, I stood up in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, which I am attending in Phoenix Arizona as a messenger of Grace Baptist Church of Wake Forest, NC. I presented a motion that the SBC encourage Lifeway to work with publishers to make electronic editions of academic works for devices such as Kindle,, Nook, IPad or other devices. This would make these works available to our students at a cost savings over hard-bound or paperback editions of these works.<br />
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What I did not realize was how disconcerting it is to see oneself on a huge screen. It is rather unnerving. I have been nervous enough standing in front of smaller groups. The butterflies were certainly fluttering as I stood there, and I know my voice was shaking. I am glad I had written out what I wanted to say as if I had not, I would have probably have gone blank. I think it was well received as there were several seconds to the motion. From here, it gets referred to the Committee on Resolutions, who will determine if it is a suitable matter for consideration by the SBC. We will find out tomorrow if it goes on or is rejected. In any case, it brings this matter to the attention of many. We need to take advantage of technological advances that make it possible to keep a pastoral library, not on multiple bookshelves, but on one small device. Just imagine how much better it would be if a missionary could transport a whole library of books in a carry-on bag and not have to ship hundreds of pounds of books. The cost savings would be tremendous. The money saved in shipping would certainly be better used to go to gospel work.<br />
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My few moments of discomfort may have a significant impact. Some works that only seem to come out in traditional formats may become available in forms that leverage the advantages of the newer technologies. The SBC should be on the forefront of using technology to promote this, and the impact Lifeway might have in promoting such means of publication may help to make more works of significance available to students and others in need of quality theological resources.<br />
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Our Lord did not call us to be comfortable, but to be faithful. God help us to get over our anxieties so that we can be faithful in learning to know and then to do His will.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-79374274587715824892011-04-24T22:45:00.000-04:002011-04-24T22:45:42.836-04:00Do we really trust the Bible?Not too long ago, the news was abuzz about whether or not vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin believed that dinosaurs and humans lived as contemporaries about 4,000 years ago. One would wonder whether The ones ridiculing her believed at all in freedom of religion or free speech. Apparently, they believe that anyone that does not toe the line on evolutionary doctrine is totally disqualified for public service. That election may be over, but the issue remains.<br />
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Many of those who questioned Sarah Palin's beliefs have totally rejected the Bible's authority. Many of those in public life have also rejected that authority. The question which we must answer is not how many people have rejected the Bible's authority. The question is whether those of us who claim that the Bible is God's inspired Word will trust it when it speaks plainly. After all, to use an old saying, any lemming can follow the crowd over the cliff. Will we dare to stand firm against the tide of public opinion? Will we stand firm and boldly proclaim that God's Word is the foundation, not only of our faith, but also of our philosophy.<br />
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How does the Bible address this issue? Do the Bible's authors, inspired as they were by the Holy Spirit, believe in the historical nature of the creation account which is found in Genesis chapters one through eleven? Let us look at some examples.<br />
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In 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, Paul compares Jesus Christ to Adam. Paul had a personal acquaintance with Jesus Christ, having met Him on the Damascus road. His argument assumes a literal existence of the first Adam. If he believed in an evolutionary timescale as many today believe, he could not have made the argument that death is a result of Adam's sin. If he believed that life had existed for thousands or millions of years before Adam with corresponding death, he could not have argued that death is an enemy that shall be destroyed. No, death is not a natural part of life. Death is an enemy that shall be destroyed. The penalty (death) brought in by Adam's sin has been paid by Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, death will be destroyed.<br />
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In John chapter one we are told that Jesus Christ is the creative Word of God made flesh. Therefore, He is the eyewitness to the creative events. In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees concerning marriage. They wanted to test Him about the lawfulness of divorce. Jesus did not take their bait, telling them that Moses allowed divorce due to their hardness of heart, but it was not as God intended it. Jesus referred to the creation of Adam and Eve at the beginning of the creation as being the foundation of marriage. Because God's plan was for a one-flesh union which man should not separate. Jesus accepted the creation of Adam and Eve at the beginning of creation as a literal historical event. Contrast this with the activist groups who are now trying to redefine marriage to allow for homosexual, lesbian, or other forms of unions to be called marriage as well. If Jesus' statement of the creation of male and female in the beginning were not true, then there would no longer be justification for maintaining the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. <br />
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Although Matthew's genealogy of Jesus only goes back to Abraham, Luke 3:23-38 presents a genealogy that traces the lineage of Jesus all the way back through Abraham and Noah to Adam. Luke also accepted that he was giving an authoritative, historical genealogy. Since the Bible tells us that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," (2 Timothy 3:16), the account given in Luke is also God-breathed and therefore is to be trusted. If we claim to be Jesus' followers, then we should also be willing to believe this same history. <br />
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If we claim to be Bible-based believers, then we must stop disregarding the Word of God which provides the basis for our beliefs. We have an authority (Jesus) who was witness to the events of creation and who has inspired writers to record an accurate account of those events. We must be willing to base our worldview on that account. Man in rebellion has rejected that account and has created his own mythology (the big bang and molecules-to-man evolution) to explain the world without God. We must not follow the crowd in their rebellion, but must rather acknowledge that God's revelation should serve as, "...a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-35772524030518330372010-12-08T14:24:00.001-05:002010-12-08T15:31:32.259-05:00In Memorium, MichaelThis post tackles an uncomfortable subject: death.<br />
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We don't like to think about death. We instinctively realize that it is not the ideal. When someone close to us is taken away suddenly, we often wonder why. Despite the claims to the contrary, nobody welcomes death. We spend untold amounts of money on health care to stave it off as long as we possibly can. We also spend tremendous amounts to help us avoid the appearance of aging and weakening. However, in spite of our best efforts, we all will die.<br />
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This was brought home to me on 22 November 2010 when I received a telephone call from my younger sister. She told me that my older brother had been killed in a hunting accident. He had gone out in the morning and did not return home by nightfall. His wife was concerned and called my older sister. They could not find him so the combined efforts of three local fire and rescue departments plus a helicopter were employed in searching for him. When they did find him, he had been dead for some time. He was apparently trying to install a tree stand when he fell, injuring himself fatally.<br />
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We traveled home for services. My brother's pastor asked if I would speak at the graveside service. I agreed, hoping that I could comfort his wife, my parents, my other brother and sisters with their families, and the many other relatives and friends all of whom were grieving the loss of my brother together with us.<br />
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This is what I said at the graveside service:<br />
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Opening Remarks:<br />
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Thank you for coming to this committal service for my brother Michael. His death is a great loss and a sad occasion. Death is an enemy, not a friend. God created us to live in fellowship with Him. Adam's disobedience brought death into the world, and the sorrow we feel today comes from living in a fallen world where there is pain, suffering, and death. However, this is not the end. Listen to these words form God's holy, inspired, infallible Word.<br />
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In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”<br />
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That is the question. Do we believe this? Do we believe that Michael, though he has died shall live? Do we believe that he, while no longer here present with us in this life is now in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he loved and served? Let us look again at God's Word.<br />
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“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).<br />
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Additionally, we read, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign til He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:19-26). <br />
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God's word also says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:51-57).<br />
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Finally, Scripture says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13-18).<br />
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From this we see several things. First, we see that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He suffered, taking the place we deserved on the cross so that we might be reconciled to God.<br />
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Next we see that Jesus Christ arose from the dead. This is history. The grave is empty. We believe in a risen, living Savior, not a dead martyr who can only serve as a “good example.”<br />
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We also see that Christ's resurrection is the firstfruits and the assurance that if we place our faith and trust in Him for salvation, we will also be raised from the dead. Death is not the natural order of things, but an enemy that will be destroyed at Christ's coming. We are as yet corruptible. Our bodies decay. From the moment we are born, we are in the process of dying. Some of us come to the grave earlier than others and we are reminded of our own mortality. However, when Christ returns, when the last trumpet sounds and the dead are raised, then that will be in incorruption. Corruption and death shall no longer be a part of our existence. We shall be raised to ever be with the Lord.<br />
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We can take comfort in this: that Michael knew his Lord and had placed his faith and trust in the One who went first. Christ died, was buried, and was raised from the dead. So Michael has died and will be buried shortly. However, this is not the end. He shall be raised. We can take comfort in this. We grieve for him, that he is no longer here for us to enjoy his presence as before. We do not grieve without hope. We have God's Word to assure us that Michael will rise. God's word is sure. The victory is assured. Therefore, let us commit Michael's body to the ground in the hope of his resurrection. Let us yield our own lives to the Lord, not trusting in our own righteousness to save us, but in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us trust in our resurrected Lord to provide us with a righteousness that will enable us to rise and enjoy a “new heaven and a new earth,” the New Jerusalem where “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:1a, 2a, 4).<br />
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Let us pray: Father, we gather in this solemn place to remember Michael's life and mourn his death. We do not sorrow as those who have no hope, for our hope is in Jesus Christ. We ask that you would comfort each family member and friend. May we be comforted by your Word, encouraged through happy memories, and sustained by the hope of the resurrection for all who place their faith in you. Amen.<br />
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Benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26).<br />
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Note: All Scripture quotations from the New King James version.<br />
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<b>Michael Haffly<br />
1952-2010<br />
Rest in peace</b>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-71511446919542200542010-09-11T21:36:00.001-04:002010-09-11T21:40:03.636-04:00Where is the outrage?The world is upside down. One man threatens to burn copies of the Koran and the Islamic world is outraged and threatens violence. Saudi Arabia burns confiscated copies of The Holy Bible, and the silence is deafening. One cartoonist creates a drawing portraying the violence of Muhammad's followers, and the Islamic world explodes in riots with Imams issuing fatwahs which call for "good" Muslims to kill him. An "artist" places a crucifix in a jar of urine and the silence is deafening. If one dares to speak in less than flattering terms about Muhammad in an Islamic country, one is subject to death (although how one can blaspheme a man is beyond me). If one curses the name of Christ, he is viewed as enlightened.<br />
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Muslim controlled nations see their own style of government and attempt to impose it on the United States. Although mosque and state may be one in their view, church and state are separate in the United States. Government may impose its will in Muslim controlled countries. Government may not impose its will in the United States. Calls from Muslim run countries for the US government to stop the Koran burning by the organization claiming to be a Christian church are useless. The government does not have the constitutional authority to do so. Leaders in government can attempt to persuade the group that this action would not be good, but it cannot be imposed. <br />
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Muhammad was a man who said he received the Koran from the Angel Gabriel and wrote it down word-for-word. Paul, in Galatians, said that if anyone, even an angel from heaven came preaching any other gospel than what he had proclaimed to them, let him be accursed. The Muslim seeks to save himself by his works. The Christian is saved by God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The Muslims circle around and bow toward a rock in Mecca. How is that not idolatry? Why is it that they who claim to be submissive to God do not accept God manifest in the flesh? Muhammad died and was buried. Jesus died and arose from the dead. Muhammad, and all his followers will bow the knee to Jesus Christ. It is not at the name of Muhammad, nor at the name of the moon god Allah that every knee will bow. It is at the name of Jesus Christ that every knee will bow, whether in heaven above, on the earth, or under the earth (see Philippians 2:5-11). <br />
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Muslims come here and enjoy tolerance and acceptance. Americans do not accuse all Muslims of the crimes of the few who perpetrated the attacks on September 11, 2001. Christians are not welcome, and are persecuted in many Muslim countries. Why is there no outrage over this? Where is the equity? Why would a Muslim want to come here and enjoy the freedoms that America offers and then turn around and seek to change America into the very countries they fled? God forbid that this should happen.<br />
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Is it legal to burn copies of the Koran? Yes, but it is not wise to do so. Is it legal for Imam Rauf to promote building an Islamic cultural center and mosque near the site of the terrorist attack perpetrated on September 11, 2001? Yes, but it is not wise to do so. Both men insist on their "right" to do what they want. Neither is willing to listen to and be sensitive to others who view these actions as wrong. Muslims worldwide demand that all others be sensitive to and yield to their demands that their prophet be recognized and honored. Yet, the tolerance they demand is one way. They do not show nor practice the tolerance they demand for themselves. Let tolerance become a two-way street. Let the message of Islam compete freely with the good news of Jesus Christ. When it freely does so, then I would support the building of this "cultural center" at this site. Until then, it remains a painful reminder of the triumphalism displayed by Muslim conquerors who built mosques on the sites of churches as they expanded. The name "Cordoba House" is a deliberate provocation as it is a reminder of this practice. The claim that it comes from a tolerant policy that allowed Cordoba to later become a place where Muslims, Christians, and Jews could work together does not lessen the symbolic significance of the initial destruction of Christian places of worship and building of mosques in their place.<br />
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Don't burn Korans and don't build the Cordoba Center at Park51!StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-17737247543468285412010-08-18T16:31:00.000-04:002010-08-18T16:31:51.254-04:00Long, hot, busy summerThe title sums it up. As cold as it was in January and February, this summer has been HOT. It has been quite busy as well. We have traveled more than we thought we would due to health issues with family members. However, now we are back home, and the fall semester at <a href="http://www.sebts.edu">Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary</a> will start tomorrow.<br />
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My courses will include Old Testament I: Pentateuch and Former Prophets, Christian Theology I, Biblical Greek I, Pastoral Ministry/Equipping Center, and Chapel Choir. Each of these will have its challenges, but the knowledge I expect to gain will be valuable.<br />
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Although I have been a Christian for a long time, and have read the Old Testament multiple times, there is a depth to it, and there is always more to learn from it. Christian Theology should be a fascinating course, but I expect it will be quite difficult. It will challenge me to examine deeply what I believe to ensure it is indeed Christian and biblical. Biblical Greek will help me to look at the New Testament and understand the nuances of language that may not be clearly expressed in a translation. Pastoral Ministry/Equipping Center will be one to help me gain practical experience in a local church setting. Chapel Choir might not seem to fit with the rest of the courses, but it is a privilege to sing and help in the worship of SEBTS chapel services. It isn't as easy as it sounds, as this choir has a high quality of singers and works on some very challenging material.<br />
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I thank God that I have the opportunity to attend <a href="http://www.sebts.edu">SEBTS</a> and receive the training I will need in future service to my LORD and Savior. I may have retired from active duty in the <a href="http://www.army.mil">US Army</a>, but one never retires from serving the Lord Jesus Christ.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-58311245993921347932010-06-02T00:19:00.001-04:002010-06-02T08:29:23.230-04:00End of semester thoughts.Final exams are done, all projects have been submitted, and I await the results. This has been a challenging semester. I believe that this is a worthwhile endeavor. <br />
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Before I started at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, I believed that the Bible was the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Now that I am studying it in depth, I find only increased assurance that we have a reliable copy of the original autographs. In Hermeneutics, we learned about the many copies of the New Testament text, both complete copies and fragments, which have been analyzed and which have been compiled to give us a Bible that is trustworthy. Of the thousands of documents, the majority of discrepancies are differences in spelling. There is no doctrine of Christianity which is founded on anything which is doubtful, but each major doctrine has abundant support in the Bible.<br />
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In Christian History, we learned how from the very first, the deity of Christ was not something that was in doubt. If anything, it was His humanity. One of the earliest heresies was that of the Gnostics, who viewed matter as evil and so thought that the Christ could not be contaminated by something so base as matter. We saw how the church developed, how it became corrupt, and how God raised up people who called for its reformation. We saw how America was influenced by the various religious denominations, and how we came to determine that there would be no national religion, that each state could be able to determine the issue, this being later transformed into an individual right of conscience and self-determination.<br />
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In Evangelism, we learned how evangelism shaped the church from the start. We learned how we need to recognize that we do not need programs and bureaucracy, but how we need a movement of God's Spirit, much as was seen in the First and Second Great Awakenings.<br />
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In Hebrew, we learned to research not only the meaning of individual words, but also the structure of the language to help us understand what Moses, the prophets, and the writers were inspired to write for us. Although we only touched on the surface of it, Discourse Analysis is a field that will certainly help us to understand God's word better as it helps us to see the structure revealing the main points and the background actions and activities in the Bible.<br />
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In Christian Ethics, we were certainly challenged to think more deeply than many of us had thought in our entire lives. It isn't enough to know what we ought to do. One must understand why we do what we do. We need to recognize how our worldview will impact our daily decisions about critical problems. It may seem useless to debate ethical situations, but when it comes to issues of life and death such as abortion, stem-cell research, cloning, euthanasia, capital punishment, torture, and war, we need to ahve a firm ethical foundation so we do not become caught up in a utilitarian mindset.<br />
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Although it has been challenging, this first year in seminary has been rewarding. Next semester will have its own challenges, but for now, I can take a little time to relax and rest before starting in on the next semester's work.<br />
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These are just a few of the books I have read this past year. I will not list them all. These are in no particular order.<br />
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Scott B. Rae, <i>Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics</i><br />
Deutsche Bibelgessellschaft, <i>Biblia Sacra Utriusque Testamenti Editio Hebraica et Graeca</i><br />
Justo L. González, <i>The Story of Christianity</i><br />
Jerry Bridges, <i>The Gospel for Real Life</i><br />
Alvin L. Reid, <i>Radically Unchurched: Who They Are & How to Reach Them</i><br />
Alvin L. Reid, <i>Evangelism Handbook</i><br />
J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace, <i>Reinventing Jesus: How Contemporary Skeptics Miss the Real Jesus and Mislead Popular Culture</i><br />
Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Moisés Silva, <i>Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning</i><br />
<i>Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar</i> Edited and Enlarged by E. Kautzsch, Translated by A. E. Cowley<br />
F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, <i>The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon</i><br />
J. Weingreen, <i>A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew</i><br />
John M. Frame, <i>The Doctrine of the Christian Life</i><br />
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There were many others as well that I read all or parts of for this year's studies. I praise God for His blessings, and for a wonderful and supportive wife. I give to God all the glory.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-19551456260660747002010-05-10T17:10:00.005-04:002010-05-11T13:08:28.137-04:00How do you value a life?In my Christian Ethics class, we have been studying many issues that impact real life. Some of them have to do with life and how we make decisions regarding life's situations. We hear much in the news of debates on abortion, fetal stem-cell research, cloning, and euthanasia. How are we to sort through all of the noise and come down to the basic issues so we can determine the right course of action?<br />
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First, I have observed through the years that many people make decisions based on emotions and feelings. Even when they profess to have thought things through, the decisions often come out in favor of what they "feel" is right. Whether they will admit it or not, they have concluded that there is no authoritative basis on which one can examine life's issues in order to determine whether any course of action is moral or immoral, right or wrong. It has become common in our so-called post-modern age to think that what is right for me may not be right for you. Each of us has our own view of what is right, and we cannot impose our "right" on you, nor can you impose your "right" on me. In short, what is being described is chaos.<br />
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Every day, we live with laws that determine our actions. When someone runs a red light and causes an accident, that person is cited for a violation. Society cannot function without a basic commonality of right and wrong. We accept that it is right for me to own something and wrong for someone else to come in at night or while I am gone and take it. We consider murder wrong and sentence the murderer to capital punishment or lifetime confinement.<br />
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How do we determine what makes something right or wrong? One may say that it is just a basic understanding among humans that we need these laws in order for society to function. That only goes so far. What makes it right? Is every law enacted by our congress, for example, a good or right law? On what basis can we judge?<br />
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As a Christian, I accept that God created all things. He is the source of authority. Man (male and female) was created in His image. We are image bearers. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, this image was marred. Despite the fall, we still have to draw from Him the principles for living. Thomas Aquinas wrote in his <i>Summa Theologica</i> on the concept of "Exitus et Reditus," that is, everything flows out from God by His glory and everything returns to God for His glory (<i>Summa Theologica</i> I, 44-119 cited in class notes). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">According to Augustine, the image of God in man orients him to God in invocation, knowledge and love.<a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040723_communion-stewardship_en.html">(Confessions I, 1,1)</a>. If we view this as a compass, God our returning to God is viewed as True North and any departure from this true north is evil or sin. He provided grace and truth, and we owe Him our worship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">When we consider these issues of life and death, many take a purely utilitarian stance. In class, this was laid out as a bell curve with the value of life being the vertical axis and time (conception to death) being the horizontal access. Some view life as only being worth living (or allowing life to exist) if it exceeds a minimum level of functionality. In other words, a newly conceived embryo through birth starts with no value and slowly increases in value until such time as the child is born. Even then, the value to society is not very high until that child becomes a contributing member. On the other side of the bell curve, as one retires and ages, the value to society decreases to the point where that individual is viewed as no longer of sufficient value to allow for continued existence. Thus, both abortion and euthanasia are condoned since those aborted or euthanized are either not yet able to contribute, or are past the ability to contribute to society. This is a dangerous position as shown by how Nazi Germany justified the murder of millions as </span><span lang="de" xml:lang="de"></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_unworthy_of_life">"Lebensunwertes Leben"</a> or life not worthy of living.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Our True North must be to take God's guidance from His word and apply it to our life's situations. Our value lies not in our functionality, but in the value God gives. That value begins at conception and continues to natural death. To intentionally take a life then becomes a departure from True North, and is therefore sin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">What happens then if we have made such choices? The Bible is clear. Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can find forgiveness. We must repent of our sin (not just feel sorry for having been caught, but admit that our actions were wrong and our motives impure). We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to provide an atonement for our sins. If we do so, then we can find acceptance and we can rediscover our True North. </span><br />
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</span>StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-80117466180056030442010-05-07T21:22:00.001-04:002010-05-07T22:22:30.158-04:00Not as advertisedWe recently made a change in cell providers. I purchased a smart phone for me and a semi-smart phone for my wife. I had listened to the various advertisements, thought I had researched the various models adequately, and then made the commitment to execute the purchase and activation of the new service and phones.<br />
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Little did I now that for all of the hype, my new smart phone lacks a basic feature that my two previous phones had--the ability to initiate a telephone call using voice recognition from a Bluetooth headset. This little bit of information was not available in the material I viewed. Although it has many capabilities, this is a basic feature that should be present, especially since so many states either have, or are shortly going to have restrictions against hand-held phones being used while driving.<br />
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This is much like so many things that we see. Beer and other alcoholic beverages are advertised, showing the "good times" that one may have. What is not shown are the consequences of its use. We see the glamor, not the hangover. We see personal body sprays advertised to young men showing that if they use them, beautiful young women will be irresistibly attracted to them. We do not see the consequences of casual sex with multiple partners--venereal disease, emotional wreckage, skyrocketing out-of-wedlock births, etc.<br />
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The biggest failure to disclose the truth happened in Eden. The serpent said that there would be no negative effects if Eve took and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam watched, and when he did not see anything bad happen to Eve immediately, also ate. It was only afterward that he understood.<br />
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In the case of the phone, I did find that the media system in our automobile had the capability of supplying what the phone lacked so I am able to dial hands-free and stay within the laws of the various states through which we will be driving this summer. Our lives have a similar problem. In Adam, we all sinned and are separate from God. The Bible says that we are ". . . dead in our trespasses . . . " (Ephesians 2:5). We think we can reform ourselves--make ourselves good enough so that God will have to accept us. We deceive ourselves, because Paul, quoting Psalm 14, said, "None is righteous, no, not one . . . " (Romans 3:10ff) We, like the phone, require someone outside of ourselves to save us.<br />
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That one is Jesus Christ. "God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9b, see also v. 10). So, if we repent (which means to turn away from sin and to Jesus Christ) and place our faith in Him, we can have eternal life.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8248760077332040574.post-66117922122854705862010-05-06T22:32:00.000-04:002010-05-06T22:51:35.450-04:00The Wanderings BeginI have been delaying the start of this for many years. By nature, I am reserved, and the thought of my musings being out there for all to see gave me great anxiety. Although I felt a need to move into the open forum of the Internet, my desire to maintain my privacy overrode that need, at least, until now.<br /><br />Why now? I realize that there are things that need to be said. As one who has been a pilgrim for many years (If you don't understand why I am using that word, please look up John Bunyan's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pilgrim's Progress</span>.), I have too often been reluctant to speak of that which has been of great importance to me--my salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ, my Lord.<br /><br />I hope in this blog to address various topics related to life issues that touch us all. I will be posting from an unashamedly Christian perspective. This initial post may seem vague. Admittedly it is so. I will provide more details in later posts.<br /><br />One thing that must never be forgotten: We are all pilgrims in one fashion or another. I chose to go by the way of the Cross of Christ, through the wicket gate, and on to the narrow path that leads to the Celestial City. I hope that through this blog, someone may be persuaded to investigate the claims of Christ, and find through Him salvation.StephenHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08725712671740699381noreply@blogger.com0