Articles - Acts II Ministries

Land of the Free?

2009-07-03T18:05:00.001-04:00

It’s almost July 4th again. It will be time to light sparklers, barbecue hamburgers and watch fabulous fireworks displays. It is truly an American holiday. Our favorite patriotic songs declare America to be a bastion of freedom. Using lyrics such as “sweet land of liberty and land of the free,” Americans have boasted that their country celebrated the individuals’ God-given “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Freedom and America have almost become synonymous.

But, historically, there always seems to be someone who wants to take freedom away. This robbery is usually carried out through war or through legislation. So, while governments can be a great protection to their people, they also tend to be the greatest threat to that liberty. That is what was so alarming about a story that surfaced recently in California, causing many citizens to take notice. According to a the San Diego News, “ A local pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, who then threatened them with escalating fines if they continued to hold Bible studies in their home…” (http://www.10news.com/news/19562217/detail.html)

Where have our liberties gone?! Do Americans want so much government control that they are required to get a permit in order to have a birthday party, a Memorial Day cookout, a Tupperware party, or a wedding reception in their own home? Do we want some bureaucrat telling us if we can pray at home, or have some friends over to discuss a political matter? Are we still the land of the free?

In my opinion, America has enjoyed being one of the most prosperous nations in the world because we honored God and the liberties he intends all men to enjoy. To abandon freedom and embrace a system in which the government takes care of everything and, therefore, controls everything will ruin more than a good holiday, it will ruin a great country.

Even casual students of history will quickly recognize that bureaucracy and unjust courts are the trademark of nations who have lost their moorings. As the saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” If a nation does not stand for justice and liberty, it will soon be nothing more than a group of people who are dominated by a ruling class.

God felt strongly about the need for good morals and true justice. On many occasions He told his people that he would rather that they didn’t even come to church and pretend to be religious if they were not going to live right. Here’s one example of God expressing his opinion on the matter:

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! “ (Amos 5:21-24NIV)

A free nation is made up of people... people who must take justice and righteousness into consideration when they vote… people who must pray for their leaders… people who must seek God’s face and turn from wrong behavior. That is what gave America her good start. That is where a nation gets true liberty. It’s almost July 4th again, let’s celebrate it heartily with cookouts, fireworks and lives filled with righteousness and justice.

When Your Life Falls Apart

2009-06-26T14:37:00.001-04:00

We listen intently to a true story many of us had already heard on several other occasions. Every time he tells it I am moved and left wondering what it would have been like to know this man in his other life. He tells of a time when he was a “party animal”, so bound by alcohol and drugs that his life was dysfunctional. Finally everything seemed to fall apart. In a single day he was taken to Harrington hospital twice by the same paramedics. First he was retrieved from a gutter downtown and then sent home to sober up. A few hours later, still under the influence, he was run over by a car. The entire audience relives his frustration and pain as he tells us about some of the worst days of his life.

Today this same man is one of the most functional and likeable men you’ll ever meet. Now he is a faithful husband, a great employee, licensed minister and an elder of our church. It is hard to imagine him being the person he talks about. It begs the question, “How does a life that is falling apart turn out so great?”

That question is answered very shortly as he continues his tale. On the day his life fell apart he prayed a simple, desperate prayer asking God (if He really existed) to show him a better way. Within days of that request he was assigned to be trained at work by a man who turned out to be a Spirit-filled Christian. During the next few weeks he got a crash course in what it means to believe in and commit your life to Christ. Shortly thereafter he attended a service where he was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in another language just as the disciples were on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) Then came several years in which God used his church to help him rebuild his life on a better foundation. God let him hit bottom so he would look up.

His story of a new, better life is not common enough, but neither is it rare. Our assembly is filled with people who came to life-changing crises in their lives -- crises that forced them to consider their weakness and their need for a Savior. Situations that seemed so hopeless and sad became turning points – opportunities to start over. Perhaps that explains why those same people are so anxious to help others find their way to a better life. They are not trying to force their morals and values on others, they are just eager to help them discover the principles that helped remodel their own lives. Many of them used to be very skeptical of Christianity, but then they tried it and found that it works!

Unfortunately, many of us are like the reckless teenager who has to barely survive a terrible car accident before becoming a responsible driver. A word to the wise: The sooner you seek God and His better way of living, the less likely it is that you will have to hit bottom. But if you do, there’s still hope -- I have a bunch of church friends who are living proof of that.

Atta Batta Swing!

2009-06-19T16:01:00.000-04:00

Life can be brutal at times. It’s like baseball. You’re up to bat, half the world is expecting you to save the day and the rest is hoping you won’t. You feel a lump in your throat, a knot in your stomach and the sun is in your eyes. Your team is behind, the bases are loaded, the pitcher is intimidating and all you can think of is the times you struck out. The ball comes fast and it’s hard to know whether or not you should take a swing. Everybody’s got advice. What’s a person to do?

For some of you, there’s another, happier element to the baseball scenario, because you had the privilege of having a dad in the stands when you stepped up to the plate. Someone to cheer you on. Someone who believed in you. Someone who would spend time with you, helping you improve that curve ball. If that has been your experience, then you know why we set aside a special day just for dads. A few words from dad can go a long way toward giving us courage.

Being a great baseball player requires such courage; the kind of courage exhibited by Hank Aaron, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2002. When he was 39, Aaron hit 30 home runs in 392 at-bats. This gave him a total of 713 home runs in his career. Between seasons, Aaron received death threats and hate mail from people who didn’t want a black man to break Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs. But on April 8, 1974, in spite of cold and drizzle in Atlanta, Aaron hit career home run 715 in the 4th inning. Several years later, on July 20, 1976, Hank Aaron hit his 755th and final home run. I don’t know who was cheering Hank on, but somehow he found the strength to persevere.

Life is a challenge for all of us. Whether it is people’s voices in your head, less than encouraging past experiences, or legitimate challenges, life can be brutal. What a difference it makes when there is a dad in the stands to urge us onward. I would like to thank all the fathers who have given us courage. Thank you for showing us how to be responsible and loving. Thank you for speaking into our lives even though you may be a man of few words. Thank you for cheering us on even though you knew we were not perfect. Thank you for being there to offset everyone in the stands who is chanting “atta batta, swing.”

Bravely taking one’s place in life takes great courage. Jesus modeled this. He stepped up to the plate and touched the lives of others in His world. He taught, loved and healed. There were always detractors and naysayers, even when he did his greatest miracles. Satan, himself, was Jesus’ ultimate detractor. But the man, Christ Jesus, had the encouragement of His Father to urge Him onward. If you don’t have the encouraging voice of a human father in your life -- not to worry. You, too, have a Heavenly Father. If you will run into His arms, He has words of comfort and encouragement for you. At your toughest moments, when everyone is shouting “atta batta, swing,” you’ll find him in the stands applauding your every effort.

Almost A Criminal

2009-06-12T16:42:00.000-04:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I almost became a criminal? I was a mere teenager with my whole life ahead of me when I foolishly conspired with my second cousin to commit arson. Ok, that might be a bit over-stated. We weren’t really trying to burn anything down, but we were lucky that we didn’t start a prairie fire.

It was probably mid-summer. My cohort and I were traversing our uncle’s 300 acre farm in Pompey’s Pillar, Montana. We were walking up a dirt road toward the farm junkyard. The road was nothing more than two tire tracks with a strip of tall, brown, dry grass between them. One of us, I honestly don’t remember who, had acquired some matches. Since we were now out of sight of the house, we decided to play with fire.

I remember striking a match tossing it into the grass, then immediately stomping on it. It was a lot of fun, but it should have been a tip-off that we were toying with stupidity several matches later when I stomped on a match and the flames billowed out around my sneakers demanding that I stomp a second and third time. Unfortunately, some of us are slow learners. We continued our experiment with combustibles. Another match… another stomp… a little breeze… and soon the fire spread faster than our feet could dance.

After an initial panic we had the presence of mind to run ten or fifteen feet downwind and tear out a portion of the grass that was in the middle of the road. Then, as the flames approached we threw handfuls of dirt at the inferno until the flames finally died out. When the episode was over we stood shaking, staring at 20 or more feet of charred grass. It began to dawn on us that if we had been tossing matches to the side of the road rather than in the center patch of grass, we might have started a fire which would have likely burned several acres before being extinguished. We would have been responsible for damage we didn’t intend to cause. That would have been criminal.

I often wonder how many times we play with fire, never thinking about the far-reaching ramifications. We don’t pause to consider how a little flirtation could leave a child fatherless, how a few beers and a drive could end innocent lives, or how a few dollars stolen from the till could result in a criminal record. The thrill that accompanies a struck match, or an instant flame is too tempting. No one is looking, we reason, so why not engage in inappropriate behavior or cheat a little? It’s only a little match that can be easily stomped out. “Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” (James 3:5)

I don’t know if anyone ever noticed that twenty feet of charred road. Thankfully, my foolishness taught me a lesson. I learned that rules, boundaries and prudence are my friends. I learned that dry grass burns fast and the caution “don’t play with fire,” was issued with my well-being in mind. In years to come I would learn many similar lessons, only about different kinds of fire. Somebody was looking out for a couple of young boys on the high plains of Montana back in the 70s. Had we been engaging in such foolishness just a few feet to one side, the runaway fire might have made me a criminal.

Living Life God’s Way

2009-06-04T10:15:00.002-04:00

Amidst all the best-kept-secrets in the world is “the biggie” -- a well-known secret that is obscured by a popular culture that is afraid of personal responsibility and by a few basic misconceptions regarding the definition of a real Christian. The secret: being a Bible believing Christian (that doesn’t cuss, drink, steal or cheat on his spouse) is truly one of the most enjoyable and rewarding lifestyles available. Living life God’s way is not a chore, it is simply following the manufacturer’s manual to enjoy maximum performance.
Years ago a well known preacher once challenged his audience to live life God’s way. Then he articulated the difference in a self-centered life and a God-directed life. As you read his philosophy below, ask yourself how much you agree with his line of reasoning.

“Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” (Galatians 5:18-23 The Message).

This preacher, St. Paul, became one of the world’s greatest missionaries. He wrote most of the letters that now make up the New Testament. If you had trouble agreeing with the quotation above, then your world view is not a Biblical world view. If your world view is not Biblical, then you have not chosen to live your life God’s way.

The good news is that it is never too late to start living life God’s way. If you should choose to embark on this journey you will find that it is much like the life advertised by the Peace Corps: “It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.” Living right is hard work and requires much discipline, but the results are very wholesome and gratifying. Establishing habits such as attending a Bible-believing church can be a challenge, but your whole family will benefit in ways too numerous to mention. Life was a great idea that God came up with; He knows how it works best. Living life contrary to God’s plan is as frustrating as riding a motorcycle but refusing to put gas in it.

If life doesn’t seem to be unfolding quite the way you expected… if your world view isn’t working….. if you are a “Christian” but are not Spirit-led… I challenge you to take a month of your life and give God’s way a shot. Read Galatians 5:18-23 every day, try to live it out, and see if it doesn’t make a big difference in your life.

Kind Words or Hate Speech?

2009-05-26T10:04:00.001-04:00

I was crying profusely. My favorite uncle had just punished me for what I thought was such a minor infraction. I was not crying due to physical pain, because he had been gentle, but firm. I was crying because he had dared to correct me. My infraction: watching him weld without wearing my welder’s helmet. Was he hateful to be so stern with his young nephew? Considering that prolonged activity of that sort would have allowed ultraviolet radiation to cause damage to my eyes, I think not. I would not have detected the damage until hours later, and a repeated injury of this sort might have resulted in cataracts. Teaching me to take care of my eyes was one of the kindest things my uncle could do for me.

I am alarmed about a social trend which defines the hateful as kind and the kind as hateful. Parents are discouraged from giving their children loving direction. A humanistic cultural revolution is preaching tolerance while extinguishing time-proven morals and values through legislative, judicial and executive manipulation. Whenever someone with common sense speaks up concerning an issue they are reprimanded with accusations that they are engaging in “hate speech” -- as if it is hateful to tell the truth. This is a recipe for societal collapse.

The Bible warns: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20) If we’re not careful people who should know better will react as I did when I was a pre-teen peeking at my uncle’s welding arc; we will think of kindness as being hateful. The truth is that it is sometimes more hateful to not point out the dangers of certain activities. The kindest thing we can do is to hold fast to long-held morals and values, in spite of the politically correct rhetoric that deems such expressions of love as hateful.

Allow me to clarify with a few examples of what I would consider to be kind words and what I would consider to be hate speech:

Kind words:
1. Don’t stick things into electrical sockets.
2. Don’t play in traffic or play with guns.
3. Killing babies is wrong.
4. There are house rules you must obey.
5. It’s always wrong to cheat on your spouse.
6. Not all roads lead to heaven.
7. Be the man God made you to be.
8. Unlike in the movies, you are responsible for your actions.
9. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
10. Life on earth is just the entryway to a much longer and better life, for those who choose eternal life in Christ.

Real hate speech:
1. Whatever feels good, do it.
2. Believing in absolutes is bigotry.
3. Whatever you do, take care of #1.
4. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do.
5. God doesn’t care how you behave.
6. There is no such thing as evil.
7. Whatever makes sense to you is what is moral.
8. We accidently evolved from lower forms of life.
9. There is safe sex outside of marriage.
10. When you die you cease to exist.

As a former school teacher, I can assure you that children left to their own judgment do not instinctively create a safe and healthy learning environment. Our children need kind words. I have also lived long enough to have some of my former students thank me for the kind words of discipline which I spoke into their lives decades ago. Parents, teachers, students, bosses, policy makers, city council members, ministers….thank you for your kind words. Thank you for risking your politically correct status and speaking the truth in love.

Would Our Government Fund Slavery?

2009-05-20T14:04:00.001-04:00

Amid the clamor of those groping for government handouts are a couple of unexpected petitioners. “…adult-entertainment moguls Larry Flynt and Joe Francis said Wednesday that they are asking Washington for a $5 billion federal bailout, claiming that the porn business is suffering from the soft economy….The request, Francis said, was being made in a letter to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The $5 billion figure, he said, reflects the decline in U.S. adult-entertainment- industry revenue from $18 billion three years ago. (Kevin Modesti of the LA Daily News, Thursday, January 08, 2009)

Surely they jest! How could such an inhumane industry even be considered for government assistance? Pornography is a type of modern-day slavery; it enslaves the viewed and the viewers. Just as prospective masters used to look at the teeth, the muscle tone, and the attractiveness of the humans they traded, modern consumers browse magazines, movies and the internet looking at body parts and lewd behavior they can purchase. Those who pose are literally selling their bodies and those who watch often find that their minds and emotions become addicted (enslaved) to it.

Admittedly, some of these sex objects are in the business of their own free will. However, many are doing it because of their desperate financial straits and some (especially children and teens) are doing it because they have no choice. Wouldn’t it be rather hypocritical for America to celebrate its decency and sensitivity to civil rights and then financially underwrite pornography?

Pornography is one of the largest industries of our day. Morally speaking it is just as despicable as the slum Lords, sweat shop owners and slave traders of yesteryear. This industry is dumping more toxic waste into the streams of society than all the factories in the world are dumping into our physical waterways. If the industry is waning, we would do well to let it fail. After all, self-respecting society doesn’t encourage its citizens to parade their nakedness and gawk at the nakedness of others.

Women should be especially offended by this business. Many readers will agree with Raymond Woodward who wrote: Women who have failed to condemn pornography have “unwittingly aided the most heinous assault against the female gender ever devised in the pits of hell…It is a virus that kills intimacy, dignity, reality, and spirituality. It snuffs out the soul of everyone it touches, because it reduces humanity to a commodity to be used…Gary Brooks, a psychologist who studies pornography at A&M university, has demonstrated that even “soft-core” pornography has a very negative effect on men because ‘it’s voyeurism—it teaches men to view women as objects rather than to be in relationships with women as human beings.’” (The Pentecostal Herald)

I Thessalonians 4:3 and I Corinthians 6:18 advise us to “flee fornication” (sex outside of biblical marriage), not because it is a forbidden joy, but because it is slavery. If you are bound by pornography it might be an encouragement to know that many people have been set free. The key is to get to know God intimately. Let Him give you a life of dignity and self-respect by means of His unconditional love.

On September 22, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves in Confederate states. We celebrate that legislation, and we should. But, it is high time for emancipation from the slavery of pornography. Men, treat your wives, daughters and girlfriends with respect and dignity. Women, do the same for the men in your life. Emancipate your mind. Emancipate children and young people who are selling their bodies and souls. Don’t buy the stuff and ask your government not to underwrite those who do. That is all it would take to bankrupt this whole system of slavery.

Mounting Proof Against Evolution

2009-05-11T18:16:00.000-04:00

Our society is the best observable evidence that the theory of evolution doesn’t hold true. Crime is up, divorce is up, faith in God is down, greed and sloth are increasing. Few people will disagree that, in their lifetimes, our society has degenerated. We are in desperate need of a fresh infusion of goodness.

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the concept of entropy, over time all systems tend to become more disorderly and break down. Organisms and systems don’t naturally evolve from bad to good or from lower forms of life to higher forms of life. In the case of social and moral systems, entropy has been proven again and again. Our society in no exception, and most honest citizens are recognizing that things are getting worse. Our nation was formed based on faith in the Christian God, freedom, honesty and family. Those values are not only disappearing, they are being openly and officially opposed.

Consider the evidence. Alcoholism, drug abuse and extra marital affairs used to be private matters, but now they are the central factors in most high profile deaths, arrests and trials. The best paid people in our society used to be those in the helping, protecting or building professions, but now entertainers, money brokers and sports figures are best paid and even demand exorbitant salaries. As demonstrated by popular entertainment, our treatment of one another has grown less civil and even vicious… almost animalistic at times. We are never more like lower forms of animal life than when we mate in public, pay to see people bash one another, and publically flaunt selfishness and greed. One need not look any further than movies and daytime television to see that these behaviors are becoming “normal”.

If evolution holds true and is still working, mankind would be becoming less like animals, the world would be getting less polluted and every endangered species would simply adapt and save itself. If the creation is true and still working, when things get bad God, the source of life and every good thing, can fix it. Mankind naturally gets worse until God is allowed to step in and provides the strength to change. Of course, if we choose to refuse His help by not applying his principles to our nation, our family, or our personal lives, things will get worse and worse.

But, enough of the diagnosis. There is a huge silver lining to this dark cloud. Mankind was created with the capacity for love, decency, creativity, kindness, humility…. and when a person or a society finds itself bankrupt of these virtues, they can turn to God and be renewed. The Bible says it like this: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV) An infusion of goodness is possible. Revival can still happen. God provides the power; we provide the desire.

In fact, if we choose to live God’s way, we have the privilege of being the best observable evidence that there is a Creator. Think of it: cultural deterioration proves that time alone does not make things better but that things naturally go downhill, but one changed life becomes proof that God’s is powerful and creative. The end result is that both good and evil are proving that all good things come from God.

Are Christians Paranoid?

2009-04-24T10:51:00.002-04:00

As a child I had the great privilege of sitting in church and listening to knowledgeable speakers from all over the world give rousing speeches on what was going to happen in the future, as predicted by the Bible. I heard about: a one-world government, a one-world religion that was tolerant of everything but Christianity, a one-world currency, and a coming financial system that would require everyone to be “marked” in order to by or sell. The latter prediction went something like this: One of these days the whole world will be led by a man who will be able to control everyone by refusing to let them do business without being a part of the world system of government.” This teaching was based on Scripture passages such as the one below:

“He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.” (Revelation 13:16-18 NLT)

Many people dismissed the above theories as paranoia. It was all so Orwellian. I remember the scorn and skepticism encountered by those like my parents who dared believe such “nonsense”. Skeptics would query, “How in the world could a single government be able to keep track of every single person on the planet, and how would they get countries like Russia to get on board?” Others wondered, “If we can’t even get Pentecostals and Lutherans to agree on things, how would it be possible to get Hindus, Muslims and Christian to agree on anything?”

Today, however, the once-predicted developments are almost universally accepted as inevitable. U.S. presidents talk about a “New World Order”, or being a “citizen of the world.” At every turn one can see the world predicted in scripture coming into view. Below are three prime examples.

In a matter of months, Americans have watched the stock market crash and the U.S. government take unprecedented steps toward ownership of major companies and banks. The whole world is in financial turmoil, causing some to call for a world bank that controls all funds. There is also serious talk of a one-world currency. (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25173126-12377,00.html)
Recently, in Hartford CT, an anti-family group spearheaded a legal attack against the Catholic Church. They recommended that the state dictate who controls the spending of charitable contributions; in other words, they recommended a state-controlled religion. That is as ridiculous as giving congress the right to spend funds raised by the Lion’s Club or Toastmasters, but waters are brazenly being tested.
Recent technological developments such as cell phones, bank cards, retinal scanners, implantable microchips, etc. have paved the way for a cashless society and greater government control. I recently talked to a parent from Woodstock CT who told me grade-school children now use their fingerprint to pay for hot lunches.

It turns out those “crazy preachers” weren’t paranoid - they were spot on! A world system is unfolding just as they predicted. That scares some folks, but maybe there is a bright side to all of this. If the Bible has been proven true in these matters, then we can be confident in the rest of its message. The same Bible that predicted a one-world government predicted that many people would become believers during this period of time. True believers have no need to be paranoid, because they are living by the Book that keeps getting proved right -- a Book that tells of God’s great love. And “perfect love casteth out fear:” (1 John 4:18 KJV)

How To Achieve Immortality?

2009-04-10T11:56:00.001-04:00

In her book Distracted, Maggie Jackson refers to a freakish and eerie display in the main building of University College London. The display is the frock-cloaked skeleton and wax head of a political philosopher by the name of Jerry Bentham, who died in 1832 at eighty-four years of age. For many years his real head, which had been mangled at an unsuccessful mummification attempt, lay at the foot of the skeleton

“Per his stipulation, Bentham sits in his own straight-back chair, his favorite walking stick resting on his knees, gazing back at gawkers from a glass-fronted wooden box, an eerie testimony to his faith in the power of permanent visibility in all realms… not surprisingly, the social critic and legal reformer had bigger plans for his auto-icon than resting quietly in a case like a preserved butterfly. Along with leaving detailed instructions for his corpse’s public dissection by his personal physician and for the subsequent preservation of his body, Bentham decreed in his will that his auto-icon should be brought to meetings of his friends and followers ‘to be stationed in such part of the room as to the assembled company seem meet.’ In 2004, the auto-icon attended a university retirement party.” (Distracted. Maggie Jackson, p.127-128)

I think it is safe to say that Mr. Bentham was one of those people who was looking for some way to make his life count beyond the grave. He, like many others was seeking immortality. Many have attempted to achieve immortality through acting, writing, donating, ruling, doing suicide missions, breaking performance records, etc. But, alas, although some of them managed to be remembered by subsequent generations, they have not truly achieved immortality.

There is only one historical figure who has achieved immortality and then returned from the grave to demonstrate that He had done so -- Jesus Christ. He predicted: his death, the kind of execution he would experience, the number of days he would be dead and the time he would return from death. Jesus Christ didn’t just talk about immortality, He achieved it. His death and resurrection were so evident that neither Rome nor the Jewish leaders of His day could prove otherwise. It was this undeniable proof that transformed his disciples from cowards to martyrs. They were willing to die because they had witnessed their Master conquer death.

After demonstrating His authority over death, Jesus invited anyone who would believes to follow Him into immortality. The Bible says, “Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.” (I Corinthians 15:21-22 NLT)

How does it work? That’s what people asked St. Peter. He answered like this:
“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NLT)

St. Paul explained it like this: a believer dies to themselves, is buried with Christ in baptism (that is why we baptize in Jesus name), and then rises to a newness of life by receiving the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:4)

Jesus described this process as being born again. (John 3:5) When you become a Christian, you are born into God’s kingdom – a kingdom where you live even after you die. That’s how to achieve immortality!

The Greatest Bailout In History

2009-04-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

Everybody’s talking about it. Some think it will save our economy; others think it will ruin it. It has been referred to as a “bailout”, but since that word has so many negative connotations, it has quickly become politically incorrect to refer to the massive governmental interventions using that term. By now, I’m sure most people are realizing this is not really a bailout – it is a deferred crisis. While some segments of economy may be temporarily energized, much of the money will be spent on ideological or pet projects and the entire population will be paying through the nose for decades to come. The recent congressional spending craze has been likened to “The New Deal” which comforted the public during the time of depression, but did not salvage the economy. Like me, you may be wondering, “How do politicians get away with the same sleight of hand decade after decade?” It appears that they are wise to human nature; they recognize that everyone is hoping for someone to step forward and save them. Everyone wants a Savior.

Ironically, the greatest bailout in history has already taken place and many folks are missing out on, and sometimes even refusing, it’s benefits. I am referring to a genuine bailout; in this case the beneficiaries don’t pay a thing! We will soon be celebrating a holiday that marks the anniversary of “the bailout of all bailouts” to which I refer. On Good Friday we will commemorate the day Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God, paid your debt of sin in full. On the day Christ was brutally murdered by the politically correct establishment, He bailed you out and gave you an invitation to claim your gift of eternal life. He laid down His life so you could pick up yours. You have been offered life and that more abundant. (John 10:10)

“What’s the catch?” you may ask. There is no “catch,” but there is a sifting process – a process that God put in place. He doesn’t arbitrarily give forgiveness and eternal life to everyone. He responds only to those who will admit that Jesus is God, and who will obey Him as if He is God. Did you notice the sieve? If we accept his Him as Savior we must also accept Him as Lord. Salvation is free, but it requires someone to take up the lifestyle that comes with it. The lifestyle is healthier in every way and the bailout is forever! It’s that simple. There is not smarter move in the world.

God’s bailout was a brilliant plan. According to Scripture, one day everyone will admit that God and His plan are the greatest: “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord… (Philippians 2:10-11 TLB) Today you have a bottom-floor opportunity. You can sign up by being “born again.” Then you can enjoy the benefits of clean living as you prepare for your life in heaven. You’ll want to take advantage of this bailout.

Is God Hiding?

2009-03-21T16:09:00.001-04:00

You may have heard someone ask: “If God is so big and powerful, then why is He so hard to find? Is He Hiding?” The answer to the latter question is, “Yes, God is hiding in plain sight.” He will only be had by those who really want Him. I am confident in that answer because of the answer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked Him about the subject:

“The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:
“Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them.”

"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. " (Matthew 13:10-16 MSG)

Consider how this plays out in the real world. God created a universe so complex and amazing that everyone has a chance to see and admire His handiwork. (Romans 1 states than no one has an excuse not to believe in a Creator.) However, because God does not force Himself on us, He allowed arrogant men to concoct unscientific theories such as evolution, and indoctrinate grade-school children with the foolish notion that there is no God. As a result, only those who are willing to be honest with observable science will press past the deception and discover truths like:
· the earth is young
· there was a world-wide flood
· dinosaurs and mankind coexisted
· man has only inhabited the earth for thousands of years
The above are easily proven from observable science – real science -- but only those who are willing to believe will see. Those too stubborn to believe will be “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7-8 NIV)
God is secure. He has no need to prove Himself. He does not do tricks for those who demand for Him to show His power. He runs the universe on His terms. He has no need or obligation to jump through hoops so men will believe in Him. He has already provided sufficient proof. He was born of a virgin. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He accurately predicted His own death and resurrection. He ascended into heaven in the sight of 500 witnesses. If people refuse to believe after all of that, why would some new miracle convince them?
God is not desperate for a relationship with us. He demonstrated His love and now He waits for those who will respond in kind. His Gospel is plain to those who will believe, but hidden from those who are willing to let theories, philosophies and religions hide them from the One True and Living God.

Who Has The Right to Complain?

2009-03-06T12:29:00.001-05:00

We are living in unsettling times; so unsettling that people are ready to forfeit their basic liberties to those who they think just might be able to save them. Christians are in awe as they watch economies collapse and world powers rise just as scripture predicted, but we are still shocked and saddened at the sight. Of late, most of the American public feels like they have been violated. Millions of dollars have been swindled, trillions in taxes are being levied, and our entire nation is morphing into something very different than was intended by our founding fathers. All these developments have generated a great deal of complaining. I pose the question: Who has complaining rights?

Wall Street was greedy. Executives lied and cheated. Politicians manipulated and sold out their constituents. Contracts were broken. Schools became dangerous. History was rewritten. Decency disappeared. It seems like the world is spinning out of control!

For America the problem is painfully simple. Over time, many Americans have chosen to change their basic value system. Every honest historian will tell you the same thing the engravings on our nation’s federal buildings and monuments declare – we are a nation that was founded under God. Our government was founded on the principles of the Ten Commandments - that’s a fact. It is incredible that we should seem so shocked that the building is crumbling when we have systematically allowed every branch of government to remove the very foundation of our country. We have no right to complain, if we did not resist this trend.

The truth is some of you may have complaining rights. If you have rejected the status quo morals of our day that allow for cheating on spouses, little white lies, and self-centered living then you have a right to complain when executives and politicians live out those values. If you are committed to being honest on your taxes, paying your bills, sacrificing for your family, and spending your money wisely, they you have a right to complain when others in your society do otherwise. If you have remained true to the Ten Commandments, then you’ve earned the right to complain about a nation gone rogue.

Of course, complaining does little good. Even prayer only goes so far. God answers prayer, and God could do some things to intervene, but it will always come back to the will of the people. Unless America, as a whole, chooses to live by God’s morals and values, it will continue to crumble. We should pray for our country, but God won’t cheat for any nation or individual.

Here’s the good news. If you live in a nation that does not choose wisely as a corporate entity, you can still succeed as an individual. You can be a bright light in a dark world… a rose among thorns… a wise person among fools. Then you will discover that complaining is a waste of time, but helping other individuals rediscover things like purity, honesty and integrity will change the world – at least your world. More important than a right to complain is the God-given right and power to choose. You may have been violated, but you have the opportunity to see that no one is violated as a result of your actions. No world leader will solve this crisis, but your right personal responses will insure a strong personal foundation. If enough other people choose well, entire nations will be blessed. If not, at least you and yours will be blessed, both now and forevermore.

Tunnels of the Soul

2009-02-20T12:02:00.000-05:00

Some people have claimed they don’t exist. Others swear they’ve been in them. People who have had access to them insist that co-workers escaped there for naps, smokes and romantic meetings. Whatever the story, there is no little mystery surrounding the tunnels beneath the town of Southbridge, MA. According to Joe Capillo’s May 4, 1998 article in the Southbridge Evening news, in the early 1900s American Optical built two utility tunnels, each about a mile long. One tunnel connected company buildings and ran under the Quinebaug River. The other, “the A.B. Wells tunnel, ran from Mr. Wells home on Main Street near Dresser Park to the main plant on Mechanic St.” (see www.dickwhitney.net/AOTunnel.htm)

I’ve driven over these tunnels for years and had no idea they existed. It reminds you of the underground cities that exist beneath downtowns like Toronto, Chicago, New York City and Boston. It makes you wonder how many things go on underground that most of us never know about. Beneath the city streets of our world are millions of miles of culverts, tunnels, pipes and conduits that allow for water, waste, electricity, gas, oil and communication signals to be dispersed or collected as needed. In many cities there are shopping malls, business centers and transportation systems teeming with activity but completely hidden from the crowds that trample them underfoot.

The same is true of individuals. Within all of us are private tunnels of the soul. Beneath our activity and our obvious interaction with others there are important pipelines that are essential to our wellbeing. It is in the recesses of our soul we may have great wells of joy (John 7:28) or deep caverns of darkness and despair. Don’t underestimate the importance of these tunnels. They have great potential for both good and evil. There is a grave tendency to ignore them or pretend they do not exist, but they are real and they are designed by God to be connections to your source of abundant life.

How tempting it is to busily engage in surface activities and menial chores, hoping that we never have to explore the depths of our feelings or the long corridors of our past. But how fascinating and rewarding it is when we allow God to probe the depths of our souls, repair our broken hearts, and speak to us in a deep and personal way. What power and strength and joy is at our disposal when we yield our minds, our memories, our wills and our emotions to a loving God who knows how we were created to live. For those who give their lives to Him, there are possibilities of internal blessings beyond description.

Have you taken inventory of your inward parts of late? Have you learned to pray in ways that allows God to minister to your deep hurts? Have you discovered how to open up to the love and forgiveness that He extends to all mankind? Have you received power since you’ve believed? (Acts 19:2) If not, you owe it to yourself to learn more. We are all spiritual beings and if we don’t manage those areas of our life that are beneath the surface, the problems that can develop will end up managing us. Maybe those unexplainable feelings that trouble you are simply messages from the depths of your soul letting you know that you have a need for something more – that’s usually the way God gets our attention so He can begin a great renovation of our soul tunnels, so that we can be empowered to live life the way he created it to be lived. Go explore!

What Lines Are You Buying?

2009-02-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

It is strange the lines we swallow sometimes. Or, maybe I should say, it is amazing the lines today’s social engineers try to get us to swallow. I’ve noticed that we are most likely to fall for the concepts that are cleverly inserted into movies, books and newscasts. For some reason ideas presented in some formal media format, or by some well-known personality, are automatically given more credibility. With our knowledge of the great propaganda schemes of world history, you would think we would be a bit more discriminating, but, I guess human nature doesn’t change much; the same old tricks keep catching us by surprise.

Permit me to share one example of how a very easily proven lie can be carefully inserted into a movie script only to have many people unthinkingly accept it as truth. In 1998 a very politically-biased movie was released. The movie was emotionally powerful and well-made. The directing and acting was good enough that the film won the ASCAP Award and was nominated for six other awards including an Academy Award. At one point in the movie, the main character, a well-known actor who has won an Oscar as well as 43 other awards, made this statement: “In all God’s creation, only human beings kill their own species.”

Obviously the writer of that movie skipped their eighth-grade life science classes. Few statements can be more easily disproven. Anyone who has ever raised hamsters knows to remove the male from a cage with newborns, because, if he can get past the mother, he will often eat his own children. Books like Call of the Wild have accurately demonstrated why the phrase “dog eat dog” exists. Many of us have seen cats kill cats. We don’t even have to leave home to see that such a statement is foolish.

Furthermore, just a few minutes of research will reveal that animal life is often just as violent if not more violent than mankind. Some animals, such as chimpanzees and ring-tailed lemurs engage in the systematic extermination of another group of the same species. Leopards and killer whales have been observed hunting for amusement and then abandoning their prey. Herons, boobies, egrets, many eagles and falcons, hammerhead sharks and hyenas sometimes kill their own siblings. Many species, including rabbits, kill their own species in order to protect or enlarge their territory.

The truth is, someone connected with that movie was attempting to exalt animal life and diminish the dignity of human life, so they made up a “new truth.” They told a bold face lie, but they did it so blatantly that some people bought it. A quick online search of that statement will reveal that many people have picked up on that thought and repeated it as if it were true. The moral of the story: Don’t believe everything you hear in movies!

Now, it is true that humans are the only species that set up clinics to perform abortions. You will want to research that statement just to be sure, since you’re reading this in a formal media format. But, even if that statement is scientifically provable, I’m pretty sure you’ll never hear it repeated in a mainstream movie, because it doesn’t fit with the “new truths” that are being peddled nowadays.

A word to the wise: entire groups of people often buy into lies, because the lie fits their preferred view. Be careful as to what sources you trust. The more bad information I am exposed to, the more I appreciate time-proven, rock-solid, life-changing books like the Bible. Now, that is a Book full of lines that you can buy into – lines upon which you can bet your life!

Choose To Be Free

2009-01-26T21:39:00.002-05:00

G.K. Chesterton, the celebrated Catholic theologian of the early 20th century, predicted the chaotic moral climate of our present, politically-correct world. In his masterpiece entitled Orthodoxy, he said, “We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table. We are in danger of seeing philosophers who doubt the law of gravity as being a mere fancy of their own.” In short, Chesterton argues that, philosophically, those who have talked themselves into believing that they are no longer bound to absolute morals and values not only have nothing to believe in, but they have nothing to oppose -- since truth and absolutes do not exist in their made-up world.

Natural laws such as the boiling point of water, the inevitability of the seasons, and the laws of sowing and reaping have been proven since the beginning of time. They have become saviors to those who embrace them and executioners to those who choose to ignore them. No amount of argument or human revolution will change these laws! Embracing them frees us to enjoy their benefits and avoid their unbending consequences.

Spiritual laws, such as The Ten Commandments, give dignity and civility to those who embrace them. Such laws prevent men and women from behaving like mere animals, wandering naked in the town square, engaging in indiscriminate acts, and abusing one another. Those who obey God’s spiritual laws live a better life here and an even better life hereafter. Those who choose to live by God’s absolutes are free to enjoy their benefits and avoid their unbending consequences.

You may have noticed that people who genuinely live by God’s higher order of civilization reap great benefits:
· They celebrate the dignity of life and the sacredness of relationships.
· They take better care of their minds and their bodies.
· They find healthy ways to deal with anger and solve problems.
· The honor God more highly than popular culture or man-made religion.
· They have identified the boundaries of a road that leads to genuine freedom of the heart, mind and soul.

You may have also notice that those who choose to ignore God’s absolutes do so at their peril; it is a peril that manifests itself in dysfunctional relationships, addictions, poor health and emotional disorders. Unfortunately, spiritual laws can be explained away or ignored more easily than natural laws; this is because their ramifications are sometimes unseen, or delayed, or may not be fully exposed until this life is over.

Be wise. Beware of the concepts our politically-correct world culture is promoting. Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t buy into the mob philosophies that are being marketed. Don’t assume that people are right because they are rich, famous, politically powerful or beautiful. Choose to live by the laws that can make you free -- both now and forever. For example, the next time someone encourages you to ignore the godly council of keeping sex within the bounds of marriage, picture them encouraging you to experience the rush that comes from jumping out of a plane without a parachute. It may be a popular choice, but it is not a productive choice, because it violates a God-ordained law for which there are consequences.

You’ll find freedom in believing:
· 2 x 2 = 4.
· Gravity=(Gm1m2)/d2.
· Every human being will all answer for their actions.
· Jesus loves you.
· Jesus forgives.

There is a road to abundant and everlasting life that it is clearly marked with time-proven guardrails; these moral guidelines are beautifully revealed in the best-seller of all times, the Bible. Read it. Obey it. Live free!

Choose To Live Free

2009-01-26T15:51:00.000-05:00

G.K. Chesterton, the celebrated Catholic theologian of the early 20^th century, predicted the chaotic moral climate of our present, politically-correct world. In his masterpiece entitled Orthodoxy, he said, “We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table. We are in danger of seeing philosophers who doubt the law of gravity as being a mere fancy of their own.” In short, Chesterton argues that, philosophically, those who have talked themselves into believing that they are no longer bound to absolute morals and values not only have nothing to believe in, but they have nothing to oppose -- since truth and absolutes do not exist in their made-up world.

Natural laws such as the boiling point of water, the inevitability of the seasons, and the laws of sowing and reaping have been proven since the beginning of time. They have become saviors to those who embrace them and executioners to those who choose to ignore them. No amount of argument or human revolution will change these laws! Embracing them frees us to enjoy their benefits and avoid their unbending consequences.

Spiritual laws, such as The Ten Commandments, give dignity and civility to those who embrace them. Such laws prevent men and women from behaving like mere animals, wandering naked in the town square, engaging in indiscriminate acts, and abusing one another. Those who obey God’s spiritual laws live a better life here and an even better life hereafter. Those who choose to live by God’s absolutes are free to enjoy their benefits and avoid their unbending consequences.

You may have noticed that people who genuinely live by God’s higher order of civilization reap great benefits:

· They celebrate the dignity of life and the sacredness of relationships.

· They take better care of their minds and their bodies.

· They find healthy ways to deal with anger and solve problems.

· The honor God more highly than popular culture or man-made religion.

· They have identified the boundaries of a road that leads to genuine freedom of the heart, mind and soul.

You may have also notice that those who choose to ignore God’s absolutes do so at their peril; it is a peril that manifests itself in dysfunctional relationships, addictions, poor health and emotional disorders. Unfortunately, spiritual laws can be explained away or ignored more easily than natural laws; this is because their ramifications are sometimes unseen, or delayed, or may not be fully exposed until this life is over.

Be wise. Beware of the concepts our politically-correct world culture is promoting. Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t buy into the mob philosophies that are being marketed. Don’t assume that people are right because they are rich, famous, politically powerful or beautiful. Choose to live by the laws that can make you free -- both now and forever. For example, the next time someone encourages you to ignore the godly council of keeping sex within the bounds of marriage, picture them encouraging you to experience the rush that comes from jumping out of a plane without a parachute. It may be a popular choice, but it is not a productive choice, because it violates a God-ordained law for which there are consequences.

You’ll find freedom in believing:

· 2 x 2 = 4.

· Gravity=(Gm₁m₂)/d2.

· Every human being will all answer for their actions.

· Jesus loves you.

· Jesus forgives.

There is a road to abundant and everlasting life that it is clearly marked with time-proven guardrails; these moral guidelines are beautifully revealed in the best-seller of all times, the Bible. Read it. Obey it. Live free!

Not Everyone Is Jumping Off The Cliff

2009-01-12T16:09:00.001-05:00

The educator and philosopher, Will Durant, said, “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” With that in mind, many Americans cringe at what they see around them, fearing the demise of a great nation. Advertisements, movies and public conversations have sunk to new moral lows; our society as a whole seems to have forfeited the sacred, the pure and the modest values that made our country great. Greed and corruption now dominate much of the corporate and political world. Intact families and decent relationships are hard to come by. Hard work, honesty and decency are rare gems in a culture that has removed God from school and the public square and replaced Him with the gods of humanism, science and selfishness. It seems like “everybody’s doing it.”

Many of you may remember your parents trying to save you from making the same poor choices your peers were making by arguing, “Just because your friends jump off a cliff, doesn’t mean you have to jump off too!” Maybe you are numbered among those who stand dumbfounded at the sea of humanity that is unthinkingly marching toward moral and social suicide. You might be troubled by the overabundance of bad news, bad attitudes and bad relationships. But not everyone is jumping off the cliff. There are bright lights shining in a dark world. Look for them. Celebrate them. Be one of them.

Allow me to share just one example of a bright light in our dark world. There are a group of teenagers and young adults, who attend the church I pastor, who have chosen to live on a higher plain than their culture. Not only do they attend church, but they are all involved in some kind of ministry. Several years ago several of them came to me and requested that I allow them to meet for prayer. I gladly agreed and the prayer meetings have been life-changing for them and a great blessing to our assembly. Then, more recently, a few of these youth began writing a weekly blog. They are sharing their values and proclaiming their faith – on their own steam. Their comments can be viewed at www.newfreethinkers.com.

If you take time to read their blog, you will quickly notice that the young people mentioned above are choosing to live lives of purity and integrity. They don’t smoke, drink, cuss, sleep around, take off their clothes in public, or watch dirty movies. They are choosing to live addiction-free, chaste and unashamed of their faith. Refreshing, isn’t it?

The fact is that, just as civilizations are conquered from within, individuals can only be conquered when they allow themselves to be changed from within. No matter how godless, violent, or immoral the world around us becomes, you and I have control over who we are as individuals. There are still people who are choosing well. There are still families and groups of people who are holding themselves to high standards and enjoying the benefits of hard work, faithfulness and biblical lifestyles. There are still people who attend church regularly, meet in one another’s homes for prayer, and show Christian love to those around them. Some people are standing firm; they’re not jumping.

Keep your dignity. Insure integrity within your own mind and heart. Take advantage of God’s promise to fill you with His Spirit and give you inner strength. Choose life. Find others who are doing the same. Be a bright spot in a dark world. Not everyone is jumping off the cliff.

Why Are Less People Attending Church?

2009-01-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

On more than one occasion, after inviting someone to attend church, I have had them half- jokingly say, “If I came to your church the roof would fall in.” Further discussion often revealed that such people were not always unbelievers; some just thought they weren’t good enough, didn’t have enough faith, or didn’t want to go someplace where there might be hypocrites. Well, not to worry. The roof won’t fall in. No one is good enough. We all could use more faith. And, we are all hypocrites at times. Besides we don’t let those kinds of excuses keep us from going other places. Do you stay home from restaurants because you are a poor cook, because you don’t have as much money as other patrons or because people who are overweight eat there?

A man recently told me that he was at a bowling alley on Sunday. All 40 lanes were full! That means several hundred people were willing to invest a substantial amount of time and money in -- just a game. I can guarantee you that there were people in that very crowd that were grouchy, hypocritical, drunk, cheating on their spouse, etc. Yet there were more people paying to bowl that day than there were in many of the local churches that morning. You don’t suppose there may be some other issues going on, do you? Think about it. If God is almighty and man lives forever, wouldn’t it make sense that people would be willing to gather with other imperfect people for a few hours on a Sunday morning to make plans for eternity? What gives?

I wonder if the real issue nagging people who don’t often attend church is that they are having trouble believing and think that disqualifies them. Maybe some significant hurt or tragedy has shaken their faith. Perhaps questions have come up that don’t seem to have answers. It could be that they have encountered some genuinely, faith-shattering situations that make them wonder if they truly believe. Do you suppose that such people think that those people who attend church regularly don’t have doubts or questions like they have -- allow me to clear that up.

Christians don’t have it all figured out. In my experience, people who attend church have many doubts, questions, and times of intellectual and spiritual turmoil. That is the very reason why church attendance is so important to them. Church is a great place to wrestle through your faith issues as you get to know God better. Madelein L’Engle said it this way, “Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in an idea of God, not in God Himself.”

The life of a believer is full of struggles and discoveries. They do not attend church because they are good and strong, but because they need goodness and strength. Church is not a place for perfect people -- it is a place for the fellowship of people who are facing life’s challenges. Church is a place to worship, wonder, weep and rejoice. It is a place designed to help people wobble and totter toward heaven.

My theory is easily tested. Just attend church this Sunday and see if the roof falls in. It won’t cost you anything, but it could change your eternal destiny.

Preserving Christmas

2008-12-15T09:35:00.001-05:00

For the second year in a row, an atheist group called “Freedom From Religion Foundation” placed an insulting sign in the Washington state Capitol, right next to a nativity scene. The sign reads: “At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

In a television interview, Dan Barker, the president of that group, complained that a nativity scene “basically insults those of us who are not Christians, by telling us that we’re going to go to hell unless we bow down before that baby Jesus.” What Mr. Barker doesn’t seem to realize is that if there was no God, he would not feel so guilty and lash out against such a great symbol of that God’s love. His Hatred, bigotry and intolerance is evidence that something deep inside Him knows there is a God but vehemently resists worshipping that God. And, because he has issues, he is trying to ruin my Christmas!

More and more, America is experiencing the kind of social terrorism practice by FFRF. It is often evident in comments made in films, concessions made by institutions of “higher education”, rulings made by activist judges, and opinions interjected into “objective” news casts. Many have noted that, in America, free speech is extended to almost every group except those wanting to declare their Christian Faith in the marketplace. The injustice and hypocrisy can be frustrating to Americans who want to continue to celebrate the God that their founding fathers celebrated. What is a fellow supposed to do now days? We’re losing a wonderful tradition. How can we preserve Christmas?

First of all, it should be noted that most Christians are not shoving Christmas down peoples’ throats. Have you ever seen a Christian group put a nativity scene up at Mardi Gras or next to a New Age shop? Have you seen Christians putting up placards saying “There is no Santa,” or insisting that the Islamic world start calling Ramadan “Fall Holiday”? Are Christians forcing publicly funded museums to display creation science which has far more tangible and provable evidence than evolution science? No, in all honesty, most Christians have been very tolerant.

But, listen to me – complaining and bellyaching – I’m sounding just as bitter as those who don’t believe. Everybody knows that newer or fairer laws will never fix this problem. The only way Christmas will be preserved is if it is treasured in the hearts of those who believe. The truth is, many people have valued and celebrated Christmas in nations where Christianity is illegal. If I so choose, my family and I can have a kind and giving spirit in a country where Wal Mart employees are trampled to death. Nothing is stopping me from playing Christmas carols in my home or car. I can go to church and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas even if others choose to celebrate in less meaningful ways - these are freedoms I should value while we still have them. Some of them can never be taken from me, because I hold them deep in my heart and purpose to celebrate them no matter what other people are doing.
Here are some simple positive things I plan on doing to preserve Christmas in 2008:

1. Boldly display true symbols of Christmas.
2. Say the word “Christmas” in my holiday salutations.
3. Give generously to believers and unbelievers alike.
4. Read the original Christmas story at some point during the holidays.
5. Attend church services, plays and concerts that are not ashamed to proclaim the true story of Christmas.

If you want to preserve Christmas, celebrate it with gusto and say a special prayer for people like Mr. Barker who obviously don’t have the privilege and pleasure of knowing the loving Savior who was born in a stable 2000 years ago. Together we can preserve Christmas, because Christmas is preserved in the heart.

Are We Slipping Into Another Dark Age?

2008-11-28T18:25:00.000-05:00

Although it was a non-fiction movie I watched over thirty years ago, one scene is still fresh in my mind. It is the shocked expression of a man whose abdomen has just been pierced through by a piece of wood, launched by a table saw which had no anti-kickback safety device. I watched the movie during the first week of my high school shop class. Our teachers were attempting to get us to slow down and pay attention.

Carelessness and distraction can have similar effects on our “real life”. It seems that we are all in a hurry to get somewhere. Where are we going so fast? What is life really about? With all our time-saving machines and increased mobility have our lives improved? Is the average person more disciplined, better balanced, kinder and more productive than in years past? Is your life improving? How’s your focus?

In her book Distracted, Maggie Jackson makes this interesting observation: “The seduction of alternative universes, the addictive allure of multitasking people and things, our near-religious allegiance to a constant state of motion: these are markers of a land of distraction, in which our old conceptions of space, time and place have been shattered. This is why we are less and less able to see, hear and comprehend what’s relevant and permanent, why so many of us feel that we can barely keep our heads above water, and our days are marked by perpetual loose ends. What’s more, the waning of our powers of attention is occurring at such a rate and in so many areas of life, that the erosion is reaching critical mass. We are on the verge of losing our capacity as a society for deep, sustained focus. In short, we are slipping toward a new dark age.”

St. Paul foretold a time when mankind would be in a very distressed state. See if you can see any parallels to our society in what he says: “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (II Timothy 3:1-5 NLT)

A few verses later he describes these people as “… ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Timothy 3:7 KJV) Could he be talking about our generation? We live in a print-rich, fact-rich, entertainment-rich world. Ironically, it appears to be a world where people are reading less, remembering less and enjoying less.

I have a suggestion as to how we all might slow down, pay attention and turn the light back on in a dark age. My suggestion is a profoundly simple, time-proven, God-given remedy -- communion with the Creator. Nothing gives focus like old fashioned prayer and Bible reading. Prayer is our chance to talk with God and Bible reading is our chance to hear Him talk back. Try it for a few days; see if any lights come on.

If you are interested in going back to a basic relationship with God, let me recommend a great online Bible at www. Bible Gateway.com, and a great online, self-guided Bible study that explains how to be saved at www.actsii.org/files/OneLordOneFaithOneBaptism.pdf.

10 Things That Should Still Happen in Church

2008-11-14T17:24:00.004-05:00

Service was only half finished, but a visiting couple eased from their pews and quietly slipped out the back door. I’m sure they were great people, but evidently the passionate worship and preaching was too much for them. It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while someone will attend an apostolic church service and discover that they are out of their comfort zone.

This is an understandable reaction since centuries of “religious morphing” has resulted in typical worship services looking and feeling more like a ceremony than a dynamic interaction with the living God. It is really quite surprising to find out how many people become uncomfortable when a church service starts looking like the kind of services Jesus’ own disciples experienced. In such cases, it should be noted that the things that are happening may be out of some people’s comfort zone, but they are not out of the Bible zone.

Since there is such a wide range of opinions as to what church should be like, it might be most honest for us to defer to the Bible and its record of church history when trying to establish what should take place in church. Below you will find a list of things that were recorded to have happened in the first century church. This list is not based on denominational traditions or personal preferences but, rather, on scripture:

1. Powerful times of prayer (Acts 1, 4)
2. Rejoicing, clapping, singing and dancing ( Ephesians 5:17-19, Colossians 3:16)
3. Repentance and public baptisms (Acts 2, 8, 10 & 19)
4. People speaking in “other tongues” (Acts 2, 10, 19; I Corinthians 12)
5. Emotionally overwhelming experiences - to the point of appearing drunk (Acts 2)
6. Emotional and physical healings, and exorcisms (James 5:14-15, Acts 5,8)
7. Visible manifestations of God’s presence (Acts 4)
8. Apostolic words of rebuke and encouragement (Acts 5, 13)
9. Generous giving (Acts 2, II Corinthians 9)
10. Supernatural gifts and the laying on of hands (Acts 13, 21)

A simple review of early church history quickly reveals that going to a church in the first century was an adventure. Early believers had life-changing services -- services that may have been out of many people’s comfort zone. The above 10 things should still be happening in church. I would propose that a good church service is one in which God is so evident that some people squirm in their seats. A church that never challenges or stretches it members is like a gym that never challenges its members to do strenuous workouts. Church should be a divine encounter. If we are too comfortable it is probably evidence that we are not really letting God do his thing.

There is an interesting story in the Old Testament about Moses and his congregation. Moses talked to God face to face and tried to get his parishioners to do the same, but the people didn’t want to – it was too intense. They said, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." (Exodus 20:19) A real encounter with God will be intense. Real church will be intense.

Shouldn’t church still be exciting and unpredictable, like it was for St. Peter and his colleagues? Doesn’t it make sense that God still wants to His power and change lives in a very tangible way? Won’t our services be much more powerful when they are focused on what God wants, rather than on a ceremony that fits into man’s comfort zone? How many people do you suppose have the stomach for that kind of encounter with God?

Silent Watchdogs

2008-10-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

Just out of curiosity, which of the following would you pay for, or hire?

an alarm clock that doesn’t go off
a referee who doesn’t make tough calls
a thermometer that doesn’t show the right temperature
a babysitter who doesn’t make children abide by rules
a knife that won’t cut
a watchdog that doesn’t bark

It goes without saying that none of the above would be wise investments. What good is an alarm clock that doesn’t go off or a watchdog that doesn’t bark? Who in the world would pay good money for something that doesn’t do its job? Wait! I think I know the answer to that question. Let me explain.

It seems to be a trend throughout history that truth-tellers are often hired only to be fired, or even killed, for doing the very thing they were hired to do. This group of people includes many Old Testament prophets, Jesus Christ himself, and most of Jesus’ disciples. Often these men were killed because they chose to speak truth in spite of public laws or public opinion. It seems that their contemporaries wanted prophets, but only the kind who were politically correct. When these truth-tellers dared to sound an alarm, make a call, cut to the chase, or ask their audience to abide by God’s rules, they were quickly rebuked, relieved of their position and, often, murdered.

As a result such of treatment, many would-be truth tellers have been tempted to speak only the “truth” that is currently in vogue. The Bible had some rather harsh words for such religious leaders:

For the leaders of my people — the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds — are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. Isaiah 56:10-11 NLT

What good is a preacher who doesn’t sound alarms, make tough calls or hold people to God’s rules for life? No one benefits from such preaching, yet how often we hear of pastors being dismissed for daring to preach Biblical concepts rather than blandly echoing the philosophies of our culture. It would appear that some congregations seem more concerned about being politically correct than they are about being Biblically correct. In essence, some pastors have been hired to be a watchman, but then have been asked not to warn of impending danger. It goes without saying that such a position would be completely frustrating to the man, and completely useless to the congregation. Many countries have routinely silenced preachers who did not synchronize their message with that of the government. America is drifting in that direction. It is important that the people in the pew insure against such foolishness.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the preachers who still speak the truth in love, in spite of the rising tide of intolerance toward morality and righteousness. I would like to thank all the congregations who hire pastors and then support them when they bravely shine their light into our dark world -- that’s what preachers are supposed to do. If we force them to be people-pleasers, we remove their bark. This week might be a good time for you to thank your pastor for speaking truth no matter how politically incorrect or socially unacceptable it might be.

Satisfied

2008-10-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

Do you ever feel like your life is incomplete… Like something is missing... Like nothing is getting done… or something more needs to happen? Have you ever “done it all” and still felt dissatisfied?

Sometimes that feeling drives us to think we’re not active enough… like we need to do another project, buy an new outfit, get a new hair do, go to school, get another degree, or do something magnanimous. But you might be surprised at just how much living you have already done. My guess is that if you listed your life experiences you would realize that you are not lacking variety or experiences.

You know what I think? I think, we’re not dissatisfied because we are in need of some new experience. I think, we’re simply hungry for life – a full, God-directed abundant life.

Let me ask you, “Have you ever felt restless and concluded that you just needed to go out and try a new restaurant? If so, was your inner hunger satisfied?”

Mine wasn’t. I’ve eaten, hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, pizza, ice cream, pies, cakes, salads, BBQ, seafood, pastries, breads, cereals, vegetables… I’ve had Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Mexican, Cajun, Jewish, Jamaican , French, Italian, German, Hawaiian, Indian and English food. I’ve even been brave enough to try frog legs, crocodile, buffalo, shark, snails and ants. (the snails were in a fancy restaurant in Paris, the ants were in our front yard as a kid – I always ate them with a pinch of dirt so I couldn’t feel them squirm) I’ve eaten with a fork, a knife, a spoon, chopsticks and my hands. I’ve tried food that was raw, oiled, boiled, canned, steamed, marinated, baked, grilled, fried, deep fat fried, smoked, frozen, broiled, tossed, dried, purified, stewed, pressure-cooked, simmered, melted, strained, blackened, seared, tenderized, preserved, rolled, buttered, seasoned, pressed, creamed, diced, sliced, cracked, twisted, and toasted. I’ve tasted bitter, brackish, salty, tangy, sour, smooth, acidic, sweet, spicy, zesty, tart, fruity and bland.

I think I can safely conclude that one more new dish isn’t going to make that big of a difference in my life. So, what am I hungry for? What else could I try? How about a night out of town or a new pet.

I’ve done the out of town thing. I’ve slept in 5 star hotels, and hotels that didn’t seem to know anything about rating systems – or cleans sheets and insecticides. I’ve slept in cabins, tents, trailers, back yards, cars, planes, laps, beds, pews, cots, hammocks, recliners, couches, and even on cold hard floors.

And as for pets, I’ve owned ant farms, dogs, gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish, frogs, turtles, guinea pigs, ferrets and cats – and for several of the cats I was even a midwife a time or two. I’ve ridden horses, Shetland ponies and even cows. I’ve slopped pigs, fed chickens, milked cows, branded cattle, hunted, trapped, fished, and even gigged crawdads in TX. No, I don’t think another animal is going to quite do the trick.

In Ecclesiastes 18 “The Preacher said, “Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I feel dissatisfied my mind goes toward some recreation. And, I’ve played baseball, football, basketball, volley ball, tether ball, dodge ball, badmitten, hockey, croquet, racket ball, tennis, ping pong, air hocky, foos ball, soccer, golf, kick ball, wiffle ball, two square, three square, four square, softball, hide and seek etc. etc. Then there was Risk, Monopoly, Life, Operation, Battleship, Uno, Quote It, Water Works, Clue, Aggrivation, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Master Mind, Mouse Trap, Tiddly Winks, and even Jacks… and that list could go on forever.

I have skate boarded, roller skated, roller bladed, ice skated, water skied, snow skied, inner tubed, sledded and tobogganed.

I’ve also played a little on the piano, drums, harmonica, accordion, recorder, flute, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, french horn, and violin and I’ve played quite a lot on the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones.

Now, that should have at least worn me out even if it didn’t satisfy me.

So maybe I just need to hit the road. But, I’ve ridden in or on tricycles, wagons, bicycles, unicycles, cars, pickups, trailers, motorcycles, vans, buses, trains, lawn mowers, rafts, canoes, boats, planes. I’ve personally, driven cars, jeeps, convertibles, dump trucks, tractors, bobcats, bulldozers, back hoes, go carts, snow mobiles, boats and I even took the controls of a small plane for a few minutes on several occasions. I’ve driven 2 speeds, 3 speeds, 10 speeds, 20 speeds, standards, automatics and even push button automatics. These forms of transportation were manufactured by Renault, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Lincoln, Mercury, Cadillac, Honda, Buick, Pontiac, Volvo, John Deer, and Cessna. And, you know, none of them took me to any destination that completely satisfied me.

Well, maybe the hunger I feel is all about being productive. But, I’ve planned and built furniture, play scapes, tree houses, forts, sheds, a couple houses, three churches and quite a few snow men and snow forts. I’ve worked hard as a paper boy, dump truck driver, plumber, an electrician, a framer, a farmer, a janitor, a hydro mulcher, a heavy equipment operator, landscaper, a cement man, a ditch digger, a laborer, a sheet rocker, a painter, a tile installer, a trim carpenter, an architect, a teacher, a principal, an administrator, a counselor, a writer, a speaker, and a pastor.

Besides that, I have been licensed to: drive, teach defensive driving, elementary school and special education, and life in focus classes. I’ve had preaching licenses on a local, general and ordination levels. I’ve served on church boards, boy scout committees, district committees the district boards.

What do you do when you’ve done all that and still feel like something is missing?

Could it be that there’s more I need to see?

Well, I’ve seen: The Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, The Sequoias of CA, Montezuma’s Castle, The Mayan Ruins of Central America, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Long Island, Pompey’s Pillar, The Painted desert, the Sierra Navadas, The Grand Tetons, the Beartooth mountains, the Ozarks, Berkshires, The Swiss Alps, Yellowstone National Park, Niagra Falls, Mr St Helens, Mt Rainer, Mt Washington, Mt Hood, and Mt Rusmore. I’ve waded in, fished in or floated on The Quinebaug, CT, Yellowstone, Missouri, Snake, and Mississippi rivers. I’ve crossed the Rio Grande, swam in the the Gulf of Mexico, floated on Lake Atilan which is surrounded by live volcanoes, waded in the Atlantic, glided through the everglades, and frozen my toes in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve seen the Great lakes, The Eerie canal, the Hudson bay, Crater Lake, and the Great Salt Lake. I’ve ferried across, Nantucket Sound, Long Island Sound and the English channel. I’ve seen the Northern Lights, live volcanoes, the longest causeway in the world, the biggest swimming pool in the world, Custer Battlefield, Arlington cemetery, The tomb of the unknown soldier, The Alamo, the Statue of Liberty, The Arches of St Louis, The Space needle, NASA headquarters in Houston, The Eiffel Tower, London Tower, London Bridge, The House of Parliament, Kensington Palace, The Sears Tower and the Empire State building. I’ve been to San Antonio, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Boston, NY, Atlanta, Dallas, Santa Fe, Denver, Houston, St Louis, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington DC, Paris, London, Florence, Venice, Rome, Alcapulco, and Honolulu. I’ve been to Mexico, Guatamala, France, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, and England – In other words, I’ve been to at least 46 states and 7 foreign countries. I’ve seen the French Louvre, the Roman Colosseum, The Vatican, science museums, national archives, the monuments of Washington, Monticello, The North Bridge, The North Church, The Liberty Bell, The Declaration of Independence, The first Bible ever printed, and The Original Constitution of the United States. I have toured more that a half dozen state capital buildings, museums of fine arts, museums of the Wild West, Aquariums in 5 states, six Flags, Sea World, Fiesta TX, more than a dozen zoos and safaris, and too many other tourist traps throughout the world.

I think I would have to agree with Proverbs 27:20b which says, “the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

So, you might say, maybe you need more education or religion… maybe you need to be more holy, to try harder, or to be more good.

But I have attended, Sunday School, Good News clubs, church, grade school, junior high, high school, Bible School, camps, retreats, seminars, lectures, conferences, a community college, a State college, and a university. I’ve read or listened to the entire Bible a half a dozen times.

I’ve preached, taught, performed weddings, baptized people, prayed for the sick, conducted funerals, led hundreds of prayer meetings, dedicated babies, and given speeches in schools, hotels, camp meetings, conferences, church services, seminars, retreats, rallies and court houses. I have done these educational and religious activities in MT, TX, OK, AR, CT, MA, NY, OR, MS, MD, Mexico, and Guatemala.

I’ve recorded tapes, CDs and DVDs. I’ve written letters, sermons, Bible studies and books. I’ve read thousands of books, watched videos, filmstrips and slide shows. I’ve watched, directed and acted in plays. I’ve listened to music on radio, records, tapes, 8 tracks, cds, dvds, computers and mp3 players - besides attending and participating in live concerts . (as opposed to dead ones)

All this, and I’m not even 50 years old. I did all that in 570 months. Furthermore, I’ve engaged this volume and variety of experiences even though my household income has always been significantly below the median income.

Of course, concerning the money issue, Ecclesiates 5 plainly says, “10Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth--except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!

SO: I’ve been a embryo, baby, a toddler, a teen and an adult – but never a girl. I’ve been a student, a tourist, a customer, a vendor, an employee and a boss. I’ve been a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend, a boyfriend, a fiancé, a groom, a son in law, a father and a husband – but not a grandpa.

I’ve laughed, cried, screamed, shouted, wrestled, fought, tortured (just my brothers), jogged, crawled, jumped, ran, sang, slept, ate, drank, coughed, hiccupped, winced, recoiled, burped, snorted, sneezed, wheezed, shivered, whistled, waved, twisted, turned, tripped and tumbled - often.

And I’m still not satisfied. All that is just details.

You know what I’ve concluded? I have a hunger for something that supersedes most of those things I just mentioned. I hunger for wholeness; for unity with God; for his kingdom to come and His will to be done on a daily basis.

I hunger for a sense of purpose. I want to enjoy my journey, knowing that God is directing my path and affecting my experiences. I’ll probably go other places and eat new foods, but more than anything I hunger to know Christ and to be confident and complete in Him.

Could it be that there is a place in God where I can enjoy my hunger for more life, on the one hand, and be completely satisfied, knowing that God is going to give me a full life, on the other hand. Doesn’t that sound like a place that offers peace and contentment yet is full of activity and life? I hope God is successful in teaching me to think and live that way. I think I’ll let my hunger take me to my prayer closet and to times of Bible reading, and then out into the world where I will try to enjoy all the living I’ve been doing. I hope I can learn to take my satisfaction right from Him!

Understanding Evangelicals

2008-09-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

Would you be offended if someone came to your door offering you a sweepstakes check for one million dollars? Would you feel imposed upon if you, as a cancer patient, had someone call you at home offering you a genuine cure for that cancer? Would you be angry with a co-worker who, uninvited, told you all about their latest experience at a Red Sox game, and then offered you tickets to join them at the next game?

My guess is that most of us would not be offended at any of those people mentioned above. I would venture to say that most of us would even welcome such an “intrusion.” Furthermore, we would be very happy that those people would care enough about us to make their way into our lives with such generous gifts.

Let’s explore the second scenario more thoroughly. Suppose someone really did find a cure for cancer. Do you think it would be ethically right for them to keep that cure to themselves? Wouldn’t they be morally obligated to share what they know with those who were dying? I think it is safe to say that most people would agree that such a person has an obligation to share their cure with the world, and that the world would be happy to have them share it.

Now you understand the motivation behind the group of people known as Evangelicals. As their name implies, they are people who feel obligated to tell others about the “Good News” of salvation. Evangelicals are Christians who have discovered a Savior -- the cure for eternal death. They have discovered the key to abundant life. They have personally experienced cures for physical, emotional and spiritual ailments, through faith in Christ. Naturally, they want to share their discoveries with the world.

If you have been offended by an Evangelical who aggressively shared their faith, it might be because you didn’t really understand what they were offering. Maybe you didn’t realize just how sick, afraid, lonely, hurting, or oppressed that person used to be before they discovered their new life in Christ. Maybe you didn’t stop to consider just how much love and selflessness it takes for someone to get vulnerable and offer hope to another person. Maybe you didn’t know that Evangelicals are not trying to win an argument, or get a following; they are offering a way to eternal life.

Think about it. Evangelicals have found the cure. They want to share the wealth. They want to see others made well. They want you to have the same experience as they will have at church this Sunday; when they invite you to worship with them, they are really offering you free tickets to something that will be more life-changing than any ball game could ever be.

Don’t you agree that it would be immoral for someone to withhold a life-saving cure which they have discovered? To keep silent would be to cheat those around them who are dying of a curable spiritual disease. Don’t be offended by Evangelicals. Find out what they have discovered that is powerful enough to cause them to risk rejection and ridicule just to save your life. When you discover the cure, you’ll understand.