The Lamb Slain

Revelation 5; 7:9-17

5:6-7
"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders... 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."


My first observation is that the Lamb (Christ) is able to walk up to God who is sitting on the throne, and take the scroll from his right hand. This is significant because it shows us God's approval of this slain lamb, and it shows us of the lambs strength. Who can take something from the hand of God but God Himself. This is yet another indication and reminder that Christ, the slain lamb, is indeed God.

My second observation is that of the worship that is happening in heaven around the throne of God. In the presence of God, every knee bows, there is no option. All the angels and elders and creatures fall to their faces and worship the LORD, It is an all consuming worship.

As we think of Jesus Christ, we need to remember and be reminded that Christ is God. Who can remove the separation that God placed on humanity but God Himself! As I think of the picture of worship that is given here, it serves as a reminder that when we worship God, it ought not to be on the basis of whether or not we like the music, or the atmosphere, it ought to be based on who God is. His Holiness, His righteousness, His love for us and His working in our lives.

If we choose to let silly things like music, lighting, atmosphere, and others around us, get in the way of worshiping God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. The God that created YOU and gave YOU LIFE, then it really isn't worship at all.

"Worship is the quickening of conscience by His holiness: the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to HIS purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin."

William Temple


Revelation 5

The Scroll and the Lamb

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

14I answered, "Sir, you know."

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

"Your God"

I had the pleasure of visiting a local church for Sunday service this morning, and as we were getting ready to pray, we were directed to prepare our hearts for prayer. In the process, the leader said this and I quote, "as you get ready to pray, prepare yourself however you do to go to your God." Now how I took this was to say that however I view God in my own mind, I was to prepare myself to go to Him, whatever that might look like. I am hoping that isn't how it was intended, but it got me to thinking.

How many times do we tend to look at God in a way that makes us feel better about our position or our condition? In times of distress, do we look at God as a tender loving God that will certainly not allow us to go through trials and tribulations? In times of great prosperity, do we tend to see God as Ok with us because life is so good and I'll bet even often times, we forget about Him, because there hasn't been a "need" to go to Him.

We need to be careful about doing this, because God is who He says He is. We cannot make God into something He is not. We must not assume Him to be anything other than what He says in His word that He is. If we do, we break the first and second commandment:

"ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

There are literally hundreds of references in the Bible where God says "I AM..." He tells us who He is, we just need to pay attention and stop assuming who He is. When we assume or try to make God something that He is not, we form in our mind an idol, a false God. This is why it is important we come to know the character and nature of God, who He says He is.

We should not be under any allusion that we each have access to our own God, or that we even have a deal with God that allows us to live our lives as we choose. There is but ONE God, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We either choose to serve Him as HE is or not at all. It is not God that changes, we do.

Boys will be boys

This is a response paper I had to write to an column that showed up in our local paper back in 2000.


Jonah Goldberg in his column “War on boys is war on manhood” brings some very interesting information to light concerning the current philosophy of raising children, specifically boys, in such a way as to curb their “barbaric” behaviors and level the playing field for children in general. He addresses the issue of self-esteem and egos in children being harmed due to competitive environments.

Goldberg’s visit to the Upper West Side Manhattan school, brings up some disturbing and sad images of children not having a reason to try to do their best. Where is the reward in telling a child that no matter how hard he or she tries, they will do no better than a child who doesn’t? How then is the child’s ego or self-esteem boosted, which in turn brings about a desire to do better the next time. By removing the affirmation of hard work and individual growth, you essentially remove the desire or the drive to do anything at all. Being competitive is a natural instinct of a boy. Instead of squelching it and driving it out of him, we would do better to teach them how to harness it to work for them, to better them, and to eventually better society through it.

Society today would have us believe that by taking away the natural instincts of boys and regulating them in their ability to act as boys, we can effectively enhance not only their adolescence but that of the female gender as well. According to academic feminists, “…girls are an endangered species, falling further behind academically and socially.” (Goldberg, 2000) They go on to claim that, “Boys create a competitive, nasty, environment.” Gloria Steinem says the solution to this issue is to, “…raise boys like we raise girls.” Goldberg does not agree with this position nor that of the school, that being of an “everybody wins” mindset, which says, no matter how bad or good you do, as long as you had fun, that’s all that matters. He sites several statistics in response to the claims that girls are falling behind academically and socially. Some of them concerning education being that, “Girls read more books, get better grades,” and “take more Advanced Placement Classes.” Goldberg also cites that in 1997, “56 percent of college freshman were girls… boys 44 percent.”

Some of the main assumptions that come from Goldberg’s arguments are that “all children are essentially barbarians, but boys especially so. Thus it requires more work to make them into human beings.” This argument assumes that children are inherently bad or naturally mean and aggressive. I would content that children are a product of their environment at home. Children are sponges and will learn from what they experience and see. I think Goldberg goes a bit far in terming all children as barbarians; maybe a more suited term or phrase would be to say that all children are ignorant to acceptable behavior and need to be instructed and taught toward that end. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of the parents, not the school system.

Another assumption of Goldberg is that allowing boys to be boys will eventually lead them to being well adjusted men. I would again contend that allowing boys to act, as they will, will most likely not produce a well adjusted man but will produce a man that thinks he can act any way he wants and get away with it. Well-adjusted men are men that understand their ability and nature to act in certain ways, but demonstrate control over that ability. When faced with a problem or issue, men certainly act differently than women do, and in most cases for specific reasons. For example; In times of war, it is easier for a male to fight with an aggressive nature than for a female. And when your child comes to you crying because they skinned their knee, they often times will want mommy because a female can provide that tender loving support needed at the time.

For the most part, I agree with what Goldberg states in his column. I disagree with the stance these particular schools have taken with teaching children that hard work, perseverance and a competitive spirit are bad traits. I think in the log run, they are setting those particular children up for failure as adults, especially in their careers and in their relationships. I agree that we should allow boys to act like boys, to demonstrate, in a healthy way, their competitiveness and aggressiveness. I believe that by doing so, we will bring up men that will be able to understand who they are, what they are capable of, and endow them with a spirit of perseverance that will bring them through the difficult things life can throw at them. For myself, my three sons will be allowed to play hard, challenge each other, discover what they can and can’t do and all with the intent of training them to become a man that can be respected, trusted and dependable.



References
Goldberg, J. (2000, July 17). War on boys is war on manhood. Fort Wayne Journal-
Gazette, p. A11.

Paper #6 - Christian Behavior

Does loving your enemy mean not punishing him?

Loving our enemies has to be one of the hardest things we can do as Christians. I do not understand, outside of being God, how Christ hurl curses at the guards that beat him to within an inch of his life. I do not understand how he could stand in front of the crowd that was calling out, “crucify him!” and not argue back in his own defense. Quietly, and with love he looked on them with a heart of compassion and anguish for their actions. The question above takes this one step further and asks about punishment. How can we punish someone we are suppose to love, it sounds contrary to itself, however; using the argument that Lewis uses it can be understood. If we are to love others as we love ourselves, then we are also to treat others as we would treat ourselves. As Lewis says, “…loving myself does not mean that I ought not to subject myself to punishment- even to death. If you had committed a murder, the right Christian thing to do would be to give yourself up to the police and be hanged. It is therefore, in my opinion, perfectly right for a Christian judge to sentence a man to death or a Christian solider to kill an enemy.” (Lewis, 1952, p.118)

Lewis states that Christ did not preach anything new in regards to morality. What is the real job of every moral teacher?

I believe the real job of every moral teacher is to teach morality not as something that is new, but morality as it has always existed. New morality is adjusted morality to fit the culture of that time, and more often than not a skewed morality that has been tweaked to fit that people group or culture to make them feel better about themselves. I also think that a good moral teacher should help people understand that morals not only exist for the protection and betterment of others, but they also pertain to the wellbeing of the individual and the relationship between that individual and their creator. The metaphor of the sea worthy ship was useful in helping me understand that I may look good on the outside and may be going the right direction in the convoy of life, but If I cannot steer or control this vessel, what good am I to the convoy, better yet how much damage can I do to the other ships (people) around me if I don’t make sure the inside of me is taken care of as well.

Lewis states that charity (giving to the poor) is an essential part of Christianity. How can we gauge our level of charity according to Lewis?

I really appreciate what Lewis had to say about giving to the poor and to those in need, specifically when he said, “I do not believe that one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words if our expenditures on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away to little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.” This is a great way of looking at it. I remember the story in the bible about Jesus sitting in the temple watching people. The Pharisees came in and gave an offering out of their overflow or out of their excess, but a woman came in and gave 2 small coins, all she had. Christ noticing her told his disciples that she had given much more than they because she had given everything she had and the Pharisees had given that which did not hurt them. This is a wonderful thing to consider the next time we give to the poor.

What are the two things we can do to make loving our enemies easier?

I think the first thing we can do is to understand that before we accepted Christ, we to were enemies to God. Yet He loved us not because of what we were or what we could do, but because of what we could become through Him. Not that our enemies will be come something through us, rather they will become something useful through God. The second thing that can make it easier for us to love our enemies is that we are commanded to love others as we love ourselves. We do not walk around hating ourselves. We may hate our situation or the things that have happened to us, but that is not self hate, that is a whole other matter. I believe there is a third issue we must consider that being the love of God for our enemies. We may feel that sense of hate or distain toward those who would harm us or have harmed us, but God still desires that person to be broken and surrender to Him and his will for their life. Because of our love for our father, we to ought to love those He loves.

In Lewis' mind, why is the command 'Though shalt not Kill' not a moratorium against fighting in war or the death penalty?

I found this a very interesting thought process. I did not realize, although I should have, that the Greek usage of the word “kill” is different from that of “murder”. The Greek word for “kill” is apokteinO and the Greek for murder is phoneuO. Christ used two different words in his teachings about killing. To murder with intent, with hatred, with disgust for the other person is wrong. Killing for reasons of war, or judgment carry with them different motives. We must not kill for the enjoyment of it or for the retribution of it. Some of us will find ourselves in situations where we must make that chilling and difficult choice, whether it be war or self defense, the underlying factor is that we recognize that, “Even while we kill and punish we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves – to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good.” (Lewis, 1952, p.120) Certainly this is difficult to contemplate, and I pray that I may never be faced with the situation where I have to choose.


References
Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere christianity. New York: HarperCollins

Paper #5 - Sin, does it mean anything anymore?

The website article where I retrieved this information was from USA Today.com The basic premise of this article was to explore the topic of sin and whether or not it still hold any specific meaning in today’s culture. The article was given in a fair manner by not only supplying survey information against the validity of the existence of “sin”, but also providing interview and speech quotes for its existence and the dire need to understand that it has real consequences if not addressed in the proper manor.

Of the surveys submitted, it was clear that the concept of “sin” and its effects and ramifications on society has become a backburner issue. “David Kinnaman, president of Barna Research, a company in Ventura, Calif., that tracks Christian trends, draws a similar conclusion: "People are quick to toe the line on traditional thinking" that there is sin "but interpret that reality in a very personal and self-congratulatory manner" — I have to do what's best for me; I am not as sinful as most.” (Grossman, 2008,) by taking such a view we underestimate the power sin has in our lives and what that kind of mindset can actually cost us in the long run.

The article also examined how ministers in today’s society speak about sin. The comment was made that sin is taboo and it is not something that most people like to discuss, but today’s ministers also understand that it must be talked about in order for the rest of the story to make sense. One popular preacher has decided to not talk about sin, but rather to talk about change. Joel Olsteen was quoted as saying, "Most people already know what they're doing wrong. When I get them to church, I want to tell them that you can change." (Grossman, 2008,) For all practical purposes I agree that we should tell people they can change, however; I would say that most people understand that they can change; but what they need to understand is why they must change.

Mark Driscoll was also interviewed and his take on the taboo word of sin was this, “…a little talk of hellfire, so out of fashion these days, would do the world good.” He defines sin as "anything contrary to God's will. People assume the way they are is normal, not that something has gone terribly wrong, and this world is abnormal…without an idea of sin, Easter is meaningless." (Grossman, 2008,)

Sin must be recognized as the poison that it is. If it is not dealt with according to the plan laid out in the word of God, then it is truly not dealt with, only forgotten or ignored. That kind of mindset will only last for so long.

References
Grossman, C. L., (2008). Usatoday: Has the “notion of sin” been lost? Retrieved August
29, 2009, from http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-03-19-sin_N.htm

Paper #4 - What Christians Believe

In book one, Lewis makes the statement that his, “…argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how ad I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called in unjust?” (Lewis, 1943, p.38) This argument alone is a great concept for one to investigate.

Romans 5:12-13 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned; for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.” (NIV) Because the law was brought into the world to expose our sin, begs the question or argument that our sin is in contention with something. The notion that our sin needs to be pointed out and exposed, suggests that our sin goes against a presupposed condition, that condition being goodness or right standing with a higher power (God). If the Law was given by God or determined by God to hold us accountable of our sin, and to bring us back to our previous position with Him, it stands to reason that God is good, sin is bad and the law helps us determine between the two. Without the law how would one know that they are in sin?

Chapter two speaks about good verses evil and how people view the two. Lewis states that the moment we say one is wrong and the other is right, we insert a third qualitative element that determines the difference between them. “But since the two powers are judged by this standard, then this standard, or the Being who made this standard, is further back and higher up than either of them, and He will be the real God. In fact, what we meant by calling them good and bad turns out to be that one of them is in a right relation to the real ultimate God and the other in a wrong relation to Him.” (Lewis, 1943, p.43) How could we know good to be right unless there is something to match it up against? Without light, one would not know what darkness is.

In chapter three, Lewis speaks about some people that say things like, “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” Lewis so wittingly points out how absurd and shallow this statement is. Understanding the context of this statement and the ramifications of such a claim do much to back up the claim. A “great” moral teacher would never be so foolish as to claim to be something he is not let alone God. It would go against his morality to do so.

Lewis goes on in chapter four about how we need God to help us walk the road of redemption back to him because the very “badness” that took us away or separated us from God, keeps us from walking that road on our own. But because that road of surrender, repentance, and dying to our sinful nature go against God’s character and nature, he could not walk that road. It then became necessary for God to become man thus the birth of Jesus Christ. Although fully God, He lived as man in the flesh, subjected to the same temptations and suffering that we are. Through Christ in the flesh, God was and is able to walk us down that road of redemption. Christ acts as the tour guide to show us the way, and walk with us as we go.

Finally in chapter five, Lewis makes the fundamental distinction between salvation by works verses salvation by grace through faith. It is important for us to understand this because it is a bedrock teaching of Christianity. “…the Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or, if they think there is not, at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.” Lewis, 1943, p.63) It is through the life of Christ that lives in us that God would be willing to grant us salvation and remove our deserved punishment of death and eternal separation from Him.

Resources
Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere christianity. New York: HarperCollins

Paper #3 Creation Museum

Question: Explain what you believe is the Christian view of creation. Why do you think this article attacks a Christian worldview of the nature of Creation? What is your response in defense of the Christian worldview and why is it crucial?

Scientific American Magazine is dedicated to helping readers be informed about science and it advancements by helping people “focus on the future of science and technology.” That statement in and of itself does not indicate anything bad, because we need science and technology. It only becomes an issue when science and technology are glorified and the “focus” becomes more about justifying and preserving our existence through science rather than recognizing our existence is of God and living our lives in accordance with that understanding.

In the Scientific American article/podcast titled, “Saddle up that stegosaurus, a visit to the creation museum.” College professor and expert on natural history museums, Stephan Asma is interviewed by Steve Mirsky of Scientific American about a recent visit to the Creation Museum. It is apparent in this interview that Asma does not hold a Christian worldview. In the interview, while talking about Ken Ham, the curator of the Creation Museum, Mirsky talks about a fascinating conversation that was had between Asma and Ham about creationism, and Asma had this to say. “…I think, if you don’t enter into the creationist logic too far, it is really easy to go well, you know, crazy, crackpot, insane. But if you actually try to, like I did, have a reasonable conversation with somebody like Ken Ham, you feel that there is a kind of logic there. It just begins from very bizarre premises.”

The beginning is where the story starts. It is where the foundations are laid to a solid worldview. Without a solid foundation the worldview we build will one day come crashing down around us. Asma clearly believes that the Christian worldview has a bizarre foundation. I believe however, that if Asma would continue to have those reasonable conversations with the like of Ham, he too would begin to understand that it is his foundation that is bizarre and needs to be rebuilt.


Resources
Scientific american magazine. (2009). Scientificamerican. Retrieved August 20, 2009,
from http://scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=FDACA16A-E7F2-99DF-323D104DD12EFCAE

Paper #2 - The Law of Nature

Professors comments are italicized

Do you agree with Lewis in his observation of the existence of a Universal “Law of Human Nature,” an innate sense of right and wrong? Do you agree with Lewis when he says that none of us are keeping the Law of Nature? How do you think Lewis would respond to contemporary proponents of moral relativism?

Concerning Lewis’ statement of the “Law of Human Nature”. I would have to agree with him. You can see evidence of this just about everywhere you go. The vast expanses that separate humanity here on earth cannot seem to separate us in this one truth. The Law of Nature is written on our hearts. Genesis 1:26 says this, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them role over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (NIV). 1 Samuel 16:7, also says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (NIV). This does not mean that we look like God in the physical sense; rather our moral compass is designed to reflect that of God’s.

In other words, if God is unconcerned with what we as humanity look like on the outside, and is more concerned with what is at the core of us, what we believe to be true in our hearts. It makes sense then to say that God instilled in us the moral capacity to know between right and wrong and to reflect what his moral values are. Good argument


I would also agree with Lewis that no one is keeping the Law of Nature. As much as we would like to believe that we are decent people, we all break the moral law, and I believe it is due to a vast amount of reasons, but chiefly among them is sin. The Law of Human Nature; a certain way in which we believe we are to behave, is another way of quoting Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (NIV). From the beginning, God has placed this instinct into our hearts, yet on a daily basis we are most often more concerned about ourselves than with others.

Moral relativism simply means that morality is relative to an individual or a specific culture, and that there is no over-arching moral standard for humanity. I think Lewis would take issue with this viewpoint. I also believe he would approach it by asking them to explore, “the moral teachings of, say the, ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Hindus, Chinese, Greeks and Romans. What will really strike him will be how very like they are to each other and to our own” (Lewis, 1952. p.6).


Reference
Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere Christianity. New York: HarperCollins

Good use of Scripture to validate your points.
William McGuffey, author of the McGuffey's Readers, which were the mainstay of America's public school system from 1836 till the 1920's, wrote: "Erase all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man."

Apart from a God consciousness, I wonder, can anyone really ever know what is moral or not…that is, if all we have within us is selfishness and sensuality, can moral thought even exist ???

1st Paper for Defending the Christian Faith -"TRUTH"

Here is my first "short" paper for my new class "Defending the Christian Faith", with the bonus of my Professors comments in italicized text for those of you who are crazy enough to sit down to read my stuff. LOL

The source I used for this summary is a website I stumbled on while searching for an article on “Truth”. This website is created and updated by a self proclaimed Satanist and aggressive liberal named Vexen Crabtree. The website is comprehensive in nature and has a lot of information on it concerning Satanism and Atheism.

Here is a general summary of what he believes and what the website is about. “The basics of Satanism have always existed. The only thing that is new is the formal organization of a religion based on the universal traits of man. For centuries, magnificent structures of stone, concrete, mortar, and steel have been devoted to man's abstinence. It is high time that human beings stopped fighting themselves, and devoted their time to building temples designed for man's indulgences.” Dangerous stuff huh? Another reason why my kids do not have a computer in their bedroom…it is in the family room in plain view…the possibility of stumbling across such junk is too easy!

Even though times have changed, and always will, man remains basically the same. For two thousand years man has done penance for something he never should have had to feel guilty about in the first place. We are tired of denying ourselves the pleasures of life, which we deserve. [...] Why not have a religion based on indulgence? Certainly, it is consistent with the nature of the beast. We are no longer supplicating weaklings trembling before an unmerciful "God" who cares not whether we live or die. We are self-respecting, prideful people - we are Satanists!" “The Satanic Bible, Book of Lucifer 3:para 37-38” Lord, help us.

It is very disturbing to read through this information and imagine that people actually subscribe to this to called “truth”. As I juxtapose this kind of information with what we read in the bible or even what we are currently reading now for class, I can’t imagine pouring my life into such nonsense as Satanism. They obviously want to believe in something, to worship something; I just think their worldview is messed up and for lack of better understanding and knowledge; they subscribe to what makes them feel good about themselves.

I also believe and understand that most of these groups follow more of a secret society format, so I ask why, if they claim this to be the truth, does it have to be a secret. Why not proclaim it to the world that these “truths” they claim are real, why operate in secret? I believe it goes back to what Lewis had to say about the Law of Nature. They know what they are doing is wrong, they know that the majority of society will not subscribe to such folly and evil, therefore they keep it on the down low and under the bleachers so to speak. Their guilt compounds their desire to make them feel better about themselves. Folks that subscribe to these kinds of cults and “religious” societies are misguided and uninformed and that is where Christianity comes in.

Time with C.S. Lewis

I am currently studying C.S. Lewis in class, and I am going through his book Mere Christianity. I will be posting my papers here as some of you have asked to see what I am learning about. This paper is meant to pull one substantial observation from each of the five chapters of book two of Mere Christianity and comment on it.

In book one, Lewis makes the statement that his, “…argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how ad I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called in unjust?” (Lewis, 1943, p.38) This argument alone is a great concept for one to investigate.

Romans 5:12-13 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned; for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.” (NIV) Because the law was brought into the world to expose our sin, begs the question or argument that our sin is in contention with something. The notion that our sin needs to be pointed out and exposed, suggests that our sin goes against a presupposed condition, that condition being goodness or right standing with a higher power (God). If the Law was given by God or determined by God to hold us accountable of our sin, and to bring us back to our previous position with Him, it stands to reason that God is good, sin is bad and the law helps us determine between the two. Without the law how would one know that they are in sin?

Chapter two speaks about good verses evil and how people view the two. Lewis states that the moment we say one is wrong and the other is right, we insert a third qualitative element that determines the difference between them. “But since the two powers are judged by this standard, then this standard, or the Being who made this standard, is further back and higher up than either of them, and He will be the real God. In fact, what we meant by calling them good and bad turns out to be that one of them is in a right relation to the real ultimate God and the other in a wrong relation to Him.” (Lewis, 1943, p.43) How could we know good to be right unless there is something to match it up against? Without light, one would not know what darkness is.

In chapter three, Lewis speaks about some people that say things like, “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” Lewis so wittingly points out how absurd and shallow this statement is. Understanding the context of this statement and the ramifications of such a claim do much to back up the claim. A “great” moral teacher would never be so foolish as to claim to be something he is not let alone God. It would go against his morality to do so.

Lewis goes on in chapter four about how we need God to help us walk the road of redemption back to him because the very “badness” that took us away or separated us from God, keeps us from walking that road on our own. But because that road of surrender, repentance, and dying to our sinful nature go against God’s character and nature, he could not walk that road. It then became necessary for God to become man thus the birth of Jesus Christ. Although fully God, He lived as man in the flesh, subjected to the same temptations and suffering that we are. Through Christ in the flesh, God was and is able to walk us down that road of redemption. Christ acts as the tour guide to show us the way, and walk with us as we go.

Finally in chapter five, Lewis makes the fundamental distinction between salvation by works verses salvation by grace through faith. It is important for us to understand this because it is a bedrock teaching of Christianity. “…the Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or, if they think there is not, at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.” Lewis, 1943, p.63) It is through the life of Christ that lives in us that God would be willing to grant us salvation and remove our deserved punishment of death and eternal separation from Him.



Resources
Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere christianity. New York: HarperCollins

Rejoicing in Heaven

For the past two weeks I have sent out a worship devotional for our music and arts team that correspond with our songs for the week. It is designed to help us understand what we are singing about and how the songs tie in with scripture. Last week it made a big impact on me and some of the others in the team when it came to singing the songs during the service. As we sang and played our instruments, scripture was bouncing in my head and when it came to the tag line I used to tie the song to scripture it had a whole new meaning.

This week we are in Luke 15 talking about finding lost stuff, sheep, coins and people. All the stories are designed to teach us how Christ is searching for His lost sheep, His lost children. The thing that struck me this week while preparing the devotional, is the celebration that happens in Heaven when a sinner repents and comes home.

Luke 15:7 says this; "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

If this is what pleases God's heart, if this is what shakes the mountains and rattles the rafters, then this is what we are to be about. As we choose to follow Christ and become more like him, we also must be passionate about what He is passionate about, and that is finding his lost sheep, those who don't know him yet.

This week let us learn to be passionate about the lost, let us desire to seek after them, as Christ desires them to be found. He has called on us to help him in this search, to join in the celebration when they are found and to go out and search for more. Be Christ’s hands and feet this week, in your relationships at work and at home. Make sure you are looking, watching, searching for those opportunities. Let’s help cause the mountains to tremble and the rafters to rattle as heaven rejoices over the found children of God.

Glorifying God in the Everyday

The tendency in early Christian experience is to look for the marvelous. We are apt to mistake the sense of the heroic for being heroes. It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but a different thing to go through everyday glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying the remotest attention to you. If we don't want medieval haloes, we want something that will make people say - What a wonderful man of prayer he is! What a pious, devoted woman she is! If anyone says that of you, you have not been loyal to God!

-Oswald Chambers

Covenant's, do they mean anything anymore?

Tonight I lead worship at College Park UB church in Huntington. It was a blessing to be able to provide some music and to worship with them. The focus of the evening was on God's covenant and it helped me to realize that there are covenants all around. Some of you have a covenant, that being the covenant of marriage. You stood before God and many guests and promised that you would love, cherish and protect your spouse till death do you part. The problem with this is it isn't taken seriously anymore.

I know many couples who are struggling with their marriage and some who have given up and taken the easy way out and filed. I don't say that flippantly. I understand that both parties have to work to make it work, and that for some, it is a gut wrenching decision to make, but it seems all too often, papers are filed and mostly for reasons that don't warrant such action.

When I look at the church in general, I wonder if we have filed the divorce papers a little too early. Do we value and honestly believe to be true the covenant we made with God when we became Christians and said to him, yes I want to live my life for you. At the time we may have been serious, but what happens over time when the relationship starts to get stale and unfulfilling? We start looking for something new, for a way out.

As I listened to the message tonight and upon reflecting on it, I realize that everyday is a choice. Everyday in our relationships with our spouse and our relationships with God, we must choose to serve. We promised, we gave our word, we committed ourselves to this covenant for better or for worse, and we placed our lives in the hands of God. It's time we make good on that promise and start serving with all of us, with everything we have and everything we are. No reservations!

Psalm 89:20-37
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Ephesians 2:11-22
MArk 6:30-34; 53-56

withdraw

For the past year or so, I have been meticulously planning for the US National Conference for the United Brethren In Christ denomination. Through that year or so, there were many meetings, many many emails and a lot of phone calls. Lot's of decisions had to be made, lot's of hurdles had to be crossed, and lot's of time was spent in vision planning, thinking, and dealing with vendors. All in all there was a lot of communication going on. The conference went great, there was much to be satisfied with as far as how things came off. I made many friends, was reacquainted with old ones and met some really neat people, some of whom I would love to get to know better.

So here it is three weeks later, and I am going through communication withdraw. I find myself looking at my email several times a day and checking Facebook in hopes that someone has decided to send me a message. I find it all really disturbing that I crave people asking me to do something or asking me to figure something out. In the absence of that, sometimes I feel like I am just existing. It is all really sad when I think about it. And to top it all off, I am off of school this week. OH NO what shall I do with no homework............

Just so you don't read this and shake your head in pity or any other form of "He's a wacko" thought, I will tell you I am learning something from it. Even though I love communication with people, even though I rather enjoy my life being somewhat busy and on the go a lot, I am starting to realize something. So here it is, check it out; I am starting to communicate with God more.

I KNOW right? It's an amazing thing, when I shut up and stop talking and listening to other people, and I sit in the quiet and absence of the hustle and bustle of life, I feel like I can hear God's still small voice calling to me, telling me He want's to talk.

Now I don't always know what He is saying, but I feel Him speaking to me. I appreciate the time to listen to what He wants to tell me. I know that I can be busy in busy work, thinking that I am doing God a favor by working so hard trying to do stuff for Him; but if I am too busy to listen to Him, how will I know what He wants me to do?

My passion to serve Him can also be a distraction from my communication with Him. I need times like this, as hard as they are on me, to have the quiet to listen to His words.

The other plus to this down time, is that I am having a blast with my boys and beautiful wife. Being able to sit in the same room with them with nothing else calling my name is a nice break. My kids are getting so big so quickly and my wife gets more and more beautiful everyday. I really don't know how I got this lucky, and this blessed. I really don't.

So the moral of my little story, is in the absence of all the noise, listen for the most important sound, God's voice.

Observations of Paul’s Writings

Those who sought to destroy Paul’s ministry were self righteous and jealous. For no other reason can I discover why they would want to discredit Paul and the Gospel, which he taught. Through their own boasting and jabs at Paul, they began to pull some of the Corinthians away from the message they first accepted and taught. They also tried to discredit the love and concern Paul and his ministry partners had for the church of Corinth by trying to make Paul out to be a two faced individual. In 2 Corinthians 10:10 we read, “10For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." (NIV) Paul’s response to this is basically saying, what you read is what you get. Paul responds this way; “11Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” (NIV) This is a great response. He doesn’t get defensive; he just says what the truth is albeit in a confident manner.

Paul makes a comment in chapter 10:12-18 where he implies that those who are trying to pull the Corinthians away from the message of Christ, boast in and measure themselves by themselves. Paul simply points out how absurd this is. Measuring yourself by yourself is foolish and by pointing this out, Paul discredits this attempt of sabotage on his character and ministry. He finishes this defense off by saying something I believe to be the absolute truth. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 “17 But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”(NIV). Brian Ritchie (personal communication, June 25, 2008), a friend of mine, once said, “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” I don’t think he realized how true this statement is. I believe Paul is saying in effect the same thing. If God chooses to use us, then He will do so, not vice a versa.

Finally Paul speaks to the issue of boasting and how he boasts in his weaknesses. One might ask why he would do that. I believe it is to draw attention to God, to keep Paul from getting a big head and becoming puffed up about himself. Those who boast on themselves assume the power and praise for what is happening. Paul, by boasting in Christ and in his own weakness, chooses to place the glory on Christ and not himself. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 says: “23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (NIV)

I think that when it comes to the 21st century minister and church, we can learn much from Paul. If we were to maintain a high level of humbleness in our ministries, we might do much to protect ourselves from the lure of fame, greed, power, and other things that can draw us away from Christ. Anytime we allow these types of things to creep in and become a part of us, we remove Christ from the glory seat. It is tempting for some to allow glory and praise be placed on them for what they do in their ministries, but if we remain humble and obedient to Christ, He will help us stay in a place that will be safe form outside perversion.

There are many people in our churches today that are in ministry for the wrong reasons. Among the most abused positions would be that of music and arts. In such a position it is common to be praised for doing such a good job or for being so creative. If we allow our head to get big because of it, we can become a problem for the church and for the gospel of Christ. We must always stay on guard and protect ourselves from such actions.

Paul demonstrated his love for the Corinthians by being truthful in love toward them. Gently guiding them back to the message and truth they first accepted and keeping them accountable to it. Churches today would be in a much better state of health if we had a Paul around to constantly remind of us of the goal.

Wondering

Ever wonder what God might have up His sleeve for you? Sometimes things happen that cause me to think about what God could do with my life if I totally surrendered to Him. Don't get me wrong, I believe that if God asked me to do something, I would without to much reservation, but I still wonder, what types of things He could accomplish through a humble servant.

It doesn't take me long to compile a full scene in my head of service to my King. Sometimes the scene is painted with a different town, or city. Sometimes I see myself serving in full-time ministry in the local church doing what I think God created me for, Worship and the Arts. I serve now at Union Chapel as the worship and arts pastor but on a part time basis. It is difficult sometimes to accomplish everything that I think I can do only serving in a part time role. To be honest, I feel restricted with what I can get done, simply because time doesn't allow for anything more. Who knows though, if I worked full-time there, I would most likely still deal with time issues.

You see for me it is very easy to get caught up in the fact that I don't have enough time to do what I would like to do for the church, and in the mean time I overlook the daily opportunities that God provides for me. As you may already know, my "full-time" job is in the welding field. I am a welder by trade and therefore I work in the field where the harvest is. But in my own selfish desires to work in the church full-time, I tend to over look the ministry opportunities that are right in front of my face.

Do I believe God placed me in the welding field for a reason? Yes I do. Do I get frustrated when my preferred career goal always seems fleeting? Yes I do, but this is something else I believe. God is God and He knows what is best for me. He knows where He can use me the most, and therefore I believe He has placed me right where I am because He see's me being useful there.

Now it is my job to let go of what I think I should be doing, and listen to what God is asking me to do right where I am at. Maybe someday God will bless me with the opportunity to work for the church full-time and use the talents and gifts I have to offer, but for now, in this season of life, I must be thankful for the work He has given me to do now.

So my question to you is this, Where has God placed you? And are you looking for those opportunities or are you wishing you were somewhere else? Be careful what you wish for, because without God leading you there, you might regret it.

Philippians 1:5-6 (NIV)

5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Observations of Romans- Part 2

The extent of mankind’s sin problem is far greater than I think we will ever know. It has affected every aspect of the world we live in from little children to the elderly. Sin is not a general term either; it is specific and expressed as such in God’s word. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, spends a large amount of time explaining to the Romans what sin has done and how it separates humanity from God. Unfortunately sin has a way of disguising itself to look like something that is not threatening or harmful. One can clearly see this in just about any television show you can find on TV.

Television is one of the greatest forms of communication we know in the world, and it is also, I believe, one of the biggest sources of sin as well. The content to which we allow to come into our homes through the television is candy coated and looks good, but comes on subtly and has a very deadly sting. Our children are bombarded with sinful actions, bad language and lack of moral values in many of the shows that are aired, and if we are not teaching them differently, to them it seems like a normal part of life. It is no wonder that divorce, suicide and drug addictions have become a common thing.

The consequences of such lazy guarding of the heart, is manifested again through the actions of our youth and even ourselves. What we put into our minds eventually comes back out in our actions, attitudes and mouth. The eyes are the window to the soul, we must guard what goes in. Paul’s letter to the Romans detailed many of the sinful acts that the world and humanity were involved in and he also laid out the consequences of those said actions. Romans 1:18- 25 says this; “18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV) Paul is very clear as to the reason for God’s anger, and goes on in subsequent verses to explain what will happen because of their choices.


The “lostness” of humanity was and is so great, that God had to provide the ultimate fix, the final sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Through the shed blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God, the separation from God that existed in sin was removed, and the narrow road was again open for us to commune and exist under God’s love and protection.

First the sinfulness of humanity had to be recognized and dealt with. God’s righteous anger was great and He was inclined to give men and women over to their sinful lusts and desires. However; in His grace and mercy, He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His son, Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ we could be forgiven of our sins and looked upon as the righteous creation He intended us to be. This faith was not based on merit, culture, social status or any other means of separation; rather is was available for all humanity. Paul states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (NIV)

Lastly the Holy Spirit is promised for the true believer as a helper. The Spirit of God resting upon men as a constant companion, one to intercede on our behalf, to God the Father. Paul does a fantastic job detailing how and why we are lost, and what we must do to be saved. Through his passion and love for the gospel of Christ, many were saved and many more will follow.

Observations of Romans

This has been an interesting discussion on the book of Romans, and one that we could all stand to learn much from. Paul is the consummate minister, in that he has given his life to what he believed to be of the Lord. His conversion on the Damascus road impacted him in such a way, that he gives the rest of his life spreading the word of Christ. Teaching other believers the truth and how they should live out their faith, and encouraging other churches to stay strong in their faith.

Several statements were made this week that I thought were interesting, the first from Jan Congress (2009). She wrote; “III. Paul’s Exhortation To Live a Christian Life (Romans 8:28-15:13) What I observed in this section a Christians response to God’s love shown through the gift of salvation is to sacrifice ourselves and live as Christians. (Romans 12:1)” As we discuss living the life of a Christian, we must determine what the life of a Christian is. How is it defined, and how is it measured, how is it achieved? I think Paul goes to great lengths in Romans in explaining the what, and how of this question, especially in chapters 12-14.

The second statement I found interesting was by Steve Armes (2009) when he said; “the law exposes sin. (7:7-25)” This statement bears much weight, for without the law, how would we know our lawlessness? The same could be said of Christ. In terms of darkness and light, Christ brought light into the world through His life and through the law. As He taught, He shed light on the law taking it from what they knew like; thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not bear false witness, and he expounded on it. To look at a woman with lust in your eyes is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart. We have all told a lie, big or small it was a lie. Until Christ arrived the world was hopeless, dark and full of sin. The light He brought was that of truth, opened eyes and forgiveness.

The other interesting thing I learned was from Chris Butler (2009), He wrote; “People became foolish and let selfish desires overtake what they know as the truth. (1:18-32)
Chris was referring to the fact that the people knew God, but refused to honor Him or His laws. Instead they chose to live life the way they wanted to and thus they were separated further from Him. When you do this, live life the way you want to, there comes a time when it becomes natural, or normal. At this point, life as one knows it has become the complete opposite of what God wants. The godless and wicked that Paul is referring to were eventually given over to the things that they wanted. God handed them the reigns and said in a sense, “this is what you want? Then this I will give you.”

Paul’s letter to the Romans is most likely one of the clearest cut explanations of the Christian faith there is. His passion for spreading the word of Christ oozes from his letter and his excitement of the Roman church is plainly seen. Today’s ministers could experience many of these issues stated above. Living a Christian life in the world today could simply mean being born in America, middle class and attending church on special holidays. The ability to describe and understand what the life of a Christ follower (Christian) is foundational in helping someone understand what is expected of him or her. It isn’t a decision that is made one time and all is good from there on out. It is a daily decision to die to what we want in life and live our lives to serve the One who served us first, Jesus Christ.

This would also include the temptation to allow tradition overrule the truth of Christ. Many people allow tradition to dictate what they do and how they do it as apposed to seeking the wisdom of God. There are great dangers in allowing traditionalism to rule over truth and Christ’s divine guidance.

Observations on Paul's letter to the Galatians- part 2

Flesh as discussed in Romans, is something we die to as we are transformed through the renewing of our mind. As we are Justified by Grace, or saved through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. When we are saved or rescued from our present state of death by sin, we become a new creature. Our outside stays the same, but our mind, our heart, our soul go through a complete transformation that brings into unity with God. We will still fight the flesh, because it will do what we don’t want to do, and it won’t do what we want it to do. As a Christian, this is our fight, or our cross to carry.

Galatians carries a similar line of thought as it talks about being torn between living by the “law” and living through “faith” in Jesus Christ. Paul deals harshly with the Galatians as he explains to them that the Law cannot save them. He explains that a man will only die by the Law, but he can live through Faith in Jesus Christ by His grace. The extent of the issues with the flesh has deep roots, and causes many people to stumble. Since we are made of flesh, and we are made with a soul, it is almost a necessity that they learn to work together for the good of the Kingdom. But the flesh is of sin, and our souls are redeemed through Gods Grace, thus pitting flesh and the soul against one another.

The consequences of such a battle are deadly. Our flesh will die and return to the earth from whence it came. However, the issue lies with what will happen to our soul. We live not for today, which is what the flesh lives for, but as redeemed and justified beings in the grace of Jesus Christ, we live for our future in eternity with Him, which is what our soul is made for. The consequences of not fighting the good fight and making sure our soul, our heart, our inmost being is made right with Christ, is eternal separation from Him in Hell.

Our nature is sinful, thus creating an instant battleground for the flesh and soul to engage a fight. Once justified through Christ, we are at battle. Our flesh will be tempted to do things we ought not to do. So it was with the Galatians; they struggled with the issues of trying to live by the law, through their own measure, they tried to gain God’s favor. Too quickly they forgot their instruction and training. They allowed the flesh to guide them instead of what they first believed to be true. Several times in Paul’s letters, you can read the word “believe”. That simple word is a key to what Paul is trying to tell the church of Galatia. They had turned from what they first believed and were allowing people e to sway them from the truth.

Ministers today, still have the same issues with those they instruct. We live in a world where everything is right and everything is good, so they say. May people today don’t want to hear that they are sinful or doomed to eternity in hell, separated from God. They believe that if they are good and kind to others, it is enough. People today are no different than those at Galatia. They thought that through the Law, they could obtain the grace and goodness of God, but it simply isn’t true. Faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he died on the cross and rose again to sit at the place of authority in Heaven, is what it takes. Nothing has changed really, different people, different worlds, but the same issues. Today’s ministers need to have a rod of steel place up their spine, and they need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as though it mattered, because it does. How nice it would be if gone were the days of pandering to people to make them feel better about themselves, and ministers and preachers would tell people the truth. That they are in danger of spending eternity separated from the creator and sustainer of all creation and life, the one true God.

Observations on Paul's letter to the Galatians- part 1

Paul’s writings to the various churches in the New Testament bring to light just how passionate and sold out for the message of Jesus Christ Paul was. His transformation on the Damascus Road was a once in a life-time experience, maybe even a once in history experience. It was interesting to see how quickly Paul went from being one of the most fanatical “Christian hunters”, to one of the most passionate and confident disciples or ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I thought it interesting that he did not wait to get confirmation from any man or any authority before starting his ministry. God confronted him on the Damascus road and immediately he started preaching the message given to him.

With this kind of passion, this kind of dedication to the message that he carried, how could anyone stop him? To me, the principle of Paul’s beliefs and actions are very much like a Jihadist, let me explain. On October 5, 2007, Jeffery Imm wrote this about Jihadists’ “Love of death”; “…Afghanistan Jihadist Maulana Inyadullah put it succinctly and clearly: "We are not afraid of death. The Americans love Pepsi Cola, we love death" ... "We fought for the cause of Islam, because Allah commanded us. We embraced death, we were willing to be martyrs". Now I am not saying that Paul was looking to be killed for what he professed to be true, but I also do not believe that he would shy away from his death, especially if he had to choose between denouncing Christ and the message of forgiveness through faith in Him, or dying.

Paul had that kind of passion. He was visited directly by Christ, and it profoundly impacted his life. Paul’s urgency in getting to his ministry hints to his lack of concern about what men thought. They knew his past, they knew what he stood for and what he had done, yet that didn’t bother him. He received his orders and he unswervingly headed out to accomplish the goal.

Throughout all his letters to the churches, this is apparent, especially in his letter to the church of Galatia. He starts the letter with a greeting, but then proceeds to give them a what-for message. He didn’t care what people thought of him, as long as the message of Christ was given and the Kingdom was advanced. He was no longer living for himself but for Christ. Today’s ministers could take this into account as they head out into their own Christ centered ministries. As ministers of the Good News of Jesus Christ, we ought not to be worried about what other men think of us or for our own interests. If we are to spread the message we have been given through grace in Jesus Christ, we should do so with passion that puts self last and others first.

Egyptian Society

As I read through the history of the Egyptian civilization and surrounding and subsequent societies, there seem to be a number of reasons that the Egyptian civilization lasted for so long. Some of which were their isolation from other cultures, their belief in the power and appointment of the Pharaoh; their wealth and their oneness. Greer and Lewis paint a clear picture of how Egypt operated and the manner in which they lived.

The isolation in which the Egyptians had was a huge factor in their long rule and existence. They were distanced from many of the outside influences that would have and could have upset the balance they had acquired. By being separated and secluded, they were able to create their own “little world” if you will. By doing so, they believed they could last forever just like the pyramids they built. This is in contrast to the other societies that rose up in the Middle East. Many of the other empires were greatly influenced by other groups of people, which caused them to be more diverse and individualistic.

I believe the unity of the Egyptians, is one of the most viable factors of their survival as a long lasting empire. They lived as one society under one ruler. Their belief that Pharaoh was a God appointed ruler formed a Monarch that went unquestioned. Egyptians followed this ruler whole-heartedly, and His or Her (in the case of Hatshepsut) word was law. They served as Judge, jury, and law-giver. Everything flowed from the seat of the Pharaoh. Juxtapose this with groups such as Sumer and the Greeks. Greeks viewed their citizens as equal and part of the political decision making process. This is a stark contrast to the Egyptian style of leadership.

The position of Egypt on the map is another reason they enjoyed such a long period of existence. Living on the Nile River provided them with a variety of resources. Water, food, rich soil for farming and transportation. It also provided protection from outside groups. Living on the Nile provided some struggles though, especially when it came to flood season; however, the Egyptians learned how to work around the flooding using measures such as diverting water and planning the crop season in accordance with flood season. The other aiding factor in position for the Egyptians was the desert that bordered Egypt. Much of the desert is impassable even with modern vehicles. This barrier, allowed the Egyptians the protection they needed to be isolated and enjoy a life of perfection in their eyes.

The Egyptians believed they had the perfect life and thought that they were superior, and for a period of time they were. When you control what people think and know you are able to make them believe and act a certain way. If the leadership was able to choose to either accept or deny an outside influence, they had control over what the people came into contact with. You are happy with what you have and how you live until you come into contact with something that is different. By controlling what the Egyptian people knew, the Pharaoh and his leadership were able to control the people and thus keep them happy, unlike other people in civilizations who were free to explore and be influenced. Others were able to decide for themselves what they thought was good. When this happens, you have discontent and lack of order. I think the Egyptians understood this, and decided to control it from the outset.

Ultimately, the Egyptians differed greatly from other people groups. Rule through a single authority, wealth, geographical position, and isolation all enabled the Egyptians to enjoy a long and successful empire.

The Sermon On The Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most interesting messages Jesus gives, and certainly seems to be one of the longest. Looking at it with an overview in mind, I found that Jesus took the law and built upon it on several occasions. The law said not to lust, but Christ built on that and said not to even look at a woman with lustful intentions. The law said to not to murder, but Jesus again built on that and said to not even be angry with a brother or you will be subject to judgment. There are two specific passages in the Sermon on the Mount that I think are the most important and influential, and they deal with being salt and light and having a good foundation.

The first of these is found in Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV). This part of the message is dealing with being salt and light to the world. Something I didn’t think about for quite some time in my life was how I was affecting other lives around me. I was living for myself, and didn’t worry about what kind of wake I was leaving. For the past 12 years I have been trying to change that. Within the past year or two, I have started to understand just how important it is for me to live my life in a way that affects people in a positive way for the Kingdom. This realization goes beyond my Sunday morning experience and responsibilities there as the Worship Pastor. This includes getting outside of my comfort zone and making and taking opportunities to witness and evangelize to those who need that salt and light in their lives. It is very easy for me to do my job at the church every week, and feel as though I am going out of my way to further the Kingdom of God. The reality of this, is that I can become desensitized to the importance of getting outside the walls of the church and into the world where the lost are. Even Jesus said that he did not come for the healthy, but the sick. The way we live our lives as Christians, can either enhance life, or not. If it doesn’t, then we fall into danger of being cut off from God forever.

The second passage of scripture, I believe encompasses the entire Sermon. In Matthew 7:21-27 (NIV), Christ warns us that building our lives on a good foundation is the difference between an authentic life that God will recognize, and one that is fake and merely a façade. It is so very easy for people to go to church every week, be involved in the calendar of the church, and even serve in vital areas, and yet not be living their lives completely for God, or even the way he commanded us to. People can put on a mask when they want to and you would never know the deep dark secrets that they keep. We put on the church face, and pretend that life is hunky dory, when all the while we are dying inside. This I believe is what the world dislikes about the church. They see what we are really like in the world Monday through Saturday, yet we act differently on Sunday mornings.

Being transparent, being real, being Christ and living the way He has called us to live is vital to reaching those who don’t know God and His gift through Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) show us the difference between the one who puts Christ’s words into action, and the one who doesn’t. On the surface, the difference isn’t noticeable, but when the test’s come, our true nature and character will be revealed as our exterior weathers the storm. Having that strong foundation of Christ’s directives will make all the difference in the world.

Scientific Psychology

“Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mind”. (Nairne, 2009). This is how Psychology is defined by James S. Nairne is his book, “Psychology 5th edition”. Psychology has often been misunderstood to be the process or act of analyzing the mind of someone who has an issue they are dealing with or a mental disorder that requires frequently scheduled hospital visits. We get the picture of someone lying on the couch spilling their guts, and a distinguished, very astute doctor sitting in a chair listening while taking notes. On the contrary, Scientific Psychology has done much to study the actions and thought process of normal and healthy minds, as to develop a base line, or a foundation on which to compare a mind that is unhealthy or challenged.

The study of the mind is a very crucial and detailed process. To understand the mind and how it operates, responds, and acts has been something scientist have poured much effort and resources into. Because the mind has no moving parts or pain receptors, it is difficult to gauge how it sends and responds to signals traveling through it to the body. There has been much progress in tracking events taking place inside the brain and how it reacts to sensation, thoughts and emotions. Today, scientist can study how a brain reacts to different things such as color, or how it responds during depression or seeing a vision. The invention of the computer has also helped scientist understand how information is carried in the brain, because the two are similar.

The study of behavior, which I think we all know how to do on some small scale, also gives us a great deal of information. How we react to situations, communicate and receive information, can tell psychologists a great deal about how we process information. As you watch someone in a situation, you can almost see what they are thinking as they respond. This type of information helps scientists uncover thought processes and plot responses based on given information.

Scientific Psychology and Psychologists have done much to improve life through their studies and research. In an ever-increasingly stressful world, people tend to buckle under the heavy loads and stresses of every day life. Knowing the causes and fixes for such events reduce stress and recovery time for those who are disabled mentally by it. As more and more documents and medical journals are written and published, doctors are able to have more information available to them when it comes to treating a patient. This increases the chances of recovery, and mental health.

I believe this type of study could be helpful in the church as well because it would allow ministerial staff to more effectively help people. As people come into our churches, they all usually come in with hurts, pain, bad past experiences, and even bad current experiences. With understanding of how people process information, react and respond in certain circumstances, we would be able to more effectively and more efficiently assist them and help them get back to right thinking, right actions, right living, and a right relationship with God. Knowledge is power, in the right hands it can do much good.

The Lord's Supper

The Lord’s Supper is rich both in symbolism and meaning. It is meant to remind Christ followers of the new covenant for the world, and the sacrificial death and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessings abound for those who gain a biblical understanding of the Lord’s Supper.

As we read in Matthew 26: 17-30, Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the evening of Passover. The Passover was a time of remembering what God had done through Moses because of the covenant he made with Abraham. During the Israelites time of slavery in Egypt, God struck down the first born of every home not protected by the blood of a lamb. God had instructed Moses to tell all the people to take a spotless lamb, sacrifice it; eat its meat along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. They were then to take the lambs blood, and with a hyssop branch, spread some blood across the top and both sides of the door of the house. That evening, when death came, all the first born who were not protected by the blood on the door were killed. Those inside a house with blood spread on the door frames were spared. This is also symbolic of what Christ is preparing to do in the account of Matthew.

As Christ prepares to finish his work on earth through His death on the cross as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, He institutes a new covenant with the world, not just a specific people group as in Abraham’s case. Jesus uses two items as symbols of this new covenant, the bread and the wine.

First he takes the bread, gives thanks for it, thereby setting it apart for this specific purpose, and then breaks it and gives it to the disciples. The symbolism of Christ breaking the bread is that of what His own body will go through. Although not one of his bones was broken, however; Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” The bread is a consistent reminder of Christ’s’ body and the suffering He endured on our behalf.

The other item Christ used was the cup of wine, otherwise known as the Grace cup that was usually shared following a meal. Christ blesses this cup as well, thereby setting it apart, and tells the disciples in Matthew 26:27-28 “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (NIV). Hebrews 9:19-22 states that blood must be shed in order for the forgiveness of sins to occur. In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats were used to cover for sin, but when Christ shed His blood, it covered and removed the sin for all who believe in Him.

In Luke 22:19, Christ makes this statement prior to giving the disciples the cup, “…do this in remembrance of me.” So this is a clear directive from Christ for us to repeat the act of breaking bread and sharing in the wine as a remembrance of what he is about to do. In the New Testament, the frequency of the Lord’s Supper is not specified. However, in Acts 2: 46-47, we read, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” There is a frequency that is apparent here.

The Bible is also clear on who should participate in the Lords Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 says that the act of taking communion is for the purpose of “proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.” (NIV) Eating and drinking without this acknowledgement of Christ’s body, will bring judgment upon whoever consumes without remembering. Let us be mindful as to how we approach communion in the future. Remembering Christ, His sacrifice and the new covenant for all who believe, first for the Jew and also for the Gentile.


Reference

Aquaro, G. R. A. (2001). Leavened versus unleavened bread: what’s the difference?.
Abstract retrieved February 22, 2009, from http://www.prosphora.org/page27.html

Darby, J. (2009). Crosswalk.com. John darby’s synopsis of the new testament, matthew
chapter 26. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from http://www.biblestudytools.net/commentaries/darbysSynopsisofnewtestament/dby.cgi?book=mt&chapter=26

Easton. (2009). Easton’s bible dictionary. Retrieved February 22, 2009, From
http://biblestudytools.net/dictionaries/eastonsbibledictionary/ebd.cgi?number=t2864

Naves. (2009). Naves topical bible. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from
http://biblestudytools.net/concordances/navestopicalbible/ntb.cgi

The Poor

Some may misunderstand Jesus’ words in John 12:8 to say that no matter what we do, we will never solve the problem of the poor, because they will always be around. However, when paralleled with the teachings of Jesus and the events to come in His life, we can see that Jesus was simply saying that their work is just beginning. He will be here for a short while longer, but the poor will remain. Consequently their work will not be finished when Jesus is gone.

John 12:4-8 paints us the picture of a woman, who out of the great respect, love and compassion for Jesus, anoints his head and feet with a very costly perfume. She pours the perfume on him and uses her hands and hair to spread it around. Judas is livid and complains about what he perceives to be a foolish decision on her part. He claims the money could have been sold, and given to the poor. The amount of perfume is equivalent to a year’s wages, which is about 300 denarii, or to put it in other terms, it would be approximately worth $10,000. His desire or apparent concern for the poor is only surface deep, because he was the keeper of the moneybag, he frequently borrowed from it for himself. His knowledge of the worth of the perfume explains his outburst and response to her actions.

Jesus scolds Judas and tells him to leave her alone, noting that he will be here only a short time, but that the poor will always be with them. This thought mirrors the scripture in Deuteronomy 15 where Moses speaks to Israel concerning how to treat the poor. He says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” (NIV) The directives Moses gives Israel reflect the heart of God and his compassion for the poor. Exodus 23:11 instructs farmers to go over their fields once during harvest to collect the grain, and to leave some of the harvest there for the poor to come glean from it. Jesus is doing the same thing here, reminding them that the poor will always be in the land. There will always be ample opportunity to care for the poor. Mary’s actions at this particular moment are being done as and act of love and service to the Messiah. Although the depth of her actions may not be fully known to her, Christ knew what was about to transpire concerning his life, thereby making her sacrifice and service to him all the more sweet.

So what kind of application can we take from this scripture. Considering all that God has to say about taking care of the poor, and what Christ has said here in this passage; we can safely say that one of our responsibilities, as Christians is to care for, and show compassion for the poor. This only reflects what God has done for us as He sent Christ to earth for the forgiveness of our sins. We were poor and destitute in our sin, but through the compassion and love God has for us, we are rich.








References
Baker's evangelical dictionary of biblical theology. (2009). Dictionaries. Retrieved
February 27, 2009, from http://www.biblestudytools.net/Dictionaries/
BakersEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi

Biblegateway. (2009). The year for canceling debts. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2015;&version=31

Naves topical bible. (2009). John 13. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from
http://www.biblestudytools.net/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?passage=joh+13:4-14

New testament greek. (2009). Lexicon. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from
http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/NewTestamentGreek/grk.cgi?search=poor&version=kjv&type=eng&submit=Find

School papers

Hey all, I haven't had much time to write due to my school work. But I thought it would be neat to post some of my papers from school here for people to read. If you have that kind of time, great. If not, maybe I will some day.

Peace

Storing Up Treasures

Matthew 6:19-34 Study

Jesus teaches that seeking after the things of the earth is futile, because they will all one day be destroyed. Rather we are to store up in heaven, treasures of another kind, ones that will not be destroyed. Likewise he teaches that we are not to worry about things that we cannot change. We are to trust in God to provide for us and not worry about tomorrow.
Observation:

1. Vrs 19, what does the word treasure connote?
a. According to the KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon, the term “treasure” here indicates, “to gather and lay up, to heap up, store up”
b. Luke 12:33 says; “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

2. Vrs. 20, Moth and rust destroy clothing and metal, is Christ referring to such things here, and if so, what was the attachment to these items during this time period?
a. James 5:2 says; “Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.

3. Vrs. 21, what we value, what we put out time and passion into is what we love and treasure.
a. Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

4. Vrs. 22, how were the eyes thought of in this time period? What kind of light is Jesus referring to?

5. Vrs. 23, How is the word “darkness” used here? What is the Greek translation?
a. The Greek Lexicon defines the word darkness to mean, “full of darkness, covered with darkness.”

6. Vrs. 24, what was the relationship like between masters and slaves or servants?
a. Jesus’ reference to masters and slaves would have been received as the norm, because slavery was a part of the society. It was woven into who the people were.

7. Vrs. 25, “Therefore” – What? What does this word point us to? How much were clothes and food valued then?
a. Could the word “Therefore” indicate a comparison between serving two masters, as in the previous teaching, and the choosing to have faith in God to take care of them?

8. Vrs. 26, did birds have value then? None indicated

9. Vrs. 28, Jesus mentions “clothes” again, is there significance here?
a. Jesus is possibly calling the disciples attention to the fact that faith is required for such things. If they worry about clothing, are they really trusting in God to take care of them.

10. Vrs. 29, what was the perception of Solomon to these people, what was he known for?
a. 2 Chronicles 9:22-23 “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than al the other kings of the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.”

11. Vrs. 30, the fields are fleeting and only for a season, yet God ordains the fields with flowers. He loves us more, so it stands to reason that He will take care of us as well.

12. Vrs. 31, Was there a famine? Were they hungry or cold? Was Jesus telling the disciples that they must have faith that God will provide what they needed?
a. The disciples needed to understand that God provided the grass of the fields, which ended up being a source of fuel for many people. The disciples, who were made in God’s image, designed to live for eternity, should live by faith knowing that God will take even more care of them.

13. Vrs. 32, what or how is the word “pagan” used here? What is the Greek translation?
a. The term “Pagan” in Greek means “human family”. Is Christ is trying to get them to understand that they are made for a different world, that they should expect to act differently because in light of this?

14. Vrs. 33, what does He mean by “his kingdom”?
a. The term “his kingdom” here, according to the Greek translation, refers to the rule of the Messiah, not necessarily a place, but the ruler-ship of Christ.

Interpretation
1. Verses 19-21: Earthly things will perish and fade, but the things of heaven will last forever.

2. Verses 22-23: What we allow to come into our eyes is what we will become and mirror.

3. Verses 24: When it comes to good verses Evil, what will you choose? You can only serve one.

4. Verses 25-32: We are God’s most valued creation. If He takes care of those things that have less value, how much more will He take care of us? Therefore, for those who proclaim the name of Jesus, we should not worry. God will provide.

5. Verses 33-34: We are to seek first the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His desire for our lives, then the things that we need will be given to us.

In these passages, Jesus is trying to teach his disciples that faith in God essential for the Christian. We cannot desire the things of this earth and at the same time serve God. That life style will ultimately tear us apart from Him, because we cannot have it both ways. We also as Christians cannot say we have faith in God and at the same time worry about what tomorrow will bring. When we live in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we live by faith that the God of all creation will take care of His most valued creation, us. Anything else is living a double standard or a double-sided life, and that is not what God desires.

Palestine, What's it all about?

There is much happening in the Middle East regions these days. I recently had to write a paper on Palestine, and the research enlightened me greatly. I thought I would post it here in hopes that it might shed a little light for you as well.


THE HISTORY OF PALESTINE

The Middle East has long been the theater of war, conflict, and power struggles. One particular parcel of land known as Palestine (Ancient Judea), has been in the center of it all since the Jews were given the land by God as a refuge, a land flowing with milk and hone. The Bible, in the book of Exodus, tells us the story of this gift to the Jews from God. Exodus 6:2-8 says; “God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD. (NIV)

Although the land was a God given gift to the Israelites, it was under the rule of the Romans. Herod the Great sat in position of power at this time in history, and ruled with a very strong hand. He was prone to fits of rage, and at one point even killing his wife, some of her relatives, and a few of his own children. Herod was appointed as king by the Roman Senate around 40 BC, and ruled for 36 years until 4 BC. Following his death, aggression and resentment was on the rise between the Jewish people and the Roman authorities. “The impossibility of a working relationship between the Jewish and Roman authorities is well suggested in the New Testament account of the last days of Jesus Christ. The Jews of the Sanhedrin are determined that he shall die for blasphemy, but they want the Roman governor of Judea (Pontius Pilate) to condemn him. Jerusalem is in Pilate's province, but he tries to shift the responsibility on to Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great who is ruling Galilee - on the grounds that Galilee is where Jesus comes from. The lack of effective government implicit in this story is now typical of Palestine, apart from a brief period starting in AD 41. In that year Herod Agrippa is appointed king of Judaea.” (www.historyworld.net) Herod Agrippa rules for only 3 years before dying. Following his death, the region quickly returns to the tension and struggle prior to his ruling. Another effect of the Roman rule was that the Jewish population started to diminish. Islam and other Arab cultural influence’s started to weaken the Jewish settlements and they became the minority. Arabs effectively ruled this area for over one thousand years.

Fast forward to the 19 century, where following this time of rule by the Arabs, there arose a movement from among the Jewish people called Zionism; and was formed in 1861 in Frankfurt, Germany. It was designed to link the Jewish people with the roots of the land of Palestine going back as far as 1200 B.C., and to secure a national homeland for the Jewish people who realized that without such a sanctuary, they would not be safe from anti-Semitism. During the beginning of the 20th century, Britain held much control over the Middle East. During this time in history, the Middle East had become a major supplier of oil to the rest of the world. The British Empire, drafted the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which stated their public support for a Jewish national homeland.

Rosenberg (2009) writes; “This declaration was accepted by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922 and embodied in the mandate that gave Great Britain temporary administrative control of Palestine. In 1939, Great Britain reneged on the Balfour Declaration by issuing the White Paper, which stated that creating a Jewish state was no longer a British policy. It was also Great Britain's change in policy toward Palestine, especially the White Paper, which prevented millions of European Jews to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe to Palestine.”

Further setbacks and atrocities were in store for the Jewish people. Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, systematically executed and destroyed over 6 million Jews and in the process 3-4 million non-Jews through the use of concentration camps, gas chambers and firing lines. This was a program designed to exterminate all Jews because they were thought to be “radically inferior”. This carnage and mayhem underscored the need for the Jewish to have a place of refuge, and thus the push for a national homeland for the Jews was reignited. A mass exodus was again seen as multitudes of Jews pushed their way into Palestine. “According to official records, 367,845 Jews and 33,304 non-Jews immigrated legally between 1920 and 1945. It was estimated that another 50–60,000 Jews and a small number of non-Jews immigrated illegally during this period.” (Wikipedia) The events that occurred while Hitler was at the helm of the killing machine have had far reaching impacts on all nations. America is home to hundreds of thousands of Jewish people, and the effects of this dark period in history, is felt to this day. Anti-Semitism is a sensitive subject and something that still exists, especially in the Middle East.

Arabs living in the land saw this as an intrusion to their way of life, and once again violence broke out in 1946. This prompted Britain, acting alone, to separate the land using the Jordan River, effectively giving Transjordan their independence. The other side of the Jordan River was designated as the National Homeland for the Jews. This brought several years of fighting between the Jews and Arabs, and eventually Britain pulled out, and the land was further divided by the United Nations in 1947. The division by the U.N. created an Arab state (Palestine), and a Jewish state (Israel). This division did not sit well with many of the Arabs and they tried to over throw the new state of the Jews.

Following the pullout of Britain, Israel started to gain respect in the Middle East. Two allies joined Israel and began talks to wage war on Egypt. However, the United States and Russia, who were positioning to pick up the spoils of the British occupation, urged restraint in the region. Because of the size and far reaching influence of the United States and Russia, the three countries backed down. During this time, many lessons were learned by Britain and Israel. “The British decided that they would never again act independently of the United States, but that they also needed to be part of Europe. Israel decided that in the future, it must rely for its survival, apart from itself, on the United States alone. All three countries have held to these decisions ever since.” (Greer & Lewis 2005) The single greatest thing I notice from the actions of these countries is that they are constantly looking past the current events, and into the future. They recognize that events that are happening right now on the ground, not only effect today, but also are a part of the past and will have impacts on the future as well. Russia and the United States recognized that by creating allies in the Middle East following the British extraction would benefit them in the long run. The vast majority of the world’s oil resources are in the Middle East, the controlling power of these and other resources like it would most likely have the upper hand.

Other wars ensued against Israel in years, 1967 and 1973, over the same issues as wars past. Eventually, tension between Egypt and Israel developed over the territory of Gaza. In 1973, Egypt attacked Israel in hopes of regaining the small strip of land because they thought it to be crucial to the security of their country. Egypt eventually came to realize that the sway of western culture might be the key to making a difference in the Middle East conflict. In 1977-78, peace between Israel and Palestine seemed to be on the horizon. Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian President, and Menachem Begin, the Israeli prime minister, met with American President Jimmy Carter at Camp David to discuss the “Land for Peace” deal. Basically, Sadat suggested that Begin give Egypt back the Sinai and in return, Egypt would make peace with Israel. Begin accepted and held to the new contract. This agreement has held up to this day, however; there are growing concerns and speculation, that tunnels from Egypt into Gaza are being used to smuggle weapons and munitions to aid the continued fight against Israel.

This vicious cycle of bartering peace has continued to this day. The rise of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the rule of Yassir Arafat; organization such as Hamas and Fatah, and meetings and peace negotiations with presidents, Regan, Bush (senior), Clinton, and Bush (junior) have promised peace, but gotten nowhere. Today the fight between Israel and Palestine wages on, and in some cases is even more brutal and deadly. As technology increases, war machines become more effective, more people die, and terrorism is common in the region and quickly spreading across the world. America and Britain are targeted as well because we support the cause of the Israelites and their right to a homeland and refuge. Just in the past 3 weeks, Israel waged war on Hamas, targeting Palestine and the Gaza strip. Israel stood by as Hamas fired rockets into Israel almost on a daily basis. They showed restraint and patients long enough. They have vowed to subdue Hamas and will continue the fight as long as Hamas fires rockets into Israel and threatens the security of the Jewish state.

No man, nation, or peace agreement will ever end this conflict, in my opinion. This war has been going on since the day Jesus walked this earth, and before. However, there will come a day, when God will bring his Kingdom and peace will surely become a reality. Revelation 21:1-4 says; “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (NIV) Amen.



References
Department for jewish Zionist education. (2009). Britains partition 1946. Retrieved
January 21, 2009, from http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/MAPS/bpart.html
Greer, T. H. & Lewis, G. (2005). A brief history of the western world. (9th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth
Historyworld. (N.D.). History of syria and palestine. Retrieved January 21,2009, from
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=569&HistoryID=ab29
Mideastweb. (2007). In a nutshell, israeli palestinian conflict. Retrieved
January 21,2009, from http://www.mideastweb.org/nutshell.htm
Rosenberg, J. (2009). Balfour declaration. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from
http://history1900s.about.com/cs/holocaust/p/balfourdeclare.htm
Wikipedia. (2009). Zionism. Retrieved January 21,2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist