PROPHECIES OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

The top picture is the inside of the Garden Tomb, the nontraditional site of the tomb of Jesus. The nontraditional site meets the description requirements of the New Testament, but does not have tradition on its side. The middle picture is of the exterior of the Garden Tomb. The picture on the bottom is of the traditional site of the tomb of Jesus inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The reason tradition carries so much weight is that in the second century, the emperor, Hadrian, destroyed all the significant places in the life of Christ where Christians were worshipping. In their place he built pagan worship places. By doing this he effectively marked these Christian sites for future generations. In the fourth century, Constantine sent his mother, Helena, to the Holy Land to identify these Christian sites. She tore down the pagan worship centers that marked the holy places and built churches over them. So, the chances are good that the traditional sites are truly the right sites even though they do not look like it. Could the traditional sites be in error? It is possible. The vast Roman army that surrounded and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 could have destroyed enough of the evidence of the sites to confuse returning Christians. My personal belief is that the latter view. I do not believe our Heavenly Father wants us to reverence sites on earth. That is idolatry. He is to be the center of our lives!

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"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow your Holy One to undergo decay" (Psalms 16:10). This prophecy of Christ's resurrection is quoted by Peter in the first gospel sermon on Pentecost in Acts 2:27).

"After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up; that we may live before him" (Hosea 6:2). This scripture was alluded to by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:4. These are only two of several Old Testament prophecies of Christ's resurrection.

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The Christian faith stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The risen Christ is the cornerstone of all that Christians believe. If Christ has not risen, Christianity falls apart. If he has risen, God's word is true. If Christ has risen then God will have the last word--you won't!! If you are not in Christ, you have not defense.

Grace&Peace,

Tom

WHAT DOES A CONSERVATIVE LOOK LIKE?

"Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21).

There are 3 characteristics of a conservative. Actually, conservatives are very thoughtful and loving people. Sometimes, in working with addicts and the undisciplined, love has to be tough. Tough love, compassion, validates the worth of a person, but pity invalidates a person's worth by implying that a person is incapable of helping themselves. Only the government can help is the implication. The love of the conservative is compassionate, it is not pity.

1. The first characteristic of a conservative is traditional values--Judaeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded. As people of faith, the values gained from a rational study of the Bible form our world view.

2. Limited government is the 2nd characteristic belief of the conservative. Government is a necessary evil. It is power. I have a Romanian friend that lived under communism. She told me the police could enter any one's home at anytime for any cause--what a terrifying way to live! The global-warming people want to save the planet by limiting meat consumption to 4 three ounce servings per week per person. How will they enforce that? The food police in your home at any time? Humm. Over 40 years ago, senator Fulbright from Arkansas said that the Constitution was outmoded. Politicians love power and they would like nothing better than to get rid of it. They have found a way, in the last 40 years to invalidate the Constitution--by packing the court with liberal judges who then legislate from the bench. The intention of the Constitution was to harness the power of government for the welfare of the people and for their protection. When the people of the United States have to fear the government then it is the government that has to be reigned in.

3. Market economy. Much has been said about the lack of regulation being the cause of the current financial crisis. Granted, there has to be regulation because corruption, sin, is to be found in the free market just as corruption is found in government. The government overseers, in this case, congressman and senators, were just as corrupt as the over-paid CEO's! Our problems did not result from a free market but from corrupt regulators! It is amazing to me that the free people of the United States want to turn over the health-care system to the same bunch who gave us the financial crisis! There will always be scarcity and hardship when government manages an economy. In the UK there are long waiting lists for people who need specialized treatment;it is not uncommon for one to die waiting for treatment. Now the government there says they have a right not to treat those who do not exercise or eat a healthy diet. That is also why medical tourism is the fastest growing kind of tourism. One will have to go to a third-world country for treatment!

Traditional values, limited government and market economy--do you believe in those? If you do, vote for someone who supports these values. When most people find out what conservatism actually is, they have found themselves to be more conservative than they thought they were.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

IDENTITY MATTERS TO THE ADDICT

". . . I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:23-25a).

If you have read the gospels at all, one of the obvious points that has to prick your heart is what a great love Jesus had for sinners and those in difficult circumstances. You also had to notice what disdain he had for the self-righteous and those more interested in preserving religious tradition than in being compassionate to those in desperate conditions, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in" (Matthew 23:13).

Those of us in Christian leadership in the Lord's Church should tremble at these words! Are we more interested in what people can do for our church rather than what our church can do for people?

I'm saying all this because there are a huge number of people out in the general population that are struggling with addictions. Jesus loves them! We need to love them too, in a healthy way like Jesus did. The first step in dealing with an addict is to bring him to Jesus Christ. Admittedly, a person can fake this step and it will be worthless to them. However, one of the reasons this is necessary is that it provides another identity to the addict. He is no longer an addict. He is a Christian struggling with an addiction. The change in identity makes a difference! One of the characteristics of an addict is one of shame--"I'm no good!" or "What a wretched man I am!". The message of the cross is that God loves you now matter what addiction you have--He wants you to be one of His own!

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

"SILVER BULLETS" ENDORSES JOHN McCAIN

"For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same" (Romans 13:3).

COMMENT: Our forefathers recognized that when a person has to fear for doing good then the governing authorities have lost their legitimacy.

Silver Bullets is proud to give Senator John McCain its endorsement for President of the United States. In the military, John McCain served our country with heroism, dignity and principal.
In the political arena he has indeed been a maverick, bucking his own party. There has been much in his political past that I have strongly disagreed with him, yet he is a known quantity and he is cooperative. His is an experienced leader who is trust-worthy.

The same cannot be said for Barack Obama. We really know very little about him. We know more about Sarah Palin and Joe the plumber than we know about Obama. Obama releases none of his records. We do not even know that he is truly a citizen of the United States. We do know that a significant number of his friends hate America. Even though Obama has said nothing in his debates that is scary, what are we supposed to conclude? All we have is rhetoric. I know enough psychology to know that rhetoric is not a sufficient foundation for a relationship--it is not what you say, it is what you actually do that matters. About that we know very little. Obama really could be the "Manchurian Candidate!"

If someone comes to apply for a job, but is not willing to fill in all the information, would you hire him? I wouldn't! It is that simple.

One last difference between the two that is a core issue with me, and it is big enough in itself to determine my vote; McCain is pro-life and Obama is pro-abortion even through late-term, partial-birth abortion. This is not just a political issue, this is a moral issue and how one stands on this issue is a pretty good indicator of what one thinks of people in general; whether they are a blessing or a burden.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION 2

"You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered" (I Peter 3:7)

"and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ" (Ephesians 5:21).

"Wives be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22).

I doubt that submission would be such an emotional issue in the Christian home if Christian husbands were perfect, but, sadly, they are not. Generally, they are no better than the women they are married to, and no worse either. The honored place they have in the home, and in the church is by Divine direction, not because of innate superiority! The only reason that a woman would be regarded as being weaker is because she does not have the privilege that God has given to men. If this seems to be arbitrary and not fair, talk to God about it.

Because of the privilege God has given to men, they have a greater responsibility to honor their wives. How are wives to be honored? Several answers can be given, but I just want to mention understanding. One of the most important gifts that we can give to any one, and especially our wives, is that of truly listening with the intent of understanding her. She is not to be dismissed as an "air head," but is to be understood, validated and, of course, loved. The thoughts of a woman are not less valid, nor are the thoughts of a man more valid; validity does not depend on gender, rather, it depends on truth.

In the Christian church, submission is to be mutual with the members of the body submitting to each other in the love of Christ; we wouldn't expect it to be any less so in the Christian home. However, when the time comes to act, then the husband has to carry the load, acting in what he believes to be in the best interest of Christ, his wife and his children.

In the church, I believe that women can serve in any position that a man serves, with one exception, not in the position of elder-pastor-bishop. Again, this is by Divine direction. These are interchangeable terms in the New Testament for the same service. A woman can be an evangelist if she is under the supervision of the elder-pastor-bishops.

To a mother, the protection of her children is of paramount importance. During times of personal abuse or the abuse of children then all the talk of submission is over. Personal safety and the safety of the children comes first. In the cases of abuse, prolonged infidelity or addictions, the vows have been violated. Submitting , in these situations, would increase the danger and it does not honor God to stay in those situations!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION

". . . yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you" (Genesis 3:16 b). Dr. Hagan, my Old Testament professor in seminary, indicated this verse as the beginning of the battle of the sexes. The same word, translated "desire," is used in Genesis 4:7 indicating a consuming desire. The use in 3:16 indicates that the woman wants what the husband has, leadership.

"For it was Adam who was first created and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (I Timothy 2:13,14).

The consequences of the sin in Eden are severe, and, to us, they do not seem to be fair. Physical death is one that falls upon us all. The order of leadership in the home and the church is another. Why is it that God wants men to be leaders? Is it because they are smarter and more capable? No. Men and women do tend to see the world differently, but that is for complimenting each other; it does not mean that one is innately superior to the other. The apostle Paul says that men should be leaders for two reasons: 1. The order of creation; 2. Because it was Eve who was deceived; in-other-words, because of the fall. These are theological reasons, and therefore, the order of leadership is a matter of faith. Women of faith take this matter seriously while women of the world do not; it just seems to be a natural dynamic for women to desire everything that a man has.

Tomorrow, I will write about how submission works in the Christian home.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

PROPHECY OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

The top picture is of an olive tree in Gethsemane that could be old enough to have witnessed Jesus' final surrender to the will of the Father. If it could talk, what a story it could tell!

The second picture is on the via dolorosa, the way of sorrows. It is not a great picture, but it shows what it must have been like for our Lord Jesus, carying His cross through the narrow, crowded street. How difficult it would have been for Him, but how easy to be spit upon and cursed.

The third picture is the non-traditional site of the crucifixion of Christ. Visually, it appears to be a more accurate site than the traditional site of the cross below. The Roman's practice was to crucify people in well-traveled places so that the local population would be intimidated. Both pictures meet the requirements of a probable location of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The second picture is of the courtyard outside the church of the holy sepulchre; it has tradition on its side, but the first picture looks more authentic.

"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10).

There are several Scripture texts I could have used to show that the passion of the Christ was prophesied hundreds of years before the Christ child was born, but I chose this one because it is not so well-known. In John 19:37, John cites this text as being fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons I chose this prophecy of the Messiah is because the text makes it clear that the author of the text (God) is the one hanging on the cross and the one who is pierced. The text is about God in the flesh, loving us so much as to die for our sins! What a gracious God we serve!

Grace&Peace,

Tom

GOT IMMORTALITY?

". . . our Savior Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (II Timothy 1:10).

"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon" (From a compilation of sayings collected by Dan Leininger).

Obviously, if eternal life is simply life without end, heaven isn't such a great place to anticipate. Eternal life is the life of the Eternal One--the only One who is truly immortal. Heaven will be an eternal life of love, creativity, peace, perfect fellowship, gratitude and rejoicing. While on this earth, eternal life--immortality, is also manifested by faith and hope. When it seems as if life is impossible, the one with immortality clings to the only hope there is--Jesus Christ. Now that is truly audacious!

Through these difficult times, keep your hope in Christ for He is the only real hope there is! I want to see you in Heaven!

Grace&Peace,
Tom

LOVE IS . . .

"Love is . . . kind . . ." (I Corinthians 13:4).

"Kind looks, kind words, kind acts, and warm handshakes--these are secondary means of grace when men are in trouble and are fighting their unseen battles." --John Hall

Grace&Peace,
Tom

WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34).

Being raised in a church-going family, I have heard many sermons, over the course of my life, about money and giving. Inevitably, the sermon always gets around to this verse, the interpretation of which goes like this: "If you give your money to the church then your heart will follow it. Your heart will be in heaven because you gave your money, which is your treasure, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I have always believed that this to be, at the very least, isogesis, if not an outright, "flat-out" corruption of what the text means.

It is always good to have confirmation from a scholar. As I was reading this morning from Mark Moore's Encounters With Christ, his final statement about this text was this, "If Jesus is not our only treasure, then our inheritance is in jeopardy."

Grace&Peace,
Tom

DO ATHEISTS PRAY?

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .'" (Genesis 1:26).

There was a bold headline in the October 4th Sioux City Journal that said, "Praying to whom? Study shows majority of American 'atheists' pray." The article that followed cited studies by Baylor University and by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. These studies revealed that the majority of atheists in America are inclined to pray, and one third of them pray often.

Whatever one thinks of the validity of these studies, I do know that when life comes crashing down on atheists, they are willing to pray. I had an interesting marital counseling situation in which one of the spouses was a Christian and the other an atheist. During A counseling session it is always my policy to ask permission to pray together. When I asked permission for prayer with this couple, I expected a rejection. To my surprise, the permission was granted whole-heartedly. When life seems to be coming apart, even an atheist is willing to reach out to God.

Augustine said that 'God has made us for Himself and our souls cannot rest until they rest in Him.' I think these studies and my experience support the validity of Augustine's observation.

Grace&Peace,
Tom

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called . . . For he looked forward to a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:8a & 10).

This is not an exact quote, but I heard it from the pulpit of First Christian Church in Lawrence, Kansas, as Helen and I worshipped there yesterday, 'When our memories of past accomplishments are larger than our dreams and plans for the future, we have begun to die.'

Grace&Peace,
Tom

MARRIAGE THOUGHTS

"Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

I am officiating a wedding this weekend. Some thoughts have been rolling around in my head about what needs to be said:

1. Leaving home is required of both husband and wife. This means a change in relationship to parents. Now the relationship to parents has to be subordinate to the marriage relationship. In many cases the bonds to parents are still very strong, but they cannot be allowed to undermine the marriage relationship. Make sure you have truly left home! "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought like a child and I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (I Corinthians 13:11).

2. Marriage is a Divine institution. Thus, it is a matter of faith, and is a statement of our faith in God. Being a Divine institution, marriage is what God says it is, not what any executive, legislator or court says it is. By the power invested in me by God and recognized by the state, I pronounce you husband and wife.

3. The seeds of destruction are found in every relationship. Even if a couple has all of Neil Clark Warren's 29 dimensions of compatibility there is not a guarantee of a successful marriage. Those seeds of destruction must be weeded out when they begin to sprout and grow. How can these weeds be recognized? By understanding what love is and what love isn't: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in the wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. . ." (I Corinthians 13:4-8a). Weed out the things that are not consistent with love!

These thoughts are not posted in the order what the ceremony will be, but I believe them important enough to be included in the ceremony

Grace&Peace,
Tom