"Men, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30-31).
The last of our "kids" left this morning, leaving the lovely and gracious Helen and me alone in a quiet house. In a way it is a relief because we have time to relax a bit. But, it is also a little lonely because we, the thirteen of us, were altogether in this little house over the Christmas holidays; it was a great time!
A couple of days ago I was in the bank, doing some end-of-the-year financing and my banker asked me if I had gotten everything I wanted for Christmas. I replied, "Yes I did! All of my children and grandchildren were home at the same time and they all like each other!" So many families are troubled by jealousy, anger and conflict that they aren't even able to spend a short time together without fighting. Helen and I are so blessed to have a good family!
There are no guarantees that children will turn out well and that they will make a good choice of mates, but, do not make the mistake of thinking that having a great family is just a matter of luck. If mom's and dad's have faith in God's word and make a genuine effort to live their lives consistent with the teachings of the Bible, then most of the time children will follow in the footsteps of their parents. Sometimes children will turn out better than their parents deserve. Perhaps that is the case with my own children because there have been times when I was not the best example, so I am always thankful for how well my "household" is doing!
I do need to add that parents who say they believe the teachings of God's word, but live their lives in a different fashion generally produce a family that does what the parents do, not what they say. Our true faith is always lived out in what we do.
Our Father's Love,
Tom
Monday, December 31, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
WOULD JESUS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).
Jesus said this to the Pharisees, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,'" (Matthew 9:13).
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved (John 3:17).
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well (Acts 15:28-29).
There are many more scriptures that could be cited which point out the most important elements of a Christian's relationship with God. I do not believe that God is a legalist who takes delight in finding you guilty of some transgression of the law--that is what Satan does! Satan is the accuser who wants to take as many to hell with him as he can.
It is highly unlikely, though not absolutely impossible, that Jesus was born on December 25th. I think the traditional explanations for this date are probably correct. The pagan celebration of the winter solstice, Saturnalia, was on this date so the early church leadership decided to celebrate Christ's birth on the same date* as an attempt to remind recent pagan converts that Christ's coming into the world was the real triumph of light over darkness.
The celebration of Christ's birth was never commanded, but does that mean that it is wrong to observe it? From John 10:22-23 we have pretty good evidence to show that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday of which there was no command from God to celebrate. Hanukkah was a holiday dedicated to the remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for the Jewish people. How much more so is Christmas a remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for all mankind, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9)?
Yes, there is some pagan residue that has been brought into the Christian celebration of Christmas, but from my understanding of the Scriptures, it is not so much as to be considered toxic. I know that materialism is a problem, but Jesus did not condemn material extravagance completely. Notice that in John 12:1-8 Mary, Martha's sister, anointed Jesus with perfume worth a year's wages. Judas condemned the extravagance, saying the proceeds of the sale of the perfume could have been used to feed the poor. But Jesus praised Mary for her thoughtfulness and generosity, saying she would always be remembered for it.
We will always have the Christmas holiday--it is a legal government approved holiday. There is much about how Americans celebrate the holiday that is not good. However, if Christians can use the holiday as an occasion to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and in deed, so be it. I believe Jesus would approve of that.
Our Father's Love,
Tom
*Because of the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendars, the dates of Western, Orthodox and Armenian Christmases differ. When I was in the Holy Land, our tour guide told us that Armenian Christmas was celebrated on January 19th, the day I swam in the Dead Sea. I believe he was mistaken on that since Armenian's celebrate Christmas on the 6th. It appears that January 19th is the celebration of Jesus' baptism.
Jesus said this to the Pharisees, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,'" (Matthew 9:13).
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved (John 3:17).
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well (Acts 15:28-29).
There are many more scriptures that could be cited which point out the most important elements of a Christian's relationship with God. I do not believe that God is a legalist who takes delight in finding you guilty of some transgression of the law--that is what Satan does! Satan is the accuser who wants to take as many to hell with him as he can.
It is highly unlikely, though not absolutely impossible, that Jesus was born on December 25th. I think the traditional explanations for this date are probably correct. The pagan celebration of the winter solstice, Saturnalia, was on this date so the early church leadership decided to celebrate Christ's birth on the same date* as an attempt to remind recent pagan converts that Christ's coming into the world was the real triumph of light over darkness.
The celebration of Christ's birth was never commanded, but does that mean that it is wrong to observe it? From John 10:22-23 we have pretty good evidence to show that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday of which there was no command from God to celebrate. Hanukkah was a holiday dedicated to the remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for the Jewish people. How much more so is Christmas a remembrance of God's supernatural provision of light for all mankind, "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (John 1:9)?
Yes, there is some pagan residue that has been brought into the Christian celebration of Christmas, but from my understanding of the Scriptures, it is not so much as to be considered toxic. I know that materialism is a problem, but Jesus did not condemn material extravagance completely. Notice that in John 12:1-8 Mary, Martha's sister, anointed Jesus with perfume worth a year's wages. Judas condemned the extravagance, saying the proceeds of the sale of the perfume could have been used to feed the poor. But Jesus praised Mary for her thoughtfulness and generosity, saying she would always be remembered for it.
We will always have the Christmas holiday--it is a legal government approved holiday. There is much about how Americans celebrate the holiday that is not good. However, if Christians can use the holiday as an occasion to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and in deed, so be it. I believe Jesus would approve of that.
Our Father's Love,
Tom
*Because of the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendars, the dates of Western, Orthodox and Armenian Christmases differ. When I was in the Holy Land, our tour guide told us that Armenian Christmas was celebrated on January 19th, the day I swam in the Dead Sea. I believe he was mistaken on that since Armenian's celebrate Christmas on the 6th. It appears that January 19th is the celebration of Jesus' baptism.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
CHRISTMAS IS STILL ABOUT GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY!
And the angel said to them; "Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).
. . . and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
Some historians believe that Robert Green Ingersoll would have been president of the United States if it were not for his strong agnostic and atheistic views. He was a strong orator and could present his views much more persuasively than either Lincoln or Douglas. Ingersoll was raised in a devout Christian home, his father was a congregational minister, but with strong liberal and abolitionist views that kept him in trouble with his parishioners. Ingersoll's father was eventually run out of the ministry because of his views, and, as a result, Ingersoll was embittered against Christianity. In many cases it is true that the best argument against Christianity is the behavior of those who call themselves Christians.
In a short essay on Christmas, Ingersoll wrote: "Christianity did not come with tidings of great joy, but with a message of eternal grief. It came with the threat of everlasting torture on its lips. It meant war on earth and perdition here after." One of the chief reasons atheists have a problem with God is the existence of hell. They view hell as inconsistent with the existence of a loving God. For me, the existence of hell is a necessary result of a loving God. The shooting yesterday in Connecticut proves the necessity of perdition! The existence of hell is not an effort to scare people into going straight, rather hell's existence is evidence of God's love and justice for those who are His own.
The good tidings of great joy heralded by the angels really were good tidings! First, those good tidings mean that God keeps His promises. The Old Testament reveals many, many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Second, those good tidings mean that there really is pardon for sin and a legitimate hope for eternal life--this life is not all there is. A perfect life awaits us.
One of the sadist characteristics of agnostic/atheists is that they hopelessly grasp at straws. Robert Owen, a well-known early 19th century agnostic converted to spiritualism in the vain hope of communicating with the dead. Robert Ingersoll wrote these words in a eulogy of his brother Ebon, "Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word; but in the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing."
Good tidings of great joy represent not a vain hope, but a legitimate hope for life and eternity. Merry Christmas!!!
Our Father's Love,
Tom
. . . and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
Some historians believe that Robert Green Ingersoll would have been president of the United States if it were not for his strong agnostic and atheistic views. He was a strong orator and could present his views much more persuasively than either Lincoln or Douglas. Ingersoll was raised in a devout Christian home, his father was a congregational minister, but with strong liberal and abolitionist views that kept him in trouble with his parishioners. Ingersoll's father was eventually run out of the ministry because of his views, and, as a result, Ingersoll was embittered against Christianity. In many cases it is true that the best argument against Christianity is the behavior of those who call themselves Christians.
In a short essay on Christmas, Ingersoll wrote: "Christianity did not come with tidings of great joy, but with a message of eternal grief. It came with the threat of everlasting torture on its lips. It meant war on earth and perdition here after." One of the chief reasons atheists have a problem with God is the existence of hell. They view hell as inconsistent with the existence of a loving God. For me, the existence of hell is a necessary result of a loving God. The shooting yesterday in Connecticut proves the necessity of perdition! The existence of hell is not an effort to scare people into going straight, rather hell's existence is evidence of God's love and justice for those who are His own.
The good tidings of great joy heralded by the angels really were good tidings! First, those good tidings mean that God keeps His promises. The Old Testament reveals many, many prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Second, those good tidings mean that there really is pardon for sin and a legitimate hope for eternal life--this life is not all there is. A perfect life awaits us.
One of the sadist characteristics of agnostic/atheists is that they hopelessly grasp at straws. Robert Owen, a well-known early 19th century agnostic converted to spiritualism in the vain hope of communicating with the dead. Robert Ingersoll wrote these words in a eulogy of his brother Ebon, "Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word; but in the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing."
Good tidings of great joy represent not a vain hope, but a legitimate hope for life and eternity. Merry Christmas!!!
Our Father's Love,
Tom
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
COMPUTING THE FUTURE
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven or the Son, but the Father only (Matthew 24:36).
What if we knew when the earth would run out of oil and natural gas? What if we knew the day the dollar is going to crash?* What if we knew the day when a super storm, like hurricane "Sandy" would strike?** What if an act of war, like 9-11, was known before it happened?*** Would we be prepared?
The CIA is funding and helping to advance technology that can accomplish the impossible, a reasonably accurate prediction of the future. By "reasonably accurate" I mean within a 90 percent probability. From the limited reading I have done on the subject, it appears that this predictive technology is "super-computing" technology that draws conclusions from the mountains of information that are fed into it. Meteorological, political, social and demographic, economic, scientific, religious information, the amounts of which are almost beyond comprehension, are considered. What would it do to the stock and commodity markets if it was known 2 to 3 days ahead of time what they were going to do? I am sitting here wondering if the lottery could be predicted and what it would do to the lottery if it could?
A personal opinion of mine, it is nothing more than that, is that God will bring this world to an end when it has reached its logical conclusion. When all possibilities have been considered and still there is entropy; sin, injustice, death, destruction. Science, secularism and false religion will be leading humanity in circles, then Jesus will come. Joy to the world! Not only has the Lord come, He is coming again! This Christmas season remember that God has purpose for His creation. Jesus has come to save us and is coming again to take us HOME.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
* The dollar is going to crash--the character of our politicians guarantees it.
**The residents of New York and New Jersey did have a reasonably accurate prediction at least 3 days ahead of time. Even with that lead time, how does one prepare for such a storm?
***The Obama administration takes us for a bunch of fools. They had 3 months lead time on the attack in Benghazi and did nothing! The problem was not what Susan Rice said, but what the president was doing when this occurred. One doesn't have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to know that radical Islam was going to do something on 9-11. The real question to be considered is, was this simply incompetence or something worse on the part of Obama?
What if we knew when the earth would run out of oil and natural gas? What if we knew the day the dollar is going to crash?* What if we knew the day when a super storm, like hurricane "Sandy" would strike?** What if an act of war, like 9-11, was known before it happened?*** Would we be prepared?
The CIA is funding and helping to advance technology that can accomplish the impossible, a reasonably accurate prediction of the future. By "reasonably accurate" I mean within a 90 percent probability. From the limited reading I have done on the subject, it appears that this predictive technology is "super-computing" technology that draws conclusions from the mountains of information that are fed into it. Meteorological, political, social and demographic, economic, scientific, religious information, the amounts of which are almost beyond comprehension, are considered. What would it do to the stock and commodity markets if it was known 2 to 3 days ahead of time what they were going to do? I am sitting here wondering if the lottery could be predicted and what it would do to the lottery if it could?
A personal opinion of mine, it is nothing more than that, is that God will bring this world to an end when it has reached its logical conclusion. When all possibilities have been considered and still there is entropy; sin, injustice, death, destruction. Science, secularism and false religion will be leading humanity in circles, then Jesus will come. Joy to the world! Not only has the Lord come, He is coming again! This Christmas season remember that God has purpose for His creation. Jesus has come to save us and is coming again to take us HOME.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
* The dollar is going to crash--the character of our politicians guarantees it.
**The residents of New York and New Jersey did have a reasonably accurate prediction at least 3 days ahead of time. Even with that lead time, how does one prepare for such a storm?
***The Obama administration takes us for a bunch of fools. They had 3 months lead time on the attack in Benghazi and did nothing! The problem was not what Susan Rice said, but what the president was doing when this occurred. One doesn't have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to know that radical Islam was going to do something on 9-11. The real question to be considered is, was this simply incompetence or something worse on the part of Obama?
Thursday, December 06, 2012
CHOCOLATE CHURCH (a communion meditation)
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him . . . (John 19:17-18).
I do not specifically recall where I read this statistic, but if memory serves me correctly, Americans eat enough chocolate each year to average out to 12 pounds of chocolate per person. That is a lot of chocolate! Now I personally know a couple of people who do not like chocolate. First, it is amazing that one could not like chocolate! How could that be? Second, I think I make up for what those two people do not eat! Why do I like chocolate? First, it tastes good--and it is kind of good for you as well. There are few things better a dark chocolate kiss with a cup of strong black coffee. Not only does it taste delicious, all those anti-oxidants are helping your body stay healthy. Second, chocolate makes one feel better. If your mood is down, have a piece of chocolate. Immediately life will seem a little brighter. Not only that, Dove chocolates wrap their chocolates in wrappers with heart-warming sayings that enhance the experience.
The reason I bring all this up about chocolate is that we have come to expect our experience in church to be like eating chocolate, to taste good, to feel good, and be comfortable, listening to heart-warming sayings. We have to understand that dealing with sin and sinners is not a neat, comfortable or even sanitary process. Crucifixion was a horrible torture. Tears, sweat, blood and prayers were shed for us. Violence and injustice took a life given to us in love so that we could be pardoned and forgiven. God did not insulate himself from the horrible pain of purchasing salvation! If there are tears shed as one comes to know God and his Son Jesus Christ. If there is loud weeping as one surrenders their life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so be it! If there are tears of remorse as one confesses his sin before taking communion, so be it! The Church is a hospital for sinners where the struggle of life and death are real, where the battle against satan is real.
Church is about life & death, blood and tears, change and loss, hope and love. It is a battleground where victories are won.
Our Father's Love,
Tom
I do not specifically recall where I read this statistic, but if memory serves me correctly, Americans eat enough chocolate each year to average out to 12 pounds of chocolate per person. That is a lot of chocolate! Now I personally know a couple of people who do not like chocolate. First, it is amazing that one could not like chocolate! How could that be? Second, I think I make up for what those two people do not eat! Why do I like chocolate? First, it tastes good--and it is kind of good for you as well. There are few things better a dark chocolate kiss with a cup of strong black coffee. Not only does it taste delicious, all those anti-oxidants are helping your body stay healthy. Second, chocolate makes one feel better. If your mood is down, have a piece of chocolate. Immediately life will seem a little brighter. Not only that, Dove chocolates wrap their chocolates in wrappers with heart-warming sayings that enhance the experience.
The reason I bring all this up about chocolate is that we have come to expect our experience in church to be like eating chocolate, to taste good, to feel good, and be comfortable, listening to heart-warming sayings. We have to understand that dealing with sin and sinners is not a neat, comfortable or even sanitary process. Crucifixion was a horrible torture. Tears, sweat, blood and prayers were shed for us. Violence and injustice took a life given to us in love so that we could be pardoned and forgiven. God did not insulate himself from the horrible pain of purchasing salvation! If there are tears shed as one comes to know God and his Son Jesus Christ. If there is loud weeping as one surrenders their life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so be it! If there are tears of remorse as one confesses his sin before taking communion, so be it! The Church is a hospital for sinners where the struggle of life and death are real, where the battle against satan is real.
Church is about life & death, blood and tears, change and loss, hope and love. It is a battleground where victories are won.
Our Father's Love,
Tom
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