A couple of week ago we discussed the ruling by SCOTUS concerning marriage and how we ought to think about this issue. In part 2 of this segment we discuss more practical concerns on how one ought to live in light of this ruling. How does this affect our persona, family, work, and church life? This is the focus of this conversation. May this round table discussion serve you well.
Blessings!
I had the pleasure to preach on the second person of the Trinity, that is, God the Son. More specifically I sought to present a case for how we can get to know the true Jesus of Nazareth. Here is the link to the sermon, “Trinity: God the Son”
I had the honor and privilege to preach on the Holiness of God at the church I pastor at. For the small group who care (MOM) here’s the link to the sermon.
Blessings,
Stephen
I recently had the honor to preach at West Center Baptist Church in Madison, SD. One of the ministries that WCB participates in is broadcasting their service on local television for members who are shut-ins due to health. So being that I preached there this past Sunday, I also get to be televised this coming Sunday. Here’s the video that will be aired on TV this coming Sunday.
Dirt.
I have been thinking a lot about dirt lately.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. ~ Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV).
But then!
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. ~ Genesis 1:9-10 (ESV).
Whoa… God called dirt “good.” Praise the Lord, He only makes good things!
But then!
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ~ Genesis 1:11-12 (ESV).
Whoa… God’s good dirt produces seeds, plants, trees and fruit!
But then!!
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. ~ Genesis 2:7 (ESV).
God made us from His good dirt! Amen!
Remember all that vegetation that the good dirt produces?
29 And God said, “Behold [LOOK!], I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
It is for us. IT IS FOR US! Because He cares for us! Praise our Creator! (Pause… read that again.)
God loved us so much that He gave us rule over all the good dirt and things produced/living off it:
26 Then God said, “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ~ Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV).
And He even gave us a garden to care for us and for us to take care of:
8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
We are so intimately connected to the earth that we live on. We are made of the dirt. We receive all of our food from the dirt. Plants and minerals give us all the medicines that we use to heal our sicknesses and disease. Even our breathe is connected to a cycle with the plants which gives us air to breathe again. Perhaps our care for creation as God’s stewards of creation should look a little more like the care that God has given us. We were made in His image after all. Maybe we could plant more gardens and pollute less like Him. Anyways…
We are so intimately connected to the earth that yes, we are spiritually connected to the earth. When we fell, the good dirt fell:
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.” ~ Gen. 3:17-19 (ESV).
But then God came in dirt, Jesus Christ, to save us.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him.12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:9-14 (ESV)
Yes, even the dirt was waiting for this Savior.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
And it’s still waiting for full salvation, it’s waiting for its future glory as redeemed dirt!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c]4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ~ Rev. 21:1-4.
Just some thoughts on dirt, to heal our over-compartmentalized, secularized, unspiritual minds and reductionistic theology.
Have you ever wondered how the Bible teaches that sanctification requires both “labor” and “rest” seemingly at the same time?[1] I often have come to the Scriptures with this question. Wondering, “Well which is it?” Then I go back to God’s Word and it answers back, “both.” This only leaves me with more questions. How are these two commands (labor and rest) compatible? Are we to labor as long as we can and then rest? Are we to rest so long to rejuvenate our strength and then labor? What does it even mean to “labor” or to “rest” anyway? These are the type questions I hope to answer. I trust the truths from God’s Word that has nourished His beloved bride now for 2,000 years will be a tremendous source of joy for you this day. So let’s dig in!
Setting the Stage and Defining Terms
***If you are confident that you already have a Biblical working of the concepts faith and good works you can skip this portion and move to the next heading***
Let’s begin with defining some terms so as to eliminate as much misunderstanding as possible. What does the Bible mean when it speaks of “faith?” Let’s assume that you are alone and shipwrecked out in the middle of the ocean. What does faith look like? Faith is not some sort of wishful thinking (i.e. “I hope someone will come save me!”). And faith is not blind confidence (i.e. “I just know someone will come save me!”) Nor is faith devoid of heart and behavioral change (i.e. God has told me in His Holy Word to look to the East from where my salvation will come.” [All said while looking West]) Rather faith springs from a realization of utter bankruptcy and utter dependence on your one and only hope (i.e. God has told me in His Holy Word to look to the East from where my salvation will come!” [All said while eyes are set like flint to the East with expectation and confidence])
Hebrews 11:1-3 states,
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (italics added for emphasis)
James 2:14, 17, 18, 26 state,
(Vs. 14) What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?(Vs. 17) So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.(Vs. 18) But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (Vs. 26) For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Now that we have a working definition of faith and concept of what it looks like. Let us move on to defining what the Bible means when it speaks of “good works.”
I don’t think it would be wrong to summarize all good works under the word love. In fact I think in another post I could demonstrate from Scripture how all the fruits of the spirit and all good works are really just a displaying the many facets of what love is much like a diamond. For example, when someone is irritating you what does love look like? Love is patient. When someone you see is in need and you have the resources to help, what does love look like? Well, love is generous. Therefore, I think it is fair to state that love is the summation of all good works. That is, love towards God and love towards man and His (God’s) entire creation.
So faith is the confident seeing of God’s promises and leaning on them with all of who you are. And good works is the act of loving God and man with all of who you are.
How Faith and Love Work Together
My thesis is that faith is the channel from which love springs[2]. Love is fed by faith. Without faith love will die. Let me give an earthly example of what I mean by this.
When does one fall in love with their spouse? Is it not when they see a glimpse of their beauty? Perhaps it was love at first sight. Or perhaps it was after a long talk and opening up to one another that you observed her inner beauty. Or perhaps it was when you beheld her commitment to you and your good.
Let me ask it in another way. When do you find it hard to love your spouse? Is it not when you cannot see her beauty? Perhaps something else has grabbed your attention. Or perhaps you cannot observe that inner beauty. Or maybe it’s hard to behold her commitment to you and your good.
In both cases it is the seeing faculty (whether it is the sight or the knowledge) that fuels the love. And the opposite of that is true as well, for it is the absence of the seeing faculty that dries up the love[3].
I know I am not communicating anything new here, most if not all already know this. It is likely that you already know and agree with my thesis that faith is the channel from which love springs. However, having the right answer and knowing why it is the right answer are two different things. Do we know why/how faith is the channel by which love springs?
In the Bible faith is equating with eyes of our heart, or to seeing. In addition, the absence of faith is associated with blindness.[4] Faith, as in the analogy above, is the “seeing faculty” for our relationship with God.
So the best way for us to grow in our love and obedience to God is by faith. That is to say, by seeing God in all His splendor and beauty we will be filled up with His love and empowered to obey Him.
Allow me to put some flesh and blood on this truth. Suppose you are overwhelmed and exhausted. You are being tempted to lose your patience and failing miserably. What do you do?
Here are some answers I received when I polled this question:
“I pray.” “I read my Bible.” “I sing some Psalms and Hymns.” “I reflect on the Gospel.” “I ask for others to pray for me and perhaps counsel me through it.” “I listen to a sermon.”
Notice that all of these are good answers. All of these practices are commended and commanded in Scripture. However, when I followed up their answer with the question, “Why, what exactly are you seeking to accomplish?” Their answers were all the same, “I guess, I don’t really know.” Now that isn’t to say they didn’t know the Bible told them to do these things. But rather, they didn’t know why the Bible told them to do these things. They didn’t know what the function of these practices was supposed to be.
All of these practices although distinct and unique all have the same function. Their function is to give us some sort of glimpse of the splendor and beauty of God. When you are feeling weak and tempted that ought to be a warning light that you are losing sight of God. And as a result, your love tank is running on low. It’s time for you to fill up again! So you pray, “LORD Jesus please open the eyes of my heart, that I may behold your beauty once more!” Then you open His Word with confidence that the Holy Spirit will grant you faith to see God. And as you behold God in His glory afresh, you are filled with power to obey Him!
Where Do We Look to See God?
This brings up an important question, where can we see the glory and beauty of God? Where has He revealed Himself most clearly? Is it not in His Son and our glorious Savior Jesus Christ?[5] In Him the fullness of deity dwells![6] We see the full splendor and beauty of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
In other words, the clearest manifestation of the glory and beauty of God is in His glorious Gospel[7]. This is what we mean when we speak of the centrality of the Gospel.
This is why all scripture points to Jesus![8] And this is why the Holy Spirits primary function is to reveal to us Jesus in all His splendor and majesty![9] Therefore, whenever we listen to a sermon, say a prayer, read the Bible, engage in corporate worship, study some new doctrine, or whatever the discipline may be, the whole reason for doing so is that you may once again have the joy of your salvation be made afresh in your heart and mind! You are seeing all these disciplines as glasses to help you focus your attention on Jesus and His glorious Gospel. You are on a daily basis seeking for the Holy Spirit to make real to you the truth of the Psalm “to taste and see that the LORD is good.”[10] The psalmist said it like this, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”[11]
When we speak of seeing Jesus to be changed we do not use see in the literal sense meaning visually, but rather to see yourself as utterly dependent and Jesus Christ as treasurable, precious, and your only hope. We are speaking of the awakening of both our affections and our mind.
What Does This Look like Practically?
Their three responses to the commands given in Scripture and only one way that is pleasing to the LORD.
Option #1 Legalism
Look at the Law and seek to keep it to the best of your ability.
Option #2 Licentiousness
Ignore the Law by appealing to grace as annulling it.
Option #3 Faith working through love
Look at the Law. Acknowledge your inability to obey and your temptation to disobey. Plead with the Holy Spirit with boldness and confidence to reveal to you all that God has done for you and is doing for you in Christ Jesus though His Holy Spirit. Then obey out of a joy-filled heart.
Notice how options #1 & 3 both look at God’s law. Only in option #2 is the law perverted and rendered as obsolete. But notice the similarities between options #1 & 2 in that both ignore God either by ignoring what He commands or ignoring our need for His power to obey. Both claim self-sufficiency. It is only in option #3 that we see repentance and faith functioning. Repentance is the acknowledging of our poverty in spirit.[12] It is the turning from our dependence on our self (a denying of self) to a total leaning on God and His Word.
Application: Farming and Sword Fighting
There are two ways in which to apply this truth to our life. I like to look at them in categories of offensive and defensive. The defensive is more focused on the heart such as: encouraging your faith, strengthening that inner man, affirming your identity in Jesus. By focusing on the defensive we are training the new heart that God gave us so that we stay tender to Him and His commands. In this way, we stay in a posture of wanting to obey Him. The offensive deals more with the wiles of the Devil and the deceitfulness of our sin. Even if someone has a desire to do what is right, it does not mean that they won’t be deceived into doing wrong.
The defensive
The first is seen in Galatians 6:7-10 Paul gives the illustration of a farmer. We reap what we sow. The farmer works hard long hours during spring and summer cultivating the ground and sowing lots of good seed. He then trust that in due season he will reap what he sowed. So let me ask you. What are you sowing on Monday morning to start your week? Are you sowing the word of God deep within your heart, expectant for a great harvest at due time? What disciplines are you doing to train yourself so that you may avail yourself to fresh manna each day that your tank stays full of the love of God? Are you leaning on all the means giving to you by God that you may see Jesus and bear much fruit? Do NOT lose heart my brothers and sisters, keep sowing and trust God for a harvest that will produce one hundred fold!
The offensive
The second illustration I get from Ephesians 6:10-17 and Matthew 4:1-11. Ephesians teaches us that the Christian walk is a spiritual war where the Word of God is our sword. In Matthew 4 we see our commander and chief wield the sword like nobody else! In this narrative with Jesus and Satan battling, Satan’s key strategy is to deceive or to trick. He knows that Jesus has no inclination to do evil. But if he can deceive Jesus then he can triumph. But Jesus knowing the Scripture confronted each temptation and lie with the truth and a promise from God. We are to follow Jesus in this endeavor.
So again, let me ask you. Do you know the Word of God, in such a way, that you may handle it against the deceiver and the deceitfulness of our sin? Can you extinguish the enticement of the temporal pleasures that sin promises with the eternal riches that God promises?
Closing
These are the two ways in which we seek and pursue to see greater and greater manifestations of Jesus. For Paul tells us,
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
And there is where our “rest” and our “labor” meet. We labor with all the strength that God gives us to seek to see Jesus in all the ways He instructs us to. And we rest both in His promises and His grace at work through us for it God who works within to do these mighty things.[13] For when we see Him we are compelled by His love! For we love because He first loved us. And when we see Him we shall be like Him.
Blessings
[1] 1 Corinthians 15:10; Matthew 11:28-30
[2] As see in: Galatians 5:6; Romans 14:23; Hebrew 11:6; I Timothy 1:5. Nor do I believe that I am arguing for anything new here as seen in these confessions: Augsburg Confession Art. IV,VI, XX; 1st Helvetic Confession Art. XIII; XIV; The 39 Articles of Religion of the Church of England of ‘justification and good works”; and Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XI
[3] As with all illustration at some point the illustration breaks down. Ultimately our love should be fueled by our love of God and not conditioned upon how beautiful our wife is, let alone our perception of how beautiful our wife is.
[4] 2 Corinthians 3:15-18; 4:3-4; Ephesians 1:18; Is. 6:9-10; Matthew 13:13-16; John 9:35-41
[5] Hebrews 1:1-3
[6] Colossians 1:19
[7] 2 Corinthians 4:6
[8] Luke 24:44
[9] John 14:26
[10] Psalm 34:8
[11] Psalm 90:14
[12] Matthew 5:3
[13] 1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:13
Half-truths are lies of the worst kind. Because they teach the hearer to choose between two equally valid and important truths. Telling half-truths can be done intentionally or unintentionally. It is often done as a result of: a lack of education, an overemphasis of one aspect of the truth, the complete neglect of other true aspects, or in the worst case scenario a denying of other truths that inform the topic. Here are some common examples I have seen:
1. Does God love sinners or hate sinners?
What the Bible says
The Bible teaches that God is longsuffering, slow to anger, patient, generous, and merciful to all people (repentant and unrepentant). The rain falls on the just and the unjust. And at the same time it also teaches that God hates the evildoer and is angry with the wicked all day.
The Right Question and Answer
The question is not “does God love the sinner or hate the sinner?” The question should be, “how does God relate to sinner and what does he feel and think towards the sinner?” And the answer is, God is both loving, kind, and patient and calls all people to repentance and faith in His Son! And He is at the same time angry with us and our sin and if we persist in this way He will in no way excuse our rebellion but will punish us with a fierce anger and wrath!
2. Do we reap what we sow or do we reap what God ordains for us to reap?
What the Bible says
We see that Scripture teaches the principle that we reap what we sow regularly. Both in the physical and spiritually terms. If we sow the Word of God sparingly, so also our harvest will reap sparingly. And yet, the Bible also teaches that it is God that causes the growth, opens the eyes, and raises the spiritual dead. The Bible teaches that no one can believe unless they hear the Word of Christ. The Bible also teaches that Christ will (certainly) build His Church and not one sheep be lost but the Father will draw them all to His Son.
The Right Question and Answer
God is absolutely sovereign over all things! He has ordained everything that will happen down to the smallest details. God is so involved that He even ordains the way things will happen and what will cause them. Many scholars have said it like this, “God ordains not only the ends, but the means to the ends as well.” In other words, God not only ordains that the farmer will have a good harvest this fall, but He also ordains that the farmer will plow the field, sow the seed, and bring the rains and sun to bring about a great harvest. We error when we relegate the means as unimportant or unnecessary because God has ordained that just as much as the results. And we error when we make our failures and limitations God’s limitation for the results or ends to come about.
The only way we will know what results God ordained for our labor to bring is to labour and see. But just like the Apostle Paul calls the children in Ephesus to obey their parents with the promise that if they do God will grant it to go well with you long in the land. So also God calls us to be faithful and sow and labor with the promise that we will reap what we sow. Promises and Sovereignty do not negate responsibility and purpose to our actions. Just the opposite, God’s promises and sovereignty assign purpose and liability for us to act with hope!
So the question is not, “do we reap what we sow or do we reap what God ordains for us to sow?” But rather, “what does God teach us about how His sovereignty relates to our responsibility?” And the answer is, God is so sovereign that He has ordained all that will take place and how those things will come about. And God has called us to obey Him in all areas of life trusting that He will use our obedience to bring those things about.
Conclusion
I could give more and more examples but I believe it would be unnecesary. In my experience and conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ many errors are made when rather than seeking to understand the full counsel of God we think or resolve to pick and choose what aspects are true. I am not saying Arminians and Calvinist are both right or both wrong. Nor am I saying we cannot come to clear conclusion. On the contrary I am writing this as a means for us to know how we can come to real true conclusions. And not ackowledging all of Scripture is hardly the right way to come to the right conclusion.
We are not asked to pick what passages are true. Nor are we to believe one to be more true than the other. Instead we affirm both from God’s mouth. Thus both are equally true, and we must seek to understand how both relate to eachother without altering either statement. In my study of Church History over the years what I consistently see in all of the major false teachers is they failed to do this very thing. Pelagius refused to believe that we could be slaves to sin and still be responsible. Arius refused to believe that Jesus could be God and the Father could be God and the Holy Spirit be God and there still be only One true God. The list goes on and on. But the point is, false teachers fail to acknowledge the whole counsel of the Word of God and in exchange elevate half-truths. Let us not make the same error brothers and sister! We do not have to pick and choose which passages we will believe. The two truths (such as, God love sinners and hate sinners) are not mutually exclusive, and what we ought to do is seek to demonstrate how we can believe and live out both.
Blessings,
Stephen
Several months ago a friend of mine of a completely different tribe politically, religiously, and philosophically asked me the following questions on abortion. Here were my answers.
***WARNING***
SOME QUESTIONS CONTAIN CONTENT THAT WOULD ONLY BE APPROPIATE FOR ADULTS.
I do believe the individual has been given by His creator the right to live and pursuit of happiness. Although, God is the only sovereign being that exist. And He has entrusted all people with freedom and responsibility. They will ultimately be held accountable to the Sovereign One on that Great Day. Concerning governing before that day, all forms of violent crimes undermine the very principle and so are to be punished fairly and appropriately. The issue of abortion is an example of this.
2. There are a few state legislatures that have tried to sanction the killing of abortion providers by claiming it is “justifiable homicide.” Where in the Bible does Jesus condone killing people?
Jesus affirms the Old Testament as being God’s Word and authoritative. So we need not hear it directly from Jesus’ mouth to know whether he would hold to such a thing because he believed every word of the Hebrews Scriptures. As to whether there is ever a justifiable reason to kill, that is tough. War involves this act, and many Christians who study the Bible have come a conclusion known as “Just War Theory.” I think many of the same principles under that theory are played out for CP (capital punishment). I am not a died hard fan of CP because of the unreliability of our court systems. But I am not completely against it. It is still a topic for me to study.
3. Earlier this year in the Oklahoma state legislature, a bill was proposed to protect the rights of a fetus at every stage of development, including the protection of an unfertilized egg. This would ban most forms of birth control. There was an amendment proposed, and later withdrawn, that would outlaw masturbation, oral sex, or any other action where a man’s ejaculate was not used with the intent of creating a child. Would you support such an amendment? The Bible does prohibit “spilling one’s seed on the ground” and actions that don’t adhere to going forth and multiplying? Would it not be a double standard to protect the unfertilized egg but not the unsuccessful sperm?
Point made. Although there is so much debate even within Christendom about the passage on “spilling one’s seed on the ground” as to why the punishment was given by God, most do not think it was for the act but in why he was doing it and what the consequences were. You can read about it in Genesis 38? I don’t think this issue is as easy. I personally would not pass such a bill. Practically I do not know how it could be implemented. Perhaps it would be helpful to distinguish the difference between crimes and sins. All crimes are sins but not all sins are crimes. A crime is a sin that directly affects and harms the public. The sin of envy is not a crime but stealing is. The state is to enforce the law concerning crimes, not sins.
4. Sister Joan Chittister, a Catholic nun, recently said, “…just because you are anti-abortion that does not make you pro-life. In fact, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born and not a fed child, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don’t? Because, you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not pro-life, that is pro-birth.” But your policies go towards cutting any programs that might help the less fortunate. If you were a poor person with little hope of being able to feed, clothe, or provide shelter, why would you bring a child into the world? Even if you give that child up for adoption, what hope might it have in a world where social services are non-existent?
I believe individuals ought to use all the resources to help the poor, weak, and needy. Forcing people is another issue. Robbing people of their wages to give to someone else is not what Jesus encouraged. Jesus focused on the heart of people and sought to expose the selfish nature in all of us and the need to be born again so that we can be freed to serve, love, and give. It would be wrong for me to rob a man because I needed the money. The government is no different when it robs people of their wages because someone else needs it. God is judge and he will judge the actions and the motives of people and how they used what was entrusted to them to serve, love, and give. Should my son love his sister? YES! Can I make him? NO! Can I influence him and teach him to do so? Yes. So it is with giving and many other good and charitable acts to be done. Again, selfishness is a sin but it does not follow that it is a crime. Nor does complicating the issue by committing a crime (stealing ones wages) in order to address the effects of ones sin a wise or profitable solution.
5. In a world where abortion(s) were illegal, mothers that did not have the emotional or financial wherewithal to care for a child with Down Syndrome would be forced to give birth and probably give the child up for adoption. Given the low numbers for adoption in the US, the ease in which adoptive parents can go overseas to adopt children with lesser needs, and the fatality rate for un-adopted DS babies, when can we expect YOU and YOUR family members to start adopting American children with Down Syndrome? Crack babies, babies with AIDS, any severe condition that can be detected before birth will do. Because very few prominent conservatives seem to be taking care of these kids that would otherwise be wards of the state. Would you be for a bill that required families with means and self-identified as pro-life to adopt special needs children?
I will! We have been saving to adopt for several years now. We are well aware of the need and hope to help. I know many others (friends, and also people within our church) who want to do likewise. Our church is currently funding an orphanage. Built them a home, bought beds, a television to watch soccer, and so on. For Christmas my family and extended family didn’t buy gifts for each other but rather gave gifts to the orphans in their name. You would be surprised the people eager to help and serve in the ways they are able. The problem is not so much a willingness to adopt children with Christians as it is how difficult the government has made it to adopt.
6. The Bible commands us to go forth and multiply. Should employers pay for expensive fertility treatments as part of their medical benefits based on their religious stances?
No. The mandate does not condemn involuntary infertility. The mandate encourages a desire to promote, protect, and preserve life. Again, forcing a company, a person, or organization to spend their wages or profits a certain way is a form of robbing.
7. Studies have shown a reduction in crime, infanticide, teen age drug use, and teen age childbearing consistent with the theory that abortion will reduce other social ills. Murder rates in minority communities a decade after abortion was legalized were lower by significant margins than in previous generations. If you rail against all of these social ills, why would you not favor abortion? Do you prefer locking up blacks and Latinos or are you hoping that they will just kill each other?
I do not favor abortion. And I don’t want them to kill each other after birth either. Where is the option for not killing each other off in the womb or out of the womb? Because that would be my choice. The end does not justify the means. America could drop an a-bomb on the Middle East and eliminate many future wars and deaths and sickness. But that wouldn’t make it right.
8. You say that abortion is murder under any circumstance. Rape, incest, safety of the mother, there is no situation in which abortion would be justified. What if your daughter were forcibly raped in a grotesque fashion by a close relative and carrying this child to term would certainly kill your daughter? On top of that an ultrasound showed that the baby had cloven hooves for feet, horns on its head, and a forked tongue? Plus, religious leaders of many denominations suggested that if the baby were born that it would mean the triumph of Satan on Earth. Would you allow your daughter to get an abortion then?
How old is my daughter? Is she still under my care? Or is she an adult that she is to make her own choices and bear the consequences of them? I will always love my daughter, despite what she does. In any case, I would never encourage her to kill a baby. I believe in a God that is sovereign over all things. I am not, nor am I to make decisions that a being with such knowledge and power would possess. I am responsible to obey all that God has revealed and trust Him with the results. I am not commanded to kill the devil. I am commanded to preserve and protect life. Not to play the pretend prophet game and act upon those supposed predictions. On a lighter note, you know a lot of strange Christian leaders.
9. Most Christians believe that God is loving and merciful towards those that have not done him any harm. What does God do to the souls of aborted babies? Do they go to Hell with the aborting parents? Does not seem very merciful. Do they get put back in the soul hopper and eventually get born? Or do they go straight to Heaven since it was not their fault they got aborted (since everything happens due to God’s plan) and wouldn’t that be the best thing not having to suffer on Earth with parents that did not want them? Seriously though, isn’t the fate of the parents up to God and not religious fanatics that want to impose their will on others?
Christians do not believe anyone goes to heaven because they are innocent of sin and guilt. All are sinners guilty and sinners from conception. That is what makes Christianity different than all other religions. No matter the religion, all teach that we must find or earn our way to heaven. Christians teach that God brings heaven to us. I don’t know where babies go that get aborted. God has not spoken in the Bible on such things. Where He is silent, I must be silent. I don’t believe in a soul hopper. Yes in the end God will judge and do what is right. But Christians are charged to limit the wickedness and seek that which was lost in the beginning. (Not sure if I understood your question, hope that answers it though)
10. If you could go back in time and were only able to convince the mother of (Barack Obama, Osama bin Laden. Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, or the guy that figured out how to give abortions) to have an abortion, what would you do?
Teach her and her son about Jesus Christ. 🙂
Blessings,
Stephen
P.S.
For future “Q & A” go to the contact me tab and e-mail me your questions. I will keep your identity private while seeking ym best to answer your questions to the best of my ability supplied by the grace and wisdom provided by God.
What Happened
I was driving on the Avenue of the Cities listening on K Love (which I do enjoy) to a woman talking about prayer. The woman shared that God had been teaching her through the Scriptures that prayer with faith includes continually coming to God with the same request until He answers. One of the host commented on how he could see where she was coming from and made a reference to the passage in Matthew 7. But gave a little push-back stating that could be true for her at the stage she is at in her spiritual walk with God but that may not be true for other people in their walk with God.
This peeked my interest. So I listened more intently to see what he meant and for him to elaborate. He went on to share that just in the next chapter the Centurion only asked Jesus once and he didn’t need to ask more than once to have faith in his request (prayer) to Jesus.
At this point, I went from interested to discouraged. If I had a quarter for everytime I heard someone give bad counsel with good intentions I would be a rich man. The reason why I get discouraged is that people are regularly in need of good counsel. And yet they are also surrounded by information (that is very accessible) that seems right but ultimately misleading.
The Problem
The conversation above is a perfect example of this. I mean the lady gave her passge from the Bible and the host gave his. He seemed to offer a solution for both passages. Maybe I don’t need to pray about things more than once. At the end of the conversation the host had the lady agreeing that maybe praying about things just once is sufficient even when their hasn’t been a response from God. But is that what the Bible teaches?
Can I ask for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven once and that be sufficient? Can I pray for my wife’s spiritual growth once and be done with it? Can I pray for the salvation of my friends once and be confident that is all I really need to do concerning prayer?
What the Bible Teaches
The answer to all these questions is obviously “no.” I know, that this may seem obvious, but coming to God continually, pouring out your heart and pleading with Him over the same things is not something optional, nor is it something only for certain Christians at certain places in their walk with God. Jesus taught explicitly on a number of occassions the importance not only of prayer but the importance of coming to Him over and over again concerning the same things (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:5-10). Jesus never put qualifications on this, rather he told this to his disciples when they asked him how to pray.
But what about the appeal to the passage of the Centurion only asking Jesus once for Him to heal his son. Well if we look at this passage we soon see that Jesus answered him before the need to ask again. In other words, the Centurion was answered the first time he asked Jesus. There was no need for him to ask again. Are we to believe if Jesus didn’t respond to his request the Centurion would have left and said, “well I asked him once, and that should be sufficient.” Not in a million years.
The Point
The truth is we are a culture trained for instant gratification and seek the maximum results that require the least amount of effort. So the idea of only being called to pray once for something sounds quite appealing. Why spend the time and heartache of asking God for something that wouldn’t matter anymore than simply asking for it once.
The truth is prayer is hard-work but it reaps tremendous fruit. There is no easy route out of the delightful duty we are called to as ambassadors for Christ. We are to make our request known regularly as if the frequency actually mattered to the response that would be given. And we are to come to Him trusting that He is always seeking to give us good gifts just like a father desires to give good gifts to his children. And lastly, we are to pray persistently because the answer to the prayer isn’t the only goal. Our hearts are being formed into the image of Christ through the whetstone of prayer. This means the frequency matters because our hearts and motives being remade matters.
Blessings,
Stephen
I love good art. I also rejoice in the Spirit’s work I see at work in my generation. God is raising up some men and women whom He is using mightily! Check out this video of a man telling the best story ever told.
I praise God for men like this! It strengthens my faith to see fellow brothers and sisters following hard after Him. May God see fit continue to pour out His spirit to build up His church!
Blessings,
Stephen
4 Men Proclaiming the 1 Hope 