tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30135828617767751772024-03-18T05:13:41.698-04:00Truth for TodayDerrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.comBlogger465125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-88123207191901388872023-01-12T08:52:00.005-05:002023-01-12T08:52:52.214-05:00Pull The Rope! <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgho1qr2yezAGayFx49j-EHyQp5CsynwL47eTIeM9I64fTbJjmKcoq4tIdX5DIOOvFWZ8svbI4Z9C2P2uSD7G3us3dBSq13gs7rnn7fBy6NgZLjJiohP8dVmryfcYQvNG1oZYxUAy6SY6QH6tnchWmC7ozuK7ZgVG2Oz9848pAkFnBOGqF_fnmd23_qng" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1320" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgho1qr2yezAGayFx49j-EHyQp5CsynwL47eTIeM9I64fTbJjmKcoq4tIdX5DIOOvFWZ8svbI4Z9C2P2uSD7G3us3dBSq13gs7rnn7fBy6NgZLjJiohP8dVmryfcYQvNG1oZYxUAy6SY6QH6tnchWmC7ozuK7ZgVG2Oz9848pAkFnBOGqF_fnmd23_qng=w640-h290" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one
who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For
that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">George Muller of was one of the greatest prayer warriors
of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his requests and God’s unique
responses. In total, he documented over 50,000 answers to prayer in his life.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In his heyday, Muller opened 5 orphanages and ministered
to thousands of England’s children. Every farthing, meal and stick of furniture
was provided by prayer. In Roger Steer’s biography of Muller, he tells one
amazing answer to prayer that happened at sea.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In 1877, Muller was crossing the Atlantic when his ship
ran into thick fog and the captain slowed the vessel to a crawl. Muller explained
to the captain that he needed to be in Quebec by the following afternoon, but
the captain said there was nothing he could do, it was too dangerous to proceed
in fog. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">That’s when Muller asked the captain if he could use the chartroom
to pray and ask God to change the weather. The captain – who was not a believer
– allowed it, although he told Muller that prayer was a waste of time. And so,
Muller prayed for a few minutes, while the captain watched with skepticism.
Muller stopped his prayer abruptly, almost in mid-thought. The captain asked
him, “Aren’t you going to finish?” Muller replied, “There’s no need to pray any
longer, for the Lord has already answered. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The two men ascended from the bowels of the ship to the
deck, where they discovered the fog had lifted. The captain became a Christian
not long after witnessing the power of prayer.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The first time I read that story, I thought to myself, “I
don’t think I would have had the enough faith to ask God to change the weather.”
According to James, one necessary ingredient to a vibrant prayer life is faith.
Often, times we don’t pray because we think our request is too big or that God
is not willing. Oh Lord, help our unbelief. How many times have we blocked a
blessing from God because our faith is too small?</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Yet, the record of Scripture is clear – big requests are
small matters for an omnipotent God. Joshua prayed and God made the sun stand
still, so that he could win the battle against the Amorites (Josh. 10). Elijah
prayed and the heavens turned to brass for three and a half years, so that nary
a drop of rain fell (Jas. 5:17). With the nation under siege, Hezekiah prayed
and God dispatched an angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrians in one night (2 Kings
19). God’s power has not diminished one ounce. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Spurgeon wrote, “Prayer pulls the rope down below and the
great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for
they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk at the rope. But he
who petitions heaven effectively is the one who grasps the rope boldly and
pulls continuously with all his might!”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Indeed, the greatest tragedy of prayer is not that our
requests go unanswered, but that they go unasked. In fact, the only way you can
fail is if you stop praying. You don’t know how God may answer until you pray. So
don’t let doubt and unbelief keep you from pulling the rope! </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-64547624800928083902022-12-19T10:45:00.001-05:002022-12-19T10:45:12.282-05:00Wise Men Still Seek Him <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtKgdhtiAwc5jS2r23cH7Il4UN2Mk6tlKH3UkhYTdfXG5FGJJd9aPPVJNo4QqotFpXqJ7k9i7_sZT8PDNifoDoL9qhGQJsL2EYzq7NgxkZ6dSdVhBCE_EK7h65I7tvj9ImCD0hH7bW_u1-XcQmvHPpPGbxDoxUq7t4qkZyqO8ZiTzY5Y3Den7Z7cQvfQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtKgdhtiAwc5jS2r23cH7Il4UN2Mk6tlKH3UkhYTdfXG5FGJJd9aPPVJNo4QqotFpXqJ7k9i7_sZT8PDNifoDoL9qhGQJsL2EYzq7NgxkZ6dSdVhBCE_EK7h65I7tvj9ImCD0hH7bW_u1-XcQmvHPpPGbxDoxUq7t4qkZyqO8ZiTzY5Y3Den7Z7cQvfQ=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matt. 2:2)</span><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">One of the toughest questions that skeptics like to throw at Christians goes like this, “What about the pygmies in the African bush who’ve never heard of Jesus? Is God going to send them to hell, because of their ignorance? That doesn’t seem right, especially if they are sincerely following their version of God.”</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">It’s a great question and perhaps you’ve been stumped by it, but the Bible offers a satisfying answer in the Christmas story. But before we get there, there are some important caveats.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">First, God has clearly revealed His creative power, wisdom and sovereignty in the creation. Whether looking up to a star-spangled sky (Ps. 19:1) or contemplating the miracle of a newborn baby (Ps. 139), God is not silent. He has spoken through creation, complexity and conscience, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">This is called general revelation and what it means is that anyone with common sense can deduce from the beauty and order of creation that there is a Creator.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">But, humanity’s problem is that we are lost in sin and our default position is in rebellion against God (Rom. 3:11). In reality, it’s not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have seen and heard, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">However, God is seeking to save the lost. Christmas is positive proof of that. When we could not get to God, God came to us in the most unlikely way – an infant. Jesus was God’s love gift to the world and the way that all nations could be saved (John 14:6).</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">This is where the magi come into the picture. They were Gentiles from a distant land, presumably Babylon. As stargazers they studied the movements of the constellations and planets. When they saw the unique Bethlehem star, their curiosity got the best of them. They deduced from their knowledge of astronomy and hints from the Scriptures that God was up to something big. And so, they followed the evidence where it led. Across a desert they trekked, until they ended up at Jesus’ doorstep.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">This scene tells us a lot about the nearness of God and the lengths He will go to reach us. Acts 17:27 assures us that God is not distant, “we should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Moreover, Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">Everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known. I wonder, what “stars,” that is – people, events, miracles, blessings – has God sent into your life so you will seek Him? Know that if you are seeking today, it’s only because you have already been sought (John 6:44). </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">Often, this question is used by skeptics to keep God at a distance. They think God would be unjust by denying an aborigine entry into heaven. But when we stand before God, we will not be judged on the decisions or works of others, we will be held accountable for what WE did with the light and opportunity we were given. Moreover, God is not on trial here. We are, and He’s not subject to fallen notions of justice. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">I often pose this simple question, “If it could be proven to you that Christianity is true, then would you repent and change?” Many times, the answer is, “No.” Which proves at least one thing – most people are on a happiness quest, not a truth quest. But for those searching for the truth, then it’s inevitable – they will eventually end up at Jesus’ feet, just like the wise men.</span></div></div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-88488917471724588402022-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:002022-12-16T09:00:00.167-05:00Hoping for a Chance <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1e67F0XwM4TEdqYogzuPXg0BYAh5JDwJSesRIaDc5QMs5RDkTybVQvHFiuoAI8dNyttLRynjTXbGhzJ4XiaVWdscsM14FaxytO1moV8pid0lXqa-R7By5t5-MvrlRYkzwkOOz_Npb5CYjQGtnUOaITxPhHbrFugcCfeYJB-uDPJE9vynBZuRie52yg/s1200/Virgin%20Mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1e67F0XwM4TEdqYogzuPXg0BYAh5JDwJSesRIaDc5QMs5RDkTybVQvHFiuoAI8dNyttLRynjTXbGhzJ4XiaVWdscsM14FaxytO1moV8pid0lXqa-R7By5t5-MvrlRYkzwkOOz_Npb5CYjQGtnUOaITxPhHbrFugcCfeYJB-uDPJE9vynBZuRie52yg/w640-h320/Virgin%20Mary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; text-align: left;">She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
(Matt. 1:21-23)</span></div></div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Earlier this year, the Mega Millions lottery reached a
jackpot of over a billion dollars as people everywhere lined up for tickets.
After 29 consecutive drawings without a winner, one Chicago couple with the
lucky numbers finally stepped forward to claim their prize. They decided to
take the lump sum payment of $780.5 million.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A MarketWatch article interviewed one of the lottery officials
who said, “The reason this lottery got so big – the third largest in US history
– was because people need hope. In a time of inflation and economic stress, the
fantasy of becoming super rich is driving more than half of American adults to
play the lottery.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">By the way, the chances of winning that lottery were about
one shot in 302 million! Regardless of whether you play the lottery or not,
like that official said, its clear that people are hungry for hope.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Someone has said that “Hope is the one thing stronger
than fear, because a single ray of light can pierce through the deepest
darkness.” Hope is faith in the future tense, a passion for what might be
possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Hope is also a core attribute of the advent season. As
you read thru the Christmas story in the Gospels, hope percolates upward,
piercing the darkness, danger and death finally culminating in the birth of the
Christ child. The Christmas narrative teaches us that hope isn’t an abstract
principle, hope is a person! </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The angelic announcement in Joseph’s dream helped him
connect the surreal events happing in his life to the ancient prophecies about
the coming Messiah. Specifically, Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14, which at that time
was a 700-year-old oracle predicting the virgin birth. Malachi was the last OT
prophet to speak to the Israelites some 400 years prior to Joe’s dream. It has
been 700 years since Isaiah gave his prediction and 400 of those years were
complete silence from heaven, so it’s safe to say the Jewish people had given
up hope that God’s word was ever going to be fulfilled. Proverbs 13:12 says,
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” Century after century rolled by without
the slightest whisper from God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">God’s promise of the virgin-born Savior wasn’t just on
life support, it was practically dead! But here’s the good news of Christmas –
when hope in God’s promise was at an all-time low that’s exactly when Christ
entered this world. Joseph learned that God is not just a great promise maker,
but that he’s a great promise keeper! In fact, this is just one promise out of
300 specific prophecies made in the OT about the first coming of Christ and all
were fulfilled right down to the minutest detail! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Talk about odds! Did you know you’ve got a better chance
of winning the Mega Millions lottery multiple times than of one man fulfilling
hundreds of ancient prophecies? The mathematician Peter Stoner calculated that
the chances of one man fulfilling just 48 of these prophecies was one shot in 10
to the 157<sup>th</sup> power. That’s a 1 followed by 157 afterward, a number
so unfathomable we can’t understand it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Stoner remarks that physicists tell us there’s about 10
to the 80<sup>th</sup> power atoms in the entire universe. So by these numbers
you have better shot of hitting a target the size of an atom from across the other
end of the universe than you do of fulfilling the Messianic prophecies by
chance. The fact that Jesus did all this and more is further proof that He is
undoubtedly the unique Son of God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">For those that know Jesus Christ, they are more blessed
than a lottery winner. They know the Creator who came to a cradle and went to a
cross. Only Jesus can give you a hope beyond this world. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-34195791053045583112022-12-15T09:00:00.003-05:002022-12-15T09:00:09.315-05:00Where's The Myrrh? <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlc7PaVRuHdepmSlh4DmAPmStpMtz7MZ-zN8eAdGwh1A7YGmNAv0-QO4tgRSimfBWBr8fmmNgrxIIj3p4BxPsnB5cLWiqIamCO0dKL1zAO0T2YFVh-Spl3DCojCLP5XHVwZFIHjRLYbgtb4_zu6a1kZx1OYdGFhvzDMuUj_Ooic1gzErIaO03i6s0ICw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlc7PaVRuHdepmSlh4DmAPmStpMtz7MZ-zN8eAdGwh1A7YGmNAv0-QO4tgRSimfBWBr8fmmNgrxIIj3p4BxPsnB5cLWiqIamCO0dKL1zAO0T2YFVh-Spl3DCojCLP5XHVwZFIHjRLYbgtb4_zu6a1kZx1OYdGFhvzDMuUj_Ooic1gzErIaO03i6s0ICw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">“And when they had come into the house, they saw the
young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when
they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:11)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">I heard a cute story about a boy who was playing one of
the wise men in his church’s Christmas pageant. The boy only had one line to
say when he presented his gift to the baby Jesus. He was supposed to say, “I
bring the newborn king the gift of frankincense.” However, this was the boy’s
first acting experience, and he was very nervous. Especially, because he had
such a hard time saying, “frankincense.” </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Well, the big night of the performance came, and the boy
was sweating bullets. He and his two other magi buddies took the stage and knelt
before the manger. The moment came for the boy to say his line, but he when he
opened his mouth stage fright got the best of him. He couldn’t get his line out,
so he just handed his gift over to Jospeh and said, “Here, Frank sent these.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyone familiar with the Christmas story knows about the
gifts of the magi. But you may not know that these gifts were not just gestures
of good will, they each had prophetic significance. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Gold was fitting for Jesus’ royalty, as it was the most
precious metal on earth in those days. Remember what the wise said to Herod
when they first arrived in Jerusalem? “Where is He who has been born King of
the Jews? (Mat. 2:2).” These men were king-makers and their gift of gold spoke
to Jesus royal lineage to David (Is. 11:1-2; Jer. 23:5-6), no wonder this got Herod’s
hackles up. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Frankincense was fitting for Jesus’ deity. This was a
costly, beautiful-smelling incense that was used only for the most special of
occasions. It was used in the grain offerings at the Tabernacle and Temple
(Lev. 2:2, 15–16). How better to honor the God-man than with a gift associated
with the priesthood? </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Myrrh was fitting for Jesus’ humanity. This perfume is
mentioned often in Scripture, beginning in Genesis (37:25; 43:11). Mixed with
wine it was also used as an anesthetic, and later offered to Jesus on the cross
(Mark 15:23). When it was mixed with other spices it was used in the preparation
of bodies for burial, even Jesus’ body (John 19:39). Imagine bringing embalming
fluid to a baby shower today. How strange indeed. But this gift looked ahead to
the cross and tomb. This gift recognized that this little baby was born to die
as the Savior of mankind. King. Priest. Savior. Each gift spoke to Jesus’
ministry. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But the story doesn’t end there. If you study an obscure prophecy
in Isaiah 60 you see some of these same gifts appear again. Here is the promise,
“The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your
rising. The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude of camels
shall cover your land, they shall bring gold and frankincense” (60:3, 5-6).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In this oracle, Isaiah is speaking about a future time when
the kings of the Gentile nations will flock to Israel to bestow riches upon her
and to honor her king. But notice the myrrh is missing. Why is this? Because
this prophecy is about Jesus Second Coming. When Christ returns to the earth,
every knee will bow and every tongue confess Him to be King of king and Lord of
lords (Phil. 2:5-9). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">During Jesus’ Millennial reign, He will be worshipped as
God and revered as king, but there won’t be any need to bring myrrh. He already
died and rose again. He suffered as the Lamb of God, never to suffer the scorn
and curse of sin again. “For we know that Christ, having been raised from the
dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him” (Rom.
6:9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hallelujah! What should your
response be? Like the wise men we must bow our knee before Christ and offer our
wealth, worship, and witness to His service.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-82265905070918206582022-12-06T09:50:00.004-05:002022-12-06T09:50:32.148-05:00The Eve-Mary Connection <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJx6TGGe7QvgCvjSF4iUbrONLO8bTFrVcp0LuULzO0KeC-tDXjujMH6i3Fh7P7iN3mZgGAHEldqKbUmdxhVZJzW0qBD_rNmP4MrgQfkbKDNh2zQQqASHyPPgQZkHgVVsB35l-y52os5P3Yi0ApMEE-3mRO8jZ-fgw4rSk3_0FlVYxP3cQA1uPS9k9Heg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1715" data-original-width="1230" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJx6TGGe7QvgCvjSF4iUbrONLO8bTFrVcp0LuULzO0KeC-tDXjujMH6i3Fh7P7iN3mZgGAHEldqKbUmdxhVZJzW0qBD_rNmP4MrgQfkbKDNh2zQQqASHyPPgQZkHgVVsB35l-y52os5P3Yi0ApMEE-3mRO8jZ-fgw4rSk3_0FlVYxP3cQA1uPS9k9Heg=w287-h400" width="287" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">“In pain you shall bring forth children” (Gen. 3:16).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A few years ago, while scrolling through social media during
the Christmas season I came across a stunning piece of artwork which featured Eve
and Mary standing face-to-face. The painting conveyed the connection between
these two important women and their roles in God’s redemption plan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A forlorn Eve clutches a forbidden fruit in one hand, while
her other hand touches the pregnant belly of Mary. The virgin mother smiles as
she reaches out to comfort Eve’s grief. A serpent is coiled around Eve’s leg,
while Mary’s foot is planted firmly on its head, signaling the creature’s
demise. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">I immediately saved the beautiful image to my phone and
began to ponder how Eve and Mary are linked together in ways that never
occurred to me before.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">First, notice that both women had encounters with angelic
beings which changed their lives and all of humanity. Lucifer, the fallen angel
who became the devil, came to Eve in the form of a serpent. Through doubt,
denial and deception he led Eve into temptation (Gen. 3:1-6). She submitted to
the Serpent’s lying words by distrusting God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">On the other hand, the angel Gabriel came to a girl in
Nazareth straight from heaven’s throne room. Gabriel told Mary the incredible
news that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She submitted to
Gabriel’s life-changing news with faith in God (Luke 1:26-28).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Eve disobeyed God and brought about the curse of sin and
death to all. Mary obeyed God and gave birth to the Redeemer who would bear the
curse of sin and give life to all (2 Cor. 5:21).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Eve’s firstborn son, Cain, took life and became the first
murderer (Gen. 4:8). Mary’s firstborn son, Jesus, gave His life as a ransom for
many (Mark 10:45).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Eve experienced the shame of sin and lost the joy of
walking in God’s presence (Gen. 3:8). Mary experienced abundant joy and even
sang about the blessing of Immanuel – God with us (Luke 1:46-56).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Eve clothed her nakedness with fig leaves of works (Gen.
3:7). Meanwhile, Mary clothed her miracle child in swaddling clothes and laid
Him in a manger (Luke 2:7).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Eve was promised multiplied pain in childbirth (Gen.
3:16), while Mary was promised the pain of a sword piercing her heart (Luke
2:35), a prophecy of Simeon looking ahead to the cross of Christ. Eve shed
tears at Eden’s tree, while Mary shed tears at the foot of Calvary’s tree where
Jesus was crucified. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">These two women are like two sides of the same coin. Eve’s
distrust of God led her to reach out and grasp the fruit of the tree, but
Mary’s faith resulted in the fruit of her womb being nailed to a tree for the
salvation of the world. Thus, there is a scarlet thread of redemption
connecting Eden and Bethlehem. Even in the dawning chapters of the Bible, God
looked ahead to Christmas and Calvary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">“Mild He lays His glory by / Born that man no more may
die / Born to raise the sons of earth / Born to give them second birth”<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><br /></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-36015639839674704382022-11-20T18:05:00.003-05:002022-11-20T18:05:42.977-05:00The Thankfulness of Jesus <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ_AW8MxcCTBe4lnFScFGcucfezclmEy2kD-2-zlDwSo-ecTz2Ie-oOyNtsOblBRTo2ZCna97KBYgDE1mtDx_jqV_9XWW11GlkxvwiR6hmJ3rYFoJHBKxVWHemQXnPO5f4su6DwYZqonpgmXzZuszJ8XsvWK3bqHJyMKVbe0TYSJyeZyZN_uu06U8Azw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQ_AW8MxcCTBe4lnFScFGcucfezclmEy2kD-2-zlDwSo-ecTz2Ie-oOyNtsOblBRTo2ZCna97KBYgDE1mtDx_jqV_9XWW11GlkxvwiR6hmJ3rYFoJHBKxVWHemQXnPO5f4su6DwYZqonpgmXzZuszJ8XsvWK3bqHJyMKVbe0TYSJyeZyZN_uu06U8Azw=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In 2010 psychologist Robert Emmons and his colleagues
wanted to know if there was a scientific way to prove the benefits of gratitude.
Dr. Emmon’s team devised a study in which they monitored people’s thankfulness
in connection with their general health. They divided 1,000 volunteers from
ages 8 to 80 into three groups and each group was tasked with making weekly
entries in journals. One group wrote five things they were grateful for. One
described five daily hassles. And a control group listed five events that had
impacted them in a small way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The results of the study were revealing. Those who kept “gratitude
journals” showed some amazing health benefits compared to those who only noted
daily gripes. For example, grateful people had stronger immune systems, lower
blood pressure, more restful sleep, were generally more optimistic about the
future, were more generous, more likely to extend forgiveness and had more
friends.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Wow! According to medical science, gratitude is good for
you! When you study the life of Jesus, you realize that He lived in constant thankfulness
to His Heavenly Father. He was thankful when Mary interrupted the party with
perfume. When He hugged children and watched blind people look at their first
sunsets, Jesus was thankful. When the disciples returned from their first
mission trip telling of all the wonderful things God had done, He rejoiced: “I
thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth” (Luke 10:21).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">When He broke the five loaves and two fishes to feed the
multitudes, He gave thanks for the food (John 6:11). When He saw that His disciples
were growing spiritually, He was thankful, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding
and revealed them to little children” (Mat. 11:25).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">When Jesus stood at the grave of Lazarus, He wiped tears
of grief from His eyes and gave thanks for the miracle He was about to perform (John
11:41-42). At the Last Supper, Jesus blessed the elements of the meal, which
were also symbolic of His body and blood, making sure to give thanks for the
opportunity to sacrifice his life for the world (Luke 22:19).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">If Jesus was thankful, how much more should we be for the
thousand blessings that flow into our lives. Max Lucado wrote, “To say thanks
is to cross the tracks from have-not to have-much, from the excluded to the
recruited. Thanks proclaims, “I’m not disadvantaged, disabled, victimized,
scandalized, forgotten, or ignored. I am blessed.” Gratitude is a dialysis of
sorts. It flushes the self-pity out of our systems.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Does your happiness depend on what you drive? Wear?
Deposit? If so, you have entered the rat race called materialism. You cannot
win it! There will always be a newer car to buy or a nicer dress to purchase.
And, since the race is unwinnable, you are setting yourself up for unhappiness.
Define yourself by stuff, and you’ll feel good when you have a lot and you’ll
feel bad when you don’t.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But Jesus shows us to be thankful for eternal things. What
you have in Christ is greater than anything you don’t have in life. He gives us
a love that’s unconditional, grace that’s always amazing, hope that springs eternal
and salvation that cannot be lost by our own failures. The more thankful you
are, the more God will work in your life. The Bible says that God inhabits the
praise of his people. He uses your thanksgiving as an instrument of power in
your life. So, take a moment now, and tell God everything you’re grateful for. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-70256495812220321752022-11-03T09:45:00.001-04:002022-11-03T09:45:21.237-04:00God and Government <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqiXi1k2uCda5UGwqULH7KQIkTM9TansOW_M5KZ5-DVNL8tDMp-dQ8NmBop4O1pPS5KIPMX-R5kuz8zzdaq-1RU1GcXLddBnHJnVJ9blN3DhktZ6b-9eueqRvb7UMxuto0--Iv77UzxT_aayBUSQcdCaV8nbJTdOIISolVjs_0P7bxwQOlz3GzZLFD3w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="850" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqiXi1k2uCda5UGwqULH7KQIkTM9TansOW_M5KZ5-DVNL8tDMp-dQ8NmBop4O1pPS5KIPMX-R5kuz8zzdaq-1RU1GcXLddBnHJnVJ9blN3DhktZ6b-9eueqRvb7UMxuto0--Iv77UzxT_aayBUSQcdCaV8nbJTdOIISolVjs_0P7bxwQOlz3GzZLFD3w" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">Pollsters tell us that more Americans voted in 2020 –
154.6 million – than in any other presidential election in history. About 67%
of eligible voters cast ballots that year, but that still means a third did
not. That amounts to about 80 million people who stayed home. According to My
Faith Votes, an organization who studies voting patterns among Evangelicals,
they estimate that 25 million Christians who are registered to vote, typically
fail to participate in elections.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">That’s pretty amazing when you think about the potential those
votes could have in swaying the outcome of an election – even if there’s
chicanery like there was in 2020.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">As a pastor, I’ve heard many comments and criticisms from
people over the issue of faith and politics. Some say, “Christians shouldn’t be
involved politically, because its dirty and worldly.” Others say, “You pastors
shouldn’t talk about politics because we should keep matters of the State and
Church separate.” Still others are more fatalistic, “It doesn’t matter how I vote;
nothing is going to change.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But what does the Bible say? Christ has called us to be
salt and light in the culture (Matt. 5:13-16) and that doesn’t end the moment
we step into a voting booth. We dare not neglect our privilege to elect the
leaders who best represent biblical principles. The choice not to vote is still
a choice, and evil prospers when God’s people say and do nothing.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Jesus has commanded us to influence our culture rather
than isolate ourselves from it. Salt is a preservative. It may not prevent
decay, but it can delay it! God has given Christians in democratic countries a
unique way to “salt” our world that Christians in other times and places did
not have. So, Christians should work to select leaders who will govern
according to God’s principles.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But political change is not our ultimate goal. The
Christian’s highest calling is to bring people into a saving relationship with
Jesus Christ. Earthly governments can either hinder or facilitate this.
Personally, I would rather live in a country where we have the freedom to
fulfill the Great Commission than to live in one like China or Iran where
Christians are imprisoned and killed for their faith. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">But we’re not called to save America. We’re called to
proclaim the Gospel. What our country needs most is a genuine revival wrought
by the Spirit of God. We need the same spirit of contrition that the Ninevites
had in response to Jonah’s prophecy. They humbly cried out: “Let everyone turn
from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God
may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish”
(Jonah 3:8–9).”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">And don’t forget how many times in the Bible, the Lord providentially
placed His servants in places of political influence. Jospeh was prime minister
over Egypt (Gen. 41). Moses often contended with Pharaoh to “Let my people go”
(Ex. 7). Nehemiah was cup bearer to the Perian monarch who petitioned that he
be given permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 2). Esther saved
her people from annihilation by speaking to King Ahasuerus. In the NT, John the
Baptist preached to Herod (Matt. 14:1-11), Jesus interviewed Pilate (John 18) and
Paul told his testimony to Agrippa (Acts 26). Clearly, from these examples God
wants His people to involved in government where and when they are given the opportunity.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Ultimately, we know that no matter what happens in the
coming election, God is sovereign over nations (Dan. 2:21). Don’t let the
donkeys and elephants make you forget that you belong to the Lamb! </span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-25528747788398814362022-10-27T00:00:00.001-04:002022-10-27T00:00:00.173-04:00The Central Chapter of the Bible <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3077IIY5KrgZK7wCOi4GhLniHVBfmeBwnxbvsUPjboaiLWmXrEzMc2Olp9wXBePGGHE0Hw1pWZb--hzx3P7P7hAefLNNoHJ9x05znFc7tXRPY_a-0wqQW9MjWgy1qRtPjti4S1b37OElD9GH3hf1F2B6ONGTnk1jxshO8sJlIik_vVrmevKEfZy-vhw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="566" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3077IIY5KrgZK7wCOi4GhLniHVBfmeBwnxbvsUPjboaiLWmXrEzMc2Olp9wXBePGGHE0Hw1pWZb--hzx3P7P7hAefLNNoHJ9x05znFc7tXRPY_a-0wqQW9MjWgy1qRtPjti4S1b37OElD9GH3hf1F2B6ONGTnk1jxshO8sJlIik_vVrmevKEfZy-vhw=w640-h408" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in
man” (Ps. 118:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">We all have our favorite psalms that we run to for
comfort in times of distress, worship and prayer. Recently, I have been in awe
of Psalm 118, which if you’ve never studied in-depth, is worth your time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">First, consider these amazing facts. Pslam 118 is called
by scholars “The Center of the Bible.” The longest chapter of the Bible falls
just after this center chapter - Psalm 119. The shortest chapter of the Bible
falls just before this chapter - Psalm 117. There are exactly 594 chapters
before Psalm 118, and exactly 594 chapters after it. When you add the number of
chapters before Psalms 118 and those after, the sum is 1,118. And the verse at
the very center of the Bible is Psalms 118:8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The central verse of the Bible challenges believers to
put their confidence in the Lord rather than the things of this world, which
offer only temporary safety. Its rather amazing that the core of the Bible
reminds us that our lives had better be “centered” on the Lord or else our
faith is misplaced. It’s as if this Psalm is asking us, “Who or what is the central
pillar holding up the structure of your life?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Notice the term “refuge” in 118:8. That makes us think of
a shelter from the storms of life or a fortress from the attacks of an enemy. Worldly
people put their trust in their riches, their accomplishments, science and
technology, the government or their own righteousness to give them security.
But the Bible reminds us that none of these institutions will last. Earthly
riches are susceptible to rot, robbers and rust (Mat. 6:19-20). Man’s best
works are as filthy rags compared to God’s glory (Is. 64:6). The philosophers
and sages are intellectual beggars whose lectures have as much substance as
soap bubbles floating in the wind (Ecc. 1:16-17). Empires rise and fall and the
names of their mighty kings are forgotten (Dan. 2:21), while man-centered
religion is like drinking from a broken cistern (Jer. 2:13).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Also of note in Psalm 118 is how it prophetically points
to Jesus. This psalm was often sung by ancient Jews during the Passover
celebration and many scholars think it likely that Psalm 118 is what Jesus sang
with the disciples on the night before his crucifixion (Mat. 26:30). Recall,
that Psalm 118:26 was recited by the adoring crowds on the day Jesus rode a
donkey into Jerusalem (Mat. 21:9). On Sunday, they championed Him, but by the
end of the week, the same crowd cried “crucify Him.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Indeed, Christ was the “stone which the builders
rejected” according to 118:22. The Lord quoted from this verse in reference to
himself after teaching the Parable of the Tenants (Mat. 21:42).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter also quoted this verse in relationship
to Christ – pointing out the irony. The discarded stone that the Jewish people
saw as flawed and useless, has now become the chief cornerstone in the grand
masterpiece of the Church (1 Pet. 2:4-7). Right now, God is building a grand
cathedral of redemption from the refuse of the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Psalm 118 not only looked to Calvary and the church age,
but also ahead to Christ’s conquest. Upon Jesus’ return He will destroy the
nations of the earth at the climactic battle of Armageddon, which verses
118:10-11 allude to. Then we will witness His victory procession as Jesus
enters the gates of Jerusalem to rule and reign for 1,000 years of unparalleled
peace and prosperity, “19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may
enter through them and give thanks to the Lord” (see also. Ps. 24:7-10). On
that awesome day, the church shall sing the chorus of Ps. 118:23-24, “This is
the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord
has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” </span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-9093320114145835322022-10-26T08:42:00.003-04:002022-10-26T08:42:21.817-04:00Learn to Discern <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDKZv6O9ml8x1T9iNZaVawAN1pduYi_cWhStit9Qv79Wnih0H3ZFH9BnM2rNGXYtUKcuVvmZKjDeKP2JOYOGPyD5RlH0mJAn_DhNCup628P9c1MIkiGznoNDdc2_YqDV2bO-qjZIs36O4iz8smUds-xoe5tIetspVV0HIXbpVIMQlDoiCGxjj2yQy1qw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDKZv6O9ml8x1T9iNZaVawAN1pduYi_cWhStit9Qv79Wnih0H3ZFH9BnM2rNGXYtUKcuVvmZKjDeKP2JOYOGPyD5RlH0mJAn_DhNCup628P9c1MIkiGznoNDdc2_YqDV2bO-qjZIs36O4iz8smUds-xoe5tIetspVV0HIXbpVIMQlDoiCGxjj2yQy1qw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444;">“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out
into the world.” (1 John 4:1)</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A few years ago, I made a trip to Washington, D.C. and
along the streets were all kinds of vendors. Snack shacks, t-shirt huts, and
presidential memorabilia were lined up like a curbside bazaar. One man had a
table set up that advertised, “Rolex watches—Great Deals!” He wasn’t kidding,
for only $50 I could own a replica of the Omega that James Bond sports in the
movies.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The well-dressed Indian man behind the counter assured me
that these watches had a lifetime guarantee and that if I ever had trouble with
one I could just send it back to the manufacturer. I was already suspicious,
but I really knew I was dealing with a fake when I examined the watch face and
noticed the spelling of this particular brand—R-O-L-E-X-X.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In the marketplace of spirituality there are numerous
fakes, knockoffs, and counterfeits. It has been said that Satan is not a
creator, but a great imitator. For every one of God’s truths, Satan has
concocted ten counterfeits that look right, sound right, and feel right. This
is why knowing true Biblical doctrine and developing the discipline of
discernment is so vital.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Discernment is the skill of being able to tell the
difference between good from evil, fact from fiction, black from grey. Charles
Spurgeon said, “Discernment is not just knowing the difference between right and
wrong. It’s being able to tell the difference between right and almost right.” Discernment
looks beneath the surface and reads between the lines.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A Christian without discernment is like a submarine in a
harbor plowing full speed ahead without radar or periscope. Or a loaded 747 trying
to land in dense fog without instruments or radio. Lots of noise, a great deal
of power, good intentions, until . . . bam! Disaster.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">John tells us to “test” the spirits to see if they are from
God. In the original language that word “test” comes from the world of pottery.
In fact, the English word “sincere” comes from two Latin words: sine (without)
and cera (wax). In the ancient world, dishonest merchants would use wax to hide
defects, such as cracks, in their pottery so that they could sell their
merchandise at a higher price. More reputable merchants would hang a sign over
their pottery — sine cera (without wax) — to inform customers that their
merchandise was genuine.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">That’s what we must do every day, especially in the
digital age when we are constantly bombarded with information and fake news. Does
the conspiracy theory video we’re watching hold up to critical scrutiny? That catchy
tweet from a celebrity preacher sounds good, but it is biblically based? The
sensational headline we clicked on has lured us in, but what is the writer’s
real agenda? </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Satan is so tricky and here’s the thing about deception:
you don’t know you’re being deceived until its too late! Remember that 99% of
rat poison is healthy food, it’s the 1% that kills. Just so, a Devilish lie can
contain a kernel of truth, that has been corrupted and distorted slightly. How
do we develop discernment? Read the Word every day. Memorize it even. Think
critically. Break ideas down and compare them to the Bible. Be like the Bereans.
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the
word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things
were so” (Acts 17:11). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-28282081734351285562022-10-06T09:49:00.003-04:002022-10-06T09:49:15.270-04:00Mental Health and the Church <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimUv4ICVYLASfk_1cMHZAXzam6SfC6w-_7iv2xa6Gh4GpZLkz3T0lyb5znm-6uP_ZW0_oGv_B-NaYzWwx1no53VW3wnkUh0Q9jqEzxmrKo00qv-qpPIT1s5sktzm6X93BIW3WmuU1FlsgipX0DZfdDejYselTZ4-rXE95mfK4CW7Or2yE9OmxcqBWltg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="672" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimUv4ICVYLASfk_1cMHZAXzam6SfC6w-_7iv2xa6Gh4GpZLkz3T0lyb5znm-6uP_ZW0_oGv_B-NaYzWwx1no53VW3wnkUh0Q9jqEzxmrKo00qv-qpPIT1s5sktzm6X93BIW3WmuU1FlsgipX0DZfdDejYselTZ4-rXE95mfK4CW7Or2yE9OmxcqBWltg=w640-h312" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444;">A recent study by Mental Health America found that 50
million adults are suffering from a mental illness, and more than eleven
million have serious suicidal thoughts. These mental health issues can manifest
in myriad ways – depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and gender
dysphoria. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Ruth Graham seemed to understand this before many in the
church did, when she wrote years ago “There’s a pain in every pew and a hurt in
every heart.” The church has been slow to understand and respond to the
epidemic of mental illness that plagues this nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">There are a few reasons for this. First, medical science
has just in the past few years began to understand the link between mind and
body. It wasn’t that long ago, that depression was called “a case of the blues”
and PTSD among soldiers was referred to as “shellshock” or “combat fatigue.” We
are only beginning to understand how these maladies result from chemical
imbalances in the brain or trauma.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Second, is the false notion in the church that somehow
Christians are supposed to be immune to these infirmities. Many of us have
shaken hands with a friend at church and when asked “how are you doing?” we
deflect and say, “I’m good,” when in reality our world is falling apart. Who
came up with stupid “Christianese” mantras like “Too blessed to be depressed?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Moreover, when you search the Scriptures, you discover
people whose lives were mentally frayed. Did you know that some of God’s choice
servants hit low points in which they despaired unto death? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Moses cried out to the Lord in Num. 11:15, “I am not able
to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will
treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may
not see my wretchedness.” </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Elijah was so fatigued and fearful that he retreated
to a cave and asked to die (1 Kings 19:4). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In the crucible of suffering, Job wondered why
the Lord allowed him to be born at all (Job 3:11). </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Jeremiah was called “the
weeping prophet” for a reason and he wrote a whole book expressing his anguish
called “Lamentations.”</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">And when we are distraught, we run to the Psalms for
comfort where David’s raw emotions erupt, “My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?... I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my
bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping” (Ps. 6).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">I think we would do well to stop with the fakeness of
“putting on a happy face” when we go to church. Sometimes it is a struggle to
even show our face on a Sunday. Sometimes the pain is so great it’s difficult
to sing hymns. Sometimes all we have to offer to God is broken pieces and
burdened minds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Don’t get me wrong, there is joy in the Lord and church
should be filled with His praises. But at the same time, we can’t keep
pretending when people in the pews are struggling in silent desperation. That’s
why the Word calls us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who
weep.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">What’s the answer? I’m not a psychologist or doctor, I
feel so ill-equipped to deal with people’s problems. The only thing I know to
do is point troubled souls to Jesus. There was no body more deranged and
mentally unstable than the demoniac Jesus encountered in Mark 5. He howled at
the moon like a werewolf, lived among the tombs and practicing cutting. And
yet, when Jesus cast out the Legion of demons torturing him the Bible says,
“And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had
the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Don’t miss that last part – “in his right mind.” Doesn’t
the Bible call Jesus “wonderful counselor” (Is. 9:6)? Jesus can do what pills
and programs can’t. If you are depressed, tortured or confused, Jesus can heal
the wounds that no one can see. If you are a Jesus-follower and there are days
where you feel like you’re hanging on to your last shred of sanity, it doesn’t
mean you are not saved or “less than.” What it means is that you will have to
rely on God to carry you through in ways that others may not. But leaning on
Him more is no lack of faith. It’s a declaration that He is sufficient.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-79476259305557156492022-10-05T10:14:00.004-04:002022-10-05T10:17:13.699-04:00Questions <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKaAs60wxeNzIEE0lJQ-BxCalYz1A3NAc6ZIpkpfJm5nrreuU7yW8GjGfYZP7nzsSvB4-bvxFV7VKepmKHPvNTgBduTCTU3Lg18oBqmz-91C27nw_QOFENg_xXRalEYJOw6mxUHDDeRuzKy6p-frmitN5llQThR5U5Dq_bAFUlhiAEoLEt03qD-VO4w/s1000/Whirlwind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1000" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKaAs60wxeNzIEE0lJQ-BxCalYz1A3NAc6ZIpkpfJm5nrreuU7yW8GjGfYZP7nzsSvB4-bvxFV7VKepmKHPvNTgBduTCTU3Lg18oBqmz-91C27nw_QOFENg_xXRalEYJOw6mxUHDDeRuzKy6p-frmitN5llQThR5U5Dq_bAFUlhiAEoLEt03qD-VO4w/w640-h432/Whirlwind.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;">“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and
said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for
action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me” (Job
38:1-3).</span></span></div></div></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">A few years ago, several stories emerged in the news
media about an 8th grade graduation test from 1912 that somehow turned up in
the archives of a Kentucky museum. In its heyday this test was called the
“Common Test” and it was administered to students all across the Bluegrass
State. How students performed on this test determined if they would move on to
high school. The exam spanned eight subjects: spelling, reading, arithmetic,
grammar, geography, physiology, civil government and history.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Some sample questions were: “A man bought a farm for
$2,400 and sold it for $2,700. What percent did he gain in profit?” “Diagram
the following sentence—The Lord loveth a cheerful giver.” “Name in order of
their sizes the three largest states in America.” “What is liver? Where is
located in the body and what is its purpose?” “Who invented the Cotton Gin?
“Name two presidents who died in office and the last battle of the Civil War.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">So how would you do? Need to hit the books again? When the
test was administered to adults and high-schoolers today, most could not pass
it. Are you smarter than an 8th grader from 1912? Perhaps, one of the most
daunting series of questions is found in Job 38-39. Since his suffering began
Job had sought an opportunity to put God on the witness stand and ask Him some
questions. Instead, Job is put in the hot seat and cross-examined by God in
order to show him how weak, ignorant and limited his understanding of the
universe really is compared to God’s omnipotence and omniscience.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">God bludgeons Job with a series of 77 unanswerable
questions from different scientific disciplines – cosmology, oceanography, meteorology,
zoology and more. Not once in God’s monologue, does the Almighty answer any of
the questions Job posed earlier in the book about why he was suffering. When
God was finished blasting Job all he could do was sit in stone silence. “Behold,
I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I
have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further”
(40:4-5). Job was humbled—the suffering stripped him of the physical props in
his life while God’s interrogation stripped him of his pride.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Like Job, I’m sure each of us have some questions we’d
like to demand of God, especially when it comes to the nature of suffering.
There’s nothing that produces questions like when we are afflicted, or when
someone we love dies, or when we witness heinous evil that goes unpunished. But
after meditating on this scene, I am reminded of three truths. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">First, God owes
us nothing. God is not obligated to explain Himself to finite, fallen
creatures. Second, perhaps God keeps us ignorant of the reasons for our
suffering because we are incapable of comprehending the answer. God’s ways are
higher than ours (Is. 55:11). How can the finite understand the infinite? We
might as well try and explain calculus to a dog. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Third, when we suffer God
doesn’t reveal His grand design, He reveals Himself. God spoke to Job from the
whirlwind, which was the same storm that wrecked his life in the beginning
(1:19). The vehicle that God used to bring suffering and great dread into Job’s
life was also the means that God used to reveal Himself. And such is the nature
of suffering. It’s the thing we dread the most that will teach us the deep
things about God. </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">There will always be questions this side of eternity. Faith
is trusting God and leaving room for the mysteries of life. As Augustine said, “Better
that I find you God, and leave the questions unanswered, than to find the
answers and not find you.” -DM</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-78094819785917682512022-09-22T09:05:00.005-04:002022-09-22T09:05:46.238-04:00Red Heifers Arrive in Israel <p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Qzjfo1RuedfZEJUhxncimGuQNvvGB1GjsG6Fr0xI0Wm7NyvVcou2A_bUbOttghYeGZqlAlLPm0Ub0sOvZd4pefoWAmOfE140ayuGlUE4nMXRgAsowV1XOxHXzrAvvhd6m2M_hzZaKQrySbvS789H9xOOvBT9S27JA7trEVy3nPC0H5bqEvJDUzBPjA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Qzjfo1RuedfZEJUhxncimGuQNvvGB1GjsG6Fr0xI0Wm7NyvVcou2A_bUbOttghYeGZqlAlLPm0Ub0sOvZd4pefoWAmOfE140ayuGlUE4nMXRgAsowV1XOxHXzrAvvhd6m2M_hzZaKQrySbvS789H9xOOvBT9S27JA7trEVy3nPC0H5bqEvJDUzBPjA=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last week some interesting news broke from Israel - five red heifers arrived by airplane at Ben Gurion International Airport. This was a day of celebration for The Temple Institute, a Jewish organization in Israel whose focus over the past 30 years has been to establish the Third Temple in Jerusalem.</span></span></p><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>are these animals so important? Because Jewish priests serving at the Temple must present themselves in a state of ritual purity before they can perform their duties. Numbers 19 records the incredibly intricate details for this purification process which requires the ashes of a red heifer.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come…and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered…the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight” (Num. 19:2-5).</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you keep reading this passage it says that the only way the priests could be cleansed from impurity was to be washed with water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer, but not any red heifer would do! She must be young, less than 3-years-old with no defect, on which no yoke was ever placed.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to rabbis, only nine red heifers were ever found in the entire history of Israel, so it goes without saying that they are extremely rare and valuable. For the past decade, the Temple Institute had been searching and trying tirelessly to breed a perfect red heifer specimen. They were unsuccessful until last year when they came into contact with a Texas rancher who had figured out a way to breed five. A team of rabbis from the Temple Institute flew to Texas to inspect the calves last year and deemed them worthy of meeting the biblical requirements.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">So why should Christians care? Because these events hint at prophetic significance. The Bible predicts that during the future Tribulation period, there will be a Jewish temple standing in Jerusalem. In Rev. 11:1 John is told, “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there.” Daniel, Jesus and Paul all prophesy that at the midpoint of the Tribulation period, the Antichrist will enter this temple, desecrate it and declare himself to be God (Dan. 9:27, Mat. 24:15, 2 Thess. 2:4). </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Temple Institute has been diligently working to make the third temple a reality. Many of the utensils, such as the golden menorah, the priestly garments and vessels used to store the blood of sacrifices, have already been created. A computer database of the eligible priests has also been put together, complete with their genealogical records. And now one more critical piece for resurrecting temple worship is within their grasp – the red heifer. Now all they need is a piece of land on the Temple Mount upon which to build.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">How exactly the Jews will be allowed to rebuild in the most hotly contested piece of real estate on earth, we don’t know and the Bible doesn’t say. But prior to 1948 it looked like it would be impossible for the Jews to ever have their own nation, but look what God did on the world stage. We don’t know how God will fulfill His Word, but believe it friend - every jot and tittle will come to pass. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">All this points to another prophetic sign that indicates events are moving exactly in the direction God said they would as the world nears the return of Jesus. Until He comes, we can rejoice in Heb. 9:13-14 which assures us that the sacrifice of Jesus is superior to that of the red heifer: “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” -DM</span></div></div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-625436075601663512022-09-15T14:17:00.000-04:002022-09-15T14:17:11.436-04:00Jesus and Elton John <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwH0Cw_ZPd2F-IusiGjfzcUEdSQhkXg3zCDukjqNZRmnzOLjh7j14Bt89O4gWpXcjgjxcj-X-LIcsGasLmF4ox2RdwZJjjj3LxijHegdJ3u3a8njuyB-0MXgvWQBtyDGNKkOW8lBPBIUvJvzbwH0E4975Oi5pBc4Q0MYw7rW1figzHBcBlpbN_DJS_vg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwH0Cw_ZPd2F-IusiGjfzcUEdSQhkXg3zCDukjqNZRmnzOLjh7j14Bt89O4gWpXcjgjxcj-X-LIcsGasLmF4ox2RdwZJjjj3LxijHegdJ3u3a8njuyB-0MXgvWQBtyDGNKkOW8lBPBIUvJvzbwH0E4975Oi5pBc4Q0MYw7rW1figzHBcBlpbN_DJS_vg=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">British pop legend Elton John is no stranger to the provocative,
just look at some of his wild fashion and his openly gay lifestyle before there
was a modern LBGT movement. John also has a colorful opinion of Jesus. He said
in separate interviews that “Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay
man” and that Jesus would “be in favor of gay marriage.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">It makes you wonder if he was going for the world record for
the most heretical statements in one breath. As outlandish as it might sound, there
are many LBGT affirming churches today that aren’t far from the same message as
“The Rocketman”. It’s a sad and strange day when the preacher and the pop star are
saying the same thing about Jesus to support their sin. In fact, I recently
heard a man defending the gay lifestyle say, “Well, Jesus never condemned
homosexuality, so Christians shouldn’t either.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">How should we respond to that claim biblically? First, it
is true that Jesus never condemned homosexuality in the Gospels, however He certainly
never condoned it either. Those making this argument are actually committing a
fallacy known as the “argument from silence.” That’s when someone wants to make
case based on what’s NOT been said, which requires no evidence at all.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Are we to believe that any action is permissible unless
Jesus specifically forbade it? The goal of the Gospels was not to give us a
comprehensive list of sinful activities, and there are many obvious sins that
are not found in the “red letter” sections of the Bible. Kidnapping, for example.
Jesus never specifically said that kidnapping was a sin, yet we know that
stealing children is wrong. Drug use is another one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Second, it’s clear that Jesus affirmed the Genesis model
of marriage and sexuality between one man and one woman. In Mark 10:6-9 and Matt.
19:4-6 Jesus quoted from Genesis, “Have you not read that he who created them
from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall
leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God
has joined together, let not man separate.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Third, Jesus condemned ALL sexual immorality which falls
outside the confines of God’s intended design in marriage. In Matt. 15:19-20,
Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.”
Sexual immorality here in this verse is an umbrella term which would include – adultery,
fornication, homosexuality, porn and any other sexual sin. Moreover, these specific
sins are condemned and listed in other passages (see 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rev. 21:8, Rom.
1:24-31, Lev. 20:10-13, and Gen. 19).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">There is simply no way the LGBT lifestyle can be
supported by the Bible. With that being said, there is a tendency in the church
only to hammer down exclusively on homosexuality, when all forms of sexual perversion
are equally sinful and destructive. We would do well in the church to remember
we all stand equally condemned as sinners, even if our sexual sin of choice isn’t
homosexuality. At some point, we’ve all looked lustfully upon another and
according to Christ that makes us adulterers at heart (Matt. 5:28).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">God loves the homosexual. Jesus reached out to the
five-times divorced woman at the well who was shacking up with another man
(John 4). The Lord has the power to set free and save the porn addict. If you
are trapped in a sexually immoral lifestyle – it’s time to repent, turn to
Christ and be cleansed. The love, healing and fulfillment you are seeking is
found only in Jesus. He will save you from yourself.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-59235449500724433812022-09-02T10:04:00.001-04:002022-09-02T10:04:14.270-04:00Is Evangelism Harder Today? <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYsgffhS7ChZf4UjxSl-RcsW73CxRolLGmtmJxis7JWEHOAfX4AdleqkLrL3A3ejBQxmTctApTtBnR007nszWQmpzhOLKTZHoZ-OVLr8E68MdsjdUQ7oiAm334oqyGctkCyyKunsJ5eEA6gI-QzgWrpPeyKLihMG3xtgaBRZ2RVqZP6Y-yqF9NAsXulQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYsgffhS7ChZf4UjxSl-RcsW73CxRolLGmtmJxis7JWEHOAfX4AdleqkLrL3A3ejBQxmTctApTtBnR007nszWQmpzhOLKTZHoZ-OVLr8E68MdsjdUQ7oiAm334oqyGctkCyyKunsJ5eEA6gI-QzgWrpPeyKLihMG3xtgaBRZ2RVqZP6Y-yqF9NAsXulQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” (Mat. 10:14)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">In 1957, Billy Graham held his longest running crusade ever
in New York City. The meetings began on May 15 and ended on Sept. 1 – extending
a total of 16 weeks! Over that summer, 2,397,400 persons attended the meetings
and 61,148 made decisions for Christ. The crusade kept gaining momentum, so it
was moved from Madison Square Garden to Yankee Stadium (when the boys in
pinstripes weren’t playing), and finally culminated in Times Square with an
estimated 125,000 in attendance!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Thinking back to that summer 65 years ago, it seems
impossible that something like that could happen in America today. Especially,
when you consider that church attendance in the US has hit record lows. According
to a recent Gallup poll, “Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued
to decline in 2021, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's
eight-decade trend. In 2021, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church,
synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">As many experts have noted, we are now living in what has
been called a “post-Christian” society, one in which Christianity is no longer
the dominant religion and where most of the culture is secular.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">This got me thinking – if Billy Graham lived today and tried
to have a crusade in NYC in 2022 would he have the same results? Maybe, there’s
no way we could answer that question, but we can definitely say that American
culture is much different now than what it was in 1957. Back then, school days
were started with prayer and Bible reading. Back then, church attendance was at
an all-time high. Back then, people believed there were only two genders and TV
was just beginning to appear in homes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">I would say that given the moral abyss we are sliding
into, Billy would have a harder time today. This difference is illustrated in
the book of Acts between the response Peter received preaching on the Day of
Pentecost verses the response Paul got preaching in Mars Hill.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">According to Acts 2, when Peter preached the Gospel “the
people were cut to their heart” and “those who accepted his message were
baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Meanwhile, according to Acts 17, when Paul preached to the intellectuals in
Athens, “some of them sneered, but others said, ‘We want to hear you again on
this subject’ and some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">What was the difference? Why did Peter enjoy a massive
harvest, while Paul only a few converts? In Acts 2 Peter primarily had Jewish
audience, who were steeped in the OT Scriptures and possessed a theistic worldview.
While in Acts 17 Paul had a Greek audience who was steeped in paganism,
Epicurean and Stoic philosophy, and possessed a secular worldview. Paul had a
much harder time reaching the Greeks because the cultural divide was so much
wider.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">This is important for us to remember today. We are living
in an America that much more resembles Acts 17 than Acts 2. This is why its
harder to do church, reach the lost and have a lasting impact. Christians are
no longer the majority in this culture. It doesn’t diminish the power of the
Gospel, but it does mean our work is cut out for us! All we can do is share
Christ faithfully and leave the results up to God. -DM</span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-1101387867485449132022-08-24T10:13:00.000-04:002022-08-24T10:13:02.551-04:00Resurrection Bread<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3op8IWpRlLtlGBlre2Np1puQijilj85vruCTSp6Os3f7o0vNO9V0SPojLCcd6K_0sA47t-AgDsnweczoTCNq7O1bNGv3laPvbG--SBdXI_AMQ_UsjhxC0APeg76iE7GMrzEi27nfsQFI1DsaOOARHo0syeU9Vvm0e-mhdjTF827D3bDtVYgwatGC9A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="711" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3op8IWpRlLtlGBlre2Np1puQijilj85vruCTSp6Os3f7o0vNO9V0SPojLCcd6K_0sA47t-AgDsnweczoTCNq7O1bNGv3laPvbG--SBdXI_AMQ_UsjhxC0APeg76iE7GMrzEi27nfsQFI1DsaOOARHo0syeU9Vvm0e-mhdjTF827D3bDtVYgwatGC9A=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">“And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He
broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of Me’” (Luke 22:19).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">When Jesus and His disciples gathered to celebrate Passover
on the eve before His crucifixion there was a profound combination of prophecy,
tradition and meaning coming together. By the time of Jesus, the Passover had already
been celebrated for over 1,400 years by the Jews since the days of Moses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">During the traditional Passover Seder, it is customary to
place three pieces of matzo (unleavened bread) inside a bag with three
compartments. Early in the Seder, the middle piece of matzo is removed, broken
in half, and one half of the matzo is hidden away until later in the evening.
This hidden matzo is called the “afikomen.” At the end of the meal, the
children are sent out to find the hidden afikomen, which is then broken into
small pieces for everyone to eat as the dessert part of the meal. It is often said
that the eating of the afikomen brings long life from God because it signifies
observing the commandment to celebrate the Passover (Exodus 12).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Such a fascinating tradition whose origins are shrouded
in mystery! The earliest explicit reference to the eating of the afikomen comes
from the Mishnah, an early rabbinic work written in 200 AD. Scholars have
concluded that it is possible, even probable, that the bread held up by the
Lord was an early version of the afikomen, but it is impossible to know for
sure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">What’s more amazing is how the parallels between the Jewish
afikomen tradition and Christ are striking. We know that Jesus reinterpreted the
meaning of the Passover bread to symbolize His body. The unleavened bread
pictured His sinlessness, as leaven in the Bible is always a picture of sin
(Ex. 12:15; 1 Cor. 5:6-8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Then, there are three pieces of matzo in the bag, but
only the second one is broken, which is reminiscent of the Son of God – The Second
Person of the Trinity - who was slain for our sins (John 3:16).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">The afikomen is hidden away after being publicly broken,
which is reminiscent of Christ’s burial after His public death (John 19:38-42).
Then the afikomen is found—which alludes to Christ’s resurrection and our
Savior walking out of His tomb where He was discovered by many witnesses (Acts
1:3).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Then the afikomen is given to all present as a symbol of
God giving life to those who follow Him. This is reminiscent of what Jesus
said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who
believes in Me will never thirst” (John 6:35).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Amazing! For some communion is a sleepy hour in which
wafers are eaten and juice is drunk and the soul never stirs. It wasn’t
intended to be as such. It’s not just a time to look back at the cross and
marvel at the prophetic fulfillment, but also to look forward to His crowning
return in anticipation. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;">Notice that last part – until He comes! For believers,
the Rapture of the Church, then the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, are next on
God’s prophetic calendar. Beloved, the wedding is not far off! Perhaps today
we’ll hear, “Behold the Bridegroom comes. Go out to meet Him.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-3486314786036667532022-08-12T12:12:00.003-04:002022-08-12T12:12:55.155-04:00The Power of Perfect Love <p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vmywCJe4c70UmYSLne2mQPDQtgsRCKeul-paEPR4iQMNNjg_zvEdg8Oy19nlpwJhXf5lko6A1gY78v4HCNbSjPVwiwuwMn-PmJ8EDLyUd-6sjDeQPR4YLeBIPZdyru_UzaQ9eOdRjnpIlOn_Qzt-AZKd-AxOZMKSWrlIAwvrn7svCv3_VvYAexIjTg/s640/Toby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="640" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vmywCJe4c70UmYSLne2mQPDQtgsRCKeul-paEPR4iQMNNjg_zvEdg8Oy19nlpwJhXf5lko6A1gY78v4HCNbSjPVwiwuwMn-PmJ8EDLyUd-6sjDeQPR4YLeBIPZdyru_UzaQ9eOdRjnpIlOn_Qzt-AZKd-AxOZMKSWrlIAwvrn7svCv3_VvYAexIjTg/w640-h530/Toby.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18)</span></span></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">My wife is an animal rescuer. She will take-in any pitiful pup or stray cat that wanders our way. Her most recent labor of love is a doggy, which my mother said looked like a “Toby” the first time she saw him. The name stuck. Much better than what he had been called - “Taco.”</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">My wife scours the local animal adoption Facebook pages. That’s where she found Toby. When Toby first entered our three-ring-circus, you could tell he had a terrible past. We suspect he was abused and neglected, because Toby exhibited all the traits of a damaged doggy – timid, cowering, nervous, no appetite and looking for a chance to run away.</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">But over the past several days, we have noticed a transformation take place. He’s not the same dog. He’s coming out of his shell. He loves to play with the kids. He greets everyone with an excited wag and a whimper. He begs to be cuddled and surrenders his paw for a handshake. He wants to be wanted. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">What made the difference? The only thing I can figure is the transforming power of love. Perhaps, for the first time in his life Toby has a family. When you are truly loved you don’t have to be afraid. There’s security in love. And that security fosters growth and change. In the security of love, Toby is learning to trust and that he doesn’t have to be afraid anymore. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">This is a faint example of what John talked about when He said, “perfect love casts out all fear.” If love can transform a scared doggy, then imagine what the perfect love of God can do in fearful, broken people! In Christ, we are objects of the Father’s infinite love. Because Christ satisfied the wrath of God by absorbing our punishment on the cross, then we don’t have to fear God’s judgment – whether that pertains to the future penalty of hell or the Tribulation period (Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9).</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">But that’s only the beginning. If you were to chart this on a graph you would see an inverse proportion – as our understanding of God’s love increases, our level of fear and anxiety decreases. God’s love protects us from the fear of danger (Ps. 56:3), the fear of defeat (2 Tim. 1:7), the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15) and the fear of disownment (Rom. 8:35-39). We don’t have to be afraid of our past disqualifying us from God’s love, nor do we have to be afraid of the future, because God’s love doesn’t expire.</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">Because we know that God is watching over us as a loving Father, then His plans will not be undermined and His purposes for us are good. When we fall into sin, His love for us doesn’t change based on our performance. God doesn’t cast us aside. We can truly rest in His love because He will never drag up our past or condemn us (Rom. 8:1). So let go of all the shame and fear and let the love of God set you free.</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">“Oh love that will not let me go / I rest my weary soul in thee / I give thee back the life I owe / That in thine ocean depths its flow / May richer, fuller be”</span></div></div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-54907521431602582482022-07-28T10:42:00.001-04:002022-07-28T10:42:36.762-04:00We Become What We Worship <p><i><span style="color: #444444;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK8AgWZn3AqdLjeC4HxIKZXLwiwm_vwJ_zv-2oncpDkPsUFxouwKxqYa0fQC0GStt_lRvfymQqYv9OPYkE-F7T0te_oO1aKXtGjsNhayuUzuvEXUrQhWsS2tNS3UlVm08QXF9iIcgv1ha4QO6pJWLA6T-E3pyF2t2QhmqD64KFfKtwuretya9DKsY1xQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK8AgWZn3AqdLjeC4HxIKZXLwiwm_vwJ_zv-2oncpDkPsUFxouwKxqYa0fQC0GStt_lRvfymQqYv9OPYkE-F7T0te_oO1aKXtGjsNhayuUzuvEXUrQhWsS2tNS3UlVm08QXF9iIcgv1ha4QO6pJWLA6T-E3pyF2t2QhmqD64KFfKtwuretya9DKsY1xQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></span></i></div></div><i><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></i><p></p><p><i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Psalm 115:8 ESV</span></span></i></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My favorite fan fiction of all time is JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” In the movies and books we meet the pitiful creature Gollum, who once was a peaceful, friendly hobbit named Sméagol. But, Sméagol was transformed into the ugly, slinking creature Gollum when he had the misfortune of discovering a magical ring. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The One Ring promised unlimited power to the one who wore it, however in exchange it exacted a heavy toll. The ring was imbued with the evil spirit of a tyrannical king, named Sauron. Those who wore the ring were inevitably transformed by its evil and turned into slaves of the Dark Lord. And so is the tragic story of Gollum - a hobbit who became a creature corrupted by evil. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The reason why this character is so compelling is because it’s based on a biblical principle - we inevitably become what we worship. This is a major lesson of Psalm 115. Whatever or whoever holds our heart’s affection will transform us into its likeness - for good or evil. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they received the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. The second of those commandments is to forsake all idols (Ex. 20:4). Psalm 115 celebrates this commandment, expressing worship to the true and living God, in specific contrast to the idols that were being worshipped by the surrounding nations.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Egyptians, Canaanite’s and Amalekites were mocking Israel because they seemed to worship an invisible god, in contrast to their gods, who were visible and on display in their temples. In contrast, Psalm 115 says their gods were on pedestals in temples, whereas “our God is in heaven” (v. 3, 16). Their gods are “made by the hands of men” out of “silver and gold” (v. 4), whereas our God made us. Their gods have “mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk” (vv. 5–7). In contrast, the God of biblical revelation is the living God, who speaks, sees, hears, smells, feels, and walks!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The climax of the psalm is found in verse 8: “Those who make [idols] will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” This is a great reminder to us. If you worship a dead block of wood or stone, you will become like what you worship, dead and lifeless. If you worship the living God, you will become like him, with all his goodness and perfections. Although we live in the 21st century, we still can see the widespread worship of false idols. An idol is anything you love more, fear more, serve more and worship more than the true God. Some worship the idols of money, drugs, power, and sex. However, these things have no more life than the dead idols of the ancient world. They will all pass away. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This psalm is a sobering reminder that we become like what we worship. Like Gollum who worshipped the power of the ring and became a slave. Therefore, we should be careful not only to avoid false idols, but also to not worship some warped caricature of God that we have invented in our own minds, rather than the true and living God, who has revealed himself in the person of Christ. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Pray: “Lord, smash the idols in my life! I don’t want to become a slave of the gods of this world. Transform my mind. Change my affections to love what you love and hate what you hate. Make me more like Jesus and less like myself. Amen.”</span></div></div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-58427664620912366682022-07-14T10:50:00.000-04:002022-07-14T10:50:21.114-04:00The Universe: God's Billboard <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaDnsjYiy0zbxKN3Gj8RRNz7cu0ySU1udGWjqOSWDXc_sqvvpRc9jYXo55266dfFOnvbWViqyK14vVIZ4P9AApKbrCGJih8ywK5VMfFQPoQaeHf4LTAcVpv5pzIVgtrWocONm9UaH8M5ILazeoFIiRaMmxekrJuBJRBijuQ_xK00ywSjZ9gD3MAfKdIg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1900" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaDnsjYiy0zbxKN3Gj8RRNz7cu0ySU1udGWjqOSWDXc_sqvvpRc9jYXo55266dfFOnvbWViqyK14vVIZ4P9AApKbrCGJih8ywK5VMfFQPoQaeHf4LTAcVpv5pzIVgtrWocONm9UaH8M5ILazeoFIiRaMmxekrJuBJRBijuQ_xK00ywSjZ9gD3MAfKdIg=w640-h370" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“The heavens declare the
glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:1)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">On Monday, July 11, 2022, the
first images from NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope were released
to the public. The Webb telescope is a modern marvel. The size of a tennis
court and three stories high, the Webb is the largest telescope ever sent into
space. It's an astounding 100 times more powerful than the famed but aging Hubble
Space Telescope, which is 32 years old. After traveling 1 million miles from
earth, the Webb finally was ready to begin beaming back its incredible images.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">According to NASA, Webb
will explore every phase of cosmic history – from within the solar system to
the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in
between. “Webb can see backwards in time to just after the Big Bang by looking
for galaxies that are so far away that the light has taken many billions of
years to get from those galaxies to our telescopes,” one scientist said.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If you haven’t seen some
of the first images, you really should look them up. They are amazing. One shot
in particular showed a blanket of galaxies millions of light years away, each
galaxy containing billions of stars and planets.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">It’s a staggering thought
that just a few days ago these distant stars and galaxies had never been seen
by human eyes. There is untold and unseen beauty in our universe that must have
been made just for the pleasure of God. What a token of an extravagant,
lavishly creative God.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Isaiah 40:26 says, “Lift
up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host
by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because
he is strong in power, not one is missing.” Feeling small yet?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If that wasn’t enough,
Earth just happens to be located in right location of our spiral galaxy. The
Milky Way is about 100,000 light years across, so if you wanted to see every
star just in our galaxy it would take you at least 100,000 years traveling on a
rocket ship going the speed of light. The estimated galactic habitable zone
ranges between 23,000 to 29,000 light years from the galactic center.
Interestingly, our Earth lies exactly in the center of the galactic habitable
zone. Earth is about 27,000 light years from the galactic center. In 2008 the
Hubble Telescope discovered that lurking in the center of our galaxy is massive
black hole. Turns out, that if Earth were too close to the center of the galaxy
then harmful radiation emitted from this black hole would make life impossible.
Conversely, if our planet was too far out in the periphery, not enough heavy
elements like carbon and iron would be available as building blocks for a
habitable planet.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Those facts inspired
astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez to say, “Not only do we inhabit a location in the
Milky Way that’s fortuitously optimal for life, but our location also happens
to provide us with the best overall platform for making a diverse range of
discoveries for astronomers and cosmologists. Our location away from the
galaxy’s center and in the flat plane of the disk provides us with a privileged
vantage point for observing both nearby and distant stars. We’re also in
excellent position to detect the cosmic background radiation, which is
critically important because it helped us realize our universe had a beginning
in the Big Bang.”<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Apparently, God has placed
us in the exact location of our universe which makes it most optimal for
discovering His handiwork. The universe is God’s billboard - displaying His
might, creativity and eternality. Only a fool would deny it. Yet, the same God
who knows each star by name, also knows the number of hairs on your head and
has all your days recorded in His book, the psalmist says.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">God is transcendent and
also personal. Even more awesome is that this star-making God came to this tiny
planet and robed Himself in flesh. He walked our streets and felt our pain.
Jesus - the Creator - was beaten, mocked, and crucified by sinful men.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Creation cost Jesus
nothing. Just a few words and BOOM, the stars began twinkling and the planets
spinning in orbit. But your redemption, cost Jesus everything. He could have
stayed hidden in the heavens but the Son of God chose death. Willingly.
Sacrificially. Purposefully. Feeling loved yet?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The God who gives us life
explains His power in the cosmos and displays His love on the cross. He made
you and redeemed you. If that doesn’t make you want to shout, I don’t know what
will. -DM<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span style="color: #444444;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Doyle Rice, “First Image from the James Webb Space Telescope Shows Thousands of
Galaxies,” <i>USA TODAY</i>, 11 July 2022 <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/11/james-webb-space-telescope-first-image-released-biden-monday/10029517002/>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Guillermo
Gonzales quoted by Lee Strobel, <i>The Case for a Creator </i>(Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 187.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-90330904214543993862022-07-07T11:48:00.004-04:002022-07-07T12:05:41.083-04:00How to Think Biblically About UFOs and Aliens<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPnlX5UCdP8UJ4aTDmQOY05xi8XA4J6Ca8RBHcOVmtTC-04Gp7pBdoZejFsGXlkn5O3lPm-wVelQq7oq5VoGICpn8gWr2CR5FXf58xLbglFBmLS3S4kpd3F9DcvivWPoohEIODPWiSBR39CyOaFtr4BTYJ9eSanEyC0yH10itp5gOxZlmiv1sSsm7STQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPnlX5UCdP8UJ4aTDmQOY05xi8XA4J6Ca8RBHcOVmtTC-04Gp7pBdoZejFsGXlkn5O3lPm-wVelQq7oq5VoGICpn8gWr2CR5FXf58xLbglFBmLS3S4kpd3F9DcvivWPoohEIODPWiSBR39CyOaFtr4BTYJ9eSanEyC0yH10itp5gOxZlmiv1sSsm7STQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If
you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ve probably noticed that UFOs
have made a resurgence in media headlines.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">In
the summer of 2021 the US intelligence community released an unclassified,
9-page report to Congress of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) aka UFOs. For
decades, the American government totally denied the existence of flying objects
that they simply could not identify or, in some situations, explain. The report
determined that a vast majority of more than 120 incidents over the past two
decades did not originate from any American military or other advanced US
government technology, the officials said. The report concedes that much about
the observed phenomena remains difficult to explain, including their
acceleration, as well as ability to change direction and submerge.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">In
a 2021 <i>60 Minutes</i> episode, Navy pilots described first-hand, eyewitness,
video and radar evidence of vehicles that “can do 600-700 G Forces, that can
fly at 13,000 miles an hour, that can evade radar, and that can fly through
air, and water, and possibly space. And have no obvious signs of propulsions,
no wings, no control surfaces, and yet still can defy the natural effects of
earth’s gravity.” (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBtMbBPzqHY" target="_blank">You can watch the video by clicking here</a>)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Then
in May 2022 the US Congress held a UFO hearing in which testimonials were given
by military experts. One <i>Fox News</i> article reported, “The Pentagon showcased
declassified photos and video of UFOs to Congress – including a flying object
without a ‘specific explanation’ – as lawmakers pressed military officials on
the mysterious sightings. In one brief and shaky video, a small object appeared
to zip past a military pilot. In a separate video and a similar photo taken at
a different time, glowing triangles are seeing in the night sky. Deputy
Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray said, “I do not have an explanation
for what this specific object is.” Bray also said that there have been at least
11 “near misses” between U.S. military aircraft and UAP.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">It
can be difficult to know what to think about these videos and testimonials. Some
feel that these UFOs are evidence of advanced intelligent life, while others
are more skeptical. Mick West, who is described as a UFO video analyst, says
there’s almost always a rational, mundane explanation for them. He wrote in a
piece featured in <i>The Guardian</i>:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“In
2017 I helped solve a UFO case. Using a hi-tech infrared camera, the Chilean
navy had recorded video of a mysterious object in the distance. The
black-and-white footage showed a bizarre black shape flying across the sky, and
at one point it seemed to emit plumes of hot gases. A special group was formed
of military personnel, scientists and other experts. Over two years they
carefully studied the case, eliminated all mundane possibilities, and finally
concluded that this object was a “genuine unknown.” Three days later I, and
others, identified the plane as Iberia flight 6830, departing Santiago airport.
The “hot gases” were just contrails, and the odd movement was the result of a
low viewing angle and a powerful zoom factor on the infrared camera. The glare
from the engines obscured the plane and created the unusual shape. Radar data
confirmed that the exact location of the plane matched the UFO. Case closed.
UFO enthusiasts were annoyed. Something similar seems to be playing out with
the current situation with the US navy. There are people who want UFOs to be
true, and when people start getting excited about UFOs, they start looking up
and they start seeing them everywhere.”<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The
question for Christians is how do we make sense of this from a Biblical
worldview? Certainly, there are mysterious things that happen in our world which
defy description or don’t comport with our current understanding. UFOs are “real”
in the sense that they have been observed all over the world for years. As West
pointed out, in most cases there’s a natural and reasonable explanation for
these anomalies. However, just because we can’t explain the outliers doesn’t
mean that we should jump to the conclusion that alien life exists.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">In
fact, the Bible gives us no reason to believe that there is life elsewhere in
the universe. The creation account in Genesis 1-2 is geocentric – meaning that
God created earth as the prime stage for His Divine Drama to play out. Humanity,
made in the image of God, is the “crown jewel” of God’s vast creation. There is
no mention of life on other planets. Moreover, when Adam sinned, his sin
affected all of creation (Rom. 8:22). Jesus came as the “last Adam” to save
those of Adam’s race who will repent and believe in His atoning work and
resurrection. If there were intelligent aliens out there, they would suffer the
effects of sin, but couldn’t be saved because Christ died for mankind, not for
aliens, angels or animals (1 Pet. 3:18; Heb. 9:27–28, 10:10). So, theologically,
there is no room for alien life forms to fit into the Gospel.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">However,
the UFO / alien craze may serve another purpose in the last days. The Bible
foretells that one day the Lord Jesus will return to remove the Church from the
Earth in an event called “The Rapture” (1 Thess. 4:13-18). The Rapture will
precede the final 7-years of history in which God’s wrath will be poured on the
world during a devastating period known as “The Tribulation Period.” At the
moment of the Rapture, millions of people all across the globe will disappear
without a trace.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">One
interesting question that arises in a post-Rapture world is “How will those
left behind explain the mass disappearance of millions of people?” Jesus said
that in the end-times deception would be at a fever pitch, “For false christs
and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to
lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">We
also know that when the Antichrist emerges on the world scene, he will be able
to sway people through “lying wonders” and a host of other illusions. In fact, 2
Thess. 2:10-11 explains that God will send delusion on the world so that they
will believe the lies of the Antichrist. The Bible also speaks about the
spiritual realm, which is inhabited by angels and demons – who not only defy
the laws of physics, but can take on various forms. One could certainly make
the case, that UFOs are actually demonic activity, and this will be used as
part of the end-times deception campaign of Satan and the Antichrist (1 Tim.
4:1).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This
may sound crazy, but <i>Pew Research</i> has already shown that the beliefs
among the general populace concerning aliens and UFO is very accepting. A 2021 nationwide
survey found that “65% of Americans believe that intelligent life exists beyond
earth and don’t see UFOs as a security threat.” That number jumped to 76% among
the young adults ages 18-29.<a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Contrast that with a 2020
survey done among evangelicals by <i>Ligonier Ministries</i>, which revealed
that 52% of so-called Christians say, “Jesus isn’t God but was a great moral teacher.”<a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Translation: the average
person is more ready to believe in UFOs and alien life than they are that Jesus
is the Son of God! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">What
this means is that the belief system for the UFO explanation of the Rapture is
already in place in the hearts and minds of people. Not only could the
Antichrist use the UFO lie to provide answers to the chaotic post-Rapture world,
but it could be used as way to unify the world under a common religion. Since
the days of Darwin, mankind has been looking for ways to explain the origin of
life without a Creator. “Panspermia” is a popular theory among many scientists
today who rather than admit God, will argue that life was “seeded” on earth by
aliens or a meteor strike that brought the first cells to earth and then the
process of evolution led to man. The popular Bible answer website <i>Got
Questions</i> adds, “In order to achieve an agreement between all the world’s
religions, it would make sense for the “uniter” to come from an entirely new
source—an extraterrestrial source. It is hard to imagine one religion becoming
head of all the others, unless new, unearthly knowledge were the source of the
appeal and power of the new “religion.” This would be in keeping with past
deceptions and would be a very effective way to deceive a large number of
people.”<a href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">As
we draw closer to the end times, we should expect more deception, unbelief and
insanity from our culture. Just think of all the lies floating around out there.
Evolution: man is the product of time, matter and chance. Transgenderism: you
get to decide what sex you want to be. Socialism: let government redistribute
the wealth to create a utopia. When you consider these lies, its not that far-fetched
that people would go along with aliens. Unfortunately, this is what happens when
a society rejects God and absolute truth. Apart from God’s Word man cannot
explain where we came from, who we are and where we are going. -DM <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Julian E. Barnes and Helene
Cooper, “U.S. Finds No Evidence of Alien Technology in Flying Objects, but
Can’t Rule It Out, Either,” <i>The New York Times, </i>1 Sept. 2021
<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/us/politics/ufos-sighting-alien-spacecraft-pentagon.html>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Tyler Olsen, “UFO Hearing:
Pentagon shows declassified photos and video, clip of unexplainable floating
object,” <i>FOX NEWS</i>, 17 May 2022 <https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dod-pentagon-ufo-photos-videos-house-hearing></span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Mick West, “I study UFOs – and I
don’t believe the alien hype. Here’s why,” <i>The Guardian</i>, 11 June 2021 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/11/i-study-ufos-and-i-dont-believe-the-alien-hype-heres-why></span></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Courtney Kennedy, “Most Americans
believe in intelligent life beyond Earth; few see UFOs as a major national
security threat,” <i>Pew Research</i>, 30 June 2021 <https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/30/most-americans-believe-in-intelligent-life-beyond-earth-few-see-ufos-as-a-major-national-security-threat/>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Benjamin Fearnow, “52 Percent of
Americans Say Jesus Isn't God but Was a Great Teacher, Survey Says,” <i>Newsweek,
</i>30 August 2020 <https://www.newsweek.com/52-percent-americans-say-jesus-isnt-not-god-was-great-teacher-survey-says-1528617>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>Got Questions, </i>“Could Alien
Deception Be Part of the End-Times?” <https://www.gotquestions.org/alien-deception.html></span></span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-18004599035365249852022-06-30T09:46:00.000-04:002022-06-30T09:46:08.422-04:00Nathan Hale: The Schoolmaster Turned Spy <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIV3goYPGDygDSufsLPl-ntSLhB1I0KuWP89edOkKUmogO4iBH0cCOMHZxmoqDu2DBnExWcsDdsFtaW6_sefN_xNOpasAn2VSLvuKEZD2Bx6imYx8QNlH8g0fsXfwWLsHHWh4laApJOIaZlda6O2J_N33m4IltFT1Cnk3YGbMAuzNqGdKVS_-WaZxKag" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="330" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIV3goYPGDygDSufsLPl-ntSLhB1I0KuWP89edOkKUmogO4iBH0cCOMHZxmoqDu2DBnExWcsDdsFtaW6_sefN_xNOpasAn2VSLvuKEZD2Bx6imYx8QNlH8g0fsXfwWLsHHWh4laApJOIaZlda6O2J_N33m4IltFT1Cnk3YGbMAuzNqGdKVS_-WaZxKag=w501-h640" width="501" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">On the eve of another
Independence Day, it’s always good to retell to stories of sacrifice inspired
by our national heroes. Until a few years ago, I had never heard about the exploits
of Nathan Hale. In a way, perhaps Hale was the first American hero.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Nathan Hale was
born in Coventry, Connecticut on June 6, 1755. In 1773, he graduated Yale
College and got a job as a schoolmaster. Only a few years later, the
Revolutionary War ignited. News of the battles of Lexington and Concord quickly
reached Connecticut. Hale’s five brothers had already volunteered. Hale enlisted
on July 6, 1775, and soon joined the ranks of Gen. George Washington’s rag-tag army.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">The Battle of
Brooklyn Heights at the end of August 1776 left the British in control of Long
Island. Washington’s troops were holed up in Manhattan, badly in need of
reliable information about the opposing forces. So Washington began recruiting
spies who would travel behind enemy lines and gather info about British battle
plans. Hale decided to volunteer for this incredibly dangerous mission, becoming
one of the first known American spies of the Revolutionary War.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Disguised as a
Dutch schoolmaster – donning a plain brown suit and a round hat – Hale slipped
behind enemy lines on Long Island and then successfully gathered information
about British troop movements for the next several weeks. But Hale’s cover was
blown when he got into a conversation with a British agent posing as an
American sympathizer, and he revealed his mission. This British agent soon tipped
off his superiors and authorities promptly arrested him.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Hale was brought to
General Howe’s headquarters, where he was interrogated. His sketches of British
fortifications and notes of troop movements, written in Latin, were found in
his boot. Hale was promptly condemned to death. The following morning,
September 22, 1776 he was hanged from a tree. Hale was only 21-years-old.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">In one of his books,
biographer and historian Eric Metaxas writes, “History tells us that the
handsome, pious twenty-one-year-old acted so nobly in the face of death that
many around him on the British side, were deeply affected, that some were
horrified that this gentle soul should be executed. But the man in charge, was
a hardened soldier who relished the idea of making an example of this handsome
traitor who dared spy for the foulest of foul traitors, George Washington. Hale
was hanged from a tree in an orchard near what is today East 63<sup>rd</sup>
Street in Manhattan, NY. Though it’s almost inconceivable in our time, this
area was once all farmlands. We know that the officer ordered that Hale’s body be
left hanging from the tree, so that he would be deliberately denied a Christian
burial and his family would never recover what was left of his remains. Immediately
after his death, word spread among the soldiers and citizenry of how he had
died and of his now-famous words as he stood in a noose, about to step into
eternity: ‘My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country.’”<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Nathan Hale’s
memory is preserved in a statue outside Connecticut Hall at Yale, where he lived
as a student. An insignificant schoolteacher who never wrote anything
important, never owned any property, never had a permanent job, never married
or had children and who failed in his final mission — made history in the last
few seconds of this life. Hale’s sacrifice forces us to ask the question, “Is
what I’m living for worth dying for?”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">-DM <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span style="color: #444444;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
David McCullogh, <i>1776</i> (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005), 223-225.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Eric Metaxas, <i>If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty </i>(New
York: Viking, 2016), 121-128.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-49051194110281026852022-06-23T10:03:00.004-04:002022-06-23T10:03:56.267-04:00Another Pandemic? <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfXkdTCooYPrmxcxb8SGYDrfx9pbBaiGbOG4-8w_QDYE_dJWnLgZjXDKhSHSdC2oOebjhznM6i3jgiYzcCSxU932Oo4MAvI5N7o-8lytLpZ-oapBtMmV-jYO75EEqECASIg3IljMKLrh06DrWbCl8D3J05UayAlOiUBdlzNYydLUYH-ROXSM2jYzcq0g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfXkdTCooYPrmxcxb8SGYDrfx9pbBaiGbOG4-8w_QDYE_dJWnLgZjXDKhSHSdC2oOebjhznM6i3jgiYzcCSxU932Oo4MAvI5N7o-8lytLpZ-oapBtMmV-jYO75EEqECASIg3IljMKLrh06DrWbCl8D3J05UayAlOiUBdlzNYydLUYH-ROXSM2jYzcq0g=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">On June 21, 2022, US
President Joe Biden made a comment during a press conference that furrowed many
brows. The FDA had just authorized COVID vaccines for children under age 5, and
Biden was encouraging parents to make sure their kids got the jab. In his
remarks, Biden said, “We need more money. We don’t just need more money for
vaccines for children, <i>we need more money to plan for the second pandemic</i>.
<i>There’s gonna be another pandemic</i>.”<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Humm…what exactly did he
mean by that? What does he know that we don’t? Is he saying the quiet part out
loud (that another “plan-demic” is in store) <u>OR</u> was he simply being
prudent, the way a beach dweller might prepare for the inevitability of hurricane
season? Reading between the lines is a tricky business. You make your own
conclusion, but I will say this: he was right from a biblical standpoint. There
will be another pandemic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In His prophetic sermon
called “The Olivet Discourse,” Jesus predicted that just prior to His return
there would be, “great earthquakes, and in various places famines and <i>pestilences</i>”
(Luke 21:11). Note, the word “pestilence” is the biblical word we would use
today to describe a deadly infectious disease. In that verse, Jesus was
foretelling the various natural disasters that will ravage the earth during the
dreaded 7-year period of judgment known as “The Tribulation.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The signs of earth’s last days
that Jesus predicted are expanded upon in the book of Revelation. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In Revelation 6, we read
about the “seven seals” of God’s judgment that lead-up to the return of Christ.
The fourth seal judgment unleashes the last of the “Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse.” Revelation 6:8 says, “And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And
its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given
authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">with
pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Not only does the pale
rider picture the color of a decomposing corpse, but “Death” will be able to
swing his sickle across one-fourth of the earth’s population. The current world
population is about 7.6 billion, so if this happened today that would be 1.9
billion people dead! We are not told what this disease will be, but it will be unparalleled
in its lethality. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Historically, the greatest
killer of all time has not been bullets and bombs, but bacteria and viruses.
Each year, approximately 1 million people die of an AIDS related illness and in
2016 an estimated 36.7 million people were living with HIV (1.8 million
children).</span><a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
30 million people died during the great influenza outbreak of 1918-1919, more
than 3x as many as the estimated 8.5 million soldiers who died in WWI.</span><a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Notice that the fourth
rider is armed with a curious combo: “pestilence” and “the beasts of the
earth.” When you read, “beasts of the earth” you might first think of a fierce
animal, but David Jeremiah has an interesting interpretation on this. He wrote,
“The most destructive creature on earth is the rat. He is a menace to human
health and food supplies. The nasty creature comes in more than 100 species.
Rats are extremely prolific, producing five or more litters of eight to ten
babies each year. It has been estimated that rats are responsible for the loss
of more than one billion dollars with of food each year in the US alone. Their
fleas carry all manner of disease, and in the 14</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> century the fleas
from rats killed one-third of Europe’s population with bubonic plague.”</span><a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It's interesting that in
recent years, zoonotic diseases – that is, animal borne plagues that cross over
from animals to humans – have mushroomed. AIDS (chimpanzees to humans), Ebola
(bats to humans), Avian flu (birds to humans), Swine flu (pigs to humans) and
COVID-19 (bats to humans) all fit into this category. In fact, virologists are
reporting that 3 out of every 4 new diseases that emerge cross from animals to
humans and that on average, a new infectious disease has emerged every year for
the past 30 years.</span><a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> It
could be that the pestilence of the end times will mutate and pass from animals
to humans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jesus also said that the “pestilence”
would arrive like “birth pains” (Matt. 24:8). This means it will increase with
frequency, intensity and visibility leading up to His return. In other words,
as the end approaches, we should expect infectious disease outbreaks and other
natural calamities to occur with greater regularity, impact more people and be
more deadly.” Bible scholar and preacher, John MacArthur suggested that “the
present afflictions may merely be like Braxton-Hicks contractions – premature labor
pains – but they nonetheless signify that the time for hard labor, and then delivery,
is inevitable and quickly drawing near.”</span><a href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Before we get carried
away, it’s important to note that the above Scripture passages describe the
Tribulation period. Since, we are not living in that terrible time, then we can
say confidently that those Scriptures have yet to be fulfilled. However, we can
see how the sign of pestilence and many signs indicative of the Tribulation are
casting their shadows back on the present. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In fact, I think that the
pestilence that Revelation and Jesus spoke about will be much worse in global
impact than anything we’ve ever seen. Just think of the way COVID was politicized
and used by governments to overreach into people lives shutting down business,
schools and industries. The plagues of the end-times will not only take life
but also fuel tyranny. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Prophecy buff, Mark
Hitchcock, adds, “The pandemics plagues of the end times will have repercussions
beyond the plagues themselves. These plagues will further the argument of the
Antichrist for a one-world leader who has the reach and power to respond to
such plagues to bring them under control. The pale rider will give greater
power to the rider on the white horse (or Antichrist) to consolidate his global
kingdom.”</span><a href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="font-size: 12pt;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What does all this mean?
For those who don’t know Christ as Lord and Savior, it means they ought to investigate
the Bible and the Gospel ASAP. The only way for the unredeemed to escape the
Tribulation or to have assurance of their salvation in the event that there’s
another plague in the near future, is to repent of sin and turn to Jesus for
forgiveness. For those who are believers, its time to witness to our unsaved
friends and family. With the acceleration of chaos in our world people are
searching for truth as the foundations of stable society are cracking. Yes
these are dark days, but they are also golden opportunities to speak into
people’s fears with the hope of the Gospel by helping them connect current
events with the prophetic Word. -DM</span></p>
<div><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Christina Laila, “Joe Biden Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: We Need More Money…
There’s Gonna be Another Pandemic,” <i>Gateway Pundit</i>, 21 June 2022 <https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/joe-biden-says-quiet-part-loud-need-money-gonna-another-pandemic-video/>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<https://www.avert.org/global-hiv-and-aids-statistics><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
John MacArthur, <i>The MacArthur New
Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11 </i>(Chicago: Moody, 1999), 184. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
David Jeremiah, <i>Escape the Coming Night</i>
(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 118. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Mark
Hitchcock, <i>Corona Crisis </i>(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2020), 99-100.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn6">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
David Jeremiah, <i>Where Do We Go From Here? </i>(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson,
2021), 59. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn7">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Hitchcock, 101. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div></div></span></div><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-89789771688779003562022-06-16T09:26:00.001-04:002022-06-16T10:56:41.184-04:00A Tough Love Dad <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJEVmAV_RneOvkFoDHvSaSU207FGrnVzNxBSGq6ZnTI6xKV2NoxlvRfVKgFaXFN4Noa_ePtj67fWbk0PL-IPn4ftaxi5g3uQY47MyhMC6lJbnXeorxTHf_ec23gbLIlPIT2CfU-hr3XxinY0n_BEwEpPcF7LW6IwC-8sGuvu4BqlKzciApdohIQjRcuA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJEVmAV_RneOvkFoDHvSaSU207FGrnVzNxBSGq6ZnTI6xKV2NoxlvRfVKgFaXFN4Noa_ePtj67fWbk0PL-IPn4ftaxi5g3uQY47MyhMC6lJbnXeorxTHf_ec23gbLIlPIT2CfU-hr3XxinY0n_BEwEpPcF7LW6IwC-8sGuvu4BqlKzciApdohIQjRcuA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">As a teen, young Billy
Graham showed signs of rebellion. Billy wasn’t an out-of-control wild child,
but he did get into his fair share of mischief – fistfights, chewing tobacco,
and getting his father’s car stuck in a muddy sinkhole while trying to impress
his buddies. When word got back to Billy’s dad, Frank, that the young man had
been running around with boys who’d been experimenting with alcohol, he
determined to “nip it in the bud,” as Barney Fife would say.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">In his biography on Billy,
author Greg Laurie explained that when Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Frank
Graham brought home a case of beer, placed one bottle in front of Billy and one
in front his sister, Catherine, then directed them to drink up. The shock of it
not only made them green with sickness, but it turned them against the bitter
brew for the rest of their lives. “From now on,” said Mr. Graham, “Whenever any
of your friends try to get you to drink alcohol, just tell them you’ve tasted
it, and you don’t like it.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Later as an adult, Billy
explained to a reporter why he was a teetotaler for another reason, “The Bible
says if I do anything to make my brother stumble or fall then I’m not to do it.
If people saw me sitting at a table drinking, they might say, ‘Well, Billy does
it, so its alright for me’ and they may become alcoholics as a result of it. I want
to be careful about my Christian witness.”<a href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Wow! Talk about an
unforgettable lesson. You may not agree with Frank Graham’s parenting style,
but there’s a dad who was involved. I’d say looking at the results, Mr. Graham
did pretty good. Imagine how different our nation would be today, if we had
some more “old school” dads that weren’t afraid to apply some discipline,
wisdom, instruction and even tough love.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I praise God every day
that I had a dad like that. When it came time for me to be a dad, I had the
best example a man could ask for to help me learn the ropes of fatherhood.
Sadly, these days, many young men become fathers and don’t know what to do,
because they either had lousy dad or no dad at all. Some guys end up making it
up as they go, others do the opposite of what their dads did. Thankfully, we
don’t have to reinvent the wheel. God wrote the best parenting manual of all
time. The book of Proverbs contains some timeless wisdom on how fathers can
exert a positive influence in guiding and shaping their children. For example:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“My son, do not forget my
teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years
of life and peace they will add to you.” (Pro. 3:1-2). <i>Fathers, teach your
kids the truth of God’s Word for it will save them from a lot of heartache and
regret. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">
“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have
a refuge.” (Pro. 14:26)<i> Fathers, if you want your kids to enjoy security and
have a sense of identity then show them what it means to submit to God’s
authority.</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“The righteous who walks
in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!” (Pro. 20:7) <i>Fathers,
your kids are going to imitate what they see on a daily basis – are you leading
them to the Lord?</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“Folly is bound up in the
heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.” (Pro. 22:15).
<i>Fathers, dare to discipline your kids. Don’t try to be their friend. Be their
parent. They actually crave rules, limits and structure. Give it to them so
they don’t grow up to be a fool.</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“Train up a child in the
way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Pro. 22:6).
<i>Fathers, your children are each unique. Study your child. Find out how he or
she has been uniquely wired by the Creator. Discover what motivates them, what their
gifts are, where their fallen nature is “bent.” Then you can train them in the
path of righteousness. That training you invested in during their younger years
will set them on a firm foundation they won’t be likely to stray from.</i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">That’s just a sample, of
what Proverbs has to offer us dads. That’s distilled truth that if applied
correctly can make any strong father. I don’t remember where I first learned
this, but its always stuck with me. Here’s a great acrostic that every man can remember.
If you want to be a great dad, then remember these four principles.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">D</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">irection: You are the archer, the kids are the arrows.
The goal is Christ-likeness. Aim wisely, you only get one shot before they are
launched out into the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">vailability: Make time for your kids. Be there for
them and stay involved. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">D</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">iscipline: Be firm. Be fair. But also remember to be
fun. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">S</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">pirituality: You can’t be the dad God has called you
to be unless you are walking with Christ daily. Pray every day for God’s guidance
and feed your own soul with His Word. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">There’s no greater privilege
and no greater responsibility than being a dad. You don’t have to be perfect,
but you do have to be all-in. -DM <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><span style="color: #444444;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Greg Laurie, <i>Billy Graham: The Man I Knew</i> (Washington DC: Salem, 2021),
18. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-32994757219739854472022-06-09T15:42:00.000-04:002022-06-09T15:42:04.273-04:00The Impact of the Small Church <p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUaTpiNK_Y0oWxUKqkRj-Po14Yqq8xVXssgH9s8w7BGWlyuJufeJyOH79B7bvppp3A7ok0sKcGiFuxtqNDB3uLjocofGVrmWR63IoKvTu7aM-uSwFzls-grr7164Li5-bDOec_oGCNJ7cg4LF6yRT4Si9qtE3o7Tw7DG_LWFVErAJxx6yUkdu7L9Ji7A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2864" data-original-width="4324" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUaTpiNK_Y0oWxUKqkRj-Po14Yqq8xVXssgH9s8w7BGWlyuJufeJyOH79B7bvppp3A7ok0sKcGiFuxtqNDB3uLjocofGVrmWR63IoKvTu7aM-uSwFzls-grr7164Li5-bDOec_oGCNJ7cg4LF6yRT4Si9qtE3o7Tw7DG_LWFVErAJxx6yUkdu7L9Ji7A" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">For decades now in American
Christianity we have become intoxicated with the idea that “bigger is better.”
The mega-church model is the target that ministry leaders have been shooting
for – bigger budgets, multi-campuses, a deeper pool of talented musicians, large
numbers of converts, and charismatic pastors that often border on celebrity status.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The tendency among many
pastors is to base their self-worth on the size of their congregation. Some ministers
feel “less than” or even failures if they don’t climb to the top of the coveted
pedestal of mega-church. Obviously, this is wrong and even sinful to the extent
than ministry can become an idol by which we measure our value.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I’m not knocking the mega-church.
There is certainly a place for them in the big picture of the body of Christ, but
the reality is that most churches are small. According to a 2020<i> Faith
Communities Today</i> study, about 380,000 churches dot America’s landscape. Of
that number, roughly 1,500 are considered megachurches that average 2,000 or
more people each weekend. But that same survey revealed that half of U.S.
congregations have 65 people or fewer.<a href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">When we study the growth of
the church in the New Testament, we see a similar distribution. Jesus started
with just 12 disciples, and by the end of His ministry the following was up to 120
(Acts 1:15). On Pentecost and after, the church experienced times of explosive
growth – 3,000 baptized on “birthday” of the church (Acts 2:41) and 5,000 added
as Peter and John’s ministry gained traction in Jerusalem (Acts 4:4). But those
times of miraculous expansion were tempered with persecution (Acts 8:1, 4) and
small church plants in pagan cities. In some cities like Joppa, Antioch, Derbe,
and Lystra believers were “multiplied” with encouraging results (Acts 9:42,
11:21, 14:21, 16:5). But in other places, those who came to Christ were limited
to households and smaller numbers (Acts 10:48, 16:15, 16:33, 17:34, 19:5). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The point is this – when it
comes to ministry, size doesn’t matter and numbers aren’t the final measuring
stick. What God is looking for is faithfulness to the Gospel and disciple making.
Sometimes the apostles experienced a bountiful harvest, other times it was few
converts along with persecution, imprisonment, 40-miles of bad road and even
shipwreck. A smaller church doesn’t mean it’s a failure in Christ’s eyes and a
big church doesn’t mean it’s a success. The metric we use to measure church
health shouldn’t be just numbers, we must also look at methods, community
context and a commitment to preach the full Gospel.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Moreover, there are
positives and negatives that come with each. For example, not everyone is
looking for cutting edge worship music and wanting to get lost in the crowd. I
have known several who joined the church because they said, “I went to church
XYZ and it was just too big. I felt like a little fish in an ocean, and I could
never build a relationship with the pastor.” Bigger churches may be able to
offer more, but it can be difficult to create community; while smaller churches
may lack resources, they can feel more personal, authentic and friendly.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">As Robert J. Morgan wrote,
“In a big world, the small church has remained intimate. In a fast world, the
small church has been steady. In an expensive world, the small church has remained
plain. In a complex world, the small church has remained simple. In a mobile
world, the small church has been an anchor. In an anonymous world, the small
church calls us by name.”<a href="#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
-DM</span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></p><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Wendy Griffith, “Small Is the New 'Big' When It Comes to Churches,” <i>CBN News</i>,
10 February 2022 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2022/february/small-is-the-new-big-when-it-comes-to-churches>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Robert J. Morgan, <i>More Stories for the Soul</i> (Nashville, TN: Nashville,
2000), 107.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-43127620848645198292022-06-02T12:31:00.000-04:002022-06-02T12:31:17.685-04:00The Penny <p><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6nb4Q7w3WGCXJSmx1MBEFUrptW8yJyECUVhzqzF3ekRAmyjuVg7wgWC65mOeexTco_H0agg1OZHlc8JKY6wqwjqscjQU4jdYzNAr9HwDvd5Gi4GoSd6Mp5dLdEWlZBEPz_d6kY1IdFsoGmWV3icF8lyst9ljvcy62oHVoB4Il1yTUjS0XM0hQ6k36Xw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="3864" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6nb4Q7w3WGCXJSmx1MBEFUrptW8yJyECUVhzqzF3ekRAmyjuVg7wgWC65mOeexTco_H0agg1OZHlc8JKY6wqwjqscjQU4jdYzNAr9HwDvd5Gi4GoSd6Mp5dLdEWlZBEPz_d6kY1IdFsoGmWV3icF8lyst9ljvcy62oHVoB4Il1yTUjS0XM0hQ6k36Xw" width="640" /></a></span></div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">“Righteousness exalts a
nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Suppose one day our civilization
were destroyed and our cities were laid to waste. Suppose in 20,000 years an
archaeologist from another society were rummaging through the ruins of America.
If he could dig up just one penny, he would know a lot about us. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The coin is a
blend of metals and so he would know we were scientists who understood
metallurgy. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">From the shape - a perfect circle - he would know that we understood
geometry. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This was an old penny, with wheat on the back, and so he would
surmise that we were an agricultural country who regarded their crops as a
major source of wealth. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">With the date on the face of the coin he would conclude
that we knew arithmetic and had a calendar. The portrait of Abraham Lincoln
would mark us as artists who had an advanced society. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The words “United States”
would tell him that we were a federated group of local communities bound
together by a strong central government. The phrase “E Pluribus Unum” would tell
him we were scholars who knew other languages. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The word “Liberty” on the face
of penny would let the archaeologist know our country sought to guarantee freedom
for its citizens. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Finally, the motto, “In God We Trust” would tell him that we
believed in a deity and had a moral law. That somehow We had grown strong and mighty
under God’s hand of blessing. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Then considering this small copper penny he might
wonder, “Where did they ever go astray?” -DM</span></span></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013582861776775177.post-91304465842458616052022-05-25T10:42:00.000-04:002022-05-25T10:42:04.970-04:00Unbroken <p><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPKARbjTIwflEvLVwT5lzCuxtpjO7fmtoNhKftFQXV10d2g_w25FtJ33kDUw5n5_IU1KR52nthDlwTr5KpnaMp4xisjDbFIkI176TS_k_ItOJWFZDUbfb-lBU8uTzthYs6LmQcvW1OTbJeJXIUg4O5Xpg0trKEy5mF8Cwma0JjG6mjQ5LSFVqFh2JCPA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPKARbjTIwflEvLVwT5lzCuxtpjO7fmtoNhKftFQXV10d2g_w25FtJ33kDUw5n5_IU1KR52nthDlwTr5KpnaMp4xisjDbFIkI176TS_k_ItOJWFZDUbfb-lBU8uTzthYs6LmQcvW1OTbJeJXIUg4O5Xpg0trKEy5mF8Cwma0JjG6mjQ5LSFVqFh2JCPA=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In her book, <i>Unbroken</i>,
Lauren Hilderbran tells the story of Louis Zamperini an Olympic distance runner
and a lieutenant in World War II. In 1943 his B-52 bomber crashed 800 miles
south of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Adrift on a raft with only
two other survivors, Louis was pushed beyond his physical and metal limits. He
and his companions fought off sharks, survived thirst and starvation, and
miraculously remained unscathed after enduring forty-five minutes of
machine-gun fire by a Japanese plane. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt;">As they drifted for hundreds of miles
with no rescue in sight, God gave them glimmers of hope. One day they found a
few chocolate bars in the pockets of the raft. When their bodies had become
gaunt from near-fatal dehydration, merciful rain showers poured down water for
them to drink. An albatross landed on Louis’s head, and he reached up slowly
and caught it. The men feasted on the seabird like kings and then used its
bones to fashion claws to catch the occasional fish that swam just beneath the
surface of the water. Seeing the stars strewn across the night sky reminded
Louis that God was still there. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt;">Louis had only prayed once in his life during
childhood when he feared his mother might die. Now he prayed to God fervently
for help. Without any church background, he recited bits and pieces of prayers
he recalled from movies. “When you reach the end of your rope and there’s
nowhere else to turn . . . you’re going to look up,” Louis said later. He
promised the Lord that if He got him through this, he would serve Him for the
rest of his life. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt;">On day 47 of their ordeal, Louis Zamperini and fellow
survivor Russell Phillips were picked up by Japanese sailors. They were held in
POW camps for more than two years where they were tortured viciously, injected
with strange substances, and deprived of food. Somehow, the defiant American
with an unbreakable spirit survived. When the Japanese surrendered and the war
ended in 1945, Louis was released and reunited with his family. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt;">Back home in
America, Louis received the Purple Heart and many other honors, but he suffered
from severe PTSD, including haunting nightmares from his horrific experiences
in Japan. He drank heavily to cope, and his marriage was crumbling. At the
prompting of his wife, Louis attended a crusade in Los Angeles in 1949 where a
young evangelist named Billy Graham shared the gospel. During the invitation,
Louis remembered a prayer he had spoken on that little raft in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean six years earlier, promising God, “If you save me, I will
serve you forever.” At the crusade, Louis stepped forward and gave his life to
Christ and experienced a complete transformation. His marriage was restored,
his taste for alcohol was taken away and his nightmares never came back.</span><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444;">Years later, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt;">he even returned to Japan where he forgave
his captors and led some to Christ. Louis’ life is nothing short of a miracle
and a testament to the power of forgiveness. Only Jesus could so radically
change a person and use it for such a glorious purpose. -DM</span></p>Derrick McCarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13111639891227468730noreply@blogger.com0