Happy Thursday & Friday

Humility!... as Jesus was humble!

But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. - Daniel 5:20
"HUMILITY"  God's Word has much to say about  humility.  Jesus preached a combination of love, compassion, humility, and yes, even BOLDNESS, when referring to the Gospel of Salvation! ... but humility when referring to our relationship one to another!

There are times when only HUMILITY is appropriate, times to be BOLD, times to be filled with LOVE, compassion, gentleness ...  JESUS WAS  ALL OF THESE QUALITIES!
As I look at this word humility, I am reminded of the words of the apostle Peter recorded in 1 Peter 5:5. "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.  All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

It's frightening to think of going through life pushing against something you can't budge.  God resists the proud. And I'm sure we'd agree that when a person has God resisting Him, he's in for a hard struggle.  So we each have a choice.  Do we want to struggle through life, fighting God in our pride and arrogance, or do we want to go through life in the enabling power of His grace, experiencing His love, mercy, power, and blessing?
 

How wise it is to walk humbly with our God -- and our neighbors -- relying on Him to enable rather than resist us in our journey through life.... toward that prize that is before us!

Prayer

"Lord, keep me from a haughty spirit; I desire to walk humbly with You.   Amen. "
The same God who resists the proud pours out His grace to the humble.

Editor's Note:

Been ailing for a few days... All remedies have failed... 

I am over half way with the paper delivery and pray I finish Thursday night/Friday morning...

Happy Friday,

Richard 

Happy Wednesday

Is Jesus the Only Way?
A December poll released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reveals that “a majority of all American Christians (52 percent) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life.”
This finding is troubling because it indicates that many people—namely, those calling themselves Christians—are being deceived by modern concepts suggesting that there are multiple paths to heaven.  It appears that the age of diversity may have crept into some contemporary church pews, if not a few pulpits.

However, I wish to argue that diversity is completely unimportant when it comes to matters of eternal life.  There is only one thing that is important: what God has to say on the issue.

Here is the bottom line for Christians: if we are to believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, we must live according to its precepts.  Further, the primary instruction of the Bible is that the only way to heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which means that we must fearlessly and lovingly preach this message and never stray from the path, no matter who challenges it.

For Christians, I believe the toughest question we will ever have to answer is: Do people who do not believe in Jesus Christ really go to hell?  When we answer yes, a follow-up question is often applied: How can a loving God send good people to an eternal hell?

First, our loving and compassionate God desires that no one should suffer eternal damnation.  Hell, according to the Bible, was created solely for Satan and other fallen angels (Matthew 25: 41).  However, when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, a vast breach between man and heaven was generated.

But Jesus bridged that gap, my friends.  Through His miraculous birth, death on the cross and glorious resurrection, He defeated the grave and provided THE WAY to heaven for all who will believe.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (NKJV), Jesus declared without hesitation in John 14:6.

You may ask, How could Jesus legitimately make this claim?  It is because He was and is the unique, singular and sinless Son of God.  John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  The Apostle Peter said of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Through Him, everyone can experience New Life—spiritual cleansing and forgiveness of sin that comes only through Jesus Christ.

I don’t preach the Gospel of Christ to condemn others or to set myself up as better than those who do not believe.  In fact, I see myself as the lowliest of sinners in need of the Savior.  Through this column I hope only to encourage every reader to ask himself/herself the most important question of the ages: “Did Jesus really come to this earth to save me?”

I believe that He did.  I believe that He is the only way to heaven, as He said.
Fashionable, feel-good doctrines have come and gone over the course of the ages, but the Truth of Jesus Christ has stood the test of time (Hebrews 13:8).  And He stands today with arms held open waiting to receive unto Himself all who will trust and follow Him.


In The News:

Gosnell's Defense Attorney Says U.S. Needs 17-Week Abortion Ban, Yearly Clinic Inspections

Jack McMahon, defense attorney for abortionist and convicted murderer Kermit Gosnell, shocked America last Wednesday during his first live cable news interview since the jury's verdict in his client's case, the Christian Post reports. McMahon twice spoke the words "Thank God" and revealed to Fox News host Megyn Kelly that he believes banning abortion after 17 weeks should become law and all abortion clinics must be inspected annually. "I've come out of this case realizing that 24 weeks is a bad determiner," he said. "It should be like 16, 17 weeks. That would be a far better thing, and I think the law should be changed to that. I think there will still be the right to choose, but they've got to choose quicker. I think that's something that should come out of this. I think more regulations should come out of these locations." McMahon also partially blamed lax regulations of abortion clinics for the horrific conditions found in Gosnell's Women's Medical Society in West Philadelphia. "I'm not going to tell you that things didn't get out of hand at that location," he said. "There was no oversight for over 18 years, and no one came and looked at that location."

India: Pastor Beaten During Church Service

A pastor in India's Uttar Pradesh state was recently attacked and beaten during his church service, Voice of the Martyrs reports. Near the end of the service, a group of Hindu men attacked Pastor "Caleb," tied him to a tree and beat him. The attackers, who apparently were directed by Hindu leaders in the village, broke Pastor Caleb's arm during the beating. VOM partners are helping provide medical treatment and urging police to prosecute the attackers. Pastor Caleb's church has been threatened in the past by high caste families. About five families who have faithfully remained with the church had angered villagers by refusing to offer a gift to a Hindu goddess, and a group from the village also became angry when the Christian families refused to help with the wedding of a high caste family's daughter.

'Fetal Pain' Abortion Bans Face Court Scrutiny

As abortion laws in states such as North Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas and Kansas have become more restrictive, critics have taken the new "fetal pain" restrictions to court, Christianity Today reports. In one of the first rulings by a federal appeals court on such bans, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco struck down Arizona's ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The court cited "40 years of Supreme Court precedents that allow a woman to terminate her pregnancy if the fetus is not yet viable," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Nine other states have similar bans on abortions before 20 weeks of pregnancy -- the point at which a fetus is thought to be able to feel pain. Idaho's fetal pain law was the first to be struck down, but at the district and not appellate level. Arkansas faces an injunction against its newly passed ban on abortions after 12 weeks; meanwhile, North Dakota's only abortion clinic has also filed suit after the state approved a bill to ban some abortions as soon as six weeks into pregnancy.

Happy Tuesday

No Longer on the Outside

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. . . .
— Matthew 27:51

If I could have been present at certain moments in history, one event I would like to have seen was the veil of the temple being torn in two.

In the inner court of the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies, was the Ark of the Covenant. That was where the high priest would go once a year to offer atonement for the sins of the people. A veil, a very thick, woven curtain, separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.

When Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, that heavy curtain was torn from top to bottom. It was not ripped from bottom to top, as though a man were ripping it. Instead, it was ripped from top to bottom, because God was ripping it.

God was saying, "You no longer are on the outside. You can come in. My Son has made a way for you."

The apostle Paul explained how we can now draw near to God:
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:19–22)

The veil was torn. Jesus is now our Intercessor. We don't have to go through a person to reach God anymore. We don't have to go through rituals anymore. Instead, Jesus made a new and living way for us to reach God. 

Jesus paid it all. And that is so important to remember.


In The News:

Boy Scouts Overturn Ban on Gay Members

Delegates to the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America on Thursday approved new membership guidelines which open the ranks of the organization to homosexual members. Young men who openly claim to be homosexual may now participate as Scouts. The decision, the BSA leadership said in a statement, was based on "growing input from within the Scouting family." That input led to a national review of policy, or a "comprehensive listening exercise," resulting in a resolution to remove the restriction "denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone." Some 1,400 delegates to the National Council approved the change in membership standards by a margin of 61-39 percent, but changes to the adult leadership policy of the organization, which forbids homosexual Scout leaders, was not up for vote and remains in place. Rules on sexual misconduct, heterosexual and homosexual, also remain in place for Scouts and Scout leaders. John Stemberger, who waged a national campaign to keep the ban on homosexual Scouts in place through the website OnMyHonor.net, said the "most influential youth organization in America had turned a sad corner. ... The Boy Scouts are now teaching kids that when your values are no longer popular, change them." Stemberger added that BSA leaders had succumbed to the pressure of special interest groups by making the change to the membership policy. He added that he plans to call a coalition together to discuss creating a new youth organization centered on biblical values, a call echoed by many religious leaders.

Catholic Church Explains Pope's Comment on Atheists Receiving Salvation
After Pope Francis' comments during Wednesday Mass in Rome that God redeems nonbelievers, a number of people were left asking whether the Catholic leader believes atheists and agnostics go to heaven. The Vatican on Thursday issued an "explanatory note on the meaning to 'salvation,'" CNN reports. The Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, said that people who are aware of the Catholic Church "cannot be saved" if they "refuse to enter her or remain in her." At the same time, Rosica said, "every man or woman, whatever their situation, can be saved. Even non-Christians can respond to this saving action of the Spirit. No person is excluded from salvation simply because of so-called original sin." Rosica also said that Francis had "no intention of provoking a theological debate on the nature of salvation."

One Third of Millennials Regret Going to College

Here’s an indication of how burdensome student loans have become: About one third of millennials say they would have been better off working, instead of going to college and paying tuition, reports Jim Liebelt. That's a according to a new Wells Fargo study which surveyed 1,414 millennials between the ages of 22 and 32. More than half of them financed their education through student loans, and many say that if they had $10,000 the "first thing" they'd do is pay down their student loan or credit card debt. That's no surprise when you consider student borrowing topped the $100 billion threshold for the first time in 2010, and total outstanding loans exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2011. Student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt in the U.S., which stands at about $798 billion. The problem sometimes is that not all college educations are worth their cost since they can’t guarantee a high-paying job to help pay off that student debt. A report from the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys says the rising student debt problem can have a bad impact on the economy. Even in the best of economic times when jobs are plentiful, young people with considerable debt burdens end up delaying life-cycle events such as buying a car, purchasing a home, getting married and having children.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend - Happy Monday

Remember!

Psalms 105:4, 5 and 8 Seek the LORD, and His strength: seek His face evermore.  Remember His marvelous works that He hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of His mouth . . . He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word  which He commanded to a thousand generations.

Memorial Day is set aside to remember those who have fallen in our nation’s wars.  Sadly , the day will pass and most of us will be so caught up in picnics, family gatherings, or outdoor projects that we won’t even give much thought to the real meaning of the day.  That’s too bad, because remembering does many things.  It brings me back to the reality of what actually happened.  It also encourages me to see the dedication of those who fought and died.  Remembering stirs within me a sense of gratitude and appreciation, and it strengthens my resolve to do my part in serving God, country and others.

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are instructed to stop and recall what He did for them.  Psalm 105 is a song of remembrance of God’s goodness to His beloved ones.  It traces His direction, provision and protection through their history and the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.  As believers in the 21st century, we can look back over a much longer history and see how God’s plan has and is unfolding, and observe His incredible goodness to us. 
Psalm 105:1-5 shows the natural progression of what happens when I pause to remember—I give thanks to Him and continue calling on Him.  I sing of Him, and talk with fellow believers of all He has done.  Then I must go tell others of His greatness.  When I stop to trace the work of God’s hand in my life and in the world around me, these things just come naturally. 

But the key to being able to rejoice in the past is not found in counting the number of good things that have happened, but in remembering that God remembers!  I can rejoice because He never forgets His plan and He never forsakes His promises.  Even when life is tough and things don’t seem to make sense to me, I can rest assured that He is in control and He is working out His plan.  He has my best interest at heart.  Knowing this encourages and strengthens me, and pushes me to do my best to live for Him.
A song that was popular when I was younger went something like this:

“When I remember the cross that He bore,

When I remember the thorns that He wore,

My heart cries out, ‘Oh Christ divine, I’m thine forever!’

When I remember what He did for me.”

I encourage you, my friend, at this Memorial season, take time to remember.

Dear Father, help me daily to look back at Your faithfulness and praise You for being a God who remembers.  
By Ann Shorb
©Copyright Ann Shorb, 2006

In The News: 

Christian, Jewish Persecution Up in Muslim Nations

The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 shows persecution against Christians and Jews is on the rise, especially in Muslim countries, CBN News reports. Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are among the many countries where non-Muslims are suffering persecution. Saudi Arabia prohibits any religion except Islam and enforces state restrictions on religious freedom. In Sudan, Muslim rioters burned down an evangelical church compound; in Libya, terrorists bombed an Orthodox church; and in Nigeria, Muslim radicals murdered hundreds of Christians. The report also devotes a section to the ongoing global increase in anti-Semitism, citing Venezuela, Egypt and Iran as countries with political and religious leaders who openly espouse Holocaust denial and anti-Israel rhetoric.

New York City Council: No More Church Evictions From Public Schools

Churches threatened with eviction from New York City public schools are celebrating the city council's passage of a resolution calling on state lawmakers to protect their right to rent worship space on Sundays, Christianity Today reports. The Right to Worship Resolution passed 38-11, despite opposition from Speaker Christine Quinn. "This is one of the first times in recent memory that the city council has responded to faith-based groups and, despite significant opposition, passed a resolution supporting their rights," said Tony Carnes, editor of the website A Journey Through NYC Religions, which chronicles religious life in New York City. "That's a remarkable change, and certainly will catch attention." Carnes pointed to a Journey poll indicating that nearly 70 percent of the neighbors of schools that rent to churches do not see the rentals as a problematic endorsement of religion. The long-running legal standoff between churches and the city's education department over whether or not schools can ban worship has been pending since a judge blocked the city's ban last June and the city appealed. The Supreme Court declined to hear the relevant lawsuit by the Bronx Household of Faith, and a previous attempt by lawmakers at the state level to permit church rentals failed.

Pope: Atheists Redeemed by Doing Good

Pope Francis caused a stir this week when he declared during his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists, the Huffington Post reports. Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if even atheists had been redeemed by Jesus. "Even them, everyone," the pope answered. "We all have the duty to good. ... The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone! ... We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: we will meet one another there."

Cleanup Efforts Continue in Oklahoma

Oklahoma officials say they do not expect to find any more bodies or survivors buried in the rubble left by Monday's deadly EF5 tornado, which pulverized a mile-wide path through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, WORLD reports. The death toll stands at 24, including 10 children. Officials had originally feared the number of dead could climb as high as 100, based largely on the twister's complete destruction. Local hospitals treated more than 300 people, and rescue crews pulled more than 200 others from the rubble Monday night. The state's insurance department estimates the damage could top $2 billion. Survivors are beginning to tell harrowing stories of huddling in closets and bathrooms, watching as the storm peeled back roofs and obliterated walls. It pushed winds of more than 200 mph and had the power of many atomic bombs, scientists said.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend - Happy Sunday

Memorial Day: Reflections on a Life of Service

• Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Galatians 5: 13

This holiday weekend we celebrate something that I think is sometimes hard for many of us to comprehend:  the sacrifice of soldiers' lives for the sake of our freedom. In recent years I've heard many conflicted views on this matter. But I think it would be a mistake to see these brave men and women as merely victims. While each fallen soldier has a unique story, each soldier is a hero who willingly laid down his or her life for a greater cause.

I think part of our struggle to understand the fallen soldier comes with our difficulty in accepting sacrifice, especially when a sacrifice seems so final and appears to hold no obvious reward. The idea that anyone could give up everything - for people he doesn't even know - is hard to process. We spend so much of life trying to gain, to acquire, to win. Our country is home to the American Dream, the land of opportunity. So contemplating the fallen solider can feel uncomfortable, even confusing.

I was pondering this struggle to embrace sacrifice at church. It was the Feast of Corpus Christi and our pastor was reflecting on Christ's willingness to spill His blood for our sake. Our pastor emphasized that the only appropriate response to a sacrifice of this magnitude would be to offer our lives in return. He put it in terms of worship, saying God first bowed down to us by becoming human, and now it is our turn to bow down to Him. 

So often I meditate on Christ's sacrificial love, but fail to love Him sacrificially in return. I thank Him with my words, but do little to change my life. Yet this is what God desires of us. We call our soldiers "service men / women" yet that term should describe Christians as well. Just as sacrifice is required to secure our freedom as Americans, freedom does not exist independently of sacrifice in the life of the believer. Yes, the gift of faith brings us freedom - freedom from sin, freedom to be who God made us to be and to know God more deeply. But that freedom came with the price of the Cross and our gift of freedom is to be used for service.
It may seem pointless in some ways to acquire freedom only to turn around and serve. But two thoughts come to mind here. One, is that the free person who chooses to serve knows freedom unlike any other. He has no need of taking from others because his sense of worth comes from a higher source. I've often heard from those with true servant-hearts that it is only when we give ourselves away that we truly find ourselves. The second is a truth I need to constantly remind myself of when life seems hard or unfair: this life is nothing compared to the next. Anything we "lose" here is never truly lost if our lives belong to Christ. 

"So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Mt 20: 16). A friend and I have a running joke about this scripture verse. We will defer to each other in attempt to win "last place" - to secure our first place prize in heaven, of course. While our motivations here may be a bit off, I've come to think it's not a bad contest. Grow your servant's heart by striving to take last place at least once this week - even if it's as simple as being last in line at the grocery store or serving yourself last at the dinner table

Happy Memorial Day Weekend - Happy Saturday

Good Morning,

     The next three daily devotionals will focus on Memorial Day and Sunday will be a No News Day... 

     Sorry about being so slow today... Working on the June '13 edition of The StarLight News... Deadline for the printer is Monday 7AM... I have days of work to do with not nearly enough time to do what needs to be done... I'm praying for FOCUS and no Distractions...

 Richard

A Day to Honor Life 

By Beth Patch

Memorial Day – to some it’s merely the beginning of summer and to others it’s a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. However, to the war veteran and to the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day carries significance so deep that words cannot express their hearts.
When we look into the eyes of those who still mourn these once vibrant men and women, we often sense their loneliness and pain. We hear them choke back tears as they simply say the ranks and names of their military brothers and sisters at a Memorial Day service. White gloves, dress uniforms, rigid posture, and perfectly precisioned salutes represent the reverence and respect flowing from within. Those who have been personally affected by war understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.
What should we say to those who sincerely honor this day? "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't seem fitting. "I'm sorry for your loss" may be closer to appropriate. What would the fallen soldier want from their comrades and the rest of the country on this day?
In an often quoted Memorial Day speech given in 1884 by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the speaker ended his address with these words, “Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death -- of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.”
The American soldier who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness won’t be telling us how to observe the holiday. But I believe that Holmes’ proposition to “think of life, not death” would honor the fallen soldier. Their sacrifice follows the example of Jesus Christ laying down His life for our freedom. It's selfless love for others – not so they can mourn forever, but live!

"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16

Notice that in scripture and in military service, the willingness to give up one’s life is not dependent on the worthiness of the people who benefit from the honorable act. In a perfect world, all who receive freedom and grace would be worthy of such a sacrifice and full of gratitude. But that’s not the way it is anywhere on earth.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

We are blessed to be living in a free society. May we honor our American soldiers for the liberty we have in this country. May we also give thanks to Almighty God for the freedom we have to spend eternity with Him because of His gift of forgiveness through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Can God change your life? God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests

In The News:

Department of Justice Forcing Federal Employees to Publicly Affirm Homosexuality

The Obama administration is apparently requiring federal workers to not only tolerate homosexuality, but to "publicly embrace and affirm" it, according to the religious liberty law firm Liberty Counsel, Charisma News reports. Last week, a whistleblower from the Department of Justice sent Liberty Counsel a copy of a brochure sent to all DOJ employees entitled "LGBT Inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers." The directive requires employees to vocally affirm homosexuality: "DON'T judge or remain silent. Silence will be interpreted as disapproval." The DOJ also instructs managers to "use inclusive words like 'partner,' 'significant other' or 'spouse' rather than gender-specific terms like 'husband' and 'wife'" and to "use a transgender person's chosen name and the pronoun that is consistent with the person's self-identified gender." According to Liberty Counsel, "No longer can Christians quietly dissent or remain neutral to same-sex relationships. Now the DOJ is requiring federal employees to affirm sexual behaviors that every major religion throughout history has deemed immoral."

Vermont Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide

Vermont is now the fourth state to legalize physician-assisted suicide after Gov. Peter Shumlin signed it into law Monday, CBN News reports. Vermont joins Oregon, Washington and Montana in adopting such a measure, which allows doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to terminally ill patients. Opponents are concerned the law could eventually target the disabled and elderly. "Physician-assisted suicide does not affirm the life or dignity of individuals facing serious illness or death," said Dr. Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life. "Instead, it opens the door to abuses and dangers for extremely vulnerable individuals."

Supreme Court to Hear Public Prayer Case

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case during its next term about whether a town that opened its public meetings with prayer violated the Constitution, WORLD reports. For more than decade, the town of Greece, N.Y., has opened its public meetings with prayer, almost always from Christian clergy. The town said leaders from any faith could offer prayer at the meetings, but until recently leaders from other faiths had not participated. Two non-Christian women sued, saying the prayers violated the Constitution's Establishment Clause. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the women, ruling the prayers unconstitutional and saying the town should have sought more religious diversity in those offering the prayers. That decision partially conflicts with a previous Supreme Court ruling, which may be why the court decided to hear the case. In 1983, the Supreme Court said prayer at public meetings was constitutional, in general. Since then, different courts have ruled on specific guidelines for which prayers are constitutional -- for example, some states are allowed to use the word "God" but not the word "Jesus" -- and the high court may try to resolve some of the conflicting guidelines across the country.

Soldier Killed Near London Barracks in Suspected Terror Attack

A man thought to be a serving British soldier was killed by two armed men in a frenzied attack on a London street Wednesday in what the government is treating as a suspected act of terrorism, CNN reports. Witnesses told of a gruesome scene in which the man was hit by a car, then hacked with cleavers before his body was dumped in the middle of the road. The two suspects in the killing were injured in a confrontation with police and have been taken to two hospitals, where they are being treated. CNN affiliate ITN aired a video showing a man holding a meat cleaver and saying, "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. ... The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth." The government is treating the gruesome killing as a suspected terrorist attack, Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. He has called a meeting of the country's civil emergency committee, known as COBRA, to discuss the incident and authorities' response.

    

 

 

Happy Friday

Growing Deep Roots!

We must begin with a sure foundation.

And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. - Ephesians 2:22

In today's passage of Scripture, the prophet Isaiah presents the first principle of spiritual growth:

Here are the words of Isaiah 28:16:

 "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation" (KJV).

In the New Testament we read that this foundation is Jesus Christ. Our precious Lord Jesus is this living stone, chosen by God. In 1 Corinthians 3:11, the apostle Paul wrote, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

 I once preached on the need for spiritual growth, and a young man came to me after the message and said, "Brother Paul, I want to grow, and I want to grow fast. I don't want to go through all those things you mentioned tonight such as Bible study, morning prayer, and Bible reading."  He was looking for some way to take a great leap forward and arrive at spiritual maturity overnight.

In a microwave society, we keep looking for shortcuts and instant results. But there are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Spiritual growth is slow, but if we meet the conditions, it is sure.

Involve yourself in those things that will get your roots down into Christ. The basics of church attendance, meditation on the Word, prayer, Bible study, and Scripture memory will provide the framework for you to build every day on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

Prayer 

Lord, thank You for my salvation. Now, by Your Holy Spirit, I want to go on and become fully equipped to be a useful steward... for YOU!  Amen.

As new Christians, we face two dangers. One is being satisfied that we are saved and never wanting to grow in Christ. The other is wanting to grow too quickly.  "Instant maturity".

Daily Smile: 
A young and foolish pilot wanted to sound cool on the aviation frequencies. So, this was his first time approaching a field during the nighttime. Instead of making any official requests to the tower, he said: "Guess who?"

The controller switched the field lights off and replied: "Guess where?"


In The News:

Samaritan's Purse Responds to Deadly Tornadoes in Oklahoma

Samaritan's Purse is responding to a series of vicious storms that hit the Oklahoma City area Sunday and Monday. Staff members are on their way to the affected area to determine how they can help victims, and a Disaster Relief Unit is being deployed from Samaritan's Purse's North Carolina headquarters. A mile-wide twister pounded the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, leveling homes, businesses and schools in Moore. The funnel cloud could be seen for miles, creating a debris field several miles wide. Weather officials estimated the strength of the tornado to be an EF-4 or EF-5, with radar estimates suggesting it had the potential to produce 200 mph winds. On Sunday, another large tornado hit Shawnee, a town southeast of Oklahoma City, leveling several mobile homes, overturning vehicles, and killing at least one person, according to news reports. The storms were part of a severe system that generated tornadoes in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Dozen of counties in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri were placed under tornado watches and warnings. Samaritan's Purse is already responding to tornadoes that hit Hood County in Texas on Wednesday night. Volunteers began helping in Granbury on Monday, the first day they were allowed into the affected area.

In U.S., Record High Say Gay, Lesbian Relations Morally OK

Americans' views toward a number of moral issues have shifted significantly since 2001. According to a new Gallup poll, Americans' acceptance of gay and lesbian relations has increased the most, up 19 percentage points in the past 12 years to a record high of 59 percent today. Americans' tolerance toward having a baby outside of marriage is also now much greater -- up 15 points since 2001 to the current 60 percent. Americans have also become significantly more accepting of sex between an unmarried man and woman, divorce, embryonic stem cell research, polygamy, and cloning humans. The only issue that Americans have become significantly less accepting of over the past 12 years is medical testing on animals. A majority of Americans continue to say seven of the 19 items measured are morally wrong: married men and women having an affair, cloning humans, polygamy, suicide, pornography, sex between teenagers (measured for the first time this year), and cloning animals. Attitudes toward two items -- doctor-assisted suicide and abortion -- are fairly evenly split, with less than half of Americans seeing each as either morally acceptable or morally unacceptable.

IRS Official Once Targeted Christian Coalition

An official at the center of the Obama administration's IRS scandal is now reported to have a history of harassment, according to CBN News. Lois Lerner, director of the IRS' Exempt Organizations Division, is the official who first publicly admitted that the IRS unfairly targeted groups with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications. Now, The Weekly Standard is reporting that Lerner was accused of politically motivated harassment after a huge investigation into the Christian Coalition in the 1990s. Lerner worked for the Federal Election Commission's enforcement division at the time, and the FEC accused the Christian Coalition of working with candidates to spend money on certain issues. In the end, the FEC lacked proof, but the investigation cost the Christian Coalition hundreds of thousands of dollars. Questions were also raised about whether the FEC had the authority to bring such charges.

Court Strikes Down Arizona's 20-Week Abortion Ban

A federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday struck down Arizona's ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, AP reports. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violates a string of U.S. Supreme Court rulings, starting with Roe v. Wade, that guarantee a woman's right to an abortion before a baby is able to survive outside the womb -- generally considered to be about 24 weeks. Several states have enacted similar bans starting at 20 weeks, but the 9th Circuit's ruling is binding only in the nine states under the county's jurisdiction. Idaho is the only other state with a similar ban in the region covered by the 9th Circuit. A trial judge had ruled that the ban could take effect, saying it was constitutional partly because of concerns about women's health and fetal pain, but abortion-rights groups appealed that decision, saying the 20-week ban would not give some women enough time to decide whether to abort. The ban included an exception for medical emergencies.

Happy Thursday

Discovering Your Purpose

"You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something" (Psalm 139: 15).

 

If you are going to discover how God wants to use your life and work, you must know why you were created. If you start trying to determine your purpose in life before understanding why you were created, you will inevitably get hung up on the things you do as the basis for fulfillment in your life, which will only lead to frustration and disappointment. 

First and foremost, God created you to know Him and to have an intimate relationship with Him. In fact, God says that if a man is going to boast about anything in life, "boast about this: that he understands and knows me" (Jer. 9:24). Mankind's relationship with God was lost in the Garden when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus' death on the cross, however, allows us to restore this relationship with God and to have an intimate fellowship with Him. The apostle Paul came to understand this when he said, "I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself" (Phil. 3:10, THE MESSAGE).

Establishing this relationship with God is vital to understanding your purpose. If you don't have this relationship with God, you will seek to fulfill your purpose out of wrong motives; such as fear, insecurity, pride, money, relationships, guilt, or unresolved anger. God's desire is for you to be motivated out of love for Him and to desire to worship Him in all that you do. As you develop your relationship with God, He will begin to reveal His purpose for your life. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord" (Jer. 29:11). 

Today, ask God to help you discover your unique purpose. 
In The News:

James Dobson Ministry Accuses IRS of Discrimination

A Colorado-based Christian ministry says it has been the subject of biased treatment from the Internal Revenue Service, CBN News reports. Religious broadcaster James Dobson says it happened when his Family Talk Action Corporation applied for tax-exempt status. According to Family Talk's Dr. Meg Meeker, the IRS sat on the application and said the organization was "not educational" and did not present all views. Family Talk now has the tax-exempt designation, but it came after a threat of litigation.

Cleanup Underway After Deadly Texas Twisters

Massive cleanup is underway in Texas after 16 tornadoes ripped through the state Wednesday night, leaving at least six people dead and several still missing, CBN News reports. Entire neighborhoods are still cordoned off as rescue teams and police with cadaver dogs search for survivors in the debris. The devastation is spread across four counties near the Dallas-Fort Worth area; the community of Granbury, west of Dallas, saw the most damage, with homes in two neighborhoods obliterated. Several churches have opened their doors as Red Cross shelters for tornado victims and their families. Other relief organizations, including Operation Blessing and Samaritan's Purse, have also sent help.

Happy Wednesday

Why Did You ...? 

by Shaunti Feldman

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Shelly pulled up in her wet driveway after a beach getaway with girlfriends. She smiled, thinking, it's a shame the rain chased us away early, but at least I know the house is still standing.

She opened the door and tripped over a pile of schoolbooks. What on earth? Speechless, she stared at clutter everywhere. Cans of food and spaghetti sauce were stacked high on the island in the kitchen. Empty packets of Ramen noodles decorated the counter. The tool drawer had been emptied onto the kitchen table.

An angry cry escaped her lips and a muffled exclamation came from the laundry room. Her husband stuck his head out the door, looking chagrined. "You're home early!"

"Yes I'm home early!" Shelly waved around at the chaos. "I can't believe this! Why did you let it get this bad? And why were you feeding the kids instant noodles instead of something healthier?"

Without a word, Marcus pushed the door to the laundry room wide open and stepped aside so she could enter.

Furious, she stalked past him-and rocked to a stop. The back corner of the laundry room had been turned into a pantry. Fresh-cut wood shelves stacked up to the ceiling. Deep drawers were waiting to be slotted into a rolling rack. Dust sheets covered the washer and dryer, which were piled with food cans and packets, ready to be placed on the shelves of the pantry.

The pantry she had longed for.

Shelly closed her eyes. Mortified, all she could say was "I'm so sorry."

Shelly told me this story a week after it happened. I was speaking at her church's women's conference, sharing my research on the inner thoughts, needs and fears of men. I shared that men want above all to please those who matter most to them-especially a wife or girlfriend-but privately doubt themselves and are deeply sensitive as to whether they are doing a good job. So when women start a sentence with "Why did you. . .?," men hear, "Why did you do that, you dodo?"

Shelly's story is a perfect example of how easy it is to think, "You dodo." Not think, "There must be a good reason for this-even if I don't see it at this moment." Instead, like many of us, she was quick to assume there wasn't a good reason, that he didn't do a good job. And she verbalized those damaging thoughts.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us to be careful to only say things that are useful for building others up. While this applies to everyone in our lives, if we are married, it's especially vital to practice with our husbands.

Most situations with the men in our lives aren't as extreme as Shelly's experience. But versions of this scenario happen often. "Why did you give the kids juice instead of milk?" "Why did you take that road instead of this one?" "Why did you choose that strategy for the business deal?" We may protest that it is a harmless question, but all too often, it is code for "What were you thinking!?" Which itself is code for "You obviously weren't thinking."

The reality is, the reverse is usually true. Eighty-two percent of men surveyed say they always think things through ... and purposefully consider the reaction of their wife or girlfriend before making a decision.

The next time you are confounded by your husband, instead of a rash reaction, slow down and remind yourself: his heart is probably in the right place and his choices are likely made with that in mind. And if you need help ... just remember the pantry.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for being quick to judge and assume the worst about the man in my life. Please teach me to slow down and listen to him, and [if married] to trust in his love. In Your Name, Amen.

Oh How I Love JESUS

1. There is a name I love to hear, 
 I love to sing its worth; 
 it sounds like music in my ear, 
 the sweetest name on earth.  
Refrain:
 O how I love Jesus, 
 O how I love Jesus, 
 O how I love Jesus, 
 because he first loved me!

2. It tells me of a Savior's love, 
 who died to set me free; 
 it tells me of his precious blood, 
 the sinner's perfect plea.
 (Refrain)

3. It tells of one whose loving heart 
 can feel my deepest woe; 
 who in each sorrow bears a part 
 that none can bear below.
 (Refrain)

Daily Smile:  

A man was sitting at an interview, in his new suit, looking his very best. As he put his hands down to make a point, he and his interviewer noticed the price tag was still attached to the sleeve. 

"Well", the man said, "at least I can take the suit back if I don't get the job.

In The News:

More Americans Now See Homosexuality as Orientation From Birth

Currently, 47 percent of Americans view being gay or lesbian as a sexual orientation individuals are born with, while 33 percent instead believe it is due to external factors such as upbringing or environment, according to a new Gallup poll. That 14-percentage-point gap in favor of "nature" over "nurture" is the largest Gallup has measured to date. As recently as two years ago, the public was evenly divided. The poll also found that 65 percent of Americans believe gay or lesbian relations between consenting adults should be legal -- numerically the highest Gallup has measured by one percentage point, but not materially different from what Gallup has measured for the past three years. Americans' support for legal gay marriage has also solidified above 50 percent.

Boy Scouts of America Approaches Vote on Gay Membership

Next Thursday, some 1,400 members of Boy Scouts of America's national council are expected to vote on the resolution seeking to revise the organization's membership policy on homosexuality at their annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas. If accepted, the resolution would lift an existing ban on youth who are "open or avowed" homosexuals. A ban on adult leaders, however, would remain in place. "There is going to be a showdown in Grapevine Texas," said Cathy Ruse, senior legal fellow at Family Research Council, on Tuesday. "There are troubling reports of an influx of delegates. Votes at meetings are done by voice votes, this time it will be paper ballots filled out in delegates' hotel rooms and counted by friends of the BSA executive," said Ruse in describing what she believes is a calculated and elaborate push to deceive the organization's delegates to support the resolution.

 

Happy Tuesday

Question: "How should a Christian deal with feelings of guilt regarding past sins, whether pre- or post-salvation?"

Answer: Everyone has sinned, and one of the results of sin is guilt. We can be thankful for guilty feelings because they drive us to seek forgiveness. The moment a person turns from sin to Jesus Christ in faith, his sin is forgiven. Repentance is part of the faith that leads to salvation (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 3:19).

In Christ, even the most heinous sins are blotted out (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 for a list of unrighteous acts that can be forgiven). Salvation is by grace, and grace forgives. After a person is saved, he will still sin, and when he does, God still promises forgiveness. “But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).

Freedom from sin, however, does not always mean freedom from guilty feelings. Even when our sins are forgiven, we still remember them. Also, we have a spiritual enemy, called “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10) who relentlessly reminds us of our failures, faults, and sins. When a Christian experiences feelings of guilt, he or she should do the following things:

1) Confess all known, previously unconfessed sin. In some cases, feelings of guilt are appropriate because confession is needed. Many times, we feel guilty because we are guilty! (See David’s description of guilt and its solution in Psalm 32:3-5.)

2) Ask the Lord to reveal any other sin that may need confessing. Have the courage to be completely open and honest before the Lord. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

3) Trust the promise of God that He will forgive sin and remove guilt, based on the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9; Psalm 85:2; 86:5; Romans 8:1).

4) On occasions when guilty feelings arise over sins already confessed and forsaken, reject such feelings as false guilt. The Lord has been true to His promise to forgive. Read and meditate on Psalm 103:8-12.

5) Ask the Lord to rebuke Satan, your accuser, and ask the Lord to restore the joy that comes with freedom from guilt (Psalm 51:12).

Psalm 32 is a very profitable study. Although David had sinned terribly, he found freedom from both sin and guilty feelings. He dealt with the cause of guilt and the reality of forgiveness. Psalm 51 is another good passage to investigate. The emphasis here is confession of sin, as David pleads with God from a heart full of guilt and sorrow. Restoration and joy are the results.

Finally, if sin has been confessed, repented of, and forgiven, it is time to move on. Remember that we who have come to Christ have been made new creatures in Him. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Part of the “old” which has gone is the remembrance of past sins and the guilt they produced. Sadly, some Christians are prone to wallowing in memories of their former sinful lives, memories which should have been dead and buried long ago. This is pointless and runs counter to the victorious Christian life God wants for us. A wise saying is “If God has saved you out of a sewer, don’t dive back in and swim around.”


In The News:

Black Pro-Life Leaders: Gosnell Worst Kind of Racist

Black pro-life leaders are calling for investigations of other abortion clinics like the one run by Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, CBN News reports. Many gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, accusing the abortion industry of targeting black Americans. "Kermit Gosnell is a racist of the worst kind because he preyed on women and young girls of his own race," said Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union. "For more than 30 years, Kermit Gosnell participated and perpetuated the epidemic of black-on-black crime." Rev. Walter Hoye of the Black Pro-Life Coalition, said: "From 1882 to 1968, 86 years, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 Negroes. While it took the Klan 86 years to accomplish this, abortion on demand in America accomplished that in less than four days." Rev. Arnold Culbreath, founding member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, noted, "79 percent of Planned Parenthood's surgical abortion facilities are intentionally placed within walking distance of minority neighborhoods." Earlier this year, black leaders pledged to find new strategies to spread the pro-life message to their communities.

Depression in Teen Girls Linked to Absent Fathers in Early Childhood

New research out of the UK's University of Bristol indicates that girls whose fathers were absent during their early childhood are more likely to become depressed in their teen years, Jim Liebelt reports. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, found that girls whose fathers left when they were between the ages of 0 and 5 were more likely to develop depressive symptoms in adolescence than those whose fathers left when they were between the ages of 5-10 and boys in both age groups (0-5 and 5-10). The findings are part of the larger "Children of the 90s" longitudinal study, a long-term research project that follows the children of 14,000 mothers who enrolled during their pregnancies in 1991 and 1992. This depression study in particular looked at 5,631 children. "These findings indicate a need to include fathers in research related to child and adolescent mental health issues," Iryna Culpin, the paper's lead author, said in a press release.