May 17, 2013 · 2:23 pm

Leadership; Nonbelievers just don’t understand…

Every now and again I’m reminded of one of the reasons why true believers are so loyal and fixed on Jesus.  Have you ever noticed that there are some people that are so honorable, smart, charismatic, and loyal that others go into orbit around them.  They function as true north, and everyone else is a compass needle.  There are real life examples of this, George Washington was once such human.

There are also fictional characters that function the same way, the most recent example I can think of is Gibbs on NCIS.  Characters like him are so popular because we humans seem to be made to follow courage, justice, caring, etc… People who display these characteristics tend to attract followers who are willing to follow them anywhere.

This can also be a bad thing when people follow charisma simply because they cannot seem to determine their own lives.  They want someone to tell them specifically what to do and when to do it, as well as what to believe.  That is what happens when a cult springs up.  Following a good person is beneficial, following a bad person is detrimental.

What does this have to do with Christianity?  We are so drawn to Jesus because in Him is all goodness and none of the imperfection that brings detriment.  In Jesus we have a human, that because He is also God, is totally righteous, just, loving, merciful, brilliant, honest, loyal, etc… In Him we have a leader that we can totally trust 100% of the time because He has proven Himself in ways that everyone alive can still check out.

We follow Him and love Him because He is Truth itself, He is the Way, the only proper Way, of having a correct worldview.  He loved us so much that He did and does not lead from behind; instead, He paved the way for us giving His life, health, and very self for us, to fix our mess and to forgive our sin.  Why do we love Him and defend Him?  Amongst many reasons, it is because we are grateful to have a leader such as Him.  And, unlike false leaders, He gives us absolute and total freedom.

He teaches us what is best for humans; to forgive, to love, to serve, to hope, to be courageous and strong, to stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves.  While He is our leader, He teaches us self-responsibility, how to think for ourselves, and how to care for our enemies.  Nonbelievers cannot grasp this idea, they are intent on either following themselves, or other flawed humans.  That is the problem with any other form of idolatry; you are not following the correct leader.  Do you worship money, fame, self, nature, other gods, philosophies?  Then you are not following truth, and it will be to your detriment.

One of the great paradoxes of Christianity is the idea of becoming a slave to Jesus, and that makes you completely free.  A true leader does not try to exert forced control, or tell followers to shut off their brains.  Jesus asks us to freely choose, and enables our choice.  If we do freely choose Him, He then sets us totally free from both sin and the confines of the law, and in effect, He allows us to make all of our own choices in life, while at the same time promising to guide us and guard us if we will heed His voice.  We are painted as sheep; however, it is sheep with no fences but rather a loving and powerful shepherd that tends to His flock.

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April 29, 2013 · 1:37 pm

Ministry Review; World Vision

Sponsoring a child in need.  Many times that conjures up old commercials from the 80′s begging for funds… that turned out to be lining the pockets of a few of the people in charge, with no money going to the children.  Also, the old model was based upon the idea that Western outsiders knew best how to help a community rather than the community itself knowing what they need.

Gratefully those days are gone for the most part.  If you wish to sponsor a child there are now an array of charitable organizations that have tossed out the old model, in favor of a new sustainable grassroots model.  Also, with watchdog groups constantly checking on these charities it is far less likely that someone is simply pocketing the money.

One such organization is World Vision International.  Each country that is  a part of WV, has their own website; so for example World Vision US is:  www.worldvision.org  This website is a hub that you can use to get news, learn about the organization, sponsor a child, browse their catalog and send gifts such as goats, chickens, microfinance a loan, etc…  World Vision used to catch a bit of flak for advertising as though your money went directly to the sponsored child, but now they have made it much clearer that your money goes to the child’s community, and not just to the child itself.

Each child that is sponsored is assured to be a part of the programs for education, schooling, etc… and you can send extra gifts to the child’s family or community.  This system tends to work better, since the whole community is involved and less jealousy is likely to occur.  Also, the grassroots touch is that each community gives feedback as to what is needed, and what would most help.  Sustainability is one of the main goals of World Vision and they work to make a perpetual change.

Why do I call this a ministry?  Because they are indeed a Christian organization.  This does not mean that they push or proselytize.  Their belief is that they live out part of Jesus’ message by helping those that need a bit of encouragement or a leg up.  There are some areas in the world where Christianity can be taught, they can hand out Bibles, etc… but there are also some areas where Christianity, it active proselytizing, is not allowed.  They still serve those communities, hoping to make an impact for Jesus based on love and action.

The pros of this ministry; it connects you with an individual child, it is a large organization, so can make a big impact.  They have disaster response that is second to none.  They are so well known, so they are also watch to make sure there is no fraud.

Some cons; each country has its own people in charge (which is good too), but this makes it hard to police and constantly insure no one is conning the system, and that funds are being well used.  (However, the organization does indeed run checks, and takes any reports of problems seriously.)  For us more conservative minded Christians, there is a bit of unease when the “social gospel” is focused on, instead of the more salvational message of Jesus, but that is the purpose of this organization.

I don’t usually like to talk about charitable acts, but yes, we’ve just started sponsoring 2 World Vision children, and I’d love to share my experiences on here, and can wait to start writing letters and sending small trinkets along to them via mail.  If you have any questions, I’ll try to answer them, or point you to a phone number or webpage.  If you have any WV stories to share, I’d love to see them in the “comments” section here.

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April 15, 2013 · 3:06 pm

Helping get the Gosnell mass-murder story out…

The mainstream media refuses to cover this story because it shows abortion for what it is; infanticide, or baby murder.  The story at the following link is indeed graphic.  Swallow it, folks, this is what abortion has wrought.

Philadelphia abortion clinic horror.

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April 11, 2013 · 1:04 pm

Wake up; take back Feminism…

WARNING: This article talks about mature topics that often are disturbing (and should be).

I’m one of those people that believed Feminism was a foul word, tainted by liberal ideology, and something to be avoided at all costs.  Then I woke up.  The original ideas of Feminism are solid ideas, but the philosophy has been co-opted by the leftwing.  In fact, females do indeed deserve to be treated equally to men, we should indeed have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Life; we have the right to not be murdered and killed simply because we are female.  All over this globe, and down through history, a female’s life is often weighed to be less than a man’s.  I believe this is one reason why feminism in this country took a liberal turn; we won those rights and instead of helping other women in other countries, the feminists in this country turned insular and began to morph feminism into something it was never meant to be.

In countries such as China, male life is held more dear than female life.  That is a current fact.  Babies are killed (often before they leave the womb) or abandoned simply because they are female.  Do China’s policies effect this?  Of course they do.  That’s the point.  In this current age of globalization, isn’t it time that we women in the US start trying to help other women in other countries gain basic rights?  Should that not be the true goal of classical feminism?

Abortion policies under the euphemism “the right to choose”  are anti-feminist.  Abortion is a plague that is scarring women and targeting female babies in particular.  The earliest feminists, were (in the main) against abortion.  Abortion kills scores of females every single day, and leaves the mothers scarred and hurting.  True feminists fight for the lives of the unborn, male and female, and strive to make a world where females who are pregnant have the help and support they need through private charities and support groups.

Liberty; we have the right to not be owned by another human being, or by the government.  We should have the same freedoms afforded to males.  The right to influence government policies for one, which obviously includes the right to vote.  True feminism is pro-democracy.  We should care very deeply that there are women living in countries where things like Sharia law denies liberty and freedom to women.

The pursuit of happiness; we have the right, as much as we are able, to effect our own lives and to make them positive.  Around the globe females, young girls and women, even babies, are being sold into sex slavery.  This is not prostitution, there is no real choice, this is rape on a massive scale done in the name of money.  It takes money to fight the love of money.  Capitalism in a democratic society is one of the main ways to insure women have the right and means to pursue happiness.

On the flip side of sex slavery, in many places, women and their sexuality are seen to be bad just because they are women.  Genital mutilation at the hands of traditionalists (especially in Muslim countries) is torturing and disrupting females every day.  Not only does genital mutilation rob women of their God given capacity to enjoy sex, but also disrupts normal waste elimination, and causes additional hazards to women in childbirth.  Part of being a true feminist should be to put your foot down and decry beliefs and customs that call for the physical mutilation/torture of young girls and women.

If I believe my happiness lies in being a stay-at-home wife or that motherhood is my goal, true feminism supports that.  Somewhere along the way someone started teaching that women must become like men, not equal to them, but literally like men.  Liberal feminists look down upon the women who choose “traditional” paths in life.  It is as though they fear all that is male, and must try to force themselves to become the same as that which they fear.

It is time that we Christians wake up and take another look at what we can do to support females in this world.  Many have the skewed belief that women are seen to be inferior in Christianity, or that we cannot teach, or serve in the church, etc… This is a false view, and one that I hope to tackle in a future article.  Also, read up on this stuff and have your eyes opened.  It can be a painful awakening, but is necessary if we wish to do right by the females in the world.  I recommend the book, and PBS show “Half the Sky.”  Yes, watch out for liberal ideology, but gather and gain the knowledge needed.  Also, if you are looking for a Christian organization helping to make an impact on issues directly related to feminism, check out Wellspring International.

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April 5, 2013 · 5:25 pm

Church discipline; most churches get it wrong…

Church discipline is one of those areas that is misunderstood and abused even amongst the churches.   There are two views on either side, both incorrect.  One view is that the church is to be the police of it’s member’s sin against God, and if a member is sinning against God, they have to be taken to task, and then shunned if there is no “repentance.”  The other view is that there is no such thing as church discipline; that fellow believers have no right to speak out about sin in the congregation.

The fact is, Jesus taught about discipline, esp. here:

Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

But notice something important, it is if someone sins against you, not against God.  We are to be concerned when someone does something wrong that effects us directly.  So, say there is someone in the congregation that is trying to sleep with my husband.  I now have a legitimate gripe and have been given the steps to take to stop it.  Say one member steals from another, again, we have the steps to work through.

Elsewhere, Paul tells us not to judge another, save whether or not that person is causing another to stumble.  So, what is being established is order in the physical church, not a judgment on that person’s salvation, nor their “sin” against God.  Notice there should be something that has been witnessed by at least one other person.  It is apparent we are establishing a case of earthly import, not a spiritual state of salvation.

In scripture we see that it is the Holy Spirit’s job of convicting and changing a person in regards to sin against God, it isn’t my job.  We are humans, we are going to fight and have disagreements, church discipline is supposed to keep order and safety in the church, settling earthly disputes between believers.  Another reason for this, is that we are not supposed to get the government involved when there is a disagreement between believers.  I’m not supposed to sue a fellow believer, so how am I to make sure I don’t get taken advantage of by one?  That is what church discipline was for.

We have to read the cases in scripture about church discipline and make sure we see the entire context.  Take Paul’s admonishments in 1 Corinthians.  He is talking about issues within the church itself.  So, when the Corinthian believers were sinning, it involved other members of the church with whom they were either sinning with, and against.

The other very important aspect is correct teaching of the gospel.  In a church, you do expect members to behave, not because of themselves, but rather because of the workings of the Holy Spirit.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God; IF the true gospel of faith and grace, and Jesus Christ is being taught, the individuals will respond to that.

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March 30, 2013 · 5:10 pm

Contract law (or, the efficacy of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection)

The Truth of the gospel is so simple a child can understand it.  However, there is also the meat of the gospel.  The details and teachings that are more complex and also extremely fascinating.  This article is going to discuss the idea of contracts (also known as covenants) and why they are so important.  I felt this was an appropriate topic, since this Sunday is known as Resurrection Sunday.

Contracts are pretty straightforward.  They are agreements between parties that lines out what is expected of each person participating in the contract.  God is a God that uses contracts/covenants to interact with and to guide mankind.  God drafts the contract and then man participates.

The Mosaic Law was a covenant between God and man, or actually a group of men, the Jewish people.  God said if man would flawlessly keep his side of the contract, then the person would inherit eternal life, would have his sins covered.  Mankind, in our fallen state, could not keep that contract perfectly. So, why did God make that covenant if He already knew we’d not be able to keep it?  The answer is simple; to show us that we couldn’t keep it.

What that shows is that we cannot gain eternal life and forgiveness on our own, we cannot fulfill our side of the contract and we are not righteous creatures, but the problem is, God is a completely righteous and just God and can’t just shred the contract, it must be fulfilled in order for there to be room for a new contract.   An example may help: You need to rent a house, so you sign a contract with the landlord to pay $500 per month for a year.  You are legally bound by the statues laid out in that agreement.  The ways you can fulfill your side of the agreement are clearly spelled out.

God set up the contract with man so that it could indeed be fulfilled under certain conditions.  A specific type of sacrifice must be made, and it must be a blood sacrifice.  What is sacrificed must be kin to whatever that sacrifice is going to cover.  The sacrifice must be perfect according to God’s law, therefore the sacrifice had to come from the chosen people with whom God made the covenant.  None of this was designed by accident.  Mankind caused it’s own fall, but God had a plan to redeem us.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was that perfect sacrifice.  He was perfect according to the law, and He was human, so He was kin to us, and He was Jewish, from the tribe of Judah.  He shed His blood by spilling it on the Cross.  This is why Jesus proclaimed it finished upon His death.  All debt was paid, all was covered, the contract was fulfilled.  The old covenant was nailed to the cross making way for a new agreement; anyone that trusts on Jesus’ person, life, death, and resurrection to cover all sin will inherit eternal life.

The new covenant, or contract, now hinges on faith.  By responding to God in faith, we sign on the dotted line and become covered by Jesus’ blood, our sin washed away, and we are no longer under the law of the old agreement.  God Himself seals us, and we become indwelt by the Spirit.  This is the only way to Heaven, and a correct relationship with God.  Faith in the Son.

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January 6, 2013 · 4:34 pm

Healthy habits for the New Year; pt. 3: Sleep

Sleep is crucial to be fully functioning and effective in everyday life.  Too much sleep isn’t good and not sleeping enough isn’t good.  Oversleeping can be just as problematic as insomnia, and it actually has many of the same effects as insomnia.  Sleeping too much can also be a sign that something is wrong either mentally or physically.

A rule of thumb is to figure out what length of time is optimum for you to sleep and aim for that time.  You absolutely must figure out how to be truthful with yourself and accurately estimate the length you need.  Try to think of a time when you’ve had good, uninterrupted sleep at a time when you feel mentally and physically healthy.  What you want to do is figure out, during that time-frame, when you would naturally awake and feel refreshed.

You do yourself a disservice if you over or underestimate the number of hours you need; the vast majority of people will need right around 8 hours.  Don’t try to be eccentric or different and act as though you need much more or less.  More than likely you need 7 — 9 hours.  Many times people let “sleep debt” sway their opinion on how much “basal sleep” they need.  You want to keep aiming for you basal time every night, and eventually your “sleep debt” will disappear.

Many focus on too little sleep, especially those suffering from insomnia.  If at all possible do not take sleep aids, they normally have bad side effects and can actually make your insomnia worse in the long run.  Instead, make a true commitment to change habits that could be leading to your insomnia.  Long term insomnia is not good for your health; physical, mental, or spiritual.

General Sleep Hygiene

  1. Pick a fixed bedtime and awake time, and follow it even if you are off of work
  2. Avoid sleeping/napping during the day. If you have to take a nap, limit it to 30-45 min.
  3. Alcohol should be avoided 4-6 hours before your set bedtime
  4. Caffeine should also be avoided for 4-6 hours prior, and limit yourself to 2 cups a day. (Things like chocolate also have caffeine and should be avoided)
  5. Avoid heavy foods 4-6 hours prior
  6. Don’t exercise within 2 hours of trying to sleep
  7. Do exercise during the day, with at least some of it being outside
  8. A cool room (not cold) is more conducive to sleep
  9. Use relaxation techniques before bed
  10. Try to designate waking hours to “worrying” and not to carry it with you to bed. Making lists for things to deal with/think about the next day, and then plan to do what needs to be done BEFORE laying down to sleep, esp. a few hours before.
  11. Try to have a pre-sleep ritual. Taking a shower, reading for a bit, etc…
  12. If you can’t sleep for around 20 min, get up, go into another room and do something like reading until you are sleepy again.
  13. Sleep in as dark a room as you can stand. Television isn’t recommended, and if you need something to fall asleep to, try radio instead.
  14. Your bed is for sleeping and sex, try not to use it for anything else like watching TV or reading.

Psychological factors

  1. Loneliness, stress, and depression can add to insomnia.
  2. You also don’t want “rewarded” for insomnia; for example, increased attention.  So, try to avoid posting about it on places like Facebook and/or Twitter just to get a response from others, or to show how late/early you are up.

Milton H. Erickson once said to make sure your alcoholic is sincere in wanting to quit, or else it will do no good to try to help.  The same is true of insomniacs; if you are not sincere in wanting to change your sleep patterns, you will find all manner of excuses and rationalizations to avoid changing bad habits.

Give yourself time to establish an actual new pattern.  It can take up to 30 days, for example, to completely modify your sleep schedule.  As to when you should wake up, there are many advantages to waking early, but the important thing is to be honest about the outcome of your day; meaning if you deal with people on a regular basis through the day, you should probably stick to a schedule to be fully rested with the mainstream.

You may want to stay up late, but if you have to be at work at 8 am, that isn’t going to be a healthy choice.  Make the commitment to follow the healthy sleep hygiene points above and do it consistently.

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