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American Christian Voice Volume 13 No. 1 Contents Don’t Miss These! ABOUT US 3.Gold Star Attention 4.Yak Bak 16.Would you like to join the ministry of the American Christian Voice? 27.Puzzle Page!! 36.Where you can buy a copy of the American Christian Voice... 36.Subscription Info 43.Gold Star Directory FEATURES 7.Beyond Extraordinary 7.Submission by Kelly Crumley 10.Privatizing the U.S. Postal Service 12.A few things to Remember when Reading the Old Testament 14.God is Not Mad at You 16.The Family We Choose 18.Kindness that Comes Too Late 23.Just As I Am 24.Gold Star Family Inn Opens in
Branson 24.Widows of Slain NYPD Cops Raised Money for Families of Fallen Dallas Officers 25.Gold Star Survivors 26.What the Hygge Trend Tells Me About True Comfort 30.God is Not Out to Get You 32.The Sin of Partiality and How to Deal with It 33.The Love Required of God’s Children Part II 35.The Real MVP, Wanda Durant Pratt, to Speak in Branson, MO 37.Testimony by Wilma Dunbar 38.Judge Jeanine on No Hope 39.Parental Priorities 40.The Distinction Between God’sPunishment and God’s Discipline 44.I am Intellectually Dishonest... HE is the So are Liberals AllConsuming 46.Earthquakes Among Us Fire! 47.Bad Pest Control Company
The Difference Between Faith & Belief The Facinating life of Norma McCorvey, the ‘Jane Roe’ in Roe v. Wade God is Not Mad at You Is Healing Always God’s Will?
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The Gospel really is good news. God is not mad at you. The Father poured all that judgment and anger out on Jesus at the cross and now there is none left for you. If you are willing to humble yourself, accept what Jesus did for you, believe that he rose from the dead, and let him direct your life, you can experience a new life enjoying God’s goodness too. VOL.13 #1 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM
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yak bak
I am still amazed that the American Christian Voice accurately predicted the political and spiritual shift in our nation over a year ago. Against all odds, in the natural, the unthinkable has happened. It is a great opportunity to show the world that Christian principles are to love and not enable people everywhere; guiding them to have a rich and fulfilling life in this bleak and fallen world. Patricia Neward, Selma, AL ________________________________ Dear Mr. Sacoulas, I received the latest issue of the American Christian Voice with the note that it was the next to the last issue in the paid for subscription. The last few issues have for me been disappointing. The background coloring, (page 15), of the page on which the text is printed is hard on my poor old eyes. Superimposing graphics, (page 33), on the printed page makes it even harder to read. A second is that any article OVER two pages in length is too LONG for my mind to completely comprehend. It seems that the aim of the magazine has drifted away from the original goal with the infiltrating of non-Biblical articles. The new glossy format with all the graphics may be the latest trend but adds nothing but expense to the cost of the magazine. The old pulp paper would weigh less and cut the $1.50+/- postage cost. Since the advertisers pay a considerable part of the production cost then that cost of the magazine could be
.Feed Back From Our Readers reduced. Nothing can replace the Word of God! Here’s what I am going to do: renew my subscription for ONE YEAR. If things do not change, then I will not renew my subscription after that. Sincerely, Bob and Marge Killam, Marshfield, MO Dear Killams, thank you for your feed back. Just to be clear, we are somewhat a political magazine with the idea that we will be ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ in the future and are now in training. We believe that believers’ should be very wellversed in political science and how it relates to the Word of God. We were not called to evangelism as a publication. We went to gloss because of our national distributors. We are available in over 500 newsstands in America that will not sell our publication in a newspaper format. Admittedly, the last number of issues were very political because of the monumental election cycle experienced by our nation. The outcome of that election will change the future of the methods used to share the love of Christ for generations to come. This issue should be more palatable to those not looking for as many political perspectives. The next battle ground we will spend much ink on will be related to prolife issues. We used to believe that political laws will not reverse legalized abortion and that one could not legislate morality but all evidence points to the contrary.
We felt with the seemingly endless material of gospel related periodicals, it would be good to have one that Christians can identify with that explores our nationalism. In any event, we hope there will be enough “nuggets” to bless you and yours. Thank you for your patience and honesty. ___________________________________ Dear staff, I am really disappointed in the lack of quality that is apparent in the American Christian Voice. There are typos, “widows and orphans” in the text boxes and it grates me to see so many sentences ending with prepositions. Invoking the name of our creator should always be accompanied with excellence. Marcus Winchester, Orange County, CA __________________________________ Please sign me up for a subscription and two gift subscriptions for relatives. I love the selection of topics and perspectives from such a varietal authors and news sources. I have never been to Branson but it definitely is on my bucket list! Bill Washington, El Paso, TX _________________________________ The American Christian Voice is a breath of fresh air. We LOVE every issue and always look forward to the new issues. We know you only do around ten issues per year but wish it could be monthly. Donald & Meghan Hunt, Kansas City, MO
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American Christian Voice Magazine
ACV Magazine NEW Mission Statement We encourage our readers to eschew religion and pursue a relationship with God through Jesus Christ as led by the Holy Spirit, thus allowing an open mindedness to differing opinions on complex matters. We strive not to be the fire alarm, but the fire extinguisher.
Please be advised that the contents of this publication often do not represent the positions held by many of the sponsors of the American Christian Voice (or for that matter, the publishers). John & Lorri Sacoulas, Family pic :-)
THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS!
The American Christian Voice magazine is published with the primary purpose being to educate the body of Christ through informative articles (Intelligent), to edify the body of Christ through motivating articles of Christian faith and courage (Inspirational), and to promote the message that disciples of Christ are not under the penalty of sin or condemnation of it (Fun!). It is because of what Christ has done... not what we do that makes us in good standing with God. Our obedience is to Love Him and our fellow sojourners. Now that Christ has cloaked us with His Righteousness, God the Father looks at us as Sons/Daughters, no longer at enmity with Him. We are in training now. That is why this publication focuses on politics. If we are to rule and reign with Jesus Christ we should be very much interested in training here and now. We are dedicated to be Kingdom builders as we realize that our diversity should not impede the method in which God chooses to woo through the Holy Spirit the lost through love. We can err in our theological understanding of doctrine and dogma but love never fails. In the law we find death - in love we find Liberty to obey by desire... not compulsion.
PUBLISHER Lorraine Sacoulas MANAGING EDITOR John G. Sacoulas PATRONS Kay & Joy Friberg SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Veeda Smith, Kathy Caruso O’Neil, Jeremy Storch, Dee Wampler, Marla Woodmansee SYNDICATED WRITERS Tim Challies, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER George Kurland ARCHIVISTS Marvin & Regina Reynolds ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Wilma Dunbar, (417) 2131155 dwdunbar@americanchristianvoice.com PUBLIC RELATIONS Kathy Caruso O’Neil koneil@americanchristianvoice.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Lorraine Sacoulas lorri@americanchristianvoice.com DISTRIBUTION Ubiquity Magazine Dist., Brooklyn, NY Publishers Dist. Group, Allamuchy, NJ David Dunbar, Branson Representative Special thanks to all our prayer warriors that intercede regularly for our sponsors.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
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saved but not born again? is that a thing? hmmm.
BY CHRIS AND LISA CREE
The Difference Between Faith and Belief nbelief holds us back, not lack of faith. If you ask most people, they’ll tell you that faith and belief are the same thing. I used to think so myself. And that leads to all sorts of confusion.
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The trouble is they are interrelated, which makes them very close in meaning. So close, in fact, that many modern Bible translations don’t always differentiate clearly between the two. And that leads to even more confusion. When we equate faith and belief it can make Jesus seem a little contradictory. For example here is how the New Living Translation presents Matthew 17:20. “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” — Matthew 17:20 (NLT) Reading that, it seems like Jesus is telling his disciples that their problem is they don’t have enough faith. I mean what else can “you don’t have enough faith” mean, right?
But then he goes on to explain that by saying that we barely need any faith at all to see great miracles happen. Huh?
acquiring information and experience. Because of that, our beliefs can change over time as we gain more knowledge and experience more things throughout our lives.
How Is Faith Different?
That doesn’t make sense. Why would he acknowledge that they had any faith at all if his lesson from that “teachable moment” was that they only needed a tiny amount of faith?
Again, you can go to a dictionary and look up the meaning of faith.
How much “small as a mustard seed” faith is enough? Presented that way it makes it seem like we need some standard to measure microscopic faith in amounts even smaller than a mustard seed.
Faith = ( Belief + Action + Confidence )
Don’t know about you, but I can’t make any sense of that. Now let’s look at how the New King James Version translates that same verse. So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. — Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) Here that same passage is a whole lot less contradictory. Jesus is telling his disciples that they have a belief problem which can be countered with faith, even in small amounts.
To me, this is an easier way to understand it.
Faith includes our beliefs, but it is bigger than that. Faith requires action. If it doesn’t move us to do something or say something – actually take some kind of action – it’s not really faith at all. James said it this way. So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. — James 2:17 Until we take action our “faith” is just a bunch of words. James says that unless faith produces action is in fact dead, or not faith at all. As a side note, some people get confused and turned around on this point and try to do good things to generate faith. However James didn’t say the good things we do produce faith. He said our faith, if it is real and alive, will naturally move us to do good things. But I digress.
Now that’s something we can work with. All we have to do is figure out what belief and faith really are and then we can apply that lesson to our lives.
What Is Belief? To explain the difference, let’s start with belief. What does it mean? You can go to a dictionary to look up belief if you like. Here’s a good working definition:
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The last part of that whole faith equation is confidence. Confidence – Trust that is based on knowledge or past experience Basically confidence is a measure of how firmly we hold to a particular belief.
Putting It All Together
Belief – An opinion or judgement in which a person is fully persuaded.
So now you can see how belief and faith are interrelated. The difference between the two is subtle. But understanding it makes things that Jesus said like in Matthew 17:20 above make a whole lot more sense.
So our beliefs are things that we are thoroughly convinced of. Usually (but not always) they are ideas, concepts that we gather through
When we believe the truth with enough confidence to take action we exercise faith. And it doesn’t take much of that faith to see huge things happen, even miraculous
a depressed believer is a poor witness things. And you can see where unbelief, that is believing things that aren’t true – believing lies – completely clogs up the working of our faith. Unbelief prevents us from ever seeing the miraculous in our lives. Too often we spend time and energy trying to increase our faith when Jesus said that’s not really our problem. We pray and plead with God, begging him to give us more faith.
Building Your Faith Is Simpler than You Think But our problem is really with unbelief, not a lack of faith. The good news is that we can change our unbelief into belief. It’s really a fairly simple, straight forward process. We just need to become more fully persuaded of the truth instead of the misconceptions and lies that we are currently holding on to. The more we expose our minds to the truth, the more we become persuaded and convinced of that truth. And the best way to expose our minds to the truth is to study the Bible. The more time we spend exploring the truth of the Bible, the more our minds become convinced of that truth. The more firmly convinced of the truth we become, the more confident we’ll grow. Then it won’t be long before we find ourselves doing things differently, acting in more faith. Do you want more faith? Then invest more time reading, studying, and thinking about the Bible. You’ll find your faith will just grow as a result because you will change your beliefs. That’s pretty simple, don’t you think? We Would Like to Give You a FREE eBook now and learn how to believe your way to supernatural faith at:
Beyond Extraordinary Diamond Dee Bell Posted by natalina oday’s culture is saturated with stories of people who go to great lengths in an effort to change and transform themselves into something that externally reflects how they see themselves internally. This can manifest in things as simple as age defying procedures like botox and facelifts or nose jobs and breast augmentations. For some people, the transformation is decidedly more dramatic and even includes attempting to change their very gender.
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For some, the knee jerk reaction to such stories tends to be judgement and shame… but what if there is more to the story? What if there is more to the person? What if the story leads to redemption and can actually result in a beautiful testimony that glorifies God in His mercy and grace? One man who has such a story is the wonderful Diamond Dee Bell. Diamond Dee has a testimony that touched my heart deeply. It is one of a lifetime of rebellion through sex and drugs and ultimately a gender reassignment surgery. But that is not the most important part of the story. In the aftermath of all of this, Diamond Dee turned to the Lord and now is dedicated to living an authentic life the way God made him, and uses his testimony to reach others who might find themselves in similar situations. In the episode link below, you will hear Diamond Dee’s story. It will challenge you, it will make you ask questions, and it is my prayer that this moving testimony will touch your heart. Follow Beyond Extraordinary now on Facebook:
The world is watching. They want to know if Christians are real or some sort of puzzle never completed due to the missing pieces. The spaces are the places we never seem to fully give to God, which we think are hidden, but are obvious to those who look on: selfishness, rebellion, rage and impatience just to name a few. Only when we submit our lives as living sacrifices, can a wayward generation see the true Christ and the finished work – an elaborate picture filled with Jesus love. Kelly Cullen Crumley kccwritingforjesus@gmail.com
Without Capitalism, Socialism would have nothing to redistribute.
facebook.com/beyondextraordinaryradio
You can always listen to our show on iTunes, and please remember to rate and review us! Beyond Extraordinary is also proud to be part of the Revelations Radio Network, where you can find this and many other wonderful podcasts with a Christian Worldview. Also, Beyond Extraordinary is now on Stitcher! Diamond Dee on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/ddee.bell7
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Norma McCorvey, Is Dead at 69
BY JULIA CARPENTER
The fascinating life of Norma McCorvey, the ‘Jane Roe’ in Roe v. Wade
published a tell-all book, “I Am Roe,” detailing her journey through the world of reproductive rights, her relationships with
Norma McCorvey was “Jane Roe.” She’s the Roe of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion of 4 decades ago. When McCorvey first took her case to court in Dallas, she was a 21-year-old woman with a problem: She had no job, no husband and was many months pregnant with her third child. She had confessed to her mother she was attracted to women — and her mother promptly kicked her out of the house. Texas’s abortion restrictions allowed termination of a pregnancy only in cases which endangered the life of a mother — and so, with lawyers Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, McCorvey took her case to the Supreme Court. She won one of the most contentious decisions in history, but the decision came too late for her to terminate her pregnancy. She later gave the baby up for adoption. McCorvey kept her identity as “Roe” a secret until 1980, when she publicly acknowledged her role in the case. She later
thing I never had.” Just one year later, another New York Times profile told a different story: In a highly publicized 1995 baptism (yes, a literal baptism), McCorvey was reborn in the public eye as a devout evangelical and began working at Operation Rescue, an antiabortion group. McCorvey quit her job at a Texas abortion clinic, disavowed her lesbianism and eventually founded her own organization, Roe No More Ministry. “The heart of the person who most symbolized abortion in this country has been touched and captured, if you will,” said Bill Price, president of Texans United for Life, at the time.
women and her work in pro-abortion advocacy. “I’m a simple woman with a ninth grade education who wants women to not be harassed or condemned,” she told the New York Times in 1994. “I just wanted the privilege of a clean clinic to get the procedure done. … I just never had the privilege to go into an abortion clinic, lay down and have an abortion. That’s the only
McCorvey continued her life of political protest, this time working to overturn her namesake case. She was arrested in 2009 for protesting Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, and she published a second book, “Won by Love,” which detailed her change in political and social views. “We’re getting our babies back,” she told CBS in 2003. She stood alongside other women at a news conference, some holding signs reading: “I regret my abortion.”
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60% adverts, 30% bills, 7% misc., 3% personal It has government Privatizing the U.S. Postal Service •regulatory power, he U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is a major business enterprise operated by the federal government. Revenues from the sale of USPS products are supposed to cover the company’s costs. But with the rise of electronic communications, mail volume has plunged, and the 600,000-worker USPS has been losing billions of dollars a year.
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which it has used to impede competitors. USPS Failures
Despite those advantages, the USPS has lost more than $50 billion since 2007, and will likely continue losing money unless there are major reforms.3 One problem is that Congress stymies USPS efforts to improve efficiency. It impedes USPS plans to close unneeded post office New York’s James A. Farley Post Office has a famous locations, even though inscription that readers should immediately the bottom 4,500 rural locations average just 4.4 recognize: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift customer visits a day. It blocks the consolidation completion of their appointed rounds.” of mail-processing This translation of a passage from Herodotus’ centers, and it blocks “Histories,” describing the Persian “men and USPS plans to end horses” who delivered the mail during Xerxes I’s Saturday delivery. Private reign, is often mistaken for the U.S. Postal Service’s businesses make such adjustments to their official motto. The service has none, but operations all the time as considering how slow mail delivery can often be, demands for their many people wish it actually was. products fluctuate. The USPS has a legal monopoly over various types of mail. Thus entrepreneurs are prevented from competing in the postal industry to improve quality and reduce costs for the benefit of consumers. Other countries facing falling mail volume have privatized their systems and opened them to competition. America should follow suit and liberalize its postal industry so that it can adjust to changes in the modern Internet-based economy. Congress confers on the USPS monopolies on the delivery of first-class mail (letters under 13 ounces) and standard mail (bulk advertising items). The agency also has a legal monopoly on access to mailboxes, which is a unique protection among postal systems in the world. The USPS also enjoys a range of other benefits: • It has been able to borrow $15 billion from the U.S. Treasury at subsidized interest rates. • It is exempt from state and local sales, income, and property taxes and fees. • It pays federal corporate income taxes, but those taxes are circulated back to the USPS. • It is not bound by local zoning ordinances, is immune from a range of civil actions, and has the power of eminent domain.
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USPS’s costly union workforce is another problem. USPS worker compensation is substantially higher, on average, than for comparable private-sector workers. Collective bargaining agreements—which cover more than four-fifths of the USPS workforce—make it more difficult for management to make cost-saving changes, such as increasing part-time work. And, in some cases, unions have resisted the automation of postal functions. The postal system’s financial challenges stem from first-class mail volume falling from a peak of 104 billion pieces in 2001 to 62 billion pieces in 2015, a decline of 40 percent. The decline is driven by the rise of email, Facebook, Evite, and Internet bill paying; the decline of printed magazines; and the rise of online advertising as an alternative to bulk print advertising. The USPS’s financial challenges have been compounded by a requirement passed in 2006 to pay down the company’s large unfunded liabilities for retiree health care. USPS defenders complain that private companies are not required to pre-pay retiree health costs. But the vast majority of private firms do not even offer retiree health coverage. Also, since traditional mail faces a long-term decline, it is better to tackle these costs now than to leave them to taxpayers down the road under a possible federal bailout of USPS.
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Postal Reforms Abroad Other nations with money-losing mail systems have either privatized them, opened them to competition, or done both. Private companies have more flexibility to deal with today’s challenges. And with the rise of the Internet, the claim that mail is a natural monopoly needing special protection is weaker than ever. The European Union has recognized these realities and has pressed its member nations to deregulate their systems. Most EU countries now have a more entrepreneurial postal industry than we do. The U.S. ranks near the bottom of the Consumer Postal Council’s 26-country “Index of Postal Freedom.” Here is a sampling of postal reforms abroad: • Sweden in 1993 became the first major European country to repeal its postal monopoly. Sweden Post (now PostNord) was put into a corporate structure, but it is still owned by the government. • The Netherlands partly privatized its national postal company in 1994. Majority control shifted to the private sector in 1995, and the company later became part of TNT, a global delivery company. Netherlands opened postal markets to competition in 2009. • New Zealand cut costs at New Zealand Post in the 1980s, and put the company into corporate form. The country repealed its postal monopoly in a series of laws during the 1980s and 1990s. • Germany partly privatized Deutsche Post in a stock offering in 2000. Today, 79 percent of company shares are publicly traded.9 Germany opened its postal markets to competition in 2008. Britain opened postal markets to competition in 2006, and privatized the Royal Mail in share offerings in 2013 and 2015.10 • In many countries, dominant national carriers now have some competitors, often focused on niches such as business mail or bulk mail. Some privatized companies, such as Deutsche Post, have expanded internationally. Progress toward full competition has been a slow but steady process. Experience has shown that both privatization and open competition create efficiency gains. In New Zealand and
usps needs to be abolished, not reformed Sweden, government postal firms slashed their workforces about one third when they were restructured and opened to competition. Similar job cuts were prompted when Germany and the Netherlands privatized their systems.
USPS hides the cross-subsidies in its books by attributing a large share of costs to overhead. So a benefit of privatization and open competition would be to increase transparency in postal finances and pricing, and to end the cross-subsidies.
Reforming USPS Congress should privatize the USPS, repeal its legal monopolies, and give the company the flexibility it needs to innovate and reduce costs. Those reforms would give entrepreneurs a chance to improve America’s postal services. In 1979, when the USPS— under political pressure—lifted its monopoly over “extremely urgent” mail, we saw the growth of innovative private delivery firms such as Fed Ex. Instead of privatization, some USPS supporters want the company to expand into banking, payday loans, grocery delivery, and other activities. But rather than solving any problems, such expansions would create more distortions. The USPS would have to find activities where it could earn above-normal profits to funnel excess cash back to support the mail system. But it is unlikely that a government agency—if not subsidized— could out-compete private firms in other industries. Past USPS forays into non-mail areas, such as electronic bill paying, ended in failure. And if the USPS used its government advantages to undercut private firms, it would be both distortionary and unfair. In a 2015 study, economist Robert Shapiro found that the USPS raises prices on its monopoly products and uses those revenues to subsidize express mail and package delivery. This works because consumers are less price sensitive for the monopoly products than for the competitive products. Shapiro estimates that these cross-subsidies are $3 billion or more a year. For Fed Ex, UPS, and other private firms, however, this is unfair because—unlike USPS—they have to pay taxes, borrow at market rates, and follow all the normal business laws and regulations. Shapiro thinks that “without its subsidies, [the USPS] probably could not compete at all” against these more nimble private firms. These problems are difficult to solve under the current postal structure because the
Policy experts are coming around to the need for major reforms. Economist Robert Atkinson proposed that the USPS focus on delivering the “final mile” to homes, while opening collection, transportation, and the processing of mail to competition. Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution has also proposed partial privatization. She would split the USPS into a government piece that fulfills the “universal service mandate” for delivering mail to every address, and a privatized piece that would compete with other firms for activities such
competition, economists Robert Carbaugh and Thomas Tenerelli found that rather than the price increases and service reductions that some people fear, “liberalizing countries have shown the ability to offer affordable, reliable, universal, and increasingly efficient postaldelivery services.” U.S. policymakers should be more flexible with the idea of “universal service.” For example, if delivery was reduced from six days a week to every second day, it would allow USPS to slash its massive fleet of 211,000 vehicles, which would reduce both costs and energy consumption. Other countries interpret universal service more narrowly than we do—some countries have cluster boxes for communities, some exclude bulk mail from universal service requirements, and some allow more flexibility in pricing. All that said, a universal service obligation for paper mail is not needed in the modern economy. Electronic communications bind the country together without it. Householdto-household personal letters have plunged to just 3 percent of total mail volume today. Advertising represents 60 percent of the entire household mail volume. Bills and other business statements are the second largest type of mail, but these are being replaced by electronic payments, which now account for 63 percent of all bill payments.
as collecting mail. The Atkinson and Kamarck proposals move in the right direction, but foreign reforms show that full privatization is both feasible and consistent with universal service. In Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands, the dominant firms continue to provide universal service. Postal companies have a strong incentive to provide universal service because, as a network industry, the value to customers of the service increases the more addresses that are served. USPS supporters fear that rural areas would be left out unless the government required universal service. But economist Richard Geddes argues that is probably not the case. Rural post routes can be as costeffective to serve as urban routes because rural letter carriers stay in their trucks and use roadside boxes, whereas urban letter carriers often walk their routes. Looking at nations that have privatized or opened their postal systems to
Essentially then, Congress imposes a rigid monopoly on the nation so that we can continue to receive mainly “junk mail” in our mailboxes six days a week. But there are 205 billion emails blasted around the planet every day, so it makes little sense to retain special protections for the government’s oldfashioned paper delivery system.
Conclusions In a Washington Post op-ed, former U.S. Postmaster General William Henderson said, “What the Postal Service needs now is nothing short of privatization.” He was right. Congress should wake up to changes in technology and to postal reforms around the world. Other countries have shown that postal liberalization works, and it would work in America as well.
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A few things to remember when reading the Old Testament round the New Year, many of us jump in on a Bible reading plan. Reading through the Bible in one year is a great goal. It’s challenging, but not impossible. And it builds a positive habit, and gives you a deeper understanding of faith and church history.
BY THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN
A
But once the exciting days of Genesis and Exodus are behind you, you’ll find yourself moving into Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. “Oh man,” you might start thinking, “I don't know if this was such a good idea.” As you thumb through passages detailing everything from animal sacrifices to genocide to prophets’ warning of doom and gloom, you might start to wonder if there's any value in reading this content. In his famous book The God Delusion, noted anti-theist Richard Dawkins says, "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." The New Testament just feels so much different. In the ministry of Jesus, we see
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completely unmerited forgiveness for a woman caught in the act of adultery (and presumably the man who was not dragged before Jesus, as well). Jesus ministers to Romans and Samaritans, who were outsiders that should be destroyed according to the commands God gave Israel. Instead of destroying and killing, Jesus serves others and even sacrifices Himself. When we read those parts of the Old Testament that we don’t tend to cover in Sunday school, we might start wondering how we got from the God who was demanding bloody animal sacrifices—to Jesus, who is all about love and hope and peace. We must pay attention to what the Old Testament says, for when we ignore it, we ignore the God whom we worship and call Father. What Dawkins said seems harsh, but there are definitely parts of the Old Testament that make me cringe. In light of that, what are we supposed to do with the first twothirds of the Bible? Do we have to read it? Do we have to like it? Are we supposed to follow the rules and regulations in it? The writer of the book of Hebrews says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today
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and forever.” Based on this, it seems clear that we must pay attention to what the Old Testament says, for when we ignore it, we ignore the God whom we worship and call Father. But we also need to better understand the purpose of the Old Testament so we can allow it to be part of our faith, rather than treating it like a crazy uncle we try to ignore. Here are some things to remember as you sort through it:
God Wants to Bless, Not Harm When God chose Abraham to become the father of a great nation of people, God specifically says He's doing it so that they entire world may benefit from it.
every action God performed in history was motivated by love for His kids etc), we can see in it the great care God puts into caring for His people through whom He will provide salvation, renewal and restoration to the entire world.
God's Warnings Are a Reflection of His Mercy I had a professor once who, on the very first day of class, announced when our final paper was due. He told us that any paper turned in after than date would receive a zero. He further said, "Some of you will come to me the day before it is due or the actual due date and tell me you need more time; that you need a grace period. Here's the grace I'm giving you: by telling you 16 weeks before it is due that I will not accept it late." More than a few students thought the professor was a huge jerk. I loved him. I knew exactly what I had to do in order to pass the course. If Israel loses its identity, all of humanity would lose its pathway to God's blessings. God is severe about health practices and food regulations and civil requirements and even war on other people in order to protect this group of people tasked with
The Old Testament is ultimately a love story of a Father and His children. It is a story of the Father teaching His children how to reciprocate so they can have the fulfilling relationship with their creator they were designed to have. God is constantly warning Israel through the prophets because He loves them. He warns them repeatedly and reminds them of their identity so they can make changes and avoid the consequences of terrible choices. God doesn't warn of consequences because He's a jerk. He warns because He's a loving father. God Is Teaching His People to Love In Desiring the Kingdom, James K.A. Smith argues that our heart is not influenced by our head, but by our body. In other words, we believe and desire before we think.
being a bridge to God's blessing for the whole earth. It's like a doctor amputating a leg to save a life. It's a terrible option, but better than the alternative. Even when we read sections that no longer apply to our daily practice (don't wear clothes made of two different materials, how to compensate people gored by an ox,
Practically speaking, this explains why I know carrots are healthier than potato chips, yet when I'm at the store, the salty snacks are more likely to end up in my cart. I crave, I desire the chips, and unless I am intentional about my choice, I will follow my desires. Only if I create and adhere to a healthy eating plan will I make healthier choices.
When God creates systems of worship for His people, He's giving them a healthier plan than they would set for themselves based on what they crave. They desire a God who is physically represented, a God who can be understood formulaically (happy=rain, mad=drought), but God is so much bigger than that. Although parts of it are difficult to swallow, the Old Testament is ultimately a love story of a Father and His children. It is a story of the Father teaching His children how to reciprocate so they can have the fulfilling relationship with their creator they were designed to have. When we see these concepts coming alive out of the pages of the Old Testament, it's easier to recognize the God we also encounter in the New Testament. This probably won’t make Numbers your new favorite book to read, but it can give you a sense of value to ascribe to the Scriptures that may have, in the past, caused you to feel confused or separated from God. You see, Genesis chapter 3 through Malachi chapter 4 is an essential part of the story of redemption and love that should make us want to orient our lives around the God who loves. bless bless bless forgiven forgiven love love mercy mercy Thomas Christianson is professor, writer and speaker living in the Baltimore area. You can find books, booking info, and blog posts at
MakingFaithPractical.com.
And what’s with all the “God hates this and God hates that?” Why do we primarily define God on the basis of what God hates rather than what God loves; what God condemns rather than what God appreciates? Carlyle Stewart
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it is hard to shake off the religion your past has stuck you with
God is Not Mad at You BY JULIE GILLIES
“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.” Psalm 145:8 (AMP) It never took us kids long to figure out that our dad was angry. He’d bite his bottom lip, then ball up both of his hands into fists. In nanoseconds, all five of us would escape out the back door, where we hung out in our 10-acre, wooded back yard until the eruption was over. Unfortunately, many times we didn’t make it out the back door fast enough. So years later, after I became a believer, the concept of a kind, loving heavenly Father was hard for me to grasp. The words my pastor spoke sounded wonderful, but deep down I couldn’t escape a vague sense of God’s anger directed toward me. Even when I read my Bible, the words often sounded angry to my ears. And every time I failed, messed up or fell short, I felt myself the target of God’s anger. And I failed, messed up and fell short all the time. Initially I didn’t understand that my background skewed my perception. It was as if the atmosphere of anger in my childhood home had warped my brain cells, and my experience blocked the truth of who and how God really was. Truth began seeping in after a conversation with a friend. I shared, through hot tears, that I desperately wanted to please God, but it felt like He was always angry with me. My friend said, “God is not angry with you, Julie. He loves you, and He understands you.” This truth was the beginning of a massive boulder of a lie dislodging from my heart. For the first time it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, it was possible God wasn’t angry with me. But things didn’t change overnight. For me, it was a gradual unfolding, a slow process as I grew to know and understand God’s loving character more intimately. When I stumbled upon today’s key verse,
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tears stung my eyes again, but this time in a good way: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness” (AMP). The fact that God is slow to anger, that He offers forgiveness when I confess my failures and that He does not hold my shortcomings against me in fierce anger, revolutionized not only my brain, but my heart. As if that were not awesome enough, that same verse declares that God is abounding in mercy and loving-kindness toward us. The word abounding means “to be present in large numbers or in great quantity; to be fully supplied or filled.” As I meditated on this verse and dared to believe God’s truth, the massive boulder that had lodged in my heart as a child slowly began to move. In reality, God is nothing like my past experience had shaped Him to be. He is our gracious heavenly Father who loves and accepts us as we are, patiently bearing with us, teaching and guiding us as we grow and mature in Christ. He is not mad at me, and He is not mad at you. God is for us, not against us (Romans 8:31). He has good plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11), and He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Sometimes our past experiences shape us in ways we don’t fully understand. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, God reshapes us, transforming our hearts and minds as only He can. Though it often takes time, God’s truth can work its way deeply into our hearts and completely dislodge boulders of lies. And oh, how He loves to roll away the stones! God, where boulders of inaccurate perceptions are lodged in my heart, please remove them and bring truth. I am thankful that instead of regarding me in fierce anger, You forgive and patiently lead and guide me. I’m so grateful that You are slow to anger. You are a loving, gracious heavenly Father, and I adore You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Jeremiah 31:3, “God told them, ‘I’ve never
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quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!'” (MSG) Romans 8:31, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (NLT)
Proverbs31.org
Did You Know that God is Slow to Anger? There are a lot of people who think that God is angry at mankind. These folks are always quick to pounce anytime a major disaster strikes and pronounce that it’s the result of God’s judgement. You can look at the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, various tsunamis, even the 9/11 attacks and see even prominent Christians declaring that God did those things as part of his judgement on mankind.
kill the god you created in your own image Totally Wrong There may be a rich Christian tradition of declaring God’s wrath on mankind but those folks couldn’t be more wrong. God has already satisfied his judgment when Jesus was nailed to the cross. The angels foresaw this when they declared at his birth, “peace on Earth, goodwill toward men!” Jesus knew it when he declared, “it is finished” right before he died. If God poured all his judgement out on Jesus then there is nothing left for the rest of us.
Slow to Anger Besides the Bible says that God is slow to anger. Take a look. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.— Psalm 103:8 Think about that for a moment. What do you think “slow” is in God terms? Well at the end of the book of Revelation Jesus says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” He said that to John about 2,000 years ago. (Rev 22:20)
Illustrious History
Notice the some of biggest words (the biggest ones are the most frequent in the text): God, wrath, hell, nothing, wicked, fierceness, fury, power, destruction, moment.
Edwards never mentioned the name Jesus once in his most famous sermon. Wonder
If “quickly” to God is at least 2,000 years then how long is “slowly” to him? I don’t know. But it has to be longer than two millennia for sure. And if God angers that slowly then how can he possibly be mad enough to cause disasters in our time? There isn’t a nation on this Earth with a government anywhere near that old! Let me leave you today with this encouragement from Psalm 30. Even if God was angry with you at some point in the past, that anger is long gone. Step into his favor.
why. Let me say that in spite of that Edwards is rightfully credited with being one of the major catalyst’s for the Great Awakening in America. God can use whatever tools he choses to get the job done.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.— Psalm 30:5
FROM THE MINIISTRY NEWCREEATIONS.ORG
Christians pronouncing the wrath of God have a long and illustrious history. For example, the image accompanying this post is a word cloud from the most common words found in Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” (The complete text is here if you’re interested in reading it.)
One word I noticed that is conspicuously missing from that sermon: Jesus.
We Would Like to Give You a FREE eBook Now! Just visit our website at:
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a short sermon worth reading 1-9, describe an incident when Jesus’ brothers actually start taunting their older brother about his ministry.
The Family We Choose he Smothers Brothers provide some of my best memories of TV from the late 1960s and early 70s. Tom and Dick Smothers were a comedy folk-music duo, and they were actual brothers. Tommy played guitar; Dickie played the upright bass. Dickie was confident and articulate. Tommy was uncertain of himself, easily flustered, but most of all, Tommy was a prankster.
BY REV. GARY DALTON TAKEN FROM MARK 3: 19b21, 3135
T
They’d begin their routine by playing traditional folk ballads. Without fail, a couple of songs in, Tommy would start slipping in some new words to throw off Dickie. Dickie would stop, and with great disdain, ask Tommy, “What do you think you’re doing?” Tommy would try to be sly and funny, but Dickie wouldn’t let Tommy get away with anything.
Later generations in the church will argue over whether these other children were born to Mary or if they were Joseph’s children from an earlier marriage. But that was not the Gospel writers’ concern. Their point was simply to let us know that Jesus came from a large family; that he had brothers and sisters. And, at some point, Jesus took the surprising step of leaving his family. It was surprising, and it was contrary to what was expected of him in
God
Finally, Tommy would angrily strike out, “Oh, yeah? Well, Mom always liked you best!” And Dickie would strike right back, “That’s right, Tommy! And you know why? You know why Mom liked me best? It’s because of stuff just like this!” That would be the end of that little spat.
I suppose in every sibling rivalry there always comes that awful suspicion that your parents like your brother or your sister better than they like you. Well, imagine that sibling rivalry when your older brother is Jesus, the Christ! You couldn’t even use the most basic retort: “Oh, yeah, like you’re so perfect!” Because, he was. Jesus had siblings, brothers and sisters. Mark here in chapter 3 mentions Jesus’ brothers. Later on in chapter 6, Mark adds that Jesus had sisters. (Mark 6:3). There was sibling rivalry. John chapter 7, verses
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But Jesus will have no part of it. More than that, he publicly renounces them as his family. Jesus is in this house, jammed full with the Twelve Disciples and with as many other people as could squeeze in around them. The crowd standing outside the house yell to the crowd packed inside the house, “Tell Jesus, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.’” That’s when Jesus makes the break with Mary and his brothers and sisters. He replies, basically saying, “I don’t know who those people out there may be because,” and he pauses to look around him, “here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” What a truly bizarre thing for Jesus to say.
Dickie would just keep badgering Tommy. Why had he thrown in those new words? What did he mean to say? How did he think that made Dickie feel? And on and on he’d hammer away until he had Tommy backed into a corner.
They would start singing another song until Tommy couldn’t help himself, and he’d sing or say something that would set Dickie off again.
Jesus’ brothers decide they must intervene; clearly, something has gone terribly wrong with their older brother. They must take the difficult step of pulling Jesus back into their care, for his own good, for the sake of the family, for the sake of their mother, Mary.
that time and place as the elder brother. By this time, Joseph is probably dead. Jesus is the eldest son. He is responsible for the care of his widowed mother and his family. But Jesus didn’t do that. He left behind his family to become an itinerant preacher. These verses in Mark chapter 3 illustrate just how baffled Jesus’ family has become over his behavior. These are the early days of Jesus’ public ministry. He is stirring up the crowds with his preaching and with his inexplicable power of healing. The religious authorities have begun to denounce him as being possessed of the devil. (Mark 3:22).
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Mark recounts this painful incident where Jesus breaks with his own family, why? Well, he’s sure not doing it to offer us ‘Four Steps to Improving Family Communication’ or some such family-enrichment sermon. This is not a “fix your family” text. Instead, Mark in this text and the one just before it conveys to us how Jesus radically redefined and expanded the boundaries of what it means to be the people of God. Now, I’m just gonna do a quick download of Bible information. We don’t want to rush the Lord’s Supper this morning. But there’s something I want to point out that you have done, and it’s going to take a little more background, so I’m just going to lay it out there in summary fashion. Before this incident between Jesus and his family, Jesus goes up on a mountain and appoints the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve are to be with Jesus, to learn and witness of all that Jesus will say and do, and then Jesus is going to send them out with his authority to preach and to heal. Why go up on a mountain to appoint the Twelve? Why not appoint them down by the Sea of Galilee? Does it matter that Jesus went up on a mountain? Does it matter that Jesus chose twelve? Why not ten or thirteen or nine Apostles?
maybe out of our comfort zone?
God, now in Jesus, was redefining that covenant; that’s the religious significance Jesus going up on top a mountain to appoint the Twelve. He’s mirroring Moses on Mt. Sinai. So, that’s quick Bible download #1. Quick Bible download #2 is why Jesus chooses Twelve apostles and not ten or thirteen or any other number. Jesus does that to mirror the twelve tribal patriarchs, the twelve sons of Jacob. Participating in God’s revised Covenant is no longer based on the Patriarchs; it’s based on Jesus. It’s based on hearing and believing the teaching that will be conveyed through the Twelve Apostles. That’s what we understand to be our twenty-seven books we call the New Testament. Can any of us trace our physical lineage back to one of the Twelve Apostles? No, we cannot. And, it doesn’t matter. The Christian faith is not a patriarchal faith. The Christian faith is a testimonial faith. Let me say that again: the Christian faith is a testimonial faith. It is the testimony of this present generation of believers, based on the testimony of an earlier generation of believers, all the way back to the testimonies of these twelve whom Jesus chose that day up on that mountain. To make sure you and I get that message, Mark then immediately turns to describe this incident with Jesus’ natural family. Jesus explicitly rejects the notion of any relationship to him based on the physical descent of patriarchy. For Jesus, who are the members of his family? It’s not his brothers and sisters by way of Joseph; it’s not by his mother, Mary. It’s the new, faith family gathered around Jesus. Now, notice something here with me in verse 35. Jesus looks around and says, whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. Well, that’s fine, but someone’s missing? The father’s missing. Jesus mentions a mother, but there’s no father in the group of men and women.
In that day and time, who’s in charge if the father’s absent? The elder brother. So, where’s the elder brother in this new family that Jesus describes in verse 35? Somebody’s got to be the elder brother. There are no elder brothers, plural, in the family of Christ, because Jesus does not delegate that title to anyone. Jesus alone gets to be elder brother in this faith family. Who is the father in the family of Christ? There are no fathers, plural, in the family of Christ because we are taught God alone is our Father. These two texts describe the foundational moments when Jesus lays out the basis for his community. It is a covenantal community no longer based on patriarchal lineage but based instead on testimonial lineage. We belong to this family of God, based on our testimony of our personal experience with Jesus Christ and on nothing else. In other words, the community of Jesus is a family where no one gets “to wear the pants in the family”…all family members are on equal standing; gender does not signify authority; it only signifies gender. There are no ruling fathers or elder brothers in the community of Christ. Now, finally, I can get around to talking with you about what you are doing, first by observing what you have done in the past: you have welcomed women into the ordained ministry of this church as deacons. You have ordained women to the vocational Gospel ministry and sent them out to serve in various places. This seems like no particularly exceptional thing for you to do, which is as it should be. The fact these are ordained women means only that: they are deacons or ordained clergy who are women. We can discuss their gifts, their skills, their experience, but gender is no longer part of the conversation at University Baptist. You now have an active Senior Minister Search Committee. You have told them, go find the right person for this congregation. The right person whom God calls and whose call you, in turn, recognize…that call you will know by their gifts, their education and skills, their testimony, and their experience as an ordained clergy person. But what about their gender?
What are your expectations of the next Senior Minister’s gender? I am not in the position to tell you the “should” or the “should not”, of that person’s gender. But I do want to lay before you the implications of Jesus’ teaching as it applies to genderspecific roles within the community of Christ. Which is, as I read it, there are no gender-specific roles.
CONTINUED
Jesus goes up on a mountain for this reason: long ago, when God made covenant with the Israelites, God called Moses to go up on a mountain to get the terms of that covenant. We know them as the Ten Commandments, basically.
What I say next, I say only out of my own guessing, and nothing else. At this juncture in the interim, I feel like I should point something out. If I had to guess, I would say the unspoken assumption among most of us is that the next Senior Minister will be a man. That’s only my guess. If that’s true for you personally, that the next Senior Minister must be a man, at least articulate that expectation to yourself and examine it. Examine your own gender assumption in the light of this church’s practice of ordaining women. Examine your assumption in the light of how Jesus chose his family of faith. This congregation’s next Senior Minister may indeed be a man and perhaps should be a man. But, it is equally true, the next Senior Minister may be a woman and should be a woman, perhaps. Wow. That’s something to think about, and to pray on, to prepare yourselves to examine whomever, based on their calling, and gifting, and experience, and all the rest that has nothing at all to do with gender.
STOP SAYING WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS WE ARE NOT. If you are an American born in the USA you are NOT an immigrant. Immigrants are people NOT BORN in the USA who come here to become Americans. If your parents or grandparents immigrated here, but you were born here you are NOT an immigrant. 13 percent of the US population is made up of immigrants. That means 87 percent of the population is NATIVE BORN. Almost 90%. That means we are a nation of native-borns. We are NOT a nation of immigrants.
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don’t wait until they melt
Kindness that Comes Too Late have always been glad that there was one person who brought out her alabaster jar and anointed the Lord before his burial. Most people would have waited. They would have kept the jar sealed until after his death. Only then, when his body was torn and cold, would they have broken it open to anoint him. But this one woman did not wait. She opened the jar while he could still enjoy its scent, and while his worn and weary feet could still be refreshed. You don’t have to read between the lines to find the lesson. After a man dies, there is no lack of alabaster jars to be brought out and unsealed. It is then that the kindest words are spoken. It is then that his loved ones forget all his mistakes, follies, and sins to tell of his virtues. His friends recount all the wonderful things he did, the generosity he showed, and the kindness he extended. Everyone that knew him visits his family to say some kind word, to recount a favor they received or a noble deed they witnessed. Close friends order flowers to be sent with their card and laid on his coffin. There is nothing wrong in all this. Flowers on a coffin are appropriate tokens of love and respect. The kind words are fitting, too. There is no better tribute to a life than the sincere accolades of grieving friends and family members. But in the meantime, there is a host of weary men and women toiling toward the grave who sorely need what we can give them right now. We are gathering incense to pour on their coffins, but why shouldn’t we pour it over them today? Kind words are lying in our hearts unexpressed, and resting on our tongues unspoken. These are the very words we will speak when these weary people are dead. Why shouldn’t we speak them now, when they would do so much good, and when hearing them would bring such encouragement? Many a man lives a plain, plodding life, yet an honest, Christian one. He often denies himself to serve others. He does many quiet good deeds to serve his neighbors and friends. Yet he rarely hears a word of gratitude, a word of comfort, a word of encouragement. We, the people he loves and serves, may be grateful, but our gratitude remains in our hearts. The vases filled with appreciation are kept stored away. Later, when we stand by his coffin, we say enough kind things to have brightened every hour of his life. There are enough flowers piled upon his casket to have filled
BY J.R. MILLER
I
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his house for years. His heart would have soared if he had heard our expressions of love and gratitude. His life would have been happier if he had known that we had such affection for him. while But, alas, he had to die before we would they can still hear them. The things you would say when express our appreciation. Many a woman lives for Christ, toiling in they are gone, say before they go. The quiet, unseen ministries. She neglects her flowers you would send for their coffins, own comfort to give generously to the send to their homes today. After all, flowers church and to the poor. She visits the piled on a coffin cast no fragrance orphan and the widow, she trains the young backward over the weary days already women. When she dies the church mourns gone. and her pastor preaches an eloquent sermon. These are fitting rewards for such a good life, but wouldn’t it have been better if we had shown a part of that kindness while her weary feet set out on another errand or while her busy hands prepared another meal? What does it matter to her when she lies dead that friends have come 417.699.8685 in throngs to lament her passing and utter Email: todrab777@hotmail.com her praises? I’m sure I speak for other weary toilers Come see us at: when I say this: If my friends have alabaster 113 Green Briar Drive jars of encouragement and affection that Branson, MO 65616 they intend to break over my dead body, I’d be grateful if they would bring them out on www.GraceElectricEnterprises.com one of my weary days and open them then. I would rather have a coffin without a Kingdom Come Kennels flower and a funeral www.KingdomDogs.com without a eulogy than a life without the love Randy+Debi Bartkoski and encouragement of friends. To display true 11252 Gum Road • Carthage, MO 64836 love to our friends, 417 359-9598 we need to anoint them beforehand for Check Out Our Website & Call Us Today! their burial. Postmortem kindness does nothing to cheer A small family run kennel located in the southwest corner their burdened of Missouri. We have been blessed with fifteen beautiful spirits while they live. wooded acres so our puppies have lots of room to run. We Tears falling at the specialize in creating puppies that will bless your life. Many funeral make no of our pups have champion bloodlines, but our main goal is to atonement for produce very loving healthy puppies that will bless your life. neglect during the difficult days of their life. Don’t keep the Designer Blends: alabaster jars of your Cockapoo (Cocker love and Spaniel+Poodle) encouragement sealed up until your Cavapoo (King friends are dead. Charles+Poodle) Flood their lives with Goldendoodle its scent today. Speak encouraging words (Mini Goldendoodle+
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musings
Texting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel, and misinterpret what other people mean.
FROM EDWARD JONES FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Thank You Perfect Signs! You have truly been one of the greatest blessings for our project to Honor the Families of the Fallen.
1944: 18 year olds storm the beach of Normandy into almost certain death... 2016: 18 year olds need a safe place because words hurt their feelings.
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A Okie Farm Kid Joins the Marines Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
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I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late… Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
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We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like
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New Construction & Remodels • Install • Sand & Finish • Refinish Russellville, Arkansas
(870) 504-0794 @Jason’sHardwoodFloors fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Sapulpa. I only beat him once... He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in. Your loving daughter, Alice
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We would send you approximately 75 copies of each issue that we publish. You can then distribute them to hospital waiting rooms, nursing homes, Christian Bookstores and any place magazines are displayed. You have the option to cover the cost that we charge ($25.00 or approximately 33 cents per copy) and just paper your travels with them or you are permitted to sell each copy to book and gift stores. An example: Sell each copy for $1.50 and the retailer would sell it for $3.95. You would receive $112.50 less your $25.00 and have $87.50 for gas and lunch expenses. (However magazines are normally sold on consignment.) As your ministry grows, you can order as many issues as you would like at $25.00 per box of 75. If you have been blessed by the ACV just think how rewarding it will be to bless others that would never have come across it otherwise! Just drop us a note with your first $25.00 check or call us with a credit card at: (417) 336-3636. Obviously you would not need to pay for a personal subscription anymore. It’s a win, win... when you help us grow, we help you grow!
therefore there is no condemnation “I want to be loved – with all of my faults and mistakes. I want someone to take the time to get past the walls and barriers that I put up, but I am terrified that when I am found out, I will be rejected. I feel like everyone, including God, won’t love me if I let them in.” This is the intense fear many of us live with every day. Why do we fear relationships? As we live in the world and embrace the lies of the world system, we find it hard to give love and even more difficult to receive it. We remember all the hurts, the rejection, and the pain. Pain has become an old familiar foe. We think that somehow God caused our pain and that He is the reason for our divorce, the automobile accident, the terrorist, or being molested. We think He is trying to teach us something or that He is punishing us. We conclude that God has multiple personalities. He is one minute angry and another loving and yet another totally unavailable. We think He is like the absent parent who left in the night leaving the children and the remaining parent to figure things out. Who is God and if He is real, where is He? How do I dare trust in Him when I think that He is angry, vengeful and asleep? Have we created God in the image of our worst nightmare? Have we made Him without compassion? Do we think because we pray and there seems to be no answer, that He is not there? Are we assuming that God is required to answer our every call like some genie in a bottle? Many of us feel that God is mad at us. He knows that we may feel abandoned and alone, but He is as close as each breath we take. If we only knew and understood how much God loves us, our lives
would be vastly different. He is not mad at us. The only sin that separates from Him is our refusal to receive the finished work of Jesus on the cross which satisfied everything that separated us from God. Jesus willingly took all the separation on Himself.
Special thanks to Kay and Joy for making the American Christian Voice available coast to coast!
THANK YOU SPONSORS!
BY KATHLEEN CARUSO O’NEIL
Just As I Am
Each of us walks a different path to the fulfillment that He offers, but when we finally see the truth, our lives become so complete and fulfilling that we will never be the same. All of us who think that God doesn’t care and isn’t available, can trust that God is in hot pursuit of them. He wants our hearts to be His so that His blessings can overflow in our lives. If you have asked Him into your heart, He wants you to draw near and as you do, He will draw nearer to you. We are His and He lives in us. As we trust Him, our lives blossom and everyone recognizes the difference. Because God is not mad at you, you can take down the barriers that you have put up and dynamite the walls you have used to protect yourself. As you trust God, you will no longer fear developing relationships with others. The anxiety you had that they would not understand or reject you will fade. If you are wounded, you will roll the care onto God, who loves you unconditionally, you will be able to forgive them. You will know how forgiven and loved you are. Take the betrayal to the One who will never leave you nor abandon you. You are secure in His love. No longer will you live in fear because His perfect love destroys all fear. If you have never opened your heart to Jesus, I invite you to take a few minutes and receive the finished work He did for you to open up a loving relationship with the Great God of the Universe. I promise you won’t be sorry.
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Widows of Slain NYPD Cops Raised Money for Families of Fallen Dallas Officers he widows of two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers gunned down in 2014 as they sat in their patrol car have each donated $10,000 to help the families of the five slain officers and seven others wounded in Dallas, Texas.
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Chen and Ramos are also met with Tunnel to Towers representatives to visit with families of some of the fallen officers in Dallas, who were shot and killed in an ambush. "My prayers are with all the officers and everyone affected by the loss of the five officers and the injured officers of Dallas," Ramos said at a press conference, also attended by Chen, Liu's parents, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who donated $10,000 as well. Ramos made the donation through the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation, which she founded in her husband's name to help families of police killed in the line of duty.
The former Stonewall West Motor Inn is the home for the all new Gold Star Family Inn. The building will eventually be remodeled and feature a number of micro, double and triple room suites provided by local and national businesses that will bear thier name. In the mean time we want to bless the families of the military, police and firefighters that have sacrificesd thier lives for all of us with our standard rooms.
BY CHRIS FUCHS
Pei Xia Chen and Maritza Ramos were among the first to contribute to a fund established by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which had raised more than $1 million for the families of slain Detectives Wenjian Liu, who was married to Chen, and Rafael Ramos.
Gold Star Family Inn Opens in Branson
We need an “Army of volunteers” for skilled labor as well as finances. You can be a part of this great project. There is a place for you and the gifts God has instilled in you help. For more information call John at 417336 3636. Together we will restore honor to those that have been grossly ignored by a liberal, unhonorable culture. There is a fresh wind blowing. Be a part of it!
www.GoldStarFamilyInn.com
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named after New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has already raised more than $334,000 for the Dallas victims' families through Crowdrise, with a goal of $5 million.
Special Paint Party Thanks!
Pei Xia Chen, center
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Kay Friberg Grant Burdick MikeEndecott Faith Grimes John Clements Lisa McCauley Christian Mills
Robert Hoover Ann Shepherd John Clements Wilma Dunbar Kim Cooper Mike Cooper Destin Sacoulas
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he term Gold Star Family is a end of World War II. The Gold Star modern reference that comes Lapel Button was established in from the Service Flag. These August 1947. flags/banners were first flown by Today, the nation recognizes the families during World War I. The flag sacrifice that all Gold Star Family included a blue star for every members make when a father, mother, immediate family member serving in brother, sister, son, daughter, or other the armed loved one forces of No one has given more for the nation dies in the United service to than the families of the fallen. States, the nation. during any Gold Star period of war or hostilities in which Mother’s and Family’s Day is the last the armed forces of the United States Sunday of September and Gold Star were engaged. If that loved one died, Spouses Day is April 5. The strength of the blue star was replaced by a gold our nation is our Army. The strength star. This allowed members of the of our Army is our Soldiers. The community to know the price that the strength of our Soldiers is our family had paid in the cause of families. The Army freedom. recognizes that no one has given The United States began observing more for Gold Star Mother's Day on the last the nation Sunday of September, in 1936. The than the Gold Star Wives was formed before the families of the fallen. Who hasn’t thought, “What can I do to honor these special families? How can we reach out to family members that have lost a loved one who has fallen in the service our country?” The number one request from the dying on the battlefields has always been, “Please take care of my family”. Our goal is to honor the Gold Star Families by providing one week in our Gold Star Family Inn located in beautiful Branson, Missouri. These rooms will be
nicely appointed suites that have all the amenities as well as free Gold Star Club tickets to the hottest shows in town to honor a fallen hero's family.
“A Buck in the Box in the Back” 100% of the proceeds donated to the Gold Star Club will be used to directly secure the facility to bless a family of the fallen. We all can play a small part of this by “putting a buck in the box in the back” the first Sabbath/Sunday of every month. All we are asking for is $1.00 per month. So, even at a dollar per person we can collectively make a difference! So… can we add your church to the list and have you join the Gold Star Club by signing up for the donation box and presenting it to your fellowship? Together we can make a difference to the families that made the greatest sacrifice of all! Your church’s name will be painted on one concrete block of the Gold Star Family Inn to encourage many other fellowships to join in.
Order your box today! You will be able to follow our progress and your involvement at:
www.GoldStarFamilyInn.com
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What the Hygge Trend Tells Me About True Comfort
BY D.L. MAYFIELD
I like warm socks, coffee, and a cozy fire. But real, sustainable self-care involves something unexpected. , like so many, am pretty good at selfcare: I love bubble baths, magazines, drinking coffee, and reading good books. But even my skills in this area could not prepare me for the month I just endured. The city I live in, Portland, Oregon, just came through the most miserable four weeks that any of us can remember. Being surrounded by sleet, freezing rain, ice, and snow for the past month has made me well aware of how the winter season intensifies my desire to be comfortable. Is it any wonder, then, that people from Nordic traditions (with their long, long winters) have identified and capitalized on the same need for comfort? The popular Danish word hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) roughly translates as “cozy” and “seeking comfort.” Chances are, you have seen this word hashtagged on an Instagram post, often accompanied by a picture of coffee, socks, a warm fire, knitting needles, and a book or two. Hygge has taken the popular imagination by storm, and now I find myself inundated with messages for how to create a more comfortable life for myself. In 2017—following a year that exposed the deep racial and class divisions in America— this philosophy of comfort has given me pause. How should I, as a Christian in this particular moment in history, view a seemingly innocuous longing for coziness? America is markedly different from the Nordic cultures in which hygge has been cultivated. Traditionally, hygge is understood as “comfort in moderation”—
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for example, having one cookie to ensure others get one, as well. But we Americans don’t tend to do moderation very well. TIME magazine recently identified how hygge is being increasingly marketed for consumption. This means that only certain pairs of socks or brands of tea (and lots of them) will give you, the unconsoled, the feeling of warmth and contentment that you desire. The marketing of hygge, then, is doubly problematic: It urges people to buy their way to happiness and also shuts out those who can’t afford to cash in on the trend. The hygge trend also reflects our political reality. As the New Yorker points out, in a year when the Oxford dictionary chose “post-truth” as the word of 2016, hygge was not far behind (along with “brexiteer” and “alt-right”). The last 12 months have been a deeply rancorous, highly-politicized time and the ripple effects will be felt for decades, often in the most marginalized parts of society. So it makes sense that people latch onto an idea that encourages self-care and comfort— something we all need and ought to work towards. Nonetheless, I would argue that this superficial understanding of comfort masks our deeper, truer need and fails to name our deeper, truer longings. What we really want is this: to create resilient communities of transformational love and to care for ourselves the way Christ cares for us. I have found that learning from nondominant cultures is crucial to understanding these deeper desires. As Audre Lorde, a prominent African American poet and activist, once wrote, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” She did seek out avenues of self-care, but her aim was not being cozy. Rather, her goal was surviving, thriving, and working towards justice. Jamila Reddy, reflecting on Lorde’s words, takes it a step further by pointing out that taking care of oneself—by making doctor’s appointments, for example—will not always feel good. Self-care, she writes, “means I have to let myself grieve even though it hurts, or admit that I’m really not okay when I’d rather nobody know.” In other words, it involves
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the deeper work of inward character building and outward community building. It requires what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction.” And it entails resilience, the long work of showing up, day in and day out, to see God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. I think about this as I stare at my wool socks. They are not peak hygge—after all, they’re not made out of cashmere—but they are still above and beyond my needs. As my city has been halted by terrible weather, I have stayed inside and tried to stay warm and dry and yes, as cozy as possible. I am grateful for my amenities, even as my conscience is pricked by the thought of friends and neighbors who not only don’t own wool socks but don’t even own a pair of boots. As I learn to pray for the daily needs of others, my gratitude for creature comforts is not marred—rather, it is deepened by the complexity of the human condition. Nonetheless, the comforts of this life— cups of coffee, a thick sweater, a single-origin chocolate bar—are temporal. So what is truly comforting? That God is present with us in our suffering—a promise we find over and over again in Scripture. For this reason, I am often wary of anything (even a Nordic Instagram trend) that has the potential to cut us off from being close in heart and mind and body to those who suffer. Jesus said words that stick in my throat: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24). While these words issue a warning against the pitfalls of worldliness, the Beatitudes offer words of invitation to a dramatically different way of life: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). I want to be in the multitude of the Beatitudes; I want to be where the blessings of Jesus are. Because deep down, I don’t just want to be cozy. I don’t just want cups of hot cocoa and thick scarves and warm feet for me and my neighbors. I also want to live up to God’s dream for the world. I want to be resilient in love. And I want to survive long enough to see a bit of the kingdom come. D. L. Mayfield lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two small children and writes about refugees, theology, and downward mobility. Her book of essays, Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith was recently released by HarperOne. She is on Twitter at @d_l_mayfield and blogs at:
DLMayfield.com
Online readers, we’ve included a link to printable PDF puzzle page!
ACROSS 1 Cook in an oven 5 Heavens 8 Please respond 12 Opera solo 13 Parable of the __ and Goats 15 Dueling sword 16 Campers dwelling 17 Shiny balloon material 18 Piece 19 OT book of prophecy 21 Book near Psalms 23 Great-grandmother of David 25 Revolve 26 Gape (2 wds.) 29 Dislikes 32 Vice __ 33 Smear 35 Hertz 37 Aegis 38 Father 39 Paste 40 Bill 41 NT church leader 42 Biblical seat of emotions 43 Engage 45 Turns away from sin 47 Grating sound 49 Wrongdoing 50 Betrothed (KJV)
54 __ of peace (Jesus) 58 Carpe __ 59 Composition 61 Italian money 62 OT book of history 63 Cafes 64 Son of Seth 65 Meshes 66 Grain 67 September (abbr.) DOWN 1 Tub 2 Realm 3 __ James Version 4 Graze (2 wds.) 5 Reserved 6 Seaweed 7 Many months 8 Turn away from sin 9 Engage in a boxing match 10 Part of speech 11 House animals 13 Strike (KJV) 14 One who speaks for God 20 Nimbus 22 Small bottle 24 Pulled 26 George, plaster cast artist 27 Group of related families 28 Very big striped cat 30 Acclaim
31 Cowboy boot projections 32 Animal doctor 34 French hat 36 Put 38 __ are the poor in spirit 39 Not Jews 41 Twin brother of Jacob 42 Frau's husband 44 Scents 46 Roman Catholic Church heads 48 Fisherman disciple 50 Garden of __ 51 Largeness 52 Fresh 53 Properly 55 Before ten 56 Harvest 57 Wind direction 60 Casino roller
Dear Lord, Help me not despise the things I do not know or understand. ~William Penn
puzzle page
Answers to CrossWord Puzzle on Page 45
Answers to Sudoku Puzzle on Page 33
God Loves you just the way you are, not the way you should be. Because no one is as they should be. - Brennan Manning
Friberg’s Gone Green Recycling & Waste Management Regular Hours Mon Fri 8:00 am 4:30 pm Sat 8:00 am 1:00 pm Sun Closed 2957 State Road 35
in Frederic, Wisconsin
7153278349 VOL.13 #1 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM
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grace filled fellowships • Spiritfilled Davidic style Praise & Worship • Annoited Bible-based teaching • Fellowship after each service • Nursery & Children’s Shabbat School
PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) WORSHIP SERVICES: Praise & Worship Sun. @ 8:30 a.m. Education Hour - 9:15 a.m. Liturgy &Traditional Service - 10:30 a.m.
Meeting at Branson Hills Ministry Center 256 Church Road, Branson, MO 65616 Discover the Hebrew roots of your Christian faith!
420 W Main St, Branson, MO 65616
(417) 334-3468 • fpcbranson.org
HIGHWAY #165 AND STATE DRIVE
S t i l l Wa t e r s
350 State Drive • Hollister, MO VISITORS WELCOME
Join us for weekly services: Erev Shabbat (Friday) 7:30 pm Shabbat (Saturday) 11 am (417) 3347373 www.TheTabernacleinBranson.com
International Ministries
(417) 3341499 Pastor Emil Bartos PeaceLutheranChurchHollister.com
Healthy Habits, LLC CINDY FOX State Fair Shopping Center 1500 So. Limit Ave. Sedalia, MO 65301 (660) 8264377
see service times at: jimbakkershow.com/morningside/ churchservices/
The only power sin has is the power you give it when you refuse to take hold of the sincrushing strength of the Holy Spirit.
First Presbyterian Church • Pastor Tom Wilcox
Gateway Austin, TX Northwest Austin: McNeil Campus South Austin: South Campus Internet Campus: internetcampus@gatewaychurch.com www.GatewayChurch.com Gateway Branson, MO Located in the Vista Plaza Shopping Center on the backside 2005 West Highway 76 • Suite 106 Branson, MO • (417) 335-9915
His life is your life, His death is your death, His righteousness is your righteousness Springfield Church of God (7th Day) "Sharing Freedom in Christ" Pastor: Andy Hassen • 1521 E. 24th Street N. Springfield, MO 65803
(417) 8316721 Sabbath School: 9:45 am • Worship: 11:00 am Wednesday night: 6:30 pm
www.SpringfieldCOG7.org
Waking the World to their Loving Creator Okay, so we are not a typical church but we are a training ground to make disciples for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit! Come visit OUR FAMILY Sunday morning at 9:45 am and you will see what we mean.
5400 U.S. Highway 160 Walnut Shade, MO
(417) 5981231 7 miles north of Branson on Hwy 160. One quarter mile west of 65. First property on left.
The basis for loving our neighbors, and for unity in Christ, is not proximity, understanding or commonality. We are one in Christ not because we are one in the same, but because Christ is the same. It is an impoverished theology that mistakes unity in Christ for sameness in Christ. - Leslie Leylands
SWEET SPRINGS It is our belief that God favors protection and provision, and calls us specifically to do so while relying on his guidance. Firearms give us the tools for following that calling. Sweet Springs Gunworks is located at:
A week without a Sabbath is perpetual bondage. 28
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152 Eden Way in Branson near the fish hatchery by Table Rock Dam. (417) 598-8691
religion brings condemnation
BY JEREMY TREAT
God is Not Out to Get You The Lord delights in you and sings over you. Can you believe it? y high-school basketball coach was a classic, old-school screamer who motivated with fear and shame. His voice was powerful, but I heard it only when I did something wrong. If I turned the ball over on offense or blew my assignment on defense, practice would stop, and the shaming would begin. Red in the cheeks and foaming at the mouth, he would scream until I had to wipe the spit off the side of my face. I never really knew him outside of basketball practice, but I know he was an angry man.
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Many people have a similar view of God. They believe he’s a grumpy old man who has to get his way, and that when he doesn’t, he will shame, guilt, and scare people to get them in line. Although most wouldn’t say it out loud, deep down even many believers think of God as “the God who is out to get me,” that he is waiting for us to mess up so he can meet his divine quota for punishing sin. Perhaps this comes from a particular teaching or from a bad experience with a church or a Christian, but either way, this is how many functionally view God. When we open the Bible, we encounter a very different God. The God who delights. The God who sings. The God who saves. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph. 3:17) This is one of the most inspiring and encouraging verses that you will ever read—but not in a “power of positive thinking” way. To read this passage merely as an inspirational pick-me-up would cheapen it and obscure its true meaning. To lift the verse out of its Old Testament context and surround it with clouds and doves is to miss the substantive joy and weighty delight of which it speaks. To examine the passage as a whole, however, is to understand the depth of the song and the broader story of which it is a part.
A Beautiful Song of Delight 30
Zephaniah 3:17 begins by declaring one of the most basic yet beautiful truths: The Lord saves. While most of us tend to focus on what we are saved from, this verse emphasizes what we are saved for. According to Zephaniah 3, not only are we saved from judgment, we are also saved for joy—God’s joy. Before we look through this window into the heart of God, let me invite readers to answer: What do you think God really feels when he looks at you? For many of us, even though we know intellectually that God loves us, we believe in our hearts that God is disappointed, angry, or even indifferent to us. Others of us know that we are forgiven but think of our standing before God only in negative terms: He’s not mad at me. I’m not guilty.
Many Christians carry this perception of God because we overemphasize what we are saved from and overlook what we are saved for. Imagine if someone asked me how I feel about my kids, and I said, “I don’t hate them.” That’s a true statement, but it’s not enough. I love my kids. I delight in them. But when we think of our relationship with the Lord, too often we only think of the things God doesn’t think or feel: “He’s not mad at me. He forgave my sin.”
people are not a mistake that God is stuck with because he values commitment. He does not give out his mercy begrudgingly, like Ebenezer Scrooge before the fateful visit of the three ghosts of Christmas. No, Scripture says God delights in showing mercy (Mic. 7:18). The Lord is not a reluctant giver, as if he has a limited amount of grace and has to give it out sparingly. He is “abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6). He is literally overflowing with love for us. God does not tolerate his people; he delights in us. The second part of God’s declaration is that “in his love he will no longer rebuke you.” The Lord is a “Mighty Warrior” (Zeph. 3:17), but his power is directed by his love and his strength is always in accordance with his character. When Zephaniah says that the Lord “will no longer rebuke you,” it’s not that God’s character has changed but that by his love, our status has changed. We are no longer under his judgment; instead, we are under his care (Zeph. 3:15). It’s a declaration rooted not in shifting emotions but in an unchanging, lasting covenant. The third part of the declaration is that the Lord “will rejoice over you with singing.” This is an incredibly unique view of God. He is not the Unmoved Mover of Greek philosophy or the emotionless God of the Stoics; the Lord is the God who sings. Only a God who is creative and beautiful adds rhythm and cadence when mere words are not enough. The God of the Bible sings—
Zephaniah 3:17 declares that God is mighty to save and focuses on what God saves us for. While there are many facets to what we are saved for, the threefold declaration of Zephaniah 3:17—that God delights in us, that he will no longer rebuke us, and that he will rejoice over us—is one of the most beautiful pronouncements of God’s grace and love in all of the Bible.
God does not tolerate his people; he delights in us. The first part of this declaration is that God “will take great delight in you.” Delighting is an action more often associated with humanity than God, but Zephaniah paints a picture of the God who delights. God’s
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and he sings over his people. I have four daughters, ages one, three, five, and six. Bedtime is always a challenge. They want to stay up. They’re not tired. But we
behavior modification is false religion have a nightly routine during which I sing to them. I usually hold my one-year-old in my arms and sing, and it calms and soothes her. She feels loved, secure, and safe. Zephaniah is reminding us that God is our Father who sings over us and holds us close in his arms.
A Bigger Story of Salvation An individual song is best understood in the context of its place within the life and work of the composer or band. So it is with the song that God sings over his people. This passage comes at the end of the Book of Zephaniah, which is almost entirely about God’s judgment. The book opens with God declaring, “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth” (1:2) and unfolds with God declaring judgment on nation after nation. Then, and only then, does God declare his grace. There is a profound dynamic at work between God’s justice and God’s joy. God’s judgment can be understood only as the expression of God’s character within the story of God’s grace. He is majestic and merciful. And God’s justice is not incompatible with his love but arises precisely to protect what he loves. God’s hatred of sin and evil is nothing to be ashamed of. Judgment is God’s just and righteous response to how sin and evil corrupts the very goodness of his creation. Everyone knows deep-down that justice is a good thing, which is why we cry out for justice when the weak are oppressed and when someone is wronged. We bristle when the guilty go free; we don’t want wrongs to be ignored. God is a righteous judge, and his perfect justice is an essential aspect of his perfect character. Further, God’s holy judgment is inseparable from his intention to restore the whole creation. He is not irritable, lashing out arbitrarily against morally neutral people. The Bible is the story of a holy King restoring an unholy people and renewing his whole creation. That which God is against in judgment must be understood within the broader story of what God is for in love. Without the holiness of God, the grace of God becomes cheap. Mercy becomes dismissal. Love becomes sentimentality. God becomes Santa. The Lord is just and joyful. He is a fierce warrior because he is a compassionate father. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s justice and mercy are both boldly proclaimed. But how can a just God take joy
in a rebellious people?
good gift (James 1:17).
This tension is ultimately resolved at the Cross, where Jesus’ atoning death displays the righteous character of God and delivers an unrighteous people from sin. Jesus accomplishes the great exchange, where he pays the penalty for our sin and we receive the status of his righteousness. The Cross is a constant reminder that our sin is great but that our Savior is greater. And while Zephaniah 3:17 is addressed to the tribe of Judah, it is ultimately fulfilled by the Lion of Judah. Why would Jesus endure the pain of the Cross and the shame of such a horrific death? As the author of Hebrews says, because of “the joy set before him” (12:2). Through Christ, we are saved from judgment and for joy.
Second, God’s love turns our duty into delight. When I was a young Christian, I was motivated by guilt and driven by a sense of obligation. I read my Bible, prayed, and went to church because that’s what “good Christians” were supposed to do, and because God would be upset with me if I didn’t. I was as miserable as I was hypocritical. But when I finally grasped God’s holy love, it changed my life. Because of the Cross, when God looks at me he doesn’t see my sin; he sees the righteousness of Christ and he rejoices over me. I do not have to earn God’s approval by getting my act together or building my spiritual resume. He approves of me by grace, not because of what I have done but because of what Christ has done for me. Because of God’s love, what was once duty
A Better Soundtrack for Life Our view of God greatly dictates the way we live. If we see God as a cosmic police officer, then we will live in fear of punishment. If we view God as a heavenly firefighter, then we’ll talk to him only when we’re in trouble. But if God is the mighty warrior who sings over his people, that changes everything, and not just our “spiritual” lives or the “religious” compartment of our ordered world. God’s song of delight is like a soundtrack for life, but it doesn’t simply match our mood; rather, it shapes our every thought and motivation. Here are a few ways that God’s song of delight shapes the way we live our lives:
God’s song of delight is like a soundtrack for life. First, God’s delight in us is the source of our delight in him. God is not a cosmic killjoy who is after our obedience with no care for our joy. God wants us to delight and that doesn’t mean God has to restrain himself. God’s delight and our delight are not in a zero-sum situation, as if for God to be praised we have to suffer. While God can be and is certainly glorified through our faithful suffering (Rom. 8:17–30), he is also glorified in our delight. Sex was God’s idea. Taste buds were God’s idea. Laughter was God’s idea. God is a good Father who has showered us with gifts, and he is glorified when we enjoy his gifts and ultimately when we delight in him as the giver of every
is now delight. When we are not working for God’s approval but from God’s approval, then the regular rhythms of the faith are gifts to receive. Third, God’s rejoicing in us today gives us hope for tomorrow. When I was a kid, I loved when my mom made cookies. After she stirred the dough, she would let me lick the spoon. It was so delicious, and yet it only increased my longing for what was coming: chocolate chip cookies. When we are caught up in giving and receiving delight, we experience a foretaste of the eternal joy that is to come. But, like licking the spoon, this foretaste of the Lord’s goodness will increase our longing for the fullness of joy that we will experience in the new creation (Isa. 65:17–19). Jeremy treat is pastor for preaching and vision at Reality LA in Los Angeles and professor of theology at Biola University. He is the author of The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology (Zondervan).
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do we have to have someone more lowly?
The Sin of Partiality and How to Deal with It
BY FATHER RAY SURIANI
(Twentythird Sunday of the Year (B): This homily was given on September 9, 2012 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read James 2: 15.) “Mom always liked you best!” If you watched television in the late 1960s, you probably remember that line from the old Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. At some point in almost every show, Tom Smothers would say those words to his younger brother, Dick. “Mom always liked you best!”
The words of St. James in today’s second reading are a challenge to us in this regard: they challenge us to acknowledge this temptation and deal with it! Listen again to his words: “My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?”
And it almost always got a laugh. But real-life favoritism—as St. James indicates in our second reading today—is anything but funny! Just ask some of our Olympic athletes from 30 or 40 years ago. They know this, unfortunately, by their own experience. Now it’s true, in every Olympics a few athletes will complain about the scores given to them by the judges in their respective events. But nothing in the recent past compares with the scoring injustices that took place 3 or 4 decades ago—when communism was alive and well in Eastern Europe! Remember those days? You’d have an American athlete, for example, perform a great gymnastics’ routine, and the U.S. judge would give him a 9.8 out of 10; the French judge would give a 9.7; the Canadian judge a 9.5; but the judges from the Soviet Union and the other Soviet bloc countries would give scores in the 7s! Now, to be fair, it sometimes worked the other way around as well: great performances by Soviet athletes were sometimes purposely under-scored by U.S. judges (and judges from other free, western nations). Which only serves to illustrate how difficult it is for human beings to be impartial! Unfortunately, the problem of showing partiality was not unique to the mother of Tom and Dick Smothers and to judges at the Olympic Games during the Cold War years. The temptation to show partiality is a temptation that every human being faces— constantly!
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Now speaking of distinctions, I think we need to make an important one at this point between partiality and preference. Every human being has certain preferences in life with respect to other people—and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all have certain people in our lives whom we like more than others; people we are closer to; people with whom we have special relationships. There’s nothing wrong with having such preferences; it’s a normal part of life on planet earth. The problem comes, however, when others suffer specifically because of these preferences! That’s partiality! For example, in the situation that St. James describes in this text, the problem was NOT that the rich man was treated so nicely; THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE POOR MAN WAS TREATED BADLY PRECISELY BECAUSE THE RICH MAN WAS TREATED SO NICELY! Because we are weak human beings who are tainted by the effects of original sin, it’s very hard for us to be impartial at every moment of every day, in every circumstance of life. In fact, I would say that only God is perfectly impartial; we, on the other hand, can be very easily influenced (whether we choose to admit it or not) by things like money and power and fame and social status, etc. St. Peter came to understand God’s perfect impartiality during the controversy in the early Church over whether or not Gentile men could become Christians without first being circumcised. And so he said in Acts 10: “I begin to see how true it is that God shows no partiality. Rather, the man of any nation who fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”
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St. Paul came to the same conclusion, and so he wrote in Romans 2:11: “With God there is no favoritism.” For the Lord, impartiality is the norm; for us, sad to say, it’s often the exception, not the rule. WHICH MEANS THAT FOR US IT ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE A GOAL! It needs to be a goal that we strive to attain each and every day—if we’re really serious about living our Catholic Christian faith. And one of the keys to reaching the goal of impartiality (or at least coming close to it) is to try to see other people as God sees them. Why is God totally impartial? It’s because he sees each of us—all of us— from the same perspective and through the very same “lens.” It doesn’t matter if we’re rich or poor, powerful or weak, famous or infamous: when the Lord looks at a human being—any human being, beginning at the moment of conception—he sees someone created in his image and likeness; he sees someone that his Son, Jesus Christ suffered and died for; he sees someone that he loves with a perfect and eternal love. Our tendency is to have a much less positive perspective on people—and especially on those who aggravate us, or cheat us, or mistreat us; or who aren’t very important in the eyes of the world, or who aren’t very smart or well-dressed or clean; or who lack some other personal quality that we place a high value on. We tend to see these people in a negative light, which, of course, leads us to show partiality to others whom we find more appealing. Obviously, therefore, overcoming the sin of partiality is not easy! It takes prayer, and practice—and a lot of effort. It involves training ourselves to look at every person we meet and think, “This is a person created in the image and likeness of Almighty God; this is a person Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior suffered and died for; this is someone whom the Creator of the universe loves with a perfect and eternal love.”
without this, everything else is in vain Is that one of the ways you and I must be like Christ? Again, we must say no!
(Love among the brethren: Why? Salvation and Assurance)
When we look at other areas of Jesus’ life, we can clearly say that we are to be like Him in these ways.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ~ John 13:3435 ________________________
Jesus had a zeal for God’s house. He was always in a synagogue or the temple. If we are going to be like Christ, we should have a zeal for God’s house. We need to be at all the services of this church unless providentially hindered.
Let’s now look at the importance, or necessity, of love among the brethren. We’ll look at its importance and necessity in several ways.
Jesus had a zeal for God’s corporate worship. That’s another reason we need to be here for all the services. He was a man of prayer. We need a vital prayer life to be like Him.
1) First, we’ll see that the love of the brethren is necessary if you are to have a sense of the assurance of your salvation.
He was sinless.
2) Second, we will look at this love’s necessity and importance among all the virtues that belong to a Christian.
fatherrays.blogspot.com 3) Third, we will see its importance and necessity for the proper functions of the church.
N.T. Wright, an Anglican priest and bishop of Durham, England, in his book Simply Christian: “Why Christianity Makes Sense” puts it this way: When Jesus emerged from the tomb, justice, spirituality, relationship, and beauty rose with him. Something has happened in and through Jesus as a result of which the world is a different place, a place where heaven and earth have been joined forever. God’s future has arrived in the present. Instead of mere echoes, we hear the voice itself: a voice which speaks of rescue from evil and death, and hence of new creation.
4) Fourth, we will see its importance and necessity for our witness to the world. The love of the brethren is necessary for the assurance of our salvation. Now, that may sound strange to you. Let me prove to you that if you want to have a real assurance of your salvation -- which I hope you do – then the love of the brethren is necessary for at least three reasons. First, it’s necessary because of the purpose of our salvation. Read I John 2:6: It’s the saving purpose of God that you and I be like Jesus Christ. Plain and simple, that is what I John 2:6 says to us. One of the reasons God has saved us in Christ is so we would be like him. That’s what it means to walk like him. That brings up the question, what does it mean to be like Christ? In what ways are we commanded to be like Christ? There are things that Jesus did that none of us are commanded to do. Our Lord Jesus had an itinerant ministry of teaching and preaching. Is that one of the ways we are to be like Christ? We would have to say no! He raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, healthy legs to a crippled man, etc.
We need to strive against sin in our lives. He had a heart for sinners. We need to have the same kind of love for sinners that He did. We are to be like Him in many ways. Listen carefully: Do you realize there is only one way that He told His disciples to be like Him? He told them very specifically to serve and love the brethren. He said when He told them that He loved them that “You must do as I do.” If you are to be my disciples, it doesn’t mean you are to speak like me, dress like me, walk like me. He says you are to be like Me in regard to your loving one another. I want you to love each as I have loved you. I want you to stop and think about that for a moment. When we think about being Christ like, it is not simply in regard to holiness or zeal. If we do not love one another, we are not being like Christ in the way that He told us to be like Him. God saved us so that we would be like Christ. It is like Christ that we must serve and love one another. To read Part I go to web site: www.AmericanChristianVoice.com and hit previous issues button. Click on Vol.12 N0. 7 and scroll to page 33.
Sudoku Answers to Page 27
“Dear Lord, help each and every one us to succeed where these others failed. Help us to see everyone— even our worst enemy—as YOU see them, and thereby avoid the sin of partiality.” Posted by Fr. Ray Suriani
The Love Required of God’s Children Part II
BY EDWIN BUDD
If Mrs. Smothers had had those thoughts when she looked at her two sons, Tom and Dick, she certainly wouldn’t have liked her son, Dick, best (presuming that she really did favor Dick over Tom). If Olympic judges 30 or 40 years ago had had those thoughts when they evaluated athletes from other countries, they certainly would have been fairer in their scoring. And if the Christian mentioned in this passage from St. James’ letter had had those thoughts when he looked at the poor man who came into his church that day, I’m sure he would have treated that poor man with a lot more dignity and respect.
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Judge Jeanine Pirro went after First Lady Michelle Obama for her recent assertion that the U.S. is less hopeful than it was eight years ago. In a sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, Mrs. Obama said she believes her husband will leave behind a legacy of hope, but that after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, "we're feeling what not having hope feels like." Judge Pirro took issue, questioning why Mrs. Obama feels this way. "This from a woman who, in 2008 at age 44, said 'for the first time I'm proud of my country' [but] eight years later you're out of hope?" Pirro said. Pirro said the Obamas failed to
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bring their promise of "hope" to Americans in several crucial situations, including the beheading of journalist James Foley and the 13 hours that Americans were stranded on a rooftop in Benghazi. She said Trump's election is proof that Americans "know what hope is", pointing to the tens of thousands of people who have braved cold weather to attend the president-elect's "thank-you tour" stops. "For you, 'hope' is gone," Pirro addressed Mrs. Obama, noting that as of next month, the family will no longer be able to travel abroad at-will with a full presidential entourage. Americans rejected the Obama's vision of hope, she said, adding that Mrs. Obama will be able to see firsthand the results of eight years of her husband's leadership once she leaves the White House.
eternal character attributes more important
Parental Priorities
W
A lot of the things that are wrong with the world we can’t fix by ourselves. As much as we’d like to see peace brought to troubled areas, corrupt governments reformed, cancers cured, there’s a limited amount that any of us as individuals can do about such things. However, there is one thing that nearly all of us can do that will immediately and exponentially increase goodness and happiness on earth. Parents -- and all other adults -- should reserve their highest praise of children for when their children do kind acts. This is not the case at present. As a rule, children receive their highest compliments for one of four things: -- their intellectual and academic achievements “my son, Sean is brilliant! His teacher says he is the best student she has had in years.” their athletic abilities, their artistic attainments, and, in the case of girls, their looks. Children who receive their parents’ and other adults’ compliments in these areas are delighted; everyone loves compliments. But what about the child who doesn’t excel at academics, who isn’t a gifted athlete or dancer? Or the girl who is not particularly pretty? About what will their parents praise them?
no. They don’t. Germany did not start World War II and carry out the Holocaust because it lacked intelligence or cultured people, but because it lacked enough good people. Now, what do I mean when I speak about young people being good? Let me cite a few examples: speaking out against and confronting a school bully;
very good at anything worth talking about. Some parents to whom I’ve made this proposal have told me it’s unnecessary; they’re certain that they’ve successfully communicated to their children that being a good person is what really matters most to them. By in large, these parents are deluding themselves and there is a way for parents to find out if this is so. For many years, Dennis Prager has suggested that parents ask their children: What do you think that I, your mother, or I, your father, want you to be: Successful, smart, good, or happy? Many parents who have conducted this experiment have been quite surprised to learn that their children did not think that being good was what mattered most to their parents. Try it yourself. Ask your child of any age that question: What do you think I most want you to be? I want to make clear that I am not suggesting that parents stop complimenting their children for their accomplishments in other areas. All children want to know that their parents have respect for their accomplishments. And girls, even more than boys, also need to feel that they’re physically attractive.
Befriending a new kid at school who isn’t popular;
BY JOSEPH TELUSHKIN
hen parents boast about their children with other people, what do most say first? Is it how nice they are to strangers? Or how much volunteering they did last year? Usually not. More often, they talk about their good grades in school, or the prestigious college they went to, or the much sought after summer internship they are on. But this is backwards. Acts of kindness are what parents should talk about with others, and what they should really praise their kids for. According to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, the best way to make a better world is to praise people for what counts--goodness.
The most flattering remark such a child is likely to hear their parents tell others will be something like, “But he or she is a really good kid.” From which it can generally be inferred that being a good kid is not a big deal -- that, from the parent’s perspective, the child is probably not
Finding a wallet or cell phone and making every effort to locate the owner, instead of keeping it; Offering one’s seat on a bus to an older person; Treating one’s siblings decently; Not cheating on tests; And much more. Note, however, that I didn’t list among my examples going on a 10K walk for a good cause like cancer research. That is, of course, a very worthwhile thing for a young person to do, but it’s not really what I’m talking about. I’m talking about individual one-to-one acts of goodness and integrity. Why will parents’ reserving their highest praise for their child’s goodness and integrity have so powerful an impact? Because children will then ultimately identify feeling good about themselves with being a good person, and they will most like themselves when they act nobly. Or to put in another way, their self-esteem will come more from their goodness than from anything else.
But -- and this is an important but -- what I am suggesting is this: the traits that we most often emphasize and praise are all important only if being a good person is placed at the top of the list.
What a world that would be! And the best news about this proposal is that you can start doing it immediately. And I don’t mean tomorrow. I mean now.
But then you might say, “don’t these traits have a value in and of themselves independent of goodness?” The answer is
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The Distinction Between God’s Punishment and God’s Discipline necessary to rebuke, to subdue, to humble.
BY A.W. PINK
“Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of him” — Hebrews 12:5 It is of first importance that we learn to draw a sharp distinction between Divine punishment and Divine chastisement: important for maintaining the honour and glory of God, and for the peace of mind of the Christian. The distinction is very simple, yet is it often lost sight of. God’s people can never by any possibility be punished for their sins, for God has already punished them at the Cross. The Lord Jesus, our Blessed Substitute, suffered the full penalty of all our guilt, hence it is written “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Neither the justice nor the love of God will permit Him to again exact payment of what Christ discharged to the full. The difference between punishment and chastisement lies not in the nature of the sufferings of the afflicted: it is most important to bear this in mind. There is a threefold distinction between the two. First, the character in which God acts. In the former God acts as Judge, in the latter as Father. Sentence of punishment is the act of a judge, a penal sentence passed on those charged with guilt. Punishment can never fall upon the child of God in this judicial sense because his guilt was all transferred to Christ: “Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24) But while the believer’s sins cannot be punished, while the Christian cannot be condemned (Rom. 8:3), yet he may be chastised. The Christian occupies an entirely different position from the nonChristian: he is a member of the Family of God. The relationship which now exists between him and God is that of parent and child; and as a son he must be disciplined for wrongdoing. Folly is bound up in the hearts of all God’s children, and the rod is
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The second distinction between Divine punishment and Divine chastisement lies in the recipients of each. The objects of the former are His enemies. The subjects of the latter are His children. As the Judge of all the earth, God will yet take vengeance on all His foes. As the Father of His family, God maintains discipline over all His children. The one is judicial, the other parental. A third distinction is seen in The design of each: the one is retributive, the other
remedial. The one flows from His anger, the other from His love. Divine punishment is never sent for the good of sinners, but for the honoring of God’s law and the vindicating of His government. But Divine chastisement is sent for the wellbeing of His children: “We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Heb. 12:9-10). The above distinction should at once rebuke the thoughts which are so generally entertained among Christians. When the believer is smarting under the rod let him not say, God is now punishing me for my sins. That can never be. That is most dishonoring to the blood of Christ. God is correcting thee in love, not smiting in wrath. Nor should the Christian regard the chastening of the Lord as a sort of necessary evil to which he must bow as submissively as possible. No, it proceeds
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from God’s goodness and faithfulness, and is one of the greatest blessings for which we have to thank Him. Chastisement evidences our Divine son-ship: the father of a family does not concern himself with those on the outside: but those within he guides and disciplines to make them conform to his will. Chastisement is designed for our good, to promote our highest interests. Look beyond the rod to the All-wise hand that wields it! The Hebrew Christians to whom this Epistle was first addressed were passing through a great fight of afflictions, and miserably were they conducting themselves. They were the little remnant out of the Jewish nation who had believed on their Messiah during the days of His public ministry, plus those Jews who had been converted under the preaching of the apostles. It is highly probable that they had expected the Messianic Kingdom would at once be set up on earth and that they would be allotted the chief places of honour in it. But the Millennium had not begun, and their own lot became increasingly bitter. They were not only hated by the Gentiles, but ostracized by their unbelieving brethren, and it became a hard matter for them to make even a bare living. Providence held a frowning face. Many who had made a profession of Christianity had gone back to Judaism and were prospering temporally. As the afflictions of the believing Jews increased, they too were sorely tempted to turn their back upon the new Faith. Had they been wrong in embracing Christianity? Was high Heaven displeased because they had identified themselves with Jesus of Nazareth? Did not their suffering go to show that God no longer regarded them with favour? Now it is most instructive and blessed to see how the Apostle met the unbelieving reasoning of their hearts. He appealed to their own Scriptures! He reminded them of an exhortation Found in Proverbs 3:11-12, and applied it to their case. Notice, first, the words we place in italics: “Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you.” This shows that the exhortations of the Old Testament were not restricted to those who lived under the old covenant: they apply with equal force and directness to those of us living under the new covenant. Let us not forget that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16) The Old Testament equally as much as the New Testament was written for our learning and admonition. Second, mark the tense of the verb in our opening text: “Ye
have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh.” The Apostle quoted a sentence of the Word written one thousand years previously, yet he does not say “which hath spoken,” but “which speaketh.” The same principle is illustrated in that sevenfold “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (not “said”) unto the churches” of Rev. 2 and 3. The Holy Scriptures are a living Word in which God is speaking today!
“Unhappily there is no word in the English language which is capable of doing justice to the Greek term here. “Paideia” which is rendered “chastening” is only another form of “paidion” which signifies “young children,” being the tender word that was employed by the Saviour in John 21:5 and Hebrews 2:13. One can see at a glance the direct connection which exists between the words “disciple” and “discipline”: equally close in the Greek is the relation between “children” and “chastening.” Son-training would be better. It has reference to God’s education, nurture and discipline of His children. It is the Father’s wise and loving correction. Much chastisement comes by the rod in the hand of the Father correcting His erring child. But it is a serious mistake to confine our thoughts to this one aspect of the subject. Chastisement is by no means always the scourging of His refractive sons. Some of the saintliest of God’s people, some of the most obedient of His children, have been and are the greatest sufferers. Oftentimes God’s chastenings instead of being retributive are corrective. They are
David. In his case the rod was laid upon him for grievous sins, for open wickedness. His fall was occasioned by self-confidence and self-righteousness. If the reader will diligently compare the two Songs of David recorded in 2 Samuel 22 and 23, the one written near the beginning of his life, the other near the end, he will be struck by the great difference of spirit manifested by the writer in each. Read 2 Samuel 22:22-25 and you will not be surprised that God suffered him to have such a fall. Then turn to chapter 23, and mark the blessed change. At the beginning of v. 5 there is a heart-broken confession of failure. In verses 10-12 there is a God-glorifying confession, attributing victory unto the Lord. The severe scourging of David was not in vain. Job. Probably he tasted of every kind of suffering which falls to man’s lot: family bereavements, loss of property, grievous bodily afflictions came fast, one on top of another. But God’s end in it all was that Job should benefit therefrom and be a greater partaker of His holiness. There was not a little of self-satisfaction and selfrighteousness in Job at the beginning. But at the end, when He was brought face to face with the thrice Holy One, he “abhorred himself” (42:6). In David’s case the chastisement was retributive, in Job’s
corrective. Abraham. In him we see an illustration of an entirely different aspect of chastening. Most of the trials to which he was subjected were neither because of open sins nor for the correction of inward faults. Rather were they sent for the development of spiritual graces. Abraham was sorely tried in various ways, but it was in order that faith might be strengthened and that patience might have its perfect work in him. Abraham was weaned from the things of this world, that he might enjoy closer fellowship with Jehovah and become the “friend” of God. Paul. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure (2 Cor. 12:7). This “thorn” was sent not because of failure and sin, but as a preventative against pride. Note the “lest” both at the beginning and end of the verse. The result of this “thorn” was that the beloved apostle was made more conscious of his weakness. Thus, chastisement has for one of its main objects the breaking down of self-sufficiency, the bringing us to the end of our selves.
CONTINUED
Consider now the words “Ye have forgotten.” It was not that these Hebrew Christians were unacquainted with Proverbs 3:11 and 12, but they had let them slip. They had forgotten the Fatherhood of God and their relation of Him as His dear children. In consequence they misinterpreted both the manner and design of God’s present dealings with them, they viewed His dispensation not in the light of His Love, but regarded them as signs of His displeasure or as proofs of His forgetfulness. Consequently, instead of cheerful submission, there was despondency and despair. Here is a most important lesson for us: we must interpret the mysterious providences of God not by reason or observation, but by the Word. How often we “forget” the exhortation which speaketh unto us as unto children: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.”
sent to empty us of self-sufficiency and selfrighteousness: they are given to discover to us hidden transgressions, and to teach us the plague of our own hearts. Or again, chastisements are sent to strengthen our faith, to raise us to higher levels of experience, to bring us into a condition of usefulness. Still again, Divine chastisement is sent as a preventative, to keep under pride, to save us from being unduly elated over success in God’s service. Let us consider, briefly, four entirely different examples.
Now in view of these widely different aspects chastenings (retributive, corrective, educative, and preventative), how incompetent are we to diagnose, and how great is the folly of pronouncing a judgment concerning others! Let us not conclude when we see a fellow-Christian under the rod of God that he is necessarily being taken to task for his sins. - A.W. Pink (1886-1952), excerpt from: Comfort for Christians, Chapter 7: Divine Chastisement.
I tried to fit you in the walls inside my mind I try to keep you safely in between the lines I try to put you in the box that I've designed I try to pull you down so we are eye to eye When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world? I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world How could I make you so small When you're the one who holds it all When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world Just a whisper of your voice can tame the seas So who am I to try to take the lead Still I run ahead and think I'm strong enough When you're the one who made me from the dust When did I forget that you've always been the king of the world? Natalie Grant VOL.13 #1 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM
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healing is the children’s bread
Is Healing Always God’s Will? want to encourage the women on my daily email to stand in faith for their healing, and we are seeing victory over cancer and other diseases. I do have to keep battling the traditions of men that make the word of none effect. Yes I know there are all kinds of reasonings and arguments against healing. Surely, an enemy throws a smoke screen over the Truth. Certainly people get offended because they assume they are being told they didn't have enough faith, and I NEVER want anyone to feel that kind of condemnation. The father of the epileptic child had little faith, but it was enough. Truly salvation is the ultimate healing, but why allow the devil to steal years of good works appointed to us from the foundation of the world? The following example is so profound. The child in this testimony had such severe food allergies that her tiny body could not tolerate anything. Her parents followed scripture, a step at time. It's a fascinating example of how God watches over His word to perform it.
BY H.L. FORD
I
Is Healing Is Always God's Will? As always, the Number One question when it comes to praying and believing for the sick is this: Why isn't everyone healed? I don't pretend to know all the answers. God has mysteries. God has secrets. Even with the frequency of people who do NOT manifest healing after prayer, I am going to say that healing is always God's Will. Yes, I know that's a very bold proclamation, but when you look at the prayer of faith, which is the ONLY prayer mentioned in the New Testament (James 5:15) that heals the sick, how can you pray any other way? There is no faith at all when you doubt that God wants you well. I have addressed reasonings in my book, "God Wants Me Well So Why Am I Sick?" I can also recommend many well renowned authors who are in full agreement. But that is for another day. I'm going to talk about one of my favorite modern day miracles because of the faith words spoken, followed by faith in action. We're going to look at six things this couple did to activate their child's miracle. Little Hannah Terradez suffered for three agonizing years with a severe digestive disorder that kept her from processing food. Medical science had done everything
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they knew to do, but she survived only with a feeding tube. Doctors sent her home to die. However her parents, Ashley and Carlie, knew Jesus as healer. Carlie had been miraculously healed of epilepsy, which she had suffered from childhood. " After three years of begging God for Hannah's life with no improvement, the couple heard from well-meaning ministers and other people that they should "let her go." Hannah had been through enough. It must not be God's will to heal her. But like the woman with the issue of blood, they were not giving up until they touched the Lord.
had just received. Together they discussed the kinds of mild foods Hannah might eat to ease her body back toward a normal diet. After such severe deprivation, a sudden intake of the wrong kind of food could kill her. They wanted to act in faith, but they also wanted to be wise. Can you imagine the what-ifs going through their minds?
First, they heard the Word that Jesus is not only Savior but healer (Acts 10: 38) and that healing is always His will (Matt. 8:3). They continued to hear this message and renew their natural thinking to supernatural truth. Faith comes by hearing the Word, and hearing (Rom. 10: 17). They listened to Andrew's message of the healing gospel over and over.
Without hesitation, she brightened and said, “I want to eat. I want to go to McDonald’s!”
Second, they spoke their faith in agreement. Like the woman with the issue of blood in Mark Chapter five who said in her heart that if she could just touch the hem of His garment she knew she would be healed, Ashley and Carlie decided to take Hannah to Walsall, England where Andrew had come for a healing conference. As the family packed into the car, Ashley turned to his wife and said, “Carlie, we have never heard any teacher who is so positive, that it is always God’s will to heal. Everyone else tells us sometimes God does not heal. Andrew rejects this, and now, so do I. When Andrew prays for Hannah, I believe she will be healed.” (Luke 17: 6; Mark 11: 23-24). “I agree 100 percent,” Carlie replied. (Matt. 18: 19). When two agree together as touching anything it shall be done. Third, they believed that they received her healing by faith with no outward evidence. At the end of the long day, when the crying and suffering child had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep, Andrew prayed a simple prayer over her. Amazingly and by faith alone, Ashley and Carlie believed that their daughter received her healing. Faith is the evidence of things that are not seen (Heb. 11: 1). I believe their faith had more to do with it than Andrew's prayer. Hannah continued to sleep for another thirty minutes. This gave Ashley and Carlie time to discuss what they should do to “walk out” the healing they believed she
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Fourth, they testified. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. When Hannah awoke, she was completely calm. Ashley bent over her and said, “Hannah, while you were asleep, Jesus healed you.”
Carlie looked at Ashley dumbfounded. “She’s always been ahead of us in faith,” she said. Hannah’s five-year-old brother Zachary piped up, “Now that Hannah’s healed, she won’t need her tube anymore.” To that, Hannah added, “Yeah, and I can eat anything I want now!” Hannah was declaring her faith. Fifth, the parents acted on faith that she was healed. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). That settled it. Carlie promptly unplugged Hannah’s feeding tube. She took the bag of costly medicines that had been used hour-by-hour to sustain her life, and hid them away. She did not allow fear to dictate what to do next, although the what-ifs were no doubt screaming at her imagination. As Ashley watched his daughter eat, he could hardly contain his excitement. He sent a text message to his mother, Linda, in Essex, England: “Praise God. Hannah was healed! She has been eating like a trooper! Jesus has healed her 100 percent. Just like the Word tells us so! First Peter 2:24.” After the meal, the Terradez family got back in the car to return to the final evening session of the conference. They were bouncing with excitement and divine energy. They would testify before the group that it is always God’s will to heal, and all we have to do is believe and take our authority in Christ. But suddenly, a terrible sound sent a shiver of fear through everyone in the car. From her safety chair in the rear seat, Hannah
began to gag and cough. This familiar sound was an absolute precursor, always leading to vomiting, violent pain, and diarrhea! Her brothers began to duck for cover.
for Hannah’s survival.
If Ashley had not known what to do when symptoms returned, the fowls of the air would surely have robbed Hannah of her healing (Luke 8: 12-13). Her parents would have been saying, "I guess she wasn't healed after all." They would have been walking by natural sight, instead of SON light.
Rev. 12: 11 - We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. What is the word of our testimony? We have victory in Christ Jesus. Amen!
From that day in Walsall, England when Carlie disconnected the feeding tube, Hannah has never used it again. Nor have her parents used any of the expensive medicines that had once been so necessary
Carlie Terradez now ministers on healing at Charis Bible College in Colorado. Her daughter Hannah is an adult, married and happily serving the Lord Who healed her. Carlie boldly proclaims that healing is always God's will.
CONTINUED
Sixth, they had to exercise authority over the illness. Hearing the familiar gagging sound, Ashley remembered Andrew’s teaching about not speaking to God about a problem but speaking to the problem about God. (Luke 10: 18-19; Mark 11: 23-24). He turned in his seat and spoke to the familiar symptoms, “Choking, gagging, in the name of Jesus, I command you to stop!” That is what a prayer of faith based on the authority of the Law of the Spirit of Life sounds like. No begging prayers like Moses prayed for Miriam in Numbers 12: 13 (which was based on the Law of sin). Even little 3-yr.-old Hannah did not beg. She had been saying, "Thank You Jesus for healing me," in her prayers long before her healing manifested.
A calm settled over Hannah. She swallowed and stopped choking. The boys emerged from hiding. In another moment, she was laughing and playing with her brothers again. In the days ahead, this scene was repeated once more with the same result. They resisted the devil (James 4: 7; Luke 10: 18-19; Mark 4:4).
The story of little Hannah Terradez can be found at: http://www.awmi.net/video/healing/ hannah/ the site for Andrew Wommack's Healing testimonies. Contact Harriet by email at:
HarrietF@centurytel.net
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we all are to some degree
BY JOHN G. SACOULAS
I am Intellectually Dishonest... So are Liberals om Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity Tom, said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here." Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house.
T
On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a huge 3-story mansion with Orange and Blue sidewalks and drive ways, a 50 foot tall flagpole with an enormous Broncos logo flag waving, a swimming pool in shape of a horse, a Broncos logo in every window, and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door. Tom looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I won 3 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame." God said "So what's your point Tom?"
bias against our chosen opponents. It’s like this... one day a martian ship lands in my backyard. I go out to greet them and the big-headed martian says, “We have observed you earthlings for many years now and it is interesting how much you all love professional sports. It seems that the Superbowl captivates even nominal fans of the game. “I suppose that’s true.” I admitted. We also observed that over many years that the New England Patriots are the best NFL team ever to play the game. In fact, in the last Super Bowl they overcame a 21 point deficit.” Big-head said nonchalantly. “WHAT?” I exclaimed indignantly. “You obviously don’t know what you are talking about. The Patriots are a bunch of bums!” “Really?” the greener one asked in a dead panned voice, “because the statistics say otherwise. Also, Tom Brady appears to be the best quarterback ever to play the game.” “That’s BULL HOCKEY!” I frothed with just a little bit of spittle running down from my mouth. “He’s a big fat cheat!”
"Well, why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?"
“Actually, earthling, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence to support that accusation.” Big Head intoned.
God chuckled, and said "Tom, that's not Tim's house, it's mine." _________________________________ Okay, so that’s how I tell the story. You may tell it different. It’s okay to prefer certain teams or players but we have to be careful when we are just intellectually dishonest about our bias towards our favorites or even more importantly, our
“Oh yeah?” I challenged with rancor in my voice, I don’t care what you, statistics or even God says... The New England Patriots STINK! And I will never believe otherwise!” _____________________________ It is possible because of my great disdain for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots that I will never give them their
due. I may never acknowledge that they are very good at certain things, I will never concede they are good even if they win the next six Super Bowls in a row. They will always stink. They will always be cheats, they will never have any of my affection. EVER! Of course I am in good company. Liberals feel the very same thing against Donald Trump and the conservative voters. To them... he will always be my Tom Brady. That makes them just like my feelings about the Patriots... intellectually dishonest. Tom Hanks said something recently that caught my attention. He said, “I hope that Donald Trump does so good as president that I vote for his re-election.” At first I was impressed at his diplomacy until I realized that what he thinks “doing good” and what I think “doing good” are opposite worldviews. If President Trump reduces the deficit, stems illegal immigration, stops ISIS and improves the economy but does not pander to pro-choicers, transgenders, globalistic agendas, and global warming, he will not be receiving Mr. Hanks vote in four years. As much as we hate to admit it... There is a vast polarization between a liberal and conservative worldview that is unlikely ever to be breached. The civil war in our own American history proved that. Jesus Christ will be the world leader and then, and only then, will we see where we were right and where we were (gulp) wrong.
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www.KingdomXperience.org “Quit shaking our bed!”
I said to my husband. “I’m not shaking the bed!” he responded. When I saw our large dresser mirror shaking too, I yelled, “Oh, my, gosh, it’s an earthquake!” I quickly jumped out of bed shouting, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” As I ran downstairs to the main floor, it felt like the house was going to separate into a thousand pieces. Three stories shook like a baby shaking a baby rattle. At any
s e k a u q h t r a
E
By Lauren Enriquez
second, the foundation could have cracked and the ceilings crash down. When I looked outside, the water on the lake behind our house was rippling from the effects of the quake. Many minutes later, I took a huge sigh of relief thanking God that my family was ok and that my house remained standing. Signs of the earthquake were left behind with a few cracks in the ceilings. The earthquake was unexpected and surprising. It swept onto our property without a warning and it was out of our control. The house could have shattered and my family could have died. Several minutes in an earthquake seems like several hours because it’s sudden appearance and its unknown duration. Life is similar. Out of nowhere, threatening problems appear without a timetable to know when they will cease. What should we do when this happens? In Scripture, King Jehoshaphat gives us an example of someone who was facing huge problems and reacted wisely. Because of his choices, he experienced victory and peace. There was a vast army on their way to his city, Judah, to annihilate the king’s entire kingdom. Surprised by the attack approaching, the king declared a fast and prayer for the people. King Jehoshaphat prayed, “Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you….We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us….We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you!”(see 2 Chronicles 20:6-12) The problem seemed insurmountable, but
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God said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s….You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you….Go out to face them
s U g n o m A
tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:14-17) As the people heard this encouraging word, they bowed their face to the ground and fell down in worship before the LORD…and praised God. The next morning, the day of the battle, King Jehoshaphat said to the kingdom, “Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld…and you will be successful.” Then he appointed men to sing to the LORD and praise him for the splendor of his holiness. They went out ahead of the army saying, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” When they sang in thankfulness and praised God, the LORD set ambushes against the opposing army and they were defeated.
thank you that you are working all things out as I have given it to you, and I trust in you.” Roll all your cares on the LORD because He delights to take care of you. When the “earthquakes” and challenges appear, do what King Jehoshaphat did. Though you may be walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and perhaps the problems seem insurmountable, remember that God is for you, not against you. God desires for you to trust in Him. When you trust in Him, He will fight your battles for you. Sing out thankfulness and praises to God because your victory is coming.
Dr. Marla is a radio host, motivational speaker, and a writer. She is available to speak at your next event!
King Jehoshaphat demonstrated to us what to do during challenging situations:
Marla Woodmansee can be heard on KLFC at 6:45 am CST. Listen in anywhere in the world at:
1. Inquire of the LORD and cry out to Him in your distress 2. Pray and fast 3. Keep your eyes focused on the LORD and do not look elsewhere 4. The LORD is your strength, do not be afraid or discouraged 5. Trust in the LORD because the battle is His 6. Stand firm and see the deliverance of the LORD 7. Worship the LORD and sing thankfulness and praises to Him
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After King Jehoshaphat implemented these 7 components, the LORD moved on their behalf, their enemies were defeated. Victory and peace were theirs because they trusted God. So, when your house shakes or your problems seem insurmountable, keep your eyes focused on the LORD and trust in Him. Do not worry. Replace worry with thankfulness and say out loud, “LORD, I
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Bad Pest Control Company
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Well, how about some context here. If a man had the ability to see the future and discovered that a family-band of thugs would eventually break in to his home, rape his wife and children and kill the family pet... if he knew that was a certainty for the future, would you blame him for a preemptive strike to kill him and his entire clan? Is it wrong to eradicate the wicked? Of course not. It’s the women and children that makes us squeamish about God’s former wrath, isn’t it? Here is another scenario: A man hears what he believes to be rats in his attic. He hires a pest control company to come out and rid his home of these vile creatures. After the pest control man descends from the attic ladder, the homeowner asks, “Did you get them? Did you kill them?” The exterminator replies, “I killed them all... well... except for the babies. They are soooo cute with their little furry faces and pink noses. I couldn’t bear to kill them.” Would you recommend that pest control company to anyone? Now I realize they are not people and there is a huge difference
between rats and people. However, when people who were made in the image of God, having the innate ability to discern right from wrong, behave in a wicked manner, (like rats), eradication sometimes is the only solution. (Think ISIS here) God is fiercely jealous of His children. Aren’t you of yours? He may not be mad at you as an individual and His wrath may have been satisfied by His Son’s sacrifice on the cross, but there is no doubt our heavenly father metes out consequential punishment for egregious behavior. Otherwise the victims are devalued and God is not just. As harsh as Old Testament laws appeared to be, it actually was quite effective. A modern day example is one that a commercial pilot friend of mine gave me. Pete had flown to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and had an overnight stay before his next assignment. He decided to go out and visit a local bazaar for a falafel lunch. Pete returned to his hotel only to discover he left his wallet on the lunch table full of people hustling and bustling through the crowded market. Realizing he had a few hundred dollars in cash in the wallet wasn’t as disconcerting as the credit cards falling in to the hands of unscrupulous people more than glad to steal from an infidel foreigner. As futile as it seems, who hasn’t gone back to the “scene of the crime” against all rational expectations that our property would somehow be overlooked by the nefarious?
My buddy sheepishly asked the vendor at the eatery if someone turned in an alligator skin wallet. The grizzled old merchant pointed to the table where the pilot had been and where throngs of people were eating. Miraculously, the wallet was still there. He rushed over and felt almost foolish to check what should have been an empty wallet. Lo and behold, all of his money and credit cards were intact. Incredulous, he showed his amazement to the vendor and asked him, “How this could be?” The vendor explained to my friend that the punishment for theft in their culture was to cut off the right hand of the offender.
BY JOHN G. SACOULAS
ho hasn’t thought, “God was certainly capricious when He ordered David to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. ‘Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" ? I Samuel 15:3
would you do less for your kids?
“That seems harsh!” exclaimed the ugly American to which the man at the counter replied, “Do you see anyone here with only one hand?” There might be abuses from evil men that impose Sharia law for vengeance instead of justice, but even the most difficult passages in the older testament about the stoning of children at the city gate for sassing their parents, historically, was almost nonexistent. The deterrent was ingrained in every child’s mind just on the legendary tales told by the older kids about what happened to poor little Benny, albeit, 20 years ago for disrespecting his parents. God is my protector and provider, and I am glad that my Abba is jealous over me to my enemies.
Branson 417.334.7291 Ava 417.683.3612 Forsyth 417.546.4464 www.OzarksFamilyVision.com Our practice has proudly served the TriLakes area with a tradition of quality service and a friendly staff since 1978. The doctors and staff take great pride in offering every patient the absolute best in vision care. Our expert doctors and experienced staff will take the time to answer all of your questions, explain treatment options, and provide the highest quality eye health treatments available. At Ozarks Family Vision Centre we have a mission and we take that mission seriously. Come visit our modern facilities and you will clearly see what sets us apart. VOL.13 #1 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM
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