Sanctity of Human Life Month

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"


~ Micah 6:8 ~

esv

Evangelical Pastor - Anywhere USA,

The above clip is from Dr. John Piper of Desiring God Ministries. This was a clip from a series of sermons on the issue of the Christian's concern with abortion in America. I want you to know that there are very sound, very God-centered, and very biblical Pastors who do not neglect to address the sin of abortion, but rather - to quote Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life: "Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:11, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Evil flourishes when it is hidden; injustice festers when the victim is unseen. And history demonstrates that those who have overcome social injustices have followed Paul’s advice to expose the evil. For instance, those who fought the slave trade in Britain went to the ports to draw pictures of the boats and how the slaves were kept in them like sardines.

Exposing evil causes it to collapse under its own weight, as it confronts the light of human conscience. Overcoming injustice does not require that everyone believe it is injustice. There is, rather, a critical mass at some point in the spectrum, when “enough” people are so convinced. The good news is that those people already have the conscience to reject the evil. The problem is that the evil hasn’t been sufficiently exposed for them to see it."

Each year for the past 11, I write to bible-teaching, evangelical Pastors to remind them that January is Sanctity of Human Life month; exhorting them to expose the prevalence and evil of this dark deed, and to admonish their flock to 'do justice', to 'love kindness', and to 'walk humbly before their God." In all those years, I've been invited to speak before a mere 3 congregations. One church asked me to speak twice. One church put me before a large adult Sunday school gathering. One church only allowed me to write an article for their church bulletin - which they took the liberty to butcher by editing out everything they deemed 'too strong' or 'too controversial'.

There are many ways to honor the sanctity of human life. I am always willing to provide a testimony concerning our prenatal diagnosis. I offer this to you again this year. It is an important message for the Church to hear as nearly a quarter of a million professing born again Christians in America abort their babies - and largely the pulpits remain silent on this controversial issue.

After Nicholas was born, and our life as a family with a special-needs child had hit a comfortable rhythm, I was asked to write about our prenatal diagnosis and the 'bedside manner' of the perinatologist and OBGYN who discovered our third son would be born with the severe birth defect of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. It was a horrible story, as I was treated poorly because I would not terminate my pregnancy. I was fired from my OBGYN who claimed he couldn't care for me since I would not follow his course of treatment. I had to beg an area group of perinatologists to 'take on' the care of my developing baby so he would have every chance of health and safety. With much groveling and persuasion (and excellent medical insurance), they agreed to steward over the rest of my pregnancy. That said, when asked to write about this for a national special-needs newsletter, I hesitated. I felt God prompting me to do something bigger with this experience...something that could help other parents who get a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis.

That was the beginning of the process of writing what is now called The Heartland Hug - A Help for Prenatal Diagnosis. The Heartland Hug is a 100 page book with practical suggestions and words of encouragement for parents who have been given an adverse prenatal diagnosis. This book is free for the asking.

This past year, a friend of mine published a book about the death of three of her children. She has a very biblical perspective on pain and suffering. The title of her book is
In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me. It is a powerful read. Her website is no less powerful and needful. The introduction on the home page is the actual emergency call when her daughter was dying. It will make you cry. Lynnette asked if she could use some of my material to augment her website and help the people she is ministering to. Here is a link to the little part that was useful. (For some reason, the PDF parent packet is not coming up, but you can read my letter of motivation for writing such a help manual.)

http://www.growingthroughaffliction.com/AdversePrenatalDiagnosis.html

Choices Perinatal Hospice, here in Wichita, also uses the The Heartland Hug - A Help for Prenatal Diagnosis manual I wrote several years after Nicholas was born. By God's providence, a regional-specific copy of this helpful tool is now in every city we've lived in and several we haven't. I was privileged to have been asked to consult with mothers facing a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis at the perinatal hospice. Choices is a wonderful show of the hands and heart of God working through His people. Dr. Stringfield and Pastor Joe Wright were quick to offer support and free medical/perinatal care to one area mother who phoned me for support when her OBGYN washed his hands of her after their unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. They offered this expensive help without me asking - their kindness made me weep. I did not get kindness when our OBGYN fired me after Nicholas was prenatally diagnosed....

Christians are getting prenatal diagnoses every day. Prenatal testing is becoming a standard of care. 80% of the unborn diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus are terminated. Over 90% of the unborn diagnosed with Down syndrome are terminated.

It is my prayer you will seriously consider allowing a sanctity of human life testimony of some kind this month to recognize the issue publically; and bring a face to it, and to stimulate defense of those who cannot defend themselves - both in word and deed. I realize there are several at church serving in the pro-life arena, but it is important to speak truth as well as live truth. Life in word and deed. It is important from the pulpit because silence can be taken as apathy or tolerance - or, God forbid, - permission. This coming Presidential term has promised to levy a severe blow to the sanctity of the womb and the frail.

I'm sure there are many people within the church who have testimonies they can offer....

Thank you for your consideration.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

~ James 1:27 ~

esv

Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

CHRISTmas Blessing 2008

Merry Christmas Family and Friends,



Every December as we consider our family Christmas letter, we scan the year for a resounding theme. Some years the theme is obscured. Some years the theme is obvious. Increasingly, we’ve become convicted that Christ’s birthday and His significance should be the theme of any Christmas letter we send out. This year, we have on our hearts to share with you some of the blessings brought about by that babe in a manger and how His is the cradle that continues to rock the world. With so much confusion about Who Christ is and what a Christian is, and with so much bias as of late concerning people who follow Christ, we believe sharing the blessing of Christ and His followers in the world is the one thing needful.

Most of the following material is from the book entitled What if Jesus Had Never Been Born? By D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe – a most worthy read. *We hope everyone can enjoy this account in the delightful spirit of CHRISTmas.

Impact on the Value of Human Life

• Women. In ancient cultures, a wife was the property of her husband. Aristotle said that a woman was somewhere between a free man and a slave. In India, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned on their husbands’ funeral pyres. Christian missionaries were a major influence in stopping these century-old practices and ideas.
• Children. In the ancient world, for example in classical Rome or Greece, infanticide was not only legal, it was applauded. Killing a Roman was murder, but it was commonly held in Rome that killing one’s own children could be an act of beauty. Through a higher view of life, it was the early Christian church that ultimately brought an end to infanctide.
• Slavery. While it is true that committed Christians have owned slaves in history, it is also true that slavery was ended in great measure by Christian activists. For example, historians credit the British evangelical William Wilberforce as the primary force behind the ending of the international slave trade (which happened prior to the American Civil War). Two-thirds of the members of the American abolition society in 1835 were Christian ministers.
• Gladiators. A 5^th century monk, Telemachus is credited as being the pivotal force ending the gladiator spectacles.
• Cannibalism. Missionary followers of Jesus are credited with stopping cannibalism in many primitive societies.

Compassion and Mercy

Kennedy and Newcombe in their book detail the rise of charity in the name of Jesus over the centuries. This is in stark contrast to history before Jesus. Historians record that prior to Jesus, the ancient world left little trace of any organized charitable effort.

An important aspect to Jesus’ ministry was his emphasis on helping the neediest and lowliest in society. For example, his Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) is a classic illustration that is still part of our language today. While there are good charitable efforts outside of the name of Jesus, Kennedy and Newcombe argue that Christian charities stand out. They point to Mother Theresa, the Salvation Army, religious hospitals, and church supported soup kitchens and thrift shops in every community. Jesus has had such an enormous impact on charity that one wonders how different things would be if he had never been born.

The mythical character of Santa Claus points back to Christ. St. Nick unquestionably arose within the Christian tradition.

Education

From the beginning of Judaism, from which Christianity is derived, there was an emphasis on the written word. But the phenomenon of education for the masses has its roots in the Protestant Reformation.

In order to promote Bible literacy, Christians have been leaders in education. This trend was accelerated with the advent of the printing press at about the same time as the Protestant Reformation. Many of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries in order for people to read the Bible.

In America, the first law to require education of the masses was passed by the Puritans. The law was called "THE OLD DELUDER SATAN ACT." This name was a reference to the devil, who Christians believe gets his foothold into people’s lives because of their ignorance of Scripture.

For the first 200 years in America, children’s reading texts emphasized biblical literacy. The emphasis on literacy was so intense in colonial America, that John Quincy Adams said in the early 1800’s that the illiteracy rate was only 4/10^th of 1 percent. By comparison, it has been estimated that in America today, 40 million people are functionally illiterate.

All but one of the first 123 colleges in colonial America were Christian institutions. While these universities have lost their Christian identities, it is interesting to read the founding statements of these schools. Harvard, for example, was founded on this statement: "Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. John 17: "

Government of the People

While America’s constitutional government is not specifically Christian, it can be argued that its roots are taken from biblical doctrines. Here are just a few possible arguments in this regard:

• America’s first constitution was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. The Puritan framers of this document required that each aspect of it be grounded in Scripture. Other constitutions to follow contained many similarities to this one.
• At least 50 of the 55 signers of the U.S. Constitution were orthodox Christians.
• There is no doubt that the concept of our Constitutional checks and balances system is a direct result of the biblical doctrine of the sinfulness of mankind. All of our founders understood the importance of this doctrine to the social order.
• America’s foundational idea of The Rule of Law rather than the authority of man traces back to the Old Testament, beginning with the Ten Commandments.
• The idea that all men are created equal as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is a biblical doctrine.
• The notion of the sovereign authority of God (as mentioned in the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, all 50 state constitutions, our currency, etc.)--rather than the sovereignty of the state--is certainly biblical.
• The existence of moral absolutes (a biblical concept) is an important idea in our Declaration of Independence--specifically, self-evident truths and unalienable rights from the Creator.
• Many other aspects of our laws come directly from the Bible--for example the judicial, legislative and executive branches trace to Isaiah 33:22. Fair trials with witnesses have numerous Old and New Testament support.
• Regarding civil liberty, founding father John Adams (and others) emphasized 2 Corinthians 3:17 as the basis for American civil liberty. The slogan on the Liberty Bell is "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof" is from Leviticus 15:10. Kennedy and Newcombe argue that Jesus himself was the greatest civil libertarian of all time.

Science

Kennedy and Newcombe also argue that science has it roots in Christianity. They point out that other world religions may express a worldview of fatalism (everything is fatalistically determined) or of illusion (that the physical world is an illusion). Science could not have arisen from these worldviews.

Christianity on the other hand, is based on the notion that there exists a rational God who is the source of rational truth. This, they argue, gave rise to the possibility of scientific laws.

Evidence for this view is that nearly all the founders of modern science were Christians. These include men such as Keppler, Boyle, Pascal, Pasteur, Newton, etc.

Free Enterprise and the Work Ethic

Private property rights can be traced to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:15, 17 (Thou shalt not steal,”Thou shalt not covet.")--as well as to other passages from the Old and New Testaments. Interestingly, there are over 700 references to money in the Bible!

It is noteworthy that Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations was written in 1776, the same year as the birth of America. But many historians credit theologian John Calvin from 200 years earlier as the person who is most responsible for putting together the principles that were always in the Bible into a system adapted by the American founders. For example, the biblical doctrines of self-reliance and self-denial are the foundation of the famous "Protestant work ethic." These doctrines are at the heart of our economic (and political) way of life.

A distinction can be made between biblical capitalism and evolutionary capitalism. The emphasis on biblical capitalism is on the importance of servanthood--a key teaching of Jesus. Evolutionary capitalism on the other hand relies solely on the survival of the fittest. America’s anti-trust laws are evidence that American capitalism emphasizes the former over the latter.

Anyone who doubts the relationship of biblical ideas to free enterprise need only to note the stark contrast with communism. Communism is specifically an atheistic system that relies on the non-biblical notion that all men are good (thus will work for the common good). But communism has been an abject economic failure.

Art, Music, Literature

The influence of Jesus on art, music, and literature is enormous. For example, the Christian faith has influenced literature in such Christian writers such as Dante, Chaucer, Donne, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Dickens, Milton, etc.

Had Jesus never been born, music would likely sound very different from what we’re used to. There may never have developed the cantata, the concerto, or the symphony. Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach were Christians who worked to honor God with their work. Bach, for example, signed all his works with Soli Deo Gloria ("Solely to the glory of God").

Art has likewise been magnificently impacted by Jesus. While much modern art seems to debase the human spirit, classical Christian art tries to bring out the best of mankind--pointing us to a higher plane. This is certainly a tribute to Jesus.

And think of all the incredible architecture through the years. Especially noteworthy are the beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

Contrary Evidence

Kennedy and Newcombe address the criticism of some who point to atrocities in history committed in the name of Christianity--specifically the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem witch hunts, and anti-Semitism. The authors acknowledge the sinful nature of these events. But they argue that those who committed them were acting contrary to the teachings of Christ, who taught to love even your enemies! The blame for committing such acts should be placed on those who perverted Jesus’ teachings--not at the feet of the Prince of Peace!

However, it should also be mentioned that many historians say that Christians have gotten a bad rap from the above events. For example, it can be said that all of the Crusades were defensive in nature--in the same way that one can accurately say that America's current War on Terrorism is defensive in nature. America is responding to an unprovoked attack first made upon us. Our goal in this war is simply to protect our citizens and our property. This is the same thing that the Christian Crusaders were doing, acting in self-defense against aggressors.

And in the case of the Inquisition, Kennedy has stated that he is convinced that the people leading the Inquisition were not Christians at all. (Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven….”) In every case in which Christians are blamed for violence, a closer look largely exonerates Christians."

Further, they point out that when Christian restraints have been removed from a society, the atrocities are magnified many times over. For example, the regimes of Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and Pol Pot were essentially atheistic bloodbaths. These twentieth century despots alone account for well over 100 million murders. The evidence is strong that when the restraining influence of Christianity has been removed from a country or culture, unmitigated disaster will naturally follow. As admitted by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, "[Without God] all activities are equivalent."*

We pray you were blessed by reading just some of the beautiful fruit and sweet aroma of the Body of Christ marching through time in His honor and His name. May we continue to look well to the interests of our King and continue loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Kurt, Jill, Dakota, Dylan, Nicholas, and Pippin-the-Pooper (dog)

*taken from - http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/The-Impact-of-Christianity

© Charles and Cindy Meek

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

Why Is It So Important to Understand Conversion?





The above clip is from a WordPictures series called: How God Converts The Human Soul

It is an incredible teaching on the sovereignty of God's electing, amazing grace.

"EVERY CHRISTIAN IS EITHER A MISSIONARY OR AN IMPOSTOR."

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon ~

With Christmas coming up, we are in the throws of planning our annual Family Christmas Outreach party. This is a party we've had since our oldest was 2 years old...that's 13 years! WoW!

We started this party in order to include entire families in celebrating the real meaning of Christmas. We were new to Phoenix, and didn't know very many people. We invited anyone who had little kids and who would smile back at us! My parents flew to Arizona to help. We had 24 people that first year - mostly children under 5. My dad was a good sport and dressed up as Santa and when we returned home from neighborhood caroling 'Jesus songs', he bound down the stairway and gathered the children around him and explained Christmas is about Jesus. He read aloud The Legend of the Candy Cane. Beautiful memories....

Through the years, we've refined the party to be evangelistic both towards our guests (specifically invite Christians and non-Christians and give the gospel) and towards the neighbors we carol for. During the party, the children are read several Christmas stories like: The Tale of Three Trees, The Legend of the Candy Cane, and The Pine Tree Parable. They make a Christmas tree ornament comprised of three long nails bound with crimson raffia to place on the tree to remind everyone that Christmas means absolutely nothing without Easter. We have the children make extra tree ornaments so we have one to give each family who allows us to sing carols to them. They assemble 'gift bags' for the homes we sing for - a biblical gospel tract, the tree ornament, and a book (last year, it was Lee Strobel's The Case for Christmas).

Each party guest family was given a copy of Mark Cahill's book One Heartbeat Away last year. I was thrilled to be able to purchase an 18 book box of discounted books from Mark Cahill Ministries and they arrived in record time the day before our party. Christian was encouraged to read the book and promise to pass it on to someone who needed Jesus in the months to come. Non-Christian was encouraged to read it. A wonderful book.

This year, just two days ago actually, I got an e-newsletter from Mark Cahill Ministries. He stated he realized times were financially tight this year and wanted to let everyone know he had discounted his One Heartbeat Away box of 18 at an even greater discount. Also, he was offering a box of 42 books for only $200.00 and free shipping. Christmas is a perfect time to share the gift of Jesus! Oh, how I wanted to purchase that box of 42 books!

Had it been last year, I wouldn't have thought twice about making the purchase; but 2008 is different. Our economy is fragile. Our family portfolio is radically different than it was last year. We have two mortgages and have yet to sell our little house on Tee Time. We lost much with the stock market crash over the past months. As much as I wanted to be able to purchase these great evangelism tools, I knew I could not. Not this year.

I was sad. I really wanted to be able to give One Heartbeat Away to each of the homes on our culdesac this year as we carol. Last year it was The Case for Christmas; this year, I had hoped to give out something that presented answers to skeptics as well as a forthrightly biblical gospel. I was sad it looked like this was not to be... "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." I asked God to help me think of something significant to give to our guests and to the homes in our neighborhood.

A few short hours later, our doorbell rang. I went to the door to see the delivery truck pull away. I looked down on the porch to see a large box of, what I assumed to be, medical supplies for our youngest son. I bent down to pick up what I expected to be a light box, and to my surprise, it was incredibly heavy. I turned it over to read the shipping label:

To - Jill Grier

From - Mark Cahill Ministries

"OH MY! THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE! I'VE NOT ORDERED ANYTHING FROM MARK CAHILL MINISTIRES! Shipping this box back will cost an arm and a leg. We can't keep this - we can't afford to pay for it."

I set the heavy box on our kitchen table and opened it up. Atop the supplies, was a folded piece of paper with 'My gift to you' printed on the top. I picked it up and set it aside to see what was in the box. It was the box of 42 books I had wanted to purchase earlier that morning. The 42 books plus two of his teaching DVD's valued at an additional $40.00. Lukewarm No More and Pride Goes Before Destruction. I didn't know what to think. I had not ordered this. I hadn't even known about it until that very morning....

I called the boys to the kitchen to show them the box of books and the two DVD's and ask them if they knew how it came to us. Nicholas suggested it might have been Dad who ordered it. I assured him Dad doesn't order books. Dakota suggested I read the folded paper I had set on the table. (Good idea!)

I read the note on the outside aloud: My Gift To You

I opened up the invoice and began to cry. It listed the materials included in the box and had a personal note at the bottom. It read:

"Hey Jill, Please take these as a gift from the ministry. Pray over them and get them into the right hands during the Christmas season.

Lost people all around you. Don't let them get away!

Mark"

You see, about 6 months ago, I woke with a pressing urgency to write Mark Cahill a letter of appreciation for his passion and his ministry. I felt led to share with him how we had used his One Heartbeat Away book for our Family Christmas party outreach last December. I felt like God wanted him to learn how a family was using his book and how much we appreciated his truth-filled writing. I told him I believed his book to be one of the best evangelistic tools I've seen because it combines apologetics and answers to the skeptics and uses the Law to prepare the soil of the heart to hear the good news of the gospel. I told him this book was a perfect blend of Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, and Ray Comfort - all in one.

I mailed the letter with the US Postal service and didn't give it another thought. I didn't really expect him to read it. I just felt like it was a letter God wanted me to write and send.

I think Mark read my letter. I can't imagine why else he would have sent me a box of evangelism books free of charge.

I PRAISE GOD FOR PROMPTING ME TO WRITE THAT LETTER. I PRAISE GOD FOR MARK CAHILL AND FOR HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S PROMPTING HIM TO SEND US BOOKS TO GIVE OUT THIS CHRISTMAS. I am humbled to know God had this in motion even before I knew about this special deal on this larger box of books. Humbled to know God cares about our little Family Christmas party outreach. Humbled He would orchestrate such a surprise to encourage me that He cares and He will provide even our wants. I love God's timing. I was so sad yesterday knowing this year we couldn't afford to do our Christmas party outreach like I wanted.

I am writing this down so I don't forget. So my children will know the praiseworthy deeds of my God. So the children yet to be born will know God's providential and faithful hand in my life.

I LOVE YOU JESUS!

I am so thankful You show yourself to Me. Please help me be faithful! Please help me to walk worthy. Please make sure these truth-filled books make it into the hands of those You want to read it - and be transformed by it. Please Lord, if I may ask, let my children see fruit of these books given as gifts this year. They so need to be encouraged. I so need to be encouraged. Even now, please be preparing the hearts and minds of those who get the gift of this book. Protect us from evil. Protect us from fear. Help us reflect your beauty this Christmastime. Help us love in word and in deed. Help me be winsome. Help me be a sweet aroma. Help me glorify you.

Thank You Jesus!

Thank you Mark Cahill!

Professing CHRISTian - Barak Obama?

The below link is to The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.

There is a lot of confusion today about 'who is a Christian'...someone who says they believe in Jesus...someone who says they are a Christian? Jesus said you will know a tree by it's fruit. We must contend for the faith given once for all. (Jude 4)

https://secure.conservativedonations.com/cadc_woinac/?a=1845

What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? The Truth of the Blessings of Followers of Jesus Christ

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."

~ H.G. Wells ~



PART 1 -





PART 2 -





One of my favorite vocal artists - from Kansas even - is Jennifer Knapp. This is a song that comes to mind when I begin to get discouraged about the state of the Church in America. The visible state of the Body of Christ. Oh, His great love for us! Glory!

Listen to the lyrics. Brings tears to my eyes even now....

HOLD ME NOW by Jennifer Knapp




From glass alabaster she poured out the depth of her soul
O foot of Christ would you wait if her harlotries known?
Falls a tear to darken the dirt
Of humblest offerings to forgive the hurt
She is strong enough to stand in your love
I can hear her say....

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

Let he without sin cast the first stone if you will
To say that my bride isn't worth half the blood that I've spilled
Point your finger and laugh if you choose
To say my beloved is borrowed and used
She is strong enough to stand in My love
I can hear her say.... (King Jesus)

I'm weak
I'm poor
I'm broken, Lord
But I'm your's
Hold me now, hold me now

*************

Isn't it humbling to be reminded of His great love for His bride? Isn't is encouraging to know that even with a bride who is broken, a bride who fails so often, a bride who is so often faithless - He can cause her to stand and walk in His ways and bring glory to Him - for the good of the world! We see evidence of this all around.

Read Ezekiel 36: 26-27

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (God)


THANK YOU JESUS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF YOUR STORY! THANK YOU FOR ORDANINING ME TO BELIEVE, AND FOR APPOINTING ME TO THIS TIME AND TO THIS PARTICULAR PLACE. I LOVE YOU SO!

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed DVD Releast Oct. 21

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Trailer:




Beloved, Just to let you know - this important film will be released on DVD October 21st.

Right now, you can pre-buy it through either Answers in Genesis (www.answersingenesis.org) or through your local Family Christian Bookstore at a significant discount. I encourage that.

I believe this DVD should be in every Christian family library. It is so important to expose the agenda to squash any dissent that deviates from Darwinian Evolution. Dialogue is not acceptable. This is always a bad sign. Typically, when people don't want to engage in conversation - resorting to name-calling, yelling, firing, or 'shut-up'ing; it is because they are not confident in their preheld suppositions. We need not fear them. We need not retreat from the conversation. They are on shakey ground. Our Armor - which includes the breastplate of righteousness - doesn't indicate protection for our backside! Turning tail and running, isn't in the battleplan. Walking off the field isn't our calling....

After an intense battle to get EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed to release here in Wichita on opening day, we had a poor showing of people to demonstrate to the Warren management and to the NorthRock management it was worth it. (Our family attended the opening evening showing at the Warren East. I have no idea how many people attended at the Warren West or the Warren Downtown, or even at NorthRock.)

Now we have an opportunity to gather people to see this again. Let's be creative about this. Perhaps we could approach our local Pastor to see if he would be willing to set aside one Sunday evening for a full-length 'movie night'. Perhaps we could show this within our small groups. Perhaps we could invite families over to our homes to have a movie night complete with discussion and prayer for our nation.

LET'S DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS TO SEE THIS FILM!

Let's not put it off. Let's not get discouraged when we meet rejection after rejection. Let's not be quitters. Let's pray and let's invite and let's discuss.

Here is a letter I wrote to our pastor to encourage him go see it on opening day and to encourage our congregation to see EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed when it was to be released in local theaters months ago.

(You know we can write letters of personal testimony and encouragement to our Pastors and elders, don't you?)


Here's the letter from this past Winter:


"If people think God is interesting, the onus is on them to show that there is anything to talk about. Otherwise, they should just shut up about it."~ Richard Dawkins ~Rabid Contemporary Atheist - Evolutionary Biologist, Oxford University



Dear Pastor,

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled you are teaching on Genesis on Sunday mornings! I believe the very foundations of credibility and integrity within the American church are in Genesis chapters 1-11.

How I could go on and on about my own confusion trying to reconcile what I was taught in Sunday school as a child and what I was taught for 12 years in Wichita Public Schools – not to mention State universities I attended.

Interestingly enough, I believe I represented the vast majority of professing Christians who desperately try to ‘believe both’ in that it wasn’t until a few years ago I came face to face with the need to research and make some conclusions as to the age of the earth and Creation. I was setting out to teach Ancient History and was told I needed to decide from which ‘angle’ I would be teaching – Old Earth or Young Earth. I had never heard of Young Earth…I had grown up believing God used the process of evolution and massive amounts of time to make what we know today. I didn’t agree with Carl Sagan who screamed volumes of ideology when he made his claim: “The Cosmos is all there ever was, all there ever is, and all there ever will be.” I believed God used the Big Bang to create and start the process, but that He ordained evolution to complete the process. Much assumption followed….

Then I was faced with teaching Ancient History. I had to make a decision… a thoughtful and informed decision. We set out to do some research on the subject. We drove from Flower Mound, TX to Glen Rose, TX to tour the Creation Evidence Museum. A road trip that changed my life!

http://www.creationevidence.org/

I remember clearly walking INTO that humble museum a Christian (my particular flavor of Theism) Evolutionist and walking OUT a confident and excited YE Creationist.

Glory!

We are living in an increasingly pagan America where people have no concept of God and why He matters and this drastically effects and limits our evangelism. Peter was talking to people who ‘knew’ and feared God. He told them to repent and be baptized. Paul, however, was talking with people who had no clue about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. On Mars Hill, he had to start at the BEGINNING! Sadly, that is where we are today, but most Christians don’t know it. We are usually Peter talking to the men of Athens! It is worthy to spend corporate time teaching on the essential doctrines of the Genesis Record.

Surely you are aware, but in case you are not, there is a wonderful movie coming out this Friday and it will be playing at the Warren East and Warren West Movie Theaters.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is an important film and – believe me – it was a battle to get it to show here on Opening Day in the Box Offices.

I’ve attached a Leaders Guide and a Press Packet. Perhaps these will give you some added material to use in your sermons. PERHAPS YOU WILL GO SEE THE FILM ON OPENING DAY.



“If you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.”

~ Richard Dawkins ~



"I think religion is a deadly threat to the survival of the species and to the continued evolution of the brain."

~ Christopher Hitchens ~



"The fact that 40% of American scientists believe in God indicates that 60% of scientists aren't doing their jobs."

~ Sam Harris ~




The Warren Theaters East and West will be showing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed this Friday (Opening Day in the Box Office)! Praise the Lord.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 16th.

West side show times for Opening Day are: 1:45; 4:20; 6:50; and 9:20



"THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'THERE IS NO GOD.'"

~ Psalm 14:1 ~



Serving His Kingdom Here and Now ~

Truth Project Veritology - Lesson One

"What is truth" is the most important question we can ask - and many of us do.

What is the truth?

Last week, I taught our first session of the 13 week biblical world-and-life-view class The Truth Project for the interested women at our church. What a thrill! What a privilege!

So last Thursday, the first topic in the curriculum was the issue of Veritology. Veritas is Latin for 'Truth", and 'ology' indicates the study of something. Biology. Zoology. Embryology. Theology.

VERITOLOGY. What is Truth?

We scoured Old Testament and New Testament and I came away with two key points to ponder:

1.) In Jesus' own words, stating why it is He came to earth: "Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (John 18:37 niv)

I'd like to make a couple observations here in this seemingly simple statement.

a.) From Christ's lips Himself, He stated the reason He came to earth was to TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH.

Evidently, truth is critical. Evidently, truth is important. We, as Christians, should care what truth is; and as we, as Christians, are ultimately called to become Christ-like - shouldn't we be duty-bound and obligated to do the same - namely, to testify to the truth.

With so many different 'truth'-claims floating around professing Christian communities, shouldn't we be more concerned to flush them out, research them, and studiously investigate, and then articulate which ones are legitimate? I have come to the conviction that the answer to this question is a hearty YES!

I'm going to list a couple I tend to tangle with on a regular basis.

- "What's right for you may not be right for me."

- "God is sovereign, but man still has to choose to be 'saved'."

- "The Kingdom of God is in the near-but-not-yet future."

- "There is a difference between Israel and the Church."

- "God allows, but does not decree bad things to happen to good people."

- "Jesus died for all the sins of all men."

- "The lordship of Jesus Christ is optional, but not required for the Christian." (Put another way, "You can accept Jesus as your personal savior without bending knee to Him as LORD of all.")

- "God wills all people go to Heaven."

- "Our kids are salt and light in public schools."

- "We live under the New Covenant... Old Covenant law does not apply."

- "There is a difference between secular and sacred."

- "Times have changed, to be successful in this day and age, this (a college degree, a six-figure income, separate bedrooms for each child, etc...) is required."

b.) Further, and what I find to be most profound in this claim, Jesus adds, 'Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." This implies there are SIDES. A right side (Jesus'), and a wrong side (opposed to Jesus). Now that's quite a statement!

So I wonder, if we read the same Bible and come to different conclusions - for example, as in God's sovereignty + Man's 'free will' = heaven or hell destination - isn't at least one of the conclusions wrong? Both obviously can't be 'right'. Both can be wrong, but both cannot be right!
Arminians claim coming to Christ is a free-will choice; that God bids everyone 'come' and Jesus died for all the sins for all men - with the exception of unbelief and gospel rebelion. if one is intellectually honest and logical, they would see this claim as making man ultimately and finally sovereign - hence, negating the notion of 'the sovereignty of God.'

Calvinists claim coming to Christ is a spiritual-state resurrection. A 100% doing of God. As in the word-picture of Lazarus, when Christ bid him 'arise' and he appeared, after being stinky-dead all wrapped up in his burial cloths. Lazarus did not 'choose' to be brought back to life. He did not 'seek' Christ while in his state of corruption, death, and decay. HE WAS DEAD. DEAD MEN DON'T REFUSE OR CHOOSE LIFE. THEY ARE ... D-E-A-D! When the Holy Spirit resurrects our 'dead in transgressions' spirit and breathes life into it and quickens us unto spiritual life, we will come. We are only so thankful to come to life. Satan's truth-claim in the garden to Eve, 'You will not surely die', was a half-truth presented as a whole truth --- which is a lie! She did not die physically or cognitively, but indeed she and Adam partook of the forbidden fruit and did die spiritually. (Hence, regeneration is literally a spiritual resurrection.)

Isn't stake on truth-claims within the professing body of Christ worthy of a wrestle?!

Jesus, in His own words said 'Everyone on the side of truth listen to me.'

Do we second-guess or manipulate the Word of God to fit our presuppositional impressions and beliefs? Do we BELIEVE GOD, or just believe in God? There is a big difference! Do we fall into moral relativism when we come against a professing Sister or Brother who disagrees with biblical truth, and copout by saying 'what's right for you may not be right for me.'? I wonder....

The second key point to ponder after listening to the Truth Project lesson on Veritology is this:

2.) God equates lies with idols!

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 44 it states that work can be an idol (v.12), people can be an idol (v.13), and a lie can be an idol (v. 15-20). Let's focus on Isaiah 44:15-20.

"He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or he planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is man's fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

but he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
'Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says,
"Save me; you are my god."
They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds are closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"It not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Is this not remarkable! Scripture equates a lie with an idol! If we are living a lie - because we believe a lie, and we indeed live what we truly believe - we are idol worshippers. God has quite a judgement for idol worshippers! Read the book of Galatians!

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:16-21 niv)

So here we can see: God equates idol worship with intentionally and naively living out lies - whether we are cognisant of the lie or not. Evidently, the issue of true Truth and salvation are connected. Truth has eternal consequences!

We ar wise to do the hard work to discover and bend knee to the truth of Scripture. Polar 'opinions' don't jive in the Body of Christ!

Whew! This is just the first week of study in the Truth Project!

Next week - philosophy and ethics. Can't wait!