DEADLY TORNADOES

May 22nd, 2013 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

Recently there were deadly tornadoes passing through the southwest of the United States. My heart goes out to those in Oklahoma who were in harms way. The loss of property is bad enough, but the loss of lives is terrible. My prayers are with these people trying to rebuild their lives.

There is no way we can ever eliminate these catastrophic happenings. It is not a way of God punishing us, it is something that happens. I can’t explain it, as to the why or where, only God can. The storm could have been a lot worse, but people were blessed that it wasn’t.

God is no respecter of persons, as Matthew 5:45 tells us. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. God does not select certain people he will save in a storm, and some he will not.

1 Peter 3:18 tells us, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. Christ came to save all of us, not a certain few. Or job is to hear His Word, understand it, and obey it. Christ died for all of us.

There is noting pretty about a catastrophic happening. Most of us have been affected in some way. I’ve been through tornadoes. I know the magnitude of the wind. We were lucky, our house was spared, but we lost two barns. I have also been very close to three other tornadoes. It is not fun, but we were blessed.

We cannot escape bad things. As long as the world stands, there will be storms. The storms should make us appreciate what God has given us. We should realize how blessed we are to have a caring God, caring friends, and caring loved ones. It’s not easy to watch everything you own fly away.

We as Americans are able to bounce back. I’m praying for those in Oklahoma to do that. It’s not easy and there will be moments of doubt. It is our job to help them in any way we can. It may only be our prayers, but we can do something.

Wonder how Noah felt when he stepped from the ark and saw all the divination? When the ground was dry, Noah and his family left the ark and in Genesis 8:20, we read that Noah built and altar to the Lord. He worshiped God. He was thankful to be spared when everyone else in the world was not. Think about how blessed the people of Moore, Oklahoma are.

In reality, we are blessed each day of our life. God blesses us with the air we breathe, the sunshine, the rain, the food on our tables, our friends, and everything we have. Take a moment to thank God for these blessings.

DID GOD SEDUCE MARY?

May 20th, 2013 | By admin

Recently we received an e-mail at Apologetics Press from a skeptic who accused God of breaking one of His own commandments. The skeptic cited Exodus 20:17, which is the final commandment in the list of the Ten Commandments, that states: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” The skeptic then stated that “God most certainly wronged Joseph when He seduced Mary, the betrothed of Joseph.” Did God violate His own laws of morality when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary so that she conceived Jesus? Not in any way.

First, it must be stated emphatically that there was no sexual seduction of any kind involved in the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. In fact, that is just the point of the miraculous, virgin birth of Christ. Hundreds of years before Christ was conceived in the flesh, the prophet Isaiah had stated: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear and Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The New Testament writers stressed the fact that Mary was a virgin when Christ was conceived (Matthew 1:23). When the angel announced to Mary that she would conceive a child, she said: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” Mary’s response makes it clear that there was no seduction involved. Instead, it was a miraculous conception that had nothing to do with sexual intercourse. Mary remained a virgin until after giving birth to Jesus, at which time Mary and her husband Joseph came together in marital relations and conceived several other children (Pinedo, 2009).

Notice the skeptic attempts to lump Jehovah God in with the grotesquely immoral pagan gods whose seductions and sexual perversions fill the pages of ancient mythology. Zeus, the “father of the gods” was a mythological deity whose sexual appetite and rapine seductions were all too well known. During some of his more infamous escapades he seduced Europa by turning himself into a white bull, running off with her on his back, and ravishing her on the isle of Crete. He had an affair with Io and then turned her into a heifer. He seduced Semele and eventually killed her by showing her his full, godly glory. These are but a few of Zeus’ “conquests” (Hunt, n.d).

Only the most prejudiced reader would attempt to relate the conception of Jesus to the seductions perpetrated by the pagans gods. In the historical account of Jesus’ conception there is no contact by God in any type of physical form with Mary. Mary was completely aware of how babies are normally conceived, yet she stressed the fact that she had been involved in no physical, sexual activity that would bring about pregnancy. The biblical text emphatically states that Mary was a virgin when she conceived and gave birth to Jesus. Mary was not seduced, violated, ravished, or involved in any sexual way with Jehovah. In a miraculous event that had nothing to do with sexual seduction, the Holy Spirit “came upon her” (Luke 1:35), and brought about the conception of the Messiah. The skeptic has no legitimate grounds to accuse Jehovah God of immorality in His interaction with Mary. Such an accusation truly reveals more about what is in the sinful heart of the skeptic than it does about God’s character.

REFERENCES

Hunt, J.M, (No date), “Zeus Lovers,” http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/scaffold/gg/zeuslover.html.

Pinedo, Moisés (2009), “Was Mary a Virgin Her Whole Life?,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=105&article=2665.

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LIE, LIES, AND LYING

May 17th, 2013 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

Most people think nothing of lying. It’s just a “little white lie” they say, but is it really? Aren’t we taught from Moses’ day until today that lying is wrong? Lying harms more than just yourself. It can harm the whole universe.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 explains more about lying. 1Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. These verses tell us that even in the first century people were trying to persuade others by lying. It’s amazing how quickly some people wanted to change things to suit themselves.

The above words were given to Paul through the Holy Spirit. They came from God. This is what God is telling us that is going to happen, and it did before the ink was dry on Paul’s parchment.

Why do people lie? Usually they lie to have their own way, to make people believe they are bigger or better than anyone else, or to have importance. They want the spotlight on them. I’ve known people who will lie their way through anything.

Lying has been around for a long time When the children of Israel made the golden calf, they lied about how it came about. In Exodus 32 the story is told how Aaron asked for gold jewelry to make the calf. When Moses heard about it and came down the mountain, Aaron told him he threw the gold in the fire and the calf came out. I wonder if he expected Moses to believe him.The funny thing about lying, it usually catches up with you.

Satan, in the form of a serpent, was the first to lie. He talked Even into eating the forbidden fruit, and she and Adam lied to God. No matter how hard you lie and think no one will ever find out, God knows. He knows every little black, white, purple, or red lie we tell. He knows all the half-truths, whole-truths, and the non-committal lies we tell.  He knows it all.

It’s sad that so many people think they have to lie to succeed. It goes from the highest heads of government to the lowest person on the earth. We’ve been told through the years it’s okay to tell half a lie, or half a truth. It isn’t. We have to tell the truth, no matter the consequences.

Lying has broken marriages, torn down governments, and just about everything else you can think of. It is not healthy to lie. We need to be more truthful, even if it hurts us.

CELL PHONE ADDICTION

May 15th, 2013 | By admin

by Paul Holland

         Two preadolescent children were hospitalized in northern Spain for “cell phone addiction.”  The director of the hospital’s center for adolescent psychiatry said the two children had their phones for about eighteen months and were using them non-stop.  Their parents did not restrain them, according to the director, and this incessant use lead to academic problems.

The students, ages 12 and 13, would have to be hospitalized up to two years.  The Spanish drug enforcement agency estimates that 10% of teenagers from Madrid are addicted to either the internet or cell phones.  In Spain, the average age for acquiring a cell phone is between ages 12-14 while “experts” suggest that teenagers not buy cell phones until they reach 16 years old.

That statement that the doctor made regarding parents not restraining their teenagers reminds me of the sons of Eli.  Their names were Hophni and Phineas and they were priests, men of God, mediators for the people. But they are also described as “worthless men” (1 Samuel 2:12).

It is noteworthy that “worthless” in the New American Standard and English Standard versions (the NIV has “wicked”) translate the Hebrew which means literally, “sons of Belial” (cf. KJV).  “Sons of” is a Hebrew idiom that means “characterized by” or “having the qualities of”.  For example, Jesus tells us to become “sons of light” (John 12:36). That is, we should believe in the light that we may be “characterized by light” or “have the qualities of light”.

“Belial” is a Hebrew word meaning “worthlessness” or “wickedness”.  So, Hophni and Phineas were two priests who were characterized by worthlessness.  Or, they had the qualities of being wicked.  These were two worthless and wicked sons.  They were not boys; they were men.

Why were they worthless and wicked? For starters, though they were priests, the text goes on to say “they did not know the LORD”. That is, while they knew about Jehovah, they did follow His ways. That’s the sense in which they did not know the Lord.  The historian gives us an example of their wickedness in that they extorted from the people while they sacrificed (2:13-16).  In that way, they “despised the offering [i.e., the worship] of the Lord” (vs 17).

The historian tells us that Hophni and Phineas “lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting” (vs 22). These were supposedly men of God – but they are guilty of flagrant immorality, abusing their position as priests.  Eli gave the two men a mild rebuke, but “they would not listen to the voice of their father” (vs 25).

God sent a prophet, his name we do not know, who rebukes Eli and foretells that his sons would both die in one day (vs 34). “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?” (vs 29).

It does not seem that Eli was guilty of the wickedness in which his sons thrived but he was guilty, according to God, of one error relative to his fatherhood. God tells Samuel in chapter three: “For I have told him [Eli] that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them” (3:13). Other translations use the word restrain. The verb can also mean “set one right”.

Eli’s mistake as a father was that he did not tell his kids “no”.  We are living in an extremely permissive society today. It’s not always easy being a parent. Knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no” is a challenge sometimes. Too many “no’s” can squelch a child’s drive, energy and inquisitive nature. Too many “yes’s” can turn a selfless five-year-old into a selfish fifteen-year-old.
A good dose of moral instruction from God’s word and a healthy dose of common sense (18 months talking on a cell phone?) will help the Christian parent have the wisdom to say “yes” and “no” when each is appropriate.
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15).

Paul Holland is a minister for the Paris church of Christ, Paris, KY. This article appeared in his daily blog, Living Waters.

HOW MODEST IS MODEST?

May 13th, 2013 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

Recently we had a comment about modesty. Where do you find modest clothes? That’s the ones that cover a girl and does not bring attention to her. It is very hard. This is what I would tell teen girls.

First let’s look at modesty. How modest is modest? Do you influence others by what you wear? How do you sit? Do you want others to follow your example?

According to Merriman-Webster’s Dictionary, modesty is: freedom from conceit or vanity: propriety in dress, speech, or conduct. Personally, I like the second definition better, since we are talking about our modest dress. Propriety is what is socially acceptable. Although we let immodesty reign in our society, it doesn’t make it acceptable.

When we look at modesty in the Bible, it says this in 1 Timothy 2:8-10 we read,
⁸ I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ⁹ in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, ¹⁰ but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. From that, we must be clothed sensibly, not bring attention to ourselves as some of the idol worshipers did.

It is so hard in this world to find decent clothes. You have to search to find a dress or blouse that is not too low necked. If you do find something you like that does have a lower neck, get a camy to go under it. Sometimes we have to alter the neckline of a shirt to make it fit right, instead of gaping open. exposing ourselves. You may have to take up the straps of a camy to make it higher at the neck. The most important advice I have for you is to try the clothes on before you buy them. They may look so cute on the hanger, but hang wrong on you.

When you are trying on clothes, check the mirror in the dressing room. Sit down on the bench and see how the shirt looks in a sitting position. Look at how the skirt falls when you are sitting. If it rides up, it is too short. Also, lift your arms up. If the shirt shows your belly, it’s too short, and if the skirt rises up, it is too short. Cross you legs in the dressing room when you sit down. What does the skirt show? If it is showing a lot of leg, forget it, no matter how much you like it.

As a Christian, we are an example to the world. What we do, how we dress, and how we speak influences others. Even guard the look on your face. This is how people perceive you. The only thing they know you by is the look on your face. Have a happy face on at all times.

Young ladies, I want you to be modest. Don’t be afraid to cover yourself in decent clothes, even if no one else is doing it. Be an example of a Christian girl to others.

FREEDOM IN DEATH

May 10th, 2013 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

This is one of the most graphic pictures I will ever use, but it has a point. Sinners will not find peach when they die.

Recently Jodi Arias was given a guilty verdict in the murder of her boyfriend. Immediately she was interviewed by a Fox News television station. She stated she wanted a verdict of death because then she would be free. What is she wanting to be free from?

The only way she can be free of her sin is being a Christian. If she thinks she will be free when she dies, no matter what her spiritual state, she’s way off the beam. But this seems to be the way most people think now.

Death does free you from this earthly life. If you are a Christian, you will enjoy everlasting life. It will be free from cares, problems, disappointments, and pain. On the other hand, if you are not a Christian, you will go to Hell and live in torment for eternity. You will not be free from the sins you carry with you.

From what I have read and heard about Ms. Arias, she is not the sweet Christian you would want to bring home to mama. She has lied, murdered, and participated in a lot more acts we don’t want to talk about. I feel sorry for her if she believes death will change everything.

Luke 16:19-31 tells us a story of two people who died. One knew God and the other one didn’t.

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell^[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.

This proves to me that the only way you can receive freedom is death is by being a Christian. I pray Jodi Arias will see the error of her ways, repent of her sins, and be buried with Christ in baptism. Only then, can she have the freedom she longs for.

SHOOTING YOUR SISTER

May 8th, 2013 | By admin

by Paul Holland

A tragedy occurred in Cumberland County last Tuesday afternoon. A 5-year-old boy had received a .22 rifle as a gift last year. “It’s a little rifle for a kid. …The little boy’s used to shooting the little gun,” said the coroner. Except last Tuesday afternoon, he accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister. The gun was kept in the corner and no one realized there was a shell still in the gun. The coroner further stated, “Just one of those crazy accidents” (www.kentucy.com).

Except this accident will haunt that little 5-year old for the rest of his life. It’s a tragedy for the whole family. The news release did not mention other siblings, just his mom. Could you imagine the pain in that little boy’s heart over what he did? That is an extremely heavy burden for a little fellow to carry. He will, no doubt, require counseling to handle the guilt he will carry with him.

Sometimes, we in the church will shoot fellow members too. Not literally. Emotionally or spiritually. Part of the motivation Paul had for writing the letter to the Philippian church is because two sisters in the congregation were not getting along. “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3).

Problems between family members can be tense and draining, stressful and often times unnecessary. Problems in the church can be even worse. Many of us hold our convictions quite strongly and have a hard time – in the absence of biblical support – allowing opinions to be opinions.

We “shoot” our brother or sister when we insist that they agree with us rather than agreeing with the Bible. We “shoot” our brother or sister when we criticize them for something they cannot help or something they are struggling with (and they don’t need us to point it out to them). We “shoot” our brother or sister when we react to something they have said or done with far more intensity than the situation requires.

It is a tragedy to lose your physical sister. My heart goes out to that little boy and his family. It is a greater tragedy if we run off someone from Christ and the Church because our own attitude was not Christ like.

“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:2-4).

Don’t shoot your brother or sister. (Don’t keep a loaded gun in the house, either; especially if there are children in the home).

Paul Holland is the author of a daily email, Living Waters. He is the minister of Paris church of Christ, Paris, KY. If you would like to receive his daily inspirational messages, write paul@parischurchofchrist.org.

SWEPT AWAY

May 6th, 2013 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

It is so easy in this day and age for our young people to be swept away by fads and untruths. The fashion world is evident of that. Immodest apparel is slapped in our faces as the right thing to wear. It’s not only girls/women, but boys/men. We are told by these “Gods of Fashion” that we must wear these provocative clothes to be accepted. Not so!

Girls, you can still be stylish in a modest fashion. You do not have to be coved from head to toe in a burka. You can be stylish and modern in our today’s world. God does not want us, as women, to stand out in a crowd with what we wear. You can be overly dressed as well as under-dressed. In today’s world, most people are under-dressed.

The Bible teaches us about modesty. Yes, we have to interpret what is acceptable. In 1 Timothy 2:9 we read, “in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,” The people who worshiped idols in that time had a problem with not dressing sensibly, or adorning themselves to draw attention to them. They wanted to be seen. Most of them were prostitutes, and they helped their “business” by the way they dressed. The same is true today. Women who are scantily dress are considered “loose women.”

Today, do we draw attention to ourselves by the way we dress, and the way we let the fashion world fool us into dressing? I think we do. I also think parents are persuaded by their children that they either can’t live without that article of immodest clothing, or parents are blindsided by seeing how other girls dress.

In my house, it is not acceptable to wear spaghetti straps, halter tops, or strapless dresses, even if they can be hidden by a jacket or sweater. A Christian should think about what they are wearing and look long and hard in the mirror before they leave the store. Parents should take more control of their daughter’s clothing. Think about this, if God returns while you are wearing that outfit, would you be embarrassed? I would be embarrassed for the girl.

Many times we are swept away by what others think. It doesn’t matter what others think when you are a Christian. It matters what God thinks. You may have the most beautiful figure in the world, but a Christian girl should not honor herself by wearing less and less clothing.

How do you want to be remembered? Do you want people say you followed the crowd and dressed like everyone else, or do you want people to say you were modest?

THANK YOU FOR MODEST LADIES

May 1st, 2013 | By admin

by Adam Faughn

Last Saturday was the greatest day of the year: Leah’s birthday. It was quite the unusual day, though, as I conducted a funeral midday. Also, since it was Saturday, we had to get home a little earlier than normal, so I could look over my sermon notes. (See what preacher’s wives go through?)

Anyway, we were at a local mall, when Leah started talking about something that was upsetting her. I was oblivious, and it was a good time to be so. In front of us were two girls, probably around 20 years of age, who were wearing shorts that nearly redefined “short.” She told me that a man holding his child had watched these two girls walk…for a long time. I was glad that I had been oblivious, because I hadn’t seen the girls until Leah mentioned what was going on.

Later, we walked by the store that doesn’t keep any “secrets.” This time, knowing what I might see, I took the time to see if my shoes needed cleaning. (They do, by the way.)

Finally, Leah couldn’t take it any longer. She just said, “There’s no way a Christian lady can compete.” After a brief exchange, it was clear that she was talking about these displays of sexuality, both in clothing and in advertising. It was also clear that she was truly bothered by this.

…and so was I.

So, today, I want to say “thank you” to Christian ladies who dress modestly. You are still fashionable and, of course, beautiful, but you do not allow the world to sway your standards of morality. You are mindful of God and His standard first, and you also are thinking of your Christian brothers.

As a man, I want to say “thank you.” I have a responsibility to keep my mind focused on what is pure (Philippians 4:8), but you help with that. You don’t load pictures of yourself in a swimsuit on Facebook for the whole world–including men–to see. You avoid showing parts of your body off that only your husband (or future husband) should ever see. You realize that sexuality is a strong temptation for the vast majority of men, and you refuse to be a stumbling block.

As a husband, I want to say “thank you.” Leah is gorgeous, and there is no more beautiful woman on the earth. But temptations are still real, and you aid me in keeping not only by body, but also my thoughts, totally centered on her.

As a dad to a young girl, I want to say “thank you.” You are a living example to my precious daughter. You are showing her that she can be fashionable and feminine, yet remain faithful to the standards of God. You are teaching her that her physical appearance is not all she is, but that she is far more.

As a dad to a young man, I want to say “thank you.” Having been a young man, I know how strong temptations are, and I also remember how they quickly become part of life. Turner is too young to feel them, but for how long? You are going to help him learn to respect ladies, not to just “get an eye-full” of them.

As a Christian, I want to say “thank you.” You are modeling modesty in an extremely immodest world. You are not letting the world shape your standards. You are showing Christ through even your choices of clothing.

I know this is a very difficult subject, and that finding modest clothing is getting more and more difficult. But ladies, please keep God’s standard as your highest priority. The rest of the world is really competing against you, and you have already won. You know that they feel like they have to dress immodestly to draw attention, but you draw attention both for your outward and inward beauty.

It isn’t a competition, but if it were, you would have already been declared the winner. Not by me, but by our Lord.

Today, I just want to say “thank you.”

Adam Faughn is the minister at Lebanon Road church of Christ. He is married and the father of two beautiful children. You can read more of his blogs on www.faughnfamily.com.

“I THOUIGHT YOU WERE KIDDING”

April 29th, 2013 | By admin

(See the Family Circus cartoon to the right, from Arcamax Comics)

How often have our children responded in much the same way as Billy does here? “I thought you were kidding.”

How often do we respond to God’s commands with “I thought you were just kidding”? On one hand, it is easy to point our finger at the sects and say, “God was not kidding when He commanded us to repent and be baptized.” Or “God was not kidding when He said we should worship through singing and making melody in our hearts.” That is very true.

But how often do we act like God was kidding when He said, “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on” (Matthew 6:25)? How about when He says, “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)? Or maybe when He says, “do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism” (James 2:1)?

The fundamental response God calls from us is faith or trust. Through His word, He calls us to trust Him. When we trust, we take Him seriously. We don’t act like He is kidding. We don’t treat Him as if His word is a serious of suggestions or options. If we want to mature in our spiritual walk with Him, we need to follow His commands from the beginning to the end.

If we do that, then we’ll grow into maturity as He desires from us.

Paul Holland is the minister at Paris church of Christ in Paris, KY.