Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008                                                     by Ben H

One Christian artist Tye Tribbet said at a recent concert, “The devil has been attacking God’s people with weariness.” I have always been passive in debating over politics, but after my talks with some of my closest friends over the recent election, I could not agree with the man more. It is no longer about politics and candidates at this point; the issues are much deeper rooted. This election has made the problem more real to me. 

Some people are more informed than others about the issues. Some have been swept up by rhetoric and charisma. Some are genuinely concerned about the economy and the war. Rarely do I hear anyone concerned about the moral issues. Call me closed-minded, but when did morality stop becoming the foremost concern for us as Christians? The answer I usually get is disturbing to me especially coming for my closest brothers and sisters. “Well, people are going to do what they want anyway.”  

I am not writing this because I am passionate about politics or candidates, but because I am passionate about my generation and the one to come. If we do not stand as Christians our generation is lost. Have we become so passive that we can say, “To hell with the next generation! I care about my pocketbook.” 

Or maybe we do care, but have become so weary in the battle. Perhaps we simply do not believe we can win anymore. We have bought the lie that the world and its media has sold to us. Maybe we believe that the killing of the unborn is an option every woman should have and that 40 million slayings is not a silent holocaust. Maybe we believe that homosexual “unions” should stand neck and neck with traditional heterosexual marriages as two perfectly valid paths for our children to choose from. Maybe we believe all is lost and we should just worry about our bank accounts for now, for today.  

Imagine for a moment desperately trying to convince your children that homosexual marriages are really not morally or ethically parallel to a heterosexual marriage. But you just do not seem to be getting through, because they never knew about a time when it was any other way. Imagine sitting around with your middle age friends, talking about yesteryear like your parents do now, as a time when it was actually an issue. Now imagine living with the fact that you had a chance to fight it if only for one more desperate hour, but you were more concerned with healthcare plans and tax credits.  

There is a key line that still rings in my ears from the movie Lord of the Rings. When Frodo has reached the last of his strength and he wonders if it is all worth it, Samwise says, “There’s good in this world, Mr. Frodo….and its worth fighting for.”  Some Christians know that there is good, but they believe it only belongs to us, and that we should only engage the culture on a materialistic, professional level.  

I pray that we have not bought this lie that Satan has been selling us. How far have we strayed from the church in Acts of whom it was said that they are turning the world upside down?  

This is not a time for compromise. This is not a time for white flags of surrender. Now is the time to stand and be counted. For us and our posterity. My brothers and sisters, in the words of Winston Churchill, “Never give in. Never, never give in.” Serve God in your generation and raise the standard for the next.  

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

(Acts 13:36)

    Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008                                                 by Llenis M

Times are uncertain and our everyday news come loaded with nonetheless disappointment. Many are filled with fear, while others sense the raging turmoil of despair as their investments diminish. What can one do when our nation is not only facing economical crisis, but also natural disasters? It could be easy for anyone to become anxious and filled with doubt.

Our security, our future, and our nation are between crossroads to changes that could affect our lives dramatically. What can we do as Christians who are living and witnessing all these historical events? First, we should like the Psalmist in Psalm 46:1 turn to the Lord with fearless trust. I love how he starts confessing his confidence in the Lord, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” This man trusted that God’s providence was no match for any trouble one could face in earth. He makes a decision to not allow fear overcome his heart, Psalm 46:2, “Therefore we will not fear through the earth give away and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…through its waters roar and foam and the mountain quake with their surging. Selah” Secondly he reassures himself again in knowing that his confidence is not in man, but in God alone the creator of all things, Psalm 46:7, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” God is calling us to trust in him. We can rest assure that he is in control of our lives and future. This discipline however is not easy to attain for we are creatures that naturally want to walk by sight rather than faith.

Our natural inclination is to want to “fix things”, or even “manipulate situations”. Perhaps, we could do that in our old nature as one who doesn’t know what kind of God we serve. As a believer we are called to trust in that Almighty God and trust that he will be faithful to show, protect, and guide us in troublesome times. He has an amazing tract record of victories! We are exhorted in v.10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations.” Third we are called to be still before him and acknowledge there is no other way, but for Him to be in control of our lives and destiny. God’s voice breaks here in this verse; “Be still” here in the Hebrew it means “Enough” “Stop”…Acknowledge that He will be exalted in the earth. God’s mighty acts will bring him universal recognition! God desires that we fully surrender ourselves and allow him to God of our problems. Let us be reminded that if the Lord offers this kind of protection to his people Israel, will he not offer it to us also?

   Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008                                                  by Allison J

During the close of this summer, I was battling greatly with disillusionment due to my incorrect response to a situation.  I had asked for forgiveness and took all the necessary steps I needed to take, but something just wasn't right. 

It took me some time to snap out of this discouragement, but one solid truth reverberated out of the lesson the Lord was trying to teach me: Christianity is nothing about me—it's all about Him.  Surely I do not mean that we don't matter, but rather that the Lord had to show me that I don't bring anything special to Christianity and God doesn't "need" anything of me.  So much of the "me" centeredness in us and so little of God makes for one bad combination.  God chose to have a relationship with us, to redeem us and make us His children.  He didn't do this based on whether or not we would get everything right, but rather because He loved us despite our sin.  Scripture tells us, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God….You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us….we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Romans 5:1-2, 6-8, 11).

Emotions differ daily when we think that Christianity is based on our having to "do" something to "feel" Christian.  I had forgotten about just "being" and lost focus on Whom it was all about.  John records Christ's words, "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:3-6).  Following Christ doesn't make life perfect, and our walk will encounter the rocky roads and our growth will encounter its linger in progress, but following Christ isn't about an obstacle-free course, it is about knowing and constantly acknowledging that HE is life.  

We make plans and have expectations and goals, and when they are not met and we don't reach them, we get disillusioned.  But we are not supported by our past, by what we achieve, or by what we get right—none of those things uphold us.  Christ is our fulfillment.  My prayer for myself and all of you is that we would constantly remember that "…this is eternal life: that [we] may know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) [Him], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent" (John  17:3--paraphrased).  Anything else that follows is just icing on the cake.  Our identity is found in, we speak, we do, and we are because of Him.