Beacon2Light

Social Media and Conflict

2012-03-03T12:35:00.001-05:00

Here are some things that I have learned or have observed regarding social media and avoiding or handling conflict online. I hope you find it helpful. Thanks for reading!

1) Realize that social media is limited in its ability to communicate accurately. In other words, sooner or later you can and will be misunderstood as a writer and you can and will misunderstand as a reader.

2) Once you confront a person as to a perceived slight/offense, and they say you misunderstood me, be humble enough to think, “I may have misunderstood him (or her).”

3) If the communication continues to bother you, continue to engage on the subject matter until the other person responds, “Now you get what I’m saying.” More than likely the conflict will be over at that point.

4) Some real-life relationships have trouble doing the same on social media. It is not the end of the world to point this out gently and “un-friend” the person in the virtual world while simultaneously continuing the friendship in the real world. Make sure you both agree before ending the online relationship.

5) Social media has all kinds of purposes. Some use it to connect with friends, co-workers or schoolmates. Others use it to re-connect with people that haven’t been seen in a while (high school friends, friends from the community in which one used to live, etc.). It is also useful for sharing a hobby with like-minded friends. You may use it for any or all of the above or even a different reason. Don’t assume what you think is appropriate for social media is the same as what others think is appropriate. If it isn’t immoral, give latitude and extend grace.

6) Little conflicts can be handled online. Bigger ones or those that become bigger necessitate a phone call or an in-person discussion. Texts, tweets and emails don’t communicate the person’s emotions, tone, etc. Those clues are incredibly important to accurately understand what another person is trying to communicate.

7) No online conflict is serious enough to end a long-term real-life friendship. Understand that if you allow an online misunderstanding or conflict to do so, forgiveness may be granted but the damage may be too great for the friendship to be salvaged.

Some Other Helpful Hints:

1) Avoid controversial subjects but if you do engage in them, try to thank the other party for engaging in the discussion. Be open to ways in which the other party brings out an interesting or thought-provoking post or comment. If you think they have a valid point, even if this doesn’t change your mind on the subject, let them know. You can disagree without being disagreeable. On controversial subjects we are all opinionated. Keep that in mind when you think someone else is being so.

2) In Facebook, you can choose whose updates you see and whose you hide. Some friends we all enjoy keeping up with but their pages or updates either annoy us or don’t interest us. You don’t have to lose the connection and the ability to communicate when you want to do so and about what you want to communicate. Just hide their updates and go visit their page from time-to-time or send them an email periodically.

3) Stop in on friends pages with whom you have not communicated in a while. It’s easy to think these people don’t even talk to me, why am I connected to them online? It takes two to tango, so dance over to their page and say hello or send a nice email.

4) Utilize social media for good. Many people not on social media think of it in the negative. Their only experiences with it are what they hear on the news or in discussions with their real world friends. Pedophiles who take advantage of adolescents online and affairs that are started are the things they hear and cause them to judge the medium as evil or immoral. Send an encouragement at least once a week. Watch your friends’ updates and look for opportunities to brighten someone’s day that is going all wrong or express sympathy for a lost loved one or prayers for those in crises.

Enjoy your online experience. I hope that these thoughts help you to have fun connecting with a broad range of people who will lift your spirits, make you laugh or cry in empathy, stimulate your mind and just make you a better person. Remember, you have quite a bit of power to do much good online. Meet that challenge and help change the world, one post or comment at a time.

October Baby - In Theaters March 23

2012-03-01T14:31:00.002-05:00

A first of its kind in movie-making. A movie about a young woman who finds out she is an abortion survivor.

October Baby - In Theaters March 23

The more I dig into this movie, the more I see what God has done with it. This is a must see and the good that it will do by God's grace is nearly undeniable.

The movie website has links to the American Family Association, Bethany Christian Services, Care Net (a network of over 1,100 pregnancy centers across North America), Concerned Women for America, Family Life, Focus on the Family, and on and on.

10% of the profits of the movie are designated to "the Every Life is Beautiful Fund, which will distribute funds to frontline organizations helping women facing crisis pregnancies, life-affirming adoption agencies, and those caring for orphans."

There is an immediate help page and lots of other resources. Check it out at http://octoberbabymovie.net/
Also, you must see this moving back story to one of the actresses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl1zNt2R5U0&feature=related

School Bus Accident Kills State Trooper's Daughter and Injures Her Two Sisters

2012-02-18T09:43:00.006-05:00

I am praying for this family, a NJ state trooper is the father, who lost one triplet daughter and the other two are hospitalized, one in critical condition. I cannot imagine the pain and having to plan for one daughter's funeral while visiting the others in the hospital. They will need much support.

May God heal both of these girls and get to the bottom of what caused the accident. The children's friends and classmates need prayer as well. Will you join me in praying?

A Review of The Teheran Initiative

2012-02-09T20:45:00.000-05:00

The Teheran Initiative is another great book from Joel Rosenberg. Almost prophetically, he gets it righ concerning the taking out of the Egyptian leader, the million or so gathered in Tahrir Square against the government, the April Spring there and throughout the Arab world and its foundation in Islamic extremism, the threat to close the Strait of Hormuz and on and on. Though the details differ, the broadstrokes of events predicted in this fictional account are astoundingly accurate and current.

Follow David Shirazi on a wild ride in and out of Iran. The interweaving of his relationships, past and present, mold him and make him as the story progresses. Observe the conflict from those who see a clear and present danger in a nuclear Iran to those who don’t and on which side David is. Watch him engage the spiritual dimension of the struggle, grappling with whether God and Satan are not only part of the equation but central to what is happening.

This book will have you wrestling with prophecy and current events. How will biblical prophecies about Israel, its neighbors and the Anti-Christ work out? Joel’s novel gives some thought-provoking possibilities.

Find the book at http://www.amazon.com/The-Tehran-Initiative-ebook/dp/B005EZ0BBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328837597&sr=1-1 for Kindle

and in hardcover: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1414319355/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

It’s About Time: Newsweek Acknowledges a Systematic Persecution of Christians in the Muslim World

2012-02-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure that I should cheer or be worried. A major U.S. based news magazine has recognized widespread persecution of Christians by Muslims in Muslim majority countries. I am glad that it is finally getting the notice it deserves. However, I fear the reason may be that it is now at such an alarming rate that it is undeniable.

The author of the piece is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Her personal story is amazing and difficult to summarize. Suffice it to say that she was raised in a radical school, subscribed to a very conservative form of Islam including being supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood and the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. Her faith in Allah and Islam suffered a death blow due to the 9-11 attacks and the justifications given for them by bin Laden from the Koran which she discovered were accurately quoted by him. I would love to say that she converted to Christianity but she has instead become an atheist.

While enclosing the link so you can read the story yourself, I will offer you a synopsis, country by country:

Of the countries cited, Nigeria has the largest population of Christians in proportion to its overall population. 40% of the country’s 160 million citizens are considered Christian. Particularly alarming is the rise of Boko Haram, a radical Muslim group whose aim is to bring about Sharia law in Nigeria and the death of all Christians living there. 54 were killed by them in January 2012, in 2011 they murdered 510 and destroyed over 350 churches.

The Sudan’s persecution has gone on for decades most notably the genocide in Darfur. Aerial attacks, targeted killings, kidnappings and the like have taken their toll. Between fifty and seventy-five thousand citizens have been displaced with homes and other buildings looted or destroyed.

After the removal of the Mubarak regime in Egypt, Coptic Christians have seen their already bad situation take a more ominous turn. The Copts are 11% of the population and experienced a series of attacks by Islamists after the Arab Spring there. Churches were burned, people were raped, mutilated and/or killed. The Christians marched in protest and Egyptian security forces acted with excess killing about 24 and injuring another 300. By the end of 2011, over 200,000 Copts fled their homes in fear. Recent electoral victories in parliament for radical Islamic parties give Coptic Christians reason to be afraid that the worst has not yet come.

Since the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Americans have had increasing doubts about the Pakistanis willingness to side with the U.S. versus the extremists. Christians there only represent 1.6% of the population. Not only do they have to worry about Islamic terror perpetrated against them but also the severe nature of the country’s blasphemy laws.

A shocking incident regarded a woman who was falsely accused and sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in Pakistan. When the Punjab governor sought ways to obtain her freedom, he was killed by a bodyguard who was subsequently celebrated as a hero. That murderer was sentenced to death by a judge who now hides for fear of his life.

Even World Vision experienced the wrath of Islamic radicals two years ago when 10 gunmen armed with grenades killed six people and wounded four. The reason given was that the Christian relief organization was subverting Islam. Instead, World Vision was helping victims of a major earthquake.

These stories and others cited by Ayaan Hirsi Ali demonstrate that something big is happening in Muslim countries worldwide. The United States has plenty of leverage to bring pressure to bear upon these countries and others where persecution is happening including Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Indonesia. The question is whether the political will is there, with or without European partners, to say enough is enough and these outrages need to stop.

Read more at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/02/05/ayaan-hirsi-ali-the-global-war-on-christians-in-the-muslim-world.html

Also, other resources to learn about persecution and the persecuted church worldwide include:

International Christian Concern -- http://www.persecution.org/

Voice of the Martyrs -- http://www.persecution.com/

Open Doors -- http://www.opendoorsusa.org/persecution/

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16731

2012-02-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

Pray for Sudan, North and South, for religious freedom, for peace and for many to come to Christ despite threats.

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/16731

Former Muslim Extremist in Uganda Flees Wrath of Ex-Colleagues

2012-01-28T11:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.christianpost.com/news/former-muslim-extremist-in-uganda-flees-wrath-of-ex-colleagues-68119/

Note that the title and story appear exactly as posted on the link

Fri, Jan. 27, 2012 Posted: 02:53 PM EDT
NAIROBI, Kenya – A former member of a Muslim extremist group in Uganda who converted to Christianity is in hiding in Kenya, his movements severely restricted following threats to kill him.

Hassan Sharif Lubenga, 54, was a sheikh and member of the Buk Haram, a violent group of Islamists whose name suggests the Bible is corrupt and therefore forbidden. Originally from Chengera, seven kilometers from Kampala, the husband to four wives began his conversion process four years ago; in June 2011, he said, after various dreams and visions in which Jesus appeared to him, he made a full commitment to follow Christ.

Lubenga fled to Kenya last July 10 after hostilities peaked, and upon returning to Uganda in September he received messages on his cell phone from mujahidin – Islamic fighters – threatening to kill him, he said. He reported the threats to Chengera police, who told him they would investigate, but in October a friend told him that he'd heard in a Chengera mosque that his former colleagues were enraged and planning to kill him.

"My heart got troubled, but the voice of Jesus continued whispering to me to witness for Jesus without fear," Lubenga said.

When Lubenga felt like giving up on his new faith, he said, he received a call from Bishop Umar Mulinde, his former pastor at Gospel Life Church International who was scarred in a Christmas Eve acid attack by Muslim extremists. Mulinde told him the church was praying for him, and Lubenga was deeply heartened, he said.

"All my family members have deserted me," he said by telephone. "The Muslims are looking to kill me. I need protection and help."

The Islamic extremists who had declared war on "infidels" such as Lubenga had been threatening him since 2007, when he first began to speak of dreams and visions of Christ. Dangers peaked in 2010, when Muslims saw him visiting a church in Uganda. By April 2010, one of his four wives had poisoned him because of his budding faith in Christ, leaving him unconscious, he said. After his recovery, he fled Chengera to a village 25 kilometers from Kampala, Kiwangala.

In 2007, he said, he told his Muslim jihadist friends that he had seen Jesus in a dream. He said they had warned him, "Do not make such a mistake again – we are ready to help you. If you continue with this move, then we will destroy you. You know that you are a sheikh."

He reported the threats to police at Insanje sub-county, Wakizo district, angering his colleagues, who sent threatening letters.

"I explained to them that it is Jesus who came to me, and not I who sought Him," he said. "They were furious. They then kidnapped me and blindfolded me for three days, coupled with beatings. They demanded I deny Jesus as the Son of God, which I consented to because I feared that they were going to kill me."

In 2009, another message from Jesus came to him in a vision, he said: "Do not hide your Christian faith."

Within a few months, another threatening letter arrived: "If you do not join Islamic Jihad, then we shall kill you."

Lubenga decided to go on pilgrimage to Mecca, in accordance with the tenets of Islam. While there, however, he heard another voice, he said: "You have decided to forsake me, and instead you are here to accuse me."

"I then saw Jesus high up with white robe," he said. "He laughed. I just left the place but got sick for two weeks. I visited Mohammed Ali, the head of majini [evil spirits], who promised that the majini will come and help me. But I did not receive any healing."

Jesus continued appearing to him for three months in visions, he said.

"I could not resist, so I decided to believe in Him and started openly declaring that Jesus is my personal Savior," Lubenga said. "The whole family and clan members were out to destroy me. I was poisoned by my own family."

His father, Morshid Kabide, came to his house in July 2010 to establish the truth of the rumors he had heard, Lubenga said.

"I heard that nowadays you do go to church, and you are claiming that you saw Jesus," his father told him. When he answered in the affirmative, reaffirming his decision to follow Jesus, his father was crestfallen; he later committed suicide, leaving a letter that read, "I have decided to kill myself because my son became a Christian" and urged all family members to curse him.

Lubenga said that since then he has been in hiding, growing more terrified as threats intensified.

"But I kept my faith in Jesus," he said. "I sold some of my belongings to build the church structure at Chengera, outside Kampala."

As a result of this act, threats on his life grew more shrill, and he fled to Kenya.

Two of his wives had left him in 2007; one has decided to stay with him, and he has been sharing his faith with her. The fourth wife, whom he married five years ago, is a Christian who has also received death threats; six months pregnant, she has fled to an undisclosed location.

Compass Direct News

A Common Destination (Genesis 23)

2012-01-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

As we continue our study in Genesis, chapter 22 ends with some important information for later. There we are told that Abraham was informed about his brother and sister-in-law having children. He was an uncle! A couple of things occurred to me while reading this: 1) news traveled slowly in those times; and 2) he may have received all of this information save the part where a grandchild is mentioned, one Rebekah. The implication may have been that she would be an eligible wife for his Isaac.

A common destination is in view in chapter 23. The chapter begins with heartache; the death of Sarah. She lived to be 127 years. A few decades ago in our lifetime that would have been eye-popping. However, more and more people in our country are living up to and over a hundred. Still a rare occurrence to be sure but becoming more commonplace as the years go by.

In biblical times, this is actually a degradation of the human condition that has been transformed by sin. Sin has come into the world and death by sin, so death has passed upon all men, for all have sinned (Romans 5:12). Sarah’s lifetime pales in comparison to the longevity of her forebears. While generations appeared, grew old and died away, the mutations, diseases and ailments all had their toll.

The place of her death is Hebron, otherwise known as Kirjath Arbah. It is in the land of Canaan. You might remember that Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japeth. Ham had a son by the name of Canaan. Looking back at the family fresh off the ark, we discovered that Noah sinned and that Ham didn’t exercise discretion or even respect to his father regarding his condition. Somehow, it would appear that Canaan was involved and so a curse was placed upon him and his descendants. Others believe that perhaps Ham was punished by seeing his son cursed. Still others believe that Noah saw that in the same way that Ham brought shame and reproach upon Noah so too would Canaan to Ham. Whatever the case, the Canaanites were descendants of Ham through Canaan. This was their land that Abraham was called unto and that God would give him as an inheritance. To read more about that incident, go to Genesis 9.

Getting back to Sarah, Abraham was understandably grief-stricken (v. 2). His life-mate was gone. It is very difficult to lose a spouse. What struck me as I studied this passage was that many people in today’s America would not know the special pain of losing a life-mate. With so many divorces and remarriages, something very special is lost, in my view. I pray that more and more Christians will carefully and prayerfully choose a fellow believer as a spouse and stick to their marital vows and not until death would they part. That’s not to say there are no innocent parties in divorces, my comments shouldn’t be misconstrued to condemn the innocent but challenge us all to something better. Don’t cut and run from your marital partner but weather the storms of life as God gives you strength.

Moses, the author of Genesis and the first five books of the Bible we call the Pentateuch and the Jews call the Torah, gives us a glimpse at an oral contract in the making in verses 3-18. Here we have recorded that Abraham gets up from mourning his wife and prepares to negotiate a resting place for her body. To do so, he needed to speak to “the sons of Heth (vs. 3-4, 7).” The sons of Heth were a designation given to descendants of Ham and Canaan and ancestors to the Hittites.
Their initial reaction was very positive. They addressed Abraham as “lord.” In addition, they called him “a mighty prince” that lived among them. True to His word, God was blessing those that blessed Abraham (see Genesis 12). Apparently, the sons of Heth saw this to be true and had no desire to have conflict with him for his God was blessing them as he lived peaceably in their midst.

Abraham identified a specific burial place he would like to purchase (vs. 8-9). The owner of the field, Ephron the Hittite, negotiated a price and sold it to Abraham (vs. 10-18). Verse ten seems to indicate this bargaining took place in front of witnesses at the gate of the city. In the ancient world, that was the place of commerce and legal transactions involving recognized elders of the city. The cave of Machpelah and the field that came with it became the first place in the Promised Land owned by Abraham and it was a burial place of all things!

Abraham buried Sarah there (v. 19) and it became a common destination for the family. As they died, each one’s body was buried there. This was to be true of Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah and Jacob too (see Genesis 49:29-33; 50:12-14).

However, there is another common destination I wish to share with you. According to Hebrews 11:13-16, Abraham, Sarah and other men and women of faith all died, not receiving the promises. Yet they understood they were strangers and pilgrims on this Earth. There it is stated that they could have taken an opportunity to return to their homeland but that was neither what they were ultimately promised nor what they ultimately sought. Instead, they looked for a heavenly country, a city prepared by God for them.

While the Cave of Machpelah was the common destination for their bodies, their souls would go on to that common destination of heaven as a result of their journey of faith through this life with God. He was their Savior, their Provider, their Protector and the One who would see them through this life and into the next by means of Jesus who would offer Himself as a sacrifice for sins long after their bodies were dead and buried and their spirits were with God in paradise.

We too are strangers and pilgrims in this world. As the Southern Gospel song declares, “This world is not my home, I’m just a traveling through . . .” We need to hold onto the things of this life loosely. Our country is a heavenly one, built by God. As the years go by and the consequences of a sin-cursed world take their toll, you and I will long for that home more and more. The years will add to the rolls of heaven and our heart strings will loosen from this Earth. And one day, we will receive that call to come on home to the place prepared for us in our Father’s house (John 14). Won’t that be wonderful? More than you or I could imagine!

Of course, all that I have said above is true only if you are saved by the blood of Jesus. The Bible declares that sin separates us from God and that the only remedy is the Son of God, Jesus, who came to save us from our sins. He did this by becoming our substitute, taking the just punishment of God for our sins upon Himself. He was cruelly crucified. The Bible declares that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him and the He became an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). It wasn’t the Romans or the Jews who were at fault. It was our fault, our sin, and it was God who had to exercise justice. He had to punish sin since He is a righteous Judge and our sin deserves nothing less than death and Hell.

The Bible makes clear that we are saved when we place our faith in Jesus. “For by grace are you saved through faith . . . it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).”

We do this by confessing our sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).” The Bible encourages us to confess our sins, turning from sin and to Jesus by faith.

A prayer of faith would look something like this:
“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that Jesus is the Savior who died for me and rose from the dead. I accept Him by faith as my Savior. Forgive me for my sin and help me to live a life pleasing to you, O God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

The Bible states that the prayer of faith saves. From this point on, I would urge you to find a church that teaches the Bible faithfully, to get a Bible and read it and obey it and pray on a regular basis. Getting linked into a church will help you to learn spiritual disciplines like the ones I suggest here. It also gives you the opportunity to give financially to support the spreading of this good news to others who do not yet know Jesus.

Thank you for the time you took to read this. I hope you were blessed and encouraged.

God's Promises Can Be Trusted

2012-01-11T22:27:00.000-05:00

Genesis 21 is an eventful chapter. In it, we have Isaac’s birth, the departure of Hagar and Ishmael and a covenant of peace between Abraham and Abimelech. Therein, we have the promise of God fulfilled to Abraham and Sarah. Concerning promises, Hudson Taylor wrote to his wife, “We have twenty-five cents – and all the promises of God.” Men and women of faith can go far on nothing more than God’s promises, to be sure.

God’s promises can be trusted and often it is all we have in times of difficulty. Perhaps these hard economic times have hit you pretty severely. Little mercies along the way remind you of His sustenance in times of want. Knowing God’s presence and the reassurance of His Word may be enough to get you through until the time when His provision is made known in all of its fullness. Until then, you wait and you believe.

God’s Word can be trusted, this Abraham and Sarah came to find out. Oh, that we too would believe in the promises of God – that God not only promises but keeps His Word each and every time. We have a timeline, sometimes unmentioned, often subconscious, but God doesn’t operate on our timetable but His and His alone. He knows best; we don’t. That is something of which we must remind ourselves.

As we read Gen. 22:1-8, we see that God provided the promised child. The event is seen from God’s perspective and then from the perspective of Abraham and Sarah. Perspectives are important and often we learn so much from seeing things from another point of view.

From God’s perspective, the LORD visited Sarah. He did for her what he had promised (v. 1). The Bible asserts that it is God who causes conception. It is the Sovereign God of Creation who gifts the human race with children. Psalm 127:3 states that children are a “heritage of the Lord” and that the “fruit of the womb” is His “reward.”

This event happened when God determined the time was right. It is God’s sovereign right to determine what happens, how it happens and when it happens. We find that what occurred here happened at the time that God told Abraham it would happen (v. 2b). Abraham and Sarah’s wisdom would have moved up the date by decades but God’s timing was perfect.

God promised in Gen. 17:21 (NKJV), “My covenant I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” The LORD stated that he would bless Sarah and give Abraham a son by her (17:16). At the time of promise, Abraham was 99 (17:1). Being interpreted, this would mean that he would be 100 when Isaac would be born.

The human viewpoint of Isaac’s conception and birth come courtesy of Abraham and Sarah. She conceived (21:2a) and bore Abraham a son in his old age (2b). Abraham called him Isaac or “Laughter” (3).

The couple circumcised him when he was 8 days old (v. 4). This was in obedience to God’s command. As was already stated, Abraham was 100 years old at the time (v. 5). When originally told, Abraham laughed at the idea that a son would be born to him when he was to be 100 and Sarah 90 (Gen. 17:17).

Sarah laughed as well and she was rebuked for it. Here, Sarah laughs once again but it is a laugh of joy (vs. 6-7). So ecstatic was Sarah that she invited others to come and laugh with her.

What amazed me didn’t stop with their advanced age at the time of Isaac’s conception and birth. The passage makes clear that Sarah nursed and weaned Isaac (7-8). Ninety year old breasts filled with life-sustaining nourishment for the little gift of heaven! God is indeed the God of the impossible and one who can make us laugh with joy!

If you read the full passage before getting to this point, you may have noticed that the couple celebrated his birth but did you notice when? It wasn’t when he came forth from the womb. It wasn’t when he was circumcised.

After Isaac was weaned, the passage states that they had a celebration (8b). This really struck me. Jewish sources believe that weaning children off the breast took place between three and five years of age. Therefore, the party didn’t really get started until he was a toddler! Why was that? Why not when he was born or sometime after Sarah had a chance to recuperate? Why not when he was circumcised? I think one of the reasons was infant mortality. Now it was clear to anyone that the promise had indeed been fulfilled. This baby was conceived, born and lived up to an age when infant mortality was no longer an issue.

God keeps His promises. One song states that “Every promise in the Book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line . . .” However nice that may sound, it is not true. God didn’t promise you and me a child when we are well into our senior years. He promised that to Sarah and to Abraham. Yet, it is true that God keeps His Word and we can rely on it and rely on Him. That, my friends, is more than comfort enough as we go through a world stained and scarred by sin.

Live in light of this truth and praise God for it.

Violence, a Tough Choice and a Happy Ending

2012-01-03T00:10:00.000-05:00

I'd like to tell you a story that I found very inspiring. It is about an adolescent girl in 1928 South Dakota. After picnicking with some friends from a sewing class and while on a walk with a friend of the same age, Minka and the other girl were surprised by three men who raped them both.

In the process of time, her body began to change. Minka was still very innocent and quite naive. She didn't know how babies came into the world. By the time she was 17, she gave birth to a baby girl. If she had her way, she would have kept the baby and she would have brought her back to the farm and raised her. However, her head and her mother told her to give her up for adoption. So, she did just that.

Through the years, young Minka often inquired about the baby. The agency who handled the adoption responded to her requests for general health information. After a change of management the communication no longer flowed her way. Every year she thought of her baby girl, most especially on May 22, her child's birthday. Five years ago she decided to pray that God would allow her to see her.

From the other side of the story, Ruth was raised by a Norwegian pastor and his wife. Ruth would go on to marry and have six children of her own including Mark who became a teacher and an astronaut. After having heart problems and being questioned regarding family history, Ruth now in her 70's had no answers.

Her son Brian decided to find out. Brian petitioned the court in South Dakota for his mother's adoption records. Among 270 pages, he discovered some of the correspondence of a very young woman about her baby that she had given up for adoption spanning a period of time of several years, that baby being his mother Ruth. The heartbreaking account of Minka's rape was also enclosed.

In hopes that a relative could be found to talk to about family medical history, Brian's heart jumped when he found a number for his grandmother whom he assumed was dead. He called her and after initial confusion and fears of identity theft and thus a scam, the 94 year old woman on the other end realized her prayers had been answered. She was speaking to a grandson she never knew she had.

Ruth and her son Brian traveled to California to meet their mom and grandmom. Since that first visit, family members have gotten together many times. Minka has visited grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Wisconsin and Texas. To celebrate her 100th birthday, she is planning to travel to Alabama in the spring and continue the sweet reunion begun only several years prior.

Now that is an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman. I am so thankful that she got to be reunited with the daughter she reluctantly gave up when only a teenager. There must be many more who never got that privilege yet were equally strong in character.

Read for yourself, this amazing story at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45849051/ns/us_news-life/#.TwJ8TDXOxEU

FamilyLife Today — (Forgetting What Lies Behind . . . - John & Donna Bishop)

2011-12-21T09:37:00.000-05:00

Imagine your spouse developing septic meningitis, his or her mind being wiped clean and having to teach him or her everything. How about being that spouse, not remembering your childhood, your children's childhood,your spouse or even how to do the most basic of tasks? That is the journey of the guests of Family Life. What a fantastic story well worth your time and attention.

FamilyLife Today — (Forgetting What Lies Behind . . . - John & Donna Bishop)

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2011-12-15T22:59:00.000-05:00

Recently, I bought a '99 Mercury Marquis. It was a model that I have admired for a long time. The purpose of the vehicle purchase, a second car for us, was to reduce the logistical nightmare of balancing ministry, home chores, music lesson runs, daily commutes for our college student daughter, etc., all on one vehicle.

I had been looking at cars ever since we bought our Toyota Sienna van. However, the right opportunity had not come and we were looking at being as wise with money as possible. Increasingly, the balancing act became maddening. Times I could have done one aspect of a ministry or another went undone or delayed.

The time seemed right when I looked in a car lot and saw a light green Mercury Marquis. It had just under 72,000 miles and was evidently garage kept by one owner, as far as I remember. I number crunched and I talked with my spouse. I asked for advice and for prayers. To many, the time seemed right.

I had certain expectations before buying the second vehicle. I wanted my very busy and oft-times delayed mechanic to be able to look at the car when I did and give his approval. I prayed for a deep discount. Everything lined up beautifully, and I took home that beautiful Marquis. My children loved it and my toddler daughter favored the vehicle. In one day, I visited four homes. The car's purpose was well underway.

One of the things my wife and I did was to share the transporting of our college daughter, Beth. Often enough the morning commute was done by my wife. On Dec. 6, just two weeks after purchasing the Marquis, I was in the driver seat and Beth the front passenger of the Mercury and we were making good time.

It was finals week. Beth had just gone through some mourning for the shockingly sudden death of one of the school's beloved music professors. Dr. Sam Hsu was someone my wife and I knew well also and had in our home to celebrate my birthday. I had just gone on my second visit to Temple University Hospital the day before to see one of our members who was involved in a tragic accident at home that left her with 25% of her 90 year old body covered with second and third degree burns.

I made a left turn from Woodbourne Road onto Business Route 1. Suddenly, a Ford F-150 XLT appeared just one to three feet from us! The next thing we experienced were airbags and a bloody lip with several cuts on Beth's face.

The damage to the vehicle was disabling while the Blue Ford truck was still able to be driven. Thank God we were okay and walked away from a vehicle that would later be called "totaled." Shocked, shaken, we stood there and tried to figure out what exactly happened. Long story short, Beth's injuries healed quickly without intervention and the police report came a week later with the assessment that I had caused the accident.

While trying to be a good steward of this purchase, I decided to forego collision coverage for liability. I wanted to make sure I could pay for this addition to our expenses. For those who know what that means, I have just lost about $4,000 but I kept my daughter Beth. One is costly, the other is priceless.

I have to admit that I was upset. How could such careful planning in buying this vehicle and a record of 26 years of accident-free driving result in a crash that the investigating police felt was my fault? I acknowledge that even a good driver as myself could in fact make a mistake. Maybe it was my fault.

I did count my blessings that day when I got home. Here is the list.

1) Beth and I are okay, though sorry for her minor injury to the lips.

2) That the impact was at the front right of the car. A little further and Beth would have got the truck that hit us right in the side.

3) Thankful that we were able to push the doors open (damage to them on the end) and get out on our own

4) Thankful that the other driver was also okay

5) Thankful that the other driver and attending officers and EMT's were all nice.

6) Thankful that Beth was still able to go to school

7) Thankful for the family of the above-mentioned member, that though they have their own sorrow, were concerned for us too. (Note: she died the same morning as my accident)

8) Thankful for Bill Embley, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere to my side.

9) Also for his ride home so that my wife didn't have to pick me up.

10) thankful also to a merciful God who gives and takes away. Blessed be His name and I am so thankful that He chose not to take our Elisabeth away.

11) And thankful to friends who have taken the time to express their well wishes and sorrow at our accident in this busy, rainy day during the Christmas season.

12) One more thankful post: the other several cars on my list of prospectives to purchase were small Hondas and Toyotas. Imagine what a truck could have done to one of them.

Cain's Troubles Give Warning to the Rest of Us

2011-12-01T19:10:00.005-05:00

On this blog, I have chosen to stay away from politics. If you know me personally, you realize how difficult that is for me. Yet I have been successful up until now. I post a political story because this one goes to the heart of something about which I care deeply: marriage and family.

According to this latest twist of an ongoing story, Mr. Cain has admitted to having a friendship with a woman that his wife knew nothing about until she publicly revealed what she said was a thirteen year affair with Cain. Incidentally, the Bible uses the more stark term "adultery." Whether he committed adultery with her, one thing is clear; having a secret relationship with someone of the opposite sex will only lead to trouble. Trust is violated and temptation is a real threat.

However, the story gets more problematic for Cain and probably explains the reassessment of his campaign. He revealed in the interview to the New Hampshire Union leader that he has repeatedly given this woman money for monthly bills.

See: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111201/NEWS0605/111209989

and/or

http://www.c-span.org/Campaign2012/Herman-Cain-Interview-with-NH-Newspaper/10737425947-1/

This is behavior consistent with an affair yet if it weren't an affair, the idea of giving money that belongs to Gloria and Herman Cain (a one flesh union) to an admittedly secret friend without her knowledge leaves Gloria to question the nature of this relationship. Mr. Cain's campaign MAY be in trouble but his marriage most definitely IS in trouble. We will know more once he makes that trip to Atlanta on Friday.

In the age of Facebook, cell phones and so much technology, please make sure your relationships with those of the opposite sex are known to your spouse. If there is anyone who gets your spouse's radar up, then you need to consider strongly ending that relationship unless a chat with your spouse and open activities allay concerns.

Hedges: Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect is a great resource to help you protect your marriage from adultery. http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Your-Marriage-Enough-Protect/dp/080244086X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322782941&sr=8-2

Remember that often enough, an affair (i.e. adultery) is a calculated behavior over time, one compromise or allowance followed by another and then another. That being the case, you are in control of stopping the descent into adultery.

Casting Crowns' "Slow Fade" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk&ob=av2e">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk&ob=av2e

If you are currently involved in an adulterous relationship or one you know to be inappropriate, waste no more time, get out. And get ahead of the story. Your jilted lover may very well reveal all. Beat him or her to it, after all, that is what repentance is. Check out this promise: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9 (NKJV). The road back will not be easy but it will be worthwhile. See your pastor together for further help as needed.

Think No Evil: A Book Review on the Subject of Forgiveness

2011-11-16T00:17:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read a book in which you thought, “That was a good book!” and yet the subject matter was so sobering

that you felt funny thinking that? That is my reaction to Think No Evil by Jonas Beiler and Shawn Smucker. This book is well worth reading, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

October 2, 2006 is a date that will be etched into the minds of the Amish living in Nickel Mines and the larger community of “English” that surrounds it. For it was on that day that a lone gunman, someone that a good number of them knew, sent five girls into eternity, five others into life-threatening injuries and then shot himself at an Amish schoolhouse. Blasting away at ten young to little girls and then turning the weapon on himself, Charles Roberts victimized those girls, their families, his own family, the Amish as a whole community, emergency responders and so many more.

The tragedy got our attention but what happened next gripped the nation. The Amish immediately began the process of forgiveness. This book tells the story of what happened, some of the background of what occurred and then explains the unexplainable: how grief-stricken people who had their daughters killed or seriously injured by a mad-man could forgive the assailant and reach beyond their own pain to see and desire to help the Roberts’ family in their grief too. This is their story as told by someone who was once numbered among them, having been raised in an Amish household.

Something I didn’t expect from this book was some good, practical counsel on forgiveness. Jonas Beiler’s life had its share of tragedies and trials. He writes what he learned and what helped him as well as his understanding of Amish upbringing to help us all to forgive even though we cannot forget.

If you are struggling with forgiveness, this book is for you. We have all heard that we should forgive even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. This book gives a modern example to add to God’s in the Amish of Nickel Mines. If they could forgive such evil, what’s holding you or me back from forgiving that one person against whom we still hold ill-feeling?

http://www.amazon.com/Think-No-Evil-Schoolhouse-Shooting/dp/B003NHR5X2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321420412&sr=1-1

The Three Year Itch (Judges 9)

2011-11-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

I am sure that nearly everyone has heard the story of Gideon, the reluctant judge in Israel who led his nation to victory against the Midianites. What may be less familiar to you is the rest of the story. Gideon had seventy sons by various wives and another son named Abimelech by a concubine.

Abimelech approached the people of Shechem with a proposition. Why should they have seventy sons of Gideon rule over them when they could have one of their own? The Shechemites agreed and Abimelech slaughtered sixty-nine of his seventy half-brothers. Jotham, the only remaining brother, got away.

From Mt. Gerizim, Jotham put a curse, so to speak, on Abimelech and the people of Shechem. He stated that if they did well with his father and his house, especially considering all that he had done for them in rescuing them from the Midianites, then may it go well with them. Yet if it weren’t deserved, may Abimelech and Shechem turn on each other.

What struck me about this passage was the verse that said, “After three years . . .” Three years not three minutes, not three hours, three days or three months but three years was the time period. At that time, God had answered Jotham’s prayer. The people of Shechem struck first and Abimelech and those allied with him struck back. In the end, Shechem was destroyed and Abimelech killed.

Now this is most definitely not a Bible story with which to send your young child to bed. It is, however, one that can encourage you and me. I hope you don’t have any enemies at work, school, in your home or in your neighborhood that you would wish such upon them. Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t the point here. What is the point is that God does act and His delay, as someone once said, doesn’t indicate His denial.

No information is given on how much Jotham might have prayed during this time. Yet, that is exactly what we can do. Continue to pray for whatever you are asking of God. It may come in three minutes or three years or somewhere in between but God will answer according to His will and that will be good for you. Whatever you do, don’t give up.

(note: for further background information, also read Judges 6-8)

For Men Only: A Book Review (and yes, you ladies can read it)

2011-10-28T21:53:00.001-04:00

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn is not just another book on the male-female relationship, guys. It is a humorous, thoroughly researched book on understanding women, specifically the woman in your life. Many times along the way, I found myself breaking out into laughter.

Using a scientific survey method and hundreds of interviews, the Feldhahns seek to inform men as to how to improve their relationship. As an added plus, men, the book is a compact size and easy to read. Inside, you will find some things you knew but lots of other things that may be eye-opening. The key to understanding your mate is as elementary as can be: men and women are different so stop projecting your likes and dislikes onto her guys!

Did you ever wonder . . .
1) Why she is so insecure and what you can do about it?
2) How you can help her clear those distractions from her mind so that she can relax with you?
3) What security means to her and how to help her feel it?
4) Why your trying to fix the problem doesn’t fix the problem and what will?

The book provides guidance to these mysteries and many more. There is even a quick-start guide that can serve as a reminder to you of the principles found within the book. And sure, ladies, you could take a peak or read through it too but your time may be better spent reading the companion book entitled, For Women Only.

I enthusiastically recommend this little volume which will be a wise investment of your time and money.

I received this book from Multnomah for free for review purposes.

"A Promise Kept" by Robertson McQuilkin

2011-10-06T20:29:00.004-04:00

I just now finished this book by Robertson McQuilkin. Last month the evangelical world was abuzz about Pat Robertson’s comments regarding Alzheimer’s Disease in a spouse.

See http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/09/pat-robertson-infuriates-faithful-with-alzheimers-comments.html for one example.

My response was to condemn Rev. Robertson’s comments but then to go to www.amazon.com and purchase a copy of A Promise Kept. A number of years ago, I heard McQuilkin's story and was so inspired that I call him one of my modern heroes. Thanks to Pat Robertson’s foolishness, I was motivated to look up and purchase the book.

A small yet delightful book is how I would describe it. The cover has a picture of his dear wife Muriel who developed Alzheimer’s at the tender age of 55. When the reader opens it, he discovers that the chapters are cleverly and lovingly entitled by traditional marital vows. “In Sickness and in Health,” “To Love and to Cherish,” “For Better, for Worse,” “From This Day Forward,” “For Richer, for Poorer” and “Till Death Do Us Part.”

Each chapter chronicles the journey with Alzheimer’s. It begins with doubt as to whether this really is the dreaded disease. Then the diagnosis and then adjusting to it, slowly, methodically, until it became obvious that this college president could no longer do both his job and minister to his wife. He said the decision was easy.

Robertson McQuilkin told the student body that he promised until death do us part so as a man of his word, integrity played a part. However, fairness did too. For 42 years, Muriel cared for him. If he were to spend the next 40 doing the same for her, he would not be out of her debt. Even more so, he loved Muriel and he stated that he didn’t have to care for her; he got the privilege of doing so.

Well meaning people who disagreed with his decision, especially when Muriel deteriorated, tried to get him to put her in a nursing home or some other option. “Get on with your life,” was too often the advice. “She doesn’t know you anymore,” they would assert. Still McQuilkin’s determination never faltered. He made his decision so many years ago in the presence of God and the company of witnesses. Muriel had a faithful companion until the end showing unconditional love.

This book had me wondering how I would do. Certainly, I would love to say that I would do what he did. I do love my wife and I meant what I said so many years ago. Yet I hesitate, not because I waver at such but I am not there and the proof, it is said metaphorically, is in the pudding. Perhaps my endearment for Robertson McQuilkin, a man I never met, is proof enough of what I would do.

“Lord God, if this were your will for me, help me to keep my marital vows and to fulfill them until death do us part, Amen.”

Get your copy at:

http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Kept-Robertson-McQuilkin/dp/0842350993

John Wesley’s Church Planting Movement:

2011-09-29T22:21:00.000-04:00

This article is incredibly informative. What a great read and an inspiration.

John Wesley’s Church Planting Movement:: When John Wesley was born in 1703, four million out of Britain’s five million people lived in absolute poverty—unless they found enough food for that day, they would begin to starve to death.
When John Wesley launched a Church Planting Movement in this context, he not only changed the eternal destinies of an estimated one million people who came to Christ through his ministry, he changed their economic status as well. Not only did the Methodists he led get saved, they got out of poverty and became a powerful influence in discipling their nation. Wilberforce and other “spiritual sons” of Wesley honored him as the “greatest man of his time.”

Reproducible Pastoral Training - A Book Review

2011-09-29T22:10:00.001-04:00

Reproducible Pastoral Training: Church Planting Guidelines from the Teachings of George Patterson by Patrick O’Connor is a book about missions. However, its insights are also helpful to anyone who is either starting a church or seeking to see it grow. Patrick O’Connor dives into the wisdom of George Patterson and presents it in an intelligent way.

Various topics are explained in the text. How does one reach a culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is better, door-to-door evangelism or another technique? Is it best to begin with a multi-cultural church or to start with one culture? How does one utilize contacts for the sake of the Gospel? Also, how does one prevent establishing a foreign church rather than a native one? Furthermore, the author goes into issues like how leaders are trained and when they should begin serving.

I found myself revisiting preconceived notions of what is done in Western churches and thus is considered to be biblical. For instance, the distance between the time someone accepts Christ and is baptized. This and many more ideas of how to start, run and develop a church are tackled in this volume.

I would recommend this book to missionary candidates and pastors alike. Board members would be challenged to think more biblically as a result of reading it. Perhaps someday we will see the impact this book has on missions and pastoral ministry.

An interesting aside to this review was that our church had missionaries come and about 10 years prior, one of them had met the author and was told by him he would write a book and this was it. I felt led by the Lord to give him my copy. Isn't that great!

This book was given to me free of charge in exchange for a review. Visit www.missionfrontiers.org for similar offers and great content on missions in today's world.

Fort Worth School Punishes Honor Student for Saying Being Gay is Wrong

2011-09-23T00:08:00.000-04:00

Student Suspended for Saying Gay Is Wrong: MyFoxDFW.com

Pat Robertson Says Divorce Okay if Spouse has Alzheimer's | Liveblog | Christianity Today

2011-09-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

Pat Robertson Says Divorce Okay if Spouse has Alzheimer's | Liveblog | Christianity Today

Who would you want for your spouse? A Pat Robertson type or a Robertson McQuilkin type? Read the story for yourself and I would love to know what you think.

David Bloom, A Favorite Correspondent of Mine, Was a Christian!

2011-09-11T23:03:00.000-04:00

Arguably one of my favorite news personalities was David Bloom. He joined NBC in 1993 and became White House Correspondent in 1997. In 2003, he became one of 153 journalists who died in the Iraq war. Bloom was embedded with the Third Infantry Division. Tragically, he passed away when a blood clot traveled up from his leg to his lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. He died at the age of 39. Bloom left behind his wife, Melanie, and three daughters: Nicole, Christine, and Ava.

What I did not know until I read of Chuck Colson’s account of David Bloom’s life and death in Anne Graham Lotz’ book, Why? Trusting God When You Don’t Understand, was that Bloom had become a Christian. After reading Chuck Colson’s book, Born Again, Bloom committed his life to Jesus Christ. Subsequently, he attended a weekly Bible study and, according to Colson, he was growing. Whenever Colson traveled to New York they would get together for mutual spiritual encouragement.

Upon hearing of Bloom’s death, Colson immediately questioned why. Finally, an evangelical Christian high up in the news media and he is taken away. Why would God take him in the prime of his life and career? Colson found the answer at the memorial service when Bloom’s faith was made known to an audience that was a cross-section of the who’s who of politics, entertainment and network news.

Turkey's Relationship with Israel and Ezekiel 38 and 39

2011-09-10T10:02:00.002-04:00

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/medsea.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/medsea.htm&h=367&w=629&sz=42&tbnid=Z56J6POU-ovmaM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=127&prev=/search%3Fq%3DMediterranean%2BSea%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Mediterranean+Sea&docid=s-lBpEbeS97-TM&sa=X&ei=E21rTuSiM8rl0QHc0J2IBQ&ved=0CDYQ9QEwAg&dur=257

A recent report from the Associated Press indicates that Turkey plans on a military escort of Turkish ships intent on breaching the Israeli blockade of Gaza. In an alarming development, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has threatened to send warships to "protect" humanitarian shipments to Gaza. This rhetoric and the mainstream media ignore the fact that enormous amounts of aid are sent to Gaza through and from Israel. It also ignores the fact that the incident in which Israeli commandos boarded Gaza-bound ships and resulted in the loss of lives of Turkish citizens did not need to result in such if the ships had simply obeyed the directive to go to a particular port for inspection before the aid was allowed into Gaza or allowed the commandos to board without attacking them.

See: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/09/turkish-prime-minister-says-navy-will-escort-aid-ships-to-gaza/

In Ezekiel 38 and 39, the prophet Ezekiel warns of a massive invasion of Israel from a confederacy of nations that has what is now the nation of Turkey as a major player. It would seem that the deterioration of good relations with Turkey that included the exchange of military sales from Israel to Turkey and the warming of relations of Turkey with the Muslim world while it experiences obstacles in its relations with the West all point to the potential that a key piece of the prophetic puzzle is coming into place.

At this time Israel is pursuing a cautious response. What would happen if such a shipment and escort approached Gaza? Would Israel risk confrontation? If so, will shots be fired? Could this lead to a battle between Turkish and Israeli warships and, if so, how would the world react? I think it is clear that all the above is very possible and that even if Israel were to win the skirmish it would suffer greatly in world opinion. Israel would be forced into a "lose-lose" proposition: 1) risk a battle with Turkish ships that will lead nowhere positive in relations with Turkey and the world or 2) let the escorts and ships pass without incident and risk Gaza getting arms, etc. that could greatly imperil the security of the Jewish state.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and pray for Israel to have wisdom. It would appear that it has no winning option here. The only way out seems to be to apologize for the breaching of those ships, compensate for the loss of life and to negotiate for aid ships to come to Gaza from Turkey, to be inspected peacefully by Israeli security and to proceed to Gaza unimpeded. Such a deal would avoid conflict but would mean a serious concession on Israel's part despite its view it did nothing wrong; a viewpoint that many evangelicals like myself share.

These are truly dangerous days for Israel. Also see the developments at the Israeli embassy: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/09/egyptians-ransack-building-housing-israel-embassy/

Kamikaze: F-16 pilots planned to ram Flight 93

2011-09-09T19:08:00.001-04:00

Wow, this story is something else! Two fighter pilots were willing to give their lives to protect innocents on the ground from the doomed Flight 93.

Kamikaze: F-16 pilots planned to ram Flight 93

More on Flight 93:

A Couple of My Quotes on Christianity

2011-09-07T16:23:00.000-04:00

Try Christianity and I will tell you now that it will not work. However, live out radically authentic, Christ-centered Christianity and it will work wonders

Following Christ on my terms is not following Him at all.

Disclaimer: I believe these are original to me but knowing the human mind as I do, it is possible that they are variations of what is already out there. Ultimately, only one person is original and that is God.