Faith Mixes with Football for Super Bowl

The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. - Arizona running back Tim Hightower had just finished a thoughtful explanation of his religious beliefs when one of the media types who found their way into the Super Bowl stadium Tuesday decided he needed more proof.

“Can you pray right now?” he asked.

“I can pray that whatever is going on in your life right now that you find God,” Hightower said.

Hightower handled the question with the same ease he handled would-be tacklers to score the winning touchdown that got his team into the Super Bowl, which by itself was somewhat surprising since he is a rookie on the biggest stage of his young life.

Remainder of article found a link below: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28882334/

Are you Willing to be Hated for Speaking the Gospel Truth?

We all find it challenging to be a witness. In this day and time we are called to be a witness during a culture of "Politically Correctness". Christians have always faced challenges in sharing the Gospel. Randy Alcorn provides perspective and encouragement in being a witness in a "Politically Correct" culture. To be that faithful witness we must be willing to be "hated".

The following is from Randy Alcorn's blog. Click here to go to original post.

When Gianna Jessen spoke at our church a few weeks ago, she said many memorable things. The one that I've been thinking about is that to be a follower of Christ you need to be willing to be hated.

I agree, and that's what I want to talk about. Of course, this does NOT mean being hateful. Nor does it mean seeking to be hated. Or having a persecution complex, so you think people don’t like you because you’re following Christ, when they actually don’t like you because you’re an idiot.

I am all for graciousness, kindness and servant-hearted love as we speak the truth. I seek to practice this with the nonchristians I’m around. But at some point the greatest kindness we can offer them, coming out of a life of humility and faithfulness to Christ, is the good news about Jesus. (That good news actually involves some very bad news about human sinfulness, which is what makes the cross an offense, meaning that it ticks people off).

The danger comes when we live in such fear of being mislabeled that we don’t step forward as unapologetic and unashamed all-out followers of Jesus. They can call us Jesus freaks or ignorant or uncool or intolerant or anything they want, that’s fine. We should do what we believe pleases our Lord, regardless of how it pans out in opinion polls. That includes loving others and giving radically and ministering to the down and out and addressing addictions and saying we think it’s wrong to kill children of all ages and helping people find alternatives. We do such things not seeking the approval of our culture, but of our King.

If we seek our culture’s approval, we’ll either never get it or get it only at the expense of failing to represent Christ. We are promised, that if we “live godly lives in Christ Jesus” we “will suffer persecution.” If we’re not suffering persecution, at some level, then what does that suggest?

We should certainly be nice, and it’s sad when Christians aren’t. But it’s also sad when we imagine “niceness” has greater impact than it really does. Niceness is not the gospel. Some modern concepts of evangelism are little more than being nice to your neighbor and loaning him your hedge clipper and hoping that somehow he will come to Christ without you actually having to say the WORDS of the gospel which would run the risk of him thinking you’re weird. Our good example is important, but it’s not sufficient. There are actual truths that must be grappled with in surrendering to Jesus (1 Cor 15:1-6). And these truths are expressed in words.

I’m all for audience analysis and understanding the perceptions of this generation and speaking in a way they can understand. But instead of letting the world set our agenda and the ground rules of what we can and can’t say, let’s ask the Lord how best to take the timeless message of the gospel to these people.

But, and I say this coming out of some of the conversations I’ve had with cool Christians, the answer is not altering the contents of the gospel to make it something everyone can easily agree with. If the gospel becomes nothing more than the reflection of a worldview they already have, it has nothing to offer them. It’s God’s gospel. Given the price He paid on the cross to offer it, He has the right to say difficult things such as Jesus is the only way to the Father and we are hell-bound without him. That message is not popular and never will be. Our job isn’t to edit the message, but to deliver it.

Among some believers the new definition of a good Christian is holding your beliefs privately, not challenging those who publicly share beliefs that dishonor Christ, and avoiding controversy at all costs lest we be perceived as “those kind of Christians” who hate gays, oppose abortion, favor inquisitions and live to burn witches. We so much want the world to like us that we end up distancing ourselves from the historic Christian faith, from biblical doctrine (including hell), and from churches (because they’re all hypocrites except us). We end up making ourselves indistinguishable from the world, and therefore have nothing to offer the world.

Sometimes we assume the moral high ground by rolling our eyes at those street preachers, congratulating ourselves that we aren’t like that. Street preaching’s not my thing, but I can give you names of people who have come to Christ through street preaching. It’s more of a stretch to name those who’ve come to Christ through Christians who think it’s not cool to tell people the biblical truth that they need to repent of their sins (a synonym for evils; basically a big insult), and turn to Christ to be saved from hell.

It’s not our job to be popular. We are not contestants on American Idol. And we are not Christ’s speechwriters or PR team, airbrushing Jesus so He has greater appeal to people who don’t want to hear what He said about sin and hell. He’s the King, He calls the shots, we’re just His ambassadors. So let’s represent the real Jesus, the whole Jesus, not just the culturally acceptable one.

There is nothing new or postmodern about the gospel turning some people off. That’s always been true, just as it’s always been true that some people are longing to hear it and will deeply appreciate it that you had enough courage to tell them about Jesus.

As D. L. Moody said when someone criticized his approach to evangelism, “I like the way I do it better than the way you don’t do it.”

It is not gracious and kind to withhold the gospel from those who, according to Jesus, are going to hell without Him. Sometimes what we imagine to be our graciousness and kindness is actually indifference or cowardice.

“All men will hate you because of me.” Mark 13:13

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18


www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
http://www.epm.org/

John Piper on the Economic Downturn

The Rest of the Story: Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Gets FDA Nod

I, along with you, have read and seen the news coverage about the approval of the first clinical trials for the use of embryonic stem cell in human beings. There is more to the story than is being reported. Read below for the rest of the story.

Jan 23, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Proponents of embryonic stem cell research won a major victory Jan. 23 when a biotechnology company announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials using embryonic stem cells in human beings.

Thomas Okarma, president of the California-based Geron Corp., said his company plans to enroll up to 10 paralyzed patients who can be treated within 14 days of sustaining a spinal cord injury.

Geron will inject embryonic stem cells into the spine at the site of the damage. According to the company, if the cells behave like they have in some animal studies, the cells will mature and repair a lack of insulation around the nerves, restoring the ability of some nerve cells to carry signals.

Geron said it will monitor the patients for at least a year to determine primarily whether the procedure is safe and also whether it is effective.

Embryonic stem cell research has been a controversial issue because the extraction of cells from an embryo destroys the life of a tiny human.

Ben Mitchell, a professor of bioethics and contemporary culture at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in suburban Chicago, had told Baptist Press prior to the Geron announcement that it involves purposefully killing living human beings in order to test medical treatments for other human beings.

"Geron and their cheerleaders may try to spin it another way, but that is precisely what's going on," Mitchell, a consultant on biomedical and life issues for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said.

"And as they grasp for hope, individuals suffering from terrible illnesses are being tempted to become complicit in the destruction. If an effective therapy eventually does emerge, people with pro-life consciences will have to refuse treatment. The whole scenario is grotesque," Mitchell added.

The news is being hailed as a watershed moment by some researchers because it marks the first time the FDA has allowed embryonic stem cells to be implanted in humans. Also the approval coincides with the inauguration of Barack Obama, who had pledged to loosen the restrictions the Bush administration had placed on embryonic stem cell research, though officials say the two occurrences were not connected.

Mitchell expressed disappointment that the FDA doesn't place a higher value on human life.

"The FDA makes its decisions about drugs and procedures on the basis of safety and effectiveness," he had said. "Since they don't regard human embryos as persons, their safety does not matter. As we know from the FDA's approval of the abortion drug RU 486, the destruction of unborn human life is not of great importance to our federal drug agency."

Unlike research using embryos, extracting stem cells from non-embryonic sources -- such as umbilical cord blood, placentas, fat and bone marrow -- has nearly universal support and has produced treatments for more than 70 human ailments, according to Do No Harm, a coalition promoting ethics in research. Lupus, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, Crohn's disease and diabetes are among the ailments that have been successfully treated with non-embryonic stem cells.

Jackie Rabon, a young woman from Illinois, is an example of the strides that have been made in adult stem cell research. She was paralyzed during an automobile accident but has learned to walk again using a walker and leg braces following a surgery that placed her own adult stem cells into her spinal cord.

Rabon told Baptist Press she believes there is much hope in adult stem cell research, and she is sure that once the word gets out, more people will want to have adult stem cell therapy. She can testify that it has improved her life, and no other lives were harmed in the process.

Geron's Okarma said he doesn't expect his trial to make someone get up and dance shortly after receiving treatment, but he believes patients can be given some level of ability that can be improved by physical therapy. Several media outlets have said years of testing would follow any success Geron achieves before the treatment could become widely available to patients.

The FDA approval comes about 10 years after the first human embryonic stem cells were isolated at the University of Wisconsin, an endeavor financed by Geron.

Some researchers, such as John Kessler at Northwestern University, are skeptical about Geron's ability to achieve a successful trial. He told The New York Times that results showing the therapy worked in moderately injured animals might not apply to more seriously injured people. Also, he feared that if the therapy proves unsafe -- or even ineffective -- in people, it could cause a backlash that would set the field back for years. He was not convinced the Geron trial is the best for the first embryonic trial in humans.

Steven Goldman of the University of Rochester said the main safety concern is that if raw embryonic cells are put into the body they can form tumors, as proven in laboratory animals. Even if such tumors didn't spread like other cancers, any unwanted growth in the spinal cord can further damage nerves, The Times said.

The cells Geron has been using were eligible for federal funding under the Bush administration because they were derived from leftover embryos at fertility clinics before 2001 when Bush began restricting federally funded embryonic stem cell research, according to the Associated Press. But Geron's research to this point has been privately financed.
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Erin Roach.

© Copyright 2009 Baptist Press
Original copy of this story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=29717

Psalm 51: Suicide, A Rabbi and Two Imams

I came across the following article yesterday by Paul Tripp. It is a great article on the proclamation and power of the Gospel that is in Christ Jesus. READ IT AND ENJOY!
The article can be found at: http://paultrippministries.blogspot.com/2007/04/psalm-51-rabbi-and-two-imams.html.

Friday, April 13, 2007

It was a wonderful opportunity. I was asked to participate in an open discussion about death and dying from a patients perspective. The event was held at a local medical college. It was the first ministry situation I had ever been in where I had sat between a rabbi and two imams. My Jewish and Islamic colleagues were all very warm and articulate, but I had an unfair advantage, I came armed with the Gospel. I carried something into the room that no one else had and as the evening went on this message glistened with greater and greater beauty.

The men on either side of me were gentle and caring. They knew their faith well, but they had one distinct disadvantage, the only message they brought into the room was the message of the law. The only hope they could give was the hope that somehow, someway, a person could be obedient enough to be accepted into eternity with God. The more they spoke, the more beautiful the Gospel looked.

The most significant moment of the evening came when we were asked about what we would say to a family of someone who had committed suicide. It was at this moment that the Gospel shined the brightest. I said, "Suicide doesn't change the paradigm. Think with me, who of us could lay in our bed during the last hours of our life and look back and say to ourselves that we have been as good as a person could be? Wouldn't all of us look back and have regrets about things we have chosen, said, and done? None of us is able to commend ourselves to God on the basis of our performance. In this way, the person who has committed suicide and the person who hasn't are exactly the same. Both of them are completely dependent on the forgiveness of a God of grace, in order to have any hope for eternity."

You and I share identity with the hypothetical suicidal man just as we share identity with the adulterous and murderous king of Psalm 51. Our only hope is one thing, God's "unfailing love" and his "great compassion."(verse 1) We cannot look to our education, or family, or ministry track record, or our theological knowledge, or our evangelistic zeal, or our faithful obedience. We have one hope, it is the hope to which this ancient Psalm looks. Here is that hope in the words of a wonderful old hymn, "Jesus Paid it All."

"Since nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I'll wash my garment white
In the blood of Calvary's lamb.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson satin;
He washed it white as snow."

I said goodbye to the rabbi and the two imams and got in my car to drive home. But I didn't just drive, I celebrated! I was very excited as I thought about the evening, not because I had had such a golden opportunity to speak the Gospel, but because by means of God's grace I had been included in it!

Wonderful Merciful Saviour with lyrics

We received three "2009 Power To Win" DVDs. I just finished previewing the DVD and it is POWERFUL! There are so many lost people, whether they like football or not that need to see this DVD.

The DVD features the testimony of Derrick Brooks, linebacker of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 14 year veteran of the NFL. This is an excellent evangelistic resource to be used during the half-time of the Superbowl. Two families have asked to use the DVD for an outreach fellowship during the evening of the Superbowl on February 1st. There is one DVD still available with the condition that an honest effort will be made to invite lost people or those who are unchurched to view it during the half-time of the Superbowl.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11 (ESV)

I have changed my blog address to http://iij-jesus.blogspot.com/. The "iij" stands for infinite immeasurable joy which is found in Jesus.

If you can't remember the blog site then you can go to http://www.firstbaptistlakeland.org/ and then click on resources and then click on pastor's blog.

Web Links for Strengthening Marriages & Families

Mission statement:"Strengthening Your Most Important Relationships"


Christian Counseling Services of South Georgia
We at Christian Counseling Services of South Georgia are committed to providing help and hope through professional, Christ-centered counseling and encouragement in the South Georgia area.

Pat & Kay Patten1704 Jimmy StreetAdel, GA 31620
(229) 549-9240
home(229) 546-5755 cell
E-mail: Kay@ChristianCounselingServices.org

Family Life Ministries
Mission: To effectively develop godly marriages and families who change the world one home at a time.


Weekend To Remember
Weekend to Remember is a weekend marriage conference that teaches God's design for marriage and family. The environment is fun, non-threatening, and sometimes hilarious. And it's a wonderful time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones. There are over 150 conferences in cities all across the U.S. each year. Registration is open to individuals, couples, or groups. Whether you're engaged, newlywed, or remarried, enrich your marriage and begin a godly legacy for your family by attending a conference in a city near you. Or plan a memorable getaway to a destination of your choosing.


Marriage Builders
Willard F. Harley, Jr., Ph.D. is best known as author of the internationally best selling book, His Needs, Her Needs: Building An Affair-proof Marriage. The hard-cover American edition alone has sold over one million copies, and it is has also available in paperback and sixteen foreign translations. Every year for the past twenty consecutive years more copies of this book have been sold than in each previous year.


Focus On The Family
Dr. James Dobson and the Focus on the Family guiding principles:

• The Preeminence of Evangelism
• The Permanence of Marriage
• The Value of Children
• The Sanctity of Human life
• The Importance of Social Responsibility
• The Value of Male and Female

Make sure he's dead

Casting Crowns: Slow Fade Video

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? {28} Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? (Prov 6:27-28 NIV)

Bonnie's uncle Skeeter died last night

Bonnie's uncle Skeeter Moore died last night after a long battle with cancer. Skeeter for years, never embraced God's mercy and grace until just a few months ago.

There is tragedy and victory in that story. In light of eternity – tragedy, in a life wasted for the most part. Victory in Skeeter’s very last days, in that it was not to late for grace to marvelously save him from his sin against God.

From a human standpoint, Skeeter was a very good man. But he spent his life rejecting and disrespecting His creator and the grace of God. God's grace ultimately and gloriously won out. God won the victory of salvation in Skeeter's life, because God, in His grace humbled Skeeter, putting him on his back so that he could look up and finally see God's love, mercy and grace for a sinner like himself. That’s the way it works for all of us, because God only gives grace to the humble (God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6).

Skeeter, just like the thief on the cross, received grace, salvation and hope in the midst of an agonizing death (throat cancer). Just like Jesus told the thief on the cross, today Skeeter is with His Lord and Savior in paradise.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" {40} But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? {41} We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." {42} Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." {43} Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:3-43 NIV)

Part of the victory in this story is a mother and father who never ceased to pray for their son. They never saw and heard their son Skeeter’s face and voice brightly proclaim God’s saving grace, as some of us have, while they lived on this earth. Skeeter’s dad and mom died never knowing if their prayers would be answered. But I can assure you, right after Skeeter gets through praising and adoring His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I know Skeeter is going to seek out his mother and father, and oh what a glorious reunion that will be.

Please remember in prayer Skeeter's wife, Jeannie; not only for the grief she is experiencing but especially for her salvation. The situation spiritually with her is dark, but with God all things are possible and with one word from God He can speak the light of salvation into her soul (Matt 19:26; 2 Cor 4:6).

Spiritual Disciplines and Legalism

Often we can confuse discipline with legalism. The following video vignette featuring Randy Alcorn helps to clarify some of the confusion over this issue.

Ask Him More Than Once!

Ladies, have you ever said, "I asked him to _________". Why hasn't he done it by now?" Here's the answer!