What Now: How To Respond To The Election of President Elect Obama

I came across the article below and found it to be helpful in articulating what the Christian response should be following the election of Barack Obama, especially since the president elect was not the candidate I or many other Evangelicals voted for. We'd all be wise to follow the advice given by Curt Iles.
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Praying for Our President
By Curt Iles
Nov 24, 2008

DRY CREEK, La. (BP)--Since our recent presidential election, I've often thought of my deceased grandfather and an important lesson he modeled.

My maternal grandfather, Sidney Plott, taught me to pray for our president. In all of my years of memory -- from President Dwight Eisenhower to the end of George H.W. Bush's term -- he always prayed for the president. At every meal, he sincerely asked God's blessings and guidance on "Our President." It didn't matter who occupied the White House, "Grandpa Sid" believed Scripture mandated prayer and respect (Romans 13:1), and he faithfully prayed it until the very day of his death.

Although in the 2008 election I didn't vote for Barack Obama, he will be my president. I do not need to explain, or apologize for, my vote for his opponent, John McCain.

All that matters is the present; the American people have spoken and we've elected a president. He is my president, and I'll give him my prayers, best wishes and support. This doesn't mean I'll agree with all of his decisions, but it signifies I'll show him the respect due our nation's highest office.

In the last decade, I've had the privilege of traveling in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America. On each trip, I've realized with gratitude the many blessings we Americans enjoy. Anyone who has traveled this Earth knows what a blessed nation we are.

However, I've often heard the scorn many residents of the world feel for our nation and its leaders. I've found this statement to be true: "The world dislikes America, but it likes Americans."

I've always personally been treated with respect in foreign places -- even in countries with divergent political and religious views from ours. Even so, my new friends have been quick to question and criticize our government.

I've tried to listen carefully, because every criticism presents us with a chance to learn. When I could, I've tried to explain or expand.

However, if I could be with those friends now, I'd say, "Watch us. We'll show you the American way to change governments."

In these travels, I've read the varied history of the countries and continents. In most places, regime changes have been bloody and full of retaliation. I've just finished a book, "The Fate of Africa," that details the post-colonial history of this continent I've come to love. It contains tale after tale of violence, oppression, and military coups.

But that's not how we do it in the United States of America.

A small news item from Nov. 5 illustrates this.

At 6 a.m. on the morning after our election, the Secret Service ended their protection of John McCain. Later that day, he and his wife Cindy drove home, without bodyguards or chauffeurs. Notice this -- John McCain drove himself home. He once again became citizen McCain.

This wouldn't happen in most areas of the world. The loser of an election often also loses their freedom, if not their life. But that's not the American way.

President-elect Obama and his wife Michelle visited the White House the other day, where President Bush and his wife Laura greeted them. All four of them exhibited dignity and class. It was symbolic of the peaceful transfer of power that is emblematic of our country. These two leaders, in spite of their past differences, were extremely gracious and helpful to each other in a transition of power befitting the United States of America.

I'm not sure what we should expect in our country's coming days. In my lifetime, there's never been more uncertainty as great challenges both at home and abroad confront us. But there is one thing I know: We are Americans and we'll get through this time together.

However, we move forward confidently knowing that God -- as He always has been -- is in control. Our job is pretty simple: Pray for our leaders and government to make good decisions.

Curt Iles, on the Web at www.creekbank.net, is a writer and speaker living in his hometown of Dry Creek, La. The latest of his six books is a historical novel titled "The Wayfaring Stranger."

© Copyright 2008 Baptist Press
Original copy of this story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=29404

Mark Driscoll's new book Death By Love

Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Click on this link to go to web site)

I have recently been reading, Death by Love, by Mark Driscoll and have found it to be a very practical guide to pointing people to a Christ-centered and cross-centered solution to their hurts, fears and truest needs. Having skimmed over the whole book, I feel confident in recommending this book. This is a great book for all of us who have been victimized by sin, Satan and the flesh and it points the way toward experiencing Christ exalting victory over these foes.

The language in the preface and introduction may be more scholarly than some of us are use to. The chapters are much easier to read.

Click here to go to the web site to view the first chapter of the book. The video link below previews the book. The following is from the editors of the book.

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Real people. Real sin. Transformed lives. A compilation of heartfelt letters written from a pastor to his people that explains Jesus’ work on the cross.

Death by Love is a unique book on the cross of Jesus Christ. While many books debate the finer points of the doctrine of the atonement, what is often lost are the real-life implications of Jesus’ death on the cross for those who have sinned and have been sinned against. Written in the form of pastoral letters, Death by Love outlines the twelve primary effects of Jesus’ death on the cross and connects each to the life of a different individual.

Driscoll, one of America’s most influential pastors, and Breshears, a respected theologian, help readers understand, appreciate, and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross in a way that will transform their lives. Both deeply theological and intensely practical, this book shows how everyone can find hope through the death of Jesus Christ.

About the Author

MARK DRISCOLL is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and the Resurgence Missional Theology Cooperative.

GERRY BRESHEARS is professor of theology and chairman of the division of biblical and theological studies at Western Seminary. Dr. Breshears has taught at numerous Bible colleges and seminaries around the world and is a frequent guest on various radio and TV programs.

The Goal of God's Love May Not Be What You Think It Is

By John Piper October 14, 2000
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Do people go to the Grand Canyon to increase their self-esteem? Probably not. This is, at least, a hint that the deepest joys in life come not from savoring the self, but from seeing splendor. And in the end even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God.

We are all bent to believe that we are central in the universe. How shall we be cured of this joy-destroying disease? Perhaps by hearing afresh how radically God-centered reality is according to the Bible.

Both the Old and New Testament tell us that God's loving us is a means to our glorifying him. "Christ became a servant ... in order that the nations might glorify God for his mercy" (Romans 15:8-9). God has been merciful to us so that we would magnify him. We see it again in the words, "In love [God] destined us to adoption ... to the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:4-6). In other words, the goal of God's loving us is that we might praise him. One more illustration from Psalm 86:12-13: "I will glorify your name forever. For your lovingkindness toward me is great." God's love is the ground. His glory is the goal.

This is shocking. The love of God is not God's making much of us, but God's saving us from self-centeredness so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. And our love to others is not our making much of them, but helping them to find satisfaction in making much of God. True love aims at satisfying people in the glory of God. Any love that terminates on man is eventually destructive. It does not lead people to the only lasting joy, namely, God. Love must be God-centered, or it is not true love; it leaves people without their final hope of joy.

Take the cross of Christ, for example. The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love: "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Yet the Bible also says that the aim of the death of Christ was "to demonstrate [God's] righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed" (Romans 3:25). Passing over sins creates a huge problem for the righteousness of God. It makes him look like a judge who lets criminals go free without punishment. In other words, the mercy of God puts the justice of God in jeopardy.

So to vindicate his justice he does the unthinkable - he puts his Son to death as the substitute penalty for our sins. The cross makes it plain to everyone that God does not sweep evil under the rug of the universe. He punishes it in Jesus for those who believe.

But notice that this ultimately loving act has at the center of it the vindication of the righteousness of God. Good Friday love is God-glorifying love. God exalts God at the cross. If he didn't, he could not be just and rescue us from sin. But it is a mistake to say, "Well, if the aim was to rescue us, then we were the ultimate goal of the cross." No, we were rescued from sin in order that we might see and savor the glory of God. This is the ultimately loving aim of Christ's death. He did not die to make much of us, but to free us to enjoy making much of God forever.

It is profoundly wrong to turn the cross into a proof that self-esteem is the root of mental health. If I stand before the love of God and do not feel a healthy, satisfying, freeing joy unless I turn that love into an echo of my self-esteem, then I am like a man who stands before the Grand Canyon and feels no satisfying wonder until he translates the canyon into a case for his own significance. That is not the presence of mental health, but bondage to self.

The cure for this bondage is to see that God is the one being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is the most loving act. In exalting himself - Grand Canyon-like - he gets the glory and we get the joy. The greatest news in all the world is that there is no final conflict between my passion for joy and God's passion for his glory. The knot that ties these together is the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Jesus Christ died and rose again to forgive the treason of our souls, which have turned from savoring God to savoring self. In the cross of Christ, God rescues us from the house of mirrors and leads us out to the mountains and canyons of his majesty. Nothing satisfies us - or magnifies him - more.

Originally published in Dallas Morning News.
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© Desiring God

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

There Will Be A Day

I heard on the radio Jeremy Camp's new release There Will Be A Day, on Monday the day before I did a funeral for a 2 month old that died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

When you look at an infant that is so beautiful and don't have any answers as to why, all one can do is point to the hope of a greater day and a glorious reunion for those who are in Christ. There is no hope of bringing that beautiful child back but there is the hope of being able to go to that child. After David lost his child in death he said, "Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12:23.

We long for the day when everything that is wrong in this world will pass away and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There Will Be A Day powerfully captures that longing and the hope for that day. Just click the "play button" on the picture below to the left of the itunes logo. There are other links on the gadget below of interest, just click.


Lyrics:
I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel your walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing….

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face

There will be a day, He’ll wipe away the stains, He’ll wipe away the tears, He’ll wipe away the tears…..there will be a day

Post-Election Analysis: True or False?

A friend sent the following "True-False Test" to me today, the day following the election. It is timely and very helpful in giving us perspective on the presidential election. Take the test, and then ask yourself how you should respond to the election results.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

True/False:
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control.

Using The 10 Commandments To Witness

Hey! Watch this spot (link below) from the Christian TV show The Way of The Master. The guy (Ray Comfort) speaking is not a "yelling preacher", so please don't be turned off and stop the video. He just has to speak up to be heard in an open forum. If you want to find other resources on how to share your faith go to www.thewayofthemaster.com.

33 Pastors Openly Speak About Politics

Maybe you've heard on the news about the 33 pastors who openly spoke about politics from the pulpit recently. This will surely end up in the courts and will be watched intently by people in the Church concerned about free speech and those opposed to the Church having influence on culture and society in the realm of politics.

If you want to enlarge the video below, just click on the button on the video that enables that.

FireProof: Never Leave Your Partner Behind

Dear Mr. Obama

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - I´m Amazed

Lyrics to I'm Amazed

No one knew how alone I was feeling
And the emptiness I tried so hard to hide
Through I laughed and said my life was fine without You.

I was covering up the secret tears I cried
Then one day someone told me of Your mercy
And the love You showed on a hill called Calvary
There you died and purchased my redemption
When you broke sin’s power and set my spirit free

I’m amazed that You love me
I’m amazed how You care
Through Your precious blood
I’ve fond pardon
And my sins are washed,
They’re all washed away
All my sins are washed away

It’s true there have been days when I’ve failed You
Lord, You know the many times I’ve gone astray
But I’ve learned that Your love is stronger than my weakness
And you ear is open every time I pray
No one else has ever cared for me like You, Lord
Other friends could never be as close to me
I’m not afraid to face the problems of tomorrow
Knowing You are everything I’ll ever need

I’m amazed that You love me
I’m amazed how You care
Through Your precious blood
I’ve fond pardon
And my sins are washed,
They’re all washed away
All my sins are washed away

Glory In The Highest

What a wonderful day when the multitude of angelic host gathered to lift their voices in praise to God at the coming of the Messiah (Luke 2:13-14). Likewise, what a privilege we have to join in and announce to our world and all creation, "Glory in the highest!"

And when we take time to look about at God's handiwork in His creation and to see that all of creation declares the glory of God (Psalms 19:1-3), the redeemed of the Lord can not help but be compelled to join in and to sing God's glorious praises.

But the greatest inspiration for giving glory to God is found in the cross of Christ; for those who are redeemed, have by the mercy and grace of God been chosen to sing praises to the Lamb of God who was slain (Revelation 5:12). As we lift our hearts in praise to the Lamb, and we value the work of Christ upon the cross for our forgiveness and the propitiation (wrath bearer) of our sins, we are indeed amazed by God's grace!

Though we praise God and give Him glory because He alone is worthy of praise, there is great personal benefit in giving God praise. The Bible says that Abraham "grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he (God) had promised". (Romans 4:18-21 ESV) Likewise, we can grow strong in our faith through exercising praise and adoration to God.

I hope you will take time to sing along with the attached video below and sing "Glory in the Highest" and may you be strengthened in your faith as you give glory to God.

Glory In The Highest by Chris Tomlin

The Amazing Story of John and Donna Bishop

Below you will find the story of John & Donna Bishop as found at FamilyLife. It is an amazing story of faith and inspiration. It is the story of true commitment to one's spouse and God. It is the story of faith in the God who "works everything together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Still amazed by God's grace,
John
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from: FamilyLife Marriage Memo
by Dave Boehi
In 1995, a man woke up in a hospital bed in Arkansas and had no idea who he was. In fact, he didn't know anything.

He didn't know that his name was John Bishop. That he had been married for 24 years to Donna, and they had three sons. That he served as pastor at a church in Heber Springs, Ark., and they lived on the grounds of a youth camp they had started.

But this was more than amnesia. John was suffering from aseptic meningitis, and for whatever reason, the disease wiped away all of his memory.

John didn't know how to read or write. He didn't even know how to walk, talk, or chew food. Everything was blank.

And so begins one of the more amazing stories I’ve ever heard. For the next three days (August 4-6) on FamilyLife Today you can hear John and Donna Bishop of Rosebud, Ark., talk about the trials they have faced over the last 13 years. For John, it's the story of a man who has had the ultimate second chance--the opportunity to start everything all over. "All I remember is from 1995 to this day," John says in the interview. "I remember nothing before that. Everything that happened in my life beforehand is what I've been told. When I woke up from meningitis, I did not know her. I did not know me, my name. I didn't know anything."

And for Donna, it's the story of a wife who basically lost her first husband, and had to decide what to do with this grown man who, at first, had to be cared for and taught as though he were an infant.

She kept thinking John's memory would return, but it never did. She had to teach him how to eat again, starting with baby food. It took two years for him to walk well. He learned to speak by reading lips and matching the words he heard with the way a person's mouth moved. (In fact, even after 13 years, John is still learning to improve his grammar and syntax as he speaks.)
"It was almost like I had four boys instead of three," Donna says. She had to assume all responsibilities for the family. Yet she never wavered in her commitment to John. "My parents had a good marriage, and I was always taught that when you're married, you're married for life. When you say for better or for worse, in sickness and health, you're in for the long haul. I never even thought about divorce."

But how do you explain the concept of marriage to a man who doesn't remember you and doesn't even know what marriage is?

At one point, when she felt John had progressed enough to understand, Donna told him, "You’re John, I'm Donna, and we're married. That means you belong to me, and I belong to you."

"You're my Donna?" he asked.

He got it. And ever since then he has called her "My Donna."

"It was so easy to love her, she loved me so good," he says today. "Everything I know is what my wife taught me. I tell everybody she taught me reading, writing ... and my favorite subject, kissing."

John still suffers from a variety of health problems--seizures, cluster migraine headaches, an injured back ... in the last year he's lost much of his sight. But the impact God has had through him because of this long struggle may be greater than anything before 1995. He and Donna began God Is So Good Ministries to testify to the goodness of God even in the midst of an incredible struggle.

John says the ministry name is inspired by something God taught him during a time of depression and discouragement after his new life began. "I really loved the book of Psalms, because David been through trials too ... He kept saying God is good." He remembers laying on the couch one night after a difficult day. He read Psalm 34:8, which says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

John prayed, "God, I gonna believe You're good. If I never get better, I still gonna believe You're good because that what Your word says. Lord, this must be what faith means ... believing You, even when I don't feel like it."

There are many other stories I could tell about this remarkable couple, but then I'd be stealing too much thunder from the FamilyLife Today broadcasts! You can listen to the three-part series with the Bishops on your local Christian station, or online at our website.

Links:
Forgetting What Lies Behind...
"For Better or For Worse"
Making New Memories

How To Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God

Recently my thoughts have been captured by the truths contained in Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (ESV). One evident truth in that verse is that anything in our lives that is not about the glory of God is sin. Paul also said it this way, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV). Below you will find a copy of a John Piper article titled "How To Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God" that speaks to the issue of everything not of God's glory as being sin.

When I asked two weeks ago, "Is the Doctrine of Total Depravity Biblical" my answer was, Yes. And one thing I meant was that all of our actions (apart from saving grace) are morally ruined. In other words, everything an unbeliever does is sinful and thus unacceptable to God.

I said that one of my reasons for believing this comes from 1 Corinthians 10:31. "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I asked, "Is it sin to disobey this Biblical commandment?" Yes.

So I draw this somber conclusion: It is sin to eat or drink or do anything NOT for the glory of God. In other words, sin is not just a list of harmful things (killing, stealing, etc.). Sin is leaving God out of account in the ordinary affairs of your life. Sin is anything you do that you don't do for the glory of God.

But what do unbelievers do for the glory of God? Nothing. Therefore everything they do is sinful. That is what I mean by saying that, apart from saving grace, all we do is morally ruined. Some of you then asked the practical question: Well, how do you "eat and drink" to the glory of God? Say, orange juice for breakfast?

One answer is found in 1 Timothy 4:3-5: "[Some] forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."

Orange juice was "created to be received with gratitude by those who believe the truth." Therefore, unbelievers cannot use orange juice for the purpose God intended-namely, as a occasion for heartfelt thanksgiving to God from a true heart of faith.

But believers can, and this is how they glorify God. Their drinking orange juice is "sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer." The word of God teaches us that juice, and even our strength to drink it, is a free gift of God (1 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Peter 4:11). The prayer is our humble response of thanks from the heart. Believing this truth in the word, and offering thanks in prayer is one way we drink orange juice to the glory of God.

The other way is to drink lovingly. For example, don't insist on the biggest helping. This is taught in the context of 1 Corinthians 10:33, "I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved" (RSV). "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Everything we do-even drinking orange juice-can be done with the intention and hope that it will be to the advantage of many that they may be saved.

Let us praise God that we have escaped by his grace from the total ruin of all our deeds. And let us do everything, whether we eat or drink, to the glory of our great God!

Click here to find original article at http://www.desiringgod.org/.

Baptism: A Testimony of Changed Lives

Don't Worry! They'll Be Just Fine...

Dear Mom,

Scoutmaster Webb told us to write our parents in case you heard about the flood and got worried. We're all OK. Only one of our tents and two of our sleeping bags got washed away. Nobody drowned because we were all on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yeah, please call Chad's mother and tell her he's OK. He can't write her because of the cast on his arm.

I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps! It was neat! We never would have found him in the dark if it hadn't been for all the lightning.

Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad said he did tell him, but it was during the fire, so he probably didn't hear him.

Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas can will blow up? It was so cool! The wet wood still wouldn't burn, but one of our tents did, and some of our clothes. Boy, Johnny is going to look weird until his hair grows back!

We'll be home Saturday if Scoutmaster Webb gets the car fixed. It wasn't his fault about the wreck. The brakes worked when we left, but he said with a car that old you have to expect something to break down. That's probably why he can't get insurance. We think it's a neat car. He doesn't care if we get it dirty, and if it's hot, sometimes he lets us ride on the tailgate. It gets pretty hot with 15 people in the car. He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrolman stopped and yelled at him.

This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. Scoutmaster Webb wouldn't let me because I can't swim, and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast, so he let us take the canoe across the lake. It was great. You still can see some of the trees under the water from the flood. Scoutmaster Webb isn't crabby like some Scoutmasters. He didn't even get mad about us leaving the life jackets behind. He has to spend a lot of time working on the car, so we're trying not to cause him any trouble.

Guess what? We passed our First Aid merit badges. When Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works. Also, Wade and I threw up. Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken. He said they got sick like that with the food they ate in prison. I'm so glad he got out and became our Scoutmaster. He said he figured out how to do things better while he was doing time.

I have to go now. We are going into town to mail this and buy some bullets and more gasoline. Don't worry about anything. We are doing just fine.

Love,
Your son

Source: http://www.preaching.com/resources/illustrations/11579697/

The Robertson McQuilkin Story

Robertson McQuilkin was president of Columbia Bible College when his wife of 40 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In honor of his marriage commitment, Robertson resigned to take care of her full time. (Click on video below to see)

• To see other inspirational videos from the Weekend To Remember Conferences click here.
• To explore and/or register for a Weekend To Remember Conference to build, renew and strengthen your marriage click here.
• To save on a Weekend To Remember Conference click here (deadline is August 1st)

How You Respond Depends On Your Perspective

Today (07-28-08), my wife Bonnie called me excited about a recent purchase. She had just bought gas for $3.75 a gallon, down nearly $0.25 a gallon from a week ago. Wow, can you imagine anyone being excited about $3.75 gas a year ago? This just goes to show how important our perspective is.

How we view our world also depends on what we view as being truly big. When we view God as being truly big then our circumstances are put into perspective for what they are. Though they may be overwhelming and massive for us, they are small, in light of God and who He is.

In the world we live in today, it is so important that we keep our eyes on God, who is truly Sovereign and Great. When we do that, it impacts how we see things. All of sudden, things that once might have been disheartening, begin to look like opportunities for God to be glorified.

What about how we view our sins and the sins of others. How do we view these sins in light of the cross of Christ?

When viewed in light of the cross of Christ we see sin as:

• Tragically offensive against God: God went to an extreme measure to satisfy His justice and wrath in dying for my sins and your sins. Sin can no longer be taken as trivial. Our sins are a serious offense against God for which we are in serious trouble.

When viewed in light of the cross of Christ we see sin as:

• Taken care of by God's mercy and grace: Because Jesus was sacrificed for our sins [those who believe in Christ], we do not get what we deserve - the justice of God and His wrath. That is the mercy of God. Because of what God has done on the cross, we are graced with favor, having been given the righteousness of Jesus Christ [2 Cor 5:21]. Where sin had once abounded, grace abounded much, much - so much more!

As stated in the wonderful hymn, Grace Greater Than Our Sin:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount out poured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can avail to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

So Goes the Church, So Goes the Nation By Vic Dove

Again, another great article from Vic Dove...

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12

I was recently traveling out of town, and while driving down the road I was listening to a recorded sermon on CD. The pastor’s name was Bro. Scott Smith and he was preaching a revival in a church in Eastern Tennessee. The sermon was on the church and how the church has lost its influence on our society and our culture. Bro. Scott in his sermon reminded me that while teaching to His disciples in the book of Matthew; Jesus told them: "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" Matthew 5:13.

After hearing this sermon I realized I have been looking at the problems of our great nation and blaming them on the wrong people. For sometime now I have been blaming politicians for the moral decay in our country. Not so my friend, the church is the problem. We have lost our saltiness. The church is virtually non- existent in our society today. We are like a salt shaker full of salt just sitting on the table. The salt is no good to anyone or anything if it stays in the shaker, you got to put it on the food in order for it to make a difference.

If you are sitting around this election year and thinking that if a Right Wing Conservative is elected President, or to any other office for that matter, will make a hill of beans difference; you are sadly mistaken my friend. The only thing that will change the direction of this great country is the Church- So goes the Church so goes the Nation. The answers to our cultural decline can not be found in a Republican, a Democrat, or any other party; they are found in the church.

The Church needs to get out of the salt shaker and start making a difference. The only way the salt can get out of the shaker is if someone turns it upside down and shakes it. Will you be that person in your church? Start shaking the salt shaker, spread some salt this week.

Abraham Lincoln was spreading the salt in his speech to the Congress of the United States of America when he used Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”. So goes the Church, so goes the Nation.

May God Bless You and Your family
Bro. Vic

Seeing The Truth About Ourselves

A man was having difficulty communicating with his wife and grew very frustrated and critical. He concluded that she must be becoming hard of hearing, so he decided to conduct a test without her knowing about it. One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him and she could not see him. Very quietly he whispered, "Can you hear me?" There was no response. Moving a little closer, he asked again, "Can you hear me now?" Still no reply. Quietly he edged closer and whispered the same words, but for the third time there was no answer. Finally, he moved right in behind her chair and said, "Can you hear me now?" To his surprise and chagrin she responded with irritation in her voice, "For the fourth time, yes!"

I don’t know if you can relate to that story, but I certainly can. I have often blamed Bonnie only to find out later that it was my fault for my lack of hearing.

One of the things my Mother taught me is to remember that when I point my finger at someone, I’ve got 3 other ones pointing right back at me. That was her way of saying, “When you are tempted to be critical of others, first examine your own life.”

Jesus said it this way,

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Mat 7:1-5 NIV)

But how do we examine ourselves unless we can find an unbiased opinion? I believe Proverbs 21:2 gives us the principles to follow concerning where we can go to find a truthful assessment of ourselves.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2 ESV).

We see three principles to be applied in our lives concerning this verse.
1. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes” – When there is no recognized authority or standard of truth, then one man’s “way” is as valid as another man’s “way”. That was true in the time of the Judges in Israel. The Bible says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6 NASB).

2. “the Lord weighs the heart” – The picture here is that God weighs the “scales” of truth; that God has determined and judges what is true. It is God that we will answer to in our lives for our actions, by His standard and His alone.

3. “the Lord weighs the heart” – The picture also is that God weighs the heart – the motives behind our actions. Nothing is hidden from God’s sight. He sees our hearts and knows our thoughts and motives (Psalms 139:2). The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jer 17:9 NKJV) Only God can truly see and give us guidance into assessing our motives and actions.

It is through God’s Word, His standard that we can assess what is right and what is wrong. God’s Word is not subjective but objective – it is black and white. God’s Word, the Bible, is not just another man’s opinion but His truth. We need to submit to God’s Word and His assessment of our lives so that we can experience the abundant life that Jesus has provided for us.

Thank God that we are not left to our own opinions or the opinions of men but God has provided a revelation of Himself and His ways that we are to walk in. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psa 119:105 NIV)

May God’s Word be our lamp as we walk together in His light!

The Election & The Supreme Court by Kelly Boggs

Many hot button issues will be debated in the forthcoming presidential campaign. Among the hottest topics likely will be the war against terrorism, rising energy costs and the softening American economy. Many voters, however, will be oblivious to perhaps the most searing issue -– the likely appointment of one or more Supreme Court justices.

Supreme Court justices, once confirmed, are appointed for life. Hence, their influence over American society and its laws can span more than three decades. Long after a president leaves office, his appointee(s) will be rendering decisions that will impact the life and liberty of all Americans.

(For example, President Ford left office more than 30 years ago, but one of his nominees, John Paul Stevens, remains on the court.)

More times than not, a Supreme Court nominee will possess ideological and philosophical views that closely mirror those of the president making the appointment. Hence, a president with a more liberal view of the Constitution will usually nominate a like-minded jurist. A president with a conservative or constructionist view of our nation's guiding document will be more likely to favor an individual with the same understanding.

A recent Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment illustrates just how significant a president's appoints can be.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that individual Americans do have the right to own guns. The decision overturned a Washington D.C. law that banned private handgun possession.

What I found most interesting about the decision was that it was a 5-4 ruling, meaning that four of the justices were more than willing to uphold the law. Two of the judges that voted to uphold gun ownership were recent appointments -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito -- made by President Bush.

Click here for remainder of article...

Quotes from Do Hard Things

Bonnie, Ben, Laura and I are reading through Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex & Brett Harris. The following are some noteworthy quotes applicable to all of us from the book that definitely challenged me.

On trials as a gift to build our character...

Smith Wigglesworth didn't learn to read until he was an adult, and he was unable to speak publicly for most of his life due to a terrible stammer. Against all odds he overcame this impediment and turned out to be one of England's greatest evangelist during his later years, leading thousands to Christ.

We could look at this story and say, "What a shame. If only speaking had come easily and early to him, think of how much more fruitful he could have been." But Wigglesworth recognized that the difficulties he overcame were vital to the effectiveness of his ministry. He liked to say, "Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great test. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials." - page 71

Being known for what we do as well as what we don't do...

God's Word is clear. Our culture's standard of simply not doing bad stuff is really no standard at all. Psalm 1:1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (ESV). A lot of people, though, seem to quit reading there and miss the next verse: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."

Our Culture seems to hear the don'ts but miss the dos.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher of the nineteenth century, commented, "Perhaps some of you can claim a sort of negative purity, because you do not walk in the way of the ungodly; but let me ask you - Is you delight in the law of God? Do you study God's Word? Do you make it the man of your right hand - your best companion and hourly guide?" If not, Spurgeon said, the blessing of Psalm 1 does not belong to you.

To live by God's standards for young people and to enjoy the blessing He promises, we must get beyond simply avoiding bad stuff. To see this we need only look at the theme verse of the Rebelulution, 1 Timothy 4:12: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (NIV). We're not just supposed to avoid sinning; we're supposed to pursue righteousness in a way that others will want to imitate. - page 97-98