A Corpse Is Not Good Company and Makes for Dead-end Conversation!

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up; if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! --- 1 Corinthians 15:12-17

One very deadly heresy to penetrate the ranks of those churches professing to be Christian in faith is the doubt or outright denial concerning the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after His crucifixion.

There have always been those vicious attacks directed toward Who Jesus is, why He came to this earth, what He accomplished while He was here, and what He will be doing in the future. His plans for the future definitely have much to do with the future of this world in which we live.

There are those who profess the Christian faith but who are skeptical at best and deniers at the very worst when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those in this camp simply say something like this: “It really doesn’t matter whether Jesus was actually raised from the dead or not. It was His life and the way He lived it that inspires us and challenges us to imitate His life, etc.”

What difference does it really make? As much difference as there is between day and night!

Because He lives:

• I experience His living presence with me wherever I may be each day – His assurance is, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” What a privilege it is to engage in daily conversation with Him and share expressions of praise and gratitude as well as the burdens of the heart.
  
  
• I experience His power in the midst of the temptations and trials that sometimes come my way in my journey of faith in this world. He promised the Holy Spirit would take up residence in the lives of His followers – they would be empowered, taught, and given guidance.
  
  
• I experience His provision when I am in need – His promises basically come down to this – I am never alone and He will take care of me, no matter what – He will make a way through the most vicious storms of life – one of my favorite promises is in Isaiah 41:10 which begins with these words, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God…..”
  
  
• I experience assurance that I eventually will be in His place which He said He was going to prepare for His people. Now this is a place that makes the most expensive and elaborate multi-million mansions of the rich on this earth look like tumble down shacks by way of comparison! Because He lives I have assurance about my future destiny – to live in a place especially prepared for those who have repented of their sins, received Him as Savior, and are committed to obeying Him as Lord of their lives!
  

Face it – a corpse can’t do such things for you and conversation with a corpse? It’s strictly a dead-end experience! I have seen again and again people who took their last view of a loved one or friend who had died lean over the casket and say some words and/or kiss the deceased -- you know what? I've never seen the deceased person make a verbal response!

It’s an extremely sad and hopeless situation for those who regard Jesus as being dead and yet in the grave. Some of us know better, do we not? He is risen!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. --- 1 Peter 1:3-5

Do Those Claiming to Be “Servants” Need to Live in Mansions?

“Michele calls me and says, ‘I’m in. I love this house, but it’s more than we were talking about paying for, but I really think it’s a great house, you should go take a look at it.’” --- Barack Obama’s report of his wife’s assessment of the “house” they eventually bought in Chicago for $1.65 million dollars, which involved a $330,000 discount! Source: The Obama Nation by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D.

It is a common claim made by elected officials, particularly at the federal level. Members of the U. S. Congress will often refer to their status of being a “servant” or “I work for you!” etc. when they are campaigning for reelection. These people are supposed to represent their constituents in D. C. and as such, ought not their personal lifestyles clearly reflect that status?

But if they insist on living in a house that costs in excess of a million dollars, send their kids to expensive private schools, and continually conspire to increase their salaries, perks and retirement benefits, how can they possibly have a genuine concern for the average citizen whom they claim to represent?

This has been a justifiable criticism in the realm of professing Christianity as well.

Those who head up mega churches and TV ministries have too often betrayed the people they claim to serve by indulging in worldly and lavish lifestyles. The days of “his & hers” Rolls Royce's (Jim & Tammy Faye Baker) or owning a very costly mansion (Jimmy Swaggert) have by no means ended!

It is all too easy when one moves into a position of power, influence and increased wealth to become infected with the spirit of this present world and “servant hood” fades away, becoming as dead as the many corpses buried in the local cemetery.

This is a tragic reality constantly repeated in both the political and the religious realms of human experience. And it is why you often find a lot scathing denunciations of political and religious leadership recorded in the holy Scriptures. Persons involved in political and religious leadership are regarded as being servants and are to discharge their responsibilities in obedience to Almighty God. Corruption setting in with a very negative influence on political and religious leaders will ultimately contribute to the downfall of a culture in time! The best summary where this pattern is demonstrated is revealed in 2 Chronicles 36 of the Old Testament Scriptures. The Old Testament prophets addressed this issue time and time again!

There will be attempts to justify the lavish lifestyles of politicians and those in the “higher ranks” of professing Christianity – if for no other reason than the fact that they deserve it for all the work they have done or they came out of very humble and poverty stricken backgrounds in younger and earlier years.

If one wants to get rich and live “high on the hog” then go into business, play the stock market (if you like to gamble), enter a profession, or become a trial lawyer! It’s wide open when it comes to opportunities to earn income and become rich, but even then one is still accountable to God for what you have done with your life. And if in the process you have become a billionaire many times over, then you really have a lot of accounting to do when you appear before God – and all of us will have that moment in which we answer to our Creator concerning what we have done with this most precious commodity called life.

But when it comes to involvement in something called government or a call to proclaim the Word of God, we then take on the role of “servants” and that means we are not to bathe in luxury in this present life. Keeping a proper focus is not at all easy due to a daily invasion of worldly distractions, but we can be greatly helped and challenged when we consider the example of One Who said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20).

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” --- Matthew 16:24-26

That Rich "List" -- Are They Really?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." --- Matthew 19:23, 24

It's almost the same thing as a religious annual ritual -- the Forbes listing of the wealthiest people and who moved up, or down on the list in 2007 -- also the newcomers are mentioned as well. The wealthiest of the bunch has a fortune estimated to be about 62 billion dollars! And, no, it's not Bill Gates who has been #1 in the money making department for a long time, but in 2007 he came in second. Of the 2007 crop of billionaires, six are in their 20's age-wise.

But enough of that -- if you want to get all the details, journey over to the Forbes web site -- get pictures, figures, what they are into, what kind of houses (translate mansions) they live in and how many they have, etc.

God has revealed that true wealth is never measured in terms of how many dollar bills you can rub against each other, or how thick your stock portfolio may be, or how much acreage you may own, or how big your company may be!

While the making of money by the ton drives a majority of people in today's world with greed often proving to be the merciless taskmaster with whip in hand, Jesus explicitly warned about this deadly danger and what the realistic goal in life should be during our journey on this earth:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." --- Matthew 6:19-21

Wealth that counts beyond the limitations of earth and time is defined in terms such as these;

• a future residence which will make the most expensive mansions found in this world look like dilapidated shacks by way of comparison -- read it for yourself in John 14:1-3 -- Jesus promised to go and prepare a place for us!
  
  
• we share in Jesus' possessions -- since He made the entire universe, that takes in quite an inheritance -- "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. --- Romans 8:16, 17
  
  
• more on the inheritance -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." --- 1 Peter 1:3-5
  
  
• and the reward for faithful service -- more than a gold watch! "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" --- Matthew 25:23
  

Another important thing to remember about handling this thing called money -- God uses a far different standard of measurement when it comes to how we have used it and to what extent we have shared our money for use in His work.

There was a day when Jesus and His disciples were observing those giving their money for God's work. The rich dipped into their money bags and put in their offerings, which seemed to be quite generous. A poor widow woman gave her offering which was described as being two mites -- in our coinage it was maybe about 2 cents. What a shock when Jesus told His disciples that the widow have given more than all the rest of the wealthy people added together! He further explained that they put in some out of their abundance, but she put in all that she had -- her purse was totally empty when she left the temple that day. But the rich still had money jingling in their bags!

It is obvious that whatever your state in life may be -- an income measured in billions, millions, many thousands or a few thousand, or maybe just a few hundred dollars, God doesn't take so much notice of the amount you give, but how much do you have left over after you have done your giving for the expansion of His Kingdom in this chaotic world!

The apostle Paul addressed the issue in these words:

"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows..... Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." --- 1 Timothy 6:9, 10, 17

For more details on this issue see Reminders When Mansion Shopping! A link at the bottom of that area will bring you back to this place. Enjoy a look at what real and lasting wealth is all about!

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." --- Luke 12:16-21

How Much Car Does a Person Need, Anyway?

If it were possible for eyeballs to literally pop out of their sockets, it would have happened at the Frankfurt auto show recently. At such an event there are many impressive automobiles on display, but whatever the value and however impressive any might have been in styling, all but one faded into the background.

The CEO of Lamborghini may have popped the buttons off his vest at this year's event. Some words spoken by Stephen Winkelman regarding the debut of his company's latest offering were these: "Uncompromising...a true automotive superlative."

That may have been an understatement as attendees at the show viewed a creation which was named, Reventon. There is supposed to be a little accent mark above the "o" in the name. And about that name -- seems the car was given the same name as that of a bull which killed the very well known #1 professional bull fighter, Felix Guzman, back in 1943!

Reventon looks almost like a jet fighter minus the wings! It is powered by a 12-cylinder engine which cranks out 650 horsepower and makes possible reaching 62 mph in 3.4 seconds with an 8,000 rpm red line!

One would think you would tear off all the tread on the rear tires when you are moving up to that 62 mph in those 3.4 seconds, but actually you have tread strain on all 4 tires while this little drama is played out. The car has what is called a "robotized gearbox" which transmits the power to all 4 wheels.

Anxious to get one so you can say that for once you not only kept up with the Jones family next door, but you passed them up and left them in the dust many miles back?

Better scramble and get in line because a limited number of these vehicles will be built and available for sale in 2008 -- only 20 will be built! The price? Oh, I guess we forgot to mention that at the beginning. Well, it will be about 1.4 million U.S. dollars plus tax! And then you might have to scramble a bit to find someone to insure this machine.

It is practically guaranteed that there will be 20 persons of great wealth who will order up -- there is no lack of persons in this world who like to display their wealth in different ways, whether the buying of a few mansions here and there, getting a few luxury automobiles, tailor made clothes, or if you are a wealthy presidential candidate and want every strand of your hair to be in proper place in order to impress the public, you lay out $400 for a haircut!

It is a fact -- very, very few people in this world can handle wealth and power responsibly -- in the vast majority of cases it's an ego thing sending out images which say, "Look at me and all my money and what I have bought for myself!"

God has addressed this problem repeatedly in His revelation (Holy Bible) to us. Because of the prominence of selfishness and greed in every generation the things God has to say are not flattering to say the least.

Never forget -- whatever amount of material goods God has allowed us to gain in this lifetime, it is extremely critical that we constantly converse with Him about how we should use those material goods (including money) in the interest of expanding His Kingdom in this chaotic world. Evidence is overwhelming that too few at all economic levels are willing to do this. Instead the prevailing attitude is -- "It's my money -- I worked hard for it and I will do with it as I (expletive deleted) well please!"

What percentage of your material goods is being used to honor the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and advance His Kingdom?

For a related discussion on this issue, see "Reminders When Mansion Shopping!" As an aside, one man wrote me a very irate email -- he thought from the title that he would get some advice on buying a mansion, especially how to save on taxes, etc! Actually there is something there far better than that -- he just had a vision problem -- he couldn't see far enough into the future! How far can you see?

Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; for the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever; that he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit. For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
Their inner thought is that their houses will continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah. Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. --- Psalm 49:6-19

"Do You Think God Approves of Your Posting Those Pictures?"

"Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. -- Isaiah 58:1

I am an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. My membership as an elder is in the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, which takes in about 1/3 of the western portion of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I was in the ministry for a total of 37 years before "official" retirement in 1996. At present time I serve as pastor of Gipsy Christian Church in Gipsy, PA on a part time basis. It is located about 27 miles northwest of where we live in Belsano PA.

Shortly after retirement God laid it on my heart to start a web site witness and ministry. It finally came together and there were certain confirmations from time to time that this is what God wanted me to do.

In the process of discussing critical issues of the day, I got into the subject of abortion as perhaps one of the greatest moral crises this republic has ever faced. Eventually in this discussion I posted pictures of aborted babies on the web site.

One day I got an irate email from a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry of my conference. There were 2 main things he said in his anger as directed toward me:

1. He asked me if I thought that God would approve the posting of those pictures on my web site.

2. He said that he wished he would have been on the Board when I went through the process -- that is, the examination and interviews required before being approved for ordination. The implication was that he would have definitely given me a thumbs down in regard to approval.

I responded in this manner in my reply:

First, I informed him that the issue was not whether God gave His approval to my posting some pictures of mutilated and murdered unborn children, but rather the REAL issue is whether or not God approves of this country destroying 1 million or more unborn children each year -- that is THE issue!

Second, I further informed him that when I went through the "process" he was likely still in training pants and his mother was teaching him how to brush his teeth and wash behind his ears! That statement was made to help the youngster get a bit of perspective on the fact that I've been around the block a few times and have witnessed the spiritual and moral unraveling of this republic to a much greater degree than he! Then again, perhaps he doesn't consider a million or more unborn children being deliberately destroyed each year in the name of "constitutional rights" a moral problem -- many don't, including church leaders, politicians, social workers, teachers, media people -- there's a whole gang out there that says there's absolutely nothing wrong with the practice of exterminating the unborn!

From time to time there have been those such as he who have sent emails expressing outrage over the posted images of mutilation and murder of unborn children. My challenge is always this -- "Why do you get mad at me for posting the pictures? Why don't you express some outrage at those who commit these criminal acts, but are never charged with murder -- in fact, they make big bucks from the 'business,' have big bank accounts, drive luxury automobiles, and live in mansions!"

So far as I know, none of these persons who have been very angry with me have taken up the challenge to this very day!

In this BLOG area are links listed under various subjects. One of these subjects is titled, "Read About the Greatest Massacre in United States History!" There you will find a large amount of information on this subject.

The question to be considered as I often pose it in one form or another on the subject of the United States' unique version of "holocaust" is this: how long do you think Almighty God is going to allow this destruction of persons for whom He has a high and holy purpose continue? When He does make His response we can be sure of one thing -- none of us will want to be within the boundaries of the U.S.A. when that response is revealed!

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it." -- Jeremiah 18:7-10