A Tightrope Christmas!

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. --- 2 John 1:9-11

Here we go again – do we dare mention the word, Christmas, or back off and simply refer to the days of December as a holiday season and wish people a cheery “Happy Holidays?” It seems to be an adventure similar to walking a tightrope!

Reaction to the Christmas controversy is varied again this year – from allowing atheists to post a sign near a nativity display in one part of the country to the aggressive distribution of badges and bumper stickers boldly stating “Merry Christmas.”

Mike Huckabee on his Fox News program perhaps best expressed thoughts about Christmas to which those professing to be “evangelical” would say a hearty “Amen!” I just happened to accidentally catch those remarks while surfing a bit during the ad blitz on a channel showing a Christmas movie which I was attempting to watch. I very rarely view Fox News – you know, the channel that highly qualifies as a competitive beauty pageant for females, jam packed with oodles of ads, has flashy and splashy graphics and throws in a few tidbits of news with a ticker tape moving across the bottom when the ads aren’t running!

Anyway, Mike got into explaining about Christmas and the Biblical account behind it. He mentioned that God came and took on human form. He then became almost apologetic and stated that he did not want to offend those of other faiths such as Muslims, Hindus etc. but that his intent was to explain what Christmas means to those who follow the Christian faith. His explanation will probably be accepted by many with no offense.

However, the real hostility against Christmas lies not so much in a few people believing that God became human at some point in the flow of human history – it is due to a fewer number who believe and proclaim without apology that Jesus Christ is absolutely the only way of forgiveness, experiencing peace with Almighty God, and eventual entrance into God’s eternal Kingdom after death ends our existence on earth! You see, by doing this, one is stating that all other religious expressions outside of Christianity are false and without a reliable foundation! This does not sit well with most who are devotees of something other than genuine Christianity. The consequence is resentment, hostile responses and in some places, violent acts of persecution. Unfortunately there are within the ranks of professing Christianity those, including church leaders, who have backed off from being in agreement with Jesus on this issue, and have indicated one way or another that other religions in the world have legitimate claims to speak on issues related to deity, life's purpose and eternal destiny. In taking such a compromising position it has also been necessary to shift in one's view of the Scriptures with the conclusion that they are simply human produced writings with errors here and there! You can go for many miles once you start down that trail, but it will cause the vehement objections from religionists outside of Christianity to settle down a bit!

It is not a theory or some far fetched idea that bring these few to such a conclusion of what some describe as being very intolerant and narrow minded. It is based on the personal and very radical exclusive statements made by Jesus Himself – each of those statements begins with “I am…”

Further, these statements rest on the solid facts of His sacrificial death on behalf of every human being, His subsequent resurrection from the dead 3 days after crucifixion and His ascension back to Heaven after a 40 day period spent with a number of His followers. He has also specifically promised to return to this planet again and we are informed that He will rule it with a "rod of iron!"

He gave a parting command to go into all the world, issue a call to repent from sin, accept Him as Savior and Lord, and exhort all to obey His teachings – there were to be no exceptions to this – never once did He say, “Do this except for those who are of the ________ faith.” (insert any one of the vast number of religious expressions of your preference in today’s world in the blank space.).

But He also stressed one other thing which we often overlook. And that was in regard to Christians who are faithful to carry out that parting command to confront the world about His call and claims upon all members of the human race – the radical nature of that message and witness will cause them to be hated among all nations! The reason? Simple – Jesus’ followers represent light and truth which is often rejected as stated by Jesus in John 3:19-21:

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

In my years of hunting there were times as I walked through the woods that I would come across a piece of a dead log – I would kick the log over to see what would happen. Underneath were all kinds of creepy crawly things – as soon as they were exposed to the light they scurried quickly to find a hole into which they might crawl – they didn’t want to remain where there was light -- it made them too uncomfortable! A majority of human beings are much the same – the light and truth that comes through Jesus Christ Whose birth we celebrate at this time of year is more than they can stand – the reaction is hatred and hostility as they scramble to get back into the darkness and away from the light which exposes them for what they really are!

Actually, it ought not to be considered walking a tightrope at Christmas or at any other time in regard to our faith in Jesus Christ – just continue to bear witness to the fact that He is still the only way of salvation and hope in spite of the majority responding in a negative fashion – always bear in mind the inspired words of the apostle Paul – they give a powerful encouragement and challenge to keep on going because somewhere in the future when that statement is totally fulfilled we will wholeheartedly agree that it has been worth it all to have fulfilled the calling of Jesus Christ upon our lives each day of our journey on earth!

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. --- Philippians 2:9-10

How About One Half of An Abortion?

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." --- 1 Kings 3:24, 25

The announcement has just been made and as could be expected, there has been reaction from some persons who have not been real positive. B. Hussein Obama has tapped Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church which comprises about 24,000 members, to give the invocation at the Inauguration on January 20, 2009.

Warren managed to set up a “forum” at his church during the presidential campaign in which he “interviewed” B. Hussein Obama and John McCain on issues a number of which related somehow to faith.

Shortly after this episode Time Magazine placed Mr. Warren on its front cover with a caption noting that he was America’s most powerful pastor. That of course can be seriously questioned. But there is talk that he will be Billy Graham’s “replacement” as a kind of #1 preacher, evangelist, and whatever else might be included in being elevated to the top of the religious totem pole in the republic of the U.S.A.

A writer for the New York Times noted that B. O. was extending an “olive branch” to the “evangelicals” and conservatives by selecting Rick Warren to do the invocation on January 20, 2009. One interesting thing to watch for in that moment is whether "evangelical" Rick Warren will do that prayer in the name of Jesus Christ or choose to avoid the mention of that name which is declared to be above all other names -- the name to which at some point in the future all will bow whether they be in heaven, on earth or under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! (Philippians 2:9-11). We have to admit, do we not, that it is not common practice to acknowledge that special name at the federal government level at the present time!

Warren is described as being “evangelical” with a claim to being strong pro-life and supportive of traditional marriage in his pastoral position. In his “interview” with B. O. the issue of abortion was briefly discussed. B. O. made it plain that he wants to “work with” those opposed to abortion and that by working together the number of abortions taking place in the nation will be reduced. He did not ever mention an objective of eliminating abortions and the evidence is overwhelming that he wants to do everything possible to remove any and all restrictions relative to abortion now in place by signing the Freedom of Choice Act after becoming president.

B. Hussein Obama is attempting to build a reputation as a “peacemaker” among opposing factions. Comments made as he assembles his staff and Cabinet draw attention to the fact that there are persons on his “team” who hold opposing views and in some cases, these are in disagreement with the president-elect himself!

So, back to the abortion issue – does this mean then that in working with those opposed to abortion that we can meet half way and be offered situations where only half an abortion will be done – and in the case of the partial birth abortion, which will be resumed under the FOCA where it is now restricted, that only half the baby’s brains will be sucked out instead of all of them? That was the approach that Solomon offered in a conflict involving two mothers, a dead baby and a living baby. Each mother claimed the living baby was hers – Solomon’s recommendation was to cut the living baby in half and give each mother a half of a baby. As superior a compromise as could ever be proposed, wouldn’t you say? Those familiar with the story know that the real mother insisted that the baby be given to her opponent, while the opponent insisted on dividing it as originally suggested by the king. The wise king then ordered that the baby be given to its real mother.

B. O. has mentioned that “dialog” will be an important part of his administration – sitting down and engaging in discussion where there is strong disagreement, so that a compromise is reached. Professed “evangelicals” have been pressured for some time to engage in discussion and resolve differences so that peace prevails and everyone gets along – we’re all just one big happy family! After all, we are all God’s children, aren’t we? Or are we? If you want to see how God looks at who are really His children and who are not, take a slow read through 1 John 3 sometime – it’s a real eye opener!

With all the compromising in values that has been taking place in recent years, maybe at that table it can be suggested to just do half abortions. Yes, yes – I know – to even suggest such a thing is unreal – it’s crazy – it’s more than a tad preposterous! You either do an abortion or you don’t do it, because in this situation there is no half way deal.

Now – try some serious thinking – is it not even more insane to believe we can sit down at a table with the likes of a B. Hussein Obama and “work together” to reduce the number of abortions? At least a few of us (the ones labeled as having narrow beady eyes, a Neanderthal shaped forehead and breathing fire out our nostrils) are not interested in reducing the number of abortions – we want to see them stopped, because that is what Almighty God wants! His view of human life, identifying us humans before conception in the womb and a special purpose for each human life has been made abundantly clear. Mr. Obama has yet to honestly face up to this revelation as well as a lot of other politicians, judges and too many church leaders!

We are now at the doorway and about to be ushered into living under the most pro-death government ever to exist in United States history. When a professed “pro-life” president sat in the White House and professed “pro-life” Republicans controlled the U. S. Congress and nothing significant was done to stop the massive “shedding of innocent blood,” do we, as we sit comfortably in our compromising positions, really believe that there will be any serious attempt to respect unborn human life beginning on January 20, 2009 – further, that we will demonstrate before the nations of the world that we indeed are a people who believe and practice that ALL persons have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Perhaps we should just scuttle that historic document known as the Declaration of Independence in which the following words appear:

We hold these truths to be self–evident,
That all men are created equal,
That they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights,
That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

Isn't it true that as a nation we have provided brazen testimony for years to the fact that within our borders about 100,000 persons each month do not have those unalienable rights, do they? And with a pro-death administration in control starting the 3rd week of January 2009 those rights are not going to be reinstated! So be wary if someone says to you, “Let’s work together and try to reduce the number of abortions taking place each year in this country.” A simple reply is this – “The issue is not reduction, but termination!” Would the person making that suggestion be satisfied if his or her surgeon said, “We’re going to reduce the number of cancer cells we have found in your body!” Is it not the practice of surgeons to use such terms as "We got all of it." or "We weren't able to get all of it." when referring to the cancer that they were trying to remove? So, even a rabid abortionist would not likely be satisfied if told by his surgeon, "We reduced the number of cancer cells in your body by about 50 per cent!"

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the LORD Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. --- 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 7:1

B. O. Courting "Evangelicals?" Surely You Jest!

"Obama Courting Evangelicals" --- Internet news headline - July 1, 2008

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Barack Obama has promised a more active approach to faith-based social programs in a bid to bolster his support among evangelical and religious voters. --- opening statement of news release - July 1, 2008

Yes, Virginia, it's really happening -- B. O. is going after the "evangelicals" -- you know, that group of persons which claims to believe the Bible and at times mentions that evangelism is a mission in which all Christians are to be involved!

B. O. and "evangelicals" make for strange bedfellows, to say the least. Part of B. O.'s latest strategy is to suggest that faith-based groups ought to be involved in bringing about some degree of improvement in the condition of our republic.

Religiously speaking, B. O. has yet to be explicit in going on public record that his faith is centered in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, that he is committed to serving Jesus Christ in whatever capacity he finds himself as a politician, and that he views the holy Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God. Further, that the Scriptures are the final authority in all matters having to do with human relationships, personal and collective accountability to Almighty God, faith and the practicing of that faith in daily experiences wherever one may be.

Will "evangelicals" scramble to get on board the B. O. bandwagon as it gains momentum heading toward the presidential election in November 2008?

They might as well since they have pretty well caved in on a number of rather critical issues already.

There are signs of backing away from the central truth that Jesus Christ is exclusively the way of salvation for all human beings -- no exception whatsoever! Doing "dialog" with representatives of various world religions has helped to bring about compromise on this issue -- after all, it's not nice to be so narrow-minded in times such as these, is it? So bend a little bit on this one.

Doing "dialog" also with those who practice sexual behavior that is condemned by Almighty God is further indication that there are those in the "evangelical" camp who should have little objection to B. O.'s approach to same-gender issues. And he has gone on record as to what he intends to do about helping same-gender "couples" with their various dilemmas.

One thing is certain -- for whomever the majority of those who claim to be "evangelical" cast their votes, that presidential candidate will have a powerful asset in his quest to be the one who sits in the Oval Office in January 2009.

B. O. and "evangelical" support? No, Virginia, it may not be as far fetched as you tend to think!

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." --- 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Hemorrhaging Continues Unabated!

Membership stands at 98,968, down 473 from the previous year......Membership stands at 166,987, up 172 from the previous year......Membership stands at 74,483, down 1,866 from the previous year......Membership stands at 61,534, down 1,379 from the previous year......Membership stands at 96,927, down 2,016 from the previous year. --- representative membership reports from some annual conferences for end of calendar year 2007

They’re coming in and the results are proving to be the same as it has been for many years. The membership of the United Methodist Church continues to decline by thousands each year!

Some attempt to be optimistic by saying that our losses aren’t as bad as they used to be – that’s as encouraging as telling a patient who is bleeding profusely from an injury, “Good news! You’re not losing blood as much as you were yesterday!” The fact is, unless the bleeding is entirely stopped, the guy will die. It is a given – a full supply of blood is necessary to maintain good health and prolonged life!

Among annual conference reports are those which are initiating detailed and often costly “programs” in an effort to reverse the loss of membership. Such is the case in the W. PA Annual Conference with its “Believe Again!” campaign. If a Washington DC politician wants a guideline on creating a bureaucratic “Frankenstein,” all he has to do is look at the W. PA Annual Conference. One of many “goals” in “Believe Again!” has been reached as of the 2007 annual conference session. A full time assistant for Bishop Thomas Bickerton will begin that interesting position as of July 1, 2008. This will enable the bishop to continue his many world wide travels with a full time assistant “minding the store” on the home front! But then, a lot of traveling here and there is quite possible when you are making over $100,000 per year plus a lot of “perks” to go with it.

Oh, by the way -- the W. PA Annual Conference, where I am an ordained elder, has reported its membership to be 187,441 as of end of 2007 -- DOWN 1,738 from previous year. Worship attendance is down 2,552 from previous year!

Will the very ambitious plans of recovery as intitiated in a number of conferences bring about desired and desperately hoped for results? Not likely – but to see why, we have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to a place called Africa and what is going on with the United Methodist Church there.

There is a choice of simple words to describe what is going on, but let’s use the word, “explosion!” The UMC in Africa is growing rapidly. Probably some have attempted to analyze this over recent years.

Let’s cut through all the technical jargon that would be thrown at us about this situation in Africa – the theories – the speculations, etc. Let’s just simply say that these people (laity, pastors, church leaders) know no better than to believe that the Bible means precisely what has been recorded there by direct influence of the Holy Spirit. And God has been wonderfully blessing because of this.

Such is not the case in the United States. We want to redefine God’s boundaries on human sexuality, redefine marriage and redefine what really constitutes a family. In the process we refer to those African United Methodists as being “more conservative” – that’s a bunch of baloney – let’s get it through our thick skulls – those people believe God while we in the United States have placed God on a stool in the corner with a dunce cap on His head and have told Him, “We’ll set the standards on sexual relationships and activity, as well as what marriage and family are all about. Further, we’ll set the record straight that all those so-called “miracles” attributed to you didn’t really happen at all – that’s all a bunch of fairy tale stuff!”

Even professed “evangelicals” have caved in to the pressure in the United States, not wanting to be labeled as being “homophobic” or “mean-spirited.” It’s so much easier to sit down to a table, dialog and say, “We disagree a bit, but we can still work together for the good of the church and exhibit “love” and “respect” for each other’s “positions!”

By the way, anyone out there have some extra gauze to help stop all this bleeding?

And for any from the United Methodist Church in Africa who may stumble into this area – “Brother or sister, keep on taking your stand for God’s revealed truth and the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation and hope, in spite of the flak you receive from some in the United States UMC or the efforts to hinder and restrict you at General Conference sessions! Remember, Jesus will have the last word on all things – we’ll see how absolutely true that is when He comes back to this chaotic planet!

To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it. --- Jeremaih 6:10

Call Me Anything You Want, But Don't Call Me An "Evangelical!"

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. --- 1 John 2:19

There is a group of individuals within the ranks of professing Christianity known as “evangelicals.” They have been around for quite some time and have undergone a bit of evolution over the past few decades.

At one stage in their earlier identification “evangelicals” were considered to be quite radical in their faith and were at times the target of scorn and intense criticism by those of a more “liberal” persuasion in the profession of the Christian faith.

The group was made up of theologians, professors, pastors, and laity who occupied pews in churches of all sizes. They held to core doctrines of the Christian faith such as the divine inspiration and full authority of the Scriptures, miracles in the Scriptures taking place as reported, Jesus Christ being exclusively the way of salvation from sin, His literal bodily resurrection from the dead, His personal return to this world at some point in the future, etc.

As time passed these individuals became more popular and also recognized as a powerful voting block when it came to politics.

There was likewise an intense desire to shed the negative image of being radical and “narrow minded” on a number of issues. It became practically a goal that "evangelicals" be viewed as being “positive” and willing to sit down and discuss the issues where there were disagreements, and avoiding at all costs the appearance of being "judgmental."

Enter the process of “dialog!” And so, where we disagree with others on anything – just sit down at a table and talk about it with the understanding that all viewpoints must be respected – all have legitimate positions and a peaceful atmosphere is reached by adopting a loving “agree to disagree” approach to the issue at hand. Through this process we consent to work together for the common good of all in spite of differences that may exist. In so doing a spirit of harmony and good will are experienced and we all become “brothers and sisters in the faith” whatever that may mean! Compromise is a fundamental requirement when you travel this route! Perhaps “evangelicals” have learned from Washington DC politicians how to master this art!

After all George W. Bush, who is a high profile United Methodist and professed “evangelical” Christian, has expressed the spirit of the dialog principle on more than one occasion. He has gone on public record as saying that he believes Muslims and Christians worship the same God! George is the “poster boy” – the adorable delight of “evangelicals” who have had the privilege of meeting with him from time to time and this has resulted in glowing reports coming forth from those who have been in his presence.

And so it goes with “evangelicals” now willing to “dialog” on about anything, including the issue of sexual immorality!

The latest debacle has involved a few dozen very influential “evangelicals” signing a statement urging the formation of a separate Palestinian state in order to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict over territorial rights.

These people obviously deny the reality that Muslims who take their faith seriously and the teachings of the Quran seriously do not want Israel to coexist – they want Israel obliterated from the face of this planet!

Also denied is the Abrahamic covenant which God said would be established through Isaac and his descendants, not through Ismael and his descendants. And this involves quite a piece of real estate stretching from what is identified as "the river of Egypt" on the west to the Euphrates River on the east! (Genesis 15 in which it is recorded, "And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates...'") Check the final chapters of the prophet Isaiah to see how this is going to play out. Other prophets have addressed this matter as well. Now if God is not going to keep this covenant, as some suggest, then will He keep any covenant, including the one made through His Son, Jesus Christ? And is the Scripture in error when we are told that God declares Himself to be One Who changes not? (Malachi 3:6). I know there is a lot of foot shuffling going on by way of so-called "interpretation" on these things, but for once could we just take God at His Word, and that He really means what He says by way of His promises?

Finally, “evangelicals” make much about the example set by Jesus and our need to “walk in His steps” as it were. OK, how about His example of doing “dialog.” For starters, check Matthew 23 as to how He did “dialog” with those who were in sharp disagreement with Him. And the persons to whom He spoke were powerful leaders of the religious establishment. It is understandable that they would not have nominated Him to be Time Magazine's "Man of the Year!"

Also, where do you see Jesus backing off from the absolute demands He placed on all human beings – for instance, that one must absolutely be born again as mentioned in John 3 -- that is, if you expect to be a future resident of His eternal Kingdom! And where do you see Him in "dialog" and expressing a willingness to back off and give space to Allah, Vishnu, Buddha or others when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”??? Well, come on, I’m waiting – or do we take the modern approach – grab a chair – sit down at the table and say, “Jesus didn’t really mean all those radical statements attributed to Him!”

Added to this, note His statement about bringing peace to the world in Matthew 10.

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.' And 'a man's foes will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” --- Matthew 10:32-40

And if we claim He is Savior and Lord and that we are to be His representatives here on earth, where does that put us when it comes to how well we will get along with others who take positions that are in sharp disagreement with the clear teachings of God’s special revelation to us via the holy Scriptures?

Call me anything you want, but don’t call me an “evangelical!”

"These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. --- John 15:17-21