My husband asked me last night to write an introduction to a letter that he had written to his mother a few years ago. And, then to post the letter in its entirety here on my blog.
Many years ago Elsa Wehage left Saskatuan Canada at the age of 19 with her new husband Lawrence to make a home. The permanent home for the family was established in Portland Oregon, some 1500 miles from where she grew up, away from all her family.
Rodger's mother was terribly lonely the first year. It had been the first time in her life that she had lived away from brothers, sisters and her father. Her mother died when she was a very young girl, she never knew her. She was close to her father loving him very much.
Elsa once said to me that she was so lonely that first year away from home she felt she would run away and walk back home to the prairies. She didn't though, she remained with her husband and the many children that would come later. She was a devout Catholic, attending mass nearly every day for years with children in tow.
One of her sons, my husband, grew up and began to question the religion he was raised in. His desire as a small child was to know God, but the only way he knew to find Him was through the religion he was raised with. It was a comfortable place for him as he followed all the rituals and said all the expected prayers.
One day, the Lord opened his eyes to the truth about the Scriptures and his world opened up to a far more excellent way. Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ was a new concept for him, but oh so very satisfying. Truth always fills those empty spaces of our heart. As Rodger grew in his walk with the Lord he became more and more concerned about his family, especially his mother. He had been close to her over the years until the time that he left the Catholic church. The relationship was strained after that, although Rodger still felt a special place in his heart for his mother.
As the years passed, he desired to tell her about Christ's way of salvation outlined in Scripture. Over the years he had mentioned it from time to time, suggesting that she open the Bible that she had in her home. She would never do that and said that she would not ever consider any other religion except the one she was raised with.
Toward the end of her life, Rodger felt so deeply about his mother's salvation that he wrote a letter to her, praying that God would tell him whether or not he should give it to her. After praying about it, he sensed the Holy Spirit telling him not to pass on the letter.
Rodger's mother passed nearly a year ago, and just this week, he found the letter that he had written to her.
Rodger asked me to pass the letter on to others, during this season of Mother's Day so that they can see the foolishness of not receiving Christ, rejecting His Word and spurning His instruction. Elsa's funeral was a sad one, not because she passed, but because we did not know where she went.
Rodger passed a small copy of the gospel of John to her before she died, she said that she would read it but we never knew if she did.
Rodger's Letter
My Mother's Day Gift To You
Dear Mother,
Happy Mother's Day! This is the time of the year when I honor you for your faithful work through your many years as mother.
For a number of months now I have been urging you to read a book. This is not a book that I selected for you. It is not a book that pushes some new-fangled religion. It is a book that has been in your home , the home I grew up in ---from the very beginning, for well over 50 years now. The book I want you to read is the Bible.
Why has this book gathered so much dust?
Let me ask you a few questions. When you were first married, I would guess that some in your family back in Canada wrote letters to you. Some of those letters might have been written by your father. Did you treasure those letters by leaving them unread, sealed up in their envelopes, by storing them away in some safe and secure drawer? Or did you tear them open, anxiously reading and re-reading every word because you knew and loved these people, and so desperately wanted to know what was going on in their lives? Did you save those letters for a long time and maybe even go back and reread them, just so you could feel a little closer to those loved ones so far away?
And, if you did leave them sealed up unread, what did you say to those loved ones when you saw or spoke to them again? "Oh, hi. Say! I got y our letter and I just want you to know that it's in perfect condition, unwrinkled (and unread), stored away in a nice safe place." Would they have felt hurt that you didn't take the time to read their words to you, words where they opened their lives to your mind, words that they took great care in selecting to let you--you know what was going on in their lives?
So it is with the Bible!
These are the words of your Father. These are the words of God Almighty, preserved from ancient days for you---you personally. Our Father in heaven did not exercise such great and loving care to tell you about Himself simply to have you reverently store them away unread. He wrote those words with you specifically in mind because He loves you and wants you to learn firsthand (from His own mind) what He is like. He wants you to read them.
Stop and think. If a messenger brought to you a letter from your father in Canada, would you choose to cast it aside and instead decide to listen to what the messenger had to say about your father? What if that messenger had not had direct contact with your father but instead had been told about your father by another messenger who had heard from another messenger who had heard from another messenger, who had heard from another messenger, who had heard from another messenger (and so on)? Which would you choose---hear-say or your father's own words?
You see, Mom your Father (in heaven) is my Father (in heaven). And in my mind there is no hesitation. I want to read for myself my Father's own words. Just like the tapes I recorded of my earthly father --I can hear his own words.
I know you are afraid that what you may read in the Bible may challenge what you have been taught and have come to believe over the decades. You once said to me, "I will never change my religion." But I'm not asking you to do that. The Bible has always been the foundation of Christianity. It is the basis for our belief in Jesus Christ our Savior. I'm simply asking you to open the book you have always held up to me to be the true word of God our Father. I'm simply asking you to personally seek God through His own words.
I don't use the word "religion" as in "my religion" or "their religion" when I speak of my relationship with Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and I love Him with all my heart and soul. The Bible says in John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." That's all --just believe in Jesus! Not doing this or that special thing. [That comes after you are saved for the bible also says that "a faith without works is a dead faith."] These truths are repeated and reaffirmed throughout the Bible [see Titus 3:4 for another example]. But you have to read to see God's message to you.
So my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior is a relationship, not a religion. Do you have that relationship, not a religion? Do you have that relationship? Do you believe what it says in the Bible in: John 3:16 and Titus 3:4
It's not me saying these words. It's that book that you have stored in a nice, safe, dust-free place in your home for the last 60 years. Maybe it's time for you to read it. Then, instead of me asking the question, "Do you believe?" you can ask yourself that question.
Your loving son,
Rodger
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Professor Proclaims That God Created Evil
"Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
Professor: "You're a Christian aren't you, son?"
Student: "Yes Sir," the student says."
Professor: "So you believe in God?"
Student: "Absolutely."
Professor: "Is God good."
Student: "Sure! God's good."
Professor: "Is God all powerful? Can God do anything?"
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "Are you good or evil?"
Student: "TheBible says I'm evil."
The Professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!"
Professor: "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it Would you help him? Would you try?"
Student: "Yes Sir, I would."
Professor: "So you're good!"
Student: "I wouldn't say that."
Professor: "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."
The Student does not answer, so the professor continues. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
The Student remains silent. "No, you can't can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er....yes, the student says.
Professor: "Is Satan good?"
The student doesn't hesitate this time, "No"
Professor: "Then where does Satan come from?"
The Student falters, "From God."
Professor: "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he. Tell me son, is there evil in the world?"
Student: "Yes Sir."
Professor: "Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."
Again the Student has no answer.
Professor: "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"
The Student squirms on his feet. "yes."
Professor: "So who created them?"
The Student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question, "Who created them?"
There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.
Professor: "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The Students voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes professor, I do."
The old man stops pacing, "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"
Student: "No Sir, I've never seen Him."
Professor: "Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"
Student: "No, Sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
Professor: "Yet you still believe in him?"
Student: "Yes."
Professor: "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that son?"
"Nothing" the student replies. "I only have my faith."
"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."
The student stands quietly for a moment , before asking a question of is own. "Professor, is there such a thing as heat?"
"Yes" the professor replies. "There is heat."
Student: "And is there such a thing as cold?"
Professor: "Yes son, there's cold too."
Student: "No sir, there isn't."
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The Student begins to explain;
"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or not heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study, when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
Student: "What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"
Yes the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"
Student: "Your wrong again, Sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and its called darkness isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word, in reality darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"
Student: "Yes, professor, My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."
The professors face cannot hide his surprise this time, "Flawed? Can you explain how?"
"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there is death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
Professor: "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do." The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester indeed.
Student: "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, Sir? Are you now not a scientist but a preacher?" The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean." The student looks around the room, "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, Sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, Sir?" Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally what seems an eternity, the old man answers, "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."
Student: "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues, "now Sir, is there such a thing as evil?"
Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist Sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God, It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
This dissertation was taken from a facebook comment by Pam Barker
Professor: "You're a Christian aren't you, son?"
Student: "Yes Sir," the student says."
Professor: "So you believe in God?"
Student: "Absolutely."
Professor: "Is God good."
Student: "Sure! God's good."
Professor: "Is God all powerful? Can God do anything?"
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "Are you good or evil?"
Student: "TheBible says I'm evil."
The Professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!"
Professor: "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it Would you help him? Would you try?"
Student: "Yes Sir, I would."
Professor: "So you're good!"
Student: "I wouldn't say that."
Professor: "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."
The Student does not answer, so the professor continues. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
The Student remains silent. "No, you can't can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er....yes, the student says.
Professor: "Is Satan good?"
The student doesn't hesitate this time, "No"
Professor: "Then where does Satan come from?"
The Student falters, "From God."
Professor: "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he. Tell me son, is there evil in the world?"
Student: "Yes Sir."
Professor: "Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."
Again the Student has no answer.
Professor: "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"
The Student squirms on his feet. "yes."
Professor: "So who created them?"
The Student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question, "Who created them?"
There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.
Professor: "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The Students voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes professor, I do."
The old man stops pacing, "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"
Student: "No Sir, I've never seen Him."
Professor: "Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"
Student: "No, Sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
Professor: "Yet you still believe in him?"
Student: "Yes."
Professor: "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that son?"
"Nothing" the student replies. "I only have my faith."
"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."
The student stands quietly for a moment , before asking a question of is own. "Professor, is there such a thing as heat?"
"Yes" the professor replies. "There is heat."
Student: "And is there such a thing as cold?"
Professor: "Yes son, there's cold too."
Student: "No sir, there isn't."
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The Student begins to explain;
"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or not heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study, when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
Student: "What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"
Yes the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"
Student: "Your wrong again, Sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and its called darkness isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word, in reality darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"
Student: "Yes, professor, My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."
The professors face cannot hide his surprise this time, "Flawed? Can you explain how?"
"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there is death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
Professor: "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do." The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester indeed.
Student: "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, Sir? Are you now not a scientist but a preacher?" The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean." The student looks around the room, "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, Sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, Sir?" Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally what seems an eternity, the old man answers, "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."
Student: "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues, "now Sir, is there such a thing as evil?"
Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist Sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God, It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
This dissertation was taken from a facebook comment by Pam Barker
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Were We Ever A Christian Nation
We have been raised to believe we are a Christian nation and that our roots were in Christianity. I believe that we as a nation took some basic Christian principles from the Bible to form our country, but as a people we have not honored God most of the way along. We were more focused on our freedom than we were on Christ himself. We are not now nor ever have been a country that honors God in our lives as a whole. Of course there have always been the remnant as in any country. Those who are faithful but remain the minority. If we had truly been a Christian nation we would have been ruled by a group of elders who seek God everyday. Christ would have been our leader. That will not happen until the millennium. If we had been a Christian nation we would never have had the civil war which was started because of the evil of slavery and greed of many people. We would never have had the "Roaring 20's." We would never have legalized the killing of millions of unborn babies. We would not have passed legislation allowing for the open and free practice of homosexuality. We would never have taken the Ten Commandments out of our schools, or the Bible or prayer out of our centers of learning. We would not have established a public school system, because parents would have been educating their own children. If we were a Christian nation our people as a whole would have gone to their knees the first time God's standards were violated. Pockets of people, the remnant, did pray but most people did not. If we were a Christian nation we would have never taught self esteem to our children, or tolerated and endorsed our young people dressing like sluts and living together out side of marriage. Marriage is becoming rare in our culture. The movies we watch are deplorable and an abomination before God. If we were a Christian nation we would have never softened the laws on divorce and remarriage. We would have executed child molesters and murderers, rapists and drug dealers. God removed the Ten Commandments from our public places because we were not following them anyway. Christian nation....not a lick. Our churches are superficial and un-Biblical and irreverent toward the Lord. They are full of silly trivial preaching, full of marketing techniques, foolish jesting and evil meaningless music. We fail to preach convicting messages that lead people to sorrow over their sin. We are in this condition in our churches because we have failed to pass on to our children the deeper teaching of Christ and the principles of the Holy Word. Shame on us!!! We are under judgement for our pride. God never said that we must be politically free. Our freedom in Christ is in who we become because of Who He is. We can be free and yet in prison for His sake. We need to stop preaching freedom for our country and begin preaching repentance. Our people need to get on their knees and weep for their wickedness. There should be weeping in every congregation, weeping for all we have tolerated, all we have neglected to obey and all that we have endorsed by our silence. God is offended, our nation is in dire trouble. Repentance is what we need, the greater blessing that God could bring is our repentance, not more stuff and more pleasure and more freedom.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Does Our Life Match Our Words
There was a question in my mind some years ago concerning the words "believe" and "confess" in reference to the Bible passages that speak of salvation. I knew in my heart that just because someone says with their mouth that they believe in Jesus Christ, it is not necessarily indicative of their salvation. How could someone live like the devil, feel no sorrow for it and even get angry with those who would chastise them, and still consider themselves saved. The Holy Spirit showed me that there was no salvation in a case like this, but I didn't know how to prove it from the Scriptures. I prayed for guidance and studied and read some more. One day I was listening to a Bible teacher on the radio whom God used to illuminate me further.
1 John 3:24 through 1 John 4:3 says:
1 John 3:24 through 1 John 4:3 says:
3:24. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
This teacher was versed in the original Greek and Hebrew languages. He pointed out that the word confess in 1 John 3 and 4 was not just speaking what one believes but actually living the lifestyle of Christ likeness. The word confess means "a demonstration of ones life." There is a vast difference between just saying with our mouth that Jesus Christ is God, and actually living as though we know He is.
Matthew 15:8
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me; Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
In the passage in Matthew we see that God does not accept mere words as demonstration for our devotion to Him, but the demonstration is in our lifestyle. If we are saved our life will be a clear demonstration that we love the Lord. It will be His works in us that will count not our own fleshly works.
Something to ponder.
Gwendolyn
Saturday, April 3, 2010
All Things To All People
So often we take a Scripture out of context in order to fulfill in our hearts, the desire we have to allow ourselves to indulge in the culture in which we live. One of the phrases used in our modern day has driven us to a secularized Christianity. A faith that no longer produces holiness in ourselves but even more devastating is the witness that we have been to the world not for Christ but against Him.
The phrase that I am referring to today is found in 1 Corinthians 9:16-23.
16)For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17) For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18) What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. 19) For though I am free from all men. I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20) and to the Jews became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are without the law; 22) to the weak I become as weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23) Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
This passage has been used by some believers as licence to do what the heathens do to win them to Christ. Would God ever ask us to act like a heathen to win the unsaved? I say not.
Romans 6:1-5 says: 1)"What shall we say then? Shall we sin that grace may abound? 2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ......5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
The Words of Scripture here are not giving licence for a believer to act as the heathens do to win them, rather we are given the mandate to give up those things that are allowable in order to resist becoming a hindrance to the gospel. If we offend a non-believer by eating meat, even though we are free in Christ to do so, we will abstain from eating meat in the presence of those vegetarians to avoid any distraction from the work of the gospel. It is important to study the culture of another people group before we go to them with the gospel. Not for the sake of becoming like them, but to avoid doing things that we are free to do but that would be offensive to them. Eating meat is only one example, there are others such as clothing style. Our clothing must always reflect modesty in obedience to Scripture.
In recent years there was an article written about an American woman who was in the military in an Islamic country. While in the military, the mandate was handed down from the authorities that any woman leaving the American base would wear Islamic garb in deference to the laws of the host country. The woman in question, refused to wear what she considered to be a symbol of Islam when she left the base, because she felt it violated her conscience to wear anything that validated this false religion. I thought on this for a long time wondering what I would do in this situation. After much searching of my heart I realized that perhaps the conscience of this woman was weak. The Bible says that we must follow our conscience but it is a weak one that is focused on, what we eat and what we wear, of course within the guidelines of modesty and wholesomeness. I do not berate this woman for obeying her tender conscience. But at the same time I think that if my Christian testimony would be distract by my clothing, I would wear the Islamic garb to draw attention away from clothing so that the gospel would be heard. I believe this is akin to not eating meat offered to idols mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8. I would not be sinning to wear Islamic garb in the countries where it is the law, as long as it meets the criteria in Scripture that mandates modest clothing. Also the Scripture commands us to obey the laws of the land in which we live. To rebel against the American officers in authority over this military woman, and the host country seemed misguided. Then of course there is the discussion of a woman in the military to begin with, that is another discussion by itself.
Paul was not telling us to become like unbelievers to win them. He was telling us to give up things that will be offensive to them, in order to remove the distraction from the gospel. Having said this I feel compelled to clarify that sometimes the gospel itself will be offensive and our modest clothing will irritate non-believers, I do not say that we should change in defiance of the commands of Scripture to win unbelievers. Never. But when we dress like the heathens in an immodest manner, we disobey God and harm our own Christian witness, no to mention our own spiritual well being and the example that we leave with other believers.
Our first concern is, what does God think of this action, and secondly, how will this action influence other believers, lastly how will this action distract my witness with non-believers. We are to obey God rather than man, as stated in Acts 5:29.
If we take our focus off of our selves and onto Christ, we will not violate our conscience or bring reproach to the name of Christ by our actions.
Blessings!!
Gwendolyn
The phrase that I am referring to today is found in 1 Corinthians 9:16-23.
16)For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17) For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18) What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. 19) For though I am free from all men. I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20) and to the Jews became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are without the law; 22) to the weak I become as weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23) Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
This passage has been used by some believers as licence to do what the heathens do to win them to Christ. Would God ever ask us to act like a heathen to win the unsaved? I say not.
Romans 6:1-5 says: 1)"What shall we say then? Shall we sin that grace may abound? 2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ......5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
The Words of Scripture here are not giving licence for a believer to act as the heathens do to win them, rather we are given the mandate to give up those things that are allowable in order to resist becoming a hindrance to the gospel. If we offend a non-believer by eating meat, even though we are free in Christ to do so, we will abstain from eating meat in the presence of those vegetarians to avoid any distraction from the work of the gospel. It is important to study the culture of another people group before we go to them with the gospel. Not for the sake of becoming like them, but to avoid doing things that we are free to do but that would be offensive to them. Eating meat is only one example, there are others such as clothing style. Our clothing must always reflect modesty in obedience to Scripture.
In recent years there was an article written about an American woman who was in the military in an Islamic country. While in the military, the mandate was handed down from the authorities that any woman leaving the American base would wear Islamic garb in deference to the laws of the host country. The woman in question, refused to wear what she considered to be a symbol of Islam when she left the base, because she felt it violated her conscience to wear anything that validated this false religion. I thought on this for a long time wondering what I would do in this situation. After much searching of my heart I realized that perhaps the conscience of this woman was weak. The Bible says that we must follow our conscience but it is a weak one that is focused on, what we eat and what we wear, of course within the guidelines of modesty and wholesomeness. I do not berate this woman for obeying her tender conscience. But at the same time I think that if my Christian testimony would be distract by my clothing, I would wear the Islamic garb to draw attention away from clothing so that the gospel would be heard. I believe this is akin to not eating meat offered to idols mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8. I would not be sinning to wear Islamic garb in the countries where it is the law, as long as it meets the criteria in Scripture that mandates modest clothing. Also the Scripture commands us to obey the laws of the land in which we live. To rebel against the American officers in authority over this military woman, and the host country seemed misguided. Then of course there is the discussion of a woman in the military to begin with, that is another discussion by itself.
Paul was not telling us to become like unbelievers to win them. He was telling us to give up things that will be offensive to them, in order to remove the distraction from the gospel. Having said this I feel compelled to clarify that sometimes the gospel itself will be offensive and our modest clothing will irritate non-believers, I do not say that we should change in defiance of the commands of Scripture to win unbelievers. Never. But when we dress like the heathens in an immodest manner, we disobey God and harm our own Christian witness, no to mention our own spiritual well being and the example that we leave with other believers.
Our first concern is, what does God think of this action, and secondly, how will this action influence other believers, lastly how will this action distract my witness with non-believers. We are to obey God rather than man, as stated in Acts 5:29.
If we take our focus off of our selves and onto Christ, we will not violate our conscience or bring reproach to the name of Christ by our actions.
Blessings!!
Gwendolyn
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Benevolent Kingship vs Harsh Dictatorship
"Never the less, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord." I Corinthians 11:11
"And, though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." I Corinthians 13:3
Why would I put these two verses together in the same discussion concerning "God's will for leadership in the home? Without love, the leadership is nothing more than worldly deprivation. (deprivation: a condition of being deprived). I say it this way because so many men in the church think that leadership is simply barking orders, expecting obedience and becoming angry and vindictive when they do not get their way. Not concerned about the needs or desires of the underlings, they see to their own desires.
God told the woman to obey the man, he told the man to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Women are fragile beings in every sense of the word fragile. The Bible describes women as the weaker vessels, the words in the original languages, I am told, describe a delicate pottery vessel much like china. They are to be handled with care and love. God instructs the man to protect his wife, this does not mean that he dictates where she can go and what she can do. But as the leader he discusses with her, those things that may be dangerous and suggest to her a safe course of action. If she loves her husband she will see whether something is important to him or just a mild suggestion. She chooses to obey him out of deference for his position as the leader.
He should never demand or bark orders, but suggest with compassion. If she disagrees the man is obligated to listen and consider what she says. She is his helpmate, she brings to the marriage her own wisdom, given to her by God, that may enlighten the blind spot in the man's eyes.
Men and women think very differently, there is a reason for this. The woman has insight that the man does not have and the man has insight that the woman does not have, both bring intelligence and wisdom to the marriage, if they are walking with the Lord. If they work together they can move mountains. God says there is safety in many counselors. A man working alone, will not have the results of a woman and man working together.
God tells the woman to obey her husband in everything. The woman is to choose to submit to her husband, this is a command to the woman. I don't read in this passage or any other, a command for the husband to force a woman into submission, whether by subtle withdrawal of affection, harsh words or physical abuse. He must trust the Lord for his wife's reaction. This will take prayer and faith.
The man is to wash his wife with the Word. Most husbands in the church today are not doing this. They may read the Word themselves, and take their families to church but they are seeing to their own needs and leaving the wife and children to take care of their own needs. What can the men expect when they neglect the spiritual needs of the wife in disobedience to the Word. They can expect a wife who will protect herself, just as children will learn to do this when a father will not wash his children in the Word and discuss important matters with his family.
My husband has been in management positions from the beginning of his career. He knows that the best leadership is that which honors the workers, encourages them in their task and leaves them to do their job. The worst leadership are those who are micro-managers. Every detail of the underlings is constantly monitored. A micro-manager is one who believes he is the only one who is capable, leaving the co-workers feeling frustrated and oppressed. If a person is capable enough to be hired for a job, he is capable enough to allow creativity within his job without constant monitoring. Within the framework of the office, there are meetings where the boss explains his overall goal, some dictates for the accomplishment of those goals, at the same time allowing for creativity within each persons task. If a boss can not get his people to follow his leadership most likely it is because he is not leading in a way that motivates his people.
While the office environment is not exactly the same as the home, there are some good principles that I believe are Biblical.
A benevolent king is better than a harsh dictator. Who will the people follow with enthusiasm, most likely the benevolent king.
Thankfully I am married to a benevolent king.
If anyone is interested in my opinion on the submission of the wife, I can write about that, but it seems that there are so many resources written on that subject, that I thought I would write on the subject that is very often neglected.
If you go to the Internet and type in "wife submission" you will find far more articles written on that, than are written about the benevolent leadership of men. And, most of the articles are written from a man's perspective. I thought it would be good to have a woman's perspective to produce some balance.
If the men will be a benevolent leader, then his wife will follow him with enthusiasm. If wives will not follow, then the Lord is their judge and they will bring the natural consequences of disobedient children and a lack of God's blessing.
Everyone must do their part in obedience to the Lord.
Lastly, we must all pray for each other. If there is a disobedient member of the family, we can not force them into obedience of the heart. We must pray that God will do His work in their lives.
We are each responsible for ourselves before God. Let us obey Him no matter what anyone else is doing!!!
Blessings, Gwendolyn
"And, though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." I Corinthians 13:3
Why would I put these two verses together in the same discussion concerning "God's will for leadership in the home? Without love, the leadership is nothing more than worldly deprivation. (deprivation: a condition of being deprived). I say it this way because so many men in the church think that leadership is simply barking orders, expecting obedience and becoming angry and vindictive when they do not get their way. Not concerned about the needs or desires of the underlings, they see to their own desires.
God told the woman to obey the man, he told the man to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Women are fragile beings in every sense of the word fragile. The Bible describes women as the weaker vessels, the words in the original languages, I am told, describe a delicate pottery vessel much like china. They are to be handled with care and love. God instructs the man to protect his wife, this does not mean that he dictates where she can go and what she can do. But as the leader he discusses with her, those things that may be dangerous and suggest to her a safe course of action. If she loves her husband she will see whether something is important to him or just a mild suggestion. She chooses to obey him out of deference for his position as the leader.
He should never demand or bark orders, but suggest with compassion. If she disagrees the man is obligated to listen and consider what she says. She is his helpmate, she brings to the marriage her own wisdom, given to her by God, that may enlighten the blind spot in the man's eyes.
Men and women think very differently, there is a reason for this. The woman has insight that the man does not have and the man has insight that the woman does not have, both bring intelligence and wisdom to the marriage, if they are walking with the Lord. If they work together they can move mountains. God says there is safety in many counselors. A man working alone, will not have the results of a woman and man working together.
God tells the woman to obey her husband in everything. The woman is to choose to submit to her husband, this is a command to the woman. I don't read in this passage or any other, a command for the husband to force a woman into submission, whether by subtle withdrawal of affection, harsh words or physical abuse. He must trust the Lord for his wife's reaction. This will take prayer and faith.
The man is to wash his wife with the Word. Most husbands in the church today are not doing this. They may read the Word themselves, and take their families to church but they are seeing to their own needs and leaving the wife and children to take care of their own needs. What can the men expect when they neglect the spiritual needs of the wife in disobedience to the Word. They can expect a wife who will protect herself, just as children will learn to do this when a father will not wash his children in the Word and discuss important matters with his family.
My husband has been in management positions from the beginning of his career. He knows that the best leadership is that which honors the workers, encourages them in their task and leaves them to do their job. The worst leadership are those who are micro-managers. Every detail of the underlings is constantly monitored. A micro-manager is one who believes he is the only one who is capable, leaving the co-workers feeling frustrated and oppressed. If a person is capable enough to be hired for a job, he is capable enough to allow creativity within his job without constant monitoring. Within the framework of the office, there are meetings where the boss explains his overall goal, some dictates for the accomplishment of those goals, at the same time allowing for creativity within each persons task. If a boss can not get his people to follow his leadership most likely it is because he is not leading in a way that motivates his people.
While the office environment is not exactly the same as the home, there are some good principles that I believe are Biblical.
A benevolent king is better than a harsh dictator. Who will the people follow with enthusiasm, most likely the benevolent king.
Thankfully I am married to a benevolent king.
If anyone is interested in my opinion on the submission of the wife, I can write about that, but it seems that there are so many resources written on that subject, that I thought I would write on the subject that is very often neglected.
If you go to the Internet and type in "wife submission" you will find far more articles written on that, than are written about the benevolent leadership of men. And, most of the articles are written from a man's perspective. I thought it would be good to have a woman's perspective to produce some balance.
If the men will be a benevolent leader, then his wife will follow him with enthusiasm. If wives will not follow, then the Lord is their judge and they will bring the natural consequences of disobedient children and a lack of God's blessing.
Everyone must do their part in obedience to the Lord.
Lastly, we must all pray for each other. If there is a disobedient member of the family, we can not force them into obedience of the heart. We must pray that God will do His work in their lives.
We are each responsible for ourselves before God. Let us obey Him no matter what anyone else is doing!!!
Blessings, Gwendolyn
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