Today we sometimes hear politicians and others refer to the freedom of worship. But the 1st amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It is freedom of religion that is guaranteed in America.
Freedom of worship could mean keeping your religious beliefs and views private and not bringing them into the public sphere. This could lead to restrictions on evangelism and on the church being allowed to speak out on issues. Opposing things such as homosexuality and making claims of absolute truth might not be tolerated in our tolerant, politically correct society. The claim that only Christianity is true and all other religions are false would definitely not be accepted.
Many in our country would prefer freedom of worship over freedom of religion. They view Biblical Christianity as a problem and threat. They hate the truth claims and the morality found in the Bible. Christians and others must stand for freedom of religion. If freedom of religion is restricted we should disobey if necessary. This could mean facing serious persecution but Christians must obey God rather than man.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Bible Is The Answer
The Bible is the Word of God, it is his revelation to us. The Bible is both infallible and inerrant. Infallible means it cannot be wrong and inerrant means it is without error. The Bible gives us the truth and reality, though it is not politically correct in our modern society.
The Bible tells us who God is, in it he reveals himself to us. In it we discover God as the creator of all things. We also find him revealed to us in the Trinity (Father,Son,and Holy Spirit). God is three persons of one essence. He is transcendent as well as immanent. This means that he transcends us and is far from us while he is also close to us and involved in our world. We also find that God is holy and wrathful, while also being loving and merciful.
In the Bible we also find out who man really is. He was created in the image of God, therefore of great value, but he is also fallen and sinful, therefore he has become tainted and not in the same state he was created in. The Bible tells us the real problem humans actually have. The real problem we have is sin, we have all rebelled against our Creator. This has brought about death to us both physical and spiritual. Our sinning and rebelling against God has brought about all the problems of the world.
The Bible also provides the solution to our problem. It tells us of our need for salvation and where to find it. God sent his Son, Jesus to die on the cross to save his people from there sins. He also raised him from the dead vindicating his sacrifice as acceptable. Through his death and resurrection Jesus was victorious over sin and death. To receive salvation people must repent and place their faith in Christ alone. They must believe that he is the Christ or Messiah and the Son of God. Eventually the earth and all creation will be restored with a new heaven and new earth. This will be only for those who have become Christians. In the new heaven and new earth there will be no more sin,suffering,pain, or death and it will be perfect there.
The problem of modern people and society is that they have rejected God and his Word. Most people in the United States are Biblically illiterate, they have little knowledge of what it actually says. There is even great ignorance of the Bible's teaching in the modern church. There is also a tendency to water down what it teaches so as not to offend people. We will not find the ultimate answer from government, politicians, positive thinkers, psychologists, or false religions. The only hope for individuals and our society is to turn to the Bible. In it we find the truth, what is right and wrong. It also provides us the basis for truth, right, and wrong, God himself. Christians must proclaim and defend the truth of the Bible even if it is unpopular in our modern culture.
The Bible tells us who God is, in it he reveals himself to us. In it we discover God as the creator of all things. We also find him revealed to us in the Trinity (Father,Son,and Holy Spirit). God is three persons of one essence. He is transcendent as well as immanent. This means that he transcends us and is far from us while he is also close to us and involved in our world. We also find that God is holy and wrathful, while also being loving and merciful.
In the Bible we also find out who man really is. He was created in the image of God, therefore of great value, but he is also fallen and sinful, therefore he has become tainted and not in the same state he was created in. The Bible tells us the real problem humans actually have. The real problem we have is sin, we have all rebelled against our Creator. This has brought about death to us both physical and spiritual. Our sinning and rebelling against God has brought about all the problems of the world.
The Bible also provides the solution to our problem. It tells us of our need for salvation and where to find it. God sent his Son, Jesus to die on the cross to save his people from there sins. He also raised him from the dead vindicating his sacrifice as acceptable. Through his death and resurrection Jesus was victorious over sin and death. To receive salvation people must repent and place their faith in Christ alone. They must believe that he is the Christ or Messiah and the Son of God. Eventually the earth and all creation will be restored with a new heaven and new earth. This will be only for those who have become Christians. In the new heaven and new earth there will be no more sin,suffering,pain, or death and it will be perfect there.
The problem of modern people and society is that they have rejected God and his Word. Most people in the United States are Biblically illiterate, they have little knowledge of what it actually says. There is even great ignorance of the Bible's teaching in the modern church. There is also a tendency to water down what it teaches so as not to offend people. We will not find the ultimate answer from government, politicians, positive thinkers, psychologists, or false religions. The only hope for individuals and our society is to turn to the Bible. In it we find the truth, what is right and wrong. It also provides us the basis for truth, right, and wrong, God himself. Christians must proclaim and defend the truth of the Bible even if it is unpopular in our modern culture.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Big Government In The U.S.A
The United States is now over 16 trillion dollars in debt and running annual budget deficits of over 1 trillion a year. Democrats think the problem is that we are not getting enough in revenue (you know taxes). Some Republicans are also ready to compromise and raise taxes, even though promised spending cuts never seem to happen.
Some even think the massive debt is no real problem, but it is a major problem. If serious action is not taken there will be a collapse in the economy. Massive spending cuts and entitlement reforms are needed. Of course we have now added Obamacare to all of this and have only made the problem worse. We would have been better off if the government had never gotten involved in retirement and health care programs to begin with. But the government is involved in all kinds of areas it has no business being involved in.
Too often politicians see their main concern as getting reelected. And the easiest way to get elected is to promise people you will give them things. Much of the country has become dependent on the government and this is very difficult to change. The culture of entitlement must come to an end. Our culture must recover concepts such as responsibility, self denial, and self sacrifice. Politicians should put the good of the country above their own political careers. But there will have to be a dramatic change in the culture before there will be real change in the government and the country.
Some even think the massive debt is no real problem, but it is a major problem. If serious action is not taken there will be a collapse in the economy. Massive spending cuts and entitlement reforms are needed. Of course we have now added Obamacare to all of this and have only made the problem worse. We would have been better off if the government had never gotten involved in retirement and health care programs to begin with. But the government is involved in all kinds of areas it has no business being involved in.
Too often politicians see their main concern as getting reelected. And the easiest way to get elected is to promise people you will give them things. Much of the country has become dependent on the government and this is very difficult to change. The culture of entitlement must come to an end. Our culture must recover concepts such as responsibility, self denial, and self sacrifice. Politicians should put the good of the country above their own political careers. But there will have to be a dramatic change in the culture before there will be real change in the government and the country.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Christmas In America
There seems to be some confusion with the celebration of Christmas in America. It seems almost like there are two different things being celebrated. We might classify these into two categories, religious Christmas and secular Christmas. Some people celebrate secular Christmas while many others try to combine the two of them.
Religious Christmas focuses on Jesus the Christ or Messiah, the Son of God. While secular Christmas focuses on Santa Claus, gifts, and shopping. The problem is that the two of these are in conflict in many ways.
Children are told to be good because Santa Claus is watching them. But they should desire to be good because they want to obey and please God. When the focus goes from the Lord to Santa, then Santa Claus actually becomes a false idol. It also seems that children are mainly taught to just think about what they are going to get. This teaches self centeredness instead of teaching them to be selfless and care about others. It also tends to lead to coveting, and there is a commandment that says "You shall not covet" (Exodus 20).
Obligatory gift giving that has become part of the tradition is also not the type of giving taught by Jesus. He taught giving to those truly in need and sacrificing for others. Also giving should not be seen only in terms of material things. We should not give gifts just to be giving gifts because this is what we have been trained to do. Some have tried to make the case that the tradition of gift giving came from the Wise Men. But these people might want to notice that the Wise Men did not exchange gifts with one another.
Unfortunately the modern Christmas celebration often encourages materialism and consumerism. It seems to be all about things and shopping for more things. But this whole mentality is in conflict with the teaching of Jesus. He taught self denial not self indulgence. We should love God instead of material things. We should also figure out that true happiness is found in God and not in the accumulation of material things.
Also the Bible does not tell us to celebrate Christmas, so it is not binding on us. But at the same time it is not wrong to celebrate it if our focus is right. We should all take a step back and ask ourselves what we are celebrating and who we are celebrating.
Religious Christmas focuses on Jesus the Christ or Messiah, the Son of God. While secular Christmas focuses on Santa Claus, gifts, and shopping. The problem is that the two of these are in conflict in many ways.
Children are told to be good because Santa Claus is watching them. But they should desire to be good because they want to obey and please God. When the focus goes from the Lord to Santa, then Santa Claus actually becomes a false idol. It also seems that children are mainly taught to just think about what they are going to get. This teaches self centeredness instead of teaching them to be selfless and care about others. It also tends to lead to coveting, and there is a commandment that says "You shall not covet" (Exodus 20).
Obligatory gift giving that has become part of the tradition is also not the type of giving taught by Jesus. He taught giving to those truly in need and sacrificing for others. Also giving should not be seen only in terms of material things. We should not give gifts just to be giving gifts because this is what we have been trained to do. Some have tried to make the case that the tradition of gift giving came from the Wise Men. But these people might want to notice that the Wise Men did not exchange gifts with one another.
Unfortunately the modern Christmas celebration often encourages materialism and consumerism. It seems to be all about things and shopping for more things. But this whole mentality is in conflict with the teaching of Jesus. He taught self denial not self indulgence. We should love God instead of material things. We should also figure out that true happiness is found in God and not in the accumulation of material things.
Also the Bible does not tell us to celebrate Christmas, so it is not binding on us. But at the same time it is not wrong to celebrate it if our focus is right. We should all take a step back and ask ourselves what we are celebrating and who we are celebrating.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
A Biblical View Of Christmas
(Matthew 1:21) "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (ESV)
(Matthew 1:23) "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)." (ESV)
The name Jesus tells us what he does, he saves and the name Immanuel tells us who he is, God with us. Jesus is the promised Messiah who saves his people from their sins. The miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit was evidence of his divinity. It also meant that Jesus was not in the line of sinful humanity, but was without sin. Some deny the miraculous conception of Jesus but the main reason they do is because they rule out the supernatural and miracles from the start.
The focus in our time is sometimes on the birthday of Jesus. This is misguided because it is not really the birthday of Jesus(though I do think the Lord is pleased when little children sing happy birthday to him). Jesus has actually always existed (John 1:1). The focus should instead be on the incarnation of Christ. Incarnation means to take human form, so in Jesus, God became man(John 1:14). The birth needs to be connected to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. We need to see the whole picture and not just focus on the birth. The heart of Christianity is Christ and the cross. He came to accomplish salvation for his people through his life, death, and resurrection.
The Bible does not actually tell us to celebrate Christmas so we are not bound to even celebrate it. There have been Christians through the ages who did not celebrate it because there was no Biblical mandate. In fact Christmas was not celebrated for the first few centuries. The birth of Jesus is only mentioned in two of the four Gospels (Matthew & Luke). But it is not wrong to celebrate it as long as we keep a balanced perspective and keep in mind the complete picture of the true Biblical message.
(Matthew 1:23) "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)." (ESV)
The name Jesus tells us what he does, he saves and the name Immanuel tells us who he is, God with us. Jesus is the promised Messiah who saves his people from their sins. The miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit was evidence of his divinity. It also meant that Jesus was not in the line of sinful humanity, but was without sin. Some deny the miraculous conception of Jesus but the main reason they do is because they rule out the supernatural and miracles from the start.
The focus in our time is sometimes on the birthday of Jesus. This is misguided because it is not really the birthday of Jesus(though I do think the Lord is pleased when little children sing happy birthday to him). Jesus has actually always existed (John 1:1). The focus should instead be on the incarnation of Christ. Incarnation means to take human form, so in Jesus, God became man(John 1:14). The birth needs to be connected to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. We need to see the whole picture and not just focus on the birth. The heart of Christianity is Christ and the cross. He came to accomplish salvation for his people through his life, death, and resurrection.
The Bible does not actually tell us to celebrate Christmas so we are not bound to even celebrate it. There have been Christians through the ages who did not celebrate it because there was no Biblical mandate. In fact Christmas was not celebrated for the first few centuries. The birth of Jesus is only mentioned in two of the four Gospels (Matthew & Luke). But it is not wrong to celebrate it as long as we keep a balanced perspective and keep in mind the complete picture of the true Biblical message.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Mars Hill, What's That?
Mars Hill comes from the Bible in Acts 17. It was located in Athens, Greece and is also translated as Areopagus. Areopagus is from the Greek and means hill of ares, while Mars Hill is the Roman name. The King James Version translated Acts 17:22 as Mars Hill.
The Areopagus was a sort of court that had jurisdiction and influence over civil matters, religion and morality. It was a place where new ideas were heard and tested. Both Stoic and Epicurean philosophers were there. The Apostle Paul went there and proclaimed Jesus and the resurrection. Paul defended and proclaimed the truth at Mars Hill.
The Areopagus was a sort of court that had jurisdiction and influence over civil matters, religion and morality. It was a place where new ideas were heard and tested. Both Stoic and Epicurean philosophers were there. The Apostle Paul went there and proclaimed Jesus and the resurrection. Paul defended and proclaimed the truth at Mars Hill.
Mars Hill Examiner Mission Statement
To exam religion, worldviews, culture, politics, and issues from a Biblical perspective.
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