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"...
We notice that the words separation of church and state are not in the Constitution. In a certain sense there should be a separation of the church and the state. Each should operate in it's proper sphere. The church should not control the government and the government should not control the church.
But the 1st amendment was written mainly to protect religion from the government. While it prohibits Congress from establishing a religion, the individual states actually could establish their own religion. In fact some did have established religions into the 1800's after the Constitution was written. I do not think an established religion is a good thing but it is still constitutional for the states to do so.
The 1st amendment also guarantees the free exercise of religion. This concept seems to be lost on many modern secularists and liberals. In our modern society secularists/atheists have tried to eliminate religion (that is Christianity) from the public square. By doing this they are violating the Constitution. In fact the founders of our country expected there to be a Christian influence on the government.
The real agenda of secular liberals is to impose their belief system or shall we say religion on the rest of us. They want to eliminate the Christian influence from our society. They actually do not like Jesus because he shines light into their darkness.
Secularists do not want any judgments made about them and their lifestyles. They wish to remain comfortable in their sin.
Secular liberals always talk about tolerance but they are only tolerant of those who agree with them. In reality they are actually intolerant. Under the guise of tolerance they seek to have secularism/atheism reign in our society.
But our Constitutional Republic cannot be maintained without it's Biblical foundation. Freedom requires the existence of virtue among the people. And virtue can only exist with a Biblical foundation.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Stephen, The First Christian Martyr
We find Stephen in the Book of Acts (6:1-8:3). The events recorded in the Bible about Stephen took place around A.D. 34.
There arose a problem in the Jerusalem church concerning the Hellenists widows. It seems the Hellenists widows were being neglected in the daily distribution, a provision for the poor. The Hellenists were Greek speaking Jews who lived outside of Palestine. While the Hebrews lived in Palestine and primarily spoke Aramaic. The language barrier may have been a reason for the neglect of the Hellenists widows.
The apostles then had the disciples select seven men from among them to take care of this duty so they could focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. They were to be men of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom. Most notable among the seven were Stephen and Philip the evangelist. Some interpreters see the seven as the first deacons but the text never refers to them as deacons. Stephen himself helped the needy but it seems he primarily focused on the ministry of the Word.
Stephen was a Hellenist (Greek speaking Jew), and was said to be full of grace, power, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. He preached Christ in the Greek speaking synagogues. There arose some who disputed with Stephen but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. They accused him of blasphemy and brought him before the council or Sanhedrin. They had false witnesses testify that he spoke against the temple and the law, saying Jesus would destroy the temple and the customs from Moses.
As Stephen was before the Sanhedrin his face appeared like the face of an angel. It showed the brightness of the glory of God. Stephen then made a speech before the council in which he mad his defense. In the speech he gave an overview of Old Testament history. He focused on the patriarchs, Moses, and the continued apostasy of Israel. Stephen turned the argument around on the Jewish leaders. He showed that they were the ones who were disobeying and rejecting God. The Israelites constantly rejected the leaders and prophets God sent them. In the speech Stephen also showed that the temple cannot contain God. It was also to be temporary until the time of Christ. Stephen closed his speech calling them a stiff necked people who resist the Holy Spirit. He accused them of killing the prophets and told them they had now betrayed and murdered Jesus, the Messiah.
On hearing these things the Jewish leaders were enraged. But Stephen looked to heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. They then took him out of the city to stone him. Stephen's final words were "Lord Jesus receive my spirit" and "Lord do not hold this sin against them". After this persecution broke out against the Jerusalem church and the disciples were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The gospel had begun to be taken to the ends of the earth.
As Stephen was being stoned a man name Saul also known as Paul was there giving his approval. Stephen's witness had a great effect on Paul (Acts 22:20). This persecutor of the church would soon become a Christian himself. Paul would go on to become a great apostle and wrote 13 books of the New Testament lead by the Holy Spirit.
Where are the men like Stephen in the church today? There do not seem to be many with the boldness and devotion he showed. His speech would be considered harsh by many modern American Christians. But he was correct in what he said because he was full of the Holy Spirit as he spoke. We need men who are willing to boldly speak the truth and who are willing to die for the cause of Christ.
There arose a problem in the Jerusalem church concerning the Hellenists widows. It seems the Hellenists widows were being neglected in the daily distribution, a provision for the poor. The Hellenists were Greek speaking Jews who lived outside of Palestine. While the Hebrews lived in Palestine and primarily spoke Aramaic. The language barrier may have been a reason for the neglect of the Hellenists widows.
The apostles then had the disciples select seven men from among them to take care of this duty so they could focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. They were to be men of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom. Most notable among the seven were Stephen and Philip the evangelist. Some interpreters see the seven as the first deacons but the text never refers to them as deacons. Stephen himself helped the needy but it seems he primarily focused on the ministry of the Word.
Stephen was a Hellenist (Greek speaking Jew), and was said to be full of grace, power, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. He preached Christ in the Greek speaking synagogues. There arose some who disputed with Stephen but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. They accused him of blasphemy and brought him before the council or Sanhedrin. They had false witnesses testify that he spoke against the temple and the law, saying Jesus would destroy the temple and the customs from Moses.
As Stephen was before the Sanhedrin his face appeared like the face of an angel. It showed the brightness of the glory of God. Stephen then made a speech before the council in which he mad his defense. In the speech he gave an overview of Old Testament history. He focused on the patriarchs, Moses, and the continued apostasy of Israel. Stephen turned the argument around on the Jewish leaders. He showed that they were the ones who were disobeying and rejecting God. The Israelites constantly rejected the leaders and prophets God sent them. In the speech Stephen also showed that the temple cannot contain God. It was also to be temporary until the time of Christ. Stephen closed his speech calling them a stiff necked people who resist the Holy Spirit. He accused them of killing the prophets and told them they had now betrayed and murdered Jesus, the Messiah.
On hearing these things the Jewish leaders were enraged. But Stephen looked to heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. They then took him out of the city to stone him. Stephen's final words were "Lord Jesus receive my spirit" and "Lord do not hold this sin against them". After this persecution broke out against the Jerusalem church and the disciples were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The gospel had begun to be taken to the ends of the earth.
As Stephen was being stoned a man name Saul also known as Paul was there giving his approval. Stephen's witness had a great effect on Paul (Acts 22:20). This persecutor of the church would soon become a Christian himself. Paul would go on to become a great apostle and wrote 13 books of the New Testament lead by the Holy Spirit.
Where are the men like Stephen in the church today? There do not seem to be many with the boldness and devotion he showed. His speech would be considered harsh by many modern American Christians. But he was correct in what he said because he was full of the Holy Spirit as he spoke. We need men who are willing to boldly speak the truth and who are willing to die for the cause of Christ.
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Sad State Of Pop Culture
So what do you listen to, watch, and read? Music, television, movies, and books all influence people and shape the culture. It is important that we understand pop culture and the influence it has on us.
Unfortunately much of modern pop culture is nothing more than a flood of debauchery. It is filled with immorality, profanity, blasphemy, lack of dignity, and lack of respect for authority of any kind. It is also characterized by being shallow and not serious. It is a window into a society that is in rebellion against God.
We should be aware that all forms of pop culture present their own worldview. It is usually an anti-Christian worldview that is put forth in what we watch, listen to, and read. God is often assumed not to exist or is mocked.
The worldview of modern pop culture can be placed in three categories. First there is an overarching secularism. It puts man as the center of everything and allows him to pretend to be his own god. Secularism can be called the non-religion, religion. Then there is postmodernism. It is characterized by a rejection of all absolute truth claims and an uncertainty about all things. You often hear postmodernists telling us not to judge. Finally there is nihilism. It is characterized by a rejection of religious and moral principles. With nihilism's rejection of religion and morality comes meaninglessness and a lack of purpose.
When it comes to pop culture we should use discernment. To be discerning means to be able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. Unfortunately discernment seems to be in short supply these days even among those who profess to be Christians. Often professing Christians entertain themselves with things that are offensive to God. We should seek to honor God in all we do, including our interaction with the popular culture.
So should Christians avoid pop culture altogether? No, we should be involved in the culture and try to make things better. Christians should use the gifts God has given them all areas of life. We should be in the world but not of the world. Also Christians must stand for truth and virtue even though we are in a culture that honors neither of them.
Unfortunately much of modern pop culture is nothing more than a flood of debauchery. It is filled with immorality, profanity, blasphemy, lack of dignity, and lack of respect for authority of any kind. It is also characterized by being shallow and not serious. It is a window into a society that is in rebellion against God.
We should be aware that all forms of pop culture present their own worldview. It is usually an anti-Christian worldview that is put forth in what we watch, listen to, and read. God is often assumed not to exist or is mocked.
The worldview of modern pop culture can be placed in three categories. First there is an overarching secularism. It puts man as the center of everything and allows him to pretend to be his own god. Secularism can be called the non-religion, religion. Then there is postmodernism. It is characterized by a rejection of all absolute truth claims and an uncertainty about all things. You often hear postmodernists telling us not to judge. Finally there is nihilism. It is characterized by a rejection of religious and moral principles. With nihilism's rejection of religion and morality comes meaninglessness and a lack of purpose.
When it comes to pop culture we should use discernment. To be discerning means to be able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. Unfortunately discernment seems to be in short supply these days even among those who profess to be Christians. Often professing Christians entertain themselves with things that are offensive to God. We should seek to honor God in all we do, including our interaction with the popular culture.
So should Christians avoid pop culture altogether? No, we should be involved in the culture and try to make things better. Christians should use the gifts God has given them all areas of life. We should be in the world but not of the world. Also Christians must stand for truth and virtue even though we are in a culture that honors neither of them.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Big Brother Watching You
Recent scandals such as those of the IRS and NSA show the dangers of big government. With access to so much information people in the government cannot be trusted. A government with too much control and power is frightening.
The temptation to misuse information and power is too great for people. This applies to all people not just to those of one political party. This is true because of the sinfulness of mankind.
Conservatives and Libertarians have been given a great argument for small government and tax reform. Our government should be limited, returned to that of the U.S. Constitution. The people should have freedom and with that freedom comes responsibility.
We should have serious tax reform and eliminate the ridiculous tax system we currently have. We should replace our current system with a flat income tax or a sales tax. It is interesting to note that God only requires one flat rate of 10% on the tithe. Those with more money do not have a higher rate for their tithe. The class warfare of the progressive tax system is not Biblical. A flat tax or a sales tax would make much more sense.
The temptation to misuse information and power is too great for people. This applies to all people not just to those of one political party. This is true because of the sinfulness of mankind.
Conservatives and Libertarians have been given a great argument for small government and tax reform. Our government should be limited, returned to that of the U.S. Constitution. The people should have freedom and with that freedom comes responsibility.
We should have serious tax reform and eliminate the ridiculous tax system we currently have. We should replace our current system with a flat income tax or a sales tax. It is interesting to note that God only requires one flat rate of 10% on the tithe. Those with more money do not have a higher rate for their tithe. The class warfare of the progressive tax system is not Biblical. A flat tax or a sales tax would make much more sense.
Thoughts On Immigration
We should have compassion on those who want to immigrate to the United States. Legal immigrants should be encouraged and the process of law and order obeyed. Illegal immigrants should not be rewarded because they have broken the law.
Granting amnesty to those who have come here illegally would be wrong. It is also unfair to those who have obeyed the law and gone through the proper process. Our borders need to be secured. How can a country be safe if it's borders are not secure?
We will probably end up with some sort of amnesty and our borders will still not be secure. Illegals will also probably get access to Obamacare (after all it is a universal right) and entitlements. This will lead the country further into bankruptcy.
Granting amnesty to those who have come here illegally would be wrong. It is also unfair to those who have obeyed the law and gone through the proper process. Our borders need to be secured. How can a country be safe if it's borders are not secure?
We will probably end up with some sort of amnesty and our borders will still not be secure. Illegals will also probably get access to Obamacare (after all it is a universal right) and entitlements. This will lead the country further into bankruptcy.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Proofs That God Exists
From what you often hear you would think that the evidence for the existence of God is weak and that the evidence for atheism is very strong. But is this actually true? What are some of the proofs for God?
First of all there must be an uncaused cause. The atheists can say this caused this and this was caused by that but at some point there had to be an independent Creator who has always existed. Evolutionists run into the problem of how things actually began. They have to explain how something came from nothing. And guess what, atheists cannot explain how something came from nothing because something does not come from nothing.
There is also the fine tuning of the world. It is all fine tuned to work just right. If anything was off just a little bit it could not work or exist. This suggests intelligent design by an intelligent Designer. The complexity of human beings offers more evidence for the existence of God. Just the eye itself is amazingly complex. That the eye and humans themselves could just happen by a blind process of natural selection is unbelievable.
The world we live in also seems to have been made for humans. It's as if someone planned this whole thing. The world is just right for our existence. This too is more proof that the world was created by God.
There is also the longing for meaning and purpose that exists inside human beings. If God does not exist then there is no purpose or meaning. It is hard to see how we would have these longings if we were just the products of evolution. The rational conclusion is that our desires for meaning and purpose were put there by a Creator. We only find fulfillment when we are in a right relationship with God.
Another proof is the universal existence of morality. In basically all cultures there is a sense of morality. Things such as murder, adultery, theft, and lying are pretty much seen as wrong by everyone. If God did not exist there would be no morality. There has to be an ultimate authority for there to be morality. If God did not exist all things would be permissible. Atheists have no basis for right and wrong.
Around 90% of people in the world believe in God or gods. This provides evidence as well that God really does exist. All these people may not have the correct belief about God because our views have been distorted by sin. But this is evidence that we all have a sense that God is there. It is logical to conclude that this sense of the divine was put there by God himself.
The existence of evil also offers proof that God exists. This may sound strange because the existence of evil seems to be one of the atheists strongest arguments. But in reality the atheist defeats his own argument. If there is no God then there is no evil. Without the existence of God there is no basis for the category of evil. The atheist has no way to be consistent and still speak of evil.
The evidence is for the intelligent design of the universe. Reason leads us to conclude that there is an intelligent Designer. Those who deny the existence of God are delusional. Atheism requires a huge leap of blind faith. Reason leads us to belief in God. The entire universe screams out God exists!
First of all there must be an uncaused cause. The atheists can say this caused this and this was caused by that but at some point there had to be an independent Creator who has always existed. Evolutionists run into the problem of how things actually began. They have to explain how something came from nothing. And guess what, atheists cannot explain how something came from nothing because something does not come from nothing.
There is also the fine tuning of the world. It is all fine tuned to work just right. If anything was off just a little bit it could not work or exist. This suggests intelligent design by an intelligent Designer. The complexity of human beings offers more evidence for the existence of God. Just the eye itself is amazingly complex. That the eye and humans themselves could just happen by a blind process of natural selection is unbelievable.
The world we live in also seems to have been made for humans. It's as if someone planned this whole thing. The world is just right for our existence. This too is more proof that the world was created by God.
There is also the longing for meaning and purpose that exists inside human beings. If God does not exist then there is no purpose or meaning. It is hard to see how we would have these longings if we were just the products of evolution. The rational conclusion is that our desires for meaning and purpose were put there by a Creator. We only find fulfillment when we are in a right relationship with God.
Another proof is the universal existence of morality. In basically all cultures there is a sense of morality. Things such as murder, adultery, theft, and lying are pretty much seen as wrong by everyone. If God did not exist there would be no morality. There has to be an ultimate authority for there to be morality. If God did not exist all things would be permissible. Atheists have no basis for right and wrong.
Around 90% of people in the world believe in God or gods. This provides evidence as well that God really does exist. All these people may not have the correct belief about God because our views have been distorted by sin. But this is evidence that we all have a sense that God is there. It is logical to conclude that this sense of the divine was put there by God himself.
The existence of evil also offers proof that God exists. This may sound strange because the existence of evil seems to be one of the atheists strongest arguments. But in reality the atheist defeats his own argument. If there is no God then there is no evil. Without the existence of God there is no basis for the category of evil. The atheist has no way to be consistent and still speak of evil.
The evidence is for the intelligent design of the universe. Reason leads us to conclude that there is an intelligent Designer. Those who deny the existence of God are delusional. Atheism requires a huge leap of blind faith. Reason leads us to belief in God. The entire universe screams out God exists!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
So, why do bad things happen to good people? What if I told you they don't? In reality there are no righteous people (Romans 3:10). All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and rebelled against God. We tend to view ourselves as good, deserving God's favor and blessing. We actually deserve God's judgment and we deserve to go to hell. In reality people do not deserve anything good. We should ask why good things happen to bad people. It is only because of God's grace that much good takes place in our world. Bad things happen to sinful people, that includes all of us. We have no claim on God, we deserve nothing good from him.
But what about evil? It actually exists inside of us all. We do not like to admit this, we would rather think of it as something outside of ourselves.
Originally the world was created good but man chose to sin against God. As a result humanity and the world became fallen and under the sin curse.
But where does evil come from? There is the existence of the devil and demons (this is not popular to say in the western world). The devil is called the evil one. The devil and demons are actually fallen angels. The devil tempts people to do evil but forces no one to do evil. The devil is not equal with God though, God is sovereign over all things. As Martin Luther said, "he's God's devil".
We are still left with the question of why evil exists in the first place? We know that God is not the author of evil and sin. Humans are not able to fully understand the things of God. Finite humans can't fully grasp the infinite God. The best explanation for the existence of evil is that in some way it glorifies God. It magnifies his justice and goodness. The ultimate purpose of all things is to bring glory to God.
Evil has been taken care of by Christ and his work on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people, and was raised from the dead (proof that he is God). He was victorious over death, sin, and evil. All who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ will be saved from their sins. Jesus will eliminate evil from the world. The devil and all who followed him (that includes all who rejected Christ) will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20). There will be a new heaven and new earth where everything will be perfect. There will be no evil or bad things happening there. This is where all believers in Christ will spend eternity.
But what about evil? It actually exists inside of us all. We do not like to admit this, we would rather think of it as something outside of ourselves.
Originally the world was created good but man chose to sin against God. As a result humanity and the world became fallen and under the sin curse.
But where does evil come from? There is the existence of the devil and demons (this is not popular to say in the western world). The devil is called the evil one. The devil and demons are actually fallen angels. The devil tempts people to do evil but forces no one to do evil. The devil is not equal with God though, God is sovereign over all things. As Martin Luther said, "he's God's devil".
We are still left with the question of why evil exists in the first place? We know that God is not the author of evil and sin. Humans are not able to fully understand the things of God. Finite humans can't fully grasp the infinite God. The best explanation for the existence of evil is that in some way it glorifies God. It magnifies his justice and goodness. The ultimate purpose of all things is to bring glory to God.
Evil has been taken care of by Christ and his work on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people, and was raised from the dead (proof that he is God). He was victorious over death, sin, and evil. All who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ will be saved from their sins. Jesus will eliminate evil from the world. The devil and all who followed him (that includes all who rejected Christ) will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20). There will be a new heaven and new earth where everything will be perfect. There will be no evil or bad things happening there. This is where all believers in Christ will spend eternity.
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