That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church….
Archive for May, 2008
The article below is from Christian Newswire and I loved the way the author put out some plain truth. Way to go Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas! Hoping many other voices will make public opinions like this known.
Contact: Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, Elijah Ministries, 254-715-3134, rusty@elijahmin.com
WACO, Texas, May 24 /Christian Newswire/ — The following opinion article is submitted by Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas of Elija Ministries:
Newsflash: "Waco is the fifth worst city in America to raise a family." This disturbing proposition is according to a magazine known as "Best Life." Studying different aspects of family life and statistics based upon crime, schools, etc. the "powers that be" bestowed upon Waco this ignoble title.
Of course our city officials were offended and dismissed this finding out of hand. They refused to acknowledge any merit in this alarming report. Regardless, if Waco is the fifth, fiftieth, or the five hundredth worst city to raise a family, the traditional family as we have known it has become an endangered species.
Since the 1960s, the American family has been under assault. Thanks in large part to the sexual revolution whose theme song was "If you are not with the one you love, love the one you’re with." As a result, the traditional boundaries were removed and the ancient landmarks overthrown. Since then America has given full vent to the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
Once fornication became the norm, which produced the "hook up" generation, other manifestations of sexual immorality proliferated as well, such as, adultery and homosexuality. No longer did intimacy require responsibility. No, sex became a recreational sport and he who dies with the most conquests wins.
To the shock of many, however, sexual irresponsibility does not abide in a vacuum. It is accompanied with unwanted pregnancies, STDs, family breakdown, divorce, mental instability, fatherlessness, increased taxation and a host of other ills. In fact, the cost to taxpayers exceeds 112 billion dollars annually. According to Ben Scafidi, the lead researcher and an economic professor at Georgia College and State University, "These costs are due to increased taxpayer expenditures for anti-poverty, criminal justice and education programs, and through lower levels of taxes paid by individuals whose adult productivity has been negatively affected by increased childhood poverty caused by family fragmentation."
Do these disconcerting problems give us reason to pause for the cause? Of course not! We are to busy championing our "sexual freedom" and over sexualizing our children. Our economic system based upon vice must continue to prosper, right? Otherwise, groups like Planned Parenthood would be put out of the sex business and we couldn’t afford that as a nation, could we? Excuse my sarcasm, but if a foreign nation had perpetrated upon us this sickening reality, we would be at war. The problem is we have met the enemy and according to Pogo, it is us.
America has proven that we will destroy marriage for sex, kill for sex, (abortion) and we will die for sex, (HIV AIDS). Instead of returning to the soundness of the Biblical nucleus family we, in our great brilliance, continue to rely on birth control, no-fault divorce, abortion, and are in the process of redefining family to maintain our promiscuous lifestyles.
The homosexual agenda is doing back flips over the recent Supreme Court Decision in California. Four judges defying the will of the people who voted against "gay marriage" declared two men or two women can be married. What are next violations to be considered, polygamy, incest, and legitimizing marriage with Bessie the cow?
Another newsflash: The same crowd that screams for Separation of Church and State salivate over Caesar’s intrusion into the sacred. It was neither mankind nor civil government that created marriage nor the blessing of sexual intimacy. It was God Almighty, the God of the Holy Bible. With this blessing, however, come parameters. It is these protective constraints that we have violated to our collective harm.
Common sense determines we cannot continue to kick against the goads and ignore the dangerous trends that ill-affects us as a nation. Let us get back to the basic building blocks of a healthy society. First, we must teach our children to remain abstinent till marriage. Second, the definition of marriage needs to be defended as one man with one woman. Third, after securing this self-evident truth, we must seek to remain faithful till death do us part. Though there will always be failures based upon mankind’s sinful inclinations and rebellion that doesn’t mean our laws and public policies should reward or excuse our infidelities. No, our laws and public policies should strengthen and not weaken this foundational institution.
I will conclude this guest column with a time-honored equation. As goes the father, so goes the family, as goes the family, so goes the church, as goes the church, so goes your nation. Waco as well as America would have a brighter future if we came back to this divine order. Otherwise, cities in America will continue to compete over which city is the worse to raise families.
Chapman Family Tragedy
May 24
My prayers and thoughts are with the Chapman family. Steven Curtis Chapman is huge influence for me musically, and I could not help but shed tears upon hearing the news of their youngest daughter, Maria, passing away. I cut and paste the article from their website below.
From the Chapman Family Blog:
Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him… not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.
Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. And yet we trust in a God who was not surprised by this and because of Jesus I am certain through faith in Him we will see Maria again. – Jim Houser (Manager)
Meet Maria on Video
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Well,
I will always do my best to keep this issue at the forefront of my blog. This is a video from youtube that really covers the Oprah’s true beliefs. Oprah Winfrey is not some unbeliever who seems to be misguided, but rather a full-blown false teacher that is purposely teaching the opposite of biblical Christianity.
Oprah is leading possibly over 300,000 followers in this foolish teaching. I pray that Oprah would be convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent. By the way, I do not endorse Hillary Clinton at all as the video has her campaign in the credits.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
We live in the day of what we call the emergent church, where our search for relevance as a church seems penultimate. Who are we trying to reach, and how are we doing it? Willow Creek had released a video and some tid-bits on how they have been distracted by having programs versus actual discipleship, and yet I think even the Willow Creek awakening itself is wrapped into a heavily marketed program.
I am not attacking the Willow Creek Church nor cataloging them as the "emergent church", but churches like Willow Creek, Saddleback, and Lakewood have a powerful impact on American Christian culture. I would say they are heavily responsible for this call for relevance that I see as misguided to say the least.
Jesus called us to go into all the world and make disciples, but did he call us to compromise the full message for a social gateway of tolerance. The scriptures are full of the challenge for us to preach the gospel and see people to repentance to the end of the age. The question I have to ask myself, and other ministers is, "Are people repenting, turning from there sin and walking with Jesus uncompromised?" Do people fear God or are they comfortable thinking of God as their friend.
John the Baptist made it clear when he started his ministry, "Repent, Believe, the kingdom of God is at hand!" John the Baptist was not like anyone else in his so-called culture yet he saw many to true repentance. John the Baptist was beheaded, Peter was crucified upside-down, Paul was killed by the sword, and so goes the story for all but one of the original apostles. Why is our search for relevance seem to remove the true offense of the cross. (Galatians 5:11; 1 Peter 2:8)
Is a social-based gospel really what Jesus intended? Did Jesus commission us to change the world through social justice? Did Jesus mean something entirely different than the literal when He said, "Narrow is the way?" Just some food for thought and discussion…
