Throughout the life of Christ, as He dwelt amongst mankind in human form, there were many priorities on which His ministry on earth was focused. It is evident, however, that there are some priorities that were esteemed greater than others. While it would be incredibly difficult to rate the level of significance on the priorities of Jesus, there is one priority in particular which cannot be overlooked: prayer. Prayer was tremendously exemplified in the life of Christ and is a priority that Christians should imitate and integrate into their day-to-day lives.
Jesus prays before crucial moments in His life and ministry. Throughout all four Gospels (particularly the gospel of Luke), it is clearly seen that almost every time Jesus prayed, something big was about to take place. He is seen going before God in earnest prayer countless times, especially before key moments in Biblical history. In Luke 6:12 (ESV), Jesus prays earnestly before choosing the Twelve Apostles: “In these days He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God.” Not only does He pray intently, but He prays all night long. Nowhere else in all of the four gospels does Jesus pray for such a prolonged period of time (Nolland, “Luke 1-9:20,” 269). Choosing His apostles, the twelve men who were to be His companions throughout the entirety of His ministry, was a pretty phenomenal decision, so Jesus entreats His Heavenly Father in prayer before making that decision. We see in Luke 3:21 and 22 that Jesus prays just after being baptized, before the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descends on Him “in bodily form, like a dove,” before a “voice came from heaven” saying, “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” In the midst of Jesus’ prayers, the heavens literally open, the Holy Spirit descends on Him, and God speaks. That is certainly something of immense significance.
Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane hours before He was to be crucified on the cross. In Matthew 26:39, He falls on His face and prays, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” It says in Matthew 26:42 that Jesus goes back to pray for a second time after admonishing His disciples (Peter, James, and John) for sleeping instead of watching and praying: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.” Likewise, in Mark 14:35 and 36, it says that Jesus “fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’” As quoted by Evans in his commentary, “Falling to the ground attests to the distress that has overtaken Jesus” (“Mark 8:27-16:20,” 410). Luke 22:39-46 is another passage that reveals Jesus praying for deliverance from the tragic death He was soon to suffer. On multiple occasions, Jesus is recorded to have fallen on His face, which, in the Old Testament, was a “common posture in special circumstances of worship, fear, or submission” (Hagner, “Luke 18:35-24:53,” 783). Jesus, despite His passionate desire to have the “cup” (“a metaphor for the suffering and death that He was soon to face,” Hagner, “Luke 18:35-24:53,” 783) pass from Him, made it clear that He would adhere to the will of the Father (“not as I will, but as You will”), and He humbles Himself in complete and total obedience, presenting His requests to His Heavenly Father.
Jesus prays as He suffers a violent death on the cross. In Matthew 27:46 and in Mark 15:34, Jesus cries out, “‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?’” Hagner adds, “As the passion narrative began with Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (26:39), now it comes to a close with Jesus’ prayer as He experiences drinking the cup He had earlier prayed would pass” (“Matt. 14 - 28,” 844). Jesus feels completely and utterly deserted and rejected, and so He articulates His sense of loneliness and abandonment with words from Ps 22:1, “a psalm of lament” but it is also “a psalm of trust” (Hagner, “Matt. 14 - 28,” 844). In Luke 23:34, we see that there were two criminals, one that hung on another cross on His right, and one that hung on a cross on His left. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It can be observed in Luke 23:46 that, just before Christ breathes His last breath on the cross, He cries out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” All throughout His agonizing death on the cross, Jesus continues to love the crude and insolent crowd, beseeching forgiveness from God, on their behalf (Luke 23:34). Moreover, just before He breathes His last, He commits His Spirit to God. Up until His last moment on earth, His final words are directed to His heavenly Father.
Jesus even blesses the food before eating it. During the Passover, in Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, and Luke 22:19, Jesus blesses (prays for) the food before breaking the bread and giving it to His disciples. Likewise, in Luke 22:19, Jesus gives thanks for the cup before giving it to His disciples to drink from. It can also be seen in Luke 24:30, after Jesus is raised from the dead, that He blesses the bread before breaking it as He dines with the men He met on the road to Emmaus. Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:14, Luke 9:16, and John 6:11 narrate Jesus blessing the loaves of bread before giving the bread to the five thousand. This shows that something as seemingly trivial and inconsequential as eating a meal is important to Jesus. It is clear that praying for the little things is essential too.
Jesus gave His followers a template for prayer. In Matthew 6:5-13 and in Luke 11:1-4, Jesus discusses the Lord’s Prayer, which is really a tool for Christians on how they are to pray. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus tells His disciples, “Pray then like this,” and goes on to recite the Lord’s Prayer. It begins with “Our Father in Heaven,” an address which offers the groundwork of the probability that, in prayer, “as Father, God is concerned for the needs of his children; as the One in Heaven, He is all-powerful” (Hagner, “Matt. 1-13,” 148). Addressing the Lord God of the Universe as our “Father” makes the prayer far more personal and intimate. The rest of the Lord’s Prayer continues on to give honor to His Name, submission to the will of the Father on earth (as well as in Heaven), and a request that He will “give us this day” and provide “our daily bread.” Verse twelve goes on to entreat forgiveness for the sins that His disciples commit (as well as the ability for the disciples to forgive those who wrong them), plea that believers of Christ will be saved from a situation where they could be lead into temptation, and delivered from the wiles of the “Evil One,” because “testing is inevitable” (Hagner, “Matt. 1-13,” 151). This prayer incorporates practically every aspect of everyday life and shows Christians how they are to pray.
In addition to the Lord’s Prayer, Christ commands us to be humble in the way that we pray. In verse five of Matthew’s sixth chapter, Jesus warns His disciples to be unlike the hypocrites “who do their utmost to attract attention to themselves when they pray” (Hagner, “Matt. 1-13,” 141). The hypocrites loved to “position themselves” in the most prominent of places where they could be most clearly seen as they prayed (Hagner, “Matt. 1-13”, 142). Instead, Christ instructs His servants: “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” He promises His disciples that, if they obey this command, the Father “who sees in secret” will reward them (Matthew 6:6). There is no doubt that Jesus despised the arrogant phonies who sought for the approval of man as they prayed, esteeming themselves as “great” and “holy.” Jesus makes it clear that humility in prayer is essential, and praying in secret is strongly counseled. The Father who is in secret will reward those who adhere to these commands.
In the words of Jesus, I am to “pray then like this,” just as my Lord and Savior prayed. It is clear that prayer was a supreme priority in the life of Christ. Each and every time Jesus was faced with a big decision, He went away to be alone in prayer, and He turned to His Heavenly Father and entreated Him as to what He was to do. Jesus is the ultimate icon of prayer, the ultimate example that we are to emulate. Christ made it clear to us, His people, that prayer is a crucial aspect of Christianity.
Observing Christ going before God in prayer caused me to recognize that I need to turn to God and beseech Him in prayer myself - not neglect to include Him in the problems I face every single day. When I am going through a demanding and frustrating time in my life, where I am overloaded with homework, where I am battling to get any sleep at all, I need to give it up to God in prayer. When I am feeling pulled in five million directions all at once, when I am feeling completely and totally overwhelmed in general, I need to turn to Him in search for help, while having faith that He will give me strength to get through the plights and predicaments. When my family is going through a tough time, such as my mom going through chemo after having her breast cancer removed, my brother recovering from having a kidney transplant that transpired almost a year ago, and me not being able to be there because I am all the way across the world from them, I need to remember to simply give it up to God and to trust that He has it all in control.
When I see Christ blessing the food before eating it, I am reminded that I need to give up even the little things to Him in prayer. I need to give my fears to Him when I am about to give a speech that I am terrified to present. I need to hand Him the situation when there is a dispute between a roommate and myself that needs to be resolved. When I am “starving,” with no food to consume on the weekends, and I am not able to get to a store to purchase more, I need to remember that God will provide! I need to remember that God will give me the calmness of heart that I need to present that speech, the articulation of words and the opportunity that will allow me to patch things up with my roommate, and He will provide the means for me to eat on the weekends when I have nothing to eat. I know that even if He does not answer my prayers and my requests the way that I would like Him to, He does that for my own good. God has my best interest in mind in everything He does for me.
I know that I must remember that Christ is always there for me and that I am always able to cast my anxieties on Him in all circumstances. I need to constantly remind myself that Christ lived here on earth. I need to be reminiscent of the fact that He did, indeed, experience everything that we experience on a daily basis! I need to remember that I am not alone, that Christ is my source of comfort. I must not neglect to recall that He never fails to be there, to listen to my requests and my pleas. I so often forget to go to Him when I am in need! I am always catching myself trying to figure things out on my own. I fail to remember that I am small, I am weak, and I cannot cope with the overwhelming trials that I constantly seem to face as I walk through life. I need to remember to pray. I need to remember to present my requests to God and let go completely, leaving room for Him to do His great and mighty work in all of it, in His divine and perfect way.
When I don’t know how to pray, or what to pray, the Lord’s Prayer is always a prayer that I know I can resort to as a guide on how to pray. There are times when I find myself lacking in words, especially when I don’t know how to convey my thoughts in prayer to God. When this occurs, I look to the Lord’s Prayer and I am instantaneously inspired. There is no greater example for me, as a Christian, on how I am to pray, than the passage of Matthew 6:5-13. It always will, indeed, be an eternal icon that I will continue to employ on a daily basis.
Prayer was perfectly modeled for us by Christ. Time and time again we see Christ going before His Heavenly Father. After Christ prayed, often crazy things would happen (not always, not every time, but often). One such example can be seen when Jesus prays after being baptized, when the Heavens open up and the Holy Spirit descends on Him. This does not mean that something outrageous and fantastic will occur each and every time Christians pray. Believers don’t need to pray in order for great things to occur, but God does use prayer to move in mighty ways. Followers of Christ need to be obedient in prayer while following in the shadow of Christ’s Holy and glorious example. So in the words of Jesus, “Pray then like this…”
Thursday, December 2, 2010
It's an Obamanation!
There has been much discussion relating to President Obama’s faith. Is Barack Hussein Obama a Christian, an Atheist, an Agnostic, a Buddhist, a Monk, a Mormon, a Hindu, a Jehovah’s Witness… a Muslim? After much research and study, the answer has become incredibly apparent to me. It’s pretty hard to refute the evidence, as you saw in the video clip I just showed you, even though he is a little vague in fully admitting it. Ladies and Gentlemen, Obama, the President of the United States of America (a nation founded on Biblical principles), whether he out rightly admits it or not, is a man of Muslim (not Christian) faith.
Let’s take a look at his background, shall we?
Obama’s history and background is clearly filled with Muslim influence. Let’s start with his name, Barack Hussein Obama. As Debbie Schlussel, an attorney and a frequent New York Post and Jerusalem Post columnist, expert on radical Islam/Islamic terrorism and a host of other issues says, “Hussein is a Muslim name, which comes from the name of Ali’s son–Hussein Ibn Ali... And even if Obama did not identify as a Muslim, that’s not how the Arab and Muslim streets see it. In Arab culture and under Islamic law, if your father is a Muslim, so are you. And once a Muslim, always a Muslim. You cannot go back! In Islamic eyes, Obama is certainly a Muslim. He may think he’s a Christian, but they do not...” Obama's father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., was a radical Muslim. Consequently, some have attempted to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came from his father and that influence was temporary at best. In reality, however, the senior Obama returned to Kenya immediately following the divorce (which occurred when Obama was two) and never again had any direct influence over his son's education! Obama’s mother married another Muslim, Lolo Soetoro, who educated his stepson as a good Muslim by enrolling him in one of Jakarta's Wahabbi schools (Wahabbism is the radical teaching that created the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad on the industrialized world). I’m not by any means trying to insinuate that Obama is a terrorist or anything of that nature; I’m just saying that he was raised and educated with that as a heavy influence. Scary thought, isn’t it?
Obama makes decisions concerning our country, daily, which are influenced by his belief in Islam. As reported in Fox News in August of this year, concerning Ground Zero (the site where the world-renound Twin Towers once stood), “President Obama… sought to clarify his comments supporting the building of a mosque near Ground Zero that have ignited a political firestorm ahead of a difficult election season for Democrats. During a trip to Florida for a family vacation, Obama said his comments… were only directed at the constitutional right of the mosque to be there, and whether preventing the mosque's construction impinges on the right to freedom of religion. ‘I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,’ he said in response to a reporter's question after he spoke about efforts to aid the Gulf Coast region. ‘I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about.’
Really? I understand that America is all about religious freedom, but seriously… It was Muslim terrorists who destroyed the twin towers, who murdered over 3,000 innocent civilians.
“Republicans and some victims’ advocates have strongly condemned Obama's support for the mosque, which would be part of a $100 million Islamic community center two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people perished when hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.”
“‘Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America's heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see,’ said Debra Burlingame, a spokeswoman for some Sept. 11 victims' families and the sister of one of the pilots killed in the attacks.
“Building the mosque at Ground Zero,’ she said, ‘is a deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of Allah.’"
“Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the president is ‘wrong.’ ‘It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero,’ he said in a written statement. ‘While the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque, they are abusing that right by needlessly offending so many people who have suffered so much," he said. "The right and moral thing for President Obama to have done was to urge Muslim leaders to respect the families of those who died and move their mosque away from ground zero. Unfortunately, the president caved into political correctness.’”
There are MANY more quotes that I wish I could share with you concerning the hurt and the pain that this whole issue has caused the families that were affected by the 9/11 attacks... It is ungracious and, frankly, incredibly disrespectful and insolent on the Muslims side to even CONSIDER building a mosque on Ground Zero… It’s unbelievable.
As House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a written statement, “The fact that someone has the right to do something doesn’t necessarily make it the right thing to do. That is the essence of tolerance, peace, and understanding. This is not an issue of LAW, whether religious freedom or local zoning. This is a BASIC issue of respect of a TRAGIC moment in our history.”
I think that says it all…
Obama does absolutely NOTHING that encourages the growth of our Christian nation, despite the fact that America is, indeed, a nation that was FOUNDED on the BIBLE, God’s Holy Word! Wouldn’t it be logical to assume that, since America was FOUNDED on the Bible, the United States of America would be a nation that reflects Christ? A nation that exhibits its belief in our Holy God in everything it does? All 43 presidents that came before President Obama had at least some semblance of belief or faith in Christ. Whether the belief was nominal or genuine, not one of them was avidly against Christianity, against our Lord God and Savior… until now, that is. Even Bill Clinton, a man who most certainly was NOT a follower of Christ, had enough respect for our country to adhere to the Biblical principles of our nation. Obama is a Muslim! Nevertheless, since it is politically beneficial to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help eliminate any notion that he was still a Muslim. Sneaky business, huh? Unfortunately, in today’s society, being a Christian is not even close to being a prerequisite to joining a church today, making it easy for non-believers to wiggle their way in. A sad fact that is, regrettably, a reality. Since becoming president of the US, I believe Obama has since ceased attending, and is unashamedly declaring his faith in Allah, the god of the Muslims. My friends, Obama is the President of our country! He is “the man,” so to speak, when it comes to the United States. America was intended to be a Christian nation that allowed all who dwelled here to worship freely, no doubt. But America was also a country that was established on God and His Word. So it would be logical to assume that those who run for President of this beautiful country are, at least, somewhat sympathetic to Christianity. Obama is simply not one of those people. He has made it clear that he is not a believer of Christ! That is enough information for me to state that he is not worthy of the title “President of the United States.”
It’s just mind-blowing as to how much Obama seems to have gotten away with in becoming our President. Without *much experience at all, with a sketchy history (at best), and without any faith or* at least some semblance of reverence towards our Heavenly Father God, Barack Hussein Obama seems to have just crept through the proverbial “back door” of politics, completely disregarding the fundamental issues that are imperative for a president of the United States to adhere to. Obama, a man without much knowledge concerning how to be an effective and esteemed authority over our nation, has been put in “office” and is currently leading our nation to imminent destruction. America needs a godly leader to uphold this nation! We need a man who will make decisions based on God’s Word and how God commands leaders to, well, lead! At minimum, America requires a president who doesn’t admonish Christianity… a president who doesn’t despise Christ. *PAUSE* Obama has, in my eyes, done a poor job of leading this nation. Every decision he has made seems to have been a detrimental one! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s pretty clear America is in desperate need of deliverance. Therefore, we, as Christians, need to earnestly entreat Christ and seek HIM in all of this. We need to pray for deliverance. We need to pray that God will work on President Obama’s heart, that he will be utterly convicted of his sin against Christ, and that he will, perhaps, by some miracle, turn to God and repent! We need to be hopeful that Christ can accomplish all things, that through Him, all things are made possible. May America go back to the way it was meant to be, the way it was originally intended to be: ONE nation, under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!
Let’s take a look at his background, shall we?
Obama’s history and background is clearly filled with Muslim influence. Let’s start with his name, Barack Hussein Obama. As Debbie Schlussel, an attorney and a frequent New York Post and Jerusalem Post columnist, expert on radical Islam/Islamic terrorism and a host of other issues says, “Hussein is a Muslim name, which comes from the name of Ali’s son–Hussein Ibn Ali... And even if Obama did not identify as a Muslim, that’s not how the Arab and Muslim streets see it. In Arab culture and under Islamic law, if your father is a Muslim, so are you. And once a Muslim, always a Muslim. You cannot go back! In Islamic eyes, Obama is certainly a Muslim. He may think he’s a Christian, but they do not...” Obama's father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., was a radical Muslim. Consequently, some have attempted to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came from his father and that influence was temporary at best. In reality, however, the senior Obama returned to Kenya immediately following the divorce (which occurred when Obama was two) and never again had any direct influence over his son's education! Obama’s mother married another Muslim, Lolo Soetoro, who educated his stepson as a good Muslim by enrolling him in one of Jakarta's Wahabbi schools (Wahabbism is the radical teaching that created the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad on the industrialized world). I’m not by any means trying to insinuate that Obama is a terrorist or anything of that nature; I’m just saying that he was raised and educated with that as a heavy influence. Scary thought, isn’t it?
Obama makes decisions concerning our country, daily, which are influenced by his belief in Islam. As reported in Fox News in August of this year, concerning Ground Zero (the site where the world-renound Twin Towers once stood), “President Obama… sought to clarify his comments supporting the building of a mosque near Ground Zero that have ignited a political firestorm ahead of a difficult election season for Democrats. During a trip to Florida for a family vacation, Obama said his comments… were only directed at the constitutional right of the mosque to be there, and whether preventing the mosque's construction impinges on the right to freedom of religion. ‘I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,’ he said in response to a reporter's question after he spoke about efforts to aid the Gulf Coast region. ‘I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about.’
Really? I understand that America is all about religious freedom, but seriously… It was Muslim terrorists who destroyed the twin towers, who murdered over 3,000 innocent civilians.
“Republicans and some victims’ advocates have strongly condemned Obama's support for the mosque, which would be part of a $100 million Islamic community center two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people perished when hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.”
“‘Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America's heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see,’ said Debra Burlingame, a spokeswoman for some Sept. 11 victims' families and the sister of one of the pilots killed in the attacks.
“Building the mosque at Ground Zero,’ she said, ‘is a deliberately provocative act that will precipitate more bloodshed in the name of Allah.’"
“Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the president is ‘wrong.’ ‘It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero,’ he said in a written statement. ‘While the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque, they are abusing that right by needlessly offending so many people who have suffered so much," he said. "The right and moral thing for President Obama to have done was to urge Muslim leaders to respect the families of those who died and move their mosque away from ground zero. Unfortunately, the president caved into political correctness.’”
There are MANY more quotes that I wish I could share with you concerning the hurt and the pain that this whole issue has caused the families that were affected by the 9/11 attacks... It is ungracious and, frankly, incredibly disrespectful and insolent on the Muslims side to even CONSIDER building a mosque on Ground Zero… It’s unbelievable.
As House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a written statement, “The fact that someone has the right to do something doesn’t necessarily make it the right thing to do. That is the essence of tolerance, peace, and understanding. This is not an issue of LAW, whether religious freedom or local zoning. This is a BASIC issue of respect of a TRAGIC moment in our history.”
I think that says it all…
Obama does absolutely NOTHING that encourages the growth of our Christian nation, despite the fact that America is, indeed, a nation that was FOUNDED on the BIBLE, God’s Holy Word! Wouldn’t it be logical to assume that, since America was FOUNDED on the Bible, the United States of America would be a nation that reflects Christ? A nation that exhibits its belief in our Holy God in everything it does? All 43 presidents that came before President Obama had at least some semblance of belief or faith in Christ. Whether the belief was nominal or genuine, not one of them was avidly against Christianity, against our Lord God and Savior… until now, that is. Even Bill Clinton, a man who most certainly was NOT a follower of Christ, had enough respect for our country to adhere to the Biblical principles of our nation. Obama is a Muslim! Nevertheless, since it is politically beneficial to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help eliminate any notion that he was still a Muslim. Sneaky business, huh? Unfortunately, in today’s society, being a Christian is not even close to being a prerequisite to joining a church today, making it easy for non-believers to wiggle their way in. A sad fact that is, regrettably, a reality. Since becoming president of the US, I believe Obama has since ceased attending, and is unashamedly declaring his faith in Allah, the god of the Muslims. My friends, Obama is the President of our country! He is “the man,” so to speak, when it comes to the United States. America was intended to be a Christian nation that allowed all who dwelled here to worship freely, no doubt. But America was also a country that was established on God and His Word. So it would be logical to assume that those who run for President of this beautiful country are, at least, somewhat sympathetic to Christianity. Obama is simply not one of those people. He has made it clear that he is not a believer of Christ! That is enough information for me to state that he is not worthy of the title “President of the United States.”
It’s just mind-blowing as to how much Obama seems to have gotten away with in becoming our President. Without *much experience at all, with a sketchy history (at best), and without any faith or* at least some semblance of reverence towards our Heavenly Father God, Barack Hussein Obama seems to have just crept through the proverbial “back door” of politics, completely disregarding the fundamental issues that are imperative for a president of the United States to adhere to. Obama, a man without much knowledge concerning how to be an effective and esteemed authority over our nation, has been put in “office” and is currently leading our nation to imminent destruction. America needs a godly leader to uphold this nation! We need a man who will make decisions based on God’s Word and how God commands leaders to, well, lead! At minimum, America requires a president who doesn’t admonish Christianity… a president who doesn’t despise Christ. *PAUSE* Obama has, in my eyes, done a poor job of leading this nation. Every decision he has made seems to have been a detrimental one! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s pretty clear America is in desperate need of deliverance. Therefore, we, as Christians, need to earnestly entreat Christ and seek HIM in all of this. We need to pray for deliverance. We need to pray that God will work on President Obama’s heart, that he will be utterly convicted of his sin against Christ, and that he will, perhaps, by some miracle, turn to God and repent! We need to be hopeful that Christ can accomplish all things, that through Him, all things are made possible. May America go back to the way it was meant to be, the way it was originally intended to be: ONE nation, under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Bible Journal Six
So... I've been taking a class called Gospels this semester. It's a class where we study the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and learn more about our Savior and King, Jesus Christ :) it's fantastic! We've been going through the Gospels, one at a time. First we went through Mark, then Matthew, and now we are currently making our way through Luke! So each week we read a certain amount of chapters and write approximately a one page Bible Journal, reflecting on something that might have stuck out to us. Some of the things I've been noticing in the Gospels have been simple things that we should all know, yet, somehow neglect to remember! This is just a fun assignment we get to do each week and.... I thought I might share a few of these Bible Journals, simply because I've been far too busy to blog this semester! Hopefully some of these will just be helpful reminders on things that Christ has commanded of us :) This is all based on Scripture, nothing of me, just reflections on things that Christ has spoken to me through them. I don't really know why I'm posting some of them up, but hey... Enjoy anyways :)
Bible Journal Six
Matthew 18:15-16, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two brothers along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
Why do we not heed this important passage of Scripture? This is what caught my attention in this week’s reading… It’s so easy – too easy – to talk to others about problems we have with other people, instead of simply talking to the person concerned! It can be far easier, at times, to prefer to talk to someone who isn’t involved and only partly partial to one or the other’s sides… (or, let’s be honest, someone who at least wouldn’t be partial to the “other” person’s side… whatever it might be). But this passage is really just such a good reminder concerning gossip and resolving conflict with whoever the person may be.
I just pray that I will learn to keep my mouth shut (aside from prayer and communion with Christ, of course) from now onwards until I am able to resolve the issue with the person concerned. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I’m having a disagreement with someone, I pray that I’ll learn to not spread gossip, build on rumors, and simply trust that the person concerned will do the same! But even if they don’t… I will do my utmost to keep disagreements with my fellow “brethren” between them and myself.
Bible Journal Six
Matthew 18:15-16, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two brothers along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
Why do we not heed this important passage of Scripture? This is what caught my attention in this week’s reading… It’s so easy – too easy – to talk to others about problems we have with other people, instead of simply talking to the person concerned! It can be far easier, at times, to prefer to talk to someone who isn’t involved and only partly partial to one or the other’s sides… (or, let’s be honest, someone who at least wouldn’t be partial to the “other” person’s side… whatever it might be). But this passage is really just such a good reminder concerning gossip and resolving conflict with whoever the person may be.
I just pray that I will learn to keep my mouth shut (aside from prayer and communion with Christ, of course) from now onwards until I am able to resolve the issue with the person concerned. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I’m having a disagreement with someone, I pray that I’ll learn to not spread gossip, build on rumors, and simply trust that the person concerned will do the same! But even if they don’t… I will do my utmost to keep disagreements with my fellow “brethren” between them and myself.
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Little Things...
Due to a few technical difficulties my family has been experiencing with our electricity lately, I’ve been reminded just how much I love candles! Last night when I went to wash my face in our bathroom, I remembered that the lights weren’t working in some of the rooms in our house. At first, I was just going to las the light and attempt to splash my face with water without the benefit of light. But then I thought, “Hey! Let’s do this old school and light up a candle!” So I did! And it was really nice… I then got to thinking about how much I love the little things that occur in life! One little surprise, something unexpected, then BAM!! My day is made that much better! I’m not sure if anyone can relate, but it’s pretty much how I work… Something as simple as lighting up a candle last night for a practical purpose just made my evening. I went to bed happy and content :) Bam! That simple…
It’s so easy to get bogged down with the filth and grime of day-to-day living. Life won’t simply hand you one problem or crisis at a time, but rather pile everything on all at once and then sit back, arms crossed, grinning, waiting to see how you will handle it. It just seems to be the way Life operates… Bam! Not so simple…
I guess the important thing to remember is that we cannot allow Life to get us down. It’s SO EASY to become overwhelmed with all of the things that are going on at one particular time in our lives. It’s even easier to give up and say, “Forget it! There’s no way I’m going to deal with all of this stuff now!” But we can’t! As strange and ridiculous as this may sound, we cannot give Life the upperhand in our lives! God will not lead us where His grace cannot keep us. We cannot forget that. If we choose to make an effort daily to say, “God, I’m not strong enough to handle the curveballs that Life keeps throwing at me, please will you give me the vigor, verve, and vitality to deal with whatever may come my way in the course of today?”
God will answer your prayers, your requests, and your pleas… All you need to do is ask Him. Today, instead of trying to handle everything on your own, give up your needs to God, and remember the little things in life… they have a way of making the darkest of days a little lighter :)
It’s so easy to get bogged down with the filth and grime of day-to-day living. Life won’t simply hand you one problem or crisis at a time, but rather pile everything on all at once and then sit back, arms crossed, grinning, waiting to see how you will handle it. It just seems to be the way Life operates… Bam! Not so simple…
I guess the important thing to remember is that we cannot allow Life to get us down. It’s SO EASY to become overwhelmed with all of the things that are going on at one particular time in our lives. It’s even easier to give up and say, “Forget it! There’s no way I’m going to deal with all of this stuff now!” But we can’t! As strange and ridiculous as this may sound, we cannot give Life the upperhand in our lives! God will not lead us where His grace cannot keep us. We cannot forget that. If we choose to make an effort daily to say, “God, I’m not strong enough to handle the curveballs that Life keeps throwing at me, please will you give me the vigor, verve, and vitality to deal with whatever may come my way in the course of today?”
God will answer your prayers, your requests, and your pleas… All you need to do is ask Him. Today, instead of trying to handle everything on your own, give up your needs to God, and remember the little things in life… they have a way of making the darkest of days a little lighter :)
Friday, April 9, 2010
Shattered Soul
As time goes on, my soul is ignored
As the door to the room that’s gone unexplored.
Like an empty house that people abandoned,
Dusty and dirty, my soul, I imagine.
The windows that I used to look in to see,
The soul that was once so reflective of me,
Are shattered and broken, too hard to repair!
Now remembering, I drop to my knees in despair.
The soul I once thought to be my dearest friend,
I’ve left with that old house that no one will mend.
Cobwebs and spiders, my soul’s roommates are.
Alone and unwanted, what’s left? Just a scar;
A wound in my heart that will never cure!
Consequences of which, I’ll have to endure.
As the door to the room that’s gone unexplored.
Like an empty house that people abandoned,
Dusty and dirty, my soul, I imagine.
The windows that I used to look in to see,
The soul that was once so reflective of me,
Are shattered and broken, too hard to repair!
Now remembering, I drop to my knees in despair.
The soul I once thought to be my dearest friend,
I’ve left with that old house that no one will mend.
Cobwebs and spiders, my soul’s roommates are.
Alone and unwanted, what’s left? Just a scar;
A wound in my heart that will never cure!
Consequences of which, I’ll have to endure.
Mission: Abort! (Controversial Essay)
Statistics are rapidly rising as the apparent “trend,” entailing unmarried women having abortions performed on them, grows increasingly popular in our society today. Approximately sixty-four percent of all abortions are carried out on never-married women. Women who are married make up about eighteen percent, and women who are divorced acquire nearly ten percent. About ninety-three percent of all abortions take place for social reasons (e.g. if the child is “ill-timed” or unwanted). Six percent of abortions result because of prospective health problems concerning either the mother or the child, and one percent of all abortions occur because of incest or even rape (The Centre for Bio-ethical Reform). The majority of women, who have abortions done on them, only do it for selfish reasons. They really don’t care about the child growing inside of them. Despite popular belief that the mother has the right to do what she likes with her body, the unborn baby has the right to his or her own life, and the choice shouldn’t be made for him or her.
Those who are Pro-life believe that abortion is murder. Timothy “Tim” Richard Tebow, who was born on August 14, 1987, is the “American football quarterback for the Florida Gators” (Tim Tebow Zone). He was the very first college football player ever to both “rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy” (Tim Tebow Zone). Before discussing his numerous successes, however, we shall backtrack to before he was even born. His parents, Bob and Pam Tebow, were serving as Christian missionaries in Makati City in the Philippines at the time. While pregnant, Pam experienced a severe infection with a “pathogenic amoeba.” Due to the drugs used to revive her from her coma and to remedy her dysentery, the unborn baby experienced a critical placental abruption. Because the doctors expected a stillbirth, they suggested an abortion in order to protect her life. Pam refused, however, and carried her child to term. Both survived (Tim Tebow Zone). Abortion was not something that either she or her husband, Bob, believed in. Pam chose to risk her life instead of ending the life of her unborn son. Her actions were truly selfless. She knew that a life was (and is) a life, and it wasn’t up to her to choose whether her baby was meant to live or not.
Those who are Pro-choice deem the unborn child as simply a fetus and nothing more. Those who claim to be Pro-choice would’ve said that Pam Tebow should have had an abortion instead of risking her life to give birth to her child. They would maintain that aborting a zygote or an embryo is not the same as “killing a baby.” They would say that a miniature mass of maturing cells is not a baby because “it doesn’t have the neural mass, organization or experience to have much sentience” (43). For the beginning stages of pregnancy, when most of all abortions take place, “supposing otherwise is far-fetched speculation” (43).
While both sides have their “valid” points, only one group can be right. In Tim Tebow’s short lifetime, so far, he has accomplished a huge amount of success, often referred to as “A Walking Freight Truck” (Tim Tebow Biography). Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and placed among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior (Tim Tebow Biography). He chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama, after a tough recruiting battle. “Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gator’s more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak” (Tim Tebow Zone). As a junior, Tim Tebow ’s stock rose as he became a prestigious, highly recruited major college quarterback prospect. Tebow, as quarterback, continued to amaze during his senior season, leading the Nease Panthers to a state title, receiving All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tim Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. “He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas, which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television” (Tim Tebow Biography). Timothy Tebow is 6’3” and 225 lb (1.91 m, 102 kg). He’s incredibly healthy, at the optimum level of fitness, and thriving! In addition to all of this, he's also known by virtually everyone for something else - his "eye black". Tim Tebow has become legendary for displaying Bible verses on his face during his football games. It’s a tribute to his Christian faith, and it’s an endeavor to send a message to a large audience! Imagine if Bob and Pam Tebow had decided to toss away the risks and abort the unborn Timothy. His Christian witness on the football field would not and could not possibly exist. Tim Tebow’s strategy with his “eye black” has caught much media attention. He has such a unique opportunity to spread the Word of God, and he’s using it! But, again, where would we be (where would the Florida Gators be) if Tim Tebow’s parents had taken the doctor’s advice and aborted him? As someone, in an article published in the Democrat Gazette in ‘93, once said:
“The test of a civilized society, it seems to us, is how it treats the most vulnerable - the old and sick, the young and ignorant, the poor and disabled, the homeless and despised, the dispossessed and imprisoned. The least among us. Once upon a time there would have been no hesitation to include in such a category life in the womb. Now there is a ‘serious’ question about whether it is human life at all. (What else could it be– an aardvark?) Once there was a folk metaphor for security- ‘as safe as a child in its mother’s womb.’ At the rate of 1.6 million abortions a year in America… surely few would make any such assumptions now. Abortion is wrong. If abortion is not wrong, then nothing is” (19).
The author of this brilliant article, whoever he or she was, was right! If abortion isn’t wrong, then, really, nothing is! Nothing at all.
Every child has the right to life. No child would choose to die! A baby, who hasn’t even been given the chance to live yet, wouldn’t choose to end his or her own life. Society needs to realize that it’s not just about what the mother wants. The baby has a right to life, and it’s not up to her to decide whether the child should live or die. It is imperative to bring to the attention of these women the fact that they are responsible for the life of the child growing inside of them. An expecting mother can’t just make a decision on a whim, for her decision will not just affect her life, but it will significantly affect the life of her child as well. Christians need to motivate the church to educate women on the alternative of adoption or even raising the child herself. Rather than condemning them, the church needs to let women who are in a crisis pregnancy situation know that they are going to be encouraged, loved, and protected. The future of this world is in the hands of citizens in society today. Society needs to take action against the rising statistics of unborn babies being murdered, or, eventually, there won’t even be a future generation.
Those who are Pro-life believe that abortion is murder. Timothy “Tim” Richard Tebow, who was born on August 14, 1987, is the “American football quarterback for the Florida Gators” (Tim Tebow Zone). He was the very first college football player ever to both “rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy” (Tim Tebow Zone). Before discussing his numerous successes, however, we shall backtrack to before he was even born. His parents, Bob and Pam Tebow, were serving as Christian missionaries in Makati City in the Philippines at the time. While pregnant, Pam experienced a severe infection with a “pathogenic amoeba.” Due to the drugs used to revive her from her coma and to remedy her dysentery, the unborn baby experienced a critical placental abruption. Because the doctors expected a stillbirth, they suggested an abortion in order to protect her life. Pam refused, however, and carried her child to term. Both survived (Tim Tebow Zone). Abortion was not something that either she or her husband, Bob, believed in. Pam chose to risk her life instead of ending the life of her unborn son. Her actions were truly selfless. She knew that a life was (and is) a life, and it wasn’t up to her to choose whether her baby was meant to live or not.
Those who are Pro-choice deem the unborn child as simply a fetus and nothing more. Those who claim to be Pro-choice would’ve said that Pam Tebow should have had an abortion instead of risking her life to give birth to her child. They would maintain that aborting a zygote or an embryo is not the same as “killing a baby.” They would say that a miniature mass of maturing cells is not a baby because “it doesn’t have the neural mass, organization or experience to have much sentience” (43). For the beginning stages of pregnancy, when most of all abortions take place, “supposing otherwise is far-fetched speculation” (43).
While both sides have their “valid” points, only one group can be right. In Tim Tebow’s short lifetime, so far, he has accomplished a huge amount of success, often referred to as “A Walking Freight Truck” (Tim Tebow Biography). Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and placed among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior (Tim Tebow Biography). He chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama, after a tough recruiting battle. “Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gator’s more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak” (Tim Tebow Zone). As a junior, Tim Tebow ’s stock rose as he became a prestigious, highly recruited major college quarterback prospect. Tebow, as quarterback, continued to amaze during his senior season, leading the Nease Panthers to a state title, receiving All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tim Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. “He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas, which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television” (Tim Tebow Biography). Timothy Tebow is 6’3” and 225 lb (1.91 m, 102 kg). He’s incredibly healthy, at the optimum level of fitness, and thriving! In addition to all of this, he's also known by virtually everyone for something else - his "eye black". Tim Tebow has become legendary for displaying Bible verses on his face during his football games. It’s a tribute to his Christian faith, and it’s an endeavor to send a message to a large audience! Imagine if Bob and Pam Tebow had decided to toss away the risks and abort the unborn Timothy. His Christian witness on the football field would not and could not possibly exist. Tim Tebow’s strategy with his “eye black” has caught much media attention. He has such a unique opportunity to spread the Word of God, and he’s using it! But, again, where would we be (where would the Florida Gators be) if Tim Tebow’s parents had taken the doctor’s advice and aborted him? As someone, in an article published in the Democrat Gazette in ‘93, once said:
“The test of a civilized society, it seems to us, is how it treats the most vulnerable - the old and sick, the young and ignorant, the poor and disabled, the homeless and despised, the dispossessed and imprisoned. The least among us. Once upon a time there would have been no hesitation to include in such a category life in the womb. Now there is a ‘serious’ question about whether it is human life at all. (What else could it be– an aardvark?) Once there was a folk metaphor for security- ‘as safe as a child in its mother’s womb.’ At the rate of 1.6 million abortions a year in America… surely few would make any such assumptions now. Abortion is wrong. If abortion is not wrong, then nothing is” (19).
The author of this brilliant article, whoever he or she was, was right! If abortion isn’t wrong, then, really, nothing is! Nothing at all.
Every child has the right to life. No child would choose to die! A baby, who hasn’t even been given the chance to live yet, wouldn’t choose to end his or her own life. Society needs to realize that it’s not just about what the mother wants. The baby has a right to life, and it’s not up to her to decide whether the child should live or die. It is imperative to bring to the attention of these women the fact that they are responsible for the life of the child growing inside of them. An expecting mother can’t just make a decision on a whim, for her decision will not just affect her life, but it will significantly affect the life of her child as well. Christians need to motivate the church to educate women on the alternative of adoption or even raising the child herself. Rather than condemning them, the church needs to let women who are in a crisis pregnancy situation know that they are going to be encouraged, loved, and protected. The future of this world is in the hands of citizens in society today. Society needs to take action against the rising statistics of unborn babies being murdered, or, eventually, there won’t even be a future generation.
Awakening
Today I realized something:
I realized I've been asleep.
I've been living this life,
From day to day,
As if life were just a dream.
Bearing no burdens,
Bearing no shame,
Dreaming each hour and minute away!
This dream is constant.
Never ending.
This is the truth,
I'm not pretending.
I will wake up,
I'll shake this off,
Begin living my life,
And get off the floor.
I'll open my eyes,
And start getting dressed,
Watch my first sunrise
Again and again.
I'll open my eyes
And unlock the door.
I'll live out my life
As I should have before.
I realized I've been asleep.
I've been living this life,
From day to day,
As if life were just a dream.
Bearing no burdens,
Bearing no shame,
Dreaming each hour and minute away!
This dream is constant.
Never ending.
This is the truth,
I'm not pretending.
I will wake up,
I'll shake this off,
Begin living my life,
And get off the floor.
I'll open my eyes,
And start getting dressed,
Watch my first sunrise
Again and again.
I'll open my eyes
And unlock the door.
I'll live out my life
As I should have before.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
