How should a Christian respond to persecution?

There’s no doubt that persecution is a stark reality of living the Christian life. The apostle Paul warned us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus told us to expect persecution from the world because if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His followers also. Jesus has made it very clear to us that those of the world will hate us because they hate Him. If Christians were like the world—vain, earthly, sensual, and given to pleasure, wealth, and ambition—the world would not oppose us. But Christians do not belong to the world which is why they hate and persecute us (John 15:18-19). Christians are, or should be, influenced by different principles from those of the world. We are motivated by the love of God and holiness, while the world is driven by the love of sin. It is our very separation from the world that arouses the world's animosity toward us. The world would prefer that we were like them; since we are not, they hate us (1 Peter 4:3-4).

As faithful Christians, we must learn to recognize the value of persecution and even to rejoice in it, not in an ostentatious way, but quietly and humbly because persecution has great spiritual value. First, persecution allows us to share in a unique fellowship with our Lord. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul outlined a number of things he surrendered for the cause of Christ. Such losses, however, he viewed as “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8), or “dung” (KJV), that he might share in the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). The noble apostle even counted his chains as a grace (favor) which God had bestowed upon him (Philippians 1:7).

Second, in all truth, persecution is good for us. James argues that trials test our faith, work or develop (endurance) in our lives, and help develop maturity (James 1:2-4). For as steel is tempered in the flames of the forge, trials and persecution serve to hone down those rough edges that tarnish our character. Yielding graciously to persecution allows one to demonstrate that he is of a superior quality than his adversaries. It’s easy to be hateful, but an ugly disposition throws a light upon our human weakness. It is much more Christ-like to remain calm and to respond in kindness in the face of evil opposition. Without question this is a tremendous challenge, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us and the wonderful example of the Lord to encourage us. Peter says of Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

Third, persecution enables us to value the support of true friends. Conflict sometimes brings faithful children of God together in an encouraging and supportive way they might not have known otherwise. Hardship can stimulate the Lord’s people toward a greater resolve to love and comfort one another and lift one another to the throne of grace in prayer. There’s nothing like an unpleasant incident to help the more mature rise toward a greater level of brotherly love.

So, when we think about it seriously, we can move ourselves forward, even in the face of antagonism, whether from the world or within the church, and press on. We can thank God for His grace and for His patience with us. We can express gratitude for those whom we love in the Lord and who stand with us in times of distress. And we can pray for those who would accuse, misuse, or abuse us (2 Corinthians 11:24;Romans 10:1)
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America’s greatest threat is APATHY.

America’s greatest threat is not Barack Obama. It’s not George Soros, Islamic Terror, Socialism, Communism, or Liberalism.
No… America’s greatest threat is APATHY.

America is suffering from an epidemic of selfish, gutless people who do not care, and will not sober up from their reality tv, politically correct, clueless stupor and get off their couch to stand up and fight for the things that made this nation great.
God, please help me to help them WAKE UP!!

The day that Americans feel as individuals, they are helpless to make a difference, is a day we all need to step back and examine what we have done with the gift from our Founders.

We were to be a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people… not a nation of the government, by the government and for the government. Our Founders designed this Constitutional Republic to be run by the people. The government is there to serve US. Somehow, we have lost sight of this pecking order and it is time to remind those who serve us, who is the boss. Apathy is the government’s best friend. It cannot grow, thrive and survive without it.

We must stand up and fight APATHY!

How?
Allow me to list the ways YOU as an individual CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
* We must not be afraid to take a stand publicly for what is right and speak against all that is wrong. We must share truth with our friends, family, and neighbors, even when it is uncomfortable to do so.
* We must educate our children about the importance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights so they are sensitive to any efforts by the government to infringe on liberty.
* We must stay on top of our children’s education. Know what is in their text books and what their teachers are putting in their brains on a daily basis.
* Teach your children or grandchildren gun safety, good marksmanship, and the importance of the 2nd Amendment. Without it we have no way to defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
In the 20th century, over 270 million people have been annihilated by their own governments AFTER BEING DISARMED.
* We must stay on top of current events. Watch the news (not msnbc, nbc, cbs,and abc).. Read reliable news outlets on the net… Listen to Conservative news talk radio
* Get involved in active Conservative groups that are fighting for Constitutional causes in your state
* Financially support political campaigns of candidates who stand for the values that made this country great.
* If you can’t donate money, volunteer to knock on doors, work a phone bank or put up campaign signs
* Once your candidate is elected, you must stay on his or her back. Keep him/her accountable. You put them in office and you can remove them.
* Run for office. We need people,(not politicians) in office who know and understand what its like to live in real world America. Eliminating career politicians from our legislative branch of government is the fastest road to fiscal health and a sound Constitutional Republic.
* Financially support organizations that stand up for YOUR 2nd Amendment Right… NRA, Gun Owners of America, The Second Amendment Foundation, Oath Keepers, National Association of Gun Rights.

Those are just a few of my suggestions. America did not get in this desperate state over night and we will not recover overnight. It is going to be a long, tough, road but we must become determined, passionate, and consistent with our efforts to overcome. Only then will we be victorious! I look forward to celebrating that da

The Wisdom of Noah Webster

Consider the words of Noah Webster, a founding father who helped ratify the constitution, lawyer, politician, and the one who penned the dictionary to give us consistency in English: 

"Education: The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts, science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties."      - from the Webster 1828 Dictionary

"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." 

"The religion which has introduced civil liberty, is the religion of Christ and his apostles, which enjoins humility, piety, and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister, and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free constitutions of government." 

"Every civil government is based upon some religion or philosophy of life. Education in a nation will propagate the religion of that nation. In America, the foundational religion was Christianity. And it was sown in the hearts of Americans through the home and private and public schools for centuries. Our liberty, growth, and prosperity was the result of a Biblical philosophy of life. Our continued freedom and success is dependent on our educating the youth of America in the principles of Christianity." 

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed." 

- Noah Webster

Love.....a Biblical Perspective

 It was once generally accepted that man's greatest problem was pride, an inordinate self-interest. Now society tells us that man's greatest problem is that he thinks, not too highly of himself, but too lowly. He has "low self-esteem." Virtually every vice, from disruptive behavior to murder, is interpreted as an expression of low self-esteem. Interpreting human behavior through the philosophical grid of "victimism," psychotherapists suggest that the perpetrator cannot really be blamed for his conduct. He is merely reacting to circumstances that displease him because he has no inner sense of significance and personal worth. What he needs, they say, before he can function properly in a social context, is a new appreciation for his own uniqueness, a new sense of his own importance and dignity. Once he has developed this "love of self," we are told, he will have the motivation to resist drugs, make good grades, and overcome the feelings of despair that come with life's inevitable disappointments. Pop singer Whitney Houston promotes the gospel of self-love in a contemporary song:

I believe that children are our future; Teach them well, and let them learn the way; Teach them all the beauty they possess inside; Give them a sense of pride...

The message is subtly packaged in a beautiful musical arrangement, accented by Houston's captivating voice. She continues:

I determined long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow, If I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live and die, believing, No matter what they take from me, They can't take away my dignity; Because the greatest love of all, is happening to me; Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.

Is "the gospel according to Whitney" consistent with the gospel according to Jesus? What did Jesus say was "the greatest love of all?" Learning to love yourself? Absolutely not! According to the Lord Jesus Christ, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (Jno. 15:13). The Lord interprets love in terms of self-sacrifice, or if you please, unselfishness, not self-centeredness and self-concern.

Far from producing happiness and stability, self-love breeds heartache and confusion. Marriages disintegrate, not thrive, when selfishness prevails. The moment each partner begins to prioritize self before the other, the relationship is destined to fail. What would happen to a family of five if every member adopted a self-absorbed mentality? If each lived for himself and not for the other, what would become of the family? Sadly, the answer to that question is all too apparent in the demise of the home in western culture.

"I'm not getting what I want out of this relationship," one mate says to another. "I don't think I love you anymore." I suggest that this person has not even started to understand the meaning of love. In fact, I maintain that many people who say "I love you" are really saying, in the words of the automobile commercial, "I love what you do for me." Self-love is not missing; love is. "I don't think I love you anymore" means "You don't do for me what you once did and I love myself too much to stay here any longer." Self-love, expressing itself in self-protection, self-defensiveness, self-assertiveness, and self-righteousness destroys relationships. It doesn't build them. Christianity, on the other hand, expressing itself in self-denial, self-humbling, self-forgetfulness, and self-sacrifice provides a rock-solid foundation for a marriage that sings.

People do not have to "learn" to love themselves. Because man was created in the image of God, he is a self-conscious creature. Sin has perverted and distorted this natural self-awareness, however, so that fallen man tends to idolize and deify the self, devoting his every energy and affection to the service of the self. "No man ever yet hated his own flesh" argues Paul (Eph. 5:29). If a man has a headache, he takes an aspirin, because he loves himself too much to allow his body to hurt. If he is fatigued, he rests, because he loves himself too much to allow himself to be uncomfortable. On the basis of this principle, Paul argues that men should love their wives like they love their own bodies. In other words, a man should take the same pains to relieve his wife's burdens and promote her welfare that he takes for his own body. His primary interest should be her well being, not his own comfort. That is real love - selfless, sacrificial behavior that "esteems others more important than self" (Phi. 2:3). This kind of love must be "learned" and developed, for it doesn't come naturally. But in a fallen world, it is the only kind of love that will produce the happiness that comes from a stable relationship.

The Power of Words

Words Are Powerful Things

Lately, I have been reminded of the power of the words that I and others choose to use. Words have the power to build someone up, and words have the power to tear someone down. The words that we choose to use combined with our tone of voice can be a powerful force as well.

Consider the truth of the power of the tongue as described in James 3:3-12: When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
In light of this powerful Scripture passage, we could all do a better job in controlling the words that come out of our mouths.

Biblical Wisdom

God's Word contains practical wisdom on using our tongue for a force of good to those around us. Here are just two simple suggestions based on multiple verses in the Bible:
Use wisdom when you speak and refrain from talking if necessary. Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue (Proverbs 11:12). Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23). Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless (James 1:26).
Use soothing, healing words when you speak to those around you. The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18). The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:4).
Words Have The Power Of Life And Death

From both a practical and spiritual standpoint, we know that words from those who have influence in our lives have a powerful impact on us. Proverbs 18:21 states, The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

When I think back on key, positive, pivotal points in my life, I recall influential people who came alongside me and spoke truthful, encouraging, correcting, loving, and healing words. They may not have always been the words that I wanted to hear, but they were definitely the words that I needed to hear at that point in my life. As God spoke to these influencers, they listened to His voice and allowed His words to flow through them to me. I'm grateful that they were obedient to God and He was able to use them for good in my life.

And, I can also look back at some of the more difficult times in my life when people spoke to me who were not under the control of the Holy Spirit. They spoke harsh, negative words of death to me. They were running their own agenda. They had no concern how their words impacted my life.

Go Out And Make A Difference

You have a choice today. You have a choice to speak words of life or words of death to people. You can be a force for positive influence in people's lives through the way you speak to them, or you can be a negative, destructive force in their lives.

Consciously evaluate your speech on a regular basis. Have you fallen into negative, destructive speech habits that maybe you weren't even aware of? If so, what do you need to do to turn that around in order to speak life-giving words to those around you that you love?

You can make a powerful difference in somebody's life today through the words that you choose to use. Choose wisely.

The real Christ

Most Christians have heard of or read a specific chapter in the Bible which gives a view of Christ found nowhere else – Isaiah chapter 53. Here we see that Christ as a perfect man lived a lowly and sorrowful human life. He didn’t “look nice” nor was he famous and charismatic – rather, He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. His birth was lowly, in a despised and lowly place, and His family was also not rich – rather, it was a family in a low state.His whole human living was also full of sorrow. This is altogether different from the “Superstar Christ” or this handsome charismatic Christ portrayed in the icons and paintings in Christianity today. He had no attractive form, no comeliness, nothing that would make one desire Him. All these things fully qualified Christ to be our Redeemer and Savior! He grew up before God in His humanity and He was eventually perfected in His humanity – to become the One who ministers God, expresses God, and accomplish God’s economy. What a Christ we have! Here are some of the main points found in Isaiah 53:1-3 regarding the Lord Jesus’ human living:

• Our Lord Jesus Christ grew up like a tender plant before Jehovah(Isa. 53:2) – He grew up like a small, delicate person, like a sprout, and not like a large tree! He was so small and so tender that no one paid attention to Him! Also, He grew up like a root out of dry ground – which means that He was born of a poor family. Yes, his parents were “descendents of David”, but by their time their family was poor and lowly, even living in a despised city called Nazareth found in a despised region called Galilee. The big tree of David has become the “stump of Jesse” and from that stump Christ was a tender sprout…
• The Lord Jesus had no attracting form nor majesty that man should look upon Him, nor beautiful appearance that man should desire Him(Isa. 53:2). He was not handsome nor majestic, He was not attractive nor powerful – He had no beautiful appearance outwardly about Himself! He grew up in poverty and not in majesty, and he had a visage and form that were disfigured(Isa. 52:14). The way the Bible describes Christ is so different than what fallen and degraded Christianity portrays Him as today!
• Our Lord Jesus was despised and forsaken of men, like one from whom men hide their faces and whom men do not esteem(Isa. 53:3). When the Jews and the people saw Him, they often hid their faces from Him. This is why we see in John that many times the Jews did not respect Him nor regard Him. In all His human living, He was despised by men and forsaken of men. Even His own brothers sometimes despised Him and made fun of Him – and the Lord didn’t “fight for His dignity”, rather, He accepted His low estate and expressed God even in this situation.
• Christ lived as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief(Isa. 53:3) – He didn’t have riches in His upbringing and human living, rather, He had sorrows! All He had in His human life and all He dealt with around Him was just sorrow and grief. He did not seek to change His situation or environment, nor did He rebel against the Father’s will – rather, He lived as man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

These matters and the rest of chapter 53 of Isaiah shows us that Christ was fully qualified to be our Redeemer and Savior. No, these matters were NOT for our redemption – they were for perfecting Him and qualifying Him to be the Savior of fallen mankind. Christ being such a man and living such a lowly and sorrowful human life FULLY qualified Him to be the Savior to save fallen man! He saves us mainly from four things – Satan, Sin, Death, and the Self. He grew up like a tender plant before Jehovah – He grew up in His humanity(not in His divinity) before God – and He was perfected through the things that He suffered that He might be the One who can pay the highest price to redeem us and save us! How we love Him and appreciate Him for all He is and all He did for us!

Walking the Presidential Dog....

Can't afford to let school kids tour the White House, but we can afford to pay a federal employee $102,000 a year to walk the Obamas' dog? 

Since when is the care of a family pet a legitimate expense related to the office of the president? Does Bo the dog have official duties we don't know about? Or is Barry Obama's $400k yearly salary (plus the millions more he makes in royalties from the books he didn't write) not enough to allow him to pay for his own personal expenses -- despite the fact that his and his family's housing, food, transportation, medical expenses, etc., are all already paid for by taxpayers? 

I don't begrudge the Obama girls a pet, but come on. The Obamas are multimillionaires now, thanks to their "public service" careers, so it's long past time for them to stop fleecing the public that has made their lives so luxurious and posh. Pay for your own damn dog walker!