I'm sure I don't need to recap, as its the main thing being talked about in the news and on Facebook. Phil Robertson from the Duck Dynasty show said what he thought of homosexuality, and has been booted from the show.
First off, a few things:
1) I have never watched the show
2) I have never bought any merchandise marketed from the show
3) I actually get tired of seeing their bearded faces everywhere I go - they look awful. I hate beards, especially long ones
I do, however think its cool they have their show, as from what I hear it is very moral, clean, and even Christian.
I read the review that caused the firestorm. I thought Robertson was a bit crude, and could have phrased what he said better, but I am appalled that many Christians, and even some of my friends, are siding against Robertson. That's the thing to do folks. Help the left sabotage our freedom of speech and religion by siding with the ones who are trying to destroy it.
The day is going to come - it has in other countries - when it will be illegal to say homosexuality is wrong. You will be fined, put in jail, or both....... now you get kicked off a TV show..... you think its that long off that you'll face fines and jail? And the same Christians standing against Robertson will be sitting there amazed, wondering how it happened. Uh, duh, you helped!
Here's the interesting thing. He quoted this verse from Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. … Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
So here is my question: where is the rage that he said the others wouldn't inherit eternal life? What about the drunks, the swindlers, the idolaters, the greedy, etc.? Why aren't the Christians worried about offending the gay militant people worried about offending these others? Has homosexuality become a protected group even among Christians?
We do need to love and reach out to gay people, but also ALL sinners. I hear a lot from people about how we need to tone down about homosexuality, how we need to give into them in cases of baking cakes for their weddings, etc....... but I never hear the same people say we need to tone down what we say about other sins: drunkenness, adultery, murder, child molestation....... don't those people matter? Don't they need love, tolerance? It does seem even many Christians have made homosexuality a protected status and make it taboo to say anything wrong about it.
So if you're one of the ones criticizing Robertson for his gay comments, and not raising a stink about the other sins..... get off of your pedestal and keep your mouth shut. Sorry to be so rude, but I am weary of Christians going so far with this issue. As I said, gay people need love, and yes, Robertson could have toned what he said down, but this is a case of religious and speech freedom. Its a lack of tolerance for Christians and our views.
A&E should have issued a statement saying they didn't agree with Robertson, but that he had made his statements on his own time. They should not have canned him. I seriously doubt there are many people who watch the show who are among the offended.
And Robertson said other stuff that his critics are ignoring:
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”
“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”
We are fast losing our freedoms in this country, and I have said this before: I firmly believe the gay issues are going to be what destroys our religious freedoms, but even many Christians seem blind to it. Those siding against Robertson, be warned: The day is going to come when your pastor will face jail if he preaches against it and/or refuses to marry a gay couple. The handwriting on the wall couldn't be any plainer. Just don't complain when it happens.
And check out what this guy says. He was in the gay lifestyle for 10 years, and he says its coming:
http://mattiewalk.com/2013/12/19/persecution-is-a-coming/
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Making Christmas too "Jesusy"
Anyone who knows me very well will be completely shocked that I had to open my mouth, but I overcame my intense shyness and spoke up, "Too Jesusy? You do know Christmas is all about Jesus and His birth, don't you?" She laughed and gave some explanation about her request, paid, and left.
What a crazy statement. And a weird word. Whoever heard of "Jesusy" anyway.
I don't know if my remarks changed her thinking any, but hers have stuck with me. Christmas is all about Jesus, or it is supposed to be, so how can you be too "Jesusy" about His birthday? That's like someone having a birthday party for you and trying not to make it too much about you. Sounds dumb. As dumb as trying not to make Christmas too much about Jesus.
The truth of the matter is, we are all a bit like that woman. If we are a Christian, hopefully we don't set out to not make Christmas too much about Jesus, but too many of us do exactly that. We chirp "He's the reason for the season" and make sure to say "Merry Christmas", instead of "happy holidays" - and those are important, but it takes more than that to make Christmas about Jesus.
I did a blog post recently on Keeping Christ In Christmas, and another post on keeping focused on Jesus during Christmas, and that's all well and good, but its easier said than done.
It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, the Christmas services at church, the gift giving, and good things we associate with Christmas, and even while doing lip service to the real meaning of Christmas, we let the season slip by without truly experiencing it in our hearts.
What does that look like? We're all different, but I believe we need to focus more on Him at this time. I have been thanking Him for coming for me, for saving me, and trying to spend some time thinking about that night. About what it was like, about the characters in the Christmas story, and what it means that God became a baby for us.
I'm not setting myself on a pedestal, for I have been just as guilty as any, in doing lip service to the real meaning of Christmas, yet breezing through His birthday, too busy to do more than the usual.
I have talked a lot about Brennan Manning's book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, and how much the book has helped me. I bought his devotional book, Reflections for Ragamuffins, and I started reading it even though its close the end of the year. He has some great insights into Christmas and that has helped me focus more on Jesus.
If we don't make Christmas more "Jesusy" in our hearts, it won't do us any good to say "Christmas" instead of holiday, and go around telling people "He's the reason for the season." We should be focused on Jesus 24/7, 365 days of the year, but this is the time we observe His birth. But we shouldn't stop there. We need to meditate on why He came, and think about that baby dying on a cross for our sins. You can't have Calvary without Christmas, but Christmas is only important because of Calvary.
I want this time to be special. Yes, I love the shopping, the giving and receiving of gifts, the decorations, and everything we associate with Christmas, but I want to focus on the Reason for it all.
There is only one service I have been in at church this month. I have to work every Sunday morning, and missed the last two Sunday nights, so maybe that has forced me to pursue this more than I would have if I had heard Christmas sermons and been in church. But I haven't had that, so I have had to pray more and focus more on Jesus in the manger and on the cross. Maybe its a good thing I have missed the Christmas services so far. It has caused me to do more searching and meditating on my own. I am, God willing, going to be at our candle light service this coming Sunday night.
One of the last lines in The Christmas Carol says of Scrooge, "and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge." May it be said of we Christians that we know how to keep Christmas, and keep it Christ centered. "Jesusy", if you will. It is all about Him, it is time we did more to make it about Him.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Christmas Newsletter 2013
1) They are impersonal, mass produced for several people.
2) I have read some that were no less than "brag letters". "Johnny made honor roll 4 times. Susie got second place in a marathon...."... and some have lots of pictures.
3) Many are mundane and boring. Not all. Many. :-)
But I decided to write one this year. I separated each fascinating month to make it flow better, and tried to write mine in keeping with the style of newsletter I have read. Sit back, drink some caffeine, and prepare to be amazed.... or bored.
It all started on a cold day in January.........
January: After being out of work since August, other than a temp job I took for the Republican party, which didn’t do any good since we wound up with Obummer again, I got a job at Infocision in Austintown. They made it sound like it wasn’t a telemarketing job during the interview. Well, it was a telemarketing job. I started around the end of January.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
Complained a lot about winter and snow.
Scaled the highest mountain in the world in record time.*
February: I was still working at the job I mentioned above (see January), and hating it even more than before.
Valentine’s Day was this month, but I boycotted it, as usual.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
Complained a lot about winter and snow.
Participated in a weight lifting competition. Took first place.**
March: I was still working at the job I mentioned (see January), and hating it the more I did it. I couldn’t be that pushy, so I quit around the end of March.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
Complained a lot about winter and snow.
April: spent a lot of time looking for a job…. Can’t remember much else happening other than the usual:
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
May: I turned another year older, had a cake and presents….. Don’t remember what all I got, but some books, candy, and maybe underwear?
Looked for work, did lots of job applications.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
And now that it was warming up, I started walking a lot. With my Ipod. Well, it didn’t walk with me, I had it in my pocket. And by walking, I mean walking on a trail for exercise and for something to do.
I learned Spanish in just one sitting.***
June: Finally got a job. A security guard job at a hospital. Seemed pretty decent, 4 days a week.
Saw my first dead body out of a casket. Kind of freaky
My little sister and her family moved to Tennessee to pastor a church there, much to my dismay.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
And I walked a lot.
July: Nothing exciting happened. The usual. Work, etc.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
And I walked a lot.
August: We kids had a surprise 50th anniversary party for our parents. It was supposed to be a surprised, but a couple of people said something to give it away, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, but it went well and we had a decent turn out.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
I entered and took first place in Nascar****
September: A lot of the usual. I also went to the state of Indiana to visit my best friend and his family. I got to see 2 of my cousins, Bo and Brianna, who are going to Bible college down there. I had a great trip and got to tour two monasteries while there, which was very interesting.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
October: Again, not much happened. I did stop walking on the trail as colder weather started coming.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
I got married.*****
November: Another month that not much happened. We had a nice Thanksgiving, though my little sister and her gang couldn’t come, as they are in Tennessee now and couldn’t come for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Did a lot of Christmas shopping
I bought a laptop for myself. Refurbished from Dell. And I got a bag for it on clearance at TJ Max.
Bought three pair of lounge pants from Lakeside.com. Discovered after washing them that they are junk.
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
Went lobster fishing off the coast of Maine. Caught tons of lobster. ******
December: Well, the month isn’t over, but a lot of the usual. I put my Nativity set up and am enjoying it.
Finished Christmas shopping, and got it all wrapped
Got new tires on the front of my car. Winter tread. $180. Yuk
Bought a nice pair of lounge pants at Wal-Mart for $5.99. Leftover from their Black Friday sales. They are blue.
Emailed Lakeside.com (see November) about my lounge pants. No reply.
Complained a lot about winter and snow.
I became a monk and entered the monastery. *******
I also Facebooked a lot, blogged some, read and reviewed books, and ate a lot of meals - something I really excel at. Oh, and I shopped too. And went to church, and a lot of other things too numerous to mention here.
I read 164 books this year, though I will add to that before the month ends
I reviewed 129 books this past year, though that number should reach 134 by the end of the month
I blogged 329 times so far this year, which does include book reviews. That number will be higher by the end of the month.
On a more serious note, this turned out to be a pretty decent year. I feel I made some great strides in dealing with my depression, and have finally started to grasp God’s love and grace, which means I have made some great spiritual strides this year.
Not everything happened that I wanted to, but a new year is right around the corner, and a lot of days to work on changing what I want to change.
*I really didn’t go mountain climbing, but I did walk up the driveway to get the mail several times
**I wasn’t in a weight lifting competition, but I did lift my feet off the floor a lot when walking
*** I didn’t learn Spanish, but I did eat Mexican food several times.
**** I wasn’t in Nascar, but I did get my first ever speeding ticket.
***** I didn’t get married, but I did read a romance novel.
****** I didn’t go lobster fishing, but I did eat at Red Lobster. And I enjoyed it.
******* I didn’t become a monk, but I did enter the monastery. Two of them, while on my trip to Indiana.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Not to condemn
The most known verse in the Bible is John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's a great verse, but so is the one that follows it: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
There has been much speculation as to why God sent His son as baby. And a lot of the reasons people come up with are good reasons. And I'm sure there are more reasons than we could come up with that He did it.
And one of those reasons might be right there in John 3:17. To let us know He hadn't come to condemn. After all, who could possibly feel condemned by a baby?
For so many years, I felt God was angry at me. If I didn't measure up - and I felt I never did - He was glaring impatiently my way, wondering if I was ever going to get it. I lived with the belief that I was condemned completely and thoroughly, and no matter how hard I tried to be what He wanted, I was going to disappoint Him, and He would toss me aside.
But He didn't come to condemn. He came to save. Anyone who would believe on Him.
For the last few months, I have been wading through a lot of junk. I was tired of trying to serve the God I knew. Tired of feeling I could never please Him, tired of feeling like He was waiting to condemn me the second I didn't measure up completely.
I started reading books that focused on God's love. I knew I had the wrong views of God, and the more I read, the more convinced I was of that. But it's one thing to know your thinking is wrong, and another thing entirely to change it.
I had prayed many times before that God would help me to believe He loved me, but it seemed like there was no change. I don't know why. Maybe I wasn't trying to believe on my own and was expecting God to wave a magic wand or do some miraculous thing to show He loved me. Whatever the reason, it didn't happen.
Sometime in the last few weeks, it finally happened. Actually, it was a gradual thing. I finally "got it". God loves me. Unconditionally. There's nothing I can do to cause Him to love me more, or less. And His grace is for me. He hasn't been waiting to condemn me if I mess up, but waiting to forgive me if I do.
It may seem weird for a guy my age who went to a Christian school K-12, did 4 years of Bible college, and was raised in the church, to just now be getting God's love. But I am. And its not 100%, but I'm getting there. We can never fully understand His love and grace, but I am understanding it a lot better than I used to.
I don't know if I finally read the right words in a book that made it click, or what finally caused a lifetime of doubting God's love and grace to change to belief, but I guess it doesn't really matter. What does matter, is as this Christmas season is so fast approaching, I can look at the baby Jesus in my Nativity set, and know that the real baby Jesus did indeed come for me. Not to condemn, but to love me, die for me, and forgive me.
That's what Christmas is about. Not just that He came, but that He came to save, not condemn.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Making a cake for sin
There was a recent court case in Colorado where a gay couple sued a Christian bakery owner because he refused to bake a cake for their wedding. Gay marriage isn't legal in Colorado, so I don't know why this even happened, but the baker lost the case and was told to bake cakes for gay weddings, or go to jail. Link here.
I posted a link to it and said that it was sad. A friend of mine posted this:
You know what keeps going through my head when I read this story? And no doubt I'll get flamed, but this is what I hear in my head: "inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these..." God loves these same sex couples, and while some of them have an agenda, our agenda is bigger...to love them into the kingdom. I don't think God would be angry that a baker made a cake for a same sex couple, but this only affirms in the minds of the gay community that Christians hate them, and if Christians hate them, how much more God must hate them.
First off, let me say I get that Christians need to do a better job of loving gay people and people struggling with same-sex attractions. I really get it, and agree. I do, however disagree that Christians should have to do anything that violates their freedoms and forces them to make a cake, photograph, or have anything to do with a gay wedding.
Here are my thoughts:
1) I don't believe it was an accident this couple asked the baker to make the cake. There have been too many cases like this in the news with bakeries, photographers, and t-shirt makers (the latter being asked to print t-shirts for a gay pride parade)
I believe these couples are deliberately seeking out Christian business to try to force them to cave, and to make a scene.
2) I do believe God might take issue with baking a cake for a gay wedding. The only marriage He endorses is between a man and a woman. His word says homosexuality is an abomination. A sin. So should a Christian bake a cake for something that is a sin? We wouldn't expect him to bake a cake to celebrate other sins?
3) A gay couple that is going as far as marrying is already bent on doing what they want to do. I'm not saying they are beyond redemption, for no one is, but a Christian baking their cake isn't going to win them to God. In fact, they will most likely walk off smug that they got their way. They won't be impressed that a Christian baked their cake.
4) Its true we need to love people, and try to reach them, but if we just go along with them on everything, will we ever win them? There is such a thing as loving people into hell. That's when someone is clearly living a sinful life - i.e. homosexuality - and we just pat them on the back and never disagree with them, never stand up to them.
5) There IS a gay agenda. If Christians just step aside and do whatever the militant gays want, the day will come where its taught in every school that homosexuality is normal from K-12 - they are doing it in some schools - and they will be taught to experiment with the same sex - it is being done in some schools.
The day will come when its illegal to say homosexuality is wrong. Pastors will face jail time and/or fines for speaking out against it. Its happening in other countries. Its no stretch to say it will happen here.
And where do we draw the line. I believe the day will come here in America when the age of consent will be lowered to who knows what. The more wicked America gets, the worse it will get.
Should a Christian bake a cake for an adult male and his teenage boy lover? His 10 year old lover? 8-year old? You might scoff, but there are a lot of people in this country who want that to happen...... and we never thought gay marriage would be so widely accepted
What about a cake to celebrate an abortion? Ludicrous? They do them for divorces, which isn't a sin, but weird..... and one of the same bakers who refuses to bake cakes for gay weddings also refuses to bake "divorce" cakes.
What about the KKK? Should a Christian - how about a black Christian - have to bake a cake for a KKK meeting? The KKK guys need God's love too....... and that isn't a stretch. My brother-in-law used to work at a hardware store and a man came in with his KKK membership card to have it laminated. Paul refused, but if you apply the same logic to that as to gay people, Paul should have done it so the man wouldn't feel Christians hated him........
I 100% believe that homosexuality is going to be the battleground for religious freedoms. The more the get their agenda furthered, the more Christians' rights are lost. They don't want tolerated, they want forced and total acceptance. They won't be happy until gay marriage is advertised and catered to as much as heterosexual marriage.
They won't be happy until churches, Christians schools, and other Christian ministries have to hire openly gay people...... and it WILL happen. Cakes, photos, and t-shirts are just the start.
I have two friends who disagree with me on the cake deal, and that's OK. Its a free country, at least somewhat free.... but its naïve to think a Christian baking a cake is going to do anything for the couple's views of God.. especially if they sought the baker out to make news and sue.
And these people have to be stupid. Who in their right mind would want to have a cake made by someone forced to do so? Or photograph their wedding? I'd want someone wiling to do so.
Lets flip the coin around: If Christians, by law, can be forced to do these things, then gay people shouldn't be allowed to turn away business for groups like Focus on the Family that they call "hate groups". A gay baker should have to put wording on a cake celebrating straight marriage. A gay t-shirt maker should have to make t-shirts decrying gay marriage......... you see, the liberals are happy with things being forced on Christians, but not on them.
There is a variety of gay people out there. There are the ones in gay pride parades, the in-your-face ones. The ones who want to shove it down everyone's throats. The ones who seek out Christian bakers so they can sue and make a scene. Those ones...... the possibility of them being reached is slim. They are determined to do what they want to do. They are not beyond redemption, but baking a cake isn't going to make them into a saint. It will just make them happy they got their way.
Then there are the gay people living quietly, wanting to be left alone. Gay marriage isn't too important to them, and they would never make a scene.
Then there are the ones suffering silently in our churches. Afraid to tell anyone their problem.
They all need loved and reached, but caving into their demands and helping them celebrate their sin by baking cakes, taking pictures, or printing t-shirts won't do it. It may not even help. But it will help erode our already eroding religious freedoms - and that is what they want.
I posted a link to it and said that it was sad. A friend of mine posted this:
You know what keeps going through my head when I read this story? And no doubt I'll get flamed, but this is what I hear in my head: "inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these..." God loves these same sex couples, and while some of them have an agenda, our agenda is bigger...to love them into the kingdom. I don't think God would be angry that a baker made a cake for a same sex couple, but this only affirms in the minds of the gay community that Christians hate them, and if Christians hate them, how much more God must hate them.
First off, let me say I get that Christians need to do a better job of loving gay people and people struggling with same-sex attractions. I really get it, and agree. I do, however disagree that Christians should have to do anything that violates their freedoms and forces them to make a cake, photograph, or have anything to do with a gay wedding.
Here are my thoughts:
1) I don't believe it was an accident this couple asked the baker to make the cake. There have been too many cases like this in the news with bakeries, photographers, and t-shirt makers (the latter being asked to print t-shirts for a gay pride parade)
I believe these couples are deliberately seeking out Christian business to try to force them to cave, and to make a scene.
2) I do believe God might take issue with baking a cake for a gay wedding. The only marriage He endorses is between a man and a woman. His word says homosexuality is an abomination. A sin. So should a Christian bake a cake for something that is a sin? We wouldn't expect him to bake a cake to celebrate other sins?
3) A gay couple that is going as far as marrying is already bent on doing what they want to do. I'm not saying they are beyond redemption, for no one is, but a Christian baking their cake isn't going to win them to God. In fact, they will most likely walk off smug that they got their way. They won't be impressed that a Christian baked their cake.
4) Its true we need to love people, and try to reach them, but if we just go along with them on everything, will we ever win them? There is such a thing as loving people into hell. That's when someone is clearly living a sinful life - i.e. homosexuality - and we just pat them on the back and never disagree with them, never stand up to them.
5) There IS a gay agenda. If Christians just step aside and do whatever the militant gays want, the day will come where its taught in every school that homosexuality is normal from K-12 - they are doing it in some schools - and they will be taught to experiment with the same sex - it is being done in some schools.
The day will come when its illegal to say homosexuality is wrong. Pastors will face jail time and/or fines for speaking out against it. Its happening in other countries. Its no stretch to say it will happen here.
And where do we draw the line. I believe the day will come here in America when the age of consent will be lowered to who knows what. The more wicked America gets, the worse it will get.
Should a Christian bake a cake for an adult male and his teenage boy lover? His 10 year old lover? 8-year old? You might scoff, but there are a lot of people in this country who want that to happen...... and we never thought gay marriage would be so widely accepted
What about a cake to celebrate an abortion? Ludicrous? They do them for divorces, which isn't a sin, but weird..... and one of the same bakers who refuses to bake cakes for gay weddings also refuses to bake "divorce" cakes.
What about the KKK? Should a Christian - how about a black Christian - have to bake a cake for a KKK meeting? The KKK guys need God's love too....... and that isn't a stretch. My brother-in-law used to work at a hardware store and a man came in with his KKK membership card to have it laminated. Paul refused, but if you apply the same logic to that as to gay people, Paul should have done it so the man wouldn't feel Christians hated him........
I 100% believe that homosexuality is going to be the battleground for religious freedoms. The more the get their agenda furthered, the more Christians' rights are lost. They don't want tolerated, they want forced and total acceptance. They won't be happy until gay marriage is advertised and catered to as much as heterosexual marriage.
They won't be happy until churches, Christians schools, and other Christian ministries have to hire openly gay people...... and it WILL happen. Cakes, photos, and t-shirts are just the start.
I have two friends who disagree with me on the cake deal, and that's OK. Its a free country, at least somewhat free.... but its naïve to think a Christian baking a cake is going to do anything for the couple's views of God.. especially if they sought the baker out to make news and sue.
And these people have to be stupid. Who in their right mind would want to have a cake made by someone forced to do so? Or photograph their wedding? I'd want someone wiling to do so.
Lets flip the coin around: If Christians, by law, can be forced to do these things, then gay people shouldn't be allowed to turn away business for groups like Focus on the Family that they call "hate groups". A gay baker should have to put wording on a cake celebrating straight marriage. A gay t-shirt maker should have to make t-shirts decrying gay marriage......... you see, the liberals are happy with things being forced on Christians, but not on them.
There is a variety of gay people out there. There are the ones in gay pride parades, the in-your-face ones. The ones who want to shove it down everyone's throats. The ones who seek out Christian bakers so they can sue and make a scene. Those ones...... the possibility of them being reached is slim. They are determined to do what they want to do. They are not beyond redemption, but baking a cake isn't going to make them into a saint. It will just make them happy they got their way.
Then there are the gay people living quietly, wanting to be left alone. Gay marriage isn't too important to them, and they would never make a scene.
Then there are the ones suffering silently in our churches. Afraid to tell anyone their problem.
They all need loved and reached, but caving into their demands and helping them celebrate their sin by baking cakes, taking pictures, or printing t-shirts won't do it. It may not even help. But it will help erode our already eroding religious freedoms - and that is what they want.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The War on Christmas
I just read an article that irritated me. The guy had a good point, but pretty much mocked the idea of the war on Christmas to make his point. Article here.
Every year, we have stores that won't say "Christmas". Not in their ads, not in their greetings. We have schools banning religious Christmas songs, and sometimes all Christmas songs. Some schools are banning red and green, as if those two colors have anything to do with Christmas. Yes, they have become the main two colors we associate with Christmas, but what do they have to do with Jesus, the meaning of Christmas?
I am plain ticked off at Christians who stick their head in the sand and put war in Christmas in quotes, as if we are dreaming up this stuff.
The Nativity scene is slowly being outlawed from America. First it was on government grounds such as post offices, town squares, etc. Now the air force has removed them.
Each year it seems to get worse, and every year a bunch of blind and naïve Christians come up with dumb things to say about it:
"Well, calling it Christmas wasn't something God came up with"
"The "X" really means Christ, so they are still putting Christ's name in it when they use an X"
"The so-called "war on Christmas"
"We aren't being persecuted"
"Christmas is too commercialized anyway"
And more.
The thing is, this isn't just a war on a holiday. It is a war on Christianity. The atheists and Muslims are getting their way. The holiday we set aside to honor Christ's birth is slowly being erased and called something else. Give it time, and it will eventually be illegal to all it Christmas. And the naïve Christians will sit and watch it happen.
You never hear them try to do away with Halloween being called that. No one says "happy holiday" at Halloween. Even Easter, for Easter doesn't have Christ's name in it. But Christmas does. Its not those last 3 letters the liberals and atheists have a problem with. Its the first 6: Christ.
In my opinion, any store that refuses to call it Christmas, should not reap the financial rewards that Christmas bring. Christmas is the biggest time of the year for stores. They rake the money in, especially on Black Friday when people are shopping for......... Christmas.
Will it still be His birthday if it ceases to be called Christmas? Will we lose the real meaning of His birthday if it is not called Christmas? No, not to those who know Him as our Savior and have Him in our hearts.
But if we continue to stick our heads in the sand and refuse to admit their is a war on Christmas, and on Christ Himself, the day will come when we aren't allowed to say His name. Our country is marching steadily towards everything un-Christian. Taking away the name and meaning of Christmas is just the beginning.
So for me... if I know a store has a policy against saying Christmas, I'm not shopping there for Christmas.
I will say "Merry Christmas", even when someone else says "Happy Holidays".
Do we need to put Christ back in Christmas the way the writer in the article above said? Yes, we do, but we also need to acknowledge there is a war on the Christ whose birthday it is all about, and refuse to bow to pressure to substitute His name for some other greeting or name.
Can we do it in a wrong way? Yes, and we should be careful to be kind and loving, and not in your face. If someone says "Happy holidays", don't scream Merry Christmas at them, just smile and say "and you have a Merry Christmas". Its not rude. That is what its called. And I for one, will not buckle to anyone, and especially other Christians, to stick my head in the sand and let the "Happy holidays" echo in my ears.
Merry Christmas!
Every year, we have stores that won't say "Christmas". Not in their ads, not in their greetings. We have schools banning religious Christmas songs, and sometimes all Christmas songs. Some schools are banning red and green, as if those two colors have anything to do with Christmas. Yes, they have become the main two colors we associate with Christmas, but what do they have to do with Jesus, the meaning of Christmas?
I am plain ticked off at Christians who stick their head in the sand and put war in Christmas in quotes, as if we are dreaming up this stuff.
The Nativity scene is slowly being outlawed from America. First it was on government grounds such as post offices, town squares, etc. Now the air force has removed them.
Each year it seems to get worse, and every year a bunch of blind and naïve Christians come up with dumb things to say about it:
"Well, calling it Christmas wasn't something God came up with"
"The "X" really means Christ, so they are still putting Christ's name in it when they use an X"
"The so-called "war on Christmas"
"We aren't being persecuted"
"Christmas is too commercialized anyway"
And more.
The thing is, this isn't just a war on a holiday. It is a war on Christianity. The atheists and Muslims are getting their way. The holiday we set aside to honor Christ's birth is slowly being erased and called something else. Give it time, and it will eventually be illegal to all it Christmas. And the naïve Christians will sit and watch it happen.
You never hear them try to do away with Halloween being called that. No one says "happy holiday" at Halloween. Even Easter, for Easter doesn't have Christ's name in it. But Christmas does. Its not those last 3 letters the liberals and atheists have a problem with. Its the first 6: Christ.
In my opinion, any store that refuses to call it Christmas, should not reap the financial rewards that Christmas bring. Christmas is the biggest time of the year for stores. They rake the money in, especially on Black Friday when people are shopping for......... Christmas.
Will it still be His birthday if it ceases to be called Christmas? Will we lose the real meaning of His birthday if it is not called Christmas? No, not to those who know Him as our Savior and have Him in our hearts.
But if we continue to stick our heads in the sand and refuse to admit their is a war on Christmas, and on Christ Himself, the day will come when we aren't allowed to say His name. Our country is marching steadily towards everything un-Christian. Taking away the name and meaning of Christmas is just the beginning.
So for me... if I know a store has a policy against saying Christmas, I'm not shopping there for Christmas.
I will say "Merry Christmas", even when someone else says "Happy Holidays".
Do we need to put Christ back in Christmas the way the writer in the article above said? Yes, we do, but we also need to acknowledge there is a war on the Christ whose birthday it is all about, and refuse to bow to pressure to substitute His name for some other greeting or name.
Can we do it in a wrong way? Yes, and we should be careful to be kind and loving, and not in your face. If someone says "Happy holidays", don't scream Merry Christmas at them, just smile and say "and you have a Merry Christmas". Its not rude. That is what its called. And I for one, will not buckle to anyone, and especially other Christians, to stick my head in the sand and let the "Happy holidays" echo in my ears.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 9, 2013
God chose Joseph too
We tend to focus on all of the other characters. They even have songs written about them:
Mary, Did You Know?
We Three Kings
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
and more
Even the angels have several songs written about their role at Jesus' birth.
But Joseph doesn't get a song, or at least none that I am familiar with, or that has become a classic we sing each Christmas.
Mary gets revered, almost worshipped by some.
We talk about the gifts the wise men brought, and follow their example of gift giving
The shepherds are a reminder that God sent his Son for the lowest of people
But what about Joseph? We don't even hear anything of him after they returned to Israel from Egypt. He just fades into history.
I doubt I have ever had an original thought, and this one is probably not original, or profound, but the thought hit me the other day: God chose Joseph also. Much is said about Mary being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, but no one ever talks about the man chosen to be his earthly father.
Think about it. You're going to have your only child raised by someone else. Would you just check out the woman and make sure she was fit to raise your son? Of course not. You'd check out the man also. Find out what kind of man he is, what kind of father he would make.
I seriously doubt God just set out to find the right woman to bear His only Son. He searched for the right couple. Man and woman. Mother and father. What good would the right woman be, if the man she married wasn't a good man. A good father.
We get a little glimpse into what kind of man Joseph was when he found out Mary was pregnant. I'm sure when she told him the father was God, that he thought "yeah right! Why did I pick her?!" Most men in his position would have brought her out to the synagogue and exposed her, broke off the engagement, and stood by or joined in while she was stoned. Not Joseph. He was willing to break off the engagement quietly and not make a scene.
God obviously had other plans. He had chosen this man to be the surrogate father to His Son, and a dream got Joseph back in the game.
And again, a dream convinces Joseph to make a run for it with Mary and the baby Jesus. He doesn't question God, but does as he is told to protect the greatest gift ever given to man.
The Bible doesn't say what kind of father Joseph was, but God wouldn't have picked an abusive or deadbeat dad. He'd have picked a man who would love His Son, who would teach him how to be a man. Joseph was a carpenter, and most likely taught Jesus his craft.
Back in those days, a son was taught his father's craft and took it over when the father was unable to do it. In all of those years the Bible is silent about, from Jesus teaching the teachers in the temple at age twelve, to the start of His earthly ministry at the age of thirty, we can assume He was working in Joseph's carpenter shop, learning to work with wood.
We don't know when Joseph died. He was obviously gone by the time Jesus died on the cross, as he asks John to take care of His mother, but it is possible Joseph was alive for most of the part of Jesus' life that the Bible is silent on. And it is highly likely that he and Jesus worked side by side, building things.
And maybe that's why God chose Joseph. To teach Jesus to build things. For later, Jesus would work on building a kingdom.
As they worked side by side, I'm sure Joseph taught Jesus far more than carpentry. Jesus was God in the flesh, but He was also man, and I think Joseph, the one we think least of at Christmas, had a lot to do with the kind of man Jesus turned out to be.
There may have been other Marys. Other girls worthy of bearing God's only son, but only one Mary had Joseph, a man worthy to be the earthly father of Jesus.... the most important job Joseph would ever have.
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