ITSOGS

I realize that much of the world today has fallen into a hate like rut and that is probably why there is so many incidents of people going over the edge with their activities. Having a disagreement with the way others behave is one thing, whether it is political or religious. For the life of me, however, I can’t see how some people would choose to take the extra step of plotting to bomb innocent citizens that have nothing to do with them.

The question that begs to be answered at this point is why does God hate these things? God hates them because they are contrary to His nature, God’s nature being holy, pure and righteous. In fact, David writes, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you” (Psalm 5:4 emphasis added). God is holy and hates sin. If He did not hate sin, He would not be holy. God is love, but He is also wrath, justice, and vengeance. But His wrath is a holy wrath and His justice and vengeance are holy as well. God’s love is holy. Therefore, He cannot “love everyone all the time no matter what they do,” as some like to claim. Nothing could be further from the truth. God loves righteousness and holiness and hates sin and evil. If He did not, He would not be God. Does God hate? If God is love, how can He hate?

I have never allowed myself to have a stranger provide me with a massage, unless of course my significant other is within eye and ear shot. When you allow a stranger to touch you all over your body you are inadvertently opening a door that may be difficulty to close, especially in today’s environment. I am sure that some of you will remember the scenario that took place with ex vice President Al Gore when he had a female in his room to provide him with a massage. The results will vary, depending on the individual circumstances, however, the best route to take would be to have your spouse do the job for you, or at the very least they should be present.

The contention is that the non biblical requirement that priests be celibate is a primary cause, if not the ultimate cause. It is biblical that celibacy can be useful to ministry (1 Corinthians 7:32-34). At the same time, it is completely non biblical for any church to require celibacy among its leaders. In the qualifications from church leadership sections (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9), the Apostle Paul assumes that bishops, elders, overseers, and deacons will be married and have children. While these qualifications should not be viewed as requiring marriage/family to serve in church leadership, they are most definitely an allowance for married men to serve as leaders in the church. It is therefore completely anti-biblical for any church to require celibacy of its leaders. What is the cause of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church?

The American history is quite clear on where it came from as far as Christianity is concerned, unfortunately with the infiltration of all the sin and us obvious encouragement, we have headed into such a dark territory that it seems almost impossible to return. Because of our straying from following what is good and pure, our citizens have chosen to join the invitations of foreign hate mongers. Should we be surprised, I don’t think so.

When Americans say we have a right to life, they mean simply that nobody should be able to take life from another person. We each have a right to be alive, they would say, just by virtue of having been born. It also implies that we have the right to do with our lives as we choose, because our lives belong to us. These two concepts form the basis of the right to life per the American ideal. But when taken together, they have been the source of much controversy, especially in the abortion debate. The child’s right to life is in conflict with the mother’s right to choose what happens to her own life should she bear a child. Conversely, there are those who willingly give up their right to life in order to protect the lives of others. The police, firefighters, and the military give up their right to life to secure it for others. It’s all a matter of choice based on personal conviction about the value of life, not upon any external standard which is universally applicable to everyone. Is the United States a Christian nation?

Is there such a thing as Too much violence in our lives? You would not know it by the barrage of negative movies that keep coming out of Hollywood. Everywhere you turn there is War, Torture, & a Litany of Lies with no improvement in sight. We see members of society senselessly taking the lives of others and we wonder why, well maybe we should wonder no more!

First of all, violence in the mind is just as hurtful as violence by the hands. Leviticus 19:17 says, “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.” When we know someone is in sin, is it more loving to keep it quiet and build up hate and resentment towards them? God says that we should speak frankly, and Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:21-22 that murderous anger can lead the angry man to judgment from God as quickly as a physical blow. The violence he exhibits toward someone else can be brought back upon himself by God. What about violence in war? Exodus 20:13 had been incorrectly translated as “do not kill,” but it literally means “do not murder.” God has allowed for just wars throughout the history of His people. From Abraham to Deborah to David, God’s people have fought as instruments of judgment from a righteous and holy God. Romans 13:1-4 tells us to submit ourselves to government authorities and that nations have the right to bear the sword against evildoers, both foreign and domestic. What does the Bible say about violence?

I think that we sometimes forget that everyone needs a helping hand at some time or another. As Christians we should always be helping others when they need it the most, but what about us, what about when we need help, who do we turn to? The United States of America is always ready to be an example for others to follow, so when things get rough with us, it seems only natural that others would extend a helping hand don’t you think? It is interesting to see just who will come running to be supportive when we need it. It has been said that many of us forget where we came from and who helped us, because at the very least we should be ready to return the favor.

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care, then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians)