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Ungovernable?

July 23, 2015 / Allan Babcock

I wondered last week while watching the news: “Is the world becoming ungovernable?”

By “ungovernable” I mean, “Are the world’s governments becoming unable to rule in such a way that a reasonable number of people enjoy a reasonable amount of safety, security, justice and happiness?”

The question arose as I watched TV news cover the shooting deaths of four Marines and one Navy sailor by a young Muslim male in Chattanooga last week. Let’s use that as a case study (though we could use the exploding Middle East, Iran’s nuclear threat, Putin’s Ukraine invasion, an expanding China, the illegal immigration travesty, racial conflict, the national debt and global economy and so on).

The terrorist (certainly terrorist-influenced) shot up two shopping center military offices. Military was prohibited by regulation to carry firearms (though apparently one or two did). The attacks occurred toward the end of Muslim Ramadan. Weeks earlier ISIS (or another of those demonic groups) announced plans to attack U.S. military and their families.

Why weren’t military personnel better protected? I get it: 123 such facilities around the country make better protection prohibitive . . . the enemy needs to “get lucky” only once to succeed . . . . it’s impossible to pin-point-predict where and when a terrorist will strike. I get all that—but “all that” only pushes us closer to “Yes, the world is becoming ungovernable.” No government agency adequately prepared.

Here are three additional reasons why I think “ungovernable” may be looming.

One, God’s wrath. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of man, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth . . . For although they knew God (through creation), they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:18,21, ESV).

Wrath. The Greek word means “a divine upsurge of anger” against humans’ unrighteousness. Humanity has “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). God, who made and sustains us, will not allow his name to be shamed. Consequently, while he loves the world (John 3:16), he exercises “displeasure” (to put it mildly) in giving us over to the consequences of our own way. And, because our way is unrighteousness and godless, things go from bad to worse.

Cumulative consequences of being “given over.” Three times in Romans 1:24-32 Paul explains that God expresses his wrath by giving us over to or giving us up to.

Therefore (since we exchanged God’s glory for images–1:23), God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (1:24). Rampant sexual immorality is a consequence of God’s wrath.

For this reason (because we exchanged God’s truth for a lie–1:25), God gave them up to dishonorable passions (1:26a). Sexually-transmitted diseases are the consequence of God’s wrath.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done (1:28)—evil, envy, murder, maliciousness, insolent, inventors of evil, ruthless (to name just a few things that ought not be done).

God hasn’t “given us over to” these consequences one time, but progressively. Therefore, as these moral and mental evils continue among us—and as world population increases—consequences snowball. Things don’t just seem worse; things are worse. We all suffer the increasingly cumulative consequences of God’s “giving us over to” wrath. Therefore, governing becomes increasingly difficult.

The fallenness of human leaders. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Leaders are no less sinful because they’re “famous.” Presidents, senators, representatives, kings, ambassadors are no less fallen because they belong to “the political class.”

Often we shake our heads at government ineptness. The problem runs deeper; it lies in the sinful human nature. Gather a group of sin-fallen leaders (who may be intelligent and skilled) and their leadership will inevitably produce fallen results.

The King we need. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6,7).

Isaiah predicted his birth. John saw his coming.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11-16).

LISTEN TO THE VIDEO ABOVE!
TURN UP THE VOLUME!
HE IS OUR HOPE!

MEAN BY UNGOVERNABLE?
EXAMPLES?
REASONS WHY–God’s wrath, cumulative consequences of given over (Rom. 1), fallenness of leaders
HOPE IS KING JESUS

We need the King. The world needs the King. Not a king. The King. The King of all kings. The One whose kingdom does not belong to this world (John 18:36a). Why the need? I’m not a prophet or historian; but from where I sit the world is becoming ungovernable.

Take the latest “lone wolf” terrorist attack in Chattanooga. A 20-something Muslim young man gunned down four Marines and one Navy sailor at a recruiting office and an operations center. “Soft targets” in shopping centers. Military denied weapons from President Bill Clinton’s days. Certainly when Clinton urged this regulation, it was for good reason. Times have long-changed. Radical Islamists for at least weeks have been calling for the deaths U.S. military men and women and their families. Yet, as far as I know, the government did little, if anything, to protect them. How long ago was the Fort Hood massacre? How long does it take for the President and Congress to devise a plan and implement it? This is one small, but grievous, reason why I think the world is becoming ungovernable.

The world needs the King. Too long it’s been under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). John the apostle saw in his revelation the time when the whole world will be dominated by a king called antichrist (Rev. 13: ). We don’t need a king. We need the King. The King of kings.

Dirty Woman, Dumb Man

July 23, 2015 / Allan Babcock

In 1857 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled African-Americans were not U.S. citizens. This encouraged whites to treat blacks as inferior and segregate them to the back of the bus and to their own schools, hospitals, cemeteries and churches.

In the 1st century, Jews considered Gentiles unclean “dogs” and avoided them. But in today’s text, Mark reports Jesus intentionally going to Gentile cities. Good for us! If Jesus had been a Jewish supremacist, he’d have had nothing to do with us.

Jesus and the Dirty Woman (7:24-30).

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus retreated 30 miles west to Tyre on the east coast of the Mediterranean (today’s Lebanon). He couldn’t keep his whereabouts unknown. Tyre people knew him, because months earlier they had crowded the sea to hear him teach and see him work miracles (3:8).

A Syrian-born Greek woman heard he was near, found him and on her knees begged him to drive a demon out of her daughter. Jesus answered rudely: “The children have to be fed first. It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs” (CEV). In other words, “Israel first. It’d be wrong to give to dogs like you!”

The woman’s reply sounds as humble as Jesus’ sounded arrogant: “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” (CEV).

I suspect a moment’s silence hung in the air as Jesus looked into that mother’s heart. Then: “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.”

Three lessons.

First, Jesus wasn’t (and isn’t) bound by national, racial, gender or traditional barriers. He goes to anyone at anytime, sometimes in the most startling ways.

Second, Jesus isn’t tame. He called a needy mother a “dog”! Commentators do mental gymnastics to soften the blow. But Jesus—to test her faith?—hit the desperate woman full force. Aren’t some responses we receive from Jesus hurtful at first?

Three, faith is a humble virtue. So-called faith preachers “sell” faith like a reward to the highest bidder. But this Syrian woman shines with true faith: “You are the Lord. If I’m a dog, so be it. And if all you’ll give me is a crumb of your blessing, I’ll take it.” Faith is admitting we have nothing to bring to Jesus but our need—and simply trusting him to love us well.

Jesus and the Dumb Man (7:31-37).

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The Decapolis, a league of ten cities east of Galilee, was mostly Gentile. Jesus’ reputation preceded him: for many months the delivered Gerasene demonic had gossiped what Jesus had done for him (5:20a). Unsurprisingly then, when Jesus shows up, people bring him a deaf and dumb man. One wonders if they wanted entertainment or really cared about the poor guy. No matter. He wins in the end.

Jesus’ healing technique sounds like a “faith healer’s” show (except for taking the man apart from the crowd!) Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ears. Spits on his finger and touches the man’s tongue. Looks up to heaven, sighs and says, “Be opened!”

At once the deaf man hears the crowd praising Jesus. Immediately he praises Jesus to every person who’ll listen.

Three Lessons. First, Jesus had (has) emotions. He “sighed.” The Greek can mean “complained” or “grumbled”. Or it can mean “groan” out of deep concern. The first would have Jesus complaining, “Not another one! Let’s get it over with!” The second, “I care so much for you, man of my creation. Let me make you well!” I suspect the second. How could the Son of God’s love not love?

Second, Jesus touched the “ugly.” One can imagine this man a big, dumb, silent ox. Easily a butt of bad jokes. Often ignored because he didn’t “work” right. Jesus came. He didn’t (doesn’t) heal from an ivory tower. He touched. Maybe that’s why we lay hands on the sick when we pray for them.

Three, Jesus’s kingdom authority reaches to all peoples. Not just the healthy, the sick. Not just the religious, the sinner. Not just the valuable, the seemingly good for nothing. “God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27a, CEV).

We who follow Jesus have a King who loves the dirty and the dumb who are humble enough to confess that they are!

The Messiah for Pariahs: <b>Jesus</b>, Friend of Sinners

Rules-Religions

July 22, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Virtually all world religions rest on rules.

Islam. For example, according to the Islamic Supreme Council of America, “Islam . . . is firmly founded on the concept of ‘rule of law’ . . . Muslim citizens must adhere to Islamic law—Shariah. If a Muslim citizen commits a religious violation, he is judged according to Islamic law . . . The intent of Islamic law is not punitive, as much as corrective and reformative ” (http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/52-understanding-islamic-law.html).

According to Pew Research (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/07/worlds-muslim-population-more-widespread-than-you-might-think/) , Islam is the world’s second largest religion (23% of world population) behind Christianity (33% of world population). By contrast, Judaism, also based on Law (Torah), accounts for 0.22% of the world’s population (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_ Adherents.html ). Hinduism (14%) and Buddhism (6%) both have their own distinctions, but also function according to rules and laws. Even without mentioning smaller groups, that’s a lot of people caught up in rules-religions. The Gospel is acutely different.

Gospel.That brings us to today’s Gospel report from Mark chapter 7:1-23.

Jesus’ fame in Galilee now brings Pharisees with their scribes from Jerusalem to investigate him more closely (7:1). They catch his disciples eating with ceremonially defiled hands. This violates traditional Pharisaic rules of washing everything possibly made “unclean” by sinners, tax-collectors or encroaching Gentiles (7:2-4). Why, they want to know, does Jesus allow this (7:5)? His answer is unexpected prosecution . . .

“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that” (7:6-13).

Two critical points. One, Jesus was not anti-law. He condemned the Jewish Pharisees for letting go the commands of God. Two, Jesus charged the Pharisees with vain worship of God, which he defined as replacing God’s commands with men’s traditions. The Law allowed people to devote certain property to the LORD. (“But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD–Leviticus 27:28). But the Pharisees used it to keep someone else (in this case needy parents) from having it. Men’s traditions over God’s commands equaled vain worship.

Four deficiencies. Here, then, are four deficiencies of rules-religions we can deduce from Jesus words . . .

We humans can easily manipulate the rules to serve our self-centered purposes.
Rule-manipulation often results in our hurting someone else.
Religious rule-keeping has no power to change our character.
The root of human moral corruption isn’t outside us, but inside.

Gospel again. To those last two deficiencies Jesus now turns . . .

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.'” After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”) He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean'” (7:14-23).

Two further critical points. One, Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees implies that being “clean” or “unclean” before God isn’t a secondary issue. He could have said, “Ceremonial defilement means nothing. I won’t even talk about it.” Rather, Jesus implicitly regarded the “cleanness” of our standing before God as critical.

Two, we are “unclean” before God because of what’s in us, not what touches us from outside—“evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” Who of us can claim we’ve never been “dirtied” inside by some of these “evils”?

So what is Mark, inspired by the Holy Spirit, telling us about the Gospel here? That the kingdom of God Jesus proclaimed as near (1:15) is wholly “other” from our rules-religions, however commendable their aim. Jesus, as John the Baptist announced, will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (1:8b). As yet in Mark’s report and Jesus’ revelation, we have no details—no means, no methods—as to precisely how that kingdom comes nor what “baptize with the Spirit” means.

What we do know is that our defilement before God is serious . . . that rules-religions can’t resolve it because the dirt is inside not out . . . and that somehow the Gospel of the kingdom with the baptism of the Holy Spirit is good news about getting “clean.”

Islam isn’t the answer.

Judaism isn’t the answer.

Christian rules aren’t the answer.

Jesus is the answer.

Jesus_Christ_Image_147.jpg (22319 bytes)

Remarkable Abortion Commentary

July 21, 2015 / Allan Babcock

When’s the last time you heard abortion commentary like this on secular TV news?

Last evening Brit Hume, senior political analyst for Fox News, delivered this powerful commentary. You can access it at the link below. (Sorry, I couldn’t grab it any other way. It’s worth going through the process, though.)

Whatever anyone thinks of Fox, let’s remember this was spoken in a secular setting and heard wherever Fox News is found. The Lord sure has a way of getting his views out!

May he use Hume’s words and the sickening report of body-parts-trafficking to save more unborn lives made in His image!

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/special-report-bret-baier/videos#p/86927/v/4364599552001

Orcas, Horses and Babies

July 18, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Bigger photo than usual to better see three of my grandchildren—Nicholas, Channing and Faith (clockwise from front). Children are a precious gift from God, made in his image. Therefore, human life—every one— is sacred.

I just finished reading Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford’s address to the U. S. Senate. It’s available on video above and in text below (from Denny Burke’s blog—http://www.dennyburk.com/may-senator-lankfords-appeal-be-heard-and-heeded-from-sea-to-shining-sea-senatorlankford-plannedparenthood/.)

His argument isn’t new, just especially timely given the recent alleged admission by Planned Parenthood’s Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, that PP sells aborted body parts for research (https://theoldpreacher.com/unborns-body-parts-for-sale/). Abortion, of course, is the evil; trafficking in body parts just makes it more despicable.

I hope we’ll all listen and read and pray for God’s mercy on this nation, which surely lies under his wrath, and for God’s power to stop this ongoing slaughter.

Mr. President, I’d like to take just a moment to be able to speak about a subject that’s very, very difficult for me to speak about, and quite frankly difficult for a lot of Americans to talk about and hear about. It connects to all of us, in extremely personal ways. Let me set some context. Not long ago a group of animal rights activists gathered around a research facility, a research facility that was using animals for their testing. The activists gathered around the facility and chanted and has signs that they held up saying ‘it’s not science, it’s violence.’ And other signs that said ‘animal lives are their right, we have just begun to fight.’ As they protested to protect the lives of the animals that were being used in that facility for research.

Now, I understand their frustration there. But let me put it into context of some things that came out this week. We learned that this week an organization called Planned Parenthood is using children that are aborted and sending the bodies of those aborted children to research facilities, sometimes for sale, different body parts, to be used in research. These are not mice, these are not lab rats, these are children. Children that have gone through the process of a horrific abortion.

This morning in an Appropriations hearing, that the President and I both were in, we had extensive conversation about the rights of orca whales. And this protracted conversation went on and on, that many people were also connected to, about the rights of orca whales and the care for them. Then we had a protracted conversation about horse slaughter and how horses would be humanely put down. But in the middle of all that conversation happening today, there were children still being aborted with an instrument reaching into a mother, tearing apart a child but carefully protecting certain organs because those organs would be valuable to sell.

Now, the challenge that we have on this as a nation is, the argument is for that baby. That baby’s really not a baby, it’s just a fetus, it’s tissue. That’s not a human baby is what everyone is told. That’s just tissue and it’s up to the mom to determine what happens to that tissue. And then on the flip side of it moments later they take that tissue and then sell it because it’s human organs that are needed for research. You can’t say in one moment that’s not a human and then sell it for the next moment as a human organ and say now suddenly it is. It was a human all the way through. There was never a time that wasn’t a child, never a time that wasn’t a human, and it seems the ultimate irony to me that we spend time talking about humane treatment of animals being put down like in horse slaughter and we completely miss children being ripped apart in the womb and their body parts being sold.

So here’s how it happens. A mom comes into a facility, gives consent to have an abortion, makes that request. After that request is made, to some moms — and we don’t know exactly how they choose which moms — to some moms they then ask consent for their child after it’s aborted to be used for research purposes. From the video that was put out this week, they said that was actually comforting to some moms that they would know how traumatic the abortion is, at least some good would come out of it, that those body parts would then be used for research to hopefully save other children, which again comes back to this ultimate irony that we would literally tear one child apart in an abortion with the assumption that hopefully would help some other child in the future, missing out on the significance of the child that’s right there that could be helped by protecting their life.

And then the doctor in this particular video gives the details of how once they get that consent from the mom, they would be careful to reach in and actually crush the head of the child to kill the child in the womb so they could preserve the rest of the organs because the kidney has value, the liver has value, because the lungs have value, because the muscles in the legs have value. I would tell you that child has value. And that every single adult that can hear me right now was once 20 weeks old in the womb and we can look at each other and understand the difference between that child in the womb and any of us now is time. That’s a human being we’re talking about.

And it doesn’t bring me comfort to know that one child is torn apart so that maybe they can do research on the child’s organs to in some future moment help a different child. Not every woman is being asked that her aborted child would be used for research and we really don’t know the whys. Maybe they’re looking for particularly healthy moms. Maybe they’re looking for very mature, healthy babies. Maybe it’s a situation where a particular mom couldn’t afford to have the abortion procedure and so they swap off and say if you can’t afford to have the abortion procedure maybe we can cover the cost by then possibly selling some of these organs then. We don’t know. But I think maybe the question needs to be asked.

Why this Congress would spend time today debating horse slaughter and debating orca whales, but yet we’ve become so numb to children that the other debate doesn’t seem to come up. Maybe we need to start again as a nation, asking a basic question. If that’s a child, and in our Declaration [of Independence] we said every person that we believe is endowed by our Creator to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, maybe we need to ask as a nation again, do we really believe that?

Let’s start with some basic things. How about a child at 20 weeks that we know scientifically can feel pain? We cannot have their limbs ripped apart in an abortion. There are only seven countries in the world that allow that. We’re in a prime group like North Korea and China with nations that still allow abortions that late. We should ask that question again – is that really who we are as America? Maybe we need to ask the question again with Planned Parenthood, who we give half a billion dollars in funding to, maybe this is not a good idea. And other organizations that serve people all over the country who raise their funds separately, and don’t do it by federal funds. Maybe that’s a legitimate question that we need to ask?

Mr. President… we have hard questions to deal with as a Nation. Budget, regulations, future direction that we’re going. Why don’t we add to the list, do we really care about children or not? And on a day that we passed an education bill, before we pat ourselves on the back saying how much we care about children, let’s make sure we’re dealing with a compassion for children at every age, not just at certain ages. Have we really become this numb? How do we turn it around? With that I yield back.

Unborns’ Body Parts for Sale

July 16, 2015 / Allan Babcock

This video sickens me. I hope it does you, too. Now (with our tax dollars!) not only does Planned Parenthood perform abortions, it seems irrefutable that they sell the babies’ body parts.

In my view, most abortions are child sacrifice, an abomination against God who created us in his image. “Are you not children of transgression . . . you . . . who slaughter your children in the valleys . . . ?” (Isaiah 57:4,5). What, then, shall we call the selling of their body parts for financial profit? Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services for Planned Parenthood, discusses this “business deal” while casually eating dinner and drinking wine!

I planned to write the next installment of our Mark study today. But this is too shockingly evil to overlook. We must be informed! And we must do what we can—everything from praying to emailing our reps in Washington.

So I hope you’ll make the time to read the blogs below. The first is from Dr. Albert Mohler. The second is from the “National Review”. And the third is from “Focus on the Family.” It contains an easy way to do the emailing I mentioned above.

How often these days national and world events have pointed me back to these sobering and frightening words of the apostle Paul . . .

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities– his eternal power and divine nature– have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator– who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them
(Romans 1:18-32).

How can we not be living in the days when God has given this nation over to the consequences of the godlessness we’ve wanted? Our only hope is in the righteousness of God that he gives through Christ . . .

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-24).

http://www.albertmohler.com/?p=35257

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/421198/planned-parenthood-fetus-sale-business-corporation-profit?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=NR5PM&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign

http://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/four-things-you-can-do-now-about-the-latest-planned-parenthood-scandal/?utm_source=nl_dalyfocus&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=289101&refcd=289101&crmlink=content-keep-reading

Growth by Persecution

July 15, 2015 / Allan Babcock

“Persecuted believers have become the new face of genuine Christianity. They are filled with passion to live or die for Christ, and we in the West have much to learn from them.”

Product Details

So writes Tom Doyle in his book, Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It’s Not Safe to Believe. Tom pastored for 20 years in CO, TX & NM before launching into missions in the volatile Middle East. His eye-opening book is available from Amazon . . . http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Christians-Living-Faith-Believe/dp/0718030680/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436986616&sr=8-1&keywords=Killing+Christians

I just started reading it, but I couldn’t get past the Introduction without commenting. Listen to Doyle . . .

Persecution Malfunction. “Oppressors over the centuries have never recognized that the persecution of Christians is always a failed initiative. It just doesn’t work. To the contrary, killing believers routinely accelerates the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.”

This reminds me again of Psalm 2:4a about the nations who rage against the LORD and his Anointed . . .

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the LORD holds them in derision.”

Radical Islamists like ISIS and antichrist governments like Iran may vow to destroy Jesus’ followers, but their plots (according to Doyle and history) produce the opposite results.

Why? “Because Jesus’ message of love and reconciliation thrives in a climate where hostility, danger, and martyrdom are present. Persecution and the spread of the gospel are as inseparable as identical twins. Suffering propels the growth of Jesus movements around the world” (Doyle).

Muslim vs. Christian Growth. Can that be true? Are persecuted churches really growing, especially when they are virtually all little house or underground churches? Certainly our mega-churches far exceed their growth! But Doyle writes what all American-church studies have shown: “For those of us in the West, the threat of persecution is virtually nonexistent, but statistics show church growth in America—which experiences no persecution—has leveled off during the last twenty years.”

Nevertheless, one gets the feeling that Muslims are out-growing us. Not so, writes David Garrison, author of Church Planting Movements (in 2012). “The annual global growth rate is currently 2.6% for evangelicals, 1.2% for historical Christians, 1.2% for the world population growth [and] 1.9% for Islam (with 96% of that growth estimated to come through biological births).”

Global vs. American Church Growth. Whew! Gospel-spread remains ahead of Islam-spread! Globally. But in America church growth has been level for two decades. And I would argue that much “growth” we see in most local churches has come mainly from “church shoppers.” Four-plus years ago, when we moved into our new church building, newcomers visited about every Sunday. A new church building attracts “shoppers.” So does the latest and loudest praise music. And smoke and disco lights. And a coffee bar with free Sunday newspapers. And a “multi-plex” where six different-style services are held simultaneously. That’s church growth by Madison Ave. marketing. Books have unashamedly argued for it. Many pastors have bought into it. Only recently have they learned that church growth by marketing usually produces consumer “Christians.”

Growth vs. Gospel. The term “church growth” implies we’re playing the numbers game. Counting people is biblical (see Acts), but only as a sign that the Gospel is spreading and converts/disciples are being made. That’s how I’m using the term here. Not bodies in a building, the Spirit of Christ in lives.

Persecution and Gospel-Spread. We should ask why “persecution and the spread of the gospel are as inseparable as identical twins.” Listen again to Doyle: “As inconceivable as it is to Christians who have not faced life-threatening persecution, the suffering produces immense blessing through the radical transformation of individual believers. Each one comes away marked, never truly returning to the same life. Sometimes survivors are unrecognizable even by their own families because, in the midst of their brutal afflictions, they experienced Christ in an hour of need as few of us ever do.”

How sobering! Apparently the higher the cost of following Jesus the deeper the devotion to following Jesus!

Oh, we do suffer. Chronic physical pain. Broken heart over a broken marriage. Loneliness from losing a loved one. This is real suffering— but suffering common to fallen humanity. It’s not suffering because we follow Jesus (even though it genuinely, and sometimes cruelly, tests our faith). Nevertheless, despite the growing threat to religious freedom, I’d guess 99% of us aren’t suffering for Christ.

Action Suggestions. So what can we do? Pray for persecution? That’s not being a fool for Christ, that’s just being a fool! Here are three sensible suggestions . . .

Read Killing Christians or Dreams and Visions (both by Doyle and available from Amazon), or other books or websites about persecuted Christians (Voice of the Martyrs-http://www.persecution.com/.) Media news says little about Christian persecution. So most of us are only vaguely aware of what’s happening. We’re left with a truncated view of the Body of Christ and presume all Jesus’ followers live in a “Disney World” somewhat resembling ours. Consequently, we’re blind to the life-and-death war that following Jesus drafts us into.
Mentally compare our Jesus’ following with theirs. Even when we are informed, it’s easy to dismiss what we read. How much greater impact when we measure our life of following Jesus with the lives of believers in the Middle East! Let’s read, but then imagine our following Jesus potentially costing our job, our home or our lives. How would we respond if Jesus invited us, “Come, follow me and die”?
Repent of lukewarmness and pray for the Holy Sp[rit to inflame our hearts with passion for Jesus. In the final analysis, reading and comparing are only aids. The Holy Spirit alone can inflame our hearts with passion for our Lord. What changes he might work if we regularly prayed, “Lord, ignite my heart with passion for you. Deepen my devotion to you, so that I’ll die more to myself and live more to you.”
Pray in daily devotions for the persecuted church. Lois and I have established that habit. It reminds us of our suffering brothers and sisters everyday. And who knows what the Lord might do in response to our little prayers for a “little” believer in Iran?
Ask the persecuted church to pray for us. We may have beautiful air-conditioned buildings and overflowing libraries of books and the freedom to argue secondary theological points. But what I’m reading tells me they have the heart, the passion and the devotion to Jesus that we’ve lost (if we ever had it). So maybe when we send our missionary offering each month, we should send this humble prayer request . . .

Will you please ask the Jesus’ followers you serve
to pray earnestly for us in America?
We so need the faith and passion and life-or-death devotion to Christ they have!

Dead End

July 14, 2015 / Allan Babcock

What a confusing juxtaposition Mark 1:15 and today’s text Mark 6:14-29 is! In 1:15 Jesus proclaims “the gospel of God” . . .

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the good news.”

Affirming that proclamation’s truth, Mark reports Jesus’ kingdom authority and power over unclean spirits, disability, illnesses, nature, and even death (1:16-6:6). Unexpectedly, though, in 6:14-29 Mark reports how King Herod beheaded John the Baptist. John was Jesus’ cousin and unique messenger. Where was the demonstration of Jesus’ kingdom power when John was slaughtered by a crazed king?

This King Herod was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, infamous for the slaughter of young children in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth. Antipas was appointed by the Roman emperor Augustus to rule over a quarter of his father’s kingdom (Galilee) from 4 B.C.-39 A.D. Here’s Mark’s report of John’s death . . .

Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because people everywhere were talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist come back to life again. That is why he can do such miracles.” Others thought Jesus was the ancient prophet Elijah. Still others thought he was a prophet like the other great prophets of the past. When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.” For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. John kept telling Herod, “It is illegal for you to marry your brother’s wife.” Herodias was enraged and wanted John killed in revenge, but without Herod’s approval she was powerless. And Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. Herodias’ chance finally came. It was Herod’s birthday, and he gave a party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. Then her daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased them all. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” Then he promised, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half of my kingdom!” She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”Her mother told her, “Ask for John the Baptist’s head!” So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!” Then the king was very sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests. So he sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came for his body and buried it in a tomb.

Herod Conflicted (6:14-16). Obviously. Herod knew John to be righteous and holy, so feared him. He happily listened to John, but could never really understand him. With news of miracles spreading through Galilee, Herod thought John had been raised from the dead. I’m guessing that terrified him.

Herodias’ Grudge (6:17-20). Herodias was not a happy king’s wife. John the Baptist publicly condemned her marriage to Herod Antipas, because he was her brother-in-law. But Herod (who still held final word despite his wife’s charms) would make John a dead man.

Herod’s Birthday Banquet (6:21-28). Herodias’ opportunity came party night. She had her daughter, probably from her “previous” marriage, dance for the crowd of nobles, military commanders and leading men of Galilee. The teenager’s dancing got the men’s juices flowing. Herod was so overcome he dramatically promised the girl anything she wanted up to half his kingdom. (Can you see the sweaty, lustful smile on his face?) She ran to Mommy for advice. Mommy didn’t hesitate: “The head of John the Baptist.” One would think the girl would turn squeamish. But either she knew better than to disobey Mommy or was, like everybody else, caught up in the sensuality of the moment. She strolled back in and seductively said, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” Herod was hoping she’d want a Corvette carriage. But what was a king to do? The offer was out there and his step-daughter grabbed it. And so the deed was done. The executioner carried John’s head to Herod on a platter and he handed it to the girl, who slithered offstage with it to Mommy.

John’s Burial (6:29). His disciples heard the news and came and laid his body in a tomb. What did they think? Their master had announced the arrival of Messiah! Yet, when the executioner flashed his sword, Messiah was absent. John, who fearlessly challenged King Herod and announced the nearness of God’s kingdom, met a dead end.

Our Dead Ends. Not as violent and antiChrist as John’s. Ours are mini-dead ends (until our body actually dies). No need to list examples. Who of us hasn’t been there when we expected Jesus to make a way where there was no way—and instead we ran smack into a dead end and got pretty banged up? And given the state of the world, who knows how much like John’s our death may be?

Right about here I could cite Romans 8:28. Instead, I’ll quote 1 Peter 4:12,13 (NLT), because this too is the Gospel. And this too is reality for Jesus’ followers in this fallen world.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,
as if something strange were happening to you.
Instead, be very glad–
because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering,
and afterward you will have the wonderful joy
of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.

(If you haven’t listened to the video, do it now.
Even if you have, listen again—
and rejoice that His kingdom overcomes . . . all . . . forever!)

How High Is Christ?

July 13, 2015 / Allan Babcock

DON’T PLAY THE VIDEO YET!

The Christian church is doomed without a high view of Jesus Christ. That should be self-evident from the name “Christian church.” Yet, just as we take for granted (or even ignore) a familiar person, it’s easy to take for granted (or even ignore) the breath-taking heights of Christ’s deity.

I’m reading Dreams and Visions, a book of narratives about Christ appearing in dreams and visions to unbelievers in countries where Christians are persecuted. It’s a fascinating read I recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dreams+and+visions+tom+doyle&sprefix=Dreams+and+Visions%2Cstripbooks%2C201&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Adreams+and+visions+tom+doyle

In the chapter, “The Swords of Baghdad, Part 1”, is the section, “Two Faces of Iraq.” From it, I was reminded that Christianity has roots in (of all places) Iraq. In the 5th century a preacher named Nestorius became patriarch of Constantinople (in today’s Turkey), Nestorius believed Jesus had “part of God’s spirit”, but was not fully God. Because he enjoyed wide influence, church leaders in other jurisdictions of the church convened the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. The Council formally denounced Nestorius, removed and banished him to Egypt. But many of his followers moved east to Persia.

Here’s the map to understand the logistics. Turkey is big and orange on the left. Egypt is pink toward the bottom left. Persia is today’s Iraq in the middle, also pink. That’s where Nestorius’ followers ended up. (No extra charge for the map. If you want driving directions, though, I’d suggest Mapquest.)

In Persia (Iraq) Nestorius’ followers found listening ears for their “low-view-of-Christ” theology. The church they planted became known as the Assyrian or Syriac Church and even sent missionaries back to today’s Turkey. Today “Assyrian Christians” are scattered through most of the Middle East. In 1976 the Assyrian Church rejected some Nestorian beliefs, but debate remains over the church’s acceptance of the full deity of Christ.

Tom Doyle, author of Dreams and Visions, makes this telling observation: The Assyrian Church’s weak view of Christ explains, at least in part, why Christianity fell apart in Persia when Islam swept in. Without a proper view of Jesus, the church anywhere is doomed to a mediocre existence. If Jesus, the head of the church is (considered) weak, how can the church be anything but weak? . . . The most troubling aspect of this errant belief system in Iraq is the effect it has on individuals within the church. The understanding that Jesus is somewhat less than God leaves each Assyrian at a sharp disadvantage when faced with the overwhelming presence of Islam—that is, until he or she encounters the overwhelming presence of Jesus Himself (in dreams and visions).”

Most of our churches maintain proper doctrinal statements about the deity of Christ. But usually we picture him walking the roads of Galilee or hanging on the cross. Thank God he did! However, without being less than a man, he was and is so much more, more exalted than we can imagine . Here are just a few Scriptures to raise our sight of him.

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Long ago, at many times and in many ways,
God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed the heir of all things,
through whom he created the world.
He is the radiance of the glory of God,
and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:1-3a)

He (the Son of God) is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation (i.e., like the “firstborn” who inherits all that is the father’s).
For by him all things were created,
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things were created by him and for him.
And he is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning and firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell . . . (Colossians 1:15-19).

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here, and see my hands;
and put out your hand, and place it in my side.
Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Thomas answered him,
“My Lord and my God! (John 20:27,28)

NOW LET’S PLAY THE VIDEO ABOVE
AND WORSHIP OUR HIGH AND EXALTED CHRIST WHO IS GOD!

Mission–Sent

July 9, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Radical Islamic ISIS and Christianity are both proselytizing faiths. ISIS reportedly proselytizes by giving non-Muslims three choices: convert, pay a fine or die.

In today’s section of Mark’s Gospel (6:7-13), Mark reports how Jesus sent his disciples on a short-term mission. His means and message were radically different.

Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two
and gave them authority over evil spirits.
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff
— no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you,
shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
They went out and preached that people should repent.
They drove out many demons
and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Jesus sent them out two by two. The Jewish historian Josephus counts 204 towns and villages in Galilee in the first half of the first century A.D. It might have taken six pairs of disciples six months to go to each town. We don’t know if they did.

Jesus likely sent them in pairs because in Old Testament Israel a testimony was corroborated by two or three witnesses. Jesus sent them (Greek apostellayn) to represent and bear witness of him–his words and his deeds.

Dr. Derek Thomas (the Robert Strong Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta and Minister of Preaching and Teaching at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina) observes that the 5,000 whom Jesus fed (6:30-44)—ten or twelve thousand counting women and children—may very well have followed after Jesus because these teams of disciples had visited their villages.

ISIS sends out an army. Jesus sent out six groups of two men each—not outwardly impressive, but by his grace ultimately effective.

Jesus gave them authority over evil spirits. Jesus had authority over evil spirits. He ordered an evil spirit from a man in the Capernaum synagogue (1:21-28). He cast out many demons in the same town that evening (1:29-34). He commanded a legion of demons to leave a Gerasene madman and enter a herd of pigs (5:1-20). And he himself resisted Satan’s temptations for forty days in the wilderness (1:12,13). Jesus’ coming to bring God’s kingdom stirred up a hornets’ nest of demons, because the coming of God’s reign marked the beginning of the end of the devil’s—a hornets’ nest over which he had authority and power.

ISIS’ authority is the power of the gun, sword and knife inspired by demons. The disciples’ authority comes from Jesus’ word empowering them to free people from demons.

Jesus told them to travel lightly and stay wherever welcomed and shake the dust off their feet to those who wouldn’t welcome them. “Take nothing for the journey except a staff— no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”

Why travel lightly? So they would learn to trust God for their needs—a lesson they needed to learn for their long-term mission to come.

Why stay wherever welcomed? So as not to compromise their mission and message by finding “better” homes in which to stay, but to validate their mission by humbly accepting whatever was offered. (What does this reveal about “faith teachers”, who represent the crucified Christ while flying their million-dollar jets and sleeping in luxurious hotels?)

Why shake the dust off their feet at those who wouldn’t welcome them? When Jews returned home after visiting a Gentile country, law required them to shake the dust off their feet so as not to pollute the Holy Land. Disciples were to dust-shake as a testimony that those folks were no better than Gentile unbelievers because they had rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom.

ISIS travels with heavy weapons, violently forces their way into towns and murders those who refuse to adopt their belief. Jesus’ disciples travel lightly, humbly stay only where welcomed, and gently warn of judgment to come by their Lord.

The disciples preached repentance and worked miracles. They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

“Repent” is probably Mark’s typical sound-bite version. We can assume Mark emphasized repentance (turn around to follow Jesus in faith) while not recording the whole message Jesus preached: “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15). They also worked Jesus-like miracles that confirmed their message.

ISIS preaches repentance (convert to follow Islam) or die. ISIS has no miracles; only weapons to destroy. Jesus’ disciples preach repentance (convert to follow Jesus) and live. Jesus’ disciples have miracles—“weapons” of divine power that heal from sickness and liberate from devils.

Jesus sends us. We’re not apostles. We may go in pairs or singly. We have authority to represent Jesus against evil forces in this fallen world. We usually don’t have to worry much about traveling or lodging and we probably won’t be shaking much dust off our feet. But we should preach repentance as a key response to the Gospel and believe that our Lord will miraculously change lives through us.

We are a force to be reckoned with,
because Jesus sends us
and goes with us.

Jesus (Joseph Mawle) and the disciples approach Jerusalem for the ...