How Are We Doing?

In the past thirty years or so it would appear to me that Christians have fallen away from the idea of evangelism.  We have turned to the political arena, and there have been some good things happen from going to the polls and letting “our vote count”, and we must continue to do that.  However, dependence upon the political to legislate change, moral change in particular has given us government out of control.  We are gradually losing our freedom of speech, and will eventually lose it entirely.

The power of changing lives of individuals is solely in the hands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Forcing moral change through law has never worked, and never will.  Paul the apostle wrote many years ago -

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  Romans 1:16 (KJV)

It would appear that we [Christians] have stopped believing in the power of the gospel of Christ.  We place more hope in our government than in Christ.  We have more confidence in the power of the president’s pen, than in the quiet, soft voice of the Spirit of God.  We have more faith in the politicians power than the power of the Word of God.

Why do I say these things?  We will strongly urge everyone, “Go and vote on election day”, but rarely do we say something like, “Be sure and tell someone about Jesus today, or this week”.

Let me give you a personal example.  I am often asked, “What do ya know?”; and my answer is always disappointing to me.  “Not much”.  Though the question is often asked as a means of getting a conversation going it should give me the chance to tell what I do know about Jesus Christ, His life, death, burial, resurrection; and His second coming.  Boy!!! would that be a conversation grabber.  Now I know that everytime someone asks me “What do ya know?” they don’t really want to know what I know, but I should and could share with them anyway.  I have responded a time or two, “Do really want to know?”

At any rate the hope of this world is not power, popularity, politics, or prestige.  The hope of this world is Christ Jesus.  Paul said he was not ashamed.  No Christian will be ashamed of the very one who delivered and delivers us from our sin and eternal destruction.

Someone gave an acrostic for GOSPEL  as God Offers Sinful People Eternal Life.  That is what Jesus has done for us on His cross, and proved the power of the cross by the resurrection.  He lives, and because He lives we live.

There is no power greater than the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He possesses the power to change a murderer into one who loves life – his own and others lives.  He empowers the child molestor to become a man or woman who loves children, and would never do anything to harm, molest, or torment them.  He empowers the sexual deviant to become one who is moral, and respects his/her gender and the opposite gender in the correct, moral and Biblical manner.  He empowers the sinner to become a lover of God, His Son, His Spirit and His Word; and live according to the directives of His Spirit and Word.

We must never forget that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.  That means me, and that means you.  That means all with one exception, and His name is Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God.

Let’s be faithful in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; “it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes”; and it matters not what sin they have sinned.  Legislate morality all you want, still lives are not changed until we meet Jesus, surrender our wills to His, and then we are changed with the desire to be like Him.

In answer to the question, “How Are We Doing?”  It does not seem too well.  We can do better.  I can do better.  God has not failed us. He will never fail us.  As the Lord has told us in His Word,

“The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Perfection is only through His Son Jesus.  Believe on Him and live.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Cloning In The USA???

If the American people do not awake from the lethargy we find ourselves in because of the economic situation, and stop completely trusting the science facade that promotes cloning by the term Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), then we will find ourselves in an irreversible situation.

I want to direct your attention to an article concerning the deception of the media concerning the cloning (SCNT) matter.

You will find the article at Baptist Press, and this will definitely inform you.

-Tim A. Blankenship

A Biblical Worldview???

The following excerpt is from the Barna Research Group -

Varying numbers of Americans embrace the different aspects of biblical worldview thinking. The survey found that:

• One-third of all adults (34%) believe that moral truth is absolute and unaffected by the circumstances. Slightly less than half of the born again adults (46%) believe in absolute moral truth.

• Half of all adults firmly believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches. That proportion includes the four-fifths of born again adults (79%) who concur.

• Just one-quarter of adults (27%) are convinced that Satan is a real force. Even a minority of born again adults (40%) adopt that perspective.

• Similarly, only one-quarter of adults (28%) believe that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior. Not quite half of all born again Christians (47%) strongly reject the notion of earning salvation through their deeds.

• A minority of American adults (40%) are persuaded that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life while He was on earth. Slightly less than two-thirds of the born again segment (62%) strongly believes that He was sinless.

• Seven out of ten adults (70%) say that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who still rules it today. That includes the 93% of born again adults who hold that conviction.

You may read the whole article at Barna Group.

Staying Up On Stem Cell Research???

This is going to be a short post; mostly to call your attention to a blog site that may interest the few who come here.

It is a blog by Jennifer Lahl;

“Jennifer Lahl Founder and National Director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC). She serves on the North American editorial board for the international journal, Ethics and Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Council for Biotechnology Policy in Washington, DC.”

The blog is called The Human Future. She has recently written an artilce there with links to other sites you can find loads of info concerning new trials concerning stem cell research, both embryonic and adult. Don’t allow yourself to be fooled by the media; there is a difference.

My belief is that far too much of our so called technology is putting us in the act of playing God, and there is only, and can only be One True God. 

No life can be extended beyond what He has ordained.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Freedom Of Choice Act – Missouri

The following article is from the Missouri Family Policy Council, and their Missouri Family e-news, February 09, 2009:

House Committee Approves Anti-FOCA Resolution

 

A committee of the Missouri House of Representatives has endorsed a resolution opposing the federal “Freedom of Choice Act.” The measure now goes to the full House where it is expected to be debated this week. The Special Committee on Children and Families adopted language proposed by Representative Bob Dixon of Springfield calling on Congress to reject the FOCA legislation. FOCA would establish abortion on demand as a “fundamental right” under federal law, and would nullify virtually all state laws governing the practice of abortion. These include laws informing women of the nature and risks of abortion, and alternatives to the procedure. Representatives Cynthia Davis, Ed Emery, Doug Ervin, Therese Sanders, Mike McGhee, and Jeff Grisamore voted for the resolution. Representatives Jill Schupp, Steve Webb, Margo McNeill, and Michael George Corcoran voted against the resolution. Representative Davis, who is the chairwoman of the committee, had offered a resolution of her own similar to that submitted by Representative Dixon.

We citizens of Missouri need to pray for Representative Dixion and others who will fight for the right of the unborn.

-T.A.

Children’s Language

Language is a means of human communication. Men speak with one another to communicate about many things. Sports, family, work, and sometimes God.  Sometimes men speak with a language that is not honoring to humanity, little lone to God, and even some women get into the language mode.  It sometimes doesn’t even make sense.

Has anyone noticed how children are speaking language which would make a sailor blush?  It used to be that cussing men would not cuss or swear around women and children, but now it doesn’t make any difference.  They talk that way too.  They talk as though they fell into the sewer and came up talking that way. 

I am fairly certain that some of this came from television and movies which seems to have the license to speak vulgarity and anything they please, but this is not good for our society.  There are some children who still endeavor and do speak in good english and do not bring shame to their name, their families name, nor to the name of God.  To them I give my applause.

It did my heart good this last weekend to see a segment on FOX AND FRIENDS weekend where they spoke with [interviewed] a fifteen year old boy who had started a website, and a movement called NoCussing.com, and he has written a book about it.  I quickly went on line and joined the group, which had reached 30,000 by that time.

I want to encourage adults and children of all ages to join this group and make a commitment to speaking right words which will fill hearts with light rather than darkness. 

Go to Nocussing.com and become a committed member for free.  Then learn the proper English language, or whatever language you speak, and speak it with the pride of accomplishment.  This is one place we can clean up America and our homes.  At least it will definitely sound better.  Even those, such as me, who butcher the King’s English, can speak without vulgarity, swearing or cussing.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Some Believed It Wouldn’t Happen

The things I write in this article is not to slam our new President, but to slam his recent actions, and reveal them for what they truly are.

I am praying for President Obama, his family, and our nation.  We are in grave need of “Change”.  The Republican party had eight years to bring about change concerning abortion policies, and abortion law, and they did nothing.  They spoke and speak, like the Native Americans, used to say of the “White man”, with “forked tongue”; saying they were/are against the killing of the unborn baby, yet doing little about it.

Now, it would appear that we have little to no hope in the political realm to do anything about abortion, infanticide, or euthanasia [it will be coming soon, and in some places is already accepted).  President Obama has opened the door for abortion funding in foreign lands from our tax payers money.  President Obama, that is our money, the American taxpayers, at least a good portion of us do not like the idea of funding abortions in our own land, little lone, another land.

I want to ask Christians of our nation [USA] to pray for President Obama, that God will turn his heart to Word of God, doing God’s will, seeking God’s will, way, and most of all His wisdom.  I have heard that many professing Christians voted for President Obama, because they thought that “He would not have time to sign abortion Executive Orders, etc. and such things as that seeing the state of our economy.  Well, what hole did you have your head stuck in?

President Obama does not have the answers for our nation’s problems, and he certainly doesn’t have answers for the problems of the world.  We are being sold a “bill of goods” which will send the country into oblivion as far as this world is concerned, and we will become a non-entity in the world community; unable to support our own, not to mention support a military which will be in dier straights when the President begins cutting funding for their work.

The only answer for this nation, or the world’s problems can be found in God and His Son Jesus Christ.  The answer for stopping abortions is not politics, but the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to change lives.  The death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus – faith in Him can change a murderous heart and cause us to love life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  If you will notice, and I don’t believe it to be by accident; the first part of that phrase is “Life”, and there can be no “Happiness” or “Liberty” when we have no respect for “Life”.  I speak of the life of those who cannot help themselves – the unborn, the DownSyndrome child, the ill, the orphan and the aged of the Human family.

Pray for our President, his family, our nation, one another, the churches, and pastors across this land.  For the pastors pray that we will all stand bravely, strongly, full of courage, boldness, and with a heart for God, His Son and His Word.  There no greater power to change hearts than that of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is the power of God unto salvation to all who will believe.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Jesus – The Only Way To God

I sometimes wonder what some professing Christians believe makes them Christian, and I wonder too, if they know why or how they became “Christian”. This is an important issue for Christians. Either Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God and Heaven, or there is no way to heaven other than perfection; and I don’t believe any one I know, including yours truly has or ever will reach perfection; accept through Jesus Christ.

There is an article written by Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary which needs to be read. The title of the article is “For Goodness Sake”. 

It is so sad that the death, burial and  resurrection has come to mean so little to many professing to be Christian.  The following is a quote from the article:

Just before the end of 2008, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a report indicating that a significant percentage of American evangelicals reject the biblical claim that Jesus is the only way of salvation.  According to the report, 52% of American Christians believe that “at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life.”

Surprisingly, 37% of those specifically identified as evangelical Christians agreed, rejecting the claim that Jesus is the only Savior and identifying at least some non-Christian religion or religions as leading to eternal life.

That is actually the first two paragraphs of Dr. Mohler’s article.  Go and check it out.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Bush Has Signed Anti-Trafikking Bill

The William Wilburforce Trafikking Victims Protection Act has been signed into law by President Bush.  This law makes many things more clear concerning what is exceptable/legal and illegal.

One of those is that of Prostitution.  Prostitution has become a more acceptable and so called legitimate means of making a living among some women, but under this law will be identified as a prosecutible offense; especially for pimps forcing women into this as their slaves.

You may go to this article at Baptist Press to read more.

This is a great Christmas gift to the nation.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all.

-T.A.

Update On Human Slavery/Trafickking

For an Update on the human trafickking in the United States, and our government action to fight it you may go to this link at ERLC.
-T.A.