Mary's Mother

Year after year, I read the Christmas story. And every year I wonder the same thing, what was so unique and special about Mary, that she was chosen above every other girl? The bible tells us in Luke chapter 1 verse 28, “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”

Mary, was “highly favoured” and “blessed…among women.” Many scholars have concluded that Mary was also quite young, another astonishing thought considering what she was about to go through.

As a little girl, I would dream of what it would be like if an angel appeared in front of me with a message from God. My great-grandmother had several encounters with angels, so I grew up knowing that it was entirely possible. But alas, it never happened. As I became a young woman, and the whole Christmas story took on a new meaning when I realized what Mary actually went through, I had a new appreciation for her. Here she was, engaged to be married; young, innocent, naïve, and those are only a few of the words that come to mind. Imagine her surprise, when suddenly an angel appears and tells her she has been chosen to bring forth God’s son. Do you think this may have disrupted her plans a little? However, notice her response, and this is where I am going with this, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Wow! The bible does not say much about her upbringing, but I want to imagine a little, want to join me?

Mary’s response to the angel speaks volumes to me about her parents, in particular, her mother. I want to go back a few years, to when Mary was a little girl. What did her mother do to prepare her for such a moment? Did she arrive there on her own? I highly doubt it. Mary’s purpose in life was to be a servant, not just a servant to a random master, but to THE MASTER. Somewhere between the toddler years, the potty –training, schooling, emotional roller coaster of the pre-teen and teenage years, Mary’s mother groomed her, taught her and cultivated in her the art of being a servant to the Most High. She devoted time and energy to create in her little girl not only a love but also a respect for God and His kingdom. Their bedtime prayers probably did not stop at “Now I lay me down to sleep”, in fact, they likely prayed morning, noon and night. Did Mary’s mother somehow know her daughter would be chosen for the highest honor ever given to a woman? No, she probably did not. But yet, day after day, she trained and groomed, spent countless hours teaching, many sleepless nights in prayer and hours upon hours working side by side with Mary, raising her up to be God’s anointed. And when that moment came, Mary received her anointing with dignity and grace, giving ALL glory to God.

Now, I know this is all hypothetical, but it made me stop and think about my own children. What am I doing to prepare them for their anointing? Will they know? Will they be able to respond like Mary, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word?” Would they be able to accept God’s will for their life over their own plans? Not only accept His will, but also do it with dignity and grace, knowing beyond any doubt His way is the best way. I know there will never be another Mary, but I do know that my four children can be a conduit for the Holy Ghost to this generation. They may never have fame or fortune, to which I am not concerned, but Lord let me teach them to be servants ever ready to do Your will.

Just a thought.

Reagan once said something about liberals not being stupid, they just know so much that itsn't so...This also applys to "many," teenagers (NOTICE THE KEY WORD "MANY"). You know so much that isn't so. Your problem is that you're looking at stupid people and calling them stupid. Well thats a NO BRAINER! Stop looking at stupid people, and set your eyes on the wise. You just might see something. Unless you've looked at stupid for so long that now you're just as stupid.

Has Darkness Entered Your Bulb?

You will always see light when it shines in darkness, but you’ll never find darkness in the light. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4) There has distinctively been a line drawn by the word of God that separates light from darkness. In 2 Corinthians 4:6, Paul says that God commanded the light to shine out darkness. By the commandment of God, the good light shines out darkness.

As we sneak so quietly into the kitchen and crack open the door to the fridge for a midnight snack a little trigger in the fridge door has been set off and now light breaks through the opening of the door. At this same instant darkness in the room retreats to hide behind an object to be nothing more then a faint shadow. A line has been crossed and we are now in light. No longer are we silently, yet over dramatically, gasping for air while in shock as at least one of our ten toes makes contact with an unidentified object waiting in dark.

Light is intentional, we turn it on to be able to see where we are going, what is coming, or what is our surroundings. First we must find the power source in order to have light. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1: 5) In John 8:12 Jesus is speaking and says, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” So God is the power source of the light. When I received the gift of the Holy Ghost the light of God entered into my life, lighting my path. No longer must I walk in darkness not being able to see my next step. I now carry a torch that bears the name of God. Matthew 5:14 says, “Ye are the light of the world.” Verse 16 goes on to say, “Let your light so shine before men…” So as Jesus is the source of which we receive power I’m the bulb that his light shines through. The light of God just doesn’t turn off as if there has been a power outage due to weather conditions. The only way that this light can be turned off is by cutting out the power source.

We are to be a light to the lost, a reflection of the light of God in a dark world. But just as we purposely turn on light, we can also cut off the source that is feeding power to the light bulb. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (1 John1:6) What is truth? Preaching Jesus name baptism and being filled with the Holy Ghost. Why is light throughout this world cutting off the source of power and falling to the dimming light of the emerging church? Jesus said, “Be holy for I am holy”. What is holy in Hollywood, revealing clothing, boys looking like girls, girls looking like boys, or being so relevant that you can’t tell the difference between a first time visitor and the rest of your church? These are the questions that I began to ask myself a few years ago and I knew I was getting caught up in something that could not stand the test of time.

I thank God that I have found a path of transcendent light shining from the house of God that led me from the dim light of the emerging church. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we were called out of darkness and into his “marvelous light”! 2 Cor. 4:6, His light shines out darkness. But what about being relevant to the world? Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “And not be conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. I want God’s perfect will in my life! The Word of God is clear that we are to “be not conformed to this world”! We are a chosen people that are separated from this world!

In conclusion, light can always be turned on in a dark room but darkness can not be turned on to over power light unless the power source has been cut off from the light.

Luke 11:34-35, “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body is also full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”

For God So Loved...

As she looked up at me, with mascara streaked tears running down her beautiful face, she spoke these words: “He accepted me!” At first, her words did not affect me. I simply nodded, smiled and wiped away my thankful tears, knowing she was a new creature. It was not until later that her words returned to haunt me.

Over the course of the next few days, her words would flash through my mind unexpectedly. What did she mean by them? Was she really surprised that God loved her enough to save her? What has been her experience with love? True love, agape love.

After giving this much thought, I asked God to help me understand what she meant. It bothered me that she went so long not knowing the love of God as I do. Never in my life have I ever felt unaccepted or unloved by my Savior. Honestly, the thought never occurred to me that He would not love me or accept me. This is not because I think myself great or any such notion; I simply know God loves me.

Then, to compound the matter, she called me in a state of distress. She had a bad moment and said a few things she regretted. Hurt by betrayal and those that said they were “friends”, she had a moment of weakness. However, that was not the cause of her distress. Her pain came from thinking because she failed, God would walk away and leave her. Bam! It hit me! She thinks God is like many humans, who walk away from us when we have been wrong. Wow! I was shocked to say the least.

My heart ached so bad, I prayed and wept thinking about the hurt she has endured. I poured over the scriptures so that I could encourage her when those thoughts would come. I was comforted by God’s promises and His love. Now, I had to portray that to her.

Most people are familiar with John 3: 16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Unfortunately, there are many who do not fully comprehend these words. God loved us so much that he sent His Son, His ONLY Son, to die that we may live. If you look in Romans chapter 5, verses 6-8:
⁶⁾For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
 ⁷⁾For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
 ⁸⁾But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Not only did Christ die for us, but He died WHILE we were sinners. He did not require us to be righteous before He offered His life. What this means for us is that He knew we were not perfect and we will make mistakes, yet He died that we might have life.

We put limits on God’s love. Our finite minds have a hard time wrapping around the fact that He loves us infinitely. We often compare our earthly love to His love, and truly, there is no comparison. I spent time trying to relate this to my friend. Using the analogy of a mother’s love to show God’s love still does not reach the immenseness of God’s love.

Finally, she began to relate. She saw how much God loved her and that He was NEVER going to walk away, even if she failed. However, it did not end there. Now, I began to wonder how many people, everyday, feel that God cannot love them. I imagine their pain, their emptiness, and my heart breaks. What can I do to show them? How can I help them? This is real. There are real people with real pain, who do not know about the love of God.

Back to the Word of God, we find our answer. I John 4:11, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. It is that simple. We are to love one another. In word, in deed, in everything we do we must show forth God’s love. Otherwise, how will they know?

AMERICA UNDER ATTACK....

September 11' 2011, marked ten years since that horrific day in which Americans all over the globe watched in horror as our country was viciously attacked by Muslim extremist. As Jews all over the world said "never again," would they fall victims to such atrocities such as those committed by Nazi Germany; Americans also cried out "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" on that dreadful day. Sadly, the truth is Americans long forgot the impact September 11' 2001 had on their lives. Sure every year we blog, facebook, twitter (and all the rest of them), about it; But really we're turning it and making it all about our-selves.

While many are sincere in remembering where or what they were doing on that morning (and how they were impacted), the vast majority of people who blog, facebook, twitter about it are only doing it because its the thing to do. They're doing it simply because "everybody who is somebody" is going to post their thoughts on it. The reality is that today (October 5' 2011) nobody is even thinking about Muslim extremist who have declared "Jihad" on our country. The truth is that the vast-majority of the American spirit is laying down in a fetal position, sucking its thumb wishing and hoping that the threat of Islam would just go away!

Ten years later we are living in a country where spineless men are the majority, and women with usurped authority are feminizing our boys. Our little girls have harlots as role models (Rhianna, Gaga, Brittney, Beyonce'), and parents across this country are allowing this garbage to captivate the minds of our children. Dad, Mom have you ever heard of the concept of "Collective Consciousness?" And we wonder why this country is in chaos, it is because we no longer have the ability to think. We have allowed ourselves to be ravaged by ideologies and systems of thinking that say "whats right for me is right for me, whats right for you is right for you."

We have allowed ourselves to be brain-washed!

Even in Christendom, many preachers have allowed "political-correctness" to define their churches and denominations. Many preachers are too fearful to preach TRUTH! The majority of the blame lies on Christian America for failing to speak out. We're too afraid to be referred to as bigots, we want the world to love us and accept us. Reality check! It doesn't work that way, we're not suppose to seek the love of the world. We're suppose to display the love of God!

Americas ideals have been urinated on by the current administration, and we (like lambs led to the slaughter) have remained silent.

The truth is, the majority of Americans quickly forgot about the clear and present evil that continues to attack not just our country, but our everyday lives. American children are as "walking zombies" clearly brain dead. It didn't start with Islam, it started with an ancient evil who lurks patiently waiting to destroy. What will you do?

Lets Leave the Tools in the Artist's Hands

I started working on a small sculpture the other day. I was working with a small tan/brown soapstone from Brazil. It had come with a small stone carving set which I had purchased to get use to using the tools and to learn different techniques. After using a small file on the stone I realized that I was so excited to start that I never really gave it much thought of what this stone would become. It was at that moment that I had remembered a quote that my art history teacher told our class a few years back.

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."

-Michelangelo

I was just cutting in and carving this stone without giving any thought of what I was trying to discover. I began to analyze the stone from every angle. I couldn't come to a conclusion so I put it down for a day or so. After some time had passed I picked it back up to see what I could possibly find in the stone. Nothing. I was at a loss again. However, this time I picked up the file again and began to brush it over the smooth surface of the stone. I was moving slow and began to analyze the stone as little stone flakes fell to the table. As I was analyzing the stone I once again remembered another quote from Michelangelo, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." All of a sudden it registered with me that Michelangelo discovered the statue in the stone before ever carving it. I was trying to carve it before discovering it. I checked out the stone again and it was almost immediately that I realized what it was that I was suppose to "set free".

The purpose of this post is not the sculpture that I am currently working on, though you can count on me posting a picture of it when completed. Rather, It is about the quotes and the lesson that I learned. Michelangelo was saying that every piece of stone had an object or purpose in it. He understood that his job was to find what it was to be and to set it free to fulfill its purpose.

I've seen many sculptures of the famous biblical hero David. And each one was crafted different by each different artist. Donatello's rendition of David, which is one of my favorites, is of a young David with sword in hand as he stands victorious with his left foot on top of the severed head of Goliath.

These famous figures never carved themselves out to freedom; it was always a job left up to the sculpting masters. Now, obviously a stone figure can't just come to life and make that decision. It was just a thought that made me realize that in my own life I have picked up the tools to try to carve out what I felt was supposed to be apart of me and who I was to become. Often times, when holding the tools in my hands, I wouldn't even consult with the artist that had been patently working on me for years. I know that I am not the only one who has tried to take control into their own hands. Many people try to take control when they feel that life is hard and they are spinning out of control. So, here we are taking things into our own hands and trying to carve out what we think to be best for us. Meanwhile, before we were ever created, God, who is our master artist, has always known what we are to become and has been working on us; cutting off what isn't needed. Do you remember the old children's song "He's got the whole world in His hands"? That is for real. God has us in His hands and He is working on us. He knows what we are to become and how to get us there. You see, we are the ones that are trying to discover while He is the one that has already uncovered. He knows what piece is needed and what is not. We just need to learn how to keep the tools in His hands.

"O're the land of the free and the home of the brave"

On this 10th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, a day forever etched in our minds, will go down as a day in infamy. Looking through the pictures of that fateful day, one picture always stands out to me. It resembles the picture from Iwo Jima towards the end of WWII.

This image displays hope. Hope of a nation torn apart by the senseless acts of terror. Through the destruction the symbol of our freedom remains constant. I can only imagine now why Francis Scott Key pinned the poem which later become our national anthem;

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

As Francis Scott Key watched from the British ship HMS Tonnant, on his way to Baltimore in the aftermath of the Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry, it became clear to him that our flag, which stands for freedom, was still waving. This poem defines what he saw in those early morning hours and restored hope in his heart as well as the prisoners on the ship. The poem has five stanzas, one which was added during the Civil War, here are the other stanzas: 

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
’Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust;"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

When our land is illumined with liberty's smile,
If a foe from within strikes a blow at her glory,
Down, down with the traitor that tries to defile
The flag of the stars, and the page of her story!
By the millions unchained,
Who their birthright have gained
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

Seeing our firefighters lift this flag from the chaos and destruction that struck our country, restores hope, causes pride to swell in our hearts and reminds us of our freedom. Let this day be a day of remembrances but also let it be a day of hope that we live in the greatest nation on earth! Thank God for the United States of America!

Give Me Plenty of Rope or Give Me Death

The year was 1775 and the british colonies were growing tired of Great Britain's taxes and having to answer to a king who ruled from a throne which stood a whole ocean away. As the king’s soldiers were filling the streets of the colonies the people began an uprise and demanded freedom. This, as we all know, led us to war with what was at that time the greatest empire of the world, Great Britain.

Freedom has been the heart beat of America and all that call this land home since our founding fathers began to build this great nation. Patrick Henry made a speech to the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, in which he has been credited with convincing the Virginia House of Burgesses to send in volunteer troops from Virginia to fight in the Revolutionary War. Patrick Henry is remembered for the closing words of his speech, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!” His speech ignited a flame among those that attended the gathering. It was reported that after hearing his speech many who were present started shouting, “give us liberty or give us death!”

People were seeking their own personal freedom and leaving everything behind to make the journey to what would be known as “the land of the free” for years before the American Revolution even started. Many risked death just to taste the chase of freedom. Today we live our lives and raise our families in a land that was purchased with the blood of young and old men who dead for a belief that they, their children, and future generations had the right to live free.

I am proud to be a citizen of a free America, however, our country has been standing for freedom for 235 years and yet as our nation grows older it struggles more and more against the darkness of sin which shackles so many people to its ungodly way of life. We, as christians, have the chance to stand in as a beacon of hope for freedom that our nation’s forefather’s fought for. A freedom that is only found in the one and only living God, Jesus Christ.

If you look up the word “freedom” you will come across an interesting definition for the word. It caught my attention instantly as I read the words, “plenty of rope.” This struck my feelings of freedom deep and even changed the way that I view freedom today. The cord which was struck deepest was the first lesson of freedom that had ever been taught to me. I was raised in a home that believed and leaned on God through many trials. As a young, Pentecostal boy I learned that God created man and gave him the freedom of choice. This lesson of freedom being the first taught to me in my life made it the first thought to come to mind when reading “plenty of rope.” God gave Adam and Eve the world. They had everything, including complete freedom which was given by God, even as much as the freedom of choice. God gave them the whole garden. They had plenty of rope to walk, run, live, eat, and to do what they pleased. They had so much freedom that in Genesis 1:28 God actually gave them dominion over the land and animals. We read in Genesis 2:19 that God allows Adam to name the animals. At this point man is free, he has plenty of rope. And the rope, which is his freedom, is held in the hands of God. There was only one stipulation for this freedom given by God. Obedience.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

While in high school my mom brought home a surprise for the family. I still remember arriving home from work and walking into the living room and seeing this little puppy, which I thought at first to be a rat, running across the room from the chair to the couch. My mom and all my siblings where huddled around the room surrounding it. I believe it was my youngest sister Madison that gave the puppy her name, Cece. As she got older it became apparent that Cece loved being outside. We would put her on a leash that was very long and it wrapped around a tree in the middle of the yard. She could go anywhere in the yard that she wanted and not feel a tug around her neck except for when she would get close to the side walk and street. It was to keep her safe. We gave her “plenty of leash” to roam around the yard, dig holes, and even chase stuff. Yet, most of the time she would walk at the very edge where the leash would begin to tug on her neck, restraining her from going into areas that we deemed unsafe. Sometimes she would even try to get a running head start and lung at the very last second to try to break away from her leash. Cece may have felt restrained, restricted, possibly even trapped. My family and I put her on the leash many times. We weren’t trying to keep her from experiencing life. We knew what was beyond the leash. But all that the little puppy could see was a leash restricting her at the neck and anchored to the tree. I can almost see Adam and Eve feeling something like that. They had complete freedom. Plenty of space to roam around, lay in the sun to soak up the rays, and to do whatever they pleased, however, at some point it wasn’t enough. They wanted more. They wanted the rope, which seemed to have plenty of length before, to not be anchored down anymore. They were tired of the tug and finally, as a last ditch effort, they ran and lunged forward breaking away from the rope as they bite into the fruit of the forbidden tree. All of a sudden, the freedom they thought they were missing out on caused them to become scared and afraid.

My friend Kevin bought a home a few years back. Shortly after moving in he bought a small little puppy. One day Kevin’s little puppy broke away from his rope that seemed to be plenty at one time. Kevin couldn’t find him for hours. If I remember correctly, Kevin was out looking for the dog and remembered how much it had enjoyed playing in the lake across the street from the house. Kevin had taken him there a few days prior on a walk. As Kevin got closer to the lake his puppy was nowhere to be found. Finally reaching the water’s edge he looked out and could see his puppy in the water. Not swimming and playing as it had before, but floating lifelessly in the small current. The puppy didn’t know that the leash he had been wearing days prior was connected to Kevin and that each time he felt a tug it was Kevin keeping him from areas where the water was not safe. The puppy just wanted to not feel the tug and to be free.

Adam and Eve had a relationship with God. They walked through the garden with Him and spent time with Him. How many times did they pass that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and how many times did they feel a tug from God saying, hold on there Adam, wait a second Eve...remember, we don’t go there, we don't do that. Then one day, they go out on their own, and the “plenty of rope” was torn from its anchor.

I’ve seen run away dogs in the city. They run around scared of their unfamiliar surroundings as they are frantically looking for their owners. With the looks on their faces and fear in their eyes you can almost hear them crying out, “MASTER! MASTER! WHERE ARE YOU? SAVE ME! I WANT TO GO HOME!” You and I have seen the desperation of their owners as they hang signs around the city stating “MISSING” and a picture of the lost dog below. I wonder if the lost pet loses hope in finding his master after being disconnected for so long.

As I have stated before, I am proud to be an American. I live in a country that people from all around the world still dream of traveling to and seek freedom from their current circumstances in life. But what these freedom seekers don’t realize is that the very same “land of the free” which they are chasing after is trying to cut the rope of freedom that was anchored down generations ago by our nation’s founding father’s. In God was their trust, and God was set as our nation’s anchor. Today, God is not trusted in the lives of many Americans. Webster’s “plenty of rope” definition may not come out and say that the rope has an anchor. However, to me it is implied by the word plenty. There is more then enough, yet it does have a limit. The men who built the foundations of America and those that signed the Declaration of Independence knew that freedom came with a cost and with limits. They understood that laws given by God would keep this country from repeating the torment of Great Britain. Today our country is trying to strip God away from our foundations and even our laws. It even seems that with each passing year our country is trying to cut God and our freedom of religion away from us. How long can our nation stand free without the rope that holds to an anchor? As Christians, we have a relationship with God and he is our anchor through life’s storms, holding us in place. That relationship that we have does have its limits and will only allow us to go so far. This freedom cutting isn’t just happing to our nation. Whether we realize it or not, the rope of freedom is being cut worldwide as even religion raises it’s sharp blade to the strained and highly tensioned rope. Every generation picks and chooses which strings that make the rope are important to keep or not. At times it seems that they are carelessly cutting away with no implication of what may come. Eventually we will come down to just one strand that is being pulled so tight that no one may even need to cut it because it will just snap and break under pressure destroying all that lay in its path. Just as Adam and Eve’s freedom came with limitations so does ours. As the children of God we have been called out to be separate from this world and to live a life that does not take part in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” -1 Peter 1:14-16

Sadly, it is true that many religious groups are cutting more strands of the freedom rope then that of the rope which weighs them down to the anchor of sin. When a person falls overboard wouldn’t they want a life preserver thrown to them that is tied to the ship, or at least in the hands of one who is on the ship? Are we looking to be a church, a nation, that would rather be a floating lifesaver who’s rope has been disconnect from its ship and those that seek us for salvation find that we too are disconnected? God came in the flesh and died on a cross to mend a disconnected relationship with his creation. In the shedding of his blood we have found an eternal freedom. But, we can lose out on this freedom if we cut ourselves from the holy life style which is today’s stipulation for freedom in God. As a free nation under God we can not conform to what we may think this world may expect of us. The same must be said for Christians. We cannot conform to the lifestyles that our nation may want and still remain as the children of God. We are separate because that is the amount of rope that our anchor allows. Anymore would be too much and we would have no need to be called out of sin because we would be able to walk right back into it without any tug or restraint from a rope and anchor. Once we realize that the rope is our freedom then maybe we can start to enjoy the area of safety which it provides.

I know not what course my nation may take, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Abortion

Legal Background

Roe v. Wade (1973): In this landmark case, Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe)claimed she had been raped and that Texas law was forcing her to continue her pregnancy, even though she had been impregnated against her will. The Court ruled that Texas law prohibiting abortion except to save the mothers life were unconstitutional. Such laws were claimed to violate the due process clause of the FourteenthAmendment of the Constitution, which protects a person's rights to privacy.

Doev. Bolton(1973): In a companion case decided on the same day as Roe v. Wade, the Court struck down a Georgia law that limited abortions to accredited hospitals, required the approval of the hospital abortion committee and confirmation by two other physicians, and limited access to abortion in Georgia to state residents. Again citing the woman's right to privacy, the Court declared the statue unconstitutional.

Planned Parenthood v. Danforth (1977): This case struck down limits on the freedom to obtain an abortion according to the standard set down in Roe v. Wade. At issue was a Missouri law that required that a woman's husband also consent to the abortion, and that the parents of a minor child consent to abortion. The Court ruled that the woman's right to abortion cannot be limited by the requirement that a spouse or parent of a minor child must grant prior consent.

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989): This case marked the first significant limits to the right to abortion. The Court reversed decisions by the District Court and the Court of Appeals and upheld a Missouri law that prohibited the use of public funds or medical facilities for “nontherapeutic” abortions.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992): At issue in this case were the provisions of the law that required a 24-hour waiting period before the abortion, parental consent for a minor seeking an abortion, and notification of the woman's husband of her decision to obtain an abortion. The Court reasoned that abortion rights are consistent with the notion of the right to privacy that emerges out of the idea of liberty in the Constitution.

Biblical Background

The Bible clearly prohibits the taking of innocent life in the Fifth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13).In the account of the first birth, when Eve gave birth to her son Cain, person language is used to describe Cain (Gen. 4:1). Eve speaks of Cain with no sense of discontinuity between his conception, birth, and postnatal life.(Job3:3) This type of parallelism suggest that the child who was “born”and the child who was “conceived” are considered the same person. What was present at birth was considered equivalent to what was present at conception.(Jer.1:5) Describes God knowing the unborn in the same way he knows a child or an adult.The Greek term for “baby,” bre'phos, is applied to a child still in the womb in Luke 1:41-44 as well as to the newborn baby Jesus in Luke 2:16.

Arguments For/Against Abortion

A woman has the right to do with her own body whatever she chooses.

SupportingArguments

It is the fundamental principle of the pro-choice movement-the woman's right to choose.This is foundational to the woman's constitutional right to privacy and was appealed to by the Court in the Casey decision when they referred to the preservation of a woman's bodily integrity and to her personal autonomy to choose abortion.

CounterArguments

A person's right over his/her own body is not absolute. In most states prostitution is illegal, and nowhere is it legal to pour illegal drugs into one's body.The fetus is technically not part of the woman's body. It is agenetically distinct entity with its own genetic code, and early on in the pregnancy it has its own heart and circulatory system. If abortion becomes illegal, we will return to the dangerous days of the “back alley” abortion providers.

Supporting Arguments

Unlicensed physicians performed these abortions in “back-alley” clinics with varying degrees of safety. Desperate to be relieved of an unwanted pregnancy, woman would thus endanger themselves in the process of obtaining an abortion.

CounterArguments

The person advancing this argument would be arguing that society has the responsibility to make it safe to kill people who have the right to life. The only way that the safety of the mother can be a legitimate concernis if the fetus is not a person and if abortion is comparable to any other type of surgery in which a part of the woman's body is removed.

Forcing women, especially poor ones, to continue their pregnancies will create overwhelming financial hardship.

Supporting Arguments

This argument is based on the economic hardship that will likely result from women being without the option of abortion to control the size of their families. Without safe and legal abortion, these women will be condemned to a life of poverty and financial burden, which is also unfair to the children that they bring into this world.

Counter Arguments

This argument also begs the question by assuming that unborn poor are not persons. Otherwise, this argument could be used as a basis for exterminating all those who are financially burdensome to society. The reason society does not do this is that the financially burdensome are persons with the right to life, and their burden to society is irrelevant.

Society should not force women to bring unwanted children into the world.

Supporting Arguments

Abortion helps society prevent bringing unwanted pregnancies into the world. Thus prevents child abuse and child neglect.

Counter Arguments

This argument begs the question by assuming that the fetus is not a person, because if it is, then surely abortion is the worse imaginable form of child abuse. One cannot determine the value of a child based on the degree to which they are desired.

Society should not force women to bring severely handicapped children into the world.

Supporting Arguments

Pro-choice advocates consider it unfair and insensitive to force a woman to carry a pregnancy that she knows will result in a severely deformed child. A handicapped life is not worth living.

Counter Arguments

Abortions in the case of deformity are a relatively small percentage of the overall number of abortions annually. In general, difficult cases do not make the general rule, that is, they do not support the right of a woman to choose abortion on demand. There is no moral difference between the abortion of a handicapped fetus and executing handicapped children.

Society should not force women who are pregnant from rape or incest to continue their pregnancies.

Supporting Arguments

Since the woman had sex force on her against her will, it is argued that she should not be forced to continue a potential pregnancy.This not a case of carelessness, but rather a lack of consent to sex that made her pregnant. Thus society would be punishing the victim of a crime by making her a victim again.

Counter Arguments

The number of pregnancies that result from rape or incest is very small-roughly 1 in 100,000 cases. Yet how the pregnancy was conceived is irrelevant to the central question of personhood of the fetus. You cannot justify the homicide of another person just to relieve the mental distress of a trauma such as rape.

Restrict abortion laws discriminate against poor women.

Supporting Arguments

This argument is based on what happened prior to abortion being legalized in 1973. When women of means wanted an abortion, they simply traveled to countries where abortion was legal and paid for them. Obviously, poor women did not have this option. Thus, restrictive abortion laws have the practical effect of discrimination against poor women, who are often the ones who need abortion services the most due to their difficult economic circumstances.

Counter Arguments

This argument begs the question by assuming that an abortion is somehow a moral good that would be denied to poor women if restrictive laws were enacted. If the fetus is a person, then denying someone an abortion is irrelevant. Society has no obligation to provide equally to all the freedom to kill innocent persons.

The Personhood of the Fetus

The debate centers on the point in gestation at which the fetus possesses personhood. These are called “decisive moments.”

Viability

Is the point at which the fetus is able to live on its own outside the womb. One problem with viability as a determinant of person-hood is that it cannot be measured precisely. It varies from fetus to fetus and medical technology is continually pushing viability back to earlier stages of pregnancy.

Brain development

The appeal to this decisive moment is the parallel with the definition of death, which is the cessation of all brain activity. Since brain activity is what measures death, or the loss of personhood. The problem with the analogy to brain death is that the dead brain is in irreversible condition, unable to be revived. The brain of the developing fetus is only temporarily nonfunctional.

Sentience

The appeal to this point for the determination of personhood is that if the fetus cannot feel pain, then there is less of a problem with abortion, and it disarms many of the pro-life arguments that abortion is cruel to the fetus. This decisive moment confuses the experience of harm with the reality of harm. It does not follow that the fetus cannot be harmed simply because the fetus cannot feel pain or otherwise experience harm.

Quickening

Before the advent of sophisticated medical technology such as ultra sound, which can see the fetus from the early stages of pregnancy, quickening was considered the first indication of the presence of life within the mother's womb. Philosophically speaking, this decisive moment confuses epistemology (knowledge or awareness of the fetus) with ontology (the nature or essence of the fetus).

Appearance of humanness

The appeal of this is that the fetus begins to resemble a baby, it makes it at least emotionally more difficult to consider abortion. The appearance of the fetus has no inherent relationship to its essence.

Birth

A few hold that birth is the decisive moment at which the fetus acquires personhood. No essential difference exist between the fetus on the day before its birth and the day after its birth.

Implantation

At this point the embryo establishes its presence in the womb by the“signals” or the hormones it produces. It does not follow that personhood is established at implantation just because the embryo establishes its presence by the hormonal signals it produces. The essence of the fetus cannot be dependent by another's awareness of its existence, whether it is physical awareness, as in quickening, or chemical awareness in the production of specific hormones.

Conception

An adult human being is the end result of the continuous growth of the organism from conception (this premise has hardly any debate).From the moment of conception, it possesses all the capacities necessary to develop into a full adult.

This is a chapter outline done from "Moral Choices" (Rae, S. 2000)

Standing on the Promises

Have you ever watched scripture fulfilled right before your eyes? Likely, you have heard the verses from Luke chapter 11 many times. 9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10)For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Just recently, this very thing happened in my life. We moved to Oregon in February of this year after living in Washington for seven months (that is another story for another day). After arriving, we feverishly searched for a house. Finally, we found one in the “perfect” location, situated right behind my kids’ schools. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until the day before we were to move in. I called and the woman (homeowner) changed her mind! What??? Everything pointed to this being the perfect house! After a few tears (okay, many tears), we went searching again…sigh! The next morning we checked out some townhomes. Now I am not opposed to apartments, townhomes, condos, etc., however, keep in mind I have FOUR children. We took a tour and I was pleasantly surprised. These townhomes spanned nearly 1600 sq. ft. and the one we were hoping to get would be set facing the beautiful hills behind us. To make a long story short, we moved in two days later.
Now you are probably wondering how this scripture in Luke plays in, right? Well during the time we were looking for a place to live, there was a young mother calling out to God, asking him to help her find a church. She was raised a Christian, but now was living here in Oregon, far away from her family in New Mexico. She had been asking, seeking, knocking and God in His great love and mercy heard her cry. He changed our situation and opened a door for her. She lives in the apartment below us and we met under unusual circumstances (funny how God does that) but her and her fiancé now call our church home, and two weeks ago, he was baptized in the precious name of Jesus.
Although, God changed our situation and at one point, I even felt quite abandoned, He was responding to the pleas of this young woman. She asked and received, she sought and found, she knocked and God opened the door! The word of God never fails!

The Desecration of Marriage

The Institution of Marriage

It is without question to Christians and Jews alike, that the institution of marriage was first established, and ordained by God himself. We find in the bible that God created manand gave him a woman because it was not good for man to be alone.

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18).

It is evident from this scripture that God intended for man to in a relationship. The question then becomes, what type of relationship? In order to find the answer to the above question, and to better understand the institution of marriage we must continue reading the text in its context. It is in the book of Genesis (The book of beginnings) that we find the very first reference of a woman and her God intended role as a wife.

“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and broughther unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shallbe called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”(Gen. 2:22-24).

Although the book of Genesis was economically written, it is more then evident from what we read, that this was God's purpose and intent for man and the type of relationship that he was and is to be in. In this type of relationship that we call marriage, there is a man, a woman and the woman is a wife. Based on these scriptural evidence; we have throughout the ages defined marriage as “between a man and a woman.”

Redefining of marriage

One only has to look up the meaning of marriage to see the changes thatare taking place in this postmodern world. Many “online dictionaries” are giving marriage an extra definition; included are people in same sex relationships. One can ask: how is this possible? There is absolutely no logic to such a thing as “gay/homosexual marriage.” To those in favor of redefining marriage it is simply because its time, and because everyone deserves equal rights. But is it really about equal rights? When pressed about marriage involving incest relationships, those in favor of homosexual marriage seemed to be against equal rights for others. In America today there are some states that had laws passed in favor of equal rights to marriage for same sex couples, most recently New York. In 2008 Californians took to the polls and voted for “Proposition 8” a proposition that recognizedmarriage as between a man and a woman only.

“On November 4, 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8 by a margin of almost600,000 votes. Proposition 8 placed into the California Constitution the same language that voters already passed by 61% of the vote in 2000. This action was necessary to overturn an outrageous California Supreme Court decision that overturned Proposition 22 and had legalized same sex marriage in California” (ProtectMarriage.com 2010).

Prop 8 was later overturned by another California judge, who happen to be in a homosexual relationship. Clearly the rights of thousands of voters did not matter. Thus we can see that “rights” are not the issue.In your face: The real issueIf truly equal rights is not the issue, we are forced to ask: what is the real issue? Clearly we are pressed to accept as normal the homosexual life style. The very fact that people have voted over and again against homosexual marriage, and it is still being imposed on us; makes onewonder how far will this go? A life style that was once considered shameful, is now not only “out of the closet” but is “up in your face.”People became too a afraid of not being “politically correct”that they gave up they're right to Freedom of speech. Now, in the war of ideas and ideologies one side put down their “weapons,” while the other side (postmodernism) became embolden, and has not stopped its attack. Perhaps there are those who wouldn't think of this issue as a war of beliefs,but simple research that reveals far more then a debate between the postmodern mindset vs essentialist mindset.

(Vacek, E. 2003) Explains the differences in the two mindsets involved in the debate, and attempts to the best of his ability to define marriage from an ecclesiastical perspective. Although he is scholastic in his approach, he fails to pin-point the fact that marriage is in its purest essence a religious ceremony. Homosexuality in its fullest form is anti-creation/ anti-God. Its rebellion to the fullest extent. So why are they fighting for something they are openly against? To desecrate it. On the surface we think in the terms of postmodernism vs essentialist, however it is better understood as secularism vs theism.

Conclusion

The effects of an “open society” are already showing, in order to continue to impose their agendapostmodernism is now using its children. J Crew recently publish a catalog in which a mother is doing her son's toe nails hot pink. In New York a couple decided to keep the gender of their new born a secret, citing “a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become”(Associated Press). This same couple have a five year old boy who they happen to allow to pick his own clothes, it just so happens that he picks dresses and his favorite color is pink. Or is it the agenda push and imposed by his parents? Postmodernism/Secularism will stop at nothing, not even the very destruction of their own children.

Casey Anthony and the Media Kool-aid.

Last week I was engaging in a conversation about Casey Anthony, my position was the same then as it is now. I don't believe just because she lied to investigators, she is guilty of murdering her child. My position is based on evidents or the lack there of. I do believe she is guilty of being a horrible mother, but she wasn't charged with being a horrible mother. I'm positive that had she been charged with being a horrible mother, the jury would have found her guilty as charged.

The question is, do we really believe that Casey is smart enough to murder her child and get away with it? I don't. The fact that Casey's mother said that Casey's car smelled like a dead body, doesn't make Casey guilty. We have to asked, how exactly is Casey's mother an expert at identifying the smell of dead bodies? How many dead bodies has Casey's mother smelled? I think its safe to say not one.

The fact that Casey took a month to report the missing child doesn't make her guilty of murder. It makes her guilty of "not caring." Again, horrible mother. I keep hearing the words "what kind of mother would wait that long to report her missing child?" I ask you, what kind of person would wait to report a missing child?" How long did Casey's mother wait to report it?

Simple research on Casey's mom and dad, will show inconsistencies in their stories/testimonies. Example: on the "Today show" they said that they believed Calee was alive. But on the 911 call Casey's mother told the operator about the car smelling like a dead body. The journal, well the FBI concluded that type of journal wasn't on the market since 2004. Lets consider Casey, being faced with the death penalty, she maintained her innocence. I could continue to make more points on this topic that support my position, however, I need to move on to the media.

We know that the "mass-media" has lost credibility. Their loss of credibility comes from the open bias shown by its politics. If you cannot trust the media on one subject, what makes us think that we can trust them on anything? The truth is that Nancy Grace and the likes of her, crucified Casey long before the trial started. But there is a big difference between "HEADLINES vs FACTS."

A jury of 12, heard the facts. The jury of 12 were not convinced that Casey was a murder. They were convinced that she lied to investigators, but murder? No. One can speculate all we want, but speculation doesn't stand in court, and neither does headlines. What I find horrible is the masses of mainly "stay-at-home-busy-bodies," that are outraged over the verdict without knowing any facts. They know headlines, but the headlines are only revealing the stupidity and lack of ability to think critically by many Americans. Christians are wetting their beaks too, here is a quote from a "so-called" christian lady on a popular social network "she know she did it, let guilt kill her." Again, no facts to back up her statement, just stupidity. At the end of the day, did she do it? We don't know. The facts didn't indicate that she did, what the facts did reveal was that this family is bound by deep dysfunction.