Hey!

I’ve been ignoring this little blog for too long.

The Solution to the Problem

I really like the way the Contemporary English Version handles verses 3 and 4 in the book of Jude:

“My dear friends, I really wanted to write you about God’s saving power at work in our lives. But instead, I must write and ask you to defend the faith that God has once for all given to his people.  Some godless people have sneaked in among us and are saying, ‘God treats us much better than we deserve, and so it is all right to be immoral.’ They even deny that we must obey Jesus Christ as our only Master and Lord. But long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed.”

My Christian background is of the King James Version tradition. Not the King James Only type, but more of the King James First camp. However, over the last several years I’ve become more appreciative of other translations of the scripture. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the King James Bible, but that old King James English can blunt the impact of some very clear statements God has given us.

Take this passage in Jude; it is so simple and strong. We can’t always do the things we might want to do (like write about God’s saving power at work in us) when something more vital needs to be addressed. What could be more vital than God’s saving power? Jude is convinced that at least one thing is: the defense of the faith.

Jude is not speaking of faith in the sense of that living, individual and/or community experience of God in one’s personal life. No, he is talking about “the faith” as that body of truths and teachings which form the foundation and essence of Christianity. He is talking about defending what we know as Christian doctrine.

It was under attack then as it is now. It was important then as it is now. It was defended then as it must be now. Doctrine is not the problem; it is the solution to the problem.

That Crazy Thing Called Love

“I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning” (2 John 1:5 NLT).

Every Christian should know that we are to love one another, but Christian love can be tricky. Five verses later John tells us:

“If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.  Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work” (2 John 1:10-11 NLT).

These “evil workers” are certainly enemies of Christ. Even so Jesus tells us to “… love your enemies! [Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you.] Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44 NLT).

Later Jesus tells us in matters of conflict to personally confront the individual and then says, “If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector” (Matthew 18:17 NLT).

 So, how are we to treat pagans and corrupt tax collectors differently than beloved ones?

Blame it on the Church

And it is happening again, just like it did twenty something years ago. Once again the new generation has found the way to fix church. Back then I felt something was not right, just as I do today. Last time I tried to tell others what was off, but the new way seemed to be working so very few wanted to hear. I’ve come to realize that if individuals don’t see it for themselves there is really nothing I can do. It is all in God’s plan.

Anyway, the new way is working, again.

What China Wants …

China’s central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund.

 

Published: March 23 2009 12:16 | Last updated: March 24 2009 00:06

Coming New World Order

Abortion Speech

The Crash Course

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16 Illegals Sue Arizona Rancher

An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.  (Washington Times Link)

Stimulus Bill Insanity

The fiscal stimulus bill being debated in Congress not only won’t help the economy, it will make the recession much worse, says Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital.

The problem, he says, is the government is trying to perpetuate a “phony economy” based on borrowing and spending. With the U.S. consumer tapped out, the government is “now taking on the mantle” of consumer of last resort, he continues, predicting the bond bubble will soon burst – if it hasn’t already – ultimately leading to a collapse of the dollar and an “inflationary depression worse than anything any of us have ever seen.”  (Link)