Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
To Vote, Or Not To Vote, A Christian Perspective
This has been a long, tedious, annoying tiring election season. We have be bombarded with ads, phone calls, debates, etc. Election day is upon us. But should Christians be involved in the election process? Should we vote?
Over the last several years, we have seen a steady decline in the United States as a "Christian nation." This decline has accelerated over the last four years. The current president once mocked Southerners because, he said, the "cling to their guns and religion." I don't cling to my guns, though I recognize the right of Americans to "hold and bear arms" as guaranteed in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. I do cling to my religion, and I am proud of it. That is guaranteed by the First Amendment, along with the freedom to make known our religious beliefs. The President signed into law a healthcare bill that he championed. It requires every organizations, including religious ones, to pay for birth control, or buy insurance policies that pay for, birth control, even if they are opposed to it on religious grounds. This violates the First Amendment. This should be alarming to every religious organization because it opens the way for the government to require whatever it deems necessary of religious organizations, even when they oppose it on religious grounds. The president recently finished "evolving" on the topic of same-sex marriage, coming out in favor of it. He has always been "pro-choice," on abortion and infanticide (leaving a baby that has survived abortion alone to die.)
The President's political party left God out of its platform this year, and many booed when the decision was made to put Him back in.
The Supreme Court has made a number of decisions over the years that declared laws against various sins, unconstitutional, when, in fact, they were not. Several Justices will likely retire soon, and be replaced by the next president. A liberal president, such as Mr. Obama, will appoint Justices that will likely continue this policy of distorting the Constitution, and "legislating from the bench."
With these facts in mind, it should be easy to see the importance of Christians supporting candidates that will uphold the Constitution in all of its policies, especially those that relate to our religious principles.
What does the Bible say? It does not address this topic directly, nor are there any Biblical principles violated by supporting candidates that uphold its principles.
Should Christians support candidates? Should they vote? Yes! to both questions.
L. John Bost
Over the last several years, we have seen a steady decline in the United States as a "Christian nation." This decline has accelerated over the last four years. The current president once mocked Southerners because, he said, the "cling to their guns and religion." I don't cling to my guns, though I recognize the right of Americans to "hold and bear arms" as guaranteed in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. I do cling to my religion, and I am proud of it. That is guaranteed by the First Amendment, along with the freedom to make known our religious beliefs. The President signed into law a healthcare bill that he championed. It requires every organizations, including religious ones, to pay for birth control, or buy insurance policies that pay for, birth control, even if they are opposed to it on religious grounds. This violates the First Amendment. This should be alarming to every religious organization because it opens the way for the government to require whatever it deems necessary of religious organizations, even when they oppose it on religious grounds. The president recently finished "evolving" on the topic of same-sex marriage, coming out in favor of it. He has always been "pro-choice," on abortion and infanticide (leaving a baby that has survived abortion alone to die.)
The President's political party left God out of its platform this year, and many booed when the decision was made to put Him back in.
The Supreme Court has made a number of decisions over the years that declared laws against various sins, unconstitutional, when, in fact, they were not. Several Justices will likely retire soon, and be replaced by the next president. A liberal president, such as Mr. Obama, will appoint Justices that will likely continue this policy of distorting the Constitution, and "legislating from the bench."
With these facts in mind, it should be easy to see the importance of Christians supporting candidates that will uphold the Constitution in all of its policies, especially those that relate to our religious principles.
What does the Bible say? It does not address this topic directly, nor are there any Biblical principles violated by supporting candidates that uphold its principles.
Should Christians support candidates? Should they vote? Yes! to both questions.
L. John Bost
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
What's In A Name?
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
September 30, 2012
In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet said to Romeo,
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."
She was trying to convince Romeo that, though his name was Montague, he was not a Montague, but simply a person called Montague. It was that person she loved, not the name, or the Montague family. Certainly it is not the name, "rose," that makes it what it is. It was what it is long before it was called a "rose." On the other hand, it is by names that things are identified. Were it not for names, one would have great difficulty in speaking of particular flowers. Is he refering to a rose or a corpse flower?
What's my point of all of that? Often people ask the question,"What's in a name?" in speaking of church names, or the name God's people wear religiously. In other words, does it matter what the name of a church is? Or, Does it matter what the name of a church is, as long as it is a church? As with all such questions, we must ask, "What does the Bible say?"
Isaiah writes in Isaiah 62:2, "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." Isaiah prophesies of a new. Not just any name, but a name that the mouth of the Lord shall name. What was the new name that Isaiah spoke of? It was not saint, for God's people had been called saints many times. Clearly not Jew or Hebrew. It was not disciple, for they had been called that before (Isaiah 8:16). So, what was the new name that the mouth of the Lord would name? The only new name given to God's people is found inActs 11:26. Barnabas and Saul spent a year in Antioch and "taught much people." Luke informs us that "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." This is the only new name given to God's people as recorded in the Bible. Who gave them that name? The Lord did! Isaiah said He would give his people a new name when "the gentiles shall see thy righteousness" (Isaiah 62:2). Some which had been scattered abroad during the persecution of Stephen went to Antioch and preached to the "Grecians" (Acts 11:20). These Greeks were gentiles (non Jewish). Upon hearing of the success of the preaching at Antioch, the church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas there to preach. Barnabas brought Saul (who later was known as Paul) there to assist him. The text tells us that these gentiles who were converted were called "Christians." Thus, when the Gentiles "saw the Lord's righteousness," they were called Christians!
Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:15-16:
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
So, it is an honor to suffer as a Christian! One should glorify God if he suffers as a Christian.
What is a Christian? A Christian is a follower of Christ. As used in the Bible, the word, Christian, does not mean, "A good person." Certainly a faithful Christian is a good person, but the Bible defines the word as a person who follows Christ. To follow Christ means to follow and obey His teachings.
The name given by God for followers of Christ is Christian. Christians did not wear the name of men, or other religious titles given by men, such as the many denominational names worn by men today. They wore the name of Christ, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:11-12). What's in a name? In the name of Christ, and in no other, there is salvation!
Are you a Christian?
We at the Strasburg Church of Christ would like an opportunity to assist you in your study of God's Word, the Bible. We offer a free Bible Correspondence that you may study in your home. Write us at PO Box 321 Strasburg, VA 22657, or email us.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
On Chick fil-a, Love And Hate
By L. John Bost
Well, Chick fil-A got itself mixed up in a "controversy" this week. They re-affirmed their belief in traditional marriage - one man, one woman for life. As this announcement became public, the real controversy heated up. The announcement that a "Support Chick fil- A Day" had been planned, and invites were posted on Facebook, the controversy really heated up. All kinds of words appeared in Facebook posts. Most of which are not in this writers vocabulary. That is, I would never use them in the ways they were used in those posts. I won't repeat them here. You get the picture. Two words that I always find fascinating that inevitably come up in these discussions are love and hate. The words themselves are not particularly fascinating, but the ways they are used in these discussions. Are love and hate appropriately used in discussions on homosexuality and gay marriage? Sometimes.
Let's look at love first. What's wrong with love? Nothing. I'm all in favor of it. But, the word often comes up in a sentence such as this: "God loves homosexuals as much as He loves everyone else." Well, He does, doesn't He? Certainly! Now, the person who raised the "love" word usually means that God either overlooks or condones homosexuality, so those who oppose it should do so as well. Is that accurate? The fact is, God loves everyone, including sinners. He loves homosexuals as much as anyone else. He sent His son to died for everyone, so that no one need perish (John 3:16). So, it's true that we must not oppose homosexuality since God loves homosexuals, right? That would be true, except for another word that is found often in the Bible - repent. God love all sinners, AND commands all sinners to repent (Luke 13:3; Luke 24:46-47, etc.). Am I saying that homosexuality is a sin? No. God is saying that. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." So, yes. God loves homosexuals. But, no. That doesn't mean He condones it, or overlooks it. Nor does it mean those who oppose it must stop doing so.
Now, let's consider hate. Almost inevitably, when there is a discussion of homosexuality, the one who opposes it of hate and/or a closely related word, bigotry. I'm not sure why. I know that many people do hate homosexuals. But does everyone who opposes homosexuality guilty of hatred and\or bigotry? Does the Bible teach us to hate sin? Yes! Does it teach us to hate sinners? No! It was sin that caused our Lord to die on the cross. That is, it was necessary for Him to die so that sinners might be forgiven, and live (Romans 5:7-9). How can we not hate that which caused Jesus to die? But, hating sin is not the same thing as hating sinners. Jesus hates sin, but loves sinners. We must do the same. But it seems that many are of the opinion that if one opposes homosexuality, that means he hates homosexuals. True? How so? When did opposition and hatred become the same thing? When did disagreement and hatred become the same thing? In fact, they never did. We all disagree with a lot of people on a lot of issues, but we don't always hate them (and never should, for that matter). We often oppose others, have discussions with them on the areas of opposition, even heated ones at times. But we don't always hate them (again, we never should). Truly, accusations of hatred, bigotry, and worse, never add to a discussion. They merely make the discussion personal, and distract from the real reason for the discussion. Further, they are judgmental. Judging is another thing Jesus says we must not do (Matthew 7). How do you know one who opposes your homosexuality (or anything, for that matter) hates you? How do you know he is a bigot, or whatever else you are tempted to accuse him of? Truth is, you don't. You can't know what's in his heart. That is particularly true if he has been civil in his discussion with you. That is, he has not accused you of hatred, bigotry, insincerity, etc. If he has been kind to you, how can you accuse him of hating you?
So, healthy discussion is good. Let's learn to disagree without being disagreeable. There are a great many honest, and caring people on both sides of the homosexual issue. We can all disagree on the subject, even seek to change each other's views, without name calling and bitterness.
One more thing. The owners of Chik fil-A are certainly entitled to their beliefs. The First Amendment guarantees them that right. They are entitled to state their beliefs. The First guarantees them that right also. I read their statement. I saw nothing hateful in it. They should not be treated hatefully for saying it. And, it's their business, they can run it as they see fit. It certainly seems to be working very well. The posts I saw from people who had worked there had positive things to say. Let's not judge those whom we don't know. Let's not, dare I say, hate?
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
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