Monday Morning Humor

Baptist Medical Centre

Missionary or Imposter

“If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself. You will be whispering it into your child’s ear. You will be telling it to your husband. You will be earnestly imparting it to your friend. Without the charms of eloquence you will be more than eloquent: your heart will speak, and your eyes will flash as you talk of His sweet love.

Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor. Recollect that. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love Him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about Him. Of course I do not mean by that, that those who use the pen are silent: they are not. And those who help others to use the tongue, or spread that which others have written, are doing their part well: but that man who says, ‘I believe in Jesus,’ but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about Him, by mouth, or pen, or tract, is an impostor.

You are either doing good, or you are not good yourself. If thou knowest Christ, thou art as one that has found honey. Thou wilt call others to taste of it. Thou art like the lepers who found the food which the Syrians had cast away: thou wilt go to Samaria and tell the hungry crowd that thou hast found Jesus, and art anxious that they should find Him too. Be wise in your generation, and speak of Him in fitting ways and at fitting times, and so in every place proclaim the fact that Jesus is most precious to your soul.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “A Sermon and a Reminiscence,” Sword and the Trowel(March 1873), as cited on http://www.spurgeon.org/s_and_t/srmn1873.htm.

Why I worship

The most popular treatise on love in the Bible is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a which reads,

 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; love is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; love is not irritable or resentful; love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 

1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love, therefore anytime we read the word "love" in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a we can substitute "love" for "Jesus". Let's try it:

"Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; Jesus is not arrogant or rude. Jesus does not insist on his own way; Jesus is not irritable or resentful; Jesus does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Jesus bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Jesus never ends." 

Now let us read the verses one more time but instead of reading love or Jesus let us put our name in the place of love...how far did you get before you started puking? You see we are not, but He is. We are not patient, but He is. We are not kind, but He is. We envy, He does not. We boast, He does not. We are arrogant, He is not. We are rude, He is not. We could go on through the list, but I believe I have made my point. This is the reason why I worship. I worship because I am not, but He is! Please join me in worshiping our God through this song...

3 Views on Alcohol

In his book God Gave Wine, Kenneth Gentry Jr. describes three positions on alcohol common among Bible-believing Christians.

Prohibitionists:
Prohibitionists teach that all drinking is a sin and that alcohol itself is an evil. This position is untenable because the Bible teaches that God makes "wine that gladdens the heart of man" (Ps. 104:14-15), because Scripture is clear that Jesus first miracle was creating over one hundred gallons of wine at a wedding party, and because Jesus ate enough food and drank enough alcohol to be falsely accused of gluttony and drunkenness. So if alcohol is inherently evil, then God is evil because he makes it, and Jesus is sinful because he drank it. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, isn't it terrible thing for us to try to be holier than Jesus by not drinking?

Abstentionists:
Abstentionists teach that drinking is not sinful but that all Christians should avoid drinking out of love for others and a desire to not cause anyone to stumble. Yes, Christians should avoid drinking in the presence of others who are unable to practice moderation and self control. But it is unreasonable to demand that all Christians abstain from alcohol. The Bible teaches that God gave wine to his people even though they used it to worship the pagan god Baal. Jesus drank alcohol even though there were undoubtedly people in his day who were alcoholics. Paul says that only a demon would compel Bible teachers to forbid things that God made good and that drinking alcohol can be done in a way that glorifies God.

Moderationists:
Moderationists teach that drinking is not a sin and that each person must let Christian conscience guide them without judging others. This position is both reasonable and biblical because wine itself is neutral and can be used in both good and bad ways. When used in a right and redeemed way, alcohol is a gift from God to be drunk with gladness, particularly when feasting. When used in this way, feasting and drinking were foretastes of the kingdom, which will include new wine. This also explains why in Scripture a lack of wine reflects the absence of joy. To be fair alcohol can be used in bad ways. (I think anyone reading this can make a list without too much thought). However, just because wine can be used in a negative way does NOT mean that every person who partakes in wine is doing so sinfully.

When considering whether or not we may drink wine we should follow Romans 14 and allow our conscience to be our guide. If our conscience is "pricked" over the issue of alcohol than we should abstain; however, if our conscience is free (and you have not signed a document in the case of school or a ministry position saying you will abstain) than feel free to drink a glass of wine to the glory of God.

In conclusion, is it OK to drink wine?Drinking wine is not a sin and each person must let Christian conscience guide them (Romans 14) without judging others. Remember, whatever you do whether abstaining or drinking do it all for the glory of God.

Letter to Senator

Below is a sample letter which was sent to the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. I have edited the letter in order to email the representative of North Carolina. I urge all Christians to email their Senate leader. (Link to original article: http://erlc.com/article/letter-senate-minority-leader-hhs-contraception-mandate-s1467/)

February 16, 2012
The Honorable Richard Burr
Republican Representative North Carolina
United States Senate
S-230, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Leader Burr:
I remain profoundly dissatisfied with the Obama administration’s mandate that employers, with the exception of most churches, cover contraceptives—including abortion-inducing drugs such as Plan B and ella—and sterilization free of charge under their health insurance plans. The administration’s February 10 revised mandate, which would supposedly shift the burden of payment for these drugs and devices from religious employers with moral objections to insurance companies, fails to allay my concerns. It is simply an accounting gimmick, a distinction without a difference.

I believe Congress should, and must, swiftly address these clear violations of religious liberty and conscience. As you know, several measures designed to help protect against these specific forms of religious freedom violations have been introduced in the Senate, including the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 (S. 1467) sponsored by Senator Blunt. I strongly supports this legislation. I believe this is a much-needed antidote to the infringement on religious freedom and conscience that will soon hit the American people under the administration’s contraceptives mandate.

Of most immediate concern, we understand that the Senate could soon vote on the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 as an amendment offered by Senator Blunt, and others to S. 1813, the Surface Transportation bill. Specifically, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act would amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to specify that a health plan, plan sponsor, health care provider, or other person cannot be forced to provide coverage of, participate in, or refer for morally objectionable services such as abortion, or be discriminated against for failure to do so. I am writing to urge you to support Amendment #1520, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, to this broader bill.

Thank you for your attention to my concerns outlined here. I appreciate your ongoing leadership in the current battle to protect the fundamental rights of conscience and religious liberty under health care. Please know that I will be monitoring how senators vote on this amendment to protect these First Amendment freedoms.

Sincerely,
T Elliott Welch

Monday Morning Humor

5 reasons to preach in the open air

Imagine surrounded by high rise buildings, cars zooming through intersections, and people swarming all around you. Imagine standing up in the midst of all the chaos, lifting your voice, and sharing the Gospel. Imagine the shock on individuals faces as they realize a "nut job" is preaching in their midst. Some speedily rush pass not bothering to give you a second glance, some mock and laugh at you, but others stop, listen, and occasionally engage with questions. Do you have an image in your head? If so, what you are picturing is open air preaching. Below are five reasons why I believe more men should open air preach...

5) Open Air preaching allows you an opportunity to be surrounded by individuals who do not know Christ.
If I am not careful I could go weeks maybe even months without interacting with someone who is not a Christian. Let me ask a question, how often are you around individuals who do not know Christ? Do you know your unsaved neighbors and/or co-workers? Sharing the Gospel in the open air provides an opportunity to interact with others from varying faiths, cultures, and world views. When I open air preach I am surrounded by Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists,  Hedonists, etc, all of whom need the Gospel, but most will never darken the doors of a church. Open Air preaching brings the Gospel to them and allows us to be surrounded by individuals who do not know Christ.

4) Open Air preaching helps to develop the discipline of evangelism.
I have met a lot of Christians who give "lip service" to evangelism but are too afraid to share their faith. Most Christians worry about what their neighbors, co-workers, and family will think of them. Christians fear not knowing the answer to a question or the awkwardness which will result after having a Gospel centered conversation. Open Air preaching, however, allows individuals to be surrounded by people they have never met and will never see again, therefore, if a question is asked and you don't know the answer, it is OK. If the conversation turns awkward just step down and move somewhere else. No need to be embarrassed you will never see them again! Open Air preachers learn to develop/strengthen the muscle of evangelism. Once the muscle is developed sharing the Gospel with neighbors, co-workers and family becomes a lot easier. Open Air preaching develops the discipline of turning everyday, ordinary conversations into spring boards to the Gospel.

3) Open Air preaching provides practice in apologetics.
Do you know how to explain the existence of God? Do you know why there is evil in the world? Do you know how to explain the reliability of the Bible? Do you know the difference between Christianity and other world religions? Open Preaching forces you to study apologetics and learn how to provide an answer for the hope which lies within. Trust me, it only takes one or two times of looking foolish when asked a particular question before you begin to study and develop an answer to questions.

2) Open Air preaching has biblical precedent.
Old Testament prophets often preached at the city gates because they were the busiest places in town. A man preaching at the gate would have an impact on and a direct outreach to such various areas such as: the business community, court decisions, soldiers, governments, etc. In the New Testament, John instructs us to move into the great commission towards the ends of the earth. Our job as open air preachers is to preach the gospel to ever creature in the world. Simple logic will show the best way to accomplish this is to find where the most people are in one place at one time, and proclaim the message, loud enough for all to hear. We must not forget, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, and even Jesus were all open air preachers.

1) Open Air preaching is pure joy.
This last point maybe hard to believe but preaching in the open air is a blast of adrenaline and pure joy. I always leave my house dragging my feet not wanting to go but when I return I am leaping for joy. The adrenaline pumping through your veins as you stand up on a box surrounded by individuals and prepare to share the Gospel is addicting. I have run into burning buildings and not even that experience compares to the adrenaline I experience when preaching in the open air. It is pure joy to share your faith.

In conclusion, GO, grab a stool, find a street corner, and begin preaching!

Monday Morning Humor

I quit being a Victoria Secret Model

Author: Kylie Bissuti
Title: I quit being a Victoria Secret Model to become a Proverbs 31 Wife
Original Link: http://live31.org/i-quit-being-a-victorias-secret-model-to-become-a-proverbs-31-wife/

I started my modeling career at the very young age of 14. It was always my dream to become a super model and to be a Victoria’s Secret model was my ultimate goal in life. I felt like I was born to walk the runway and at the age of 19 I achieved that goal. I walked in my first Victoria’s Secret runway show, beating out 10,000 other girls to win the prize of their newest runway angel. From there I started doing shoots for their catalogue and was on the cover of multiple magazines, including men’s magazines. I hosted parties, dazzled red carpets, and got more attention than a girl could ever imagine. (and I loved every minute of it) I selfishly desired the attention that I was getting and I gave in to worldly ways… UNTIL I had a very gracious and convicting AWAKENING! The Lord knocked me off my feet and showed me where to find true happiness and self worth. How to be truly beautiful (which has NOTHING to do with external beauty) and most importantly how to truly live a life for Him and His glory and not my own. As I studied the word more, I desired to be more Christ like in the way that I was living. I wanted to be a better example to young women. I wanted to be the wife that God made me to be and the one my husband deserved. (we were recently married before the whole Victoria’s Secret thing happened) I wanted to be honoring to the Lord in all things. So, I stopped modeling lingerie, and skimpy bathing suits. I told myself I would never be on a men’s magazine again, and I decided to be more modest in the way that I dressed. I don’t want to be known as a sex symbol or lingerie model. I desire to be known as a woman who fears the Lord and that is why the LIVE 31 movement is so important to me. I pray that many women will be touched by this movement like I was and pursue to live it out. Christ has totally reshaped and molded my desires. He used my sins and worldly ways to change me and show me the truth and the right way to be respectful to my husband. I now desire to show my husband respect in every aspect: the way I dress, act, what jobs I will take on, how I talk, etc. I now try and share my faith in any area that I can. I sometimes pray for others, or just simply tell my story. I now work with a brand that markets clothing as well as lingerie and I only model their clothing line, so this is a great avenue to witness to the other models when they ask why I do not wear lingerie. Christ also led my husband and I to a great church that has helped me so much. It is a lot easier to stay grounded when you are plugged into a church and fellowship with other believers. I also stay committed to reading the bible. I’m so grateful for Christ’s mercy and grace and I am so passionate about now being a positive Godly role model, who lives for and fears the Lord.

How do you know God is alive?

"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth."-Genesis 1:1

This weekend I had the privilege to open air preach in downtown Raleigh. While open air preaching I was asked, "How do I know God is alive?" The phrasing of the question threw me and I drew a blank. If I could go back and answer the question again here is how I would respond...

I know that God is alive because of creation. When I examine creation I notice design, order, and intelligence. Creation points to a Creator! One example of intelligence in creation can be seen when examining bacteria flagellum. When examining bacteria under a microscope Scientist Michael Behe noticed what looked like an "outboard motor" on the bacteria. This device known as the flagellum propels the bacteria forward, backwards, side to side, etc. The flagellum is able to propel the bacteria between 6,000-17,000 rpm. Scientist Michael Behe argues that the biological system found in the flagellum is too complex to have evolved from a simpler or "less complete" predecessor. The design of the bacteria flagellum points to an intelligent designer.

Here is another way to explain my point. If you were to come home from work tonight and on your kitchen table sat a brand new IPAD with a beautiful red ribbon on top you would not think to yourself, "WOW! AMAZING! All of the molecular molecules, protons, neutrons and electrons came together in just the right way in my kitchen  to create an IPAD". No, that thought would be absurd. You would know that someone with intelligence had taken the time to put together the IPAD and someone with intelligence (though maybe not a good understanding of how much money was in the budget), took the time to go out and buy an IPAD. The same principle holds true in creation.

In conclusion, how do I know God is alive? I know God is alive because of the order, design, and intelligence I see in creation. Creation points to a Creator.

Monday Morning Humor

Grew up in the 90's

You know you grew up in the 90's if...

• You remember when it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons
• You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school
• You remember reading "Goosebumps"
• You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off"
• 'Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?' was both a game and a TV game show
• You remember when Super Nintendo's became popular
• You remember watching Home alone 1, 2, and 3 . . . and tried to pull the pranks on 'intruders'
• You remember the phrase, "I've fallen and I can't get up" (and have said it yourself many times)
• You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates
• Trapper Keepers were an essential back-to-school item
• You never got injured on a Slip 'n' Slide
• You remember boom boxes vs. CD players
• You played and/or collected "Pogs"
• You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere
• You watched the original Ninja Turtles & Power Rangers . . . Cowabunga Dude!
• The Hardy Boys were the best mystery books ever!
• You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out
• You've gotten creeped out by ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?'
• You know the Macarena by heart
• "Talk to the hand" was enough said
• You thought Brain would finally take over the world
• You always said, "Then why don't you marry it!"
• You remember when everyone went slinky crazy
• You remember when Razor Scooters were cool
• You knew Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen collectively as Michelle Tanner
• You remember when teachers used to confiscate your Slap Bracelets
• You remember a time before . . . Internet, text messaging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Sidekicks, iPods, PlayStation2, X-BOX, Wii, Blu-Ray, & HD TV
• You remember when light-up sneakers were cool
• You remember when you rented VHS tapes, not DVDs
• You remember when gas was $0.95 a gallon & Caller ID was a new thing
• You remember when we recorded stuff on VCRs & paid $3.50 to go to a movie
• You remember when the Chicago Bulls were the best team ever
• You remember playing Tag, Hide-n-Go Seek, Red Light Green Light, Heads Up 7 Up, Kick Ball, Dodge Ball, Red Rover, Mother May I, Four Square, Tetherball, Skip-It, Bop-It and Flashlight Tag
• "Get Over Here!!!!" means something to you
• You remember when Tickle Me Elmos and Furbies were the "IT" toys
• You remember running through the sprinklers
• You remember Ariel as 'The Little Mermaid' and you cried when Mufasa died in 'The Lion King'
• You remember getting the privilege to sit in the front seat of the car
• You called the radio station to request songs to hear on your Walkman
• Capri Sun, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, & Fruit By The Foot were staples in your lunch box
• You were an avid watcher of ABC's TGIF, SNICK, Nick in the Afternoon, Disney Afternoon, FOX Kids, Nick Junior, Teen NBC (TNBC), & Nick at Nite
• Kool-Aid was your drink of choice
• $5 seemed like a million, and another dollar a miracle
• You begged to go to McDonalds everyday for dinner
• Toys R Us overruled the mall
• You wish you could get 'slimed'
• Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"
• Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming "Do over!"
• 'Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest
• Interactive games meant going outside to play with friends
• Money problems were handled by whoever was the Monopoly banker
• It wasn't odd to have two or three best friends
• Being old referred to anyone over 20
• It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the 'big people' rides at the fair
• Playing Nintendo was the hardest thing ever
• You remember before we realized all this would eventually disappear
• Corey and Shawn were your best friends

*Sigh* Who would have thought you'd miss the 90's so much!!!!

List taken from: http://90s411.com/grew-up-in-the-90s.html

Acts in Historical Perspective

The "Book of Acts" can be used as a historical backdrop against which we may place the other letters of Paul. Here is a brief breakdown of Paul's ministry and where his letters fit in...

1. Paul & Barnabas 1st Missionary Trip to Galatia (AD 48-49)
1. Galatians (Antioch, AD 48-49)
2. The Jerusalem Council (AD 49)
3. Paul & Silas 2nd Missionary Journey to Macedonia, Achaia, and Greece (AD 50-53)
1. 1 Thessalonians (Corinth, AD 51-52)
2. 2 Thessalonians (Corinth, AD 51-52)
4. Paul, Silas, Timothy 3rd Missionary Journey to Asia (AD 53-57)
1. 1 Corinthians (Ephesus, AD 56-57)
2. 2 Corinthians (Macedonia, AD 56-57)
3. Romans (Corinth, AD 57)
5. Paul's Trial and Detention (AD 57-60)
6. 1st Roman Imprisonment (AD 60-63; end of Acts)
1. Ephesians (Rome, AD 60-63)
2. Colossians (Rome, AD 60-63)
3. Philippians (Rome, AD 60-63)
4. Philemon (Rome, AD 60-63)
7. Paul's 4th Missionary Journey (AD 63-67)
1. 1 Timothy (Macedonia, AD 62-66)
2. Titus (Macedonia, AD 62-66) (Nero's persecution against Christians begins @ this time and runs from 64-66)
8. Paul's 2nd Roman Imprisonment & Martyrdom (67-68)
1. 2 Timothy (Rome, AD 66-67)
2. Beheaded on the Apian Way outside the Gate