To present the Thanksgiving story and disregard the Calvinism that ran through the mindset of Governor Bradford and the early settlers in Massachusetts in 1621 would be a grave error.  Not for nothing were they called Puritans!  Would there have been a Thanksgiving story to tell without the Calvinists?  I don’t think so.  You’ll see why below.

Yet, here’s what most kids in the US have been learning about this public holiday for at least a generation. Excerpts follow from ‘The Real Story of Thanksgiving’,  November 21, 2007:

… the Pilgrims came over, and they were just overwhelmed; they were swamped; they had no clue where they were; they had no clue how to feed themselves; they had to clue how to protect themselves; they had no idea how to stay warm; they had no idea how to do anything.  They were just typical, dumb … people fleeing some other place they couldn’t manage to live in.  And then, out of the woods came the … Indians, who had great compassion … and they befriended us … and Thanksgiving is where we give thanks to the Indians.

Of course the rest of the Thanksgiving story is that after the Indians saved the white people, who, after all, did what?  They brought syphilis, sexually transmitted diseases, gonorrhea — as had one high school health teacher pronounced it — racism, bigotry, homophobia, all these things… 

The truth in that account is the value of the Indians’ friendship and skills; conversely, the STDs didn’t come from the Pilgrim Fathers.  That was further south in non-Puritan or non-English settlements (e.g. Virginia, other parts of the New World) where there was much depravity and sadness because of ungodly actions by certain Europeans.  But, back to Thanksgiving and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. And, let’s not forget that John Calvin — whose theology formed the basis of Puritan belief — said that we must recognise common grace in all people. We are all here to accomplish good.  

So, here’s what happened as I learned it – back in the last century (same source link as above):

On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail. It carried a total of 102 passengers, including forty Pilgrims led by William Bradford. On the journey, Bradford set up an agreement, a contract, that established just and equal laws for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Where did the revolutionary ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact come from? From the Bible …

The Pilgrims were a people completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work. But this was no pleasure cruise, friends. The journey to the New World was a long and arduous one. And when the Pilgrims landed in New England in November, they found, according to Bradford’s detailed journal, a cold, barren, desolate wilderness. There were no friends to greet them, he wrote. There were no houses to shelter them. There were no inns where they could refresh themselves. And the sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims — including Bradford’s own wife — died of either starvation, sickness, or exposure.

When spring finally came, Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers for coats. Life improved for the Pilgrims, but they did not yet prosper! This is important to understand because this is where modern American history lessons often end. Thanksgiving is actually explained in some textbooks as a holiday for which the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than as a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments. 

The original contract the Pilgrims had entered into with their merchant-sponsors in London called for everything they produced to go into a common store, and each member of the community was entitled to one common share. All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well.

Bradford, who had become the new governor of the colony, recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter, which had taken so many lives.

He decided to take bold action. Bradford assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage, thus turning loose the power of the marketplace. … Long before Karl Marx was even born, the Pilgrims had discovered and experimented with what could only be described as socialism. And what happened? It didn’t work! …

What Bradford and his community found was that the most creative and industrious people had no incentive to work any harder than anyone else, unless they could utilize the power of personal motivation!  But while most of the rest of the world has been experimenting with socialism for well over a hundred years — trying to refine it, perfect it, and re-invent it — the Pilgrims decided early on to scrap it permanently. What Bradford wrote about this social experiment should be in every schoolchild’s history lesson.

Here’s what he wrote: ‘The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years…that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing — as if they were wiser than God.’

‘For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense…that was thought injustice.’

So what did Bradford’s community try next? … Every family was assigned its own plot of land to work and permitted to market its own crops and products… ‘This had very good success,’ wrote Bradford, ‘for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.’

In no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves … So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians.

‘The profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the merchants in London. And the success and prosperity of the Plymouth settlement attracted more Europeans and began what came to be known as the “Great Puritan Migration”.’

So the Pilgrims decided to thank God for all of their good fortune.  And that’s Thanksgiving.  And read George Washington’s first Thanksgiving address and count the number of times God is mentioned and how many times he’s thanked.  None of this is taught today.  It should be.

This post is going out the day before Thanksgiving so that you have time to share it with your children or grandchildren.  I hope that your preparations are going well, and I pray that you have a very happy Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow: The first Thanksgiving proclamation — from George Washington

Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!! 

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the ten virgins and the bridegroom.  Jesus was talking to His disciples about be ready for the last day when He shared the following parable:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh;  go ye out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.”

“And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil;  for our lamps are gone out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so;  lest there be not enough for us and you:  but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;  and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:  and the door was shut.”

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’  But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” – Matthew 25:1-12 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, the message of this parable is very sobering.  Let’s break this parable down and discuss the thrust of the message.

First of all, cast in the role of the bridegroom is the one and only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.  The ten virgins represent us, believers and non-believers.

Okay, so now that we know the cast, what is the tie-in to the oil and the lamps?  That’s simple, actually.  Why do we need lamps?  Lamps help us to see where we are going, right?  We are blinded when we are surrounded by darkness.

The lamps, beloved, represent our spirits/souls.  Why do I say this?  Consider the following scripture:

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” – Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)

So if the lamp represents our soul/spirit, what does the oil represent?  The oil represents the Holy Spirit, which is attained through Christ Jesus.  Remember, beloved, that though Jesus is not present with us physically on earth anymore, He lives here in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  This is the same Holy Spirit that God the Father filled Jesus, His only begotten Son, with after He was baptized by John the Baptist.  Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is also known as the Light of the World.  Having His light in us, we can rejoice in knowing that our lamps will be lit and shining brightly at the moment that Jesus comes for us.

You see, beloved, the Holy Spirit is the oil that shines brightly enough that all can see our light, which is the presence of the Lord in our hearts.  How can people see that light?  Well, let’s look at the type of light that the Holy Spirit emanates, as described by the Apostle Paul:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, when we live in Christ, we are to be faithful and obedient servants of that which He blesses and graces us with.  Frankly, the manner in which we live should be a strong witness for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Remember, brothers and sisters, as His servants, our lives should be lived in such a manner as to reflect to others our service to our Lord and Savior.  That means we are to let the Lord’s light shine through us for all to see.  Jesus said the following about this:

“Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;  and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

Beloved, the 5 virgins that heed the Lord’s word, and live by it, are those that He will find doing His work when He returns for His bride, which is the church.  The church is comprised of all those who have accepted salvation given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Only those that have Christ in them will be called home to be with the Lord.  Those that do not have Christ in them have souls/spirits filled with darkness instead of light.  Since there will be no light found in such people, they will be passed over when the believers are called home.  Consider the parable of the ten virgins, and listen to what Jesus said would happen when He calls His servants home:

“Then shall two be in the field;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Watch therefore;  for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘My lord delayeth his coming’;  and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 24:40-51 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, no one knows when Jesus will return.  Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows the appointed hour.  The point is that we are supposed to constantly live our lives doing the work of our Lord and Savior so that in that “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus does return, we are found as faithful and obedient servants, diligently doing His work and will.

Unfortunately, beloved, there are many that live without Christ in their hearts.  They do not have the oil of the Holy Spirit burning brightly within them and emanating His light in their lives.  This, brothers and sisters, is all the more reason for us to constantly have our lamps lit with the oil of the Holy Spirit.  By sharing, embracing, and living the Lord’s word and love, we will be more effective in shining His light through the darkness in order to reach those that are presently lost.  Just as we were once lost before being found, we are incredibly blessed with the opportunity to help gather many of our Shepherd’s lost “sheep” by lighting up the path that will lead them home to Him.  This is our mission, beloved, and the time is now to carry it out.

No one should take for granted that the Lord will not come back for “x” amount more time.  We simply do not know the Lord’s return date and time, as only the Father knows.  Jesus could return in 5,000 years, 5 months, 5 weeks, 5 days, or in the next 5 seconds.  Regardless of how long it is until Jesus returns, we need to commit ourselves to doing His work every single day of our lives.  When He returns for us, let’s bless and glorify Him by meeting Him with as many well-oiled lamps as possible!!!

I would like to ask each and every person taking part in today’s discussion a few questions.  If the Lord Jesus Christ were to return in the next few seconds, would you be ready?  Would the Lord find your lamp lit brightly by the oil of the Holy Spirit?  Just as importantly, are you confident and assured that all of your family, friends, and loved ones would be found ready if Jesus were to return in the next few seconds?  Are you confident that hte majority of people in this world are ready to meet the Lord?

Let’s be honest, beloved.  There are a great many people that are not yet ready to meet Jesus Christ.  If Jesus were calling His faithful servants home today, an incredibly large number of people would be among those left behind.  Evidence of this can be found all throughout the world today.  Just turn on the 6 o’clock news, or go for a drive through the city, and you will see that much of humanity is spiritually lost and adrift at sea, without boat or life jacket.  This, brothers and sisters, is the urgency of our mission.  Just as with the 5 foolish virgins, those who are not ready to meet the Lord when He calls His faithful home will find out the harsh reality that the time for making the decision to commit their lives to Him has passed.

Beloved, ask the Lord for the endurance, strength, perseverance, and courage to work tirelessly to share His love and His word with as many people as possible.  The Lord will give you the words and the guidance you need through the Holy Spirit.  The time is now, beloved, for us to increase our staffing levels of faithful and obedient servants to take part in the Lord’s harvest.  Let’s get to work!!!

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would like to, please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray.  Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer then you can rejoice in knowing that you now have the presence of the Lord in your heart.  While you will still face trials and tribulation in this world, you will never again face it alone.  Nurture your new relationship with the Lord and grow that relationship by getting to know Him better.  You can do this by studying His word (the bible), while also making talking to Him continually through prayer made with thanksgiving and supplication.  All you have to do to find out what the Lord had in mind for your life when He made you is to ask Him to shape your life in manner in which serves His will and then embrace the changes that He makes in you and your life.  Welcome to the family, beloved!!!  You are precious in your Heavenly Father’s eyes, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing in your decision to accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior:-)  We are happy to have you!!!

Thank you for joining us for today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next discussion.  Now, go enjoy this day that the Lord has made, and make the most of it.  Be glad, and rejoice in it!!!  Share the Lord, His love, and His word with as many people as possible, doing so just as freely as the Father shared His only begotten Son with us:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

A police station in Belfast was attacked by Christian terrorists recently. They were part of a “rogue” Irish Republican Army group. For those keeping track, that’s the main Catholic group of terrorists there, as opposed to the various other Catholic groups and their enemies, the various Protestant groups. They’re the sides in what the British simply refer to as “The Troubles“.

Of course the MSM won’t refer to these terrorists as “Christian” terrorists. Because we all know Christianity is a religion of peace (or pieces, if you’re in the IRA). But when something that may or may not be about religion, like the Ft Hood shootings, happens, they can’t talk about the suspect’s religious background fast enough, since, after all, he’s a Muslim!

Now I do think the Ft Hood shootings were likely motivated by religion, but so was this Belfast attack. The IRA were, and this rogue group are, Christians and terrorists. Always remember that. The Muslims aren’t the only ones with evil, petty, cruel jerks out there.

Christians talking about love

Protestent christians expressed their love by the rampant killing of native americans, who were called not humans, but ‘red indians’, and usurping their lands and destroying their livelihood. This was quite in line with the way Catholic christians in Europe called native cultures ‘pagan’ and killed the natives, who were again, not called humans, but ‘heathens’. Catholic christians also expressed their universal love through Inquisitions in Europe, South America and in other former colonies such as in Goa. They burned women on stakes, calling them not humans, but, witches. Thus they demonstrated that it is very easy to love people without feeling remorse when labelled with an alternate term instead of calling them humans.

Christians also expressed their love in Africa by enslaving the natives, shipping them off to plantations to be made to work like animals, calling them, not humans, but ‘negros’ or ‘niggers’ .

They loved the natives of Australia and New Zealand so much that they killed them, displaced them, enslaved them, took away their small children and de-cultured them, calling them, not humans, but ‘aboriginals’.

Christian love for India was expressed in the rampant plunder of this country. They not only enslaved the indians, plundered the wealth, they also appropriated the scientific advancements made by the indians, used that to develop their industries and economy and called it ‘industrial revolution’. Concurrently, so much love christians had, that they destroyed the education system that produced that scientific knowledge, destroyed the culture that produced that scientific knowledge, deracinated the indians, shipped them off to far off Carribeans and Africas as bonded labourers calling them ‘hindoos’.

Christians loved the Jews and the Gypsies in Europe throughout the centuries so much that christian Nazis, continuing with such love, starved them to skeletons and incinerated them in gas chambers in millions.

Despite all these accomplishments, christians consider themselves full of love of the only true God and want to convert the remaining adherents of native cultures to this version of love. They call it God’s work. They also call such expressions of love as civilising the natives.

If the past is any indicator, how godly is this christian God ? how merciful ? how benevolent ? how loving is this entity ?
To some of the above victims, the entity God may appear indistinguishable from the other entity these christians bandy about, called Satan.

Muslims talking about peace

Since the death of Khadija, the aggrandizing instinct of muslims have been unleashed unbridled upon the world in such a violent manner that it matches that of christian inquisitions, at times even surpassing that. So ‘peaceful’ were the muslims that they enslaved and killed people following native customs calling them ‘kaffirs’, not humans. In the name of their merciful ‘Allah’, these people have been waging ‘jihad’ over a millennium upon human beings. These peaceful people have mercilessly butchered women and children and enslaved them brutally. Their peaceful acts still continue unabated, in India, in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Iran, in Saudi Arabia, in Bangladesh, in Indonesia, in Malaysia, in Sudan, in Palestine, in Libya.

To the victims of muslim’s peace campaigns throughout the centuries, the entity ‘Allah’ may seem anything but peaceful or merciful.

Communists talking about liberating the masses

If Cuba and China, let alone Stalinist Russia and Cambodia, are examples of liberating the masses, what would be imprisonment ?

The condition of the states of West Bengal and Kerala, that have repeatedly elected communists to power- the impoverishment, material as well as ethical and cultural, people having to work for capitalists outside those states and send money back home, the violence that underlies these societies becoming a fertile ground for exploitation by subversive ideologues -are indicators of how communists ‘liberate’ the masses in a democracy.

To the beneficiaries of such liberation, liberty may seem indistinguisable from incarceration.

Capitalists talking about environment

The way in which capitalists have rampantly and remorselessly looted the earth and destroyed her sustainability over the past few centuries, causing changes in climate and on the native flora and fauna, all to feed their aggrandizing drive, their new found concerns for environment and their pious endeavours towards ‘reducing carbon emissons’ and bringing in ‘green technology’ without discarding the unbridled greed that caused the damage in the first place, without recognizing that Nature is to be sustained for its own sake, not merely for continuation of human’s consumption levels, belie their claim and their intention.

To people living with Nature in a mutually nurturing way, the capitalists’ effort at greening the planet may seem mere continuation of the selfish project of grabbing yet another opportunity to increase bank balance at the cost of environment and ethics.

Indian liberals talking secularism

Secularism of the indian liberals is to demonstrate cronic intolerance towards bharatiya samskriti and to excessively indulge the relentless attack on indian psyche by the four groups- christians, muslims, communists and capitalists.

To the practitioners of bharatiya samskriti, such liberals may seem like puppets dancing to the tune of western imperialism that sprouts four heads- christianity, islam, communism and capitalism.

Maya

Despite the blatant inconsistencies, majority of people today end up buying the lemon sold by the four headed western imperialism.

maya

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. – Proverbs 1:7

The other day, Gabriella had another excellent post, this time on children’s Bibles.  In ‘Not meant for a child?‘ she described her first Bible.  From the scent of the paper to the memorable illustrations to the truly fantastic stories about a mysterious God — yes, I, too, remember my own quite well. 

Childhood is a perfect time to give a Bible to a young person.  Even if they don’t fully understand all the content immediately, they will appreciate, with a parent’s help, that God is omnipotent, omniscient and sovereign.  Please don’t wait to introduce your child or grandchild to the Lord through Holy Scripture.   Remember the well-known Jesuit maxim:

Give me the child till the age of seven and I will show you the man.    

That means a child’s formation is nearly complete by that age.  If he hasn’t learnt his prayers, attended church services or is familiar with Bible stories by then, you’ve lost the best opportunity you’ve ever had to educate him as a Christian.  I haven’t mentioned Baptism, because it goes without saying that that comes first. 

Some parents are concerned about their children being able to handle violence in the Bible or comprehend the God they cannot see.  Yet, if you are a responsible, loving Christian, you will help the young ones in your family know and love Him and His Son Jesus Christ.  

Some parents are reluctant to start their children on the Bible too early.  They fear that some of the stories in the Old Testament may be too violent.  Personally, compared with newspaper and television reports of depraved violence, especially against children, I don’t understand this rationale.  The Bible is God’s Word, and this is where parents need to help guide their children in discernment. They need to explain that God punishes those who are unfaithful to Him.

Yes, children should have decent Bible translations.  However, to help get those under the age of 8 acquainted with the Good Book, why not try Uncle Arthur’s stories?  Arthur Maxwell was a Londoner who moved to the United States as a young man.  He is well known for his Bible stories written for young people.  Having read these for hours at a time growing up, I would describe him as the Children’s Apostle.  I reckon that no man has done more to foster faith in American youngsters than the late Mr Maxwell, about whom you can read more here.  I would like to think that God reserved a special place in Heaven for him.  The stories are pitched just right.  They explain, not frighten.  Yet, they instil awe of God.  A word of warning — they aren’t cheap, but they never were.  Click here for the list of Maxwell’s books.  

But, maybe Uncle Arthur is too passé.  If so, you might be interested in reading this review of Bible comics (perish the thought).  I would advise against, but it’s your choice.

As far as church is concerned, please buy your children a few small, inexpensive books with prayers for young children.  Catholics may wish to buy an illustrated pocket-sized children’s Missal which explains the Order of Mass in easy-to-read prose.   When they get older, most denominations have smaller catechisms or confessions of faith for children to memorise. 

Drawing on my own experience, my mother spent quite a lot of time with me teaching me Catholic prayers and helping me recite my catechism.  My Protestant friends’ parents spent time reading them the Bible and teaching them about their faith.  There is a lot to be said for nourishing young minds at an early age.  Please don’t miss out on this opportunity with your child or grandchild.  You only get one chance.  So do they.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. – Psalm 103:13

N.B.: Neither Churchmouse nor Churchmouse Campanologist has any commercial interest in the items discussed on this blog.

Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!!

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the wedding banquet.  This is a parable that Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees of the temple.  The parable is as follows:

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, whcih made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:  and they would not come.  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner:  my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:  come unto the marriage.”  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  And the remnant took his servants, and intreated them spitefully, and slew them.”

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth:  and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.’  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good:  and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there was a man which had not on a wedding garment:  And he saith unto him, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’  And he was speechless.  Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness;  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Mattew 22:2-14 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, let’s break down the parable, staring with the cast.

The king of the parable represents God the Father.  The son that the king has arranged a marriage for is Jesus Christ.  The bride to be is the church of Christ, which is all who live in the Lord.  The servants that were sent out to invite the guests represent the prophets.  The first group of guests that was repeatedly invited was the Israelites, God’s chosen people.  Remember, that though many prophets were respected and revered for a time, they usually ended up being persecuted/killed by the very people they were trying to reach with God’s message.

The second group of guests are the Gentiles, or the non-Jews.  When the Jewish people repeatedly rejected the Father, His word, and ultimately Jesus Christ and the Gospel He shared, the Gentiles were blessed with the opportunity to receive the Gospel and to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior while also receiving the gift of salvation that is found only in the only begotten Son of God.

Why was the one guest in the parable cast into outer darkness for not having on a wedding garment?  The answer is simple.  Do you know what the wedding garment is that the guests were to be clothed with?  Consider the following scripture:

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;  for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” – Isaiah 61:10 (KJV)

You see, beloved, in order to attend the marriage of the Lamb of God, we must be attired appropriately.  We know that the only person we can get the appropriate attire from is Jesus Christ.  Why?  Through Jesus our sins are washed away, our hearts are purified, and we are clothed with the robe of righteousness.  The person in the parable without the robe of righteousness was a person that had not given their life to Jesus Christ, and was subsequently not wearing the necessary robe of righteousness.  Therefore, the inappropriately attired guest offended the king (God the Father). 

Brothers and sisters, there are people in this world who call themselves Christians, yet Christ is not found anywhere in them.  Such people often assume that going to church, periodically praying, and sometimes reading the bible and quoting chapter and verse is sufficient.  These are usually people that rejoice in sin Monday through Saturday, while attempting to live a Christian life on Sunday.  These are referred to as Sunday Christians, or Convenient Christians, and they do not have a place at the Lord’s table.  Why?  Beloved, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior 365 days/year and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Likewise, we are to be His servants at all times as well, living obediently and faithfully in serving Him.  Unfortunately, some are not sincere in their service to the Lord.  Jesus spoke of such people when He said the following about the day of judgment:

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;  but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?’  And then I will profess unto them, ‘I never knew you:  depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” – Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, while we can fool our fellow man into believing that we are someone we are not, God always knows who we are.  God knows our hearts and knows all there is to possibly know about us.  A few acts, or a few words, do not make a faithful and obedient servant in Christ.  A faithful and obedient servant of the Lord lives in service to Him at all times, while also having the Lord in his/her heart at all times.  We love His word, regularly study it, and He writes it into our hearts.  We take every opportunity to share the Lord’s love and word with anyone we can reach.  We are never ashamed to confess to others that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and Jesus is not ashamed of presenting us to the Father and speaking on our behalf.  Beloved, let’s live Christ in our lives all day, every single day.  Let’s study His word regularly as diligent students, and let’s do His work always as faithful and obedient servants are to do.  The Lord has already given us everything by blessing us with the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Let’s show Him how much we appreciate His sacrifice, His love, and His forgiveness by doing His work and will unceasingly and with a glad heart.

Beloved, if you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would sincerely like to, then please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray. Amen.”

I you just prayed that prayer, honestly seeking the Lord, then you are now saved.  The robe of righteousness is now available unto you, and though you will still face adversity in this world, you now have the Lord with you to face and overcome anything that comes your way.  Nurture your relationship with the Lord by talking to Him often through prayer with thanks and supplication, while also studying His word.  Ask the Lord to guide your every path, and follow the path that He sets before you.  You no longer serve the sins and lusts of this world.  Your chains that tied you to the things of this world have now been broken.  Serve the Lord with all your heart, and always seek His will in all things.  Welcome to the family:-)  Know that the angels in heaven are rejoicing at your decision to give your life to the Lord!!!

I want to thank you all for joining in on today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next message.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed rest of the day.  Remember, you are loved by the very Creator of earth, the heavens, and all life with a love that is perfect, complete, and powerful beyond our present ability to fully comprehend.  Precious one, He made you in your mother’s womb, and you are very special to Him:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

Introducing a new video.  What will you do?  I hope you will at least pray, and pray authentically.

done

Be sure to enter our give-a-way!  Click here.

Some of you will have heard that before at home or at school.  ‘Actions have consequences’.  That’s another.

Today’s post is about what sometimes happens when we do things before we should.  Yes, this is about sex. 

With the Christmas party season just around the corner, the temptation will be there to have that extra glass of wine or spirits.  And, once relaxed, we may turn to more carnal pleasures. 

So often we are unprepared for what happens next.  Sometimes, a woman finds herself with child and thinks she can just have an abortion.  But many people don’t know how quickly young life starts to look recognisable.  That ’lump of cells’ is starting to take shape.  Inside of a few weeks, limbs are forming.  A head looks like a head.  Hands and feet are tiny, yet visible.     

A lot of teens and adults have no idea how soon this development takes place in the womb.  Abortion appears to be the easy option. 

If you have children of both sexes who are of high school or college age, please make sure they see this film.  Yes, it’s graphic, so you’ll probably want to view it alone before showing them.  Had a similar film been available when my classmates and I were teens, it would have really put sexual congress in perspective.  Not all of us approached it so casually, but some did.  And for a few of them, there were grave consequences indeed. 

The film comes from Catholic Online.  Click here to watch.  It’s a short, sharp shock. 

And, there’s more, surprisingly, from the New York Times, which carried a feature in October about a pro-life campaigner and theology professor who photographed fetal remains.  Many people will be surprised to see what some of these aborted fetuses look like.

And, finally, Priests for Life has a page of links showing what fetuses look like at various trimesters.  Hardly a ‘handful of cells’.  

Many people are living in ignorance about abortion.  Where I live the clergy have decided that if you’ve given it enough thought, you can go and have an abortion.  This, sadly, includes a Catholic priest.  Every pastor, vicar and lay minister should have these photos printed out in colour and placed in a discreet booklet.  Then, at the appropriate moment, he can show the booklet to anyone who comes to him for advice on abortion.  I reckon they would be gobsmacked. 

‘Only a handful of cells’, as Cass Sunstein, Obama’s regulatory czar says?  My foot.  This is the guy who also said (same link):

A full-grown horse or dog, is beyond comparison a more rational, as well as a more conversable animal, than an infant of a day or a week or even a month, old.

This misleading ’rhetoric’ is shameful.  These folks just want us to live in ignorance.  Well, it’s time to wise up, rise up and educate ourselves.

by Marcus Grodi
One of the more commonly shared experiences of Protestant converts to the Catholic Church is the discovery of verses “we never saw.” Even after years of studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible, sometimes from cover to cover, all of a sudden a verse “we never saw” appears as if by magic and becomes an “Aha!” mind-opening, life-altering messenger of spiritual “doom”! Sometimes it’s just recognizing an alternate, clearer meaning of a familiar verse, but often, as with some of the verses mentioned below, it literally seems as if some Catholic had snuck in during the night and somehow put that verse there in the text!

Read the article

 Deception Driven Church? You decide…

 Stuart L Brogden Home

Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren Purpose Driven Rick Warren

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Biblical ethicists defy left-of-left government intrusion if the latter prods believers to deny their values.

These stalwarts are in the line of Jesus overturning temple tables, sending merchants fleeing. Jesus defied the power structure in favor of hallowing His Father’s House of Prayer.

Christians through centuries have defied evildoers. They have stood for the God of the Bible while secularists threatened them with harm.

So it is today those adhering to scriptural morals inform a secularist-prone government to move over. These godly disciples will not bend to unbelievers’ demands. They will serve God as God.

“Because we honor justice and the common good,” it states, “we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide or euthanasia or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.”

The document referred to is the Manhattan Declaration per Washington Times’ Julia Duin.

It is bolstered by evangelicals, Roman Catholics and Orthodox leaders in particular. Moralists of all stripes agree with its mission.

Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson and Princeton University professor Roman Catholic Robert P. George spearheaded this Christian witness. Scores of others join them.

As Barack Hussein Obama, Marxist Muslim, continues to gather about him anti-Christian cohorts, particularly as czars in his shadow government, Christians do what Jesus told them to do.

Jesus instructed His grace children not to hide their lights under bushels. Jesus told His own they were the salt of the earth. Jesus Himself defended heaven’s moral base against the odds, finally being murdered for doing so.

Jesus instructed that in every age His saved ones are to be in the world but not of the world, hence Christians take their testimony into the marketplaces. For that some have been persecuted, others martyred. Nevertheless, Jesus followers boldly hold to His example worldwide.

“There are at least 224 million Christians in the United States, according to the Web site Adherents.com.

“The document, which was drafted over the summer, is being released at a time of high stress for many of the groups that signed it. The Archdiocese of Washington is under fire for saying it will not comply with a pending D.C. law that would force the Catholic Church to give health benefits or adoption services to same-sex couples.”

For biblical ethicists there is no thought of compromise, no matter how threatened. Allegiance is having none other than the God of the Word. His law comes first; defending it is paramount.

Read “Religious leaders vow civil disobedience on anti-life issues” at http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/21/religious-leaders-vow-civil-disobedience/

Story here from LifeSiteNews.

Excerpt:

A group of prominent Christian leaders and scholars unveiled a manifesto Friday declaring firm opposition to current and future laws infringing upon the sanctity of life, marriage, faith, and liberty.

The 4,700-word  “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience” was drafted by Dr. Robert George, Dr. Timothy George and Chuck Colson and signed by more than 125 Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders, including Focus on the Family Dr. James Dobson and National Association of Evangelicals president Leith Anderson.  15 Roman Catholic bishops, including Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., were among the signatories.

[...]The document lays out the groups’ arguments against anti-life, anti-family, and anti-religious public policy as contravening “foundational principles of justice and the common good,” in defense of which the group says they are “compelled by our Christian faith to speak and act.”

In asserting Christians’ right to conscientious objection to such policy, the declaration says it is “ironic” that those who advance as “rights” various immoral practices “are very often in the vanguard of those who would trample upon the freedom of others to express their religious and moral commitments to the sanctity of life and to the dignity of marriage.”

“Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family,” it concludes.

Chuck Colson one of the evangelicals, and he writes: (H/T Muddling Towards Maturity)

Having reminded readers about why and how Christians have spoken out in the past, the Declaration then turns to what especially troubles us today—the threats to the sanctity of human life, the institution of marriage, and religious freedom.

[...]The response to this kind of assault on the sanctity of human life requires what the Manhattan Declaration calls the “gospel of costly grace.” This starts with the willingness to put aside our comfort and serve those whom the broader culture would deem outside the scope of its concern and legal protection.

The cost may be higher. Christians may have to choose between the demands of what St. Augustine called the “City of Man” and the “City of God”—which, for the Christian, is really no choice at all.

This kind of principled non-cooperation with evil won’t be easy—there are signs of a reduced tolerance for that most basic of American values, religious freedom. As we’ve discussed many times on BreakPoint, Christian organizations are losing tax-exempt status for refusing to buy in to homosexual “marriage.” Some are going out of business rather than cave into immoral demands—such as placing children for adoption with homosexual couples. Conscientious medical personnel are being sued or being fired for obeying their consciences.

Looks like we are waking upon social issues.

But there is still nothing in the statement about fiscal conservatism or getting serious about defending the faith using reason and evidence. As long as we have Christians continuing to vote for big government and neglecting the life of the mind, we aren’t going to change the culture one iota.

How many people have heard a sermon in their Catholic or mainline Protestant church about the first part of Ephesians 5?  It’s controversial and, for this reason, qualifies as a Forbidden Bible passage.  Let’s have a look. 

Today’s reading comes from the New International Version (NIV).  You can view past posts of Forbidden Bible Verses here.

Ephesians 5

 ¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.

 ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
   ”Wake up, O sleeper,
      rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you.”

 ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Chapter 5 of Ephesians is a continuation of the previous chapter.  (Note the use of ‘therefore’ in the first verse.)  Paul describes more Christian behaviours which the new converts need to adopt in order to more fully live in Christ.  He reminds them of the selfless sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and exhorts them to remember that, making their lives worthy of God.  The ‘life of love’ Paul refers to in verse 2, is not easy.  As we read the subsequent verses we note the many proscriptions on base appetites.  Then as now, these were commonplace and encouraged.  We are to respect ourselves and others in purity, always remembering Christ’s divine love for us.  

Paul lists the sins of which Christians must avoid in verses 3 through 7.  He says ‘not even a hint’ – so, no suggestion at all, no furtive gestures or words made in the direction of these sins.  Lust and greed pollute our bodies, minds and souls.  They are unworthy of God, our Creator.  Furthermore, we are not to employ obscene gestures or speech.  Nor are we to talk idly;  words just for the sake of talking lead to gossip, innuendo and slander.  Paul asks the Ephesians — and us — to put those energies into thanksgiving unto God.  Even if we are not doing so audibly, we should be grateful to God for redeeming us through the blood of His Son.  No one steeped in sins of immorality, impurity and greed will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Such people are idolaters — they worship their sins because they cannot give them up.  In verse 6, he cautions the Ephesians not to be deceived by false teachers — and even we can fall prey to them — who say that serious sin is acceptable and that God will overlook it.  Paul says such transgressions anger God and He will punish the disobedience.  Verse 7 tells us to avoid such charlatans and ignore what they say.  When Paul says to expose ‘fruitless deeds of darkness’ in verse 11, he is asking us to instruct ourselves and others about sin, so as to avoid it.  In verse 12, he says we are never to discuss sin.  Yet, when we know what to avoid thanks to walking in the light of the Son, we can see clearly.  We are no longer timidly trying to find our way in the shadows.  And staying in those shadows can only lead to temptation and transgression. 

Paul signals the way forward in verses 8 – 14: ‘Live as children of light’.  Just as children imitate what they see, Paul asks us to imitate the goodness of Christ.  Yet, one can only understand that Christlike example if one has been saved through the truth and righteousness of the Gospel message.  And when one is conscious of being saved, one walks in blamelessness.  When we are dead to (not ‘in’) sin, we will wake up from our imperfect slumber and walk in the light of Christ.  Are we still sleeping? Are we stumbling around in the dark?  Are we calling ourselves Christians but engaging in sin?  It is possible.

In verse 15, Paul exhorts us to live in wisdom, as one who walks in the light.  His warning to the Ephesians that ‘the days are evil’ in verse 16 also holds true for us.  We are surrounded by temptation.  All of it is rationalised as being ‘healthful’, ‘fun’ and ‘liberating’.  We see sin marketed and packaged beautifully every time we open a magazine or watch television.  And the targets of that marketing are becoming younger all the time.  Thirty years ago, such messages targeted adults.  Now they also target children.  Anyone who has committed a serious sin of which he has repented will tell you it may be enjoyable at the time, but it brings sorrow and heartache later.  Those who repent will understand what the Lord’s will is and they will seek to obey it more and more every day (verse 17).  Paul tells us to stop getting drunk and depressed in verse 18 and replace that with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as fortitude and piety.  When we are Spirit-filled, we will be inclined to glorify God and tell others of His wonder through psalms and song (verse 19).  Even if we are silent, we should carry a song of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts to God in Jesus’s name (verse 20).           

Finally, Paul instructs us to look for Christ in our fellow Christians.  We are called to submit to each other imitating the love that the Lord showed for us (verse 21).

You can read more here.

       Due to the post-election violence many people in Kenya have died,houses burnt and many injured. WOREM inc has played a very important role helping the victims. Blankets have been distributed, food given, medical attention cartered for and accomodation given to displaced families at our orphanage. The current need is overwhelming and we need urgently your support. Our orphanage stores were burnt with furnitures and other valuables as our Eldoret church was destroyed and chairs and ironsheets stolen. We still have servere food shortages in our orphanage. Please, stand with us in prayer and support and God will bless you. Click the link below.

I read through the Manhattan Declaration this evening. It is a document of  ”4,000 + words; six pages” discussing a Christian response to three prominent social issues: (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as a conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscious a religious liberty. This is the summary introduction to the document:

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Justin Taylor wrote earlier today about this document that, “It was drafted by Chuck Colson, Robert P. George, and Timothy George. Signers of the statement include J.I. Packer, Tim Keller, Albert Mohler, and over 100 others.” In support of the statement he wrote, ” It’s a careful, thoughtful statement, worthy of study and acceptance.” As of the writing of this post  it appears that many are in agreement since the website states “4194 signatures in support”.

There are many who disagree with Taylor. The post is currently closed to comments, but several wrote responses beforehand. Some were upset that Protestants would align with Catholics and Orthodox. One commenter understood this as a blurring of the line between Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox that undermines the gospel. Another states that this is a “call to war, with condemnation rather than compassion” in regards to homosexuals. There was even one who wondered why there was not a statement about Islam.

T.C. Robinson added his own post on the matter asking why these topics were not address:

1. A document to eliminate world hunger?

2. A document to provide water for those who can’t even afford a clean cup?

3. A document to treat and prevent certain curable diseases that millions die from daily?

I have a few thoughts of my own to add. First, I think that the issues being discussed are worthwhile issues. It should be noted that this document talks about the sanctity of human life as it addresses not only abortion but also genocide, innocent victims of war, sex trafficking, racial oppression and discrimination, and the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst other items. We must be careful to avoid plugging our ears as soon as we hear people discussion abortion simply because we are a bit worn out by the whole debate. It is still an issue worth discussing as are these other humans rights issues that were mentioned.

Second, the section on marriage being between a man and a woman was not a frontal attack on homosexuals. At least I did not read it as such. The writers were quick to note that promiscuity is the root problem and that many Christian leaders have failed to model Christian marital relationships. It has made us look like hypocrites.

On the other hand, we have the right to ask the question, “What does ‘marriage’ mean if we expand the definition?” It is one thing to prevent homosexuals from having some basic rights like shared insurance or hospital visitation rights. It is a whole different subject to redefine what is by definition a union of a man and a woman. I did not read this declaration as attacking homosexuals, although it stood firm that those who signed do not see homosexuality as a favorable lifestyle.

Third, I am a bit confused by the discussion of religious liberty. I am all for religious liberty, but I am not sure why this would be one of the three subjects given this much attention. Is it because Wal-Mart says “Happy Holidays”? If that is the problem go to Target. I saw “Merry Christmas” signs there!

Now that I have said that I must say I agree with T.C. Robinson. Why address these issues while leaving out others? Are these issues of utmost importance? If homosexuals can get “married” is this as terrible as the fact that thousands across this world do not have clean drinking water? I find this a bit confusing.

Equally, I disagree with my Reformed friends that we cannot be unified with Catholics and Orthodox on various matters. We are unified with both about the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Creed. It is silly to think that if we agree with Catholics and Orthodox we are somehow denying the Protestant Reformation! C’mon, for one thing the Protestant Reformation has nothing to do with the Eastern Orthodox church! But maybe I don’t really understand the whole debate since I am something like what T.C. called as Pente-Baptist.

It is odd though that we would choose several moral-social issues over those doctrinal, confessional issues that we agree upon such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, and so forth. These types of social-moral issues can be agreed upon with Buddhist, Confucians, Marxist, Mormons, and Muslims. Why make a big deal that three Christian groups with as much in common as in contrast agree about some social issues?

Anyways, I promise not to close the comments if anyone has thoughts on this matter. Everything that can be said may have already been said. I just thought I’d weigh in as well.

Read the entire Manhattan Declaration here.

Over the past year, some Christians — particularly in America — have been wondering if they should have a guidebook, a godly version of Rules for Radicals, by which to live and transform the world.  Proponents of this idea say that it would beat the progressives at their own game and help revive Christianity in a postmodern world.

Many mainstream Protestants would disagree.  They come from a ‘two-kingdom’ tradition, whereby there is a civil kingdom in this world which the Lord oversees with common grace and a heavenly kingdom in the world to come.  This idea started with Augustine of Hippo in The City of God.  Augustine wrote this work in reaction to the shock the Romans experienced after the sacking of the Goths in 410.  ‘How could this have happened?’ they said.  ‘If only we had been better devotees of the Roman gods.’  Augustine stated that this was where Christianity provided a better answer: even if earthly rule turned out to be chaotic or endangered, the kingdom of God (heaven) would ultimately triumph.  

Nearly 1000 years later, the Reformers revisited doctors of the early Church, principally Augustine.  Both Calvin and Luther borrowed heavily from him, especially with regard to the ‘two-kingdom’ idea.  Calvinists, in particular, pushed hard for religious liberties in Geneva, London and Amsterdam.  They were joined by Quakers and deists. This carried over across the Atlantic, influencing even the founding fathers of the United States.  In ‘Response to Questions about the Two Kingdoms’, Dr Michael Horton, the J. Gresham Machen professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California (Escondido, California), host of The White Horse Inn national radio broadcast, and editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine, says:

Trained under Presbyterian stalwart John Witherspoon (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), James Madison used two kingdoms arguments for his case. In fact, he surveyed history to argue that the church itself is healthiest when it is least dependent on state sponsorship and support.

Horton explains how ‘two kingdoms’ gained credibility among Protestants:

Clearly, Luther drew the lines between the two kingdoms in clear, bold colors, but so did Calvin—and both did so especially over against the radical Anabaptists who were trying to take over cities in the name of Christ’s millennial kingdom! Calvin wrote explicitly of the ‘two kingdoms’: both under the reign of the risen and ascended Christ, but ‘in different ways’; one, by common grace and the moral law inscribed on the conscience and the other by saving grace and the gospel. Neither Lutherans nor Calvinists have been consistent in working out their theory, but the two-kingdoms doctrine has a substantial body of reflection throughout the whole history of the church.

Until Christ comes again in glory, the Holy Spirit infuses God’s world with ‘common grace’ which benefits all men — no matter what their faith or lack thereof – wherever they are in the world.  Although there appear to us to be exceptions (just watch the news!), generally speaking, we refer to concepts and conduct almost all of us share, such as ’common decency’.  This would be an example of common grace.  We work together to help — or at least not to harm — each other in this life.  (I’ve included qualifiers because a small number of people, for whatever reason, do not or cannot respect these norms of natural law.)  We also enjoy a type of common grace in appreciating God’s creation in all its natural beauty.  Should I describe a breathtaking sunset here in the UK, a reader in Ghana may read the post understanding the beauty of that sunset.   That reader may choose to send in a comment which acknowledges that experience.  Immediately, we have a common bond as humans.

Of course, in today’s activist world, many detractors of Christianity do not believe we are ‘doing enough’ to combat the world’s ills and see that the ‘two kingdom’ notion is partially responsible.  Conversely, Christians see that political and social action groups are all over the place with secular rules promoting their agenda for a better, transformed world involving conformity which may not meet with universal approval.  What to do?  Do we try to replicate God’s kingdom to earth?  Should we?

Horton says no.  He reminds us that (emphasis mine throughout):

Surely, if ever in this present age, we were to expect a total transformation of the kingdoms of this age into the kingdom of Christ, it would have been in Christ’s earthly ministry. Yet he just preaches the gospel, forgives sins, heals the sick, and marches toward the cross.

Nor do we find a blueprint in the New Testament Epistles for a Christian economic or political system, a Christian theory of art or science, or a plan for universal hygiene. The commands are simply to live godly lives in the present, as parents, children, spouses, employers, and employees, caring for the needs of the saints, participating regularly in the public assembly of Christ’s body, and to pray for our rulers.

Whilst Horton acknowledges that individuals such as William Wilberforce helped transform our societies (in this case, working hard to abolish the slave trade in the 19th century), we are called by God and His Son to work within our own sphere of influence.  So, for most of us, that means being good spouses, friends, parents, employees and volunteers.  The command does not involve setting the world on fire in the secular world or try to devise a heaven on earth.  Horton adds:

We will still need government and private sector relief agencies, but it would make a big difference in society if Christians spent more time in their ordinary vocations … and fulfilling their calling at work with remarkable skill and dedication.

Furthermore, non-Christians are as likely to be numbered among the great heroes, too. Calvin speaks eloquently of the Spirit’s work in common grace of bringing truth, goodness, and beauty in earthly matters to the world through pagans, benefiting us all. It would be ‘ingratitude toward the Spirit’ he says, if we were to ignore these gifts. So in these acts of love and service to our neighbours, Christians are not alone. It is due to God’s common grace, but the church is not a common grace institution. It is not the Rotary Club, UNICEF, or a political action group. The visible church is God’s means of bringing his saving grace to the ends of the earth.

To the pastor who exhorts his congregation to do otherwise would be to miss:

several important biblical points: We’re in the in-between time right now. Not only are the secular kingdoms still secular (though we still participate in them); we ourselves are still simultaneously justified and sinful. We are not ourselves transformed enough (glorified) to agree upon what a transformed world would look like in all the details, much less to implement it perfectly. Imagine an international, evangelical Christian congress where a plan for transforming the world were to be designed. How long would it take before fights broke out?

I’ve been in Christian conferences where theologians, ethicists, and pastors presented their imperatives for a new world order and Christian economists in the room hardly knew where to begin enumerating the factual confusion and incoherence, much less the wisdom, of their arguments. In this in-between time, even a non-Christian economist or hospice worker who cares about people will be more of a genuine neighbor to a sufferer than a lot of busy Christians with big plans that are impractical or uninformed.

Horton encourages us to work along side others in secular volunteer work.  Conversely, he also advises congregations and pastors against turning church into a party political broadcast:

Pastors aren’t authorized to create their own blueprint for transformation, but are servants of the Word. Where Scripture has clearly spoken, he must speak. Where it is silent, he must keep his personal opinions and perhaps even learned conclusions to himself. Of course, pastors are called to preach the whole council of God: not only the gospel, but the law—including its third use (to guide Christian obedience). That’s enough to occupy our prayerful action in the world, without piling up commands that God never gave. We’re never called to transform the world (or even our neighborhood). We’re never called even to bring millions to Jesus Christ.

One day, this kingdom will extend to every aspect of worldly existence. There will be no tyrants, no pain, no disease, no injustice, no poverty, no idolatry, no oppression. The kingdoms of this world will be made the kingdom of our God and of his Christ and he will reign forever. For now, however, Jesus is gathering guests for his feast, forgiving, justifying, calling, renewing, sanctifying, and sending them out to bring others to the swelling hall. Christ’s reign in grace (through the Great Commission) is a parenthesis in God’s plan. His reign in glory, commencing with his return in judgment and final conquest of the whole earth, will be everlasting.

Horton concludes:

We are not building a kingdom, but receiving one (Heb 12:28). Even our lives in the world, in our callings, in our witness to our neighbors, is not bringing the future of Christ’s consummated kingdom into the present. Rather, it is God’s means of extending his reign in grace, while we wait expectantly for his return in glory.

So, let us contend and defend our faith by showing a good example and helping the people with whom we come in contact every day.  That’s it?  Putting it into practice takes a lot of work.    　

Read the New Book, Christian ~ A Dangerous Title to Claim, for free on Google Books ~ Click Here.

What is this book about? Click under Pages on right hand side of screen.  If you do purchase this book, all proceeds goes to Persecuted Christians and indigenous missionaries around the world!

done

On Wednesday, Churchmouse Campanologist featured the better part of an essay by Brother Stephen, O. Cist., a former Anglo-Catholic who became a Roman Catholic and joined the Cistercian Order.

Today, we look at his advice to Anglo-Catholics thinking of converting to the Roman Catholic faith.  He wrote his essay, ‘So who are these Anglicans with nuns?‘ on June 16, 2009 — four months before Pope Benedict XVI extended his invitation to Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic faith.

He advises Anglo-Catholics to consider the following during their period of discernment (highlights mine):

When friends who are still Anglican ask me about crossing the Tiber, I tell them to come if they have fallen in love with the church but not to come to Rome merely as a refuge from the storms of Anglicanism. Conversion should be a running to, not a running from. Nor will I say that the grass is always impossibly verdant on this side of the Tiber. Many an Anglican has converted only to revert because he or she found life in Rome less congenial than was expected…

If you have come to believe what the Roman Catholic Church says about herself, come! Our Lord sent out his disciples without scrip, bread, or money and said that even he himself did not have a place to lay his head. If you believe that Rome is where the fullness of the Catholic faith is to be found, you may need to be willing to leave behind old friends, Anglican Chant, real albs, and excerpts from this week’s New York Review of Books tucked into Sunday sermons.

He cautions that to many Roman Catholics, all converts are alike.  Perhaps another way of saying this is that they don’t consider where you’ve come from as long as you are there.  However, the convert will most likely be unable to share his previous Christian life with new friends: 

A-Cs also should be prepared for the fact that few Roman Catholics have ever heard of Anglo-Catholicism, priests included. People in your new parish will be glad you’ve come, but Anglo-Catholics, Adventists, and American Baptists are all pretty much the same to most cradle Roman Catholics. At first I was quite put off by the general obliviousness. I felt that I had agonized over this momentous decision to sign up with a church that looks so good on paper and, so often, so bad in practice, and no one appreciated my great and noble sacrifice. Poor, poor me! (The lesson in humility alone has probably been worth the trip.) 

Then, there are the liturgical differences:

At times after your conversion, you will find yourself feeling like the Israelites in the desert remembering the melons of Egypt and at other times you may well feel like Ruth, a resident alien in a strange land. At some point you will attend a mass with a homily, music, or liturgical idiom so terrible that you will wish you could be Samson in the temple of Dagon because you are so furious that these people don’t seem to appreciate what they’ve been given.

And RCIA (I noted similarly in an earlier post — no grasp of church history!):

You stand every chance of being theologically patronized by an RCIA instructor who couldn’t put Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas in order on a timeline and who doesn’t seem to be aware that there were some other pretty cool councils before Vatican II. Before your first year is out, you will meet at least one neocon who believes that the whole of the faith is contained in his own highly selective reading of the encyclicals of John Paul II.

And busy priests, unlike the Anglican vicar or Episcopal rector who knows everyone by name and makes time for a chat:

Chances are the pastor in your new parish has 2,000 souls to care for instead of the 200 you are used to and won’t have the same time to look after your every need.

But, overall, Br Stephen’s move has worked well for him:

Since being received, I have hung my hat with the Novus Ordo, nicely done, with few complaints. My conversion was theological and I’m finding what I came looking for as well as having a fair number of pleasant surprises. I have been to confession more times in a year than I did in 20 as an Anglo-Catholic. The reality of the universality of the Church still fills me with wonder as I try to get my mind around being in communion with more than one billion people. My parish and its priests are exemplary. I have received grace up on grace.

Paris was worth a Mass. Peace of mind is worth even the occasional folk Mass.

He lists several resources at the end of his essay, so, if you are Anglo-Catholic and would like to deepen your investigation as part of the discernment process, please click here.

…unfortunately, it was a documentary.

Check out the trailer for “Hell House” right here:

Lordy,

-Shady

Welcome back, friends!!!

Today we are going to break down the parable of the talents. At talent, as used in the parable, was a variable unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Rome. Jesus shared the parable of the talents with His disciples. The parable is as follows:

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”

“Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”

“After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.’ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’”

“He also that had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.’ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’”

“Then he which had received one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.’ His lord answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” – Matthew 25:14-30 (KJV)

 So what does this parable mean? Very often you will find people willing to tell you that this parable is all about money. This is not so. While the parable uses talents (money) given to the servants, the example of the money that was given is symbolic of something far greater. Let’s break this down and see what this is all about.

First of all, the lord of the servants symbolizes our Lord, Jesus Christ. The servants are those who claim to serve the Lord, such as Jesus’ apostles at the time, as well as Christians yet to come.

Okay, so now that we know whom the players are, what exactly is the point? The “talents” of the parable symbolize the gifts that the Lord bestows upon us. This includes blessings of ability, knowledge, wealth, hope, faith, etc. Most importantly, this includes the word of God. Why did the lord of the parable commend and reward the first two servants? He rewarded them, because they had been faithful and obedient in their service to Him. Rather than being selfish or lazy, both of the first two servants actively worked to make the most of what their lord had given them. Subsequently, when their lord returned, they were able to return more back to the lord. Beloved, I’m sure you see the parallel here. Just as the lord of the parable returned after having been away for quite some time, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior will also return after having been in heaven for quite some time. When the Lord returns, all will have to give account of themselves. As the apostle Paul wrote:

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:12 (KJV)

As we saw in the parable, the third servant did absolutely nothing productive with what his lord had given him. Instead, he just buried it in the ground. Beloved, there are unfortunately many people in this world that do the same with what the Lord has entrusted to them and blessed them with. Rather than use the gifts they have been given to do the Lord’s work, they bury their “treasure”. In so doing, they are unfaithful and disobedient to the Lord. For those that are unfaithful and disobedient to God, there will be severe consequences, including being cast into “outer darkness”. Beloved, are not called to kick back. We are called to serve. If we do not serve the Lord, then we have not really accepted Him as our Lord and Savior.

Brothers and sisters, when we face the Lord don’t we all want to see a pleased look on His face? There are no sweeter words you could imagine Him saying than, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” There’s only one way to do that, beloved. We must use what the Lord has blessed us with in order to prove ourselves as obedient and faithful servants of the Lord and good stewards of His gifts. This includes using any abilities that we have been blessed with to their utmost, and using all of our available resources to constantly spread the Lord’s love and word throughout the world. This is the Lord’s work, and we are all called to do it. While many of us will have different roles to carry out, different blessings/abilities, and different burdens, the things that unite all servants of the Lord are our faithfulness, obedience, and willingness to put serving Him above serving ourselves.

Beloved, Jesus Christ is truly Lord of all. However, each one of us has to decide what type of servant we want to be. I pray that each and every person taking part in this discussion will commit themselves to being a faithful and obedient servant that puts all that God has blessed them with to the utmost use in order to serve and glorify God and His blessed name. This includes using our tangible and intangible assets/blessings. Most importantly, it means sharing His Gospel with others. The Lord will reward us based on our faith and obedience to Him. Don’t look for those rewards in earthly treasures that will fade away with time. Rejoice in knowing that the Lord rewards with heavenly treasures:-) 

Beloved, don’t be timid in sharing the word of God. Just as the Lord’s love and word saved you, sharing the same with someone else may help them to turn their lives over to Christ. The best return we can provide to our Lord Jesus Christ is to show our faithfulness and obedience as we work to bring more laborers (believers) into the harvest. That only happens by making the most of what God gives us and sharing His love and word with all people that we can reach.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would like to do so, please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray. Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer sincerely, then you are now a citizen of Christ’s eternal kingdom. You are saved, precious one!!! A new creation has been born in you, as Jesus Christ has now taken root in your heart. You will still face problems in this world, but you will never again face those problems alone. Get to know your Savior by studying His perfect word, and share His love freely with all you encounter just as He has unconditionally bless you with His powerful and perfect love. Welcome to the family:-)

If ever I can support you in prayer over any area of your life, please send me your prayer request(s) either through the “Comments” box at the end of this message, or by emailing me directly at jasonthurwanger @ dellmail.com (no spaces). It is always a blessing to join you in prayer.  It is truly a wonderful and blessed thing when we come together to unleash God’s power through prayer.  He is truly greater than anything this world, or the enemy, can throw at us:-)  Praise God!!!  Thank you, Jesus!!!

Remember, if you would like to order the new book “Strapping On the Whole Armor of God – Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare), please visit my website at http://www.yourbrotherinchrist.com .  If you prefer to order by mail, you will also find the mailing address on that website.  This book is very valuable in helping people understand how to go about securely and effectively putting on the whole armor of God that the apostle Paul refers to in Chapter 6 of Ephesians.  We are praying that many people will receive this book and be blessed in their walk with the Lord by reading it.

Thank you for joining in today’s discussion.  I hope you will join us for tomorrow’s day of prayer for this week’s prayer requests, as well.  Have a wonderful and bless remainder of the day.  Remember, this is the day that the Lord has made.  Let’s rejoice, and be glad in it:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Sarah Palin, if running for President, surely will divide this Republic all the more into two definite segments—fiercely opposing segments.

Already we have two primary segments: believers and secularists.

Believers are those moralists who hold to the God of the Bible, particularly the New Testament God in Christ. It may be via Roman Catholicism, evangelical Protestantism, Orthodox Christians, or non-church members who hold to biblical ethics.

Secularists are exampled by Joy Behar on The View. She is with conviction a non-believer who holds that this life is all there is. No deity. No hereafter. No judgment accountability. This is it; write your own (im)morals.

George W. Bush’s interviews regarding his faith brought out remarks that he read the Bible, prayed to Christ, believed in the hereafter, and other basics common to biblical believers.

This infuriated secularists. They charged him with swords and knives aplenty. Likewise Laura.

But with Sarah Palin, Pentecostal, all the more swords will cut and slash. Interviewers from a secularist-based media will pound away till blood flows in her boulevards. Headlines will misquote her. Liberal press will cut her to ribbons.

Therefore, if there was a divide in the Republic with Bush, all the more so with Palin. Will she make it through a campaign let alone a sit-down in the White House? That is a tough question to answer.

But one thing Palin cannot afford to do is to compromise who she is. And who she is is known now by thinking moralists. Thinking moralists know their faith, ethic, biblical mooring and its practical lifestyle. They are also tuned into buzzwords that reveal truth or double-talk.

Therefore, if Palin compromises her ethic, it will be picked up immediately by genuine moralists. And they will not let her get by with hypocrisy.

For instance, when Bush invited Muslims to a Ramadan dinner in the White House at which time he lifted high the Koran, announcing its placement in the White House library, knowledgeable biblical believers shot him down—and appropriately so.

When Bush told a visiting Muslim leader that many paths lead to God, knowledgeable biblical believers let not a moment go by without informing the President that he was so utterly incorrect.

These two faith failures will long be remembered by those who know the solid faith they hold as eternal truth. Eternal verities cannot be sliced through. They cannot be used opportunistically for this or that. They are God-given; therefore, even the President of the United States cannot sheer off truth’s solidity.

If Palin tries for the numbers’ game by playing politically correct in any venue, she’s done. Secularists will immediately drive home her inconsistency. Moralists will drive home her weakness.

She cannot afford inconsistencies or weakness. She sounds solid now. She must sound solid all the way through to whatever.

In doing so, she will divide the American people all the more into two fighting segments—secularists versus biblical believers.