Anxiety Series: Dealing with the Critics

Much of the Bible is argued today. Almost every line of every verse is studied by a critic, professor, or theologian. "New" gospels have been introduced which question the authenticity of a "Book" that has existed long before any of us. The Discovery Channel continually airs programs that advertise a world without a "creator". Books like "The Lost Word" argues that the Creator is waiting for us (the created) to become creators. The Gnostics believe that there is no such thing as faith... God only picks the "worthy".. but who of us is worthy????

The media scares us... some say Obama is the antiChrist... others like the Huffington Post claim that Glen Beck is from the abyss... the networks, politicians, and wall street jockey for positions as each day brings new judges, plunges, scams, and buzz words. Where is God in America?

Not in our schools... not in our court rooms... if some have their way... but He is on our dollars... one of the most important items we possess... in our purses, wallets, pockets... "In God we Trust"... we exchange it each day... those few of us who still use cash... It is the official United States motto, and the official motto of Florida... printed on every bill... Yet there are so many who refute this "God"... so many work so hard to exclude Him from society...

What do we do with the swirling controversy and the arguments on Joy Behar and every other TV and radio show... that miscategorize God as a "fairytale"... we must remember that "wide is the road" of unbelief... and "narrow is the road" of faith...

We must be like Andrew and his brother Peter, in John chapter 1, who after hearing an "advertisement for Christ" by John the Baptist... dropped all they had and followed Christ... they didnt need "evidence" or "proof beyond a reasonable doubt"... they required one solitary witness... who was brave enough to introduce them to the "Son of God"... they added some faith.. the sum was grace........

This carpenter from Nazareth would lead them into a world of evangelism... that would ultimately end in all of their deaths...this was not their focus... they ignored the critics, the news of Christ being a "fraud" did not phase their faith... they welcomed philosophical trickery and questions... because Jesus was bigger than a law book... He was greater than any law man... Jesus applied grace.. where law implied punishment... in the end... this is our only hope..........

Comments

Failure is a Gift

I sat in the room, nervous. I had sensed this moment coming all week. Though I felt a small comfort and peace, deep inside, I was terrified. I was bracing for the letdown—far from my first. I made small talk with someone twenty years my junior, knowing that soon, he would ask me to step down. That reality was hard to face. My mind drifted back to my first year as a deputy. I had called my father repeatedly, distressed over my fifth write-up. Each time, he told me to thank them for the discipline, not to quit, and to keep my head up. But I was overcome with sorrow. I felt like a failure. Maybe I could earn straight A’s, but I had no common sense. I feared I would never catch on. I was beginning to give up. Still, my dad insisted I keep going. In my first week alone, I had discharged my weapon—firing over sixteen rounds at a bull on Super Bowl Sunday. Not long after, I found myself in a full-blown foot pursuit of an escapee, my face, mostly pride battered from the struggle. My track...

My Weapon is a Melody

Every day can be a battle. A battle for our hearts, a battle for our minds, a battle to discourage, a battle to get out of bed, a battle to be content in whatever state we are in, a battle to bless God even in the darkest times. Satan seeks to crush and destroy us. When we are so focused on our own pain and battles, we are less useful. Think of a nice shiny car, but with a broken hose. This small hose can cause the entire car to be out of commission. This too is how Satan works in our life. He may sit back and watch us break with the smallest hose. That is all he needs to put us out of service. Many of us have been out of service for quite some time. This is because we have so focused on goals or things that may be outside our purpose. How do we fight battles in our life and overcome them? What should our only purpose be? Praise and worshiping God. That is it. God is constantly seeking out people who just want to worship Him. We constantly ask for blessings in our life, but how many ...

Heart Attack

Valentine’s Day is approaching. It’s easy to love those who are kind to us, but what about those who are cruel? How do we love a bully? It takes a conscious effort to show kindness to someone who has deeply hurt us. But when we learn to love even those who have wronged us—without waiting for an apology—we are truly attacking the heart . This kind of love isn’t normal. It’s outrageous. It means wiping the slate clean, deleting the post , starting over—not for ourselves, but to please God. That’s it. We know that God has forgiven our wickedness, so why can’t we forgive others? This is a love that brings true reward. We often think we practice this kind of love, but do we really? The next time someone enters a room—the very person you’d rather avoid—what will you do? What if God led you to walk up to them and bless them? Would you do it for Jesus? The Cost of Heartache We demand payment for heartaches. We take people to court, punish, divorce, fight, and even kill over them. This has been...

I Am NOT Just a Number

Search This Blog