Opportunity of our words

Every day we are given the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Every time we open our mouth to speak, we send forth words which have an effect on those around us. Our words, which come "out of the overflow of the heart" (Matthew 12:34), will either cause a positive or negative reaction...our words are rarely neutral. Knowing the power of our words ought to cause us to use them with great care. Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." This means that every time we speak, we have the opportunity to encourage and minister. With just a few moments of our time and very little effort, we have the opportunity to brighten someone's day, to ease their burden, and possibly draw them closer to God. This precious opportunity must not be taken lightly; "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:26). If we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our careless words are eternally forgiven. And yet, our words remain a reflection of our heart. God has given us a new heart which ought to be filled with devotion, and our words should be filtered through a desire to bring Him glory and honor. But sometimes we smother this heart and fail to let it shine. Though forgiven, we must also give an account of the damage our words have caused. We seldom realize how harmful and discouraging our words can be; "Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'" (Proverbs 26:18-19). Sarcastic and joking words are "deadly arrows" which are never useful for "building others up." Over time, these words are sure to destroy a relationship. Before we speak, we must carefully listen. What is the real question? What are the real needs or concerns? "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (Proverbs 18:13). We may only be given the opportunity to speak a few words, but we can make every effort to use our words wisely; "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (Proverbs 15:28). Our words are a powerful gift. Let's honor our Heavenly Father by effectively using this gift to encourage. Let's speak so those who listen may benefit and be built up in their faith. Let's continually encourage one another to draw closer to our Heavenly Father and never squander the opportunity of our words. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries

Are we real friends?

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His "friends." What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him. There is an example of true friendship between David and Saul's son Jonathan, who, in spite of his father Saul's pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. You will find that story in 1 Samuel chapter 18 through chapter 20. Some pertinent passages are 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19: 4-7; 20:11-17, 41-42. Proverbs is another good source of wisdom regarding friends. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). The issue here is that in order have a friend, one must be a friend. "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses" (Proverbs 27:6). " As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). The principle of friendship is also found in Amos. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3 KJV). Friends are of like mind. The truth that comes from all of this is a friendship is a relationship that is entered into by individuals, and it is only as good or as close as those individuals choose to make it. Someone has said that if you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand, you are blessed. A friend is one whom you can be yourself with and never fear that he or she will judge you. A friend is someone that you can confide in with complete trust. A friend is someone you respect and that respects you, not based upon worthiness but based upon a likeness of mind. Finally, the real definition of a true friend comes from the Apostle Paul: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8). "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13). Now, that is true friendship!

Who are you Trusting?

The words translated “trust” in the Bible literally mean a bold, confident, sure security or action based on that security. Trust is not exactly the same as faith, which is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, trusting is what we do because of the faith we have been given. Trusting is believing in the promises of God in all circumstances, even in those where the evidence seems to be to the contrary. Hebrews 11 talks about faith, which is accepting and believing the truth that God reveals about Himself, supremely in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the practical consequence of faith in God is trust, which we prove by living out our full acceptance of God’s promises day by day. Furthermore, it is by this trust that we are promised peace: “You will keep in peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). The classic verse regarding trust is Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This verse sums up the Bible’s teaching on trust. First, it is the Lord in whom we are to trust, not ourselves or our plans, and certainly not the world’s wisdom and devices. We trust in the Lord because He and He alone is truly trustworthy. His Word is trustworthy (Psalm 93:5, 111:7; Titus 1:9), His nature is faithful and true (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 25:10, 145:13, 146:6), and His plans for us are perfect and purposeful (Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 29:11). Further, because of His nature, we are to trust Him with all our hearts, committing every aspect of our lives to Him in complete confidence. Finally, we are not in trust in ourselves because our understanding is temporal, finite, and tainted by our sin natures. Trusting in ourselves is like walking confidently across a rotten wooden bridge over a yawning chasm thousands of feet deep. Disaster inevitably follows. Trust in God is a feature of many of the psalms of David. There are 39 references to trust in the Psalms alone, whether referring to trusting in God and His Word, or to not trusting in riches or the things of this world. It is on the basis of this trust that David finds deliverance from all the evil he encounters. Many of David’s psalms describe situations when he was pursued by Saul and his army, as well as his other enemies, and always did the Lord come to his aid. One thing that can be noted about biblical trust is that it always engenders further trust in our God. The man of God never stops trusting in God completely. His faith may be knocked, He may stumble, or He may fall into the foulest of sins, but “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:24). The man of God knows that though trials will beset in this life, his trust will not waiver because that trust is based on faith in the promises of God that lie ahead, the promise of eternal joy with the Lord, and the promise of an inheritance that ‘can never perish, spoil and fade (1 Peter 1:4).

Dedicated to Kristine Sharpe. She spent her last few months telling her testimony for Organ Transplantation. register to donate. Sign up. https://donatelifetn.org/index.aspx

Where is your Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief in and devotion to God.” The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that without faith we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him. Where does faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. It is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory. Why have faith? God designed a way to distinguish between those who belong to Him and those who don’t, and it is called faith. Very simply, we need faith to please God. God tells us that it pleases Him that we believe in Him even though we cannot see Him. A key part of Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “He rewards those who earnestlyseek him.” This is not to say that we have faith in God just to get something from Him. However, God loves to bless those who are obedient and faithful. We see a perfect example of this in Luke 7:50. Jesus is engaged in dialog with a sinful woman when He gives us a glimpse of why faith is so rewarding. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The woman believed in Jesus Christ by faith and He rewarded her for it. Finally, faith is what sustains us to the end, knowing by faith that we will be in heaven with God for all eternity. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). Examples of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because in it great deeds of faith are described. By faith Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord (v. 4); by faith Noah prepared the ark in a time when rain was unknown (v. 7); by faith Abraham left his home and obeyed God’s command to go he knew not where, then willingly offered up his only son (vv. 8-10, 17); by faith Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 23-29); by faith Rahab received the spies of Israel and saved her life (v. 31). Many more heroes of the faith are mentioned “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (vv. 33-34). Clearly, the existence of faith is demonstrated by action. Faith is the cornerstone of Christianity. Without demonstrating faith and trust in God we have no place with Him. We believe in God’s existence by faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is but lack the reverence necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These people lack the true faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves them. Faith can fail us at times, but because it is the gift of God, given to His children, He provides times of trial and testing in order to prove that our faith is real and to sharpen and strengthen it. This is why James tells us to consider it “pure joy” because the testing of our faith produces perseverance and matures us, providing the evidence that our faith is real (James 1:2-4).

Article in the Tri-State Defender by Bernal E. Smith II

Organ donor fight calls for front-row action Tri-State Defender • May 24, 2012 Written by Bernal E. Smith II It appears that as has occurred in far too many instances on far too many issues in recent times, a fight has broken out in Memphis. In one corner is Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and in the other is the Mid-South Transplant Foundation. Although not at the root of the debate, it appears the large African-American population in Memphis and the Mid-South is certainly a big part of it. Each party has been on a mission to ensure that its side is heard and accepted as the way forward. I have listened, studied, researched and learned more about this topic than I ever thought I would. A few basic definitions are necessary to understand the matter better: − Donor – A person who makes a decision to donate his or her organs upon their death (a living family member or close friend can also make a decision to donate a kidney to a relative or friend in need at any time.) − Organ – Heart, lung, kidney and liver, with our focus primarily on kidneys and livers. − Primary access – Priority access to available organs. − Secondary access – Access after the sickest person in a local area or the region is served. Several truths exist in the State of Tennessee: − The majority of the states African-American population lives in West Tennessee and more specifically in Memphis. − As is the case in the U.S. in general, African Americans in Greater Memphis face substantial health disparities that can be exacerbated or improved by policy decisions with the proper understanding and intention. At the heart of the debate is pending implementation (end of 2012) of a 2008 decision by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to eliminate a 19-year "organ sharing agreement" more formally known as an Alternative Allocation System (AAS) in Tennessee. Tennessee, Florida and Ohio all had been operating under similar long-term exceptions to current policy. UNOS is a private non-profit contracted with the Department of Health and Human Services. A review of UNOS's website reveals some of their key functions: − Managing the national transplant waiting list, matching donors to recipients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. − Maintaining the database that contains all organ transplant data for every transplant event that occurs in the U.S. − Bringing together members to develop policies that make the best use of the limited supply of organs and giving all patients a fair chance at receiving the organ they need, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle or financial/social status. − Monitoring every organ match to ensure organ allocation policies are followed. UNOS determined in 2008 that the AAS in Tennessee (Florida and Ohio as well) created unfair advantages and potential disadvantages to some programs providing organ procurement services (collection and distribution) when the goal is always the highest level of fairness to the sickest patient on the list. Complex and frequently reviewed rules govern how available donated organs are distributed on a state, regional and nationwide basis. The decision has caused much dispute on its impact and the steps that should be taken because of it. Methodist, in partnership with University of Tennessee, has one of the area's largest liver and kidney transplant programs. Le Bonheur operates the only pediatric liver program in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. The Methodist position I recently had a conversation with Dr. James Eason, transplant surgeon with Methodist and passionate advocate for greater access to more organ donors for Memphis and the Mid-South. He shared a framework and direction to more resources to understand Methodist's position on the issue. Methodist's position is that the recent UNOS policy change resulted in Methodist losing primary access to the 5.5 million potential donors that live east of Jackson, Tenn., except Carroll County, including the remainder of Tennessee, parts of Kentucky and parts of North Carolina and Virginia. The defined area that it will have primary access in has two million people or potential donors, including all of Tennessee west of Jackson, parts of North Mississippi and parts of Eastern Arkansas. Each of these areas is served by a local Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) charged with procuring organs from donors and ensuring they are legally and ethically provided to the sickest individuals on the list of those seeking organ transplants. Under the AAS, both areas of Tennessee and both OPOs combined to form one "local" area. After the termination of the agreement, these areas are now autonomous local areas that are a part of a five state region (Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky). The Mid-South Transplant Foundation (MSTF) is the OPO serving the area west of Jackson. Tennessee Donor Services (based in Nashville) serves the area east of Jackson. Methodist asserts that its primary access will be limited to one of the smallest OPO's (Mid-South) in the nation, reducing Methodist's liver access by up to 75 percent, and drastically reducing the number of patients it is able to transplant each year. This, Methodist argues, will limit patient access to organs, causing deaths while on waiting list for organs from other areas. Methodist has filed a waiver to petition the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (under the Department of Health and Human Services) to allow them to partner directly with Tennessee Donor Services as their primary OPO, increasing their access to a larger donor pool. It appears that Mid-South had approximately 62 donors (200 organs procured) while Tennessee Donor Services had approximately 200 donors. To avoid the consequences of this decision, Methodist presents two options. The primary proposed option from Methodist is for MSTF to merge with Tennessee Donor Services (TDS), with TDS being the surviving entity. This would create one sole OPO and one local area for Tennessee, giving Methodist primary access to all of the organs, particularly livers on a primary basis. The second best solution, according to Methodist, was the waiver that was submitted. Methodist has requested that people in the community write letters to CMS in support of the waiver. The MSTF view Seeking fairness and a thorough understanding of the issue, I did further research and spoke with a team from Mid-South Transplant Foundation (MSTF). MSTF argues that the elimination of the Alternative Allocation System (AAS) actually is a good for those patients most in need of an organ because it gives them equal access to available organs. According to MSTF, the AAS allowed organs to become available faster for the transplant centers in the state before they were allocated to the larger five-state region, making it easier for patients that could simply afford to pay to receive an organ faster. From the MSTF view, the elimination of the AAS levels the playing field for organ recipients and gives them equal access to organs no matter how much money they have or where they live. MTSF states that Methodist will still have access to enough livers to treat local patients. Methodist may not, however, have primary access to the organs they need to support patients from out-of-state that are primarily private pay or private insurance patients. So in one corner Methodist claims that the issue is about greater access; and in the other corner MTSF says it is about fairer access based on need, not ability to pay. Digging deeper In seeking further clarification, I discovered some interesting facts. UNOS Assistant General Counsel, Jason P. Livingston, stated that its Liver Committee recommended, its Policy Committee agreed and its "Board of Directors voted in its November 2008 meeting to discontinue the Tennessee Statewide liver alternative allocation." They also subsequently declined appeals to that decision, however implementation was delayed by a major computer system re-write. The new program is expected to be effective in fall of 2012, allowing for implementation of the new rules in late 2012. So ultimately the decision impacts only how livers are allocated not kidneys or other organs. Further investigation on minorityhealth.hhs.gov, organdonor.gov and several other sources revealed the following in summary: As of May 4, 2012, Methodist had a waitlist for kidneys of 505, with only 77 patients awaiting livers. MTSF has the highest percentage of African-American donors of all OPOs in the country in the 9th largest African-American market in the nation. In 2011, MSTF had 43 percent African-American donor while its Nashville counterpart, TDS, had 11 percent. This is obviously reflective of the demographics in both areas, but still significant. Even more revealing are the following stats: From 2008 to 2011, no less than 65 percent of Methodist Transplant Institute's kidney transplants were to African-American patients During the same period, no more than 18 percent of the liver transplants performed annually were to African-American patients while approximately 77 percent were to white patients I will also add that a ride around our community reveals a proliferation of dialysis clinics, the impact of rampant diabetes and the high need for kidney transplants, particularly for African Americans. Time to get engaged All of the conversations, research and data bring me to the conclusion that although the change in primary availability of livers statewide is an issue, it is not one with high impact to the African-American community directly. This does not mean the community should not weigh in on the issue. In fact, I employ our readers to take this opportunity to learn, enhance our voice on this and other health issues and become donors. (www. donatelifetn.org) The fact that we are affected in any way must translate into us being affected and inspired to action and pro-action that provides greater access to organs, blood, plasma and other life saving donated life resources. We must become more than back-row spectators in these fights. We must choose to be active participants to ensure we understand the ramifications of decisions being made. And we must actively engage to reduce health disparities through policy change, healthy habits that promote wellness, and better access to enhanced quality healthcare.

Understanding Revelations

The key to Bible interpretation, especially for the book of Revelation, is to have a consistent hermeneutic. Hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation. In other words, it is the way you interpret Scripture. A normal hermeneutic or normal interpretation of Scripture means that unless the verse or passage clearly indicates the author was using figurative language, it should be understood it in its normal sense. We are not to look for other meanings if the natural meaning of the sentence makes sense. Also, we are not to spiritualize Scripture by assigning meanings to words or phrases when it is clear the author, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, meant it to be understood as it is written. One example is Revelation 20. Many will assign various meanings to references to a thousand-year period. Yet, the language does not imply in any way that the references to the thousand years should be taken to mean anything other than a literal period of one thousand years. A simple outline for the book of Revelation is found in Revelation 1:19. In the first chapter, the risen and exalted Christ is speaking to John. Christ tells John to "write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." The things John had already seen are recorded in chapter 1. The "things which are" (that were present in John's day) are recorded in chapters 2"3 (the letters to the churches). The "things that will take place" (future things) are recorded in chapters 4"22. Generally speaking, chapters 4"18 of Revelation deal with God's judgments on the people of the earth. These judgments are not for the church (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 9). Before the judgments begin, the church will have been removed from the earth in an event called the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Chapters 4"18 describe a time of "Jacob's trouble""trouble for Israel (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:12, 12:1). It is also a time when God will judge unbelievers for their rebellion against Him. Chapter 19 describes Christ's return with the church, the bride of Christ. He defeats the beast and the false prophet and casts them into the lake of fire. In Chapter 20, Christ has Satan bound and cast in the Abyss. Then Christ sets up His kingdom on earth that will last 1000 years. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released and he leads a rebellion against God. He is quickly defeated and also cast into the lake of fire. Then the final judgment occurs, the judgment for all unbelievers, when they too are cast into the lake of fire. Chapters 21 and 22 describe what is referred to as the eternal state. In these chapters God tells us what eternity with Him will be like. The book of Revelation is understandable. God would not have given it to us if its meaning were entirely a mystery. The key to understanding the book of Revelation is to interpret it as literally as possible"it says what it means and means what it says

Friends?

Human beings were created to be social creatures, meaning that we are most comfortable when we have family, friends and acquaintances. Friendship is an important element in a fulfilled, contented life, and those who have close friends, whether one or two or a multitude, will usually be happy and well-adjusted. At the same time, those who call themselves our friends may cause us grief and hardship, constantly disappointing us. So what exactly is a friend and what does the Bible have to say about friends? On the positive side, friends can console and help us when we are in trouble, as when Barzillai the Gileadite consoled David when he was being hunted by Saul (2 Samuel 19:31-30) or when Jephthah’s daughter’s friends consoled her before her death (Judges 11:37-38). A friend may also rebuke in love, proving more faithful than a hypocritical flatterer (Proverbs 27:6). One of the greatest biblical examples of friendship is David and Jonathan, son of King Saul. Jonathan’s loyalty to his friend, David, exceeded that to his own father or his own ambitions (1 Samuel 18:1-4, 20:14-17). So attached was David to his loyal friend that after Jonathan’s death, he wrote a song to him, a tribute filled with heart-wrenching pathos (2 Samuel 1:30-32). Theirs was a friendship closer than brotherhood. In the New Testament, many of Paul’s letters begin and end with tributes to his friends, those who ministered to him, supported him, prayed for him, and loved him. Friendship can have its negative aspects as well. Supposed friends can lead us into sin, as when Jonadab persuades Amnon to rape his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-6). A friend can lead us astray in regard to our faith, as they sometimes did in Israel, leading others to worship false gods (Deuteronomy 13:6-11). In those days, such an act was punishable by death. Even if our friends do not lead us astray, they can provide false comfort and bad advice, as Job’s friends did, making his suffering worse and displeasing the Lord (Job 2:11-13, 6:14-27, 42:7-9). Friends can also prove false, pretending affection for their own motives and deserting us when our friendship no longer benefits them (Psalm 55:12-14; Proverbs 19:4, 6-7). Friendship can be broken down through gossip (Proverbs 16:28) or grudges (Proverbs 17:9). Friends should be chosen very carefully because, as Paul told the Corinthians, “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Proverbs 1:10-19 and 4:14-19 contains warnings about friends and how we should choose them. We are not to associate with those who entice us to do wrong, no matter how appealing their “friendship” seems to be. Those whose “feet rush to sin” should be avoided. The path they choose is no place for a Christian whose choice should be to follow the “path of the righteous.” Only that path leads to friendship with God, which is the ultimate goal of a Christian.

Is it possible to be a gay Christian?

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). There is a tendency to declare homosexuality as the worst of all sins. While it is undeniable, biblically speaking, that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural (Romans 1:26-27), in no sense does the Bible describe homosexuality as an unforgivable sin. Nor does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin Christians will never struggle against. Perhaps that is the key phrase in the question of whether it is possible to be a gay Christian: "struggle against." It is possible for a Christian to struggle with homosexual temptations. Many homosexuals who become Christians have ongoing struggles with homosexual feelings and desires. Some strongly heterosexual men and women have experienced a "spark" of homosexual interest at some point in their lives. Whether or not these desires and temptations exist does not determine whether a person is a Christian. The Bible is clear that no Christian is sinless (1 John 1:8,10). While the specific sin / temptation varies from one Christian to another, all Christians have struggles with sin, and all Christians sometimes fail in those struggles (1 Corinthians 10:13). What differentiates a Christian's life from a non-Christian's life is the struggle against sin. The Christian life is a progressive journey of overcoming the "acts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19-21) and allowing God's Spirit to produce the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23). Yes, Christians sin, sometimes horribly. Sadly, sometimes Christians are indistinguishable from non-Christians. However, a true Christian will always repent, will always eventually return to God, and will always resume the struggle against sin. But the Bible gives no support for the idea that a person who perpetually and unrepentantly engages in sin can indeed be a Christian. Notice 1 Corinthians 6:11, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." First Corinthians 6:9-10 lists sins that, if indulged in continuously, identify a person as not being redeemed"not being a Christian. Often, homosexuality is singled out from this list. If a person struggles with homosexual temptations, that person is presumed to be unsaved. If a person actually engages in homosexual acts, that person is definitely thought to be unsaved. However, the same assumptions are not made, at least not with the same emphasis, regarding other sins in the list: fornication (pre-marital sex), idolatry, adultery, thievery, covetousness, alcoholism, slander, and deceit. It is inconsistent, for example, to declare those guilty of pre-marital sex as "disobedient Christians," while declaring homosexuals definitively non-Christians. Is it possible to be a gay Christian? If the phrase "gay Christian" refers to a person who struggles against homosexual desires and temptations " yes, a "gay Christian" is possible. However, the description "gay Christian" is not accurate for such a person, since he/she does not desire to be gay, and is struggling against the temptations. Such a person is not a "gay Christian," but rather is simply a struggling Christian, just as there are Christians who struggle with fornication, lying, and stealing. If the phrase "gay Christian" refers to a person who actively, perpetually, and unrepentantly lives a homosexual lifestyle " no, it is not possible for such a person to truly be a Christian.

What Does the Bible say?

What does the Bible say about gay marriage / same sex marriage? Let's see, while the Bible does address homosexuality, it does not explicitly mention gay marriage/same-sex marriage. It is clear, however, that the Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals "marrying" is not God's will, and would be, in fact, sinful. Whenever the Bible mentions marriage, it is between a male and a female. The first mention of marriage, Genesis 2:24, describes it as a man leaving his parents and being united to his wife. In passages that contain instructions regarding marriage, such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23-33, the Bible clearly identifies marriage as being between a man and a woman. Biblically speaking, marriage is the lifetime union of a man and a woman, primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable environment for that family. The Bible alone, however, does not have to be used to demonstrate this understanding of marriage. The biblical viewpoint of marriage has been the universal understanding of marriage in every human civilization in world history. History argues against gay marriage. Modern secular psychology recognizes that men and women are psychologically and emotionally designed to complement one another. In regard to the family, psychologists contend that a union between a man and woman in which both spouses serve as good gender role models is the best environment in which to raise well-adjusted children. Psychology argues against gay marriage. In nature/physicality, clearly, men and women were designed to "fit" together sexually. With the "natural" purpose of sexual intercourse being procreation, clearly only a sexual relationship between a man and a woman can fulfill this purpose. Nature argues against gay marriage. So, if the Bible, history, psychology, and nature all argue for marriage being between a man and a woman"why is there such a controversy today? Why are those who are opposed to gay marriage/same-sex marriage labeled as hateful, intolerant bigots, no matter how respectfully the opposition is presented? Why is the gay rights movement so aggressively pushing for gay marriage/same-sex marriage when most people, religious and non-religious, are supportive of"or at least far less opposed to"gay couples having all the same legal rights as married couples with some form of civil union? The answer, according to the Bible, is that everyone inherently knows that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural, and the only way to suppress this inherent knowledge is by normalizing homosexuality and attacking any and all opposition to it. The best way to normalize homosexuality is by placing gay marriage/same-sex marriage on an equal plane with traditional opposite-gender marriage. Romans 1:18-32 illustrates this. The truth is known because God has made it plain. The truth is rejected and replaced with a lie. The lie is then promoted and the truth suppressed and attacked. The vehemence and anger expressed by many in the gay rights movement to any who oppose them is, in fact, an indication that they know their position is indefensible. Trying to overcome a weak position by raising your voice is the oldest trick in the debating book. There is perhaps no more accurate description of the modern gay rights agenda than Romans 1:31, "they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." To give sanction to gay marriage/same-sex marriage would be to give approval to the homosexual lifestyle, which the Bible clearly and consistently condemns as sinful. Christians should stand firmly against the idea of gay marriage/same-sex marriage. Further, there are strong and logical arguments against gay marriage/same-sex marriage from contexts completely separated from the Bible. One does not have to be an evangelical Christian to recognize that marriage is between a man and a woman. According to the Bible, marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Gay marriage/same-sex marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. As Christians, we are not to condone or ignore sin. Rather, we are to share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all, including homosexuals, through Jesus Christ. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and contend for truth with "gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). As Christians, when we make a stand for truth and the result is personal attacks, insults, and persecution, we should remember the words of Jesus: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

Mid South Transplant Foundation. And Organ Transplantation.

"Under the Microscope"...A Transcendent walk from Trial to Transplant.: Mid South Transplant Foundation. And Organ Transplantation. Letters emailed in support to mstf@midsouthdonor.org and more information about this subject at www.savinglivesmidsouth.com.

Mid South Transplant Foundation. And Organ Transplantation.

Mid South Transplant Foundation. And Organ Transplantation. “My Passion” “My Pledge” and “My Purpose” Dear Friends, Mid-South Transplant Foundation, which is very near and dear to my heart, is under attack and I am asking for your help. Please take a couple of minutes of your time to send a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support fairness in the allocation of transplantable organs. The crux of the issue is this: Methodist is protesting federal regulations that will create a fairer system for all patients needing an organ because it will negatively impact their bottom line. Mid-South’s mission has always been to advocate for all recipients and all donors. No one cares more about patients and this issue than Mid-South Transplant Foundation. This is proven through their support of these new regulations – which are the same regulations that govern transplant programs in 47 other states and are supported by the entire transplant community. One way that you can help is by writing a letter to CMS urging them to support the federal rules designed to ensure fairness in the allocation of transplantable organs by denying Methodist’s waiver application. I have attached a sample letter. Letters can either be emailed to MSTF at mstf@midsouthdonor.org and they will forward them to CMS or you can mail them to CMS yourself. If mailed directly to CMS, please email a copy to msft@midsouthdonor.org so they can keep a record of all letters submitted on their behalf. You can find more information about this issue by visiting www.savinglivesmidsouth.com. Thank you for your support of the Mid-South Transplant Foundation and our fight to save lives and ensure fairness in how organs are allocated to those in greatest need. What’s happening … - The regulations affecting how organs are allocated in the state of Tennessee is changing. The current arrangement for Tennessee was not designed to be permanent. - Tennessee is only one of three remaining states in the nation to have such a sharing agreement. The national system is designed to make certain life-saving organs are made available to the people that need them. The current arrangement in Tennessee no longer meets this goal as it allows those in less need, to receive an organ in a shorter period of time. - For patients that can afford it, this sharing agreement allows them to “cut to the front of the line” and receive organs faster here in Tennessee. For the hospital doing these transplants, it allows them to do more transplants … including more people from outside the local community. - Methodist Healthcare, by all means a fine and respectable organization, has benefited from this agreement tremendously over the years as they have been able to build a highly successful (and profitable) transplant center that’s attracted the likes of high-profile patients like Steve Jobs. - In 2008, the national organization that governs organ allocation announced plans to eliminate this special sharing agreement (after years of research) and replace it with the same allocation system that governs 47 states because it’s fairer and more ethical and allows the sickest people to get equal access to life-saving organs. - The Methodist has appealed – and repeatedly lost – this decision for four years at every level. Now, with new regulations slated for December, they’ve launched an aggressive public relations campaign against our organization – an organization that has helped increase donation and transplantation in this community - and are urging us to merge with an organization in Nashville so they’ll have access to more organs – specifically more livers. - They would like to bypass federal rules and partner with an organization like ours that is outside our local area so they’d get access to a larger number of livers. This isn’t fair to the thousands of people that don’t have a lot of resources, yet need life-saving organs. - Methodist has business motives for fighting these changes and trying to force a merger between the two organ recovery agencies. The intended goal is to obtain access to a larger number of livers, not kidneys, which are by far more profitable to transplant. If patients were the primary motive, they would be more concerned about kidney transplants than they are liver transplants. The kidney waitlist is more than 5 times as large as the liver waitlist, affecting many more African Americans. How this will really impact Memphis … - Despite what you’ve heard, people aren’t going to die because of these improved regulations. - Instead, the sickest patients will get the organs they need to live – no matter where they live or how much money they have. It’s what’s fair and just. It’s why the government created the system. - Here’s how it will work – - Priority for organs will be given in a larger region than it is now. - Each organ goes to the sickest person locally, followed by the sickest person in our region. - Methodist argues that the new regulations will decrease their access to organs by 75%, causing more patients to die. This is absolutely not true. - When in fact, this is the truth - - Methodist will have priority access to a smaller number of organs, but they will continue to have access to organs from our region (which includes the rest of Tennessee) and other states across the country. They’ll still have enough organs to serve our local population. - Currently Methodist has 37 % percent of their liver transplant waitlist that live outside of the Mid-South. These individuals may not be able to get a liver quicker in Memphis than they could back home once the regulations change. - These regulations are good for patients. They’re fair and just. They’re not good for Methodist and the business they’ve built. Why MSTF needs to remain local and independent … - If merging with another organization would help, we’d do it in a heartbeat. The truth is, it simply won’t. It would help Methodist, but it wouldn’t help patients across the country. - MSTF’s mission is to be an advocate for all recipients regardless of how much money they have or where they live – not patients at one transplant center. - If we “merged” with the Nashville organization, it would be an acquisition and all local efforts would be shifted to Nashville and governed by their culture and business practices. MSTF outperforms the Nashville organization and the Nashville organization has basically no outreach programs for African Americans. A merger would absolutely decrease the number of organs available for transplant. - For example, our outreach efforts to the African American community in Memphis have dramatically increased the rate at which African Americans consent to donation from 27% to 57% in our community. In fact, we’re rated No. 1 in the country for percentage of African American donors. This is a vital issue for Memphis. - If we were acquired by another organ procurement organization, the focus tailored to meet the unique needs of our community would be lost. We appreciate that this part of the state is unique. - Methodist is pushing for a merger as it would help their bottom line and provide them with an unfair advantage in how organs are distributed. This unfair advantage allows them to transplant their patients in a shorter time, often bypassing someone who is in greater need of an organ. - If MSTF chose to merge with TDS, it means that MSTF has taken on the responsibility to determine how organs are allocated in our state and region. This issue is too big and NOT the responsibility of MSTF. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the organization deemed responsible by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to take on this responsibility. How you can help or learn more … - Visit www.savinglivesmidsouth.com to download a letter of support. - Write a letter to the editor or call into a local news station. Please email or message me to get a copy of the letter to send out. I want to express my thanks and graditude for all that have supported me in this and I pray God blesses you tremendously. James Cruse Write a letter to the editor or call into local news stations. Letters can either be emailed to MSTF at mstf@midsoutdonor.org and they will be forwarded them to CMS or you can email them to CMS yourself. please email a copy to mstf@midsouthdonor.org so they can keep a record submitted on thier behalf. Thank you for your support of the Mid-south Transplant Foundation and my passion and the fight to save lives and ensure fairness in how organs are allocated to those in greatest need. James Cruse

Support and Register Organ Transplantation

The Bible does not specifically address the issue of organ transplantation. Obviously, organ transplants would have been unknown in Bible times. However, there are verses that illustrate broad principles that may apply. One of the most compelling arguments for organ donation is the love and compassion such an act demonstrates toward others. The mandate to “love your neighbor” was stated by Jesus (Matthew 5:43), Paul (Romans 13:9), and James (James 2:8), but it can actually be traced all the way back to Leviticus 19:18. From the earliest days in the Old Testament, God’s people were commanded to demonstrate a love for God as well as for their neighbors. Being willing to donate an organ from our own bodies would seem to be an extreme example of selfless sacrifice for another. We have the utmost example of this in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made as He gave up His body for all of humanity. John summed up the command well when he wrote: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). As Jesus was trying to convey this message of unconditional love for others, He spoke of caring for the hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, sick, and imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-46). He went on to clarify: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus also used the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to teach that we, as Christians, are to be kind and to show love toward everyone. If a practice or procedure is not contradictory to biblical principles, then it should be considered permissible and can be supported by faithful Christians. Some people view organ donation as the ultimate form of mutilating the human body. Frequently, passages such as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 are used to defend the idea that organs should not be harvested from a person’s body. As stewards of God’s creation, we should treat our bodies with respect, and abstain from whatever is deleterious to them. However, when Paul wrote those words to the Christians at Corinth, he stated: “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (v. 20), indicating this was something that was to be carried out while the individual was still living. In the apostle’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he reminded them: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (5:1). One of the biggest concerns among Christians is the concept that the entire body needs to be present and preserved in some fashion for the resurrection. As such, many Christians are reluctant to donate organs because they believe that resurrection itself requires a “complete” body. However, when God was handing out punishments at the Garden of Eden, he told Adam: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). Thus, God said that one day, our earthly bodies would return to the soil. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, provided some insight as to the difference between the physical body at death (which may be disposed of in a variety of ways), and the spiritual body of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). He used the analogy of the difference between a seed and the product of that seed to illustrate the difference between the earthly body and the resurrected body. He then went on to comment: “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (v. 44). If we believe that the bodies raised at the resurrection represented simply a “reoccupation” of our earthly bodies, then we possess a false concept of our resurrection as presented in the Bible. We are told that the earthly body—that of flesh and blood—will not enter into the heavenly inheritance (1 Corinthians 15:50). Based on these facts, Christians should not fear or reject organ donation merely in an attempt to keep the physical body intact for the resurrection. Additional thoughts on organ donation and organ harvesting The legitimate argument against organ donation arises from the process of organ harvesting. There is nothing ethically wrong in recovering organs from the dead, but most successful organ transplants require that any prospective organs be kept alive with blood and oxygen flowing through them until they are removed from the body. This dilemma is troublesome, because we cannot, and must not, support the termination of life in favor of organ donation. The medical profession has traditionally used cessation of heart and lung activity to mark the point of death. Medical technology had progressed to a point where it is possible to sustain (via a respirator) heart and lung activity for days or even weeks after a patient had irreversibly lost all brain function. There has been a push in some medical circles to harvest organs when the patient has lost higher brain functions but is still alive. In 1994, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association (AMA) issued its updated opinion that it is “ethically permissible” to use babies born without higher brain functions as organ donors. As Christians, we can support organ donation only in those cases in which death has been determined by every criterion—including complete loss of brain function—rather than just by one or two criteria. God forbids intentional killing (James 2:10-11); thus we must carefully determine, in light of the teachings found within God’s Word, whether a respirator is simply oxygenating a corpse or sustaining a living human being. Then we must act accordingly. Since most transplants come from donors who have been declared neurologically dead, it is important that we fully understand the criteria the medical profession is using to define brain death. Only when a patient is determined to be irreversibly and completely brain dead should he or she be considered a candidate for organ donation.

"Is your Suffering in Vain?

Of all the challenges thrown at Christianity in modern times, perhaps the most sinister is explaining the problem of suffering. How can a loving God allow suffering to continue to occur in the world which He created? For those who have endured massive suffering themselves, this is much more than a philosophical issue, but often becomes a very deep-seated personal and emotional issue. How does the Bible attempt to address this issue? Does the Bible give us any examples of suffering and some indicators on how to deal with it? The Bible is startlingly realistic when it comes to the problem of endured suffering. For one thing, the Bible devotes an entire book to dealing with the problem. This book concerns a man named Job. It begins with a scene in heaven which provides the reader with the background to Job’s suffering. Job suffers because God contested with Satan. As far as we know, this was never known by Job, nor by any of his friends. It is therefore not surprising that they all struggle to explain Job’s suffering from the perspective of their ignorance, until Job finally rests in nothing but the faithfulness of God and the hope of His redemption. Neither Job nor his friends understood at the time the reasons for his suffering. In fact, when Job is finally confronted by the Lord, Job is silent. Job’s silent response does not in any way trivialise the intense pain and loss he had so patiently endured. Rather, it underscores the importance of trusting God’s purposes in the midst of suffering, even when we don’t know that those purposes are. Suffering, like all other human experiences, is directed by the sovereign wisdom of God. In the end, we learn the lesson that we may never know the specific reason for our suffering, but we must trust in our sovereign God. That is the real answer to suffering. Another example of suffering in the Bible is Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, where he was ultimately indicted on false charges and thereby thrown into prison. As a result of Joseph’s suffering and endurance, by God’s grace and power, he is later promoted to governor of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself, where he finds himself in a position to make provision to the nations of the world during a time of famine, including his own family and the brothers who sold him into slavery! The message of this story is summarized in Joseph’s address to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” Romans 8:28 contains some comforting words for those enduring hardship and suffering: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” In His providence, God orchestrates every event in our lives—even suffering, temptation and sin—to accomplish both our temporal and eternal benefit. The psalmist David endured much suffering in his time, and this is reflected in many of his poems collected in the book of Psalms. In Psalm 22, we hear the sound of David’s anguish: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry out by day but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'” It remains an unfathomable mystery to David why God does not intervene in the midst of his suffering and pain. He sees God as the one who is enthroned as the Holy One, the praise of Israel. After all, doesn’t God lead a pretty sheltered life? Isn’t God lucky to live in heaven where all is sweetness and light, where there is no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred? What does God know of all that humans go through? David goes on to complain that “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” Did God ever answer David? Sure enough, many centuries later, David received his answer. Roughly one millennium later, a descendent of David named Christ Jesus was killed on a hill called Calvary. On the cross, God endured the suffering and shame of his forefather. Christ’s hands and feet were pierced. Christ’s garments were divided among his enemies. Christ was stared at and gloated over and derided. In fact, Christ uttered the words with which David opens this Psalm, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” thus identifying himself with the suffering of his forefather. Because Christ, the eternal Son of God in whom the fullness of God dwells, has lived on earth as a human being and has endured hunger, thirst, temptation, shame, persecution, nakedness, bereavement, betrayal, mockery, injustice and death, He is in a position to fulfil the longing of Job, “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot” (Job 9:33). Christian theism is, in fact, the only worldview which can consistently make sense of the problem of evil and suffering. Apart from the fact that Christians serve a God who has lived on this earth and been through trauma, temptation, bereavement, torture, hunger, thirst, persecution and even execution, the cross of Christ can be regarded as the ultimate manifestation of God’s justice. When asked how much God cares about the problem of evil and suffering, the Christian God is the only God who can point to the cross, and say “that much.” Christ experienced rejection from God, saying, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He experienced just the same suffering as many people do in many parts of the world today who are feeling isolated from God’s favor and love. The Christian worldview is thus the only worldview which even makes an attempt at addressing this paradox. How can God be just and still forgive wicked men such as ourselves? The answer lies in the cross of Christ and that alone.

Coming Together as One

"Each part... helps the other parts grow." Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)
Next time you're walking in the woods, imagine what's taking place under your feet. As the roots of trees come into contact with one another they form an underground support system. One has access to water, another to nutrients, another to sunlight, etc. A ministry is taking place that strengthens them all. This is what Paul had in mind: "[Under His direction], the whole body is fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Some of us independent types have difficulty when it comes to networking. We fly solo, until we crash and burn! Eventually our pain, not our brain, shows us our need for things like:
(1) Show His Mercy. "Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Col 3:13 NLT). What motivates us to show mercy to others? God's mercy to us. You'll never be asked to forgive someone else more than God has already forgiven you.
(2) Share His Message. "Be sympathetic ...kind...gentle and patient" (Col 3:12 GWT). Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs we all have: the need to be understood and the need to have our feelings validated. The problem is we're in such a hurry to fix people that we don't have time to sympathize with them. We're too preoccupied with our own hurts. Self-pity dries up sympathy for others.
(3) Speak His Ministry. "I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you" (Ro 1:12 NCV). All of us are strengthened in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. So today, practice ministry!

What Faith is Not

Faith is not trying to make God do something for you. If you are trying to make God do something for you, that means you believe He has not done it. Faith begins where the will of God is known. If you don’t know God’s will in a situation then you cannot believe that God will help you. The Word of God tells us that all the promises of God belong to us through Christ. It also tells us that all things that pertain unto life and godliness have been given unto us. When did this take place? When Jesus was hanging on the cross He spoke these powerful words: IT IS FINISHED. What was finished? The plan of redemption for the human race was carried out through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything that Adam lost in the Garden of Eden was given back to us through Jesus! You can only believe for what God has already provided. Faith looks back at the cross and realizes all the promises have belonged to us since that time and lays claim to them in faith. Faith is not trying to get God to do something for you because God has already, through Christ, provided all things for you. Many people say that God is going to heal me “one day”, or meet my financial need “one day”, but God is not going to do it “one day”. God has already met your needs through Christ about two thousand years ago. They will never be a reality in your life unless you reach out in faith and accept them as fact.

Why Pray?

Why pray? Depends on who is asking. For the Christian, praying is like breathing. It is easier to do it than to not do it. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in the Father's will, how much more do we need to pray? Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19). We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer (Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on earth. God's wisdom far exceeds our own. For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer is a means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray. A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God's Word. We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for (Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of "plugging into" God's power, it is our means of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16). We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.

"This Too Shall Pass Away"

When sorrows come into your life And threaten to destroy The very things you treasure most, Your happiness and joy; And when that crushing power Threatens everything worth while, And clouds of darkness gather And you find it hard to smile; Then lift your head and let the world Hear every word you say. With faith undaunted say to them: “This too, shall pass away.” When you are over-burdened With life’s toil and earthly care; When life becomes so dreary It seems more than you can bear; When weariness o’ercomes you And you yearn for peaceful rest, And trials of the day leave you Discouraged and depressed; There is no song within your heart; You feel you cannot pray; Then turn your thoughts to gladness for “This too, shall pass away.” When fortune smiles upon you, And your cup of joy is full; When everything you want is yours, And life seems wonderful; When days and weeks go flitting by With happiness replete; And you desire nothing more To make your life complete; Beware lest all these treasures Of this earth lead you astray, And hear again these truthful words: “This too, shall pass away.” And so remember well these words, Whate’er your lot may be, For life is ever changing– With such rapidity. Our gladness turns to sadness When the sunshine disappears, And sorrows change to happiness When God has calmed our fears. Compared with all eternity, This life is but one day. We cling to life, and yet we know “This too, shall pass away.” -H.L. Frisby

Why do you think God allows disasters?

Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, and other natural disasters? Tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the 2011 earthquake/tsunami near Japan cause many people to question God’s goodness. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather. God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.

The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, as we see in Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Numbers 16:30-34 shows us that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgment against sin. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not.

In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to "frustration" and "decay." Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow the tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why did God allow Hurricane Katrina to destroy the homes of thousands of people? For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good! Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

What's the meaning of Life?

What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, "I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there's nothing there." Many goals reveal their emptiness only after years have been wasted in their pursuit.

In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.

The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling when he says, "Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he pursued. And yet he summed up "life under the sun""life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses"is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here-and-now. Solomon said of God, "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that the "here-and-now" is not all that there is.

In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).

In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and "heaven on earth" obtained?

Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ

Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus Christ as Savior.

Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new believer), you might be saying to yourself, "That does not sound very exciting or fulfilling to me!" But Jesus made the following statements:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10b). "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25). "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).

The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work "from the front row" is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so, you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.