Isn’t it amazing how things change with time? Things that used to be wrong are now right. Activities that were frowned upon are now accepted. We, however, must stand firm on godly principles. Click the link below to read today's post.
https://ramckinley.com/are-you-willing-to-stand-firm-on-godly-principles/
Have you thought about death? Or what comes after it? Psychiatrists report that 75% of their patients are disturbed at the prospect of their death. The amazing thing is:
-few people ever investigate death
-few make an attempt to understand death
-few ever talk about death
Being that death is certain, wouldn’t you want to learn all you could about it? If there is an afterlife, wouldn’t you want to know about it also? Virtually all religions talk about death and most speak about an afterlife. You make extensive plans about where you’ll spend your vacation for 2 weeks. Doesn’t it make sense to make plans for where you’ll spend eternity?
To understand death, we need to understand life. The problem is that death, life and the afterlife cannot be measured. Nor can we create life, although we can somewhat perpetuate it. Life involves doing things we can observe ( other people, our immediate surroundings, etc.) and things we cannot observe ( thoughts, emotions, love, etc.). Death is the absence of our physical life.
Materialists believe that when you physically die, your soul/spirit dies also. So when you die, your body goes into the ground (in a coffin) while your spirit just ceases to exist. Every cell in our body is replaced every 7 years or so. But if life were just matter and energy, our body would be replaced every 7 years. Memory would be lost and our personality would change, We wouldn’t be the same people. Yet, we know this isn’t what happens. We retain our memories and personality. So, our life must be more than just matter, energy and chemical reactions in our brains and bodies.
Almost all religions believe in an afterlife. Many of the archaeological finds from every culture tell us this. Even when someone’s physical body is damaged beyond recognition, that person is still the same person mentally. About all we can say is that the brain is a conduit that the soul/spirit operates through. So our body is different from our soul/spirit. At death, our body dies (no brain waves, no heartbeat, etc.) and goes to the grave. But where does our spirit go?
Some people have had what we call Near Death Experiences (NDE’s), where they and their doctors claim that they have died but came back to life. Some scientists have tried to explain NDE’s in terms of our physical reactions of our senses, our nerves or physical reactions in our brains. But these have never been proven and are largely ignored now. While some of these NDE people have described events that they couldn’t have known about, almost all of the NDE stories taken together are very consistent. The experience of an NDE is almost universal, but how people interpret that experience is where the difference comes in. Some go to heaven, a few go to hell, some see Jesus, some just see a Being of Light. NDE’s all speak of an afterlife. Because we can’t observe, measure and repeat these experiences, it doesn’t seem possible that we’ll ever be able to scientifically prove anything about the afterlife or an NDE. But that doesn’t mean that we cannot know anything about an afterlife.
There are enough things that almost all NDE’s have in common to make it not just a coincidence. John Burke’s book, “Imagine Heaven” is a great book on this subject.
The most compelling evidence for an afterlife comes from the bible. Given that the bible is so accurate in many other fields (see “Prove to Me that God Exists” at http://BSSSB-LLC.com/video-courses-overview/prove-to-me-that-god-exists/ and “How We Got the Bible” at http://BSSSB-LLC.com/video-courses-overview/how-we-got-the-bible/), we have every reason to believe it over any other religious books.
The bible distinguishes the body from the spirit in many places.
– Stephen gave up his spirit when he died (Acts 7:29)
– Jesus did the same in Matthew 27:50
– Paul said to be away from the body was to be at home with the Lord (2nd Corinthians 5:8)
The Sequence of Events after Death:
1…our body dies and is buried or cremated
2…our spirit immediately goes to…
A…be with Jesus in the intermediate heaven if we know Him
B…be in Hades, the place of the dead, if we don’t know Jesus
3…Jesus returns to Earth and judgement begins (Revelation 20:11-15). There are many other events that occur before this happens but we won’t go into those here.
4…people’s spirits are reunited with their bodies.
5…some will spend eternity in the future heaven with God.
6…some will spend eternity separated from God forever in hell.
For 5& 6, read Daniel 12:2 and Matthew 25:41-46.
For a more detailed view of heaven and hell, watch or read “Heaven and Hell” at http://BSSSB-LLC.com/video-courses-overview/heaven-and-hell/.
The one person who did die and came back to life is Jesus. He even said that His resurrection would prove that everything He told us while on Earth is true (John 2:19-22 & Luke 24:44-46). What He told is recorded in the bible. So He not only predicted His own death, He predicted His own resurrection. How many people do you know that have successfully done that? This is a man to be listened to!
Maybe it’s time for you to talk or think about death and the afterlife…about where you’ll spend it…and what is required to spend it with God in eternal happiness.
Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
God has a wonderful plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11)
But you are sinful, you’re not perfect (Romans 6:23)
Jesus died for your imperfections, for your sins (Romans 5:8)
Accept Him as your Savior…Invite Him into your life (John 1:14)
If you have any questions, please write to me.
Book reference:
“Heaven” by Randy Alcorn
“Imagine Heaven” by John Burke
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
http://BSSSB-LLC.com
When you think of ancient mankind, how do you picture him/her? Is it like cavemen dressed in animal skins with an unshaven, dumb look? Do you think that most people have this picture of ancient man?
Upon spending some time reading on this issue, I respectfully 100% disagree. There are many archaeological discoveries that are evidence of an intelligent ancient man that don’t fit the evolutionary caveman paradigm. What if man didn’t evolve slowly out of Darwin’s “warm little pond” but was created in God’s image with an intellect right from the very beginning? If mankind descended from the Tower of Babel, there should be similar building styles and cultural practices all over the world. If man was made in God’s image, like Genesis 1:26 says, then he was created with intelligence. If man was scattered at the Tower of Babel, then cultural commonalities will be found all over the world. And this is exactly what we find.
According to the bible, ancient man was very smart. In a very short period of time, they built a city (Genesis 4:17), raised livestock (Genesis 4:20), played music with stringed instruments and pipes (Genesis 4:21) and started making iron & steel (Genesis 4:22). I have always wondered how brutish, ignorant cavemen could have taken a certain type of dirt from the ground and turned it into iron and steel. The process is not a simple one. Ancient man must have had some intelligence to discover these and other practices.
Creation Legends:
As nations spread out from Babel, they took the creation story with them. Over time, this story was corrupted and distorted. Steven Langdon, of Oxford University, said in 1931 that the oldest civilizations were monotheistic. Over the years, they declined into polytheism.But all the major ancient cultures held a belief that a Supreme Being created the universe.
Flood Legends:
There are more than 270 flood legends around the globe. In all of them, one man or one family go into a boat while the global flood kills every person except him/them. Of all the flood accounts, the bible is the most realistic.
Babel Legends:
People all over the world have similar stories about building a structure to reach the heavens. This angered God/gods who came down and confused their languages. Those who spoke the same language left together. They then went and built their own towers. And these towers look very similar to each other. But again, over time, the structures changed a little.
Ice Age Legends:
Many people groups like the Toba Indians of South America, the Mayans, the Incas, the Tarahumara of New Mexico, the Araucarans of Chili, the Mataco of Argentina, etc., have legends of “The Great Cold” or “The Evil Winters”. They also associate the flood with a subsequent period of cold, volcanism, mountain shaping, periods of darkness and cloud coverings (so the Sun was unable to warm the Earth). The Mayans said that sunlight did not return until the 26th year after the flood. They associate the flood with much hail, black rain, mist and indescribable cold.
Music and Art:
Genesis 4:21 records the first musical instruments being made. The production of these instruments proves a sophisticated culture existed that was advanced enough to spend time in the arts rather than just farming and hunting. Similar instruments were used in cultures around the world. For example, the aulos pipe has been found in Greece, Bolivia and Peru. The bagpipes of Scotland & Ireland are forms of the aulos. The bullroarer instrument has been found in Australia, Egypt, the British Isles, New Guinea, the Inuit of Northern Canada, the Dogon in Africa, the Maori and most of the North American Indian tribes. The same can be said about ancient art, from the Stone Lion sculpture in southeastern Turkey 3,000 years ago to Mayan art to the Clauvet caves in France.
Giants:
There are several scriptures that refer to giants or Rephaim…1st Chronicles 11:3 5 cubits = 7.5 feet tall, 1st Samuel 17:4 Goliath 6 cubits and a span = about 9.5 feet tall, Deuteronomy 3:11 Og, King of Bashan bed size is 9 cubits long x 4 cubits wide = 13.5 feet long x 6 feet wide. In the Golan Heights there is a giants tomb, rumored to be that of Og.
Dragons:
There are legends around the globe describing large, terrifying creatures unlike any we see today. Their pictures are displayed on flags, shields, armor and buildings from Europe to East Asia. The bible speaks of large creatures in Job 40:15-18 & 41:18-20. Job’s time is thought to be around the time of Genesis, around 2000-1800 B.C. It’s possible Job could have been describing dinosaurs before they died out. But dinosaurs died out millions of years ago you say. North Carolina State University paleontologist Mary Schweitzer has rocked her professional world by finding blood vessels and whole cells inside a supposedly 68 million year old T-Rex from Montana. When an animal dies, soft tissue (blood vessels, muscle, etc.) decays and disappears over a short period of time. Hard tissue (bone) turns into fossils. Several paleontologists have come out in support of her findings. Schweitzer and a colleague have since found blood vessels in another T-Rex from Argentina and a 300,000 year old woolley mammoth fossil. We’ll have to wait for further developments to confirm her findings but it is very interesting. A good introductory article on dragons and dinosaurs is at https://creation.com/dinosaurs-and-dragons-stamping-on-the-legends.
Here are some pictures of towers, mounds, etc. from all over the world. Notice how similar they are.
I realize that all of the above things are not proof that ancient man was intelligent but these facts lean strongly in that direction. They should not so easily be dismissed. They should give us pause to reconsider our theory of the brutish, dumb caveman scenario. We need much more evidence and artifacts of ancient man before pronouncing what is “fact”.
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
http://BSSSB-LLC.com
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Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcements
The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services administers grant programs to support projects that implement innovative models to improve minority health and reduce health disparities.
OMH has released the following funding opportunity announcements for which applications are now being accepted.
Announcement Number: MP-CPI-21-003
Opportunity Title: Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy Efforts: Coordinating Center
Award Amount: Up to $500,000
Estimated Total: $500,000
Application Due Date: August 23, 2021, 6:00 PM ET
The Coordinating Center (MP-CPI-21-003), combined with the Office of Minority Health demonstration projects (MP-CPI-21-004), constitute the “Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy Efforts” initiative. The goal of the initiative is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a methodological framework, structured process, and tool in supporting the assessment and identification of policies that may create or perpetuate health disparities by contributing to structural racism, as well as the modification, development, and implementation of policies to improve health outcomes.
The Coordinating Center will oversee and coordinate complementary and collaborative efforts among the participating sites (OMH-funded and self-funded) through leadership and management toward the goals and objectives of the initiative.
This notice solicits applications to establish and operate a Coordinating Center that will:
(1) Lead the development of a methodological framework, process, and tool for the assessment of policies that may create or perpetuate health disparities by contributing to structural racism, in collaboration with MP-CPI-21-004 “Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy Efforts: Demonstration Projects” recipients.
(2) Provide technical assistance to MP-CPI-21-004 recipients and self-funded participant organizations on utilizing the framework, process, and tool.
(3) Lead the evaluation of the implementation of the methodological framework, process, and tool.
Click on the following link to access the notice of funding opportunity.
A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held July 20, 2021 at 1:00 PM Eastern. Click here to register for the technical assistance webinar.
Announcement Number: MP-CPI-21-004
Opportunity Title: Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy Efforts: Demonstration Projects
Award Amount: Up to $375,000
Estimated Total: $1,500,000
Application Due Date: August 23, 2021, 6:00 PM ET
The demonstration projects, combined with the Coordinating Center (MP-CPI-21-003), constitute the “Framework to Address Health Disparities through Collaborative Policy Efforts” initiative. The goal of the initiative is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a methodological framework, structured process, and tool in supporting the assessment and identification of policies that may create or perpetuate health disparities by contributing to structural racism. The initiative also focuses on the modification, development, and implementation of policies to improve health outcomes.
This notice solicits applications for demonstration projects that will:
(1) Participate in the development of the methodological framework, process, and tool.
(2) Utilize the methodological framework, process, and tool to assess and identify policies that may create or perpetuate health disparities by contributing to structural racism.
(3) Modify existing or develop new policies.
(4) Implement those policies to improve health outcomes.
(5) Participate in evaluation activities through the Coordinating Center.
Click the following link to access the notice of funding opportunity.
A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held July 21, 2021 at 1:00 PM Eastern. Click here to register for the technical assistance webinar.
Have you ever had times that you fought with depression? In Psalm 13, David was experiencing a bout with it. Fortunately, he turned his depression into delight. Click below to read today's post.
https://www.ramckinley.com/how-to-turn-depression-into-delight/
In the Bible, when someone was banished, they were exiled from their country. In our verse for today, it says that God decided to banish Judah from His presence. How can a person or a country be banished from God’s presence?
Check out today's post by clicking on the link below.
https://ramckinley.com/now-that-is-bad/
What is your greatest fear? Many people say that its getting to the end of their life without having made a significant difference. For most of us, the regular duties of life get in our way and before you know it, you’re 50 years old wondering where the time went.
But Christians have an advantage. God has given us certain “spiritual gifts” to help us accomplish the mission He has for us. That’s right…God has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
We need to find out what God has gifted us to do and do it with all our heart (Colossians 3:23-24…”Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”). To do this daunting adventure, we need to divide it up into smaller units that we can measure.
First off would be to determine what your spiritual gift(s) is/are. There are some online surveys you can take that give you some idea of what your gift(s) is/are. They are at…
1) https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/spiritual-gifts-survey/
2) https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts-test-adult-version/
When I came down with throat cancer, God told me that He was going to heal me. I thought it was just me wanting to believe that I’d be healed. It took some convincing on God’s part but I finally believed Him. I was almost 65 years old. If God’s going to heal me at this age, He must still have things for me to do. After earnestly seeking Him, He spoke to me in these areas:
1) my personal life – what do I do when I’m not working? What do I spend my time on? Am I seeing friends on a regular basis? Am I spending quality time with my spouse? Maybe take her/him out on a date night.
2) my spiritual life – do I read/study the bible? Do I pray? Am I involved in a local bible-believing church? A consistent reading of the bible should only take maybe 15 minutes a day. Prayer could be done thru-out the day or in the evening with your spouse. Joining your church’s small home group takes one evening a week or one evening every two weeks. Reading good Christian non-fiction books is also good to do. It’s a way to gain a lot of information and guidance from other bible teachers.
3) my hobbies – most psych’s will tell you that having a hobby is good for your mental state of mind as long as it isn’t obsessive. What is your hobby? Is it traveling or reading or sewing or working around the house? Is it watching certain TV programs (be careful because TV watching can become obsessive).
4) my house life – God has provided you with a house. What a blessing! Are we using it for God’s glory? Do you have small group meetings in it? Do we have people over for an evening? My wife and I are empty-nesters, so we have bedrooms available for visiting missionaries, etc. Maybe you could have a youth group activity at your house.
5) my spiritual gifts – do you know what your spiritual gift(s) is/are? Are you using them? If not, why not? The church is a great place but not the only place to use your spiritual gifts. One guy who loved working on cars, had the church sponsor a Saturday when single moms would bring their cars to the church parking lot and he and a few other men would change their oil for free. They had the gift of service (Romans 12:7…”If your gift is serving others, serve them well…”). My spiritual gift is teaching, so I teach adult bible classes at our church. I’ve also put my teachings on the internet at https://bsssb-llc.com.
6) my parent/grandparent life – how are you parenting or grandparenting your family members for the Lord. What are you doing with the people that God has put in your sphere of influence? Parenting is a full time job but why not take one evening every week or every two weeks and have a family night. Play a board game, go to a park or play frisbee with your kids. If you’re a grandparent, give your adult kids a break and take the grandchildren for a day or evening every week or every other week. Take them on a picnic or to a museum or play a board game with them. Anything that engenders a conversation and builds memories.
Learn to pray with them on a consistent basis. Feel free to talk to them about God, Jesus, or whatever is happening in the culture. Just be sure to not harshly judge their opinions. If they’re younger, read bible stories to them. If they’re older and you can afford it, take them
to the Creation Museum and/or the Ark Encounter for a few days.
7) – for people who are still working (I’m retired), your work life – are you honoring God by being a good worker? Does your boss know why you’re a good worker? See Colossians 3:23-24 above.
8) – my financial life. Yes, this involves budgeting. Like it or not, you’ve got to budget if you’re going to plan things like vacations, travel, college for the children, retirement, etc. Any book by Dave Ramsey would be very helpful. Or just comparing your expenses to your income. For one month, track your spending. Don’t forget to include in there things like house insurance, car insurance, property taxes, Christmas gifts, etc. If you pay them once a year, just divide the total you pay by 12 and you’ll have a monthly amount. Being faithful in your finances is one of the hardest things to bring under control but its absolutely necessary if you’re going to be faithful in what the Lord has given you.
How do you put all this into action?
Start by writing down things that God wants you to work on. Then, don’t do anything different for 1-2 weeks but write down everything you do with your time. You might be amazed how much of your time is spent on things that don’t contribute to your stated goals.
I would suggest starting with establishing a consistent bible reading & prayer time. Start out with 10-15 minutes day. Once you’ve established that consistently, then you can go longer if you wish. The other areas require planning but still don’t take a lot of time.
All of these things are measurable quantities. You should be able to look back over the past month and see what you did accomplish. Don’t be surprise if it all doesn’t work out perfectly. If half of it works, you’re doing good. Also, don’t be surprised if God tweaks your plans. Stay flexible enough for that to happen.
So, at the end of every month you can look back and see what you’ve done. Then you can make any adjustments in the coming month. If you do this long enough, you’ll be amazed at the results. Eventually, you’ll be able to make longer term plans. Instead of just one year out, you may be planning several years out, realizing what Proverbs 16:9 says “In their hearts humans plan their course but the Lord establishes their steps”. But at the same time, remember the old saying that says if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it.
Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Here are some scriptures to meditate on regarding planning:
Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very careful then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Proverbs 27:23 “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds…”
Psalms 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 20:4 “May He grant you your hearts desire and fulfill all of your plans.”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow….Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” This does NOT say that you shouldn’t plan anything. It does say to be flexible so God can work. There’s an old saying that says, “God can’t steer a parked car.” Well, yes He can but I hope you get the point of the saying. An old Christian comedian said that he wants to be doing something when Jesus returns, even if its making mistakes.
Then at the end of your life, God will be able to say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:21).
An excellent resource for making a life statement is the book, “Made to Count” by Bob Reccord and Randy Singer. It also comes with a workbook, “Made to Count Life Planner”.
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
We all remember the Alamo. In 1836, 187 men fought thousands of Mexicans and one brutal dictator. But how many of you know that the Alamo’s defenders died for a cause that wasn’t 100% righteous? Read about it at https://bsssb-llc.com/blog44-remember-the-alamo/.
How To Experience Complete Joy In The Lord
Joy! We read about it, talk about it, and we sing about it. The question is, how can we experience complete joy in the Lord? Click on the link below to read today's post.
https://ramckinley.com/experiencing-complete-joy/
Because America was founded on Christian principles (see https://bsssb-llc.com/blog19-is-america-a-christian-nation/), it has become the greatest nation on Earth. The American government, private Christians and groups (like World Vision) are the first people to aid countries hurt by national disasters and famines. We were the bulwark against fascism in WWII and against Communism in the Cold War. Back then, we were more biblically based than we are now. We have sent more christian missionairies around the world than any other nation in history. These missionaries have brought physical & spiritual health to people that the world had forgotten.
And we expressed it publicly in our Declaration of Independence. But we have forgotten God. Many people are convinced that America always was a secular nation. There’s an old saying that says, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must like man, undergo the fatigue of supporting it”. The British statesman, Sir Edmund Burke, said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
Yes, America was and is a great nation. But America has never been perfect. It took a Civil War to get rid of slavery. Even then, Jim Crow laws ruled in the southern states until 1965. In the 19th century, we treated the Indians very unfairly. But lately, its gotten even worse. We’ve accepted abortion and over 60 million human beings have lost their life to it. Some states just put laws on the books that call for the killing of newborn babies if the abortion went wrong. We are celebrating men who identify and dress up as women and vice versa. Some of us accept the homosexual lifestyle even though the bible calls it sin. Many people marry, knowing that if it doesn’t work out well, they can get a divorce. Over 50% of men struggle with a pornography addiction. We are in the process of sliding down a moral slippery slope. We have forgotten how to repent as a nation even though we have many such examples in the bible. Read Jonah 3:1-10 Jeremiah 15:19-21 Ezekiel 18:30-32 Acts 17:30 & 26:19-20.
The Scottish historian and University of Edinburgh Professor Alexander Tytler wrote (in 1787 A.D.) that “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote largess out of the public treasury”. This is exactly what’s happening in America right now. The average democracy lifespan is about 200-250 years before it falls apart. Our democracy is about 230 years old. The cycles of a democracy are;
– from bondage to spiritual freedom
– from spiritual freedom to great courage
– from great courage to liberty
– from liberty to abundance
– from abundance to selfishness
– from selfishness to apathy
– from apathy to dependence
– from dependence to bondage again
America is NOT a democracy (we’re a constitutional republic), yet the people act as if we are. Just one of our problems is our national debt.
Our debt, as a nation, is;
– 1994 4.5 trillion$ 
– 2001 5.7 trillions$
– 2007 9.06 trillion$
– 2008 10.3 trillion$
– 2009 10.6 trillion$
– 2016 20 trillion$
– 2019 22 trillion$
Our debt-to-GDP ratio is at worldpopulationreview.com/countries/countries-by-national-debt
While there are many nations that have worse debt-to-GDP ratios, America is still in a bad place. We cannot keep spending more money than we take in.
What is the answer? Of course, its to put new limits on spending, to rearrange our priorities and to hold people & nations accountable for their actions. But how do we get there? By not putting the cart before the horse. As a nation, we need to repent of our sinful actions. Daniel 9 is a great example of this. In Dan 9:5-11, Daniel uses the word “we” when referring to how his nation had sinned. Even though Daniel didn’t do many of these things, he identified with his nation. Only then, with God’s guidance, will we be able to construct positives alternatives to those things that got us into trouble in the first place. As we seek God, He will give us specific answers. We Christians are the ones who need to repent. As we pray and seek His face, God will reveal these practical things to us. Then we need to make sure these things are carried out.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. If God’s people, living in America, will turn from our wicked ways, then He will heal our land.
Are you willing to pray for our nation, to repent of her sins and to vote for people who will stop the terrible scourge of abortion, who will lend a helping hand to those less fortunate, who will uphold God’s definition of marriage and morality, who will reach out to a hurting world with the gospel, who will sacrifice their time, talents and money to enlarge the Kingdom of God? How is God speaking to you today? How is God leading you today to spread His Kingdom?
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
Do You Really Think God Can't Hear You?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone was talking about you? And you are standing right there. I wonder how God feels when people talk about Him? His constant presence is for our benefit. Click below to read today's post.
https://www.ramckinley.com/do-you-really-think-god-cant-hear-you/
“Evangelicals are largely poor, uneducated and easy to command”—Michael Weisskopf, Washington Post reporter says. WOW! If this statement had been made about any other group, it would immediately been labeled as bigoted and racist. This statement also makes 2 huge assumptions:
This statement by Mr. Weisskopf reeks of an academic elitist attitude.
It’s funny, especially since Christianity has been known as the thinking man’s religion.
Read apologetics-notes.comereason.org/2014/11/Christianity-is-thinking-mans-faith.html.
It was Christianity that first taught that all people, rich & poor, men & women, should be entitled to an education. Before the rise of Christianity, education was only for the rich males. Christians figured that without knowing how to read, people couldn’t read the Bible. The ability to read the Bible made knowing about Jesus so much easier. And since Jesus considered all people as equals before God (Galatians 3:28), these early Christians taught everyone to read. Even today, the first thing missionaries do is teach people to read.
After the fall of the western Roman Empire, it was Christian monks that preserved the knowledge of the Greeks & Romans. They advanced it greatly, making it available to anyone. Especially after the Protestant Reformation, people needed to be able to read if they were to read the Bible and be properly discipled. So Christians pushed universal childhood education, a first in the history of the world. Almost all of the early colleges & universities were started by Christians. In his 1932 book, “The Founding of American Colleges and Universities before the Civil War”, David Tewksbury states that 168 (92%) of the 182 colleges and universities were founded by Christian denominations. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Rutgers, etc. all started out as Christian colleges. Harvard’s motto was “Truth for Christ and the Church”. The declared purpose of it was “To train a literate clergy”. One of the Rules & Precepts of Harvard was, “Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, John 17:3 and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning”. WOW! You’ve come a long way, Baby!
Modern science could only be birthed in a Christian environment. Since the Christian concept of God is of a rational creator, it would make sense that He would create a physical universe based on rational physical laws. As the scientist Kepler said, “I want to think God’s thoughts after Him”. The ancient gods, whether Greek or Roman, were part of the creation. These gods were very capricious in their behavior, so it didn’t occur to ancient man that they would create rational laws. Hence, a study of the physical universe was never considered worthwhile. Read www.ldolphin.org/bumbulis/#anchor5345780. Also read the following chapters in these 3 great books that should be a part of every Christian’s library:
-“How Christianity Changed the World” by Dr. Alvin Schmidt, chapters 7 on education & 9 on the origin of modern science.
-“What’s So Great about Christianity” by Dinesh D’Sousa, chapters 8-10 on the origin of modern science.
-“Christianity on Trial” by Vincent Carroll & David Shiflett, chapter 3 on the origin of modern science.
When many of the Christian colleges became secularized, believers started up a whole slew of colleges again. Here in Michigan, you have Hillsdale, Hope, Albion, Spring Arbor, Alma, Cornerstone, Adrian, Calvin, Concordia, Olivet and many, many more. Christianity has always been heavily into the propagation of education for all peoples. Is this new information to you? Were you aware of this? Write and let me know what you think.
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
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Are Your Acts Of Love Endorsed By Others?
In the Apostle John’s 3rd epistle, he commended Gaius for the love and kindness shown to traveling teachers. Do others endorse your acts of love? Click on the link below to read this post.
https://ramckinley.com/you-all-would-do-well-to-provide-for-their-journey-in-a-way-that-honors-god/
God hates fags! This is the sign that the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) members hold up as they protest at armed forces service members funerals. How distasteful! No matter what your beliefs, its wrong to protest at a funeral. The WBC is not affiliated with any Baptist organization. In fact, they are routinely condemned by pastors and all denominations, especially Baptists ones, across America.
https://res.cloudinary.com/bsssb/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1615832059/Jesus-came-to-do-this/Jesus-came-to-do-this.jpg 563w" alt="" width="333" height="400" />
Let me answer this question in two parts:
1st…does God love everyone?
2nd…does God approve of everything people do?
To the 1st question…anyone who reads the bible can answer this question easily. Romans 5:8 says that while we were still sinning, Jesus died for us. In essence, it says that while we didn’t believe in Him, He believed in us.
John 3:16 says that God loved the world (that’s us) so much, that for all who will eventually believe in Him, He gives them eternal life in heaven. Incredible!
John 1: 12 says that everyone that received Jesus, He gave them the right to be children of God. What is noticeably missing from these verses is anything about LGBT people. God loves everyone (John 3:16) and wants everyone to be in a relationship with Him, no matter what you’ve done or who you are.
The answer to the 2nd question is also easy to answer. Of course, God doesn’t approve of everything that people do. He doesn’t approve of murder (Exodus 20:13), adultery (Exodus 20:14), stealing (Exodus 20:15), etc. God does NOT approve of homosexuality (Romans 1:18-32 & 1st Corinthians 6:9,10). So, what does this mean? To quote an old cliché, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin”. Read https://bsssb-llc.com/blog43-homosexuality/
Can we make judgements about certain actions/behaviors? Yes, we can. And Jesus told us to (John 7:24). One of the marks of maturity is that someone will do the right thing, no matter what he feels like doing. It’s why many Christians can pray for their enemies, in spite of being mistreated by them. https://bsssb-llc.com/blog30-can-our-enemies-find-christ/
Can an LGBT person accept Christ? Yes, they can. But over time, God will convict them that committing homosexual acts is wrong. And with God’s help, they will be able to stop (see below for support ministries). The same goes for a thief or a gossip. You don’t clean up your life and then invite Jesus into it. You invite Him in and together both of you clean it up.
So yes, God loves LGBT people. Yet, He loves them enough that He doesn’t want them to stay where they’re at. From the moment we become Christians, we and Jesus started on a journey to transform us, to make us look more like Him.
So, how do we treat LGBT people? Just like anyone else that God brings into our lives. Rosaria Butterfield puts it wonderfully at https://bsssb-llc.com/blog22-lesbian-feminist-professor-meets-jesus/ .
May God increase your love for all people, including LGBT people, as you journey with Him on the path He has set before you.
Support ministries:
www.exodusglobalalliance.org
www.narth.org
www.restoredhopenetwork.com
http://ex-gaytruth.com
www.pfox.org
For His wonderful Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
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It depends on how you define faith. Some people define it as something you believe in but cannot prove. One way Webster’s defines it is as a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion rather than being able to prove it as real.
If you can’t prove something is true, then it doesn’t correspond to reality. I may have faith that I can fly, but if I can’t prove it, it’s not real. It doesn’t correspond to reality. It may even give me comfort, but I’m believing in someone or something that isn’t true. This is blind faith.
The bible has a different definition of faith. In the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 1, it says faith is “…the assurance about what we do not see.” The word “assurance” means evidence or trust. Evidence are things that we know to be true, beyond a reasonable doubt. In a courtroom, evidence are facts that point the way to something that we decide is true. Since we cannot see that something, like a murder, the evidence of it will point the way for us to make a decision that’s beyond a reasonable doubt.
The “…of things not seen” refers to things that we cannot directly observe anymore. What things can we not observe anymore? Hebrews 11:3 says things like the creation of the universe, Abel bringing an offering to God, Enoch being taken up alive to heaven, Noah and the flood, etc. We cannot observe anything in history. We also cannot observe things like love and trust. We can observe their effects but we cannot observe these things. For example, what does love look like, how much does it weigh, what are its dimensions?
In our present time, we have proof of Jesus being raised from the dead (https://bsssb-llc.com/video-courses-overview/the-real-easter-story/ weeks 2 thru 4) and the accuracy of the bible (https://bsssb-llc.com/video-courses-overview/how-we-got-the-bible/).
We didn’t observe these things but we have proof that they happened. When Jesus says that He will come back again to set up His eternal kingdom, we have proof that He can be trusted based on the evidence of His prior claims. We can trust what the bible says based on it being a trustworthy source.
So, Christians don’t have blind faith in Jesus. We have evidence that corresponds to reality. That is real faith.
Faithfully Yours,
Dave Maynard
When Will The Wrath Of God Come To The Nations?
In Revelation 11, the twenty-four elders fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. They were praising Him for both His rewards and His wrath. In eternity everyone will experience either one or the other. Click on the link below to read the post.
https://ramckinley.com/enraged/
