PCPrays

Stand to Reason Blog ask the question of why so many Christians are so concerned over Halloween but show no concern over issues like the Trinity or justification.

I’m not talking about the decision Christians make about what to do about Halloween.  That’s a matter of conscience each has to make.  I’m talking about the inordinate energy, attention, thought, and focus spent on what to do about Halloween and the polar opposite apathy about theology, doctrine, church history.

It’s a sad truth in the church today when no one cares that books like “The Shack” are being praised but everyone is up in arms over little kids dressing up for Halloween.  Trample the Trinity, don’t see any need for justification, no problem.  But dress up for Halloween and oh my!

Link: http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2009/10/halloween-worries.html

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Father who art in heaven
Holy is Your name
You are faithful in all You do
And all creation will declare Your name
May Your Kingdom come, O Lord
May Your message of peace, love and forgiveness be preached throughout the earth
And may we Your people, do Your will
As the angles do in heaven
May we not fail You, but bring honor to Your name
And to the One who knew our needs before the foundations of the earth
I pray that You would fulfill those needs
For it is only by Your grace that they are filled
And O, that You would forgive me my sins
For I could never repay them
I have forgiven those who own debts to me
In the faith that You will forgive me mine
And to the One who never temps me to do evil
Chain me to Your self and never allow me to wonder

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It’s amazing how some basic assumptions can change the way you see everything.  A basic question, is the heart of men (and women) good or evil?

John Lennon believed in the basic goodness of human kind.  That is what his song “Imagine” is all about.  Mr. Lennon looked around at the world and saw good people doing bad things and had to ask him self why.  In the song he gives three reasons

1. Religion
2. Political (Countries)
3. Possessions

And so Mr. Lennon wants us to imagine a world with out these three things.  He reasons that if these three things are the most major factor for wars and hatred (or the things that are tainting good people to do bad things) then a world with out them must be a world of peace and love.

A poster on Imagine’s Pandora page said “Imagine if people did not have a belief in a religion, how many wars would have been avoided? Imagine if they were not trying to get to whatever version of heaven they ascribe to, how many terrorist bombings would there be?”

But what if you answer that first question differently?  What if we start with the assumption that people are not good?  In Genesis 8:21 God says that “The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”  Could it be that evil men attached themselves to false (and false versions of the True Religion) religions and to rose to political power for their own gain?  What if these things did not taint good people but rather were tools used by evil people?

So I am sorry, Mr. Lennon (and the person on Pandora) but when I Imagine your world it is not a place of peace and love for you have not dealt with the real problem.  Sin, Mr. Lennon, is the real problem.  Sin is what corrupts our hearts and only the blood of Jesus Christ can free us from that corruption.

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My grand dad was sick with a mild case of Pneumonia this weekend.  They are releasing him from the hospital today, so that’s good.  I have not gotten to go see him as much as I would like.  I did not want to risk getting sick and then being with Marci.

Speaking of Marci, I weighed her this morning.  She’s up to 10 pounds. so she is still growing.  We might take her to church this weekend.  Not sure yet, Nyssa is wanting to go.  I told her I would stay home with Marci if she wanted to go.  But that is still up in the air.

And speaking of babies, some awesome news.  My sister is pregnant.  I do ask for prayers for her.  She is at 12 – 13 weeks right now and that’s great news!  So please pray for the continuing health of this little child.

For Reformation Day we are going to host a little party with some of our friends.  It should be fun.  Have some hamburgers and hot dogs.  French Fries.  I still have some pumpkin puree left from the other day.  So I’ll make something with it.  Maybe some more pumpkin bread, that was great!

I don’t do valentines day (you can ask Nyssa).  I don’t like it.  Here is the thing, I try my best to make Nyssa feel loved all year round.  Valentines day is a cop out.  If I brought flowers to Nyssa on Valentines day, all that I am saying is “It’s Valentines day, I’m your husband, it’s my job to buy you flowers” that is not a loving action toward my wife.  I don’t buy her flowers because it’s the 14th of February, I buy her flowers because it makes her happy and that brings me joy.  And that is showing her love.

Okay, I say all that for this point, this month is Pastor Appreciation month and this Sunday is Pastor Appreciation day.  And I don’t like it.  If Pastor Don and Pastor Scott don’t feel like I respect and appreciate them the other 364 (365 on leap years!) days of the year then whats the point?

Pastor Don gave a brief message at Pastor Scott’s Ordination with a list of things he wanted to encourage us to do for Pastor Scott.  But I want to say it’s a list for any pastor and I think does a better job at honoring a pastor then any Pastor Appreciation day/month.  In it he asked us to

• Emulate his humility
• Encounter his intelligence
• Enrich his spirtuality
• Enjoy his personality
• Embrace his family
• Encourage his ministry
• Endure his mistakes

Sure it’s just easer to cook something for him and give him a card once a year.  But I’m sorry I just don’t think that’s really loving.

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A Sermon by Pastor Scott Lingle

Of David, When he Changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 34 – English Standard Version (ESV)

This Psalm is broken up into 6 sections.  Pastor Scott spent time talking about each section.

The first section V1-3 is a call from David to praise the Lord.  David declares that he will bless the Lord at all times and that he will boast in the Lord.  Then he asks us to magnify the Lord with him.

In verses 4-7 David tells us why we should praise the Lord.  David says that the Lord delivered him from all of his fears.  At this point in his life King Saul was trying to kill him and David ran away to the Cainites, he was captured by them and brought to Abimelech (there king).  But David was set free and David praises the Lord because of this.

In verses 8-10 David asks us to try the lord.  He says “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”.  John Piper talks about this verse, “Taste and see”.  It’s one thing to just know that the Lord is good but another to taste His goodness your self.  He says it’s the difference between knowing honey is sweet and tasting the sweetness of honey.

In verses 11-14 David tells us how to “try” the Lord.  He tells us to “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

In verses 15-18 David tells us that the Lord will Deliver his people and that He is against the wicked.

And in verses 19-22 David tells us that the deliverance of the Lord may not be in this life but that the Lord’s servants will be redeemed and will not be condemned.

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