Black Lives Do Matter As Much As Yours And Mine

We have been enduring months of "stay at home" orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We as a nation are not accustomed to living life in this way.  Many people have lost jobs, and many people have lost their lives to this "novel" coronavirus.  However, this post is not about that issue.

Another issue we as a nation have endured is racism.  It has been a part of this land long before we called ourselves the United States of America.  The melting pot called the USA was even almost split into two nations because of slavery.  We have come a long way, though.  Even though we still have racial problems, we are still the land of opportunity.  The United States elected an African-American to be the 44th President in 2008, and reelected him in 2012.

Over the years, though, there have been outcries in the African-American community accusing the police of racial persecution against them.  This is often difficult to prove.  Police in general protect their own because they are a brotherhood of sorts.  Our nation has long had the sentiment and legal standing that in legal matters, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.  The problem is that social sentiment is more often that someone who is accused is guilty until proven innocent.

I have seen this in politics as well as in criminal cases.  In politics, most Democrats will vilify the Republicans, and most Republicans will vilify the Democrats.  The funny thing is that they often use the same rhetoric against one another, and nobody seems to remember.  They just want their candidates to win.  When it comes to crimes, people will often believe a police officer because of the authority that person has with the law.  People are more apt to believe that a person committed a crime and the police did everything right, even when a case is not open and shut with the evidence.

While there have been many accusations of injustices by police against minorities over the years, two in the last few months have come to light that appears to show that some of the the allegations are in fact, true.

One involved a 25-year old man in Georgia.  Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed while running.  It was several weeks before anyone was arrested, and only after a video was released of the shooting.  One of those involved in the shooting was a former police officer.

The second involved a 45-year old man from Houston who had moved to Minneapolis.  George Floyd had been a bouncer who had evidently lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  He was accused of using a counterfeit 20 dollar bill to purchase cigarettes at a convenience store.  Police were called.  Mr. Floyd was handcuffed and forced into the police vehicle after telling the police officers he was claustrophobic and could not breathe.  He was shortly afterward dragged out of the other side of the vehicle and onto the street.  He was face down, with his hands cuffed behind him.  Two police officers were kneeling on his back and one officer had a knee on Mr. Floyd's neck.  George Floyd was pleading with them, saying he could not breathe.

During this time some onlookers had pulled out their phones, proceeded to take videos of the event, and pleaded with the police to get off Mr. Floyd;s neck.  After he appeared to have passed out and his body had grown limp, the officer continued to press his knee into George Floyd's neck.  When the onlookers tried to intervene, the officer on Mr. Floyd's neck pulled out his mace.  Another officer had gotten in between that officer and those pleading with him.  That officer had his knee on George Floyd's neck for over eight minutes.  When EMS finally showed up, only after the paramedics asked the officer to get off of Mr. Floyd, did he remove his knee from the neck.

The damage had been done.  George Floyd was dead.  He was definitely no immediate threat for those eight minutes face down on the street.

When the protests started, the four officers were fired.  It took several days and rioting in the streets before the one officer was charged with third degree murder and manslaughter.  More protests have come about across the nation.  There has been looting in the cities, fires have been started, and people have been injured and some have died.  Some seem to blame all of the police, while others blame all of the protesters.  Some have tried to accuse President Trump of starting a race war.

I know that I do not have all the answers.  I do not believe we can fix over 400 years of prejudice overnight.  I do know that the only one who really can fix this problem is Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who has ever walked the earth and remained without sin.  He is the only one who has paid the price for my sin and yours.  He is the only sure hope that can set us free of the problems of this world.

Apart from that, I believe we as a nation must hold ourselves and our leaders accountable.  We have to see our fellow man worthy of dignity and respect.  We need to see more than just the one narrative that supports our own political agenda, and we need to listen to other perspectives.  If we want to see meaningful change as protesters, then we must also bear some responsibility in making sure our fellow protesters are not harming others.  If the leaders want to be a part of the solution, then they must ensure the safety of the cities and also the safety of those protesting.  If the police want to stop the few in their midst of causing these injustices and thereby tarnishing the entire police force's reputation and honor, they must begin to hold their own accountable and not hide behind the tradition of brotherhood first.

I have seen so many times when these things have occurred, that some say black lives matter while others say all lives matter.  I have come to understand that this marginalizes the pain the African American community has been going through.  Someone used the analogy of if my house was on fire and the fire department came and sprayed a little water on all of the houses without actually putting the fire out in my house, then I would be upset.  The fire fighters would say all houses matter, but I would say, yes, but it's my house that is on fire!

My friend, black lives do matter as much as your life and mine.  Please, remember that.

Book Review: Anyone But Me: 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel by Ray Comfort

I was given an advanced copy of “Anyone But Me: 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel” by Ray Comfort.

I hate this book and am giving it five stars! I need to clarify this statement. I hate this book because it is so good and so true; and that it also reveals that I so often fall short in sharing the Gospel with others. I also must say that I love this book. I love that it speaks truth to both the believer and the unbeliever. It gives helpful insight into how we as believers can overcome our fears and prepare ourselves to share the Gospel.
For those familiar with Ray Comfort, if you have watched one of his videos or read any of his evangelistic books, then you know he utilizes the “Good Person” model of questioning. He asks the individual if he or she is a good person. Almost everyone says they are. Using the 10 Commandments, he asks the familiar questions: “Have you lied, stolen, and lusted?” He uses this line of questioning to help people see themselves as not the good people they had assumed themselves to be. He later asks the person if God judges them by the 10 Commandments, would God send them to heaven or hell? Ray is pricking the conscience of the listener to see that he or she is in trouble with God, so that the Gospel message will be able to do its work. The point is you will hear some familiar points in this book, and that is a good thing.
Like the 10 Commandments, Ray has given 10 ways to overcome our fear of sharing the Gospel and helping us to prepare to share the Gospel. Ray’s 10 ways are to be loving, obedient, decisive, defiant, focused, prepared, truthful, practiced, faithful, and prayerful.
In chapter 1, Ray writes about his experiences of showing love to those who have ridiculed him. After quoting Luke 6:27, he rightly states: “Our unconditional love sets Christians apart from the world and stops the ignorant mouths of evil men.” Over the years, Ray has given gift cards and fruit baskets, and wrote kind notes to his detractors. Ray gives some thoughtful insight into how we as believers can change the way we think and love others, and this also helps us to move forward with sharing the Gospel. Love is foundational for us to be able to share this life-giving message with others.
Ray then goes into being obedient in sharing our faith in Chapter 2. He speaks about Samson’s secret strength, which is not his hair. Like Samson, every believer has the abiding power of almighty God just waiting to be loosed. This chapter helps us to see that we as believers are not alone, and we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, so we should not fear.
The third chapter is about being decisive in sharing our faith. Strangers almost never come up to us and ask us to share our faith with them. It is important for us to make the conscious decision to share the Gospel, and then go out and do it.
The fourth chapter is about being defiant against the real enemy, the devil. Ephesians 6:11, Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ray speaks about how seemingly innocuous things such as sleep and well-meaning isolationism can be barriers to sharing our faith. Even well-meaning Christians can be a barrier to doing what Christ has commissioned us to do. We must be defiant, and push forward in telling others about Jesus.
Chapter 5 reminds the reader that we must be vigilant and focused when we speak with others. It is easy to get caught up in chasing rabbits down rabbit holes, or debating issues that divide believers and unbelievers. We must keep our eyes on the cross and exalt the risen Savior.
Chapter 6 is about the believer being prepared and putting on the full or complete armor of God in order to be prepared to stand, defend, and be victorious against the schemes of the devil.
Chapter 7 is about truth - the Gospel truth. The word gospel means good news. Gospel and truth have long been synonymous with one another. As believers, we are admonished by Ray to stand for truth because “the enemy stands for the opposite.” Our enemy is Satan, the father of lies. We will necessarily fight lies with the truth. The Gospel is truth. It is imperative that we preach the all sufficient sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and nothing we do can add to that work. We have been called to salvation in and through Jesus because of his unmerited favor (grace) toward us.
Chapter 8 is about being prepared to share the Gospel. We do that by practicing what we will be sharing with others. Understanding the Gospel message and how we will go about sharing it with others will go a long way in being able to share it. The more we do it, the better we will be in doing it. Sure, we will come across someone who will frustrate us as we try to give them the words of life. However, this is also an opportunity to learn. The truth is that even in situations that frustrate us, God can use the encounter to change the heart of the hearer of the Gospel. Still, these encounters should bring us back to the word of God, so we can seek the Lord’s guidance.
Chapter 9 is the shortest chapter of the book. It is by no means the least of the chapters. It is a call to be and remain faithful in sharing the Gospel with others. Ray reminds us that It is also important to be at peace with others, and to take every opportunity to stop any misunderstandings as soon as possible. We must be careful in our words and deeds.
Chapter 10 reminds us that we need to pray and be prayed for with all kinds of prayer. Study the Bible on a regular basis. Make the most of the time, and look for ways and opportunities within the areas of your influence to share the hope found in Christ alone.
As I come to a close, I must tell you that I actually loved reading this book. I read it over two nights. I saw areas in each chapter where I could improve. Ray has given me some new ideas about how I can go about sharing my faith with others. He has definitely done an excellent job getting his points across. I highly recommend everyone read this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3261360893

365 Day Bible Reading Plan

This is a simple plan for reading the Bible through in one year.

Day 1 January 1 Genesis 1-3

Day 2 January 2 Genesis 4-6
Day 3 January 3 Genesis 7-9
Day 4 January 4 Genesis 10-12
Day 5 January 5 Genesis 13-15
Day 6 January 6 Genesis 16-18
Day 7 January 7 Genesis 19-21
Day 8 January 8 Genesis 22-24
Day 9 January 9 Genesis 25-27
Day 10 January 10 Genesis 28-30
Day 11 January 11 Genesis 31-33
Day 12 January 12 Genesis 34-36
Day 13 January 13 Genesis 37-39
Day 14 January 14 Genesis 40-42
Day 15 January 15 Genesis 43-46
Day 16 January 16 Genesis 47-50
Day 17 January 17 Exodus 1-3
Day 18 January 18 Exodus 4-6
Day 19 January 19 Exodus 7-9
Day 20 January 20 Exodus 10-12
Day 21 January 21 Exodus 13-15
Day 22 January 22 Exodus 16-18
Day 23 January 23 Exodus 19-21
Day 24 January 24 Exodus 22-24
Day 25 January 25 Exodus 25-27
Day 26 January 26 Exodus 28-30
Day 27 January 27 Exodus 31-33
Day 28 January 28 Exodus 34-36
Day 29 January 29 Exodus 37-40
Day 30 January 30 Leviticus 1-3
Day 31 January 31 Leviticus 4-6
Day 32 February 1 Leviticus 7-9
Day 33 February 2 Leviticus 10-12
Day 34 February 3 Leviticus 13-15
Day 35 February 4 Leviticus 16-18
Day 36 February 5 Leviticus 19-21
Day 37 February 6 Leviticus 22-24
Day 38 February 7 Leviticus 25-27
Day 39 February 8 Numbers 1-3
Day 40 February 9 Numbers 4-6
Day 41 February 10 Numbers 7-9
Day 42 February 11 Numbers 10-12
Day 43 February 12 Numbers 13-15
Day 44 February 13 Numbers 16-18
Day 45 February 14 Numbers 19-21
Day 46 February 15 Numbers 22-24
Day 47 February 16 Numbers 25-27
Day 48 February 17 Numbers 28-30
Day 49 February 18 Numbers 31-33
Day 50 February 19 Numbers 34-36
Day 51 February 20 Deuteronomy 1-3
Day 52 February 21 Deuteronomy 4-6
Day 53 February 22 Deuteronomy 7-9
Day 54 February 23 Deuteronomy 10-12
Day 55 February 24 Deuteronomy 13-15
Day 56 February 25 Deuteronomy 16-18
Day 57 February 26 Deuteronomy 19-21
Day 58 February 27 Deuteronomy 22-24
Day 59 February 28 Deuteronomy 25-27
Day 60 March 1 Deuteronomy 28-30
Day 61 March 2 Deuteronomy 31-34
Day 62 March 3 Joshua 1-3
Day 63 March 4 Joshua 4-6
Day 64 March 5 Joshua 7-9
Day 65 March 6 Joshua 10-12
Day 66 March 7 Joshua 13-15
Day 67 March 8 Joshua 16-18
Day 68 March 9 Joshua 19-21
Day 69 March 10 Joshua 22-24
Day 70 March 11 Judges 1-3
Day 71 March 12 Judges 4-6
Day 72 March 13 Judges 7-9
Day 73 March 14 Judges 10-12
Day 74 March 15 Judges 13-15
Day 75 March 16 Judges 16-18
Day 76 March 17 Judges 19-21
Day 77 March 18 Ruth 1-4
Day 78 March 19 1 Samuel 1-3
Day 79 March 20 1 Samuel 4-6
Day 80 March 21 1 Samuel 7-9
Day 81 March 22 1 Samuel 10-12
Day 82 March 23 1 Samuel 13-15
Day 83 March 24 1 Samuel 16-18
Day 84 March 25 1 Samuel 19-21
Day 85 March 26 1 Samuel 22-24
Day 86 March 27 1 Samuel 25-27
Day 87 March 28 1 Samuel 28-31
Day 88 March 29 2 Samuel 1-3
Day 89 March 30 2 Samuel 4-6
Day 90 March 31 2 Samuel 7-9
Day 91 April 1 2 Samuel 10-12
Day 92 April 2 2 Samuel 13-15
Day 93 April 3 2 Samuel 16-18
Day 94 April 4 2 Samuel 19-21
Day 95 April 5 2 Samuel 22-24
Day 96 April 6 1 Kings 1-3
Day 97 April 7 1 Kings 4-6
Day 98 April 8 1 Kings 7-9
Day 99 April 9 1 Kings 10-12
Day 100 April 10 1 Kings 13-15
Day 101 April 11 1 Kings 16-18
Day 102 April 12 1 Kings 19-22
Day 103 April 13 2 Kings 1-3
Day 104 April 14 2 Kings 4-6
Day 105 April 15 2 Kings 7-9
Day 106 April 16 2 Kings 10-12
Day 107 April 17 2 Kings 13-15
Day 108 April 18 2 Kings 16-18
Day 109 April 19 2 Kings 19-21
Day 110 April 20 2 Kings 22-25
Day 111 April 21 1 Chronicles 1-6
Day 112 April 22 1 Chronicles 7-9
Day 113 April 23 1 Chronicles 10-12
Day 114 April 24 1 Chronicles 13-15
Day 115 April 25 1 Chronicles 16-18
Day 116 April 26 1 Chronicles 19-21
Day 117 April 27 1 Chronicles 22-25
Day 118 April 28 1 Chronicles 26-29
Day 119 April 29 2 Chronicles 1-3
Day 120 April 30 2 Chronicles 4-6
Day 121 May 1 2 Chronicles 7-9
Day 122 May 2 2 Chronicles 10-12
Day 123 May 3 2 Chronicles 13-15
Day 124 May 4 2 Chronicles 16-18
Day 125 May 5 2 Chronicles 19-21
Day 126 May 6 2 Chronicles 22-24
Day 127 May 7 2 Chronicles 25-27
Day 128 May 8 2 Chronicles 28-30
Day 129 May 9 2 Chronicles 31-33
Day 130 May 10 2 Chronicles 34-36
Day 131 May 11 Ezra 1-3
Day 132 May 12 Ezra 4-6
Day 133 May 13 Ezra 7-10
Day 134 May 14 Nehemiah 1-3
Day 135 May 15 Nehemiah 4-6
Day 136 May 16 Nehemiah 7-9
Day 137 May 17 Nehemiah 10-13
Day 138 May 18 Esther 1-3
Day 139 May 19 Esther 4-6
Day 140 May 20 Esther 7-10
Day 141 May 21 Job 1-3
Day 142 May 22 Job 4-6
Day 143 May 23 Job 7-9
Day 144 May 24 Job 10-12
Day 145 May 25 Job 13-15
Day 146 May 26 Job 16-18
Day 147 May 27 Job 19-21
Day 148 May 28 Job 22-24
Day 149 May 29 Job 25-27
Day 150 May 30 Job 28-30
Day 151 May 31 Job 31-33
Day 152 June 1 Job 34-36
Day 153 June 2 Job 37-39
Day 154 June 3 Job 40-42
Day 155 June 4 Psalms 1-5
Day 156 June 5 Psalms 6-10
Day 157 June 6 Psalms 11-15
Day 158 June 7 Psalms 16-20
Day 159 June 8 Psalms 21-25
Day 160 June 9 Psalms 26-30
Day 161 June 10 Psalms 31-35
Day 162 June 11 Psalms 36-40
Day 163 June 12 Psalms 41-45
Day 164 June 13 Psalms 46-50
Day 165 June 14 Psalms 51-55
Day 166 June 15 Psalms 56-60
Day 167 June 16 Psalms 61-65
Day 168 June 17 Psalms 66-70
Day 169 June 18 Psalms 71-75
Day 170 June 19 Psalms 76-80
Day 171 June 20 Psalms 81-85
Day 172 June 21 Psalms 86-90
Day 173 June 22 Psalms 91-95
Day 174 June 23 Psalms 96-100
Day 175 June 24 Psalms 101-105
Day 176 June 25 Psalms 106-110
Day 177 June 26 Psalms 111-115
Day 178 June 27 Psalms 116-120
Day 179 June 28 Psalms 121-125
Day 180 June 29 Psalms 126-130
Day 181 June 30 Psalms 131-135
Day 182 July 1 Psalms 136-140
Day 183 July 2 Psalms 141-145
Day 184 July 3 Psalms 146-150
Day 185 July 4 Proverbs 1-3
Day 186 July 5 Proverbs 4-6
Day 187 July 6 Proverbs 7-9
Day 188 July 7 Proverbs 10-12
Day 189 July 8 Proverbs 13-15
Day 190 July 9 Proverbs 16-18
Day 191 July 10 Proverbs 19-21
Day 192 July 11 Proverbs 22-24
Day 193 July 12 Proverbs 25-27
Day 194 July 13 Proverbs 28-31
Day 195 July 14 Ecclesiastes 1-3
Day 196 July 15 Ecclesiastes 4-6
Day 197 July 16 Ecclesiastes 7-9
Day 198 July 17 Ecclesiastes 10-12
Day 199 July 18 Song of Songs 1-4
Day 200 July 19 Song of Songs 5-8
Day 201 July 20 Isaiah 1-3
Day 202 July 21 Isaiah 4-6
Day 203 July 22 Isaiah 7-9
Day 204 July 23 Isaiah 10-12
Day 205 July 24 Isaiah 13-15
Day 206 July 25 Isaiah 16-18
Day 207 July 26 Isaiah 19-21
Day 208 July 27 Isaiah 22-24
Day 209 July 28 Isaiah 25-27
Day 210 July 29 Isaiah 28-30
Day 211 July 30 Isaiah 31-33
Day 212 July 31 Isaiah 34-36
Day 213 August 1 Isaiah 37-39
Day 214 August 2 Isaiah 40-42
Day 215 August 3 Isaiah 43-45
Day 216 August 4 Isaiah 46-48
Day 217 August 5 Isaiah 49-51
Day 218 August 6 Isaiah 52-54
Day 219 August 7 Isaiah 55-57
Day 220 August 8 Isaiah 58-60
Day 221 August 9 Isaiah 61-63
Day 222 August 10 Isaiah 64-66
Day 223 August 11 Jeremiah 1-3
Day 224 August 12 Jeremiah 4-6
Day 225 August 13 Jeremiah 7-9
Day 226 August 14 Jeremiah 10-12
Day 227 August 15 Jeremiah 13-15
Day 228 August 16 Jeremiah 16-18
Day 229 August 17 Jeremiah 19-21
Day 230 August 18 Jeremiah 22-24
Day 231 August 19 Jeremiah 25-27
Day 232 August 20 Jeremiah 28-30
Day 233 August 21 Jeremiah 31-33
Day 234 August 22 Jeremiah 34-36
Day 235 August 23 Jeremiah 37-39
Day 236 August 24 Jeremiah 40-42
Day 237 August 25 Jeremiah 43-45
Day 238 August 26 Jeremiah 46-48
Day 239 August 27 Jeremiah 49-52
Day 240 August 28 Lamentations 1-3
Day 241 August 29 Lamentations 4-5
Day 242 August 30 Ezekiel 1-3
Day 243 August 31 Ezekiel 4-6
Day 244 September 1 Ezekiel 7-9
Day 245 September 2 Ezekiel 10-12
Day 246 September 3 Ezekiel 13-15
Day 247 September 4 Ezekiel 16-18
Day 248 September 5 Ezekiel 19-21
Day 249 September 6 Ezekiel 22-24
Day 250 September 7 Ezekiel 25-27
Day 251 September 8 Ezekiel 28-30
Day 252 September 9 Ezekiel 31-33
Day 253 September 10 Ezekiel 34-36
Day 254 September 11 Ezekiel 37-40
Day 255 September 12 Ezekiel 41-44
Day 256 September 13 Ezekiel 45-48
Day 257 September 14 Daniel 1-3
Day 258 September 15 Daniel 4-6
Day 259 September 16 Daniel 7-9
Day 260 September 17 Daniel 10-12
Day 261 September 18 Hosea 1-3
Day 262 September 19 Hosea 4-6
Day 263 September 20 Hosea 7-10
Day 264 September 21 Hosea 11-14
Day 265 September 22 Joel 1-3
Day 266 September 23 Amos 1-3
Day 267 September 24 Amos 4-6
Day 268 September 25 Amos 7-9
Day 269 September 26 Obadiah
Day 270 September 27 Jonah 1-4
Day 271 September 28 Micah 1-3
Day 272 September 29 Micah 4-7
Day 273 September 30 Nahum 1-3
Day 274 October 1 Habakkuk 1-3
Day 275 October 2 Zephaniah 1-3
Day 276 October 3 Haggai 1-2
Day 277 October 4 Zechariah 1-3
Day 278 October 5 Zechariah 4-6
Day 279 October 6 Zechariah 7-10
Day 280 October 7 Zechariah 11-14
Day 281 October 8 Malachi 1-2
Day 282 October 9 Malachi 3-4
Day 283 October 10 Matthew 1-3
Day 284 October 11 Matthew 4-6
Day 285 October 12 Matthew 7-9
Day 286 October 13 Matthew 10-12
Day 287 October 14 Matthew 13-15
Day 288 October 15 Matthew 16-18
Day 289 October 16 Matthew 19-21
Day 290 October 17 Matthew 22-24
Day 291 October 18 Matthew 25-28
Day 292 October 19 Mark 1-3
Day 293 October 20 Mark 4-6
Day 294 October 21 Mark 7-9
Day 295 October 22 Mark 10-12
Day 296 October 23 Mark 13-16
Day 297 October 24 Luke 1-3
Day 298 October 25 Luke 4-6
Day 299 October 26 Luke 7-9
Day 300 October 27 Luke 10-12
Day 301 October 28 Luke 13-15
Day 302 October 29 Luke 16-18
Day 303 October 30 Luke 19-21
Day 304 October 31 Luke 22-24
Day 305 November 1 John 1-3
Day 306 November 2 John 4-6
Day 307 November 3 John 7-9
Day 308 November 4 John 10-12
Day 309 November 5 John 13-15
Day 310 November 6 John 16-18
Day 311 November 7 John 19-21
Day 312 November 8 Acts 1-3
Day 313 November 9 Acts 4-6
Day 314 November 10 Acts 7-9
Day 315 November 11 Acts 10-12
Day 316 November 12 Acts 13-15
Day 317 November 13 Acts 16-18
Day 318 November 14 Acts 19-21
Day 319 November 15 Acts 22-24
Day 320 November 16 Acts 25-28
Day 321 November 17 Romans 1-3
Day 322 November 18 Romans 4-6
Day 323 November 19 Romans 7-9
Day 324 November 20 Romans 10-12
Day 325 November 21 Romans 13-16
Day 326 November 22 1 Corinthians 1-3
Day 327 November 23 1 Corinthians 4-6
Day 328 November 24 1 Corinthians 7-9
Day 329 November 25 1 Corinthians 10-12
Day 330 November 26 1 Corinthians 13-16
Day 331 November 27 2 Corinthians 1-3
Day 332 November 28 2 Corinthians 4-6
Day 333 November 29 2 Corinthians 7-9
Day 334 November 30 2 Corinthians 10-13
Day 335 December 1 Galatians 1-3
Day 336 December 2 Galatians 4-6
Day 337 December 3 Ephesians 1-3
Day 338 December 4 Ephesians 4-6
Day 339 December 5 Philippians 1-4
Day 340 December 6 Colossians 1-4
Day 341 December 7 1 Thessalonians 1-5
Day 342 December 8 2 Thessalonians 1-3
Day 343 December 9 1 Timothy 1-3
Day 344 December 10 1 Timothy 4-6
Day 345 December 11 2 Timothy 1-4
Day 346 December 12 Titus 1-3
Day 347 December 13 Philemon
Day 348 December 14 Hebrews 1-3
Day 349 December 15 Hebrews 4-6
Day 350 December 16 Hebrews 7-9
Day 351 December 17 Hebrews 10-13
Day 352 December 18 James 1-3
Day 353 December 19 James 4-5
Day 354 December 20 1 Peter 1-5
Day 355 December 21 2 Peter 1-3
Day 356 December 22 1 John 1-3
Day 357 December 23 1 John 4-5
Day 358 December 24 2 John, 3 John, and Jude
Day 359 December 25 Revelation 1-3
Day 360 December 26 Revelation 4-6
Day 361 December 27 Revelation 7-9
Day 362 December 28 Revelation 10-12
Day 363 December 29 Revelation 13-15
Day 364 December 30 Revelation 16-18
Day 365 December 31 Revelation 19-22

Once Upon a Time

"Once upon a time" there was a boy who grew up in the church.  He made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  He claimed to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.  He was baptized and afterward continued to go to church.  When he was older, the boy's attitude about life changed.  He said he no longer believed in Jesus, or even God.  He said he was an atheist.  He said that no one could know which religion was correct because there were so many.

Does this "story" sound familiar?  Perhaps, someone you know has made similar statements like these.  This story is like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."  The boy lied to the people about a wolf attacking the sheep.  He did this several times and the people stopped believing him.  When a wolf did come and attack the sheep, no one believed him and the sheep were devoured.  In another version, the boy was also devoured.

Now let's connect the dots.  The little boy in the church asked us to believe him that he knew Jesus to be alive and that the boy trusted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  However, he later said that there was no god.  So, was the boy lying then or is he lying now?  Likely, this boy was lying both times.  He lied when he claimed to know Jesus, and he is now lying when he says there is no god.  Just like the people stopped believing the boy who cried wolf, we will stop believing someone who lies about their faith.  And just like the wolf story, the boy who lied about God will soon enough be devoured by death.

When someone says that the Bible should begin with the words: "Once upon a time...", they are saying the Bible is a collection of stories or fairy tales.  Yes, there are stories in the Bible.  Nathan used a story to confront David with his sin of adultery and murder.  Jesus used stories called parables to illustrate deep truths and also confuse those who refused to believe.  Yet, the Bible is not a story.  The Bible is the message of God to man.  It is truth.  It is life.

Only God knows for sure whether or not this boy is saved, but the fruit of his message points to the likelihood that he is not (please read Matthew 13).  Perhaps the boy was shown the way and believed it was real.  Yet, in his belief, he never actually trusted in the way by walking in it.  If I believe that a chair can hold my weight, but never sit in it, then I have not trusted in the chair.  It is not until I sit in the chair that my faith is proved true.  This is the same for someone who believes Jesus to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life...Savior and Lord.  Until a person trusts in Jesus by resting in Him, salvation has not come.  This is different for the true believer.  The true believer rests in Jesus' salvation, sometimes stumbling in sin, but confessing and turning from it, and getting back up again (Proverbs 24:16).

So many today are exchanging the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25).

Counter Culture by David Platt

     I recently read David Platt's latest book Counter Culture.  Like his previous books Radical and Radical Together, Platt engages the 21st century cultural Christian church about issues which should be of urgent importance.  Unfortunately, today's culturally relevant church is all about self, so-called tolerance, and having a form of godliness but denying its power (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5).
     Some Christians paint David Platt as a works righteousness preacher, but having read three of his books and having listened to hours of his sermons on-line, I trust he believes salvation comes through faith alone in Christ alone.  His message is basically now that you are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, what has Christ saved you to now do?  The Bible declares that the saved are to do good works and bear fruit (see Romans 7:4 and Colossians 1:10).  The important thing to note is we are not saved by good works, but we are saved to do good works for the glory of God.
     Counter Culture deals with issues that are very much in the mix of our culture, just as they were in the first century: slavery, bigotry, sexual immorality, etc.  Of course, his message is bound to offend many both within and without the Church.  However, the most offensive message he writes about is the message of the Gospel.  For 2,000 years, the message of Christ dying on the cross for the sins of all mankind has offended people.  Some of those who were offended resorted to ridicule, beat, and even murder those who were bold enough to proclaim their hope in the good news of Christ.  It is this same Gospel which also is necessary to counter the cultural issues of this day.  This is the message of Counter Culture.
     Even though this book is written for Christians, I believe it would be a good read for people who are not followers of Christ.  In the end, you may or may not agree with the message(s) in the book, but it may help you understand why many Christians believe and act the way they do.  Hopefully, it will wake up this generation of Christians to have an eternal mindset, not just a comfortable Christianity mindset.
~ Paul

  http://www.CounterCultureBook.com