Tuesday, February 17, 2009
1. Envy: A Poison of the Soul
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."1
"Aesop had a fable about two eagles, one envious of the other because the other could soar higher and more elegantly than he could. So the envious eagle would pluck his strongest feathers from his own body and shoot them as arrows, trying to wound or kill the other eagle. It was his own undoing, however. He could not hit the high flying eagle, and he was eventually grounded by his lack of feathers. Envy destroyed the eagle."2
Envy, greed, and jealousy are all related. They are not only destroyers of the soul, but also of our physical well-being. As Proverbs says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."3
And wasn't envy the cause of Satan's downfall? He was envious of God and wanted to be God himself; and look at the unbelievable mess he has gotten us into—or rather, look at the incredible mess we've gotten ourselves into because we have followed the ways of Satan instead of the ways of God. And how many of the atrocities that are happening in today's world are caused by the envy and greed for control by certain men who claim themselves to be leaders when, in fact, they are destroyers!
Envy is a destroyer. It will destroy you and me, too, if we allow it to do so. Like all of God's instructions, it is not without good reason that his Word tells us to get rid of all envy, malice, jealousy and hatred.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, if there is any envy, malice, jealousy, or hatred in my heart, please reveal it to me, and give me the courage and good sense to face it, to resolve it, and get rid of it. And please forgive me for it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. 1 Peter 2:1 (NIV).
2. Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations, 1999.
3. Proverbs 14:30 (NIV).
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Politically Incorrect
Thursday, January 22, 2009
1. Politically Incorrect
"And He [Jesus] said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered and said, 'The Christ [Messiah] of God.'"1
Amidst all the hoopla of political correct nonsense is the claim of those who deny that the holocaust ever happened, and the claim that some of the violent acts of recent times were not by Islamist terrorists.
As Chuck Colson pointed out a few short years ago in BreakPoint, some are claiming that, "'We have no idea who flew those jets into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon.' 'I thought the videotape of Osama bin Laden and his cohorts celebrating their success was evidence enough,' said Colson, 'you know, the tape where they say that the attacks on America went even better than they'd expected.'"
There is also the denial of reality regarding the Islamic Faith.
Colson continues: "Then there's the program put together by scholars at my alma mater Brown University that will be taught at more than one thousand high schools. It's called 'Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy.' Student readings emphasize that Islam 'is a religion that values family and tolerance,' and that 'throughout much of history, Muslims have lived peacefully with followers of other religions.' They did—but only after they conquered the Middle East, North Africa, and much of Europe in holy wars.
"The 'Islam is peaceful' message was recently reinforced at the University of North Carolina, when freshmen were assigned selections of the Qur'an—peaceful selections, that is. The parts about how it is the duty of Muslims to kill Jews, Christians, and other 'infidels'—the parts about holy wars that are of vital importance in light of September 11—were somehow left out."2
According to FoxNews.com last year copies of the Qur'án were placed on the doorsteps of 30,000 homes in southwest Houston. Could you imagine if an organization placed copies of the Bible on the door steps of 30,000 homes in a Muslim country?
True, not all Muslims by any means are terrorists or adhere to all that the Qur'an teaches regarding the killing of Jews and Christians. At the same time school kids and others are being led to believe that there is little difference between Islam and Christianity which is also a denial of reality. Yes, there are some similarities but at the core of both faiths they are worlds apart.
For instance, is the God of Christians and the Bible the same as Allah is to Muslims?
The Bible (as did Jesus) clearly teaches that God is a holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Islam states that Allah is a unity, when in fact, to them he is a single unit. Thus Muslims emphatically deny the triune nature of God.
The Bible teaches: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."3 The "Word" refers to Jesus—the Word or "Expression of God" in the flesh.
The Qur'án teaches: "Far be it from Him [Allah] that He should have a son" (4:171). Thus Islam totally denies the deity of Jesus Christ.
"Others (Muslims included) are equally adamant in affirming that the Allah of Islam is NOT the God of the Bible."
Jesus Christ, according to all true Christians is the Christ, Son of the Living God—our Lord, our God, and our Savior. To Muslims, while he is highly esteemed as a prophet of God, he is not the Son of God, is not part of the Triune God, and is not the Savior of the World.
According to Arab World Ministries, "Islam offers a conversion experience and the opportunity to get one's life in order, without needing to confess one's sin and need of salvation. In fact, Islam makes quite a point of denying these truths. It tells people they do not need salvation; all they need is to follow the 'guidance' of God's [Allah's] law, and they will make it to heaven."4
The important issue at stake is that people need to understand the true teachings of both Christianity and Islam, not to criticize or condemn, but to be sure that they personally are on the path of truth and be sure of their eternal salvation. As Jesus said about himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God the Father] except through me."5 If this is not true, then Jesus is not a great Prophet of God but a liar and a deceiver of mankind.
Tragically, politically correct nonsense that denies truth and reality will send people to hell.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in a world where there is a constant battle between good and evil, truth and lies, please help me to see the truth of who you are, who Jesus is, and your way of salvation. Give me the courage to always stand for Truth regardless of whether it is politically correct or not. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Luke 9:20 (NIV).
2. Breakpoint, August 23, 2002. See http://www.breakpoint.org.
3. John 1:1-3,14 (NIV).
4. For answers "About Islam" go to Arab World Ministries at:
1. Politically Incorrect
"And He [Jesus] said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered and said, 'The Christ [Messiah] of God.'"1
Amidst all the hoopla of political correct nonsense is the claim of those who deny that the holocaust ever happened, and the claim that some of the violent acts of recent times were not by Islamist terrorists.
As Chuck Colson pointed out a few short years ago in BreakPoint, some are claiming that, "'We have no idea who flew those jets into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon.' 'I thought the videotape of Osama bin Laden and his cohorts celebrating their success was evidence enough,' said Colson, 'you know, the tape where they say that the attacks on America went even better than they'd expected.'"
There is also the denial of reality regarding the Islamic Faith.
Colson continues: "Then there's the program put together by scholars at my alma mater Brown University that will be taught at more than one thousand high schools. It's called 'Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy.' Student readings emphasize that Islam 'is a religion that values family and tolerance,' and that 'throughout much of history, Muslims have lived peacefully with followers of other religions.' They did—but only after they conquered the Middle East, North Africa, and much of Europe in holy wars.
"The 'Islam is peaceful' message was recently reinforced at the University of North Carolina, when freshmen were assigned selections of the Qur'an—peaceful selections, that is. The parts about how it is the duty of Muslims to kill Jews, Christians, and other 'infidels'—the parts about holy wars that are of vital importance in light of September 11—were somehow left out."2
According to FoxNews.com last year copies of the Qur'án were placed on the doorsteps of 30,000 homes in southwest Houston. Could you imagine if an organization placed copies of the Bible on the door steps of 30,000 homes in a Muslim country?
True, not all Muslims by any means are terrorists or adhere to all that the Qur'an teaches regarding the killing of Jews and Christians. At the same time school kids and others are being led to believe that there is little difference between Islam and Christianity which is also a denial of reality. Yes, there are some similarities but at the core of both faiths they are worlds apart.
For instance, is the God of Christians and the Bible the same as Allah is to Muslims?
The Bible (as did Jesus) clearly teaches that God is a holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Islam states that Allah is a unity, when in fact, to them he is a single unit. Thus Muslims emphatically deny the triune nature of God.
The Bible teaches: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."3 The "Word" refers to Jesus—the Word or "Expression of God" in the flesh.
The Qur'án teaches: "Far be it from Him [Allah] that He should have a son" (4:171). Thus Islam totally denies the deity of Jesus Christ.
"Others (Muslims included) are equally adamant in affirming that the Allah of Islam is NOT the God of the Bible."
Jesus Christ, according to all true Christians is the Christ, Son of the Living God—our Lord, our God, and our Savior. To Muslims, while he is highly esteemed as a prophet of God, he is not the Son of God, is not part of the Triune God, and is not the Savior of the World.
According to Arab World Ministries, "Islam offers a conversion experience and the opportunity to get one's life in order, without needing to confess one's sin and need of salvation. In fact, Islam makes quite a point of denying these truths. It tells people they do not need salvation; all they need is to follow the 'guidance' of God's [Allah's] law, and they will make it to heaven."4
The important issue at stake is that people need to understand the true teachings of both Christianity and Islam, not to criticize or condemn, but to be sure that they personally are on the path of truth and be sure of their eternal salvation. As Jesus said about himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God the Father] except through me."5 If this is not true, then Jesus is not a great Prophet of God but a liar and a deceiver of mankind.
Tragically, politically correct nonsense that denies truth and reality will send people to hell.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in a world where there is a constant battle between good and evil, truth and lies, please help me to see the truth of who you are, who Jesus is, and your way of salvation. Give me the courage to always stand for Truth regardless of whether it is politically correct or not. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Luke 9:20 (NIV).
2. Breakpoint, August 23, 2002. See http://www.breakpoint.org.
3. John 1:1-3,14 (NIV).
4. For answers "About Islam" go to Arab World Ministries at:
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