Which Path Will the United States Choose?

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 8:19

Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."

NKJV

Decisions and choices are part of life.  When we are children, our parents make the important decisions in our lives but as we grow older, we acquire knowledge and can begin making more of our own decisions.  This, however, does not mean we always make the right decisions but even when making a bad decision, we should learn from it so as not to make that same mistake again. 

Scripture never reveals the name of the scribe mentioned in Matthew 8:19, but after hearing Jesus, he made the best decision anyone can make, the decision to follow Jesus.  This is because a decision to follow Jesus has the reward of eternity in Heaven with God the Father and Jesus.  The alternative is eternal damnation and separation from God our creator for eternity. 

I want to encourage anyone reading this that has not already done so to make the decision to follow Jesus by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

The political conventions are over in the United States setting up the electoral showdown between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.  These candidates represent two different paths for the United States presenting an opportunity for the United States to choose which path it will take moving forward. 

Hillary Clinton, as the former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State provides a clear picture of the path through which she will lead the United States.  According to her campaign site her agenda is to,

1)      Implement what she calls a fair tax system.  Her idea of a fair system is for the wealthy to pay more thus redistributing wealth to those she determines needs it.  While this on the surface may sound fair, it is economically destructive for it taxes job creators in the private sector at a time when record numbers of individuals are not participating in the workforce.

2)      Build an economy that works for everyone.  She has a five step plan which consists of,

a.       A 100-days jobs plan, which involves investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, research and technology, clean energy, and small business.  This sounds a lot like Obama’s stimulus plan, which failed to create jobs and only caused massive deficits and debt.

b.      Free college and relief for those with existing college debt.  My question here is how we are going to pay for it because I am sure college professors and administrators are not going to volunteer to work for free.

c.       Rewarding companies that share profits with employees.  Once again, this sounds good and many companies already do this.  However, for small companies with only one owner, this will be asking them to redistribute their personal income to employees instead of them investing this money back into growth for their companies, which saves existing jobs while creating new ones.

d.      Making sure corporations, the wealthy, and Wall Street pay their fair share.  Once again this represents a wealth redistribution plan that will stifle economic growth in the private sector and since the greater share of tax revenue in the United States comes from the income tax, will actually reduce revenue to the government instead of increasing it.

e.      Enact policies that meet the challenges families face in the 21^st-century economy.  This includes equal pay and paid leave.  I believe in equal pay for individuals with the same qualifications doing the same job but her definition of equal pay is not merit based.  Paid leave is also a burden to small companies who have small staffs because they will find it necessary to hire temporary help during the duration of an employee’s leave.  In other words, they will have to pay two people to do the job.

3)      Combatting terrorism and keeping the homeland safe.  I agree that this is the most important issue facing the nation and world but her record with Benghazi demonstrates she places a higher priority on protecting her, or her bosses, political agenda over keeping the nation secure.

4)      Immigration Reform.  Her idea of immigration reform is comprehensive reform providing a path to full and equal citizenship.  In our dangerous world, we can ill afford allowing any individual to enter our country without being able to determine their purpose for entering our nation.  (1)

The agenda of Donald Trump is quite different.  However, with him not having held a political office, we have nothing with which to gauge how he might lead as President.  However, his success in the private sector as a CEO does demonstrate his ability to lead organizations and achieve his desired outcomes.  In contrast to the Clinton plan Trump plans to,

1)      Reduce taxes allowing people to keep more of their money by increasing after tax wages.  He also plans on simplification of the tax code.  This plan will be deficit neutral for it will grow the economy through increased economic activity creating more jobs and thus taxpayers.  (2)

2)      Besides the economic stimulus of reducing taxes and increasing capital in the private sector, he plans on curtailing regulations that in his words are destroying us.  (3)  These onerous regulations act as a brake holding the economy back at a time when we need a vibrant economy creating jobs for millions not working.  In addition, these non-working individuals pay no taxes so getting them back to work will create more taxpayers thus increasing revenues to the Treasury.

3)      In his book ‘The America We Deserve' Donald Trump actually predicted the attacks of 9/11.  Granted he did not predict the exact date or method of the attacks but looked at the liaise fare attitude of the nation’s leadership and predicted that terrorist would attack the nation while its leadership was asleep.  (4)

4)      Immigration reform is the issue that thrust Donald Trump to the top upon announcing his candidacy for the Presidency and what thrust him to winning the nomination.  This issue resonated with Americans, especially those living in Border States, who are seeing their cities and neighborhoods transformed from traditional American cities to something resembling cities south of the border.  English is no longer the prominent language in many of these neighborhoods as it once was.  At a time when many citizens of the nation are out of work, they are seeing jobs go to those in the country illegally.  They are also seeing an increase in dangerous and violent crime in neighborhoods that were once peaceful and prosperous.  We are also witnessing an increase in diseases that were at one time eradicated from the nation.  (5) (6)

The contrast in the candidates is obvious.  For those desiring more freebies from a growing government, the choice is Hillary Clinton who will complete the path to European socialism started by Barack Obama.  For those wanting to see the United States return to its position of leader in the world, the choice is Donald Trump. 

The question therefore voters’ face this election is which path should the nation take.

1. Hillary Clinton for President. Learn More About Hillary's Vision for America. www.hillaryclinton.com. [Online] Hillary Clinton for President. [Cited: July 20, 2016.] https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/.

2. Donald Trump for President. Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again. www.donaldjtrump.com. [Online] Trump Pence Make America Great Again. [Cited: July 20, 2016.] https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/tax-reform.

3. Richman, Howard. Trump: 'We're Going to Get Rid of the Regulations that are Just Destroying Us.'. www.americanthinker.com. [Online] American Thinker, September 16, 2015. [Cited: July 20, 2016.] http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/09/trump_were_going_to_get_rid_of_the_regulations_that_are_just_destroying_us.html

4. The Polotics and Elections Portal. Donald Trump on the Issues. 2016.presidential-candidates.org. [Online] [Cited: July 20, 2016.] 2016.presidential-candidates.org/Trump/?on=terrorism.

5. Miller, S.A. Most Americans Fear Illegal Immigrants Hurt U.S. Culture, Economy: Poll. m.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, August 7, 2014. [Cited: July 20, 2016.] m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/7/americans-fear-illegals-hurt-culture-economy-poll/.

6. Bruce, Tammy. When Foreigners Bring Disease Across the Border. m.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, January 25, 2016. [Cited: July 20, 2016.] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/25/tammy-bruce-when-foreigners-bring-disease-across-t/

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 8): Focused Servant of Jesus Christ

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 4:10

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

NKJV

Leaders are big picture individuals who have learned to focus on that big picture and surround themselves with people who can work out the details of how to achieve the vision of the leader.  This is why when we hear a leader expressing his or her vision, it often lacks details on how they intend to achieve that vision.  Instead, we must examine their ability to surround themselves with individuals having the ability to work out the details. 

The books of 1 and 2 Timothy are letters to young Timothy containing instructions on how he is to continue leading the church after Paul is martyred for his faith.  Paul has a vision of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles and wants to see his vision come to a reality through his young student Timothy.  His Godly inspired advice continues to be useful today for those of us involved in continuing the work started by the Apostles, spreading the Gospel around the world.  Paul’s instructions encourage Timothy to,

1)      Instruct the brethren in these things (1 Timothy4:6) – Taking this verse in the context of we have previously learned in 1 Timothy leads us to interpret the ‘these things’ referenced in this verse to be the sound teaching of the letter.  It is therefore an exhortation for Timothy to focus his teaching on the truths of Scripture and not be deceived by false teaching.  Today’s PC world bombards churches with calls for it to soften its stance on social issues like abortion or gay marriage in the interest of attracting more members.  However, attracting more members is not to be the mission of the church, but the mission of the Church is to be declaring the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ even if it offends some. 

2)      Reject irreverent speech and old wives’ fables (1 Timothy 4:7) – Timothy is about to embark on continuing the high calling of God to spread the Gospel to all people before the return of Jesus Christ (1Peter 3:9).  As such, Timothy must learn to reject false teaching for it not only goes against the truth of the teachings of the Bible, but also acts as a distraction from focus on the mission of the Gospel.

3)      Exercise Godliness (1 Timothy 4:8) – To exercise Godliness we must first gain an understanding of what it is.  In this verse Paul begins touting the benefits of bodily exercise for our health.  He goes on to tout that whereas bodily exercise benefits us some by making us healthy, Godliness benefits us in all things and therefore is a better goal for which to strive.  1Timothy 3:16 teaches us that Godliness consists of the belief that,

a.       God was manifested in the flesh

b.      Justified in the Spirit

c.       Seen by angels

d.      Preached among the Gentiles

e.      Believed on in the world

f.        Received up in glory.

Godliness is therefore a belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ strengthened by the acquisition of knowledge of the Word of God.  Therefore, to exercise more godliness in our lives, we must spend time with our trainer in the gym of the study of God’s Word.

Soldiers in Spiritual Warfare therefore must be warriors continually studying to acquire more Godly wisdom from the Word of God who continually reject false teaching and live Godly lives serving Jesus Christ (1Timothy 4:9-11).

Paul then goes on to exhort Timothy to

1)      Let no one discourage him because of his young age (1 Timothy 4:12) – Whether it is our youth, educational background, family heritage, race, gender or anything else, we must not allow these things to discourage us from fulfilling the calling God has on our lives.  God made every one of us unique, with unique abilities.  As such, He has a unique calling and plan for our lives.  However, other, well-meaning individuals may discourage us, believing they know what is best for our lives.  While these individuals have good intentions, we as believers in Jesus Christ must learn to follow God and His calling on our lives.

2)      Giving attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13) – This verse refers to public reading and teaching of the sound doctrine of the Bible.  For teachers and pastors this means a devotion to study and preaching the Word.  For those of us who are not pastors or teachers, this means regular church attendance in a church preaching sound doctrine.

3)      Determining and working within the gift God has given us (1 Timothy 4:14) – Timothy’s gift that dwelt within him was revealed to him through prophecy.  1 Corinthians12:1-11 lists the gifts given to believers for ministry.  We each possess one of these gifts and when we discover what that gift is, we can know what area of ministry in which God has equipped us to serve.  In fact, working as a unified body using the gift God has imparted to each of us individually makes us an unbeatable spiritual force. 

4)      Meditating and dedicating his life entirely to God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:15) – When we spend time meditating on the Word of God and dedicate our lives to following its principles, the change in our lives will become evident to those around us.  This evident change in our lives serves as the greatest witness of what Jesus has done in our lives.  Jesus encourages us to let our light shine before men that they would see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).  It is meditation in the Word, spending time with the Lord in prayer, living a life dedicated to the Word of God, and carrying out His will in our lives that causes this light to shine brightly.  Paul then once again urges Timothy to continue in the doctrine of divine truth for it is what not only will save him, but also those that hear him (1Timothy 4:16). 

Good soldiers in spiritual battle must not allow themselves to become distracted by false teaching or allow them to creep into our churches.  We must instead be focused following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dedicate our lives to learning and living by the principles taught in the Bible.

                                                                                                                                                                                

Next Wednesday we will look at how we are to treat other members of the church body.

All Lives Matter to Jesus Christ but Only if we Choose Him

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

NKJV

I want to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to continue praying for peace and tranquility during this tumultuous political season.  Election years are usually contentious but in this election cycle, we are witnessing the escalation of ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism globally with many of our leaders continuing to believe these radicals can be appeased with no need to confront them.  We are also witnessing racial tensions in the United States that recently escalated to the killing of five police officers in Dallas, riots in Fergusson Missouri and Baltimore.  Let us pray for the end of these violent riots and a return to peaceful debate on issues that voters will settle in November. 

Jesus Christ came to this world with one purpose in mind, living a sinless life and dying for the sins of all humanity.  This includes people of all skin colors, male and female, living in poverty and wealth for all have sinned (Romans3:23).  To Jesus, not only do black lives matter but also all lives matter.

However, Jesus is also a perfect gentleman respecting everyone’s right to choose and therefore never forces his beliefs on others not willing to follow them.  In other words, Jesus does not force anyone to believe in Him but waits for us to choose.  Jesus comes to the door and knocks but only comes in as we open the door and invite Him in (Revelation 3:20).

Many today live in fear wondering how the schisms between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter and Radical Islam and those desiring to live in peace can be resolved.  These individual’s fears increase with the failure of their leaders to address these issues.  These fears are genuine and need an answer.

The answer my friends lie in the one who came to resolve the schism between fallen men and women and their creator God.  The good news is that Jesus has bridged this schism by His death, burial, and resurrection and only requires our changing the course of our lives by choosing to cross that bridge. 

Perhaps you are reading this and involved in radical Islam or some other hate-filled religion.  Understand that hatred is not from God for God did not reject humanity when Adam and Eve sinned but instead began the process of redeeming humanity out of love for His creation.  The belief that God somehow hates parts of His creation and has appointed certain individuals with the duty to murder anyone choosing not to believe is a total lie.  I therefore encourage you to renounce the lies and receive the loving gift of salvation offered by God through Jesus Christ. 

Perhaps you are caught up in the hatred being spewed by race baiters interested in profiting from this hatred and advancing a nefarious political agenda.  In the history of the United States, we fought a bloody Civil War over the issue of slavery and endured wrongful discrimination of people of color.  The United States corrected these wrongs with the Emancipation Proclamation and the passage of Civil Rights legislation.  Granted, there are still pockets of this racial hatred existing in portions of the nation but most individuals, like me, have adopted the philosophy and teaching of Martin Luther King Jr. when he encouraged us not to judge people by the color of their skin. 

We are all creations of a loving God who offered his only Son who committed no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) as a sacrifice for our sins making it possible for us to live eternally with our creator (John 3:16).  I therefore encourage you to stop the destructive hatred and accept the gift of salvation from your loving creator. 

The only answer to resolving the violence in our world today is to bridge these schisms through the acceptance of the gift of salvation from our loving Creator.  I therefore urge you to cross that bridge by taking a moment to pray with me. 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You have now crossed the bridge and have reconciled your relationship with your loving creator.  Now, with the help of God you can begin to bridge the schisms of hatred that have dominated your life and begin living a life of peace as your creator intended.  I will be praying for you as you begin your new life in Christ.

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 7): Do not be Deceived

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons.

NLT

The horrific terrorist attack in Nice France using of all things a semi-truck is unimaginable to most of us.  Most individuals have some level of morals telling them that senselessly murdering and injuring hundreds of innocent people participating in a holiday celebration is not acceptable.  However, some in our times have fallen for a false religion that justifies this level of butchery in the name of their god.  Granted, most Christians would never fall for the deception of radical Islam and begin murdering those not adopting our belief, but we can still fall for deceptive teaching.  

1 Timothy 4:3 lists two false teachings that were prevalent in the time of Paul,

1)      Wrong to be married – The forbidding of marriage is rooted in the teaching of the Essenes.  The Essenes were a Jewish sect who aspired to ideal purity.  (1)  One of the means promoted by this sect was the belief that abstaining from marriage would result in a life of increased devotion to God.  (2)  However, 1 Timothy 3:2 tells us that one aspiring to the position of elder, a high position within the church, is to be faithful to his wife.  Of course one must have a wife in order to be faithful to his wife so abstinence from marriage is not a requirement for a position in church leadership.  In fact in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 Paul addresses this issue by at first agreeing that living a life of celibacy is good, but due to sexual immorality’s prevalence in society, marriage is good for those susceptible to giving in to temptation.  Paul reinforces this point in 1 Corinthians 7:5 teaching that total abstinence opens us up to temptation due to the lack of self-control or the lusts of the flesh.  He goes in 1 Corinthians7:6 to teach that celibacy is only a suggestion and not intended to be an absolute rule. 

2)      Wrong to eat certain foods – Even today Jews continue to have dietary restrictions.  However, in the vision of Peter recorded in Acts 10:9-13, God tells Peter that all foods are acceptable therefore lifting the dietary restrictions of the Old Covenant.  However, Judaizers in the time of Paul insisted that new converts to Christianity adopt the Law of Moses.  (3)  The Council at Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15 is a result of the disagreement between the Judaizers and Paul and Barnabas.  The result of this council was a letter written to Gentile believers only telling them to abstain from food specifically offered up as a sacrifice to idols. 

In today’s church marriage for church leaders is permissible with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church and there are no dietary restrictions in Christianity.  However, this does not mean there is an absence of false teaching that can deceive us as Christians.  However, unlike the believers in the time of Paul who did not possess the completed canon of scripture as we do today, we have no excuse for not understanding the truth and falling prey to false teaching.  Therefore, those of us engaged in spiritual battle must dedicate ourselves to

1)      Study of the Word of God – We can best discern falsehood with a vast knowledge of truth.  Once we recognize what truth looks like, falsehood will be obvious.  Truth comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  I have the privilege of engaging in the study of the Word when preparing these postings, which is why I provide links to the scriptural references I use so you too can engage in a deeper study of God’s Word.

2)      Prayer – Communication is a two-way street with the Word of God being God communicating with us and prayer being our communicating with God.  No army can achieve victory without communicating in both directions with its leadership, including the army of God engaged in spiritual warfare. 

3)      Regular church attendance – Spiritual battle, like military battle, can be tiring, and demoralizing.  In order to maintain high morale, we therefore must regularly meet with those engaged in the same spiritual battle in order to receive encouragement.  When attending church we also have an opportunity to corporately worship God and receive teaching from our leaders in spiritual battle.  Let us not become weak in battle by ignoring the importance of these regular meetings.

As the return of Christ approaches, and every day that passes means we are one day closer to that return, we will see an increase in false teaching as Satan attempts to cause many to fall away from truth.  Today’s church is being asked to condone and even perform gay weddings, which violate biblical marriage as outlined in the Word of God.  We see churches supporting homosexuality by electing openly gay individuals to church leadership.  (4)  It is being asked to accommodate transgendered individuals by providing non-gender bathrooms providing a green light for sexual perverts to perform their acts of perversion in churches.  Churches are also being asked to soften their pro-life values in the interest of political correctness. 

We must not allow these false teachings to creep into our churches and must stand strong with the truth for this increasingly dangerous world needs Christians standing strong on the truth and not Christians compromising on that truth in order to be socially acceptable. 

Next Wednesday we will look at how to be a good servant of Jesus Christ. 

1. Biblestudytools.com. Essenes. www.biblestudytools.com. [Online] [Cited: July 16, 2016.] www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/essenes/.

2. www.godvine.com. 1 Timothy 4:3. www.godvine.com. [Online] [Cited: July 16, 2016.] www.godvine.com/bible/1-timothy/4-3.

3. A Study of Denominations. the "Judiazers". www.astudyof denominations.com. [Online] [Cited: December 8, 2013.] http://www.astudyofdenominations.com/history/judaizers/.

4. Associated Press. Methodists Elect 1st Openly Gay Bishop in Defiance of Ban. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 16, 2016. [Cited: July 17, 2016.] www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/16/methodists-elect-1st-openly-gay-bishop-in-defiance-ban.html.

Grossly Unqualified to Lead: An Electoral Indictment of Hillary Clinton

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Samuel 13:13-14

"How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God. Had you obeyed, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD's command."

NLT

Prior to entering the Promised Land, God, knowing the time would come when the Nation of Israel would desire a king to lead them, gave them instructions on whom to select as their king.  Deuteronomy 17:15-16 tells them to select the man the Lord chooses, that the king must be a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner.  The king was also required to copy, and this was before copy machines, the law on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests to insure he did not cheat (Deuteronomy17:18).  The reasons for these requirements are to insure,

1)      That the king has the approval of God to lead His people

2)      That the king is one of the people having a vested interest in their interests

3)      That the king has vast knowledge of the Law of God from which to lead wisely

Last week the FBI decided not to indict Hillary Clinton in spite of massive evidence, evidence uncovered during a lengthy investigation by the same FBI.  (1)  Many who hold leaders to a high standard view Hillary Clinton as grossly unqualified to be the next President of the United States.  Unfortunately, however, many voters in the United States do not hold their leaders to a high standard and unfortunately will vote for Hillary mostly due to freebies she will promise them.  (2)  Among these promised freebies are

1)      $15.00 per hour minimum wage (3)

2)      Forgiveness of student loan debt (4)

3)      Free college tuition (5)

The entire email fiasco coupled with Hillary Clinton’s incompetency in the handling of Benghazi disqualifies her from holding the position of President of the United States.  We must not allow someone demonstrating dishonesty from attaining the office of President.  The American people have had their share of dishonest leadership and in the increasingly dangerous world in which we live, demand honesty in leadership and not a leader willing to lie about the cause of Benghazi in order to protect the political ambitions of her boss.  Hillary Clinton, in the opinion of the FBI, demonstrated gross negligence and carelessness in the handling of sensitive material that could endanger the nation.  We must not allow her access to even more sensitive material by electing her President. 

During the GOP primaries I expressed my support for Ted Cruz based upon his conservative values.  Unfortunately, Senator Cruz was unable to garner enough support during these primaries to win the nomination leaving us with the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump.  This circumstance left me with the choice of staying home or voting for every office on the ballot except the presidency.  I also could vote third party or write in a candidate.

However, there is not realistic path for a third party or write in to win the electoral college and since I traditionally vote Republican in presidential elections, I would be taking a vote away from Donald Trump and help insure the election of the grossly unqualified candidate Hillary Clinton.  I therefore reluctantly intend to vote for Donald Trump as a defensive vote to insure the grossly unqualified Hillary Clinton is nowhere near the powerful office of the presidency. 

We were all saddened and angered at the brutal execution of five police officers in Dallas.  However, in a hotly contested presidential election, voters can learn much by looking at how the candidates react to such tragedies.  Donald Trump, a candidate some evangelical Christians will not vote for because they believe he is not a Christian tweeted “Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country.”  (6)  Hillary on the other hand took advantage of this tragedy to advance her anti-gun agenda and played the race card citing evidence that “African Americans are much more likely to be killed in police incidents.”  (7)

These reactions provide a view into how these candidates will react in a crisis.  Do we want a leader who takes advantage of a crisis to advance an unconstitutional anti second amendment agenda, fueling the fires of racism that already divide the nation, inciting violence and murder, or do we want a leader concerned about the families of the victims of violence vowing to make our country and its citizens safe from such senseless murder?  As for me, I choose a leader with a heart vowing to end this insanity.  As for me, I choose Donald Trump.

1. McCarthy, Andrew. FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary off the Hook. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, July 5, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/437479/fbi-rewrites-federal-law-let-hillary-hook.

2. Vennochi, Joan. When Did Democrats Become the Party of Free Stuff. www.bostonglobe.com. [Online] The Boston Globe, October 15, 2015. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/10/15/when-did-democrats-become-party-free-stuff/1YmL3ZhiS3mXldHsyiPTfP/story.html.

3. Jamieson, Dave. Hillary Clinton Clarifies Her Stance on $15 Minimum Wage. www.huffpost.com. [Online] Huffington Post, April 17, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-minumum-wage_us_57139f45e4b06f35cb6fd5da

4. Phillip, Anne Gearan and Abby. Clinton to propose 3-month Hiatus for Repayment of Student Loans. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, July 5, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/05/clinton-to-propose-3-month-hiatus-for-repayment-of-student-loans/

5. Hughes, Laura Meckler and Siobhan. Hillary Clinton Expanding College Plan to Offer Free Tuition to Millions. www.wsj.com. [Online] The Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-expanding-college-plan-to-offer-free-tuition-to-millions-1467813602.

6. Michelle Jesse, Associate Editor. Here's the Trump Tweet About Dallas the Media Don't Want You to See. www.allenwest.com. [Online] Allen West, July 8, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.allenbwest.com/michellejesse/heres-the-trump-tweet-about-dallas-the-media-dont-want-you-to-see

7. Haskell, Liz Kreutz and Josh. Clinton on Week of Deadly Gun Violence: 'We Owe Our Children Better'. www.abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, July 8, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] www.abcnews.go.com/Polotics/hillary-clinton-pospones-rally-dallas-shooting/story?id=40426136.

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 6): Our Totally Qualified Commander in Chief

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 3:16

God was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world,

Received up in glory.

NKJV

The contexts of first and second Timothy are letters written by Paul to young Timothy while awaiting his execution.  In the previous verses of 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Paul outlined the qualifications of earthly leaders in the church.  Our careful investigation of these qualifications determined the importance of these qualifications and even determined that these qualifications apply to leadership outside the church as well. 

In 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul expresses his hope to soon be able to see Timothy.  However, in the interim, he writes this letter as a means of encouraging young Timothy while he is delayed.  His purpose is that in his absence they may know how they are to behave as the Church of the Living God which stands as a buttress and pillar of truth in a world ruled by darkness and sin.  In truth, I believe Paul knew his current imprisonment would ultimately end with his execution and wanted to insure the church remained strong after he went to be with the Lord.

In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul states that “Great indeed is the mystery of godliness.”  While we as mortal individuals may never totally understand this mystery, Paul proceeds to give us a brief synopsis of this mystery and contained in that synopsis we see the eminent qualifications of our commander in chief, Jesus Christ.  Let us now take a more in depth look at these qualifications for in them we can begin to understand why we as soldiers engaging in spiritual warfare can confidently enter into spiritual battle following Jesus Christ with no doubts.

1)      Intimately identifies with our situation – John1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh.  This verse is not speaking of how words written on a page somehow took on flesh and blood form and dwelt among us but is instead speaking of how the Word of God, which was contained in print, took on fleshly form in the person of Jesus Christ and dwelt among us.  The power of this statement is that God living in the sinless glory of heaven, where he could have stayed for eternity, thus sentencing us to eternal death in our sins instead chose to take on fleshly form and come to live with us.  As such, God was exposing Himself to the temptations, sins, and suffering of this world, making Him relatable to us.  However, even though God was exposed to the temptations and sins of this world, he never gave in and sinned making him eminently qualified to be the Lamb of God who could once and for all cover all of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).  As for suffering, Jesus voluntarily endured and suffered the judgment of god for our sins, taking on our death penalty so that we can escape that judgment by choosing Jesus as our savior.

2)      Justified by the Spirit – After John baptized Jesus the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God descended and settled upon Jesus.  Then everyone heard a voice from heaven declaring, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.”  (Matthew 3:16-17).  Earthly leaders seeking office seek endorsements that they believe to be a stamp of approval on their leadership abilities that will sway people to give them their valuable vote.  Jesus was about to embark on his earthly ministry and could have received no greater endorsement then that of his Heavenly Father’s pleasure with him coupled with the indwelling of the power of the Holy Spirit. 

3)      Seen by Angels – When my first son was born, my wife had to have a caesarian section.  This was in 1976 and hospitals did not allow dads in the operating room during caesarian sections.  As such, I was relegated to waiting in the waiting room for news that my son had been born.  I remember how happy I was when the doctor came out to let me know the procedure was successful and that my son had been born.  Now imagine the joy of the shepherds when they not only had an angelic visitation but that these angels witnessed the birth of their Messiah and came to declare this great news (Luke2:8-12).  We have recently witnessed the anticipation and joy of the announcement of the birth of the royal children in Great Britian.  When ones birth receives a massive public announcement, it is an indication that someone of importance has been born.  However, an angelic announcement of one’s birth indicates the birth of someone deemed important by God in heaven and therefore is someone that we should follow.

4)      Preached among the Gentiles – One would have thought Jesus, the Son of God, would have begun his ministry by preaching to the religious leaders of His time.  Instead, Jesus chose to preach to the common Jewish people in Galilee.  After ascending to God, he then allowed the preaching of the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles.  John 3:16 declares that God sent His Son to the world, not just the Jews, and that when anyone in the world, Jew or Gentile believes in Him, they shall have eternal life. 

5)      Believed on in the world – The very fact that many, including myself, have chosen to heed the message of the Gospel and make Jesus our Savior is proof that the message of the Gospel has spread throughout the world for almost 2000 years spanning thousands of generations. 

6)      Received up in glory – Not only did Jesus take the death penalty for our sins, he demonstrated dominion over death by rising from the dead.  This fact was witnessed by many including 500 in one instance alone (1 Corinthians 15:6) and then ascended to be with God the Father where he acts as an intermediary between us who serve as ambassadors for Christ in this sinful world (2 Corinthians 5:20). 

Our commander in chief in spreading the Gospel to a dark world in need of its message of light and salvation is eminently qualified to lead His church.  He is a relatable leader, endorsed by the heavenly authority of God the Father whose birth was announced by angels.  His message is for all and has been received by many.  He is also alive and seated in a position of high authority where he acts as an intermediary for his church. 

Next Wednesday we will look at 1 Timothy 4. 

Failure of Post-Modernism: A Lack of a Standard for Truth

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.

NLT

The highest standard for living individuals can set for themselves is the decision to live up to the high standard of God as outlined in the Bible.  The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) is the foundation of the standard for godly living but if each one of us is honest with ourselves, we must admit to failing at least one of these standards. 

Fortunately for us, the Bible is not about us living up to this godly standard by our own abilities but about God’s grace providing a way for us to be seen as righteous or attaining that standard through belief in God’s Son.  God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but to, through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, provide a path of reconciliation with God providing eternal life (John 3:16-17).  This does not negate the need to live according to God’s standard as outlined in the Ten Commandments but hope that even though we have failed to live up to these standards, we can have salvation and live eternally with God our creator. 

Unfortunately, many justify their failure to live up to God’s standard by adopting the philosophy of post-modernism which believes in the absence of any definitive standard of truth and defines truth as what one believes it to be.  (1)  While this may have the effect of clearing ones conscience when it comes to their failures to live up to any standard, it fails to consider the consequences of failing to live up to this standard.  In effect, the belief that removing any standard in our lives relieves us of any guilt is a lie from Satan because it leads us away from salvation through Christ. 

The Apostle Paul spoke of his own personal struggle with failure to live up to God’s standard and used it as a way of teaching the purpose of the Law of God, which we have all failed to live up to in our lives.  Let us take a few moments to look deeper into this teaching for in so doing, we will discover the purpose of standards, not just in our relationship with God, but also in other aspects of our society.

1)      Standards are not evil but instead show us right from wrong (Romans 7:7-8) – The law, whether it is God’s law or secular law, shows us what is wrong.  Knowledge of right and wrong is critical to maintaining civility in both our personal lives and society.  However, the law is a two-edged sword for it also serves to reveal wrong to us and can tempt us to commit wrong (Romans 7:8).  However, simply sheathing this sword by abandoning any standard, as post-modernism attempts to do does not solve the problem or rid us of any consequences from deviating from the standard.  Fortunately for Christians, resisting temptation is not dependent on our own moral fortitude or strength but comes as we trust God to give us strength to resist these temptations.  Even Jesus was tempted and resisted temptation by proclaiming the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).  Therefore, the law shows us right from wrong and if the wrong revealed by the law tempts us, relies on the Word of God and our faith in its truth to resist temptation.

2)      The law is brutal and reveals our shortcomings (Romans 7:9-12) – The penalty for failing to live up to even one of God’s standards in our lives is death.  However, in spite of this, the law remains right and good.  Does this therefore mean that we are all sentenced to death due to our inability to live up to the right and good standard of God?  The answer would be yes if it were not for the atoning sacrifice of the sinless man Jesus Christ to satisfy this death sentence (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Therefore, even though the law is brutal and sentences us to death, it also points us to the source of our salvation and reconciliation with God, Jesus Christ who took our death penalty. 

3)      Standards are not restrictive but liberating (Romans 7:13) – For those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior, the Law of God including the Ten Commandments is seen as restrictive.  With the exception of remembering the Sabbath and honoring parents, the Ten Commandments are a list of restricted activities (Exodus 20:1-17).  Post modernism negates these restrictions by allowing each individual to develop his or her own standard for truth.  However, while the wording of these commandments is restrictive, they are actually liberating for they prevent us from engaging in harmful activities.  Our own personal failures to live up to these standards serves to let us know that we need help, help that only comes as we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and accept his sacrifice for our sins.

Standards serve a purpose in our lives and society for they maintain civility.  However, when it comes to God’s standard, we need help; help that only comes through accepting the sacrifice of God’s son Jesus Christ for our sins.  I therefore want to invite anyone reading this that has not accepted this gift from God to do so by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations for even though you have failed to live up to God’s standard in your life, you now have been acquitted of the death penalty for these failures and instead have the gift of eternal life (John3:16). 

1. Penfold, Michael J. Postmodernism. www.webtruth.org. [Online] WebTruth. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] www.webtruth.org/cultural-issues/postmodernism/.

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 5): The Qualities of Godly Leadership

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 3:1-2

It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility. 2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against.

NLT

A leader is someone that goes out front paving a path for those choosing to follow them.  As such, we who follow these leaders rightfully hold them to a higher standard than others in our society.  As Christians, we have the privilege of leadership led by the only perfect human being to ever walk the face of the earth, Jesus Christ.  We therefore can confidently follow Jesus with complete trust in every Word recorded in God’s Word, knowing it is the highest standard in existence.

Unfortunately, churches, governments, business organizations, and even families have earthly leaders who are imperfect.  It is a plus if these leaders function under the authority of God’s Word for then their imperfections have a chance of correction, resulting in good leadership.  Unfortunately, however, earthly leaders lacking any desire to submit to God’s Word, resulting in failed leadership, often lead us. 

1 Timothy 3:1-13 is a teaching on the biblical qualifications for leaders in the Church, specifically Deacons and Elders.  In this posting, we will be looking at these qualifications.  

The offices of Deacon and Elder were the result of rapid church growth.  Initially the Apostles handled all the affairs of the church but as the numbers in the church rapidly multiplied, many became discontented because nobody ministered to them (Acts 6:1).  In order to address this situation, the Apostles called a meeting of all believers and appointed seven men to administer the operations of the church while the Apostles devoted their time to prayer, preaching, and teaching the Word (Acts 6:2-6).  The result of this administrative change was even more rapid church growth with even many Jewish priests converting to the faith (Acts 6:7).

While the position of Deacon or Elder placed one in a position of high esteem in the church, the position also exposed one to scorn or, as was the case with Stephen, martyrdom (Acts 6:8-15, Acts 7).  However, a Deacon or Elder not living up to the high standard of leadership outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 will also suffer scorn within the church as well.  Those of us aspiring to join in spreading the Gospel therefore must dedicate ourselves to living up to this standard of leadership keeping in mind we are only human and will fail but also keeping in mind, our Heavenly Father will always forgive us when we ask (1 John 1:9). 

Let us now take a deeper look into the qualifications of overseers or elders, and deacons

1)      Faithfulness to their wives – In order for followers to have faith in their leaders, their leaders must demonstrate they are faithful.  In the case of Jesus Christ, he was faithful in obedience to His Heavenly Father by dying on the cross.  While hanging on the cross, those taunting Jesus told him that if he indeed was God, to come down off the cross (Matthew 27:40).  As the Son of God, Jesus possessed the power to come down from the cross and destroy his executioners but instead remained faithful to His Father, and us, by fulfilling his mission to die for our sins so we could have eternal life (John 3:16).  Likewise, earthly leaders must demonstrate faithfulness, not by dying for their follower’s sins, but by demonstrating faithfulness in their lives.  Faithfulness to one’s spouse is one way of demonstrating a high level of faithfulness.

2)      Exercising self-control – Many a leader has fallen due to some impropriety in his or her life.  The entire nation of the United States experienced this failure of leadership in the 90’s with the impeachment of President Clinton due to sexual improprieties in his life.  Scripture teaches us that the Light of God’s Word will expose our sins.  Therefore, as leaders in the church and for that matter anywhere else, leaders must avoid the embarrassment of public scorn by dedicating themselves to exercising self-control by living a life according to the Word of God. 

3)      Living wisely with a good reputation – Wisdom is the application of knowledge in our lives.  Therefore, in order for one to lead wisely, one must not only acquire knowledge but also become wise in using that knowledge.  This is why it is important for us to look at someone’s accomplishments in their lives when considering them for leadership for this gives us an indication of their ability to wisely utilize knowledge and also whether or not they have a good reputation.

4)      Enjoy having guests in his or her home and able to teach – One of the duties of overseers is teaching God’s Word.  However, if one aspiring to leadership does not enjoy having guests in his or her home, we must question whether or not they like being around others.  Teachers must have students and therefore must possess people skills that attract people that will become their students.

5)      Not a heavy drinker or violent but peace loving and gentle – Heavy drinking, or drinking until drunk, impairs ones judgment.  With one of the qualifications of leadership being the wise application of knowledge, a heavy drinker whose judgment is impaired will struggle with this requirement.  In addition, a violent person, regardless of whether their violence is the result of heavy alcohol use or just their fleshly nature, will repel people instead of attracting them as potential students.  Instead, good leadership requires one to be gentle and peace loving which will attract potential followers.  This, however, does not mean biblical leadership is weak leadership but meek leadership, which is a quiet strength.  A great recent example of meek leadership in the United States is President George W. Bush.  Many were attracted to him and voted for him because of his gentle and peace loving personality.  However, the entire world witnessed the strength of his leadership after the brutal attacks on 911 when the gentle and peace loving man became a strong leader with a resolve to protect those electing him to lead by avenging those that brutally attacked them. 

6)      Not one who loves money – The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  Many interpret this verse to mean money is evil but the passage clearly says it is the love of money that is the root of evil.  A leader who loves money above anyone or anything else is a leader not committed to leading those that follow them.  Leaders lead people not money and therefore good leadership is leadership that leads people out of love and concern for them above all else.  Once again, Jesus Christ is the greatest example of this for he left the glory of heaven where he, as the Son of God, had everything He needed to come to earth and die for the sins of lost humanity. 

7)      Manage his household – One of the clearest indications of the ability of one to lead is how they lead their own household. 

8)      Must not be a new Christian – Wisdom is the application of knowledge.  Even though a new convert to Christianity has much emotional excitement and desire to lead others to Christ, they lack knowledge to wisely apply to their lives.  Therefore, when seeking leadership in the church we must seek leaders from among those demonstrating knowledge of God’s Word so they will have good knowledge from which to wisely lead.  In addition, a new Christian can easily become filled with pride if they are thrust into a position of leadership prematurely and fall (Proverbs 16:18). 

9)      Well-spoken of in society – While the world’s standard differs from God’s standard causing the world to often have a negative view of the church, disgrace comes to the church if one of its leaders is caught in some sort of disgraceful behavior.  Church leaders must therefore strive to maintain a good reputation in society as a whole but without compromising their Godly values.  Many in the secular world today have disdain for church leadership because it comes out against homosexuality and abortion.  However, in reality the only reason church leadership speaks out against homosexuality is because of concern for those engaging in the activity.  A recent study revealed that those in the LGBT community have a higher instance of health issues.  (1)  The procedure of abortion not only presents a risk to the mother but also results in the death of the unborn baby.  (2)  Therefore, the reason church leaders speak out about abortion is not only the preservation of the life of the unborn but also out of concern for the health of the mother.  Therefore, church leadership speaking out against homosexuality and abortion should not be viewed with disdain, but praised as leadership concerned with the health and welfare of others.  

The requirements of a deacon are similar and include,

1)      Having respect and integrity (1 Timothy 3:8).

2)      Not heavy drinkers or greedy for money (1Timothy 3:8)

3)      Demonstrating a commitment to the truths of the Christian faith with a clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9)

4)      Testing to demonstrate good character and ability (1 Timothy 3:10)

5)      Have spouses that are well respected and do not speak evil of others exercising self-control and faithfulness (1 Timothy 3:11).

6)      Faithfulness to one’s spouse and good management of their household (1 Timothy 3:12).

The promise for those exercising godly leadership is found in 1 Timothy 3:13 where they are promised respect from others with increased confidence in their faith in Christ. 

There is currently a leadership void in our society with a shortage of godly leadership.  In order to fill that void, we need leaders who lead according to the godly principles outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 in the church, government, business, and our families.  Let us therefore apply these principles when seeking leadership in any area of our lives and if we have the calling to lead, apply these principles in our leadership as well.

Next week we will look at the foundations of truth governing our faith. 

1. Facts about Youth. Health Risks of the Homosexual Lifestyle. factsaboutyouth.com. [Online] Facts About Youth. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://factsaboutyouth.com/posts/health-risks-of-the-homosexual-lifestyle/.

2. Kliebert, Kathy. Abortion & Pregnancy Risks. dhh.louisiana.gov. [Online] State of Louisiana. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/915/n/275.