Cautious Optimism

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 6:18

 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 

(ESV)

Most of us try to live our lives with optimism about our futures.  We go to work each day optimistic that what we do for a living will improve the financial situation for our ourselves and our families.  We invest optimistic that our investments will grow into a nest egg that will care for us in our retirement.  We borrow money to buy cars or homes optimistic that we will have the income to make the payments. 

Unfortunately, the last eight years of the Obama administration has caused this optimism to vanish for many.  Over that eight-year period we have witnessed an increase of people dependent on government assistance due to anemic economic growth and stagnant wages.  (1)  In 2008 Obama won election running on a promise of hope and change creating an atmosphere of great optimism for many believing their lives would improve but instead of implementing programs that had results, his policies created a matrix of complex programs and regulations resulting in an expanded ineffective bureaucracy and massive debt for future generations to pay back.  (2) 

In 2010 voters reacted to the transformational policies of Obama like Obamacare by taking control of the House of Representatives back from Obama’s political party to begin blocking change they saw as detrimental to their futures. (3) In other words, voters were seeing their optimism fade and wanted to stop it before it completely vanished.  However, the Tea Party Movement that drove the Republican takeover in the House was later rendered ineffective by the Obama controlled IRS possibly leading to the re-election of Obama despite the unpopularity of his policies.  (4)  The evidence supporting this belief is the suppression of voter turnout due in part to the stalling of the Tea Party Movement. 

However, in 2014 after 6 years of failed Obama policies, voters once again showed up at the polls in a resurgence of the Tea Party and not only retained control of the House of Representatives but gained control of the U.S. Senate.  (5) (6)  Now with the election of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45^th President coupled with a Republican controlled House and Senate, we are witnessing a resurgence of optimism.  Even though Donald Trump has not even been sworn into office, the stock market has reacted with record gains as a reflection of the restoration of optimism.  (7)  

While I am excited about the restoration of optimism, I am also cautious.  History has demonstrated the fragile nature of optimism.  Many believed the election of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 would usher in the dismantling of many of the failed policies of Roosevelt’s New Deal only to see their optimism vanish as these policies remained engrained the bureaucracy.  Others believed the election of Ronald Reagan would dismantle LBJ’s great society only to see the entitlement system remain intact.  Most recently, we have seen the optimism of the elimination of racism with the election of the nation’s first African American President vanish with racially driven riots in the streets.  (2)

Therefore, I remain cautiously optimistic about the Trump Administration.  The recounts and attempts to sabotage the Electoral College are most likely just the beginning of attempts by liberals to sabotage making America great again and kill the optimism about the Trump administration.  We therefore must,

1)      Be diligent in prayer (James 5:13-18) – Prayer is a powerful tool and not one to be taken lightly.  Pray for a revival to sweep across our world drawing people to God who has the answers they are seeking for.  Pray for believers all over the world that God will keep them save and empower them to share the good news of the Gospel.  We also must pray for our leaders that they will lead with Godly wisdom.  We are in a spiritual war so we must also pray to bind the evil attempting to destroy people in our world by preventing them from hearing the Gospel (Matthew16:19). 

2)      Be diligent in word – Our words are powerful.  They can be a source of destruction (James 3:6) or, if our words are the word of God, they can be words of praise towards God (Hebrews 13:15).  Let us therefore as children of God, guard our lips.  Let our lips speak the good news from God for a lost and dying world has an abundance of destructive language that is leading to its destruction and needs to hear the good news of the Gospel.

3)      Be diligent in action – It is said that actions speak louder than words.  One thing that became abundantly clear in this year’s election in the United States is that we cannot always believe what someone says or what we hear in the media or online.  One way to test the truth of someone’s words is to test if their words match their actions.  This is what I believe James referred to when he said faith without works is dead (James 2:17).  A lost and dying world that has had its fill of empty words needs to see Christians not only speaking words of faith but also living their lives following these words of faith. 

2017 is a year of great optimism and hope for many.  However, we are still engaged in a spiritual war and must be diligent in prayer, word, and action or we may once again experience the vanishing or our optimism.  I therefore encourage all my readers to join me in praying, speaking words of faith, and living for God in order to be a light desperately needed in our dark world. 

1. Jeffrey, Thomas P. Liberalism's Legacy: Debt and Dependency. www.chsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, February 11, 2016. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/terence-p-jeffrey/liberalisms-legacy-debt-and-dependency.

2. Zelizer, Julian E. The Wreckage of Obama's Legacy. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, November 19, 2016. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-wreckage-of-obamas-legacy.html?_r=0.

3. CNN Wire Staff. GOP roars back to take U.S. House; Democrats cling to Senate majority. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Politics, November 3, 2010. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/02/election.main/.

4. Washington Examiner. Study Finds IRS Suppression Of Tea Party Swung 2012 Election. nation.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox Nation, November 11, 2013. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://nation.foxnews.com/2013/11/11/study-finds-irs-suppression-tea-party-swung-2012-election.

5. Collinson, Stephen. Republicans seize Senate, gaining full control of Congress. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Politics, November 5, 2014. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/politics/election-day-story/.

6. III, Nate Delesline. Analysts: Tea party resurgence to play significant role in midterm elections. www.roanoke.com. [Online] The Roanoke Times, July 5, 2014. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/analysts-tea-party-resurgence-to-play-significant-role-in-midterm/article_9a10eb0a-0566-543e-a0f7-edd9ce638153.html.

7. Egan, Matt. Dow zooms over 1,200 points since Trump victory. money.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Money, December 7, 2016. [Cited: December 22, 2016.] http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/07/investing/trump-dow-jones-1000-points-election/.

Completing the Connection

By: Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 2:13

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

(ESV)

Looked at as a whole, the Bible constitutes a love story full of love and hope, but also tragedy and betrayal.  It begins in Genesis with God the powerful creator creating a beautiful perfect world for his greatest creation, man (Genesis 2:8).  He then creates woman to be man’s help mate (Genesis 2:18-23). 

God created man and woman to have freedom of choice and placed them in His beautiful garden with only one rule, they can eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17).  While following this one simple rule seems simple enough, enter the deceiver Satan (Genesis3:1).  Adam and Eve tragically fall prey to Satan’s deceiving words, tragically separating them from God their creator (Genesis 3:2-24). 

If the cannon of Scripture ended there, humanity would have tragically been destroyed left to their own sinful ways.  Fortunately, God, in the middle of his evicting Adam and Eve, makes a promise of a savior who will defeat the deceptive serpent, Satan (Genesis 3:15).  The remainder of Scripture is the unveiling of this plan of salvation with the formation of the Nation of Israel the nation from which the promised Savior or Messiah would come.  With the birth of Christ and ultimately His death, burial, and resurrection, the connection with God that was lost in the Garden of Eden is restored. 

Ephesians 2:11-22 speaks of believers in Christ being one in Christ.  Paul reminds us that at one time we lived in total separation from God because of the flesh we inherited from Adam and Eve (Ephesians 2:11-12).  However, Paul also reminds us that this separation was miraculously bridged through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:13).  The blood of Jesus Christ has brought peace and broken down the wall of hostility between humanity and God that was formed when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden (Ephesians 2:14-16).  We are therefore now one in Christ and no longer living in hostility with God (Ephesians2:17-22). 

However, we still have the freedom to choose and therefore must decide if we want the connection with God restored in our lives.  I am writing this post on my computer but my computer is useless unless I plug it in to a power source. Fortunately, I have access to a power source and with my computer plugged in, I can complete this posting. 

In a similar fashion, the provision of reconnection with God is available to us all but we must plug into the power source for it to work in our lives.  Fortunately, connecting with God is just as simple as plugging in a computer for it only requires us to believe (John 3:16).  I invite you to plug in by praying with me now,

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 completed the reconnection with God by plugging in to the power source of salvation provided by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.  However, just as simply plugging in a computer to a power source accomplishes little unless one learns how to use the computer, having a solid connection with Christ involves developing a relationship with God by,

1)      Reading the Bible and regular attendance in a church teaching the Bible – Learning to use a computer usually involves reading a manual, possibly attending some classes, or having an expert sit with us and teach us how to use it.  Similarly, establishing a useful connection with God involves reading and studying the manual, the Bible, attending church where the Bible is taught, and listening to an expert who already has a solid useful connection with God. 

2)      Keeping the communication lines open with God through regular prayer – Modern computers are usually connected to the Internet through some direct connection or through Wi-Fi.  If this connection is maintained, the user of the computer has access to a wealth of information.  However, if the communication lines are broken through loss of connection, access to this information is stopped.  Regular prayer is our Wi-Fi connection to God and must be maintained through regular prayer with God.

3)      Regular fellowship with fellow believers – Even though as believers we have been reconnected with God, we still live in a disconnected world whose connection will only be restored when Jesus returns and heaven comes to earth (Revelation 21:1-4).  As we live in this disconnected world we will experience trouble (John16:33).  When we experience these troubles, it is powerful to have others praying with us for God promised to be anywhere where two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20).  However, if we do not regularly meet with other believers, we will not have access to others who can pray with us. 

In our troubled and uncertain times, establishing and maintaining a connection with God is extremely important.  Will you join me in establishing and developing a closer connection with God in 2017?

Lessons from Changing Leaves

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Matthew 5:16

 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that^[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

(ESV)

Living in Phoenix Arizona, I do not have the pleasure of enjoying the changing of the colors of the leaves on the trees.  While this is a negative, living in Phoenix has the benefit of warmer winter temperatures.  Recently I learned that leaves do not actually change color in the fall but that the shorter days of fall bring out the true colors of the leaves. 

A short science lesson here.  Leaves serve as food factories for plants during the spring and summer through a process known as photosynthesis.  During the spring and summer months, leaves contain chlorophyll, the chemical giving leaves their green color.  Chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight and uses that energy to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates like sugars and starch.  During the fall and winter months, as the days become shorter, the chlorophyll breaks down exposing the true colors of the leaves.  In other words, the beautiful colors of the leaves were always there but were covered by the green color of the chlorophyll.  (1)

This truth from science provides some wonderful spiritual lessons for us

1)      We were created in the image of God (Genesis1:26) – At creation, humanity was infused with the color of God’s image.  However, after the fall of Adam and Eve due to their disobedience to God, this color was covered with the stain of sin.  This is symbolized in scripture with Adam and Eve’s realization they were naked and in need of covering (Genesis 3:7).  Like the green chlorophyll covers the beautiful colors leaves were created with, sin covers the image of God with which we were all created.

2)      We need a change of season to remove the color of sin from our lives (1 John 1:7) – Jesus birth on the first Christmas ushered in a new season for humanity.  Previously God had dealt with humanity through the law and the sacrifice of animals to atone for sins.  These sacrifices of atonement had to occur regularly for the blood of these animals was insufficient to remove sin’s stain on our lives and only served as symbols of the ultimate blood sacrifice to come, the atoning blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross (Hebrews 10:1-18). 

3)      We can now let the light of God’s glory shine from us (Matthew 5:16) – With the stain of sin in our lives completely removed, the beautiful colors of the glory of God can now shine from us.  However, we must still be on our guard not to allow sin to creep back into our lives and cloud these glorious colors.  We all, including the Apostle Paul struggle with sin in our lives (Romans 7:7-25).  When the flesh rears its ugly face in our lives, it covers the beautiful colors of the glory of God which can now shine through because of the redemptive work or God in our lives. 

The changing leaves, like many other things we witness in nature provide lessons as to how we should live for God in our lives.  Our lives begin with the stain of sin covering the image of God in which all humanity was created.  When we accept the gift of salvation provided to us through the grace of God the stain of sin is removed from our lives and the glory of God can shine through.  However, even though we have received salvation and eternal life through the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ, the flesh can still take over in our lives, clouding the glory of God once again in our lives. 

Merry Christmas everyone and remember to let the glory of God shine through your life and strive not to let the stain of sin hide God’s beautiful colors of glory that were exposed by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. 

1. E-Center Learning Resources. Why Leaves Change Color. www.esf.edu. [Online] E-Center Learning Resources. [Cited: December 18, 2016.] http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm.

What the World Needs Now is Grace God’s Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

(ESV)

As the Christmas season approaches, it is a time when people are both busy and stressed out but also full of joy as they anticipate the joys which come at Christmas time.  Many of us are stressed with buying gifts, wondering if the late gifts we ordered online will arrive on time.  We stress when we drive into the parking lot of the store and realize we must trek for what seems like miles to the front door of the store.  In the stores, it seems like wall-to-wall people all stressed out as we are and let us not forget the stressed-out store employees working long hours while trying to maintain their cheerful attitudes. 

However, we can also find joy this time of year in giving gifts to those we love and receiving gifts given out of love from others.  Many of us also find joy in having a few days off work.  Still others find joy in either traveling to see family of having family traveling to see them.  My prayer for my readers is that they can focus on the joyful parts of the season and allow these joys to help them through the stressful parts of the season.

The year is also thankfully coming to a close.  While the year has been a roller coaster ride with a contentious Presidential election in the United States and other parts of the world, the year ends with hope that things will improve.  However, not everyone shares my optimism, like Michele Obama who has said the United States is heading into a time of hopelessness after the Donald Trump electoral victory.  (1)  However, I, and I hope my readers, am approaching the coming year with hope it will be better than the past year.

Dionne Warwick made famous the song “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”  While love is the ingredient necessary to change the hearts of people across the world and bring about lasting change, only one type of love is sufficient to bring about this change.  That love is the love of God our creator that was made available to everyone through the grace of God when he sent the world his only begotten son.  What the world really needs now, in fact what the world has needed since the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden is grace God’s grace. 

The good news is that God’s grace is free for Jesus already paid the price through his death on Calvary.  This is great news for us all for due to the fall of Adam and Eve, we are born under the curse of sin (Ephesians 2:1-3) and therefore need to accept this free gift to be saved.  Failure to do so leaves us under the curse of sin with the penalty of death (Romans 6:23). 

This gift is not something God was required to give for God could have evicted Adam and Eve from the garden and left them to die in their sins.  Fortunately, God has great love for humanity and thus created a path through Jesus Christ for humanity to be saved and restored humanity to the position he intended at creation (Ephesians2:4-7). 

For this reason, Paul could write in Ephesians 2:8-9 that our salvation is not the result of our own good works but the work of God’s Son Jesus Christ on the cross.  This does not mean we should abandon our good works for they most likely serve to improve humanity but instead changes the purpose of our good from trying to earn salvation to an expression our love for Jesus Christ and sharing that love with others in need of God’s salvation. 

This is the greatest joy one can experience both during the Christmas season and throughout the rest of the year.  I therefore want to share this great gift with anyone reading this who has yet to unwrap it 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.

Many of us are guilty of re-gifting a gift we did not like.  However, I want to encourage everyone to freely re-gift the gift of salvation from God by sharing the good news of what God has done for you with others.  While re-gifting usually results in our losing the gift given to us, when we re-gift the gift of salvation with others, we do not lose our own salvation but instead multiply it.  When we do, we will be giving others what they need most, grace God’s grace. 

Merry Christmas everyone. 

1. Staff, WITW. Michelle Obama says America is entering a time of hopelessness. nytlive.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, December 16, 2016. [Cited: December 17, 2016.] http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/12/16/michelle-obama-says-america-is-entering-a-time-of-hopelessness/.

One Heart at a Time

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 10:10

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

(ESV)

We live in a world where image is viewed as important.  Those working in media living by ratings are overly concerned with how others view them.  With the emergence of social media that concern with image has come to all of us as we are interested in gaining more friends and followers.  The problem, however, with being overly concerned with image is that often the standard of image we strive to live up to is distorted and even founded in lies. 

There is a distortion of the image of what it is to be a Christian in our world today.  Unfortunately, this distortion of image is not only among non-Christians but also among Christians.  It is therefore important for us living in our image conscience world to define what it is to be a Christian.

1)      Christianity is about living abundantly (John10:10) – Many in the world view Christianity as a life governed by a restrictive set of rules.  They read the 10 Commandments and see a bunch of restrictive thou shalt and thou shalt nots.  With this image, these individuals believe Christians are a bunch of people that believe people should not have any fun in their lives.  With this image, they view God as some angry taskmaster and not as a God who loves them.  If this were what being a Christian truly meant, why would anyone want to follow Christ.  Fortunately, however, John 10:10 tells us that it is the thief or Satan that is the true robber of fun in our lives for his purpose is to kill steal and destroy us and reminds us that Jesus came to provide abundant life.  Granted, God’s Word does provide Commandments and guidelines for our lives but the purpose of these are not to rob us of fun and enjoyment in our lives but to prevent the enemy from stealing from us, killing us, or destroying us.

2)      Abundant living does not however guarantee material wealth in this world (John 16:33) – Unfortunately there are well meaning Christians that interpret John 10:10 to mean living for Christ means abundant living free of any material needs or wants.  While this may entice some to follow Christ, the truth is that even Christians experience trouble in the world for we still live in a world where the thief attempts to steal, kill, and destroy people, including those following Christ.  The word translated abundant in John 10:10 is perissoj which means abundance in both quantity and quality. (1) God did promise to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19) but there is a stark difference between what we need and what we want.  Abundant Christian living is living a life of abundant quality and not material wealth.  It is living a life that can endure the troubles of life knowing Jesus has overcome the world and will provide for what we need. 

3)      Knowing the purpose of Jesus’ first and second comings – The main reason God evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden was so they did not partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life and thus be eternally condemned to their sin (Genesis 3:22).  While many in Jesus time believed he would come and establish the Kingdom of God on earth at that time, to do so without first dealing with the sin issue in everyone’s heart would have caused everyone to live eternally with the stain of sin in their lives.  Therefore, Jesus came the first time to make a way for each of us to be cleansed of the sin in our lives and will then come again to establish his millennial kingdom on earth for those who have had the sin in their lives cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  All the trouble in the world will not end until the second coming of Christ and explains why we still see evil and destruction in our world.  Living as a Christian means living with the knowledge and hope of the second coming of Christ to rid the world of its evil and destruction (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). 

Jesus came on the first Christmas with the purpose of dying and resurrecting from the dead to provide salvation for every individual choosing to believe in Him (John 3:16).  While this coming did not bring an end to the troubles we experience in the world, it did come with the hope of Jesus returning to bring an end to these troubles.  Jesus came the first time to provide salvation one heart at a time for individuals by providing the opportunity to have his blood cleanse them of their sins.  Let us therefore dedicate ourselves to living out the gospel in both our words and deeds so the hearts of those we encounter in our daily lives will have the opportunity to be part of God’s Kingdom free from the troubles of this world for this is the true image of Christianity our image conscience world must see.   

1. godrules.net. Perissoj. www.godrules.net. [Online] BibleExplore.com. [Cited: December 10, 2016.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre4053.htm.

Thanking God for His Amazing Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 1:19-21

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

(ESV)

Run on sentences drive grammar teachers crazy so the passage in Ephesians 1:15-21 would have given Paul an F if it was contained in a written assignment for school.  However, Paul’s run on sentence in this passage comes from a heart excited about the amazing grace of God, a grace that did not throw humanity away when they disobeyed Him in the Garden and instead provided salvation through the sacrifice of the only Son of God on the cross.

It is Christmas season, a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  It is a time of nativity scenes showing the birth of Christ in a lowly manger where lowly shepherds and elite kings visited Him.  It is a time of lights signifying the birth of the one who would later declare He was the Light of the World (John 8:12).   It is a time of giving and receiving gifts signifying God giving the world the gift of salvation through His son and our being able to have complete redemption from our sins by accepting this gift.  While these things are good, I want to encourage my readers to take a moment to reflect on the depth of what the birth of Christ really means and the immensity of the sacrifice God made with the birth of Jesus. 

John 1:1 tells “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The Greek Word translated word all three times in John 1:1 is logos.  While the word can mean something said it also carries a deeper meaning of something thought, a subject of discourse, and the motive or reason behind what is said. (1) The term was familiar to Jews at the time of John’s writing as a word designating a divine reason or plan coordinating a changing universe.  Therefore, we are safe to interpret John 1:1 to mean the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption first prophesized in Genesis 3:15 had come to the world through the birth of Jesus Christ.  

Another way of looking at this is to understand that Jesus, the Son of God, who was with God from the beginning living with His Father in the glory of heaven gave all that up to be born a man in a lowly manger.  While the fact that God would even consider becoming like us, all be it without sin, is amazing enough, Jesus could have chosen to be born as a prince in a palace or a priest among the priests of his time but instead chose to be born in a humble manner among the ordinary people of His time.  From this position Jesus could warn his followers to be cautious of the teachings of the kings and priests of his time (Matthew 16:6) and instead live their lives following the Word of God.  With the birth of Jesus, the Word of God was no longer just dead words written on paper but now was a living word making it relatable to all humanity.

Let us therefore this Christmas season take a moment from the busyness of the season to reflect on the amazing fact that God loved us so much he sent His Only Son Jesus to earth in a relatable fleshly form.  In this fleshly form the Word of God could now come alive and be relatable to all humanity.  And finally, in this fleshly yet sinless form (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus Christ could become the ultimate sacrifice that once and for all provided redemption from sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

Because of the birth of Christ on Christmas, a birth with the purpose of His death on the cross followed by his glorious resurrection, we can now experience a rebirth into the righteousness of God in Christ.  It is this truth that makes the amazing grace of God so amazing.

If you have not experienced this amazing grace, I encourage you to do so now 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.

God’s grace is truly amazing and something we should be grateful for in our lives. 

1. godrules.net. Logoj. www.godrules,net. [Online] Bible Explore.com. [Cited: December 10, 2016.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre3056.htm.

No Greater Love

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

(ESV)

Another Christmas season is upon us.  I remember as a child the joy of waking up on Christmas morning with great anticipation at what gifts awaited me.  As I have grown up, I now realize these gifts only provided temporary joy that wore off as the newness of the gift disappeared.  However, even though the joy these gifts provided was only temporary, it was still a moment of joy and now as I have become a parent myself, I realize that my parents also experienced joy in seeing my joy upon receiving my gift.

However, there is a Christmas gift available to all that has an eternal joy.  This eternally joyful gift, much like the presents my parents gave me as a child, is gift is given sacrificially by our Heavenly Father out of a heart of love.  So grand is this gift that God used an angel of the Lord to announce it (Luke 2:8-11).  What makes this gift eternally joyful is that it is the gift of God’s Son Jesus Christ whose death on the cross would provide eternal salvation from our sins and grant eternal life with God (John 3:16).

During the discourse with His Disciples during the last supper, Jesus taught his disciples that the laying down of one’s life for their friends was the greatest expression of love possible.  Little did the Disciples know but the very next day after this discourse, Jesus would demonstrate this level of love by offering His own life up for their sins in fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.  However, like any gift, we must unwrap this gift to fully enjoy its benefits. 

Fortunately for us all, the unwrapping of this gift is simple for all it requires is believing.  I invite those that have not yet unwrapped this greatest Christmas gift to do so now 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, you have now unwrapped the greatest Christmas gift ever given.  Not only is this gift a gift providing eternal life for yourself as well as restored fellowship with God your creator, it is a gift you can share with others without losing it yourself.  You now have eternal life so why wouldn’t you share this with someone. 

The great news is you do not need to be some great theologian with vast biblical knowledge to share this gift, you simply need to share what Jesus has done in your life.  This is exactly what the Samaritan woman did when she encountered Jesus (John 4:1-45).  This is exactly what the demon possessed man from the country of the Gerasenes did after Jesus cast the legion of demons out of him (Mark 5:1-20). 

However, some of us may not have colorful pasts and believe we have no sensational story of conversion to share with others.  I encourage you not to use that as an excuse for the person you can share the gospel with needs salvation as we all do and God has placed you in their lives giving you an opportunity to be a light to shine the gospel into their lives.  Jesus had no colorful past of sin when he shared the gospel with the Samaritan woman and the demon possessed man of the Gerasenes yet he shared the Gospel and these individual’s lives were transformed.  Therefore, I encourage you to follow the example of Jesus and share the good news of the Gospel with others giving them the opportunity to unwrap the greatest Christmas gift ever given. 

Let us take time to pause from the hustle and bustle of this busy season to reflect on the great gift of love offered to us all on the first Christmas.  If you have already unwrapped this gift take a moment to thank God for this gift of love and tell others about it in both words and in how we live.  If you have yet to unwrap this gift, I encourage you to go back and pray unwrapping this gift and then perform the greatest act of re-gifting any of us can do by sharing this great gift of love with others.  

Predestined Grace: Studies in Ephesians (Part 1)

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring^[a] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

(ESV)

Spiritual warfare is nothing new and started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God.  Fortunately for all of us, God did not destroy Adam and Eve for their sin but instead banished them from the Garden before they ate of the tree of life and were eternally trapped in their sin (Genesis 3:22).  Instead God made a promise of a savior to defeat the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  Unlike Adam and Eve, we have the benefit of hindsight and now know the promised savior was Jesus Christ whose death on the cross means we can all enjoy salvation from our sins and can have the assurance that the spiritual war for our souls has been won.  Unfortunately, we live in a world where we still have trouble but even in these troubles we can find comfort in knowing that our savior has overcome the world and that He will return to end our spiritual battles once and for all (John 16:33). 

The church in Ephesus knew full well the extent of spiritual warfare.  While the city was a thriving center of travel and commerce, it was also the location of the Temple of Artemis.  The priests of Artemis considered the introduction of Christianity to the city a threat, resulting in a riot (Acts 19).  The book of Ephesians is a letter written to this persecuted church and as such provides instruction for us on how to endure persecution in the spiritual warfare we find ourselves in today. 

The letter begins with a greeting telling us that the letter was authored by Paul and addressed to the saints in Ephesus.  Like those in Thessalonica, Paul appears concerned for the welfare of the believers in Ephesus due to the riot that had ensued with his initial visit to the city.  The greeting ends with Paul’s desire that the grace and peace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would be with them. 

Paul then speaks about spiritual blessings in Christ and in Ephesians 1:3-5 speaks of choosing us before the foundation of the world and predestining us for adoption as sons of God through Jesus Christ.  Some interpret this passage to mean that everyone born is predestined to either be a believer or die in their sins according to how God has determined their destiny.  However, I find this interpretation wrong for why would a God who loves His creation allow some to be hopelessly born into an eternity of eternal damnation.  Since we never know our destiny, this theology also fails to provide assurance of our salvation and relegates all of us to living lives of uncertainty as to our eternal state. 

Later in his letter to the Ephesians Paul reminds the Ephesians that their salvation is not in accordance to their works but comes because of the grace of God and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8).  While this may appear to be a contradiction in scripture, when looked in context, the apparent contradiction disappears. 

Ephesians 1:11 Paul once again mentions predestination according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.  He reminds them that once they heard the Gospel and believed their salvation and eternal state was sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.  In other words, our salvation is not based upon some predestined state into which each of us is born but instead hinges upon our choosing to believe.  Predestination is not God determining everyone’s eternal state at birth but is Gods desire to fulfill his promise to fallen man in Genesis 3:15 which he fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  This is great news for all of us for it means we can all have assurance that our eternal state will be eternity with God in heaven for simply believing (John 3:16). 

If you have already made this decision, rest assured knowing that your eternal destiny is settled.  If, however, you have not made this decision, I encourage you to do so now before it is too late 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.

It is the desire of God’s heart that no one die in their sins but choose salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (2 Peter3:9).  God’s predestined plan for humanity since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden has been the provision of a savior (Genesis 3:15).  This is the greatest Christmas gift ever given, given at the first Christmas, the gift of predestined grace.

Careful What You Eat

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Mark 8:15

As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

(NLT)

Jesus ministry was a ministry that resulted in the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised from the dead, and the poor hearing the Gospel (Matthew 11:5).   However, perhaps the most well-known of the miracles of Jesus is his feeding of the five thousand for it is mentioned in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke9:10-17, John 6:1-15).  I believe we must include food in the ministry of Jesus.

After watching the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand as well as the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8:1-10), the disciples were concerned over the Jesus warning them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod believing Jesus was reprimanding them for forgetting to bring any bread (Mark 8:14,16).  Once again, this is an example of Jesus’ disciples missing the point for Jesus was not speaking of food for Jesus had already demonstrated twice that he could provide food for them.  Instead Jesus was warning them against the yeast or words and teachings of the Pharisees and Herod.

The word translated yeast in Mark 8:15 means something that encourages mental and moral corruption.  (1)  It is something that although small in quantity infects something like a cancer.  Jesus warning was not a warning not to eat food from the Pharisees or Herod but a warning against the mental and moral corruption of their words.  Therefore, it is not a warning against eating certain foods but instead a warning to be careful not to allow mental and moral corruption to enter our hearts and minds. 

The recent election in the United States will go down in history as the election exposing the liberal compliant media who worked hard to insure Hillary Clintons nomination.  (2)  Fortunately, however, their efforts fell short resulting in the election of Donald Trump despite the compliant medias suppression of truth and propagation of lies. 

Pollsters also missed the mark by standing by their numbers showing a Clinton electoral victory and even reliance on exit polls which were compiled before the groundswell of Trump voters showed up to vote after a hard day of work on Election Day.  (3)  Polling is a statistical sampling of voters and as with all statistical sampling, is only as reliable as the sampling, which must come from a sample matching the overall population.  In the case of this election, the sampling excluded many Trump voters, resulting in erroneous results. 

Many in this election relied on the yeast of the mainstream media and pollsters instead of paying attention to the truth of the mood of the electorate.  The yeast of the mainstream media and pollsters was a yeast of the corruption of a biased media and pollsters relying on inaccurate sampling.  Those relying on this information were embarrassed and shocked at the Trump electoral victory.  My recommendations to both pollsters and the media is for them to begin,

1)      Doing their jobs – The job of media, and the reason they have constitutional protection under the first Amendment is to insure they can bring the public the truth without fear of retribution from whoever is in charge of the government.  Unfortunately, when the media becomes biased towards one political ideology, they suppress any story threatening their chosen ideology and may even concoct stories supporting that ideology.  I recommend they get back to doing their jobs of researching facts to determine the truth and reporting the truth of their findings to the public.  They also must bear in mind that the public now has access to information through the internet and social media unlike they have never had before and therefore can easily spot bias and lies, something that became apparent this election.

2)      Changing polling models to insure accuracy in sampling – This election, polling errored due to its being based on erroneous sampling.  (3)  Prior to the next presidential election in 2020 or even the next congressional election in 2018, pollsters must determine how to sample the correct cross-section of the electorate in order to insure more accuracy of polling.  Failure to do so will result in the public and media not trusting their polling and causing many polling organizations to go out of business. 

I encourage voters to do as they did this election, vote for the candidates that best promote their liberty and values.  In this election cycle, that candidate for President was Donald Trump who connected with voters across the country.  (4)  I encourage candidates to stop listening to flawed polls, biased media and consultants and instead go to voters as Trump did and make the connection with them in order to determine their needs and concerns.  For the rest of us, I encourage you to heed the words of Jesus and be careful not to feed our mind and spirit with morally and mentally corrupt information and instead feed ourselves on the Word of God so we can correctly discern truth from lies. 

1. BibleExplore.com. KJV W/ STRONGS BIBLE - MARK 8. www.godrules.net. [Online] BibleExplore.com. [Cited: November 26, 2016.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre2219.htm.

2. Shapiro, Ben. Some Good News: This Election Has Exposed The Media. www.dailywire.com. [Online] The Daily Wire, November 8 2016, 2016. [Cited: 26 November.] http://www.dailywire.com/news/10596/some-good-news-election-has-exposed-media-ben-shapiro, 

3. Bomey, Nathan. How did pollsters get Trump, Clinton election so wrong? www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, November 9, 2016. [Cited: November 26, 2016.] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/11/09/pollsters-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-2016-presidential-election/93523012/.

4. Elving, Ron. Trump Confounds The Pros, Connects With Just The Right Voters. www.npr.org. [Online] NPR, November 9, 2016. [Cited: November 26, 2016.] http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501387988/trump-confounds-the-pros-connects-with-just-the-right-voters.