The Heart of the Gospel

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Luke 9:46-48

 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side ⁴⁸ and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

(ESV)

Proverbs 16:18 reminds us of the destructiveness of pride.  Knowing that the dysfunctional band of Disciples He was given would be the ones to carry on His ministry after his ascension, Jesus knew He must end any pride among His Disciples before it led to their destruction.  He used a child to symbolize that those who appear to be the least among the people of the world, like children, are actually the greatest. 

Just as it was with the Disciples who actually walked with Jesus, it is easy for those in ministry to become filled with pride about their ministries.  When this occurs, the true meaning or heart of the Gospel can become distorted.  When this occurs, many who may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their savior are turned off not wanting to be a part of what they see.  Some ways the Gospel message is distorted are,

1)      Hell fire and brimstone – Granted the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and since we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), we all face death or eternal damnation if we do not accept Jesus as our savior.  However, when a well-meaning minister presents the Gospel in such a manner, the heart of the gospel he is presenting is a gospel that is a fire escape to escape the fires of hell.  While this is true and may lead to people praying to accept Jesus as their savior, it represents a shallow presentation of the Gospel.  In addition, those presenting the Gospel in this manner usually teach that if we sin after accepting Christ, we must pray to be saved again or face eternal damnation in hell.  The problem with this teaching is that it goes against John 3:16 that says if we believe we have eternal life.  The truth is that some pride filled ministers use this as a means of maintaining control over their flock.

2)      Prosperity Gospel – Philippians 4:19 promises that God will meet all our needs according to God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  While it is true that God, the creator of all we see has more than abundant resources to supply our needs, some ministers have used this passage to teach that if one receives Jesus as their Savior, they will receive anything they want, what many call the prosperity gospel.  Once again, this attractive presentation of the Gospel will bring many into the church but when these individuals do not receive that fancy car, home, or big bank account they were expecting, they fall by the wayside.  To mitigate this from occurring, those presenting the Gospel in this manner often tell these individuals that they lack faith and must believe more.  Once again, this ploy can be used by pride filled ministers as a means of maintaining control over the flock.

3)      The suffering martyr gospel – In John 16:33, Jesus reminds us that in this world we will have trouble.  Using this verse, some present the gospel by telling people they will have trouble and struggles when they accept Jesus as their savior and that the church is there to help them through the struggle.  While it is true Christians have struggles like others in the world, the degree to which someone struggles is not a way to judge whether someone has accepted Jesus as their savior.  Presentation of the Gospel in this manner is appealing to those already experiencing troubles and struggles in their lives but it ignores the words of Jesus in John 10:10 where He promised to give us abundant life.  Unfortunately, pride filled ministers can use this to maintain control over their flocks by keeping them dependent upon the church to supply their needs.

The true heart of the Gospel in my opinion is best expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:21. God, who could have left mankind to his on punishment after the fall of Adam instead had mercy on His fallen creation and in Genesis3:15 promised a savior to crush the deceiver Satan and redeem His fallen creation.  God then in the greatest act of love ever seen, sent His only Son Jesus to take on all the sins, past, present, and future, of mankind and die for them.  We can now, through the grace of God, have a right or righteous standing with God our creator and eternal life. 

The heart of the Gospel is a restored relationship with God our creator and not a fire escape, a way to achieve great wealth, or a means for some minister to take advantage of our suffering.  If you have not already done so, please take a moment to pray with me and enter into a restored relationship with your creator through belief in Jesus Christ as your savior,

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 now have a renewed relationship with your creator who loved you so much he gave His only Son to die for your sins.  I now encourage you to find a church teaching the Bible and develop a deeper relationship with God.  May God richly bless you.

The Most Positive Role Model

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 4:20-24

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

(ESV)

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says the following, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  (1)  Basically, this amendment prohibits government from limiting communication regarding religion, general speech, communication by the press, the right of people to assemble, and the right of the people to address their grievances with the government. 

While people are quick to cry foul when someone calls for government to limit speech, freedom of the press, freedom of people to freely assemble, or any other portion of this amendment, when someone calls for government to prohibit Christians to freely communicate their faith, many believe it is justified.  Such is the case regarding a mom suing to stop bible study classes in West Virginia schools.  (2)  However instead of being accusatory and confrontational with the mom bringing the law suit, I want to look at this from the angle of this mom as someone representing many who have a misconception of what the Gospel means. 

Those that have not made Jesus their savior have minds that are not illuminated by the light of the Word of God.  This alienates them from the life of God, filling them with ignorance or lack of knowledge.  This continual darkness in their lives hardens their hearts making it difficult to have compassion for anyone desiring to have their hearts enlightened by the Word of God (Ephesians 4:17-19).  Therefore, instead of vilifying people like this mother, we should pray that somehow the light of the Gospel will begin to shine in their lives. 

This will not be an easy task for darkness resists light because the light of God’s Word exposes sin in our lives.  However, the first step to redemption for our sins is to acknowledge that we have sinned (Romans 3:23) and then believing that the shed blood of God’s Son Jesus Christ forgives and wipes out the sin in our lives.  We therefore must pray and believe for a miracle that will bring light to the darkened hearts of people like this mother. 

In His discourse with Nicodemus, Jesus mentioned the need for one to be born again (John 3:3).  At first Nicodemus misunderstood the meaning of Jesus’ words and asked if it were possible for one to reenter his mother’s womb and be born again (John 3:4).  However, this is not what Jesus meant for he was speaking of a spiritual rebirth (John 3:5-6).  It is this spiritual rebirth that occurs when we choose to believe in God’s Son Jesus that brings us eternal life full of the light of Jesus Christ in our lives (John 8:12).

If the mother attempting to take Bible’s away from students or anyone supporting her efforts is reading this know that I do not condemn you because Jesus Himself does not condemn you (John 3:17).  Instead I encourage you to open the Bible and read the Gospel of John.  There is no need to fear reading these words on a page but as you do my hope and prayer is that you will begin to realize God loves you and only wants what is best for your life. 

As you read these pages you will get to know Jesus a man who in three and one half years of ministry impacted the world in such a way that almost 2000 years later writers like myself are writing about it.  You will meet someone who went about healing the sick, casting demons out of people, and opening blind eyes (Matthew11:5).  You will also read about a man who made the greatest sacrifice anyone can make, the offering up of His life to save his friends (John 15:13).  Why wouldn’t we want young students to learn about this great role model for their lives.

The blessing and curse of our media and social media dominated culture is that there is an overabundance of potential role models for children to follow.  Some of these role models have a negative influence and some a positive one.  Jesus, and the good he did while on earth is a positive role model for students and one we should encourage students to learn more about.  Therefore, I stand against any effort to remove the Bible and Bible studies from schools for it removes the influence of the most positive role model anyone can have in their lives. 

1. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://www.constitutionus.com/.

2. Fox News. Mom sues to stop Bible study classes in West Virginia schools. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, January 21, 2017. [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/21/mom-sues-to-stop-bible-study-classes-in-west-virginia-schools.html.

The Battlefield of the Senate, a Battle That Must be Won

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

(ESV)

The scene is the nation of Israel on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to go in and take the land God promised them.  After 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the time has finally come.  While the people knew God was with them and had seen him perform many miracles for them, there must have also been much fear prompting Moses to urge them to be strong and courageous (Deuteronomy31:6).  In fact, since these words were repeated numerous times, we can surmise the level of fear must have been great.

Fear of the unknown is normal and something we all have experienced.  Whether it is the fear of starting a new job, fear of moving to a new city, fear of starting school or college, or fear of something bad happening to us, this fear is real.  The good news is, however, the fear we feel is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7) which means we should all heed the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6. 

The title of President Elect Trump has now changed to President Trump.  While it is a time of celebration, it also means the real work of making America great again has finally begun.  Unlike many of his Republican predecessors, President Trump has the benefit of a Republican House of Representatives, and a Republican Senate.  While logic would tell us this will make the job of implementing the Trump agenda easy, there are potential road blocks ahead, especially in the Senate. 

Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate has a rule allowing senators to filibuster legislation.  To end a filibuster requires a cloture vote of 60 votes. (1) However, since the Republicans only have 52 senators, they fall eight short of ending a filibuster and would require eight Democrat votes to end any filibuster by a Democrat senator.  In other words, the main obstacle to the full implementation of the Trump agenda will be in the Senate where legislation, judicial nominees, and cabinet nominees can be blocked. 

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to filibuster any conservative Supreme Court nominee of President Trump. (2) While he did not mention filibustering any other legislation, the divisiveness that currently exists in the Senate leads us to believe he may use that option for any legislation he and his fellow Democrats consider controversial. 

However, before we just throw up our hands in defeat, there are some things we can do.

1)      The Senate can suspend the filibuster rule – In 2011 the Republicans were in the minority in the Senate but could block liberal judicial appointments through use of the filibuster rule.  To stop the blocking of liberal Obama judicial nominees, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suspended the filibuster rule for judicial nominees.  (3)  This set a precedent which the Republicans can use to not only allow confirmation of Trump judicial nominees but also allow suspension of the rule for specific legislation such as repealing Obamacare, Tax reform, and funding the building of a border wall.  I urge my readers to contact the office of the GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to eliminate the filibuster rule and allow much needed legislation and judicial nominees to only require a majority vote.  (4)

2)      Contact Senators not willing to vote with the Trump agenda – Trump won election to the Presidency by winning states that typically vote Democrat.  Many of these states have Democrat Senators who will be up for reelection in 2018.  While there will be pressure on these senators to go along with any filibuster plans by their leader in the Senate, they also have concern about keeping their jobs.  If enough voters in these states put pressure on them, we may be able to flip the eight senators needed to end any planned filibuster. 

3)      Urge President Trump to use the bully pulpit – Donald Trump, someone successful in business but who had never held political office before won election based upon his enormous popularity.  He must use this popularity as a way of twisting the arms of some Democrat senators holding office in red states to go along with voters in their states who voted for Trump.  (5)

Like the Nation of Israel that were on the verge of taking possession of the land God had promised them, the citizens of the Unites States stand on the verge of the opportunity to reclaim their country and make it great again.  Like Israel, there will be battles and obstacles to implementing the agenda necessary to make the United States great again but if we remain strong and courageous as we were in the election, we can achieve victory.  Let us be strong and courageous and press on to make America great again. 

1. U.S. Senate. Filibuster and Cloture. www.senate.gov. [Online] United States Senate. [Cited: January 12, 2017.] http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Filibuster_Cloture.htm.

2. McLaughlin, Seth. Democrats’ new Senate leader open to filibustering Trump’s Supreme Court picks. www.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, November 16, 2016. [Cited: January 12, 2017.] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/16/chuck-schumer-dems-new-senate-leader-open-filibust/.

3. Bolton, Alexander. Reid triggers ‘nuclear option’ to change Senate rules, end repeat filibusters. thehill.com. [Online] The Hill, October 7, 2011. [Cited: January 12, 2017.] http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/186133-reid-triggers-nuclear-option-to-change-senate-rules-and-prohibit-post-cloture-filibusters.

4. Hulse, Carl. Hard Choice for Mitch McConnell: End the Filibuster of Preserve Tradition. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, November 11, 2016. [Cited: January 12, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/politics/republicans-house-senate.html?_r=0.

5. Shesol, Jeff. The Power of the Podium. www.usnews.com. [Online] U.S. News and World Report, October 20, 2016. [Cited: January 12, 2017.] http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-10-20/how-the-next-president-can-reclaim-the-bully-pulpit.

Unity in a Divided World

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

(ESV)

As a new President is set to take office this Friday, many in the nation are experiencing renewed optimism that new leadership will put the nation on the path of returning to the greatness it once had.  When Barak Obama took office in 2009, many also had optimism that the election of the nation’s first African American President would finally end the racial divide in the nation.  Unfortunately, eight years later the nation seems to be even more divided than it was when Obama took office. 

Instead of a legacy of mending racial tensions in the United States, President Obama leaves office with a legacy of widening the divide and pitting African Americans against law enforcement climaxing with the assassination of five Dallas police officers.  (1) (2)  Instead of going down in history as the President that brought racial unity to a divided nation, this legacy represents a missed opportunity at racial unity.  We can only hope and pray that the Trump Administration will be able to restore civility to the nation.

Disunity and division is a tool that the Devil has used since he approached Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Satan used words of deception causing Adam and Eve to doubt God, believing God was withholding his best from them.  This deception caused Adam and Eve to disobey God, resulting in their eviction from the Garden and separation from God (Genesis 3).  This separation was so great that it meant all the descendants of Adam and Eve were sentenced to die in their sins (Romans 6:23).  Thankfully because of the grace of God, a way was made for unity with God through the shed blood of God’s only Son Jesus Christ.  This is the unity of the Spirit Paul is speaking of in Ephesians 4:3. 

While we hope the new President will be able to restore unity in our nation, the truth of the matter is that the only way for lasting unity is unity under the Holy Spirit.  For this reason, my hope for the new President is the restoration of civility so the senseless killing of innocent people and law enforcement officers can end but not a hope he can cause unity for only God can accomplish that.  As followers of Jesus Christ, this places a great responsibility on us for we must,

1)      Pray (James 5:16) – Prayer is a powerful tool for it unleashes the power of Almighty God.  Pray for our President and that he, with the help of God, can restore civility to the nation.  Pray for God to bring a heart transforming revival to our nation, unifying men and women under the Holy Spirit. 

2)      Be prepared to share the Gospel (Mark 16:15) – This command to share the gospel was not just to pastors, it was to all of us.  When a person accepts Jesus as their Savior, the Holy Spirit enters their heart and the transformational work that will cause unity begins.  Jesus said he was the way the truth and the life (John 14:6).  Jesus is the key that opens the hearts of men allowing the Holy Spirit to come in and begin the heart transforming work that will cause unity.

3)      Practice unity in our churches (John 13:35) – What we do speaks much louder than what we say.  When the world sees disunity and division within the Body of Christ, they see nothing different than the divisiveness they see all around them.  However, unity is not something we can do on our own but something that requires the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Our churches are a conglomeration of people of diverse races, nationalities, educational backgrounds, and ages.  In other words, our churches are a collection of diverse individuals but with this diversity comes the potential for disunity and divisiveness.  Satan has not changed his tactics and stands ready to bring deception leading to disunity in this diverse collection of individuals and it is only as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts that we can maintain unity.  We therefore must pray that the Spirit of God will fill our churches with a Spirit of Unity so we can effectively demonstrate unity to a divided world. 

In conjunction with new leadership in the United States promising the restoration of civility, we as the Body of Christ must unify through the Holy Spirit to bring unity to our divided world.  I encourage the body of Christ to make 2017 the year in which we restore unity to our churches and unify to bring the Gospel to a lost and dying world.  Will you join me in this mission?

1. Khachatrain, Harry. A Complete Timeline of Race Relations Under Obama. www.dailywire.com. [Online] The Daily Wire, January 9, 2017. [Cited: January 11, 2017.] http://www.dailywire.com/news/12230/complete-timeline-race-relations-under-obama-harry-khachatrian.

2. Manny Fernandez, Richard Perez-Pena and Jonah Engel Bromwich. Five Dallas Officers Were Killed as Payback, Police Chief Says. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, July 8, 2016. [Cited: January 11, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/us/dallas-police-shooting.html?_r=0.

Get Ready for Real Change

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,^[c]but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV)

Transformation is a vital ingredient to having fellowship with God.  Romans12:2 speaks of severing ourselves from conformity to the world and its system and transformation through the renewal of our minds.  Paul goes on the clarify this transformation in Romans 12:3 by urging us not to become full of pride, thinking highly of ourselves, but to instead to use sober judgement according to the measure of faith God has given us.  The purpose of allowing God to transform our minds is so we can discern the good and acceptable will of God for our lives. 

While our salvation from sins and eternal life are the result of believing (John 3:16), someone who does not make it a goal to allow God to transform their mind to gain discernment about what God’s will for their lives is living a double-minded life of instability and misery (James 1:5-8).  Our flesh resists transformational change for with it comes uncertainty but when we ask God in faith to transform our minds we must do it in faith knowing that Gods plans for us are for our good and not our destruction (Jeremiah 29:11).  Armed with this knowledge we must not fear God’s transformational change but instead embrace it for not only will this transformational change improve our lives but it will also serve as a light to others in need of this transformational change.

Friday January 20, 2017 is inauguration day in the United States.  It is an event happening every four years when the nation swears in its new President.  As with all inaugurations, this one is a time of joy and optimism for those that voted for the winning candidate and a time of disappointment and even some fear for those supporting another candidate.  However, one thing is certain, the election of a new leader means there will be changes and with them some uncertainty. 

One of the most difficult things a leader campaigning for office must do is switch from campaigning for office to governing in office.  In the history of the United States we have had leaders who smoothly made this transition and successfully enacted most of the agenda they campaigned on while others failed miserably and left office with the country in a worse state then when they took office.  For those of us that supported President Elect Donald Trump in the past election, we must,

1)      Pray (1 Timothy 2:1-2) – The most challenging part of God’s word commanding us to pray for those in high positions is that it includes not only those we voted for but also those we did not vote for.  In the previous two elections, I did not vote for Barak Obama nor did I agree with most of his policies yet, I prayed for him and thankfully God answered those prayers for both he and his family appear to be on track to finish their term in office without any harm coming to them.  Many of us prayed that President Obama would govern with Godly wisdom, but it appears he did not listen and instead chose to lead according to his own agenda.  I therefore encourage all reading this who did not support Donald Trump in this past election to do as I did and pray for our new president.  Pray for the safety of him and his family as well as praying that he will govern according to Godly wisdom.

2)      Be actively involved – One of the dynamics of this past election is that many who are not normally involved in campaigns became passionately involved.  For this reason, the rhetoric of this election became heated and even vile at times.  The danger is that this passion may not transition into a passion to govern in a manner that makes the nation greater and stronger.  I therefore urge those who may have been involved in campaigns for many years and those who became involved for the first time this year to be actively involved in the governing process as well.  Donald Trump has an aggressive agenda for his first 100 days in office (1) and needs both our encouragement and input as he transitions to the governing process. 

The United States has lost sight of the principles that made it great and must begin the process of transformational change back to its founding principles.  The voters spoke loudly on Election Day and decided the transformational agenda of Donald Trump was what was necessary.  Let us help with the transition to governing mode by praying and remaining actively involved as we did during the campaign. 

1. Kelly, Amita. Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days. www.npr.org. [Online] NPR, November 9, 2016. [Cited: January 2, 2017.] http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days.

Tapping into Dynamic Inner Strength

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 3:14-16

 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

(ESV)

2017, a year for which I remain cautiously optimistic is off to a tragic start and I encourage my fellow believers in Christ to be prayerful.  It began with the tragic nightclub attack in Istanbul Turkey.  (1)  ISIS later took credit for his vicious attack on innocent people celebrating the new year.  (2)  On January 2, there was a suicide car bombing attacking a busy square in Baghdad killing at least 35 once again attacking innocent people most likely out for a day of shopping to begin the new year.  (3)  While it remains unclear whether ISIS is behind this attack, the fact that they were behind earlier suicide bombings on Saturday provides a strong probability they are behind this one as well.  Then there is the massive blast that also occurred on January 2 near the Mogadishu airport.  (4)

When coupled with the cautious optimism many have with the new leadership set to assume power on January 20 and concern about what the outgoing administration will do prior to then, we can begin to lose heart and become weak in our spirits.  However, there is no need for us to live our lives feeling weak and powerless for each of us has access to a massive source of inner strength that will take us through anything that might occur in 2017.  In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul prayed that the church in Ephesus would have this inner strength as they faced persecution for their faith.  I believe if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would expand this prayer to include all of us living in this world dominated by political uncertainty and brutal terrorism.  Let us now take a moment to find out how we can access this inner strength.

This inner strength is not something we possess on our own but something we have access to through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).  This goes against the teachings of most eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism which speak of god dwelling within each individual and through ritual practices such as yoga and meditation, one can attain this inner strength.  (5)  However, this teaching contradicts the teachings of Paul.

Some believe that it is their good works that will somehow help them achieve some feeling of nirvana and inner strength.  While good works do benefit humanity, they do not provide lasting inner strength and one trying to achieve inner strength through good works will suffer disappointment and must fruitlessly go from one good work to another only to suffer emptiness once again as they fail to achieve lasting inner strength.    

While we must pay attention to the political process and participate through voting, history has demonstrated the failure of the political process to provide inner strength and stability due to the ever-changing political climate.  In each election cycle, there are winners and losers.  Those on the winning side believe their candidate will bring about lasting change that will strengthen the nation and lead to increased individual liberty.  Those on the losing side feel devastated and weak.  However, as history has demonstrated, the tide often turns with the winners one election becoming losers and vice versa.

This is not the source of inner strength the Apostle Paul refers to and not the inner strength that will bring lasting strength to our lives for the source of that inner strength is only found in the Spirit of God.  The good news is that we can all have access to this strength by,

1)      Accepting Jesus as our savior (John 3:16) – Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).  However, the Holy Spirit is not with someone until the make Jesus their savior.  I therefore urge everyone reading this that has not already done so to pray with me and begin the process of tapping into dynamic inner strength,

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.

2)      Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His power (Luke 24:49) – Jesus told his disciples to wait in the city until they were filled with power from on high.  We now know that the power he was speaking of was the power the 120 received when the Holy Spirit came upon them in the Upper Room (Acts 2:1-4).  Jesus understood that tough times lie ahead for the Disciples after he left and that they would need the dynamic inner strength of the Holy Spirit to survive and be effective in their ministries. 

3)      Learning and using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) – The only offensive weapon in the arsenal of the spiritual warrior is the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God.  However, like a physical sword, it is a useless weapon unless the warrior takes hold of it and learns how to use it.  Inner strength and confidence in spiritual warfare comes when one is well trained in the use of their most powerful offensive weapon, the Bible, the Sword of the Spirit.

4)      Keeping the communication lines open (Romans12:12) – One of the marks of a true follower of Jesus Christ is consistency in prayer.  Prayer is our communication line to God and just like a Wi-Fi signal must be kept open so it is available when needed, our communication line to God must be kept open so when we find ourselves in need, we can ask knowing God hears us.

This coming year is a year of optimism for many but that does not mean there will not be set backs and problems.  For this reason, we must tap in to the dynamic inner strength available to us all.  Please do not hesitate to tap in to this strength.

1. Euan McKirdy, Ian Lee, Madison Park, and Kimberly Hutcherson. Istanbul nightclub attack: Manhunt underway for shooter. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN World, January 1, 2017. [Cited: January 2 http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/01/europe/turkey-nightclub-attack/, 2017.]

2. Bacon, Steph Solis and John. Islamic State takes credit for New Year's attack at Istanbul nightclub. www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, January 2, 2017. [Cited: January 2, 2017.] http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/02/istanbul-turkey-nightclub-attack/96077880/.

3. BBC. IS conflict: Baghdad suicide car bomb blast kills 35. www.bbc.com. [Online] BBC, January 2, 2017. [Cited: January 2, 2017.] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38488091.

4. Somalia News. Massive blast hits near Mogadishu airport. www.aljazeera.com. [Online] Aljazeera, January 2, 2017. [Cited: January 2, 2017.] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/somalia-massive-blast-rocks-mogadishu-airport-170102091229184.html.

5. Fieser, James. CHAPTER 4: CLASSICAL EASTERN PHILOSOPHY. www.utm.edu. [Online] UTM, March 19, 2012. [Cited: January 2, 2017.] https://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/class/110/4-eastern.htm.

Why We Must Support Israel

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord said^[a] to Abram, “Go from your country^[b] and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

(ESV)

Abraham, a man of great faith, A man whose great faith caused him to be counted righteous in the eyes of God (Genesis 15:6) is perhaps one of the greatest role models in scripture for anyone deciding to live a life of faith in God.  Abraham’s faith journey begins in Genesis 12:1 with God calling him to leave his home or comfort zone and journey to an unknown land with the promise of making him into a great nation through whom the entire world would be blessed.  How blessed all of humanity is because Abraham decided to take this bold step of faith into the unknown (Genesis12:4). 

With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that the great nation, the nation through whom the Messiah that would save and bless the world would come from is the nation of Israel.  Genesis 12:3 is a blessing or a curse.  A curse to those choosing to dishonor Israel and a blessing to those that bless Israel.  Therefore, individuals and nations have a choice to either be cursed or blessed depending upon how they treat Israel. 

On May 14, 1948, the modern-day nation of Israel was established and on that same day, President Harry Truman recognized Israel as a nation.  (1)  Thus, the support for Israel was set by the United States.  Most recently, on September 15, 2016, Israel and the United States signed a 10-year military assistance deal worth over $38 billion (2) continuing a history of support for Israel’s military.  (3)  There are both secular and political reasons for supporting Israel in addition to the scriptural reason outlined in Genesis12:3. 

Until the recent flood of Muslims into the United States, Judaism was always the second religion of the nation, second only to Christianity.  In addition, the Jews of the New York synagogue Shearith Israel supported and fought with colonists during the Revolutionary War.  Much like the Jews living in Israel today, these brave Jewish people went against what was considered the Tory stronghold of New York during the time of the American Revolution that supported the British crown and instead bravely supported George Washington’s fight against England.  (4)  In fact, on the back of the U.S. Dollar today, above the eagle on the right, we see 13 stars forming the Star of David as a way of honoring Jewish support during the Revolutionary War.  In our present War on Terror we should honor Israel due to the fact they are the only democracy in the middle east, and the only nation not vowing to destroy the United States.  (5) 

Unfortunately, during a time when Obama should be preparing to exit the White House allowing his successor to begin paving his way to govern according to the wishes of the voters who elected him to office in November, Obama has chosen to go against this history of support from Jews during the American Revolution and U.S. support for modern day Israel and instead, slapped Israel in the face by abstaining during the recent UN vote pertaining to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.  (6)  While we normally view an abstention during a vote as someone’s desire not to decide on the issue, in this UN vote, the United States could have vetoed the resolution, something the United States had previously done, a veto which would have stopped the resolution instead of permitting its implementation.  However, the Obama Administration chose an abstention, a political maneuver supporting the resolution without having to be on record officially supporting it.  In other words, this action is a cowardly final slap in the face of an ally of the United States in the Middle East, Israel.  This decision is therefore both a politically and scripturally dangerous one for the United States. 

Jews living and worshiping in the Colonies during the time of the American Revolution stood with the colonists fight for independence against the oppressive British Crown.  The United States in turn swiftly recognized the Jewish State of Israel when they gained their independence in 1948.  Since that time the United States has made good on their support through monetary support of Israel’s fight against their Middle Eastern Neighbors who want to destroy them.  This history of support for Israel is why many believe the United States continues to be blessed by God.  (5)

However, the recent decision by the Obama Administration to abstain and not veto the recent UN resolution places the United States in jeopardy both politically and scripturally.  Politically because this decision serves to empower enemies of both the United States and Israel, some of which are on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons.  Scripturally, because we are moving from the side of receiving blessings from God promised in Genesis 12:3 to being cursed. 

Please join me in praying the incoming Trump Administration will make moves to restore the historical policies of support for the Jewish state of Israel and return to the side of blessings from God and political sanity. 

1. Office of the Historian. Creation of Israel, 1948. history.state.gov. [Online] Office of the Historian. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel.

2. Green, Emma. Why Does the United States Give So Much Money to Israel? www.theatlantic.com. [Online] The Atlantic, September 15, 2016. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/09/united-states-israel-memorandum-of-understanding-military-aid/500192/.

3. Sharp, Jeremy M. U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel. fas.org. [Online] Congressional Research Service, June 10, 2015. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf.

4. Soloveichik, Meir Y. The Jews of the American Revolution. www.wsj.com. [Online] The Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2016. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-jews-of-the-american-revolution-1464302447.

5. Fischer, Bryan. Why God Has Blessed the United States. www.afa.net. [Online] American Family Association, September 14, 2016. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] http://www.afa.net/the-stand/bible/2016/09/why-god-has-blessed-the-united-states/.

6. Stephen Collinson, David Wright, Elise Labott. US abstains as UN demands end to Israeli settlements. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Politics, December 24, 2016. [Cited: January 1, 2017.] http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/23/politics/israel-official-rips-obama-un-settlements/.

A Great Mystery Solved

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 3:1-3

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

(ESV)

Most of us love a great mystery.  I for one love the challenge of trying to determine who did it.  My favorite mystery stories while growing up were the Sherlock Holmes stories.  This was in part due to the fact they provided great material for doing book reports in school because they made the assignment interesting.  However, the stories intrigued me because they always took unexpected twists and turns concluding with Mr. Holmes always, using deductive reasoning, to determine who committed the crime.  In Ephesians 3:1-13, the Apostle Paul equates the Bible to a mystery that came to full revelation through Jesus Christ. 

As a Pharisee, the Apostle Paul had devoted his life to the study of scripture.  The scripture Paul had to study was the Old Testament so Paul did not have the full revelation of the mystery, only the prophetic clues provided in scripture.  It was not until Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus that he realized the solution to the mystery outlined in Scripture.  This is because the key to understanding Scripture lies in having access to the helper the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). 

Let us begin first however by searching scripture to determine who the Holy Spirit is.  The first mention of the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God is in Genesis 1:2 where we see him hovering over the face of the waters of the heavens and earth.  This introduction lets us know that the Holy Spirit is a vital part of the Trinity and plays an important role in the Godhead.  This leads us to ask however, exactly what is that role.

1)      Empowerment - Judges 3:7-11 tells of how the Holy Spirit came upon Othniel and empowered him to go to war and be victorious against King Cushan-Rishathaim of Mesopotamia.  Jesus understood the importance of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and is why he commanded his Disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment before beginning their ministry (Acts 1:4-5). 

2)      Liberator (Romans 8:2-6) – Jesus shed blood cleanses us from our sins.  Once we are cleansed of this stain of sin, we begin living according to the Spirit and not our sinful flesh.  With our minds now governed by the Holy Spirit, we are freed from the death of the flesh and liberated to live in peace (2 Corinthians 3:17). 

3)      Revealer of Scripture (Luke 24:45-47) – Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the Bible reads like a piece of literature.  However, to discover the deeper meaning in a piece of literature, we must begin to understand the author and His reason for writing the text.  The men who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus had their minds opened to understanding the Scriptures because they were walking with the author of the Scriptures.  While we do not have Jesus with us today in physical form as these men did, we do have the Holy Spirit inside us and in His role as counselor, we to can experience the opening of our minds to understand the deeper meaning of Scripture. 

4)      Helper (John 14:15-17) – While everyone can enjoy complete salvation from sin, we continue to live in a world disconnected from God.  For this reason, after Jesus ascended to heaven to be with God the Father, God sent the Holy Spirit to act in the role of helper, providing comfort and guidance as we continue to live in a dark and disconnected world.   

While Paul speaks of the message of the Gospel as a great mystery, there is no reason for it to remain a mystery in our lives because the key to understanding this mystery is available to all.  To take possession of this key is simple and costs nothing for all we must do is ask.  If you have not already taken possession of this valuable key, please 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.

You now possess the key to understanding scripture for you now have a personal relationship with the author of the Bible.  However, you may say, isn’t the Bible written by several men over several centuries?  The answer is yes but in truth these men are ghost writers who wrote what the real author, God Himself, told them to write. 

However, just possessing the key is useless unless we use it to open the door.  In other words, we must open the book, the Bible, and study it.  We also must also regularly attend a Bible teaching church and join a small group of fellow believers to gain a greater understanding of the mystery of the Bible. 

In 2017 we will no doubt experience many changes.  While some of these changes will be positive they will most likely be accompanied by some negative changes.  Unlocking the mystery of the truths contained in the Bible is key to personally navigating these changes.  I therefore invite you to join with me this year and gain a greater understanding of the mysteries of truth contained in the Bible.