What prevents us from doing good? Why do we not love God as we should? What hinders us from worshipping Him as we ought? The answer to these questions can be stated in two words – our sin. It is true that we are attacked continuously and mercilessly by forces outside of us such as Satan and his demons. But these attacks would be to no avail were it not for the sin which dwells within us. Paul writes in Romans that, apart from Christ, we are slaves to sin (6:16-20).
The children of Israel were slaves of the Egyptians. In Exodus 5:1 Moses approaches Pharaoh with this demand from God, “Let my people go that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.” They were in bondage to the Egyptians and therefore unable to fulfill the acts of worship required by God. Obedience to the Egyptians meant disobedience to God for “No one can serve two masters…” (Mt. 6:24). In order to worship God they must be set free from their oppressor. You know the rest of the story. God showed His strength conquering the Egyptians and freeing the children of Israel. They were free – free to worship!
Now God, in Christ, has done this for us. We were slaves to the corruption of our own hearts. Again, God has made His power known by conquering our oppressor and setting us free. As the waters of the Red Sea washed away Pharaoh’s army, so the blood of Christ has taken away our sin. “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14 NKJV) We are free! Free to worship the One who has shown His strength in redeeming us from the oppression of the enemy.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Mixed Emotions and a Call to Prayer
02/03/09
We have all heard the phrase “mixed emotions”. That is a good way of describing my feelings about the inauguration of our 44th President. While I rejoice in the now proven fact that skin color will not keep one from high office (a fact which I have believed to be true for a long time now), I am also greatly troubled by thoughts of what most likely lies ahead in terms of decision making by our new president. It is ironic that one event could speak so loudly for and against human rights at the same time. It speaks for them in the sense that I have already mentioned – proof that equal opportunity in the public square is a reality in our country regardless of ethnicity. America has elected a bi-racial man with dark skin to her highest office for the first time. This truly is cause for rejoicing. On the other hand, this event could prove to be tragic for the unwanted unborn of our nation. President Obama has vowed to defend the “rights”, not of unborn babes, but of those who would kill them at will. Shouldn’t one who stands himself as a living testimony to the importance of respecting the rights of others lead the charge in respecting the right to live for all human beings?To say that slavery was a “black eye” in our nation’s history is a gross understatement. A deadly cancer would be a more fitting analogy. God created human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:27). This fact is the basis for our worth. We are God’s image-bearers, created to mirror His glory. It’s true that the fall of Adam and Eve marred the image but it did not eliminate it. Even today all human beings bear the image of God, faintly but truly. This is what sets us apart form all of the rest of God’s creation. We are “fearfully [and] wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14 NKJV)”.It was common for proponents of slavery to defend their practice by claiming that the victims of it were not human. They were considered to be non-human or, at best, “sub-human” (whatever that means). Using this rationale the victims of slavery were devalued and the cruelty inflicted upon them was elevated from a crime against humanity to a “right” of choice in handling one’s own property.Thank God the evil practice of slavery has been banned in our nation and there seems to be a consensus now among Americans that this kind of thinking was wrong. Regardless of culture or ethnicity we are all human beings. We all have worth. Again, thanks be to God, the atrocities of slavery are behind us and we have made much progress in overcoming racial divides.Yet, despite progress made in this area, many in our nation still employ the same rationale to justify the murder of millions of innocent babies. The killing is justified by the same absurd claim that the victims are not human. Though there is no basis for this scientifically or biologically and, in fact, much evidence to the contrary, it is the only hope of abortion proponents for retaining the current categorization of this evil as a “right” of choice rather than what it truly is, a crime against humanity (murder). The same warped thinking which provided the grounds for the abuse and murder of multitudes of African-Americans early in our nation’s history is now used to approve the slaughter of millions of unborn and partially born babies.Abortion is a crime against human beings. Let us pray for the day when abortion, like slavery, is recognized as the evil that it is and outlawed. Let us pray for our new president. Let’s pray that his heart and thinking regarding this issue will change and that he will prove to be a defender of life rather than of bogus “rights”. Let us pray that this day will come soon.May God have mercy on us!Skip Rainbolt
We have all heard the phrase “mixed emotions”. That is a good way of describing my feelings about the inauguration of our 44th President. While I rejoice in the now proven fact that skin color will not keep one from high office (a fact which I have believed to be true for a long time now), I am also greatly troubled by thoughts of what most likely lies ahead in terms of decision making by our new president. It is ironic that one event could speak so loudly for and against human rights at the same time. It speaks for them in the sense that I have already mentioned – proof that equal opportunity in the public square is a reality in our country regardless of ethnicity. America has elected a bi-racial man with dark skin to her highest office for the first time. This truly is cause for rejoicing. On the other hand, this event could prove to be tragic for the unwanted unborn of our nation. President Obama has vowed to defend the “rights”, not of unborn babes, but of those who would kill them at will. Shouldn’t one who stands himself as a living testimony to the importance of respecting the rights of others lead the charge in respecting the right to live for all human beings?To say that slavery was a “black eye” in our nation’s history is a gross understatement. A deadly cancer would be a more fitting analogy. God created human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:27). This fact is the basis for our worth. We are God’s image-bearers, created to mirror His glory. It’s true that the fall of Adam and Eve marred the image but it did not eliminate it. Even today all human beings bear the image of God, faintly but truly. This is what sets us apart form all of the rest of God’s creation. We are “fearfully [and] wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14 NKJV)”.It was common for proponents of slavery to defend their practice by claiming that the victims of it were not human. They were considered to be non-human or, at best, “sub-human” (whatever that means). Using this rationale the victims of slavery were devalued and the cruelty inflicted upon them was elevated from a crime against humanity to a “right” of choice in handling one’s own property.Thank God the evil practice of slavery has been banned in our nation and there seems to be a consensus now among Americans that this kind of thinking was wrong. Regardless of culture or ethnicity we are all human beings. We all have worth. Again, thanks be to God, the atrocities of slavery are behind us and we have made much progress in overcoming racial divides.Yet, despite progress made in this area, many in our nation still employ the same rationale to justify the murder of millions of innocent babies. The killing is justified by the same absurd claim that the victims are not human. Though there is no basis for this scientifically or biologically and, in fact, much evidence to the contrary, it is the only hope of abortion proponents for retaining the current categorization of this evil as a “right” of choice rather than what it truly is, a crime against humanity (murder). The same warped thinking which provided the grounds for the abuse and murder of multitudes of African-Americans early in our nation’s history is now used to approve the slaughter of millions of unborn and partially born babies.Abortion is a crime against human beings. Let us pray for the day when abortion, like slavery, is recognized as the evil that it is and outlawed. Let us pray for our new president. Let’s pray that his heart and thinking regarding this issue will change and that he will prove to be a defender of life rather than of bogus “rights”. Let us pray that this day will come soon.May God have mercy on us!Skip Rainbolt
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