Salt and Light Blog

Early voting started this past Saturday in Florida. And yesterday we began being inundated with ads by a SuperPAC that supports Mitt Romney. To say these ads were full of half-truths would be generous.

That’s the one thing that bothers you the most about politics, isn’t it dear Christian? You cannot stand all the lies and mudslinging. As my sweet bride always says, “I want to hear what each candidate’s plan is to help turn our country around.”

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One year from today our nation will inaugurate either the 45th President of the United States or Barack Obama for a second term. As a nation we face the most important presidential election of my 55 years (when I vote) on earth. Some would say in history. I would say it is a close second to the election of 1860, because our nation’s survival hung in the balance then.

So what should we look for in our next president? Too many of us, me included for the longest time, looked for perfection whether we want to admit it or not. The truth of the matter is we all have fatal flaws and none of us are truly fit for office, for too many reasons to list right now. I know it gets very confusing in this time of year, and that is one of the reasons we began Aletheia Group L.L.C.; to help discover the truth no matter where it leads.

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Technorati Tags: integrity

This week is Sanctity of Life Week. In my newsletter The Truth, I write about what it will take to finally defeat the scourge of abortion. This morning I want to look at a much deeper-seated issue than abortion; one that is personal for each of us.

As you look across our country you can identify many a problem with our nation. Wise men have said that these are merely the symptoms of the real cause of our problems in America. Many rightly ask, “How can we expect God to bless America when we murder 3,000 babies a day.” They say this is the deep-seated issue of our nation.

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Technorati Tags: Sanctity of Life

I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve felt like a failure in my Christian walk. Why? Because of sin, either it be a besetting sin that I cannot overcome or a sin I knowingly commit against the warning of the Holy Spirit, a sin usually wrought out of pride. You would think by now I would realize I cannot overcome sin in my own power. It is a lesson I understand yet never seem to learn.

The good news is I do not have to walk in my own power. There is a spiritual power, an abundant power working in us:

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There is an old urban legend (meaning I don’t know if it is true or not) about Lee Trevino being approached by a woman who told the famed golfer that her little baby needed an operation or the baby would die. Lee gave the woman a few thousand dollars for the operation and later it was discovered the woman was a scam artist. When “The Merry Mex” Trevino was told of the scam, he reportedly replied, “Oh so you mean the baby isn’t going to die, that’s wonderful!”

That is what you call being generous to a fault!

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Technorati Tags: generosity

What causes stinking thinking, and just as important, how do we clear it up?

First, we use worldly principles to guide our thoughts and actions. Even as Christians we can get to the point that the world’s point of view governs our actions. One example is how Christians elected to office end up rolling over to a godless edict sent down from the courts. To bow at the steps of an unlawful judicial ruling not only is godless, it is also unconstitutional.

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Technorati Tags: stinking thinking

There is a story of a man who was stranded on an isolated island. He was alone on this island for many years so he made himself shelter and did the best he could. Eventually the island was discovered and the man was rescued. Before they left, the man decided to give a tour of his island.

He showed the people his hut, proudly saying, “This is the home I built with my own two hands.”

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Technorati Tags: envy, strife

Two weeks from today Iowa Republicans will caucus and choose their presidential candidate for November 2012. As Christians, we are to be good citizens and should vote for the candidate that best aligns with our Biblical worldview. With that being said, we Christians must remember that while we live in America and are citizens by birth, we are actually citizens of heaven by rebirth in Christ. If we will look to the future coming of our Lord Jesus Christ I believe our perspectives on all aspects of life would be radically transformed. This is what the Apostle Paul tried to teach the Philippian Church:

“Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:17-21)

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Why do you serve in your church? Or perhaps a better question is: why don’t you serve in your church? Paul gave us the example of Christian service in his spiritual son Timothy and today we look at his dear brother Epaphroditus:

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Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate example of servanthood when He washed His disciples’ feet. They were aghast at the thought of their Messiah washing their feet. It was the job of a faceless and nameless servant to wash a guest’s feet. Why did Christ leave us this example? Christ even said it would not be something they would comprehend for awhile:

“Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.’” (John 13:6-7)

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Technorati Tags: servanthood

In February 2007, The Barna Group did a fascinating study titled “American Lifestyles Mix Compassion and Self-Oriented Behavior” which revealed mixed traits of Americans that showed a “willingness to sacrifice and impulses toward self-oriented behaviors.” We as a nation, according to this study, display a strange dichotomy of beliefs and behaviors.

I have seen this mix in the church as well. It is a struggle, at least in my own life, to walk the talk as well as talk the walk. I could probably blame a number of reasons on my inconsistent Christian life, but as Karen and I were talking about with friends yesterday at lunch, my own flesh can be all the enemy I need. I too often grumble and mumble about things I should be praising God for, because they are blessings in my life. Paul warned against grumbling and mumbling:

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Technorati Tags: complaining

I once had someone tell me that he was not a sinner. I told him the Bible was very clear on that:

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

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This weekend I sent the following email to a dear brother in Christ:

Yes, but how was your heart changed? How was mine? How is mine? I promise you my brother 12 years ago you would have wanted nothing to do with me or even believed I was saved for that matter.

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My sister Minji (given name Mary) wrote yesterday in response to our devotional on the last conceit to go and said she has been struggling to understand her “artist self”, lately realizing that we never really understand ourselves. As we said, only God understands us. Minji is realizing a great freedom in losing herself instead of the exhausting fool’s errand of trying to find oneself.

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So how does one witness to an atheist? Do you engage in arguments about apologetics, intelligent design, or proving evolution? Or is there a simpler, more basic way to share your faith with an atheist? Dr. Rainer asked Mrs. J if she had a best argument for believing in God. Here’s her answer:

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So should we use apologetics, that is the defense of Christianity, with an atheist? Well let me ask you this question, similar to what our new friend Mrs. J asks in the book Unexpected Journey by Thom Rainer. Did you learn about apologetics before you acquired faith and was it apologetics that caused you to have faith?

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So how can we actually reach out to someone who is intent on destroying Christianity? Or how do we reach out to someone who is apathetic towards God? Like we do with any person we first meet, we build a relationship.

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I want you to design a picture in your mind of the typical atheist and compose a brief description to go under that picture as a caption. I’ll give you a few minutes to do so…go ahead and start and then come back.

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Yesterday I said we would take a look at how we confront atheism.

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If you Google “confrontational evangelism” you’re going to come up with a lot of results. I want to share with you my definition of confrontational evangelism. It would probably be more in line with apologetics, which is defending the Christian faith. Most Americans, including those who call themselves Christian, are very confused biblically.

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