Open Letter to American

 Judgmental, Gay-hater, Self-Righteous, Hypocrite, Fundamentalist, Bigot..... 

These are just some of the insulting labels that have been placed on me in the last week or two. Labels I have been given simply for standing firm in the faith, defending God's Law and His Word. Were such derogatory labels thrown on anyone else, we would call it bullying. We would call it hate speech, but it seems to be okay so long as its inflicted upon a Christian. As a Christian I am not surprised, nor am I angry at the opposition I have encountered from both unbelievers and believers alike, because Jesus warns us that this will happen...

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

-1 Peter 4:12-14

 ... but strictly as a blue blooded American Citizen, born with the same rights, freedoms and civil liberties as all my fellow Americans, I am appalled by the double standards I am encountering. It is completely unacceptable for me to stand up and say that the Word of God calls homosexuality a sin, because according to today's standards that is considered hate speech. It is unacceptable for me to say that abortion is murder. I am told I have no right to tell another woman that aborting her baby is murder and is therefore a sin before God, because in our society it is her right to choose. All of this is unacceptable, but apparently, it is acceptable for me to be routinely insulted, bullied and ostracized for my faith. You cannot stand on one foot and say that everyone has a right to live their life the way they want and then lean on the other to bully into silence those who speak their faith. This is a freedom that countless have fought for, sacrificed for and died to protect. So while as a Christian I am happy turn my cheek, forgive and forget, as an American Citizen I have to call into question this treacherous double standard. How do we fight for equal rights for everyone while stripping Christians of theirs? How do we fight against hate speeh and bullying, but allow it in instances involving Christians? This is a dangerous double standard that threatens to corrode our very rights, freedoms and civil liberties, simply because our faith.

What happened to the First Amendment rights to religious freedom and the freedom of speech?

Fruits of The Spirit vs. Works of The Flesh

The Bible says in Galatians 5:22-23.

 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

The moment you gave your life to God, He planted seeds within your Christian life, seeds that grow and are nurtured with the Daily Bread and Living Waters. Through your walk with God, the proof of your spiritual growth is in the fruits you produce. It is by these fruits that we will recognize our brothers and sisters in Christ, and by those same fruits or the lack there of that we will know false prophets and those who wish to lead astray.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:15-20 (ESV):

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."

 If someone claims to be a Christian, but does not bear the fruits of the Spirit...  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control... then we know they do not belong to Him (Romans 8:9). They may appear to be following Jesus, but without these fruits it is clear that they are walking in the flesh rather than the Spirit of Christ.

By this same standard, we are also given an opposing view with which to judge actions... the works of the flesh. The Bible says in Galations 5:19-21...

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

With knowledge and discernment you will recognize them by their fruits and this is vitally important. Far too many people know verses of the Bible, but not the heart of God. They pick and choose which Bible verses support their personal opinions, values and morals, but do nothing to seek the Will of God. They instead have chosen to create for themselves an idol, a God which suits their needs and allows them to live comfortably just as they are, but being a Christian is not about personal comfort. Far from it. Jesus calls us to take up our crosses and follow Him. By taking up our cross, we are daily crucifying our fleshly desires, our works of the flesh along side Jesus and we too die to the flesh. Christianity is not a call to comfort, it is a call to change. We cannot follow Jesus and walk in the flesh, we cannot continue in our sinful nature and expect God to be satisfied with our lukewarm faith. God knows our hearts. If our profession of faith is not evident in our daily living it is clear we are not walking in the Spirit of Christ. In doing so we are not only fooling ourselves and others, but we've gone so far as to attempt to fool God Himself.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." -Galatians 6:7

 If you are sowing works of the flesh, that is precisely what you will reap. However, sow the seeds of the Spirit and you will reap the fruits thereof... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

May God draw you ever closer to Himself, fill you with a fiery passion to follow Him and a deep unquenchable hunger to know Him, to truly know Him.

God Bless,
Jamie

Book Review: The Expanded Bible

Recently I got my hands on a copy of The Expanded Bible put out by Thomas Nelson. This is an modified version of the New Century Version with a ton of valuable extras, all in one handy location. The Bible has, in bold, the main text of the New Testament. Using brackets and a non-bold font, it then “expands” the text to include various notes and study helps to deepen your understanding of the passage. These expansions include:

    [...] expanded understanding of the text
    [L] literal renderings of the text
    [T] more traditional translations of the text
    [or] alternate translations of the text
    [C] commentary on the text

Overall, I love the concept of this Bible and the information it contains. I am in love with the idea of the text, other translations, commentary, and study notes contained in one volume. With The Expanded Bible, it is not necessary to have multiple other Bibles or commentaries littering your desk as you study the Scriptures.

When I first started reading The Expanded Bible, it took some time to really understand the flow of how it works. There is so much information and so many brackets and notations, my brain tended to get bogged down at first. Once you get into the flow, though, this resource is incredibly valuable.

But, these drawbacks are minimal when compared to the wealth of value found in these pages. I would highly recommend this Bible to any serious student of the Bible.

The Importance of Intentional Parenting

Our roles as parents are by far the most important roles we will ever fill. Perhaps even more important than we will ever begin to realize. We are responsible not only for feeding, clothing, and housing, but also physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. We are responsible for life, both in this world and the life thereafter.

What we teach our children today will directly influence the kind of person they will become, as well as the choices they will make for themselves and for their own children one day.


"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
(Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

What a very powerful promise God has made! Our lives are often riddled with uncertainty, but never so much as when we are responsible for another life.

I remember the first time we brought our daughter, Faith, home from the hospital. I have never been so scared, so uncertain and nervous in my whole life. For first time I felt completely out of my element and unsure of myself. I was so scared that I was going to accidentally hurt this precious, fragile angel God entrusted to me. I couldn't believe they were just sending me home with her. I felt like I should have a masters degree in child care first or be expected to pass some sort of test.

I would like to say the uncertainty has worn off, but it hasn't. Every second of every day I am second guessing myself, wanting only the best for her, trying to be the best I can for her, trying to teach her and prepare her for life. That is a heavy responsibility for anyone and one I could no doubt mess up without even realizing it until its too late, which is what makes me nervous.

However, my Father thought of this. How well He knows me! He knew I would need His instructions, His Words of wisdom in moments of uncertainty like these. He left me a promise I could firmly stand on, that would reassure me and put my worries to rest.

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."
(Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NKJV)

Stand on the promise of God. Lead your children and diligently train them up to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength. If you do this the Lord promises that when they have grown they will not depart from what you have taught them. For the first time and perhaps the only time in your life you can be assured and confident that you are doing the right thing, that you are teaching them and guiding them in the right direction.

7 Ways To Teach Toddlers God's Word

Adapted from a handout at the CDG seminar "Nursery and Toddler Ministry: Preparing the Littlest Ones to Stand on Truth." Audio will be available within the month.

1. Have an open Bible on your lap during story time. This reinforces where the story comes from—God's word.

2. Use short sentences and few words. Too many words overwhelm young minds.

3. Be animated in your facial expressions and tone of voice. This will help keep children engaged.

3. Incorporate movement into the story and singing. Children this age need to move their bodies. Movement helps them learn and remember what you're teaching them.

4. Create routines during the story/circle times by using songs, finger plays, etc.

5. Use repetition to cement biblical concepts in children's hearts and minds.

6. Keep it short and sweet. A story time of 5-10 minutes is the maximum children this age can attend to and sit for.