Egypt is the news for the 6th straight day and it is obvious why. Crowds are violating a curfew put on them by the government and chanting for the dictator's removal. Tanks line the center of Cairo and fighter planes fly overhead, and yet the people remain, defiant and calling still for the change.
As far as the persecuted church is concerned, Egypt isn't the worst offender. Open Doors places them at number 19 this year, slightly up from 20 in 2010. Christians were recently allowed to put Christian on their ID cards vice Muslim, and the government has reduced the number of crackdowns on the church. Christians do, however, still face discrimination and families of recent converts pressure them to return to Islam. As with several countries on the list, the persecution does not come directly from the government in many cases, but rather from family pressure.
Egypt is part of Christianity's history, from essentially the start until the Muslim expansion just prior to the Crusades. It would be nice if these governmental changes result in Egypt once again regaining some prominence in the church.
We shall see how this plays out.
Some Initial Thoughts on the Rapture
I haven't reviewed the issue of the Rapture in a long, long time. There was a time, however, when I was fascinated by the End Times. Perhaps part of that is due to the fact that my preacher, and any evangelist he brought in to preach, would always try to scare the living wits out of us, I don't know. My crowning achievement as a teenager was having mapped out Matthew 24 line for line, by myself. Too bad I lost that several years ago.
Somewhere in my early adulthood I decided to stop thinking about it, having known where I was going and knowing where I wanted other to go regardless of how the End Times worked out. I was a small fish in a big ocean of theology and I was not strong enough to defend Dispensationalism or change to any of the other views, such as the Covenant view. However, I did grow up in a Dispensationalist house, with at least my Dad and Grandpa believing the tradition.
I didn't even know that most Dispensationalist thought had only been around since the 1800s. That's how little I had stretched my faith as a young man. As a seminary student, even in a conservative seminary like Liberty, I realize that I need this stretching to take place before I can really understand or be a part of theology.
So, in order to stretch myself, and to allow God to stretch me, I chose the Doctrine of the Rapture as my term paper subject. I am fully prepared to walk away from Dispensationalism should it be required of me after thoroughly reviewing the Scriptures. I do know, however, that doing that will hurt deeply. I still value my Grandpa's doctrinal leanings and as he leaned that way, so do I by nature. I have already been warned by a friend who went through this a few years ago that it would be difficult if I learned that there was no way to defend the doctrine.
I have given my paper the working title of The Doctrine of the Rapture: In Search for a Defensible Position. If, by the time I'm done, there is a way to defend it, then I will stay with it. If, however, I am unable to do so, I must reconsider. The research is underway as we speak.
What are your thoughts on the rapture? Do you hold to it or do you believe in a single, Second Coming event? I would love to have your careful and respectful thoughts. Thank you!
Somewhere in my early adulthood I decided to stop thinking about it, having known where I was going and knowing where I wanted other to go regardless of how the End Times worked out. I was a small fish in a big ocean of theology and I was not strong enough to defend Dispensationalism or change to any of the other views, such as the Covenant view. However, I did grow up in a Dispensationalist house, with at least my Dad and Grandpa believing the tradition.
I didn't even know that most Dispensationalist thought had only been around since the 1800s. That's how little I had stretched my faith as a young man. As a seminary student, even in a conservative seminary like Liberty, I realize that I need this stretching to take place before I can really understand or be a part of theology.
So, in order to stretch myself, and to allow God to stretch me, I chose the Doctrine of the Rapture as my term paper subject. I am fully prepared to walk away from Dispensationalism should it be required of me after thoroughly reviewing the Scriptures. I do know, however, that doing that will hurt deeply. I still value my Grandpa's doctrinal leanings and as he leaned that way, so do I by nature. I have already been warned by a friend who went through this a few years ago that it would be difficult if I learned that there was no way to defend the doctrine.
I have given my paper the working title of The Doctrine of the Rapture: In Search for a Defensible Position. If, by the time I'm done, there is a way to defend it, then I will stay with it. If, however, I am unable to do so, I must reconsider. The research is underway as we speak.
What are your thoughts on the rapture? Do you hold to it or do you believe in a single, Second Coming event? I would love to have your careful and respectful thoughts. Thank you!
Mentorship Resource Release
One of the things I am most passionate about is mentoring, as you can see from the labels on this blog. It's certainly not my only passion, but it is definitely one of them and something I can claim as a strength.
I have written, and am now releasing, my first resource. Best of all, it's free! Just email me at: sdansmith@gmail.com or comment below and I'll send it to you with no obligations. I want it used and spread around, so request it today!
I have written, and am now releasing, my first resource. Best of all, it's free! Just email me at: sdansmith@gmail.com or comment below and I'll send it to you with no obligations. I want it used and spread around, so request it today!
The Linux Question
Let's review a scenario:
A church is using antiquated computer equipment. Granted, the church is fairly small, but still...it's pretty old. We're talking about early release 2002 or so, still running Windows XP. In fact, it wouldn't be able to run Windows Vista or Windows 7. The pastor and small staff, which is mostly part time, knows that they need to upgrade as they can barely keep up with software that is coming out now. In fact, they aren't keeping up too well with software that came out several years ago.
One of the deacons does some research and finds out that they can get a steal of a computer for $420 from Dell or HP, including Windows 7 and Microsoft Office and church management software will cost another $100. The pastor knows that he needs a computer, the secretary needs one, and the worship/youth leader needs one. Of course, that isn't allowing for one for anyone else who's part time or volunteer, like the missions guy, who keeps having to come in, transfer stuff from home, print out flyers for visiting missionaries, and then take the information back home again.
Suddenly, the church is faced with a cost of $1560, which means cutting some budget item by $130 a month, or at least not take on another missionary. And that isn't including any budget for new monitors (thankfully the old ones are ok), printers, etc. That equipment will just have to keep on truckin'.
Why does technology have to be the limiting factor?
Now a second scenario:
The same small church as mentioned above hears about the possibilities of open source software and Linux. No one in the church has the slightest idea how to use it or what any of that means, but they know stewardship requires them to at least consider it. So the deacon who researched the computer options now does some research on Linux and finds an ad for a small company that will install Linux and office software on the church's older equipment and support the church's tech needs for a few months while they acclimate to the new system, for a fraction of the cost of the new Dell or HP systems. In fact, the company is only going to charge $250 for the entire package.
Everyone at the next board meeting is concerned. No one has ever tried anything other than Windows, although the youth group leader has a nephew with some version of Apple's Macintosh. Everything else seems pretty scary. And is it right to get software so cheap? Nevertheless, the pastor and the staff get together on a chilly Saturday morning at the church where they come in contact with a young man who is the tech representative for the Linux company.
He begins by showing them on a laptop what they could be doing with the Linux system, that it's easy to use, has most of the features they are used to, and can completely manage everything the church needs. Cautiously, and with some anxiety, the church votes to make the switch. And so they do.
Ubuntu Linux OS brings the church's older equipment up to a new level, allowing the pastor and staff to communicate in ways they never could have before, even with the old equipment. OpenOffice provides all word processing, spreadsheets, database, and presentation needs, removing the need for over $100 in purchasing Microsoft Office. Churchinfo, a database manager for churches developed by people for free distribution, covers the church's database needs, although to be fair the church had to input the older information by hand (which allowed them to clear up the rolls). Evolution, the free Microsoft Outlook-type email client, provides email, calendar, and messaging. In a few short weeks, and with very little trouble, the church is not only up and running, but running well. And the money from the budget that they didn't have to spend on new equipment and software is on it's way overseas to help spread the word of God's Gospel.
Is this possible?
Yes. I could do it tomorrow. Most churches don't need powerful systems that cost hundreds (thousands?) of dollars. Linux is a streamlined system that doesn't need the newest equipment to run and tech support, while harder to find, is usually cheap or even free if you are willing to learn a little about it.
Ok, pastors, what is your take? Think this could work? What would it take to convince you?
A church is using antiquated computer equipment. Granted, the church is fairly small, but still...it's pretty old. We're talking about early release 2002 or so, still running Windows XP. In fact, it wouldn't be able to run Windows Vista or Windows 7. The pastor and small staff, which is mostly part time, knows that they need to upgrade as they can barely keep up with software that is coming out now. In fact, they aren't keeping up too well with software that came out several years ago.
One of the deacons does some research and finds out that they can get a steal of a computer for $420 from Dell or HP, including Windows 7 and Microsoft Office and church management software will cost another $100. The pastor knows that he needs a computer, the secretary needs one, and the worship/youth leader needs one. Of course, that isn't allowing for one for anyone else who's part time or volunteer, like the missions guy, who keeps having to come in, transfer stuff from home, print out flyers for visiting missionaries, and then take the information back home again.
Suddenly, the church is faced with a cost of $1560, which means cutting some budget item by $130 a month, or at least not take on another missionary. And that isn't including any budget for new monitors (thankfully the old ones are ok), printers, etc. That equipment will just have to keep on truckin'.
Why does technology have to be the limiting factor?
Now a second scenario:
The same small church as mentioned above hears about the possibilities of open source software and Linux. No one in the church has the slightest idea how to use it or what any of that means, but they know stewardship requires them to at least consider it. So the deacon who researched the computer options now does some research on Linux and finds an ad for a small company that will install Linux and office software on the church's older equipment and support the church's tech needs for a few months while they acclimate to the new system, for a fraction of the cost of the new Dell or HP systems. In fact, the company is only going to charge $250 for the entire package.
Everyone at the next board meeting is concerned. No one has ever tried anything other than Windows, although the youth group leader has a nephew with some version of Apple's Macintosh. Everything else seems pretty scary. And is it right to get software so cheap? Nevertheless, the pastor and the staff get together on a chilly Saturday morning at the church where they come in contact with a young man who is the tech representative for the Linux company.
He begins by showing them on a laptop what they could be doing with the Linux system, that it's easy to use, has most of the features they are used to, and can completely manage everything the church needs. Cautiously, and with some anxiety, the church votes to make the switch. And so they do.
Ubuntu Linux OS brings the church's older equipment up to a new level, allowing the pastor and staff to communicate in ways they never could have before, even with the old equipment. OpenOffice provides all word processing, spreadsheets, database, and presentation needs, removing the need for over $100 in purchasing Microsoft Office. Churchinfo, a database manager for churches developed by people for free distribution, covers the church's database needs, although to be fair the church had to input the older information by hand (which allowed them to clear up the rolls). Evolution, the free Microsoft Outlook-type email client, provides email, calendar, and messaging. In a few short weeks, and with very little trouble, the church is not only up and running, but running well. And the money from the budget that they didn't have to spend on new equipment and software is on it's way overseas to help spread the word of God's Gospel.
Is this possible?
Yes. I could do it tomorrow. Most churches don't need powerful systems that cost hundreds (thousands?) of dollars. Linux is a streamlined system that doesn't need the newest equipment to run and tech support, while harder to find, is usually cheap or even free if you are willing to learn a little about it.
Ok, pastors, what is your take? Think this could work? What would it take to convince you?
Nigeria and Persecuted Christians
New attacks against Christians have broken out in Nigeria since just before Christmas of 2010. According to Catholic Culture, 25% of Nigeria is protestant Christian, and 18 of those brothers and sisters are now in God's presence due to the violence on the 13th of January. 84 Christians were killed on Christmas Eve, although I don't know how many of them were Catholic.
There is some concern that the military, or at least people in the military, are responsible for some of the attacks, according to All Voices. All Africa reported that a Bible study was shot up, injuring several attendees, on the 29th of December.
I have a friend on Facebook who is upset at me wanting to proclaim freedom for Sudan's Christians (votes are being tallied in that election as we speak). I am ok with him disagreeing with me, but surely he won't disagree that the violence against Christians is wrong. Surely there is no sane American, whether a believer in Christ or not, who would blame the Christians for the attacks against them in Jos and other parts of Nigeria. Shame on them if they do.
What can be done? I don't know, and I feel powerless. I know of a doctor in Jos who hasn't updated his blog in some time, so I haven't heard the eye-witness account (I will update if he mentions anything). Immanuel Church in Gurnee, Illinois, where Alicia and I attended as part of our church hunting adventure, has a missionary over there and is holding a prayer event on Wednesday to mobilize the Christian congregation to pray for help. I have been praying for various countries since starting this project several weeks ago, and I will hope to join the church in this effort, even if I am not with them in person.
Nigeria is listed as #23 on the world list of persecuting countries, according to Open Doors USA.
I know that Christ said persecution would come, but it still hurts.
There is some concern that the military, or at least people in the military, are responsible for some of the attacks, according to All Voices. All Africa reported that a Bible study was shot up, injuring several attendees, on the 29th of December.
I have a friend on Facebook who is upset at me wanting to proclaim freedom for Sudan's Christians (votes are being tallied in that election as we speak). I am ok with him disagreeing with me, but surely he won't disagree that the violence against Christians is wrong. Surely there is no sane American, whether a believer in Christ or not, who would blame the Christians for the attacks against them in Jos and other parts of Nigeria. Shame on them if they do.
What can be done? I don't know, and I feel powerless. I know of a doctor in Jos who hasn't updated his blog in some time, so I haven't heard the eye-witness account (I will update if he mentions anything). Immanuel Church in Gurnee, Illinois, where Alicia and I attended as part of our church hunting adventure, has a missionary over there and is holding a prayer event on Wednesday to mobilize the Christian congregation to pray for help. I have been praying for various countries since starting this project several weeks ago, and I will hope to join the church in this effort, even if I am not with them in person.
Nigeria is listed as #23 on the world list of persecuting countries, according to Open Doors USA.
I know that Christ said persecution would come, but it still hurts.
Do you have what it takes to be a Mentor?
One week from Monday I will launch my pamphlet titled Jesus as Mentor, which details how using Jesus as a model mentor can help you become a better mentor yourself. It is written for the military context, as that is my context, but civilians can learn from it as well. Before launching the resource, I'd like to ask the following question: Are you cut out to be a mentor?
Many of you will answer as I used to...you'll say “no.” You don't think you have the right experiences or the ability to reach someone the way a mentor does. A few brave souls will probably state that they do have the ability, but don't know how to start a mentoring relationship. Even fewer will say that they really do know they are gifted in this area and are involved in mentoring.
Most people simply don't know what's really involved in mentoring. What is it and what does it require? These are good questions that I'd like to ask the community as a group to answer.
Do you have what it takes to be a mentor? Why or why not? And how can someone know? Please comment below:
Many of you will answer as I used to...you'll say “no.” You don't think you have the right experiences or the ability to reach someone the way a mentor does. A few brave souls will probably state that they do have the ability, but don't know how to start a mentoring relationship. Even fewer will say that they really do know they are gifted in this area and are involved in mentoring.
Most people simply don't know what's really involved in mentoring. What is it and what does it require? These are good questions that I'd like to ask the community as a group to answer.
Do you have what it takes to be a mentor? Why or why not? And how can someone know? Please comment below:
9 Things Needed for a Successful Christian Life
I bet you didn't know there were 9 things you needed to be a good Christian.
Now, there is nothing like a specific number attached to something to turn a Christian legalistic, is there? I'm certainly not trying to do that. It is simply my hope that I can somehow help you see the type of things needed in the believer's life.
As the Bible is our guide, I turn now to its scriptures to know the secret to living a fulfilling and potent life:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
See the 9 things you need for a successful Christian life? If you have these, then you display the fruit of the Spirit. If you do not have these things...well, we should start praying now. I will be writing more extensively about these 9 issues in the coming weeks.
Here they are again in short form:
love
joy
peace
forbearance
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control
What areas are you strong in? In what areas are you weak?
Now, there is nothing like a specific number attached to something to turn a Christian legalistic, is there? I'm certainly not trying to do that. It is simply my hope that I can somehow help you see the type of things needed in the believer's life.
As the Bible is our guide, I turn now to its scriptures to know the secret to living a fulfilling and potent life:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
See the 9 things you need for a successful Christian life? If you have these, then you display the fruit of the Spirit. If you do not have these things...well, we should start praying now. I will be writing more extensively about these 9 issues in the coming weeks.
Here they are again in short form:
love
joy
peace
forbearance
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control
What areas are you strong in? In what areas are you weak?
A history of Works Salvation
I usually don't get too deep with heavy theological matters, despite my graduate studies in theology. My mission is to reach sailors and as such, my theology has to be pretty simple. Yet I was reading something the other day and it almost begged me to comment publicly.
The fascinating book I'm reading is called God's Battalions, by Rodney Stark. In this book, he suggests that the Crusades were not simply an attack on Islam and Judaism, but rather a response to Islamic invasion of western lands. I'm still reading through it so the jury is out on what I think.
Nevertheless, here is a quote from the book which bothered me. It was written by Pope Urban II, "We have heard that some of you have conceived the desire to go to Jerusalem, and you know that it is pleasing to us, and you should also know also that if any among you travel...only for the good of their souls and the liberty of the churches, they will be relieved of the penance of all of their sins."
Really? Fighting in a war, not believing in Christ, is the way to receive justification? This honestly smacks the face of the Scriptures, where we read (Ephesians 2:8): For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
You and I cannot earn our salvation. Those knights who fought so bravely and honestly for the good of the church did so in vain. Not one drop of their own blood given in valiant fighting could have gotten them one step closer to heaven.
It's too bad. I hope some of them knew the truth. I'd like to meet one when I get to heaven.
The fascinating book I'm reading is called God's Battalions, by Rodney Stark. In this book, he suggests that the Crusades were not simply an attack on Islam and Judaism, but rather a response to Islamic invasion of western lands. I'm still reading through it so the jury is out on what I think.
Nevertheless, here is a quote from the book which bothered me. It was written by Pope Urban II, "We have heard that some of you have conceived the desire to go to Jerusalem, and you know that it is pleasing to us, and you should also know also that if any among you travel...only for the good of their souls and the liberty of the churches, they will be relieved of the penance of all of their sins."
Really? Fighting in a war, not believing in Christ, is the way to receive justification? This honestly smacks the face of the Scriptures, where we read (Ephesians 2:8): For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
You and I cannot earn our salvation. Those knights who fought so bravely and honestly for the good of the church did so in vain. Not one drop of their own blood given in valiant fighting could have gotten them one step closer to heaven.
It's too bad. I hope some of them knew the truth. I'd like to meet one when I get to heaven.
Politics on The Navy Christian
Let's face it...many Christians are into politics. They tend, from my very unscientific study, to lean conservative in politics and on social issues. That means that they tend to lean, or outright embrace, the Republican party. I am and have been for several years, an independant voter. Some of my views stand in complete opposition to the majority of conservative Christians. That's one of the reasons I've kept silent about politics on this blog. Another reason I've done so is because I think the cause of Christ is more important than the cause of elections.
Many will disagree with that last statement (I'm picturing a few of you in my mind's eye right now). Some believe that we can change things spiritually by changing the environment in which the spiritual takes place. I do think that in some ways, this might be the case. And truth be told, there is something to be savored about a theocracy, providing it's a theocracy I agree with. Since we Americans are so independent that we have 35 denominations of Christians alone (although Mormons and Catholics are attached to that number), it does beg concern about how a theocracy would work. Who's theocracy shall we choose? Nevertheless, legislating morality seems to be enticing to many.
No, I don't hold that view. Christ did not do that while on earth, so it doesn't make sense for me to do it, or to push for it. I got so angry during the 2010 elections that I vowed on Facebook to walk away from politics altogether. Yet I see another issue at hand.
Christ told us to render unto Caeser what is Caeser's. In America, we render our taxes, our votes and our voices to our government, and until after the Vietnam War, our sons in the military. There's a future tie-in there and I'll do it in the next several weeks. Anyway, where does that leave me? That leaves me with a need to address more political issues on The Navy Christian. After all...Sailors have to vote too.
I will address more political issues on TNC. My real desire someday is for someone to come on board to be a political columnist for TNC and free me up to do what I would rather do. If you're that person, please contact me.
Many will disagree with that last statement (I'm picturing a few of you in my mind's eye right now). Some believe that we can change things spiritually by changing the environment in which the spiritual takes place. I do think that in some ways, this might be the case. And truth be told, there is something to be savored about a theocracy, providing it's a theocracy I agree with. Since we Americans are so independent that we have 35 denominations of Christians alone (although Mormons and Catholics are attached to that number), it does beg concern about how a theocracy would work. Who's theocracy shall we choose? Nevertheless, legislating morality seems to be enticing to many.
No, I don't hold that view. Christ did not do that while on earth, so it doesn't make sense for me to do it, or to push for it. I got so angry during the 2010 elections that I vowed on Facebook to walk away from politics altogether. Yet I see another issue at hand.
Christ told us to render unto Caeser what is Caeser's. In America, we render our taxes, our votes and our voices to our government, and until after the Vietnam War, our sons in the military. There's a future tie-in there and I'll do it in the next several weeks. Anyway, where does that leave me? That leaves me with a need to address more political issues on The Navy Christian. After all...Sailors have to vote too.
I will address more political issues on TNC. My real desire someday is for someone to come on board to be a political columnist for TNC and free me up to do what I would rather do. If you're that person, please contact me.
Afghanistan, Part II
Last week I wrote about Afghanistan and persecuted Christians. I said that the country has gotten slightly better, by sheer numbers as they have moved from 4th place in the world to 6th place. Obviously we would all hope for more so that our brothers and sisters over there would be better off. Nevertheless, I was celebrating a small victory.
Now I'm a little sick to my stomach. According to the newest reports from Open Doors, Afghanistan is now at #3 in the world. My sincere desire in writing about persecuted countries is to heighten the number of prayers going forward to support them, and yet here I find myself reporting that the enemy has retaken some ground...a lot of ground, actually. This hurts my soul.
It would seem as though the enemy is attempting to reset the progress made and return to what is written about in the book Kabul 24, which I have reviewed in the past. It was a fascinating book, if not a bit scary. Part of me wants to pray and go, and part of me understands the fear that keeps many of us in the United States.
Would you ever find yourself in Afghanistan? Some of you would as part of the United States military. That's not what I mean as we cannot witness openly to Afghans in uniform. I mean would you be willing to go without the military? It's a tough question to answer, in my opinion. I have to either be fearless or lie.
Now I'm a little sick to my stomach. According to the newest reports from Open Doors, Afghanistan is now at #3 in the world. My sincere desire in writing about persecuted countries is to heighten the number of prayers going forward to support them, and yet here I find myself reporting that the enemy has retaken some ground...a lot of ground, actually. This hurts my soul.
It would seem as though the enemy is attempting to reset the progress made and return to what is written about in the book Kabul 24, which I have reviewed in the past. It was a fascinating book, if not a bit scary. Part of me wants to pray and go, and part of me understands the fear that keeps many of us in the United States.
Would you ever find yourself in Afghanistan? Some of you would as part of the United States military. That's not what I mean as we cannot witness openly to Afghans in uniform. I mean would you be willing to go without the military? It's a tough question to answer, in my opinion. I have to either be fearless or lie.
Pray for Sudan!
The Country of Sudan is ranked number 35 on the list of most persecuted states. I don't know exactly how this is true because of all of the killing that has gone on in the past two decades. Despite this violence, wherein the Islamic North has repeatedly attacked the Christian (and pagan) South, the church has grown. According to The Voice of the Martyrs, Sudan is 23% Christian. Most of the expatriate Christian witness is gone from the country, yet local leaders continue to evangelize and grow.
Today a vote is taking place that will enable the Southern Sudanese Christians to separate from the more belligerent North. Independence has come by the spilling of much blood, but hopefully this is a step of hope.
Ironically, by the vote going the way of the Southern Christians, the North also gets to profit. For example, according to The Washington Post, the North would be able to impose Sharia Law in the North, something they couldn't do with a huge Christian population in the South.
I took some heat last night from a guy I used to serve with on the USS Mobile Bay. He was baiting me about the idea of Christian Independence. I don't expect this to become a Christian Nation (Southern Sudan). I expect that the animists that live there would prevent it at any rate. What I am hoping for is freedom for the church there to get a breather and regroup.
Al Jazeera reported that the president of the North thought the South was not ready for independence. Be that as it may, independence is coming. This is a relief for believers in the South, as well as unbelievers in the South who will also be more free from the belligerents in the North.
This is big, Christians. Please pray for this.
Today a vote is taking place that will enable the Southern Sudanese Christians to separate from the more belligerent North. Independence has come by the spilling of much blood, but hopefully this is a step of hope.
Ironically, by the vote going the way of the Southern Christians, the North also gets to profit. For example, according to The Washington Post, the North would be able to impose Sharia Law in the North, something they couldn't do with a huge Christian population in the South.
I took some heat last night from a guy I used to serve with on the USS Mobile Bay. He was baiting me about the idea of Christian Independence. I don't expect this to become a Christian Nation (Southern Sudan). I expect that the animists that live there would prevent it at any rate. What I am hoping for is freedom for the church there to get a breather and regroup.
Al Jazeera reported that the president of the North thought the South was not ready for independence. Be that as it may, independence is coming. This is a relief for believers in the South, as well as unbelievers in the South who will also be more free from the belligerents in the North.
This is big, Christians. Please pray for this.
A Revival Might be Underway
No pun intended, but I think a revival might be underway in the Navy. I'm in no condition to speak as an authority as I am only one man doing what God wants me to do, but as I review a few key points, I am starting to see some things come to light. They are as follows:
1. More people are willing to pray for a specific reason. The first year I held the Military Prayer Week, maybe a dozen people signed up. In 2010, 54 people signed up to do the Military Prayer Week! I expect many, many more next year!
2. Ministry is continuing on the USS Antietam even after I left. When I left my first ship, the USS Mobile Bay, after having led the ministry for a few years, all forward momentum died away. In fact, I don't know a single military Christian from that ship that is still in the Navy. However, on the USS Antietam, several young believers I had mentored while there are still carrying out the ministry even after I transfered. This means that the transfer of the work has been a success. In fact, there is even some headway being made on that ship that hadn't been made while I was there. God is moving there for sure!
3. Several young people are giving their lives to Christ at Boot Camp and in initial training. Nick Bair, who is the Religious Programs Director for Great Lakes and is a Campus Crusade for Christ missionary, told me that over 100 Sailors accepted Christ as savior in 2009 (numbers for 2010 aren't compiled yet, but it should be a large number)! That number is staggering! God is clearly making an impact and should this continue, we're going to see huge numbers of fresh believers in the fleet as these Sailors make their way through the training pipeline.
A few weeks ago I stated that a revival can sweep our country in 2020 if we focus on the military now. I still believe that, and I believe that we might be seeing just the beginning thread of this revival. Please, whatever you do...keep praying!
1. More people are willing to pray for a specific reason. The first year I held the Military Prayer Week, maybe a dozen people signed up. In 2010, 54 people signed up to do the Military Prayer Week! I expect many, many more next year!
2. Ministry is continuing on the USS Antietam even after I left. When I left my first ship, the USS Mobile Bay, after having led the ministry for a few years, all forward momentum died away. In fact, I don't know a single military Christian from that ship that is still in the Navy. However, on the USS Antietam, several young believers I had mentored while there are still carrying out the ministry even after I transfered. This means that the transfer of the work has been a success. In fact, there is even some headway being made on that ship that hadn't been made while I was there. God is moving there for sure!
3. Several young people are giving their lives to Christ at Boot Camp and in initial training. Nick Bair, who is the Religious Programs Director for Great Lakes and is a Campus Crusade for Christ missionary, told me that over 100 Sailors accepted Christ as savior in 2009 (numbers for 2010 aren't compiled yet, but it should be a large number)! That number is staggering! God is clearly making an impact and should this continue, we're going to see huge numbers of fresh believers in the fleet as these Sailors make their way through the training pipeline.
A few weeks ago I stated that a revival can sweep our country in 2020 if we focus on the military now. I still believe that, and I believe that we might be seeing just the beginning thread of this revival. Please, whatever you do...keep praying!
King James and Me
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. In memory of that anniversary, and in memory of the men and women who have used that translation throughout history, I am writing the following:
It was my first Bible. I remember it well. It was leather-bound with my name in the lower right hand corner of the cover. No other wording graced its cover. It was a King James Version and it was Scofield no less! By the time it fell apart on me, I had several favorite verses written in the notes pages and several autographs from missionaries and evangelists who visited my church. That Bible is long gone now, replaced by another KJV (this time a Thompson Chain Reference) and that one was replaced as well once it was worn out. My current Bible is actually from Holman Publishers, but I’ll use ESV, NIV, or almost anything else (ok, except the Message, but don’t shoot me).
I remember the first time I came across a fundamentalist Christian who believed the KJV was the only authorized Bible. I was overseas on the USS Mobile Bay, preaching a service to both my ship and the USS Vincennes, which was berthed next to us in Korea. I can’t remember what I preached on, but I used the NIV Bible. After the service, a man more senior to myself came and shook my hand. He said, “That was a good sermon, Petty Officer Smith, but you really should have used the King James.” I laughed it off because I didn’t know better.
I suppose this fellow would have liked it if I would have yelled a bit more during the sermon and if I would have slapped the cover of my Bible more or maybe the lectern. I don’t know. The fact is that I did grow up with that in my home church, though we weren’t technically a fundamentalist church.
Yet this fellow insulted me and had he known my history, how much I loved King James and how much of a part of my life it had been, he would have…well, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. He would have still been disappointed in me for using anything other than King James. Yet he had me all wrong. I have always valued the King James Version, and anyone who has any love of things nostalgic, or anyone who has a respect for our collective spiritual history, will understand why I still care about KJV and why I still use it on a regular basis.
I will always be a fan of the King James Version. It doesn’t matter what anyone has done to worship it instead of the creator (as in the case of the Independent Baptist Churches) or to discredit it (as some liberal groups have done by worshiping the modern translations). Despite it all, I will always cherish what the King James provided us. It was the best the world could produce and I am proud of them. Still, that fact won’t keep me from using NIV, ESV, or whatever else I want/need to use to get my point across as a minister. God has granted all of them for our good. May we bless him in return by properly meditating on his word to us.
Because it is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version Bible, I plan to spend this year remembering it in various ways, such as using it more as a reference for scripture passages, writing various articles highlighting its use, both in a general history sense, and in my personal life, and in other ways. I'll never forget that first Bible and what it meant to me, and I'll never forget the impact the King James Version had on my life.
It was my first Bible. I remember it well. It was leather-bound with my name in the lower right hand corner of the cover. No other wording graced its cover. It was a King James Version and it was Scofield no less! By the time it fell apart on me, I had several favorite verses written in the notes pages and several autographs from missionaries and evangelists who visited my church. That Bible is long gone now, replaced by another KJV (this time a Thompson Chain Reference) and that one was replaced as well once it was worn out. My current Bible is actually from Holman Publishers, but I’ll use ESV, NIV, or almost anything else (ok, except the Message, but don’t shoot me).
I remember the first time I came across a fundamentalist Christian who believed the KJV was the only authorized Bible. I was overseas on the USS Mobile Bay, preaching a service to both my ship and the USS Vincennes, which was berthed next to us in Korea. I can’t remember what I preached on, but I used the NIV Bible. After the service, a man more senior to myself came and shook my hand. He said, “That was a good sermon, Petty Officer Smith, but you really should have used the King James.” I laughed it off because I didn’t know better.
I suppose this fellow would have liked it if I would have yelled a bit more during the sermon and if I would have slapped the cover of my Bible more or maybe the lectern. I don’t know. The fact is that I did grow up with that in my home church, though we weren’t technically a fundamentalist church.
Yet this fellow insulted me and had he known my history, how much I loved King James and how much of a part of my life it had been, he would have…well, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. He would have still been disappointed in me for using anything other than King James. Yet he had me all wrong. I have always valued the King James Version, and anyone who has any love of things nostalgic, or anyone who has a respect for our collective spiritual history, will understand why I still care about KJV and why I still use it on a regular basis.
I will always be a fan of the King James Version. It doesn’t matter what anyone has done to worship it instead of the creator (as in the case of the Independent Baptist Churches) or to discredit it (as some liberal groups have done by worshiping the modern translations). Despite it all, I will always cherish what the King James provided us. It was the best the world could produce and I am proud of them. Still, that fact won’t keep me from using NIV, ESV, or whatever else I want/need to use to get my point across as a minister. God has granted all of them for our good. May we bless him in return by properly meditating on his word to us.
Because it is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version Bible, I plan to spend this year remembering it in various ways, such as using it more as a reference for scripture passages, writing various articles highlighting its use, both in a general history sense, and in my personal life, and in other ways. I'll never forget that first Bible and what it meant to me, and I'll never forget the impact the King James Version had on my life.
Sailors and Sexual Desire: By Tim Challies
I am an avid reader of www.Challies.com, written by the Christian leader Tim Challies. He has written regularly on the issue of sexual issues and last week he hit on one that I think pertains to Sailors. Often we find ourselves underway for extended periods of time. How is a Christian supposed to handle the lack of sexual fulfillment during that time? Whether you are single or married, you will find much to learn in the following article. Once you've read it, please take a moment to go to Tim's website and look around!
A couple of days ago I received an email from a young man who reads this site and he asked a rather simple question: How am I to react to sexual desire? As a teenager, unmarried and with marriage in the distant future rather than the near future, he wanted to know how God would have him understand sexual arousal.
That took me a little bit of thought, but here is how I think a young man can understand sexual arousal.
Sexual Arousal Motivates Marriage. Arousal points you to the fact that God wants you to marry. The fact that you feel sexual desire is a good and God-given thing—he uses it to point you toward marriage. Sexual desire is a part of how God has wired men so that they will pursue a bride. So in that way, see it as something that is not inherently evil. Arousal is evil only if it is improperly acted upon or if it leads to sin.
Sexual Arousal Preaches Imperfection. The very fact that you feel sexual desire tells you that you are incomplete—incomplete without a wife with whom you can find satisfaction and fulfillment of that desire. And I think this kind of incompletion can point you to the wider reality that we live in an incomplete world marred by the realities of sin. There may be a deeper lesson in unfulfilled sexual desire.
Sexual Arousal Teaches Self-Control. Young men who continually give in to sexual desire by acting out on it through masturbation train themselves—their minds and bodies—that they need and deserve sexual release whenever they feel desire. And yet that is not how life works. Even married men with loving wives and great sex lives deal with a great deal of unfulfilled sexual desire. So this is an opportunity to train yourself, while still young, that sexual desire can and must be controlled if it is to be something that is properly stewarded to the glory of God.
In the end, if you trust the Lord, you can know that there is no temptation that must cause you to sin. The Holy Spirit gives you the ability, the power, to stand strong in the face of even the most difficult torment. So in those moments when desire is aroused and when it feels like torture, you need to plead the cross, you need to preach the gospel to yourself. In those moments you need to know that Christ died to forgive sin and he rose to overcome the power of sin and death. So you can remain unstained by sexual sin.
By: Tim Challies
A couple of days ago I received an email from a young man who reads this site and he asked a rather simple question: How am I to react to sexual desire? As a teenager, unmarried and with marriage in the distant future rather than the near future, he wanted to know how God would have him understand sexual arousal.
That took me a little bit of thought, but here is how I think a young man can understand sexual arousal.
Sexual Arousal Motivates Marriage. Arousal points you to the fact that God wants you to marry. The fact that you feel sexual desire is a good and God-given thing—he uses it to point you toward marriage. Sexual desire is a part of how God has wired men so that they will pursue a bride. So in that way, see it as something that is not inherently evil. Arousal is evil only if it is improperly acted upon or if it leads to sin.
Sexual Arousal Preaches Imperfection. The very fact that you feel sexual desire tells you that you are incomplete—incomplete without a wife with whom you can find satisfaction and fulfillment of that desire. And I think this kind of incompletion can point you to the wider reality that we live in an incomplete world marred by the realities of sin. There may be a deeper lesson in unfulfilled sexual desire.
Sexual Arousal Teaches Self-Control. Young men who continually give in to sexual desire by acting out on it through masturbation train themselves—their minds and bodies—that they need and deserve sexual release whenever they feel desire. And yet that is not how life works. Even married men with loving wives and great sex lives deal with a great deal of unfulfilled sexual desire. So this is an opportunity to train yourself, while still young, that sexual desire can and must be controlled if it is to be something that is properly stewarded to the glory of God.
In the end, if you trust the Lord, you can know that there is no temptation that must cause you to sin. The Holy Spirit gives you the ability, the power, to stand strong in the face of even the most difficult torment. So in those moments when desire is aroused and when it feels like torture, you need to plead the cross, you need to preach the gospel to yourself. In those moments you need to know that Christ died to forgive sin and he rose to overcome the power of sin and death. So you can remain unstained by sexual sin.
Mentoring: The Art of Calling a Man out of Childhood
I remember it like it was yesterday, though some of the details are a bit hazy. We had just sat down to a family dinner at my grandparents house. It was more than just my parents, grandparents, and siblings, but I don't remember who all was there. Now, you have to understand...when we sat down to the table, Grandpa pretty much prayed the same prayer every time. Any Smith can repeat the phrase, "Bless this food to our bodies, and our bodies to thy work."
But one day, sometime in my teenage years, it went differently. He turned to me after we had all sat down and said, "Sheldon, you pray today." I remember how important I felt that day. I had been invited to pray at my grandpa's table! It didn't register then, but that was the day I became a man to my grandpa.
A friend of mine recently told me about a culture that literally holds a celebration to "call out" the boys to become men. This is what happened to me that day. My grandfather called me out to pray for the family...a job he always did. That was the day he called me out of childhood to join the men.
Your job as a mentor is to call out men from childhood. In the Navy, it means taking junior technicians and making them skilled leaders. In the church, it means to bring out men from the boyhood of high school and college. We grow men...they do not grow themselves. It is up to the experienced men...the men of men, to call out men from childhood and give them the torch.
Is it your turn to pray? Or is it your turn to ask someone else to pray?
But one day, sometime in my teenage years, it went differently. He turned to me after we had all sat down and said, "Sheldon, you pray today." I remember how important I felt that day. I had been invited to pray at my grandpa's table! It didn't register then, but that was the day I became a man to my grandpa.
A friend of mine recently told me about a culture that literally holds a celebration to "call out" the boys to become men. This is what happened to me that day. My grandfather called me out to pray for the family...a job he always did. That was the day he called me out of childhood to join the men.
Your job as a mentor is to call out men from childhood. In the Navy, it means taking junior technicians and making them skilled leaders. In the church, it means to bring out men from the boyhood of high school and college. We grow men...they do not grow themselves. It is up to the experienced men...the men of men, to call out men from childhood and give them the torch.
Is it your turn to pray? Or is it your turn to ask someone else to pray?
Atheists get Angry at God?
Can an Atheist be angry at God? I doubt they would call it that, because to have anger at someone you have to believe they exist. Still, in some of my dealings with Atheists, it becomes clear to me that they do express an anger toward God. It doesn't look like the kind of anger that a believer has. Believers get (in my unscientific study) angry at God and huff and puff for a while, stop going to church for a bit, and then come back to the faith because they realize, in the end, that God does exist and that He's good. I myself have been extremely angry with God in the (recent) past, yet I never doubted His existence. I suspect that Atheists tend to express their anger at the church organization, individual Christians, parents, or what have you, but the fact is that God is the ultimate subject of their anger.
CNN, which has long been thought of as a liberal news source (and it tends to be), reported on the findings of Case Western Reserve University's study.
I know that several of my unbelieving friends would loathe to admit it, but I suspect that some of them might be angry at God, particularly through the church, Christians, ect. In fact, I know of one such man who expressed pain brought upon him by the church and how the history of Christianity is tainted with bloodshed. So this anger, which ultimately leads to rejection of God, is based on the surface against those who do believe in God.
Most Atheists would disagree with me, and I accept that. I have several friends who are atheists, or at least severely agnostic, and I know that they are what we would call "good" people. Still, for many of them, there is an anger in their hearts, as the Case Western Reserve study shows.
CNN, which has long been thought of as a liberal news source (and it tends to be), reported on the findings of Case Western Reserve University's study.
I know that several of my unbelieving friends would loathe to admit it, but I suspect that some of them might be angry at God, particularly through the church, Christians, ect. In fact, I know of one such man who expressed pain brought upon him by the church and how the history of Christianity is tainted with bloodshed. So this anger, which ultimately leads to rejection of God, is based on the surface against those who do believe in God.
Most Atheists would disagree with me, and I accept that. I have several friends who are atheists, or at least severely agnostic, and I know that they are what we would call "good" people. Still, for many of them, there is an anger in their hearts, as the Case Western Reserve study shows.
Afghanistan and Persecuted Christians
It might come as a surprise to learn that Afghanistan, with it's Islamic warlords and extremism, is only number 6 on the list of top 50 persecuting countries, yet it's true. This brings one to wonder how easy it might be in Afghanistan.
Not easy...
The key to persecution in Afghanistan is that it most often comes from neighbors and family while the police and government turns a blind eye. Open Doors USA says that even though there is no open church in Afghanistan, the church continues to grow. This is extremely encouraging to hear as the US has been involved in Afghanistan for some time now, obviously as part of the War on Terror. I have been part of that conflict from my position on my ship. The country has a Christian population estimated to be 0.02% of the general population.
Killings haven't been common recently, though harassment continues. One story of a killing is from The Voice of the Martyrs Website. For more information, you can also read my review of Kabul 24.
I've been involved, although only from a distance, with the war in Afghanistan. The more I learned since the start of the war, the more I was grateful that we were there, at least, hopefully, providing some sort of relief for the people of Afghanistan. I'm only saying this as a believer, not a sailor. I hope that my deployments have helped, in some small way, move Afghanistan from #4 to #6. I have hopes for the future as well. We'll see how it goes!
Not easy...
The key to persecution in Afghanistan is that it most often comes from neighbors and family while the police and government turns a blind eye. Open Doors USA says that even though there is no open church in Afghanistan, the church continues to grow. This is extremely encouraging to hear as the US has been involved in Afghanistan for some time now, obviously as part of the War on Terror. I have been part of that conflict from my position on my ship. The country has a Christian population estimated to be 0.02% of the general population.
Killings haven't been common recently, though harassment continues. One story of a killing is from The Voice of the Martyrs Website. For more information, you can also read my review of Kabul 24.
I've been involved, although only from a distance, with the war in Afghanistan. The more I learned since the start of the war, the more I was grateful that we were there, at least, hopefully, providing some sort of relief for the people of Afghanistan. I'm only saying this as a believer, not a sailor. I hope that my deployments have helped, in some small way, move Afghanistan from #4 to #6. I have hopes for the future as well. We'll see how it goes!
Top Stories for 2011
The New Year is only a few hours old, and before I can even mourn the loss of 2010 I'm already thinking forward to what this year has in store. Here are some predictions for the year 2011:
1. Don't Ask Don't Tell will be implemented with mixed reviews and lead to the issue of national acceptance for homosexual couples in marriage. The real issue for 2011 won't be how the military accepted the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, but that it was a social experiment for other homosexual inroads into society at large. I don't believe this will keep Christians from being able to share their views, but I do think that we will be called bigots…oh wait…we already are.
2. Sara Palin and her family will (hopefully) become so over-exposed that she loses hope in becoming a presidential candidate in 2012. I'm telling anyone how to vote though. I'm just hoping she doesn't really make a run for it.
3. Mike Huckabee will hopefully not do the above and will stay smartly in the game. I need him around in 2012.
4. President Obama will continue to need to compromise his original intent in order to get things done in the last few years of his first term. This will keep him focused on explaining his actions to his base, like he had to do with the tax rules this year.
5. Liberty University will have an evangelical commencement speaker this year (I hope) so that I can go there to receive my diploma (God willing), without having to say the Serenity Prayer like they had to last year.
Ok, what do you think will be the big news of this year?
1. Don't Ask Don't Tell will be implemented with mixed reviews and lead to the issue of national acceptance for homosexual couples in marriage. The real issue for 2011 won't be how the military accepted the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, but that it was a social experiment for other homosexual inroads into society at large. I don't believe this will keep Christians from being able to share their views, but I do think that we will be called bigots…oh wait…we already are.
2. Sara Palin and her family will (hopefully) become so over-exposed that she loses hope in becoming a presidential candidate in 2012. I'm telling anyone how to vote though. I'm just hoping she doesn't really make a run for it.
3. Mike Huckabee will hopefully not do the above and will stay smartly in the game. I need him around in 2012.
4. President Obama will continue to need to compromise his original intent in order to get things done in the last few years of his first term. This will keep him focused on explaining his actions to his base, like he had to do with the tax rules this year.
5. Liberty University will have an evangelical commencement speaker this year (I hope) so that I can go there to receive my diploma (God willing), without having to say the Serenity Prayer like they had to last year.
Ok, what do you think will be the big news of this year?
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