Moral Soup?

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

People use a variety of ingredients to decide what is good and what is evil.  Some people use circumstances … if nobody complained, then it must have been good.  Some people have goals and anyone blocking what they want is evil.   Some people are greedy and anyone who will not give them what they want is evil.  The result is moral soup with everyone having their own opinion.

Is God’s Word capable of cutting through the mushy mess and dividing good from evil?  Absolutely!

For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

God is not confused about what pleases Him.  God sees our actions and knows our thoughts and motives.  His Word is so  sharp that it cuts a very clean line between good and evil.  God says that ALL things are naked and open before His sight.  There is nothing confusing to Him.

God is the One who is going to judge us, so His criteria is the only criteria that matters.  He gave us His Holy Bible so that we would know what pleases Him.

God lets us know what He hates:

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Walking close to God results in joy and thankfulness that pleases God:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:4-8)

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but to point us in the right direction.  There are many lists in the Bible of what God loves contrasted with what He hates.

My encouragement is that God has not left us in moral soup with a lot of confusion.  God gave us His Word, so that we could have clarity.  Satan wants to limit our choices between bad and evil.  God gave us His Word so that we could discern between what is good and what is perfect.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

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How to Share the Love of God at Halloween

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

Your friends and neighbors will be coming to your door to celebrate the world we cannot see.  They are open to spiritual things on Halloween.  Use the occasion to share how they can know the true and living God who –

  • Loves them
  • Has wonderful blessings in heaven
  • Cares about them
  • Protects them from ghosts, goblins and other terrors from Satan
  • Wants them to know how to be forgiven by God

A wonderful way to do that is by giving out Christian Comic Books (Tracts) from Chick Publications.  You can order them for 15 cents each from www.chick.com.   You can preview all the tracts on-line and decide which ones you like best.

My all around favorite is Little Princess.  It is the story of a little girl who is dying soon.  She goes trick or treating on Halloween to find the answer to what happens after she dies.  She gets a tract from a neighbor that KNOWS the answer.  She discovers God’s love and gives her life to Christ on the last night of her life.

Suggestions based on Age

  • Elementary Boys – The Warning, Superstar, Little Ghost, The Fool
  • Elementary Girls – Little Princess, Somebody Loves Me, Best Friend, Li’l Susy
  • Older Elementary and Jr. High Boys – This Was Your Life, Holy Joe, Somebody Goofed, Bad Bob, Peacemaker, Four Angels?, The Wall, The Sissy, Unloved
  • Older Elementary and Jr. High Girls – Tiny Shoes, A Love Story, Little Princess, Unloved

Chick tracts get read. There are over 100 titles to choose from that you can read on-line.  I have used them effectively for over 30 years for children and adults.  There are a variety of additional topics from evolution to other religions.

www.Chick.com

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The Spirit of the Lord and Abortion

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

Intention:
May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and release the oppressed.

Scripture:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.
—Luke 4:18-19

Reflection:
This passage is a very familiar one. It has been preached on many occasions, even made popular in books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all Christians take this commission seriously as a directive on how to reach the world with the gospel.

We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to the poor, the broken hearted, those in captivity, those who cannot see, and the oppressed.
The commission given to us in this passage is clearly a charge to care for those for whom God cares the most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the world?

Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who have been abandoned by their parents before they ever leave the womb? Who are the broken hearted, if not those unborn children whose only example of love is having their mother take them to an abortion clinic to be destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been deceived by everyone around her into believing that what she is doing is best for her and her child?

Who are the captives, if not those unborn children who are bound over to death by the “choice” of abortion?

Who is more blind than an unborn child in the darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for their death?

And who is more oppressed than those unborn children whose oppression has been legitimized by their government, their church and even their family and loved ones.

Prayer:
Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will in the earth.
Send us to the poorest, the most broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born children in their mother’s wombs that are scheduled for destruction.

Help us to bring them healing, liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

www.40DaysForLife.com

Forty Days for Life coordinates prayer groups outside of abortion clinics.  Their prayers have led to abortion clinics shutting down, staff coming to Jesus and mothers finding care for their children.

Posted in Family, Kingdom Battlefronts, Organizations | 1 Comment

The Courageous Resolution for Fathers

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Chaplain Dan

Many of our problems like abortion, divorce, and sexual chaos among youth stem from a lack of fathering.  Most of the men I meet in jail come from broken homes without a father.  My heart is saddened for these men who were mentored by gang leaders as children, instead of fathers.  When I ask them how many living children they have, the most common answer is four.  I challenge them to be the one God uses to change their family’s legacy from crime, heartache and jail to following God and honor.

The movie, Courageous, is an emotionally charged wake-up call to fathers whose influence upon their children and society is immeasurable. The Resolution for Men follows the movie to challenge men of all ages to become bold and intentional about embracing their responsibilities as leaders of their homes, marriages, and children.

THE COURAGEOUS RESOLUTION by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15

http://www.courageousthemovie.com/

http://courageousresources.com/individualresources

Posted in Family, Kingdom Battlefronts, Organizations | 2 Comments