When Justice Was For Sale To The Highest Bidder Monday, May 17 2010 

Biblical history and Biographical and Motivational and Old Testament kennethbow 9:28 am

It was the most prosperous time in their history.

Money was flowing.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was being led by the dynamic and charismatic Jeroboam II.

Jeroboam had waged successful war against Israel’s hostile neighbors and won control of the trade routes that poured wealth into Samaria.

The land was fertile, the rains fell, and the bumper crops swelled their barns and their bank accounts.  It was a golden age.  Public buildings were being built.  Private residences were large and expensive.  The public worship was now ostentatious and full of pomp.

The rich landowners with total disregard for God’s law,  built great personal estates.  They did so at the cost of dispossessing their poor neighbors.  The poor were further treated badly by the greedy merchants who used unjust weights to buy and sell grain.  These dishonest merchants mixed husks with barley kernels.

More and more of the people were being forced to sell themselves and their children into slavery.

Justice was for sale to the highest bidder!

The wives of the rich demanded more and more luxuries.  No one seemed to give a thought to those who were cheated to pay the tab of the greedy.

No one that is except God!

Ten miles south of Jerusalem, a poor farmer heard an inner voice speak to him.  He was of the poorest part of society.  He dealt in Sycamore figs.  The modern equivalent of someone who gathers cans along the roadside to get money.

His name was Amos.  He left Tekoa to challenge the greatest nation on earth at the zenith of it’s wealth and power.

Has there ever been men like those prophets of old?  Fearless men who gave account to no one but God!

When that poor country boy walked into Bethel, don’t you know his eyes were wide?  No doubt his mouth was hanging open.  He had never seen anything like this in the poor region he lived in.

He walked the streets and saw the luxurious homes of the wealthy.  He saw the opulence of the rich and famous.  He observed women reclining on ivory inlaid couches, feasting on meats and drinking exotic wines while they listened to the lastest popular music groups (Amos 4.1, 6.4-6).

He saw a nation that was hardened by selfishness and greed.  He  spoke to them about the need for their hearts to be touched with the needs of the poor and oppressed.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Does God still care about injustice?

Is Justice for sale to the highest bidder in your life?

Thanks for reading today.

 

The Gospel Of Luke Thursday, May 13 2010 

Biblical history and New Testament kennethbow 9:14 pm

Luke

The third Gospel is the only one written by a gentile.  Luke also wrote the book of Acts.  His two works comprise 25% of the New Testament.

Luke was a doctor.  The flavor of the man always comes out in his writings.  In Luke we see more conversation about women, gentiles, and the social outcasts. When a beggar lays at the gate of the rich man, Luke says he was full of sores.  Matthew would have said he was broke.  Matthew’s perspective as a tax collector was his financial status, while Luke had the perspective of a doctor.

Luke’s gospel is written to the Greek, or Gentile world.  He uses Mark as his time line and repeats somewhere around 50% (320 of 661 verses), of the same material Mark provides.

Because he is writing to the Gentile world he begins his genealogy at Adam.  Matthew goes back to Abraham, Mark bypasses the genealogy, and Luke goes back to the first man Adam. John, who writes to the church, reaches back to the misty darkness of eternity.

It appears to me that Luke took the time to interview the people of the early church.  He states that his book is from the beginning and that he had perfect understanding of it all.

When you read of Jesus’ birth in Luke’s account, you find some tidbits of information no one else includes.  One example would be the details of Mary’s song and inner thoughts and feelings.

That causes me to think Luke must have sat down with Mary and spent time talking to her.  I can envision him sitting quietly many years later, at the end of her life, recording her words as she softly speaks of those bygone years.  As she wistfully remembers, he dutifully records.

Not only does he provide information about people’s feelings and inner thoughts, he also documents his writings with names, offices and titles of over 50 people.  This gives his work a credibility the other gospel writers do not have to the world of scholars.

One example of his documentation is the introduction of John the Baptist in chapter 3.  Luke places 7 men in the scripture for historical evidence.  He mentions an emperor, a governor, three tetrarchs, and two high priests.  These are the kind of things that give Luke credibility with the world of scholars.  This also gives further credibility by association to the other Gospels who give the same information.  For this alone Luke is invaluable.

Another contribution of his is the writing of parables spoken by Jesus.  He records 18 parables not recorded anywhere else.  We are indebted to him for the famous parable of the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, and many others.

I am going to go out on a limb here and state my opinion for what it is worth.  I know that Luke traveled with Paul.  I am somewhat sure he joined Paul on one of his missionary journeys, because the text of Acts changes from they, to the first person of I and we.  So my thought is that somewhere Luke sat and listened to Paul tell his insight into the life of Jesus.  My best guess would be  this occurred while Paul was being held at Caesarea.

Just like when he started his book by making the journey to see Mary, I can see Luke taking notes at the feet of Paul and then the Holy spirit washing them though the man Luke with his training, his education, and his perspective.  From out of that flowed the gospel of Luke.

The gospel written to the Greeks adopts the Greek idea of the perfect man.  The Greeks created their Gods by deifying man into a God.

Luke very ably and perfectly adopts their premise and presents them with the perfect man, who was indeed God, Jesus Christ the savior of the world.

 

The Ugly Christian Wednesday, May 12 2010 

Biographical and Motivational kennethbow 7:50 am

Many years ago when I was in High School I was required to read a book for English class.  It was called “The Ugly American”.

You never know when you pick up a book how it will impact your life.  I was not prepared for the effect that one book would have on my walk with God.

The book is a satire written by some former State Department men who evidently disagreed with the government’s policy of dealing with the growing communism threat globally.

Back then, we were in what was called a “Cold War.”  It was not open conflict with Russia, but rather Democracy and Communism both trying to sway countries to follow their example.

The feeling at the time on the news and in the press was that the whole world would go one-way or the other.

The book is about an engineer that was independently wealthy and decided to go to Asia and attempt to educate the people there and better their lives.

It called “The Ugly American” because the engineer is a large ugly gangly man.  All his life he has been conscious of his appearance.

When he helps the people there with simple projects he is no longer ugly, but is in fact very beautiful to them.  He shows them how to use bicycle parts to irrigate their crops and saves them backbreaking labor they have practiced for years.

The authors illustrate how the communists live among the natives but the Americans live in ivory towers.  Their criticism of American policy and technique are very glaring.

The part of the book that grabbed me over forty years ago was about the engineer’s wife.  While her husband was working with the native people she decided to try an experiment on her own.

It involved a broom.  She observed the old people of the village had bent backs.  She thought it might be from using short handled brooms.  She was sure they would not take any advice from an outsider so she put her plan in action.

She went out into the jungle and found some long reeds and cut some down.  She then made a handle for her broom from one of the long reeds.

As she swept her porch, some of the elderly people came and watched her.  Then the old man asked her about the reed. She said he could have one of hers but they could go into the jungle and get as many as they needed on one water buffalo.

What followed in the book is what influenced my life for the last forty years.  This is what happened.

And it was not until four years later, when Emma was back in Pittsburg, that she learned the final results of her broom handle project.  One day she got a letter in a large handsome yellow-bamboo paper envelope. Inside, written in an exquisite script, was a letter from the headman of Chang Dong.

Wife of the engineer:

I am writing you to thank you for a thing that you did for the old people of Chang Dong.  For many centuries, longer than any man can remember, we have always had old people with bent backs in this village.  And in every village that we know of the old people have always had bent backs.

We had always thought this was part of growing old, and it was one of the reasons we dreaded old age.  But, wife of the engineer, you have changed all that.  By the lucky accident of your long handled broom you showed us a new way to sweep.  It is a small thing, but it has changed the lives of our old people. For four years, ever since you have left, we have been using the long reeds for broom handles.  You will be happy to know that today there are few bent backs in the village of Chang Dong.  Today the backs of our old people are straight and firm.  No longer are their bodies painful during the months of the monsoon.

This is a small thing, I know, but for our people it is an important thing.

I know you are not of our religion, wife of the engineer, but perhaps you will be pleased to know that on the outskirts of the village we have constructed a small shrine in your memory.  It is a simple affair; at the foot of the altar are these words.  ”In memory of the woman who unbent the backs of our people.”  In front of the shrine there is a stack of the old short reeds which we used to use.

Again, wife of the engineer, we thank you and we think of you.

For me as a seventeen-year-old boy, my life purpose suddenly became clear.  No matter what else life demanded, my first purpose was to live in a manner that people could see a better way.

I have not always succeeded, but I have always striven.

May God help us all to unbend the backs of the people we live around.  When you make their life better you will never be ugly.  They will not care if a woman has long hair and no cosmetics.  When their back no longer hurts, you will be beautiful!

There should never be an ugly Christian!

Thanks for reading today!

 

I would have been a Christian, but for Christians! Monday, May 10 2010 

Biographical and Uncategorized kennethbow 8:49 am

To try and be a Christian has been the most difficult task I have ever undertaken. It goes against all my natural inclinations.  I have had to change my thought processes.  I have had to alter my reactions.  I have had to curb my behavior.  I have had to corral my emotions. I have had to address my lifestyle.

I have had to love people I wanted to hate.  I have had to hate things I wanted to love.  I have had to forsake things I wanted to hold on to. I have had to hold on to things I wanted to discard.

I have had to become a new creature, a new creation.  Old things have passed away.  I have had to start all over again. I have not been a resounding success.  I have not always passed with flying colors.  I am trying. I want to be a Christian more than anything else in this world.  It is the only accolade I seek.  When I die all I ask is that people can say, “He was a Christian!”

It is tough to do.  I admit it is hard. It is hard to turn the other cheek.  It is hard to love your enemies.  It is hard to do good and pray for them that despitefully use you.  It is hard not be angry at a brother.  It is hard to not call him a fool. When they sue me for my coat it is hard  to give them my cloak also.

It is hard not to judge my brother. It is hard to love by the mandates of Christianity. Being a Christian is the hardest job I have ever undertaken.  I have been at it for over 45 years and I am still trying.

I am not talking about acting like a Christian, I am talking about being one.

Sometimes I do not know how to be a Christian.  I want to, I try to, but it is so against my emotions, my thoughts, my natural reactions and tendencies.  If you can say you truly have made it I congratulate you!  It is a monumental task and the effort of a lifetime.

If you can read Matthew chapter five, six, and seven, and measure up, I salute you.  I am still working on it.

Mahatma Ghandi was a world changer.  He is the father of modern India.

In Mahatma Ghandi’s autobiography, he makes a statement that is crushing.

Ghandi went to Oxford University and encountered the teaching of Jesus for the first time.  He said he had found what he had searched for all his life in Jesus’ teaching.  On his way back to India, he stopped in North Africa for a few weeks.  It was there he encountered some so called Christians.  When he boarded the ship for India he had discarded the teachings of Jesus.

Ghandi: I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians

His statement was “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. I would have been a Christian, but for Christians.”

I do not want to just say I am a Christian, I want to be one!

Thanks for reading today!

 

A Mother Gone Bad! Friday, May 7 2010 

Family kennethbow 10:47 pm

When Mothers Go Bad!

According to the article I read, she traded her baby for drugs

Much is written and said about mothers this time of year.  It is stated in the Bible to give honor to whom honor is due, and that qualifies mothers to be given honor.

While many argue over other holidays and their origin and godliness, I have yet to hear a dissenting voice raised against Mothers Day.

I add my vote of praise and adoration to every mother who has given of herself to raise children.  It is a great investment of time and tireless energy to see the job to the end.

As I thought of Mothers Day my mind drifted off into the murky areas of mothers who cater to their own selves.  Those mothers who do not care for their children.  Mothers who leave their children in motels, and rat infested hovels, while they party and use drugs.

These mothers are not concerned with nutrition, or grammar, or cleanliness.  These mothers offer no supervision or guide in life.  The child is left to find his own way.  The mother gives no thought to the child’s future.  Everything is about the mother and her wants and needs.

It is amazing how the children of these mothers still cling to their mother’s skirts!  These children are incapable of looking around and seeing that they themselves are malnourished, and dirty.  Their loyalty and love to this unfit, unworthy mother is remarkable!  Even though this mother is not a mother at all they still love her.

And then there is the mind set that these kids adopt.  They bond with a mother that is messed up in her mind and cannot teach or model right concepts.  So they go through life mirroring wrong morals and ideas.  They follow a godless, corrupt woman to tragedy and despair.

Their lives end up broken, miserable, and hopeless.  All this because of the influence and direction a mother provides.

The Bible teaches us the church is our mother, and God is our father.

Thank God for a godly mother that taught us to live right.  We honor the church of Jesus as His bride and our mother!

We are saved today because of the church.  We were taught.  We were corrected.  We were nourished. We were bathed.  We learned manners and respect.  Our mother taught us those things from Sunday School, to Youth Service,  to mid week Bible Study.

But what about the children of those churches that do not care about their children?  It does not bother these churches that their children are undernourished.  They are fed milk forever and never grow strong and mature.

These children are never taught that it is important to follow the Bible on every single point.  Children of these churches have no teaching, no supervision, and no cleanliness.  These children are left to themselves with no instruction or correction.  They are dirty, uncouth, and pitiful.

And you know what? They never look around and see how dirty they are.  They can never see how pitiful and sad they are.  These children of mothers gone bad are loyal to the woman who did not care for their soul.  They love a woman fiercely who did not feed them, cleanse them, or train them to face eternity.

Ask them about their mother.  They will say how wonderful their mother is.  They will trumpet for all to hear how they can dress however they want and still shout, dance, and speak in tongues.  They adopt the mindset of the corrupt woman who gave them birth, but who tragically is a mother gone bad!

Someday they will walk a path straight to the judgment seat of Christ holding their mothers hand.  They will love her to the end.  They will be loyal to her all the way to the last moment.  They will be convinced their mother is good and right.

Confusion will reign when the Judge of the ages, Almighty God himself says, “Depart from me I never knew you, ye that work iniquity”.

It is really quite simple and quite tragic.

These are the children of a mother gone bad.

Thanks for reading today!

 

The Man In The Balcony Thursday, May 6 2010 

Motivational kennethbow 1:39 pm

The Man in the Balcony.

Years ago I heard a story that I have used for sermons at times.  It touched me deeply so I thought I’d share it with you today.

It happened in a small Midwest town, in a rural area.

A music teacher had a young student brought in for the first lesson by a hopeful parent.

By the second lesson the old music teacher was pretty sure.  By the third and fourth lesson all hesitation was gone.  It was a fact.

The music teacher had a prodigy on his hands.  This young man was a rare talent that only comes along once in a lifetime if that.  The old teacher was wise enough to see it and appreciate it.

He determined to give it his best and then pass on the young prodigy to those who would continue and eventually finish the training of this talented young man.

The first few years of the young musicians life were carefully nurtured by the wise music teacher.  The teacher saw and knew even more than the student the potential of this young man.

Finally the day came for the prodigy to move on and accept scholarships at prestigious schools.  The old teacher followed his now famous student, as the student’s career became the stage of the world.

At a very early age the student was world famous.  He had now played all the major venues of the world.  He had played London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow, and Amsterdam.  The entire European theatre had been played to sell out crowds!

Then came the American tour, New York and Madison Square Garden, Chicago, Carnegie Hall, Washington D. C., Los Angeles, Seattle.

The musician’s fame now reached around the Globe.  A tour to the Far East was the next stop.  Next up were Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, and Beijing.

The musician decided he wanted to go back and do a concert for his hometown.  He wanted to recognize the humble beginnings of his childhood.  The arrangements were made.

An auditorium was arranged in the small community where he hailed from.  The night was set.  He walked out on stage to a crowded auditorium and just the grand piano on the stage.

The applause was loud as he made his debut.  As he smiled and looked around he looked up in the balcony and there was only one person there.  Although his hair was now white with age, the musician recognized his old music teacher, and joy filled his heart.  He decided tonight would be his finest performance!

He played that night like a man possessed.  When he finished he received a standing ovation from the crowd.  When he looked at the man in the balcony, there was no response.  The old teacher just sat there with his arms folded.  The musician frowned!

The musician made a decision.  He wanted his old music teacher’s approval so he decided to play it again, and do it even better.  He announced to the crowd that it was unusual, but he was going to play it again.  They cheered.

This time there was no doubt.  He had never played it better any where in the world!  He was tired and sweat ran down his face.  As he stood the crowd was ecstatic.  Cheers and applause filled the auditorium!

When he lifted his eyes he couldn’t believe it.  The old teacher still sat unmoved with arms folded.

The musician took a deep breath and announced he was going to play it one final time!  Silence filled the auditorium.  He walked to the piano and sat down.  He began.

This time there was nothing in the world but him and his instrument.  He became one with the piano.  The crowd was forgotten.  He was lost in pouring himself completely into a lifetime of effort and practice.

He barely noticed when he finished.  He sat limp on the piano bench.  He was drenched with sweat.

He stood on shaky legs and bowed to the audience, who could not give enough cheers, shouts and whistles.

Before he lifted his head to see what his old teacher would do, he looked inside himself.  He knew he could not play better.  He had given everything he had.  It was his best performance of his life.

As he lifted his eyes, he saw the old teacher smile.  Then slowly the old teacher stood and began to clap his hands in acknowledgement of the best performance his prodigy had ever given.

You see, the crowd could not discern the difference between a good performance, a great performance, and a once in a lifetime performance, but the man in the balcony could.

The musician had more in him and the old teacher knew it.  He demanded the best the musician could give to be satisfied.

Some day we will appear before the man in the balcony.  Believe me He will know if we have done our best!

It is not the applause and acclaim of the crowd that will matter at that day.

What will matter is when the man in the balcony says well done thou good and faithful servant!

Have you given your best performance?

Thanks for reading today!

 

iPhones, iPads, and Jesus is Coming! Tuesday, May 4 2010 

Uncategorized kennethbow 9:48 pm

I admit I am an Apple product fan!

I started way back with the Apple 2e, then the Apple 2c.

When the first Macintosh came out I anted up.

So when the iPhone was announced I planned on getting in line and purchasing one.  I was blessed by Dr. Scheel who bought me my first iPhone.

I remember reading the authorities and gurus.  There were many who said it will never be a major player in the cell phone world.

Their reasons were myriad. It would only serve a small customer base, yada yada yada.

Well they were wrong! To date there have been 51.15 million iPhones sold.  8.75 million sold just this last fiscal quarter.

Then the big discussion on the iPad! All the authorities weighed in.  They hashed and wrote and forecasted!

They said it will have no place in the market, it is a glorified Kindle, etc.

Well they were wrong again!  The iPhone took 73 days to sell one million phones.  The iPad sold one million iPads in just 28 days!  There were 15 million applications sold for the iPad in that time and 1.5 million ebooks!

My point is the so called authorities got it wrong.

Well let me tell you something else they are wrong about….

The Bible says….In the last days scoffers shall come saying where is the promise of His coming?

They make light of Jesus return.

Well they are wrong about that too, because Jesus is coming!

They say it is just christians and their silly pie-in-the sky beliefs.

My reply is ….

Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Jesus is coming!

Thanks for reading today!

 

The Tragedy of Saul’s life! Monday, May 3 2010 

Uncategorized kennethbow 8:51 am

Saul.

Samuel anointing Saul

The first king.

No man among Bible men had so many chances to make a success of life and still missed it.

He was humble in the beginning 1 Samuel 10.22.

  • He did not tell his own family he had been chosen as King
  • He hid himself when the time to be introduced arrived
  • He held his peace when the sons of Belial mocked him as a new King
  • After his first great victory he showed kindness and mercy to all

Then self will began to surface 1 Samuel 13.12-13.

He became disobedient 1 Samuel 15.11-23.

Jealousy took over 1 Samuel 18.8, 19.1.

He turns to the very things he destroyed as a new King 1 Samuel 28.7.

He ends up a suicide 1 Samuel 31.4.

Apparently Saul never knew the man of God.  His servant knew where the man of God lived, but Saul was unaware.  Saul did not recognize the most recognizable face in Israel.  The whole nation knew who Samuel was and his fame, except for Kish and his son!

It seems his family was totally caught up in raising donkeys!

The Bible says the spirit of God came upon Saul and he also received another heart.  It would seem the spirit rested upon him at times but never got into his heart.  The new heart appears to be the heart of a statesman, not the heart of a man who loved God?

This man who had the opportunity to become a great man in God’s kingdom never made the grade.  The javelin of jealousy went straight to his heart!

As they sang Saul has killed his thousands, David has killed his ten thousands, jealousy hit the bulls eye.  From that moment on he was forever changed!

David spares Saul

These are the tragedies I see in Saul’s life….

  1. Saul accused David of thoughts and actions David never had or thought.
  2. Saul tried to kill David for these imagined offenses.
  3. Saul was never able to see that David was in fact the best friend he had.
  4. Saul never saw that David did not take Saul’s life when it was in David’s hand.
  5. Saul died convinced the best friend he ever had was his worst enemy!

Are there any Saul’s in your life?

Don’t touch them.

They throw javelins.

They slander.

Saul pulled the javelin of jealousy from his heart and threw it at David!

Thanks for reading today!

 

The Gospel of John Friday, Apr 30 2010 

Uncategorized kennethbow 3:30 pm

The Gospel of John

The Apostle John

John was Jesus’ first cousin and His best friend for 3 ½ years.  Jesus’ mother and John’s mother were sisters.  No man on earth knew the story of Jesus better than John.  His gospel is a magnificent treatise to the life of Christ and it’s impact on planet earth.

His gospel is different than the others.  Very different! It is written like John is sitting under a shade tree with his feet propped up, just daydreaming about the life of Jesus.  He only selects vignettes, short insights or events, from 20 days in the life of Christ.

John uses the simplest words, and a small vocabulary to plunge us into the deepest mysteries of God.  John uses the vocabulary of a six year old child.  A child learns about 100 words a year and John uses about 600 words in his writing.

The words John selects are powerful words.  He uses words like world, father, light, and truth. He uses the simplest words to paint a profound God and His plan.

Matthew writes to the Jew, so he begins his gospel at the lineage of Abraham.  Luke writes to the gentile Roman world, so his lineage begins at Adam.  John writes to the church, so he reaches all the way back to eternity.  He begins with, “In the beginning”.

.John reaches back to the inky blackness of eternity, before there was the brush of an angel’s wing.  He reaches back before there was the first blazing shaft of light that shattered the darkness.  When there was nothing but God.  In the beginning was the logos, the word, the thought, the intent.  And the logos was God.

John does not cover the same material as the other three gospels do.  The only miracle he repeats is the feeding of the 5000.  He writes to the church about 50 years after the other writers.  The church was facing many challenges.

When John wrote, there were those who said Jesus never really existed.  There were others saying Jesus was not a human, but rather a phantom.  Other views at that time proclaimed Jesus did exist but he was just a man with divinity projected upon him by his disciples.  It was into this morass that John wrote his gospel.

John writes of no parables, and uses 7 signs to build his story of Jesus.  He explains things like no other writer.  When he tells a miracle, he often explains why he used that miracle.  An example would be the feeding of the 5000.  He tells us Jesus is the bread of life.  The other three writers did not explain the connection for us.  When Jesus heals the blind man, John explains Jesus is the light of the world.  It is his explanations that give his gospel an added dimension.

He also includes things of immense importance.  Consider how important John chapter three is to the doctrine of the new birth.  The story of Nicodemas is the bedrock of salvation.  Ye must be born again.  That one inclusion validates the day of Pentecost and the doctrine of the New Testament church.  Chapter by chapter, John gives the church a gospel for the ages.  He delivers the most profound insight into Jesus the man, of any writer of history.

2/3 of John’s book is about the last week of Jesus’ life.  Fully 1/3 of his book is about the last 24 hours of Jesus’ earthly life.  After 60 years, the need was for a complete record of the importance of calvary.  A whole generation had arrived that were not eye witnesses to the events of Jesus’ death.  Someone needed to write it down and John succeeded as Heaven’s emissary.

We have the gospel of John and it is indeed  magnificent!

Thanks for reading today!

 

The reason “Reason” is the reason! Thursday, Apr 29 2010 

Uncategorized kennethbow 1:59 pm

The reason “Reason” is the reason!

There are so many questions today.  Where is America headed?  What is our future? What is the cause of America’s current direction?

Then there is the church.  Where is the church headed? What is the future of the Apostolic movement? What is the cause of the church’s current direction?

Will Durant wrote a series of books over a period of fifty years.  He wrote a volume every five years.  The set is called the Story of Civilization.  The series begins with “Our Oriental Heritage”, and continues through “The Age Of Napoleon.”

This series is what put the publishing house Simon and Schuster on the playing field as one of the major publishing houses in America.  One of the volumes of this series of books is “The Age OF Reason Begins.”  It is the story of the struggle of faith verses reason.

In the big picture of the last three hundred years this seems to me the root cause of this world’s drift and problems, as well as the church’s drift and problems.

It seems to me we deal with a closer view and say things like television, or worldliness, or carnality is the cause of the current drift of the church.  I readily admit these are the visible manifestations of the problem, but I am suggesting the cause is deeper and more long standing.  I am suggesting it has been the undercurrent of the Prince of this world for hundreds of years.

One of the proponents of Reason was the philosopher Descartes.  It was his writings and contributions that played a monumental role in Reason attacking faith.  He began to put forth the idea that free will was mans destiny, not blind faith.  “It is Descartes….who gave us a new method of reasoning, much more admirable than his philosophy” (Will Durant), The Age Of Reason Begins, page 645.

Reason stood up, introduced itself, and stepped to the center of the stage.  It is my opinion it has never sat down.

Reason has produced its many children.  Children like evolution, and abortion are easily identified.  Reason has also had some children that have been bene vixit qui bene latuit, (he has lived well who has hidden well).

These are the children that are hard to see and identify.  Hence these children are not removed for our lives, but remain and consequently grow stronger every generation.

These children of reason hide and hence they live well.  For the last three hundred years men have began to question everything.  They have questioned the universe, this world, laws, but most all authority!  These hidden children of reason gave birth to many movements that continued to have children, then grandchildren, to the present day.

Some of this reason was justified because of the excess of the Catholic Church.  Things were done in the name of God like the selling of indulgences, or the worship of Mary.  The advocates of reason seized these and held them up for the world to see and placed all faith in the same light.  So reason claimed superiority.

The battle of reason against faith continues today bene vixit qui bene latuit.  Yes we see the obvious.  We see the destruction that Hollywood brings, the emergent preachers and their liberal views.  Satan loves his hidden long-range plans of reaching the day where everything is questioned.

Satan longs for the day when every single child of God will question every thing possible.  Satan wants all of us born again believers to question every standard, every value preached across the pulpit.  It is the long-range plan of Satan to cause reason to triumph.

Faith and reason cannot co-exist!  There are simply things God expects us to accept by faith.  God created this world.  That is what faith says.  Reason says evolution is an option.

Faith says there are absolutes in life.  Reason says question homosexuality as right for some people.

Faith says give God ten percent.  Reason says share the wealth with those who do not work.

Faith says ye must be born again.  Reason says all good intentioned people will go to heaven.

Faith says there is a heaven and a hell.  Reason says that went out with the dark ages.

Faith says your gender is how you were born.  Reason says your sex is determined by your choice.

All of these are reasons why “reason” is the reason!


Reason is the reason that the world is out of control and the church is headed for apostacy!

“But without faith it is impossible to please God”


Thanks for reading today!

 

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