No Ordinary Execution

Mood: Joyful and Grateful

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Tomorrow, all over the world, born again disciples of Jesus Christ will remember more so than usual the incredible price that was paid for our forgiveness. We will spend extra time in prayer and worship, remembering and worshiping our beloved Savior who willingly allowed Himself to undergo one of the cruelest, most grusome forms of execution ever devised by wicked men. And He willingly did so for one reason, because it was the Father's will to redeem a special people for Himself. Praise, and honor, and power and glory be to our God forevermore, and to His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, who is no longer dead but is alive forevermore, seated at the right hand of God!

Last Sunday, I taught a lesson to my class from Luke 23:32-49 about the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. And as I studied that passage, one thing truth became abundantly clear... that this execution of "a condemned criminal" was unlike any other execution before. This type of thing had been done before; this was nothing new. And yet there was something different about this one... there was something special about it. What was it? It wasn't the mood of the soldiers, it wasn't the crowds of the people, it wasn't the Roman Governor who sentenced him... No, it was the condemned Himself! This was no ordinary execution because this was no mere man being put to death; it was none other than the Son of God... God the Son, incarnate in human flesh! And there are 3 sources of testimony that testify to the proof of His divinity.

First, God the Son (Jesus Himself) testified to His own divinity...
a. by an incredible offer of forgiveness (vs.33-34)
b. by an incredible promise of eternal life (vs.39-43)
c. by an incredible power over his own death. (vs.46)
Jesus had just underwent one of the cruelest, most gruesome forms of punishment ever devised by wicked man… He had been scourged to the point that his chest and back would have looked like ground hamburger… much of his beard had been plucked from face… and great thorns had been pressed down into his scalp causing a great profusion of blood. The word of God says that He was completely unrecognizable! But yet even after enduring all of this horrible, horrible suffering for us… Jesus was able to look on his enemies and those spitting and mocking him… he was able to look at them with compassion… and breathe a prayer of forgiveness for them.
What man could have done that? Jesus testified to His own divinity by his compassion.

But Jesus testified to His divinity by an incredible promise of eternal life…Was he mad? Insane? He was on the cross… How in the world could he talk of paradise? B/c He knew who He was… and He knew why He was there… and He knew where He was headed. What unbelievable confidence and composure, in such agony?!

But if those two were not enough, Jesus finally testified to His own divinity by a real display of power… a power that He had over His own life… b/c here Jesus did something here that no other man in the world can do… he was master over his own death. No one killed Jesus, no one murdered or took his life; He laid it down of His own accord... And 3 days later He took it up again! (Ref: John 10:17-18)

Second, God the Father testified to His Son's divinity...
a. Through the fulfilling of prophecy… prophecies such as:
-he’d be crucified between 2 thieves (Is.53:12)
-his garments would be divided and gambled for (Ps.22:18)
-he would be surrounded and ridiculed by his enemies (Ps.22:7-8)
-he would commend his spirit to the Father (Ps.31:5)
Only the almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing God who is in complete control could announce with such accuracy the sufferings of the Messiah. And by doing so, Scripture proves that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God the Father. God the Father also testified through the creation itself. From 12 noon to 3pm, there was an unnatural darkness over the land. (Luke 22:53). And finally, God the Father testified to Jesus' divinity through the ripping of the Temple Veil from top to bottom, symbolizing the doing away with the old sacrificial system (Matt 27:51). God was testifying to the world that there was no access to Him through Jesus Christ. No more would a veil separate man from God. Now, every person has unbelievable access into the very throne room of heaven through Jesus Christ. As John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me (Jesus)."

Third, God the Spirit testified to the divinity of Jesus...
a. Through a condemned criminal…
b. Through a pagan soldier…
c. Through the crowds of people…
+What do we see from all three of these?
We see the genuine recognition that Jesus was someone unlike anyone else. The condemned criminal recognized Jesus as Messiah and asked to be remembered when He came in His Kingdom. The pagan soldier, who would have been very use to watching men die on the cross, was terribly fearful after seeing the way Jesus died, and even confessed out loud that this man was of divine origin. The crowds of people normally would have enjoyed and celebrated at the execution of criminals deserving to die. I’m reminded of times no so long ago in our own country when they had public hangings… people would gather in the cold and rain, they would sing hymns, sometimes sermons were preached… and they were not coming to mourn over convicted criminals, they were coming to watch a deserving man die for what he had done. But at this particular execution, when it was all said and done, they didn’t celebrate or rejoice, but the Bible says they mourned greatly as Jesus’ death. And we know that this was the Spirit of God testifying through these people b/c the Scriptures tell us that no one recognizes and confesses Jesus without the work of the Spirit of God in their hearts. (References: 1 John 4:2-3; 1 Cor.12:3; 2 Cor.2:14) It doesn’t necessarily mean that all became genuine believers and followers (though it is very possible that many did… after all about a month and a half later 3000 people would be saved after one sermon!!) So, we don’t know…but we do know that the Spirit of God was active in showing people who Jesus was.

What was so special... so different about this particular execution? This one was unlike any other because on this particular day, Jesus the Christ, the very Son of God fulfilled the redemptive plan of God by purchasing salvation for every chosen child of God. All praise and honor and glory and power be unto Him forever and ever! Amen!!

Being a Dad

Mood: Content




One of the things my little boy likes to do every now and then is to watch teletubbies. Personally, I hate the teletubbies... there are so many other things I would rather be doing than watching teletubbies. But sometimes I sit down and I watch teletubbies. Why? B/c Caleb likes to watch teletubbies. This what it means to be a Dad... sometimes you have to sacrifice. Sure there are plenty of things that I enjoy and that I'd rather be doing, but I sacrifice what I want for time with Caleb.

This is probably one of the most important things we can do as Dads is to spend time with our kids. They don't need a lot of fancy toys and every new thing that comes out on the market. They need us... they need our time, our attention, our encouragement, our affirmation of them, and our love.

As a pastor, that is one thing that I'm always concerned about in the back of my mind. I don't want to get so focused on ministry and being busy with church stuff or ministering to other people that my own family gets neglected. I think that happens way too often, and its the biggest reason PK's (preacher's kids) grow up resenting their Dad, despising the church, and rebelling against God. That's why I'm like a Nazi when it comes to my calendar; I'm super organized when it comes to my time. I have an average week on my palm with usual activities blocked off to keep me on track. I have Bible study time, exercising time, ministry time, I even have "me time"... but I also have plenty of family time. I just absolutely refuse to get so busy that I do nothing but run around like a chicken with its head cut off being busy in ministry. That would be detrimental to me and to my family.... and ultimately to the church as well.

Being a dad means A LOT of sacrifice... it means doing things you don't particularly enjoy. For sure being a Dad has been the most challenging and the most enlightening thing I have ever experienced... but it has also been the most enjoyable experience as well... and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Oh yeah... We also enjoy playing video games :)

America's Top Medical Researchers: "We are blind and intend to stay that way!"

Mood: Not Surprised

This post is a paraphrased-republishing of an artical found in World Magazine.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have revealed that the U.S. suffers from a huge data gap concerning the negative emotional fallout of abortions upon women-- fallout that pro-abortion groups have long claimed does not exist.

After a 25 year study in New Zealand, researchers released in January a study that showed a strong link between abortion and severe mental illness. Upon hearing of this study, U.S. Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana, wrote to the NIH asking whether "any studies of comparable rigor" had been published on U.S. women...." NIH wrote back, saying they were "not aware of any similar data sets that currently exist in the United States." NIH also told Souder that the New Zealand study is not wholly applicable to American women because of cultural differences and that the NIH has no post-abortion studies of U.S. women in the making for the near or foreseeable future.

Heritage Foundation scholar Patrick Fagan said NIH's admission shows that America's top medical researchers have already made up their minds on abortion - and not based on science.
"The NIH letter says, we have no good data, we cannot compare with anybody else's data and we don't have any specific suggestions for acquiring this data. In other words, we are blind and intend to stay blind."

Hindu Extremists: Haters of People Doing Good.

Mood: Prayerful



After weeks of hiding underground, Emmanuel Ministries leader Samuel Thomas was arrested in New Delhi on March 16th. This man and his father, Bishop M.A. Thomas, has done nothing but good for the people of India. Operating 13 orphanages, 65 schools, and dozens of ministries to leper colonies in Rajasthan alone, the ministry targets and helps the "untouchables" as well as other outcasts in the region.

But Hindu extremists in the northern state of Rajasthan would rather see all these helpless orphans return to the poverty- stricken streets. Angered by the message of hope that the ministry brings to Hinduism's lowest members of the caste system, the extremists are sending death threats, arresting ministry officials, even burning down facilities in an orchestrated wave of terror.

Just recently I received an email concerning the arrest of Samuel Thomas described like this: "Five or six men, one of whom claimed to be the station house officer of the police station in Kota, Rajasthan state, tried to push Thomas into a car. One of them then put a firearm to the face of one of the lawyers and warned them not to resist the arrest. The officers neglected to follow proper procedure--showing neither their identity cards nor an arrest warrant."

From his office underground, M.A. Thomas writes, "I really have no idea where this will go or how this will end. But we, the believers in India, will always sing 'because He lives, I can face tomorrow.'"

Pray God will protect Dr. Thomas, giving him calm faith and the opportunity to be a witness of the keeping power of his Savior.
Pray God will protect the Christian school and orphanage in Kota, Rajasthan.
Pray the prayers and written protests of Christians worldwide will force the Indian government to release Dr. Thomas and allow the E.M.I. facility to remain open.
Pray that these Hindu extremeists will be driven to their knees from the guilt of their sins.
Pray that even these Satan-inspired, hate-filled men will be granted genuine repentance and faith in the only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For more information about this see the March 25 edition of World Magazine.

Marketing Life

Mood: Grieved

Tonight I read an article in the USA TODAY that made me quite sad. In fact, it was the cover story and it was entitled, "Egg-doner business booms on campuses." In this article, the writer reports that young women across the country are donating their eggs for both research and adoption, and are getting compensated very well. In California, one campus paper has daily advertisements that read “Egg Donors Needed, $10,000.” The donors are typically female college students between the ages of 18 and 29, who are healthy, attractive, and have above average test scores. The really sad thing is that because many, many college students are so bound up in debt with the cost of living being so high and student loans and tuition rates being the way they are, this probably seems like a very easy solution for large amounts of cash in a relatively short period of time. And with new barbaric and immoral practice of embryonic stem-cell research occurring, which is the using of human life for research and testing, the demand for healthy eggs has only dramatically increased, and is likely only to increase all the more.

To me, this strikes at the very heart and soul of what it means to be a person of moral character and true righteousness. To think that woman-kind has been given the awesome and wonderful gift of helping to create another human life… to have such a marvelous treasure and awe-inspiring ability and potential inside her very body… an unspeakable gift from the Creator Himself to her, only for her to turn around and market it and sell it off to the highest bidder for mere money is extremely grieving and disgraceful. It makes me ashamed to be living in a day, when we’ll use and sacrifice the unborn for our own selfish desires. And if you think that I have this opinion just because I’m a Christian and a pastor, then listen to the statement made by Harvard Business School professor Debora Spar who writes about this growing industry in her new book, The Baby Business, where she says, “We are selling our children.”

I’m a very proud father of a beautiful and smart little boy, named Caleb. He is our only child right now; God willing it won’t be that way for long. But I just can’t imagine selling off my child to the highest bidder to pay off some stupid loan or to pay anything else off for that matter. And what’s a thousand times worse, I can’t imagine harvesting cells, tissues, or anything else from my little boy so that I might live a little longer or live a little healthier. When are people going to wake up and learn that death is INEVITABLE!! For thousands and thousands of years the death rate per person has always been and still is 1:1! Except for two special men in ancient history, whom God decided to take before they actually experienced death, the plain, simple truth that if you’re live now, one day you will die! So, why participate in such a cruel and barbaric practice as sacrificing our children for our own well-being?! Especially when it only postpones the inevitable! But the truth is, even if it did work great, and it had the potential of extending our lives by a 100 years, it still would not be right or even worth the price of sacrificing another human life, that is so precious.

May God have mercy upon us… and may the generations to come be better people than we are.

Outside Author Draws Bad Conclusions

Mood: Tired

Gary North in his essay, The Foreign Policy of 20 Million Would-be Immortals, puts his very limited knowledge concerning Christianity’s teachings about the end times to use and draws, in my opinion, some bad conclusions.

In this essay, North tries the make the case that American “Fundamentalists” strongly support the nation or state of Israel for the sole reason that they do not want to die. And because of the certain passages in the Bible that talk about 2/3 of the Jews being killed in the Great Tribulation that is to come, then American “Fundamentalists” all have this “better you than us” mentality and care nothing for the Jews.

I can’t speak for all Christians… I can’t even speak for all Christians who hold to pretribulational premillenialism, but as for myself allow me to correct some of North’s wrongful conclusions.

1. Genuine Christians are not would-be immortals; we are immortals. Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (Jesus) that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” As genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the gift of eternal life now! Therefore, whether I die tomorrow or 50 years from now or I’m taken up into the presence of God by Christ Himself at the rapture, I have life forever more.

2. Genuine Christians do not fear death. As the Apostle Paul stated in the book of Philippians, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!” You see, those who true followers of Christ do not fear death, b/c death is only the beginning a much, much better life. In fact, many Christians… especially those who are suffering either from persecution or from a disease-ridden body, welcome death and even long for death. They long to put off this old, ragged mortality for the promised, glorified immortality of heaven.

3. Many Christians believe we should stand with Israel b/c they believe they are still God’s chosen people and He is not finished with them yet. In Genesis 12, God made Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, some promises. One of the promises was “I will bless those who bless you… and I will curse those who curse you.” And for many, many Christians, that promise is still in effect today. Therefore, if we as an American nation desire to continue to be somewhat blessed, then we must stand with God’s people. And the truth is, we are a blessed nation. But as a whole, we have turned away from God in so many areas, it is surprising to me that we are still as blessed as we are.

4. If that interpretation of the prophecy concerning 2/3 of the Jews is true, then it will come to pass regardless of what anyone does. I’m not an expert concerning the doctrine of last things. I do believe that my Lord and Savior is returning one day… I do believe there will be a “rapture” of his church (the word might not be in the Bible, but the teaching is!)… and I believe that much of the book of Revelation is still yet to be fulfilled. However, I can’t really speak on that specific prophecy at this time. But there is one thing I do know about prophecy and God’s word… if He says it will happen, it will happen. You can think I’m heartless, cold, or whatever… the Bible is very clear that God is sovereign and completely in control; nothing happens without His divine permission or command. Therefore, if He said 2/3 of the Jewish people will die in the Great Tribulation, then 2/3 of the Jewish people will die. Is that comforting? No! Is that something to rejoice and be happy about? Absolutely not! But God’s word will happen. Any honest person who has taken the time to really study the Bible and see just how many things have come to pass that He said would… would be a true believer. Those who haven’t, and yet still wail against it don’t want to know the truth.

Commitment To Blog?

Mood: Relieved

Lately there's been a lot of things going on that I am very glad are over... at least I hope are over.

So, what's this commitment to blog all aboout? Well, I've been thinking about it. To make sure I don't stay gone in my own little world, I'm going to try to blog at least once a week... probably like every Thursday or Friday. I need to force myself to think through issues, current trends, and world events, and hopefully to give a Biblical perspective... b/c that's who I am. We'll see how it goes. :)

To everyone reading this... God bless and make it a great day!