WHO’S COUNTING THE MONEY?
By Al Diestelkamp
One
Sunday morning after worship, a six-year-old boy got my attention by
asking, “Did you know that there’s only one man back there counting the
money?” Evidently he was keenly aware of our policy, in an effort to
provide “honorable things” (2 Cor. 8:21), to have at least two men
assigned to that job. When I arrived at the room I was amused to find
it was the boy’s own father whom he had “reported.” Back to Top
“CHOICE” REVEALS ITD BLOODY HANDS
By Andy Diestelkamp
Finally
the truth is coming out. For years our nation has been debating the
morality versus the immorality of abortion. One side of the debate has
attempted to posture itself as the moderate voice of reason and liberty
in defending the right of a woman to choose whether to terminate the
life of her unborn child. That we have come to accept such a position
as moderate is by itself awful. Yet, public opinion polls would seem to
suggest that more Americans are closer to this alleged moderate
position than the position that condemns abortion as immoral.
Thankfully, however, morals are not determined by majority vote.
What
is finally beginning to be revealed is that the so-called moderate
position on this issue (pro-choice) is quite extreme in the extent to
which it will go to defend personal liberties. All the rhetoric over
trimesters, human life versus masses of tissue, etc., is now being
revealed to be inconsequential. The Supreme Court of our land made a
big deal about trimesters back in 1973, but medical advances along with
moral declines have made the issue of trimesters moot. We can now save
a baby in the womb long before the supposed date of viability as
artificially set by the Court. Likewise, regardless of the trimester,
“pro-choice” advocates are screaming about any attempts to limit
abortion procedures.
The most recent debate has centered on a disgusting method of killing “unborn” babies. I placed unborn
in quotation marks because now the abortion debate involves defining
when a baby is born. It is important to have this precise definition
for moderates because their position defends a woman’s right to destroy
her baby before birth, but not after. Society is not quite ready for
aborting human lives after birth (though it happens). Thus the debate must now involve splitting hairs about when
a baby is born so we can then decide whether or not it is legal to
split his/her brains. Before you are too critical of my choice of words
descriptive of abortion consider the procedure that the U.S. Senate
finally agreed to ban. It involves partially delivering the child feet
first. However, before the head is delivered, the “doctor” stabs the
baby in the lower back of the head. A catheter is then inserted and the
baby’s brains are literally sucked out. The dead baby is then removed
from the mother.
Surely, I thought, no one would or could defend
such a procedure, but some did. It was interesting that those who
defended the procedure thought that the graphic descriptions of the
“partial-birth abortions” were inappropriate for the floor of the
Senate. They attempted to trivialize the procedure saying that only a
few hundred of these were performed per year. “Pro-choice” has revealed
its bloody hands! The truth is that these people want a woman to be
able to kill her baby at any stage of pregnancy with any method for any
reason. Only in a morally warped climate could we conclude that sucking
the brains out of a living human being is within the realm of personal
liberty. Only those blind to justice could justify it. Only the
spiritually emasculated could claim it as a liberty in Christ.
Where
this “pro-choice” mentality will lead is gruesome. It could only be so,
because where it has led us to this point is already gruesome. The
practice of abortion is nothing new to us, but the government approval
and protection of such as a constitutional liberty is relatively
recent. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that it will stop with
just the unborn. It hasn’t
stopped there as the “partial-birth abortion” debate has demonstrated.
Next in line, of course, are the “postpartum abortions.” It is a bloody
path that is being blazed in the name of “choice.”
Wake up
America and look where our so-called moderation and toleration on the
issue of killing unborn babies has taken us. “Choice” is not about
defending life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. It is
about giving the strong the power to suck the life out of the weakest
and most defenseless among us. It is about alleviating the
responsibilities of the irresponsible. It is about punishing the
innocent for the sins of the guilty. That the killing of the weak and
helpless has even become a debatable issue is a shame. That the
promoters of “choice” will not debate it is despicable. That many
spiritual leaders of this land are silent is damnable.
We
must not consent or walk in the way with those who are preying upon the
innocent and are finding political and monetary gain in doing so. We
must keep ourselves from the path of those who are quick to shed blood
(Prov. 1:10-19). It is the responsibility of those in positions of
authority and influence to defend the defenseless. “Open your mouth for
the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your
mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
(Prov. 31:8,9) God give us the boldness to do so (Ac. 4:29)! Back to Top
OVERCOMING THE DRAGON
By Matt Hennecke
In
the last year there has been renewed interested in dinosaurs, largely
because of the movie Jurassic Park. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll
recall that several dinosaurs are cloned and then proceed to wreak
havoc on those humans unlucky to get too near. Some of the most
frightening moments occur as the humans try to protect themselves and
overcome the terror of the T-Rex and three ferocious velociraptors!
While Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg have brought an
entertaining story to the big screen, it is interesting to note that
nearly 2000 years ago John spoke of a similar situation. Only, it
wasn’t a dinosaur he wrote about, but a Dragon!
Revelation 12:3
vividly describes a red Dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven
diadems (more hideous and frightening than even a T-Rex!). This Dragon,
identified as the Devil and Satan (v.9) wages war in heaven with
Michael and his angels until he is finally “thrown down” to earth where
he begins to “accuse” the brethren “day and night” (v. 10).
Now,
there is much about the book of Revelation that I do not know. I’m not
an advocate of an early or late date (though I do recall from my
college days having several of each!). So, while there are many things
I cannot affirm about the symbology of Revelation 12, the message of
verse 11 is clear and unmistakable: Christians overcame the Dragon
because of:
The Blood of the Lamb
Blood
is an important substance in our society. We frequently hear pleas for
blood donations and despite man’s ingenuity, he has not been able to
replicate the life-giving qualities of blood. The Jews were also
familiar with the power of blood and the sacrifices for consecration
(Ex. 29:10-14). But, in verse 11, we are not talking about the blood of
bullocks, but of Christ himself! And the message is clear: overcoming
the Dragon depends on the blood of the Lamb! Note Peter’s assertion of
that very fact: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
The Word of Their Testimony
The
second step in overcoming the dragon seems a bit puzzling. Of
whose testimony is John speaking? We get some insight from the word
itself when we consider that “testimony” is second cousin to the words
“testify” and “test.” Witnesses are called to testify in court. They
provide testimony. Similarly, all of us have taken tests, which are
designed to determine whether we pass or fail. But, the Greek word
itself provides even greater insight. The word “testimony” comes from
the Greek “marturia” from whence we get the word “martyr.”
John
is telling us that we can overcome the Dragon by heeding the testimony
of the faithful. Note Revelation 6:9 and 12:17 as it relates to the
testimony of “our fathers.” John’s message echoes the idea expressed in
Hebrews 12:1-2: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race
that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.”
They Did Not Love Life Even to Death
God
has programmed us for survival. Yet John indicates that one of the ways
to overcome the Dragon is to willingly put aside our “survival
instinct.” We must be willing to die for God’s cause! Need proof?
Examples exist everywhere: Daniel and his three friends “did not love
life, even to death.” They were willing to put aside the “survival
instinct” for a higher calling. Peter died in service to Christ because
“he did not love life, even to death.” The same idea is expressed by
Jesus himself: “...whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the
gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mk. 8:35).
Satan still is at
work and we are still in danger. How do we overcome the evil one? The
same way John instructed the seven churches of Asia: “they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they
loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:11). Back to Top
ADVICE MY DAD GAVE ME
By Roy Diestelkamp
We
do well to learn from the older heads. There are many things I remember
Dad always teaching and practicing. Here are a few of them on various
subjects.
1. Don’t Cumulative Fight. Dad
applied this to husbands and wives and the home, and called it a home
wrecker, but it applies in disputes among brethren and anyone. The
principle is when in a dispute, don’t remember and reach back and drag
up all the old failures and aggravations of the past.This will make the
present dispute even hotter and harder to settle. Forgive past wrongs,
and do not bring them up again!
2. Don’t Be Driven To Extremes.
Dad always encouraged young preachers (older ones too), when contending
for an issue, not to allow others to push them to an extreme they
really didn’t want to go to. The point is, when discussing an issue, we
may be pressed by others, for the sake of appearing consistent in
argumentation, or to avoid admitting a position was wrong, to go even
further than we had really thought out. Consequently we might well take
extreme stands that we otherwise never would have done. Then pride
might well keep us from “climbing down.” Contend for truth, but with
care.
3. Men, Don’t Visit Women Alone.
For the sake of personal purity, to avoid temptation, to avoid the
appearance of impropriety, don’t visit women alone. In practical terms,
that means in dealing with women, don’t have private home Bible
studies, don’t meet alone in the office, or any other such thing. Take
your wife, another man (and his wife), and have the Bible studies, and
make the visit.
4. Don’t Be Bitter.
Many events, actions, and people, will disappoint us in life. We will
be disappointed in ourselves too. Do not let this turn to bitterness.
Press on, look for other people, other churches, other opportunities.
Trust in God.
5. Do Give People A Second Chance.
Sometimes when people fail us, or sin against us or Christ, we may feel
like, “that’s it, I will never have any use for them again; I will
never trust them again,” or “I don’t want them part of the congregation
ever again.” We are not to slight or overlook sin, which condemns the
sinner, and harms the cause of Christ. However, we must seek the
restoration and welfare of the sinner, and give them a second chance to
serve Christ. If God can and will forgive, we must too.
These things are not always easily put into practice, but the advice is good. Back to Top
SPEAKING OF DINOSAURS
By Al Diestelkamp
Color
me paranoid, but it seems that there has been a concerted effort in
recent years to develop a fascination (especially in young children)
with dinosaurs. I don’t know just when this new emphasis began, but I
doubt that it happened accidentally.
As a precaution, to make
sure I wasn’t just being an old fuddy-duddy, I compared the number of
pages devoted in our old 1967 edition of The World Book Encyclopedia
with a 1994 edition of the same publication. Sure enough, the newer
edition devoted more than twice as much space to the subject than the
older one.
The dinosaur, which has become the evolutionists’
“mascot,” can be found in books, cartoons, documentaries, and just
about everything else, including Happy Meals. As a result, many little
children can tell you more than you want to know about Tyrannosuarus
Rex.
The atheists have been so successful in this public
relations blitz that should one dare to express doubt about dinosaurs
ever existing, his credibility drops to the level of Flat Earth Society
members. This is even true when discussing the subject with other
Christians.
Inevitably someone will ask: “How can you deny the
existence of actual dinosaur bones?” I don’t deny the bones. I question
the credibility of the paleontologists who are out to prove the theory
of evolution even if it means supplementing their findings with
plaster. They re-build what they think this creature looked like in a
manner not unlike a child with a Tinker Toy set.
Remember,
these are the same people who are certain that these monsters roamed
the earth at least 130 million years ago. These “scientists,” sure that
man evolved from lower life forms, have been guilty of finding bones
and building missing links. And you wonder why I doubt their
credibility on the dinosaur issue!
Attempts have been made to
identify the leviathan mentioned in the Bible (Job 41:1; Psa. 74:14;
Psa. 104:26; Isa. 27:1) as the dinosaur. That there was a terrible
creature as described, I have no doubt. As to just what it was, I have
heard speculation all the way from crocodiles to the Loch Ness monster,
but in reality the Bible doesn’t give us enough information to identify
it. I consider it one of the “secret things” (Deut. 29:29) that we
don’t need to know. If you think the leviathan is a dinosaur, why don’t
you call it by it’s Bible name instead of giving credibility to the
peddlers of evolution?
To borrow a phrase from Rush Limbaugh,
“Words mean something.” The word “dinosaur” as defined in any good
dictionary is, “any group of extinct reptiles of the Mesozoic Era.”
Those of us who believe the literal account of creation deny the
Mesozoic Era ever existed. Therefore, to acknowledge the existence of
the dinosaur is to give credence to the evolutionary time table.
Most
Christians I have talked with agree that God created this universe,
including our earth, fully developed. Only days old, Adam and Eve would
have appeared to be full-grown adults. If Adam had decided to build a
coffee table and cut down a large tree he would have seen the age rings
because the tree was full-grown. If you can believe that, why is it so
hard to believe that God may have created the earth with bones and
fossils already in the ground?
I expect atheists and skeptics to
snicker at such reasoning. What surprises me is when Christians put so
much confidence in the “vain babblings and contradictions of what is
falsely called knowledge” (1 Tim. 6:20).
My biggest concern is
for the children who are getting an unhealthy dose of propaganda from
the enemy. I cringe when I see the title of the popular G-rated film, Land Before Time. I wonder, just when was that? Maybe some Christian can explain that to me!
After
this article some of my brethren are likely to change their minds and
claim that dinosaurs aren’t extinct after all. They’ve heard there’s a Diestelkamposuarus roaming around in Illinois. Back to Top
MORAL COURAGE
By Andy Diestelkamp
In
a world of moral relativism and an age seeking to challenge, if not
destroy, absolutes, it is refreshing when someone stands up and
confronts the ignorance, injustice and immorality of this perverse
generation. Occasionally a politician, feeling for the pulse of this
morally comatose nation, will make a bold comment. Very often he is
mocked for his courage. Every now and then the open sewer we call
television will flush something by us that has a remnant of wholesome
values. It usually gets poor ratings and is cancelled.
Supposedly
the majority of people in this country oppose the shameless
glamorization of immorality that the media so often push. However, if
that is true, why is it still being sold and who’s buying? So-called
Christian organizations will declare that most Americans oppose
abortion, but to get majority percentages they have to ask strangely
worded questions in their polls and/or lump those who are only
moderately pro-life (if that is possible) with those who truly are. If
indeed we are, for the most part, a moral nation, then we are too quiet
about our convictions.
This silence on moral issues reflects
this nation’s general attitude toward all spiritual matters. Both
morally and doctrinally we have adopted a “personal faith” concept
which in effect says, “I’ll believe what I want and you believe what
you want. Leave me alone!” The truth is that most Americans have faiths
that cannot withstand the scrutiny of the sword of the Spirit (Heb.
4:12). Faith has become more a tradition rather than conviction.
Therefore, it should not be surprising that so few want to study the
Bible, let alone take a public stand for truth, be it moral or
otherwise.
When the nation of Israel had fallen away from God
and was on the brink of captivity and destruction, God challenged
Jeremiah to find anybody in the open places who executed justice and
sought truth (Jer. 5:1). To Ezekiel God said that He had looked among
the leaders of the land to see if there was anyone who would “stand in
the gap.” Among the princes there were none (Ezk. 22:23-31). God was
looking for someone with spiritual fortitude and moral courage—someone
who would openly and boldly stand in the gaping hole of that nation’s
spiritual and moral fiber.
No doubt God looks for the same
things today. Still it appears that moral excellence is becoming less
common in our pluralistic society.
Since our nation has
guaranteed the freedom to worship God as we see fit, many have made the
illogical leap that means all manner of worship is acceptable to God.
It is further reasoned that good Americans must embrace this diversity
no matter the perversity.
This mentality attempts to squelch
moral courage. It must not succeed! God is looking for people who will
stand for truth regardless of what the majority think or do. Only if we
add virtue (moral courage) to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5) can we be the kind
of people God is looking for in the midst of a perverse generation.
Back to Top
SOJOURNERS & PILGRIMS
By Ed Brand
Peter
urges saints to regard themselves as sojourners and pilgrims. A
sojourner is one who lives among aliens. Pilgrims live in a strange
place, away from one’s own people. Hostility is injected into this
alien, strange place by the phrase, “which war against the soul” (1
Pet. 2:11). He says the present dwelling place of Christians is in a
strange, hostile land; a land where danger lurks in the form of fleshly
lusts.
I know Americans who live abroad. They are literally
“sojourners.” They are living in a country of which they are not
native. The customs there are different from their homeland. Most of
them live in relative safety from governmental persecution, but some do
not. There is actual danger of deportation or threat of harassment
while they live there. A remarkable thing about these people: they
volunteered to live in this environment because they believe their
being there would be helpful to the cause of Jesus. Living there is
generally more rigorous and less comfortable than living in the USA.
They have not forgotten their homeland and look forward to the time
they can return.
Christians are living in a land which is not
theirs and which is inhabited by people and influences which are
foreign to them. How easy it is to forget that we are just pilgrims
“passing through.” We are like Abraham who dwelled in tents (only a
temporary home) while he traveled in search of the “city which hath
foundations” (Heb. 11:9-10). He was incessantly looking for this
permanent dwelling place.
The world is out to make us citizens.
Its efforts, sometimes subtle, sometimes bold, are to make us feel at
home here. We need to slip into something more comfortable. Since we
are going to be here for awhile we ought to at least enjoy being here.
Don’t be so uptight.
I’m afraid many saints are vulnerable to
this persuasive song the world sings. Some have concentrated so hard on
the here and now that the there and then have all but been forgotten.
We are surrounded with the gadgets of culture which dazzle and amaze
our eyes and minds. The popular media praise modern paganism and
denounce Christians with convictions as “right-wing fanatics” and
“bigots.” Surely we do not want to be either fanatics or bigots. The
only way to be relieved of those names is to cease opposition to the
world’s agenda, be silent and lay down our arms.
Dear brethren,
when we become sophisticated and are comfortable in our surroundings,
the enemy has won. Our lips will be silenced in opposition to wrong and
closed for use to convert others. Our numbers will dwindle, our
influence lessen, until we are gone. Vanished! Unless we remain
conscious to the designations of “sojourners and pilgrims” and act
consistently with the meaning of those terms. Back to Top