tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75325194182112627142024-02-08T08:03:55.113-05:00A Case for GodThis blog seeks to provide an open and honest forum to discuss the God of the Bible and His interactions with mankind. It is for both believers and non-believers who hope to examine a faith that speaks to the needs of our dangerously polarized age where self and individuality reign supreme.
Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-49662466678241067772015-02-22T15:25:00.000-05:002015-02-23T06:43:04.351-05:00Unusual Suspect: One Man’s Calling to Help a Team Embroiled in Controversy<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is
the Christian life supposed to look like?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is
perhaps the most asked question in Christianity with answers that vary as much
as New England weather. Some feel the Christian life should look, well,
Christian. Moral people who help others and go to Bible College and are
employed in full-time ministry. Others would say it is less about degrees and
church membership and more about an attitude of forgiveness and benevolence
toward others. Treat others like you want to be treated, right?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What if
a great example of the Christian life took place within the walls of Gillette
stadium? Yes, Gillette stadium. The home field of the New England Patriots who
are not only current Super Bowl champions but entangled in a ball deflation controversy
stemming from their footballs being under the league required air pressure
range during the American Football Conference Championship game played on January 18. A
game in which they won incidentally 45-7. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With a
blowout win in hand and a trip to the Super Bowl on the horizon, surely no one
would care about football air pressure? That might have been true if these same
New England Patriots had not been caught illegally videotaping opponents
defensive signals in 2007. A rule violation in which the league handed out its harshest
penalty ever, fining owner Robert Kraft $250,000 and head coach Bill Belichick
$500,000 and docking the team a first round draft pick. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It
would seem that if this football deflation controversy proved to be true than
the New England Patriots would be as synonymous with winning championships as
they are with being habitual cheaters. An image and a brand that would be tough
to swallow for management and its players.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enter
Jack Easterby –<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span>a lanky and balding former college basketball player and golfer
with a thick Southern accent. Easterby was hired by the Patriots in July 2013 as the team’s
chaplain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">According
to Seth Wickersham, a writer for ESPN The Magazine who profiled Easterby just prior to the Super Bowl, Easterby’s first words to the team
were, “Tonight, my goal is that you will never be the same.” Wickersham goes on to say that Easterby says
that often in his devotionals, with the swagger of a hitter calling his shot.
It's an invitation, and dozens of athletes and coaches –<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span>from Tom Brady to
Brady Quinn, from Bill Belichick to South Carolina women's basketball coach
Dawn Staley – have accepted it. They don't always buy into Easterby's </span><a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">gospel</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">,
but they buy into Easterby himself. His job is to be trustworthy, and it
doesn't help him earn trust if he's out there talking about it, which is why he
politely declined to speak to Wickersham for his story. "He's just a great
person and friend," Brady says. "You feel a special connection with
him and with his genuine caring for all the people in his life."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The typical team chaplain, Wickersham explains, is a pastor at a local church who
volunteers to host Saturday chapel for 10 or so players who attend and is compensated
with cash in a collection plate. In New England, Easterby has an office – and
it's near Belichick's. He is a classic Belichick hire: The more he can do, the
more he does. He hosts Bible study, works coaches' hours in his office
counseling players and their wives, throws passes in practice to Darrelle Revis
and sometimes even jumps in on scout-team drills. When he's not listening, he's
texting. When he's not texting, he's writing players and coaches individual
notes, recapping their personal goals and reminding them of how thankful he is
to know them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like
Belichick and Brady, says Wickersham, Easterby is obsessed with process – only
his process is self-actualization. He challenges those he counsels to be better
people the way coaches challenge them to be better players. He's written a devotion
called the Competitor's Creed <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">–</span></span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am a
Competitor now and forever. I am made to strive, to strain, to stretch and to
succeed in the arena of competition. ... My attitude on and off the field is
above reproach, my conduct beyond criticism. Whether I am preparing, practicing
or playing, I submit to God's authority and those He has put over me. I respect
my coaches, officials, teammates and competitors out of respect for the Lord.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many
Patriot coaches and players credit Easterby and his presence as one of the
reasons the team won the championship this season. High praise for a man
teaching his listeners about the higher power found in Christ and his </span><a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">gospel message</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Often
we think of the Christian life being spent on the mission fields of Africa or
India not on the football field. But here is Easterby, at Gillette stadium, the home of the NFL's most notorious cheaters or so the narrative goes but make
no mistake, if the Patriots are exonerated from this latest football deflation controversy,
he will have helped them weather the storm. If not, he will embrace the chance
to help them learn from it, underscoring that life and its ups and downs are temporal but eternal life is offered to anyone who comes to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of sins. In short, Easterby will be ready to serve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-28880962342219582982014-11-12T16:57:00.000-05:002015-02-22T17:30:57.893-05:00Grabbing Hold of God<span style="font-family: inherit;">Much of
the contemporary church has lost its reverence for God. He is too often viewed
as a sugar daddy, a sort of cosmic automatic teller machine. If we say the right
words and punch in the right code, He is obligated to deliver what we want. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">True
prayer, according to pastor and acclaimed Bible expositor </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._MacArthur" target="_blank"></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">John MacArthur, often involves struggling and grappling with
God, proving to Him the deepest concern of one’s heart. Prayer is to be a persistent,
courageous struggle from which the believer may come away limping.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Virginia
Stem Owens wrote the following about wrestling with God in earnest prayer. Her
sentiments stand in marked contrast to the glib, self-centered prayers of our
day:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christians have always interpreted the splitting of the temple veil during the crucifixion as symbolic and the liberation from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mediated </i>presence of God. Henceforth they were “free” to approach him directly which is almost like telling someone he is free to stick his head in the lion’s jaws for once you start praying there is no guarantee that you won’t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a desert island, or in a lion’s den.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is no cosmic teddy bear we are cuddling up to. As one of the one children describes him in C.S. Lewis’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chronicles of Narnia, </i>“he is not a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tame</i> lion.” Jacques Ellul is convinced that prayer for persons living in the technological age must be combat, and not just combat with the evil one, with one’s society, or even one’s divided self, though it is also all of these; it is combat with God. We too must struggle with him just as Jacob at Peniel where he earned his name Israel – “he who strives with God.” We too must prepare to say, “I will not let you go til you bless me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consider Moses, again and again intervening between the Israelites and God’s wrath; Abraham praying for Sodom; the widow demanding justice of the unjust judge. But in this combat with God, Ellul cautions, we must be ready to bear the consequences … “Jacob’s thigh was pulled out of joint, and he went away lame. However, the most unusual experience will be God’s decision to put to work the person who cried to him …whoever wrestles with God in prayer puts his whole life at stake.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Awful things happen to people who pray. Their plans are frequently disrupted. They end up in strange places. Abraham “went out, not knowing where he was to go” ... After Mary’s magnificent prayer at the annunciation, she finds herself the pariah of Nazareth society.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">How tempting to up the stakes, making prayer merely another consumer product. How embarrassing to have to admit not only that prayer may get you into a prison, as it did Jeremiah, but also that while you’re moldering away in a miry pit there, you may have a long list of lamentations and unanswered questions to present to your Lord. How are we going to tell them they may end up lame and vagrant if they grasp hold of this God? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(“Prayer – Into the Lion’s Jaws,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianity Today</i>, November 19, 1976. pp. 222-223, italics in the original)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-42934641396417321222014-06-05T15:48:00.000-04:002014-06-07T07:36:51.665-04:00What Would Jesus Post?<span style="font-family: inherit;">Evangelicalism
today appeals to people on the basis of what they want. The contemporary church
for decades has been more interested in meeting the needs of its members than
urging them to follow the commands of Christ. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Neil
Postman, a Jewish humanist from the 1980’s wrote a book entitled, “</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401997453&sr=1-1&keywords=amusing+ourselves+to+death" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amusing Ourselves to Death</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.” He felt back then that there was a tragic loss of serious
thinking in Western civilization which he attributed to television. He could
not have possibly imagined the big screen going to a small screen – from being
a group experience and public experience to being an intimate, personal,
private experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
iPhone and other small screen devices enable every person to become a creator
of his own private world. “It is a secret world,” explains pastor and acclaimed
Bible expositor </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._MacArthur" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">John MacArthur</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. “It is a secret world of preferences. It is a
secret world of temptations. It is a secret world of relationships. It is a
secret world that has a force and ubiquity that is unparalleled in human
history. Unparalleled.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
small screen is the most selfish necessity ever devised. Once, you had a phone
to talk to someone. No more. Technology has put in the hand, and soon, on the
ears and the nose, of everyone, the most constant, incessant, accessible,
visual, private world of self-centered indulgence, temptation, and
entertainment ever conceived. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“You
choose everything,” MacArthur continues. “Choose your entertainment, and no one
knows. You choose your music. You choose your relationships. You become God in
your little world. And on your little screen, you create the world that you
want. You are the creator of your own private universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And outside your own private cyberspace, and
your Facebook friends, is the outer darkness of whatever and whomever you
reject.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Theologian
</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Trueman" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carl Trueman</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> writes, “The language of friendship is hijacked and cheapened by
the internet social networks. I don’t know what friendship is anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The language of Facebook both reflects and
encourages childishness. Childishness, he writes, “has become something of a
textually transmitted disease.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A very
astute comment by Trueman as the number one characteristic of a child is
complete self-centeredness. He goes on to say that relationships play out in
the disembodied world of the web. The latest statistics indicate that on
average high school students look at a small screen nine hours a day. Nine
hours. Trueman further writes, “Such are human amoebas, subsisting in a bizarre
non-world that involves no risk to themselves, no giving of themselves to
others, no true vulnerability, no commitment, no sacrifice, no real meaning,
and no value.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Real
fellowship cannot exist in a world of self-created avatars. It requires real
persons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christianity is not an
individual or private experience. We were not meant to live by ourselves in a
world of isolation where we control everything without anyone else’s knowledge.
That’s a recipe for disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“The
current trend is for people to create their own virtual world of virtual self,”
observes MacArthur. “They recreate themselves as wonderfully as they would like
themselves to be, and then project themselves that way. You can upload your
self-creation into the Eden of the internet, the perfect you. Beautiful,
indomitable, intelligent, wise, cool, self-actualized like some technological
form of science. You can create
a digitized self-projection of your idyllic design. I tweet, therefore I am.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
culture of this is becoming more isolated, more narcissistic, more
self-absorbed, more individualistic, more morally relative, more entitled. Deadly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This
might be tolerable and maybe understood if it stayed outside the church, but it
doesn’t. According to MacArthur, the evangelical church has been trying to give
the culture what it wants. And what is it that people want? “They want privacy,”
he says, “They want convenience. They want low commitment. They want anonymity.
They want unaccountability. And mostly, they want self-promotion and
self-actualization. Church life is falling victim to this seductive
self-design. People say, oh, it’s so hard to find a church. Well, of course. You
have created the first church of my personal iTunes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve created your own music. You have your
own playlist. You’ve created your own messengers. You know who you want to
hear. You’ve created your own friends. You don’t feel comfortable at a church
because you might run into an enemy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And at
the same time, there’s pressure from church growth experts saying, “What are
you doing with social media? What are you doing with technology to help people
know your church?” Of course the church has to embrace technology and social
media on one level and use the tools for good – to connect and inform. But, as
with everything, they can also be a source of isolation, disconnection, and
ultimately temptation if not properly handled and monitored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a
church body, we have to keep fellowship at the forefront. True, personal
fellowship is the foundation of the church as underscored in the Book of
Acts which details the early church and its ability to sustain its existence
largely because of the strength of its fellowship. Everything about
Christianity fights against privacy, and yet, we live in a world where privacy
dominates. If we are not actively fighting against it than we are being pulled
into it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As
ambassadors of Jesus Christ, it is our mandate to share his gospel – the forgiveness
of sins at the cross of Calvary. It is a personal relationship that Christ
beckons and then bids us to share with others. Fellowship at its essence. </span></div>
Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-5803734973541846192014-03-09T13:41:00.000-04:002014-03-09T18:20:44.961-04:00Healing through Christ’s Sufferings<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>“</em><em>God
lets Himself be pushed out of world on to the cross. He is weak and powerless
in the world, and that is precisely the way, the only way, in which He is with
us and helps us. Matt. 8:17 makes it quite clear that Christ helps us, not by
virtue of His omnipotence, but by virtue of His weakness and suffering … Only
the suffering God can help … That is a reversal of what the religious man
expects from God. Man is summoned to share in God’s sufferings at the hands of
a godless world.”</em> – Dietrich
Bonhoeffer<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Christianity is full of paradoxes but
perhaps none bigger than a crucified Christ offering liberty from the power of
the present time, from the laws and compulsion of history, and from sin. Only
the crucified Christ can bring the freedom which changes the world because the fear of death is defeated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In his landmark work, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crucified-God-Foundation-Criticism-Christian/dp/0800628225/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394386668&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Crucified+God" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Crucified God</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">,
Jurgen Moltmann asserts, <em>“We have made the bitterness of the Cross tolerable to
ourselves by learning to understand it as a theological necessity for the
process of salvation.”</em> Of course, theological necessities do not sweat blood in
the night. Yet the Son of God did. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>“The passion of Jesus did not take place
on a cold, intellectual, starlit plain,”</em> declares Brennan Manning in his book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Signature-Jesus-Marked-Passion-Relentless/dp/1590523504/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394386703&sr=1-1&keywords=the+signature+of+jesus+brennan+manning" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Signature of Jesus</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, <em>“It occurred in the deepest expression of emotion, amid
dirt and sweat, blood and tears. Christ’s passionate outpouring of love on the
cross is not only the source of our salvation; it is the source of God’s power
and wisdom in our daily lives.”<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no mention in the gospel of
Christ’s sufferings coming from nature or fate or from the economic hardships
of being a carpenter’s son. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>"Rather, His [Jesus] sufferings
and humiliation came from His actions," </em>underscores Moltmann.<em> "From His preaching of the imminence of
the kingdom as a kingdom of unconditional grace, from His freedom towards the
law, and from His table-fellowship with ‘sinners and tax-collectors.’ Jesus did
not suffer passively from the world in which He lived, but incited it against Himself
by His message and the life He lived. According to the gospels, Jesus Himself
set out for Jerusalem and actively took the expected suffering upon Himself. The
more the mysticism of the cross recognizes this, the less it can accept Jesus as
an example of patience and submission to fate. The more it recognizes His
active suffering, the less it can make Him the archetype of its own weakness. If
men and women in misery understand Him as their brother in their sufferings,
they in turn do not become imitators of His suffering until they accept His
mission and actively follow Him.”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The cross of Christ is not some relic
that we wear around our necks. In the first century, the crucified Christ was regarded
as a scandal and as foolishness. As the Apostle Paul confirms in I Corinthians
1:18, <em>“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today the church must turn to the crucified
Christ in order to show the world the freedom He offers. Everything else is
ornamental. Christ crucified is the very fingerprint of our faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Following
Him means living dangerously and without compromise; it means living outside of
our comfort zone and preconceived notions; it means reaching out to the outcast
as well as the religious fanatic; quite simply it is having His signature
written on the pages of our lives.</span>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-17264606015844281352013-11-18T10:34:00.001-05:002013-11-18T12:52:36.351-05:00Living with Thanksgiving<div class="ecxline" dir="ltr">
<em>"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice." </em>~ Meister Eckhart<br />
</div>
<div class="ecxline" dir="ltr">
Once again the holiday season is upon us. The stores are filled with Christmas decorations, children are wondering what they will find under the tree, and Mom and Dad are wondering how they will pay for it. These days Thanksgiving is basically a pre-season holiday, something you do to get in shape for Christmas. We eat, we sleep, we watch football, and we don’t stop until January. <br />
<br />
That’s a shame because the art of giving thanks is one thing that separates man from the animals. To receive a gift and say, “Thank you,” is one of the noblest things a man can do. There is nothing small or trivial about it. <br />
<br />
To say “Thank you” is to acknowledge that we have been given something we did not earn and do not deserve. Happy is the man who understands that all of life is a gift of God and that life itself is the ultimate gift. Which is why the Bible says, “In everything give thanks” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20thes.%205:18&version=NKJV" target="_blank">I Thessalonians 5:18</a>). When we can’t do anything else, we can always be grateful. As someone has said, “If you can’t be thankful for what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.” <br />
<br />
As Americans, our hearts should continually overflow with thanksgiving. Author and Bible teacher <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Moore" target="_blank">Beth Moore</a>, in her DVD study <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moore-Daniel-Lives-Integrity-Prophecy/dp/0999705725/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384788554&sr=1-3&keywords=beth+moore+lives+of+integrity" target="_blank">series</a> on the Book of Daniel, acutely captured what it means to be "rich" when she contrasted resources and education in America with the rest of the world. She said that if a person has the resources to buy a book and the education to read it then that person is rich compared to 80 percent of the world who live in extreme poverty with no access to books or the ability to read them. That is a staggering thought as I own hundreds of books and have read thousands since I first learned how to read in first grade.<br />
<br />
But as Christians, our thanksgiving should never cease because of the One who gave everything for us. We understand that happiness does not "consist in the substance of things possessed" ... but <span class="ecxwoj">by "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."</span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj"></span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj">And this really is the key to sustained happiness and thanksgiving - a relationship with the Living God. While we need to be thankful for the material things we possess and our family our friends - true thanksgiving flows from a heart knitted together with the God of the universe. </span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj"></span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj">The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that "while we yet sinners, Christ died for us" and that "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This is the greatest <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">love story</a> ever told - the God of the heavens becoming a man, suffering and dying on the cross of Calvary to pay for men's sins and then rising on the third day. For those that put their faith in Him and His sacrifice for sin, He <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%203:16&version=NKJV" target="_blank">promises</a> that they too will rise one day from the grave as He did. </span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj"></span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj">When one begins a relationship with Jesus Christ, God takes out his stony heart and replaces it with a heart of flesh (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezekiel%2036:26&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Ezekiel 36:26</a> ). The happiness that results from this miracle of God does not fade when life takes a sharp turn and leaves us homeless, jobless, or parentless. No, this joy is rooted in a God who promises His followers "a future and a hope." A God who tenderly whispers that "He will never leave us or forsake us." And a God that comforts us with the reality that "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." </span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj"><span class="ecxtext ecx1Cor-2-9"><span class="ecxoblique"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="ecxwoj"><span class="ecxtext ecx1Cor-2-9"><span class="ecxoblique">This Thanksgiving season, let's do what the psalmist says in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20100&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Psalm 100</a> and "enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." There is much to be thankful for and a God who awaits our presence.</span></span></span><br />
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<em>"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." </em><em>~ </em>D. Waitley </div>
Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-46343764758505099882013-08-03T16:11:00.000-04:002013-08-07T06:43:17.989-04:00Jesus Is Not a Brand<i>“Doth that man love his Lord who would be willing to see Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, while for himself he craves a chaplet of laurel? Shall Jesus ascend to his throne by the cross, and do we expect to be carried there on the shoulders of applauding crowds? Be not so vain in your imagination. Count you the cost, if you are not willing to bear Christ’s cross, go away to your farm and to your merchandise, and make the most of them; only let me whisper this in your ear, ‘What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?’”</i> – Charles Haddon Spurgeon<br />
<br />
Spurgeon preached those words more than 100 years ago as a warning to his Christian peers and their adoption of early modernism, which he rightly saw as a threat to biblical Christianity.<br />
<br />
In 2013, no one disagrees that modernism has infected the church but just how far away have we moved from the historical positions of Christianity? <br />
<br />
Last year the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> published an <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/03/30/mixing-church-and-drinks-in-brooklyn/" target="'_blank">article</a> about a bar in Brooklyn in which two worship services are held – reminders to tip the bartender are heard alongside entreaties to love thy neighbor and praise the Lord.<br />
<br />
According to Jay Bakker, the son of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, “The bar is common ground. People can come in and have a beer and have a drink, and I think for a lot of people that is comforting because church has been a painful place for them.”<br />
<br />
“My whole life I have gone to Catholic church and hated it because it was boring and miserable,” said Will Zucconi, 27, who has been attending the services for a year. “I like to drink and I like to go to church, and if I can do both at the same time then that’s cool.”<br />
<br />
As we make our way into the 21st century, there never has been a time in Christian history when the name of Jesus Christ so frequently is mentioned and the content of His life and teaching so frequently ignored.<br />
<br />
The church by and large has become marketers of Jesus – trying to sell His message of love while omitting His call to sacrifice and obedience. After all, who does not want to serve a deity that loves them unconditionally <i>and</i> expects nothing in return?<br />
<br />
If the gospel were proclaimed without compromise, the roster of card-carrying Christians in this country would shrink. It is no wonder that the most popular preacher today is televangelist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Osteen" target="'_blank">Joel Osteen</a>. He “pastors” the largest church in America, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which boasts an average weekend attendance of more than 43,000; almost double that of its nearest competitor.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.svchapel.org/resources/articles/22-contemporary-issues/620-joel-osteen-and-the-prosperity-gospel" target="'_blank">Southern View Chapel</a> offers its take on Osteen's ministry and message, “Osteen has no theological training and it is obvious from his books, sermons and interviews on television that he has little knowledge of the Scripture. Nevertheless, he has caught an unprecedented wave of popularity and could clearly claim the title as the most admired pastor in America. This popularity of course is due largely to his message. Eschewing anything controversial or negative (such as hell or judgment or even sin), Osteen proclaims a message of pure positivism. The title of his first book, “Your Best Life Now”, summarizes what Osteen has to offer his many audiences. If we will follow certain principles or steps (seven to be exact), so the storyline goes, our existence will be happy, healthy, and blessed with everything that would make this life wonderful.”<br />
<br />
English Christian Evangelist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4uv1zGZ_8A" target="'_blank">Leonard Ravenhill</a> once said, “Christianity is not measured in success but in sacrifice.” This truism is lost in today’s climate because the church no longer believes the gospel of Jesus Christ.<br />
<br />
There is no clarion call to the body of Christ that we are crucified to the world and the world to us. Somewhere along the way, the church became marketers of Jesus Christ instead of <i>imitators</i>.<br />
<br />
This should not surprise us. The Apostle Paul warned his protégée Timothy of this very thing, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).<br />
<br />
We need to come to the place where our lives mirror what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him [Jesus] and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” This is our charter as believers. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be ready to obey Christ as unconditionally as the first disciples. That is our calling, not barroom worship services.<br />
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<i>"If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, <b>who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.</b> From such withdraw yourself."</i> - Apostle Paul (1 Timothy 6:3-5)Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-52590157111361541612013-07-20T07:18:00.000-04:002013-07-23T08:56:02.923-04:00What a Picture is WorthThis would not have happened a decade ago.<br />
<br />
When the editors at <em>Rolling Stone</em> magazine decided to put a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57594205/rolling-stone-defends-cover-featuring-boston-marathon-bombing-suspect/" target="_blank">photo</a> of Boston bomber suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a Bob Dylan-style pose on its cover they knew the shrapnel of criticism that would come their way and they didn’t blink.<br />
<br />
As Boston area businesses including Walgreens, CVS, Roche Bros., and Cumberland Farms pulled the magazine from its shelves, <em>Rolling Stone</em> maintains that it covers “falls within the traditions of journalism.”<br />
<br />
In a note appearing on the online version of Janet Reitman's cover story, titled "Jahar's World," the editors also expressed sympathy for the victims of the bombing, before going on to cite "<em>Rolling Stone's</em> long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day."<br />
<br />
Readers, particularly from the Boston area, slammed the magazine on its Facebook page, charging that the cover treatment turns the accused killer into a "rock star."<br />
<br />
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wrote to <em>Rolling Stone</em> publisher Jann Wenner accusing the magazine of offering Tsarnaev "celebrity treatment" and calling the cover "ill-conceived, at best," in that it supports the "terrible message that destruction gains fame for killers and their 'causes.'"<br />
<br />
Surely, the editors at <em>Rolling Stone</em> had to see this backlash coming. So the logical question becomes why?<br />
<br />
Because they knew it would sell.<br />
<br />
<em>Rolling Stone</em> has been in existence since the 1960’s and while it is primarily a music magazine, it also has forged a reputation for hard-hitting pieces on national affairs, politics and popular culture.<br />
<br />
This cover story, appearing on the heels of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks ever experienced in the city of Boston screams, “You want to know this man!”<br />
<br />
Ten years ago there would not have even been a discussion in the editorial room about putting a terrorist on the cover. But in 2013 not only was it discussed, it was approved and published.<br />
<br />
On the surface this seems shocking but when one stops and reflects on the fact that the US <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">homicide rate</a> is still among the highest in the industrialized world and that 1.2 million <a href="http://www.mccl.org/us-abortion-stats.html" target="_blank">abortions </a>are performed annually then the reasoning behind the cover becomes clearer – we are a society of murderers.<br />
<br />
One needs to look no further than our entertainment to see this gruesome fact on display. Our movies, TV shows and music all glorify violence and murder. We are hooked on gangster rap, intrigued by the inner workings of the mafia world and glued to cop shows that prop its villians up on a platform to be admired.<br />
<br />
<em>Rolling Stone</em> understands that we are no longer horrified by the Tsarnaevs of the world, we are infatuated by them and what makes them tick as the title of the article suggests, "The Bomber: How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster."<br />
<br />
As Christians, this should not surprise us. Jesus told us in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2024&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Matthew 24</a> that the days when men would love lawlessness would surely come. And here they are.<br />
<br />
The Apostle Paul reminds us in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%201:28-32&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Romans 1:28-32</a> that those who practice unrighteousness not only perform the acts themselves but also <em>approve</em> of those who practice them.<br />
<br />
While Tsarnaev graces the cover of <em>Rolling Stone</em>, we need to have the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">gospel of grace</a> on our lips and “always be ready” as the Apostle Peter urges us to “give a defense to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us.”<br />
<br />
As Christians, we serve the One that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029:11&version=NKJV" target="_blank">promises</a> men a future and a hope. We worship the One that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010:45&version=NKJV" target="_blank">gave</a> His life as a ransom for many. And we love the One who first <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204:19&version=NKJV" target="_blank">loved</a> us.<br />
<br />
I would rather read about this man then the one on the cover of <em>Rolling Stone</em>.<br />
<br />Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-28306973704176509182013-07-02T19:03:00.000-04:002013-07-10T13:32:06.660-04:00Thou Shalt Not … Aaron Hernandez makes us feel better about ourselves. <br />
<br />
Despite the fact that he has not been tried yet for the gruesome death of <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--odin-lloyd--victim-in-aaron-hernandez-murder-probe--paid-his-way-to-play-football-012700036.html" target="_blank">Odin Lloyd</a>, the court of public opinion has rendered him a cold blooded killer along the lines of Dirty Harry. <br />
<br />
Hernandez was a promising tight end for the New England Patriots who just two years ago was catching passes from Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Now he is sitting in jail with no bail facing a first degree murder <a href="http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9424056/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-arrested" target="_blank">charge</a>. <br />
<br />
Society can forgive most things. But murder? Not a chance. Even the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_shall_not_murder" target="_blank">sixth commandment</a> leaves no wiggle room or loophole. Murder is wrong. <br />
<br />
Forget for a moment that we live in a digital age filled with public relations savvy and fleeting fame where image reins over truth in most circumstances. And that the intent of most is to sell oneself to the media as a likeable commodity. None of us <em>know</em> Aaron Hernandez. But yet, we look at him and his arrest for first degree murder and feel pretty good in comparison. After all, most believe hell is reserved solely for the worst of worst. Adolph Hitler. Charles Manson. Jeffrey Dahmer. Certainly not us.<br />
<br />
But Jesus has a different view. In the Gospel of Matthew, He threw his audience a curve ball when He said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”<br />
<br />
Jesus is always looking at the heart for it is here that the issues of life spring forth. Anger is the beginning of murder. Many of us only believe our actions are sinful but Jesus backs up the sin problem to our heart. Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as a man thinks, so is he. In other words, we are a product of our thoughts.<br />
<br />
Abortion was passed in this country because we changed our thinking about life in the womb. We have told ourselves for decades now that a fetus is not really a life until the third trimester and that a woman has a right to do what she wants to her body. It is this thinking that now has conservative abortion <a href="http://www.worldometers.info/abortions/" target="_blank">estimates</a> up to 50 million annually. That number is staggering. And it has its roots in wrong thinking. <br />
<br />
It is all too easy to look at Aaron Hernandez and excuse ourselves from self-examination but really his arrest should do just the opposite. We should probe deeper and look at our own hearts to see if we have seeds of anger. And not only anger but lust, greed, gluttony, pride, covetousness and envy – all of which are the root of sinful actions.<br />
<br />
Jesus came to save sinners. At the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">cross</a> we find forgiveness and victory over sin. Jesus bids us to come and then beckons us to extend His forgiveness to others. <br />
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There is a sin problem. We all have it. And Jesus is the remedy. <br />
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<em>“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.’” - </em>Gospel of Matthew 7:1-5Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-10052839280359508242013-06-15T06:26:00.000-04:002013-06-22T19:50:41.772-04:00A God of Second Chances<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tebowmania</span> is back.<br />
<br />
On June 11 the New England Patriots put smiles on every single ESPN executive when they <a href="http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9362801/tim-tebow-sign-new-england-patriots-sources-say" target="_blank">announced</a> the signing of the most polarizing sports athlete on the face of the planet – Tim Tebow.<br />
<br />
You may recall that Tebow spent most of last year anguishing on the New York Jets bench as he watched incumbent QB Mark Sanchez lose game after game while setting the league record for most turnovers. <br />
<br />
Tebow was erroneously told when he signed with the Jets that he would have the opportunity to compete for the starting QB job. He never got the chance because of his unorthodox style of play (he is a run first quarterback with below average throwing ability) and was released by the Jets just a few weeks ago.<br />
<br />
It was being <a href="http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2013/04/tim_tebow_considering_being_pa.php" target="_blank">reported</a> after his release that he assumed his football playing days were over and was considering a career in broadcasting. <br />
<br />
A tough place to be for Tebow who as a collegiate player at Florida University won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and the BCS National Championship in 2007 and 2009. It was then that he became known for his Christian faith which permeated his life – he often thanked Jesus Christ after every game, a tradition he continues today. <br />
<br />
After graduating, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. During the 2011 season he was inserted into the Broncos line up and asked to help resurrect a team that began the season 1-4. He won 7 of his first 8 games, many in dramatic fashion and propelled the Broncos to the AFC West division title and a wild card playoff win over the Pittsburg Steelers. <br />
<br />
It appeared that Tebow would remain the starter in Denver at season’s end until the Indianapolis Colts decided to release QB <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_Manning" target="_blank">Peyton Manning</a>, the league’s only four-time MVP. Denver put its hat into the ring and won the Manning sweepstakes which sent Tebow packing to New York.<br />
<br />
After a season to forget in New York, Tebow passed through NFL waivers and was not signed by any team. This prompted Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon to <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9234640/warren-moon-tim-tebow-throwing-not-cut-cfl" target="_blank">say</a> that Tebow was not only finished playing in the NFL but that he also would not be a fit for the Canadian football league either because of his inability to throw the football at a professional level. <br />
<br />
Just when things looked bleak, his football career seemingly over after just three short seasons, football expert after football expert telling him he can't throw, ESPN talking heads gleefully discussing the demise of his flash pan career – in walks Tebow’s white horse – <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick" target="_blank">Bill Belichick</a>. <br />
<br />
Most in the football universe consider New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick to be the best coach of his era with three Super Bowl trophies and the highest winning percentage in the NFL since 2001. <br />
<br />
When news of the signing first broke, NFL analysts were shocked. Many thought it was an Internet joke. Not only was Tebow back in the NFL, the Patriots signed him as their third string QB which means he has the chance to compete to back up <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady" target="_blank">Tom Brady</a>, the best QB of his generation.<br />
<br />
How did all this happen? Many say it was because Belichick likes players who are versatile and can do more than one thing well on the football field. Others believe it was Josh McDaniels, the Patriots Offensive Coordinator who wanted Tebow because he was the one that drafted him in 2010 when he was Head Coach of the Broncos. <br />
<br />
While these reasons have merit, I believe Tebow was signed because God gave him a second chance to play the sport he loves. <br />
<br />
What is infinitely more interesting about Tebow other than his topsy turvy football career is his faith. Tebow was born in Makati City in the Philippines, to American parents who were serving as Baptist missionaries at the time. He is the youngest of five children, all of whom were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family's Christian beliefs along the way.<br />
<br />
If you have had a chance to listen to any of Tebow’s interviews you would know that he puts Jesus Christ first in his life. He has become famously known for “Tebowing”, his touchdown celebration in which he kneels to pray after scoring. The NFL became enamored with him because of his unconventional style of play and his beliefs. <br />
<br />
Tebow is a Christian first, pro football player second. Not an easy life to balance especially in a society where so many hate the Christian faith and the religious right is clamoring for someone to represent them. <br />
<br />
But here is Tebow. On Monday he was out of football. On Tuesday he was signed by the premier franchise in football. An amazing second chance granted from the God of second chances.<br />
<br />
Is your life looking hopeless today? Is everyone calling you a failure?<br />
<br />
Don’t believe it. <br />
<br />
Take heart in a God that says He <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%206:8&version=NKJV" target="_blank">knows</a> what you need before you even ask. <br />
Take refuge in a God that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%2013:5&version=NKJV" target="_blank">whispers</a>, “I will never leave you or forsake you." <br />
Take confidence in a God that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029:11&version=NKJV" target="_blank">promises</a> you a future and a hope. <br />
<br />
And <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:27&version=NKJV" target="_blank">know </a>that what is impossible with men IS possible with God.<br />
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<em>"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."</em> (Lamentations 3:21-23) Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-3261365827552202392013-05-28T09:07:00.000-04:002013-05-29T14:39:33.914-04:00The 21st Century … and God<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>The God Delusion</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>God is Not Great</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>God: The Failed Hypothesis</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>God Needs to Go</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>How the West Really Lost God</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Is God a Moral Monster?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>God, Are You There?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are just some of the titles one will find in the Christian section of any bookstore. As a society, we seem to be struggling with the concept of God in our modern world and how He fits into our frantic, computerized lives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Our parents never saw this coming,” declares, Jeremy Lallier, writer for <em><a href="http://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/about/" target="_blank">Vertical Thought</a></em> magazine which strives to offer relevant content to help young people ages 12-22 discover and live God's way of life. “They grew up in a world where people stretched a dollar as far as they could, and when something ripped, they put a patch on it and kept going. Most of their parents or grandparents remember living through the Great Depression, where just having anything, no matter how old, was a big deal.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward to 2013 where information that is more than ten minutes old is irrelevant. Everything has gotten faster, sleeker, and more expensive. My word processor (remember those?) from college would be outperformed by most cell phones today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to an eternal God and His Word which is thousands of years old, people take the same view of Him as their six month old electronic device – ancient history.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The argument almost makes sense on the surface,” Lallier surmises. “After all, everything changes, doesn't it? Societal values shift across distance and time. What was acceptable dress in 14th-century Japan would likely be frowned upon in a 21st-century American business meeting. So it only makes sense that right and wrong, like all things societal, would change as a culture does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">But truth is not a suit. It is not an outfit to be mixed and matched, discarded and replaced to keep in step with the latest trends. It's an unchanging constant unaltered by time or culture.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of us believe in the laws of physics – gravity, inertia, relativity – because if we break them the consequences would be dire. But yet we bristle at the idea of unchanging moral laws. We don’t want to be told that we can’t abort our babies or marry who we want, but yet the outcome of such actions will have a predetermined effect. God tells us that if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption (Galatians 6:8).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible is not just a book of rules written by old men once upon a time. “What the Bible offers is a guidebook to interactions – with people, with things, with life in general,” Lallier asserts. “Rather than leave you to figure out the spiritual equivalent of walking off a cliff on your own, the Word of God lays out all the principles you'll ever need to make the important decisions in your life. In its pages, you'll find a thorough examination of what makes for a good idea and what makes for a terrible one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible deals with questions like:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">- What do you do when you're faced with an interpersonal conflict? (See Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">- How should you treat the most important relationships in your life? (See Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">- How can you put your foot down on an issue and still show compassion? (See Luke 17:3; Proverbs 10:12)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It also deals with character traits worth developing (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 2 Peter 1:5-8); habits worth avoiding (Proverbs 6:9-19); friends worth having (Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10), and maybe a thousand other things essential to getting the most out of this life and the next. Study its words for a lifetime, and you won't stop uncovering wisdom until your final breath.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But most importantly, it deals with eternal life and how one can obtain it by having his/her sins forgiven by Jesus Christ and His <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">finished work</a> on the cross.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sure, the Bible is old,” Lallier admits. “But old doesn't automatically mean obsolete, contrary to everything our culture would have us believe.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am not a naïve person. I test out everything in my life. I have tested my faith. I have put God’s Words into motion and have seen the benefits. Might I challenge you to do the same?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It may surprise you to know that the Bible is the most commented on book that has never been read. So many people have a position on the Bible and yet have never read it. Don’t base your chance at happiness in this life – or the next – on someone else’s opinions. Read it for yourself, put it into practice, and watch your life change – for the better.</span><br />
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<em>“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” </em>- Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:16)Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-11799914491470831262013-05-12T07:05:00.000-04:002013-05-27T10:30:50.324-04:00An Uncommon Act of Kindness<span style="font-family: inherit;">A cup of water given to the thirsty; food offered to the hungry; clothes donated to the naked; a visit made to the sick, imprisoned or lonely. These are the uncommon acts of kindness that Jesus uses as His litmus test for genuine faith as found in the Gospel of Matthew <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2025:31-46&version=NKJV" target="_blank">chapter 25</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">None of these acts are miraculous in nature and can be done by anyone, anywhere at any time. They are not limited to social or financial status, gender or ethnic background. Quite simply, the acts themselves are cloaked in love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Such an uncommon act of kindness was performed Monday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco by Matt Kemp, the centerfield for the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kemp was informed during the game that a fan of his was in attendance. But this was not your typical Dodgers fan. It was a boy named Joshua Jones, who is battling cancer which has left him in a wheelchair and unable to speak. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, when the game ended – Kemp had made the last out in a loss, the Dodgers' fourth in a row – he walked over to Joshua in the stands not knowing that he was being <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/viral-video-of-matt-kemp-s-touching-gesture-to-young-fan-catches-dodger-off-guard-004632881.html" target="_blank">videotaped</a> by a spectator ... “Kemp reaches out to shake the Joshua's hand, and instead he gets a baseball, which the boy had in his right hand. Seated below field level, the boy looks with wide eyes as Kemp signs the baseball. The boy beams silently. Kemp returns the ball and then, in a ballpark full only a few minutes before, as onlookers laugh and cheer, Kemp removes his cap and hands it to the boy. He pulls his jersey – No. 27 – over his head and hands that, too, over the rail. And he unties his cleats, pulls off the right and then the left, and gives them to the boy so that his lap is piled with most of Matt Kemp's uniform.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It's just something I felt probably would have cheered him up a little bit,” Kemp said. “Help him out a little bit. I just did it. Hopefully that made that kid's day.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Often, I will hear people say where is God today? Where is our Emmanuel – God is with us? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God was there at AT&T Park after the game ended and the stands emptied. He was there – ministering through Matt Kemp to an ailing boy. And He seeks to minister through us too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many Christians feel they cannot be used by God because they are not rich, famous, smart, eloquent, or good-looking. But God tells us in I Corinthians 1:26-29, “that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">God is not looking for the wise and noble. He is looking for <em>you</em> and me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kemp saw a need that only he could meet and when no one was watching, with his team sitting in last place in the National League West division, he met that need. Joshua Jones may only live a little while longer but he will forever have Kemp’s kindness stamped on his heart. This IS the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">gospel</a>. God’s hands outstretched on the cross begging us to come and receive His love and then bidding us to extend that love to others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Often professional athletes are rightfully labeled as selfish and egotistical – not Matt Kemp. I do not know if he is a Christian but on Monday, May 6 at AT&T Park he passed Jesus’ litmus test for genuine faith. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity, an organization that is now present in more than 133 countries helping to care for children, the sick and the elderly, described her work with the poor and impoverished this way, <em>“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think Matt Kemp’s uncommon act of kindness would have made her smile.</span><br />
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<em>“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” </em>- Mother Teresa<br />
<br />Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-45675241304573883652013-04-23T16:12:00.002-04:002013-05-11T17:06:55.241-04:00Tiny Graces, God IN Us<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>“For we do not have a High Priest [Jesus] who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”</em> (Hebrews 4:15-16). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The terrorist attacks in Boston last week — the first in its long history — sent shock waves through the community. Their visual and visceral impact will stay with its citizens for years to come. Amid the shock, grief and anger, questions of God’s involvement or lack thereof have inevitably surfaced. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where was God? Why did He let this happen? Does God care? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Within the chaos, the mayhem, the senseless deaths and injuries, if you looked close enough you could see Jesus. In fact ... He was everywhere. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw Jesus' heart ... in the heroic men and women <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/16/us/boston-heroes/" target="_blank">rushing to minister</a> to those injured by the explosion – putting their own safety at risk to help the wounded and the frightened by offering whatever they could – a bandage, a cell phone, a cup of orange juice … a hug. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw the feet of Jesus ... at the finish line as throngs of marathon runners who, once they finished the race, kept running to Mass General Hospital to <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/16/boston-marathon-explosions-the-heroes-who-responded-to-the-blasts.html" target="_blank">donate blood</a>. So many came to donate that the Red Cross had to turn some of them away offering the following tweet of gratitude, <em>“Thanks to the generosity of volunteer blood donors, there is currently enough blood on the shelves to meet demand. TY! RedCrossEasternMA.”</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I heard Jesus’ voice ... at the TD Banknorth Garden as more than 18,000 Boston Bruins fans sang one of the most poignant <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TXPgMmzveo" target="_blank">renditions</a> of the national anthem in the history of our country. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw Jesus disguised ... as a police officer <a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/348542" target="_blank">carrying two gallons of milk</a> to a family in Watertown who had run out but were ordered to stay in their homes as law enforcement officials conducted a manhunt in their town. And it was in the arms of a police officer that the children, who lived in the Watertown home where the perpetuator, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was hiding, were <a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/292940/slide_292940_2359882_free.jpg?1366426119000" target="_blank">carried to safety.</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw Jesus’ hands ... among all the Boston hospital care workers who were asked to work tirelessly around the clock for days and days caring for the nearly 300 people who were wounded. In particular, the Beth Israel medical staff who were asked to care for the bleeding and nearly unconscious Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after his arrest. Doctors and nurses tending to the very man that just a few days prior had bombed the city with his brother. Yes, Jesus was there ... in His scrubs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As countless numbers of local and state policeman, military, and FBI agents came together in perfect unity to protect a city, Jesus was there ... in their midst ... as where there is unity the second person of the Triune Godhead is present. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is easy during a time of sudden destruction and disarray to wonder where God is. We would do well to heed the advice of Fred Rodgers from the 60’s iconic children’s show Mister Rodgers Neighborhood. In his, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Rogers-Parenting-Book-Understand/dp/B0002NPFRI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366748666&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Mister+Rogers+Parenting+Book" target="_blank">The Mister Rogers Parenting Book</a> he offers this sage counsel to parents trying to explain tragedies to their children, <em>“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’"</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I would take this advice one step further. When you see scary things <em>look</em> for Jesus. He is there in the common everyday people who are administering His grace and love to others in a time of need. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where was God? He was there in Boston on April 15. He was there in every runner that finished that race at a Red Cross donation center, every spectator that bent down to help someone, every law enforcement officer that put his/her life on the line, every hospital worker that bandaged a wound, and every person who uttered a prayer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quite simply ... Jesus was everywhere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2013/04/16/boston-marathon-acts-of-kindness/" target="_blank">10 Touching Acts of Kindness at the Boston Marathon</a> </span><br />
<br />Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-17354129310394962902013-04-02T18:37:00.000-04:002013-11-18T12:59:24.681-05:00Justice ... Interrupted<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here we are. Forty years since women won the right to abort their babies and we sit on the precipice of another watershed ruling from the Supreme Court. On the docket this time: same-sex marriage.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“This is the new calamity,” </span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">laments evangelical John Piper. “Christians, more clearly than others, can see the tidal wave of pain that is on the way. Sin carries in it its own misery.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Talk show host Rush Limbaugh believes we got to this point due to linguistics, “I maintain to you that we lost the issue when we started allowing the word ‘marriage’ to be bastardized and redefined by simply adding words to it – because marriage is one thing, and it was not established on the basis of discrimination. It wasn’t established on the basis of denying people anything … Marriage is not a tradition that a bunch of people concocted to be mean to other people with. But we allowed the left to have people believe that it was structured that way.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the Supreme Court hears all the evidence to determine whether it should legalize same-sex marriage, the justices will be working in the shadow of a 40-year-old decision: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade" target="_blank">Roe v. Wade</a>, the 1973 ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion. “They thought they were resolving a contentious issue by taking it out of the political process but ended up perpetuating it,” John C. Eastman, the chairman of the National Organization for Marriage and a law professor at Chapman University, said of the justices who decided the abortion case. “The lesson they should draw is that when you are moving beyond the clear command of the Constitution, you should be very hesitant about shutting down a political debate.” <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are at a major crossroads in the history of humanity as this decision looms. Homosexuality has always existed since man has walked the earth and women have always had the right to do whatever they want to their own bodies – pregnant or not. However, no one before us saw the need to legalize either act.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is time to face the facts. We live in an era where the number one cause of death is no longer a disease. More than 50 million babies are aborted annually worldwide by <a href="http://www.worldometers.info/abortions/" target="_blank">conservative estimates</a>. This is roughly the population of England. We are killing a nation of people every year. Let that sink in for a moment. An entire nation … every year. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the opposite end of the spectrum, we are on the verge of legalizing a union between two adults that cannot procreate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many Christians say if gay marriage is legalized then God’s judgment will fall. I say it is already here. Murder on one end; inability to procreate on the other. If you do the math that equals annihilation. God needs to do nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reality that these two rulings could potentially occur 40 years apart is worrisome as the number 40 in the Bible is used by God to represent a period of testing or judgment. The 40 days of rain in the days of the flood were the judgments of God. The 40 years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness were also the judgments of God. Egypt was left desolate for 40 years because of God's judgments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Abortion was passed with the expressed purpose of “helping” women safely terminate a pregnancy if their life was in danger or if they were a victim of rape or incest. Today, <a href="http://knowthelies.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/u-s-abortions-now-over-50-million-how-many-dead-babies-are-enough/" target="_blank">86 percent of abortions</a> are performed out of convenience. Planned Parenthood views abortion as an alternative contraceptive and offers an <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp" target="_blank">abortion pill</a> that women can take at home to end a pregnancy within the first nine weeks. It is one of the most routinely performed surgeries worldwide and is as common as an appendectomy. I think we can agree we have seen God’s judgments within all the ugliness that is abortion.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, what have we learned?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much. Even Boy George, the English singer-songwriter of the 80’s mega pop band “Culture Club” and open homosexual admits that marriage is “probably too conservative for most gays.” But the cry rings out to legalize a union that God calls an <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2018:22&version=NKJV" target="_blank">abomination</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are treading on dangerous ground. We are reaping what we are sowing and the harvest is corruption. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nevertheless, there are no signs of the gay marriage movement slowing down. With that, I echo John Piper’s closing sentiments on this issue, “This is what I am writing for. Not political action, but love for the name of God and compassion for the city of destruction. 'My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law (Psalm 119:136).'” </span></span>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-17877326464600984362013-03-26T08:52:00.001-04:002013-04-02T18:29:23.894-04:00Remembering Holy WeekIn just a few days we will celebrate the one solitary event that distinguishes Christianity from every other word religion - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this miracle that is the pinnacle of a faith based on one's man finished work on the cross to save sinners. Because Christ rose on the third day, we too, as His followers, know that one day we will also rise and be present forever with our Lord and Savior.<br />
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Kay Arthur, international Bible teacher and acclaimed Christian author, has posted a <a href="http://blog.precept.org/home/bid/132350/Palm-Sunday-of-Holy-Week?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Kay&utm_campaign=HS-blog-palm-sunday" target="_blank">blog</a> on Holy Week that I wanted to share. According to Arthur, she wrote this blog help people remember the events that preceded the cross so we can better appreciate the significance of Resurrection Sunday. I hope this is a blessing as we contemplate all that Christ endured for our salvation. Please be sure to read the "readings of the day" that she notes at the end. <br />
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<strong>Holy Week</strong><br />
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This is Holy Week, the week immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many churches as a time to remember the suffering and death of Jesus through various traditions and worship services.<br />
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We are often so focused on the joyful celebrations of Palm Sunday and Easter that we miss the suffering, humiliation and death that are all part of Holy Week. It is important that we place the hope of the Resurrection and the promise of newness of life, against the background of death. As you walk through the shadows and darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday, only then do you really grasp the horror and magnitude of sin and its consequences. Only then can you fully understand the light and hope of Sunday morning!<br />
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This week we’ll take a look at the events which led up to the death of Jesus.<br />
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<strong>Palm Sunday</strong><br />
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross. It is an interesting day, the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as prophesied by Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 9. Entering in this way emphasized the humility that was to characterize the Kingdom He proclaimed. It was a festive time with a parade route strewn with palm branches and the crowds, who were in Jerusalem for Passover, waving palm branches and proclaiming Jesus to be Messiah.<br />
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The irony in all of this was that the very crowds that proclaimed Him king during the parade were mocking Him five days later. They had heard His sermons, been fed with loaves and fishes, were healed of their diseases and delivered of their demons. But as the week went on and things began to change, so did they. Their cries of “Hosanna” turned to shouts of a very different kind: “Crucify Him!”<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2021:1–11&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Matthew 21:1–11</a></strong><br />
1. When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,<br />
2. saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.<br />
3. “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”<br />
4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:<br />
5. “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’ ”<br />
6. The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,<br />
7. and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.<br />
8. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.<br />
9. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!”<br />
10. When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”<br />
11. And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”<br />
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<strong>Readings for the day:</strong><br />
• <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2021:1–11&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Matthew 21:1-11</a><br />
• <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zech.%209:9&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Zechariah 9:9</a><br />
• <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:29-40&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Luke 19:29-40</a><br />
• <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2011:1-10&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Mark 11:1-10</a>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-7362817754286660852013-03-07T07:10:00.002-05:002013-03-23T18:22:09.704-04:00The Gospel According to Jesus<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Pope Benedict announced his resignation this past week. This is the first time a pope has resigned in nearly 600 years. The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII in 1415. He stepped down to end the “Great Western Schism” during which there were rival claims to the papal throne. In 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned after only five months, preferring the simple life of a monk to the majesty of being pope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Benedict resigned because he felt he was too frail to adequately exercise the duties of the Petrine ministry. There are many conspiracy theories circulating – everything from blackmail to pressure from an outside homosexual contingent. <br />
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No matter the reason, the church believes the pope is the successor of Saint Peter whom, according to Roman Catholic teaching, Jesus named as the “shepherd” and “rock” of the Catholic Church. Also, according to Catholic dogma, it is the one true Church founded by Christ. Peter never bore the title of “pope”, which came into use three centuries later, but Catholics traditionally recognize him as the first pope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many Catholics are shocked by this news and are trying to make sense of it through the lens of their faith. A trying time.</div>
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I was raised Catholic and many of my family and friends are Catholic. I have to admit that I struggle when news like this surfaces. It is always challenging trying to figure out exactly what to say that is loving but also firm regarding the purity of the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">gospel message</a> of Christ. And His message is simple - forgiveness of ones sins is available to anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him and His atoning work on the cross, see <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2010:%201-13&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Romans 10:1-13</a>.<br />
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While the Catholic Church does not deny the atoning work of Christ on the cross, it also teaches that in addition to Christ's sacrifice, a person must perform certain works to earn salvation. The words of the Council of Trent – convened to affirm and codify the teaching of the Catholic Church in response to the Reformation – clearly spell out the Catholic version of justification that still stands today. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Hence, to those who work well unto the end and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits.” </i>Salvation in the Catholic system is something you earn “by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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John MacArthur has been writing a series of <a href="http://www.gty.org/blog/catholicchurch" target="_blank">blogs</a> to inform readers of the teachings of the Cathlolic Church and how they differ in relation to the gospel message of Christ. He says the following in regards to the Catholic teaching on how one obtains salvation, “It’s a completely foreign gospel, manufactured by the Catholic Church and able only to condemn, not save. No amount of repetitious prayers, veneration of the saints and other church relics, or masses attended can redeem a sinner’s soul. No priest has the power to forgive sins, and no indulgence bought and paid for can hold back the due punishment of those sins.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coincidently, the pastor of my church has been <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/media/sermons.html" target="_blank">preaching through the Book of Galatians</a>. The Apostle Paul penned this letter to a number of early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia around 200 AD. At the beginning of the letter, Paul is principally concerned with the controversy surrounding Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law in early Christianity. The Judaizers wanted to mix Jewish traditions with the gospel message, thereby, perverting the purity of it. Paul eloquently and fiercely defends the gospel even confronting the Apostle Peter for allowing the heresy to perpetuate. This text clearly shows that the Apostle Peter was not infallible in church matters as Catholic dogma not only teaches, but also believes is passed down to all future popes. This is why it is so important to always examine what the Scripture says and not rely on the traditions of men.</div>
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I wish I could say that Paul’s letter ended this type of attack on the gospel, but sadly, it has only grown worse as the powers of the kingdom of darkness continue to distort it. The Catholic Church, along with any other religion that tells a person they have to do something to earn salvation is preaching a foreign gospel. And this really is the crux of the matter. I often tell my family and friends who are Catholic that in the end all that will matter is what you believe about the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly states that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross at Calvary to pay for the sins of mankind. He rose on the third day and ascended into heaven and promises all those that trust in Him and His finished work on the cross that they too will also one day rise from the dead and be eternally present with God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ephesians 2:8-9 unequivocally states that man can do nothing to earn God's favor for it is “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This is our message. We must hold fast to it, preach it to others as well as to ourselves, but most importantly, live it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We inhabit a world that is very dark and only grows dimmer with every law that is passed that legalizes another sin. Christ told us that He is the Light of the world (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%208:12&version=NKJV" target="_blank">John 8:12</a>). As His followers, we carry that light to others. If you have people in your life that are Catholic <span style="font-family: inherit;">this</span> is the perfect time to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in love. Right now they are searching for answers. Don’t let Rome be the ones feeding them more lies about how to get heaven. The most precious message we possess is the gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Share it today. <br />
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<em>“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”</em> - Patrick Henry </div>
Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-39221587345210826492013-02-08T07:18:00.002-05:002013-03-23T18:31:25.610-04:00Gridiron Gall = God's Glory?<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis" target="_blank">Ray Lewis</a>, the star linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens was interviewed by his former teammate Shannon Sharpe hours prior to Super Bowl 47. Football was not discussed but God's glory was.<br />
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Lewis was asked what he would say to the families of the two men killed in Atlanta after the Super Bowl in 2000. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after that incident. The families have spoken out in the last month including a story in <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/01/10/ray-lewis-baltimore-ravens-atlanta-murder-2000/1566198/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> about Lewis being celebrated for what he has accomplished in the NFL. "It’s simple," Lewis said, "God has never made a mistake. That’s just who He is, you see...To the family, if you knew, if you really knew the way God works, he don’t use people who commits anything like that for His glory. No way. It’s the total opposite."<br />
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What Lewis is implying is that God would not have allowed him to reach such an unprecedented level of success in the NFL if he was culpable in any way for the murders. Incidentally, most football experts consider Lewis to be one of the best middle linebackers to ever play the game. <br />
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But Lewis takes this concept of God's favor one step further by suggesting that his football career has brought glory to God. This fact, in Lewis' mind, vindicates him from that ugly night in Atlanta because, after all, God would not use murderers for His glory even though one third of the Bible is written by murderers. Moses, author of the first five books of the Bible killed an Egyptian slave-master and buried his body in the sand (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%202:12&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Exodus 2:12</a>); King David, author of more than half of the Psalms had Uriah murdered, Bathsheba's husband with whom he had an adulterous affair (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20sam%2011:15&version=NKJV" target="_blank">2 Samuel 11:15</a>); and the Apostle Paul, author of 13 New Testement letters persecuted and killed Christians before his dramatic conversion on the Damascus road (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201:13&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Galatians 1:13</a>).<br />
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What Lewis fails to grasp is that if people are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because they believe God will help them win football games. It's because Jesus Himself is appealing, and what He says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.<br />
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What Christianity really needs is for its members to unflinchingly obey the commands of Jesus Christ and exhibit the abundant life that Jesus spoke of in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2010&version=NKJV" target="_blank">John chapter 10</a>. Shortly before his death, the Marxist leader Lenin said, “Give me ten men like Francis of Assisi and I will rule the world.” It is the power of the life transformed by Jesus Christ that makes the world sit up and take notice not pregame dances and multimillion dollar contracts.<br />
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And to be honest, if the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html" target="_blank">gospel</a> was truly proclaimed many of the folks that claim to be Christian would shrink fast. America has moved so far away from preaching the cross that it is not surprising that our professional athletes who claim the name of Christ do so because they want Him to help them win. English Christian evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill once said, "Christianity is not measured in success but in sacrifice." Truly a lost concept in today's world. <br />
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We need to come to the place where our lives mirror what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him [Jesus] and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” This is our charter as believers. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be ready to obey Christ as unconditionally as the first disciples. That is our calling, not Super Bowl rings. <br />
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<em>“God is able to take your life, with all of the heartache, all of the pain, all of the regret, all of the missed opportunities, and use you for His glory.” </em>- Charles R. Swindoll, <em>Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication </em>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-36974293962983622442013-01-24T17:11:00.000-05:002013-01-28T09:43:53.416-05:00Destiny or Deity?With the Super Bowl fast approaching, the issue of whether or not God is rooting for a particular team to win always seems to surface. It has been perpetuated to new levels the past few weeks by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis" target="'_blank">Ray Lewis</a>, the star linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens who is a professed Christian. During the Ravens playoff run, Lewis has been telling his teammates and media that God has ordained for the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. He has also been quoting Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." I will not take the time to discuss the actual meaning of this verse but I can assure you that it is not about a football game.<br />
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But the question still lingers? Does God care who wins on Super Bowl Sunday? Is God a Baltimore Ravens fan - at least for this season? I really believe the fact that we even ask such a question is indicative of a society that has lost its way. Karl Marx once famously said, "religion is the opiate of the masses.” I would argue that sport is the new religion.<br />
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That being said, the answer to this question is not as simple as it would seem. Many theologians say that the notion of God meddling in a football game trivializes the power of an almighty force. That God might care about a touchdown or an interception offers a far too "mechanistic" view of God, they say.<br />
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"God is not a puppeteer who controls all of our motions and actions," said John Freeman, a professor with the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. "That idea of being controlled takes away free will...It's offensive."<br />
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Conversely, some NFL chaplains - all NFL teams have chaplains, with the exception of the Oakland Raiders - say God's hand is at work. How else to explain that the perennially awful Atlanta Falcons now have a shot at being champions, says their team chaplain, Rev. Charles Collins. "Yes, of course God cares. God cares about everybody and every little thing that happens (in the game)."<br />
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So does God care? Is He the one pulling the strings of mediocrity to ensure the Cleveland Browns - better known as the basement dwellers - never have another winning season? Is He so obsessed with Tom Brady, like the rest of us, that He continues to help him win at an unprecedented clip despite his head coach being Bill Belichick often referred to as Bill Beelzebub by the media for his cold and tight lipped press conferences?<br />
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I found the best answer to this question from R.C. Sproul Jr. who wrote a blog on this very topic during this time last year right after the Denver Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs. He says and I quote:<br />
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"The truth is God does decide, and He does care. He not only decides who will win the Super Bowl, He decides who will win the game of hearts that I play with my children. He decides, or rather decided, everything. There are no places, let alone no playing fields, where God stays on the sidelines. We need to remember that everything that happens must have a sufficient cause. And we must remember that every sufficient cause eventually traces its way back to God before time. This happens because that happened. That happened because this other thing happened. Eventually this takes us to “God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’"<br />
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Of course God works in and through secondary means. He gives the gifts. He creates the weather. The one who numbers the hairs on our heads softens the ground where a defensive back slips, and a playoff game ends on an eighty yard touchdown pass. There is no thing, no cause, over which He is not sovereign.<br />
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Isn’t it, though, somehow beneath His dignity to be concerned with such things? Yes, of course it is. God has only one concern - the manifestation of His glory. And that is how He determines what will happen in a football game, and what will happen in an election, and what will happen in a cancer ward. His goal isn’t ultimately to make little boys in Pittsburgh happy, or little boys in Denver happy. His goal, which cannot be thwarted, is to show forth <strong>who He is.</strong> (emphasis mine)<br />
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Does that mean He plays favorites for the likes of outspoken Christians like Tim Tebow or Drew Brees? Of course. Because God loves those who are His, even as He loves His own Son, God is certain to favor them. That favor, however, isn’t a path to winning a football game, but is instead the path to true victory, becoming more like Jesus. God isn’t glorified in giving Tim Tebow unlikely victories that somehow redound to God’s glory. No, God is glorified in making His children, including Tim Tebow, more like His Son. Sometimes that means leading them to the thrill of victory. Sometimes it means leading them through the agony of defeat." [End quote]<br />
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As I mull over Sproul's assertions which I agree with, I realize the more difficult and pertinent question for me isn’t does God care, but should I? As I stated previously, our society is fixated on sports entertainment. Most see it as an escape from the doldrums of every day life, others view it as a chance to live their dreams through professional athletes. But as a Christian, my most important prayer is not asking for a Patriots victory. No, not even in the Super Bowl. My utmost petition to the throne of grace is for my children to have ears to hear the <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/about-us/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ.html%22target=%22'_blank%22" target="_blank">gospel</a>, a heart to believe it, and grace to accept His providence in all things, even when the Patriots lose.<br />
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<em>“Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”</em> - Charles ReadeAnne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-39994717885513954912012-12-23T08:18:00.000-05:002012-12-26T07:19:55.201-05:00The Unseen MurdererFirst, it is good to be back. I have not blogged in a few months because I had my third daughter, Mariella, in June. Needless to say, things have been hectic since her arrival but she is an absolute joy and an amazing blessing from the Lord. <br />
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During my time away, much has transpired in the world, most recently the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html" target="'_blank">school shooting</a> at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. For so many reasons these events have been tragic and hard to understand especially since the perpetrator shot himself and his mother leaving us with few answers as to why he would open gun fire on children. The Pastor of my church gave a poignant sermon last week entitled, <a href="http://www.calvarybaptistchurchonline.com/media/sermons.html" target="'_blank">“Turn Toward Jesus.”</a> I would encourage you to listen to it as he deals with the origination of evil, the effects of sin on God’s creation, Jesus Christ as the only remedy for sin, and Jesus’ compassion toward those who suffer. <br />
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As the news media has swirled, and everything has been discussed from gun control to better mental health awareness, one issue has not been discussed that needs some solemn consideration. <br />
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This year in the US alone, more than one million abortions have been performed. Every 95 seconds an abortion is executed. This means that approximately every 30 minutes of EVERY day 20 babies are murdered, the same number of children that were murdered at Sandy Hook. More than 50 million babies have been slaughtered since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. <br />
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Perhaps one of the reasons 20 year old Adam Lanza decided to open fire on an elementary school is because we, as a society, have so little regard for human life. I heard one newscaster say that children are supposed to be safe at school. Indeed. And they are also supposed to be safe in the womb. My founding pastor once said that when abortion was passed the sacredness of life outside of the womb will suffer as a result. He could not have been more right. <br />
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We want to blame violent video games, poor parenting, and mental health drugs for this tragedy when just a few weeks ago we voted in a man for president that used abortion as the very platform for his campaign. Republicans and Democrats debated for months whether a woman who is raped should have to carry the baby, skillfully ignoring the elephant in the room as more than 86 percent of all abortions are voluntary and performed out of convenience and are not the result of rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life. But this is what we do. We focus on the peripheral in an effort to ignore the gruesome reality – we are a society of murderers. We look at 20-year-old Adam Lanza and render him an evil monster, and yet, we approve whole heartedly for the murder of millions of babies every year soothing our consciences with the perverted belief that women have the right to decide life or death. <br />
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In Romans chapter one, verses 28-32, the Apostle Paul gives a detailed account of the sins of a society that has forsaken God, “<em>And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them</em>.” Pretty grim picture, I know. And this list so aptly describes the present state of our nation which often leaves me wondering if we are on the precipice of another dark age. <br />
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But there is hope. A sure hope in the person of Jesus Christ. <br />
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As we come to the birthday of our Lord in just of couple of days, it is important to remember that God lowered Himself and became man to save sinners. It is in Him alone that we find the solution to this mess. He is our Hope, our Deliverer, our Prince of Peace. He walked this earth too and witnessed tragedies like Sandy Hook. In fact, after Jesus was born, King Herod had all the baby boys age two and under killed in effort to keep the Messiah from arriving during his reign (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%202&version=NKJV" target="'_blank">Matthew 2:16-18</a>). This is why Jesus willingly went to the cross. To defeat sin and death. It is at the cross that we find healing for our brokenness and where we find mercy and grace in a time of need. <br />
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Please join me this Christmas season in praying for all the families that were victimized by the events at Sandy Hook. Let’s also pray that God will use it to rip away the sin veil from our nation’s eyes and bring to light His holiness, grace, and mercy. <br />
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I want to close with a prayer from the Christian author Max Lucado, which I feel perfectly sums up our petition this Christmas season: <br />
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<em>Dear Jesus, </em><br />
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<em>It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately. </em><br />
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<em>These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated. </em><br />
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<em>The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation? </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.</em> <br />
<br />
<em>Hopefully, </em><br />
<em>Your Children</em> Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-8351083491814804582012-06-12T15:41:00.000-04:002012-06-25T20:14:56.970-04:00"I Don't Do Poor"I was at a friend's social engagement recently and found myself sitting next to two women who were discussing the best places to go on vacation. One woman mentioned that the Dominican Republic was a fantastic place to go and relax for a week. After a long pause, the other woman said, “I have heard good things about the Dominican Republic but I don't do poor.” She continued to say that she would rather not vacation around poor people because she prefers pristine resorts that feature all the latest comforts and accommodations.
I must admit that her comments have been ringing through my mind for the last few weeks as I contemplated all that was behind her statement, “I don't do poor.”<br />
<br />
My first thought was that most Americans probably feel as she does - “If I am going to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation, I don't want to be around poor people the whole week.” Perhaps the constant reminder that Americans live better than most of the world would dampen the good time or the fact that the money spent on a typical American vacation could feed a family in a third world country for years.<br />
<br />
In the Book of Daniel chapter four, verse 27 we read the following, “Therefore, O King let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.” These words were uttered by Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon as a warning for him to repent or else God would take his kingdom. God exhorts Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his sins, practice righteousness and show mercy to the poor. One of the first warning signs that we have become corrupted by our culture is that we lose touch with the poor. We become detached and uncaring because of our own wealth.<br />
<br />
Philip Yancey in his book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Survivor-Thirteen-Unlikely-Mentors/dp/1578568188/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339529367&sr=1-1" target="'_blank">Soul Survivor</a>” poignantly distinguishes the rich from the poor by stating that if a person has the resources to buy a book and the education to read it, he or she is part of a small privileged population. This fact stunned me. This seemingly simple act that Americans do every day – buy or borrow a book and read it separates us from the majority of the world who do not even have access to books much less the money to buy one or the education to read it.<br />
<br />
So this begs the question of why did God tell Nebuchadnezzar to show mercy to the poor? I believe the answer is much deeper than just seeking to meet the needs of others. Isaiah 58:10-11 holds the answer, “If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones, you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”<br />
<br />
Part of ministering to the poor is for our own healing to keep us from self-consumption. It takes the focus off of self and puts it on others which echoes the kingdom principles outlined by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7. It also creates within us a thankful heart as we come to acutely understand all of God's blessings upon our lives. In addition, it teaches us sacrificial giving which I have found in my own life to be the greatest key to sustained joy as God's presence is manifested in a life that pours itself into another.<br />
<br />
As you go through your day, I hope and pray that you will consider the poor both overseas and in your own neighborhood. There are many Americans who are struggling these days due to the harsh economic conditions. Take the time to find out the needs of others and ask God to make you the vessel by which they are met. In the process you will grow closer to God and He will draw closer to you.<br />
**********************************************************<br />
<span class="text Prov-19-17" id="en-ESV-16943"><i>"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the <span style="font-size: small;">Lord</span>, </i></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-19-17"><i>and He <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-16943B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>will
repay him for his <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-16943C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>deed."</i> - Proverbs 19:17</span></span>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-33213297383434795882012-06-02T15:30:00.002-04:002012-06-12T15:43:43.425-04:00The Favor of God<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
This word – FAVOR – can change your life. In the Old
Testament it means grace, charm, acceptance, goodwill or desire. In the New
Testament, “favor” is from the Greek word “Charis” or “Grace.” It is the divine
influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life; the spiritual
condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. Lance Wallnau may have
defined God’s favor the best when he said, “Favor is the special affection of
God toward you that releases an influence on you, so that others are inclined
to like you, or to cooperate with you.”</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Favor is different from grace, although it comes from the
same root word. Grace is undeserved, unmerited. But the Bible is full of instruction
about how we can <i>obtain</i> favor. Often
I think we believe that God’s favor is reserved for the giants of the faith,
i.e. Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Nehemiah, Mary, Paul or John. These luminaries we
know God granted favor to but we also realize that we are not in their spiritual
class. We need to remember, however, that God's favor is not
reserved just for the gifted of the flock. It is available to all of us no
matter our stature. But how do we get it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many Scriptures which teach that favor is obtained
by the righteous, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You
will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12). “And if you faithfully obey
the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I
command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of
the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). “When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes
even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There really is no magic formula when it comes to God’s
favor. He bestows it on anyone who favors Him and His commandments. In Matthew
6:33 we are told to put the kingdom of first and “all these things will be
added unto you.” These “things” are referring to our physical needs – food,
water, clothing and shelter. So we see that God will continually bless our
lives even down to our basic needs IF we put His kingdom first in our lives.
And I think this is where most of us struggle. The cares and trials of this
world seemingly make it impossible to put the things of God first, yet this is
how we obtain His favor. Of course, this makes perfect sense as God wants a
relationship with us not just a token hour of worship each Sunday. He wants
what is important to Him to be important to us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have found in my own life that as I have walked in
obedience, God will meet my needs and the needs of my family in ways I would
never have expected. Just this past week, I had a friend who I have only known
for a few months give me bags of clothes and toys for my daughters because her
daughter had outgrown them. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I have
toward this woman as we are not in a financial position to be able to afford to
buy such things right now. This is just a simple example but I found a
wonderful list of what God’s favor can do in your life. I have included it
below. I hope it is a blessing as you realize all that God wants to bestow upon your life as you commit to following Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What God’s Favor Can
Do in Your Life<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Produce supernatural promotion and increase (Gen 39:21)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Bring restoration of everything the enemy has stolen
(Exodus 3:21)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Bring honor in the midst of adversaries (Exodus 11:3)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Produce increased
assets (Deuteronomy 33:23)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. Give great and unusual victories even against impossible
odds (Joshua 6:20; 10: 9, 20)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. Give recognition and promotion even when you seem to the
least likely one to receive it <br />
(1 Samuel 16:22)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. Produce prominence and preferential treatment, favor and
kindness (Esther 5:8)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. Get petitions granted, even by ungodly civil authority
(Esther 5:8)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. Change rules, regulations, even laws if necessary to your
advantage (Esther 8:5)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10. Win battles you did not even have to fight because God
will fight them for you (Psalm 44:3)<o:p></o:p><br />
***********************************************************<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope.”</i> - Jeremiah 29:11<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-12836020647100186172012-04-24T10:40:00.000-04:002012-06-17T08:18:49.995-04:00The War Against God’s Word Continues…<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past week, a friend of mine forwarded me a link to a
<i>CNN</i> article entitled, “<a href="http://www.thebostonchannel.com/entertainment/30927712/detail.html?treets=bos&tid=2655182989813&tml=bos_ent&tmi=bos_ent_1_09550204202012&ts=H" target="'_blank">New Bible Translation Omits 'Christ,' 'Apostle'.” </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story is about a new Bible translation that has been compiled
by Professor David Capes, a New Testament teacher at Houston Baptist University.
The translation is called “The Voice” which according to Capes is marketed
toward people who own a Bible but have never read it because they feel it is
too difficult to understand. His goal was to emphasize the “meaning” behind the
words. To this end, The Voice does not include the words “angel”, “apostle”, or
“Christ.” Capes goes on to say that “We ... made that strategic decision, not
to transliterate, but to translate everything, to give them the meaning of the
text, and to give them the sense of where the story ... is going.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I read this article, I could not help but think some things
never change. In Genesis 3:1, Satan disguised as a serpent tells Eve, “Has God
indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Since man has been created, Satan has been
attacking God’s Word to keep man in darkness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why Capes and his editing team felt people could not
understand the words “angel”, “apostle,” or “Christ” is stunning. To then state
that the impetus behind his translation was the fact that people who own a
Bible do not read it because it is apparently too hard to understand is ludicrous.
The Bible itself tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 that the gospel is veiled to the
unbelieving world because Satan has blinded them, “But even if our gospel is
veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this
age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Christianity is not a numbers game. Our goal as followers of
Christ, especially a teacher of the New Testament like Capes should never be to
water down the Word of God in an effort to attract people to the gospel
message. Shortly before his death, the Marxist leader Lenin said, “Give me ten
men like Francis of Assisi and I will rule the world.” It is the power of the
life transformed by Jesus Christ that makes the world sit up and take notice
not massaging God’s Word to make it more palatable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus never compromised on doctrine. Never. He knew the
result would mean more souls would perish. The Apostle Paul emphasized this
exact point to his young protégé Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but
be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith,
in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Take
heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you
will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-13; 16).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The greatest need in the church today is not increased
membership and certainly not at the expense of altering God’s Word. We need to
come to the place where our lives mirror what the Apostle Paul said in
Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him [Jesus] and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death.” This is our charter as believers. We are not called to be marketers of
Jesus Christ, we are called to become <i>like </i>Jesus Christ. A tall order indeed
but this is the narrow road that leads to eternal life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-82907971986617769912012-03-03T19:00:00.010-05:002012-03-03T19:11:34.443-05:00Babble on in BabylonThis past week a friend of my let me borrow her copy of Beth Moore’s DVD series entitled “<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/daniel-lives-integrity-words-prophecy-leader/9781415825891/pd/825890" target="'_blank">Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy</a>.” The DVDs are part of a study set for studying the Book of Daniel. If you are a person who is interested in understanding this wonderful prophetic book of the Old Testament, I would highly encourage that you purchase this study set. The lessons are designed to be a faith-building study of prophecy, while encouraging participants to learn how to shine for Christ in our modern culture. The Leader's Kit includes six DVDs that feature a teaching session on each of the 12 chapters in the Book of Daniel, one Member Book, and one Leader's Guide.<br />
<br />
Throughout the study, Moore continually compares ancient Babylon to modern day America and the parallels are stunning. She challenges her audience to live a life like Daniel that is uncompromising in nature in the face of a culture that seeks to indoctrinate its members toward self-indulgent ideals.<br />
<br />
During one of the sessions, Moore read a poem entitled “Babble on in Babylon” that was submitted by one of her students that perfectly describes our “me-first” culture where self and individually reign supreme. I was so struck with its content that I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope it helps lift the veil of our society that so closely mirrors Daniel’s environment. My prayer for my own life as well as for believers around the world is that all of us will become mini-Daniels in our walk with the Lord, affecting our culture for God as opposed to having our culture affect us. <br />
<br />
<em><strong>Babble on in Babylon</strong></em><br />
<em>Brimming closets, shoe racks bulge, one in every color, I’ll just indulge.</em><br />
<em>My wildest whim will oft be met, bigger, faster, give me, get.</em><br />
<em>Travel on in Babylon.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>May I go first? Knew you’d not care, for my time’s precious. You’ve lots to spare.</em><br />
<em>I’ll slip in front and off I’ll go. See, I’m quite fast and well, you’re quite slow.</em><br />
<em>I and me fast friends, life-long.</em><br />
<em>Prattle on in Babylon.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Nip it here, just there a lift. I just turned forty, it was a gift.</em><br />
<em>The eyes, the lips, the bosoms do, sculptured, lasered, injected, too.</em><br />
<em>No wrinkles left, the tummy’s gone.</em><br />
<em>Journey on in Babylon.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Enough of me, how do you view me?</em><br />
<em>You get one, but give me three.</em><br />
<em>I couldn’t bare to just say no, it’s my desire and rightly so.</em><br />
<em>Add another and on and on.</em><br />
<em>Shuffle on in Babylon.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>No end in sight that I can see, today is blocked by the mirror in front of me.</em><br />
<em>A wreck, a death, tsunami tide, it mildly stirs me, I must confide.</em><br />
<em>TV claims tens of thousands gone.</em><br />
<em>Oh well, let’s see what else is on.</em><br />
<em>Numb to the stunning sight of each new dawn,</em><br />
<em>Sinking fast in Babylon.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Like a lobster in a pot who begins to like the water hot,</em><br />
<em>I’ve been duped, been tricked, been had, convinced that truth was somehow bad.</em><br />
<em>Evil, coddled and cooed and purred, and beckoned me and called and lured.</em><br />
<em>Now in a place with the lights turned on, I’m racing home from Babylon.</em><br />
<em>I’m racing home from Babylon.</em><br />
<br />
- Lynn ParkerAnne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-86083290716886568332012-02-15T14:03:00.003-05:002014-07-05T06:58:49.423-04:00A Voice SilencedJust a few days ago the entertainment industry lost one of its brightest stars, Whitney Houston at the young age of 48. <br />
<br />
Houston was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all time. Her awards include two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards in her lifetime. Houston was also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. <br />
<br />
On February 11, she was found dead in a suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, submerged in the bathtub. The cause of death is still being determined.<br />
<br />
Few people may know that Whitney Houston was raised a Baptist. She was born in a middle-income neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, the third and youngest child of Army serviceman and entertainment executive John Russell Houston, Jr. and gospel singer Cissy Houston (née Emily Drinkard). Her mother, along with cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all notable figures in the gospel, rhythm and blues, pop, and soul genres. <br />
<br />
At the age of 11, Houston began to follow in her mother's footsteps and started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano. Her first solo performance in the church was “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” In addition to her mother, Franklin, and Warwick, Houston was also exposed to the music of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack, most of whom would have an impact on her as a singer and performer.<br />
<br />
But as is this case with so many American pop stars, she chose a life of addiction at a young age. She admitted that she began experimenting with drugs during the filming of the movie <em>The</em> <em>Bodyguard</em> in 1992. When filming was finished she began doing hard core drugs like cocaine on a regular basis. It was also during this time that she met her future husband Bobby Brown formerly of the pop star band New Edition, who was also a drug addict himself. What ensued were many years of drug abuse that ruined her vocal chords and ultimately led to her death this past week. She is survived by her only daughter, Bobby Kristina who is 18 and was last seen checking herself into a hospital to deal with the trauma of losing her mother so unexpectantly.<br />
<br />
Throughout her career, Houston often spoke of Jesus and her upbringing as a Baptist. Her friends said that before she passed she spoke about looking forward to meeting Jesus in person upon her death. I do not pretend to know when it was that Houston departed from the faith that she was raised with but it undoubtedly happened along the way to fame and fortune that led her to a life of misery and stole her most precious gift – her voice. The Bible talks about a path in life that many people choose that seems right in their own eyes but it ultimately leads to death (Proverbs 14:12). <br />
<br />
Life is full of choices. One well known author once said, “In the end, our life will be a sum of our choices.” For Whitney Houston, she made far too many poor choices and reaped the cost at the age of 48. <br />
<br />
Just a couple of years ago, Houston said on the Oprah Winfrey show that she began taking drugs not for fun but to mask her pain. It was such a tragic statement that it had me scratching my head as to what pain she was speaking of. But as I thought further, the answer became obvious. When a person is raised with the truth of the gospel and then rejects it, they spend the rest of their lives trying to fill the void that is only satisfied by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. <br />
<br />
Houston, of course, due to her fame and money had the opportunity to fill her life with things that most people can only dream about – a private jet, vacations to the most luxurious vacation spots in the world, access to the drugs of her choice with no limitations. This is why King Solomon who was the riches man to ever walk the earth and denied himself nothing that his eyes laid upon, said in the Book of Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” As he looked back over his life, he concluded the book with the following statement, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)<br />
<br />
Just two years ago, the entertainment industry lost pop icon and R&B king Michael Jackson at the age of 50. Jackson, like Houston, also died because of repeated drug abuse. <br />
<br />
The story seems all too common in our culture today but it still points us back as believers to the words of Christ in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus is not just offering eternal life but the abundant life right here, right now to all those who will put their faith and trust in Him. Within His commands one finds true liberty and freedom and the blessings of God. I pray if you do not know Him that you come to know the Prince of Peace today (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2010:9-10&version=NKJV" target="'_blank">Romans 10:9-10</a>). If you do know him as Savior and Lord of your life, please make it a point to tell others to keep them off the broad road that leads to destruction.Anne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-60961913150141489112012-01-19T18:40:00.008-05:002012-01-21T18:17:32.584-05:00Reflecting on Tebow TimeAs the NFL football season winds down over the next couple of weeks, it is hard not to look back on the season without first thinking of Tim Tebow. The first thing that comes to mind is his clutch play-making abilitites that helped the Denver Broncos go from a 1-4 record to AFC West Division champions, but in light of his on-field success, his faith may have spoken louder than his play. <br />
<br />
Most people know Tebow from his college football days at Florida University where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and the BCS National Championship in 2007 and 2009. After graduating, he was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. <br />
<br />
What is infinitely more interesting about Tebow than his decorated football career is his life story. Tebow was born in Makati City in the Philippines, to American parents who were serving as Baptist missionaries at the time. His mother, Pamela Elaine is the daughter of a U.S. Army colonel, and his father, Robert Ramsey Tebow II, is a pastor. While pregnant, his mother suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors had expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion, even though illegal in the Phillipines, to protect her life, but she decided not to have one. The child born was Tim Tebow. He is the youngest of five children, all of whom were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family's Christian beliefs along the way.<br />
<br />
If you had a chance to listen to any of Tebow’s interviews you would know that he begins each interview by thanking his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He also has become famously known for “Tebowing” which is when he kneels to pray after a scoring drive. The NFL became enamored with him because of his unorthodox style of play (he is a run first quarterback) and his faith. <br />
<br />
Many athletes over the years have been Christians but none have put their faith front and center the way Tebow did this past season. During many of his interviews, he stressed that football was second in life to his faith and that he plans on using his football success as a platform to help others less fortunate than himself. He has already put this into practice. Each week before the Denver Broncos football game, he would fly a disabled or handicapped person to the game (many of them children), put them and their family up in a hotel, and personally meet them after the game. <br />
<br />
When his teammates were asked what it was like to play with him, almost all of them commented on his faith, noting that his Christian beliefts appeared to be his source of strength. To say he inspired his teammates would be an understatement. Prior to the Broncos making him the starter in week 6, the team was off to an abysmal start, only winning one of their first five games. When Tebow took over, the team won seven of its next eight games with five of the wins coming down to late drives engineered by Tebow in the fourth quarter to win. Yet, during all of the hype and hoopla, Tebow always gave praise to his Lord and Savior and remained humble in victory.<br />
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As someone who has been a Christian for more than 20 years, Tebow has been quite an inspiration to me. As a diehard football fan, I never thought I would see the sport I love intersect with my faith in such a powerful way. It reminds me of the parable of the wicked vinedressers in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2021:33-46&version=NKJV" target="'_blank">Matthew 21:33-46</a>. The parable speaks of a landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. He leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. When vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. But to his surprise and shock, the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. He sent more servants, more than the first, and they killed them as well. Finally, he sent his son thinking they would at least respect his son but the Scripture says that when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.” So they took the son and killed him.<br />
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In this parable, the vinedresser is God the Father and the servants are the prophets. The Son is Jesus Christ. This story illustrates God’s repeated attempts at reaching the nation Israel with His gospel message and their utter rejection. When I see Tim Tebow, I think of God sending someone to reach the football community. Don't laugh. The NFL is the number one sport in America. The Super Bowl is the most watched event every year on television. Last year alone, the game was broadcast in 110 countries. And here comes Tim Tebow with the gospel message and the life to illustrate its power. A man who was supposed to be aborted, alive and playing professional football and witnessing for the Lord. The Bible tells us that God often uses the foolish things of the world to confuse the wise and that he takes individuals of no report, of no status or reputation and uses them for His glory. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)<br />
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I ask you to join me in praying for Tim Tebow. This off-season and next season will be a whirlwind for him. Please pray for his faith, his testimony, and his efforts to reach the lost. I may be a diehard New England Patriots fan, but I am rooting and praying fervently for Tim Tebow not to win football games but to bring glory to the Savior.<br />
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<em>"The believer does not use God's power; God's power uses him."</em> <br />
- Kenneth WuestAnne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7532519418211262714.post-47345977048275789762012-01-06T18:56:00.004-05:002012-01-07T20:13:41.543-05:00By Way of PrayerI have recently read a couple of books on prayer and have been contemplating my own prayer life in light of what the Bible teaches. It is interesting to note that Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach but He did teach them how to <em>pray</em>. Prayer is the means that God Himself has instituted to perform the will of heaven on earth. How it all works is hard to really put your finger on exactly just like so many other spiritual realities, but nonetheless, we can be assured that when we pray angels and demons are moved into action.<br />
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But why does it seem that so often our prayers never reach higher than the ceiling? I think James 5:16 provides a clue, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The key word being “righteous.” Our prayers are only as effective as our life is holy and obedient to God. Of course, Jesus tells that if we put His kingdom first than all things will be added unto us. The Apostle John echoes this same sentiment when He tells us in his first epistle, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)<br />
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Do you see a pattern emerging? If our prayers are to be heard then they need to be according to the will of God which is only possible if we are abiding in Christ. In other words, God is not obligated to answer any prayer from anyone who is not following His commands. I would also go one step further and add that if we are not following Christ then it is impossible for us to even ask the Lord for the right things in our lives or the lives of others. And I believe this point is paramount. Many of the prayers in the Bible are intercessory in nature. The praying person is praying for someone else. Abraham prayed for Lot and spared him from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses prayed for the people of Israel after they had erected the golden the calf and the Lord spared their lives because of Moses petition. <br />
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Our prayer life becomes strangely void of self the closer we are to God because he lays His will on our hearts. This is not to say that we are not to pray for ourselves as the Lord tells us to bring all our cares to Him but I have found in my own walk that the closer I am to the Lord the things that burden the Lord’s heart become my prayers. So often in mid-sentence my prayer will change as the Holy Spirit prompts the prayer that is most needful.<br />
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The Bible also admonishes us to prayer fervently and unceasingly. Prayer is to be the central focus of lives as believers. We see this in Acts chapter 6 when the church was in its infancy and it was brought to the apostles attention that the widows were being neglected. The apostles called the other disciples and told them to appoint seven men to help minister to the widows so they could give themselves completely to the ministry of the Word and prayer. Right here we see the importance of prayer as the apostles understood that it was critical that they did not neglect this area as the power of God over the church was at stake. <br />
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We seem to have lost this sense of urgency regarding prayer in today’s churches. I am not sure if it is because we do not believe in the power of prayer as much anymore or if it is because we have gotten too busy with life or even the ministry. It is critical that we get back to constant communion with God. I know it is something I want to be a focus in 2012. I hope it is for you as well.<br />
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<i>"Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces." - </i>S.D. GordonAnne Marie Donadiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484857674628173117noreply@blogger.com0