I wish I would have been able to get to post this yesterday, but alas, I was not able.
Today is the day that Jews and many Christians observe Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement. God gave instructions to the Hebrews in Leviticus:
Chapter 16:
29 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves [b] and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.
Chapter 23:
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, [d] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
Most Christians do not observe any of the Jewish holy days, holidays, or festivals. A few observe some of them. Yom Kippur is one of those holy days that is right for Christians to observe. Once a year (at least) it is right for us to deny ourselves (fast) and spend time with God in earnest prayer.
Showing posts with label Religion and Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion and Faith. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Obama's Blasphemy
President Obama's statement to a group of Rabbis as reported by Politico on August 19:
"We are God's partners in matters of life and death."
I do not wish to say anything further right now.
"We are God's partners in matters of life and death."
I do not wish to say anything further right now.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Isaiah 43
First, let me apologize for my failure to write recently. Sometimes the time or muse just is not there.
I haven't written much in these spaces about matters of faith. Today I am going to do a little of that. I was very delighted with my churches contemporary worship service today. The word was brought straight from scripture all throughout the service.Mrs. Okra is very stand-off-ish when it comes to practices such as responsive readings. The sermon was a breakdown of the importance of the Truth contained in The Apostles' Creed. When Mrs. Okra recognized that we were going to be reciting the Creed, she was not so excited. I believe that the Apostles' Creed is very important to the Christian church across the world. It states precisely the elements that unite and save us as Christians. Pastor Fleming, in examining the parts of the Creed, not only alluded to various scriptures, but directly quoted countless times the scriptures that are not just the capstones of the Creed, but are the entirety of it.
Pastor Fleming preached the same message at all the services and the music at the traditional service was fantastic. The minister of music, Andy Bayles, blessed the congregation with his performing of "Amazing Grace." The anthem, Hayes' arrangement of "In Christ Alone," was powerful, and the words are perfect. "I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ!" It goes on so wonderfully.
It was the contemporary service, however, that resurrected my muse. We closed with "My God Reigns," which is a proud proclamation of the fact that we serve the victor. Ms. Amy Hoyle blessed us with a great musical selection and proclaimed beautifully that, "The Love of the Lord Endures."
It was the praise and worship that first inspired me. One of the songs that we sang together was "Isaiah 43." I am fond of this song, not because of its sirring music, for the music is not particularly profound, but because it is ALL SCRIPTURE. Not only is it all scripture, but it is scripture that bore meaning to the Israelites in Persia 700 years before the birth of Christ, to the early Christians, and to the Jews and Christians of today. Isaiah 43 speaks of how the Israelites were ransomed by God because the Persians were given the people from Egypt, Cush, and Arabia to take the place of the Israelite captives. Hell was given the spotless Christ to take the place of us people (who deserved what Christ received) so that we can live forever with God. Christ did go on to defeat his Captivator on the third day.
The 43rd chapter of Isaiah tells us, as it did the Israelites, not to fear. God has redeemed us and is with us. He calls us by name. We are His. When we pass through the waters, the waves will not overcome us. When we walk through the fire, we will not be burned and the flames will not consume us. When we face trials, He is with us. Do not fear, for He is the Lord.
I haven't written much in these spaces about matters of faith. Today I am going to do a little of that. I was very delighted with my churches contemporary worship service today. The word was brought straight from scripture all throughout the service.Mrs. Okra is very stand-off-ish when it comes to practices such as responsive readings. The sermon was a breakdown of the importance of the Truth contained in The Apostles' Creed. When Mrs. Okra recognized that we were going to be reciting the Creed, she was not so excited. I believe that the Apostles' Creed is very important to the Christian church across the world. It states precisely the elements that unite and save us as Christians. Pastor Fleming, in examining the parts of the Creed, not only alluded to various scriptures, but directly quoted countless times the scriptures that are not just the capstones of the Creed, but are the entirety of it.
Pastor Fleming preached the same message at all the services and the music at the traditional service was fantastic. The minister of music, Andy Bayles, blessed the congregation with his performing of "Amazing Grace." The anthem, Hayes' arrangement of "In Christ Alone," was powerful, and the words are perfect. "I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ!" It goes on so wonderfully.
It was the contemporary service, however, that resurrected my muse. We closed with "My God Reigns," which is a proud proclamation of the fact that we serve the victor. Ms. Amy Hoyle blessed us with a great musical selection and proclaimed beautifully that, "The Love of the Lord Endures."
It was the praise and worship that first inspired me. One of the songs that we sang together was "Isaiah 43." I am fond of this song, not because of its sirring music, for the music is not particularly profound, but because it is ALL SCRIPTURE. Not only is it all scripture, but it is scripture that bore meaning to the Israelites in Persia 700 years before the birth of Christ, to the early Christians, and to the Jews and Christians of today. Isaiah 43 speaks of how the Israelites were ransomed by God because the Persians were given the people from Egypt, Cush, and Arabia to take the place of the Israelite captives. Hell was given the spotless Christ to take the place of us people (who deserved what Christ received) so that we can live forever with God. Christ did go on to defeat his Captivator on the third day.
The 43rd chapter of Isaiah tells us, as it did the Israelites, not to fear. God has redeemed us and is with us. He calls us by name. We are His. When we pass through the waters, the waves will not overcome us. When we walk through the fire, we will not be burned and the flames will not consume us. When we face trials, He is with us. Do not fear, for He is the Lord.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
How Jeremiah is Relevent Today
First, let me apologize for taking six days between posts. I may not have many readers out there, but I might have a few. Its been a week filled with work, week 1 of Disciple Bible Study, and a lack of muse, so to speak.
Now, onto things that matter. In Jeremiah 23, God tells the Hebrew people:
Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams. They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least.
Declares the Lord, in verse 32.
Immediately our president and the leaders of Congress came into my mind when I red this passage this morning. I think of the rhetoric and bold-faced lies being thrown about concerning health care (d/r)eform. Through Jeremiah, God is warning his people about false prophets who speak of magical, Utopian ideas and only tell the masses what they want to hear. There are many examples of such idea politicking, it is not just a phenomenon common to Washington D.C. It just seems to show up most often in D.C.
Friends, it is up to us to actively seek out God and listen to his direction. We must follow the command God gives us in II Chronicles, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Pray for our country. Pray for our country's leaders. Repent. A common theme of the prophets is repent and turn from our ways of sin. Repent and Pray.
Now, onto things that matter. In Jeremiah 23, God tells the Hebrew people:
Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams. They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least.
Declares the Lord, in verse 32.
Immediately our president and the leaders of Congress came into my mind when I red this passage this morning. I think of the rhetoric and bold-faced lies being thrown about concerning health care (d/r)eform. Through Jeremiah, God is warning his people about false prophets who speak of magical, Utopian ideas and only tell the masses what they want to hear. There are many examples of such idea politicking, it is not just a phenomenon common to Washington D.C. It just seems to show up most often in D.C.
Friends, it is up to us to actively seek out God and listen to his direction. We must follow the command God gives us in II Chronicles, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Pray for our country. Pray for our country's leaders. Repent. A common theme of the prophets is repent and turn from our ways of sin. Repent and Pray.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Entitlement Syndrome
San Francisco 49ers #1 Draft pick is a prime example of one of the major flaws impacting America today. The former Texas Tech University star wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, is yet to sign a contract with the 49ers, who have the exclusive rights to sign him. Crabtree is threatening to hold out all year and re-enter the NFL draft next year if the Niners fail to offer him the money that he says he "deserves." Crabtree is yet to prove a thing about himself and his ability to compete in the NFL except that he has a star sized ego. The since of entitlement displayed in the sentiment that he is "owed" a certain exorbitant amount before having earned anything is, unfortunately not unique to Crabtree. We each see it everyday in the people we interact with. Most everyone seems to think that they are entitled to certain privileges and prizes. Sometimes they believe the government owes them, other times it is their employer, or some other party. None of these people have done anything to deserve these rewards, in fact the Bible tells us that what we deserve is eternal damnation. I believe this entitlement sentiment is getting us further into trouble. Where is personal responsibility?
If I were the 49ers, I would hold Crabtree to his word and make him sit out all year. They will have greater success without him and he is ruining his own chances for finding a team that will welcome him in the future.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
New Racism - The Confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor
New racism is just as bad as old racism. And now, the U.S. Senate is supporting it. Today, the senate voted 68 - 31 to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. I believe this is a terrible precedent. The nine republicans who rejected their principles (part of the reason I do not claim to be a republican, but rather a conservative) will be listed later.
Sotomayor is one of the justices who decided that the Connecticut fire department that threw out the results of the promotion exam due to the fact that only one minority candidate scored a grade worthy of promotion was legitimate. It was a case of racism that was later overruled by a higher court. The racism was against the 16 white males who worked hard and scored a grade that would have made them eligible (out of 17 total who passed, the other was an Hispanic male).
Sotomayor is also the justice who as a guest lecturer stated that a wise Latina's experiences would lend her to make better decisions than a white male. She is stating publicly, as a guest lecturer at university campuses, that she is racist.
One of the characteristics of Sotomayor that President Obama stated publicly as a reason for her selection was her likelihood to make decisions with a level of "empathy." The bench is not supposed to look at a person's position. The bench is supposed to make decisions based on the law and the Constitution.
As promised, here are the nine republicans that voted to confirm Sotomayor, courtesy of Fox News:
George Voinovich of Ohio, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Kit Bond of Missouri, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
I feel like we are living in Israel or Judah circa 600 B.C. We are headed the wrong direction. Will we listen to those trying to warn us, or like Israel and Judah will we be overcome?
Sotomayor is one of the justices who decided that the Connecticut fire department that threw out the results of the promotion exam due to the fact that only one minority candidate scored a grade worthy of promotion was legitimate. It was a case of racism that was later overruled by a higher court. The racism was against the 16 white males who worked hard and scored a grade that would have made them eligible (out of 17 total who passed, the other was an Hispanic male).
Sotomayor is also the justice who as a guest lecturer stated that a wise Latina's experiences would lend her to make better decisions than a white male. She is stating publicly, as a guest lecturer at university campuses, that she is racist.
One of the characteristics of Sotomayor that President Obama stated publicly as a reason for her selection was her likelihood to make decisions with a level of "empathy." The bench is not supposed to look at a person's position. The bench is supposed to make decisions based on the law and the Constitution.
As promised, here are the nine republicans that voted to confirm Sotomayor, courtesy of Fox News:
George Voinovich of Ohio, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Kit Bond of Missouri, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
I feel like we are living in Israel or Judah circa 600 B.C. We are headed the wrong direction. Will we listen to those trying to warn us, or like Israel and Judah will we be overcome?
Monday, August 3, 2009
Truth and The Remnant
I am blessed by many things in my life. I have a beautiful wife who loves me and loves God. I have a job, and I enjoy what I do. I am healthy and so is most of my family. I could go on and on.
Another of the many blessings in my life is that my pastor shares and reinforces many of the beliefs and opinions that I have. In fact, I believe that all of the ministers at my church are fantastic and I appreciate the fact the God has placed each of them where they are.
The pastor that I speak of and I both believe that there is a right and a wrong. Apparently, according to a recent Gallup poll that Pastor Fleming cited, he and I are in the minority. In the poll, over 70% of Americans agreed with the statement that, "there is no such thing as objective truth; different people can define truth in conflicting ways and still be correct." Pastor Fleming went on to say in his sermon the following four points which are the backbone for this post:
I. It matters what we believe.
I remember speaking the same idea 11 years ago when I was a graduating senior in high school. I encouraged my fellow students in the church to take the time to know what they believed.
II. It matters that what we believe is the truth.
I could reiterate Pastor Fleming's words here, but I suspect that this blog will be long enough.
III. There is such a thing as truth.
As Pastor Fleming says, God has revealed to us that we can know Jesus Christ, and he, and only he, can save us, and that is truth. There are some things that God has not clearly revealed and in these matters we must not be rigid. However, on the things in which God has clearly made himself known, we must not waiver.
IV. Truth is unchanging.
God's truth is the same today as it was 6000 years ago, and before the world began. It will be the same for all eternity. Likewise, it is the same here in Georgia as it is across the country or across the world.
In II Timothy chapter 4, Paul tells us that there will be many false prophets and those false prophets will be welcomed because they will tell the people what the people want to hear. The prophet Amos was scolded by King Jeroboam and his false prophet. Jeroboam was close to this false prophet because this false prophet told the king what he wanted to hear. Amos, contrarily, spoke God's call for Israel to repent and return to God. The king and the people did not want to listen.
Amos is not the only prophet like this. There have been many. Jeremiah spoke out to Judah, but he too was outcast. Judah's sins were so great that God told Jeremiah to not intercede for them because he (God) would not listen. He also instructed Jeremiah to be celibate, and not to attend funerals or mourn the deceased as a statement against the evil in Judah.
I discovered Jay Albert Noch while reading an issue of National Review magazine. Noch has an essay called, "Isaiah's Job." That is a job like a chore, not Job, the man that God was so proud of 5000 years ago in the time of Genesis. Noch points out that when God called Isaiah, he warned him that the people would not listen. Isaiah wondered why God was sending him, if the people would not listen. God's response was that Isaiah was being sent for the benefit of the remnant, those that didn't drink the mainstream Kool-Aid. This lesson is important today just as much as it was then. There are going to be times when we need to speak the truth. There is truth. Many, likely most, will not listen. Speak the truth for the remnant.
Credit to Rev. Terry Fleming for his sermon titled, "The Importance of Good Doctorin'[sic]"
and to Mr. Jay Albert Noch for his essay, "Isaiah's Job"
Another of the many blessings in my life is that my pastor shares and reinforces many of the beliefs and opinions that I have. In fact, I believe that all of the ministers at my church are fantastic and I appreciate the fact the God has placed each of them where they are.
The pastor that I speak of and I both believe that there is a right and a wrong. Apparently, according to a recent Gallup poll that Pastor Fleming cited, he and I are in the minority. In the poll, over 70% of Americans agreed with the statement that, "there is no such thing as objective truth; different people can define truth in conflicting ways and still be correct." Pastor Fleming went on to say in his sermon the following four points which are the backbone for this post:
I. It matters what we believe.
I remember speaking the same idea 11 years ago when I was a graduating senior in high school. I encouraged my fellow students in the church to take the time to know what they believed.
II. It matters that what we believe is the truth.
I could reiterate Pastor Fleming's words here, but I suspect that this blog will be long enough.
III. There is such a thing as truth.
As Pastor Fleming says, God has revealed to us that we can know Jesus Christ, and he, and only he, can save us, and that is truth. There are some things that God has not clearly revealed and in these matters we must not be rigid. However, on the things in which God has clearly made himself known, we must not waiver.
IV. Truth is unchanging.
God's truth is the same today as it was 6000 years ago, and before the world began. It will be the same for all eternity. Likewise, it is the same here in Georgia as it is across the country or across the world.
In II Timothy chapter 4, Paul tells us that there will be many false prophets and those false prophets will be welcomed because they will tell the people what the people want to hear. The prophet Amos was scolded by King Jeroboam and his false prophet. Jeroboam was close to this false prophet because this false prophet told the king what he wanted to hear. Amos, contrarily, spoke God's call for Israel to repent and return to God. The king and the people did not want to listen.
Amos is not the only prophet like this. There have been many. Jeremiah spoke out to Judah, but he too was outcast. Judah's sins were so great that God told Jeremiah to not intercede for them because he (God) would not listen. He also instructed Jeremiah to be celibate, and not to attend funerals or mourn the deceased as a statement against the evil in Judah.
I discovered Jay Albert Noch while reading an issue of National Review magazine. Noch has an essay called, "Isaiah's Job." That is a job like a chore, not Job, the man that God was so proud of 5000 years ago in the time of Genesis. Noch points out that when God called Isaiah, he warned him that the people would not listen. Isaiah wondered why God was sending him, if the people would not listen. God's response was that Isaiah was being sent for the benefit of the remnant, those that didn't drink the mainstream Kool-Aid. This lesson is important today just as much as it was then. There are going to be times when we need to speak the truth. There is truth. Many, likely most, will not listen. Speak the truth for the remnant.
Credit to Rev. Terry Fleming for his sermon titled, "The Importance of Good Doctorin'[sic]"
and to Mr. Jay Albert Noch for his essay, "Isaiah's Job"
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Husbands, Love Your Wives
Beware of the deciever at all times. Mrs. Okra is currently working overnight shifts to coincide with regular hours in Taiwan. As a result, she is not seeing much of anyone, including yours truly, and is likely a little lonely. Today, I was doing my morning quiet time when she returned home. Caught up in trying to leave to get to work, I neglected to give her proper attention and likely made her feel awful. Even when we are spending time with God, the deceiver can interfere with our lives. Husdbands are commanded by God to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. I failed at that today.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Welcome and First Post
Welcome to The Okra Blogs. I appreciate you stopping in. Let me take this first post to say that I am deeply concerned about the direction of our nation and, regardless of your opinions of our president and government leaders, I want to encourage each of you to pray everyday for our nation and its leaders. They need God and our prayers more than we can ever know.
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