Religion of Tolerance & Compromise

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March 29, 2012

"Religion of Tolerance & Compromise"

Scripture Reading:
Leviticus 24:22 (HCSB) You are to have the same law for the foreign resident and the native, because I am Yahweh your God.”

Devotional Reading:

Legalism is not true faith it is purely a religion (tolerance and compromise). It's often confused with dedicated faith, but real faith is not about obeying well-intentioned, man-made rules. That only leads to frustration, resentment, and unnecessary guilt. In today's world, there are not only religious legalists but secular legalists. The "tolerance police" and "politically correct Gestapo" are intensely passionate about enforcing their well-intentioned, man-made rules. Resentment and frustration result.  If you suffer from well-intentioned legalism, I have great news for you. Jesus battled legalism throughout His ministry. He understands your pain. He wants to save you from it, just as He wants to save you from sin.  He will clarify what God calls sin and give you the desire to obey Him. God's commands enrich our lives. Man's legalisms enslave our lives. The only way to know the difference is by looking to Christ through God's Word. You'll discover the truth and the truth will set you free.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Adultery

     Deep Creek Jamin Java

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March 29, 2012

"Adultery"

Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 5:5  (HCSB) For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

Devotional Reading:

Glorification of adultery seems to have become fashionable in our society. Pick up any newspaper, especially one with an entertainment section, and you’ll see what I mean. Adultery may be bad for soul, but it’s great for circulation.  We shouldn’t be surprised at what we are seeing. A newspaper recently reported that while public opinion polls consistently show that Americans disapprove of adultery, newspapers and television continue to glorify it. Many seem to think this commandment reads, ‘Thou shall not admit adultery’. Much is advanced, or merely accepted, in the name of political correctness that a few years ago was never spoken of or seen publicly…Some seem to revel in breaking what used to be commonly accepted social customs and demonstrate an in your face attitude.  With the new trend of "cougars", we find sexual fornication and immorality to have increased in older women by 75%.  This friend is not only wrong but immoral.  In a simple sense asked by Dr. Jack Graham, "What are we teaching the next generation".  They see this as a sign of a maturing society-that we have grown up, advanced beyond moral taboos-when in reality we have reverted to pagan standards that are thousands of years old.” It’s important to understand that adultery is both a crime and a sin. The problem is the secular world no longer sees it as very much of a crime even though the Christian world continues to see it as a sin. Forgiveness is just around the corner in Christ Jesus if you truly know Him...be forgiven, forgive and "SIN NO MORE"-stop committing adultery!

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Secularism

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March 28, 2012

"Secularism"

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 49:7  (HCSB) Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God—

Devotional Reading:

Secularism may be the fastest growing religion in America today. The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that those who aren't affiliated with a religion rose from 13% in 2001 to 25% in 2010. Twenty-seven percent of those born after 1980 had no religious affiliation. What is secularism? It's the view that man, not God, is the ultimate authority and that consideration of the present well-being of mankind should predominate over religious considerations in civil affairs and public education.  Secularism is all about man. Yet, here's the irony--secularism leads to disillusionment with man and hopelessness at death. But Christianity is all about God and His desire to redeem sinful man through Christ. Christianity's worldview leads us to understand that man only finds ultimate meaning in how he relates to God. It is realistic, yet filled with hope.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Master & Commander

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March 27, 2012

"Master & Commander"

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 8:1-2  (HCSB) We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches  of Macedonia: During a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity.

Devotional Reading:

A lot of people are foolish enough to think that they are captain of their own soul. They desire control in certain areas of life, and are unwilling to surrender to the sovereignty of Almighty God. Usually, pride or immorality feed this insistence to live life on our own terms, but it is always a dangerous business. A golden eagle was seen regularly over a certain Hawaiian island for many years. This eagle had almost a seven-foot wingspread. It was a magnificent bird! Now the eagle is a very territorial creature, and it will challenge anything that invades its space. For years, small planes and helicopters would not violate this eagle’s “air space” because they knew it would attack. Many times the bird would see a helicopter approaching and begin its screeching ascent. When this happened, the helicopter would flee—not out of fear, but out of concern for the eagle’s safety. But one day a pilot unfamiliar with the area flew into the mighty bird’s territory, and the eagle came at it with talons extended, ready to attack. When the helicopter landed, all that was found of the eagle was a single feather. Mark it down. When we mock the truth of God, and suppress it for so long that we eventually exchange it for a lie; when we shake our fist at our Maker and deny the rule that is His by right, the ultimate confrontation will not be insignificant. In fact, there will be less left of us than the feather of a golden eagle. “Every knee shall bow,” the Bible says. And it does not lie.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

God's Wallet

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March 26, 2012

"God's Wallet"

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 8:5  (HCSB) and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.

Devotional Reading:

Paul held up the Christians at Macedonia as an example to his Corinthian friends. The Macedonians (who had little) had given liberally to the Jerusalem church…and the Corinthians (who had much more) had promised aid, but done nothing. But Paul’s most convicting description of these generous believers was not about money, but about heart. “They first gave themselves,” he said. God is not honored when we “tip” Him with our money but withold from Him our selves. The gift without the giver is bare. Those Macedonian givers climbed into the offering plate with their gift. They didn’t just nod at God with a few coins…they put their very lives at His disposal. What a radical act of faith! Jesus illustrated this best when He instructed His disciples to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…and to God the things that are God’s.” Well, what is God’s? We are! Jesus picked up a coin to drive home His point, saying, “Whose picture is on this coin?” They answered the obvious: "Caesar’s." What has God’s picture on it? You and I do. We are made in the image of God, and His picture is etched on your life and mine in an indelible way. When we give ourselves along with our gifts, our offering is sacrificial, spontaneous and spiritual. And we can be sure that God is honored by it.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Easy Yoke

    Deep Creek Jamin Java

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March 23, 2012

"Easy Yoke"

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 11:29  (HCSB) All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.

Devotional Reading:

A contest offered a valuable prize for the best illustration of the concept of peace. Many artists entered. There were renderings of beautiful sunsets over calm seas and hazy scenes of tranquil rivers in lush valleys. The prizewinner's depiction was very different from these tranquil scenes. Painted in black and gray, it depicted the terror of a violent storm. Lightning split the clouds; rain and hail pounded the ground. In the center of the painting was a storm-tossed oak tree. Holding on with all its might to one of the limbs of the tree was a little bird, singing at the top of its lungs. That's true peace.  You see, ultimate peace is not the absence of storms, but inner peace amidst storms. And man never finds lasting inner peace until he finds peace with God. When you find peace with God, you begin to experience peace within.  Have you found that peace? I hope that you will. It begins with knowing Christ as Lord.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Swoon Theory

   Deep Creek Jamin Java

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March 22, 2012

"Swoon Theory"

Scripture Reading:
Luke 24:6  (HCSB) “He is not here, but He has been resurrected!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

Devotional Reading:

As we  look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the many theories espoused to debunk it. Let me share with you one of the funniest theories that tries to explain the empty tomb. It's called the Swoon Theory.  This theory argues that Jesus really didn't die. The Roman guards just thought He had died, but He was really unconscious or had swooned from the loss of blood and exhaustion on the cross. Later He revived and came out of the tomb and appeared to His disciples, who thought He had risen.  Yeah, sure. After the ordeal of the crucifixion in losing all of His blood, He survived three days in a damp tomb without food or water, unwrapped Himself from tightly-bound burial clothes, rolled away the heavy stone, overcame the Roman guards, walked miles on feet that had been spiked, and convinced His disciples He had risen from the dead. It takes more faith to believe this theory than to believe in the Resurrection.  In the end, the only theory that explains the empty tomb is Jesus' resurrection from the dead, and that's the evidence I believe.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20