Why do christians have hard times and sickness?

Ephesians 2 verse 3 to 5
Job 14 verse 1
Romans 8 21

It is true that God did not create us to be sick or ill. We were created to have a relationship with God. However, because sin entered the world through Adam, we and all of creation have been placed under a curse. The curse of sin brought decay, sefishness, and all manner of difficulty that we must live with here on earth. As Job says in 14:1 of a mans life, it is short and full of trouble.

After we become Christians we are not exempted from the temporal consequences of sin on such as sickness, death, trial and challenge. After all we too are children of wrath and sons of disobedience according to Ephesians 2 when talking about the old nature we war against.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 5 talks about the discipline of God. He judged us as Sinners in need of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, He judged us as sons/daughters with his discipline.

He sometimes allows us to have problems in our lives to teach us to think and bring us back to Christ. 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verse 4

Paul for instance, had a stake driven in him (thorn in the side), a malady, and after 3 extended sessions he was told "My grace is sufficient for you". In this case we see there is a dependency factor to trial that keeps us depending on God.

This is what Romans 8:28 means when it says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." This is saying that even our difficulties are seen by and pass through the hand of God.

We must remember that even hardship of our lives has a purpose. We must therefore having thanks to God in every situation. In this way we change people from looking into themselves and working on themselves to be stronger in the face into ministers who lift up others in similar circumstance to show the glory of God even in the midst of trial.

What's the Origin of and Solution to Internal Conflict?

Let us start off with my understanding of the biblical worldview regarding internal conflict.

The biblical perspective, as I understand it is, that the heart is the center of everything that makes us human. This heart of man though is under the curse of sin. Therefore a biblical worldview stems from the premise that we are all born under the curse of sin. In the natural man this turns our heart inward, twisting even the best of intentions to be centered on what can be gained personally.

In the biblical worldview this is overcome by Christ’s sacrifice bridging the gap imposed by sin between God and man. By coming under the sacrifice of Christ a person is given access to a new nature through the Holy Spirit which is others focused and centers not on a mans heart being prompted but on the teaching of Christ and a relationship with the Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Though a Christian is given salvation and a new nature in Christ, they are still fallen and therefore in constant conflict between the old nature and our new one.

Taking the above into account, both the Bible and psychology agree that conflict originates internally from the person. Any similarities appear to stop at this point. Popular psychology asserts, in contrast with scripture, that internal conflict not only originates internally, but can be solved internally as well by a person helping themselves by appealing to thier individual psychological needs.

This view seems to recall the old adage "Physician heal thyself." Like a physician who would need external assistance to operate on a personal problem, the individual must have external assitance to deal with internal points of struggle such as addiction, phobia, and moral descision making.

A biblical worldview, however, says that the strength to put aside the old or selfish nature of a person originates externally based on what is allowed to flow into the heart. It is then that our hearts can be a “well spring of life”.

Florida has changed the way it does capitol punishment. Should the death penalty be abolished or amended?

In light of Florida's decision regarding court procedure we have an opportunity to open a conversation about capitol punishment and its role in modern day. Here is my brief opinion and some resources for consideration to get the brain gears turning.

The question being asked is "Should the death penalty be abolished rather than amended?"

No. I maintain that the death penalty is warranted in certain instances by law, the constitution, christian morality, and cultural preservation. 

Instances of Law- http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/federal-laws-providing-death-penalty

The Constitution- http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment8.html

Christian Morality- http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/01/why-christians-should-support-the-death-penaltyMorality- http://academic.regis.edu/jriley/capunish.htm

Cultural Preservation- (here i found a parallel argument on societal retribution) http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004

If the threat of death has, in fact, stayed the hand of many a would be murderer, and we abolish the death penalty, we will sacrifice the lives of many innocent victims whose murders could have been deterred. But if, in fact, the death penalty does not deter, and we continue to impose it, we have only sacrificed the lives of convicted murderers. Surely it's better for society to take a gamble that the death penalty deters in order to protect the lives of innocent people than to take a gamble that it doesn't deter and thereby protect the lives of those who are willing to fulfill thier own desires regardless of the cost, thereby risking the lives of innocents. If grave risks are to be run, it's better that they be run by those judged guilty by a jury of thier peers, not the innocent. - from "Capitol Punishment: Our duty or Our Doom?"

Colosians 3:1-11 followed by Personal Thoughts.

Colosians 3:1-11

1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self4 with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,5 free; but Christ is all, and in all.

My reflection on Colosians 3:1-11:

We all struggle with something. Temptations, regret, past hurts, ongoing life issues, etc.

Though we war against our old nature, we who are in Christ have a new nature and the strength of the Holy Spirit on which to draw.

Why does the Bible say to set our minds on the things above? It is because our path to Christian maturity is one we take on purpose. Once we come to a point where we know we are sinners, cannot save ourselves from the wrath of a perfect and holy God, and are in need of a saviour we are given Jesus as Gods solution to restore the relationship between His creation and Himself.

We have been raised to walk in newness of life. Christ is seated because the act of salvation is complete. For those of us in Christ our sins are forgiven even as we fight against our old nature and must live with sins consequences in this life. We must remind ourselves that our old ways are dead within and strive to live and set our eyes above to heavenly things.

We are reminded in these verses of the things and attitudes in which we based our lives before Christ. This is not to shame us for having once walked in these things, but to encourage us to look to Christ, to His sacrifice, teachings, and life, to find thier opposite. We put on the mantle of Christ and have taken on a new nature, as a new creation. Shielded from Gods wrath by the permanent sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

We are therefore no longer identified by our past sin nor should christians be labled by the things we participated in before christ renewed us.

Once we sinners repent of our sin and become christians, as in verse 11, the blood of Jesus and the label of Christ Follower must supercede any labels or identifiers resulting from our past sin.

When we look at fellow Christians we should no longer see Joe/Jane the Adulterer/Felon/Murderer/Thief/Homosexual/Con/Addict/Abuser/Etc.. but we should strive to only see Joe/Jane Follower of Christ. We are not who we once were but have been renewed by Jesus Christ who now advocates for us at the right hand of the Father.

An Opinion on In His Steps

Summery of The Text

One fine day a pastor and his congregation sat in comfort. Secure in their expressions of faith and their place in society the pastor and significant members of the church went about the accepted patterns expected by their lives and culture. No body ever did anything unexpected and noone ever had any adventures. Even so, all at once during a routine service an unexpected adventure found them. The resulting conviction facilitated the beginning of a journey. A journey swept off their feet and down the road that would go on and on in the steps of Christ.

Inner Reflection or Scripture Reflection?

The truth is that the story related in "In His Steps" and even somewhat supplemented in "The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life" have always been troubling to me. The Characters in the book are reflective of many Christians who stagnate in comfort and I grant that we could all do better with the focus of following in the steps of Christ as best we are able. The problem I see with this book is not the premise but the method of application. 

The minister in his sermonic stances, our newspaper man in his advertising decisions, the would be professional singer and her renunciations of secular performance, they all show the greatest and most admirable motivation to walk as Jesus walked. The willingness and attempt to emulate our Sovereign Master is something we should always aspire to. We must however ask where we are drawing our source of action to that end.

Sheldon has his characters drawing from inward reflection in order to decide what the most likely action of Jesus Christ would be. As the scriptures are the unerring Word of God that were made manifest in the Person of Christ is it not presumptuous to assume we could reflect internally as we pray and somehow by that means discern the will of God apart from scripture? When we use ourselves as the window through which to guess at the actions of our savior we place personal reflection and emotion above scripture as the basis of our faith. The best case scenario we can hope for in this would be a Christianized Socialism that has a works based salvation message. 

Answer to the Argument

The main argument against this thought I hear is "Jesus and the Bible never addresses [insert issue here] so we must look to other sources for answers." But that does not negate the fact that Paul tells us to be like the Bereans and "Test all things by the scripture." If we are going to break away from using the scriptures as a mirror to judge ourselves, our motivations, and our actions then we might as well join the many who have been led astray into apostasy by the Contemplative Prayer Movement and the likes of Sarah Young who are mixing occultic practices like automatic writing and mantra chanting into Christian Prayer.

"If you work for me, you will think and act like me." - Ummm. NO.

My reaction to http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/10/30/high-school-football-coach-on-leave-for-praying-attends-game-prays-with/

Sad that the school administrators think they can control a teachers activity and public expression 24/7/365. Are teachers really restricted from public expression of thier beliefs when on thier own time? The students are not compelled or forced to join. Niether is anyone solicited or asked. The couch just went out and prayed. In a public space. While off the clock.

"Kennedy has prayed before and after games since 2008, but was only asked to stop recently after the practice came to the district's attention."

Yep a guy over the past 7 years prays unsolicited and on his own time in a public space and that offends some people so much that in a whim of emotional attention grabbing, a small group of students and at least 1 teacher decide to manipulate members of another religion (members of the Satanic Temple of Seattle) as pawns to supposedly "prove thier point".

They obviously either missed something in that American Government class about free speach and expression or they are not being taught the constitution. Take for instance this snippet:

Senior class president, Abe Bartlett, said he was among those who invited the Satanists.

"The main reason I did it (invite the Satanists) is to portray to the school district that I think we should either have a policy that we (ie. student leaders, administrators, faculty and staff) are not going to have any religious affiliation or public religious practices, or they should say people are going to be allowed to practice their religion publicly whatever their beliefs," the 17-year-old told the Associated Press Wednesday.

Obviously this 17 year old knows very little about constitutional law. Public religious expressions are already protected by the law. The contitution bars the government and its public organizations from infringing on those practices. It would be against the law for a public school to bar its members from religious affiliation and public practice / expession of the same esspecially when it is off the clock and noone is compelled or even asked to join in. That goes for Christian and Satanist alike.

Just because you are employed or affiliated with an organization that gives you a paycheck does not mean you are an indentured servant to be subjegated in action and thought by them.

This was a sad attempt to cause controversy by a small group of people.

Happy Veterans Day!

From the Patriots of the Revolutionary War to our soldiers of modern day our military enjoys a history of Defense, a tradition of standing in the gap for the average citizen, and a standard of honor that has been waved for well over 200 years even in the face of periodic adversity.

A handshake and a thank you for your service is not enough. Of all the citizens of the United States there are very few that truly understand what many of our military families and citizen soldiers have gone through in times of war, or begin to grasp the extent of their voluntary sacrifice of personal liberty during times of peace.

To our Veterans, both related to me by Blood and by Birthright of Citizenship, I offer you my thanks and the prayers of my family. Though heartfelt appreciation from us the average American is but a small and intangible token, I pray you accept it. Though it is but a small part of all the honor deserved by your service it is yours completely. Thank you for your service and sacrifice as part of the wall of protection the military has provided for the freedom, self determination, and liberty this nation has enjoyed.

Image is not mine. Image from www.g2mil.com/vetsday.htm