The Champions Spirit
Volume 68, Issue 14
April 12, 2009
In This Issue
“We can see this as a challenge. 15% don’t know the God of the Bible! Many of them have never come to the realization that John 3:16 is more than a sign seen at some athletic contest.”
A “PASSIONATE PURSUIT” FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST!
THE SURVEY SAYS...more Americans claim to have no religion than in previous years. The Program on Public Values at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., surveyed 54,461 adults in 2008. Of that number, 15% said they had no religion at all. 30% of those married did not have a “religious” wedding ceremony. 27% of those surveyed said they did not want a “religious” funeral.
As disciples of Christ, what is our response to such numbers?
We can see this as proof that people just aren’t going to believe. We can say, “the way is narrow and few there be who find it” (Matt. 7:14). We can say that the world is hard and that evangelism won’t work. We can wring our hands and just be content with out little circle of believers.
OR
We can see this as a challenge. 15% don’t know the God of the Bible! Many of them have never come to the realization that John 3:16 is more than a sign seen at some athletic contest. The greater percentage of respondents who did not seem to want anything to do with “organized religion” most likely have not considered the impact of Christian principles upon the marriage commitment and home. They probably haven’t seen nor felt the real sense of family that the body of Christ so powerfully exhibits in the time of the death of a loved one. They need to see a true “living sermon”—in you and me.
Surely the “fields are white unto harvest” (John 4:35). As fitting with our theme this year, let us not lose heart but rather have A “PASSIONATE PURSUIT” FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST.”
—Larry Keele
FAMILY MATTERS...
“Come and see the works of God...” (Psa. 66:5)
As we come together today, our goal in seeing and appreciating those wonderful works of God is to give Him all the glory and praise. As we worship that wonderful God, we are thankful to all of our guests who have come to participate with us. May our efforts be pleasing to Him!
Our teens and a number of sponsors and family members are returning from Dallas today, having been involved over the weekend in Leadership Training for Christ. Please continue to pray for their safety.
Neighborhood Bible Studies began last Tuesday evening. This is a great opportunity to share the God of the Bible with our friends and neighbors as noted in the article above. Let’s use this tool.
I am excited about the events of our Seminar weekend coming up, May 16-17. We will come together on Saturday, May 16, for food, a message concerning safety and the Internet by Joe Brumfield, a professor at Harding University. We will follow that with a free screening of the movie Fireproof—a good movie dealing with the marriage relationship. On Sunday, Joe will teach a combined class of teens and adults and then preach to the assembly. Following our fellowship meal on Sunday, Joe will speak at a short devotional, and then there will be some time for questions and answers concerning both the internet and family issues. It will be a great weekend.
Don’t forget September 13th!
Parting Thought: Happiness is a road traveled, not merely a goal gained.
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!
Jeremy's Junction
As you read this article, 112 people have traveled to Dallas this weekend to compete and support our group for the LTC program.
We appreciate all the hard work on the part of the kids and the coaches.
We got a sneak preview of the talents of our kids last Sunday and again on Wednesday night. We are very proud of them!
Please pray that everyone has a safe trip!
—Jeremy Guerin
John's Jogs
MORE ON WORDS HAVE MEANING
For the past 15-20 years political correctness has expanded its influence on the culture of our language deeper and deeper. It has finally gone completely beyond the pale. In the past couple weeks there has been three notable changes: First there is no more “terrorism” rather it is “man made disaster.” Then there is no longer a “war on terror” – it is now “Overseas Contingency Operations.” Of course there can no longer be a “Radical Muslim Fanatic.” I don’t know what we can call him/her.
This has been a slow consistent but methodical process over the years. This is the way most radical changes take place. It’s like the story of the frog in a pan of water that is slowly heating. Before he realizes it he is boiling. This is how our freedom of speech is slowly being taken away from us without our realizing it. This is also how our traditional culture is being changed to a courser degenerated one. A very effective way of making an undesirable quality or action acceptable to society is to change the harsh words describing it to a more gentle or sympathetic word or words.
Two glaring examples of this was:
To take the word “gay” which in my dictionary means, “joyously and lively; merry, happy; light hearted—bright; brilliant and apply it to the sordid activity of homosexuality where previously terms like sodomy and/or perversion had been the normal expression. The acceptance of this activity has expanded at an alarming rate. In fact there is nothing “gay” about this activity and I have always refused to use it this way. The term “abortion” in any way you look at it is a horrible activity. There have always been abortions taking place. But prior to the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case it was in rare cases and illegal in most states and looked down on in society as a whole. But to make it more sensitive and appealing to the general public the term “abortion” was to be abolished in exchange for “a woman’s right to choose.” Forty million plus dead babies later we’re supposed to refer to them as just fetuses or blobs.
Well along this line there are some other interesting politically correct terms “lesbian” is to be called a “gynocentric being.” A “lover/s” is to be called a “spouse equivalent/s." “Marriage” is “legalized rape.” “Pregnant” is “parasitically oppressed.” A “boy” is an “oppressor–to-be.”
It is obvious if we want a society with any degree of freedom and decency to remain in this country we who desire this type of society had better wake up and become involved. Time is getting shorter.
—John Qualls