Suicide - An Option? #ChooseLIFE #HOPE #619
#BeAnchoredIn
Through the years, we’ve heard in the news about Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the doctor of death (if that isn’t an oxymoron) who chose to make assisted suicide his cause. His actions elicit strong emotions, because no one wants to see a loved one suffer, and no one desires to endure long-term pain and disability. But it really comes down to a question of faith.
Long ago, a man named Job suffered incredible loss—all his possessions and his children—and he had to endure an agonizing illness. If anyone had a right to end his life, it was Job. And yet, Job chose to put his trust in God. He asked, “Will I accept the good things God gives and refuse the bad?”
This is a question we should all consider. Is freedom from pain my right as a human being? Is life only worth living if everything is going my way? In the face of eternity, trusting a loving and sovereign God is really the best choice. Only God has the right to give and take life.
Now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the Lord to make you prosperous and give you a long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life! Be completely faithful to the Lord your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you. The Lord is the only one who can give life, and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20)
We just got 1 for free! Thanks @Safeway #ClubCard + #Catalina (@Starbucks #Discoveries) (at Safeway)
Just some stats. For all my parents out there. Lets continue to hold it down #AnchorFAM
Seek out the truth. The truth will truly set us free.
Belief In The Virgin Birth
Christmas is about a virgin birth. Do you believe it? Think about what it means if it isn’t true:
1. It means Joseph and Mary lied about Jesus’ birth, which makes them despicable or delusional.
2. It means the Bible contains lies, which makes it an untrustworthy book.
3. It means the true nature of Jesus is missed—for without it, He’s just a man, conceived like you and me.
Question: Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead?
The Bible is clear. A person can’t be a Christian if he doesn’t believe it. Yet some so-called enlightened Christians believe in Jesus’ resurrection, but not His virgin birth. Often motivated by a desire to have fire insurance and yet be sophisticated, their intellectual inconsistency of believing one miracle and not another is a wonder to behold. If Jesus rose from the dead, what’s the big deal about His virgin birth?
With God, nothing is impossible. I believe it’s true because I believe the Bible is trustworthy. What about you?
Christmas, without the virgin birth, is just an empty shell.
Playing God
Dr. Jack Kevorkian has belittled the medical profession, those who are religious, the government, the courts, and the press. He once said, “Pass any law you want—I don’t care. I know what’s right. I’m going to do what’s right.”
Dr. Kevorkian was then asked, “Is there no higher authority on earth to which you will submit?”
He replied, “Oh, well, I don’t know of one.”
I sat there stunned. A man who submits to no authority but himself is a dangerous man. The man who most comes to mind with that kind of mindset was Adolf Hitler. He, too, decided there was no higher authority to submit to, and certain lives were not worth living—say, about six million Jews!
Even more shocking was the statistic that seventy-three percent of the American public agreed with what Dr. Kevorkian was doing. That means the overwhelming majority feels it’s okay to play God. When man decides to do that, man soon justifies almost any evil in a self-righteous way.
America—wake up! We are called to trust God, not play God. For when we play God, we act like the devil. And that’s bad for us all.
This just happened! A surprise baby shower at the new job. #blessed (at Swan Island)
We have all fallen short. But have we given up seeking for truth & redemption?
There are all sorts of seekers today, searching for truth and the answer to life. Would you describe yourself as a seeker? The original seekers were three guys from the East. They weren’t Christian or Jewish, but they were searching for meaning.
God spoke to them through the heavens with the appearance of a new star. They stepped out on faith, believing that what they were seeing signified the birth of a new king. Along the way, God spoke to them through Scripture, prophesizing the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They stepped out on faith and went there, seeking.
When they arrived, they found the answer to life in a little boy named Jesus. They believed He was God who had become a man…and our Savior. They found what every seeker needs…Jesus… the answer to life. Today, wise men still seek Him.
The Incomparable Christ
No person has had more impact on history than Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that He lived and walked in the land of Judea and Israel almost 2000 years ago. But who is He?
—He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is God in a person. You want to know what God is like? Look to Jesus. The fullness of God dwells in Him.
—He is also the Creator of all creation. He holds all creation together. It is His masterpiece. Creation reveals the greatness of God.
—He is the Savior who saves us from our sins. He came to reconcile us with God.
—He is the head of the church. He is to the church what the head is to the body.
Once you know who He is, you have a choice—a decision to make. It’s the biggest one ever—to trust Him as your Savior and Lord or to reject Him. Who is Jesus? The Bible is clear, but the important thing for you is, do you believe it?
Jay is ready for the day
#Songza is good for moods. Especially when I’m playing music for the whole family. I choose 80s Pop (MTV’s Golden Age)
Our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison. #BVD #James
Congrats Devin!!! (at South Salem High School)
Are you moral? Law abiding? Decently good?
So, you’re not religious? Everyone (especially in the Pacific Northwest) wants to be self-righteous and they promote it by throwing a bumper sticker on their vehicle that promotes their cause. Yes, because inclusion is the best way to save the world. Let’s all get on the same wide road. Where does that lead?
Your organization is alright, but the organism known as The Body is all right. More than causes we need Christ. He is the head, the church is the body. And the body can’t move without the head.
So where is your identity?
Identity apart from Christ is rubbish, trash, a pile of feces. Yes. Feces. But wait, your pile is nicely stacked? Wait, your pile doesn’t smell as bad as anyone else’s? Rubbish! It’s still crap.
Are you moral? Law abiding? Decently good? I tried to be good and do good. But I was futile in my works. Without Christ I am nothing and I have no identity worth living for, let alone worth dying for. I had to change my thinking. I had to stop conforming to the ways of the world.
Ephesians 4:17-19 explains this…
BUT!
But this isn’t what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
(Ephesians 4:20-24)
One Man’s Sin: Long-Term Consequences
Very often, we rationalize sin by thinking nobody will be hurt…it’s no big deal. But sin has a way of having lasting consequences. Do you know the origin of the Middle East conflict? It goes back to the sin of one man, Abraham, the father of three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
God promised to bless Abraham and his wife, Sarah, with a son He would use to build a great nation. Because they were very old, Sarah suggested to Abraham that he sleep with her younger maidservant, and have their child through her. This was a legally acceptable solution, but it wasn’t in God’s will. The servant gave birth to Abraham’s first son, Ishmael. Abraham’s wife became resentful, and the maidservant and Ishmael fled to the desert.
But God eventually gave Abraham and Sarah the son He promised—Isaac. From Isaac, came the Jews and Israel; from Ishmael came the Arabs. The descendants of these two sons of Abraham have been in conflict ever since. One man’s sin—long-term consequences. So let’s trust God and do right.
#Romans7
