Let's have a little fun. I am still in classes so bear with me but just so that we can have some fun read this:
Enjoy! My favorites are #1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12 (take a deep breath before you read this one), 14, and 15 (breath deep on this one as well).
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Lightbulb_Title.gif
1. How many Charismatics does it take to change a light bulb?
One to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
2. How many Calvinists does it take to change a light bulb?
None. God has predestined when the light will be on. Calvinists do not change light bulbs. They simply read the instructions and pray the light bulb will be one that has been chosen to be changed.
3. How many Armenians does it take to change a light bulb?
All. They need everyone to make sure it stays on. One can never really be sure.
4. How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb?
Change???
5. How many neo-orthodox does it take to change a bulb?
No one knows. They can't tell the difference between light and dark.
6. How many TV evangelists does it take to change a light bulb?
One. But for the message of light to continue, send in your donation today.
7. How many independent fundamentalists does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, because any more might result in too much cooperation.
8. How many liberals does it take to change a light bulb?
At least ten, as they need to hold a debate on whether or not the light bulb exists. Even if they can agree upon the existence of the light bulb, they still might not change it, to keep from alienating those who might use other forms of light.
9. How many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb?
None. They always use candles.
10. How many worship leaders who use guitars does it take to change a light bulb?
One. But soon all those around can warm up to its glowing.
11. How many members of an established fundamental Bible teaching church that is over 20 years old does it take to change a light bulb?
One to actually change the bulb, and nine to say how much they liked the old one.
12. How many United Methodists does it take to change a light bulb?
This statement was issued: "We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that a light bulb works for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your personal relationship with your light bulb (or light source, or non-dark resource), and present it next month at our annual light bulb Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life, and tinted-all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence. "
13. How many Amish does it take to change a light bulb?
"What's a light bulb?"
14. How many youth pastors does it take to change a light bulb?
Youth pastors aren't around long enough for a light bulb to burn out.
15. How many Southern Baptists does it take to change a light bulb?
109. Seven on the Light Bulb Task Force Subcommittee, who report to the 12 on the Light Bulb Task Force, appointed by the 15 on the Trustee Board. Their recommendation is reviewed by the Finance Committee Executive of 5, who place it on the agenda of the 18 member Finance Committee. If they approve, they bring a motion to the 27 member church Board, who appoint another 12 member review committee. If they recommend that the Church Board proceed, a resolution is brought to the Congregational Business Meeting. They appoint another 8 member review committee. If their report to the next Congregational Business Meeting supports the changing of a light bulb, and the Congregation votes in favor, the responsibility to carry out the light bulb change is passed on to the Trustee Board, who in turn appoint a 7 member committee to find the best price in new light bulbs. Their recommendation of which Hardware Store has the best buy must then be reviewed by the 23 member Ethics Committee to make certain that this hardware store has no connection to Disneyland. They report back to the Trustee Board who, then commissions the Trustee in charge of the Janitor to ask him to make the change. By then the janitor discovers that one more light bulb has burned out.
-Author unknown
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Same Sex Issues-Part 2
Jennifer Knapp Announcement-Part B
Can A Christian Be “Gay”?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html
http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xDWc7SvBOA
Last week I discussed my disappointment with Jennifer Knapp and her announcement about being lesbian. Many of you have wanted me to rush to judgment regarding the issue as too whether a Christian can be homosexual or not. I would prefer not to do that at this point, but want to take this opportunity to explore this issue in detail.
Attached are two links of two different interviews in which she makes her announcement. The first is with Christianity Today and the other is a You-Tube copy of the Larry King Live show where the announcement was made. It also includes Pastor Bob Botsford and Ted Haggard as part of the debate. The You-Tube link is in four parts. Part four is very interesting to me because of the rabble which occurs at the end. I’ll deal with this at the appropriate opportunity.
Allow me to also remind everyone as we go through this discussion that we are exploring science, statistics, culture, history and Scripture together in order to come to the final answer. This may take several weeks or even months to get to. Stick with me and wait to criticize at the end of the discussion.
Several of you have e-mailed me that you had read an article several weeks ago, hearing that this announcement had already been made. If you will read the previous blog you will note that I had already heard the rumors of what was transpiring. The article that some of you are noting is from Christianity Today on an April 13, 2010 online interview which Jennifer Knapp participated in, which I had already read.
Allow me to be very critical at this point of Ms. Knapp. In the Christianity Today interview everything is going fine until Mark Moring corners her with a question regarding the homosexual issue. Ms. Knapp is very frank about how she really does not want to discuss the issue, but Mr. Moring presses the subject. Once she is pressed then she openly states that she has been in a lesbian relationship for seven to eight years. She also states that she really did not want to discuss it and basically attempts to blow Mr. Moring off. But his consistent pursuit pays off. She admits to it, then when asked if this was the reason she went incognito, she says no. However upon reading the complete interview it becomes clear that this may have, in fact, played a very important role in her leaving Contemporary Christian Music for a while. It also comes across that Ms. Knapp is attempting to get by the issue so that she can reclaim her thrown as one of the leaders in the CCM market. I have read this article four or five times through and found Jennifer Knapp very disingenuous and more focused on returning to her claim to fame then really wanting to glorify God.
This leads us to the interview with Larry King and the debate between her and Pastor Bob Botsford as well as Ted Haggard’s input. Allow me to criticize some bloggers (http://pursuegod.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/jennifer-knapp-pastor-botsford-and-ted-haggard-on-larry-king/) who have made it their thing to criticize Pastor Bob Botsford. First, note that not everyone is a debater; therefore it would do well that if you do not know how to set up a truth table to prepare for the debate, you probably shouldn’t. This may very easily be the case for him. Also, during the interview/debate I found that everyone teamed against Mr. Botsford. I am not familiar with this gentleman, nor his ministry, but the blog which started this fire between him and Ms. Knapp (http://www.bobbotsford.com/2010/04/straight-to-the-truth-in-love%E2%80%A6/) seems to be something which showed great concern for what was occurring. I did not find it offensive, in fact while reading it you can tell there is a background that is familiar with those in the homosexual lifestyle. I will say though the he was not the best choice in regards to this topic. Someone like a John MacArthur who is more skilled in this kind of debate, would have been better. Mr. Botsford did start the debate and should have heeded Luke 14 and counted the cost before doing so. Having said that Mr. Botsford’s views were critical to the discussion.
Ted Haggard’s role in this dispute seemed somewhat squishy. (Is that a word?) He really never willingly touched on the topic. He constantly affirmed his belief in the Gospel and in the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, but never dealt with the issue itself. I believe that his final conclusion of Romans 1 and 2 can be questioned, while it may in part be correct. He constantly talked in circles about a love relationship with God, but never about the standards of that relationship and how that plays out. He made one weak attempt of saying it was like the love relationship with his wife and that there were rules, but he never enumerated on it much. Mr. Haggard’s answer to Larry King’s question as to whether homosexuality was a choice or not, was very ambiguous. I also found him ineffective because when Larry King and Jennifer Knapp were bombarding Mr. Botsford with technical questions, rather than being a theologian and discussing the technicals, Mr. Haggard just lets it happen.
Now to Ms. Knapp, from the get-go you could tell she was uncomfortable with the discussion of the subject. She really didn’t want to talk about it, it was an issue of conscience and you could tell. I found many of her answers to be inadequate. When asked if her lifestyle contradicted Biblical Christianity she attempted to circumnavigate and never gave a definitive answer. While some may criticize Mr. Botsford for not being very knowledgeable about the technical’s of the subject matter, may I say that same criticism should be handed out to Jennifer Knapp. I found her intelligent but not very skillful with the discussion either. She could never give the name of any historical theologians or reference specific scriptures which directly supported her lifestyle. She argued well, but did not debate agreeably. Again, I found her inconsistent and disingenuous. The real question which tell-tell this moment is when she asks (while being on the attack) Bob Botsford, “Would you have a young teenage girl setting in your congregation choose between her sexuality and her faith?” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnOJnHjgkI0&feature=related) Here she shows her lack of knowledge in terms of the Scripture. Constantly Scripture is calling for Christians to make a choice between this and that regarding the Kingdom of Heaven verse the things of this world.
But what Ms. Knapp has done for us is brought into play the issue of identification. To this the scriptures speak clearly. Therefore, in the next part of our discussion we will layout the argument to see if someone is created (or evolved) to the point of being bent toward same sex relations. In the mean time I would express that Jennifer Knapp re-read the Gospels and attempt to see the call which the Lord Jesus makes in regards to our lives. Then she needs to balance that out with a strong reading of the epistles in light of the Old Testament for clearer understanding of the calling placed on an individual’s life when Christ becomes Lord.
Your comments are welcomed. Remember only debate the issue not the person.
Lord Bless,
Steven
Can A Christian Be “Gay”?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html
http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xDWc7SvBOA
Last week I discussed my disappointment with Jennifer Knapp and her announcement about being lesbian. Many of you have wanted me to rush to judgment regarding the issue as too whether a Christian can be homosexual or not. I would prefer not to do that at this point, but want to take this opportunity to explore this issue in detail.
Attached are two links of two different interviews in which she makes her announcement. The first is with Christianity Today and the other is a You-Tube copy of the Larry King Live show where the announcement was made. It also includes Pastor Bob Botsford and Ted Haggard as part of the debate. The You-Tube link is in four parts. Part four is very interesting to me because of the rabble which occurs at the end. I’ll deal with this at the appropriate opportunity.
Allow me to also remind everyone as we go through this discussion that we are exploring science, statistics, culture, history and Scripture together in order to come to the final answer. This may take several weeks or even months to get to. Stick with me and wait to criticize at the end of the discussion.
Several of you have e-mailed me that you had read an article several weeks ago, hearing that this announcement had already been made. If you will read the previous blog you will note that I had already heard the rumors of what was transpiring. The article that some of you are noting is from Christianity Today on an April 13, 2010 online interview which Jennifer Knapp participated in, which I had already read.
Allow me to be very critical at this point of Ms. Knapp. In the Christianity Today interview everything is going fine until Mark Moring corners her with a question regarding the homosexual issue. Ms. Knapp is very frank about how she really does not want to discuss the issue, but Mr. Moring presses the subject. Once she is pressed then she openly states that she has been in a lesbian relationship for seven to eight years. She also states that she really did not want to discuss it and basically attempts to blow Mr. Moring off. But his consistent pursuit pays off. She admits to it, then when asked if this was the reason she went incognito, she says no. However upon reading the complete interview it becomes clear that this may have, in fact, played a very important role in her leaving Contemporary Christian Music for a while. It also comes across that Ms. Knapp is attempting to get by the issue so that she can reclaim her thrown as one of the leaders in the CCM market. I have read this article four or five times through and found Jennifer Knapp very disingenuous and more focused on returning to her claim to fame then really wanting to glorify God.
This leads us to the interview with Larry King and the debate between her and Pastor Bob Botsford as well as Ted Haggard’s input. Allow me to criticize some bloggers (http://pursuegod.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/jennifer-knapp-pastor-botsford-and-ted-haggard-on-larry-king/) who have made it their thing to criticize Pastor Bob Botsford. First, note that not everyone is a debater; therefore it would do well that if you do not know how to set up a truth table to prepare for the debate, you probably shouldn’t. This may very easily be the case for him. Also, during the interview/debate I found that everyone teamed against Mr. Botsford. I am not familiar with this gentleman, nor his ministry, but the blog which started this fire between him and Ms. Knapp (http://www.bobbotsford.com/2010/04/straight-to-the-truth-in-love%E2%80%A6/) seems to be something which showed great concern for what was occurring. I did not find it offensive, in fact while reading it you can tell there is a background that is familiar with those in the homosexual lifestyle. I will say though the he was not the best choice in regards to this topic. Someone like a John MacArthur who is more skilled in this kind of debate, would have been better. Mr. Botsford did start the debate and should have heeded Luke 14 and counted the cost before doing so. Having said that Mr. Botsford’s views were critical to the discussion.
Ted Haggard’s role in this dispute seemed somewhat squishy. (Is that a word?) He really never willingly touched on the topic. He constantly affirmed his belief in the Gospel and in the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, but never dealt with the issue itself. I believe that his final conclusion of Romans 1 and 2 can be questioned, while it may in part be correct. He constantly talked in circles about a love relationship with God, but never about the standards of that relationship and how that plays out. He made one weak attempt of saying it was like the love relationship with his wife and that there were rules, but he never enumerated on it much. Mr. Haggard’s answer to Larry King’s question as to whether homosexuality was a choice or not, was very ambiguous. I also found him ineffective because when Larry King and Jennifer Knapp were bombarding Mr. Botsford with technical questions, rather than being a theologian and discussing the technicals, Mr. Haggard just lets it happen.
Now to Ms. Knapp, from the get-go you could tell she was uncomfortable with the discussion of the subject. She really didn’t want to talk about it, it was an issue of conscience and you could tell. I found many of her answers to be inadequate. When asked if her lifestyle contradicted Biblical Christianity she attempted to circumnavigate and never gave a definitive answer. While some may criticize Mr. Botsford for not being very knowledgeable about the technical’s of the subject matter, may I say that same criticism should be handed out to Jennifer Knapp. I found her intelligent but not very skillful with the discussion either. She could never give the name of any historical theologians or reference specific scriptures which directly supported her lifestyle. She argued well, but did not debate agreeably. Again, I found her inconsistent and disingenuous. The real question which tell-tell this moment is when she asks (while being on the attack) Bob Botsford, “Would you have a young teenage girl setting in your congregation choose between her sexuality and her faith?” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnOJnHjgkI0&feature=related) Here she shows her lack of knowledge in terms of the Scripture. Constantly Scripture is calling for Christians to make a choice between this and that regarding the Kingdom of Heaven verse the things of this world.
But what Ms. Knapp has done for us is brought into play the issue of identification. To this the scriptures speak clearly. Therefore, in the next part of our discussion we will layout the argument to see if someone is created (or evolved) to the point of being bent toward same sex relations. In the mean time I would express that Jennifer Knapp re-read the Gospels and attempt to see the call which the Lord Jesus makes in regards to our lives. Then she needs to balance that out with a strong reading of the epistles in light of the Old Testament for clearer understanding of the calling placed on an individual’s life when Christ becomes Lord.
Your comments are welcomed. Remember only debate the issue not the person.
Lord Bless,
Steven
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Same Sex Issues
Part1
Jennifer Knapp Announcement-Part A
Can A Christian Be “Gay”?
Saturday night, April 24th 2010, "Christian" singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp made it official on Larry King Live...she's "gay." I watched with tears and embarrassment as she made her public announcement. In fact she didn't even say it originally, Larry King did! Now before I go too far with my criticism let me back up and run at this from a different angle than most have.
Back in 1999 my ex-wife walked out of my life. She took her two kids and almost eight years of my life with her. It was a difficult time for me. I was on the verge of moving ahead in the ministry as churches were starting to look at me as a candidate as the under-shepherd (pastor). Financially some things were coming together though we continued to struggle. On the extended family issues regarding religious differences they appeared to be settling down. It had been a hard eight years but I felt that every hardship was worth it, until she decided to walk out.
Times were tough as I struggled with the issue of divorce and financially because things were on the outset economically of going downhill. Many nights were spent crying over the loss along with the guilt of making things difficult in the marriage, but nothing worth a divorce. During that time I came across Jennifer Knapp in a video (yes video, they were still around at the time). I really felt consoled by the song and purchased the album. What was unique about her songs was that I felt everything she relayed was very Biblical and had a personal message about her relationship with Jesus Christ. I needed to hear this and I believe the Lord knew it, but then again He is omniscient. I also identified with something else in her songs...struggle. I could tell there was something unique because what she sang about and the way she sang it. Whether she knew it or not it spoke volumes regarding her personal life. Now remember where I am at this point in my life...I'm hurting and am very sensitive to those in pain. Before I would enter a new journey in life I would find myself ministering to an odd collaboration of people along the way. I believe that God heightened that sensitivity on purpose.
In 2002 I would meet Mary at Sunnyvale First Baptist, a large church in the Dallas area. We would get married in 2003. By that time I had become quite a fan of Ms. Knapp. I would have all her CDs and in 2002 went to hear and see her perform at a Franklyn Graham crusade in College Station. So imagine how I felt when all of the sudden Jennifer Knapp suddenly fell off the radar screen in 2004. Also try and guess what it felt like when all of the sudden the blogosphere opened up with rumors about her lesbian lifestyle. I, along with other fans, chose to wait and see what would happen. It was a long wait and after awhile the bloggers died down with their assumptions. Now think about the excitement when in 2008 it begins to surface that she would be making a major comeback. While I waited, along with others, in anticipation I did so with one eye on the awaited announcement and the other on the blogs. It had been bothering me for four years. The bloggers who had unfolded these accusations were very sure if themselves. I could only hope and pray that they were wrong, but something kept telling me they were right.
2008 came and went. So did 2009 as stronger rumors of her return began to emerge. At the same time my fears were beginning to be heightened because of where the publications were coming from. When her return was finally broadcast nothing was initially said of her same sex relations, but the declarations were not coming from the more well recognized Christian media. They were coming from more moderate emergent church leaders and gay and lesbian groups. As Sherlock Holmes would say to Dr. Watson, "The game is afoot." Or as we would say today, "Something ain't right."
I will end this blog here. Next time I will discuss the interview itself. From there it is my hope to explore the same sex issue and it's ramification on society. Hopefully it will be discussed from a loving, yet critical view using science, statistics, history, culture, and Scripture. These will be employed to show what this is all about and expose the lies which are being perpetrated by the media, political interests, and emergent church apostates. Your prayers will be needed, because some will falsely accuse me of hate speech. Remember it can only be contributed that way if, and only if, I insight physical harm on someone. Harming someone physically or their reputations is both wrong and not my desire. I believe that, except for self defense, harming anyone physically or reputation wise is both unbiblical and wrong. I will be honest and open about what I find, like it or not. If you continue to believe differently than I do then that is you right. Anyone who chooses to debate me needs to debate the issues not the person...no name calling...use respect!
God Bless,
Steven
Friday, April 16, 2010
TAX DAY MESSAGE
Sometime at the turn of the last century (20th) somebody got this really great idea…let’s tax the American people’s income. Originally the idea was to tax 1% of the total income. Now remember that at the close of the 19th century and opening of the 20th century the Federal government only had three basic obligations: secure the boarders, defend the nation, and govern by law. That was it! However, times were changing. There was discussion of roads which would reach from one coast to the other; the need for federalizing certain crimes; and the possibility of strengthen a standing armed force since things were starting to get very ugly in Europe. By 1913 the idea was ratified into the 18th Amendment.
Despite what most conspiracy buffs want you to think, the 18th Amendment was legal and despite a few potholes in ratification, everything was done as it should have been. That was then, but what about now? As most know the least in taxes you will pay is anywhere between 19-25% of your income. In other words you and I pay at least a bare minimum of 19 to 25 cents on the dollar. If you make over $250,000 dollars a year, that goes up. And that’s just on the federal income tax. For those of you who live and work in states that have state income taxes you pay more. Then there are all the federal and state sales taxes on the gas and other items we purchase. If that isn’t enough they now tax your retirement (even if you get Social Security) and if you die or better yet when you die you are taxed then.
In the health care debate it has been brought out that a consumption tax or value added tax (which is a sales tax) will be added to help pay for this. I (along with many of you) will be taxed for purchasing health insurance and will be fined (or taxed) if we don’t purchase any. (Me’s think they call that double jeopardy.) Presently food is not taxed, under the Obama plan it will. They have planned to tax you and I everywhere till sundown. In fact I bet they will tax us for watching the sun go down if we let them. What I am discussing is only the tip of the ice berg. It has officially been estimated that there is a possibility that we as American citizens will be taxed as much as 70% before it’s all over(http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2008/06/European-Levels-of-Taxation-Barack-Obamas-Tax-Plan ). Again understand that is 70 cents on the dollar. That leaves you and me with 30 cents to do or buy anything (including food). We have not seen this kind of out of control taxation since 1937 under the Franklin Roosevelt and later the Harry Truman administrations. I respectively ask you to read one of my previous blogs dealing with this (Socialized Medicine? Good, Bad, or Indifferent?)
The question may be asked, “If the federal and state governments tax us of our living so much do we have to pay our taxes?” For the Christian the answer is an undaunting, YES! Why you may ask. Because Jesus was clear in Matthew 22:21, “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.” The idea is that if Caesar built it, it belongs to him. If you reside under his protective hand, payment for that protection is to be made to him. If you walk on roads he built, live in cities he approved for structure, live under his authority, you have to make payment. If Caesar prints the money then it belongs to him.
Jesus does not stop there. He makes a greater observation, we are not only to give the tribute that Caesar is owed, but we are to also give to God what belongs to Him. If we are paying back to the government what they own, then what is it that God owns? Simple, EVERYTHING!!! God owns it all. Why? Because He created it all, His authority is unlimited, and His power is unreachable. This means our very lives belong to Him. This is where government stops. In Job 2 God tells Satan that he can do whatever he wants to poor Job except take his life. Why? Because Job’s life belonged exclusively to God. Things could not be clearer. It is our lives which we pay tribute to God with, not money, even though the way we handle money may show how we are paying tribute to God. Paul the apostle would have agreed with this thought in Romans 12:1-2 were on bended knee he begs Christians to give their all to God as living sacrifices.
John Locke, known as the father of liberty, would agree with the assumption that if God owns the person, then nobody else should own them. As a British philosopher and minister of the 17th century John Locke had great influence on such men as Roger Williams. His view was that government should make a contract with its people, limiting itself to defending the people, not controlling them. Since God owned the person, then what the person owned was owned by God and government’s authority should be limited to taking care of the matters of state and defense and allow the people to govern their own affairs. It was the idea of a nation where people took responsibility of what they did and also of the government itself.
John Locke also had a great influence on our founding fathers such as Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. His writings would cause the birth of a nation which has been called the greatest experiment in history. Exclusively the United States was born from the influence of preachers, philosophers, and theologians, unlike any other nation before or after it. It is a nation where the church does not run the government, nor the government runs the church, yet each person involved in government is allowed to vote according to the dictates of their own conscience. As Martin Luther stated in Worms, “It is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.”
With this brief understanding how shall we proceed with a government which is encroaching more and more on our freedoms every day? What should we do about those who’s spending is out of control? Where should we turn in the process?
Allow me to note some things first before we come down to what we can do. As American Christians we have a responsibility and obligation that the rest of the world does not understand. I go to church with immigrants from Eastern Europe, who escaped communism and are concerned with the direction of our nation. Even then they can, at times, be critical of American Christians when we complain about the way things are going. However, there are some Biblical grounds for the way things run and I believe that what our founding fathers attempted to do was closer and is closer to God’s design for humanity. I know that it has been reported by the Chinese Christians that they pray that we will go through a persecution to wake us up. And who knows that maybe what it takes. I think we should understand that as long as we are faithful God in all that we do and draw close to Him constantly, then persecution will not be necessary. At the same time I also pray for their freedom so that the Gospel can be openly preached. So now how shall we proceed?
First, pray. I know, I say that every time, but this is the basis. We have to be a people of prayer. We need to pray for those who we disagree with as well as those we agree with. Again, Jesus in Matthew 5:43-45 is very clear about this. We are to pray for those who abuse us as well as those who love us. At the same time I do not believe this means we should willingly submit ourselves to abuse, but if abuse does happen then we are to be praying for those doing the abusing. We need to pray that God will give them favor for salvation; that they will become more compassionate and understanding; and that they will become more helpful with the needs of others. At the same time we should pray for those who we agree with so that they will stand the needed ground in order to preserve liberty.
Second, we should be involved. There are a number of ways in which citizens can be involved. One is to make sure we stay informed about what is going on. Learn and understand the issues at hand from all angles. Another way we can be involved is to write letters, e-mails and make phone calls to our representatives, senators, governors, city councilman, and mayors. Remember that the person, who runs for mayor today, may run for the senate tomorrow. An additional way to be involved is by giving to the person who discusses the issues you think are important. Finally, you can also show up in rallies. When doing this we need to be very careful about the way we handle ourselves. Rallies can become contentious especially if another rally is going on at the same time from the opposing side. Remember that our Constitution secures the right for peaceful assembly. Protest rallies can be both peaceful and Biblical as long as they do not move into a frame work of calling names. This is the reason why some ministers and preachers, especially younger ones, are speaking out against going to politically motivated rallies.
Third, stand your ground morally. What do I mean by this? Stop allowing society to declare what the norm should be. I have come to the point where when someone uses filthy language in excess, I say something. It is not right that my wife and child have to be subjected to someone else’s abusive language. While the Constitution guarantees free speech, it does not allow for abusive speech. There is a difference. No one has the right to use foul language in open public. Take the high ground morally and ethically every day. We may pay a heavy price for it, but in the long run it will pay off.
Fourth, pay your taxes. Right now the tax situation is what it is and we are all obligated to pay. Laws can be changed, but until they are, taxes have to be paid.
Fifth, vote. I have the attitude that if you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain. Vote for the person you agree with.
Last, go to church and daily dedicate yourself to the living Savior. You and I have to understand that what goes on down here is small compared to the kingdom of God and what He is wanting. If we are not busy proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost while there is free speech and while there is time, then we are missing the point. You see freedom means very little if we are not busy proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ with it. There are people who have not heard the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. They do not understand that they are lost in their sins, bound by their lusts, greed and passions. They have no idea that Hell will become their eternal home without Him. There is no real conscience toward the fact that Jesus Christ bleed, suffered and died on the cross for, because of, and in place of their sin. They are blind to the idea that they are under the judgment of God and need this Savior. They do not care that He is bodily raised, nor are they concerned with the fact that He will return one day to judge everything they have ever done.
You see this is the reason I am concerned with freedom of speech, liberty of life. If we do not have these two things then the Gospel will have to go back underground and it will be suppressed from the masses that need to hear.
Let me know what you think.
God Bless,
Steven Swaim-President and Founder of Be Devoted Ministries
(All Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)-Lochman Foundation)
Despite what most conspiracy buffs want you to think, the 18th Amendment was legal and despite a few potholes in ratification, everything was done as it should have been. That was then, but what about now? As most know the least in taxes you will pay is anywhere between 19-25% of your income. In other words you and I pay at least a bare minimum of 19 to 25 cents on the dollar. If you make over $250,000 dollars a year, that goes up. And that’s just on the federal income tax. For those of you who live and work in states that have state income taxes you pay more. Then there are all the federal and state sales taxes on the gas and other items we purchase. If that isn’t enough they now tax your retirement (even if you get Social Security) and if you die or better yet when you die you are taxed then.
In the health care debate it has been brought out that a consumption tax or value added tax (which is a sales tax) will be added to help pay for this. I (along with many of you) will be taxed for purchasing health insurance and will be fined (or taxed) if we don’t purchase any. (Me’s think they call that double jeopardy.) Presently food is not taxed, under the Obama plan it will. They have planned to tax you and I everywhere till sundown. In fact I bet they will tax us for watching the sun go down if we let them. What I am discussing is only the tip of the ice berg. It has officially been estimated that there is a possibility that we as American citizens will be taxed as much as 70% before it’s all over(http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2008/06/European-Levels-of-Taxation-Barack-Obamas-Tax-Plan ). Again understand that is 70 cents on the dollar. That leaves you and me with 30 cents to do or buy anything (including food). We have not seen this kind of out of control taxation since 1937 under the Franklin Roosevelt and later the Harry Truman administrations. I respectively ask you to read one of my previous blogs dealing with this (Socialized Medicine? Good, Bad, or Indifferent?)
The question may be asked, “If the federal and state governments tax us of our living so much do we have to pay our taxes?” For the Christian the answer is an undaunting, YES! Why you may ask. Because Jesus was clear in Matthew 22:21, “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.” The idea is that if Caesar built it, it belongs to him. If you reside under his protective hand, payment for that protection is to be made to him. If you walk on roads he built, live in cities he approved for structure, live under his authority, you have to make payment. If Caesar prints the money then it belongs to him.
Jesus does not stop there. He makes a greater observation, we are not only to give the tribute that Caesar is owed, but we are to also give to God what belongs to Him. If we are paying back to the government what they own, then what is it that God owns? Simple, EVERYTHING!!! God owns it all. Why? Because He created it all, His authority is unlimited, and His power is unreachable. This means our very lives belong to Him. This is where government stops. In Job 2 God tells Satan that he can do whatever he wants to poor Job except take his life. Why? Because Job’s life belonged exclusively to God. Things could not be clearer. It is our lives which we pay tribute to God with, not money, even though the way we handle money may show how we are paying tribute to God. Paul the apostle would have agreed with this thought in Romans 12:1-2 were on bended knee he begs Christians to give their all to God as living sacrifices.
John Locke, known as the father of liberty, would agree with the assumption that if God owns the person, then nobody else should own them. As a British philosopher and minister of the 17th century John Locke had great influence on such men as Roger Williams. His view was that government should make a contract with its people, limiting itself to defending the people, not controlling them. Since God owned the person, then what the person owned was owned by God and government’s authority should be limited to taking care of the matters of state and defense and allow the people to govern their own affairs. It was the idea of a nation where people took responsibility of what they did and also of the government itself.
John Locke also had a great influence on our founding fathers such as Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. His writings would cause the birth of a nation which has been called the greatest experiment in history. Exclusively the United States was born from the influence of preachers, philosophers, and theologians, unlike any other nation before or after it. It is a nation where the church does not run the government, nor the government runs the church, yet each person involved in government is allowed to vote according to the dictates of their own conscience. As Martin Luther stated in Worms, “It is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.”
With this brief understanding how shall we proceed with a government which is encroaching more and more on our freedoms every day? What should we do about those who’s spending is out of control? Where should we turn in the process?
Allow me to note some things first before we come down to what we can do. As American Christians we have a responsibility and obligation that the rest of the world does not understand. I go to church with immigrants from Eastern Europe, who escaped communism and are concerned with the direction of our nation. Even then they can, at times, be critical of American Christians when we complain about the way things are going. However, there are some Biblical grounds for the way things run and I believe that what our founding fathers attempted to do was closer and is closer to God’s design for humanity. I know that it has been reported by the Chinese Christians that they pray that we will go through a persecution to wake us up. And who knows that maybe what it takes. I think we should understand that as long as we are faithful God in all that we do and draw close to Him constantly, then persecution will not be necessary. At the same time I also pray for their freedom so that the Gospel can be openly preached. So now how shall we proceed?
First, pray. I know, I say that every time, but this is the basis. We have to be a people of prayer. We need to pray for those who we disagree with as well as those we agree with. Again, Jesus in Matthew 5:43-45 is very clear about this. We are to pray for those who abuse us as well as those who love us. At the same time I do not believe this means we should willingly submit ourselves to abuse, but if abuse does happen then we are to be praying for those doing the abusing. We need to pray that God will give them favor for salvation; that they will become more compassionate and understanding; and that they will become more helpful with the needs of others. At the same time we should pray for those who we agree with so that they will stand the needed ground in order to preserve liberty.
Second, we should be involved. There are a number of ways in which citizens can be involved. One is to make sure we stay informed about what is going on. Learn and understand the issues at hand from all angles. Another way we can be involved is to write letters, e-mails and make phone calls to our representatives, senators, governors, city councilman, and mayors. Remember that the person, who runs for mayor today, may run for the senate tomorrow. An additional way to be involved is by giving to the person who discusses the issues you think are important. Finally, you can also show up in rallies. When doing this we need to be very careful about the way we handle ourselves. Rallies can become contentious especially if another rally is going on at the same time from the opposing side. Remember that our Constitution secures the right for peaceful assembly. Protest rallies can be both peaceful and Biblical as long as they do not move into a frame work of calling names. This is the reason why some ministers and preachers, especially younger ones, are speaking out against going to politically motivated rallies.
Third, stand your ground morally. What do I mean by this? Stop allowing society to declare what the norm should be. I have come to the point where when someone uses filthy language in excess, I say something. It is not right that my wife and child have to be subjected to someone else’s abusive language. While the Constitution guarantees free speech, it does not allow for abusive speech. There is a difference. No one has the right to use foul language in open public. Take the high ground morally and ethically every day. We may pay a heavy price for it, but in the long run it will pay off.
Fourth, pay your taxes. Right now the tax situation is what it is and we are all obligated to pay. Laws can be changed, but until they are, taxes have to be paid.
Fifth, vote. I have the attitude that if you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain. Vote for the person you agree with.
Last, go to church and daily dedicate yourself to the living Savior. You and I have to understand that what goes on down here is small compared to the kingdom of God and what He is wanting. If we are not busy proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost while there is free speech and while there is time, then we are missing the point. You see freedom means very little if we are not busy proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ with it. There are people who have not heard the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. They do not understand that they are lost in their sins, bound by their lusts, greed and passions. They have no idea that Hell will become their eternal home without Him. There is no real conscience toward the fact that Jesus Christ bleed, suffered and died on the cross for, because of, and in place of their sin. They are blind to the idea that they are under the judgment of God and need this Savior. They do not care that He is bodily raised, nor are they concerned with the fact that He will return one day to judge everything they have ever done.
You see this is the reason I am concerned with freedom of speech, liberty of life. If we do not have these two things then the Gospel will have to go back underground and it will be suppressed from the masses that need to hear.
Let me know what you think.
God Bless,
Steven Swaim-President and Founder of Be Devoted Ministries
(All Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)-Lochman Foundation)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
ARE YOU READY FOR THE SURPIRSE WHEN IT COMES?
About two weeks ago Mary, my wife, came down with migraines which lead to her becoming very ill. The next morning I started to leave for work, when she started complaining of sever back pains. After a brief discussion I decided to stay home and take care of her. She called doctor who told her to go to the Labor/Delivery room and she would meet her there. Six hours later we left with a diagnosis of pre-labor start-ups. Two days later we went to the doctor for a normal check-up and Mary was put on bed rest. On Friday, March 26th, 2010, the doctor released Mary from bed rest. On Saturday March 27th, 2010 at 5:15 a.m. Mary woke me up saying that her water had broken. By 7:30 a.m. we were in Labor/Delivery and by 6:36 p.m. James Swaim entered the world. The point is that James was exactly one month early. He had captured Mary and me totally by surprise. His room was still being worked on; we still had one baby shower to go; I was still putting furniture together and the house was a wreck from Mary having been sick and me having taken a class at DBU. We were caught off guard.
Many would say that this is the way life works. But upon a deeper examination, some could argue that this is the way God Himself works. Scripture seems to bear this out. We could look at a variety of scriptures that display this thought.
From the Old Testament we could look in Genesis 12 at the call of Abraham. In Exodus 3 there is the sudden appearance of YAHWEH in the burning bush before Moses. Exodus 5 records the surprise return of Moses to Egypt. Joshua 1-5 tells of the shock of Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan. It surprised King Saul and Israel that God chose David as the next king (1st Samuel 16). Nehemiah astonished Sanballet, Tobiah and Geshem with the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah). And this hits only the highlights in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament things do not work much different. In Matthew 1-2 Jesus Christ took the world by surprise by being born even thought it had been prophesied for close to six thousand years, starting in Genesis 3. Not only did His arrival amaze people but in Matthew 7:38 His authority did as well. In Matthew 26 His crucifixion startled he disciples. But the biggest surprise was His bodily resurrection which is recorded in Luke 24. What seems to be more amazing to His disciples was the ascension into Heaven some forty days latter in Acts 1.
Looking back on all of this we might say, “Yeah, I can see were that caught them by surprise, but that was then and this is now.” WAIT!! There is more! The apostle Paul wrote of “…the coming of the Lord…” (4:15) in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-5:11. In 5:2 he states that this day, “…will come just like a thief in the night.” In other words we (all of humanity, saved and unsaved) will be caught by surprised. I know that not everyone reading this believes as I do regarding the “coming of the Lord.” And quiet frankly I don’t care!!! Each theological argument regarding this moment in time has hermeneutical and historical issues which comes with it. So you can argue among yourselves. My point is this, regardless of your view; regardless of your theological thinking; regardless of your drum beating belief; when Jesus returns we will all be caught by surprise. The point of Scripture is that no matter how things play out, in the end we are to be faithful to Him, because He will return.
I am reminded of a story by Chuck Swindoll about a black elderly woman in a Mississippi town. Every week she would go to town to grocery shop. Every week she would be taunted by three young teenagers about her faith. One day they yelled out and asked her in a jesting manner, “Hey, are you ready for Jesus to return?” She quickly snapped back, “Boys! I’sa stays ready!”
That is the point in question: Do you stay ready? How ready are you for the day of reckoning? Will the great Judge of Eternity find you guilty in your sins or righteous through the work of His resurrected Son? Only you can answer.
Have a happy Resurrection Sunday and let me know what you think.
Steven Swaim
President of Be Devoted Ministries
Many would say that this is the way life works. But upon a deeper examination, some could argue that this is the way God Himself works. Scripture seems to bear this out. We could look at a variety of scriptures that display this thought.
From the Old Testament we could look in Genesis 12 at the call of Abraham. In Exodus 3 there is the sudden appearance of YAHWEH in the burning bush before Moses. Exodus 5 records the surprise return of Moses to Egypt. Joshua 1-5 tells of the shock of Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan. It surprised King Saul and Israel that God chose David as the next king (1st Samuel 16). Nehemiah astonished Sanballet, Tobiah and Geshem with the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah). And this hits only the highlights in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament things do not work much different. In Matthew 1-2 Jesus Christ took the world by surprise by being born even thought it had been prophesied for close to six thousand years, starting in Genesis 3. Not only did His arrival amaze people but in Matthew 7:38 His authority did as well. In Matthew 26 His crucifixion startled he disciples. But the biggest surprise was His bodily resurrection which is recorded in Luke 24. What seems to be more amazing to His disciples was the ascension into Heaven some forty days latter in Acts 1.
Looking back on all of this we might say, “Yeah, I can see were that caught them by surprise, but that was then and this is now.” WAIT!! There is more! The apostle Paul wrote of “…the coming of the Lord…” (4:15) in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-5:11. In 5:2 he states that this day, “…will come just like a thief in the night.” In other words we (all of humanity, saved and unsaved) will be caught by surprised. I know that not everyone reading this believes as I do regarding the “coming of the Lord.” And quiet frankly I don’t care!!! Each theological argument regarding this moment in time has hermeneutical and historical issues which comes with it. So you can argue among yourselves. My point is this, regardless of your view; regardless of your theological thinking; regardless of your drum beating belief; when Jesus returns we will all be caught by surprise. The point of Scripture is that no matter how things play out, in the end we are to be faithful to Him, because He will return.
I am reminded of a story by Chuck Swindoll about a black elderly woman in a Mississippi town. Every week she would go to town to grocery shop. Every week she would be taunted by three young teenagers about her faith. One day they yelled out and asked her in a jesting manner, “Hey, are you ready for Jesus to return?” She quickly snapped back, “Boys! I’sa stays ready!”
That is the point in question: Do you stay ready? How ready are you for the day of reckoning? Will the great Judge of Eternity find you guilty in your sins or righteous through the work of His resurrected Son? Only you can answer.
Have a happy Resurrection Sunday and let me know what you think.
Steven Swaim
President of Be Devoted Ministries
Saturday, March 20, 2010
HEALTHCARE AND MINISTRY/NON-PROFIT ISSUES
This will be a brief blog because, as many of you know throughout the year I have ranted regarding the healthcare legislation which has been moving through Congress. All that can be said has been said. I believe that it is an overall takeover of not just one-sixth of our economy, but a taking away from our very freedom itself. I have also posted in some previous blogs my thoughts of what would help regarding our present system. In order to get specifics see my blogs on August 2, 2009 (socialized medicine? good, bad, or indifferent?), November 7, 2009 (The Dems Are Wanting You To Demo On) and December 5, 2009 (WHERE IS SAMUEL ADAMS WHEN YOU NEED HIM). However, as usual no one listens.
Allow me to bring to you the necessity of this discussion from a ministry angle. Here is the danger, most, while not all, of the social needs of our nation are still taken care of by churches, ministries and other non-profit organizations. Most of these small organizations and groups employee one to fifteen people with the rest being volunteers. Having said that remember that the IRS is being put in charge of keeping up with the employers payment regarding health insurance. This means that government will be more intrusive than it has ever been before. With ministries, non-profits and churches being in a special status this will make them even bigger targets of the IRS than before. What this means is that groups and non-profit businesses which run on shoe string budgets will still be required to give employees insurance or will be required to take up government run health insurance. Folks this is called socialism by no other word.
So very quickly what should we do? I don’t think being rebellious toward the law itself will help, however I don’t think we should just stand and take it if it passes. First, continue to call your representative. At the writing of this blog they barely have the votes, even though that may very easily change. Second, vote the bums out. I will continue to keep this issue as a forefront issue until November, 2012. They have done a very bad job at listening to the people! Third, encourage your state’s Attorney General to file a constitutional grievance against this and push the issue to the Supreme Court. Make sure they do a good job at representing the issue or else we will wind up with a law that we cannot back out, even through legislation. Fourth, we do need to force the next group of Representatives and Senators to deal with the health care issue carefully so that this kind of debacle doesn’t happen again. Last, but most significantly, we need to pray. The real issue here is not Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, or Health Care. The issue is not conservative verses liberal or the constitutionalism verses socialism. The real issues are spiritual. There is a need in our nation for revival, a need for people to come to Jesus as Savior.
This healthcare issue is very important for ministries, non-profits and churches for other reasons than what I have listed. Let’s not forget that the abortion issue is still involved in this piece of hogwash, or as Will Rodgers called it, “sausage making.” Also, remember that this impacts the way people give. If healthcare costs go up then giving will go down, which is the source of income for non-profits. Finally remember that personally it will impact every minister, pastor, and owner of non-profits regarding their First Amendment rights. “How?” you may ask. Some of the biggest pushers of this legislation are the homosexual, abortion and pornography groups. While the abortion industry has been the loudest, the other two have been quietly lobbing the issue. AIDS is still a major concern in these two communities. Once this legislation is passed they will view these issues as something that cannot be discriminated against. And the euthanasia issue still has not been covered. Does anyone hear Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler rising from the dead? Believe me, as I have stated before I state again, it may take ten to twenty years to happen, but it will.
Tell me what you think.
Steven
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Mary and James Ordeal
As some of you, who are my Facebook friends, know I asked for prayer for Mary last night. As a quick update, Mary and James are doing fine. Last night while I was in the middle of taking an online final test for a class I had taken at Dallas Baptist University last week, Mary came down very ill and started to throw-up. I was unaware of the severity of what was happening until after I had completed the test. At one point she had come in stating she was not feeling well, which evidently went down hill after that. I tended to her the best I could and when everything caulmed down I posted my request. However little did I know what was about to occur.
About two o'clock in the morning she woke me up milling around the house stating that her back was hurting her. She had tried everything, and remained in that perpetual state of up and down for the rest of the morning. Both of us felt it had something to do with her being sick after the migrain headache last night (no that should not be interpreted that I am her migrain).
This morning when I got up at four o'clock in the morning (yes that is normal for me), she was already up (no that is not normal for her). She continued to complain with the back pain for the next two hours while I attempted to get ready for work. Finally, as I was ready to walk out the door, I began to ask her a series of questions to determine if this was one of those, "Oh, I'm pregnate and am just misrable" moments or if it was something which really needed my attention. I determined that it really needed my attention. I had her call the doctor oncall, who instructed her to immediately go to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital at seven-thirty in the morning and she was admitted in the labor/delivery room. The nurses immediately began to monitor her and ran some test. The doctor suspected kidney stones but the test came out clear. The nurse was the one who put two and two together. She noticed that the monitor was picking up contractions at 3 to 4 minutes apart. Understand that Mary is only 33 weeks along, so we should not be seeing anything like this yet. They gave her a shot to settle the contractions down and to allow Mary to rest. Basically, the back pain was contractions. The doctor then began to question why this happening. I then shared with the doctor what occured last night. After watching Mary for another hour, they determined that Mary was slightly dehidrated, the medicine was working as it should, and the dehidration is what caused the contractions. I was instructed to get her something to eat after she was released (like I needed to be instructed to do this) and make sure she got plenty of rest this afternoon (like I needed to be instructed to do this as well). We left the hospital at one o'clock this afternoon.
Mary has eaten and is resting well right now. I am able to get some rest after completeing my studies for the next twelve weeks. But our rest is short lived, in about seven to eight weeks the little fellow who we were so concerned for will be entering this world. Please continue to pray for Mary and James, while giving God the praise for those who are working in our health care industry!
Lord Bless,
Steven Swaim
About two o'clock in the morning she woke me up milling around the house stating that her back was hurting her. She had tried everything, and remained in that perpetual state of up and down for the rest of the morning. Both of us felt it had something to do with her being sick after the migrain headache last night (no that should not be interpreted that I am her migrain).
This morning when I got up at four o'clock in the morning (yes that is normal for me), she was already up (no that is not normal for her). She continued to complain with the back pain for the next two hours while I attempted to get ready for work. Finally, as I was ready to walk out the door, I began to ask her a series of questions to determine if this was one of those, "Oh, I'm pregnate and am just misrable" moments or if it was something which really needed my attention. I determined that it really needed my attention. I had her call the doctor oncall, who instructed her to immediately go to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital at seven-thirty in the morning and she was admitted in the labor/delivery room. The nurses immediately began to monitor her and ran some test. The doctor suspected kidney stones but the test came out clear. The nurse was the one who put two and two together. She noticed that the monitor was picking up contractions at 3 to 4 minutes apart. Understand that Mary is only 33 weeks along, so we should not be seeing anything like this yet. They gave her a shot to settle the contractions down and to allow Mary to rest. Basically, the back pain was contractions. The doctor then began to question why this happening. I then shared with the doctor what occured last night. After watching Mary for another hour, they determined that Mary was slightly dehidrated, the medicine was working as it should, and the dehidration is what caused the contractions. I was instructed to get her something to eat after she was released (like I needed to be instructed to do this) and make sure she got plenty of rest this afternoon (like I needed to be instructed to do this as well). We left the hospital at one o'clock this afternoon.
Mary has eaten and is resting well right now. I am able to get some rest after completeing my studies for the next twelve weeks. But our rest is short lived, in about seven to eight weeks the little fellow who we were so concerned for will be entering this world. Please continue to pray for Mary and James, while giving God the praise for those who are working in our health care industry!
Lord Bless,
Steven Swaim
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Proposition 4: Public Acknowledgement of God
On March 2nd Proposition 4 will be on the ballet. If you haven’t voted yet you may want to take note of it. It reads:
Ballot Proposition 4: Public Acknowledgement of God
The use of the word "God", prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.
The key is to allow the public acknowledgement of God from becoming a thing of the past. There are some who argue that this proposition is a prop for the republicans and is questionable constitutionally. However, this is not unconstitutional because of what it is attempting to do. The purpose is not an attempt to set one religion over another, but to guarantee religious freedom. Over the last forty seven years we have seen many things dealing with a public display of faith erode in our culture. First it started in schools, then moved to the work place, from there it impassionedly passed to even private relationships. Now it is attempting to erase any acknowledgement of a Universal Sovereign from history itself, which includes governmental monuments that are 50 to 200 years old.
I do not believe that this eroding has been an accident or the results of multiculturalism. It has been a very strong attempt to eradicate the first amendment right which has been around since the conception of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. The attempt to make the Constitution a living, growing document rather than a historical liberty giving by law and nature, is a gross misplacement of inspiration.
One blogger (The Whited Sepulcher-[www.thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com]) has outlined some of the arguments against this proposition. While I find the writer very intelligent, logical and thoughtful with their assessment against this proposition, I find myself in strong disagreement with them on several grounds. I would also like to employ the fact that there are several areas which The Whited Sepulcher brings up that needs to be heeded.
Allow me to start by explaining my agreements with The Whited Sepulcher. First, I agree with the need for those of us who are Christians to view life through the seers of Scripture. Far too often Evangelical Christians have used experiences verses hard truth to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Second, I agree with the overt warning which The Whited Sepulcher brings up and that is the misuse of God’s name in public, or for that fact at anytime. Many in the political and public spectrum will call on deity to justify their stance or to gain a growing following. They are guilty as charged and will face divine judgment when the time comes. Last, I agree with the idea that we should first be people of relational (private) prayer before we become proclaimers in the public square. As many have argued (and rightly so) why should we care about prayer in school, when there is no prayer in the home. Having said all of that I find none of these arguments substantial enough to be in opposition to Proposition 4.
In the areas of disagreements which I have with The Whited Sepulcher, I am sure that I will be accused by some of being unkind. Allow me to establish first that I find The Whited Sepulcher’s disagreements totally thought worthy, totally understandable and equally constitutional. I have no personal vendetta against this blogger. We are fellows who are doing and consecrating on the same thing, attempting to get our thoughts out into the public arena for discussion and debate.
First, I disagree with the final application from Exodus 20:10. I agree with the interpretation but think that the use of this passage as an argument against this proposition is both straining at its true meaning and ignores the fact that we cannot judge the true reason someone will use God’s name in the public square.
Second, I’m not real comfortable with the argument that we should not allow God’s name to be proclaimed in public because of those who will misuse it. It is His name and He expects us to call on Him (publically and privately) for help, reassurance, and to give Him praise for all the great things He has done. His name is also to be defended. Anyone who has had their character smeared by someone else understands the issue of defending their “good name.” What those in opposition of public proclamation of God’s name don’t understand is that they are, in fact, doing the very thing they claim to be defending, misusing His name.
Third, there can be many different understandings of who God is when His name is used in public. If we are truly a pluralistic society, then it should not matter if the name of God is used. Since we are suppose to be this great post-modern society of thought, using the name God should not hurt anybody because of the ambiguous way each religion uses “God” as a term and not a person. While I do not agree with that use, because I am what is known as a Trinitarian theist (the belief in one God in three persons [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], and the three persons as one God), it is still better that God’s name be in the open for discussion verses He not be mentioned at all. There is plenty of historical material regarding the founding fathers and what they believed (or didn’t believe) religiously. Their intent was for religion to be discussed in the public fair, not to attempt to make things fair by squashing it. Simple research on many historical documents and letters from the framers of the Constitution will reveal this as the case.
Finally, I believe that Matthew 6:5 is being relied on a bit too much by those in opposition of the public prayer. The point Jesus is making, is that public prayer should not be the only time we pray. Prayer (public or private) should be based on a relationship with God Himself through Jesus Christ His Son. We also have to be willing to define public. We can no longer pray in the public schools, met openly for prayer at government facilities, have open Bible studies (in our own time) at jobsites, or even have religious references in many public forums. In fact in some cities we cannot even have home Bible studies, because “it disturbs the neighborhood.” These are the same neighborhoods that are being harassed by gangs and violence, but you can’t have a Bible study in your home because it may disturb and upset the balance. My thought with that logic is, “????” So does public praying include small Bible studies? Does it include Sunday Schools? Can it include church assembly, mosque, areas of meditation, or even synagogues? What about the disciples in Acts chapters 1 and 12 who met in a house for prayer meetings? In the book of John Jesus prayed publicly before breaking the bread to feed the five thousand (6:11) If those last two examples weren’t public I don’t know what is! And the last example in particular was not held in any private venue.
So as can be seen the argument against the public proclamation of God’s name and prayer breaks down pretty quick. In fact it breaks down so quickly that if it is not protected, those against public prayer will begin to intrude on your personal life. Believe me when I say that this is actually becoming the case in many areas of our nation.
In fact I may actually be able to say that this proposition is truly the most Biblical proposition I have ever seen. Regardless if you like it or not simply, “…let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no...” (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12).
Let me know what you think.
God Bless,
Steven Swaim
(All Bible quotations come from the New American Standard Version)
Ballot Proposition 4: Public Acknowledgement of God
The use of the word "God", prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.
The key is to allow the public acknowledgement of God from becoming a thing of the past. There are some who argue that this proposition is a prop for the republicans and is questionable constitutionally. However, this is not unconstitutional because of what it is attempting to do. The purpose is not an attempt to set one religion over another, but to guarantee religious freedom. Over the last forty seven years we have seen many things dealing with a public display of faith erode in our culture. First it started in schools, then moved to the work place, from there it impassionedly passed to even private relationships. Now it is attempting to erase any acknowledgement of a Universal Sovereign from history itself, which includes governmental monuments that are 50 to 200 years old.
I do not believe that this eroding has been an accident or the results of multiculturalism. It has been a very strong attempt to eradicate the first amendment right which has been around since the conception of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. The attempt to make the Constitution a living, growing document rather than a historical liberty giving by law and nature, is a gross misplacement of inspiration.
One blogger (The Whited Sepulcher-[www.thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com]) has outlined some of the arguments against this proposition. While I find the writer very intelligent, logical and thoughtful with their assessment against this proposition, I find myself in strong disagreement with them on several grounds. I would also like to employ the fact that there are several areas which The Whited Sepulcher brings up that needs to be heeded.
Allow me to start by explaining my agreements with The Whited Sepulcher. First, I agree with the need for those of us who are Christians to view life through the seers of Scripture. Far too often Evangelical Christians have used experiences verses hard truth to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Second, I agree with the overt warning which The Whited Sepulcher brings up and that is the misuse of God’s name in public, or for that fact at anytime. Many in the political and public spectrum will call on deity to justify their stance or to gain a growing following. They are guilty as charged and will face divine judgment when the time comes. Last, I agree with the idea that we should first be people of relational (private) prayer before we become proclaimers in the public square. As many have argued (and rightly so) why should we care about prayer in school, when there is no prayer in the home. Having said all of that I find none of these arguments substantial enough to be in opposition to Proposition 4.
In the areas of disagreements which I have with The Whited Sepulcher, I am sure that I will be accused by some of being unkind. Allow me to establish first that I find The Whited Sepulcher’s disagreements totally thought worthy, totally understandable and equally constitutional. I have no personal vendetta against this blogger. We are fellows who are doing and consecrating on the same thing, attempting to get our thoughts out into the public arena for discussion and debate.
First, I disagree with the final application from Exodus 20:10. I agree with the interpretation but think that the use of this passage as an argument against this proposition is both straining at its true meaning and ignores the fact that we cannot judge the true reason someone will use God’s name in the public square.
Second, I’m not real comfortable with the argument that we should not allow God’s name to be proclaimed in public because of those who will misuse it. It is His name and He expects us to call on Him (publically and privately) for help, reassurance, and to give Him praise for all the great things He has done. His name is also to be defended. Anyone who has had their character smeared by someone else understands the issue of defending their “good name.” What those in opposition of public proclamation of God’s name don’t understand is that they are, in fact, doing the very thing they claim to be defending, misusing His name.
Third, there can be many different understandings of who God is when His name is used in public. If we are truly a pluralistic society, then it should not matter if the name of God is used. Since we are suppose to be this great post-modern society of thought, using the name God should not hurt anybody because of the ambiguous way each religion uses “God” as a term and not a person. While I do not agree with that use, because I am what is known as a Trinitarian theist (the belief in one God in three persons [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], and the three persons as one God), it is still better that God’s name be in the open for discussion verses He not be mentioned at all. There is plenty of historical material regarding the founding fathers and what they believed (or didn’t believe) religiously. Their intent was for religion to be discussed in the public fair, not to attempt to make things fair by squashing it. Simple research on many historical documents and letters from the framers of the Constitution will reveal this as the case.
Finally, I believe that Matthew 6:5 is being relied on a bit too much by those in opposition of the public prayer. The point Jesus is making, is that public prayer should not be the only time we pray. Prayer (public or private) should be based on a relationship with God Himself through Jesus Christ His Son. We also have to be willing to define public. We can no longer pray in the public schools, met openly for prayer at government facilities, have open Bible studies (in our own time) at jobsites, or even have religious references in many public forums. In fact in some cities we cannot even have home Bible studies, because “it disturbs the neighborhood.” These are the same neighborhoods that are being harassed by gangs and violence, but you can’t have a Bible study in your home because it may disturb and upset the balance. My thought with that logic is, “????” So does public praying include small Bible studies? Does it include Sunday Schools? Can it include church assembly, mosque, areas of meditation, or even synagogues? What about the disciples in Acts chapters 1 and 12 who met in a house for prayer meetings? In the book of John Jesus prayed publicly before breaking the bread to feed the five thousand (6:11) If those last two examples weren’t public I don’t know what is! And the last example in particular was not held in any private venue.
So as can be seen the argument against the public proclamation of God’s name and prayer breaks down pretty quick. In fact it breaks down so quickly that if it is not protected, those against public prayer will begin to intrude on your personal life. Believe me when I say that this is actually becoming the case in many areas of our nation.
In fact I may actually be able to say that this proposition is truly the most Biblical proposition I have ever seen. Regardless if you like it or not simply, “…let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no...” (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12).
Let me know what you think.
God Bless,
Steven Swaim
(All Bible quotations come from the New American Standard Version)
Friday, January 1, 2010
IN READINESS FOR WHAT?
A NEW YEAR MESSAGE
(PSALM 5)
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning. 2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. 3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 5The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. 6You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. 7But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. 9There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. 10Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.
11But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. 12For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.
I use to pray through the Psalms because of three basic reasons. First, they helped me focus or at times refocus my priorities and thoughts. Second, they often brought me to a place of repentance in my life allowing me to see the wickedness which can prevail so strongly in me. And third they bring reality back home as to what I am facing and what others faced in the past and how they viewed their moment of plight or praise. There are several dangers to doing this. It will bring conviction, change your mind about the way you should pray, and above everything give new attention to the way you approach the throne of God. The greatest danger, though, exists with the fact that some of the Psalms are meant for Messiah and we in no way can claim those as our prayers or thoughts. They are meant for Jesus Christ alone.
Recently over the Christmas break I took some time off. Many of you have noted that after several months of being very active I suddenly become very quiet. There are three reasons for this: 1) I was working on finals and papers for my classes. So always mark the end of a semester as a time of me getting very quiet and a time when you won’t be harassed by my constant yakking about something going on in the culture. 2) I have been spending time with family which so desperately needed my attention, especially Mary’s family down in Houston. The last time they were up to visit I basically ignored them because I had exams and papers due. 3) Mary and I are feverishly transforming the study into the baby’s room. It’s been a wild time. In fact we had worked so hard yesterday (New Years Eve) that we didn’t even make it to the New Years Celebration at Ferguson Road Baptist Church.
During this time I have re-immersed myself in praying through the Psalms. That’s when I prayed through Psalm 5. There is one thing in particular which caught my eye, the end of verse 3, “…I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” I understand the background to the Psalm. This is during a time when David is running from his son Absalom who wants to takeover the kingdom. It is an interesting Psalm because it goes with Psalms 3 and 4. However in Psalm 5 David considers God his King (verse 2) and does not pray for vengeance on the wicked who are following his son because of his throne. Rather he seeks God’s face for God’s righteousness to over take them for His kingdom’s sake, not David’s (verses 8, 10-12). Yet in amidst of all the horror which is going on David still writes, “…I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
The words “prayer” and “eagerly” are not actually in the Hebrew but are implied, therefore the translators have placed them there. Some say that the language is that of setting things up for a sacrifice. Whatever the case, what interests me the most is that David would pray and then with eagerness or with great zeal or with anticipation wait to see God work in the situation and glorify Himself through what is going on. The Jerusalem Bible says, “I hold myself in readiness for you.” Wow! What a thought, to hold oneself in such sacrificial anticipation, not just believing, but knowing that God is about to answer their prayer.
As we have exited 2009 and it’s challenges as well as it’s blessings we now face 2010. Like 2009, 2010 will hold challenges and blessings as well. For me personally it will include the arrival of James Ryan my first born son who is due to be born sometime in April. The challenge here is to make sure both mommy and baby are taken care of properly before and after birth. Also, if everything works correctly I should have graduated with the BA/BS degree in Christian Ministry from Dallas Baptist University by December of this year. The challenge will be money, time, and pressure in terms of what needs to be done to get there. For Ferguson Road Baptist, the blessing will be the fact that we ended the year in an upswing in every area: Sunday School attendance, ministry, personal service, worship service, evangelism, and financially. The challenge will be to keep the upswing going, which can only happen with prayer and involvement. Ministry wise Be Devoted Ministries will look at several ways of expanding its efforts with Ferguson Road Baptist and use this learning curb to help other churches which may ask for that help. It will also be a year in which I hope to preach and minister in different places while expanding Be Devoted Ministries place as a Para church organization. For families we all will continue to deal with the turmoil of the economic situation and for many it will be the constant struggle of finding work. As a nation we face some steep challenges in regards to our freedoms and way of life. I think the first and strongest challenge in the health care bill which at this time the Senate and House is attempting to negotiate. With clearly eighty-two percent (82%) of the population against what has been proposed, the Congress has abandoned its Constitutional responsibilities by not listening to the majority of the populace. The abortion issue will continue to be the front and center of this nation’s pain as it has been over the last 39 years. (See my previous blog for more information). Socialism beckons at our door and only prayer and persistence will keep it out! We will also continue to be haunted by the wars in the Middle East in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are other challenges internationally which we as a nation face: continued terrorism, other nations attempting to force us into treaties and alliances which will not profit us as a nation, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, the continued threat of a new Russia rising on the landscape, nations around us moving toward socialism and the financial burden to pay Communist China off for all of the stimulus money they loaned us.
Because of the challenges which lay ahead I am sure that many of us prayed in the New Year. More than likely we prayed that God will continue to help us with our health, that we would either be able to keep our jobs or find one. We prayed for our children's safety, for the safety and soon return of our troops from the war. More than likely we prayed for our churches, some missionaries, and for revival. As an after thought we almost certainly prayed for our nation and courts, with some reference for the President of the United States. All of this is pretty common in terms of prayers, but how many of us prayed about specifics? Did we pray naming names and really call out to the God of Heaven to reveal Himself through His people so that the world might come to know Jesus Christ as Savior? After all isn’t that the real issue which faces each and every individual on Earth no matter who they are? Were those moments of group prayers on this most sacred moment just one person who prayed then dismissed the crowd? Or did it last about thirty minutes in which generalized prayers where lifted up, then everyone went back to playing games or dismissed to go home? Did it include messages prepared from the word of God or did it include quiet moments of reading, refection, and a song with dismissal?
I propose that if any of the last three scenarios were true then the situation was neither Biblical nor spiritual. You would have been better off drinking at a bar and singing “Auld Lang Syne” with the drunks around you. We need to meet and agonize before God for His guidance and deliverance in our lives. We need to pray fervently confessing sin and seek God’s face for the salvation of lost souls. We need to pray from the bottom of our hearts for the missionaries by name and for the people they are attempting to reach. We need search out God’s heart for our communities and the people who live around us. We need to ask for God’s favor in terms of our government and pray whole heartedly for our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who face trials and persecutions. We need to passionately call on God’s mercy for our families and people we work with or go to school with. This needs to be done every day not just at the beginning of the year. When we pray with this kind of agony, then we are ordering our prayers to God and eagerly watching what God is about to do in the situation. We will be holding ourselves in readiness for His use.
Feel free to share this with whoever you wish or contact me with any questions or thoughts.
God Bless and Happy New Year,
Steven Swaim
All Bible verses quoted are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
(PSALM 5)
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning. 2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. 3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. 5The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. 6You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. 7But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. 9There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. 10Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.
11But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. 12For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.
I use to pray through the Psalms because of three basic reasons. First, they helped me focus or at times refocus my priorities and thoughts. Second, they often brought me to a place of repentance in my life allowing me to see the wickedness which can prevail so strongly in me. And third they bring reality back home as to what I am facing and what others faced in the past and how they viewed their moment of plight or praise. There are several dangers to doing this. It will bring conviction, change your mind about the way you should pray, and above everything give new attention to the way you approach the throne of God. The greatest danger, though, exists with the fact that some of the Psalms are meant for Messiah and we in no way can claim those as our prayers or thoughts. They are meant for Jesus Christ alone.
Recently over the Christmas break I took some time off. Many of you have noted that after several months of being very active I suddenly become very quiet. There are three reasons for this: 1) I was working on finals and papers for my classes. So always mark the end of a semester as a time of me getting very quiet and a time when you won’t be harassed by my constant yakking about something going on in the culture. 2) I have been spending time with family which so desperately needed my attention, especially Mary’s family down in Houston. The last time they were up to visit I basically ignored them because I had exams and papers due. 3) Mary and I are feverishly transforming the study into the baby’s room. It’s been a wild time. In fact we had worked so hard yesterday (New Years Eve) that we didn’t even make it to the New Years Celebration at Ferguson Road Baptist Church.
During this time I have re-immersed myself in praying through the Psalms. That’s when I prayed through Psalm 5. There is one thing in particular which caught my eye, the end of verse 3, “…I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” I understand the background to the Psalm. This is during a time when David is running from his son Absalom who wants to takeover the kingdom. It is an interesting Psalm because it goes with Psalms 3 and 4. However in Psalm 5 David considers God his King (verse 2) and does not pray for vengeance on the wicked who are following his son because of his throne. Rather he seeks God’s face for God’s righteousness to over take them for His kingdom’s sake, not David’s (verses 8, 10-12). Yet in amidst of all the horror which is going on David still writes, “…I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
The words “prayer” and “eagerly” are not actually in the Hebrew but are implied, therefore the translators have placed them there. Some say that the language is that of setting things up for a sacrifice. Whatever the case, what interests me the most is that David would pray and then with eagerness or with great zeal or with anticipation wait to see God work in the situation and glorify Himself through what is going on. The Jerusalem Bible says, “I hold myself in readiness for you.” Wow! What a thought, to hold oneself in such sacrificial anticipation, not just believing, but knowing that God is about to answer their prayer.
As we have exited 2009 and it’s challenges as well as it’s blessings we now face 2010. Like 2009, 2010 will hold challenges and blessings as well. For me personally it will include the arrival of James Ryan my first born son who is due to be born sometime in April. The challenge here is to make sure both mommy and baby are taken care of properly before and after birth. Also, if everything works correctly I should have graduated with the BA/BS degree in Christian Ministry from Dallas Baptist University by December of this year. The challenge will be money, time, and pressure in terms of what needs to be done to get there. For Ferguson Road Baptist, the blessing will be the fact that we ended the year in an upswing in every area: Sunday School attendance, ministry, personal service, worship service, evangelism, and financially. The challenge will be to keep the upswing going, which can only happen with prayer and involvement. Ministry wise Be Devoted Ministries will look at several ways of expanding its efforts with Ferguson Road Baptist and use this learning curb to help other churches which may ask for that help. It will also be a year in which I hope to preach and minister in different places while expanding Be Devoted Ministries place as a Para church organization. For families we all will continue to deal with the turmoil of the economic situation and for many it will be the constant struggle of finding work. As a nation we face some steep challenges in regards to our freedoms and way of life. I think the first and strongest challenge in the health care bill which at this time the Senate and House is attempting to negotiate. With clearly eighty-two percent (82%) of the population against what has been proposed, the Congress has abandoned its Constitutional responsibilities by not listening to the majority of the populace. The abortion issue will continue to be the front and center of this nation’s pain as it has been over the last 39 years. (See my previous blog for more information). Socialism beckons at our door and only prayer and persistence will keep it out! We will also continue to be haunted by the wars in the Middle East in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are other challenges internationally which we as a nation face: continued terrorism, other nations attempting to force us into treaties and alliances which will not profit us as a nation, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, the continued threat of a new Russia rising on the landscape, nations around us moving toward socialism and the financial burden to pay Communist China off for all of the stimulus money they loaned us.
Because of the challenges which lay ahead I am sure that many of us prayed in the New Year. More than likely we prayed that God will continue to help us with our health, that we would either be able to keep our jobs or find one. We prayed for our children's safety, for the safety and soon return of our troops from the war. More than likely we prayed for our churches, some missionaries, and for revival. As an after thought we almost certainly prayed for our nation and courts, with some reference for the President of the United States. All of this is pretty common in terms of prayers, but how many of us prayed about specifics? Did we pray naming names and really call out to the God of Heaven to reveal Himself through His people so that the world might come to know Jesus Christ as Savior? After all isn’t that the real issue which faces each and every individual on Earth no matter who they are? Were those moments of group prayers on this most sacred moment just one person who prayed then dismissed the crowd? Or did it last about thirty minutes in which generalized prayers where lifted up, then everyone went back to playing games or dismissed to go home? Did it include messages prepared from the word of God or did it include quiet moments of reading, refection, and a song with dismissal?
I propose that if any of the last three scenarios were true then the situation was neither Biblical nor spiritual. You would have been better off drinking at a bar and singing “Auld Lang Syne” with the drunks around you. We need to meet and agonize before God for His guidance and deliverance in our lives. We need to pray fervently confessing sin and seek God’s face for the salvation of lost souls. We need to pray from the bottom of our hearts for the missionaries by name and for the people they are attempting to reach. We need search out God’s heart for our communities and the people who live around us. We need to ask for God’s favor in terms of our government and pray whole heartedly for our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who face trials and persecutions. We need to passionately call on God’s mercy for our families and people we work with or go to school with. This needs to be done every day not just at the beginning of the year. When we pray with this kind of agony, then we are ordering our prayers to God and eagerly watching what God is about to do in the situation. We will be holding ourselves in readiness for His use.
Feel free to share this with whoever you wish or contact me with any questions or thoughts.
God Bless and Happy New Year,
Steven Swaim
All Bible verses quoted are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
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