When the roll is called up yonder.

Just this weekend a horrible vehicle accident took place in South Londonderry Township in Lebanon County.  Four bright young students had been traveling together early Sunday morning, lost control of their car and unfortunately hit an oncoming car.  All for of those precious lives had been extinguished in a twinkling of an eye.  This tragedy must have been deeply disconcerting for all those involved from the parents, to the siblings and friends, to the emergency responders (I know, I am a police chaplain) to be involved in.  I can only imagine the pain those parents must be feeling.  I too have had to bury my own mother this week and have spent many days in pain and anguish.  But I am sure it doesn’t compare to having to bury your young sons. 

 We can, however, take comfort in the fact that those young men will be standing in the presence of the Lord, if they were believers.  How glorious that must be to know there is something beautiful beyond this life.  My mother was a godly woman, a believer, and had spent much of her time rooted in the Bible after my father’s death in 2001.  The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord.  What that means that the instant that we die, we will be present with God in heaven.  I know this is a painful thing to fathom, but for those young people and even my mother, we should glory in that fact and be somewhat comforted to know they are in a better place.

This is for any parents that may be reading, please teach your children about the Bible and what everlasting life is (John 3:16).  If you can get your kinds into a good church, I suggest doing that because being around Christians in corporate worship is very good for all those involved.  But if you can’t remember what Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst”.  It is our jobs as parents to make the knowledge of God available to all who will listen.  Because in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound – will you be ready to stand face to face with God?  I pray that you will and I will be praying for those four families and I hope you do too.

Is street preaching free speech?

It seems that in the Harrisburg area that we have something of an anomaly these days, a street preacher.  You just don’t see that much anymore.  And if more people had the courage to do what Stephen Garisto is doing in the Central Dauphin School District area, maybe the Word of God would be heard by more people.  This street preaching, however, is not without controversy – and yes we Christians should expect that anytime the Word is proclaimed, or any religious symbols are shown in public we should expect someone to lay the smack down on it.

Mr. Garisto has been preaching on a street corner, on public property, at a CD school bus stop where it is reported that high school and middle school kids get on and off the bus.  This has raised the ire of some parents who think that Mr. Garisto is some kind of lunatic preying on their children’s soul.  They (the parents) are likening Mr. Garisto to some kind of pedophile because he talks to children about the Bible and Jesus Christ and have sought a court injunction to make him stop doing it.  Dauphin County Judge Jeannine Turgeon, to her credit, is taking some time to review this constitutional issue of free speech on public property.  However, she did chastise Mr. Garisto’s behavior as some what suspicious in his motives even though there is no evidence what so ever to support those malicious comments on his street preaching.  Judge Turgeon, much to the delight of the parents, did grant a temporary injunction against the evangelist, to stop preaching in that area of Penbrook.

 Many parents have made the claim that Garisto has been “harassing” them in their children by passing out tracts and exercising his right to free speech to talk about the Christ, while many parents have “heckled” him.  It has been my experience that street preachers always get heckled by non believers but anti war protesters in the Bush era were somehow always praised for their exercise of freedom of speech.  It seems to be a grossly hypocritical claim.  One parent commented that there is a time and a place for everything and a street corner is not the place to evangelize.  I wonder how they would know that.  My guess is that those parents making the claim that religion is only for churches has ever even darkened the door of one.  I’m glad that someone has the courage to stand up to the unbelievers and proudly proclaim the Word of God, no matter what the consequences are.  Nobody said the great commission of going forth and making disciples of all nations would be easy.

Christians and Abortions

Abortions in the state of Pennsylvania dropped nearly 4 percent in 2009, according to the new numbers recently released from the state health department in Harrisburg.  The figures show 1,523 fewer abortions occurred in 2009 than 2008, resulting in a total of 37,284 abortions in Pennsylvania last year.  That seems like an innocuous number, but when juxtaposed against the 45 million abortions since elective abortion was legalized in 1973, it pales in comparison.  Both numbers are staggering and it represents about the same number of deaths in the Soviet gulags during the Stalin regime or the Communist purges in China under Mao.  We are a depraved society for electively killing this many unborn children.  

For Pro-Life Christians (it is sad that I even have to qualify that) the drop in abortions last year is good news.  Being pro-life is and should be one of the primary tenants of our faith and I really can’t understand why it doesn’t seem to be in many mainline churches.  What can we attribute this drop in abortions to?  I’d like to say it is faith and the sanctity of human life. I’m not so sure that is the answer – because every other aspect of our society is running away from Christ rather than towards it. We should be thankful that many programs are available to help women make good decisions about having their child instead of aborting it.  It seems as if one of the state funded programs called Real Alternatives (www.realalternatives.org), located in Harrisburg, has made a real difference in educating women on the scope and gravity of their decisions.  One of the key phrases on their website is “Abortion is a life altering decision”.  That is the truth that many pro-aborts don’t want you to think about.  I encourage you to take a look at their website.

What can we as a church or a faith based organization do to supplement a program like Real Alternatives?  We must educated and shape our young people to have a deeper understand of sex, marriage, and how they can live out their sexuality in holiness and then have no cause for abortions.  We must educate church goers (and some pastors) of the sanctity of human life and that abortions are not God’s choice.  We must continually support sexual restraint and responsibility for unmarried adults.  We need to keep plugging away on strengthen marriage and supporting our single parent families in the church.  We must work with compassion in helping with adoptions and foster parenting organizations and provide good living situations for children spared from abortion.  Finally, we must keep praying about this situation like nobody’s business.  God loves the little children; let’s make sure they keep entering His world. 

Picking a Church?

Recently, I read a disturbing article in the latest edition of Christianity Today.  It had some statistics that were recently take of a survey that was 10 years in the making about mainline Protestant and Evangelical preachers.  While I can definitely see that some of the questions elicited the responses they got, I was puzzled by one of them.  The question was "Do you believe the the virgin birth?"  Seems simple, right?  Not so fast there, padre.  25% of mainline Protestant (Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc.) ministers did not, I repeat, did not believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.  I know you are going back to read that last sentence again, but it won't change the stat.  One of the main tenants of Christianity is the sinless birth of a virgin foretold in Isaiah  and Micah 400 years before it actually happened.   If we don't believe in the virgin birth, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - we must turn off the lights of the local churches and send everyone home because we are all lost. 

Now you may be wondering how do all these men and women who call themselves preachers get on the pulpit every Sunday and pontificate supposedly on the Word of God?  To many of them, preaching g is just a job - no more no less.  There was another article I read that interviewed two mainline ministers who were "leading" their flock and they were self avowed atheists.  The article went on to ask them why they were still in the pulpit and the answer was not a shock to me.  They stated that they lost their faith but the job was so good, they just couldn't give it up.  Ladies and gentleman - God will hold us accountable for our actions and we ministers are held to a higher standard.  This is called ministerial malpractice.  Here is a helpful hint when looking for a church - interview the pastor to see what his/her beliefs are.

It is no wonder that some seminaries today are nothing but a waste of time if you are looking at studying the Bible and its meaning - literally.  I know lots of mainline seminaries that teach nothing but the social gospel, work righteousness, or only parts of the Bible are true. That is why it isn't that big of a deal if a minister goes to a mainline seminary or not.  In fact, of those ministers that call themselves evangelical don't attend mainline seminaries (I didn't).  I believe the Bible as it is written, not as I think it should be. 

Jesus was born of a virgin, He was a sinless man, He died as an atonement for our sins, He rose from the dead and sits on the right hand of God the Father.  I have placed my trust in Him, I have repented of my sins, and I can't wait to live in Heaven with him.  That's what the Bible said, that's what God said, and that's what Jesus said.  If your preacher doesn't believe that - move on.  Amen.

pray4u@chaplaincare.us

Does Pornography Have a Hold On You?

Pornography, just the sound of the word makes us cringe.  But its more than the sound of it that has Christian leaders very concerned.  Why, because almost 50% of men who call themselves Christians admit surfing porn on a regular basis.  Lets take a look at this growing problem that affects all members of the families involved.

The root of this sin is the same as all other sins: the sinful nature. Man's depravity because of the fall of Adam causes innumerable sins, including sexual immorality.  So, how do we deal with sexual immorality? The same way we deal with all other sins:  Die to self, live in Christ. Die to lust and sexual immorality, mortify it, and then live in Christ and have self-control.

We heard Paul say, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel (body) in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the heathen, who do not know God. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7).

By the Spirit, put this sin to death (mortify), as you do all other sins. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. And whatever the temptation, sin, attack, or challenge you must overcome, hold on to God's Word regarding this issue. Know what God says about it; seek answers in the Bible and hold on to it by faith.  It also helps to pray like nobody's business as well.  If you have any doubt in your mind that you may be sinning, just ask yourself if Jesus was standing behind you, would He be pleased? Remember, "A man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21).

Faith in Christ is your victory. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. Abide in Him. Pray until you have victory. If you feel weak, call someone to pray with you. Let us carry each other's burdens, helping one another. This is not about being "accountable" to someone else; this is about helping one another in the fight.

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way" (Psalm 119:37).

pray4U@chaplaincare.us

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is seemingly one of the easiest things to do, but it is rarely done with any regularity.  Is it because we don’t know what to say or how to say it, or is it just that we don’t believe that it works?  Before we get started on this question, let’s take a look at prayer itself.  First to have your prayers heard and acted upon we must be a believer.  Jesus said, “if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. The keyword – Believe (Matthew 21:22) and the Psalmist said, “the Lord is near to all who call him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).  And finally and most importantly, “the Lord is far from the wicked but hears the prayers of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29). 

Once you are a believer, just close your eyes and bow your head and talk to God.  I find it particularly helpful to remain focused to say the prayer out loud.  That way your mind will not wander to other things Satan wants you to think about.  Don’t worry about the words that come out, God knows what is on your heart already – but he still wants you to talk to Him.  “Before they call I will answer; while they are speaking, I will hear”, (Isaiah 65:24).   What can you talk with God about?  Talk to him about anything, thank him for everything, ask Him for help.  When was the last time when you opened your eyes first thing in the morning thanked him for letting you live another day?  I know this has been a trying time for me during my extended unemployment, but I have thanked God for it and he has blessed us and has taken care of our needs. 

Remember Jesus said this, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24) and also "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matt 7:7-8).  The Lord wants you to talk to him, keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.  Amen.

Pray4U@chaplaincare.us

Atheist prime minister wants chaplains in schools

There is a headline that reaches out and grabs you.  Yes it is true, Australia has been using chaplains in theor public and private school systems since 2007 and they use state funds to do it as well.  New Proime Minister Gillard has promised to extend the program through 2014 and will add another 1000 schools to the already 2700 schools that have the program.  Even though Prime Minister Gillard is an atheist, he sees the value of having chaplains in each school working with students. 

The chaplain program is voluntary but both principals and teachers agree that students are more comfortable approaching their chaplain than other adults in the school or community.  The chaplains offer comfort and support to students and staff as well as general and personal advice and never speak about religion unless specifically asked.  Chaplains will not replace school counselors or psychologists, but will work with them referring students whenever appropriate.

It sounds like Australia is right on the money with "Chaplain Care".   Christianity Today - December 2010