Tuesday, October 21, 2008

God’s Day in Court

In a Douglas County Court on September 14, 2007, Nebraska State Sen. Ernie Chambers filed suit against God.  Chambers sought a permanent injunction ordering God to cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats.  The lawsuit accuses God “of making and continuing to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent.”  God is also alleged to have caused “fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects and the like.”  The suit furthers maintains that God has caused “calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants including innocent babes, infants, children, the aged and infirm without mercy or distinction.”  In so doing, Chambers states that God “has manifested neither compassion nor remorse, proclaiming that defendant will laugh when calamity comes.”

I’m not sure where Senator Chambers is coming from.  He has said the suit was filed to prove a point about frivolous lawsuits, but suing God.  Maybe the guy is just a nut!  Big surprise there that a State Senator might be unhinged.

Fortunately for God, Judge Marlon Polk threw out the case just this month.  In his judicial opinion on the case, Polk noted “there was no evidence that the defendant had been served.” What’s more, the judge found “there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant.”  What a hoot!

I recount this tale of futility because it illustrates the complete lack of understanding of and the unequivocal animus toward God that exists in American society.  Fortunately for us, God does not return those sentiments.  He both understands us (and our deepest need) and loves us.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 14:55:53 | Permalink | No Comments »

Friday, October 10, 2008

A Reason for Hope

I realize that many are afraid.  The times seem uncertain financially, politically, globally, and personally.  Just remember one thing: everything in life is temporary except our eternal, omnipotent, gracious God.

“I (Jesus) have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

Posted by Jim at 20:21:30 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Call of the Cross

“If He laid down His life for us, is it not the least we can do to lay down ours for Him?  If He bore the cross and died on it for me, ought I not to be willing to take it up for Him?” - D.L. Moody

D.L. Moody was a 19th century evangelist that God used to spread the Gospel across the United States and Great Britain.  There are several great biographies of Moody that make excellent reading.  I recommend you pick one up and read how God lifted a poor, uneducated farm boy and made him a firebrand for the Kingdom of God.  But you can find the secret of his success in the quote above.  Moody never forgot what Jesus had done in his life and he completely yielded his life to God.  Moody faithfully followed Jesus whereever He led.  Can the same be said for you?

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  (Luke 9:23 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 20:25:14 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, October 6, 2008

Run the Play

David Salisbury is right:

“Consider the huddle at a Tennessee Titans football game. 67,000 people don’t pay $125.00 a ticket to watch the Titans huddle. What if you went to a Titans game and for 2 ½ hours you watched 11 men stand in a circle and talk? That’s not what you pay for!! 67,000 people pay $125 a ticket to see what happens when they break the huddle and run the play. What they want to know is, having called the play in secrecy and safety of the huddle, does it work in the game? The challenge for the church is not what we do when we convene our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when we break the huddle and head out to our homes, schools, and jobs. When Satan lines up against us as we do life during the week, what happens then?”

Posted by Jim at 20:07:48 | Permalink | No Comments »