God’s Power

God’s Power

I’m always a bit confused when I hear someone say something like, "I believe in God, but I don’t believe in the miracles of the Bible, and I don’t think He could have created the world. It just happened." It makes my head spin.

If that’s what you believe, then what kind of a god is it that you believe in? Is it a god that has limitations on its power, or is its power limited to the laws of nature? That’s a pretty small god. 

By definition, God is "supernatural." That means He is not limited by nature. He’s above and beyond nature. In fact, He created nature itself and all the so-called immutable laws of the universe.

I thought that Pastor Mark Jeske hit it right on the head in his Grace Moments of Friday, June 13, 2008.

God Is Omnipotent

So tell me, how strong are you? How much can you lift? Can you bench press 250 lbs.? Could you lift a mountain? How much of your world can you control? Can you change the weather? Well, of course you can’t. But your God can. God is omnipotent—there is no limit to his power. When God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, his disciples watched in awe as he showed total mastery over all creation. Once, when he silenced a violent storm that had threatened to swamp their boat, the disciples were amazed: "Who is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?" And so, wherever you go today, rejoice that your Savior, Jesus Christ, has absolutely no limits on his power.

You can receive Grace Moments each day by going to https://www.timeofgrace.org/emailgrace.asp. Grace Moments are always brief and they are free. In 15 to 20 seconds each day, you will be inspired, uplifted, and renewed. If you don’t like them (you will, of course), you can cancel at any time.

Misdirected Finger

Misdirected Finger
 
Should one laugh or cry? It’s highly unlikely that United States Senator Dick Durbin is an idiot. He has a college education and he was elected to the US Senate. Yet, when he exhibits absolutely no understanding of the way the free market works, one is left with limited choices regarding the august Senator. He’s one (or more) of the following:

1. A cynical politician who knows better.

2. An economic Marxist.

3. An economic illiterate.

Whatever he (and all the liberals in the Senate who called the oil executives to the Hill for political posturing) is, there’s one thing he is for sure—a certifiable hypocrite. 

Let’s make this short and sweet. When there is a shortage of beans, the price of beans goes up. When there is an oversupply of beans, they become worth very little. The same thing is true of oil. When you have plenty of oil the price goes down. When there is a shortage, the price goes up. 

There is only one group that has caused high gas prices—politicians who blocked oil exploration, production, and refining. Politicians like Dick Durbin, Ted Kennedy, Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama, Harry Reid, et. al. These "leaders" are the ONLY reason we have exorbitantly high gas prices. 

They blocked off shore drilling (even at 60 miles out). They blocked drilling on a miniscule 10 square miles in Alaska. They blocked exploration in Montana, Utah and other states. They blocked the construction of new refineries. 

Their finger pointing is misdirected. They need to look in the mirror, because they are the problem.

If you like gas prices at $4.00 or more per gallon, then keep electing these folks, because there is no end in sight. In fact, on May 27, 2008 the price of a gallon of gas in London was the equivalent of $10 per gallon US.

It’s time to throw the rascals out!

Who Stole My Church?

Who Stole My Church?

If you go to church regularly (and I hope you do), I recommend that you read the book—Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald (Thomas Nelson, Inc.). As someone who goes to church, you may have noticed a number of non-theological changes in your church service, i.e. contemporary music, bands, and a generally less formal atmosphere.

Today, the Christian religion is going through major changes in its approach to worship. The idea is to make the church worship service more welcoming to the current generation. Maybe you welcome these changes. Or perhaps you dislike them. Regardless of your reaction, this book is worth reading.

And it is also very clever. Gordon MacDonald has written more than ten books, but this one certainly takes an unusual approach to a topic. Instead of being your typical nonfiction book, MacDonald has written a fictional account of a church located in New England. The only real characters in the book are himself and his wife, Gail. 

The general idea of the story is that a few years back, the faithful, loyal, and committed members of a small church outside of Boston called Pastor MacDonald to shepherd their church. They felt their church had plateaued, not doing the best job of reaching out into the community, and needed a new outlook and some new energy. Well, they got what they wanted and perhaps more than they wanted, but I’ll not ruin the story by going farther.

I do promise you that you will "recognize" people in your church (maybe even yourself) as you read this enlightening and entertaining book. MacDonald doesn’t promise solutions in this book, but he does provide an entertaining read that allows the reader to look at the changes going on in Christian worship from a different perspective. I don’t think you will be disappointed.