JOY IN THE WAITING
Preached 28 November 2004
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Isaiah 2:1-5
-- how many of you would agree with the old adage -- "time flies?"
-- I think most of us would -- can you believe that we just celebrated Thanksgiving? -- it seems just like yesterday that we were talking about the start of school and here we are at the end of November and the start of the Christmas season
-- it just seems like time is getting faster and faster and faster -- and I don't believe it's just because I'm getting older -- I think it is an actual fact -- I think it is an artifact of our modern age
-- we have gotten to the point where we are just always on the go and always running from one place to the next and I think we are using up just about every minute in our day
-- and when we stay so busy that we have no time to stop, it just seems to us like time is flying by
-- I know my own life is so busy that I just can't seem to find any time to do anything that I want to do -- my life is filled up with the "have-to-do's" -- I have a stack of books and magazines next to my chair in the living room that I have been wanting to read for some time -- but it seems like something always comes up that is more important that keeps me from reading them -- so my stack keeps getting bigger and bigger -- it's gotten to the point that I put magazines in the car with me and read a couple of paragraphs at red lights -- do you know what I'm talking about?
-- it just seems like our calendars are just busting at the seams with things that we have to do -- cheerleading camp -- soccer games -- basketball games -- buying supplies for Thanksgiving -- Christmas shopping -- Christmas parties -- work obligations -- it just seems like there is always something going on
-- Kim and I were talking just this week about Thanksgiving -- Thanksgiving was just such a rush for us -- Kim was saying how she remembered Thanksgiving as a relaxed time -- just sitting around with family and friends and playing games and watching t.v. and enjoying a meal together -- but now it's different -- we've just kind of crammed it into our busy schedules and barely take time to eat
-- we had invited our families to join us for Thanksgiving -- everyone rushed in on Wednesday night or Thursday morning to help get the meal ready -- then we all ate together -- and everyone rushed back out -- they had other things to do and couldn't sit and rest and visit for a while -- was it that way at your house?
-- I remember when I was a kid that Thanksgiving and Christmas were times when the family would put aside all the other things and come together and just spend time together -- now, it seems like we don't even have time for each other because we are just too busy
-- one of my fondest memories was the times in the summer when we cooked something on the grill -- that was before microwaves and gas grills -- do you remember that?
-- it was an event to cook something on the grill -- it took time -- you had to pile the charcoal in the middle of the grill and soak it with lighter fluid and light it -- and then you had to wait -- you had to wait for the coals to get white so you could spread them -- and that was the best part -- those were the times we would just sit out on the back porch in lawn chairs, just enjoying the night -- enjoying each other's company -- just enjoying the wait
-- and then, when the coals were just right -- you would spread them out and get the grate hot and then you would put the steak on the grill -- and you'd wait some more -- just sitting there -- smelling that steak cooking -- just anticipating what it would be like when it was done
-- but we've lost that part of our lives now -- everything is in a rush -- very few of us are willing to take the time to wait on charcoal to get ready so we can cook now a days
-- do you remember what the ads said when the first microwaves and gas grills started coming out? -- they said they would save us time -- we would have more time to spend with our families -- more time to enjoy the evening with friends -- more time to relax and unwind after a hard day at the office -- but, it didn't happen
-- instead, we took that precious time and used every single second up to the point where our lives are defined by our calendars -- and we've done it with everything -- even our holidays -- we end up rushing through Thanksgiving -- rushing through Christmas -- and then rushing through Easter -- we just don't take time to experience the joy of waiting anymore
-- I think that's one reason why I like the season of Advent so much -- I usually don't follow the Christian calendar when I prepare worship services -- but I do always try to set aside two seasons in the Christian calendar every year -- Advent and Easter -- as times to slow down and reflect on what God is doing in my life and in the life of the church
-- today is the start of the Christian year -- it is the first day of Advent -- Advent is a season of four weeks where we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord -- where we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of Christ at Christmas -- where we prepare to celebrate Christ who comes continually in Word and Spirit -- where we prepare for the day when Christ will return to set up His kingdom here on earth
-- the key to Advent -- the key to capturing the magic of the season -- is to recognize that it is a time of preparation -- a time of waiting -- a time of restful anticipation
-- I think that is something that we have lost in our modern age -- in our busy hurried lives with instant food and instant gratification we have forgotten what it feels like to wait for something -- the goal of Advent is to help you rediscover the art and beauty and joy of waiting as we look forward to the coming of Christ
-- do you remember how long Christmas Eve seemed to last when you were a kid -- how long the night seemed, because you were waiting in anticipation for Christmas morning -- when you would finally be allowed to get up and get out of bed and run into the living room and see all the presents under the tree and finally have the chance to open them up?
-- that feeling is what we are trying to recapture with Advent -- the waiting -- the longing -- for the future -- for the coming of Christ and for the coming of His kingdom
-- our text this morning speaks to that same longing -- in this passage, Isaiah is given a glimpse of the future to encourage the nation of Israel as they wait through long dark years for the coming of the Messiah
-- look with me now at verse 1 in this passage -- 1. This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
-- this is not a prophecy -- this is not a prediction of the future -- this is the future -- God gave Isaiah a vision of the future in order to give the people of Israel hope -- to give them something to wait for during the dark days to come
-- shortly after this vision of Isaiah, the nations of Israel and Judah were destroyed -- the people were carried off into captivity in Babylon and Assyria and the temple was burned and destroyed -- their very life was taken from them -- but God gave them this vision of the future so that they might look past their terrible situation and focus on the future coming of the Messiah who would restore Israel and Jerusalem back to its glory
-- in his book, "The Gift for All People," Max Lucado uses the illustration of mountain climbers to bring home the importance of knowing what it is we are waiting for -- he wrote that "a group of climbers set out to scale a large mountain in Europe -- the view boasted a breathtaking peak of snowcapped rocks -- on clear days the crested point reigned as king on the horizon -- its white tip jutted into the blue sky inviting admiration and offering inspiration
-- "on days like that the hikers made the greatest progress -- the peak stood above them like a compelling goal -- eyes were called upward -- the walk was brisk -- the cooperation was unselfish -- though many, they climbed as one, all looking to the same summit
-- "yet on some days the peak of the mountain was hidden from view -- the cloud covering would eclipse the crisp blueness with a drab, gray ceiling and block the vision of the mountaintop -- on those days the climb became arduous -- eyes were downward and thoughts inward -- the goal was forgotten
-- "as long as we can see our dream, as long as our goal is within eyesight, there is no mountain we can't climb or summit we can't scale -- but take away our vision -- block our view of the trail's end -- and the result is as discouraging as the journey"
-- when you wait, you need to know what you are waiting for -- and when you know what you are waiting for -- when you can see the mountain peak you are headed for -- then you are filled with strength and endurance and patience, no matter what you are going through at the time -- it is for that reason that God gave the nation of Israel a glimpse of the future -- it was to give them strength for the journey until the first coming of Christ
-- vs. 2 -- 2. In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
3. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
--"the last days" refers to the time when Christ returns to set up His kingdom here on earth -- in a sense, the last days began with the first coming of Christ but it will not be fulfilled until His second coming -- the Bible tells us that this is what all creation has been longing and waiting for since the fall in the Garden of Eden -- it is what the nation of Israel was looking for during the days of Isaiah and what we are looking for at this time
-- during this time, the kingdom of the Lord will be set up on Mount Zion -- the mountain where the temple was built -- it will be a time of peace and prosperity -- a time when all the people of the world -- both Jew and Gentile -- will recognize Jesus as their Lord -- as it says in the Bible, "at the name of Christ every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord"
-- in the last days, all authority and teaching will come from the kingdom of Christ -- we will spend time learning from Christ more about Himself and His ways -- and we will be able to walk more fully in His path because the future world will be a world free from sin and evil
-- there will not be any more war, because nations will all serve Christ -- swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks -- it will be a time of everlasting peace -- truly, heaven on earth
-- vs. 5 -- 5. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD
-- here we see the final exhortation from Isaiah to the people of God in his time -- he was telling them not to give up hope -- but to continue to wait and to continue to walk in the light of the Lord -- because no matter what they went through -- no matter the trials and ordeals they would face -- the Messiah would come and His kingdom would be established -- this was a promise from God
-- this vision from Isaiah is also a promise to us as we start our Advent season this year -- despite what we may be going through in our world -- crime and violence and war and strife -- discord in our homes and our churches -- we still have hope because we have the promise of the return of Christ
-- even though the top of our mountain may be clouded over with overcast skies -- God has revealed to us the summit we are headed towards -- we have seen our ultimate goal and should continue on our journey with renewed strength and endurance and commitment -- our command is to continue to walk in the light of the Lord as we wait with anxious expectation for the soon return of Christ
-- so, as we stand on the cusp of another Christmas season, I would encourage you to take a moment and to recapture the joy of waiting -- take a moment and slow down and experience again the excitement of Christmas morning as we wait with all creation for the coming of our Lord and Savior
Monday, November 29, 2004
Re: "A Simple Prayer"
"A Simple Prayer"
Today,
For what I am that I ought not to be,
Forgive me.
For what I am not that I ought to be,
Forgive me.
Be with my mouth in what it speaks
Be with my hands in what they do
Be with my mind in what it thinks
Be with my heart in what it feels
Work in me
...through me
....for me
....in spite of me
In the precious name of Jesus
Amen
Today,
For what I am that I ought not to be,
Forgive me.
For what I am not that I ought to be,
Forgive me.
Be with my mouth in what it speaks
Be with my hands in what they do
Be with my mind in what it thinks
Be with my heart in what it feels
Work in me
...through me
....for me
....in spite of me
In the precious name of Jesus
Amen
Sunday, November 21, 2004
HOW TO LIVE AS A CHRISTIAN
Preached 21 November 2004 -- Gregory W. Lee
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bible to Col 1
-- have you ever seen that commercial about bricks -- about using bricks for houses -- it's got several couples standing in front of their brick houses and they look in the camera and say -- "our life is modern" -- and then they move to the next couple, and they say "our life is traditional" -- and so on -- the last couple is a middle-aged black couple -- they're sitting on their porch swing in front of their brick house and they say "our life is..." and then they look at each other and say "comfortable" -- "our life is comfortable"
-- do you know that feeling? -- is that how you would describe your life? -- is that your goal in life? -- to be comfortable?
-- I think that's what we kind of all want -- to be content with our place in life -- to be comfortable with our life
-- that was my goal -- when I was getting out of school, my goal was to have a comfortable life -- to not have a lot of money, but enough to be comfortable -- to not have a large house, but one big enough to be comfortable -- to not have a new car every year, but one that was comfortable
-- I wanted the same thing from my job -- not being in charge of the whole place or being the one who just got told what to do, but kind of being in the middle -- able to do my own thing at my own pace -- content -- comfortable
-- and I wanted the same thing from religion -- not being one of those people who never went to church -- and not being one of those crazy fanatics who went around witnessing to everybody and preaching on street corners -- just being a person who came to church and went to Sunday School and just was kind of middle of the road -- comfortable
-- but then something happened -- God reached down and got a hold of me and He pushed me out of my comfort zone -- He forced me to go in areas I didn't want to go in -- He led me in directions I didn't want to go -- He took all my goals and my plans and my desires and He changed them by challenging me to do more than what I was doing
-- you see, God doesn't want us to be comfortable -- He doesn't want us to be sitting there in the middle of the road, just doing the same old thing the same old way every day and every year -- He wants us to be challenged -- He wants to lead us out of the places where we are comfortable and lead us into the places where we have to depend on Him -- He doesn't want us to be comfortable Christians -- He wants us to be crucified Christians -- Christians who are crucified with Christ and who are living for Him in His kingdom -- not comfortable Christians who are just content with living in this world
-- there is a difference between being a comfortable Christian and being a crucified Christian
-- Galatians 2:20 -- "I have been crucified with Christ" -- we are supposed to be crucified people -- we are supposed to be living only by the power of God today -- we are supposed to be people who are not afraid -- people who are serious for reaching others for Christ
-- this passage in Colossians is about living a life worthy of God -- pleasing Him in every way -- only a crucified Christian can do that -- let's look now at this passage and see what Paul tells us about being a crucified Christian
II. Scripture Lesson -- Col 1:9-14
-- the church at Colosse had a problem -- they were comfortable -- they tried to not make waves but to have peace with all -- they had allowed into their midst some false teachings and some false teachers -- but they refused to confront the heresies because they didn't want to rock the boat
-- in this epistle, the Apostle Paul tries to call them out of their comfortable lifestyle and into the life that is worthy of the Lord -- look with me now at verse 9 and lets go through this and see what we can learn about living a crucified life
9. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:
-- the first thing we see in this verse is that God has a plan -- His will -- for our lives
-- this is where we start to get in trouble -- God has a plan for us -- but we have our own plan -- our own idea -- of where we want to go and what we want to be and how we want to live -- and generally, our plan and God's plan don't match up
-- we want to live a comfortable life -- a life without waves -- without valleys -- but God doesn't want that for us -- He doesn't want us to be content and comfortable with the way things are in this world -- He wants us to be uncomfortable and unsatisfied with life so that we will turn to Him and live in faith -- separate from the world and in His kingdom -- Peter tells us that we are to live like strangers in a foreign land -- that is God's will for our lives and that is what Paul is praying for the saints at Colosse -- that they would come to know God's will for their lives through all spiritual wisdom and understanding
-- now there's a point that we need to see there -- having wisdom and knowledge is not merely the possession of facts -- you can go to church and Sunday School and Bible Study and know the Bible frontwards and backwards -- but that is not spiritual wisdom -- that is only knowledge and by itself, it's not worth much
-- knowledge only becomes useful when you live it out in your life -- what good is it to know how a car works if you don't get in and turn the key and start driving -- knowledge is useless unless applied
-- it's the same thing with spiritual matters -- spiritual knowledge is useless unless we use it -- spiritual wisdom is when you take knowledge and apply it to your life -- the combination of spiritual wisdom and understanding is to be practical -- it is to be lived out -- Paul says that if we have spiritual wisdom and understanding, then we will know God's will for our lives and we will live it out -- we will not only know it, but we will do it
-- and when we quit living comfortable lives -- when we know what God's will is for our life and when we start living it out -- then we are living a crucified life -- a life that is worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way
-- what does a crucified life look like? -- what does a life worthy of the Lord -- a life that is pleasing to Him in every way look like? -- Paul tells us here -- there are four characteristics of a crucified life -- look back at the second half of verse 10
10b. "bearing fruit in every good work,"
-- a crucified life bears fruit -- a crucified Christian shows evidence of their salvation -- as James says we should show our faith through our works -- works are evidence of our salvation -- works are evidence that we are living for Christ
-- do you remember the purpose driven life -- bearing fruit in every good way is living out the purposes of ministry in your life -- it means bringing friends to church -- it means caring for the poor and the oppressed and the widows and the orphans -- it means loving your neighbor as yourself -- it means sharing with someone the good news of Christ as you serve them and love them
-- what kind of fruit are you showing in your life?
-- look back at verse 10
10c: "growing in the knowledge of God,"
-- a crucified life means that you are alive and growing in God -- you are alive and growing in grace -- this is a dangerous area for a lot of people -- as we've talked about, we have a tendency to try to live comfortably -- to plateau out in our lives -- to become stagnant
-- if we are not deliberately trying to learn more about God and trying to apply what we learn in our lives, then we run the danger of becoming stagnant and comfortable -- let me ask you this -- when you read the Bible, do you find new ideas and new concepts and new knowledge -- or are you just confirming what you already knew?
-- if you are not learning something new about God every day, then you are not living the crucified life
-- verse 11
11: "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, "
-- a crucified life means you are strong in the Lord -- when this verse talks about being strengthened, it is not just talking about being made strong physically -- the word here in the Greek is "dunamoo" -- it means "to be enabled -- to be empowered " -- it means that you reach the point where you have God's power filling you in all situations
-- true strength and power only comes from the Spirit of God -- in Zechariah it says "not by might nor by power but by My Spirit" -- Paul says here we would be strengthened by His power and by His might through His Spirit
-- the end result of being strong in the Lord is endurance and patience -- the ability to live in this world -- to fight the daily battles of the flesh and this world -- because we know that our endurance and our patience will end with heavenly rewards
-- the end of verse 11
11b. "and joyfully
12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
13. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
-- a crucified Christian is a thankful Christian -- a crucified Christian is a joyous Christian who praises and thanks God for all the blessings that He has given us -- especially the blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ"
-- this is Thanksgiving week -- have you paused for a moment to consider what you might be thankful for? -- God doesn't only bless us materially and physically -- but He also blesses us spiritually
-- Paul tells us here that we should be thankful because He has qualified us to share in His inheritance -- we who were not qualified have been made qualified -- we who were not righteous were made righteous -- we who were sinful have been made holy in Christ
-- in John we learn that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have become the children of God -- adopted sons and daughters of a King -- and we have the right to share in the inheritance of the King
-- Paul also tells us that we should be thankful that we were rescued from the dominion of darkness -- at one time we were all held in bondage to sin and to death and to Satan -- maybe some of you still are -- but through the precious blood of Jesus, sin and death and Satan have been defeated -- we have been redeemed through the blood of Christ
-- to be redeemed means that we have been delivered and freed from the penalty of sin by the payment of a ransom -- by the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross
-- finally, Paul tells us that we should be thankful because we were not only freed from the dominion of darkness but brought into the kingdom of the Son -- the kingdom of light
-- this is not a future event -- this is the current state of affairs -- the kingdom of the Son doesn't refer to a physical territory -- it doesn't refer to our life in heaven -- it means that here and now we live in a new kingdom -- under a new authority and under a new power -- the authority and power of Christ
-- do you know what the difference is between a comfortable Christian and a crucified Christian? [Note: Adaptation of Illustration by Joe White]
-- comfortable Christians are on the throne of their heart and Christ is on the cross -- crucified Christians are on the cross and Christ is on the throne
-- a comfortable Christian is reading a story -- a crucified Christian is living a story
-- a comfortable Christian has the armor of God and spiritual weapons -- a crucified Christian is on the front line of battle and is using what God gave him
-- a comfortable Christian fits in with a comfortable Christian culture -- a crucified Christian takes a comfortable Christian culture to an uncomfortable cross
-- for comfortable Christians, faith is safe -- faith is comfortable -- but for crucified Christians, you are so far out there you have to depend on faith -- knowing that without God holding you up you would fall and fail
-- comfortable Christians come to church -- they come to Sunday School -- they come to Bible study -- but crucified Christians not only come to church -- they bring others to church week after week after week
-- comfortable Christians offer to pray for those in need -- crucified Christians grab them by the hand and pray for them
-- in the book of Acts we read about the revival at Pentecost -- comfortable Christians go to Pentecost -- crucified Christians bring Pentecost to their family and their friends and their churches
-- comfortable Christians live in the world -- but crucified Christians live in the kingdom of the Son -- they are willing to put aside their own desires and wants and wishes -- they are willing to sacrifice the comfortable for the uncomfortable because they want to live a life worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing to Him in every way
-- crucified Christians are those who are willing to leave behind security and self and flesh and worldly vices -- to lay it all down for Christ -- to lay it all down for their family and their unsaved neighbors and friends
-- crucified Christians are those who are willing to go forth and stand up for Christ and lead their churches forward into battle, their denominations into the future, and their country back to God
-- so, how would you describe your spiritual life? -- is it a life worthy of the Lord and fully pleasing to Him in every way -- or is it just comfortable?
-- let us pray
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Signs of the Times?
For the record, I tend to be one of those who take the book of Revelation as literally as possible, recognizing the use of symbology where appropriate. As such, I am usually pigeon-holed as a dispensationalist, and find my theology closing aligning with that of the authors of the Left Behind series (Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins). In my opinion, current world events seem to be setting the stage for the unfolding of events as outlined in the book of Revelation. One event that seems particularly curious to me is the application and implementation of new tracking devices. While currently being used in identification badges, it doesn't take a great leap to imagine these being implanted.
Here are a couple of articles on the use of the RFID (radio frequency identification device) that I find curious.
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November 17, 2004
In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic EyeBy MATT RICHTEL
PRING, Tex. - In front of her gated apartment complex, Courtney Payne, a 9-year-old fourth grader with dark hair pulled tightly into a ponytail, exits a yellow school bus. Moments later, her movement is observed by Alan Bragg, the local police chief, standing in a windowless control room more than a mile away.
Chief Bragg is not using video surveillance. Rather, he watches an icon on a computer screen. The icon marks the spot on a map where Courtney got off the bus, and, on a larger level, it represents the latest in the convergence of technology and student security.
Hoping to prevent the loss of a child through kidnapping or more innocent circumstances, a few schools have begun monitoring student arrivals and departures using technology similar to that used to track livestock and pallets of retail shipments.
Here in a growing middle- and working-class suburb just north of Houston, the effort is undergoing its most ambitious test. The Spring Independent School District is equipping 28,000 students with ID badges containing computer chips that are read when the students get on and off school buses. The information is fed automatically by wireless phone to the police and school administrators.
In a variation on the concept, a Phoenix school district in November is starting a project using fingerprint technology to track when and where students get on and off buses. Last year, a charter school in Buffalo began automating attendance counts with computerized ID badges - one of the earliest examples of what educators said could become a widespread trend.
At the Spring district, where no student has ever been kidnapped, the system is expected to be used for more pedestrian purposes, Chief Bragg said: to reassure frantic parents, for example, calling because their child, rather than coming home as expected, went to a friend's house, an extracurricular activity or a Girl Scout meeting.
When the district unanimously approved the $180,000 system, neither teachers nor parents objected, said the president of the board. Rather, parents appear to be applauding. "I'm sure we're being overprotective, but you hear about all this violence," said Elisa Temple-Harvey, 34, the parent of a fourth grader. "I'm not saying this will curtail it, or stop it, but at least I know she made it to campus."
The project also is in keeping with the high-tech leanings of the district, which built its own high-speed data network and is outfitting the schools with wireless Internet access. A handful of companies have adapted the technology for use in schools.
But there are critics, including some older students and privacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, who argue that the system is security paranoia.
The decades-old technology, called radio frequency identification, or RFID, is growing less expensive and developing vast new capabilities. It is based on a computer chip that has a unique number programmed into it and contains a tiny antenna that sends information to a reader.
The same technology is being used by companies like Wal-Mart to track pallets of retail items. Pet owners can have chips embedded in cats and dogs to identify them if they are lost.
In October, the Food and Drug Administration approved use of an RFID chip that could be implanted under a patient's skin and would carry a number that linked to the patient's medical records.
At the Spring district, the first recipients of the computerized ID badges have been the 626 students of Bammel Elementary school. That includes Felipe Mathews, a 5-year-old kindergartner, and the other 30 students who rode bus No. 38 to school on a recent morning.
Felipe, wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt with a Spiderman logo and blue high-top tennis shoes also with a Spiderman logo, wore his yellow ID badge on a string around his neck. When he climbed on to the bus, he pressed the badge against a flat gray "reader"just inside the bus door. The reader ID beeped.
Shortly after, he was followed onto the bus by Christopher Nunez, a 9-year-old fourth grader. Christopher said it was important that students wore badges so they did not get lost. Asked what might cause someone to get lost, he said, "If they're in second grade they might not know which street is their home."
But on the morning Felipe and Christopher shared a seat on bus No. 38, the district experienced one of the early technology hiccups. When the bus arrived at school, the system had not worked. On the Web site that includes the log of student movements, there was no record that any of the students on the bus had arrived.
It was just one of many headaches; the system had also made double entries for some students, and got arrival times and addresses wrong for others. "It's early glitches," said Brian Weisinger, the head of transportation for the Spring district, adding that he expected to work out the problems.
But for the Enterprise Charter School in Buffalo, where administrators gave ID cards with the RFID technology to around 460 students last year, the computer problems lasted for many months.
The system is set up so that when students walk in the door each morning, they pass by one of two kiosks - which together cost $40,000 - designed to pick up their individual radio frequency numbers as a way of taking attendance. Initially, though, the kiosks failed to register some students, or registered ones who were not there.
Mark Walter, head of technology for the Buffalo school, said the system was working well now. But Mr. Walter cautions that the more ambitious technological efforts in Spring, particularly given the reliance on cellphones to call in the data, are "going to run in to some problems."
In the long run, however, the biggest problem may be human error. Parents, teachers and administrators said their primary worry is getting students to remember their cards, given they often forget such basics as backpacks, lunch money and gym shoes. And then there might be mischief: students could trade their cards.
Still, administrators in Buffalo said they had been contacted by districts around the country, and from numerous other countries, interested in using something similar.
And the administrators in Buffalo and here in Spring said the technology, when perfected, would eventually be a big help. Parents at the Spring district seem to feel the same way. They speak of momentary horrors of realizing their child did not arrive home when expected.
Some older students are not so enthusiastic.
"It's too Big Brother for me," said Kenneth Haines, a 15-year-old ninth grader who is on the football and debate teams. "Something about the school wanting to know the exact place and time makes me feel kind of like an animal."
Middle and high school students already wear ID badges, but they have not yet been equipped with the RFID technology. Even so, some bus drivers are apparently taking advantage of the technology's mythical powers by telling students that they are being tracked on the bus in order to get them to behave better.
Kenneth's opinion is echoed by organizations like the A.C.L.U. and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes "digital rights."
It is "naïve to believe all this data will only be used to track children in the extremely unlikely event of the rare kidnapping by a stranger," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the A.C.L.U.
Mr. Steinhardt said schools, once they had invested in the technology, could feel compelled to get a greater return on investment by putting it to other uses, like tracking where students go after school.
Advocates of the technology said they did not plan to go that far. But, they said, they do see broader possibilities, such as implanting RFID tags under the skin of children to avoid problems with lost or forgotten tags. More immediately, they said, they could see using the technology to track whether students attend individual classes.
Mr. Weisinger, the head of transportation at Spring, said that, for now, the district could not afford not to put the technology to use. Chief Bragg said the key to catching kidnappers was getting crucial information within two to four hours of a crime - information such as the last place the child was seen.
"We've been fortunate; we haven't had a kidnapping," Mr. Weisinger said. "But if it works one time finding a student who has been kidnapped, then the system has paid for itself."
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November 2004Precision Dynamics Corporation to Showcase RFID Solutions for Patron Management at IAAPA
Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader Join Smart Band ® as Part of PDC’s Cashless Payment Solutions
San Fernando, CA (November 17, 2004) – Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), a global leader in automatic wristband identification, will showcase its newest products, Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader, during the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions) Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, November 17-20.
Smart Kiosk is a free-standing booth with touch-screen that allows patrons to load money using cash, credit or debit cards onto RFID (radio frequency identification) wristbands which are provided to patrons at admissions. Smart Reader is a free-standing combination point-of-sale (POS) system and reader that replaces the need for expensive stand-alone POS systems and readers. PDC’s cashless payment solution consists of Smart Kiosks, Smart Band ® RFID Wristbands, and Smart Readers, located at points-of-sale throughout a venue for quick and easy purchases.
“Smart Kiosk is a money loading device that works similar to ATM machines, but instead, funds are transferred onto patrons’ RFID wristbands,” comments Victor LaRosa , PDC RFID Manager. “It is part of the latest cashless payment technology which is practical for water and amusement parks where patrons don’t like to carry wallets, and loose cash can get wet or lost. It provides an added convenience for both park owners and patrons.”
The system helps increase throughput at concession stands, reducing long lines that often deter patrons from making additional purchases. Most of the time spent waiting in lines is attributed to the financial transactions of handling and counting cash or processing credit cards.
“A significant barrier to entry for park owners has been removed with the introduction of Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader. Before, interfaces between POS systems and readers were needed, making the leap to cashless payment more cumbersome,” adds LaRosa.
Smart Band ® RFID Wristbands can be used for a variety of functions including cashless payment, tracking of purchases, and access control. They provide nontransferable positive patron ID while helping to increase per capita spending, enable cashless transactions at the point-of-sale, and eliminate the need for tickets at events.
Stop by PDC’s booth #3048 to see new product demonstrations. For customer and sales support, please call 818-897-1111 ext.1320. For more IAAPA Trade Show information, visit www.iaapaorlando.com.
About Precision DynamicsWith nearly 50 years of experience, PDC is the global leader and pacesetter in the development of automatic identification wristband systems. The company introduced the first patient Bar Code ID Wristband System in 1984, the Smart Band ® Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Wristband System in 2000, and the AgeBand ™ Electronic Age/ID Verification System in 2004. PDC is committed to 100% quality in service, design, and manufacturing. This is substantiated by their ISO-9001: 2000 and ISO-13485: 2003 certification at their main facility in San Fernando , CA . Plans to establish certification at their new facility in Tijuana , Mexico are underway. For more information, visit www.pdcorp.com.
Precision Dynamics Corporation ™ is a trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation. Smart Band ® is a registered trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation. All other product names, company names, marks, logos and symbols mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
For the record, I tend to be one of those who take the book of Revelation as literally as possible, recognizing the use of symbology where appropriate. As such, I am usually pigeon-holed as a dispensationalist, and find my theology closing aligning with that of the authors of the Left Behind series (Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins). In my opinion, current world events seem to be setting the stage for the unfolding of events as outlined in the book of Revelation. One event that seems particularly curious to me is the application and implementation of new tracking devices. While currently being used in identification badges, it doesn't take a great leap to imagine these being implanted.
Here are a couple of articles on the use of the RFID (radio frequency identification device) that I find curious.
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November 17, 2004
In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic EyeBy MATT RICHTEL
PRING, Tex. - In front of her gated apartment complex, Courtney Payne, a 9-year-old fourth grader with dark hair pulled tightly into a ponytail, exits a yellow school bus. Moments later, her movement is observed by Alan Bragg, the local police chief, standing in a windowless control room more than a mile away.
Chief Bragg is not using video surveillance. Rather, he watches an icon on a computer screen. The icon marks the spot on a map where Courtney got off the bus, and, on a larger level, it represents the latest in the convergence of technology and student security.
Hoping to prevent the loss of a child through kidnapping or more innocent circumstances, a few schools have begun monitoring student arrivals and departures using technology similar to that used to track livestock and pallets of retail shipments.
Here in a growing middle- and working-class suburb just north of Houston, the effort is undergoing its most ambitious test. The Spring Independent School District is equipping 28,000 students with ID badges containing computer chips that are read when the students get on and off school buses. The information is fed automatically by wireless phone to the police and school administrators.
In a variation on the concept, a Phoenix school district in November is starting a project using fingerprint technology to track when and where students get on and off buses. Last year, a charter school in Buffalo began automating attendance counts with computerized ID badges - one of the earliest examples of what educators said could become a widespread trend.
At the Spring district, where no student has ever been kidnapped, the system is expected to be used for more pedestrian purposes, Chief Bragg said: to reassure frantic parents, for example, calling because their child, rather than coming home as expected, went to a friend's house, an extracurricular activity or a Girl Scout meeting.
When the district unanimously approved the $180,000 system, neither teachers nor parents objected, said the president of the board. Rather, parents appear to be applauding. "I'm sure we're being overprotective, but you hear about all this violence," said Elisa Temple-Harvey, 34, the parent of a fourth grader. "I'm not saying this will curtail it, or stop it, but at least I know she made it to campus."
The project also is in keeping with the high-tech leanings of the district, which built its own high-speed data network and is outfitting the schools with wireless Internet access. A handful of companies have adapted the technology for use in schools.
But there are critics, including some older students and privacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, who argue that the system is security paranoia.
The decades-old technology, called radio frequency identification, or RFID, is growing less expensive and developing vast new capabilities. It is based on a computer chip that has a unique number programmed into it and contains a tiny antenna that sends information to a reader.
The same technology is being used by companies like Wal-Mart to track pallets of retail items. Pet owners can have chips embedded in cats and dogs to identify them if they are lost.
In October, the Food and Drug Administration approved use of an RFID chip that could be implanted under a patient's skin and would carry a number that linked to the patient's medical records.
At the Spring district, the first recipients of the computerized ID badges have been the 626 students of Bammel Elementary school. That includes Felipe Mathews, a 5-year-old kindergartner, and the other 30 students who rode bus No. 38 to school on a recent morning.
Felipe, wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt with a Spiderman logo and blue high-top tennis shoes also with a Spiderman logo, wore his yellow ID badge on a string around his neck. When he climbed on to the bus, he pressed the badge against a flat gray "reader"just inside the bus door. The reader ID beeped.
Shortly after, he was followed onto the bus by Christopher Nunez, a 9-year-old fourth grader. Christopher said it was important that students wore badges so they did not get lost. Asked what might cause someone to get lost, he said, "If they're in second grade they might not know which street is their home."
But on the morning Felipe and Christopher shared a seat on bus No. 38, the district experienced one of the early technology hiccups. When the bus arrived at school, the system had not worked. On the Web site that includes the log of student movements, there was no record that any of the students on the bus had arrived.
It was just one of many headaches; the system had also made double entries for some students, and got arrival times and addresses wrong for others. "It's early glitches," said Brian Weisinger, the head of transportation for the Spring district, adding that he expected to work out the problems.
But for the Enterprise Charter School in Buffalo, where administrators gave ID cards with the RFID technology to around 460 students last year, the computer problems lasted for many months.
The system is set up so that when students walk in the door each morning, they pass by one of two kiosks - which together cost $40,000 - designed to pick up their individual radio frequency numbers as a way of taking attendance. Initially, though, the kiosks failed to register some students, or registered ones who were not there.
Mark Walter, head of technology for the Buffalo school, said the system was working well now. But Mr. Walter cautions that the more ambitious technological efforts in Spring, particularly given the reliance on cellphones to call in the data, are "going to run in to some problems."
In the long run, however, the biggest problem may be human error. Parents, teachers and administrators said their primary worry is getting students to remember their cards, given they often forget such basics as backpacks, lunch money and gym shoes. And then there might be mischief: students could trade their cards.
Still, administrators in Buffalo said they had been contacted by districts around the country, and from numerous other countries, interested in using something similar.
And the administrators in Buffalo and here in Spring said the technology, when perfected, would eventually be a big help. Parents at the Spring district seem to feel the same way. They speak of momentary horrors of realizing their child did not arrive home when expected.
Some older students are not so enthusiastic.
"It's too Big Brother for me," said Kenneth Haines, a 15-year-old ninth grader who is on the football and debate teams. "Something about the school wanting to know the exact place and time makes me feel kind of like an animal."
Middle and high school students already wear ID badges, but they have not yet been equipped with the RFID technology. Even so, some bus drivers are apparently taking advantage of the technology's mythical powers by telling students that they are being tracked on the bus in order to get them to behave better.
Kenneth's opinion is echoed by organizations like the A.C.L.U. and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes "digital rights."
It is "naïve to believe all this data will only be used to track children in the extremely unlikely event of the rare kidnapping by a stranger," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the A.C.L.U.
Mr. Steinhardt said schools, once they had invested in the technology, could feel compelled to get a greater return on investment by putting it to other uses, like tracking where students go after school.
Advocates of the technology said they did not plan to go that far. But, they said, they do see broader possibilities, such as implanting RFID tags under the skin of children to avoid problems with lost or forgotten tags. More immediately, they said, they could see using the technology to track whether students attend individual classes.
Mr. Weisinger, the head of transportation at Spring, said that, for now, the district could not afford not to put the technology to use. Chief Bragg said the key to catching kidnappers was getting crucial information within two to four hours of a crime - information such as the last place the child was seen.
"We've been fortunate; we haven't had a kidnapping," Mr. Weisinger said. "But if it works one time finding a student who has been kidnapped, then the system has paid for itself."
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November 2004Precision Dynamics Corporation to Showcase RFID Solutions for Patron Management at IAAPA
Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader Join Smart Band ® as Part of PDC’s Cashless Payment Solutions
San Fernando, CA (November 17, 2004) – Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), a global leader in automatic wristband identification, will showcase its newest products, Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader, during the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions) Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, November 17-20.
Smart Kiosk is a free-standing booth with touch-screen that allows patrons to load money using cash, credit or debit cards onto RFID (radio frequency identification) wristbands which are provided to patrons at admissions. Smart Reader is a free-standing combination point-of-sale (POS) system and reader that replaces the need for expensive stand-alone POS systems and readers. PDC’s cashless payment solution consists of Smart Kiosks, Smart Band ® RFID Wristbands, and Smart Readers, located at points-of-sale throughout a venue for quick and easy purchases.
“Smart Kiosk is a money loading device that works similar to ATM machines, but instead, funds are transferred onto patrons’ RFID wristbands,” comments Victor LaRosa , PDC RFID Manager. “It is part of the latest cashless payment technology which is practical for water and amusement parks where patrons don’t like to carry wallets, and loose cash can get wet or lost. It provides an added convenience for both park owners and patrons.”
The system helps increase throughput at concession stands, reducing long lines that often deter patrons from making additional purchases. Most of the time spent waiting in lines is attributed to the financial transactions of handling and counting cash or processing credit cards.
“A significant barrier to entry for park owners has been removed with the introduction of Smart Kiosk and Smart Reader. Before, interfaces between POS systems and readers were needed, making the leap to cashless payment more cumbersome,” adds LaRosa.
Smart Band ® RFID Wristbands can be used for a variety of functions including cashless payment, tracking of purchases, and access control. They provide nontransferable positive patron ID while helping to increase per capita spending, enable cashless transactions at the point-of-sale, and eliminate the need for tickets at events.
Stop by PDC’s booth #3048 to see new product demonstrations. For customer and sales support, please call 818-897-1111 ext.1320. For more IAAPA Trade Show information, visit www.iaapaorlando.com.
About Precision DynamicsWith nearly 50 years of experience, PDC is the global leader and pacesetter in the development of automatic identification wristband systems. The company introduced the first patient Bar Code ID Wristband System in 1984, the Smart Band ® Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Wristband System in 2000, and the AgeBand ™ Electronic Age/ID Verification System in 2004. PDC is committed to 100% quality in service, design, and manufacturing. This is substantiated by their ISO-9001: 2000 and ISO-13485: 2003 certification at their main facility in San Fernando , CA . Plans to establish certification at their new facility in Tijuana , Mexico are underway. For more information, visit www.pdcorp.com.
Precision Dynamics Corporation ™ is a trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation. Smart Band ® is a registered trademark of Precision Dynamics Corporation. All other product names, company names, marks, logos and symbols mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
God Doesn't Care
Preached 14 November 2004 -- Gregory W. Lee
GOD DOESN'T CARE
14 November 2004
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 6
| 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? |
| 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? |
| 6:27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? |
| 6:28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; |
| 6:29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. |
| 6:30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? |
| 6:31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' |
| 6:32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. |
| 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. |
-- let me ask you a question -- do you ever think much about heaven and what it will be like when you get there? -- I think about heaven quite a bit -- but I'm not sure what it will be like -- but, I am sure that I want to go
-- I once heard about this elderly couple who died in a car crash -- they were both 85 years old and had been married for 60 years -- they had been in excellent health the last 10 years mainly because of the wife's interest in health food and exercise
-- when they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi
-- as they "oohed" and "aahed," the old man asked Peter how much all of this was going to cost -- "it's free," Peter replied -- "This is heaven"
-- next they went out back to look at the championship golf course the home backed up to -- they would have golfing privileges every day -- and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth -- the old man asked, "what are the green fees?" -- Peter replied -- this is heaven -- you play for free
-- next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out -- how much to eat, asked the old man -- Peter replied with some exasperation, "Don't you understand yet? this is Heaven, it's free!"
-- "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?" the old man asked -- Peter explained, "that's the best part -- you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick -- this is Heaven!"
-- with that the old man went into a fit of anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it and shrieking wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong -- the old man looked at his wife and said, "this is all your fault -- if you hadn't made me eat healthy low carb meals, I could have been here 10 years ago!"
-- well, this morning we're not going to talk about heaven, but I did want to just throw that out because I think we all need to keep in mind our ultimate goal -- that's what Jesus was saying in this passage that I read, "Seek first the kingdom of God" -- don't ever forget that our ultimate goal is to get to heaven
-- and regardless of what we think heaven's going to be like, we know it is going to absolutely perfect because we all know that God is good all the time
-- as a matter of fact, we all know that little saying -- please respond as I say it -- "God is Good" [All the time] -- "All the time" [God is good]
-- great -- do this one -- "God doesn't care" [all the time] -- All the time [God doesn't care]
-- what happened? Why didn't you respond to that one?
-- you don't believe it's true? -- well, let's talk about that a little bit this morning
-- I've been witnessing and sharing with my coworkers about Christianity and about Jesus for several years now -- and I've gotten a little frustrated because it seems like they always have an objection to Christianity or to accepting Jesus as their Savior
-- and I know you've heard these objections from other people -- in fact, Christianity Today came up with a list of 10 common objections to Christianity the other day -- let me just give you a couple that my friends have told me
-- first one is, all Christians are hypocrites -- that's a favorite of theirs
-- another one is "all the church wants is your money"
-- but those aren't really true, are they -- but, there is some truth in them, isn't there -- all Christians are not hypocrites -- every one of you sitting out there today is not a hypocrite -- but some of you might be -- so it's not a complete all or none like they want to make it out to be
-- just like the one where they say, "all the church wants is your money" -- now, all the churches are not just interested in getting your money -- maybe some churches are -- maybe some preachers are -- but not all of them -- so there is a basis of truth in what they are saying, but it's not entirely that situation all the time
-- it would be more correct for them to say "some Christians are hypocrites" and "some churches only want your money" -- that would be acceptable
-- the other day, as we were getting ready for the election, we were discussing the situation in Iraq and all the crime and violence and suffering in the world today -- and one of them said -- that is clear proof of one of two things -- first, either there's not a God -- or, if there is a God, then God doesn't care
-- now think about that for a minute -- we all know that there is a God -- otherwise we probably wouldn't be here this morning -- so what about the second part -- God doesn't care
-- now, of course, my friends were implying the same thing they did with the other objections -- that is was an all or nothing proposition -- they were saying "God doesn't care...all the time" and "all the time...God doesn't care"
-- they were basing this assumption on the fact that there is pain and suffering in our world -- now, this is not the major focus of my message this morning, but let me just quickly touch on that
-- I think my friend's basic premise was wrong -- just because pain and suffering exists and just because God allows pain and suffering to enter our lives is not proof that God doesn't care -- pain and suffering is just a byproduct of living in a fallen world -- the pain and suffering occurs because of sin and because of the curse put on the earth in the Garden of Eden -- that's not God's doing -- that's ours
-- but God does allow it to happen -- not because He doesn't care -- but because He works through the pain and the suffering for us -- as it says in Romans 8:28, "in all things -- even in the pain and the suffering -- in all things -- God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose"
-- in other words, pain and suffering are a fact of life -- but, because God does care about us, He uses the situations of pain and suffering to increase our faith in Him, to mature us as Christians, and to help us recognize our need for a Savior
-- as C.S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world"
-- God uses pain and suffering as a signal to warn us of even greater danger -- for example, think about what happens when you put your hand on a burner -- it hurts -- and because it hurts, you turn away from the source of danger -- what would happen if you didn't experience pain when you touched the burner -- you might leave your hand on there and receive serious damage
-- the past several weeks there has been a story on the news about this little girl in the Savannah area that is incapable of feeling pain -- she doesn't know when she's doing something that is hurting her body -- and so her parents really have to watch her to make sure that she is not hurting herself and possibly endangering her life -- she could put her hand on a burner and never know that she was causing extreme damage to herself -- all because she can't feel pain
-- we need pain to survive -- it may not be pleasant, but God uses the pain and the suffering in this world to lead us to Him -- to turn us away from paths that are endangering our eternal lives
-- so, my friend's proposition that the existence of pain and suffering proves that God doesn't care is not correct -- I think we all agree with that
-- but, like I said, in all these objections, there is a point of truth -- "God doesn't care...all the time" and "all the time...God doesn't care" is not correct -- but, neither is the statement "God cares....all the time" and "all the time....God cares"
-- let me explain -- when you say "God cares" it begs the question, "about what?" -- God cares about what?
-- now, we kind of imply "God cares about us" -- and that is true -- and I'll submit that God does care about us all the time -- and all the time God cares about us
-- but what about other things? -- are there some things that God just doesn't care about?
-- yes -- there are some things that God doesn't care about -- but we don't like to say that, do we? -- so we -- as people -- put importance on some things in our lives and in our churches that God just doesn't give a flip about
-- and, sometimes, these things keep people away from Christ
-- look back for a moment at the passage in Matthew 6 -- Jesus is speaking here and He's trying to get this same point across to His disciples and to all those who were listening to this sermon -- He's trying to get them to see that sometimes we put too much importance on things that just don't matter to God -- and that it can keep us -- and others -- away from what's really important
-- look back at verse 25
| 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? |
-- do you see that in that passage? -- the people in Jesus' day were worried about the things of this earth -- they were making what they ate and what they drink and what they wore -- more important than trying to get their heart right with God
-- and He says down in verse 28, "don't worry about clothes -- God will provide all you need -- don't focus on these things" and His ultimate point is in verse 33, "but, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"
-- what Jesus was trying to get His disciples to see there was that they were worrying more about things God didn't care about and not worrying about what God did care about
-- there's a principle here that we need to understand
-- God doesn't care about the type of clothes you wear -- that doesn't mean He wants us to be naked -- Jesus tells us here that God will provide -- but God doesn't care if you come to church dressed in a suit and tie or if you come in jeans and a t-shirt -- what's more important is the reason you come
-- but for some reason, we have made the decision that God cares about all that -- and some churches really put an emphasis on what type of clothes you need to show up in on Sunday morning -- and that can keep people from Christ
-- a pastor friend of mine was talking with a couple the other day and invited them to his church -- and they said, "we can't come to the Methodist church -- we don't have the clothes for it" -- God doesn't care what type of clothes you wear, but somehow, we have convinced the world that He does
-- Kind of like the story about the man who shows up in church -- dressed in old jeans with a hole in the knee -- wearing a t-shirt -- congregation won't sit by him or talk to him -- at the end of the service, as he's leaving the church, the pastor stops him and thanks him for coming but suggests to him that he really should keep in mind that when he's coming to church, he's coming to see Jesus, so he should dress in his finest -- the pastor says, "why don't you pray and ask Jesus what you should wear to church?"
-- the man goes on his way and the next Sunday, he shows up again wearing old jeans and a t-shirt -- the preacher said, "I thought I suggested that you ask Jesus what you should wear when you come to see Him in this church?" -- the man said, "I did -- I asked Jesus what He would wear when He came to this church, and He told me He didn't know -- because He had never been invited to come"
-- God doesn't care about the kind of clothes you wear -- He doesn't care about the kind of car you drive -- but you sure couldn't tell that if you drove past some of our churches on Sunday morning -- you'd think we were trying to impress God with our cars
-- there's a lot of things that God just doesn't care about -- He doesn't care about our clothes and our cars -- He doesn't care about how much money we have -- He doesn't care about the kind of job you have -- He doesn't care about the size of your house -- He doesn't even care what race you are or what sex you are -- God just doesn't care about that kind of stuff -- and we shouldn't either
-- but, we do -- we may not just come out and say it -- we may not even realize that we're doing it -- but we tell people all the time -- with our actions and with our interactions with them that these are the things that God cares about -- and when we care more about that and worry more about that than seeking God, then we're falling way short of where God wants us to be
-- we've been talking a lot lately about personal responsibility as Christians -- about how we shouldn't compare ourselves to others -- or judge others -- Jesus tells us that in His word -- He says "do not judge, or you too will be judged" -- but when we tell others -- either verbally or through our actions -- that they must measure up to our standards in order to come to church -- that is exactly what we are doing -- we are judging them based on the things of this world -- things that God doesn't even care about -- and we are keeping them from God
-- that couple my friend invited to church are probably sitting at home this morning and not in church -- all because they couldn't meet the requirements that we put on them
-- they were judged by the church and found lacking -- that is not our job -- that is not our right
-- our job is to show people the love of Christ and not to ever make them think that God cares about things that He doesn't just because they are important to us -- it breaks my heart to think that people might be in Hell just because of the clothes they wear or the car they drive or the house they live in
-- there's a song by the group Casting Crowns called "If we are the body" -- I want you to listen to the words of the chorus from this song and think about the times we have failed to live up to our call to be the body of Christ because we have imposed our standards on others
-- If we are the body, then why aren't His arms reaching? -- why aren't His hands healing? -- why aren't His words teaching? -- and if we are the body, why aren't His feet going? -- Why is His love not showing them there is a way? -- there is a way
-- and it closes with this line -- "Jesus paid much too high a price, for us to pick and choose who should come -- and we are the body of Christ -- and Jesus is the way"
-- this morning, if you don't get anything else from this message, I want you to leave here understanding two things
-- first, God always cares for you all the time and all the time, God always cares for you
-- and secondly, God doesn't care about all things, but He does always care about bringing people to Him
-- as I close in prayer, please examine yourself and examine our church and let's see if we have been picking and choosing who should come to Christ because we worry and care too much about things that just don't matter
-- if you find that you have, then let's commit to making a change today -- so that all will be welcome before our Lord and Savior
-- let's pray
Thursday, November 11, 2004
WHAT MUST I DO?
Preached 7 November 2004
Gregory W. Lee
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 18
-- couple of weeks ago -- leaving Bible study when I got stopped at the door and asked if I had my copy of the Four Spiritual Laws with me -- the group was learning about the gift of evangelism and I guess the topic of witnessing came up
-- I didn't have a copy of them with me, but I was familiar with them -- I know most of the traditional ways of witnessing -- the modern tools that we use to speak salvation to others -- there's the four spiritual laws that Bill Bright came up with from Campus Crusade -- there's Bill Fay's technique on how to witness without fear -- there's D. James Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion -- and then there's the old standby about the God-shaped hole in your heart that only God can fill
-- so on the way home, I was thinking about the question about the four spiritual laws -- and when I got home I talked with Kim about it -- and then I did a lot of studying over the past couple of weeks -- ran across a great message by Kirk Cameron on the subject that I really enjoyed
-- and as I have studied and as I have pondered the subject of evangelism, I have come to the conclusion that it might not be a good idea to always jump right into using these evangelism tools the minute we start witnessing to someone
Sinner's Prayer
-- I grew up with the idea of the sinner's prayer -- I'm sure you have to -- and I'm sure you've been to revivals or crusades or watched Billy Graham on the t.v. and you always see these evangelists lead the people who respond and come down to the altar in the sinner's prayer
-- you know the one -- if you pray this prayer and you mean it with all your heart -- then you will be saved -- but the problem is that we sometimes treat this prayer like it is magic -- if you just come down to the altar and repeat these words, you will be saved -- no strings attached -- nothing else to do
-- and so these people come down and they pray and they rise from the altar convinced that they are saved -- but the problem is that a lot of these people show no change in their life -- there is a term that we use in the church called the "fall away" rate -- these are the backsliders -- those who get saved but then fall away and don't continue in the faith -- the current fall away rate in the church is about 80%
-- that means that for every 100 decision for Christ -- for every 100 people who come down to the altar at a revival or crusade and pray the sinner's prayer -- about 80 of them are not really accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior
-- let me give you an example -- in 1991, a major denomination in the U.S. recorded 294,000 decisions for Christ -- but two years later, they could only find 14,000 of them in church -- that means that almost 280,000 people who had prayed the sinner's prayer had fallen away within two years
-- why does this happen? -- I am convinced that part of it might be because we try to rush people into making a decision for Christ without fully preparing their heart first -- the Bible says that we are saved through grace by faith -- salvation does not come because we say the right words at the altar -- salvation comes because we approach the throne of God with faith and receive grace through Jesus Christ
-- the Bible makes it clear that the only way to be saved is to repent of your sins and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Circumcision of the Flesh
-- the reason we have such a high fall away rate is because a lot of the people who are praying this sinner's prayer are not following it up with true repentance and belief and faith in the work of Jesus
-- it is like circumcision -- circumcision was a sign of the old covenant -- but it clearly says in the Bible that circumcision of the flesh did not save -- it took circumcision of the heart to be saved
-- the sinner's prayer is just words -- it can only save if it is followed up by faith -- it doesn't matter what you do on the outside -- it is what happens on the inside that counts -- you can come up here and be baptized until you are wrinkled up like a prune -- but that won't save you until you respond to Jesus with repentance and faith
-- as T.D. Jakes says, you can come up and be anointed with oil until you are as greasy as fried chicken, but unless you have faith in God in your heart -- then healing will not take place -- whether that is a physical healing or a spiritual healing
How Should We Witness?
-- so, how then should we witness -- should we stop using the four spiritual laws and evangelism explosion and Bill Fay's technique? -- not necessarily, but we should make sure and not rush through the important parts of those tools to get to the sinner's prayer -- we need to make sure and emphasize the act of repentance and faith first and make sure the person is ready to be saved before we rush them into a physical act with no meaning
-- think about that 280,000 people who made decisions for Christ but turned away -- in their minds, they are saved -- they said the sinner's prayer and they think they are o.k. -- it's like they were inoculated against Christianity -- if you came to them right now and tried to convince them to respond to Jesus in faith, they would probably tell you they were already saved -- but yet their unchanged lives tell us otherwise
-- we need to be careful when we witness to others to make sure that we let God do the work in convicting them of sin and leading them to repentance and faith before we just add another notch to our Bible
-- let's look at a passage here in the book of Luke where Jesus demonstrates what to do with someone who is eager to be saved but who really doesn't get it
II. Scripture Lesson -- Luke 18:18-27
-- vs. 18 -- A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
-- in this verse, we see this rich young ruler come up to Jesus and he asks Him the question that we are just dying for people to ask us -- how can he be saved -- what must he do to inherit eternal life?
-- now, if someone came up and asked you that question, what you would you do -- more than likely, you'd do just like me -- you'd use the four spiritual laws or some other evangelism tool and lead the person through the sinner's prayer
-- but look what Jesus did
-- verse 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.
-- Jesus didn't tell this guy, "well, you have a God-shaped hole in your heart that only I can fill -- and in a little while I'm going to the cross to die and then I'll rise from the dead and if you believe in me you will have everlasting life" -- He didn't tell him about the four spiritual laws -- He didn't even lead the rich young ruler in the sinner's prayer
-- He started out by rebuking him -- "why do you call me good? no one is good -- except God"
-- Jesus did that for a couple of reasons
-- first, Jesus wanted the young man to understand who he was talking to -- Jesus was good because He was God -- and if the young man was calling Him good, then Jesus wanted Him to make sure and understand that this was no teacher he was coming to for answers -- it was God Himself -- perhaps that is why Mark tells us that this rich young ruler fell to his knees before Jesus
-- secondly, Jesus wanted to make sure the young man understood that no human was good -- only God was good -- the Bible says in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" -- Jesus knew that this young man's real problem was that he thought he was good enough as he was -- he saw no need for a savior
-- look at verse 20.
20. You know the commandments: `Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' "
21. "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
-- see, this young man was totally convinced in his own righteousness -- he felt sure that if anyone was going to heaven, then he was -- when he asked Jesus the question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life," he was just wanting confirmation that he had done all that was required -- he was secure in his own goodness
-- Jesus told the rich young ruler, "you know the commandments" -- He was trying to pint this man to the law -- to the word of God -- so that he would be convicted of his sin and turn to Jesus for salvation -- the law convicts us of sin -- the law makes us aware that we are sinners -- the law points us to Christ
-- even though we claim to be good -- in reality, we have all sinned against God and are all condemned under the law -- the only way to come to Christ -- the only way to inherit eternal life -- is first to see that we are sinners and that we have to repent of our sins and ask God to forgive our sins
-- verse 22
22. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23. When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
-- why did Jesus tell him to sell all that he had? -- this was not a general rule to all Christians -- Jesus was trying to point out to the rich young ruler that he was a sinner -- that he loved the world and wealth more than God -- more than following Jesus
-- this young man was not innocent -- he was ignorant -- he refused to recognize that he had sinned against God
-- that is the problem with a lot of people that we witness to -- that is the problem with a lot of people in our churches -- they don't realize that they are sinners in need of a Savior -- instead, they think that they are basically good people and that if they just repeat the sinner's prayer at the altar that they are destined for heaven
-- but the Bible makes it clear that the only way to get to heaven is by confessing and repenting of our sins -- seeking the forgiveness of God -- and believing in Christ through faith
-- in Acts 2, when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, the Bible says that when the people heard his message they were cut to the heart -- they were aware of their sins and their need for a savior and they cried out to Peter, "what shall we do?" -- Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins"
-- in Acts 17:30, it says that God commands all people everywhere to repent
-- the way to salvation comes through repentance
-- verse 24
24. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25. Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26. Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
-- Jesus' disciples had watched and listened to this whole conversation with the rich young ruler -- when they saw him walk away unjustified, they asked Jesus, "who can be saved?"
-- Jesus replied with verse 27
27. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
-- this means that it is impossible for man to save himself -- we cannot be good enough to save ourselves -- we cannot work our way to heaven -- we cannot inherit eternal life based on our own righteousness
-- with us, salvation is impossible -- it is only possible through God -- and it is only possible if we first recognize our need for a savior -- if we recognize the sin in our lives and come to Him in brokenness and with true repentance in our hearts and then ask Him to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
-- you cannot be saved unless you know why you need a savior
III. Closing
-- so, what is the take home message for you -- basically, when you witness to someone or when you share with someone about your faith, you should first point them to the righteousness and holiness of God's word -- people need to see for themselves that they are sinners -- that they have failed to keep God's commandments and are doomed to die
-- and once God has convicted them of their sin -- once God has shown them that they have sin in their lives -- then, and only then, will they be ready to pray the sinner's prayer -- then, and only then, will they be ready to truly repent of their sin and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior through faith
-- as I close, I want to ask you to take a moment and to examine yourself to see if you are living in faith or not -- examine the truth of your salvation now -- the Bible tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling
-- has there been a time in your life when you have been convicted of your own unrighteousness and your own sin? -- has there been a time in your life when you cried out to God for cleansing of sin -- when you cried out to God to have mercy on you because you were a sinner?
-- if not, then maybe you need to get right with God this morning -- maybe you need to come before Him, confessing and repenting of your sin, and asking Him to forgive you and save you
-- the altar is open for all who wish to respond to God's word
-- let us pray
Preached 7 November 2004
Gregory W. Lee
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 18
-- couple of weeks ago -- leaving Bible study when I got stopped at the door and asked if I had my copy of the Four Spiritual Laws with me -- the group was learning about the gift of evangelism and I guess the topic of witnessing came up
-- I didn't have a copy of them with me, but I was familiar with them -- I know most of the traditional ways of witnessing -- the modern tools that we use to speak salvation to others -- there's the four spiritual laws that Bill Bright came up with from Campus Crusade -- there's Bill Fay's technique on how to witness without fear -- there's D. James Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion -- and then there's the old standby about the God-shaped hole in your heart that only God can fill
-- so on the way home, I was thinking about the question about the four spiritual laws -- and when I got home I talked with Kim about it -- and then I did a lot of studying over the past couple of weeks -- ran across a great message by Kirk Cameron on the subject that I really enjoyed
-- and as I have studied and as I have pondered the subject of evangelism, I have come to the conclusion that it might not be a good idea to always jump right into using these evangelism tools the minute we start witnessing to someone
Sinner's Prayer
-- I grew up with the idea of the sinner's prayer -- I'm sure you have to -- and I'm sure you've been to revivals or crusades or watched Billy Graham on the t.v. and you always see these evangelists lead the people who respond and come down to the altar in the sinner's prayer
-- you know the one -- if you pray this prayer and you mean it with all your heart -- then you will be saved -- but the problem is that we sometimes treat this prayer like it is magic -- if you just come down to the altar and repeat these words, you will be saved -- no strings attached -- nothing else to do
-- and so these people come down and they pray and they rise from the altar convinced that they are saved -- but the problem is that a lot of these people show no change in their life -- there is a term that we use in the church called the "fall away" rate -- these are the backsliders -- those who get saved but then fall away and don't continue in the faith -- the current fall away rate in the church is about 80%
-- that means that for every 100 decision for Christ -- for every 100 people who come down to the altar at a revival or crusade and pray the sinner's prayer -- about 80 of them are not really accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior
-- let me give you an example -- in 1991, a major denomination in the U.S. recorded 294,000 decisions for Christ -- but two years later, they could only find 14,000 of them in church -- that means that almost 280,000 people who had prayed the sinner's prayer had fallen away within two years
-- why does this happen? -- I am convinced that part of it might be because we try to rush people into making a decision for Christ without fully preparing their heart first -- the Bible says that we are saved through grace by faith -- salvation does not come because we say the right words at the altar -- salvation comes because we approach the throne of God with faith and receive grace through Jesus Christ
-- the Bible makes it clear that the only way to be saved is to repent of your sins and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Circumcision of the Flesh
-- the reason we have such a high fall away rate is because a lot of the people who are praying this sinner's prayer are not following it up with true repentance and belief and faith in the work of Jesus
-- it is like circumcision -- circumcision was a sign of the old covenant -- but it clearly says in the Bible that circumcision of the flesh did not save -- it took circumcision of the heart to be saved
-- the sinner's prayer is just words -- it can only save if it is followed up by faith -- it doesn't matter what you do on the outside -- it is what happens on the inside that counts -- you can come up here and be baptized until you are wrinkled up like a prune -- but that won't save you until you respond to Jesus with repentance and faith
-- as T.D. Jakes says, you can come up and be anointed with oil until you are as greasy as fried chicken, but unless you have faith in God in your heart -- then healing will not take place -- whether that is a physical healing or a spiritual healing
How Should We Witness?
-- so, how then should we witness -- should we stop using the four spiritual laws and evangelism explosion and Bill Fay's technique? -- not necessarily, but we should make sure and not rush through the important parts of those tools to get to the sinner's prayer -- we need to make sure and emphasize the act of repentance and faith first and make sure the person is ready to be saved before we rush them into a physical act with no meaning
-- think about that 280,000 people who made decisions for Christ but turned away -- in their minds, they are saved -- they said the sinner's prayer and they think they are o.k. -- it's like they were inoculated against Christianity -- if you came to them right now and tried to convince them to respond to Jesus in faith, they would probably tell you they were already saved -- but yet their unchanged lives tell us otherwise
-- we need to be careful when we witness to others to make sure that we let God do the work in convicting them of sin and leading them to repentance and faith before we just add another notch to our Bible
-- let's look at a passage here in the book of Luke where Jesus demonstrates what to do with someone who is eager to be saved but who really doesn't get it
II. Scripture Lesson -- Luke 18:18-27
-- vs. 18 -- A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
-- in this verse, we see this rich young ruler come up to Jesus and he asks Him the question that we are just dying for people to ask us -- how can he be saved -- what must he do to inherit eternal life?
-- now, if someone came up and asked you that question, what you would you do -- more than likely, you'd do just like me -- you'd use the four spiritual laws or some other evangelism tool and lead the person through the sinner's prayer
-- but look what Jesus did
-- verse 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.
-- Jesus didn't tell this guy, "well, you have a God-shaped hole in your heart that only I can fill -- and in a little while I'm going to the cross to die and then I'll rise from the dead and if you believe in me you will have everlasting life" -- He didn't tell him about the four spiritual laws -- He didn't even lead the rich young ruler in the sinner's prayer
-- He started out by rebuking him -- "why do you call me good? no one is good -- except God"
-- Jesus did that for a couple of reasons
-- first, Jesus wanted the young man to understand who he was talking to -- Jesus was good because He was God -- and if the young man was calling Him good, then Jesus wanted Him to make sure and understand that this was no teacher he was coming to for answers -- it was God Himself -- perhaps that is why Mark tells us that this rich young ruler fell to his knees before Jesus
-- secondly, Jesus wanted to make sure the young man understood that no human was good -- only God was good -- the Bible says in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" -- Jesus knew that this young man's real problem was that he thought he was good enough as he was -- he saw no need for a savior
-- look at verse 20.
20. You know the commandments: `Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' "
21. "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
-- see, this young man was totally convinced in his own righteousness -- he felt sure that if anyone was going to heaven, then he was -- when he asked Jesus the question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life," he was just wanting confirmation that he had done all that was required -- he was secure in his own goodness
-- Jesus told the rich young ruler, "you know the commandments" -- He was trying to pint this man to the law -- to the word of God -- so that he would be convicted of his sin and turn to Jesus for salvation -- the law convicts us of sin -- the law makes us aware that we are sinners -- the law points us to Christ
-- even though we claim to be good -- in reality, we have all sinned against God and are all condemned under the law -- the only way to come to Christ -- the only way to inherit eternal life -- is first to see that we are sinners and that we have to repent of our sins and ask God to forgive our sins
-- verse 22
22. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23. When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
-- why did Jesus tell him to sell all that he had? -- this was not a general rule to all Christians -- Jesus was trying to point out to the rich young ruler that he was a sinner -- that he loved the world and wealth more than God -- more than following Jesus
-- this young man was not innocent -- he was ignorant -- he refused to recognize that he had sinned against God
-- that is the problem with a lot of people that we witness to -- that is the problem with a lot of people in our churches -- they don't realize that they are sinners in need of a Savior -- instead, they think that they are basically good people and that if they just repeat the sinner's prayer at the altar that they are destined for heaven
-- but the Bible makes it clear that the only way to get to heaven is by confessing and repenting of our sins -- seeking the forgiveness of God -- and believing in Christ through faith
-- in Acts 2, when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, the Bible says that when the people heard his message they were cut to the heart -- they were aware of their sins and their need for a savior and they cried out to Peter, "what shall we do?" -- Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins"
-- in Acts 17:30, it says that God commands all people everywhere to repent
-- the way to salvation comes through repentance
-- verse 24
24. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25. Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26. Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
-- Jesus' disciples had watched and listened to this whole conversation with the rich young ruler -- when they saw him walk away unjustified, they asked Jesus, "who can be saved?"
-- Jesus replied with verse 27
27. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
-- this means that it is impossible for man to save himself -- we cannot be good enough to save ourselves -- we cannot work our way to heaven -- we cannot inherit eternal life based on our own righteousness
-- with us, salvation is impossible -- it is only possible through God -- and it is only possible if we first recognize our need for a savior -- if we recognize the sin in our lives and come to Him in brokenness and with true repentance in our hearts and then ask Him to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
-- you cannot be saved unless you know why you need a savior
III. Closing
-- so, what is the take home message for you -- basically, when you witness to someone or when you share with someone about your faith, you should first point them to the righteousness and holiness of God's word -- people need to see for themselves that they are sinners -- that they have failed to keep God's commandments and are doomed to die
-- and once God has convicted them of their sin -- once God has shown them that they have sin in their lives -- then, and only then, will they be ready to pray the sinner's prayer -- then, and only then, will they be ready to truly repent of their sin and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior through faith
-- as I close, I want to ask you to take a moment and to examine yourself to see if you are living in faith or not -- examine the truth of your salvation now -- the Bible tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling
-- has there been a time in your life when you have been convicted of your own unrighteousness and your own sin? -- has there been a time in your life when you cried out to God for cleansing of sin -- when you cried out to God to have mercy on you because you were a sinner?
-- if not, then maybe you need to get right with God this morning -- maybe you need to come before Him, confessing and repenting of your sin, and asking Him to forgive you and save you
-- the altar is open for all who wish to respond to God's word
-- let us pray
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Another article about the persecuted church
China's Christians suffer for their faith
By Kate McGeown BBC News
"They hung me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours."
Peter Xu Yongze spent eight years in jail for his beliefsThat is how Peter Xu Yongze, the founder of one of the largest religious movements in China, described his treatment during one of five jail sentences on account of his belief in Christianity.
Mr Xu, 61, is not the only Chinese Christian to suffer for his faith. Both Catholics and Protestants have long complained of persecution by the Communist authorities, and human rights groups claim the problem is getting worse.
According to the Jubilee Campaign, an interdenominational lobby group, about 300 Christians are in detention in China at any one time, and that number is set to rise.
"China's new generation of leaders are trying to consolidate control of the country as it goes through rapid social and economic changes," said Wilfred Wong, a parliamentary officer for the Jubilee Campaign.
Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief
Chinese constitution "The Communists feel threatened by any popular ideology which is different from their own," he said.
China's Christian population - especially those who refuse to worship in the tightly regulated state-registered churches - is seen as one such threat.
According to Mr Wong, the number of Christians in China has continued to rise, exacerbating this perceived threat and causing the authorities to clamp down still further on unregistered churches.
The perception that China's Christians have close links with the West adds to their plight, Mr Wong said. 'You can't evangelise'
Christianity is not actually banned in China. In fact, according to the constitution, "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief."
A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died
Peter Xu Yongze Beijing backed up that statement in 1997, saying that "In China, no one is to be punished due to their religious belief".
But human rights groups and Christians say that the reality is different.
"They say you can believe, but you can't evangelise," Mr Xu said. "But that is a natural act for Christians. The bible commands us to preach the gospel."
According to Mr Xu, who has now left China and lives in the US, it is against regulations to worship in groups. He said that one of his arresting officers even told him he could only avoid breaking the law if he prayed under the covers in bed.
To an Evangelical Protestant like Mr Xu, joining one of China's state-sanctioned churches was simply not an option - and it seems many other Chinese Christians agree with him.
Christians are required to worship in state-approved churchesGetting reliable numbers about the number of Christians in China is notoriously difficult. Estimates vary between 40m to 70m Protestants, only 10 million of whom are registered members of government churches.
The situation is similar for Catholics. Of the estimated 15 to 20 million Catholics in China, less than half belong to state-approved churches, which put authority to Beijing before authority to Rome.
Those Christians who want to avoid the state-controlled religious movements meet in unofficial buildings or even each others' homes - hence their description as "house churches" - risking fines, imprisonment, torture and even, in some cases, death.
Government crackdown
Human rights groups have documented an increasing number of arrests of Chinese Christians since the beginning of 2004.
According to the charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide, persecution is becoming more systematic and targeted at large-scale Christian gatherings.
Since June the charity has documented three mass arrests of unregistered Christians. In each case more than 100 people were detained.
Amnesty International has reported many cases of detained church leaders in recent years, especially in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hebei.
Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China
Pete Xu Yongze One of the most high-profile cases is that of Gong Shengliang, head of the South China Church, who was sentenced to death in 2001. His sentence was commuted to a prison term, but Amnesty has received reports that he has been severely tortured in jail.
In August three Christians were sentenced to jail terms for passing information to foreign governments, and in July state media reported that a woman had been beaten to death after being arrested for handing out bibles.
Peter Xu said that while he was in jail, he saw several people even being killed for their faith.
"A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died," Mr Xu said.
But government crackdowns - and even torture - may not make people like Peter Xu give up their faith.
"Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China," he said.
China's Christians suffer for their faith
By Kate McGeown BBC News
"They hung me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours."
Peter Xu Yongze spent eight years in jail for his beliefsThat is how Peter Xu Yongze, the founder of one of the largest religious movements in China, described his treatment during one of five jail sentences on account of his belief in Christianity.
Mr Xu, 61, is not the only Chinese Christian to suffer for his faith. Both Catholics and Protestants have long complained of persecution by the Communist authorities, and human rights groups claim the problem is getting worse.
According to the Jubilee Campaign, an interdenominational lobby group, about 300 Christians are in detention in China at any one time, and that number is set to rise.
"China's new generation of leaders are trying to consolidate control of the country as it goes through rapid social and economic changes," said Wilfred Wong, a parliamentary officer for the Jubilee Campaign.
Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief
Chinese constitution "The Communists feel threatened by any popular ideology which is different from their own," he said.
China's Christian population - especially those who refuse to worship in the tightly regulated state-registered churches - is seen as one such threat.
According to Mr Wong, the number of Christians in China has continued to rise, exacerbating this perceived threat and causing the authorities to clamp down still further on unregistered churches.
The perception that China's Christians have close links with the West adds to their plight, Mr Wong said. 'You can't evangelise'
Christianity is not actually banned in China. In fact, according to the constitution, "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief."
A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died
Peter Xu Yongze Beijing backed up that statement in 1997, saying that "In China, no one is to be punished due to their religious belief".
But human rights groups and Christians say that the reality is different.
"They say you can believe, but you can't evangelise," Mr Xu said. "But that is a natural act for Christians. The bible commands us to preach the gospel."
According to Mr Xu, who has now left China and lives in the US, it is against regulations to worship in groups. He said that one of his arresting officers even told him he could only avoid breaking the law if he prayed under the covers in bed.
To an Evangelical Protestant like Mr Xu, joining one of China's state-sanctioned churches was simply not an option - and it seems many other Chinese Christians agree with him.
Christians are required to worship in state-approved churchesGetting reliable numbers about the number of Christians in China is notoriously difficult. Estimates vary between 40m to 70m Protestants, only 10 million of whom are registered members of government churches.
The situation is similar for Catholics. Of the estimated 15 to 20 million Catholics in China, less than half belong to state-approved churches, which put authority to Beijing before authority to Rome.
Those Christians who want to avoid the state-controlled religious movements meet in unofficial buildings or even each others' homes - hence their description as "house churches" - risking fines, imprisonment, torture and even, in some cases, death.
Government crackdown
Human rights groups have documented an increasing number of arrests of Chinese Christians since the beginning of 2004.
According to the charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide, persecution is becoming more systematic and targeted at large-scale Christian gatherings.
Since June the charity has documented three mass arrests of unregistered Christians. In each case more than 100 people were detained.
Amnesty International has reported many cases of detained church leaders in recent years, especially in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hebei.
Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China
Pete Xu Yongze One of the most high-profile cases is that of Gong Shengliang, head of the South China Church, who was sentenced to death in 2001. His sentence was commuted to a prison term, but Amnesty has received reports that he has been severely tortured in jail.
In August three Christians were sentenced to jail terms for passing information to foreign governments, and in July state media reported that a woman had been beaten to death after being arrested for handing out bibles.
Peter Xu said that while he was in jail, he saw several people even being killed for their faith.
"A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died," Mr Xu said.
But government crackdowns - and even torture - may not make people like Peter Xu give up their faith.
"Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China," he said.
A Recent Example of Persecution
27 October, 2004
SAUDI ARABIA - INDIA
Ten months in jail and 300 lashes for Christian prisoner O'Connor
Indian Christian in prison for seven months charged with evangelisation sentenced only for “selling alcohol”. Indian Christian activist writes to Saudi monarch asking for his compatriot’s release.
Riyadh (AsiaNews) – On October 20, a Saudi court in Deerah near Riyadh sentenced Brian Savio O’Connor, a Indian Christian resident in Saudi Arabia, to ten months in prison and 300 lashes for selling “alcoholic beverages”, this according to Middle East Concern (MEC), an organisation dedicated to the fate of Christians in the Middle East that has been monitoring the case of the Protestant man from the south-eastern Indian state of Karnataka.
Mr O’Connor has been incarcerated in Olaya prison since March 25 after the Muttawa, the Saudi religious police, abducted him from home and tortured for 24 hours in a mosque.
He was later charged with preaching Christianity, selling alcohol, drug use and possession of pornographic videos. He has always denied the charges, but has acknowledged leading Bible studies in his home for expatriate Christians after the authorities published information in the local press whereby non-Muslims could practice their religion at home. In practice, religious freedom does not exist in the country except for Muslims and any religious activity outside Islam is considered a felony.
In his October 20 court hearing, the judges found him guilty of selling alcohol but did not mention any of the other charges: drug use, evangelisation and, after September 15, possession of pornographic videos.
After reading the sentence, the court asked Mr O’Connor if he accepted this decision. He declined thus appealing the decision. He was warned that under Saudi law the higher court would most likely increase the sentence if it, too, found him guilty.
During the hearing Brian asked why the religious police who arrested him were not present as had been announced at the previous hearing. He was told that they had given their statement at a private hearing.
According to the MEC and Mr O’Connor’s family, the Muttawa did a good job at trumpeting up the alcohol charges. He was found in possession of banknotes—whose serial number the Muttawa had taken down—that had been used by an agent paid by the police to purchase the alcohol.
MEC sources claim that the O’Connor file has now moved to the “Departure” section of Olaya prison indicating that he might be expelled from the country after Ramadan.
Following the Court’s decision, Indian activist John Dayal wrote an appeal to Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud asking him to “give clemency to O’Connor” and urge the Saudi government to “release this Indian citizen who has already suffered much”.
“We are sure,” Mr Dayal said in the letter, that “we will not be disappointed in this appeal for mercy and justice in the name of universal brotherhood, human dignity and the friendly relations between the two countries, India and Saudi Arabia.”
John Dayal is the President of the All India Catholic Union (which represent India’s 16 million Catholics) and the Secretary General of the All India Christian Council, one of India’s major ecumenical Christian organisations. AsiaNews and other Catholic websites (see www.stranocristiano.it) have followed the O’Connor case and promoted an awareness campaign on his behalf.
In the letter to the Saudi king, Dayal states that O’Connor’s “employers have declared that the allegations against their employee are not valid” even though it is accepted that he is a practicing Christian.
According to Dayal, Mr O’Connor’s arrest, his experience in jail and now his sentence have caused “deep concern” amongst Indian Christians. “Brian,” Dayal wrote, “has no criminal record at home or abroad, and has been arrested, we feel, just for his religious convictions.” (LF)
27 October, 2004
SAUDI ARABIA - INDIA
Ten months in jail and 300 lashes for Christian prisoner O'Connor
Indian Christian in prison for seven months charged with evangelisation sentenced only for “selling alcohol”. Indian Christian activist writes to Saudi monarch asking for his compatriot’s release.
Riyadh (AsiaNews) – On October 20, a Saudi court in Deerah near Riyadh sentenced Brian Savio O’Connor, a Indian Christian resident in Saudi Arabia, to ten months in prison and 300 lashes for selling “alcoholic beverages”, this according to Middle East Concern (MEC), an organisation dedicated to the fate of Christians in the Middle East that has been monitoring the case of the Protestant man from the south-eastern Indian state of Karnataka.
Mr O’Connor has been incarcerated in Olaya prison since March 25 after the Muttawa, the Saudi religious police, abducted him from home and tortured for 24 hours in a mosque.
He was later charged with preaching Christianity, selling alcohol, drug use and possession of pornographic videos. He has always denied the charges, but has acknowledged leading Bible studies in his home for expatriate Christians after the authorities published information in the local press whereby non-Muslims could practice their religion at home. In practice, religious freedom does not exist in the country except for Muslims and any religious activity outside Islam is considered a felony.
In his October 20 court hearing, the judges found him guilty of selling alcohol but did not mention any of the other charges: drug use, evangelisation and, after September 15, possession of pornographic videos.
After reading the sentence, the court asked Mr O’Connor if he accepted this decision. He declined thus appealing the decision. He was warned that under Saudi law the higher court would most likely increase the sentence if it, too, found him guilty.
During the hearing Brian asked why the religious police who arrested him were not present as had been announced at the previous hearing. He was told that they had given their statement at a private hearing.
According to the MEC and Mr O’Connor’s family, the Muttawa did a good job at trumpeting up the alcohol charges. He was found in possession of banknotes—whose serial number the Muttawa had taken down—that had been used by an agent paid by the police to purchase the alcohol.
MEC sources claim that the O’Connor file has now moved to the “Departure” section of Olaya prison indicating that he might be expelled from the country after Ramadan.
Following the Court’s decision, Indian activist John Dayal wrote an appeal to Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud asking him to “give clemency to O’Connor” and urge the Saudi government to “release this Indian citizen who has already suffered much”.
“We are sure,” Mr Dayal said in the letter, that “we will not be disappointed in this appeal for mercy and justice in the name of universal brotherhood, human dignity and the friendly relations between the two countries, India and Saudi Arabia.”
John Dayal is the President of the All India Catholic Union (which represent India’s 16 million Catholics) and the Secretary General of the All India Christian Council, one of India’s major ecumenical Christian organisations. AsiaNews and other Catholic websites (see www.stranocristiano.it) have followed the O’Connor case and promoted an awareness campaign on his behalf.
In the letter to the Saudi king, Dayal states that O’Connor’s “employers have declared that the allegations against their employee are not valid” even though it is accepted that he is a practicing Christian.
According to Dayal, Mr O’Connor’s arrest, his experience in jail and now his sentence have caused “deep concern” amongst Indian Christians. “Brian,” Dayal wrote, “has no criminal record at home or abroad, and has been arrested, we feel, just for his religious convictions.” (LF)
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