- Keeping the Faith: Hard Words, But Words that Lead to Life
- Question of the week: Christian fathers
- Wycliffe adopts satellite technology to translate Bible in remote areas
- Pyongyang slams South Korea for human rights bill
- Another valedictorian prohibited from talking of Jesus in graduation speech
- Doctors convene in Christian conference in Australia to talk of divine healing
| Keeping the Faith: Hard Words, But Words that Lead to Life Posted: 18 Jun 2011 03:04 PM PDT
“If your hand causes you to sin,” Jesus said, “cut it off and throw it away.” That’s a pretty tough surgical intervention if you ask me, and he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to name other body parts as well. “Cut off your foot. Gouge out your eye.” He just can’t be happy with a single loss of limb. Yes, we could debate for the next few decades how literal or metaphorical Jesus was being. Such a debate would serve to only distract us from putting into practice the spirit of what he said. No, I don’t think Jesus was endorsing personal dismemberment. Rather, he was emphasizing, in rather dramatic fashion, the need for life-saving, future-salvaging initiative. Better to lose an arm than lose your whole life. Better to throw away something you consider incredibly valuable, than to throw away your future. So it seems best to accept Jesus’ words as a simile for “Desperate times calls for desperate measures.” Simply, at times, drastic steps have to be taken to save the one and only life you have been given. An example, also in rather dramatic fashion: My younger brother was born with a cardiac condition that resulted in a cascading catalogue of life-threatening illnesses. Finally, with little chance of recovery and his major organ systems in peril, cardiologists completed an open heart surgery. Miraculously, he survived. But shortly after his surgery, either from unclean needle sticks, a dirty instrument, or the constant rubbing of an oxygen tube – who knows – he acquired a staph infection in his right arm. The infection was unrelenting. It threatened his compromised heart and fragile condition. So my parents had to make an impossible decision: Amputate the arm to save his life. With that family crisis looming over my past, I can never read these words of Jesus without my parents’ decision playing out in my head. Was it a horrible thing for them to have to do? Yes. Was it unfair and unjust to have been put in that position? Yes. But it was the only real choice they had. It was better to lose the limb than to lose the life. My parents have made peace with their decision. So has my brother, and he definitely agrees with the decision making process. He is alive and well today, now in his thirties with a wife and son of his own, because of it. I loathe the circumstances he and my parents were put in, but I’m glad for their courage. I pray that you never have to face such a decision, but if you do, I pray you will do what has to be done. No, it probably won’t be a hospital amputation, but it might be an addiction, a dependence, a relationship, or a business arrangement. It could be a place you go or an activity in which you engage. I’m not moralizing. There are just some people, places, and things that are no good for us. They are destructive, and we have to pull away. You will have to make the hard, brave decision to “cut off your arm,” if it means saving your life and your future. Yes, it will be painful. It will hurt. It will bleed, but you have so much life in you, so much future joy to experience, so much living to do, you must do what you must do. Aron Ralston, whose grisly but triumphant tale of being trapped in a Utah canyon is told in his autobiography and the recent movie “127 Hours,” knows a few things about finding the courage to do what it takes to live. Speaking in the aftermath of his ordeal he said, “I left my hand behind in that canyon, but I gained my life back. I regained the beauty, the joy, the vibrancy and the euphoria of being alive.” Yes, these are strong words; difficult words; hard words to hear and practice. But just like the words of Jesus, these are words that lead to life, and your life is worth it. Ronnie McBrayer is the author of “Leaving Religion, Following Jesus.” He writes and speaks about life, faith, and Christ-centered spirituality. Visit his website at www.ronniemcbrayer.net. |
| Question of the week: Christian fathers Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:54 AM PDT
Question: “What does the Bible say about Christian fathers?” Answer: The greatest commandment in Scripture is this: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Going back to verse 2, we read, “So that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.” Following Deuteronomy 6:5, we read, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (vv. 6-7). Israelite history reveals that the father was to be diligent in instructing his children in the ways and words of the Lord for their own spiritual development and well-being. The father who was obedient to the commands of Scripture did just that. This brings us to Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” To “train” indicates the first instruction that a father and mother give to a child, i.e., his early education. The training is designed to make clear to children the manner of life they are intended for. To commence a child’s early education in this way is of great importance. Ephesians 6:4 is a summary of instructions to the father, stated in both a negative and positive way. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” The negative part of this verse indicates that a father is not to foster negativity in his children by severity, injustice, partiality, or unreasonable exercise of authority. Harsh, unreasonable conduct towards a child will only serve to nurture evil in the heart. The word “provoke” means “to irritate, exasperate, rub the wrong way, or incite.” This is done by a wrong spirit and wrong methods—severity, unreasonableness, sternness, harshness, cruel demands, needless restrictions, and selfish insistence upon dictatorial authority. Such provocation will produce adverse reactions, deadening children’s affection, reducing their desire for holiness, and making them feel that they cannot possibly please their parents. A wise parent seeks to make obedience desirable and attainable by love and gentleness. The positive part of Ephesians 6:4 is expressed in a comprehensive direction—educate them, bring them up, develop their conduct in all of life by the instruction and admonition of the Lord. This is the whole process of educating and discipline. The word “admonition” carries the idea of reminding the child of faults (constructively) and duties (responsibilities). The Christian father is really an instrument in God’s hand. The whole process of instruction and discipline must be that which God commands and which He administers, so that His authority should be brought into constant and immediate contact with the mind, heart, and conscience of children. The human father should never present himself as the ultimate authority to determine truth and duty. It is only by making God the teacher and ruler on whose authority everything is done that the goals of education can best be attained. Martin Luther said, “Keep an apple beside the rod to give the child when he does well.” Discipline must be exercised with watchful care and constant training with much prayer. Chastening, discipline, and counsel by the Word of God, giving both reproof and encouragement, is at the core of “admonition.” The instruction proceeds from the Lord, is learned in the school of Christian experience, and is administered by the parents—primarily the father, but also, under his direction, the mother. Christian discipline is needed to enable children to grow up with reverence for God, respect for parental authority, knowledge of Christian standards, and habits of self-control. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A father’s first responsibility is to acquaint his children with Scripture. The means and methods that fathers may use to teach God’s truth will vary. As the father is faithful in role modeling, what children learn about God will put them in good standing throughout their earthly lives, no matter what they do or where they go. Recommended Resource: Fathering Like the Father: Becoming the Dad God Wants You to Be by Gangel & Gangel. |
| Wycliffe adopts satellite technology to translate Bible in remote areas Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:50 AM PDT
Wycliffe Bible Translators acquired recently satellite technology that cuts translation time to less than one-third, produces more accurate translations of better quality, and functions even in remote areas that don’t have electricity. Wycliffe is using a Broadband Global Area Network satellite terminal, a small device of metal and plastic, which works more efficiently than a home internet connection and can access the internet when attached to a computer, even in remote areas. Wycliffe teams that don’t have computers will be given a complete kit, which includes a BGAN, netbook, solar panel, battery and charge controller, Bob Creson, Wycliffe USA President and CEO, wrote on the organization’s website. Translation process in Nigeria An example of the efficiency of BGAN is illustrated by the experience of Jacob, a translator for the Mwaghavul people in Nigeria, Creson said on Wycliffe’s website. Before BGAN, Jacob had to haul his laptop on his motorcycle every week to go to his brother’s house nine miles away, where he hoped that he could get a strong enough signal to send the week’s work by email to his translation consultant. If Jacob was lucky to get a strong signal, he would then travel back to the translation office nine miles away. The following week, he would expect to have feedback from his consultant—but to get it, he had to travel back to his brother’s house again, Creson said. But now with BGAN, Jacob can send email straight from his office desk and get feedback from his consultant on the following day, at the latest. Creson wrote, “The rapid feedback will allow him to improve his translation and quickly move on to the next passage.” BGAN connects through a geostationary satellite that is only 8 inches by 10 inches in size, and is powered either with a small gasoline generator or with batteries that can be charged with solar panels. Bruce Smith of Wycliffe Associates told CNN, “This is a satellite system. You point up at the satellite and it works better than your Internet connection at home.” For years, BGAN devices have been used by television networks, governments and private corporations. Now Wycliffe is distributing BGAN devices and kits to its linguists and translators across the world. So far, 67 Wycliffe teams have BGAN, and they plan to give kits to 25 more teams. Indigenous dialects, level playing field Many of Wycliffe’s staff helped to translate the Bible into their own indigenous languages. One example is Pedro Samuc, whose first language is Tzutujil, a Guatemalan Mayan indigenous dialect. “When an indigenous person hears the message in their language, they understand that God loves them. It raises our self-esteem [to know] He loves us all the same,” Samuc told CNN. Another Wycliffe translator, Burchrum Gail, speaks Jamaican Creole, or Patwa as his first language. He told CNN that in Jamaica the Bible has negative associations, but to hear it in one’s own language gives a feeling that the playing field has been leveled. Gail told CNN, “It validates me as a person. It also makes the scripture resonate more with me.” There are some 6,900 languages in the world, and Wycliffe has over 2,000 more languages to go. In the past Wycliffe hoped that within 150 years, the Bible would be translated in every language on earth. But now, with BGAN, they think this will happen by 2038. |
| Pyongyang slams South Korea for human rights bill Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:46 AM PDT
North Korea has been sending recently an increased number of threatening messages to the South due to a law that, if enacted, will be require the North to improve its nefarious human rights record. The reclusive North has, for many years, been ranked No. 1 for human rights abuse by the watch list of the Christian organization, Open Doors. The Pyongyang regime said on its website that if South Korea passes a bill that will require the North to upgrade its human rights, then the South will face sure and clear punishment. The bill has been pending in Parliament since February 2010. It is being pushed by the South’s Lee Myung-bak administration. However, the South’s progressive main opposition party opposes it, saying that its passage would only further inflame the North and may lead to severed ties, Asia News Network said. North Korea said it would defer entire communications with Seoul if the bill is passed. Its government-controlled newspaper Rodong Sinmun said it “would be an official declaration that South Korea does not acknowledge (the North’s) dignity, autonomy and socialist system.” Human rights bill The bill calls for the following:
Similar laws are already enforced in the U.S. and Japan, primarily for the purpose of supporting defectors from the North and to promote democracy in the reclusive state. North Korea has been cited for human rights abuses including torture, unjust imprisonment and public execution, particularly of political prisoners and defectors. The South’s ruling party has said that it is the responsibility of Seoul to address, through the passage of laws, the human rights situation in the North. However, the opposition Democratic Party said it plans to propose an alternative bill that will focus on humanitarian aid. Worsening tensions Tensions have been worsening between the North and the South of late, most recently with the defection of nine North Koreans who fled to the South due to local instability and food shortages. The North has been demanding their immediate repatriation, but Seoul refused to do so, saying that all nine stated that they wish to defect. Pyongyang also threatened retaliation upon learning that the military of the South was using the image of the North’s leader, Kim Jong II, and his family for target practice. Last year, Pyongyang killed some 50 South Koreans in two deadly strikes. The South deployed missiles earlier this year near the Demilitarized Zone with the capability of striking Pyongyang. Pyongyang also confiscated and shut down a hotel, spa and restaurants that were formerly run by South Koreans in a northern mountain resort, and recently threatened to dispose of the facilities. The North and South have been in a technical state of war since 1953 when a truce ended the Korean War. Since then, over 20,000 are said to have defected to the South despite threats of harsh punishment and death. |
| Another valedictorian prohibited from talking of Jesus in graduation speech Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:45 AM PDT
The valedictorian of a school in Vermont was not allowed to talk about Jesus in his graduation speech. Kyle Gearwar, 18, the high school valedictorian of Fair Haven Union High School, wanted to share his personal testimony of how Jesus changed him and made him the man he is now, but school authorities said it might infringe on the First Amendment. “I was just sharing a story about my life and how it was changed. And as an American and as a valedictorian I felt that I should have been able to do that,” Gearwar told Fox News. When Gearwar delivered his truncated speech during the graduation rites, many of the students present felt outrage at the decision of the school officials, and a number of them yelled that Kyle should read it in full, anyway. Gearwar declined, however, saying that he promised the principal, Brett Blanchard, that he wouldn’t and he would stand by his promise. “You’re supposed to respect your authority. Even in the Bible it says you should respect the authorities of the land. I wasn’t going to disappoint these men,” Gearwar told Fox News. While Gearwar complied with the school’s decision, he still honored God. He said in his speech, “Today my valedictorian speech remains unfinished. I am submitting to those who have authority over me by not reading the half of my speech that has caused issues.” Gearwar continued, “I respect the administration for the decisions they have made and thank them anyways for the opportunity to speak. I have always dreamed of speaking about God in front of my school as the valedictorian. This was the message God gave to me, and I am not allowed to share it with you even though it is my testimony, the most important change my life has ever experienced, and the one thing that I stand for no matter what.” Summoned by principal The situation arose when Gearwar submitted his speech to the principal. The next day, he was called to the office. “They told me my speech was going to be a problem – that the school wouldn’t allow me to deliver the speech and they would prevent me from giving the speech if it came down to it,” Gearwar said to Fox News. Gearwar noted, “You can burn a flag but we’re not able to speak about God. I just don’t agree with that,” according to Fox News. Federal law “We are absolutely strong supporters of free speech,” Blanchard told Fox News. “The federal law limits the kind of religious speech that’s permitted at a commencement at a public high school.” One of the statements that was removed was the following: “I have peace and can finally enjoy every moment God has given me, good or bad. I wouldn’t be standing before you without the blessings God has given me through my tough situations. He is the reason I am the man I am today, made new through Jesus’ death on the cross,” Fox News reported. Nothing but respect Blanchard spoke highly of Gearwar and told Fox News he was glad that the student kept his word. “He stuck to his word and his agreement. I think it speaks highly.” Gearwar, who will be going to the University of Connecticut said in turn that he has “nothing but respect for Blanchard and the school’s assistant principal,” Fox News reported. “They were very nice and they are awesome people and they were just doing what they were told to do,” he told Fox News. He expressed surprise that the speech, which he wrote “for God’s glory,” has attracted so much attention. |
| Doctors convene in Christian conference in Australia to talk of divine healing Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:43 AM PDT
The 8th International Christian Medical Conference was held from June 11-12 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center, with some 220 doctors attending from 27 nations. The theme of the convention was Spirituality and Medicine. The World Christian Doctors Network, an interdenominational group of professionals in the medical industry, hosted the event. The WCDN seeks to propagate Christian ethics in medical practice, and is involved in the documentation of cases of divine healing around the world. “We have uncovered many testimonies of how the power of God has healed patients and when doctors hear this kind of news, they become curious,” Dr. Joonha Hwang, a prominent South Korean doctor, told The Christian Post, adding, “They want to know if it’s true or just a story that someone has made up.” Hwang said, “[T]hat is why we put on these ‘Spirituality and Medicine’ conferences each year and then present medical data before and after the patient got prayed for. As far as I know, we at WCDN are the only Christian medical organization that invites doctors to come and hear from other doctors and are then able to openly discuss the evidence of divine healing,” The Christian Post reported. Healing testimony One speaker, Dr. Sean Thomas George, told of his extraordinary healing experience, saying, “I was dead for one hour and 25 minutes, but came back to life after my wife prayed a simple prayer,” Continental News reported. George said the incident occurred on Oct. 24, 2008. He was on his way back home after a clinic session held at the south coast of Australia, when he began to feel “unusually hot,” and experienced minor chest pains. George said, “I decided to stop the car and, as I got out and still feeling the discomfort, I called my wife, also a doctor, to let her know what was happening. She suggested that I drove straight home to Kalgoorlie.” However, George said he felt led by God to go to a clinic in Kambalda, which is 31.6 miles from Kalgoorlie. An ECG revealed that he was having a heart attack, and he was given some medications. Despite this, the pain worsened and within 11 minutes, George’s heart stopped beating. “Not only did I have a heart attack but I went into cardiac arrest,” Continental News reported. George said within the next hour he was given 4,000 chest compressions and 13 electrical shocks by a medical team. When his wife arrived, he had already been pronounced dead. George said, “Being a doctor herself, Sherry knew that medical science had proved that if the blood supply to the brain was cut off for over three minutes the brain would begin to die, and in 20 minutes the brain would be completely dead. But as she and I had trusted Jesus Christa as Almighty God and Savior, she decided to humbly ask Him to intervene,” Continental News reported. His wife held George’s hand and prayed, after which, “[I]t was as though someone had breathed life into me again and my heartbeat came back.” Four hours later, he was flown to Royal Perth Hospital for emergency treatment of a severely-blocked, right-side heart artery. He was in a deep coma and had kidney and liver failure. The doctors doubted he would survive and if ever, would be brain dead and on a ventilator. But three days later, George opened his eyes. The following day he could move his limbs, and the day after, he was fully conscious, off the ventilator, and his brain and memory were intact. He was discharged after three months. Speaking as both a doctor and a survivor, George said, “I don’t think there are any documented cases of patients who were clinically dead for so long, have come back to life with their memory perfectly intact and neurologically no deficits at all. This is something that only God can do, because medically it is impossible,” Continental News reported. Other testimonies Other healing stories during the convention was that of a 13-year-old boy from Korea, Haedong Yeo, who experienced cerebral hemorrhage and multiple skull fractures in a car accident and was close to death in the ICU, but began to immediately improve after a healing prayer by Dr. Jaerock Lee. Another doctor, Joonsung Kim, spoke of healing skin disease through prayer and without medication. A man shared his experience of paralysis from the waist down due to a cervical fracture. Another man was healed from a critically deep cervical laceration. Finally, a woman spoke of how she was healed of prolactinoma after she stopped all medications. Euthanasia, abortion Also discussed during the conference was the issue of the ethics of euthanasia, by Austrian doctor Lachlan Dunjey, and the issue of abortion by Dr. Sven Frederick from Denmark. |
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