Gripping Thoughts with Dr. Chuck Betters

Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: #9 & 10

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:50:00-0400

9. Be transparent and honest in your communication. Most marriage counseling I do centers on teaching couples Biblical principles for communicating. We come into marriage with preconceived ideas of the right way to speak, to resolve conflicts. Even when we hate the way our parents communicated, we often find ourselves becoming just like them unless we are determined by God's grace to break the chains of the past. Observe how others communicate, study Biblical principles and be accountable to one another for practicing communication that builds up rather than tears down. Often a couple does not realize how their communication reflects badly on their relationship to Christ. As trusted friends what does your communication reveals about your relationship to one another? You may be very surprised. 10. Learn to embrace pain as your friend. This is perhaps one of the most difficult principles to live out. The hard places in marriage are God's sandpaper designed to smooth out the rough places in our characters. There is no better woman in the world for me than my wife. I know this because we are married and God's design is for her to complete me. Our relationship not only brings joy and pleasure, it also is an opportunity for us to become more like Christ. Marriage requires sacrifice, seeing our spouse's needs as more important than our own. Such moments are often painful and yet that is the model of Christ. And isn't He the One whom we are to emulate in all of life? So with Jesus I encourage you to "go home to your family and tell them [by the way you treat them, love them, encourage them] how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you." In His grip, Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: #7 & 8

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:05:00-0400

7. Partner in ministry. Find an outreach ministry in which you can serve together. Not only will this activity deepen your relationship, it will help teach your children to love serving the church. 8. Always remember the Biblical priorities in your relationships. When our children were very little I gave Sharon a plaque that reminded us of our priorities: The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. Our Biblical family priorities are: Christ, Spouse, Children. Church. Work. Note that your spouse comes before your children - always. And note that there is no other person on the face of the earth that can take the place of your spouse. Fidelity in American culture appears to be up for grabs. Wedding rings don't seem to act as a fence for many people. Great temptation comes against godly marriages because God's plan is for marriages to reflect His love. Commit to praying for one another to be faithful in all ways. In His grip, Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

A Serious Case of Buyer's Remorse

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:01:00-0400

America got it completely wrong, not that we had much of a choice. The presidential election of 2008 was driven more by hype about hope than substance. As I said in earlier blogs, "I wish I could have voted for Mr. Obama." I wanted more than anything else in my role as an American citizen to vote for the first African American president. But his politics, ideology and mentors was too much for me to handle. Thus, I voted for John McCain. I must say, I was not too thrilled with him either. But what choice did the American political system give me? Were these two men the best we could offer? Given the plethora of brilliant political minds we have in this great country, was this really our brightest and best? Now we have children running the greatest country on the face of the earth. We have a president who continues to embrace our enemies and make apologies for America while shunning our friends as he recently did with the Prime Minister of Israel, at least until he saw the political fallout of the Jewish liberal community. Now he is rolling out the red carpet for Netanyahu. He continues to drive this country into a forced socialism, ignoring the will of the people with Obama-care. He has more than tripled the national debt he criticized when running for office with no end in sight. The campaign promise of an open and televised government has become a joke. He continues to bless Islam as a peaceful religion. Most recently he has instructed NASA to become more user-friendly toward Islamic nations. He mocks the Tea Party as out of touch and has thumbed his nose at the will of the people. I truly believe we got what we knew we had - an immature and inexperienced community organizer at the helm. He continues to "blame Bush" for everything while accepting no responsibility for his policies that have driven our country to the brink of financial ruin. Had he allowed the flow of financial capitalism (i.e. the survival of the fittest) to run its course when he first came into office with no bailouts, no stimulus packages, no bank purchases and no irrational bridge leaps into the massive debt from which we will never recover we would have emerged from this recession by now. It all comes back to the purpose of government - to protect its citizenry and to punish wrongdoers. Now we have a commander-in-chief who the top generals do not respect. One even went as far as to vent his frustration to the press. He was promptly (and correctly) fired. But what did he actually say to Rolling Stone Magazine? Surely he knew he would be fired, but he did not care. His conscience would not permit him to blindly follow a president who seems more concerned about offending the Muslim world than he does about winning the war. There is so much more I could say - the horrible choices he has made for the Supreme Court vacancies, his handling of the Gulf oil crisis, the sure to come middle class tax hike, and the denigration of Arizona's new immigration law and the refusal of the Federal government to seal the borders to mention a few. It is time for America to cut its losses and for the first one-term president since George H.W. Bush. In His grip,

Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Hope and Help for Military Families

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:03:00-0400

It's appropriate that our summer radio broadcasts available on our website focus on David: The Shepherd Warrior. Like our military families, David's family struggled with the consequences of war. And just as it was for David, so it is for us. War is hell. This is not a political statement. Over 200 years ago, thousands upon thousands of American citizens lost their lives and even more thousands of families experienced trauma beyond imagination as the United States struggled to establish her identity as a free nation. We celebrate this historic time in America on July 4, Independence Day. The price of freedom is the blood of Americans and thousands continue to pay that price, if not with their physical lives, then with long separations from family as they travel to foreign lands in response to the call of our government. Today, the number of military personnel who commit suicide is staggering. Our government is so alarmed by the lack of emotional support for returning soldiers, Marines and Sailors, that they have asked psychiatrists to donate counseling time. Other military leaders have admitted that the resources they offer are sadly lacking. We often forget that it's not just our soldiers, sailors, Marines and National Guardsmen and women who pay a price. War impacts their families as well. Military families have the same struggles as every other family. But extreme anxiety created by fear over the safety of their loved ones, the added stress of long separations, preparing for and experiencing deployment, and fear of the unknown magnifies those struggles. When Sharon spoke at women's conference in Japan, she met numerous Navy wives who described the difficulty of transitioning from being in charge of every family detail to sharing that responsibility with their husbands when they returned from sea. They talked about rebellious teens who couldn't fathom having to listen to their dads when their dads knew little about their lives. At that time, resources for dealing with such every day stress were minimal. Through out Learning to See When the Lights Go Out CD library, you can offer help and hope to our military families. Help us send a complete set of the Learning to See When the Lights Go Out library to a military chaplain or a military family counseling center. Our military families serve us, please help MARKINC Ministries serve them. In His grip, Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: #5 & 6

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:15:00-0400

5. Pray and worship together. Pray together every day. Sharon and I started our marriage with the habit of praying together every night before going to sleep. It's tough to pray with someone with whom you are arguing. Our children tell us that they sometimes heard us praying late at night. Such moments not only strengthen a couple but help a child feel safe. 6. Don't ever take for granted your relationship. Continually focus on growing up in your marriage. Do not discount the little things, treating each other with respect and dignity, expressing your love regularly. Early in our marriage Sharon witnessed a newly married friend looking deep into the eyes of her husband and smiling warmly. That picture imprinted on her heart the need to save her best smiles for me as well as her children. Consider how you are able to stop yelling at your spouse in order to answer the phone with warmth! How do we do that? Because we make a choice to treat others better than our spouse. This should not be so in your home. A few years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO made public 1,300 recently discovered letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century. Mr. Truman had a lifelong rule of writing to his wife every day they were apart. He followed this rule whenever he was away on official business or whenever Bess left Washington to visit her beloved Independence. Scholars are examining the letters for any new light they may throw on political and diplomatic history. For our part, we were most impressed by the simple fact that every day he was away, the President of the United States took time out from his dealing with the world's most powerful leaders to sit down and write a letter to his wife. Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, pp. 15-16. In His grip, Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: #3 & 4

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:24:00-0400

3. Pick your battles. Is it really worth fighting vehemently over who takes out the trash, loads the dishwasher, is the sloppiest? You fill in your own pet peeves. Consider this wise woman's plan for dealing with conflict: On her golden wedding anniversary, my grandmother revealed the secret of her long and happy marriage. "On my wedding day, I decided to choose ten of my husband's faults which, for the sake of our marriage, I would overlook," she explained. A guest asked her to name some of the faults. "To tell the truth," she replied, "I never did get around to listing them. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself, 'Lucky for him that's one of the ten.'" Roderick McFarlane, in Reader's Digest, December, 1992. 4. Understand the uniqueness and greatness of Biblical roles. After 38 years of marriage, Sharon and I are still learning how to live out God's commands on marriage! How do I love her as Christ loves the church? I am willing to physically die for her but dying to myself every day is what Christ requires and my wife desires. Sharon is called on to respect and honor me, to submit to my leadership as her protector and provider. Sharon is a strong, gifted woman and it's my responsibility to make sure she has the freedom to use her gifts to build God's kingdom. Although it is much easier now because of the habits of grace God is growing in us, there are times when we must step back and resolve conflicts and differences in the context of those roles. Study Ephesians 5 together and especially note verse 21: 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 21 A marriage that lives out this command will reflect redemption. In His grip, Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage: #1 & 2

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:25:00-0400

1. Develop a Christocentric Worldview, in particular God's view of marriage. Consider this challenge to live out God's call to reflect His relationship to the church in our marriages: They say a wife and husband, Bit by bit, Can rear between themselves a mighty wall, So thick they cannot speak with ease through it, Nor can they see across it, it stands so tall. Its nearness frightens them, but each alone is powerless to tear its bulk away; And each dejected wishes he had known for such a wall, some magic thing to say. So let us build with master art, my dear, A bridge of love between your life and mine, A bridge of tenderness, and very near, A bridge of understanding, strong and fine, Till we have formed so many lovely ties, There never will be room for walls to rise. (Author unknown) And: Joseph H. Choate was a thorough gentleman as well as a distinguished lawyer in this country some years back. He had a quick wit which made him good copy for journalists. Someone once asked him, "Mr. Choate, if you were not yourself, who would you most like to be?" Without a second's hesitation Choate replied, "Mrs. Choate's second husband." Bits & Pieces, May 27, 1993, p. 23. 2. Marry the right person. Consider the price John Wesley and his wife paid for entering marriage without good counsel: While crossing a bridge in London, John Wesley stumbled and sprained his ankle. Some friends carried him to the house of Mrs. Mary Vazielle on Threadneedle Street. She was a widow with several children. She cared for Wesley and his response to her concern was to ask her to marry him. If we were writing fiction we might say that the sprained ankle was God's providential way to bring those people together. But the marriage was a disaster, and Mary finally left John. Had Wesley consulted with his brother Charles, and asked for the prayers of the brethren, he might have avoided that unfortunate situation. Mary was accustomed to her quiet home, and it was difficult for her to travel with her husband and stay in uncomfortable inns. It is unfortunate that Mary was not content just to ignore John's ministry; she actually opposed it. She gave certain personal letters to his enemies and even made additions to them that made them worse! Once she even pulled her husband around on the floor by his hair! "I felt as though I could have knocked the soul out of her!" one of Wesley's friends said. Wesley concluded that his unhappy marriage encouraged him to work harder and not complain about missing the comforts of a home. Certainly it encouraged him to be away from home more! W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, Moody Press, 1984, p. 246. In His grip, Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Priorities that build strong marriages

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:46:00-0400

People of faith often forget that the first place to serve our God is in their marriages and homes. And when we forget that important principle, we endanger the godly legacy that it is our privilege to help build. If we are going to leave a godly legacy for the next generation we must divorce-proof our home and our legacy. A few years ago, I preached a message series titled, "Twenty-seven Precious Promises." Every week our congregation looked at a Scriptural promise from each book of the New Testament. We determined how that promise equips us to be a redemptive presence in this fallen world. We learned the definition of "redemptive presence" in Matthew 6:33: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. My wife, Sharon, and I chose to engrave this verse on the inside of our wedding bands as a reminder of our life calling. These few words teach us a profound truth: our faith is practical and we must choose to live life through the grid of a Biblical worldview. How often people excited and passionate about Christ and living for Him, forget that the first place we need to be a redemptive presence is in our own homes, our own marriages. When it's easier to be holy while "serving God" at church with Christian friends, we convince ourselves that our homes are not our priority. Yet this is a lie from the enemy because it's in our homes that we show a broken world what the love of Christ really is. In Mark 5 Jesus makes it clear that our first priority for reflecting redemption is in the context of family. In a stunning show of power, Jesus healed a demoniac by forcing the demons into a herd of pigs. Their demonic power was so great the pigs rushed over a cliff and died. The grateful man is filled with joy and passion for Christ. He wants to go with Jesus and His disciples to help build God's kingdom. Jesus' response is startling: Jesus did not let him [go with them], but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." We often hear that 50% of marriages, even in the evangelical church, end in divorce. Would that statistic be different if couples applied this command to their marriages? If they saw their homes as their priority for reflecting the love of Christ - even when it's tough?
Over the next couple of weeks, we are posting Ten Ways to Help Divorce-Proof Your Marriage. We pray that God will use these nuggets to make your marriage and home your priority. In His grip,

Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Tipper and Al Gore: Drifting Apart

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:23:00-0400

Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper shocked many friends and supporters when they announced the dissolution of their over forty-year marriage. They explained that there was "no one else" but that they had drifted apart. We hope that the media and public give Al and Tipper privacy and the freedom to find their way back to one another. A friend commented, "You just never know. They always acted so in love and committed to each other." It's true. No one but the husband and wife really know what a marriage is like. And sometimes, not even the husband or wife know the true condition of their spouse's heart. We can take a lesson from our former Vice President and his wife. We must guard our marriages. Scripture teaches us much about building a strong marriage, from the Song of Solomon to thousands of verses that address how to treat one another in any relationship to the many Proverbs that directly address faithfulness between a husband and wife. According to this very public couple, adultery is not an issue. Neither of them have turned to another person. Yet when a couple "drifts apart" the root cause is neglect of their relationship which means other priorities have created an environment of unfaithfulness to their marriage vows. According to Jesus, it's possible to commit adultery and never have an immoral physical relationship with another person. Let's think about this for a minute. Paul declared that ALL scripture is profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof, and equipping for righteousness. Therefore, we need to determine how Jesus' warning about looking at another woman with lust in our hearts is adultery applies to each of us. How do we drift apart in marriage? Perhaps it starts when we look at any other avenue for satisfaction and that avenue does not lead us back to a stronger relationship with our spouse. Instead, we end up at the corner of Discontent and Boredom rather than at the center of Satisfaction and Delight. There are numerous passages in Proverbs that warn a young man to avoid the adulterous woman. Many readers cannot relate to a woman dressed as a prostitute walking under their window, seductively whispering, "My husband is out for the evening, come and talk a while with me..." Yet this scripture is profitable as a means to equip us for all good works. Proverbs 5 - 6 outlines the downward spiral of adultery with specific, graphic warnings of the outcome. If lusting after another person is not your core struggle, replace the "adulterous woman" with any desire, activity, or relationship that you may be putting before your spouse. Before you reject the possibility that you may have such an idol, consider Proverbs 29:20 - This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." Remember, we're trying to learn from Al and Tipper and guard against drifting away from our spouse. It's time to do a marriage gut check and that won't happen if we are unwilling to consider the possibility that we need to make some changes. After Solomon graphically warns his son in Proverbs 5, he encourages him with how to guard against anything that could distract him from his marriage: Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well...Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. There is much more in this passage than a call to recapture the ecstasy of youthful physical intimacy. One assignment we give couples struggling to rebuild their marriages, is for them to make a list of what attracted them to one another. What did they enjoy doing together in the beginning of their marriage? We try to guide them to recapture the FUN of their marriage. While this will not solve deep-seated issues, sometimes it's all a couple needs to get back on track. Over the next couple of weeks, we will post clips from an article by Chuck, Priorities that Build Strong Marriages. We've been married forty-one years. And we endorse Solomon's counsel to his son. It applies whether you're 21 or 62.
In His Grip,
Chuck and Sharon

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

War is Hell

Mon, 31 May 2010 16:19:00-0400

War is hell. This is not a political statement. Memorial Day is set aside as the day to remember this fact: that thousands upon thousands of Americans made the ultimate sacrifice when they went into the hell of war and didn't return to their families. Last night we watched a movie (Taking Chance) based on a true story that chronicled the emotional journey of the Colonel who requested the privilege of escorting home a fallen Marine. It's a painful movie to watch but in honor of all those who have given their lives so that we can experience the freedoms of America, we had to see it to the end. We both cried and the aftermath of that stark picture of the reality of the ultimate sacrifice of our military and their families will stay with us forever. We have family members who are serving us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every day they are safe is a gift. Saturday a team from MARKINC Ministries distributed the Coming Home from Warto veterans who participated in the motorcycle Run for the Wall. Thousands of Viet Nam Veterans and their families travelled to pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice but were not honored by our country until much later. We must not forget those families and friends whose precious loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice or those who continue to pay a price only war veterans understand. Perhaps it's because of the families we have met through the distribution of our resource, Coming Home from War, that this Memorial Day is more poignant and emotional for us. This summer we will produce the fourth interview in our Coming Home from War CD series: The Ultimate Sacrifice. We will spend time with the wife of a fallen soldier and the mother of a fallen Marine. Because of our own life journey, we intimately connect with the grief caused by death. We will continue to urge others to acknowledge that while it is possible to find purpose and joy once more, there will always be a piece of our hearts that belong to those fallen loved ones. Just acknowledging that fact gives permission to grieving people to embrace life. We recognize that most people do not want to face the aftermath of death but on this day designed to remember, we recommend that you read this article and view the accompanying photographs and video. You will be moved to tears but your appreciation and respect will be changed forever.
In His Grip,
Chuck and Sharon Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

God's Parenting Manual

Sat, 15 May 2010 01:38:00-0400

Our first child entered the world on July 4, 1970. Sharon's doctor was out of town and after fourteen hours of hard labor, the substitute obstetrician decided to do a C-section. Sharon and I were twenty-two years old and had not attended one birthing class. My young wife had not learned any breathing exercises and neither had I! That night and into the early morning, I learned just how strong my wife is - the hand she squeezed through each contraction was never the same! How sweet to hold our new born baby girl. In that moment, our lives were changed forever. Every decision we made was filtered through the grid of what was best for our daughter and then what was best for all four of our children. We wanted our children to know, love and fear God but we felt ill-equipped to pass on that worldview. We attended numerous marriage and parenting conferences and prayed a lot. I learned that the most important thing I can do for my children is to love their mother the way that Christ loves the church. And together we concluded that parenting was not so much about rules and ten easy steps as it was about our hearts and our view of God. Did we know, love and fear God in the same way we wanted our children to experience? Then I discovered that children come with directions. The book of Proverbs is God's Parenting Manual and it is filled with practical tools that help inexperienced and seasoned grandparents alike focus on character building. Two generations ago, parents naturally passed on the truths of Proverbs to their children. We've lost that solid foundation. It's time to go back to what works. I preached through Proverbs as a young father and a few years ago preached the same messages through the grid of being a grandfather. Listen now! And now those messages are in book form with a companion Study Guide. Order now! Dig deep into these truths and your children will never be the same.
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Heroes and Heretics: Our Fathers Who Are In Heaven - Pt. 2

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:05:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: Our Fathers Who Are In Heaven - Pt. 2 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: To Know the True Jesus, Know Your Bible

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:52:00-0400

Click here to access Steve Jeantet's Heroes and Heretics: To Know the True Jesus, Know Your Bible sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: Our Fathers Who Are In Heaven - Pt. 1

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:50:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: Our Fathers Who Are In Heaven - Pt. 1 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 5 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 3

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:23:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 5 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 3 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 4 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 2

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:43:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 4 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 2 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 3 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 1

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:40:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 3 The Early Persecutions - Pt. 1 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Treasures of Faith

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:05:00-0400

"All you have to do is preach through Hebrews 11 and I'll do the rest." Sharon had just shared one of our dreams with me. She loved Hebrews 11 and wanted to write a book on what she called "God's Waiting Room." She also wanted us to co-author the book. She said my task would be to research and preach on each character in the chapter. She would condense the preaching into book form. I responded, "As long as all I have to do is preach. Yes, I can do that." It was fun to see how excited she was as we mapped out a timeline and talked through the process we would follow. As the sermon series unfolded and Sharon transcribed every message and organized the material, we began to see that preaching doesn't always lend itself to writing. This process would be much more difficult than we expected. I preached fourteen sermons on Abraham alone. This promised to be a grueling process. Anyone who writes books knows that publishing dates often get moved up. But this was not an option for us. Every year the Women in the Church of the Presbyterian Church in America recommends a small group Bible study . That year they were holding a national conference and would introduce our book as the recommended small group study for that following year. Our publisher endorsed our plan and we committed to a detailed timeline for getting finished chapters to our editor. While it was difficult we met every deadline. Through circumstances beyond our control, the publication of the book was delayed. The Women in the Church leadership told our publisher that if it was not in their offices by a specific date, they would not be able to recommend it as the small group Bible study. Suddenly we had about two months to edit, finalize and publish not only the book but a detailed Leaders Guide. The editing process had not even begun. Anyone with any sense knew that we were embarking on an impossible task. But everyone involved agreed it was worth trying. Let the writing marathon begin. Every few days we received two edited chapters from our publisher., one for the book and one for the Leaders Guide. After a couple of weeks of non-stop writing that started earlier every day and lasted until late at night, I knew Sharon could not keep up this pace. One of the themes of the book was cultivating community and becoming channels of God's compassion. I told Sharon she needed to practice what she was preaching. Ask two of her writing friends to help her write the Leaders Guide. These two women joined the writing team and their fingerprints are all over the Leaders Guide. We wouldn't have met our deadline without them. Fifty-seven sermons and months of intense writing later, Treasures of Faith: Living Boldly in View of God's Promises arrived in the offices of the Presbyterian Church in America in time to meet the deadline. That fall it was introduced to several thousand women at the conference in Atlanta as the recommended Bible study for the year. This book is filled with in-depth Bible study that gets the reader into the skin of each person in our spiritual family. Sharon says that sometimes she couldn't see the keyboard or computer screen as she wrote because of how emotionally connected she felt to the biblical person she was writing about. We are offering Treasures of Faith at a reduced price and including an Introductory CD interview in which Sharon and I talk about the writing process and this study. Click here to order. We also have a Small Group Study Package that includes 10 books, 10 Bonus CD's and a FREE Leaders Guide for a savings of $78 off the retail price. This book traces our spiritual family tree and will change the way you think about your spiritual roots. For more details visit our Treasures of Faith book page Remember Sharon's promise that all I would have to do is preach? Not. I'll share more about the book in the next few weeks.
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 2 The Spread of the Gospel in the Early Church

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:37:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 2 The Spread of the Gospel in the Early Church sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 1 The Launch Sequence Begins

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:34:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Heroes and Heretics: The Battle for the Church - Pt. 1 The Launch Sequence Begins sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt.3: Of Christ the Son

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:31:00-0400

Click here to access Pastor Dan Betters' Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt.3: Of Christ the Son sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt. 2: Of Christ the Son

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:23:00-0400

Click here to access Pastor Dan Betters' Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt. 2: Of Christ the Son sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt. 1: Of God the Father

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:15:00-0400

Click here to access Pastor Dan Betters' Heroes and Heretics: Credo - Pt. 1: Of God the Father sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

Haiti

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:17:00-0400

Last week I wrote a blog on the New Age belief system of the hit movie Avatar and James Cameron in particular. I wrote that the movie is steeped in ancient Gnosticism and promised to follow up this week. That all now seems to be so irrelevant compared to the tragedy in Haiti. Here are some of my thoughts on the horrible hellish nightmare the poverty stricken people of Haiti are enduring. First, I am deeply saddened, embarrassed, and offended by the comments of televangelist Pat Robertson. He claims that this earthquake is a judgment from God rooted in what he says was a 17th century pact the nation made with the devil and as the result Haiti is a cursed nation. What Mr. Robertson seems to ignore is the fact that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Christians, missionaries, and Godly people who are now buried in the rubble dying a slow and painful death, or are already dead. Others are dying of thirst, feverishly searching for their kids, spouses, mothers, and fathers. When God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt, He exempted Israel even though they lived in close proximity. In other words, it was a targeted judgment. Mr. Robertson owes every one of those believers in Haiti and apology - but don't hold your breath. Second, it never ceases to amaze me that when these horrible tragedies occur, the first place people turn is to America. And we respond with great generosity and compassion. Most civilized Americans are asking what they can do to help. But where are all of the bash America countries in the relief effort? Where is the mad man Hugo Chavez and his oil rich Venezuela? Their people live in abject poverty while he calls President Bush the devil in the one nation where he might get away with such idiocy. Where is the mentally unstable leader of Iran - I refuse to write his name. Where are Syria and the rest of the Jew haters in the Middle East? I could go on but you get the point. Third, when crises like this occur (such as Katrina) the church of Jesus Christ is there years later still feeding the hungry, rebuilding shattered lives, and offering hope. Where are the Muslim countries? Would they even want to help a Christian, the ones they call the infidels? They are nowhere to be found. It seems as though all of their country's miserable failures rooted in their demagogue leaders are passed on to us - it is always America's fault. So sad! But that should not stop us from being there. The church will mobilize, the food will start flowing, and in the end, because of America, Haiti will be a better country than the one just destroyed. You can bank on it.
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Avatar

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:59:00-0400

Believe me when I say that I am not one who sees a conspiracy behind every bleeding liberal. And, believe me when I say that I am not trying to ruin the good time you have had or will have when you see the newest movie sensation, Avatar. But, after seeing this blockbuster in 3D AND IMAX, let me assure you that it is well worth seeing for the technical genius of the film. The special effects are "from another world," Pandora to be exact. The sheer brilliance of James Cameron in this latest of his liberal propaganda films makes it a must see. Now, let's move on to the "however" of this blog (you knew there had to be one). This film is unapologetically filled with New Age eastern mysticism. Additionally, to the uniformed this film may appear to be centered in such innocuous themes as good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, old American Indian legends, Greek mythology, ecological stewardship, personal spiritual balance, the true meaning of love, fighting injustice, protecting home, the beauty of nature, adventure, manhood, womanhood, love, faith, and community. But, there is so much more in this movie that does not meet the average eye. The Na'vi, are the blue inhabitants of Pandora. They are the gentle ten foot giants who move gracefully in performing feats of athletic prowess, spiritual and emotional acts of reincarnation, and combat with great ferocity. Both males and females are beautifully sensual, strong, and androgynous. While the Na'vi are perfect, corporate greed is the source of evil and the military is the embodiment of evil. Mother Earth is real. Back to nature is the holy ethos of the true believer. Pre-emptive strikes are a bad thing. Nature is good. Technology is ugly and bad - strange for a film with so much technology shaping its success. In Hinduism, Avatar refers to the appearance in physical form, having descended from heaven to earth, of a deity. It is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," though more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation." The various manifestations of Devi, the Divine Mother principle in Hinduism, are also described as avatars. This is a film loaded with the message and the not so subtle tenets of ancient Gnosticism. Modern Gnosticism extends back at least a century to the great Occult Revival of the late 19th century. However, it was the discovery of a cache of ancient Gnostic scriptures at Nag Hammadi in the Egyptian desert in 1945 that really set off the modern phase of the Gnostic revival. Although their translation into English was not complete until the late 1970s, early access to some of the writings inspired the great psychologist Carl Jung to draw parallels between the ancient Gnostics and modern depth psychology. The publication in 1977 of the Nag Hammadi Library translations, followed in 1978 by religious scholar Elaine Pagels' best-selling exposition, The Gnostic Gospels, guaranteed that Gnosticism would not go away anytime soon. It was not long ago that Dan Brown produced the controversial movie, The Davinci Code. As I wrote on this blog back then, that movie was steeped in ancient Gnosticism and the above mentioned pseudo-scriptures. In similar fashion, James Cameron's world-view is unfettered Gnosticism and this film is the stage for of his theology. The Davinci Code rattled the cages of evangelical thought due to the fact that it was a frontal assault against the teachings of the Bible. Avatar isn't as much a frontal assault on Christianity as it is a side-door assault, but, nonetheless, an assault. Avatar is not a glorified cartoon. Nor is it a modern remake of Alice in Wonderland. It is nothing less than a sermon wrapped up in high tech genius delivered by one the high priests of modern day Gnosticism, James Cameron. Ancient Gnosticism is in the midst of a modern day revival with the goal of supplanting the Christian faith. How? Well, to answer that question we must ask another - What is Gnosticism? Next Blog: "The tenets of ancient Gnosticism"
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Liturgical Colors

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:53:00-0400

We have entered Advent of the Church Year. Advent is a season of spiritual preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ (Christmas) and looks forward to the future reign of Christ. Eschatological (the future coming of Christ) expectation rather than personal penitence is the central theme of the season. Advent is a preparation for, rather than a celebration of, Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent (last Sunday) is not the beginning of the Christmas season. The Christmas celebration begins on Christmas Eve and continues for the next "twelve days of Christmas" (I hate that song).

The Liturgical colors express emotions and ideas that are associated with each of the seasons of the Liturgical Year. Violet is the ancient royal color and is Advent's Liturgical color, associated both with the sovereignty of Christ and with repentance from sin. White and Gold symbolize the brightness of day and is used during Christmas and Easter. Black is the traditional color of mourning and is used at funerals and on Good Friday. Red evokes the color of blood, and therefore is the color of martyrs and of Christ's death on the Cross. Red also symbolizes fire, and therefore is the color of the Holy Spirit used during Pentecost. Green is the color of growth and is used during summer and fall.

The use of colors to differentiate Liturgical seasons became a common practice in the Western church in about the fourth Century. The Lutheran and Anglican churches that emerged from the Reformation (1517-1648) retained the traditional colors. They disappeared entirely (along with most other rituals) from the worship of the Reformed Churches. During the 20th century, the ecumenical Liturgical Movement prompted the rediscovery of ancient Christian ritual--including the traditional colors of the Western church.

Advent in preparation for Christmas was special to me spiritually as a child growing up similar to the way Passion Week prepared me for Easter. As a child I noticed the color changes. In fact, that is how I followed the school year. Green meant that summer was over and school was just beginning. Violet meant Christmas was right around the corner. White meant it was time for toys. My Greek friend always made me jealous since they celebrated Epiphany in January. That meant green reappeared until Ash Wednesday when the Lenten season and violet returned again until Good Friday when black was used. When red reappeared I knew Pentecost was here and school was nearly over. Green ushered in summer break.

The Liturgical Church Year is something we do not emphasize at Glasgow Church. The reason - we just never did! Our feeble effort at Liturgical symbolism is that we change the vestments on the Communion table to reflect the changes in the Church Year. Perhaps we should revisit the Liturgical Church Year. What do you think?

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Harlots and Heroines: The Midwives of the Messiah

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:04:00-0400

My new book, "Harlots and Heroines: The Midwives of the Messiah," is in. I have made special arrangements for blog visitors to receive a discount on both the gift set and the book. Visit this link and enter coupon code HHGIFTSET and receive a 20% discount for each gift set. Each gift set includes our son Chuck's piano CD, My Heart's Cry. Enter coupon code HHBOOK for the book and receive a 30% discount on as many books as you order. These codes are case sensitive. The coupon expires December 31, 2009. All proceeds benefit MARKINC Ministries.

Here is a post from Sharon's blog that captures her impressions of the book. I really enjoyed researching and writing this book and pray it will encourage readers to see their own critical part in God's sovereign plan.

Harlots and Heroines: The Midwives of the Messiah

A wounded widow, a professional prostitute, an indomitable immigrant, a bathing beauty, a terrified teenager - Harlots and Heroines: The Midwives of the Messiah. When Chuck told me about his idea for this sermon series and book, I questioned how it would be different from the many other resources about women of the Bible. As a women's ministry leader and Bible study teacher, I had studied and taught the lives of Bible women on numerous occasions. Even the evil ones became spiritual mothers in my own life journey and I eagerly gleaned every life lesson their behaviors revealed. I even developed my own message about the women in the genealogy of Jesus. I thought I knew the five girls pretty well. What more could they teach me?

As Chuck unpacked the scriptural context of each woman, God reminded me that His Word is living and that I will never get to the bottom of His truth. Once more these women called back to me from their perch in heaven and gave me deep theological treasures that encouraged me to remember that God is sovereign and I can trust Him. And oh, how I need that reminder.

On July 6, 1993, our sixteen-year-old son, Mark and his friend, Kelly, died in a car accident. In death's aftermath, I struggled long and hard to reconcile God's love with His sovereignty. Fourteen years after Mark's death the messages Chuck preached on the midwives of our Messiah reminded me that God will keep every promise, that He IS keeping His promises, even when it seems He isn't.

Each woman in this genealogy faced insurmountable odds that would have disqualified her from most jobs in any church. Yet in this story of redemption we see God transform the scars of emotional abuse, prostitution, murder, death, lying, widowhood, begging and an out of wedlock pregnancy into glory. Unbeknownst to them, these women are on the pathway to the birth of our Messiah. Where we might see darkness God reveals His faithful love when He used the lives of these women to ensure that our Messiah would come at just the right moment and be born into the exact family prepared for Him by His Father. Their seeming disqualifications to be in the genealogy of Jesus actually become sources of great hope to broken people like me. Harlots and Heroines, The Midwives of the Messiah is a book about our spiritual mothers. They are waiting for us in heaven and as they wait, they call back, "Dear Daughters, study our lives and you will see that God is sovereign and you can trust Him, too." Thank you, Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, Ruth and Mary from one of your daughters.

Sharon W. Betters

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Fort Hood Massacre - Here we go again

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:59:00-0400

Here we go again - political correctness at its worst. I have a sister-in-law, whose husband is in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan while his family holds their collective breath at Fort Hood and in other parts of the country. He is there for the third or fourth tour, I cannot remember which. He loves the Lord as does his entire family and has served his country well rising through the ranks from West Point's student brigade commander to a full Colonel in the United States Army. His wife and children wait to hear from him every day. The last thing they want to see is an army car pull up to their front door, so to speak. My sister-in-law has often ministered to families devastated by losses suffered in combat.

The last thing anyone at Fort Hood expected was for the security and camaraderie of that base to be shattered by the ring of gun-fire as thirteen of their soldiers were brutally executed and thirty others were wounded. When the news came back that the terrorist was an Army Major who lived among them for years, no one could believe it. It didn't take but two minutes after this discovery for the political left in this country to rise up and begin to look for excuses for this killer's actions. They have no clue as to the harm this causes the families who lost a loved one in this murderous deed. It is like throwing salt on a large open wound. What is even more difficult to comprehend is the fact that the FBI and the Army KNEW about this man's terrorist leanings for some time. They knew about the radical mosque he attended. They knew he was a weirdo and a potential threat. Yet, nothing was done about this for fear of insulting the Muslims. This has got to stop. America must rise up and call this what it is - terrorism in the name of a non-peaceful religion.

President Obama made a good speech at the memorial service. But I could not help but notice how quick he was to defend Islam as a peace loving religion. The liberal media boasted on how some of the Muslim clerics were quick to condemn the act and disavow themselves from this killer. But for me, this is too little too late. Is Islam a religion of peace? Hardly! Take some time to read for yourself some of the excellent material that is out there in cyberspace. Simply Google "Is Islam a religion of peace."One example that provides food for thought can be found at http://www.studytoanswer.net/myths_ch7.html.

Where were the condemnations after 9-11 from the Islamic community? Where were the condemnations from the leading clerics around the world after this tragedy? With few exceptions, the Muslim community has been silent. This man, whose name I refuse to mention, was a terrorist and some of our key people in Homeland Security knew it. But, to be PC was more important than the lives of these soldiers and the devastating wave of pain that now is the lot of their families.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Two Munchkins and a Train

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:19:00-0400

The other night, Sharon and I took dinner to my mom and had two of our grandkids with us. These two little girls are like two little munchkins when they are together. They chatter like chipmunks. Giggling, squealing and running, not walking, characterize their every moment. Their joy and love for one another is obvious.

My mom lives close to train tracks so the girls repeatedly ran in to the house from the screened in porch and excitedly exclaimed, "We just saw a train! We just heard a train!" Oh, the innocence of little girls!

On the way home, I pulled off the main road and parked next to the train station. Thank God for little blessings, because a train was ready to take off. These two little munchkins jumped out of the car and skipped up to the fence. I sat in the car since I was double parked. Dusky light framed Sharon and our two tiny treasures. The sight of these two little ones holding their Grammy's hand while jumping and hooting like two little monkeys was more than I could take. Unexpected tears flowed down my cheeks as God seared this priceless picture into my heart. The brevity of life stunned me as I recognized I would never have another moment exactly like that again. Unbeknownst to me Sharon was crying too. Why did this moment move us both so deeply?

A lone train engine whizzed by the girls and it was time to go home. They climbed into the car, chattering with even more drama as they described to me what they had seen and experienced. And they started making plans for the next time we would stop at the train station. Yet I have a feeling the next time won't be quite as emotional for Grammy and Grand Dad. This was a unique moment in time that is now a memory, tucked away for Sharon and me to pull out as a cherished treasure when the two of us reminisce about our family.

Memories are precious, especially when memories are all you have. These days I have been reaching back into my own memory bank of church life. And the memories make me smile, sometimes cry, and other times rejoice that God has given me such a rich heritage of church life.

Do you enjoy your loved ones? Do you enjoy your church? Do you think of your church as a family? A safe place for making memories? Every time our church family is together it is another memory in the making. As life goes on, there will come a day when all I have is memories of my church family and vice versa. People come and go. Some, more than others, leave a lasting impression. No two events are exactly the same. No two worship services are exactly the same. I often come into our sanctuary and sit in the dark and the quiet reflecting on the great church I serve. Just like a regular family, we do not always agree. That would be dull. But we are a family with a rich heritage and an even richer legacy. To my own church family, I encourage you to value what you have here, friends. And for those around the world, look for the treasures of God in your local congregation and value the relationships that God has created to encourage you in your faith walk. Life is short. Memories become gold especially when memoires are all you have.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Michael Vick's Second Chance

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:32:00-0400

As I write this blog, former Atlanta Falcon quarterback and now Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Michael Vick, is about to take his first snap since being convicted and jailed for his abusive dog fighting ring. It seems as though the entirety of humane organizations is bending over backwards to make him their voice for the proper treatment of animals. Does anyone really believe he is truly repentant? Does anyone really think Michael Vick now hates animal abuse with such a passion that he is volunteering to be the new dog and cat advocate for the country? Or, is he merely remaking his image so as to resurrect his football career? There is but one way to answer that question - he must demonstrate genuine repentance over the course of time. His dog abuse habits were part of a culture in which he grew up. This means that he has the DNA of a culture ruled by punks, hoodlums, and killers who could violently kill an animal for fun, for merely failing to win a brutal fight. Thus, if we are to judge his change of heart, we must see this vicious DNA extracted over the course of time. It did not take him a few days to become such a killer. It will not take him a few days to become the new face for animal rights. Should we believe that while in prison he had a change of heart? Yes and no! On the one hand, he says that when they locked him up his eyes were opened. On the other hand time will tell. But this is true of any of us who fall into deep sin. Repentance is a two factored process. We must put off the old behavior and put on its opposite quality. For example, a liar is still a liar even though he quits lying until he begins to tell the truth. A thief is still a thief even though he quits stealing until he begins to give away. An adulterer is still an adulterer even though he stops his affair until he returns to the wife of his youth. And a dog abuser is still a dog abuser even though he quits abusing dogs until he becomes humane to animals. Now, here is the key to measuring true repentance - it must be time-tested AND the change of heart must be reflected in other areas of his life. There is only one way this sort of "repentance" can be genuine, when Christ changes our hearts from the inside out. It is similar to the story of the demon possessed man who battled with the disciples. They could not drive out his demons. When they told Jesus about this he said, "This kind does not come out but by prayer and fasting." We should all be WILLING to forgive Michael Vick. But we should do so with an eye on time tested change. Now that he is surrounded by the right crowd with the likes of Tony Dungee we can have hope. But we also need to be wise and not expect that, if Vick has given his life to Christ (which I have not heard he has), his sanctification will be immediate. It will not be. He will fail again. But, we should allow for a second chance. When your knee jerk reaction is to condemn and refuse redemption to anyone, look in the mirror and ask God to give you a glimpse of your own heart without Jesus. After all, hasn't God given each of us a second, third, fourth, fifth, and one hundredth chance? May He have mercy on Michael Vick. And mercy on us as well.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

A Tale of Two Mikes

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:14:00-0400

Here are two names that will elicit a reaction from just about everyone in America - Michael Vick and Mike Tyson. These are men who arguably had the greatest athletic skills of anyone in their respective fields. During Vick's troubled career he could never really win the big one. He was cheered and booed by the same people. He could run like a deer and escape the grasp of linebacker in Houdini-like excitement. One of the last recollections many have of Michael Vick's antics was when he exited the field and gave an obscene gesture to the fans. He was a punk and just plain bad man off the field. A multi-millionaire - he was addicted to gambling via illegal dog fights? He appeared to me to be a kid who never grew up, got in with the wrong people, never was told "no," and never became all he could be. The same can be said of another Mike. Mike Tyson. He was known as Iron Mike. His early fights were a joke. No sooner did one sit down and start eating his popcorn than the fight was over. Tyson was unstoppable. Then along came James Buster Douglas. Douglas entered the contest as a 42-1 underdog. With six seconds remaining in the 8th round, Tyson floored Douglas with a right uppercut. Douglas could barely stand up after a nine count when the bell sounded. In the 10th round, after a vicious five-punch barrage from Douglas, Tyson, to the shock of the world, was dropped. The portrait of a defeated Goliath will be forever impressed upon the minds of sports fans everywhere. There he was, a dazed Tyson on his hands and knees, groping for his mouthpiece. If the beginning of the end for Tyson was this fight, the actual end was the "bite fight" when he tried to bite off the ear of Evander Holyfield who at that moment was giving Tyson an old fashioned whipping. What do these two Mikes have in common? Certainly, neither of them realized their full potential as athletes. But there is more. They both heard and received the Gospel only to walk away from it when they chose to become the companions of fools. They both went to prison. They both lost their careers. They both became tragic figures of "what might have been." Now, my team, the Philadelphia Eagles, has signed Vick to a contract. After the brutal massacre of many dogs at Vick's hands he now is "rewarded" with a contract to play again in the NFL. The uproar is predictable as fans from all over the country hop aboard the "hate Michael Vick band wagon." The press and talk shows daily remind us in vivid detail how Vick tortured, electrocuted, hanged, drowned, and clubbed to death these animals when they could no longer serve his gambling interests. Outrage over this cannot be over exaggerated. Vick was a dog killer and America could not stomach him; and rightfully so. Many loyal Eagles fans are now questioning if they can support a team with such a criminal playing. But now I ask you this - where is the outrage over the burning, scraping, mutilating, and even brain sucking of innocent babies from the womb? Not hundreds. Not thousands. Millions. Millions upon millions of babies killed before they breathe their first breath of air outside the womb. Where is the shock? Are dogs more valuable to our society than little babies? Apparently so! How sad! How terribly sad! We should all be weeping. What has happened to our society? But wait. Maybe we shouldn't ask that question about a society where many believe God is dead and oh, yes, some believe that Elvis is alive. (Next week - Should Michal Vick have a second chance?)

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

The Ugly Enemy

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:52:00-0400

Dr. Betters & Pastor Dan share from their hearts as they lead their home church through one of life's most difficult times - the loss of an 11-year old Covenant child in a boating accident. When the Betters lost their son Mark at only 16 years old they could not have known then that God was preparing them to hold up others who would one day walk the same dark path. These sermons offer a glimpse of hope and the opportunity to see light in an otherwise dark situation.
Click here to access Dr. Betters' The Ugly Enemy sermon. Click here to access Pastor Dan's The Furnace of Affliction sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for Current Audio and Video Sermons by clicking here.

40 Years of Legacy Building Insight

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:13:00-0400

Here is one for all of my "bloggers." I am writing a blog entitled "My Ten Greatest Disappointments with the Church after 40 Years of Ministry." What do you think they are? This will be followed soon by another blog entitled "My Ten Greatest Blessings with the Church after 40 years of Ministry." You can respond by commenting on this blog or emailing me your responses at drbetters@markinc.org.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Am I Losing My Mind Part 1

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:57:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Am I Losing My Mind Part 1 broadcast. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for In His Grip Broadcasts by clicking here.

Purity: Is it even Possible? Part 2

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:59:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' Purity: Is it even Possible? Part 2 broadcast. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for In His Grip Broadcasts by clicking here.

Going Home?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:26:00-0400

As I write this article, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett have just died. The press is rabid with specials to capture the impact these two people made on our culture and world. In many ways, it is sad to consider Michael Jackson's life, arguably the most talented entertainer of our generation. With his strange behavior he gave the press and the late night shows fodder for their jokes. Michael Jackson was a professed Jehovah's Witness. Farrah Fawcett, a Roman Catholic, was a star who captured the hearts of young Americans in the 70's and 80's with her hairdo and smile. She posed twice for Playboy and birthed a son, Redman, whom she loved but is now in jail. She lived with Ryan O'Neal for close to 17 years but never married him, even though he asked her many times. What does this have to do with us? If I heard it once I heard it a thousand times today that both of these stars were "good people" who are now dancing with the angels, that they are in a better place, that their legacies will live on forever, and that as one newsman said, "heaven is having a great big party with Ed McMahon (who also died this week) as God's "side-kick." I do not dare judge the accuracy of where these people are now. That, as our president has said on another matter, is above my pay grade. I merely entrust both of these talented people into the hands of a merciful and loving God Who does all things well. Our heartstrings are touched with stories about how Farrah Fawcett died, how brave she was, how much she suffered, and how many lives she touched as an American sex symbol. Her death was a public matter for over one year. She suffered long and hard from a painful and rare cancer. Her doctor spoke of her last moments saying "she was pain-free and having a beautiful time in her transition." Michael Jackson died suddenly of cardiac arrest. It is suspected that the myriad of medications he took may have caused his heart to give out. We will see in due time. Fans from around the world now line the streets with single gloved hands, blaring music from "Thriller," holding umbrellas, posters, and doing "moon walks." Like Elvis, the King of Pop Rock is dead. I am sure many 50 and 60 something women will whip out their yearbooks to show their grandkids how they copied (or should I say tried to copy) Farrah Fawcett's 70's hairdo. Many 50 and 60 something men will search the attic for that famous poster of her in that red one piece bathing suit that sold more copies than any other poster in history. (For the record, I never had one and do not now have one). But now they are both now dead. Although I did not know either of them personally, I do know the most dramatic moment they ever had in their entire lives. It was the exact moment they died and stood before a Holy God Who asked them both one very simple question, "What have you done with my Son, Jesus, and the glorious salvation He came to provide?" Depending on their truthful answers to this question, we can either rejoice in the salvation of their souls or weep over their loss. In my 40 years of ministry, I have held the hand of many saints who slipped away into eternity quietly and without public fanfare. No one lined the streets. Many died without anyone knowing or caring. But, when God commissions His angels to "go get my child," when they who know Christ stand before God, and He asks them the same question, there is a great celebration in heaven as one more of His redeemed come home professing their faith in the Savior and His work on the cross. This is why the Bible says, "Precious in the sight of God are the deaths of His children." I pray they knew Him. On June 28th, 2009 I will have preached a message on John 14:1-6 where Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Obama the Narcissist

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:40:00-0400

In this blog since the election, I have tried to give our new president every benefit of the doubt to fulfill his many campaign promises. I did so with the hope that his ideas will work, even though I believed they would not. It is thought that one will campaign from the extremes of his party but then, if elected, governs from the center. Not so for Obama. He campaigned from the left and has governed beyond even the extreme left of his own party. He is making Ted Kennedy look like a conservative. His answer to our economic woes - we can spend our way out! We now have a debt that is beyond comprehension with no end in sight. Socialism is right around the corner if not here already. His plan for health care reform - nationalized medicine with the certain net result that all of us will eventually be mired in a Canadian-like model where the government makes the decisions on your care. Ask any Canadian if he likes his health plan. They don't and that is why they come to America when they are really sick. His answer to Iran's totalitarian regime and its slaughter of young people in the streets over a rigged election - let's talk and reason together. Check out this site and tell me if these jihadists are even remotely reasonable. Click here for video. His laxity in condemning this joke of an election is appalling. Congress had to pass a bill to condemn the slaughter going on in Iran because our president would not. He even went as far as to take credit for what he calls the "debate in Iran" attributing the revolt to his speech in Egypt. This is narcissism at its worst. Only after his own party urged him to be tougher in his condemnation did he do so. When Ronald Reagan stood before the Berlin wall what did he say? "Oh, please Mr. Gorbachev let's talk about how we can learn to respect each others' ideas." No, he said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." That is leadership. That is decisiveness. Obama has lost an incredible opportunity to effect change in an enemy country, an axis of evil state. I am sure he thought that if only he could talk to their Ayatollah he could use his power of oratory to convince them to hold a new election. Instead, men and women in Iran looking to the U.S.A. for encouragement and support are being brutally suppressed while our president bows to his own immaturity. His solution to the North Korean threat - we will follow your boat and ask for permission to board, but we must say, "Please." And if they say, "No?" "Pretty please with molasses on it." I am convinced Mr. Obama is too inexperienced and immature to lead this great nation. The hope is that he will not do too much damage before the next election when hopefully someone with greater wisdom can be elected. Until then, we must pray that our nation will not sink into the abyss of the dangerous left-wing agenda.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Greener Grass? Part 3

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:31:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' GREENER GRASS? PART 3 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for In His Grip Broadcasts by clicking here.

Greener Grass? Part 2

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:17:00-0400

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I AM: The Good Shepherd

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:14:00-0400

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Greener Grass? Part 1

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:59:00-0400

Click here to access Dr. Betters' GREENER GRASS? PART 1 sermon. Don't forget to sign up for the RSS feed for In His Grip Broadcasts by clicking here.

I AM: The Gate

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:07:00-0400

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Are You Beautiful?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:45:00-0400

Have you ever seen those pictures of the so called "beautiful people" sans makeup? It is quite an eye opener isn't it? They look just like everyone else. Without a mask or altered body parts, many of them are not at all that impressive to look at. Women, I think are more vulnerable to this overt prejudice than men. (This is not to say that men are without their vanity. Check out any weight room in the local health club. Those mirrors are there for a reason.) Women fret over their hair, their weight, their skin, and their figures. In our culture, beauty, wealth, and power seem to define one's identity. The "beautiful people" and the wealthy are treated differently than the homely or the simple. Many behavioral studies have been conducted proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is true.

This is one of the reasons James addresses prejudice in the church when he says...

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:1-10)

We are all guilty of cryptic prejudice. Men, do you treat a homely woman the same way you do a stunningly beautiful woman? Women, are you more prone to pay greater attention to a man with "six pack abs" than one whose chest has fallen below his belly button? Do we treat the rich or the powerful with a greater respect than the poor and the helpless? Are we more likely to return a call (or even answer the phone) when we know someone who is physically or socially more appealing is on the other end?

I recently came across a video that illustrates this in a profound way. Please take the time to watch it. It is quite revealing. At center stage is one of those not so pretty, or should I say, homely women, the laughing stock of the audience. She is by most entertainment standards an old woman (47) in a young woman's ballgame. As you watch, ask yourself if that audience is representative of how you view people. It might be quite convicting.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Abortion and the Church Part 3

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:42:00-0400

Over thirty years ago I had the privilege of helping lay the foundation for a local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Sharon and I picketed hospitals that performed late term abortions that resulted in live births of babies who were then left to die alone. I've debated pro-death candidates on their pro-abortion positions and preached from a pro-life worldview all of my ministry life. I share the discouragement of pro-life people who are watching our new President dismantle every brick of the pro-life protection afforded children by our laws. No matter how much pro-death people try to paint us as unfeeling and uncaring for the woman facing a crisis pregnancy, we must continue to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Who knows if God will move through these words to turn a woman's heart toward Him as she faces the frightening prospect of bringing a baby into the world that she didn't expect. There are crisis pregnancy centers all over our country, ready to offer help and hope to hurting women.

Abortion is not a new concept. Listen as our early church fathers plead with listeners to protect the child growing within.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) also known as St. Augustine was a philosopher and theologian. Augustine, a Latin Church father, is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. Augustine was heavily influenced by the Neo-Platonism of Plotinus. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war. When the Roman Empire in the West was starting to disintegrate, Augustine developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God (in a book of the same name) distinct from the material City of Man. His thought profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. Augustine's City of God was closely identified with the church, and was the community which worshiped God.

"Sometimes, indeed, this lustful cruelty, or if you please, cruel lust, resorts to such extravagant methods as to use poisonous drugs to secure barrenness; or else, if unsuccessful in this, to destroy the conceived seed by some means previous to birth, preferring that its offspring should rather perish than receive vitality; or if it was advancing to life within the womb, should be slain before it was born." (De Nube et Concupiscentia 1.17)

On the undeveloped fetus:

"Hence in the first place arises a question about abortive conceptions, which have indeed been born in the mother's womb, but not so born that they could be born again. For if we shall decide that these are to rise again, we cannot object to any conclusion that may be drawn in regard to those which are fully formed. Now who is there that is not rather disposed to think that unformed abortions perish, like seeds that have never fructified? But who will dare to deny, though he may not dare to affirm, that at the resurrection every defect in the form shall be supplied, and that thus the perfection which time would have brought shall not be wanting, any more than the blemishes which time did bring shall be present: so that the nature shall neither want anything suitable and in harmony with it that length of days would have added, nor be debased by the presence of anything of an opposite kind that length of days has added; but that what is not yet complete shall be completed, just as what has been injured shall be renewed." (Enchiridion 23.85.4)

On therapeutic abortion:

"And therefore the following question may be very carefully inquired into and discussed by learned men, though I do not know whether it is in man's power to resolve it: At what time the infant begins to live in the womb: whether life exists in a latent form before it manifests itself in the motions of the living being. To deny that the young, who are cut out limb by limb from the womb, lest if they were left there dead the mother should die too, have never been alive seems too audacious. Now, from the time that a man begins to live, from that time it is possible for him to die. And if he die, wheresoever death may overtake him, I cannot discover on what principle he can be denied an interest in the resurrection of the dead." (Enchiridion 23.86)

"Therefore brothers, you see how perverse they are and hastening wickedness, who are immature, they seek abortion of the conception before the birth; they are those who tell us, 'I do not see that which you say must be believed.'" (Sermon 126, line 12)

Apocalypse of Paul - This document is without date and has been proven to be a falsification, but it is included for its historical value and influence.

"And I saw women wearing white robes, being blind, and standing upon obelisks of fire; and an angel was mercilessly beating them, saying: Now you know where you are; you did not attend when the Scriptures were read to you. And the angel said to me: These are they who corrupted themselves and killed their infants. Their infants therefore came crying out: Avenge us of our mothers. And they were given to an angel to be carried away into a spacious place, but their parents into everlasting fire." (40)

Vision of Paul

"I asked and said: 'Who are these men and women who are strangled in fire and pay their penalties?' And he answered me: 'These are women who defiled the image of God when bringing forth infants out of the womb, and these are the men who lay with them.' And their infants addressed the Lord God and the angels who were set over the punishments, saying: 'Cursed be the hour to our parents, for they defiled the image of God, having the name of God but not observing His precepts: they gave us for food to dogs and to be trodden down of swine: others they threw into the river. But their infants were handed over to the angels of Tartarus who were set over the punishments, that they might lead them to a wide place of mercy: but their fathers and mothers were tortured in a perpetual punishment.'" (40)

The Apostolic Constitutions

"Thou shalt not use magic. Thou shalt not use witchcraft; for he says, 'You shall not suffer a witch to live' [Ex. 22:18]. Thou shall not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten. If it be slain, it shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed." (Apostolic Constitutions 7:3 [A.D. 400)

The Letter of Barnabas (AD 74) is a Greek treatise with some features of an epistle containing twenty-one chapters, preserved complete in the 4th century Codex Sinaiticus where it appears at the end of the New Testament. It is traditionally ascribed to Barnabas who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, though some ascribe it to another apostolic father of the same name, a "Barnabas of Alexandria," or simply attribute it to an unknown early Christian teacher.

"The way of light, then, is as follows. Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born" (Letter of Barnabas 19)

Hippolytus wrote the Refutation of All Heresies a Christian polemical work of the early third century. It catalogues both pagan beliefs and 33 Gnostic Christian systems deemed heretical.

"Women who were reputed to be believers began to take drugs to render themselves sterile, and to bind themselves tightly so as to expel what was being conceived, since they would not, on account of relatives and excess wealth, want to have a child by a slave or by any insignificant person. See, then, into what great impiety that lawless one has proceeded, by teaching adultery and murder at the same time!" (Refutation of All Heresies)

If you are considering an abortion, please do not go forward with that decision. Give God the opportunity to bring beauty from the ashes of your dreams, to give you treasures in the darkness and most of all, to bring your child into this world.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Abortion and the Early Church Part 2

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:44:00-0400

Some have exhorted me to give up the fight, that abortion has always been with us and always will. I understand their discouragement but I cannot keep silent when whole generations of children are wiped out. We must keep declaring truth with the hope that God will open ears and hearts to His purposes. As a very young pastor I preached a strong pro-life abortion, perhaps not realized the conflict that could arise from my position. But all of that turmoil was worth it when a young woman shared her story. Unbeknownst to her parents she was scheduled for an abortion the next day. She heard the message but fought against God's truth and kept her appointment. She cried as she lay on the abortionist's table, prepared to end the life of her baby. God's Word rang in her ears and she suddenly sat up and exclaimed, "I can't do this. I can't kill my baby." The doctor and nurses tried to convince her that she was just emotional and would "get over it" when she got on with her life without the burden of a child. But this young woman stayed firm. She confessed her pregnancy to her parents (church leaders) who immediately embraced her and encouraged her to bring her baby into the world. Which she did. Perhaps, dear reader, you have bought into the world's view of life and you are ready to end your child's life. I plead with you to consider the fact that from the beginning of time, God created life and this pregnancy is part of His plan for your life and the life of your child. But don't take my word for it. Read on and ask God to open your heart to His truth. Listen to the voices of ancient history, crying out to you. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles recorded in The Didache (1st Century AD) "The Lord's Teaching to the Heathen by the Twelve Apostles: "1 There are two ways, one of life and one of death; and between the two ways there is a great difference. 2 Now, this is the way of life:...The second commandment of the Teaching: 'Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not corrupt boys; do not fornicate; do not steal; do not practice magic; do not go in for sorcery; do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant.'" (d.177) "What reason would we have to commit murder when we say that women who induce abortions are murderers, and will have to give account of it to God? For the same person would not regard the fetus in the womb as a living thing and therefore an object of God's care [and then kill it]....But we are altogether consistent in our conduct. We obey reason and do not override it." (Legatio 35) "How, then, when we do not even look on, lest we should contract guilt and pollution, can we put people to death? And when we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle should we commit murder? For it does not belong to the same person to regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God's care, and when it has passed into life, to kill it; and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable with child-murder, and on the other hand, when it has been reared to destroy it. But we are in all things always alike and the same, submitting ourselves to reason, and not ruling over it." (A Plea for the Christians 35.4) "There are some women who, by drinking medical preparations, extinguish the source of the future man in their very bowels, and thus commit a parricide before they bring forth. And these things assuredly come down from the teaching of your gods." (Octavius 30) To Anfilochius, Bishop of Iconia: "She who has intentionally destroyed [the fetus] is subject to the penalty corresponding to a homicide. For us, there is no scrutinizing between the formed and unformed [fetus]; here truly justice is made not only for the unborn but also with reference to the person who is attentive only to himself/herself since so many women generally die for this very reason." (First Letter 2) Ambrose (c.340-397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century. He is counted as one of the four original doctors of the Church. "Indeed there are those women who cut off the word prematurely born/aborted, before they give birth, there are those who have Christ in the womb but they will not yet have formed (him), to whom it is said: my children, whom I desire to bring forth again and again until Christ be formed in you." (Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam, lib. 10, line 252) "But why the eye or the hand, since the aborted child has both a hand and an eye which has already been formed?" (Ambrose, Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam, lib. 10, line 283) "And elsewhere the same Ecclesiastes, being an old man, guarded him better whom his mother had cast out by abortion, because he did not see these bad things which they make in this world, he neither came into these shadows nor walked in vanity, and for that reason he who did not come into this life will have more of a rest than he who came." (De bono mortis, cap 2, par. 4, line 11)

"The poor get rid of their small children by exposure and denying them when they are discovered. But the rich also, so that their wealth will not be more divided, deny their children when they are in the womb and with all the force of parricide, they kill the beings of their wombs while they are in the same fruitful womb. In this way life is taken away from them before it has been given." Hexameron V.18.58 [private translation] Jerome (347-420) was a Christian apologist best known for translating the Vulgate. "You may see many women who go so far as to take potions that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when (as often happens) they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder. (Epistula 22) John Chrysostom (347-407) bishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his asceticism. "Why sow where the ground makes it its care to destroy the fruit where there are many efforts at abortion, where there is murder before the birth? For even the harlot thou dost not let continue a mere harlot, but makes her a murderer also. You see how drunkenness leads to whoredom, whoredom to adultery, adultery to murder; or rather something even worse than murder. For I have no name to give it, since it does not take off the thing born, but prevents its being born. Why then dost thou abuse the gift of God, and fight with His laws, and follow after what is a curse as if a blessing, and make the chamber of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter?" (Homily 24 on Romans) But that's not all from early Church Fathers. If you are still wondering about when life begins, tune in tomorrow to hear from Augustine of Hippo and others.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Abortion and The Early Church Part 1

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:11:00-0400

It is not uncommon to hear the pro-abortion crowd refer to pro-lifers as right-wing religious extremists. Along with that name-calling, there always seems to be tagging along close behind a polemic that we who are pro-life take Bible verses out of context. They accuse us of not being able to defend our position without a few out of context verses from the Bible that suit our arguments. I beg to differ. Over the next few days I will trace what early Church leaders believed about a woman's right to an abortion. I certainly maintain that the teaching of the Old Testament and the New Testament is clearly anti-abortion. I can prove that in a scholarly way. But for the sake of argument, allow me to lay out for you the thought of the extra-Biblical material especially in the afterglow of the Apostles' ministry, that is, after the Apostles died off. Why should we bother to look at this material? Extra-Biblical literature, although it does not have the weight of Scripture does represent the cultural and theological mindset of the early Church thinkers and leaders. What did the early Church leaders believe about a woman's right to an abortion? Let me illustrate. Let's start with a second century document (circa 135 AD) written under the pseudo-authorship of someone named Peter. It was not written by the Apostle Peter, thus one reason it is not in the New Testament Canon. It is called The Apocalypse of Peter. Below is a passage from this short letter describing a scene at the Judgment seat of Christ: "I saw a gorge in which the discharge and excrement of the tortured ran down and became like a lake. There sat women, and the discharge came up to their throats; and opposite them sat many children, who were born prematurely, weeping. And from them went forth rays of fire and smote the women on the eyes. These were those who produced children outside of marriage and who procured abortions. Those who slew the unborn children will be tortured forever, for God wills it to so." The Apocalypse of Peter 2:26;64 Tertullian (c. 160 - 240) was one of the most influential and prolific early Christian authors, and the first to write Christian literature in Latin. He was a great apologist (defender of the faith) and a polemicist against unorthodox heresy. He was the first to coin the term "Trinity" to describe the Godhead. Below are excerpts of his teaching on abortion from two of his books, De Anima and Apologia. "That the unborn child is alive: How are they dead unless they were first alive? But still in the womb an infant by necessary cruelty is killed when lying twisted at the womb's mouth he prevents birth and is a matricide unless he dies. Therefore there is among the arms of physicians an instrument by which with a rotary movement the genital parts are first opened, then with a cervical instrument the interior members are slaughtered with careful judgment by a blunt barb, so that the whole criminal deed is extracted with a violent delivery. There is also the bronze needle by which the throat - cutting is carried out by a robbery in the dark; this instrument is called an embryo knife from its function of infanticide, as it is deadly for the living infant.. They [John and Jesus] were both alive while still in the womb. Elizabeth rejoiced as the infant leaped in her womb; Mary glorifies the Lord because Christ within inspired her. Each mother recognizes her child and each is known by her child who is alive, being not merely souls but also spirits." (De Anima 26.4) "Thus, you read the word of God, spoken to Jeremiah: 'Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee.' If God forms us in the womb, He also breathes on us as He did in the beginning: 'And God formed man and breathed into him the breath of life.' Nor could God have known man in the womb unless he were a whole man. 'And before thou came forth from the womb, I sanctified thee.' Was it, then, a dead body at that stage? Surely it was not, for 'God is the God of the living and not the dead.'" (De Anima 26.5) "It is not permissible for us to destroy the seed by means of illicit manslaughter once it has been conceived in the womb, so long as blood remains in the person." (Apologia, cap 25, line 42) "In our case, murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in the seed." (Apologia 9.6) "Give us your testimony, then, ye mothers, whether yet pregnant, or after delivery (let barren women and men keep silence), - whether you feel in the embryo within you any vital force other than your own, with which your bowels tremble, your sides shake, your entire womb throbs, and the burden which oppresses you constantly changes its position?" (De Anima 25) "Now we allow that life begins with conception because we contend that the soul also begins from conception; life taking its commencement at the same moment and place that the soul does" (De Anima, 27) "The Law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who shall cause abortion - Exodus 21:22-24" (De Anima., 37) These statements are startling, but there is more. Check back tomorrow or sign up for the RSS feed to be alerted to my next post.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.

Teaching Them Young Chapter One

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:28:00-0400

Before your child becomes a teenager he or she must be taught what it means to fear God if you want to increase the likelihood that they will come to truly trust Christ as Savior and Lord. This is not to say that one cannot learn to fear God after they reach the teen years. But statistics prove that the older we get the rate of conversion decreases. Solomon spends ample time and energy in both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes instructing his child concerning the critical importance of the fear of God. It is the very foundation of the first nine chapters of Proverbs that were written to his young son, thus the title of the book, Teaching Them Young: The Hidden Treasures Of The Proverbs. Here is a sampling: Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:29-32 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; Proverbs 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. Proverbs 8:13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 14:26 He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. Proverbs 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs 16:6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil. Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Proverbs 22:4 Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life. Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 24:21 Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 5:7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

In the first chapter of Teaching Them Young: The Hidden Treasures Of The Proverbs this foundation for successful parenting is developed. I think you will find it very sound and practical.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

Teaching Them Young: The Hidden Treasures of the Proverbs

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:58:00-0400

My new book, based on my sermon series by the same title, will be released hopefully in mid-March. Each week until then I want to introduce you to the message of this book. In this blog I will consider the basic premise of the book, that is, the Book of the Proverbs was written for the purpose of raising children to become men and women who know, love, and fear God. In the first nine chapters, specific core principles are outlined for kids to learn before they reach the age of thirteen; thus, the title of the book - Teaching Them Young: The Hidden Treasures of The Proverbs. There are a variety of words in Hebrew that parallel their English equivalents. In English, we speak of infants, toddlers, pre-adolescents, teenagers, and adults. There are similar Hebrew words throughout the Book of Proverbs. Specifically, in the first nine chapters of Proverbs, Solomon, the author of most of the Proverbs, uses the word for the pre-teen. In Hebrew tradition, a child was expected to memorize scripture and certain core principles before he or she became a teenager. By the time he was eighteen, he was expected to learn a trade and be ready to enter adulthood. So what are the core principles a pre-teen must learn? They are spelled out in the first nine chapters of Proverbs and are the focus of Teaching Them Young. Each chapter contains a key parenting principle rooted in one of the first nine chapters of Proverbs, a pointed story illustrating the principle, a scriptural analysis of the principle (there are loads of scriptures in this book), and practical teaching tools to help you apply the principle to your pre-teen. Over the next few weeks prior to publication I will take you on a little journey through these chapters. Have you visited the web site for this book - www.teachingthemyoung.com? There you can preorder your copy. It would make a great gift for young mothers and young dads on Mother's Day and Father's Day. Here are the titles of the chapters. Teaching Them Young Chapter Titles Introduction

The Fear of God and a Bucket Load of God-Esteem
Raising a Spiritual Dropout
The Myth of the Greener Grass
How the Mighty are Fallen
Is Your Child a Darth Vader?
Raising Kids who Stand Out in the Crowd
Your Child's Spiritual Birth Line
The Octagonal Gospel
Teach Your Children to Love the Church
Pearls, Pigs, Scorners and Mockers

Conclusion - Finishing Well Send me your parenting questions and I'll try to answer them in future posts.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

Seven Life-Changing Resolutions Every Christian Should Make

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:23:00-0400

This past week a radio listener called and requested this excerpt from this message aired on the radio and internet: Seven Life-Changing Principles Every Christian Should Make. The staff of MARKINC Ministries was deeply moved by this call to experiencing God's graciousness and power in 2009 and wanted to share it with you. You can listen or download the entire message by clicking here. Or you can order it from our store. Many thanks to the listener who reminded us of this message and the challenge to carefully consider New Year's Resolutions in an eternal context. We hope you will pass on this encouragement to friends and family and that it will open their hearts and minds to the God's dreams for their lives. Seven Life-Changing Resolutions Every Christian Should Make

I will by God's grace be...

Like Paul, forget those things which are behind and press forward.
Like David, lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.
Like Abraham, believe God and have it counted for righteousness.
Like Enoch, walk with God in such a way that it pleases Him.
Like Jesophaphat, prepare my heart to please God.
Like Moses, choose to suffer affliction with the people of God.
Like Daniel, pray to my God regardless of the kings decree.
Like Job, be patient in all unforeseen circumstances.
Like Joshua & Caleb, refuse to be discouraged when in the minority.
Like Joseph, turn my back on seductive advances.
Like Gideon, move ahead in spite of small numbers.
Like Aaron, & Hur uphold the hands of my spiritual leaders.
Like Isaiah, fully consecrate myself to the Lord for service.
Like Andrew, strive to bring my brother to Christ.
Like John, become the closest of the disciple.
Like Stephen, pray for the forgiveness of those who do me harm.
Like Timothy, study to shew myself approved of God.
Like Jesus Himself, be willing to die to self to bring forth much fruit.
Realizing that I cannot hope to accomplish these things in my own strength, I will rely upon Christ, for "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." In His Grip,
Chuck and Sharon Betters

Leaning Into the Pain of Christmas Grief

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:00:00-0400

Well, here we are. Christmas Day. If you are in deep grief, this moment confronts you with a hard choice, a choice that you must make within the context of your own circumstances. Perhaps you've already decided to avoid

all cultural reminders of Christmas and curl up at home by yourself or with a few special friends and immediate family. If you are fresh in your grief, that might be the right decision for you in your unique circumstances. Maybe you are looking forward to attending a Christmas Day church service, fully expecting the soft lights, Christmas songs and Christmas ambiance to magnify your pain but hoping that the celebration of Christ's birth will somehow satisfy the longings in your heart.

For wisdom in making daily choices in this foreign land of grief, we eavesdrop on an ancient conversation. It's in this verbal exchange that God gives the mother of all gifts to Abraham and everyone in Abraham's family (which includes you if you are a child of God). To begin to understand the deep emotion of this moment, reach back into your own treasure chest of memories and recollect the delight and joy you experienced when you gave your loved one a priceless gift. That's how we imagine God felt when Abraham began unwrapping this precious gift placed in his hands by the very heart of God. Abraham was not seeking God and we think he was a moon worshipper. In this unique conversation (Genesis 12:1-3) God says (my translation), "Abraham, you're my child now. I chose you. From this moment on, I am binding you to me, I will walk with you. As we walk through life together, I will teach you what it means to be my child. When you are faced with difficult choices and painful circumstances, remember this. I am with you always. I will bless you. You in turn will be a blessing to others. Through you I am creating a community, a family with more people than you can count. You will be a blessing to others and this covenant community will be a blessing to many because of my Presence."

In Genesis 15:1 God continues this conversation with the words: "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward." In response to Abram's fear, God promises His Presence which is the greatest protection and reward of all. So what does this have to do with my life choices? Or what to do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Sharon often said that when Mark went to heaven, he took her mind with him. She couldn't think straight and to this day admits she has trouble making quick decisions. But God did not leave either of us without a grid through which to push life decisions. In Galatians Paul declares, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Our decisions start with this truth: I belong to Christ. That makes me Abraham's seed which means I am part of the fulfillment of God's promise to build a huge family from the seed of Abraham. Therefore, the same promises He made to Abraham are part of my eternal inheritance. Every promise God made to Abraham belongs to me and to you if you know Jesus as your Savior. What are those promises? God promises me His Presence, that He will bless me, that I am part of a covenant community (spiritual family). It's in that family that I will experience blessings and learn how to be a blessing. Because of these promises, we look forward to being with our church family on Christmas Eve and family on Christmas Day. We know that being with them will nourish our souls and encourage us to believe that God is sovereign and we can trust Him. It's because of God's promise to make me a blessing to others that we choose to celebrate Christmas with loved ones rather than isolate ourselves in sorrow. These choices are sometimes difficult when our spirits are overcome by longing for Mark, but choosing to walk by faith in these moments often soothes our souls and supernaturally restores our hearts. Stop for a moment and let this truth sink in. In the middle of your deep grief, daughter or son of the King, when you are so afraid of the future that you can barely breathe, so terrified of another phone call or knock on the door that could change your life forever, listen to the words God speaks to you through the promises to Abraham. Trace this promise throughout scripture:

Abram, Do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Isaac, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Jacob, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Joshua, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Gideon, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Jeremiah, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
Paul, do not be afraid, I will be with you.
And Jesus to His disciples as He descended into heaven,
Do not be afraid, I will be with you.

Each one of these individuals had genuine reason to be

afraid. God's call on their lives required them to do very hard tasks, to suffer deep pain, to walk by faith when all they could see was darkness. God's antidote to their fear was not to explain the why or how or even the solution to their challenge. He didn't tell them not to worry, everything would work out ok. No. God's response to their fear was the promise of His Presence. His method of comforting our broken hearts is the same. He doesn't tell us why our loved ones are gone. What answer would be good enough? Instead, He calls out, "Sharon, don't be afraid, I am with you. Trust my heart." The book of Hebrews was written to frightened believers who were ready to give up. The writer uses every truth possible to encourage them to trust God with the unknown and in the last chapter he proclaims, God Himself has said, 'I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any way or degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down, relax my hold on you. Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5, Amplified) However you are spending Christmas, set aside time to reflect on this great gift of Christmas Presence. Ponder that first Christmas, the joy God experienced when He unveiled the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, when He wrapped up His Son in the package of human flesh and delivered Him through the body of a young girl. And realize that He was thinking of how much you would need the reality of His Presence as you walked by faith in the Land of Grief. Give yourself permission to laugh, to share memories. Lean into the pain of grief and as you weep, listen for the whisper of God, "My child, do not be afraid, I am with you." We also encourage you to visit the website of Griefshare where you will find more articles on Surviving the Holidays. This is one of the best sites we have found for grieving families: http://www.griefshare.org/holidays/#articles With much love to all,
Chuck and Sharon Betters

Mary, the Mother of God?

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:26:00-0400

There is no greater emotion that can upset and heat up a conversation between Catholics and Evangelicals more than the doctrines of Mariology - the study of Mary. As I am teaching this 4-part series, a full range of emotions, from anger to thankfulness, has emerged. One man, a Catholic, was seen and heard yelling at his daughter, an Evangelical, as he stormed out of the church for her listening to this "heresy" while another former Catholic wrote to tell me how blessed she was and how informative the sermons have been. Several Catholics admitted they have never understood the full meaning of the Immaculate Conception or the far-reaching implications of calling Mary the Mother of God. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools. I have the same memories of the unique "teaching and discipline style" of nuns as many baby boomers who experienced the same life journey. Some of my fondest childhood memories of Christmas include singing in the boys choir at Christmas Eve Mass. God used this upbringing to soften my heart toward Jesus as my personal Savior and my rich religious heritage is precious to me. For some time after I was converted I did not give up my belief in many of the Catholic doctrines concerning Mary. It was a tough emotional struggle. But I simply could not justify believing in doctrines that could not be supported by the Word of God. Not long after acknowledging Christ as my Savior and personal Redeemer, I concluded I had to leave the Catholic Church. My extended family treated me cruelly, even blaming me for my father's premature death. They called me everything from an atheist to a Jehovah's Witness. My wife was blamed for leading me "astray." We were cursed at and assured we were heading straight for hell fire. Of course, this saddened me. As I matured in my own faith, I committed myself to demonstrating kindness and love toward those who disagree with me. I hope that commitment is clear in my present series, Ave Maria. As I work through this series, the challenge I face is to proclaim what it true while respecting those who do not agree with me. My hope is that I would be treated in kind. These issues generate a lot of heat and passion on both sides. That is not the intent of the series. My main objectives are to teach what the Catholic Church has historically believed about Mary, where those doctrines came from, and why I disagree with them. Along with that objective is to challenge Protestants to understand the uniqueness of Mary as God's choice to bear His Son and to recognize the richness of her faith that is reflected in the Magnificat and what little God has revealed to us about her. As I work through this material, my desire is that, among any who choose to listen to what I have to say, they would gain a greater appreciation for why the Reformation happened in the first place - what I call the three trumpets of Evangelical Christianity, sola gratia (we are saved by grace alone), sola fide (through faith alone), and sola scriptura (the scriptures alone are the Word of God). Catholics believe that what is true is ascertained by scripture, tradition, and reason. On this matter I disagree with them. And that formulates the basis of my sermon series, "Ave Maria." You can listen to these messages by clicking on the Ave Maria link in the left column. Better yet, you can watch them LIVE on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM by visiting www.grpc.org. Notes are also available for those of you who wish to check out my sources. But, if you disagree with my conclusions, remember to be kind in the way you communicate your opinions.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

Christmas Pain

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:40:00-0400

Grief comes in all different sized packages. Our grief journey started with the sudden deaths of our sixteen-year-old son, Mark, and his friend, Kelly. Thirteen years later, I still wish I could erase mid-November through mid-January. Whether you are grieving loss through death, a broken relationship, a prodigal child, loss of health, holidays often magnify the sorrow. Like many families, we reserved special gifts and fun surprises for the Christmas season. We loved all the glitz of the holiday, the lights, decorations, the anticipation of a white Christmas and our house rang with Christmas music as soon after Thanksgiving as possible. We enjoyed the special times with friends and family during our Christmas Eve Open House but we especially loved our Christmas Eve communion service. From the first year of our marriage Sharon and I had shared communion on this night of nights and it seemed to seal the life-driving force of Christ's calling. On our way home from the hospital on that horrible July night of our son's death, I grabbed my wife's hand and whispered, "Christmas, what will we do with Christmas?" As I prepared Christmas messages for our congregation, unfathomable grief opened my eyes to the pain and blood that surrounded the birth of our Savior, God's only son (Christmas Pain, 93-101). Sharon wrote in her journal: Journal Entry, Sunday, December 19, 1993. Chuck's message gives me permission to step back from the glitz of Christmas without guilt. For some reason it helps me to know that the coming of Messiah was a time of pain and weeping. Jesus did not come as a conquering king but a suffering servant. Click here to finish reading the article... In His Grip,
PB

Thanksgiving Because He Lives

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:36:00-0400

To say this has been a tough year for a great country would be an understatement. With the greed and corruption on Wall Street, the collapse of our financial infrastructure, the divisiveness of a political marathon, and the loss of scores of American jobs, this has proven to be the most financially uncertain time since the Great Depression. If the church were to follow suit we could become very depressed and faithless. But that is not what God has called us to be. We are His bride, "His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works." As far as the world is concerned, their identity seems to be wrapped up in their 401 K plans as part of this great American dream. Many of us have lost any hope of retiring when we thought we would or could. Yet, God has not called us to ever retire from kingdom business. For the true believer there is no such thing as retirement even after we die. Did God not promise - "well done thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little and now I will make you ruler over much." Simply put, there is no retirement even after death. This is the season to think through the meaning of the word Thanksgiving. In this past year some of you have lost a loved one. Others have lost their jobs. Many have lost their health. Still others have lost their friends. All of these things can be and are very painful. And we certainly cannot be thankful FOR these things. But we are called to give thanks IN all things. That is a key word. The Bible commands us to give thanks IN all things, but as far as I know, it never tells us to be thankful FOR all things. Thus, I am not thankful FOR death. But I am thankful that IN death Christ has secured my eternal victory so that death no longer masters me. I am not thankful FOR disease but I am thankful that IN my disease I learn how to endure hardship as a faithful soldier and lean more on Christ who has conquered all of my sins and sicknesses. I am not thankful FOR the brokenness of my relationships I once called my good friends. But I am thankful FOR the fact that I have a friend in Jesus who has promised to never abandon me. I am not thankful FOR the struggles of my flesh that war against me. But I am thankful IN the fact that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. Do you catch my drift? So in that spirit, on behalf of Sharon and my family, from my heart to your heart, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving IN every way. In His Grip,
PB

Culture Wars, The Economy and God

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:04:00-0400

As I write, the entire country awaits the outcome of a meeting between Obama, McCain, leaders in Congress, and President Bush on the bailout of some of the greedy financial institutions who have sent this economy into near oblivion while their CEOs walk off with gazillion dollar bonuses. I do not know how it will turn out but there are certain things of which I am very sure. We are reaping what we have sown as a nation. This bailout will likely be successful but short-lived. As a nation we have been fighting a culture war for almost two generations. The cultural issues have been more than political. They have been moral in nature. As a nation in the past 40 years we have poked fun at "Father Knows Best" and buried the nuclear family. We have aborted millions of babies, ordained homosexuals in the church, married lesbians in California and Massachusetts, emasculated the American male, divorced at a 50% clip (even in the evangelical church), raised an entire generation of latchkey kids whose parents have sold them out for their careers, and turned the church into a faint shadow of what God intended her to be. In the past 24 hours as I write...

New home sales have plummeted by nearly 12% with a $35,000 drop in value.
Jobless claims are up, bell weather GE is in trouble, and the fingers are pointing with lightning speed.
Warren Buffet invested $5 billion in Goldman Sachs and in one day made a profit of $748 million.
Iran's (Biblical Persia) vile president, Ahmadinejad, freely railed against the great harlot America - in free America of all places.
A bomb killed scores of people in Pakistan in a hotel frequented by Westerners.
The Democrats and the Republicans reluctantly sat down together to try to resolve the financial crises while Americans are warned of the coming Great Depression. But they couldn't even put aside partisan politics for a moment in the best interest of the country.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, designed to help poor people buy into the American dream, have all but buried the poor with foreclosures during their drunken sailor mortgage binges.
Kids continue to make "Grey's Anatomy," a morally bankrupt drama, one of the most watched TV programs, as their parents watch the two hour season premiere with them.
Philadelphia police officer Patrick McDonald was shot and killed in the Iraq of the West, the city of brotherly love known as Philadelphia, in another of this city's death spree in their killing fields.
The trailer for the new movie with Bill Maher, "Religulous," an assault on Christianity starring the nut cases who have long embarrassed us, was just released with this statement from the cynic himself: "Since starting on Politically Incorrect in 1993, it has been my pleasure over the last decade and a half to make organized religion one of my favorite targets. I often explained to people, 'I don't need to make fun of religion, it makes fun of itself.' And, then I go ahead and make fun of it too, just for laughs. With religious fanatics like George Bush and Osama bin Laden now taking over the world, it seemed to me in recent years that this issue -- this cause of debunking the man behind the curtain -- needed to have a larger, more insistent and focused forum than late night television. I wanted to make a documentary, and I wanted it to be funny. In fact, since there is nothing more ridiculous than the ancient mythological stories that live on as today's religions, this movie would try to be a real knee slapper. Unless, of course, you're religious, then you might not like it." I could go on and on. But it would be too depressing. As bad as things are, "you ain't seen nothin' yet! This is but the beginning of sorrows. And what is the response of the church to this coming economic and moral earthquake? We argue the fine points of theology that divide us while people are dying and going to hell. We argue over music styles while Satan laughs at our immaturity. We leave our churches and sinfully challenge the motives of our leaders - men we have rarely supported, never prayed over, and criticized in a thousand ways without ever entering into their struggles and joining them as co-laborers. And we often do these ugly things without giving a dime to support them. And then there are the pastors who abuse their office in horrific ways while at the same time preaching the "gospel" every Sunday. How brazen can we be? I believe God is sickened by our immaturity and lack of a Biblical world-view. Meanwhile, the world continues to wait for a message of hope, someone to tell them that all is going to be OK. The Democrats cannot say it. The Republicans cannot say it. And most of the church cannot say it. Why? Because too many believers no longer believe God is sovereign and that He can be trusted. Maybe we are too busy studying our 401k accounts and little time in the Word of God. And yet when it comes right down to it, we will be forced to say and echo with Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we turn? You have the words of life."

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

Book Review: The Shack by William Young

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:03:00-0400

Book Review by Dr. Chuck Betters

William Young has accomplished in the reader what I fear the most with such books, that is, young impressionable Christians, who cannot see the bigger picture of what he is saying about the character and nature of God and about Christianity in particular, are caught up in the sensationalism. We love it when Christian authors are successful and rightly so. We then refer our friends to the "new book that has changed my life." Let me be specific. A few years ago many raided the Christian book stores to buy "This Present Darkness," a fictional story of demonism. The problem was that many believers then developed their demonology out of what Peritti wrote rather than what the scriptures teach on this critical subject. We did the same thing with the "Prayer of Jabez" phenomenon by developing a theology of prayer out of a terrible misinterpretation of one verse of scripture - and, what about the "Left Behind" series of books and movies that are rooted in false eschatology? And do you remember the book written by a Mormon woman who claimed to have an out of the body experience and visited heaven? I could go on and on.

In the writing of The Shack, William Young writes his own foreword (a place where credibility is usually established) to introduce and give credibility to the main character of his story, going so far as to explain why he himself is part of the story. This is a clever tactic to engage the reader into what they think is a real story about real people, a sort of historical novel with fictional (but not really) characters. This is why this book is having such a deep spiritual impact on its readers and why Michael W. Smith says in the puffs that "The Shack is the most wonderful absorbing work of fiction I've read in many years. My wife and I laughed, cried, and repented of our own lack of faith along the way. The Shack will leave you craving for more of the presence of God." But I say, "Does this God who Young novelizes square with the revelation of God given in the Word? I insist it does not. And novel doctrines should never be threatened or offended when questioned by the truth.

Click here to read the complete Book Review.

Ellen DeGeneres, Marriage and Men

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:32:00-0400

Ellen DeGeneres, 50, and Portia de Rossi, 35, exchanged rings and were "married" under California law Saturday in front of nineteen guests, including DeGeneres' mom Betty and de Rossi's mother Margaret Rogers. This was indeed a sad day in America's young history. Not just because two lesbians were able to legally marry but that they did so in a country rooted in a Judeo Christian world view. Even more sad, is that nobody, including evangelical Christians, was shocked and or abhorred by this dark day. Very few of our hearts melted in sorrow and very few if any churches prayed (including mine) the following day for God to have mercy on us as a nation. God will hold our society responsible for the slow but steady drift away from our moral moorings and roots. What previous generations allowed in moderation is now celebrated in excess. This is the flow of sin and evil. Yes, what these two women did is sin and evil. And, if I am wrong, God truly will owe Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. Please know I am not trying to be mean spirited and I often wonder what possible motivation the late Jerry Falwell had when he referred to Ellen Degeneres as Ellen "degenerate." From one extreme to another we evangelicals do not know how to respond to social sin. Some call for love and tolerance and conclude that calling sin what it is, sin, is not loving even though our God of perfect love called homosexuality sin. Others mock and call names with the purpose of hurting rather than helping. Before we tsk tsk our way back to church next Sunday we need to pull back our own curtain of hypocrisy. Why should it shock us that two lesbians married in our culture, a culture wreaking with the stench of all sorts of moral perversions, many of which have made their way into the everyday life of the church and our homes? How many of our men are addicted to porn and have grown increasingly dissatisfied with their own wives? How many leaders have fallen into the trap of thinking more highly of themselves than they should? How many of our kids now regularly experiment with same sex partners because they see it done with regularity on the Internet? How many kids reject their parents' authority, no, reject all authority? As a pastor I feel sometimes as though I am no longer preaching to the choir because the choir has left its first love. Is there any hope? Yes, there are families who are standing firm on God's principles and building a legacy of faith into their children. Yes, there is hope. There are single people who are using their singleness as a platform for kingdom building. Yes, but God must rend the heavens and come down. Perhaps all believers need to put on one of those two-sided signs and roam the streets of the cities and the highways and hedges of the suburbs and warn that Armageddon is on the way. Why? Because it is.

In His Grip,
PB

Adultery, Politicians, and Faith

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:02:00-0400

Quick! What do you think of when I mention Bill Clinton, Jim McGreevy, Eliot Spitzer, and now John Edwards? Here's what immediately comes to my mind. All of them preyed on underlings and abused the power they were elected to guard with dignity and respect. All of them were hormone driven, little boys who apparently were never told no. All of them have joined a long and growing list of politicians and entertainers who have little regard for what it means when God says, "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife." But more noteworthy is the fact that they all claim to be committed to their faith. Bill Clinton is a Southern Baptist who often speaks of his salvation. In speaking of President Bush he said that he believes Bush is a committed Christian and that Jesus saved him from his sins, thus indicating Mr. Clinton does know what it means to be saved. Jim McGreevy is now in seminary training for the Episcopal priesthood, a denomination where he is sure to be welcomed in his sinful homosexuality. Spitzer, a Jew by birth said this of his faith: "Faith...faith affects every decision we make. The values we bring to what we do, our notion that integrity should guide the marketplace, how we deal with other people, our definition of what government stands for. I think that it affects what I view as a progressive view of government, being there to help people create wealth for themselves and the values that dictate how we deal with each other, the sort of spirit of community that government is there to foster, that is all bred by the faith that we bring to our daily lives." Now we learn that John Edwards has been out sleeping with an underling while his wife is at home battling a life threatening breast cancer. When asked how he could do such a thing on Night Line he responded by saying that "she was in remission at the time, not that it is an excuse." The implication was that she was between battles and that somehow made his adultery easier to morally defend. An eye opening comment. He said he took full responsibility and that is to be admired. Yet, by that comment I sensed there is still in him a hard heart that continues to not get it. Still unanswered is whether or not the child born to his concubine is his. And was she paid hush money during his presidential campaign? And I wonder why this is coming out now. Isn't it intriguing that his public confession was aired late at night on the opening night of the Olympics? Would he have confessed his sin if there was no danger of a tabloid outing him? All of these men morally fell and then lied about it. Clinton lied over and over pointing that infamous finger at the cameras as he played word games with the word "is." Clinton spent inordinate amounts of time fending off the "right wing conspiracy." Would he have ever been truthful if it weren't for the infamous "blue dress?" McGreevy lived a lie in his own marriage for years and then humiliated his wife in public and then in the courts. He went public only after his underling homosexual "lover" threatened to spill the beans and then eventually did. Spitzer frequented prostitutes in a ring that was investigated by the federal government. He was a man feared (hated) on Wall Street and claimed that his liberal agenda was rooted in his faith. He too was "outed" when his name showed up in the call girl's little black book. Is it really fair for the media to out these public figures. If John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have put this behind them, does the public have a right to know about his adultery? As public figures there is a greater responsibility with great privileges. The same is true of pastors who fall. They are disqualified from the right to morally lead God's people. This sounds unforgiving and graceless. You might point me to the biblical examples of those who fell and then led again. Yes, God restored some of their power but sadly, they all had to bear the great consequences of their moral collapses. David's consequences were that he lived as a man of war. War never left his home. Samson ended up being crushed by the very temple he tore down, blind and grinding at the wheel like a common ox. Solomon loved many strange women and lost his great kingdom because he whored after other gods. Husbands and wives invite the same pain into their families every day. The divorce rate among evangelicals is little different from that of the un-churched. Kids are raised in blended families where there is great conflict between the step parent and the step child. The template has never changed. It is still God's will that one man love one woman for one lifetime. Will we ever get it? For a picture of genuine repentance cloaked in consequences, listen in to David's prayer, possibly uttered years after the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Psalm 51:1-12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. [2] Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. [3] For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. [4] Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. [5] Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. [6] Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. [7] Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. [8] Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. [9] Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. [10] Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. [11] Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. [12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. I don't like writing about this topic but my heart aches for families destroyed by adultery. Sharon recently expressed her burden for women facing moral temptation in her blog posts, including Inbox, Outbox, IM Emotional Adultery. I plead with you, choose righteousness and love of Christ over self. I plead with you to live life in the fear of God, with a constant awareness of His presence. Too many shattered lives result when we don't.

In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters P.S. I just addressed how to prepare children for battling moral temptation. I start with addressing the sinfulness of our own hearts. Click here to view The Slippery Slope to Moral Failure

Longing for the Good Ole Days

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:00:00-0400

It is all over the news. Little Caylee Anthony, a toddler has been missing for a couple of months. Her mother did not report it for a month or so and now is charged with lying to investigators. Originally she claimed that the baby sitter stole her daughter. Yet, two days or so after this alleged abduction she is seen in photos at a night club dancing and having a grand old time. She is a mere 22 years old. They have found suspicious evidence in her car and cadaver dogs had a "hit" on her trunk. It looks as though she killed her own daughter. We can only hope the little girl is still alive. Shouldn't someone have wondered some time ago what happened to little Caylee? How about her grandparents, an uncle, a neighbor, a church member, the mailman, the garbage man, ANYONE? Didn't anyone notice that Caylee was in trouble long before her alleged abduction? A few years ago Hillary Clinton wrote the book, It Takes a Village which was little more than a socialist attempt to federalize child-rearing. At least the book title is striking. It does take a village to raise kids, a village made up of family, neighbors, and just about anyone who ought to care about what happens to children. Maybe it is the shrinking world brought about by technology, but I do not remember growing up being afraid someone would kidnap and dismember me. When I was a child I went out to play in the morning and my mom didn't see me until I came in for food. Then, I raced back out the door to be home by dusk. Kids entertained themselves. Neighbors cared about me often yelling at me for stealing apples from their trees. Nonetheless, at least they cared and noticed this little brat was in their tree. No one heard of ADD. The cure for ADD was a slap across the mouth to pay attention or a nun slapping my evil hands with a wooden ruler. In my day (don't you young people hate that expression) parents did not fear their kids and kids respected adults. My wife played in the woods, IN THE WOODS, away from her home. Her instructions were clear - don't talk to strangers. But no one feared she would be raped and murdered by some cross-eyed and toothless bum. I was always taught to give up my seat for an adult, open the door for old people, kiss my grandparents whenever I saw them, and never sass back. My dad taught me that my mom was the most beautiful woman in the world (she was very hot) and that I should lay down my life for her if need be. I could never refer to her as "she" as in "she told me I couldn't have a snack." I could not refer to her (sic) as "her." She was always "mom." Now my mom is old and ailing. Her life has taken many twists and turns that have immobilized her. She has had a very tough life. But she lived for her kids. She was the one who sent me off to school and she was there when I came home. Although I didn't think she knew where I was when I left the house, I venture to say she did. I did not have an X-box, a Y-box, or even a Z-box. I had a baseball glove and dirty jeans. I didn't have a cell phone. I stood outside my friends' doors and sang out their names to come out and play. I didn't have an Ipod or an MP3 player. I had baseball cards and that huge piece of bubble gum to entertain me for hours. I didn't have a wide-screen LCD TV. I had a paper route. And the highlight of that route was when my brother and I stopped at the corner store for two pretzel sticks and a bottle of Coke. My one and only act of stealing was when I stole three tiny balloons from the toy store in Beaver Falls, Pa. My conscience was so greatly pricked I went back and asked the store owner to forgive me. Now, the local "toy" store means something totally different if you catch my drift. I lied once to a nun who slapped my face and told me to never ever lie to her again. I never lied to her again. I made fun of my over weight 6th grade teacher who then called in my parents to tell them what a gifted leader I was. If a teacher slapped a liar's face today - well I do not want to even go there. We did not have FaceBook or MySpace, we had bicycles and buddies. We didn't have computers to watch porn. We had transistor radios to listen to the Pirates. Our sports heroes did not make a billion dollars a year. They made the same wages as the rest of our steel mill parents. And they stayed on the same team so that when Roberto Clemente died we all grieved. To watch a baseball game on TV was a luxury. I remember running home from school to catch the end of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series between the hated New York Yankees and the blue collar Pittsburgh Pirates. I listened to most of that game on my transistor radio which was a luxury poor kids like me did not usually have. I did so by running the ear piece cord up my sweater and into the palm of my hand. I then leaned my face on my hand as though I was bored so that the nun would not see me and make me put it away. (Right before the bell rang she asked me in front of the class what the score was!!!) I ran home (six blocks), rushed into our home, a shack we rented for $60 per month (I remember how much it was because I had to go up to the landlord every month and pay the rent) just in time to see Bill Mazeroski hit the world series winning home run. Then we all ran into the street, where by the way, we played football in traffic, and hugged our neighbors, the same neighbors who looked out for each other's kids. We watched the sun set through the red cloud of the steel mills we could see from miles away. I know I long for the good ole days of the 50's and early 60's with some sort of unrealistic nostalgia. I know that one day, the first decade of the new millennium will be viewed by our kids as the "simpler times." Each generation longs to be young again. But these are very dark days and the nuclear family has all but died. The latch key kids of the last generation are now the same people who divorce their spouses with alarming regularity. In my day (there it is again) divorce was a disgrace and out of wedlock pregnancies were never glamorized with a shower. Of course we also had segregation and sinful racism, I know. But students did not slap teachers. Teachers did not fear students. Parents mattered and so did grandparents. To move away from home was an emotional disaster. I know because we did move when my dad could not find work. I watched my parents suffer financially but never questioned their love or that I would be OK. Yes, I do long for simpler times and so should you. And I wonder about Little Caylee. It takes a village - a family. Where was hers? In His Grip,
PB

Role Models, Stars and Toenails

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:01:00-0400

It is football season! Well, not quite, but close. Training camp is under way and the next Super Bowl Champs, the Philadelphia Eagles (I can dream can't I?) are beginning their two workouts a days in the intense heat of the Lehigh Valley. And what would training camp be without the darling story of the sports media, the star player holdout? Enter the franchise player Brian Westbrook. A few years ago the media circus that was Terrell Owens captivated the headlines for weeks before the Eagles dumped him. In his own words T.O. (as he is called) needed more money so that he could feed his family. A gazillion dollars was not enough. He needed a bazillion dollars. Now we are at it again. Westbrook needs to feed his family and thus renegotiate his multi-million dollar contract. Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) and her loving (he loves money) dad are at it again. Somehow or another, Miley became the latest in a star studded cavalcade of entertainers to bite the dust of failed role models. She now wants to bust out and show more skin. As one blog puts it, "She has a very bad habit of behaving inappropriately in front of cameras, leading to embarrassing photos splashed across the Internet. According to Fox News, some British parents have had enough of the pop star's provocative posing and are boycotting her merchandise. Moms interviewed at a London Disney store say they 'feel she is now of an unsuitable nature for a 15-year-old megastar.'" When rock stars, movie stars, sports stars, and TV stars cut their toe nails it is front page news. Every time I go online I am invited to eavesdrop on some star's private life, to see them half naked, without make up, with makeup, in love, out of love, pregnant, post-pregnant, dancing, clubbing, getting in and out of a car, with a boyfriend, without a girl friend, in court fighting for custody, in jail, DUI, AWOL, and a plethora of other life situations. Have you noticed how many TV programs are now actually taking us into the bathroom so that we can watch actors urinate? Give me a bucket!! When will it stop? Never, as long as parents are not their kids' role models. Miley Cyrus is role model to seven year olds. Seven!!!! They want to dress like her, look like her, dance like her, sing like her, and actually BE her. This is sheer idiocy. I cannot wait to see how many kids in the near future are going to be named Miley or Hannah Montana. How many seven year olds can recite the lyrics to Miley's latest song but cannot name the four Gospels? Better yet. How many twelve year old little girls are learning to dress like their thirty-five-year-old moms with low cut blouses and skin tight jeans with some message strewn across the derriere? What message (or messages) does that send? Ok, so in some of your personal dictionaries my thinking on this fits the definition of old fashioned and prude. So be it. I stand on my record. I raised three gentlemen and one lady. When you send your little girl out of the house with more skin showing than not, you may be proud of your little girl and her half naked body. You may have the "if you got it flaunt it" mindset. You have come a long way baby in that you are setting the foundation for transforming your little girl into a future sex object. So now that I have your attention and you're arguing, "But what am I supposed to do? This is our culture. I want my child to fit in!" Have I got good news for you. I am in the midst of a ten part series of sermons titled "Teaching Them Young - Principles You Must Teach Your Kids Before They Reach the Age of Twelve". Click here to view or listen to all of the sermons in this series. You can also watch us live at 11:00 AM Sunday mornings by clicking here. Even if you don't have children or have already raised yours, you need or will need this material someday. So what do you think? Agree, disagree, dead right, dead wrong? In His Grip,
PB

Free Will - Part V

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:36:00-0400

Only after one comes to faith in Christ do they truly possess a free will, that is, only then do their "works" become pleasing to God. JOH 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. ROM 5:12-17 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many (defined above as "all") died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many (defined below as "those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift...")! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. So in summary this means that in order for us to CHOOSE Jesus our wills, which are as Luther said in "bondage," must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit so that we might have the ability to respond to the Gospel. If that miracle of regeneration does not happen, NO ONE would EVER be saved. This is why we say that salvation is ALL of grace. You can see these posts as an article by clicking here. Other Reformed Faith resources also available. In His Grip,
PB

Free Will - Part IV

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:13:00-0400

Therefore, the nature must be changed supernaturally, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit called regeneration. JER 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. The Ethiopian is by NATURE black. No matter how much he is commanded to be white he cannot become white. The leopard is by nature spotted. IT cannot become a tiger. So we who are by nature evil cannot become holy. But, just as God can make a black man white or a leopard a tiger if He chose to do so, He can also take what is evil (my heart) and bring it to life.

JOH 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." This is precisely what Jesus meant when He said to Nicodemous (John 3:3) "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Sadly, for generations of Arminian dominance the American church has missed the meaning of these words. We have been taught that being born again is something WE DO. But it is not. This is an aorist tense, passive voice, imperative mood verb. Aorist means that it is a point action, a one-time event, once and for all, and never to be repeated again. It is passive meaning it is something that happens TO us and not BECAUSE of us. That is, there is an eternal force that MAKES us born again. It is imperative meaning we are commanded to become born again. To be "born again" means that the Holy Spirit (the external force) enters the human heart (the dry bones) and changes its nature so that it CAN respond to the Gospel. This is the miracle of regeneration. God brings a dead body (a deprave human heart) to life. Tomorrow: Only after one comes to faith in Christ do they truly possess a free will, that is, only then do their "works" become pleasing to God. Click here for Reformed Faith Resources... In His Grip,
PB

Free Will - Part III

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:39:00-0400

Thus, man's will is in bondage, that is, free only in one direction, to do works that are insufficient for salvation. ISA 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Notice it is all of us who are unclean, filthy, and sriveled up. ROM 3:10-12 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Notice how Paul emphasizes his point by saying over and over that there is no one who is righteous. 1CO 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The man without the Spirit is another way of saying the unsaved. Notice it does not say that the unsaved WILL not respond. It says that he CANNOT respond. 2CO 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. In Adam we have been sentenced to death. And if we rely on ourselves, that is, our so called free will, we would remain dead. Tomorrow: Therefore, the nature must be changed supernaturally, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit called regeneration. Click here for Reformed Faith Resources... In His Grip,
PB

Free Will - Part II

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:17:00-0400

When Adam fell, like the fallen angels, he lost the ability to choose salvation since he died in his trespasses. There is no greater picture of this than the vision God gave to the prophet Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bones. EZE 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'" You will notice that the prophet was commanded to preach to dead bones. By nature these bones could not respond to that preaching. They were scattered and dead. There was no INNATE ability to respond. A dead corpse cannot respond unless the nature is changed, unless a miracle is worked from an external force to change the nature of death into one of life. It was only when the "breath entered them" (that is, the Holy Spirit) that the ability of the bones to respond and come together was given. Tomorrow: Thus, man's will is in bondage, that is, free only in one direction, to do works that are insufficient for salvation. Click here for Reformed Faith Resources... In His Grip,
PB

Free Will - Part I

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:36:00-0400

One reason I enjoy blogs is because they are typically short and to the point. Answering questions about the Reformed Faith is anything but short! It's also a lot to digest and think about. I could make these posts shorter if I just reference scripture, but I want you to see the scripture in context so I'm including the full passage under discussion. So instead of posting one long answer to some of these questions, I'm breaking the answers into pieces. Remember, this isn't exhaustive but I welcome any comments that fill in the places I've missed that helped you resolve some of these questions. After we finishing this discussion, I will post the entire article on our site. Well, here we go! Question: Since I have a free will, don't I decide if I am going to become a Christian rather than being elected by God? Isn't election an infringement on my free will? Answer: Yes and no. On the one hand we are all free moral agents in that everyday when we wake up we make hundreds of choices. We choose to answer the alarm clock, to brush our teeth, to go to work, to play golf (I had to get that in there), etc. Everyday, I decide if I am going to gossip, flirt, tell dirty jokes, or drink myself into a stupor. On the other hand, the question of free will is a different matter. The essence of life's most critical question is whether or not I am going to choose to believe the Gospel and be saved. Will I put my trust in Christ and in Christ alone for my salvation? Will I make THAT decision? This is where we must square off with the clear teaching of scripture. We are certainly commanded in a variety of places throughout the word to make a choice about becoming a believer. But in many other parts of scripture we are clearly taught that the depravity of the human heart is such that we cannot make such a choice. Thus we are faced with a great dilemma. Consider this - man's heart is depraved, spiritually devoid of any ability to make the very choice God commands us to make if we are to be saved. What kind of a God would He be if He demanded of us the impossible in order to be saved? Let me make a few points to help shape this discussion.

Man, like the angels, was created with a free will - free to do good, and free to do evil. We call this the "Covenant of Works." God said in essence to Adam and Eve, "Do this and live and do this and die." God promised them that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (thus becoming humanists) they would die. But they lived for several hundred more years. So either God changed His mind or He meant another kind of death. You see, we die physically because we are dead spiritually. The next time you are in the shower check and see if you have a belly button. If you do, you are a part of the human race and as such you are in the loins of Adam. Romans 5 makes it clear that in Adam we have all died and in Christ we are all (that is the elect) made alive. This means we are BORN SPIRITUALLY DEAD. And no matter how much you command a dead body to respond it cannot since it is by nature dead. As humans we are in the loins of Adam and thus we are born spiritually dead. Romans 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- [13] for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. [15] But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! [16] Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. [17] For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. [18] Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. [19] For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (There are two races, the human race where Adam is the federal head, and the race of the elect where Christ is the federal head. Now, let's not be confused. I will address this passage in a future blog). Over the next few days, I'll expand on these points::
When Adam fell, like the fallen angels, he lost the ability to choose salvation since he died in his trespasses.
Thus, man's will is in bondage, that is, free only in one direction, to do works that are insufficient for salvation.
Therefore, the nature must be changed supernaturally, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit called regeneration.
Only after one comes to faith in Christ do they truly possess a free will, that is, only then do their "works" become pleasing to God.

Click here for Reformed Faith Resources... In His Grip,
PB

The Shack by William Young

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:46:00-0400

There is a book that is number nine on USA Today's Top 50 list with over 500,000 copies sold in less than one year. The author, William Young, tells the fictional story of Mackenzie Phillips, a father whose child Missy was abducted and brutally murdered while they were together on a camping trip. In his grief and guilt journey, he receives a letter from God (a real letter in his mailbox mind you). In that letter "Mack" is invited by God to meet Him at the very cabin where his little girl was murdered. Mack, who struggles with a grief called "the Deep Sadness," is angry with God and is seriously wavering in his already weak faith. Thinking he was about to meet the sick killer, whom he thought was luring him to the cabin, he takes his gun but in the back of his mind truly hopes the letter is from God. More than likely the success of this book is largely attributable to the vast American Christian market where fictional books that attempt to make a theological impact abound (a la "This Present Darkness" and "The Prayer of Jabez"). The problem with such material is that (sadly) we believers lack the maturity to sift through the error and, yes, even heresy such books teach. Oh sure, it is a fictional novel. But out of such things emerge doctrinal positions that are skewed away from the clear teachings of the Bible. This is the case with "The Shack." In the cabin Mack meets God the Father played by an African-American woman named "Papa" who is quick witted, playful, and a great cook. He meets the Holy Spirit, played by Sarayu, an ethereal like being who runs around with an aura about her (or is it him?). He meets Jesus, played by an Al Borland-like carpenter (sic) who wears a flannel shirt and works in the wood shed. The rest of the book is about the theological journey these three take Mack on to explain to him the problem of pain and the hope that is to come. The book is rife with error and full of sacrilege. I highly recommend that you do not waste your money. It is a very corny effort at humanizing the trinity and in so doing maximizes the heresy. The character and nature of God as revealed in the Word is tossed out with reckless abandon. It is a violation of the first and second commandments as it portrays God in such ridiculous ways. It is a clear cut effort to redact Biblical revelation to serve the emotional fetishes of "Mack." My advice? Don't waste your time on such immaturity. Thoughts? In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

Defending the Reformed Faith

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:33:00-0400

I am praying God will use the economic crisis along with the energy crisis and the world at war to bring a great revival to this land. I do not believe that will happen without a renewed interest in the great doctrines of grace, that is, the doctrines of the reformed faith. Historically, this is the stuff true revivals are made of. I distinguish between revival and revivalism. The latter involves mere experience but little in the way of true heart change. This is not to say a revival will be devoid of emotion. But the emotion will be centered in the change that comes from the heart and originates in the truths of scripture. Heart change emanates from the convictions wrought by scripture. I am often questioned, sometimes angrily, about the doctrines of predestination and election. Yet these doctrines are at the very core of what drove the theology of the Reformation. Many simply do not understand the teaching of a Calvinist and unfairly misrepresent our teaching. These are honest questions from people who truly desire to understand the doctrines of grace. Over the next few months I will answer questions like these:

Did Jesus die for everyone or just the elect?
Is there a difference between predestination and God's all knowing power?
If we are predestined and God already has determined who the elect are, then why bother praying and why bother evangelizing?
What if I want to become a Christian but am not one of the elect?
If I am elect are my children then automatically elect?
Where does my free will play into all of this?
What about all of those verses that seem to say that Jesus died for all people, e.g. John 3:16.

In all of my new member's classes there is little that ignites more passion and emotion than these doctrines. But these are not new doctrines. They are as old as the Reformation and older. In modern society these truths have been lost. But there is a wave of rediscovery taking place and the purpose of this new feature will be to shed some light on many of the misunderstandings. Join me as we work through these great doctrines that give comfort and strength. What are your questions? In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

Suicide victims will still go to heaven.

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:18:00-0400

Hi Bloggers! Here I share with you a question from another reader.
If a person has given their life to Christ, however, they take their own life will they still go to heaven? ds Dear DS,
Suicide is at once both an act of desperation and extreme selfishness. Some denominations consider suicide unforgiveable since, they reason, a true believer would not murder (himself). But there are great mysteries that make up the human mind and so much about depression is unknown. For example, we know that some forms of depression are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Specifically, a faulty connection involving neurotransmitters and brain synapse can result in depression. Thus, there are in some cases a real relationship between depression and a chemical imbalance in the body. The sufferer simply cannot help it. It would be hard to conclude that a true believer could never have such an imbalance. Many do suffer from severe depression and psychotic disorders due to no fault of their own. Granted these are rare. For the most part depression is the direct result of disobedience. But one cannot conclusively say that all mentally incapacitated persons are always acting sinfully. Ultimately, we entrust the suicide victim into the hands of a merciful and loving God who does all things well. But it would be wrong to say that all suicide victims are lost eternally. When we come to faith in Christ all of our sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven. There is no sin that remains un-forgiven once we are saved. But I would truly question the salvation of someone who claims to know Christ, has no chemical imbalance, and falls into a depression motivated by sinful disobedience. If such a person were to commit suicide I doubt they would be saved. Please note the above caveat - There is a vast difference between spiritual depression and/or oppression and a depression caused by bad choices and sinful life patterns. With that said, I don't want to assume that you are not asking this question for yourself. If you are the one who is struggling with taking your own life, please be encouraged that God loves you. He loves you so much that he sent his only Son to die for you. And there are others in this life that care for you too, even if you don't quite see it right now. But the most important thing to understand is that God's will for your life is a good one. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Terrible things may take place around us, or even to us... but that is because we live in a sinful world. The good news is that God is redeeming it in his infinite plan. That plan includes you, whether he uses someone to support you, or uses you to support someone else who is struggling with similar circumstances. Put your trust in Jesus Christ, and open your heart to him. Allow yourself to experience God's love! The next step is to tell someone you trust immediately about your feelings, so they can be "God's hands" in helping you. If you are writing in reference to someone else, then you can also be encouraged by the fact that if someone has truly given their life to Christ, then taking their own life will never exclude them from heaven. There are two scriptural reasons for this: eternal security, and correct understanding of the "unforgiveable sin" in Matthew 12:31 (and paralleled in Luke 12:10). Matthew 12:31 says, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." It has been argued that this verse refers to suicide. It is further supported by Roman Catholic teaching which came from Thomas Aquinas. He believed confession of sin was a requirement for forgiveness of sins prior to death, thus someone taking their own life died with unconfessed and unrepentant sin. However, this view does not stand up biblical scrutiny. When examined in context, Matthew and Luke both refer to a rejection of Jesus Christ and his work as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Read the passage from Matthew 12:22-37 for the entire story and you will see what I mean. Luke 12:9 is even clearer: "But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God." Suicide is not a rejection of Jesus Christ, or calling the good work of the Holy Spirit evil. It is simply succumbing to sorrow or solitude in our mind that overwhelms us in a moment of weakness. Eternal Security is the doctrine of "once saved, always saved." Obviously, we don't know a person's heart like God does. We can only see the outward evidences of faith. But the Bible is clear that if someone truly gives their heart to Christ, trusting in him for eternal life, then that person is guaranteed to be with him in glory. There are several passages which support this: John 5:24
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 10:27-29
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." 1 John 5:11-13
"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

When you add to these the understanding that salvation is by grace a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and established by the eternal and unbreakable love of God (Romans 8:37-39), we see that our salvation has nothing to do with us, other than our surrender to it! We may fail, but God never does. And the bible says that he is both the author and finisher of our faith (Phil 1:5-7). Further, if our salvation depended on the things that I do, or do not do, then what need would have of Christ's death on the cross? That atoning death forgave all our sins; past, present and future. And his resurrection guarantees that death has been defeated. Romans 6 says that just as we died to sin through his death on the cross, we will also live with him through his resurrection! So be encouraged that your loved one, co-worker, friend, or whomever your email is referencing might have succumbed to a moment of mental or emotional weakness, but that spiritually they have been, and always will be, in God's grip of grace and love if they truly knew Christ. No one and nothing, not even that moment of "failure," is able to take them out of God's hands. I pray this gives you peace. The above response was co-written with Damon Cinaglia, GRPC Director of Community Life. In His Grip, Dr. Chuck Betters

life - ABORTION - death

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:31:00-0400

Some time ago I counseled a young woman not to have an abortion. She had one anyway and it grieved me that I could not persuade her to choose life. In her case it was a matter of convenience. The issue of abortion has clearly divided a nation along ideological lines. Name calling and politically worded "surveys" on both sides of the issue is the menu for the day. Questions abound for which there are no mutually agreed upon and clear cut answers forthcoming - when does life begin? What is the quality of a life worth saving? How will the abortion issue affect the increasingly "gray" areas of living wills, euthanasia, and "dignified suicide"?

There is a tremendous wave of inconsistency vividly illustrated in the recent emphases upon the critical environmental issues we face as a nation. Green Earth Day ceremonies are nationally plenteous with a myriad of celebrities using their influence to pedal conservationist goals ranging from saving the whales to dolphin - free tuna fishing, from biodegradable diapers to hybrid cars, from global warming to plastic trash bags in the ocean. Love for God's magnificent world demands that we address the great misuse of the resources He has so amply supplied for our enjoyment. What I find difficult to comprehend is the insatiable desire of many of these same entertainers to advance the cause of the pro-abortionist with little or no regard for the life in the womb. Years ago, I vividly remember an earth day T.V. special, Dolphins, Whales and Us. It dramatically portrayed the plight of endangered species, complete with close up shots, dramatic music, and breathtaking scenes from the perspective of the creatures. In fact, the entire strategy of the producer was to place the viewer inside of the sea creatures' environment, and by so doing sensitize all of us in comprehending their plight and the lurking dangers to the eco-structures. Bloody scenes portraying the ensnared dolphins and whales horrified us - and rightfully so. But actual photographs of aborted fetuses piled in trash cans brings shouts of scorn as the pro-lifers are accused of utilizing "fear tactics" and "horror pictures" to promote their cause. Peter Horton, host of the special, commented in closing that a dolphin and her baby are "tender, graceful, curious, and loving", and for that reason he had received a greater appreciation for their plight - all because he lived with them during the filming of the special. Yet, what is more tender, graceful, and loving than a mother-child bond? What of the baby who will be scraped, mutilated, and dissected in order to address the unexpected "interruption" that child will bring to the mother who chooses to abort? Somehow or another the critical and explosive issue of abortion must go beyond the emotionally heated rhetoric and intimidation of which both sides have been so guilty. Somehow we must enter into the womb and view life from the perspective of the child. Years ago, the pro-life documentary, The Silent Scream was a meager, albeit provocative attempt at doing just that, but with the net result of violent emotional protest from the pro-abortion side with virtually no applause for at least the effort. I cannot help believe that even the die in the wool pro-abortionist would melt with compassion when brought face to face with the real person, the honest to goodness flesh and blood human being they so strongly advocate holds no inherent pre-birth rights (although maybe not!). It is horrific that the plethora of entertainers who so aptly use their gifts, talents, and abilities to broaden our horizons and help sharpen our focus on the great issues of the environment are virtually the same people defiantly denying the ever increasing scientific data on life in the womb. Instead they are ones leading the way with locked arms in marches for abortion rights. Where is the cavalcade of respected and talented entertainers when the babies of their own species are being destroyed? Why will they be powerfully used to promote the one and fail to see the hypocrisy of denying the right to human life? Right now in China thousands of people are dead from a powerful earthquake that ripped through a portion of the country. Thousands of children, only children due to China's one child only policy, are dead. Many of their siblings were destroyed in abortion mills all across China. Now, childless parents must grieve alone. Their species is being destroyed. But let's be sure we save the whales. In the documentary it was said, "To kill out of necessity is the law of nature, but to kill for no good reason is murder". How do those who would hold to such dogma deny the right to life to the fruit of human relationships merely on the basis of personal convenience? To reason that the only thing that matters is the reproductive freedom of the woman is as absurd as saying that the dolphins must die in order to serve the greater purpose of providing the human race with abundant, cheap tuna and a decent standard of living for the tuna fisherman. I just cannot understand such illogical thinking, can you? They have settled for a world bounded on the east by taxes, the west by their family, the south by work, and the north by death. Like the little jingle says, "Into this world to eat and to sleep, and to know no reason why he was born save to consume the corn, devour the cattle, flock, and fish and leave behind an empty dish. Yet even to this kind of person the grace of God might fall." Oh, that God would rend the heavens and come down! In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters

Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor - Week Four

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:35:00-0400

This is week 4 of our journey through change. By now you will notice that the author has basically cut you loose to do the work with little or no help from him. At the beginning of this adventure I warned you that change is tough. The disciplines of scripture study and prayer require that we use spiritual muscles that over time may have atrophied. Any new habit requires consistency and perseverance over time. Repetition is fundamental to discipline. If you made it through the 4 weeks and are ready to move ahead then you should repeat the entire process. I have a limited number of new books available and I can order more. Go to the welcome counter, pick up a new one, and start again. I feel you should work through the book 3 to 5 times before you will be ready to go it alone. Here is the key - consistency! When you miss a day make it up. When you miss two days in a week you are flirting with failure. When you hit or miss you have failed and need to start over. Pick up your copy and get involved. It would be a "dream come true" if our entire church were to engage in this process. Keep in mind the point of the book is this - we all have sin issues we need to confront. The scripture deals with all such issues. We must learn to find those passages that deal with our situation and meditate upon them (even memorize them). As we meditate upon them we must pray and seek the change the Lord desires for us. This is introspection. It is about what needs to change in you and not in someone else. Then from that we develop a plan - "If such and such occurs I plan to do such and such." Then there must be a follow up at the end of the day to assess how you did. Then you can plan a strategy for the next day. This is what will bring about lasting change. In His Grip, PB PS This Sunday I will give you a step by step battle strategy that will work every time you are confronted with temptation - guaranteed!

Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor - Week Three

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:08:00-0400

I am so excited. My challenge to you has netted a vast network of hungry souls eager for change. I estimate there are over 250 of you involved in the 28-day journey through Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor. I also estimate that likely 1/3 of you have been 100% faithful, another 1/3 wants to quit, and another 1/3 have already quit. Please keep this in mind as you struggle through this process that the goal is change - deep personal and God-honoring change. It could be the change of the use of your tongue, your thought life, some addiction, a loveless marriages, submission to your parents, peer pressure and standing alone, contentment, or a plethora of other issues God wants to address in your life. There are two major reasons why this can be and is so challenging. First, you have threatened any stronghold Satan may have enjoyed in your life for years or even generations. Second, you are using spiritual muscles that may very well have atrophied. This is about the discipline of the twin spiritual graces of the study of the Word and prayer. You have likely noticed that the chapters begin with scripture in an effort to apply that scripture to specific changes you need to make. As we get toward the end of the book, you will also notice many blank pages as the author basically cuts you loose to do this on your own. Ultimately that is the goal - to teach you how to take the raw data of scripture, study it, meditate upon it, and listen to the voice of God telling you what changes need to be made, what needs to be "put off" and what needs to be "put on." If you have not advanced very far do not be discouraged. Start over again and discipline yourself to this ½ hour per day. It will eventually become second nature where you will not need the book. I will try to have more copies available at the end of the four weeks. I suggest you do this exercise for three consecutive months using the book and then try it without the book. If you need help on a particular "change issue" email me and I will be sure to get back to you on where to go in scripture to find that issue addressed. I will also keep all of your questions confidential as your pastor, even from other staff members. My email address is drbetters@grpc.org. Don't quit! Don't be disheartened! Stay the course! God made you a promise... Hebrews 12:1-13 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. In His Grip,
PB

Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor - Week Two

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:08:00-0400

Some of you by now are on your second week of the 28 day exercise, Four Weeks With God and Your Neighbor. Others are just beginning the process. Be sure to follow this blog and my four articles in the Redemptive Presence newsletter. The challenge of Week 1 was (and for those of you just beginning is) "We must change." That is why I directed all of us to Psalm 51 for an introspective look at your own condition so that we might cry out to God for a spirit of personal renewal and revival. This exercise is about change. We must take that survey of soul, a spiritual inventory, to identify what in our life needs to change. If your married maybe you should ask your spouse to answer that question. If you are single perhaps some of your friends will want to chime in. Week 1 requires a soul searching to identify your personal agenda and a commitment to change.

But, change requires discipline. That is the theme of Week 2. Godliness comes by discipline. And discipline cannot occur apart from the study of the Word and prayer. It seems rather silly to say that it takes discipline merely to talk to someone. After all, I do not need discipline to talk to the people I love. My attention span does not waver after a few minutes of discussion around the dinner table. In fact, I often am involved (as is my family) in two or three conversations at a time. Why? Because I love my family and I WANT to talk to them. I cannot go for days or weeks at a time without any dialogue with my family.

Perhaps the reason we lose focus in prayer is because our desire for a two way conversation is not what we want. Instead, we want God to listen while we talk. This is where the twins must eat together at the same table. We must speak to God in prayer AND God will speak to us via the reading of and the meditation upon the Word of God. Our 28 day journey is designed to reduce our focus to one or two issues in your life where there is need for change. This is where we can all help each other. For example, if you are struggling with a specific sin and you do not know where to go in the Bible for help, then you can ask for help. We live in such an incredible age of technology. Just by posting your questions on my blog you may receive a whole plethora of directions from others who do know where that issue is dealt with in the Word. So go to my blog and post your questions.

Time will not permit me to answer each request, however, blogs are designed in such a way that we can help each other. And isn't that what this is all about - Body Life? In fact, I can envision some of you pairing up to help each other walk through Biblical change. We must look beyond the 28 days and use this amazing tool to touch each other's lives. My greatest joy is preaching. My second greatest joy is teaching. In this blog context we can study the Word together. So I will look for your postings as the Lord leads. May He touch you by His grace.

In His Grip,
PB

Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor - Week One

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:20:00-0400

It is Monday, and now is the time to begin a 28 day journey of change as a congregation. We will utilize the little book by Dr. Jay Adams written back in the seventies entitled Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor. I have used this exercise over the years with many families to effect true Biblical change. I define Biblical change this way - there are sin patterns we must put off and Godly qualities we must put on. True change does not occur until both have taken place over the course of time.

Here is the objective of each page in the book. We begin with scripture to establish truth. Then we meditate on that scripture to determine what needs to change, that is, what needs to be put off and put on. Then each chapter ends with the call to a battle strategy or plan of attack. Consider these words in Ephesians 4:25-32.

[25] Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. [26] "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, [27] and do not give the devil a foothold. [28] He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. [29] Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. [32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Notice how the put off and put on works together to effect true change. This exercise promises to be personal and provocative. See it through. Do not give up when it either becomes toilsome or even boring. The blessing is on the other side. Stay focused on building a strategy of change. Last week I challenged you to examine your life in the context of Psalm 51. This week my hope is that God will search all of our hearts not merely for the purpose of pointing out our sin but truly reviving our souls.

As a church we can learn the art of the disciplines of grace (prayer, scripture study, and worship). The result of this will be a greater witness for Christ and more open doors to share the Gospel from a first hand experience of divine invasion. Satan will throw the kitchen sink at you since he does not hang around cemeteries. He goes where the enemy (a renewed heart) is actively engaged against him. And that is precisely what these next 28 days will become for you. May God give you His mercy and grace this week as you begin.

I want to invite all of you to post comments on my blog as to what and/or how God is speaking to your heart through this exercise. Feel free to post questions as well. I may not be able to answer them but perhaps other bloggers will. Posting can help edify one another in the Lord. Click here to view the sermon.

In His Grip,
PB

PS. If you did not receive the book, then you should wait to begin this exercise until next week. We have ordered more books and they will be available next Sunday. This blog will be repeated next week and a new one posted throughout the four weeks. In the meantime continue meditating on Psalm 51 and Ephesians 4:17-32.

Sex Before Marriage?

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:04:00-0400

Hi Bloggers! Here I share with you a question from another reader, as well as, my response. This topic seems to be prevalent in the world we live in today...

I have been dating my boyfriend for 4 months now. We know that God has given us to each other. We are both Christians, pray together, worship together and read the word together. We are not engaged yet, but it is coming. The only way I can describe it is that God is in this relationship. We are both divorced. We both had really bad marriages, got married too young and made mistakes. We are trying this time to do everything to give God the glory. Here's our issue. We tried really hard to commit to not having sex until marriage, but it happened a couple of weeks ago and since then a couple other times. I would say that it is more me pushing it then him, but he would say that we are both doing the same thing. Both of us have a very close relationship with God; he is the center of our lives. When we do something that is not according to his will we know, he lets us know. In this circumstance, neither one of us feels convicted of having sex before marriage.

I don't feel disconnected from God, we still pray and ask for him to tell us if we are doing wrong and we'll stop. My question is why don't we feel convicted and guilty of this? We are so in love and know that God has this amazing plan for us in our future, but why doesn't he let us know that we are doing something disobedient if we are. We are considering seeking counseling, but I just stumbled across your site so I thought I'd give it a shot. Anything you have to offer we will take up in pray.

Thanks,
Name Withheld

Dear Reader,

Your question is somewhat perplexing. On the one hand you want to serve the Lord and have Him at the "center of your life." On the other hand you know what you are doing is wrong since you "tried really hard to not having sex until marriage." This tells me you know it is wrong. But then you say, "neither one of us feels convicted of having sex before marriage." Wow! That is a very dangerous way to live out your faith, that is, by depending on how you feel about a matter to determine if it is a sin. Our basis for truth is the written word of God. The Bible is very clear on the matter of premarital sex. It is called fornication. The Greek word used for fornication is "porneia." Do you hear a root word here? It is the word for pornography. Sex outside of marriage is a sin...period. Read this passage carefully. If you do not "feel" convicted then you must accept the teaching of the Word regardless.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders [10] nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [12] "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. [13] "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. [14] By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. [15] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! [16] Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." [17] But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. [18] Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. [19] Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. If that is not enough try on this one for size... 1 Corinthians 7 [8] Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. [9] But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

And...

Ephesians 5:1-4 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children [2] and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. [4] Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. The long and the short of my answer to your question is this - it does not matter how you feel about it, premarital sex is wrong and offensive to God. To continue in sin is an abuse of the grace of God...

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? [2] By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? [3] Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

And...

Romans 12:1-4 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. [2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

And...

Colossians 3:1-5 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. [5] Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

I could go on and on with scriptural admonitions about sexual sin before marriage. But let me also add that true love does not cause the one we say we love to sin. By you pushing him sexually and vice versa you are becoming a stumbling block to the very one you say you love. What this does is open the door for Satan to sow seeds of distrust into your future marriage. These seeds remain dormant for years until the time is ripe for the evil one to explode them. So I counsel you to abstain. Keep in mind that for every good gift from God there is the counterfeit. Sex inside marriage is good. The counterfeit is sex outside of marriage. I also counsel you to seek each other's forgiveness for morally offending the other. This is critical since love demands that we restore broken relationships. And your relationship is morally broken before God. Confess it to Him and to each other. Purify your hearts and your minds. God will be honored and you will be blessed. I hope this helps.

In His Grip,

Dr. Chuck Betters

Moment of Truth

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:55:00-0400

I must admit, I was drawn into a new television program just to see what the hoopla was all about. I am always wary to tell anyone what I watch or do not watch so as not to offend anyone if possible. But, here goes. A very popular number one show in the USA this year is "Moment of Truth." Contestants win up to $500,000 for truthfully answering deeply personal questions. Each contestant has several family members present. At any time a family member can hit a button to stop the contestant from answering a difficult question. I watched the season finale completely shocked by the kinds of questions and willingness on the part of the contestant to risk destroying their marriage, family relationships and friendships. More shocking to me was that each contestant had already been hooked up to a lie detector machine and answered the questions. The contestant knew what questions would be asked, knew how painful it would be for family and friends to hear the answers, but forged ahead in order to win thousands of dollars.

The purpose of the show is to prove that some people are willing to pay any price in order to win money. The show is designed INTENTIONALLY to juxtapose money and greed against destroying a marriage and other family relationships. The host repeatedly warns the contestant of the potential risk of answering the next question because the answer could destroy their marriage or other relationships. If the season finale is any indication of a typical show, mothers have listened to sons (in the presence of girlfriends) admit to having sexual relationships with over 100 women and keeping a spreadsheet of his conquests. Wives have heard husbands admit they are reluctant to have her bear his children and husbands are humiliated to learn about their wives' sexual immorality and regret in marrying them. It is a sleazy show and one you should take great caution in watching. Your kids should not be allowed to watch this show. I absolutely do not recommend watching this show but the season finale put into clear focus trends that seem to be slithering throughout our western culture.

Here are my thoughts:

As I listened to the questions I sometimes thought, "Wow, if I was asked that same question under oath (so to speak), what would my answer be and what would the truth do to my family and friends?" I concluded that my wife would not be surprised by anything I might answer because we have kept no secrets in our marriage but also knew that those secrets were ours - never to be shared in a way that would humiliate her or my family and friends.
The preparation for acceptance of this program was made by other "tell all" programs, books and interviews. The difference in this program is an intentional choice on the part of the contestants to sell out their most important relationships for money. Though I didn't see all the programs, from the season finale it appears that any respect for relationships is absent from the hearts of the contestants. The program producers have keyed into the sinful side of human nature. The lie detector test doesn't differentiate between temptation and actual sin. It requires a yes or no answer. There is no opportunity to put an answer into context. As a pastor, it hit me hard to see once more how easy it is to use a person's own words out of context to twist their meaning and create a bigger issue than is real. The program producers edited the program to be as inflammatory as possible. The reality of some of the "quotes" was far less steamy than the advertising promised. I wonder how often I am quoted (yes, I said the words) out of context in order to paint a picture that suits the speaker's own needs rather than the reality of my character.
Shows like this exist because there is an audience eager to watch. What is it about a "tell all" show that grabs us? We are all capable of incredible evil, either by thought or by action. Paul speaks of this in Romans 7. His split personality, marked by his struggle between the flesh and the spirit within, is revealed when asked such pointed questions. In the great final verses of this great conflict, Paul asks, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? " (Romans 7:24-25) Most of us mask our real selves so as not to let this incredible monster of carnality out of the prison of our infected flesh. In other words, we draw up borders as to how truthful we will be or not be with those around us. We even choose not be to be honest with ourselves. Here is the greatest Christian who ever lived, the great Apostle Paul, saying of himself that he is a wretched man because of the evil he knew he was capable of committing. Is it possible we watch because we want to know someone else is as evil as or more evil than us?
The price tag for lying is that the contestant loses everything he has accumulated up to that point. That is, he or she can tell the truth 20 times and accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars. But if he or she lies once they lose EVERYTHING. There is no grace, no mercy, and no second chance. In some of the questions one could be caught in a lie if the truth is merely a partial truth. For instance, one female contestant (who had already humiliated her husband and admitted to gross immorality) said she would not pose nude for $100,000. The lie detector said she was lying. She tried to explain that she would pose nude for $200,000 or more. She lost all the money she had won and destroyed her marriage and betrayed her mother in the process. The program producers did not feel sorry for her and give her a consolation prize. No second chance to be truthful.

Notice what Paul says after he discloses the truth of the real person he knows he is inside.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? "Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death". (Romans 7:24-8:2).

This is called GRACE, the antidote for the liar within.
I found myself rooting for the lying sleazes to get caught, especially if they were callous and greedy. Once again Paul who was brow beaten by his enemies and forsaken by his friends and family said, "I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit--I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel." (Romans 9:1-3). There it is. Paul was willing to die and go to hell if his corrupt and sinful family and nation could be saved. You see, when one truly experiences grace one desires it for others. On the other hand, we also want justice and for evil to lose. It is when we fail to see our own giant nose a la Pinocchio sticking out of our dark souls that we lose sight of what GRACE means to us.

O wretched man that I am! Thank God for grace.

Economic Crisis

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:13:00-0400

"This is bad," I thought as I watched the news this morning. Bear Stearns, one of the largest investment banks in America, narrowly escaped bankruptcy. That's the good news. The bad news is that it was bought for $2.00 per share when a little over a year ago it was priced at $150.00 per share. In Europe, the dollar is worth half of what it was. Gold and other commodities are spiraling upward in a "flight to safety." In America, gas prices are approaching $4.00 per gallon with talk of $5-$10 per gallon depending on which economist you listen to. My wife regularly comments on the price of groceries and expresses concern about how our kids will be able to take care of their growing families.

Our family has joined the ranks of many who thought they were making wise investment decisions, only to watch as funds earmarked for retirement and financial security start dwindling, through no fault of our own. Half of our own personal retirement is in a fund that has just declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. We continue to pray that wise people of integrity make godly decisions that will protect its investors, especially those who have no other financial support.

What's a Christian to do? I am certainly no economist and I would not even begin to try to give financial investment counseling. What I can say is that we have all been forewarned.

Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Our riches are but moth and rust infected, destined for destruction UNLESS they are invested in the one thing that will last - the Kingdom of Christ. Look, I like a good steak and a nice vacation just like the next guy. It is not wrong to have money. It is not wrong to invest. In fact, it's wrong not to take care of our families. But, those who have financial security must keep asking themselves, "When is enough enough?"

I've always been intrigued by the fact that many who have little give the most - percentage wise. Wealthy friends have admitted to me that sometimes it's very difficult for them to sign a big check over to their church or a ministry even though they have plenty in the bank. There's just something about letting go of so much money. It's always dangerous for a preacher to confront money issues because the immediate response of human nature is to start questioning the messenger's motives and own financial decisions. Most don't understand that a biblical preacher must first filter the message through his own heart. The more we have, the more careful we must be to push our financial decisions through the grid of scripture.

A number of our friends who regularly support ministries beyond their local church tithe, have expressed deep concern that they are increasingly unable to be as generous as previously because of the impact of the economy on their businesses. Because of diminishing funds we at MARKINC Ministries have come off of numerous radio stations. Like every struggling family, we continuously review our budget and evaluate where we need to refocus funds. In preparation for the lean economic times, we have invested more time and funding into our internet presence so that if funding continues to weaken, we are positioned to continue having a worldwide kingdom building impact through technology. However, I'm still trying to understand the Christian community when it comes to their support of ministries like MARKINC. Whenever we offer a free sermon CD we have scores of requests. But if we charge even ONE DOLLAR for that same resource, the vault is locked as tight as a drum. Yet many will pay $10.00 for a movie ticket and $15.00 for a soda and popcorn but "cannot afford" to give a dollar to the deacon's fund or buy a sermon CD to give away to a hurting friend. How many people are enjoying the ministries of their local church yet not giving a dime when the offering plate is passed? Are you one of those who is riding the backs of your brothers and sisters who are sacrificially tithing and giving so that your local church will be a voice of hope in your community?

What is wrong with this picture?

Here is my read. Most of us are not rich and, for some, that night at the movies is a stretch and many refuse to "stretch" that far. Many sacrificially give out of their love for Christ. My church is made up of many such people. In these strained economic times we all need to take a step back and evaluate the whole of our spending habits. The times are tough but will be getting MUCH tougher. We "spiritual squirrels" must start storing up some Kingdom building "acorns" for the economic winter to come. As we make financial decisions to protect our families, we must include protection of the family of God.

If we expect God to bless the 90% we must commit to the 10% (the tithe) and to systematic sacrificial giving beyond the tithe. The work of Christ must be funded, not only for today but also for when the severest of economic times hits all of us. Severe economic times will produce severe pain in families. Marriages will strain to survive under the pressure of paying bills with too little money. God often opens hearts to the hope only Christ can give when the days are darkest. The church must not stand still. We must live as though Christ is coming today but work as though He will not come for a thousand years. We must not sit still out of fear of what MIGHT happen. We must build strong churches with quality ministries. But remember, the "church" is not some nebulous organization that is responsible for meeting all of our needs. The true church is the family of God, people responsible for caring for one another and extending the invitation of Christ to a broken world. God has promised to give to His people all of the resources we need to get the job done. In other words, His people have been entrusted with the money. But will we give it back to Him or will we be like the man who squandered his God-given talents?

How the Mighty Have Fallen

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:27:00-0400

Eliot Spitzer resigned as the governor of New York yesterday. The news of ongoing involvement with high-priced call girls and prostitution ring with potential violation of federal laws caught up with him. News media reports that Spitzer spent over $80,000 of his family fortune of over $5 million to feed his out of control sexual appetite. The initial reaction to this behavior was shock and awe that a highly visible "corruption fighter" known for his bull dogged pursuit of crime and justice had fallen to such a base response to human cravings. He won a landslide victory by promising to run the state of New York with the same law and justice mindset. During his career as Attorney General he searched out and prosecuted prostitution rings.

Female newscasters in particular expressed disgust that he "dragged along his wife" into his public humiliation by having her by his side when he "confessed" and later resigned. The anguish in this beautiful woman's eyes was painful to observe.

Why would a man with everything we define as success risk it all for any reason, let alone to satisfy his sexual appetite?

Web news sites carry picture after picture of high and mighty men who have fallen to sexual sin. Included are formerly powerful and respected Christian leaders like Ted Haggard. Some lost everything that made them influential and some, a la Bill Clinton, somehow held on to their powerful positions.

Late night shows are having a field day. The victims in the Spitzer case are Mrs. Spitzer and his three daughters.

What we see is not new. Powerful men (and women) give in to base behavior "because they can." They believe the "fan mail" that inflates their ego and become "gods" in their own universe. Perhaps most stunning to me is the ability of these people to lie without any glimmer of their deception. I previewed Ted Haggard's initial response to the threat of being "outed." If I had not known the rest of the story, his performance would have convinced me that he was being unfairly targeted for political reasons. Think back to Bill Clinton's public declaration of innocence. God tells us in scripture that habitual lying will be a sign of the "last days."

But before I "tsk tsk" our way through the day, God whispers in my ear that I need to be careful of throwing stones. I am taking a long hard look at my own heart and asking myself, "If I knew I would not get caught and had the means to do the very same thing as Spitzer did, would I do it? Better yet, would I want to do it?"

I have become convinced the longer I serve the Lord that most of us are truly not aware of what evil we are capable of committing? My heart is indeed desperately wicked. Who can know it? There has to be another force in play to stem the tide of these lusts of the flesh - that is, the fear of God. Do I really fear Him or am I merely afraid of being caught.

What about you?

Biblical Preaching

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:42:00-0400

The character of a nation is not shaped and nurtured by Washington, D.C. It is shaped by the pulpits of America. When the truth is proclaimed without apology and the scriptures are central, then and only then, can lives and hearts truly be changed. It is the age old question - do we preach a Gospel of heart change or a Gospel of social change? You might think the answer is that we should do both. I would agree. But there is more.

What is at the heart of Biblical preaching? Changed hearts are what change cultures. And only a heart gripped by the work of the cross is truly a changed heart. Gospel preaching involves three elements. First, there is the "logos" - that is, a proclamation of the truth of Holy Scripture. Sadly, many of America's preachers have caved on the doctrine of inerrancy. For many, the Word of God is contained somewhere in the books of the Bible. But they believe that the Bible as a whole is not inerrant. Thus, the preacher becomes the arbiter of what is and what is not the Word of God. How dangerous is that?

Second, there is the "ethos" or ethical demand of the Gospel, the "so what" of Biblical preaching. That is, what does the Bible tell me I must now do in response to what I have heard? Most liberal churches focus on the "ethos" at the expense of the "logos." Many evangelicals focus on the "logos" at the expense of the "ethos." But if one does not hold to the truth of scripture then by what authority must I obey its ethical demands? If the root is dead then the tree is dead if you catch my drift.

The third element of Biblical preaching is "pathos." The truth of what is preached (the inspired, inerrant "logos" of God) and the ethical demands of that truth ("ethos") must be declared with passion ("pathos"). Preaching is a "prophetic" event. This does not mean preachers are prophets in the Biblical sense of the word. But it does mean that as the true Word of the living God is proclaimed it becomes declarative in nature and prophetic in scope. We are to convince men and women of the truth. Preachers must engage in a personal "holy wrestling" with God as he also struggles with the stubborn hearts of man. The Gospel message must first be filtered through the life of the preacher as he dwells among his flock. Put very simply, the preacher cannot express what he does not possess. May God rend the heavens, come down, and either change our preachers or remove them.

The Myth of Political Labels

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:48:00-0400

As the primaries continue the evangelical vote has been marginalized. Before we pull out our hair perhaps we should assess why this happened. When Mitt Romney was the frontrunner his Mormon faith became an issue for evangelical Christians. That fueled the debate as to whether or not Mormons are really Christians just because they say they are. Radio talk show host Glen Beck, a Mormon, angered many in his audience when he refused to give anyone who argued that Mormonism is vastly different from Biblical Christianity a hearing. These same personalities had serious trouble supporting Mike Huckabee because he was not conservative enough on immigration. Evangelical Christians from day 1 could not support Rudy Giuliani because of his own personal life and his pro-abortion position. So enter John McCain, a national hero, but with a foul mouth and a temper. He is the only one left standing with lukewarm support among evangelicals. Key leaders like James Dobson said they would sit out this election since they had no viable candidate they could not support. So where does that leave us - Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton? These two people have held a knock down drag out fight even though they are virtually identical in their politics. They are both left wing flaming liberals with a commitment to gay rights, abortion, a weak defense, and more big government. What did all of this net for us? Three imperfect candidates. It is a myth that the Republican Party is more in line with evangelical belief as are the Democrats. The Republican Party as a whole is no more Christian than the Democratic Party. Their bases are different but most of the men and women who sit in Congress on both sides of the aisle do not hold to our core beliefs. What is the purpose of government? Consider this: Romans 13:1-6 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. [2] Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. [3] For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. [4] For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. [6] This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. [7] Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. There it is, clear as a bell. The purpose of government is to protect its people by punishing the wrongdoers. That is why we pay taxes. When one considers the national debt and the seemingly billions of pork barrel programs, is it no wonder people have lost faith in the ability of either the Democrats or the Republicans to work for anything other than their own PACs? Our hope does not rest in who is in the White House, but instead our hope rests with who occupies America's pulpits. But even there, Houston, we have a problem. More on that next time.

Welcome to Gripping Thoughts, the blog of Dr. Chuck Betters.....

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:16:00-0400

I'm excited to have a forum where I can connect with you as I process thoughts on various subjects. I invite you to share this journey with me as we walk through life's pressing issues. Feel free to make yourself comfortable and join in with comments, questions, etc...I would love to hear what you're thinking. I am the Senior Pastor of Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church in Bear, DE. That does not mean everything expressed or posted here reflects the views of the church or of MARKINC Ministries. In His Grip, Dr. Chuck Betters