Worse than 450 Bleeding Prophets of Baal

This taken from the blog at Desiring God Ministries

And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. (1 Kings 18:28-29)

Imagine that scene: 450 prophets of Baal, weeping and pleading, wounds all over their bodies with blood gushing out, exhausted and limping around an altar, hoping for Baal to show himself. Could it ever get any more gruesome that this? Imagine it. Could there ever be a scene more horrible than this?

Yes.

The only scene more gruesome than a crowd of people limping around an altar, wounded all over their body with blood gushing out , begging to see a god who doesn’t exist is the true God of the universe hanging on a cross, wounded all over his body with blood gushing out, showing his love to a people who don’t care.

The prophets of Baal begged their god,  “Answer us!” “Say something!” “Give some gesture!” “Please, do something!”

And the true God showed his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We didn’t ask him for that. We were sinners who didn’t care anything about God, we worshipped ourselves, we were dead in our sins.

And it was precisely then that God showed himself. It was while we were still weak, at the right time, that Christ died for the ungodly.

Praise him.

Discouraged?

This taken from John Piper's journal:

O Lord, have mercy on me. I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand, even when I know that most of my people are for me. I am so blind to the future of the church. O Father, am I blind because it is not my future? Perhaps I shall not even live out the year, and you are sparing the church the added burden of a future I had made and could not complete?

This was written in 1986.  He was so discouraged, he thought about stepping down from his ministry.  You can get a real sense of how he is seeing his world just fall apart.  Have you ever felt like that before?  Have you ever just thought to yourself...

"I am in way over my head"?  "Why did I take on so much?"  "I will never be able to catch up on my work"?

I know I've been there before.  My first year here at Calvary, I felt that.  It seemed like all the events and lessons to work on were just too much to bear.  I had come from a church that did an event about once every month.  Here, there are about 3-4 events a month!  How am I going to keep up with that???

The following sentences of John Piper's journal, read like this:

 I do not doubt for a moment your goodness of power or omnipotence in my life or in the life of the church. I confess that the problem is mine. The weakness is in me. The blindness is in my eyes. The sin—O reveal to me my hidden faults!—is mine and mine the blame. Have mercy, Father. Have mercy on me. I must preach on Sunday, and I can scarcely lift my head.

How often in our times of woe, do we turn to God and say, "You are perfect and good and the fault is all mine for feeling this way"?  Usually our mindset is, "God make everything easier".  Here are some great biblical truths that we can use, when we feel that the pressures of life seem too much to bear.

I Peter 5:7 - "casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you"...you are not alone.  You have a loving and merciful Savior that desires for you to lean on him!

Psalm 38:18 - "I am full of anxiety because of my sin"...maybe you need to take care of sin.

Romans 8:28-29 - "All things work together for good"...so that you can become more like Christ.  Even the things that seem overwhelming.  They are there to help you become more like Christ.

What are some other verses that you have found to be of help when you were in times of uncertainty?

Missionaries try to take Orphans out of Haiti - Update

Here is an update, since i reported on this story earlier...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The judge presiding over the case of 10 American missionaries accused of kidnapping Haitian children has requested that they be freed.

"I'm asking that they drop the charges and that they be released," Judge Bernard Saint-Vil said outside the courthouse where he has spent the week questioning the Baptists.

Saint-Vil said he privately questioned the last of a group of Haitian parents who said they willingly gave their children to the missionaries to educate and care for them.

"After listening to the families, I see the possibility that they can all be released," he said.

Saint-Vil said his request to free the missionaries was forwarded to the prosecutor-general's office, which can object. But he said he intends to accept a request from the group's lawyers to free the Americans while an investigation of the case continues.

VIDEO: Judge suggests Americans be released

MISSIONARY: Leader wept when orphanages didn't give over kids

The judge said the Americans, most of whom belong to an Idaho Southern Baptist church, would have to make themselves available for future questioning. He did not say whether they would have to remain in Haiti.

Jean-René Tessier, a lawyer representing the missionaries, said the Americans may be allowed to return home.

"That depends on the judge," he said.

The Americans were charged last week with child kidnapping after being arrested Jan. 29 with a busload of 33 children, ages 2 to 12, whom they were bringing to an orphanage set up with church donations in the Dominican Republic.

They said they had proper paperwork and permission from the families, and were merely doing what hundreds of other groups in Haiti were doing — saving children from a terrible existence. But thousands more Haitian children leave the country illicitly each year, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, and are forced into difficult jobs, used as sex slaves or sold on the black market for adoption.

The pastor of the Meridian, Idaho, church attended by several of the detainees said he had yet to receive any official word on their release.

"Our confidence continues to remain, both in our faith and in our attorneys that represent our people," said Pastor Clint Henry of Central Valley Baptist Church. "Now we wait and pray, believing that in the coming hours we will receive the news we have waited for."

From behind cell bars in a grimy jail where they have been held, the missionaries declined to be interviewed Wednesday. The women were held separately from the men, who shared their cell with nine Haitian men, some of whom played checkers on the cell floor.

"We've said all we're going to say for now. We don't want to talk now," group leader Laura Silsby said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Tim Tebow: Super Bowl Commercial (Revealed)

There were 2 main big reveals on Sunday.

1.  Focus on the Family's Super Bowl Commercial.

In case you missed it.  Tim Tebow's Super Bowl commerical (seen here) showed Mrs. Tebow sharing that her son was her "miracle baby", claiming that there were health issues.  He tackles her (fake tackle).  Then she talked about how she still worries about his health even to this day.  This ad was very non specific.

It's amazing how so many people could get worked up over the Tebow's telling their story.  There was nothing about pro-life or anti-abortion.  They simply say at the end of the add that if you want to hear the whole story you can visit the Focus on the Family web page.

My initial reaction on the add was disappointment.  They had a really great opportunity to share about the gift of life (Psalm 139).  My second reaction was, "that was good."  It offers an opportunity for those who want to learn more, and now, no one can say anything bad about the ad.  Everyone who were so up in arms over this ad now feels foolish for jumping all over Focus on the Family (FOTF).....this leads me to the second big reveal.

2. Association with the Gospel can be Dangerous

After finally seeing the ad, the National Organization for Women (NOW) President responded.  Did she repeal her earlier statement of how absurd it was for CBS to promote a wacko pro-life agenda that FOTF stands for?  Absolutely not!  The LA Times reports this:

NOW president Terry O'Neill said it glorified violence against women. "I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she said. "That's what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don't find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself."


Celebration of violence against women?  Huh?  Violence came across stronger than the anti-abortion message?  Where were these messages at all?  I wonder if she even watched the ad.


If your worldview is shaped by the Gospel, then you will no doubt be attacked.  You will most likely be attacked more than others who come to a similar position outside of the Gospel.  If someone is a non-believer and is pro life, they will be less ridiculed than someone who trusts in Christ and is pro life.  It is the nature of the Good News.  John 15:20-21


"Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me."


Jesus promises persecution for holding to His Word.  This should not cause us to fear, but to press on (2 Timothy 2:3-4).  We are to engage the enemy.  We are not to be frightened (Philippians 1:28), because we have a hope of salvation.  We shouldn't fear those who can only destroy our body, but the One who can destroy both body and soul (Matthew 10:28).  


In humility, take a stand.  In love, proclaim truth.

Thoughts on Watching the Super Bowl by C.J. Mahaney

Thoughts on Super Bowl XLIV by C.J. Mahaney

I like this post for two main reasons.

1. He puts this game in perspective of eternity.  Guess what!!!  It's just a game.  Like Monopoly.

2. He thinks the Colts will win.  He is obviously a very intelligent person.