Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, as you no doubt know, it is time to Elect the new President of the United States. As you also know the economy is not where it should be. As I read the headlines, talk to people, and see what is going on, it is easy to get sucked into this. It is easy to get caught up in the election, politics, and economics, which there is nothing wrong with that. But everyone is worried, worried that the next president (Dem or Rep) will ruin things, worried that the economy will crash and we will all go bankrupt and be financially ruined. We are worried about terroism, the war in Iraq, and we have to make sure that America stays what it is. We worry about lying, selfish, politicians. Ladies and gentlemen, I have myself started to fall into this trap. But we have to step back and get things in perspective. Allow me....
We are part of a eternal spiritual kingdom. A kingdom that cannot be tainted by sin, evil, lies and selfishness. A kingdom ruled by a King who loves us and has humbly served us by giving His life to us. A kingdom that will not fall or be shaken, no matter the turmoil, stife that happens in the goverments of earth. I am not doing this passage true justice, but Hebrews 12:28 says...
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Or Daniel 2:44 foretelling the spiritual kingdom of God...
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever
(All taken out of ESV)
We need to make sure that we stay focused on the spirituality of God and of life. If we only seek after making sure that America and the world maintains a way of life. Making sure that we get a good paycheck, good house, and nice car. We are placing our priorities wrong. Yes, the physical things of this world do matter, but lets put things in their proper place. Where are our priorities and ultimate alliegances? There is more to life than the things of this world. Christ in Matthew 6 talked about seeking after the things of this world....
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
We need to make sure that we are seeking after God. What is our master? America or Jehovah? Please understand, I am grateful for this country, it is a blessing from God. But it is a means for the furtherance of the gospel. We need to make sure that we show faith in God always, we need to live by faith, that God is in power, and He will take care of us. But if all we do is strive to maintain a standard of living, political prosperity, than that is all we get out of life. It too shall pass.
I have noticed that many people trash out the canidate that they do not support. I myself have disagreements with the canidate that I am against. I feel that he is not qualified to run. (Who is not important). But the fact remains, Barak Obama & Joe Biden, as well as John McCain & Sara Palin are leaders and rulers of this country. They are either US Senators or a State Govenor, and we are commanded by our King, Jesus Christ, to obey them and pay their due honors. What are you going to do if the person you are against makes the office? Romans 13:1-7...
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
These rulers back then, were Pagan, power hungry, and would kill you if you went against them. But they were to obey them and pay their respects. Even being a citizen of the kingdom of God, they were not above and better than others, and neither are we. We are be respectful of our leaders, and with our behavior try to bring them to Christ. Paul in I Timothy 2:1-7 tells us part of what we can do...
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Do we pray for our politicans, that they will allow peace for the gospel? Do we pray to God to give them wisdom? We need to remember that Christ died for ALL men of the earth. He died for me, you, John McCain, Barak Obama, Robert Mugabe, & Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Politics are a means to an end, that peace may reign so the gospel may spread for all to come to God.
Let us show faith, love and compassion to all men. Let us pray for all men and countries, and all people, to come and obey Him.
Hello..I stumbled across this article... this is a great article. And I have been reminding myslef that Christ died for Obama too...its just harder to remember that:)
On an Evidences test I just took, one of the questions read: What is the biggest obstruction to many peoples' faith (paraphrase): a: the question of pain and suffering, b: Democrats. I love Mr. Longstreth:).... Anyway, on a more serious note, thanks for the post, Jim. That hit a lot of sore spots that have been trying me of late: worry, intense dislike of the candidate elected.... Seriously, thank you. Take care!
Ok, everyone in the grand world of cyberspace, I have a question for you, and I hope to get some good discussion out of it. How do we know that the Bible still applies to us today? Think about it and give a accurate Biblical Answer. If you want to personally reach me, email me at jim@stathams.us
Perhaps you should add in the corollary question--What parts of the Bible apply to us today?
Obviously, none of us are going to be building an ark anytime soon like Noah did.
Then there's all the old-covenant stuff like animal sacrifice, incense, instrumental music, Levitical priestly offices, etc.
And even in the NT, there are things tied specifically to the culture in which the people lived, such as head coverings, meat sacrificed to idols, or the elders anointing with oil.
However, while not every physical practice described in the Bible is applicable for today, all of them can be used as a relevant object lesson in order to teach us something about God, His nature, His relationship with us, and what He likes/doesn't like.
If the bible does not apply to us then, we have no hope, because we can never know God.
Jude called it the "faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Jesus prayed for "those who will believe in me through their word" (John 17:20) without giving an expiration date. Basically, the Bible never gives an expiration date, only a promise that its author will return, and until he does, we are to go about his business. Now as far as certain parts being relevant, he makes a good point - the listing of Esau's descendants in Genesis 36 has much less meaning to me than an Israelite of that day who would have known those names. Even so, the principles behind such things as anointing with oil, head-coverings - concern for the sick, respect for the God-given authority of the man, etc. - still apply.
1 Tim. 6:11-16 states that the commandment should be kept until Christ's appearing. As He has not appeared again, we are still under the commandment (save for the Old Law, which we are told has been replaced by the complete New Law).
The Bible isn't applicable to us today. It is applicable to those who seek to establish and maintain a proper relationship with their Creator. For the man that seeks to live by his own standard and do whatever he wants, no amount of rhetoric will convince him otherwise. If the Bible (as the divine words of the Almighty and All-Knowing God) cannot convict a man's heart, then no phrase contrived by the sinful and weak man can. It is an interesting thought. That God already knows who is saved and who isn't. Who will make the Bible applicable to themselves and who will not. Yet somehow, God's knowing this beforehand, still does not limit our freewill. Philippians 2:1-11: "(1) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (2) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
So right now I am sitting here at where I work, to be more specific I am where I train. The Lord has blessed me by giving me a job. More or less I work for HP as a Media Handler. Companies go to them to have their data backed up and we handle the data tapes. These tapes can hold up to 1.6 TB, not GB, TB as in Tera-Byte. Yeah, that is a lot of data, oh son... But its a full time job until I start school in the spring. It has good hours and the work is good, and I like my co-workers and boss and want to get to know them better, many of them used to be in the Navy and so I hear them swap some funny stories. The facilities are well secured, there is a gate and guard, one man entry, bioscan (to scan your hand) and swipe RF card to get through doors. It is a blessing and it is only 5mi away from my house. Needless to say that as a result of working for this corporation, I will understand Dilbert Cartoons more because of this.
Speaking of house, Alyssa and I have moved to our own house in Alpharetta, GA. But even with a house my home is with Alyssa right now. We are getting the house ready and livable, so all is well. We are having a wedding reception/shower this Saturday (13 Sep 2008) at some friends house from church. We are also having one in Pittsburgh, PA around Christmas for Alyssa's family. We registered for our reception at Target and Bed, Bad & Beyond. Life is good. :-)
More than that, after leaving FC I am trying to still grow spiritually and be involved with preaching. With that I have been blessed by being able to preach at Pine Groove church of Christ in Fairmount, GA. I'll be giving two sermons and a class once a month on Sundays. One scripture to remember, I like to remind myself of John 13, when Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. What a show of humble service, especially when you look at some of the details. Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, yet Jesus washed his feet anyway. Do we have that same attitude towards God and other? Just something to think about.
Jim! Things sound like they are working out good for ya'll. I can't wait to go to school up there in the spring. And I can't wait to see you and Alyssa.
Ok I have to post because all the "congratulations" comments are probably confusing. If you havent checked Alyssa and I's Facebook. You will notice that our relationship status has changed from engaged to married. This is NOT a joke, I am proud to say that last night at 19:30 Alyssa and I were married at a small ceremony in our house. Circumstances have changed and we felt that this would be best for us, and God has provided for us with a good place to live. Its for the best, and I think I am going to like this "rest of your life" thing.
We are planning to have receptions in Atlanta, and Pittsburgh, and for our friends at FC, Lord willing we will see you on Labor Day weekend.
aww, Congrats to you Jim Statham! I miss you and your family! I am living in TN now close to Daniel now. :) We still aren't sure yet when we are going to get married.
Hello everyone, as you can tell I have been back in the United States for several weeks now. I have to say being back from nearly 3 months in a foreign country has been a life changing event for me. But somethings have been left unsaid that need to be said.
For one, this was a blessing provided by God. Frankly, this would not have been possible without Him providing the opportunity, the whole point was to bring people to Him. To God be the glory! The reason that I went is simple. Christ at the end of Mark in chapter 16 told his disciples to go to the world. So I went, its standard duty.
But also I want to take the time to thank Joel Williams. Joel has been patient with me, and been gracious to me. He has let me eat his food, burn his petrol and do many things. I have much love and respect for him and the work that he does. Thanks Joel, I really appreciate it.
I will also say that I appreciate the brethren of Eshowe and the surrounding areas. The preachers there really took me in and truly demonstrated what it means to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are men who at times endeur hardships and keep on preaching. Mzwandile Gazu in particular has shown this to me (but he is one of many who have helped me) with much enthusiasm. Many of the brethren after getting to know them have helped me a lot. Brother Langa has helped me press on to my work, he is a sharp, godly man that really thinks things through in life. Men like David, Musuku, and Mnbuso among others are more than my spiritual family, they are my friends. I love you.
But as I am back in the United States, I have to say that I am going through much more of a culture shock coming back then when I went there. I am sure that there are many out there that have been overseas and know what I am talking about. Even things like Wal-Mart. I walked into one when I got back and just gaped at it. This country is a blessed nation.
As many know, I am not at Florida College. But I really hope that as Paul wrote throughout the Philippian letter. My knowledge and grace should continue to grow. I do not have the instructors, chapel, of atmosphere any more. But I pray that this will help me more dependent on God and His word. For those that are attending FC I beseech you with this. Take advantage of the spirituality that FC offers. But know this reality, you WILL leave FC. So you cannot depend on it to grow in God. We need to build our individual spiritual character so that we can bring the world to Christ. Lets find The Truth and build our spiritual strength for the rest of our lives.
I also want to encourage those at FC to do something else. Find a congregation that you can grow in and get involved. Even if you are not confortable being in a public role, that does not mean you cannot be effective in the Lords Body. Get involved in the members lives of the congregation. Within that group, extend yourself beyond talking to your FC friends at church, you can see them at school, but you see your brethren twice a week. There is a lot of opportunity to do a lot of good for them. Remember the second command by Christ. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself".
Ill see you around, im here and there, as usual....
In Christ,
Jim Statham
PS. I changed cell phone carriers but I couldn't transfer my number. If you want it shoot me a email at jim@stathams.us
I'm in Pharr, Texas, which is right next to Mexico, directly south of San Antonio. Today on my way to school, I was behind a car with a Sven & Ole's bumper sticker.
