By Jim Mettenbrink
In his Psalm, David asked, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps 11:13) (upon which this long series has been based). He was acknowledging that this was the foundation of a nation, any nation. Why would it be destroyed? Note, God founds and destroys nations as He decides. So it is vital that we know what His decision is based upon?
By Jim Mettenbrink
For nearly a year, we have been considering the “Radical Entrance to Jesus’ Kingdom,” and the Standard (God’s Bible) by which one can have eternal life, as part of restoring the foundation of the USA, once a great nation, so that it can truly be great again. Becoming a Christian and diligently living for Christ might seem farfetched as far as our national well-being is concerned, but only that is so only to the ignorant.
By Jim Mettenbrink
In the last article, we considered the SPLC’s declaration that Mothers for Liberty, a parental rights advocacy, as an extremist hate group. However, they did not define what it means to hate, nor just what it is about advocating for parents’ rights regarding their children is hateful and what is meant by extreme.
First parents. God has mandated parents, i.e., a man and woman married to each other should have children – “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth….” (Genesis 1:27-28). Who has the responsibility to rear the children?
By Jim Mettenbrink
In answering the question about what is really important in life, we have been considering a lawyer’s inquiry to Jesus – “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”(Luke 10:25). Jesus’ response was a story about the Good Samaritan, the Jews’ arch enemy. Jesus stated the lesson for the lawyer and every person who wants to inherit eternal life in His well-known sermon on the mount –“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28).
By Jim Mettenbrink
In answering the question about what is really important in life, we have been considering a lawyer’s inquiry to Jesus – “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”(Luke 10:25). Jesus’ response was a story about the Good Samaritan, the Jews’ arch enemy. We have been considering the background of this 500 years of hostility. The accounts of the Gospel, reveal that this hatred was perpetually simmering beneath the surface at the time Jesus walked the earth.
By Jim Mettenbrink
When the lawyer asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus’ response was with a parable commonly called the Story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritans were the arch-enemy of the Jews. The previous article revealed that the seeds of this tension began when the Assyrians exiled Israel’s northern kingdom and repopulated the land with foreigners who intermarried with the remaining 10% of the Israelites (700 BC). They would be known as Samaritans. The Samaritans opposed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem when the Southern kingdom (Jews) returned from Babylonian captivity. Thus the tension began (520BC; (Ezra 4-6; Nehemiah 4-6). Through the next 500 years, this tension became an armed conflict.
By Jim Mettenbrink
When a lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”(Luke 10:25), He referred to a Samaritan man rendering much more than first aid to a dying Jew (Lk 10:33-35). Last week, we noted that Samaritans suddenly appear when Israel (Northern Kingdom) had been destroyed (2 Kings 17:29). Who were the Samaritans?
By Jim Mettenbrink
That man wants to live beyond the grave is evident. It is noticed in some of man’s doings, yet he knows he will die – gone from society, friends, and family, never to return. Philanthropists give huge amounts to have names on institutions. In a remote area of the sandhills of Nebraska, a man built a monument to himself at the entrance to his acreage. He wants to be remembered if he can’t be on terra firma. Do these folks believe that death is the end of their existence that prompts the desire to somehow have an existence of some sort here? Even if it is just the posting of their name on a building? Or a carved stone? The Bible reveals that death is not the end of man’s existence. In fact, without the Bible, no one would know he/she became an eternal entity from the moment of conception in their mother’s womb.
By Jim Mettenbrink
Regardless of what the Bible reveals, it is man’s selfish nature to believe that once a person is saved from his sins, he can not lose his salvation, but will live forever in heaven. When those who are saved or think they are saved walk away from Jesus and returned to their previous sinful life, adherents to the “once saved, always saved” (OSAS) belief declare that they were not saved in the first place, because upon conversion, the truly saved were given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to make sure they stayed saved (Calvinist doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints – OSAS). Although it’s a most comforting belief, is it true? What say the Bible?
By Jim Mettenbrink
Last week, we were considering the standard by which man lives hoping to live eternally. We cited the PEW poll revealing that 65% (40% in 2002) of Americans believe they can be “moral and have good values” without believing in God. Although 90% of those who did not consider organized religion important believed that they could be moral and have good values. Morality and values were not defined in the poll. Just what is moral and what are values? Paramount is, what is “good?”