Have The Rules Changed?

I noticed a clip on my computer today related to Senator Obama's views on faith and salvation. 

He was in Greensboro, NC and made the statement that although he believes Christ died for his sins, those who reject that teaching can also be children of God.  He told the audience that he knew he could have eternal life due to the death of Christ on the cross, but he told a reporter that Jesus and Muslims who live moral lives are just as much children of God as he is.

This information is from an AP story on March 27th.

He went on to say that his mom didn't share his faith but was a kind and generous person so he's sure she is in heaven.

I'm really puzzled about how these issues have come up for debate.  I was taught, and then passed along the teaching, that only through belief in Jesus Christ could we be sure of eternal life.  Now it appears that even some prominent clergy have decided to "lower the bar".  If easy belief-ism is the goal, then we could manipulate the road to heaven all day long.  We could, as clergy, just come up with something that 'man' could embrace. I just can't see it that way, can you? Maybe you can?

Honestly - do you believe there is a way to heaven other than one's belief in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ? Is there a younger group of spiritual leaders popping up in our society who have changed the 'game plan'.  I would really like to know what you are thinking. 

Please let me know.  And if you have another salvation plan let me know how it works. (Thanks to Ron Aldridge for bringing this to my attention.)

So here is how you can respond to our blog.  Just click on the 'comments' and share yours.  And don't forget our podcast at http://podcast.hblondon.org/.  Hopefully the week after Easter is still glorious!

New Research Defines The Concept of Sin

It is interesting that on this Easter week we would write to you regarding sin.  What is it? How do you relate to it? The scripture says "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin]".  I thought the following might give you some interesting 'filler' for your sermon this weekend.  Personally I always defined sin as a "willful transgression of the known will of God".  How do you define it? Happy Easter!

Results from a new study released from Ellison Research finds that 13 percent of Americans do not believe at all in the concept of sin. But, a majority of Americans (87%), however, do believe in this concept and they include adultery (81%), racism (74%), use of hard drugs (65%), failing to say anything if they're given too much change by a cashier (63%), having an abortion (56%), cheating on their taxes (52%) and homosexual activity (52%) as sin. "Sin" was defined in the research as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective."

One of the biggest differences in whether people believe in the concept of sin is actually not even religious, but political. Among political conservatives, 94 percent believe there is such a thing as sin. But, only 77 percent of political liberals believe in the concept of sin.

Evangelical Christians are far more likely to include numerous behaviors under the definition of sin, and the difference between evangelicals and other Americans is often quite large. For instance, 90 percent of evangelicals believe getting drunk is sinful behavior, compared to 35 percent of all other Americans, and 92 percent of evangelicals believe sex before marriage is sinful, versus 39 percent of all other Americans. Still, evangelicals do not consider all types of behavior sinful — only a minority believe it is a sin to work on the Sabbath, not attend church, drink alcohol, dance, play the lottery, watch an R-rated movie, or not tithe 10 percent of their income to church or charity.

Women tend to have a longer list of what is sin than do men and are more likely than men to include racism, gossip, use of hard drugs, marijuana, adultery, pornography, not reporting income on taxes, abortion, failing to say anything if given too much change, and swearing as sinful behavior.

People under age 35 are less likely than Americans in other age groups to believe adultery, getting drunk, not reporting income on taxes, homosexual activity, pornography, and gossip are sin. At the same time, younger people are more likely than others to say using tobacco and working on the Sabbath are sinful.

Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, noted how many inconsistencies Americans show in their answers. "We can see numerous inconsistent patterns of thought and belief throughout the responses," Sellers stated. "For instance over a third of all Americans believe failing to take proper care of their bodies is sinful. Yet far fewer believe tobacco or obesity are sins — even though medical science consistently shows using tobacco and being overweight are two of the most harmful things they can do to their bodies."

Go figure!

Americans Not Getting Enough Sleep

(Or, Why Is Everyone Falling Asleep During My Sermon?)

Hi Pastor Friend ... I run across a lot of weary clergy in my travels.  So many of them do not get enough sleep.  (See the report below).  How much do you get on an average? 

Two reports released last month by the Center for Disease Control show that Americans are sleeping less than they did 20 years ago, and that about 50 to 70 million people nationwide suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders. The research, which was done in 2006 and 2007, also revealed that:

• About 10 percent of adults report not getting enough rest or sleep in any of the previous 30 days.
• Only 29.6 percent of adults said they did get enough rest or sleep every day in the past month.
• About 13 percent of adults aged 18-34 reported insufficient sleep every day in the past month compared to only seven percent of adults 55 and older.

The results of another survey released this week by the National Sleep Foundation found that the average adult gets six hours and 40 minutes of sleep each night and that they estimated they need about seven and a half hours. According to the Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours sleep each night, teens need eight and a half to nine and a half hours, and children, aged 5-12, need 9-11 hours. Also, about one-third of those surveyed said they had fallen asleep or become very sleepy at work in the last month. The average worker gets up at 5:35 a.m., leaves for work at 7:50 a.m., and goes to bed at 10:53 p.m.

The CDC gives the following suggestions for those who are sleep deprived:

1. Stick to a regular sleeping schedule.
2. Sleep in a dark, well ventilated room at a comfortable temperature.
3. Avoid stimulating activities within two hours of bedtime.
4. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the evening.
5. Avoid going to bed on a full or empty stomach.
6. See a doctor if you are concerned about chronic sleep problems.

The National Sleep Foundation, which promotes March 3-9 as National Sleep Awareness Week in conjunction with Daylight Saving Time, believes that many factors are contributing to the changing sleep patterns in America. Such concerns as longer work hours, pressure to increase productivity, changing schedules, and overuse of caffeine and other stimulants all play a part in the difficulty Americans are having getting enough sleep.

For more details about the research go to www.cdc.gov/sleep and www.sleepfoundation.org.

Pagan Roots of Christian Practices

Hello,

George Barna is a good friend of mine and I really admire him even though I do not always agree with his premise.  Below are some observations about his new book Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Christian Practices.  What would your impression of his latest book be?  H.B.

A new book, co-authored by researcher George Barna and Frank Viola, contends that many of the practices of the conventional church do not have a biblical foundation, but are based on pagan practices adopted by Christians in the second century or later.

For example the book, Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Christian Practices, claims that:

• The early church met in homes, and that church buildings were not constructed until about 327 A.D. during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine.
• The pulpit came from Greek culture and was used by speakers during public debates.
• The idea of preaching a sermon came from the Greek orators late in the second century.
• A pastor was not seen as the official leader of the body of believers until the second century and the practice of ordination was based upon the prevailing Roman custom of appointing men to public office.

According to George Barna, the purpose of the book is not to criticize the church, but to "give people the freedom to re-think many modern church practices." "Often, people feel as if their worship and ministry are confined to what is routinely done because those patterns have a biblical basis or mandate," said Barna. "But when you research the origins of church practices, and study the practices of the early church, you discover that most of our current church practices have ancient cultural origins, with no biblical basis."

The book, which also addresses such practices as altar calls, the pastoral prayer, tithing and the use of church bulletins, has received mixed reviews. For example, an article on chrismartinsblog.com includes the comment that, "Although this book may seem to be a mere examination of when and where some of the traditions of the modern church originated, it most certainly has a bias and an ulterior motive. This book is laden with propaganda for the house church movement." But in a review posted on Amazon.com, David D. Flowers says that Barna's book "may very well be the most important book written on the Christian church in the last two millennia. Frank Viola and George Barna team up to give their readers a critical examination of the last 1700 years of church history."

I Have Prayed For You

Do you remember the situation where Jesus confronted Simon Peter over a request Satan had made to "sift him as wheat"? (Luke 22:31) Jesus said "But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail" (vs 32).

Can you imagine what that would be like to have Jesus say to you .. to call you by name and say "I have prayed for you"?  Wow! But he does. According to Romans 8:34 "Christ Jesus .. is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us"!

He knows your name .. and is aware of your situation.  He has great faith in you! And we in Pastoral Ministry at Focus on the Family care about you as well.  We want to pray for you.

Each Wednesday our staff meets to pray specifically for you "by name & by situation".  Would you allow us to pray for you? We realize this blog reaches around the world. This morning we prayed for your colleagues who had requested our support from India, Pakistan and many other locations.

The lenten season can be very stressful for you, as you make preparations for Resurrection Sunday on March 23rd.  We would like to be a part of your support system.

So, if you would like for us to pray for you on Wednesday, just click on the box at the bottom of the right side bar.  It's entitled "Let us PRAY for you on Wednesday ..." You will be prompted to give us your name & other particulars, but especially your situation.

We have been admonished "that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone" (I Timothy 2:1) That means you!

We look forward to hearing from you.