Pastor Dan's Blog

Hope For America's Future

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:22:03 -0600

The Presidential election of 2008 was determined by a popular vote margin of 52% to 46%. The winner would have been different if just 3% of the voters had voted differently. So, today, on November 5, about half of the country is celebrating and the other half is not celebrating. I am not celebrating, but I am not despondent either. I believe there is great hope for America's future if we put our hope in the right place.

Some have put their hope in a man who was not elected yesterday and their hope is gone. Others have put their hope in a man who was elected and they will be disappointed.

Psalm 146:3-6 (NIV) Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

Hope for your future, hope for America's future can only be found in the Lord our God. He is the creator of all and He holds the lives of all men, from President to pauper in His hand.

Since our hope for the future is found in God, then that hope can only become a reality in America through the church of Jesus Christ. As the church grows in number and in understanding of a biblical worldview, her influence in America will increase. According to the Gallup poll, weekly church attenders voted overwhelmingly for the losing presidential candidate, whereas those who seldom or never attend church voted overwhelmingly for the winning presidential candidate in 2008. The implications are clear. A well informed Bible-believing church will always vote for the candidate whose decisions are most based on biblical principles. The blessing of a democracy is that in four years, we will have another opportunity to vote for president.

Finally, the Bible instructs us to pray for our leaders, whether we agree with their policies or not. God is perfectly capable of accomplishing good things through leaders who do not understand His ways. Proverbs 21:1 (NIV) The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. The direction of the leader's heart is dependent on the prayers of God's people in the church.

So, on this day after the election, there is cause for great hope. Not in a man, but in a great God and the church that He leads. Be encouraged, follow God's direction in your life and church and you will be blessed.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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The Evil of Proposition A and Gambling

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:53:24 -0500

I just got a very large postcard in the mail yesterday encouraging me to vote for Proposition A. I've taken the liberty of changing the Yes to No on the front of the card, so no one will mistake my position. The first thing that struck me about the card was how deceptive it was. It encouraged people to vote for Proposition A to receive millions of dollars for schools, jobs and services. Only on the bottom of the backside of the postcard were the words "provided by casinos."

The apple on the front reminded me of the original fruit in the garden of Eden that Adam and Eve were tempted to eat. It was so appealing and yet, in hindsight, disobeying God and eating the fruit led to dreadful consequences. Gambling is evil and the deeper Missouri imbibes of the forbidden fruit, the more hooked she becomes.

Gambling was legalized in Missouri in 1992, yet now, just 16 years later, many people cannot even remember when gambling was not allowed. Familiarity with evil sears the conscience. Rather than giving money to Missouri's people, casinos remove billions of dollars from the economy that could have been put to much better use. On the way, the lives of thousands of people and their families are tragically affected by the addiction of gambling. The St Louis Post Dispatch recounts some of the ill effects of gambling in their editorial urging Missourians to defeat the multi-million dollar campaign by casinos to pass Proposition A. You can also find more reasons to vote No on Proposition A on www.NOonA.com.

As a pastor, why am I convinced that Proposition A is evil? Proposition A basically removes the $500 loss limit on gambling in Missouri. This makes a bad thing worse by taking away any limits from thousands people who cannot control their gambling habit. Passage of Proposition A will greatly increase the number of people that the evil of gambling will devastate in the future.

What does the Bible say about gambling? There are many passages that I could use, but let's just look at one. 1 Timothy 6:9 (NIV) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. Why do people gamble? People gamble because they want to get rich and the more they gamble, the more the desire to get rich grows. Let's dispense with the silly excuse I hear from time to time, "it's just entertainment." If there was no money to be won, gambling wouldn't exist. So gambling fuels this desire to get rich, whether gambling in a casino or through state-sponsored lotteries. The result is that people fall into temptation and a trap which ultimately plunges people into ruin and destruction.

So, I encourage you to vote NO on Proposition A. Defeating Proposition A will not stop the evil of gambling in Missouri, but it will slow it's expansion and that is a worthy cause.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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How To Decide Who To Vote For

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:26:00 -0500

The general election of 2008 is just a few weeks away and the media of full of debates, polls and politics. How should a person decide who to vote for? Should you vote for John McCain or Barack Obama? Some people will vote for who they thought "won" the debates. Others will vote for who they think appears more presidential. Yet others will vote for a candidate because they want to see change. Still others will vote for a candidate because they do not want to see change. I think that the Bible gives a better way on how to decide who to vote for.

If we look at how God says a leader should be chosen, it will show us the characteristics to look for in a leader, whether a President, a Senator or some other official. The classic example is found in 1 Samuel 16, where God chooses a leader for Israel through the prophet Samuel. The instructions that God gave to Samuel are found in verse 7, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Bottom line, pick a leader based on heart characteristics, like character and values, rather than external factors or charisma.

Let's move right to 2008 and ask how we are to determine the character, the heart characteristics of a candidate. The character of a man will determine his future effectiveness as a leader, not his good intentions or promises. Character is best judged by past experiences. 1 Timothy 3:10 says that "They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons." I have taken courses on best practices for job interviews and they agree. The best predictor of future performance is past performance. Don't ask the applicants about what they plan to do, ask them about what they have done in the past. And so, we should judge presidential candidates the same way. Their past record gives the best indication of what they will do in the future, it shows the direction of their hearts. Therefore, choose the candidate whose plans are simply an extension of their past experience. If the candidate makes promises, but does not root them in his past performance or voting record, he has no credibility.

Leadership is to be based on principle and values, not on simply doing what the poll of the day indicates. A leader leads, he molds public opinion, rather than simply following public opinion.

The Bible indicates that God has designed three major institutions in society: government, the church and the family. The best candidate will understand the balance between these three institutions and see how each has a role to play in society.

A candidate's stand on the issues and past record must be analyzed with respect to biblical values and teaching. A claim to be a Christian or to have a relationship with God should not be deemed credible if the record does not indicate the candidate has a biblical worldview. The stand of national level candidates on many issues can be found on some news websites, as well as others like www.ivotevalues.org. You may also study a voter issue guide of where the presidential candidates stand on important issues.

Not all issues are of equal importance to those who desire to vote based on biblical values. As important as issues like the economy, taxes, health care or terrorism are, the way to assess the best candidate to deal with them is to look at a small set of non-negotiable issues. These issues have crystal clear answers in the Bible and most candidates have clear positions on them. If a candidate's stand on these issues is correct, the rest of their positions will tend to reflect a biblical worldview. If the candidate's view on these issues is incorrect, the rest of their positions will tend to reflect a non-biblical worldview.

Here are the non-negotiable issues, agreed on by every believer who knows and lives by the Bible: Protection of human life is a responsibility of government. The Bible teaches that life begins at conception and so abortion must be opposed in every way possible. The choice to kill one's own child is barbaric. Life continues until God takes it and so euthanasia, the active termination of life must also be opposed in every way possible.

Marriage is held with high esteem in the Bible and provides the basic unit of society. From the beginning, marriage has been between one man and one woman. Society and government must encourage marriage and oppose anything destructive to it. Same-sex marriage must be opposed, in particular for the damage that it would do to future generations of children as well as society.

In the past, it may have been difficult to tell where candidates stood on these issues, but no more, especially at the national level. The major parties have taken stands on many of these issues and discussed them in their party platforms. Most candidates support their parties' platforms on these issues, but there are exceptions, particularly at the state and local levels. Find out the candidates' stances on these issues. Vote for the candidates who best support these non-negotiable values.

It doesn't matter if your family has traditionally voted for one party for years, the times have changed, believers must do the right thing today. Don't vote for the candidate that you think will put the most money in your pocket, vote for the candidate that follows godly values. When you do the right thing as a believer by voting according to biblical values, not your pocketbook, it will lead to blessing on your family and the nation. Regardless of the outcome of the elections, you and your family will be blessed if you vote your values as believers. NLT Proverbs 14:34 Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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Vacations and God

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:38:51 -0500

Summer, especially July, is a time of family vacations. Ever wondered what God thinks about vacations? I've been thinking about it, as our family just returned from a vacation to Kentucky. We explored an 1850's farm, got our van licked by a herd of buffalo and just had a great time together. We didn't take a vacation from God, as we had times together of reading the Bible and attended a great church last Sunday called Hope Harbor. We're glad to be back in St Louis, a little tired from all the physical activity, but refreshed.

So what does God think of vacations? In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to take a trip three times a year to Jerusalem for the joyous festivals of Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Weeks. Everybody needs a significant break from the routine of work a few times of year. Leave the laptop and email at home. Family vacations build the family bond closer. There's nothing like the nine people of our family living in a small cabin to rub off some of our rough edges. Going to a different place and changing from the city to the wilderness, opened up our eyes to see God's handiwork in creation. Worshipping in another church in a different state showed us God's family is far bigger than what we have personally experienced. If you haven't already, enjoy a vacation this summer, but don't leave God out of it.

Actually, God presecribed a mini-vacation every week in the ten commandments called the Sabbath or day of rest. It's a day to set aside to worship God, most people do that on Sunday. It's a day to spend with your family and to set aside the routine work of the week. Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Take a break, you deserve it and God commands it.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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Connecting With A Church Family

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:48:27 -0500

The importance of connecting with a church family can hardly be over emphasized. Yet, more and more people are failing to make the connection. Recent statistics show that on any given weekend, the percentage of people in church in America is about 18%. That means that 82% are not worshiping with a church family. The consequences of the neglect of spiritual life are all around us. Broken families, damaged lives, greed, lies and a rejection of God's truth. If the trend away from the church continues, life will not continue as normal. The results of ignoring God are already being seen in America and the problems will increase in the future.

However, those who are wise, who want to be blessed and be a blessing, can buck the trend. As you get connected to God's family in the church, great things begin to happen in your life and family. Being part of a church family moves you out of self-centeredness and helps you grow spiritually. A church family will help you learn and apply God's principles to your life. You will escape much of the troubles that those around you face. Relationships that you build in a church family can be a source of encouragement and strength in trying times. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

The time is later than people think. History rushes forward to a climactic ending, the return of Jesus Christ. Only by being connected to a church family will you be able to fulfill God's purpose for your life in these trying times. Those who are really connected to the church family are seeing incredible answers to prayers. Being connected to the church family at Full Life is a whole lot more than coming on Sunday mornings. The difference between people who are connected with God and His church and those who aren't is getting more and more clear.

This coming Sunday, we will hear the story of a man who has seen a wonderful answer to prayer regarding a job promotion. In the weeks ahead, we will have another story from a lady who was promoted while 90% of her company was laid off. These people are not casual Christians. They are fully connected to the church family at Full Life and they are being blessed. You can be too.

You may listen to my in-depth audio message on Connecting With Others, as well as download the message notes and discussion questions for your personal study.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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A Life of Surrender

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:03:09 -0500

Everyone surrenders their life to something. Some people surrender their lives to drugs or alcohol. Others surrender their lives to career or fame. Yet others surrender their lives to pursuing whatever gives them happiness. Whatever you surrender your life to is what you worship, whether you realize it or not. What you worship is what you become like. So be very careful what you surrender your life to.

Jesus said in Mark 12:30 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Jesus is talking about surrendering all you have, mind, emotions and strength to God. To love God in this way is the only appropriate worship a created person can offer their creator. God has given you everything you have, everything you are, as a gift. When you surrender it all back into His hands, He will direct you to fulfill the purpose He created you for. Anything less than God's purpose is a waste and leads to heartbreak.

The problem for many people is that they simply do not believe that God knows what is best for their lives. So they choose not learn from God's Word about God's plan for their lives. They have it all figured out or so they think. Not surrendering to God's plan for your life leads to bondage to whatever you surrender your life to. Not surrendering to God leads to stress, tension and worry. Not surrendering to God's purpose results in a weak life that accomplishes little of value.

Make a choice to surrender your mind, your emotions and your abilities to God. Say to God, whatever you want me to do, I will do. Wherever you want me to go, I will go. Surrender your life to the God who loves you more than you love yourself. Surrender = Worship. Romans 12:1 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Do you long for a life of adventure? A fulfilling life doing things that make a difference? A life that will powerfully impact people's lives for eternity? Surrender your life to Jesus and He'll make it happen.

You may listen to my in-depth audio message on Surrendering Your Life, as well as download the message notes and discussion questions for your personal study.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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The Money Idol

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:54:54 -0500

What is the biggest idol of all time? Jesus taught that the biggest distraction to serving God was money. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. If money is your master, then it is your idol, the money idol.

Now, the Bible does not teach that there is anything wrong with money persay. Money becomes an idol when you begin to serve it. Jesus taught that some people try to serve money and God, but it can't be done. If you serve money at all, money is your master, your idol. Money becomes your idol when you begin to love it. 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. When you love money, you begin to sacrifice your principles, your relationships and your common sense in order to get more of it. When you love money, you never have enough, you are never content. When you love money, you do stupid things with the money you have, like gambling or playing the lottery in order to try to get more. When you love money, you sacrifice your family relationships in order to get the highest paying job, no matter how many hours you have to work. When you love money, you sacrifice your relationship with God and His church. You cannot serve both God and money.

People who love the money idol store up money and possessions on this earth for themselves. Matthew 6:19 (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. People who love God use their money to store up treasure in heaven. Matthew 6:20 (NIV) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. If your treasure is on this earth, money is your idol. If your treasure is in heaven, God is your master.

How do you store treasures in heaven? First of all, realize that all you have including your money, is not yours to do with as you please. Everything that you have, including your money, is a gift from God to be invested for God to achieve a return for God. It's not your money, it's God's. The Bible contains over 2350 verses describing God's instructions on how to use your money for Him. To lay up treasures in heaven, follow God's instructions. Secondly, the most important principle in the Bible about money is to be generous with it. Give it back to God and bless other people with it. Give to God first and then trust Him to meet your families' needs. Luke 16:10-11 (NIV) Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? If God sees that He can trust you with the little money you have now, He will trust you with greater responsibility and resources in the future.

You may listen to my in-depth audio message on What Jesus Taught About Money, as well as download the message notes and discussion questions for your personal study.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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How To Be Influential

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:46:50 -0500

If you're a believer, God wants you to be an influential person. He doesn't want you to be influenced by the world, but rather to be a positive influence on people around you. Romans 12:2a (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Unfortunately, many believers have not had their minds renewed by God and they think in the thought patterns of the world. You're not going to be very influential if you're just like everybody else. In this post, I want to help you renew your mind with what Jesus taught about becoming a person of influence.

Jesus taught two important ways that believers are to be influential in society. The first way is to influence others against evil. Matthew 5:13 (NIV) You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Salt has the property of being a preservative against decay in foods. Believers are to take a stand against evil and sin in society by speaking out and acting against it. Of course, if you give in to sin yourself, you have absolutely no credibility to influence others against it. However, if you retain your saltiness, then you can warn others against the dangers of sin. If you don't take a stand against evil, you're going to get trampled upon, which is where a lot of fearful and ashamed believers are today. Wake up, be salt.

The second way to be influential is to influence others for good. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Jesus' second metaphor of an influential believer is that of light. Jesus came as the light of the world and believers are to be the light of the world. Light illumines, light dispels the darkness and guides to the truth.

The world tries to get believers to hide their lights, saying, "It's just your private opinion, keep it to yourself." Jesus says, forget the world, listen to me. Let your light shine by doing good deeds, so that people will praise God. It's not just a matter of doing good deeds, since then people will praise you. To be influential for God, you must do good deeds and let people know that you are doing them for Jesus. Then your good deeds will serve as light, drawing others out of the darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ.

Are you an influential person? Are you being salt and light to the world around you? Are you consciously influencing others against evil and toward good? If not, ask for God's help, it's a prayer He loves to answer. God make us influential believers for you.

You may listen to my in-depth audio message on How To Be An Influential Person, as well as download the message notes and discussion questions for your personal study.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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Three Tests Of Eternal Life

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:21:36 -0500

The worst possible surprise that anyone could have is to realize on judgment day that they aren't going to heaven, but to hell. Pollster George Barna tells us that only 0.5% of American adults think they will go to hell, most think they are going to heaven. Most people think they are Christians and have eternal life. Jesus tells us that there are going to be a lot of surprised people on judgment day. Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Actually the claims of the people around us won't be nearly as impressive as those Jesus talks about. People today will say, 'Lord, Lord, did we not attend church on Christmas and Easter, were we not basically good people, weren't we baptized in church?" and they will get the same answer from Jesus.

How can a person avoid being deceived about whether they have eternal life or not? John wrote the book of 1 John for the following purpose. 1 John 5:13 (NIV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. The book of 1 John gives three tests that anyone can use to test themselves to see if they are going to heaven. You must pass all three tests to know whether you have eternal life.

Test one can be summarized with the question, "Do you believe right?" 1 John 4:15 (NIV) If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. To believe right is to believe what the Bible tells us about Jesus and to trust your life to Him. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the divine, perfect Son of God who became human to save humanity. Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross to pay the penalty of eternal death so that believers might have eternal life. However, 41% of American adults believe that Jesus sinned when He lived on the earth. They don't believe right and don't have eternal life. 1 John 2:22 (NIV) Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son.

Test two is the question, "Do you live right?" The reason the next two tests are important is that a lot of people have fooled themselves into thinking they believe in Jesus. If you truly have believed in Jesus, then you will pass the second and third tests. If you are fooling yourself, you will not pass these tests. 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. In other words, John is saying that those who have eternal life consistently obey God's commands and do not continue to live in sin. If someone does not obey God's commands and continues to sin, they do not have eternal life. Now, John does not say that a believer is perfect and never sins. However, a believer does not engage in habitual sin.

The third test is the question, "Do you love right?" 1 John 3:14 (NIV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. In today's world, a lot of people have dropped out of church. They think they can live a faith-filled life on their own without the so-called hypocrites in the church. John is telling us here that if you don't love other believers enough to be part of a church family, you aren't a believer, you're fooling yourself.

Three tough tests. How did you do? If you failed a test today, you can still do something about it. If you fail on judgment day, it's all over for eternity for you. If you failed any test, you need to go back to test one and make sure that you truly believe. To believe in a biblical sense is to commit your whole life to Jesus Christ. To believe is to not only trust Jesus to forgive your sins, but to trust Him enough to obey everything He tells you to do. When you believe like that, when you acknowledge Jesus as Lord, then you will pass the second and third test easily.

I encourage you to listen to my in depth audio message on How To Know You Have Eternal Life, as well as download the message notes and discussion questions for your personal study.

Biblical Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:26:09 -0600

One of the mysteries of the Christian life is unanswered prayer. There are many promises in God's Word regarding God answering prayers. One example is given by Jesus in John 14:12-14 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. On first glance, someone may take these verses to suggest that they should receive answers for anything they ask God for. However, this doesn't happen for most people and they may become discouraged in prayer. In this post, I want to begin to explore some of the common reasons for the mystery of unanswered prayer.

I am going to assume that the person praying is a believer, that is, they have admitted their sin to God, believed that Jesus died to forgive that sin and have committed their lives to following Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To grow in your prayer life, you must understand what God teaches about answering prayer. Almost all of God's promises in the Bible are conditional. A conditional promise is one that will only be answered by God if you meet the conditions. Some conditions for promises are found in the promise verses themselves and other conditions are found in other related verses in Scripture. If you meet the conditions of God's Word for His promises, God always keeps His promises.

James 5:16b (NIV) The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Prayers that are powerful and effective are certainly prayers that are answered. The implied condition for powerful and effective prayer in this verse is the character of the person praying the prayer. James says that the prayer of a righteous man will be answered. A righteous person is first and foremost a believer, someone who has trusted in Jesus' righteousness to forgive their sins.

However, the righteousness of a believer must also be a practical righteousness that is lived out. 1 John 3:7 (NIV) Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. A true believer is someone who does what is right, they live with a practical righteousness. What happens when a true believer sins? 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If a believer sins, they must immediately confess their sin and ask for God's forgiveness to be purified from their unrighteous behavior. The problem is that many people continue to live in known sin without confessing and turning away from it.

Unconfessed sin therefore is a major cause of unanswered prayer. Psalms 66:18 (NIV) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; To cherish sin in your heart is to hang on to it, to not confess it and turn from it. When someone has unconfessed sin in their hearts, God does not listen to their prayers and the prayers are not answered. Peter shows us a practical example of this by warning that if husbands do not treat their wives properly, it will hinder their prayers from being answered. 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV) Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Problems in your marriage relationship, caused by not respecting your spouse, will lead to unanswered prayer.

In some churches, there is very little emphasis on righteous living. Many believers have areas of their lives that they have not submitted to Jesus Christ and are indulging in known, often habitual sin. This sin is often excused as being small and inconsequential. However, any unconfessed sin will decimate your prayer life. What makes this such a mystery for many is that you may be praying a prayer that truly is God's will, but sin in another area of your life will prevent God's answer from coming. In effect, sin short-circuits God's answers to your prayers.

A viscous cycle then ensues in which people blame God for not answering their prayers. Their faith grows weak and they often give up on praying at all. The solution is to confess your sin, turn away from it and begin to live righteously through the power of God. This removes one of the most common hindrances to unanswered prayer, the hindrance of unconfessed sin. In The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer - Part 2, I will look at another cause of the mystery of unanswered prayer.

Real Answers for Your Family
Full Life Community Church - St Louis
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Praying For The Election

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:47:14 -0600

The Bible instructs us to pray for those who are in authority over us in the government, so we must also pray for the election by which those authorities are selected. The instructions of God's Word for our prayer life are also an instructive guide on how we should vote in the election. Of course, these instructions were written in a time when the believer had no influence in the choice of their government. I am grateful to God that today we still have a choice in American democracy. However, a democracy is only a good form of government when the majority vote according to the principles of God's Word. If the majority of the people are wrong, we will elect the wrong kind of government.

What kind of government does God want believers to pray for? In this post, I'm going to look at a passage that Paul wrote to a young pastor named Timothy.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

The first thing that we should pray for in our government is that "we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." The we referred to here is the church of true believers. Government should work so that Christians may live peaceful and quiet lives. The authorities must protect us from external and internal enemies who would disrupt the peace and quiet of our lives. The justice system and the economic system must be governed to bring about this end as well. The second part of the phrase says that believers must be allowed to live "in all godliness and holiness." Government must not interfere with the lives of believers who are living according to the principles of God's Word. Government should not interfere with the internal workings of the church nor restrict the freedom of speech of it's leaders as it increasingly does in America. Governments and leaders who follow these principles and actively encourage the ministry of the church will be blessed as this pleases God.

The last sentence that Paul writes shows us why this is important. God "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." People who are not saved are living in a false delusion. It is only the saved that have the knowledge of the truth. When believers are allowed and encouraged to live peaceful and quiet lives by the government, then the church will grow as more people are saved. Salvation is the result that God is looking for. The expansion of the church is the result that Christians should be praying toward in every election.

Unfortunately, most people simply vote for whoever they think will personally give them the best economic benefit. One side believes that the government should give everyone all kinds of freebies and they think that they will gain more benefit than the taxes they pay. The other side believes that the government should cut taxes to the bone and in so doing, they believe that they will gain more benefit from managing their own money. Both sides are motivated by selfish greed. Christians should not align themselves with viewpoints cobbled together by unbelievers who don't know the truth. As believers, we must align ourselves with the principles of God's Word.

Believers need to ask the question, "Which nominee will better allow the church to grow by more people being saved?" Pray that the authorities elected will allow the church to grow unimpeded, that's why America was founded. Vote for the nominee that will best govern by biblical principles that favor the church. What about the many unbelievers in America? The best hope, the only hope for unbelievers in America, is that the church of Jesus Christ reach them with the message of salvation. Pray that in this election, a President and Congress will be elected that will allow more people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

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What You Don't Know About The Presidential Candidates

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:52:27 -0600

In this primary season, as no other in my memory, the stands of the presidential candidates on issues of importance to a Christian have been very difficult to determine. Even though there is broad agreement among Christians on a great number of moral issues, there has been no agreement on the best presidential candidate who supports those positions. National Christian leaders seem as confused as rank and file Christians, one endorsing one candidate, one another and some not knowing who to endorse.

The media has made things much worse. It is almost impossible to determine where candidates stand on important issues, either from the mainstream media or conservative media such as Fox News or Rush Limbaugh (see my post Should Christians Listen To Rush Limbaugh?). The candidates themselves, as well as separate groups, have been distorting or outright lying about the positions of their competition. On top of that, multiple candidates have been very inconsistent in their stand on a number of issues. What they are saying today is not what they voted for or governed by in the past and who knows where they will come down to in the future. Inconsistent positions on fundamental moral issues is a dangerous character flaw which leads to governing by watching the polls, rather than by moral principle.

Recently, the respected Christian organization, American Family Association, published their Voter Guide for the 2008 Presidential Primary. It features the stands of the Republican and Democratic candidates on eight issues. The issues are the human life amendment, traditional marriage, gun rights, business freedom (opposing laws forcing business to favor homosexuality), limit taxes, opposing gay pride, Iraq war and moral education. Even though I have been following the campaign, I was shocked at the stands of a number of the candidates. There was a lot that I didn't know.

Download the Voter Guide and find out what you didn't know about the Presidential candidates. Then forget what the media is telling you about who's in or out of the race at this point. As a Christian, your responsibility is to vote for the candidate that best stands for biblical principles and let God sort out the election.

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Should Christians Listen To Rush Limbaugh?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:45:02 -0600

As I reflected on my last post, The Importance Of Character In Leadership, it occurred to me that there are leaders that we might not recognize as leaders at first glance. One such type of leader are media opinion leaders, the people who shape public opinion by radio, television or other media. The current leader in talk radio is Rush Limbaugh, whose program airs at least 15 hours a week and attracts a minimum of 13.5 million listeners. Limbaugh proudly calls himself a conservative and in effect defines what conservative means for millions of Americans. Thus the equation Limbaugh = conservative is true for many people. Some believers have extended the equation to become Limbaugh = conservative = Christian and listen to Limbaugh to understand how a Christian should view the issues and politics of the day. Should Christians listen to Rush Limbaugh?

I have listened to Limbaugh on occasion while driving and agree with some things and disagree with others. My question in this post is not whether a Christian should ever listen to him, but whether a Christian should listen to Limbaugh for hours weekly and take his opinion as how to think on current issues. Most people listen to their pastors for maybe 30 minutes a week on Sunday mornings. If they listen to Limbaugh for hours weekly, who will more shape their thinking and character? The answer would be Limbaugh. Whether you believe his talk is changing you or not, it is. Proverbs 13:20 (NIV) He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. In other words, whoever you listen to, whoever you spend time with, you become like.

My argument in my last post about character in leadership was that the qualifications that the Bible lists for church leaders are essential qualifications for any leadership position. If a person does not do well in this character test, then according to God's Word, they would not be a wise person who should be listened to or personally followed. As a pastor, I am unconstitutionally muzzled by IRS regulations from applying this test to politicians, but am free to apply it to a talk show host, such as Rush Limbaugh. How does Limbaugh measure up?

The first requirement of character is in relationships according to 1 Timothy 3:2-7. A leader must be "the husband of one wife" and "must manage his own family well." The reason is given that if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he manage or lead anything larger? Although this character requirement is consistently ignored today, it is nevertheless true. How has Limbaugh done? Let's do some research by going to Wikipedia's article on Limbaugh. Under the paragraph on relationships, we find that Limbaugh has been married and divorced three times. He has certainly never learned to manage his own family or wife.

The second character requirement has to do with the qualities that make up a good reputation in God's eyes. A leader must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome and not a lover of money. This is a little more difficult to judge, especially as I do not listen to Limbaugh regularly. In my opinion, I would not want my children to grow up having the character of Limbaugh. He tends to see everything as black or white, either you are a conservative according to his definition or you are a liberal. Certains word such as humble, gentle, not quarrelsome and temperate do not readily come to mind when listening to Limbaugh. The whole issue of his problem with prescription drug addiction and fraud concealment of related information does not make for a postitive role model. Perhaps, an easier question to answer is whether you would want to spend a lot of time around someone with Limbaugh's personal character qualities. I would not.

The third character requirement is the leader's belief system. Where do the principles he lives by come from? Limbaugh has written The 35 Undeniable Truths that form his core principles. Truth number 20 says "There is a God." Nothing in the truths about Jesus or the Bible. Some of Limbaugh's principles could be derived from the Bible, others could not be. I have not seen any type of testimony by Limbaugh with regard to his personal salvation. His talk show certainly is not the place to learn a comprehensive biblical worldview despite some overlap of his truths with biblical principles. I believe that Christians would be far better off reading their Bibles and discussing it's implications with other believers in their churches than to waste significant amounts of time listening to Limbaugh.

I conclude that Christians should not spend much time listening to Limbaugh, God has much better ways for you to spend your time. Learn to think and reason from the Bible for yourself, rather than parrot the latest Limbaugh opinions. Limbaugh has filled a vacuum that existed in America for relevant biblical teaching on the issues of the day. It's time to recognize that Limbaugh does not have the character of a leader worth listening to. Christians should be known for thinking biblically, not whether they conform to anyone's definition of conservative or liberal. I encourage you to apply the leadership character test to political candidates to determine who to support and vote for. For my part, I am beginning to write this year about current issues from a biblical perspective. I trust that the conversation will be helpful.

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The Importance Of Character In Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:04:46 -0600

Leadership is a very important matter, for leaders, by definition, lead people. Who we choose to follow as a leader has very real consequences. How should we decide who we follow? In this post, I would like to make the case that the most important characteristic of a leader is character. What a leader says he will do and his stand on various issues is of lesser importance. Without good character, what confidence do we have that what a leader says, he will do?

Simply speaking, character is a combination of a person's beliefs, reputation and managing relationships. For the purposes of this discussion, I will look at the Bible's qualifications for an overseer in the church. I believe that these character qualities are essential for a good leader in every field of human endeavor, whether church, business or government. A study of the Old Testament would show that most of these qualities were noted as being important for leaders of nations, such as kings.

1 Timothy 3:2-7 (NIV) Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Let's begin with the requirements regarding relationships. The Bible says that a leader should be "the husband of but one wife" and that "he must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect." The reason is that if someone cannot manage his own family, how can he possibly manage anything bigger, like a business, a church or a government body. Now of course, this wisdom is not politically correct, for the media tells us that one's private life and family life have absolutely nothing to do with how someone leads. This is foolish. If one is unsuccessful in his family life, he has a definite character flaw. Multiple marriages is a big red flag which you ignore at your own risk. If you want to learn something about today's aspiring political leaders' family lives, look them up in Wikipedia.

Next, let's look at a leader's reputation, which must be good with people outside of his immediate group. I don't have time to go over each individual quality which make up reputation, but the list is worthy of study. A leader must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome and not a lover of money. This list covers dealing with people, lack of addictions, ability to communicate and proper handling of finances. The passage also indicates that a leader should grow in his leadership ability over time, so that he will not become prideful. Whereas, there seems to be a tendency to gravitate towards leaders who exhibit quarrelsome and angry traits, this is not what the Bible recommends.

Finally, I want to look at the importance of a leader's beliefs as the foundation of their character. Again, contrary to popular opinion, a leader's beliefs are not irrelevant and a private matter, but they form the basic worldview from which a leader draws principles with which to govern. If a leader's beliefs are correct, the principles he governs by will be correct and ultimately successful. If a leader's beliefs are incorrect or he draws his principles simply by polling the public, the result will be leadership failure.

Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. True wisdom and understanding only comes from knowing God and the truth of God's Word. Can a leader who does not personally fear the Lord, govern by godly principles? Yes, to some degree, but how much better a leader who can lead both by the general principles of God's word and the specific guidance of the Holy Spirit. Now, the vast majority of leaders in America claim to be Christians, so this claim doesn't do much to winnow the field. One must analyze their words and their actions to determine their beliefs. If they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they will talk about it and not be ashamed of it. However, some leaders may be believers but have a very shallow understanding of God's Word and how it's principles apply to a Christian worldview. A leader with true Christian beliefs will exhibit a long track record of applying biblical principles to the issues of leadership.

In future posts, I will explore how biblical principles apply to various issues of importance to leaders and all of us. Moral character is of essential importance in leadership. Don't fall for that line used so often, that all of us make mistakes. Yes, we all sin, but there are leaders who have godly character according to the biblical standard and have not fallen in the major areas highlighted by Scripture. Elect and follow leaders who follow God and you won't go wrong.

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Is Mormonism Christian? Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:31:49 -0600

In "Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1", I described the four fundamental marks of the Christian faith. In "Is Mormonism Christian? Part 2", I compared Mormon doctrine with these four defining features of Christianity and found it did not meet the test on any of the marks. My analysis is not unique by any means. Most major denominations and theologians classify Mormonism as a theological cult, because although it calls itself Christian, it does not follow Christian teaching. In this final article of the series, I want to address the question of how Christians should respond to Mormons.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. The Bible teaches that every person has been created by God in the image of God and deserves to be treated with gentleness and respect. As Christians teach others about what the Bible says, we must not be judgemental or prideful. However, when others raise the question about Mormonism or Mormons claim to be Christian, Christians have an obligation to give a truthful answer.

I have come to the conclusion that the Mormon religion is not Christian. If you would like to do further research on the topic, I have found the following books helpful.

Fast Facts on Mormonism - John Ankerberg and John Weldon
Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons - Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine
Handbook of Today's Religions - Josh McDowell and Don Stewart
The New Mormon Challenge - Editor Francis Beckwith et al.

However, what about individual Mormons? Does the fact that the doctrine of Mormonism is not Christian, mean that all Mormons are not Christians? The answer is that individual Mormons may indeed be misguided Christians and the reasons are two-fold. First of all, one of the Mormon Scriptures is the Bible. Anyone reading the Bible may come to the knowledge of the truth. Secondly, it is well known that a high percentage of Mormon converts come from Bible-believing churches. Pollster George Barna finds that the percentage of born-again adults, those who believe "they have made a personal commitment to Christ that is important in their life today and also say that when they die they know they will go to Heaven solely because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior," range from a high of 81% in the Assemblies of God to a low of 25% in the Catholic church. The Mormon church suprisingly has 34% of born-again adults according to Barna.

How should you respond to a Mormon that you know personally? As with any other person, you should seek to determine whether they are truly a Christian, not assuming to know their personal relationship with God based on what church they go to. If they are truly Christians, endeavor to discuss with them the problems with Mormon doctrine compared to biblical teaching. If they are not Christians, seek to get them to read and discuss the Bible and contrast it to Mormonism. Reference books on Mormonism, such as those mentioned above will be important to address the issues. Above all, do not take a claim to be a Christian from anyone, including a Mormon, at face value.

In response to the question, "Are Mormons Christians?", an article on the official Mormon site gave the following answer.

Why would anyone say such a thing? Isn’t the name of our church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Do we not worship Christ? Is not the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ? How could anyone seriously doubt that Latter-day Saints are Christians?

None of the reasons given in this response has anything to do with the basic marks of Christianity given in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. May we pray that God opens the eyes of Mormons to truly see the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Is Mormonism Christian? Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:34:03 -0600

In "Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1," I laid out the four marks that distinguish a Christian group or denomination. In Part 2 of this series, I will apply these tests to the doctrine of the Mormon church to answer the question, "Is Mormonism Christian?" The Mormon position will be verified with links to the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As many people have no idea of the origin of the Mormon church, here is a brief history.

The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith was born in Vermont in 1805. At the age of 14, Smith had his first vision, in which a supernatural personage informed him that all of Christianity current at his time was a false abomination. Three years later, Smith had a second vision, in which a spirit called Moroni told him of a book of gold plates on which was recorded the history of the former inhabitants of the American continent. Smith supposedly translated the gold plates to produce the Book of Mormon in 1829. The gold plates were never seen by anyone other than Smith. The historical records contained in the book of Mormon have been demonstrated to be false by noted Mesoamerican archaeologists and respected archaeological societies. Thomas Finley in the book "The New Mormon Challenge" summarizes the evidence for the origin of the Book of Mormon. "There is no solid evidence that the Book of Mormon was written by Semites in ancient times. Contrary evidence makes it more likely that the book is a product of Joseph Smith’s time with the KJV strongly influencing it."

The first mark of a Christian group is that it upholds the unique authority of the Bible and does not add or take away from it. The Mormon Church has four authoritative books: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price, all but the Bible penned by Joseph Smith. Mormonism teaches that the Bible is unreliable and has been corrupted. Therefore Smith "translated" a corrected version of the Bible which introduced thousands of changes into the King James Version. One of the changes was the addition of a prophecy in Genesis foretelling the coming of Joseph Smith. Of course, since the Bible is considered unreliable, the writings of Smith take precedence in the formulation of Mormon doctrine. This will be seen as I look at the next three marks. Mormonism fails the test of being based on the unique authority of the Bible.

The second mark of a Christian group is it’s understanding of God. The Mormon church teaches that God the Father is the supreme god, ruling over other gods. Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. It teaches that God the Father was once a man like us and progressed to become God. Therefore, humans may also become gods by following the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression. Mormonism rejects the Christian Trinitarian concept of God and views the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as separate beings. Suffice it to say that the Mormon doctrine of God is radically different from the biblical view accepted by Christendom.

The third mark of a Christian group is it’s teaching about Jesus Christ. The Mormon Church teaches that Jesus did not always exist, but was begotten from the union of the Father and an unnamed wife. Jesus and Lucifer therefore are considered spirit brothers. Although a recent statement of the Mormon church appeared to reject this, it was deceptive, as an in-depth discussion of Mormon theology on this point indicates. Mormon doctrine actually teaches that Jesus, in His mortal state, was born as a result of sexual relations between God the Father and Mary. According to Mormon theology, Jesus is not to be worshipped in the same way as God the Father, nor to be prayed to. Mormonism fails the test of the third mark of Christianity.

The fourth mark of Christianity is a biblical doctrine of salvation. It must be noted that Mormonism uses Christian terminology but deceptively defines the terms completely differently from Christianity. Mormon doctrine teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Mormon Church. Mormonism speaks of salvation by grace, but examination of Mormon doctrine clearly shows that individual salvation comes by what you do (Mormon baptism, church attendance, good works, worthiness and temple works). The atonement of Jesus’ death according to Mormonism provides the opportunity to earn salvation through personal merit, rather than paying the full penalty for our sins. Thus Mormonism fails the test of the fourth mark of Christianity.

My conclusion is that Mormonism is not Christian. Based on the beliefs of Mormonism, biblical scholars identify the Mormon Church as a theological cult. A theological cult is a group that consistently refers to itself as Christian, yet differs from the fundamental beliefs of Christian orthodoxy. In "Is Mormonism Christian? Part 3" of this mini-series, I will explore how believers should respond to Mormons.

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Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:38:57 -0600

The Mormon religion has been in the news a lot lately, as part of the coverage of the Presidential election. Many opinions have been presented by candidates and the news media, some of which do not agree with one another. The most fundamental question that has been raised is whether Mormonism is Christian or not. Is Mormonism just another Christian denomination? A recent poll by the Pew Research center found that 52% of American adults believe that Mormonism is a Christian religion, while 31% disagree. The Mormon church claims to be Christian, yet rejects all non-Mormon churches from the close of the apostolic age until now as being apostate.

If a group claims to be Christian, is that proof that it is? What does it mean to be Christian? This broader question is vital to answer, as many groups claim to be Christian. The first mark of a Christian group is that it upholds the unique authority of the Bible as the Word of God. Jesus said in NIV Matthew 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished validating the Old Testament scripture of his time. At the end of the New Testament, the book of Revelation concludes with the statement, NIV Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. These verses apply specifically to the book of Revelation and more generally to the New Testament and the whole canon of the Bible. The authority of the Bible has been a mark of the Christian church from it's foundation.

The second mark of a Christian group is it's understanding or doctrine of God. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed as a Trinity, that is, one being existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. NIV Isaiah 44:6 "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Man is a created being and can never become God.

The third mark of a Christian group is it's teaching about Jesus Christ. Jesus was fully human and fully God. As part of the Trinity, He has eternally existed, He was never created. He is co-equal with God. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth, died for the sins of mankind, rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven. NIV Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

The fourth mark of a Christian group is the doctrine of salvation. Salvation is obtained by admitting you have sinned, believing that Jesus' death forgives that sin and committing one's life to Jesus as Lord. Salvation is having one's sins forgiven and entering into a relationship with God called eternal life. Salvation is a free gift received by faith alone and cannot be earned by doing good works. NIV Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.

While there are many other important beliefs taught in the Bible, these four marks have historically defined a true Christian church. Deviations from these marks indicate that the group is not Christian or has deviated from a true Christian belief. These four marks can be used to test whether a group is Christian in it's teaching or not. An individual must grasp these truths in some form and believe them in order to be a Christian. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans claim to be Christian, while many of them are ignorant of what the term means or what the Bible teaches. In Part 2 of this mini-series, I will apply these tests to the doctrine of the Mormon church to answer the question, "Is Mormonism Christian?"

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Why Christmas Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:38:28 -0600

For many people, Christmas is simply a holiday season for time with family and friends. "Merry Christmas" has been replaced by "Happy Holidays" on buildings, in front yards and in various publications across America. The politically correct view is that we must not offend any non-Christians by using the word Christmas in any positive context, even though over 80% of Americans call themselves Christian. Does Christmas matter or should we just relegate it to another secular holiday?

Even though Christmas has not always been celebrated by the Christian church or in the same way we celebrate it today, I believe Christmas matters. The Bible does not teach that we should celebrate Christmas, yet it has multiple accounts of what happened at Christmas and teaches us why it matters. You see the origin of Christmas is not just about the birth of the founder of Christianity. No, Christmas is about much more than that, for Jesus was not just a good, moral teacher.

Christmas matters, because on that night in a small Palestinian village 2000 years ago, God came to earth in human form. The God who created the universe, who flung the galaxies into place, who created you, was born as a flesh and blood baby. Colossians 1:15 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see-- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. When you looked at that baby born on that first Christmas night, you saw the invisible God. The most incredible event in human history took place on Christmas.

Jesus grew up, taught us about God, died on a cross and rose back to life, so that a rebellious humanity might have an opportunity to have a relationship with their creator. You see, Jesus didn't come into the world for no reason. He came because He loved you and wanted you to fulfill the purpose He created you for. 1 John 4:9 (NLT) God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. Eternal life is simply a relationship with God that begins in this life and lasts forever.

I think what happened at Christmas 2000 years ago is something worth celebrating, it's something worth teaching your children and it's something worth telling everybody you know about. Anybody who doesn't understand why Christmas matters is missing the point of life and the point of eternity. Christmas matters. I wish you all a Merry Christmas! To hear more about this topic, listen to my message "God's Best Gift."

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How To Find Joy At Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:37:38 -0600

Christmas can be a stressful time with all the extra things that get piled into our already busy schedules. Rather than begin a joyful time, Christmas can become a time of discouragement and of tensions between people. It doesn't have to be that way. If you want to find a little more joy in your Christmas this season, read on.

The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Be joyful always; which is a command. Therefore joy is not just a feeling that you have no control over, it is something that God commands you to be filled with. The next two verses are helpful in finding that joy that we all desire in our lives and families. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So prayer and giving thanks are key ingredients in discovering joy this Christmas.

Think back to that first Christmas night. There were shepherds watching their flocks of sheep when angels appeared and announced the birth of Jesus. The shepherds could have done nothing, but they chose to go see the new-born King. They worshipped Him and left giving thanks and praising God. They were filled with joy. The shepherds had their focus on Jesus and the result was joy.

What are you focusing on this Christmas? The answer to that question will determine whether your Christmas is filled with joy. If you are focused solely on shopping, presents, difficulties and finances, you won't find much joy. Choose to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, into the world. Pray and give thanks all through the season and you will be choosing joy. When you feel like complaining or criticizing, find something to be thankful about. Be grateful to God and others, caring more about them than yourself. Refuse to get down in the dumps, obey God's word to be joyful always and you will find joy at Christmas time for you and your family.

To hear more about this topic, listen to my December 16, 2007 message entitled God's Gift Of Joy.

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Changes In Pastor Dan's Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:57:27 -0600

We have just recently completed an upgrade of the Full Life Community Church website at www.full-life.org. I have decided to move my Sunday message introductions and podcast to the website beginning in December. You may subscribe to the Sunday Message Podcast by clicking the link at the bottom of this article. You may read the complete introductions to the messages, listen to the messages, download message notes and study guides at the message series page. You can also subscribe to email updates there as well.

Pastor Dan's blog will become a blog, rather than a podcast, featuring short articles on relating biblical principles to life. We will maintain the current feed address for the blog.

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Living Your Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Dan Walker) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:40:52 -0600

Today, we are concluding our message series "Dealing with Difficulties." In this series, we've looked at how the Bible teaches us to handle the tough times that we all have to face. As we finish the series, I hope you've noticed that we are now not just focusing on difficulties. Last Sunday, we talked about "The Joy of Thanksgiving." As you focus on God and His power through thanksgiving, you gain strength and joy to face life's difficulties.

Today, I've entitled the message "Living Your Dream." It seems to me that most people are just wrapped up in the difficulties of life. Most do not have a dream for their lives beyond escaping their current difficulties. And of the few that have or have had a dream, most aren't actually living out that dream. Without a dream or vision, life becomes a sad exercise in monotony, just a joyless day-to-day grind. The Bible says (NLT) Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. God wants to see you have dreams for your life and more than that, to see those dreams fulfilled.

God doesn't want you to live an average, humdrum kind of life. He wants you to have a dream and live a life of adventure and joy. Today we're going to look at the life of a man you may not have heard of. His name was Jabez there are only two verses in the Bible about him They are found in 1 Chronicles 4. You may have skipped over them if you were reading through 1 Chronicles, since the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are a genealogy of over 600 names. Right in the middle of the genealogy, we read about a man named Jabez. The Bible says that Jabez was "more honorable than his brothers." In other words, Jabez stood head and shoulders above the others of his generation. Jabez lived above average in God's eyes, he lived his dream.

Let's read those two verses about Jabez and see what was different about him. NIV 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. Now things didn't start well for Jabez. His mother must have had a very traumatic delivery, so she named her son Jabez. In Hebrew, Jabez sounds like the word for pain. So Jabez was constantly reminded about his painful beginning, as was everyone who heard his name. I can imagine the jokes. Here comes Jabez, isn't he such a pain. Yet somehow Jabez ended up being more honorable than the others of his generation. He stood out above the rest, he lived his dream. What secrets can we learn from Jabez that will help you live your dream?

To hear more about this topic, listen to my November 25, 2007 message entitled Living Your Dream via flash streaming audio, podcast or mp3 file.

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Full Life Community Church - St Louis