roybauer

Grace Does Not Come by Obedience…or Does It?

// July 9th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Devotions, Relevant Faith, society in general

^{While riding down a fairly big highway in West Columbia, SC, I saw a sign out front of a church and it read, “Grace Only Come by Obedience Gal 5:4”. I put it in quotes because that is exactly what it said –I wrote it down. I’ve read Galatians. I’ve read and made notes on Galatians 5. I’ve studied and taught parts of it at various times. To my knowledge, nowhere in Galatians –or the Bible as a whole—does it say, “Grace comes by Obedience.” I’ll put the verse, and the surrounding verses, –for context— below. Read them….then re-read them.}

^{Galatians 5:1-6}

¹It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ²Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Unless I’m missing something, the two verses following Galatians 5:4 actually give the answer to the question of how we get anything at all…….FAITH.

And to further make the point, Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9,

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

Abraham was credited righteousness even though there wasn’t even a law to follow yet. How? Faith. Read Hebrews or Genesis, it’s all there.

For some reason this has really bothered me. I saw the sign about 4 1/2 hours ago and I can’t get it out of my head. I think the reason is because of what that first verse up there says (Galatians 5:1). “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” He did not set us free to go back into a different kind of slavery. We are not to trade one type for another, which is what some churches try to do to people. Read the second half of verse 1, “…and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Paul was writing this letter to the believers in Galatia because “Christian” leaders were trying to attach all kinds of rules and regulations to the people’s salvation: Faith + ______.

Paul wrote Galatians to put the kibosh on this teaching. That is deceitful and manipulative teaching, and churches have been using that tactic for thousands of years. I pray that we as believers can truly live in freedom. God did not just save us from something bad. He saved us to something better. God did not just deliver the Israelites and leave them in the desert to rot. He delivered them from slavery to the promise land. Please don’t let anyone put a yoke of slavery back on you. Or, like Paul fears in Galatians 4:11, someone wasted time in preaching salvation to you to begin with.

Back to the church sign. Maybe the church sign was simply a conversation starter: put there to get the drivers-by to ask questions. Somehow I doubt it. I pray that it will change here soon back to something less controversial…..to me at least.

Please comment on what you’ve read here. If you agree or disagree, let me know why. I’d love the feedback.

royb

Irony or Providence?

// June 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Relevant Faith, Worship

Four or Five years ago I, subconsciously, picked up a tune that I kept playing over and over. It was a short riff that I began playing whenever I was leading worship or playing at a prayer service. Over the last few years I’ve played this tune hundreds of times but couldn’t ever remember where I had heard it. I searched my brain forever trying to remember the song and eventually just gave in to the fact that I’d probably never know.

But….

Last night, while playing at the Hispanic ministry I help with, someone heard me playing that song (during prayer time) and asked me if that was such and such a song? He said it sounded like one he knew, and in fact, he had the chord sheet and words for it with him. After seeing the title and thinking back, it was the song. I played the song a couple of times years back when we were preparing to go to Panama for a Missions trip.

The song?  “Yo Te Busco”, which means I Search for You.

Irony or Divine Providence?

A $50 Lesson

// March 18th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // society in general

This was written in a chat room by Ringostar123. I don’t know anything about this person, but I thought this was really good.

Ringostar123

A $50 Lesson

I recently asked my friends’ little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, ‘If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?’

She replied, ‘I’d give food and houses to all the homeless people.’
Her parents beamed with pride.

‘Wow…what a worthy goal.’ I told her, ‘But you don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.’

She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, ‘Why doesn’t the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?’

I said, ‘Welcome to the Republican Party.’

Her parents still aren’t speaking to me.

That is the difference.

Book Review: Tea With Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

// February 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Book Reviews

Tea With Hezbollah, by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis, was a book (non-fiction)that stretched me to the limits. The authors set out on a journey to find the “Good Samaritan” talked about by Jesus, in His famous parable. They traveled through the Middle East interviewing Muslim leaders from Hezbollah, Hamas and others, asking hard questions about Jesus’ teachings concerning loving our enemies.

I’ve traveled through Israel and I’ve had conversations with Christians, Jews and Arabs, both living in Israel and Palestine, so this book was fascinating to me. I’ve walked places where Jesus walked and sat on the hillside where Jesus gave the famous “Sermon on the Mount.” His teachings concerning loving our neighbors as ourselves and loving our enemies was just as revolutionary then as it is now. But it is just as hard. Imagine, in Jesus’ time, Samaritans were looked at by the Jews much the same way Muslims are looked at by Christians today. Are we, as believers in Christ, capable of loving our enemies? Tea with Hezbollah posed that same question to the Muslim leaders, and the answers were eye opening.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read with their eyes opened. What I mean is that you have to be willing to learn what people are thinking, whether or not you agree with them. Just because you hear them out doesn’t mean you are condoning what they do.

–royb

Click here to buy this book at Random House.

In the honor of full disclosure, I was given a copy of this book by the Publisher, WaterBrook Multnomah, to read and review.

Summary:

Is it really possible to love one’s enemies?
That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major religions: Jerusalem.

Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.
Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.

Author Bios:

Ted Dekker is the author of many nationally bestselling novels, including Bone Man’s Daughters, The Circle Trilogy, Thr3e, and House, which was coauthored by Frank Peretti. His unique style of storytelling has captured the attention of millions worldwide. Visit him at TedDekker.com.

Carl Medearis is the founder and president of International Initiatives, LLC, an organization that promotes cultural, educational, and commercial exchange between the East and the West. He is an advisor on Arab affairs to the members of the U.S. Congress and leaders in international business.

Book Review: Primal by Mark Batterson

// February 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Book Reviews

I’ve read Mark Batterson’s other two books, and his newest book, Primal, is a masterpiece as well. Batterson has a remarkable way of communicating a deep truth in a way that we can all identify.

His passion is infectious and his insight is incredible. In Primal, Mark Batterson takes us on a journey back to the beginning of the Christian Faith:

Over the last two thousand years, Christianity has evolved in lots of ways. We’ve come out of the catacombs and built majestic cathedrals with all the bells and steeples. Theologians have given us creeds and canons. Churches have added pews and pulpits, hymnals and organs, committees and liturgies. And the IRS has given us 501(c)(3) status. And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things. But none of those things is primal. And almost like the Roman effect of building things on top of things, I wonder if the accumulated layers of Christian traditions and institutions have unintentionally obscured what lies beneath.

…When all of the superficialities are stripped away, what is
the primal essence of Christianity?

In the pages that follow, I want to descend that flight of stairs with you. I want
us to go underground. I want us to go back in time. Think of it as a quest for the
lost soul of Christianity. And by the time you reach the last page, I hope you will
have done more than rediscover Christianity in its most primal form. I hope you will
have gone back to the primal faith you once had. Or more accurately, the primal faith
that once had you.

Mark Batterson challenges us to get back to the roots of our faith. What is it that Christianity is all about? What do we really believe and why? What are we passionate about?

This book will absolutely challenge you to evaluate your faith, and will ultimately help facilitate a revolution in your life.

–royb

You can buy it here, at Amazon.com.

Book Review: Angels by Dr. David Jeremiah

// February 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Book Reviews

What are angels? What is their role in God’s plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work, our worship?

Many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth. Dr. David Jeremiah uses scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven, and their role and work in our world—and lives.

More than 60,000 units of this powerful book have sold in two past editions. This repackage of the original 1996 paperback will surely capture the attention of readers of all ages who seek a broad and thorough survey of scripture that clearly separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. The book will appeal to the thousands who follow Dr. Jeremiah’s books, and radio and TV broadcasts.

Relevant, little known biblical facts help readers sharpen their knowledge and sensitivities toward the spiritual reality of angels. Dr. Jeremiah’s enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, and more.

Dr. David Jeremiah is senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego, and founder of Turning Point Radio and TV Ministries. His radio program is carried on over 2,500 stations worldwide, while the TV broadcast is received by 500 million homes via cable and satellite. The recipient of numerous awards for broadcast excellence, his books have garnered Gold Medallion awards and become bestsellers with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. He is a sought-after conference speaker by organizations nationwide.

I have a copy of the book to give away. Leave a comment saying why you would like to read it and I’ll pick one to receive the book –Good Luck.

Click here to purchase this book at Random House.

royb

In honor of full disclosure, I received this book free from Random House to review.

PRIMAL by Mark Batterson

// December 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Book Reviews, Uncategorized

I have received a copy of the book Primal, by Mark Batterson, and am in the process of reading it. If it is anything like his last two, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase, I’ll have a lot to talk about. Give me a couple of more days to finish it and put my thoughts together then I’ll post the review and a link to Amazon so you can get your own copy.

royb

Book Review: Thirsty, by Tracey Bateman & Touched by a Vampire, by Beth Felker Jones

// December 16th, 2009 // 5 Comments » // Book Reviews

There’s no place like home, they say.
“Hello, I’m Nina Parker…and I’m an alcoholic.”
For Nina, it’s not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.
Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets?
As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina’s feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457158

EXAMINING TWILIGHT THROUGH A BIBLICAL LENS
People around the world are asking the same question, enraptured with Edward and Bella’s forbidden romance in the Twilight Saga, a four-book serial phenomenon written by Stephenie Meyer. The bestsellers tell the story of a regular girl’s relationship with a vampire who has chosen to follow his “good” side. But the Saga isn’t just another fantasy–it’s teaching girls about love, sex, and purpose. With 48 million copies in print and a succession of upcoming blockbuster films, now is the time to ask the important question: Can vampires teach us about God’s plan for love?
Touched by a Vampire is the first book to investigate the themes of the Twilight Saga from a Biblical perspective. Some Christian readers have praised moral principles illustrated in the story, such as premarital sexual abstinence, which align with Meyer’s Mormon beliefs. But ultimately, Beth Felker Jones examines whether the story’s redemptive qualities outshine its darkness.
Cautionary, thoughtful, and challenging, Touched by a Vampire is written for Twilight fans, parents, teachers, and pop culture enthusiasts. It includes an overview of the series for those unfamiliar with the storyline and a discussion guide for small groups.

You Can Buy it Here

Global Warming Proponents: Money-Hungry, Narcissists

// December 5th, 2009 // No Comments » // society in general

Have you been following the debacle that is Global Warming? In the late 70’s, scientists scared the world into believing we had Global Cooling, and since, we have been told by scientists and scam-artists liberals like Al Gore that we are ruining the earth and it is heating up.

Well, it appears that they –global warming scientists and liberals– are starting to be exposed for what they really are: money-hungry narcissists. This whole Global Warming ruse is nothing but a ploy to force taxes and carbon-emission credits (Cap-and-Trade) on the world, forcing them to fork out trillions of dollars to line the pockets of these scum scam-artists.

The sad part? The mainstream media (MSM) has yet to catch on and MSNBC just, as of the last couple days, started reporting on this falacy. CNN has yet to catch on and it seems they will fight to the bitter end to support the liberals and their lackeys.

Read for yourself. I’ve listed a few of the Climategate articles. There are none from CNN, ABC, CBS, or MSNBC, not because I didn’t look, but because there weren’t any.

Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too

UN panel promises to investigate leaked ‘climategate’ e-mails (This one cracks me up. You have a corrupt Entity investigating it’s own cash-cow. Yeah, that’s going to end up with something useful. But hey, at least they used the word ‘Climategate’ –giving it validity.)

Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of ‘Anthropogenic Global Warming’? (I had to look up the word Anthropogenic too.)

Why You Should Be Hot and Bothered About ‘Climate-gate’

Americans Skeptical of Science Behind Global Warming

After reading all of the above, take a look at Al Gore’s website. It will make you want to laugh, at the audacity, and puke at the same time.

AlGore.com

royb

Features of a Banana Republic

// December 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // society in general

Read these and tell me what current administration and country this reminds you of.

1. A collusion between the overweening state and certain favored monopolistic concerns, whereby the profits can be privatized and the debts socialized.
2. Devalued paper currency in the international community.
3. Kleptocracy– those in positions of influence use their time in office to maximize their own gains, always ensuring that any shortfall is made up by those unfortunates whose daily life involves earning money rather than making it.
4. There must be no principle of accountability within the government so that the political corruption by which the Banana Republic operates is left unchecked. The members of the national legislature will be (a) largely for sale and (b) consulted only for ceremonial and rubber-stamp purposes some time after all the truly important decisions have already been made elsewhere.
5. “a money class fleeces the banking system while the very trunk of the national tree is permitted to rot and crash”

This was taken from Wikipedia. You can find it by clicking here.

^royb