"Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” (1 Kings 3:26 NKJ) In 1973 the year I was married the most devastating law in the history of the world was passed by our government. We refer to it as Roe vs. Wade. This law would allow any mother for any reason to terminate her pregnancy. On its face this sounds barbaric. Why would a mother desire to terminate the life of her child for any reason? How is it that over these last forty years society has become comfortable with this idea? Simple, words have consequences. The argument for or against abortion on demand revolves around several key terms. First the word "right." Proponents of abortion say it is a fundamental right of a mother to abort her child because it is "her" body."Pro-Choice" is a term which addresses the rights of the mother concerning her body. The problem is these terms are misleading. Does a mother have the right to terminate the live of her baby simply because it is still in the womb? The argument by pro-choice advocates in 1973 is that we don't know if that fetus is a human being so therefore that fetus has no constitutional rights. But with modern technology like ultra-sound were developed we now know that even in the very beginning stages of growth in the womb a baby is alive. So know we are talking not about the "rights" of the mother but another human being.

Since 1973 approximately 60 million babies lives have been terminated. That equals about one fifth of the population of the United States! So we need to redefine some terms. "Pro- choice" should now be called "pro-death". The word "right" should be replaced with "desire." Our Scripture today is the famous story of King Solomon having to determine who the real mother of a particular baby was. Long story short when Solomon said that he would divide the baby and give each mother half the real mother shouted, give the baby to the other woman. The moral of that story is that a mother would never kill her baby once it is born. So abortion is no longer about the right of the mother to choose because we have the rights of another human being involved. Abortion actually comes down to "desire" not the right of a mother to choose to terminate that pregnancy. Therefore, it is no longer "pro-choice" but pro-death". Remember words have consequences!

I am waiting for some prominent Christian or Christian organization to set the record straight during this election season. I believe Christians have been sending the wrong message to the American people and their elected officials. The wrong message is, “We need more social conservative Christians in office and rid our nation of liberals and those who oppose Christian values and capitalism!” The message should be, “As Christians, our source is not Washington D.C. it is Jesus Christ! The first century church turned the world upside down not because they passed a Christian friendly agenda. But because they persevered while being persecuted and killed. Christians are at their best when they live out their faith in spite of opposition.

We are not now or ever been a “Christian Nation”. We are a nation greatly influenced by Christian principles. Many of our founding fathers believed in God, yet were not born again believers. Our founding documents reflect that. It is time Christians get some backbone and show the world that it does not matter who occupies the White House as long as God occupies the Church House! In some ways, prosperity and political influence has weakened the Church. Many Christians are more concerned about their possessions, 401k and advancing conservatism than walking by faith. Jesus said He came to serve not to be served. If our economy collapses, God will still be on the throne. The question is, will Christianity thrive or will it fold?

There seems to be a deep rift in the body of Christ. On one side are the proponents of pastors seeking formal education. At the other end of the spectrum are the anti-education saints who say formally trained pastors do not depend on the Holy Spirit. This is a troubling dilemma because it unnecessarily pits well meaning Christians against each other.

The reality is both sides have valid concerns. This post will not solve the debate or probably change many minds on either side. However, it is time to declare a cease-fire. First of all there are no magic bullets for effectiveness in ministry. Formal degrees do not guarantee God's anointing or blessings. On the other hand studies show those who have formal training tend to be better prepared to handle the complex nature of ministry.

The AOCI is developing a Bible Institute to help train pastors and leaders who may not have access or financial means to attend bible college or seminary. As one of its founding professors I encourage you to take advantage of these courses. The professors are in the process of assembling a challenging yet practical curriculum for all educational levels. These dedicated servants of God donate their time to enable students from all over the world to have an opportunity to improve their ministerial skills and fall deeper in love with their Lord.

Paul told Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15). We can debate whether this includes formal studies. Obviously there were no seminaries in Paul's day but there was no electricity either, and I don't think most churches would want to do without that.

No matter where you are in your walk with God, one thing is certain, ministry in the twenty-first century is difficult at best and impossible at worst. The better prepared you are, the more effective you will be for the Kingdom. Carpe diem!

I believe many Christians equate "dying to self" with self-loathing. They adopt a fatalistic mindset which accepts everything that happens to them as being God's Will. This is nothing more than a Spiritual cop-out.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us "without faith it is impossible to please God." Dying to self does not mean feeling guilty about blessings. It means we understand where they come from and are thankful for them. Next year I will have been a Christian for fifty years. I have hung around the "poor mouth" believers who think dying to self means not having anything and never feeling good about yourself.

Many Christians have what I call "Spiritual Schizophrenia." When they start feeling blessed and proud of what God is accomplishing through them, they immediately begin feeling guilty. I believe dying to self means getting rid of the weights of sin that hold us back from experiencing all that God has for us. Then, when we do go through the fire we can have confidence that God will take us through. Jesus came to alleviate burdens not to turn us into a bunch of self-loathing narcissists. Just some food for thought.

Many people today are "seeking truth" We hear the word "pluralism" used in connection with this subject. Plural means many and ism means theory. Pluralism is the study of "many truths." In the realm of theology and faith we are told there are many paths to God. We treat belief in God like going to a food bar. Just pick out what you like. The problem with pluralism is its claim is totally impossible. In the scientific world there are not many laws of gravity or photosynthesis. There are certain fixed truths that are not up for debate. In theology it is no different. Jesus in the Bible stated "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the father but by me." In other words, Jesus is claiming He is the only path to a relationship with God. There are three possible conclusions to be drawn from this statement of Jesus, first, Jesus was a liar, therefore his claims are bogus, second, he was delusional and out of His mind, or He truly was the Son of God in human flesh. Only one of these statements can be true. That is the fallacy of pluralism.

There can only be one ultimate truth in any proposition. In other words if "everything" is true, than "nothing can be true"! For the Christian believer, their source of truth is the Bible. The Bible claims over 3000 times to be the "Word of God." Therefore the Bible either is lying and cannot be trusted, or the writers of Scripture were delusional, or the Bible is what it claims to be and must be obeyed. The Bible cannot be both "true" and "not true." As they say in the vernacular, "Take your pick and take your chances!"

"The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God." (Psalm 9:17) A nations prosperity is directly tied to its relationship with God. Over the last 4500 years of world history two nations have proved that obeying God brings prosperity and disobeying God destroys a nation. The two examples are the nation of Israel and the United States of America. I do not have the time or the space to lay out all the examples of this phenomenon. You will have to study this on your own. But for anyone who is familiar with the OT Scriptures and the history of the United States must conclude that a nations attitude towards God was the difference between success and failure. I am weary of hearing politicians and the news media say this election hinges on the economy not social issues! Well here is a news flash when a nation is morally and spiritually bankrupt this will ultimately precipitate a financial collapse.

Does anyone believe that a nation who has allowed the killing of 60 million unborn babies justifying it by calling it a woman's choice will prosper? Does anybody believe that a nation that prohibits God from being discussed in public, in the classroom and even in some churches will prosper? Does anybody believe that a nation who has abandoned traditional marriage will prosper? Does anybody believe that a nation who seeks fulfillment through drugs, alcohol, sports and entertainment instead of God will prosper? Does anybody believe that a nation who turns its back on Israel will prosper? I could go on but I think you get the point! Our Scripture says that when a nation forgets God it will go down into the grave. In other words it will die. For almost two hundred years our nation looked to God for guidance and understood that He is our source not the government. It is no surprise to anyone who understands the Bible and history why our nation is where it is today. We are first an foremost bankrupt morally and spiritually. Our financial problems cannot be completely remedied by Washington. America's leaders must recognize our moral and spiritual failure and then turn to God and repent of our sins. Then and only then will we see our nation begin to recover! Unless America turns back to God we will be destroyed. Both the Bible and history have taught us this sobering lesson! The question is, will we learn from it?

When I was growing up in the sixties my parents talked to me about entitlements. They said I was entitled to work hard and expect life to be hard. I was entitled to obey the law and respect my elders. I was entitled to keep my marriage vows and provide for my family even if I had to work two jobs. I was entitled to put others before myself and not to whine when I did not get my way. I was entitled to share my blessings with others even if it meant giving away my last dollar. I was entitled to be thankful in everything and for everyday God allowed me to draw breath. Finally I was entitled to be a God fearing productive American Citizen who was proud of his country and all the entitlements it afforded me!