Who Says Christians Weather Stress Better?
Well this is the latest in a string of research studies over the past few years:(see here and here and here and here that have noted that people of faith tend to live healthier, happier, longer and less stressful lives than those with no practicing faith tradition. Now this may be a surprise to those who don’t take faith in God seriously or even reject it out of hand, but it is not a surprise as a general rule to those who follow the life-enriching prescriptions for living from God’s point of view.
Since we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), then it makes good sense that He would know best how this life is lived and enjoyed to its maximum potential. This healthcare wisdom is communicated to us in His Word, the Bible. Listen to just a few of the insights and highlights from God Himself.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Solving the Abstinence Problem
POSTED: http://www.ccfw.org/ 8/18/2009 12:53:22 PM
Solving the Abstinence Problem:
The Case for (Early) Marriage (Al Mohler)
The Case for Early Marriage (Christianity Today)
Solving the Abstinence Problem:
The Case for (Early) Marriage (Al Mohler)
The Case for Early Marriage (Christianity Today)
Health Care Reform, Is it Okay to Force Abortion?
(Posted 7/25/09 on http://www.ccfw.org/)
Healthcare Reform: Is it right to force taxpayers to fund abortions?
As the details of the current controvesial “health care reform” bill continues to unfold, we are learning that it contains the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade (read the story here and here. ) Apparently, taxpayers will be forced without exceptions to fund abortions. This is quite a stunner and not going to sit very well with most Americans (so far, polls are showing that half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of this reform). It’s one thing to make abortion legal and accessible (as it is today) and quite another thing to mandate its support.
The bills currently offered are being pushed by President Obama and would result in federally mandated coverage of abortion by nearly all health plans, abortifacient drugs, federally mandated recruitment of abortionists by local health networks, and nullification of many state abortion laws. It is feared that once abortion is established as a federal “essential benefit”, it will require “access” to and massive subsidization of elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites. It may also nullify state “access” laws (such as waiting periods and parental notification requirements) and undermines healthcare workers’ conscience rights.
We can debate the $1 trillion dollar price-tag and whether or not it would suffocate everyone from small business owners to upper-income taxpayers with its incalculable new taxes. We could also debate the inevitability of rationed care and the limits on end-of-life care. All these have their merits for debate and discussion, but forcing taxpayers to fund abortion is unconscionable.
God is the author of life from conception (Psalm 139:13-16) and each person is created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). This places a high value upon each individual life conceived and leaves the right to take that life away in the hands of the Creator and Designer. God has forbidden the taking of innocent life (Exodus 20:13) except in the cases of self-defense (Exodus 22:2-3), manslaughter (Exodus 20:12-13), a just war (Ecclesiastes 3:8) or in the government execution of criminals convicted of a capital crime (Romans 13:4).
Since life is precious in the eyes of God (we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”) and therefore sacred, we are forbidden by God to end life by homicide (Genesis 9:6) or suicide (I Corinthians 6:19-20) or feticide (abortion – Exodus 22:21-25) or euthanasia (2 Samuel 1:2-16). And though the government has unfortunately given the right to end a life inside the womb (from conception to full-term) and in some states outside the womb (for qualitative end of life decisions), it is unthinkable that anyone who opposes abortion would then be forced to fund such actions against their will.
Lord willing, these measures will be removed from any final form of healthcare reform for the sake of God’s special creation and the future of our country.
Healthcare Reform: Is it right to force taxpayers to fund abortions?
As the details of the current controvesial “health care reform” bill continues to unfold, we are learning that it contains the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade (read the story here and here. ) Apparently, taxpayers will be forced without exceptions to fund abortions. This is quite a stunner and not going to sit very well with most Americans (so far, polls are showing that half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of this reform). It’s one thing to make abortion legal and accessible (as it is today) and quite another thing to mandate its support.
The bills currently offered are being pushed by President Obama and would result in federally mandated coverage of abortion by nearly all health plans, abortifacient drugs, federally mandated recruitment of abortionists by local health networks, and nullification of many state abortion laws. It is feared that once abortion is established as a federal “essential benefit”, it will require “access” to and massive subsidization of elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites. It may also nullify state “access” laws (such as waiting periods and parental notification requirements) and undermines healthcare workers’ conscience rights.
We can debate the $1 trillion dollar price-tag and whether or not it would suffocate everyone from small business owners to upper-income taxpayers with its incalculable new taxes. We could also debate the inevitability of rationed care and the limits on end-of-life care. All these have their merits for debate and discussion, but forcing taxpayers to fund abortion is unconscionable.
God is the author of life from conception (Psalm 139:13-16) and each person is created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). This places a high value upon each individual life conceived and leaves the right to take that life away in the hands of the Creator and Designer. God has forbidden the taking of innocent life (Exodus 20:13) except in the cases of self-defense (Exodus 22:2-3), manslaughter (Exodus 20:12-13), a just war (Ecclesiastes 3:8) or in the government execution of criminals convicted of a capital crime (Romans 13:4).
Since life is precious in the eyes of God (we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”) and therefore sacred, we are forbidden by God to end life by homicide (Genesis 9:6) or suicide (I Corinthians 6:19-20) or feticide (abortion – Exodus 22:21-25) or euthanasia (2 Samuel 1:2-16). And though the government has unfortunately given the right to end a life inside the womb (from conception to full-term) and in some states outside the womb (for qualitative end of life decisions), it is unthinkable that anyone who opposes abortion would then be forced to fund such actions against their will.
Lord willing, these measures will be removed from any final form of healthcare reform for the sake of God’s special creation and the future of our country.
Gay Clergy, What's Going On?
(Posted 7/15/09 on http://www.ccfw.org/)
Gay Clergy? What’s going on with the Episcopalians?
Do we have the right to approve what God has clearly forbidden? This is apparently the case, if you accept what the leadership and lay representatives of the Episcopal General Convention approved this last Tuesday, July 14th at their legislative assembly in Anaheim, California (see the story here ). By a vote of 77-19 (by the leaders) and 78-21 (by the lay representatives), the representative body of Episcopalians decided to overturn its moratorium on gay ordination. This move lays the foundation for the ordination of gays and lesbians in the church and pushes the American Episcopal Church even further away from the larger Anglican Communion. The bishops said that “God has called and may call” to ministry gays in committed lifelong relationships. Currently, Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, elected in 2003, is the only openly gay bishop in the church.
The bigger question is this: What does God think of this? The church is His church, not ours and He has determined the lines and boundaries of our lives, and specifically, the morality and usefulness of those in leadership and in the pew. Homosexuality, as well as every other form of immoral perversion (i.e. adultery, fornication, incest, etc.) is forbidden by God. God is a holy God and has called His people to be holy as well (I Peter 1:14-17) and this includes our sexual choices (I Thessalonians 4:3-8, I Corinthians 6:9-11).
God is a God of grace and truth. He sets the standards of truth by which we can know what is right and wrong, but He also gives us the grace we need to overcome our sinful distortions. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God’s will and original design in the beginning, we all continue to struggle with the sinful temptations to distort God’s ideal and transgress His boundaries. Whether it’s lying or stealing or gossiping or any other violation that God has called sin, including homosexuality, God’s standard of holiness gets rejected and denied when we choose our sinful preferences and this gets us in a whole lot of trouble with Him.
The Bible says the “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Our only hope for real joy and forgiveness and change comes in a willingness to admit our sinful choices even if the culture or church calls them OK and to receive the free gift of God (His grace and forgiveness) through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ willingly gave up His perfect life to cover our willful sins against God so that we could be forgiven and restored. That’s an incredible act of love and grace.
It’s sad to see the church in some circles stand up and misrepresent God and confuse so many people on an issue that is so clearly addressed by the Lord of the church. We all need to take our cues not from the culture or even from some of the misguided in the church, but from God’s timeless Word which gives us the truth and grace we need to live and enjoy life God’s way.
See the following article for additional helpful information on this topic.
Gay Clergy? What’s going on with the Episcopalians?
Do we have the right to approve what God has clearly forbidden? This is apparently the case, if you accept what the leadership and lay representatives of the Episcopal General Convention approved this last Tuesday, July 14th at their legislative assembly in Anaheim, California (see the story here ). By a vote of 77-19 (by the leaders) and 78-21 (by the lay representatives), the representative body of Episcopalians decided to overturn its moratorium on gay ordination. This move lays the foundation for the ordination of gays and lesbians in the church and pushes the American Episcopal Church even further away from the larger Anglican Communion. The bishops said that “God has called and may call” to ministry gays in committed lifelong relationships. Currently, Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, elected in 2003, is the only openly gay bishop in the church.
The bigger question is this: What does God think of this? The church is His church, not ours and He has determined the lines and boundaries of our lives, and specifically, the morality and usefulness of those in leadership and in the pew. Homosexuality, as well as every other form of immoral perversion (i.e. adultery, fornication, incest, etc.) is forbidden by God. God is a holy God and has called His people to be holy as well (I Peter 1:14-17) and this includes our sexual choices (I Thessalonians 4:3-8, I Corinthians 6:9-11).
God is a God of grace and truth. He sets the standards of truth by which we can know what is right and wrong, but He also gives us the grace we need to overcome our sinful distortions. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God’s will and original design in the beginning, we all continue to struggle with the sinful temptations to distort God’s ideal and transgress His boundaries. Whether it’s lying or stealing or gossiping or any other violation that God has called sin, including homosexuality, God’s standard of holiness gets rejected and denied when we choose our sinful preferences and this gets us in a whole lot of trouble with Him.
The Bible says the “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Our only hope for real joy and forgiveness and change comes in a willingness to admit our sinful choices even if the culture or church calls them OK and to receive the free gift of God (His grace and forgiveness) through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ willingly gave up His perfect life to cover our willful sins against God so that we could be forgiven and restored. That’s an incredible act of love and grace.
It’s sad to see the church in some circles stand up and misrepresent God and confuse so many people on an issue that is so clearly addressed by the Lord of the church. We all need to take our cues not from the culture or even from some of the misguided in the church, but from God’s timeless Word which gives us the truth and grace we need to live and enjoy life God’s way.
See the following article for additional helpful information on this topic.
Michael Jackson's Real Legacy
(Posted 7/15/09 on http://www.ccfw.org/)
Michael Jackson's Real Legacy. A post by Greg Stier, guest Columnist for the Christian Post (July 11, 2009). "...Michael Jackson, perhaps the most talented musician in the history of humanity, died a tragic death and lived an even more tragic life. But I believe that there is one legacy he left that will make a lasting difference..."
Michael Jackson's Real Legacy. A post by Greg Stier, guest Columnist for the Christian Post (July 11, 2009). "...Michael Jackson, perhaps the most talented musician in the history of humanity, died a tragic death and lived an even more tragic life. But I believe that there is one legacy he left that will make a lasting difference..."
Religion Thriller: Michael Jackson & Faith
(posted 7/8/09 on http://www.ccfw.org/)
Here is a brief Michael Jackson religion roundup. Make of it what you will...Posted July 1, 2009 by Michael Paulson (covers religion for The Boston Globe).
Here is a brief Michael Jackson religion roundup. Make of it what you will...Posted July 1, 2009 by Michael Paulson (covers religion for The Boston Globe).
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