Uncle Noah Straight Talk

     I have received several emails asking “Who is this Jesus you talk about?”…and I ask who really does not know? But, when I consider the fact that only about 17% of all the folk in the United States attend any assembly of a church at least one time a month…it should not be surprising! It is heartbreaking!
     To answer such a profound question in just a few words is near Impossible, but this will provide some basic information.
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So, who is this Jesus?
     The life and mission of Jesus is the theme of the only continuous historical account of the world from creation to the first century…the Bible. The Bible was not written by one man, but 40 writers over a period of about 1,600 years…most of which wrote in the time their history was being made. 
    There is no disagreement among credible modern historians that Jesus was a great teacher in the first century. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus were prophesied hundreds of year before His birth…with specific details that could be easily verified as they happened. The first prophecy was given in the third chapter of the first book of the Bible…in the beginning. (Genesis 3:15).
     Jesus is so important that time is measured from His birth. We live in 2010, (2,010 A. D.) Anything before His birth happened within approximately 4000 B. C. (Before Christ).
     Jesus claimed to be the light of the world. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)  Those who wrote about Jesus said he was the only savior. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) 
     During His ministry He kept telling his followers that he would go to Jerusalem, be rejected,  suffer, be crucified, buried and raised three days later. It happened just as he predicted.
     The Jews in the first century killed Jesus because he claimed to be the Son of God. They understood he was claiming the be equal to God. If He was the Son of God, we should learn what he said and respond. If he wasn’t, he was an egotistical liar with delusions of grandeur, not the Son of God…and all credible historians are deluded. 
     When man/woman was created they was given the gift of choice (free-will). God told them what they should do and they could chose to obey or disobey. God knew that, because of the gift of free-will, all of us would, at some point, choose wrong over right (sin)…and once the wrong was done, there was no payment man could make to take his sin away. Sin left a stain on his soul.
     But, the good news is…before mankind was created, the way to take away the stain of sin was decided. Jesus would live and die as the perfect payment for sin…to pay the price necessary to ransom (buy back) the sinner. Every sinner who accepts this compassionate sacrifice is made clean…as if the sin had never been done.
     ”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Those who believe will do what Jesus tells them to do.
    Jesus is the Son of God, the only Savior of the world.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
(John 15:18,19)

This is specifically written for Spiritual leadership, but the principles of faith and confidence apply to all leadership.
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    In Numbers 13-14, the Israelites were finally at the border of their long-anticipated Promised Land. Twelve spies were sent into the Land.
    Forty days later they came back with a positive message about the land and the Canaanites had done nothing to stop them. There were giant grapes and fat, juicy figs in the land. But…some of the Canaanites were giants. 
    For hundreds of years the Israelites had heard of their Promised Land. Now, after seeing God miraculously deliver them from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea…the fact that they were so quickly fearful and concerned about giants says a lot about their mind-set. They had been slaves for 400 years. They were faced with freedom…and seemed afraid to be free!
     Ten out of twelve spies came down with the dreaded Grasshopper Complex Virus…that went viral among the people. The headline was:“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” A crippling leadership virus was on display. Four men tried to convince the people, but the people were so afraid that they talked of stoning those who had faith in the God of the Egyptian Delivery and the Red Sea crossing.
     God Spoke to Moses and declared His intentions to start over with the family of Moses. Moses intervened, and God sentenced the people to 40 years of wandering and wondering in an area no more than 150 miles from their Promised Land. They were constantly reminded of their crisis of faith.
     Because of the crippling Grasshopper Complex Virus all the people over 20 years old did not possess their Promised land…except the two faithful spies Joshua and Caleb.
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     The Grasshopper Complex Virus causes many believers not to live up to their God-given leadership potential…when chosen.
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     Fortunately, there is another Biblical Grasshopper Complex found in Joel 2.
     Joel describes another army of God…a horde of locust that nothing could stop.
     “Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste—nothing escapes them. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.  At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.   
     They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. 
     They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.  Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 
     The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
    God uses his creation to demonstrate his power!
     Since we are called for God’s purpose, not our circumstances…His purpose will be done through those who volunteer in the most powerful army in the world.
    The key is God’s purposes! God is very patient, but his judgment against the ungodly is sure. Whether I believe it or not, at His appointed time all the efforts of His enemies will be shown to be utter foolishness and crushed like the lowly grasshoppers that we stomp with no regard.

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:37,38)

     Rumors are flying everywhere about our president. Although he claims to be a Christian, some insist he is a Muslim. Other swear he has admitted to being a Muslim.
     It is rumored that our president does not tell the truth. There is controversy (rumor) that he is a citizen of Kenya, Indonesia or the United States. We know he bowed before the king of Saudi Arabia, but the rumor is that he had a secret meeting with the king…confirming his allegience to Allah.
     I doubt many would reject the idea that he is an extremely controversial president.
     But, God is not confused by rumors!
     According to Romans 13, whether we like it or not, Mr. Obama was raised up for God’s purposes. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” There is only one exception: “But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” (Acts 4:19) 
     And, there is another absolute truth to be considered…God is very patient, but His judgment is sure.
     All lawmakers (good or bad) are raised up for God’s purpose.
     “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?” (Isaiah 10:1)
     We do not yet know what God’s purpose is. It could be a warning…or maybe God has lost his patience. We pray for warning, but accept His will. We do know for sure his ulimat purpose is: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:3)
    This puts new light on our political situation. It would be prudent for all lawmakers to evaluate their purpose and consider God in their decisions. Unfortunately some do not care, but, God is grieved when he must bring disaster…because he is long-suffering, but perfectly just.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.’”
(Acts 17:21-23)

     We deeply appreciate your response to this unconventional blog, but our purpose is not to provide an entertaining read. Our purpose is to challenge us (including myself) to the point of eliminating politically-correct thinking from our decision-making processes. To ignore truth and logic in order to avoid conflict is both cowardly and destructive…personally and nationally.
     Because God-fearing folk have not taken the time and given the effort to consistently stand up for God in a logical way, we have not stood up for folk who are searching for truth. As a result, our society has gone through a slow process of transformation from a predominately God-fearing nation to an at best God-tolerating, confused nation. Our only hope is to turn back to God.
     Whether our society likes it or not, the Bible is the most important historical/motivational book any of us will every read. But, it demands the most courageous decisions we will ever make.
     Those of you who are encouraged by what you read…keep reading. For those of you who don’t like what you read, keep reading. Maybe we will be able to upset you enough to cure you of the dangerous disease of political-correctness.

     She stood tall, attractive and poised as she presented her valedictory address. Her father, a tall rugged man dressed in his western best, sat in the audience…with tears in his eyes and a huge lump in his throat. He, and her beautiful mother heard a story they had never heard.
     This talented young lady spoke on the importance of having purpose in  life…and striving for excellence. She illustrated her point with a story of a visit to Washington D.C. when when she was about 9 years old. She talked of tours and people, but challenged the audience with the goal of a nine year old…inspired by one scene.
     As she walked into a large room, all the way around the room were paintings by famous American artists. She asked why there were blank spots with no paintings. The answer was simple: These spots are reserved for the paintings of future American artists. At that moment, one young girl made her goal to have one of her paintings in one of those reserved spots.
     She went on to tell how her purpose in life had changed because of more important considerations…but that goal was one she charished.
     This attractive, talented woman is now and exellent artist, with children of her own. She does not have a painting in the reserved place, but the memory of a secret goal in the life of one young girl has, and will, change the future.
     One thing is certain! The audience on that graduation night was better because she made an unlikely decision as a very young girl…especially a tall, rugged man and his beautiful wife.
     “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (II Cor. 4:18)
     “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (II Corinthians 9:8)
      God has promised everything we need to get His will done!

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
(I Corinthians 15:17-20)