And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
https://www.emmanuelacc.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/January-19-2020.png40002588Josh Ricehttp://www.emmanuelacc.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/EACC-114_Logo-300x115.pngJosh Rice2020-01-19 12:00:232020-01-19 19:10:46Of Prayer and Fine Wine
Timothy Leary’s famous encouragement to America in the sixties was to turn on, tune in, and drop out. What he wanted to do was change the world by altering the individual’s perception of it; not by actually transforming reality. To do this, he didn’t praise the power of positive thinking, he didn’t advocate the gated, cloistered life, nor did he push Zenlike fantasies. He encouraged recreational drug use. Reality, Leary argued, is what we perceive and perception can be altered. He envisioned a good government lovingly lacing the town water with the perfect narcotic concoction that would pacify the animal instinct, ennoble the angelic in us, and unleash the creative. Rose colored glasses creating a rosy world.
Leary’s vision eventually proved a nightmare and Haight-Ashbury was more hell than heaven. But the idea that the mental machinery can be worked on chemically and that immaterial man can be mastered by the material has not died but only grown in favor. The approach the ancients took in treating the ills of the world holistically by addressing the needs of body and soul together has largely been dismissed in the Scientific Age. The integration of psychology and theology is understood to be a simple impossibility. Twenty-first century Christians often grapple with the question of taking prescription medicine prescribed by their psychiatrist. Are these drugs taken in lieu of a miracle or is the drug itself miraculous? Do drugs effect a change in me and reverse the effects of the curse or are they a capitulation in the war for personal sanctification. Or is the answer somewhere in between? This is a very important, personal, and possibly sensitive issue for most of us, but one we really need to be talking about. Please take a few minutes to read the link to the article by Jeremy Pierre and think through some of the insights he offers on this question and come prepared to discuss it on Sunday morning. We’ll be meeting upstairs in the Family Life Center at 8:30 am. Hot coffee and a fresh baked goodie will be there to warm you up. See you Sunday!
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
https://www.emmanuelacc.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/January-12-2020.png40002588Josh Ricehttp://www.emmanuelacc.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/EACC-114_Logo-300x115.pngJosh Rice2020-01-12 12:00:232020-01-12 22:25:34Love is Never Yellow
The sad and sometimes grim realities of life lived amongst the rubble of a ruined paradise are not lost on the Christian. Faith in Christ doesn’t mean an escape from clogged toilets and flat tires; from flu bugs, computer viruses, potholes, pickpockets, and lightning strikes. It’s a mud pit of a world we’ve made and nobody’s keeping entirely clean. But there’s a big difference between getting a pebble in your shoe and getting an officer’s handcuffs on your wrists. Sometimes we’re the nail and sometimes we’re the hammer; sometimes bad things happen to us and sometimes we do bad things. Some things are merely our problem and some things are also our fault.
So, is war in the world something that every Christian must deal with in season, just as he would deal with winter’s blizzards and autumn’s leaves? Or is war something that Christians must steadfastly oppose and withdraw from regardless of circumstance, like he must steer clear of organized crime, internet smut, and street drugs? It’s an important question, because every Christian is a citizen of some country and every country has allies and enemies. Every country faces the near constant prospect of war and funds a defense for itself. What should the American Christian’s stance be toward the defense of the homeland and the declaration of war? Are we doves or hawks, angels or knights, conscience or encouragement? Saint Augustine, one of the most influential of the early Church fathers, developed a theory of “just war” complete with criteria for action and inaction. The tenets of this theory have stood the test of time and are still in use today as leaders wrestle with the decision to take the sword from its sheath. As the sound of sabers rattling is heard across our land today with the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East, I thought it would be a good idea to have us all read Augustine’s old theory and throw it in the middle of the room for discussion on Sunday morning. Follow the link to read a brief but comprehensive introduction to the theory published by the Catholic League. Please consider joining us for coffee, a baked treat, and a hearty discussion of an age-old question at 8:30am upstairs in the Family Life Center. I’m looking forward to it!
The United States has been out partying at the bar for a long time now and is really in no shape to be driving. While the U.S. can no longer be considered a Christian nation; it remains a land blessed with an awful lot of Christians and it’s the American church’s responsibility to grab the keys now and again and be the designated driver. Having had eyes opened, ears unstopped, and minds made new, believers are full of invaluable wisdom and keen insight. A church that is silent in affairs of State, quiet in all political consideration, mum on matters of business and finance, and ciphers on the college green and at town hall; is a church that wishes to unnecessarily impoverish itself and its fellow countrymen. A nation’s believers, more than any other sector, is best positioned to ensure the peace, prosperity, and vitality of a country. Of course, many of the contributions to the national conversation springing from a biblical worldview and perspective will not be met with cheers and salutes but with boos and nasty dismissals. That’s okay– we expect to get some guff from our inebriated neighbor when we question the wisdom of his worldly ways. What’s more; we don’t live for the approval and esteem of those we share the stage with but with the Lord, our life’s sole audience.
The U.S. House of Representatives has just recently impeached President Trump and, before handing over the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial, is looking to gain support for the measure from across the fruited plain. Impeachment, we’re told, is a political process and exercise. In which case, the real jurors are you and me. Congress is loathe to overturn the people’s decision without the hearty assent of the people. So, what do you think? What do we think? What should the Church have to say? We shouldn’t be silent. Mark Galli, the outgoing editor of the top evangelical periodical, Christianity Today, caused quite a stir when he published an editorial with the imprimatur of the magazine, calling for the Senate to convict the President and remove him from office. Before long, the evangelical world formed ranks and volleys of cannon fire have been crisscrossing the twittersphere ever since. Where should we file in or should we make every effort to sit this one out? It’s a good topic for conversation! Please follow the link to read Galli’s editorial and consider joining us this Sunday morning (January 5th) at 8:30am upstairs in the Family Life Center for a roundtable discussion on Christianity Today’s call for the President’s impeachment. Should be a stimulating and eye-opening exercise. Hot coffee and a fresh-baked treat will greet you at the door!
