11/30/13

From Gary... Being a criminal...

























As we are led towards a progressively socialist society, I have been thinking about how I would fare in the future.  A good place to start is with a famous socialist country, so I thought about Germany and its short, disastrous experiment with National Socialism (Nazism).  I have seen pictures like this before, but until today, never knew who the circled individual was.  So, I looked him up on Wikipedia and that information is listed below...

August Landmesser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Detail of the famous photograph in which one man, believed to be August Landmesser, refuses to give the Nazi salute.
August Landmesser (born 24 May 1910; missing and presumed dead 17 October 1944; declared dead in 1949) was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, best known for his appearance in a photograph[1] refusing to perform the Nazi salute at the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June 1936.[2]

Biography

August Landmesser was the only child of August Franz Landmesser and Wilhelmine Magdalene (née Schmidtpott). In 1931, hoping it would help him get a job, he joined the Nazi Party. In 1935, when he became engaged to Irma Eckler (a Jewish woman), he was expelled from the party. They registered to be married in Hamburg, but the Nuremberg Laws enacted a month later prevented it. On 29 October 1935, Landmesser and Eckler's first daughter Ingrid was born.
A now-famous photograph, in which a man identified as Landmesser refuses to give the Nazi salute, was taken on 13 June 1936.
In 1937, Landmesser and Eckler tried to flee to Denmark but were apprehended. She was again pregnant, and he was charged and found guilty in July 1937 of "dishonoring the race" under Nazi racial laws. He argued that neither he nor Eckler knew that she was fully Jewish, and was acquitted on 27 May 1938 for lack of evidence, with the warning that a repeat offense would result in a multi-year prison sentence. The couple publicly continued their relationship, and on 15 July 1938 he was arrested again and sentenced to two and a half years in the concentration camp Börgermoor.
Eckler was detained by the Gestapo and held at the prison Fuhlsbüttel, where she gave birth to a second daughter Irene. From there she was sent to the Oranienburg concentration camp, then the Lichtenburg concentration camp for women, and then the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrück. Their children were initially taken to the city orphanage. Ingrid was later allowed to live with her maternal grandmother; Irene went to the home of foster parents in 1941. After her grandmother's death in 1953, Ingrid was also placed with foster parents. A few letters came from Irma Eckler until January 1942. It is believed that she was brought to the so-called Bernburg Euthanasia Centre in February 1942, where she was among the 14,000 killed; in the course of post-war documentation, in 1949 she was pronounced legally dead, with a date of 28 April 1942.
Meanwhile, Landmesser was discharged from prison on 19 January 1941. He worked as a foreman for the firm Püst, a haulage company. The company had a branch at the Heinkel-Werke (factory) in Warnemünde.[3] In February 1944 he was drafted into a penal battalion, the 999th Fort Infantry Battalion. He was declared missing in action, and presumed killed during fighting in Croatia on 17 October 1944. Like Eckler, he was declared legally dead in 1949.
The marriage of August Landmesser and Irma Eckler was recognized retroactively by the Senate of Hamburg in the summer of 1951, and in the autumn of that year Ingrid assumed the surname Landmesser. Irene continued to use the surname Eckler.

The thing is, this man seemed to be quite ordinary, but in his society, he was a criminal, however.  His crime was a race crime.  Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  All he did was to try to innocently marry a woman who was Jewish (and they didn't even know it).  He must have loved her greatly, for he was willing to go to a concentration camp rather than break it off.  Eventually he was released and later drafted into the army and subsequently died in Croatia.

For some, history is boring.  Many people will simply not care about someone who died about 70 years ago.  However, when a person understands what is correct to do and does it for the right reasons, is he a criminal?  Technically, that is defined by the laws of the nation- so yes, he was a criminal.  But, what if the laws are simply WRONG?  Consider- just because someone is in prison, does that automatically make them an evil person?  Let the Scriptures speak for themselves...

Genesis, Chapter 39
 20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.  21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

1 Kings, Chapter 22
 26  The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son.  27 Say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”

Jeremiah, Chapter 37
  15 The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.  16 When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

Ephesians, Chapter 3
 1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Philemon
23  Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

 Colossians, Chapter 4
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”), 

 Revelation, Chapter 2 (to the church at Smyrna)
 10  Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.   11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

Daily, I see our freedoms being eroded and our government becoming more antagonistic towards Christians.  It seems to me that it just a matter of time before a Christian becomes a "criminal".  If that does happen, it happens- so what?  Look at the above list for a few of your companions.  The highlighted portion of verse 10 tells of your reward.  Believe it, because it is true!!!!!
 

From Ben Fronczek... Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)


Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)

Are You in a Fog?      1 Peter 4
By: Ben Fronczek

This past week I read a story of what it was like for a resident of Poland when the Nazis came in and occupied their land. Someone interviewed a man by the name of Charles Pierce. Here is a section of that article:
“In 1939, Pierce was teenager looking to start his life as an adult. His father, a successful businessman, wasn’t overly concerned when the Nazis first invaded Poland.                                                                             
“My father was comfortable. No one expected things to change so quickly or so horribly,” Pierce said.
It took Germany eight days to occupy Poland. It wasn’t long before Pierce’s hometown fell under Nazi influence. Soldiers marched prisoners down the town’s main street, right past his father’s shop.
Soon, the Nazis came for Pierce’s family. Armed teenagers ordered them out onto the streets, stripping them of their material possessions and handing the family business over to a Nazi. The family moved into a newly established ghetto where 20,000 people lived in a few square blocks.
“They saw us as sub-human. Soldiers used us for target practice,” Pierce explained.   Pierce would be transferred through multiple ghettos, forced-labor camps and death camps throughout Poland and Germany…”

This man would go on to talk about horrible things to follow that he saw and experienced that I don’t even feel comfortable talking about in our setting here today.
I thank God that so far none of us have ever had to experience such cruelty by and occupying force. But if that were to happen. What advice would God want to share with us. How would He want us to live and treat one another.
To put it into a historical context, as Peter wrote his first letter, we need to remember that, as Peter wrote these words, it was on the eve of the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans.  Although the Romans had already occupied and controlled the Holy Lands, soon the Temple along with the Levitical system, and the Jewish economy, and many Jews would come to a brutal end with the destruction and fall of Jerusalem. Unfortunately the Roman persecutors would not distinguish between the Jews and Christians. They would also suffer the consequences of the doom soon to befall the Jewish state. And what we have next is what Peter writes to prepare and advise fellow Christians concerning the end.  Think about that as we look at what he writes here.

“7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

We may not be entering into an age of persecution as these people were, but Peter’s advice is just as relevant for Christians of any age.
In the next few lessons I would like to look at the advice Peter gives here in this text and make it practical for us today. First of all let’s look at what he suggests in verse 7:

#1. Be clear minded 

I’d like to ask you, what fogs up your brain? Are there things that mess with your mind, that distract you, that get you off track? Maybe you let certain people or certain events or circumstances get the best of you and you let it mess with your judgment. There are all kinds of things that mess with our mind.(for example, worry, work, fear, fatigue, entertainment, loneliness, a bad relationship with someone,  and so many other things, It’s all about focusing on the wrong priorities in life).
So how does one clear up their mind? Well first of all we may need to clean up our act (it’s like cleaning a dirty window or lens). There may be things in our life we just may need to get rid of; maybe a sinful practice, maybe you need to stop watching certain programs on TV, or stay away from certain people, whatever is having a negative influence on how you look at things. And then we need to focus on the right things. Get our priorities right and do what is right. In Philippians 4:8  

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

How often do you think about or focus on good things like this? Do you look at the cup ½ empty or ½ full? Balance is also important. Getting proper rest and having a healthy diet also makes a big difference on how clear we can think.   That leads to Peter’s next recommendation….

#2  Being Self Controlled  

How much self control do you have? And you might say ‘Well it depends on what you are talking about. Certain things I can resist but other things, well, I struggle with’.

You want to know something, I hate being a slave to my own desires. And I go on these rants where I decide I am not going to eat this or do that. Sometimes I can do it and other time I’m too weak and give in and that frustrates me.

I’m not quite sure if that’s what Peter is talking about here, rather, I think Peter is emphasizing having a sound mind and a sober disposition because of that which is about to befall them (trials and severe persecution).  Why? Because he tells that they need to be clear minded and in control….

So that they can pray. Minds that are foggy, preoccupied, and out of control have a hard time focusing on Prayer. Believe me I know.  When we become self absorbed by so many different things it’s hard to pray. But prayer is important, very important. Talking to our Lord and our God is necessary if we are going to remain strong. Prayer is something that we can do to help us keep our strength up, our faith strong especially when those storms hit.
Do you remember what the apostle Paul wrote the Philippians while in prison? In Philippians 4:4f he wrote, 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isn’t that what we want; some peace of mind no matter what the circumstance? The question I have for you today is, ‘Have you been Praying? Have you been talking to God enough?’’
So what are some things that we can do to improve our prayers life?  Here are just a few suggestions:

a) Have a regular time and place of prayer. For each of us that time and place will be different, with the exception of those times when we pray together.  Paul said that we should pray without ceasing. But I think that’s more like being in a prayerful spirit at all times. But I also believe there are times that we should set aside for some specific prayer.
I‘ve heard how some people pray in the shower in the morning after they get up. Others take a cup of coffee sit in a favorite chair read some scripture and then pray. You can pray in the barn, or on the drive to work each day. I think it’s important to have specific times to pray; preferably more than once a day.
For many of us if we don’t make a plan to do something we won’t.  Next:

b) I think it’s also important to have a list of specific things we are going to pray for.                                                                                                                        
- A time for praise and thanksgiving.

- We also need to express repentance and ask for forgiveness

- We need to ask for insight, help and guidance

- And of course pray for others and their specific needs

Maybe you can follow certain formulas to remember what to pray for like ACTS:
A = Adoration    C = Confession,   T = Thanksgiving,   S = Supplication

In praying we also need to remember that we are talking to God and not just doing an exercise. It is important to strive for a relationship with God in prayer and not just develop a ritual.
If we can learn to clear our minds and get a little self control so that we can pray like this on a daily basis, I can’t help but believe we will have the peace of mind that Paul promised those early Christians; even when trials come our way.

Challenge:   After hearing a sermon, the president Lincoln companion asked, “What did you think of tonight’s sermon?”  “Well,” Lincoln responded, “it was brilliantly conceived, biblical, relevant, and well presented.”   “So, it was a great sermon?”   “No,” Lincoln replied. “It failed. It failed because it did not ask us to do something great.” Inspiring communicators always expect a lot from their listeners.

My challenge for you today is this:

#1 Honestly ask yourself if there is anything that is getting to you, that is preventing you from having a clear mind and do something about it.

#2 Think about some things you personally can do to improve your prayer life.

#3. Decided where and when you plan on praying

#4. Decide what you are going to pray about and keeping it fresh

#5. Don’t let your prayers become just an exercise; use your prayers to talk to God to develop a closer relationship with Him

If you actually make a personal commitment to do this I promise you, you won’t be sorry. You will be blessed by God Himself.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Media Hypocrisy

Media Hypocrisy


The hypocrisy of the media hardly knows bounds. AOL goes on and on about parental control and protection of the minds of children from sexual predators and yet when we open the welcome page they have raunchy headlines and pictures of and about football “babes”. There for kids to check out are scantily dressed women tugging at the precious little clothing they have on so that they can show more flesh while looking at the viewer with looks full of sexual suggestion . Children already caught up in a sex-obsessed culture are offered more by AOL. They’re so concerned about the children. Yeah right! It isn’t really the showing of the pictures that guts me (you come to expect that muck, don’t you?) it’s the oily hypocrisy of the company that turns my stomach.

Then there’s The Sun, a UK daily newspaper that attacked the former wife of Paul McCartney. It told of topless photos she had made and called them “obscene” and “pornographic”. Topless photos are a steady diet dished out by The Sun. Again, you expect nothing better from these sheets—it’s the moral outrage they show, it’s the way they present themselves as the defenders of public decency, that’s what makes you want to throw up.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... An Exhortation To Walk In Diligence (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

               "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

             An Exhortation To Walk In Diligence (4:11-12)

INTRODUCTION

1. In his "apostolic instructions", we have seen Paul exhort the church
   at Thessalonica...
   a. To walk in holiness - 1Th 4:1-8
   b. To walk in love - 1Th 4:9-10

2. His next instruction (1Th 4:11-12) is an exhortation to "diligence",
   to ensure that...
   a. They walk properly toward those who are outside - cf. 1Pe 2:12
   b. They lack nothing - cf. Ro 13:8

3. That this requires diligence is evident from the word "aspire"
   (study, KJV) in verse 11...
   a. A word meaning "to be ambitious"
   b. As translated in the NASB (to make it your ambition)

[In three particular areas does Paul want them to be ambitious, the
first being...]

I. TO LEAD A QUIET LIFE

   A. AN APPARENT PARADOX...
      1. For the phrase "quiet life" suggests a calmness, a serenity
      2. Yet for this we are to be "ambitious", apply diligent effort, 
         which seems to be contrary to the idea of quietness, calm
      -- The "quiet life", like many good things, does not come without
         concerted effort

   B. AN ADMIRABLE GOAL...
      1. As much as possible, to live peaceably with all men - Ro 12:18;
         14:19; He 12:14
         a. Though such is not always the case
         b. As Paul found out even in Thessalonica - cf. Ac 17:1-6
      2. For which we are to diligently pray - 1Ti 2:1-2
         a. That we might live quiet and peaceful lives
         b. That we might live such in all godliness and honesty
      3. A quiet and peaceful life is more likely if we:
         a. Seek first the kingdom of God - Mt 6:25-34
            1) Which requires setting our priorities
            2) Which requires saying no to many distractions
         b. Learn contentment in Christ - Php 4:11-13; 1Ti 6:6-10
         c. Overcome anxiety through prayer - Php 4:6-7   
      -- The search for "simplicity" is a popular trend today; for the
         Christian, it is to be more than just a trend, but a way of
         life conducive to godliness and honesty

[As we "aspire" to lead a quiet life, we cannot do so unless we also
give diligence...]

II. TO MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS

   A. THERE IS A PLACE FOR LOVING CONCERN...
      1. As we watch out for one another's welfare - Php 2:4
      2. As we seek to help each other overcome our weaknesses - Ga 6:
         1-2
      -- Therefore we should not construe the words in our text to mean 
         that we should not seek to reprove, rebuke, or to restore an 
         erring brother - cf. Jm 5:19-20

   B. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR NOSY INTERFERENCE...
      1. Paul is warning against becoming "busybodies", people who have
         nothing to do but interfere in the affairs of others
      2. A problem that often existed in the early church
         a. Even at Thessalonica - 2Th 3:11-12
         b. Which Peter lumped together with murderers, thieves, etc. 
            - 1Pe 4:15
      3. A danger especially when one is not focused on their own 
         business
         a. Which is why Paul refused to let churches support younger 
            widows - 1Ti 5:11-14
         b. Which is why Paul instructed the older women to properly 
            teach the younger women their responsibilities - Tit 2:3-5
      -- The peace and quiet we desire in our lives and in our churches
         cannot exist unless we maintain a proper distinction between
         brotherly concern and becoming "busybodies"

[It certainly helps to maintain that distinction if we "aspire"...]

III. TO WORK WITH OUR OWN HANDS

   A. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMAND...
      1. To provide for our families - cf. 1Ti 5:8
      2. To help the less fortunate - Ep 4:28; Ac 20:34-35
      -- Through example and precept, Paul taught the early Christians 
         to support themselves and not be dependent upon others

   B. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS COMMAND...
      1. Failing to provide for our families makes us worse than 
         unbelievers - 1Ti 5:8
      2. Refusing to work was grounds for church discipline, just like
         adultery, extortion, etc. - 2Th 3:10-14; 1Co 5:11
      -- While we may occasionally need assistance from our brethren 
         (even our government), we are not to make it a practice to 
         "live off welfare"

CONCLUSION

1. With diligence, therefore, we are to "aspire"...
   a. To lead a quiet life
   b. To mind our own business
   c. To work with our own hands

2. Again, the purpose behind these instructions is two-fold...
   a. That we might walk properly toward those who are outside - 1 Th 4:12a
   b. That we might lack nothing - 1Th 4:12b

For the sake of our reputation as Christians, as well as for own well-
being while we sojourn here on earth, we must heed this exhortation to
walk in diligence!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011