By Ken Blue

Everyone should know there is a different protocol when we are in our own home, or a guest in the home of others. As guest, we sit where instructed to sit, and we follow the lead of our host. This shows respect and gratitude for their hospitality.

I believe visiting pastors should show the same respect when ask to be a guest speaker in another church. It is embarrassing and nauseating to witness the behavior and antics of some speakers. Their goal seems to be to display just how rude and obnoxious they can be. If you must take your coat off, roll up your sleeves, loosen your tie and take your shoes off when preaching, why not do it before you get to the pulpit? Is there some hidden message you’re trying to send? I have witnessed guest speakers break furniture, stand in pews, and insult certain ethnic groups. We had a guest speaker who made the comment, “what has the American Indian given America besides the canoe?” I am thankful those dear church members were absent that night.

When invited to speak, find out the nature of the meeting; and what the pastor wants you to preach. If it is a missions conference, Bible conference or a souls winning conference, find out and plan accordingly. Ask the pastor how many minutes he wants you to preach, and then honor it to the minute. Remember, you are not at home. You might ask if he wants to handle the invitation or he want you to. So, show respect and be professional. You are not there to scold or browbeat his church members. Your job is to edify and build up the saints. You are the guest, so don’t forget that! Be rude and crude, if you must, but do it in your own home.

By Diane Macedo Published March 24, 2011 | FoxNews.com International Christian Concern. Remains of burned down Kale Hiwot church in Asendabo, Ethiopia.

Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes.
At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Islamist group Kawarja is believed to have incited the violence.
“We believe there are elements of the Kawarja sect and other extremists who have been preaching religious intolerance in the area,” he said at a Saturday press conference. “In previous times, we have cracked down on Kawarja because they were involved in violence. Since then they have changed their tactics and they have been able to camouflage their activities through legal channels.”
One of those areas is Besheno where, on November 9, all the Christians in the city woke up to find notes on their doors warning them to convert to Islam, leave the city or face death, a Christian from Besheno told FoxNews.com on condition of anonymity.
“Under the Egyptian constitution we are supposed to have freedom of religion, but Muslim leaders in our town don’t allow us that right,” the source said.
“We were told by some Muslims that live in the city that there was already a plan to kill us and that the people who were assigned to kill us had already come from another city to do it.”
A witness to the three attacks was then assaulted in January after testifying about them in court, International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization that aims to fight Christian persecution, reported.
In the southern town of Moyale, a Christian was sentenced to three years in prison in November for allegedly writing “Jesus is the Lord” in a copy of the Koran, Compass Direct News reported. Christians from the area told the website he had actually written the phrase on a piece of cloth.
Sources also told Compass authorities had offered to release the man, Tamirat Woldegorgis, if he would convert to Islam, but he refused. Additionally, two of his friends were fined for visiting him in prison and taking him food, Compass Direct reported.
And in Oma Village on February 26 a Muslim mob with rocks and rods assaulted and wounded 17 Christian college students who were distributing Bibles during a mission trip, ICC reported. The mob overwhelmed government security forces that attempted to protect the students, but the students eventually fled, the ICC website said.
“The violence against Christians in Ethiopia is alarming because Ethiopian Muslims and Christians used to live together peacefully. Besides, it’s extremely disconcerting that in Ethiopia, where Christians are the majority, they are also the victims of persecution,” Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager of Africa and South Asia, told FoxNews.com.
“We knew that they were peddling this ideology of intolerance, but it was not possible for us to stop them administratively because they are within their rights,” he said. “If we can find some association between what they are doing by way of preaching and what happened by way of violence, then of course we can take them to court.”
“The Ethiopian government has arrested around 130 of the perpetrators, and we hope they will be prosecuted according to the law.”

By Ken Blue

The first rule is that of right division. If we fail to discover the proper divisions of the Bible, we will always be using the Bible instead of correct interpretation. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

The second rule is that of the normal rules of grammar. The context will usually reveal if something is literal or figurative. It is also important to know who is speaking and to whom. Although the entire Bible was written and preserved for us, very little is written to us.

Finally, understand that a word has meaning by how it is used in context. It can mean one thing in one place and the opposite in another. A good example is Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” See Leviticus 1:17. “And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder…” Leviticus 1:17. Anyone can see that the two words have a totally opposite meanings.

We will point out some of the divisions not to be overlooked when reading Scripture. The first is called the Pentateuch, consisting of the first five books. These are called the Law. Within these are several divisions, but they must be considered in context of the five.

The next section covers Israel’s history in the land, and in captivity. These are from the book of Joshua to the book of Ester. There are several transitions in this section, but the reader should keep in mind the location and situation facing Israel.

The poetic books are five, covering Job through Song of Solomon. These deal primarily with the experiences, feelings, and expressions of the writers. One must be careful in founding a doctrine from these books. However, they may illustrate other doctrines in Scripture.

The prophetic books consist of seventeen books. Five are Major Prophets and the remaining twelve are minor. Some of these prophets were in the Land and were sent to Israel and Judah. Others prophesied during the captivity, and after the captivity.

Most of God’s people don’t have a clue as to these divisions and the proper application of God’s Word. It is the pastor’s job to study, rightly divide, and then make proper application. People need not be puzzled on how to understand the Scriptures. Start with the big picture then move to the smaller details later. If you will consider these things, it will aid in understanding God’s Word.