By Ken Blue

 

Every person has a circle of reason. I am not talking about circular reasoning, but the circle or circumference of one’s reasoning. When we allow ourselves to be pulled into the other mans circle, we are at his mercy and under his rules. A Christian must not fall for this tactic.

Faith that God exist helps us believe the Bible, and faith in the Bible helps us understand and believe God. The starting place is that God exists.

I am reminded of a situation in a science class at a secular university. The teacher drew a circle on the board and proceeded with his questions and diagrams to “prove” to the students that God could not exist. A student raised his hand for permission to speak. It was granted. “Professor, the problem with your argument is that you have confined God to your circle. God is outside your circle of reason and intellect.”

And so it is. If you can believe in a God of creation, you can believe the Bible, and if you believe the Bible, you will understand the God of creation. Don’t allow yourself to be confined to the circle the atheist, the agnostic and the scoffers have drawn for themselves. God is outside the puny little world of man’s reason which they have drawn for themselves.

‘Harry Potter’ Actress’ Brother Sentenced in Her ‘Honor Beating’

Fox news January 21,2011-Fox news.com

The brother of the Muslim actress Afshan Azad, who played Padma Patil in the “Harry Potter” films, was sentenced to six months in prison Thursday for beating his sister after he heard her talking to her Hindu boyfriend.

 Ashraf Azad, 28, called his sister a “prostitute” and screamed ”Marry a Muslim or you die!”

During a three-hour beating, during which, the actress said in a Manchester, England court, she feared for her life. Afshan Azad, 21, was punched, strangled, and dragged by her hair by her brother, but she still pleaded for the judge’s leniency during the sentencing hearing, and asked he not be jailed.

Judge Roger Thomas would not hear of it, noting, ”The background to this offense lies in the concern that you, and perhaps other family members, had about Afshan’s relationship with a young man who was not of the Islamic faith.”

The judge also pointed out the “persistent attack was accompanied by serious and very hurtful abuse and threats. It must have been a miserable and frightening experience for your sister.”

”This is a sentence that is designed to punish you for what you did and also to send out a clear message to others that domestic violence involving circumstances such as have arisen here cannot be tolerated,” the judge said.

Afshan Azad’s family members recounted in court a harrowing night in which her father and mother also called her names, made threats and started making plans to give her away in an arranged marriage to a Muslim man in Bangladesh.

“I’m going to kill you. I’m actually going to kill you,” the brother said, according to court testimony. He was then heard shouting, “Where are the knives?”

Apparenty his own wife had already hidden them.

“She was told she had to marry a Muslim or you die,” prosecutor Richard Vardon said. Afshan Azad snuck out a window the next morning. “She realized she would have to leave and felt she could not live any longer in that environment,” Vardon said.

Note: These are not the actions and threats of radicals who have “hijacked” Islam. These are the beliefs and behavior of all Muslims.

 By Ken Blue

One of the issues that must not be discussed openly among fundamentalist pastors is the subject of divorced and remarriage. When you do, you have just kicked the beehive. So, let’s kick it!

I accepted the Lord in the mid fifties in a Baptist church which belonged to an association of churches that refused to allow divorced/remarried people to serve in any ministry. However, you could join and tithe.

About three years ago, I attended a Bible Conference where an evangelist from the south was preaching. After the service, the pastor invited me to join them for a bite to eat. The subject of divorce came up, and the host pastor asked the evangelist if his Baptist fellowship would allow him to preach for a divorced pastor. He said, “No, they would not.” The follow-up question was “would they allow you to preach for a church that lets divorced evangelist or pastors preach for them?” Again, the answer was the same.  

Now, I am opposed to divorce, and I believe most Christians are. However, I am not opposed to divorced people. We do not always have control over what a spouse may do. The divorce epidemic in America has led some to change their convictions about divorce; others have discovered truth about divorce that has remained overlooked for centuries. I believe God has made provision for divorce and remarriage. However, the brethren will never agree on this subject until we get to heaven.

 One puzzling question for me is, if those who remarry while their “former” spouse is alive; and if they are living in adultery, how can you justify allowing them membership in your church? I don’t think you can have it both ways. Your answer would be enlightening to all of us.

My advice to those who have been divorced and remarried is to find a church where you can join and serve the Lord. If you are in the ministry don’t worry about what others think. Continue to serve the Lord and let Him be your judge. I think the bees are beginning to swarm; it’s time to run!

Ken Blue

^“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” Romans 14:17-22.

We can do nothing but pause and praise God for His grace when we read the story of Elisha and Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5). Naaman was an idol worshiping gentile, until he was healed under the ministry of Elisha. Afterwards, he proclaimed his faith that there was only one true God, the God of Israel and of the whole earth.

Naaman was a servant to the king of Syria, and one of his duties was to assist his master when he went into the temple of Rimmon the sun god and had to kneel with his master before the idol. He explained his situation, and Elisha told him to “go in peace.”

Elisha’s answer illustrates perfectly the text in Romans 14. Had Elisha told him it was acceptable to do it, he would have condoned bowing to idols. Had he forbad him, he would have placed himself between God and Naaman. As Naaman grows in grace and faith his own heart will condemn him of his actions. He will be forced by his own convictions to make a major decision. Preachers are not to be “directors of the conscience” but ministers of the truth. All situations are different and each one may call for different advice.