by Caleb Gordon | May 10, 2016
We see the mass hysteria all around us. The media is freaking out. People on a wholesale basis are moving towards fear, anger, and hate. If you watch the political landscape, you are thinking that all hope is lost.
But we really have to be intentional in the way we walk our days while here on earth.
Check this out: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matt 7:24-27).
You see, if our foundation and our focus is not on things of an eternal nature, we are always going to gravitate towards fear, anger, and hate. And we will always look for an earthly king to save us.
Jesus is here to bring us redemption and hope! Stop looking for answers in men. Stay focused on living out your life according what God has called us to do. Be on mission. Share the Gospel. Be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Be salt and light to a dark and dying world, and when the storms of life come, the foundation is set, and you know who will continue to hold you even when things don’t look so good.
Trump is not our hope. Hillary is not our hope. Our only lasting and eternal hope is Jesus Christ, and when we put our trust and real hope in Him, everything else fades into the background.
Run free in this truth today, and let Jesus shape and mold your future no matter what happens in our country!
Jesus IS KING!
by Christi Roselle | May 5, 2016
Dear Loving Family,
Mother’s Day this year comes at a hard economic time for our state. I would like to make a few inexpensive gift suggestions that would be perfect:
- If you see something empty, whether it be in the refrigerator or in the shower. Please throw it away. It would be greatly helpful for me to know what our family’s shopping needs are.
- A flushed toilet is so much more pleasant to see when one is in need of it.
- Speaking of which, when the toilet paper runs out, nothing would please me more to have the person who uses the last of the roll replace it with a new one.
- When towels are in need, use only one and hang it up immediately after. If the grime isn’t too much, it may be used again tomorrow, and less laundry means a happier earth.
- You may notice the dishes piled up in the sink? If you see this, it would be so helpful to do a load for dear old Mom. My chauffeur duties may have kept me from being able to keep up. If you are unable to because there is already a load in, would you be ever so kind as to unload it for me? That would be a treat that would make my heart soar.
- Trash is picked up every Monday morning. We do not need to only take it out Sunday night. I would be humbled to have you help take it out on a daily basis. That includes the cat litter.
- When going in and out of the house, please wipe your shoes or better yet, remove them. The floors (and my smile) will shine like never before.
- Note specific to dog: You are the only male dog in this house. Please give me one day free of marking your territory. It’s yours. We know.
- If I happen to hand you your folded laundry and ask you to walk from the laundry room to your room and put it up, please don’t throw it down somewhere in between. You would give me joy to place it directly in your designated drawers, and you would be amazed that you actually do have clothes.
- When we go to church, it would thrill me to have each of you dressed appropriately to worship our Lord. This means no jeans, t-shirts, or ratty tennis shoes. No, we shouldn’t be judged upon our looks, but humor your mother by allowing her the delusion that her kids can clean up nice every now and then.
- Anything homemade will definitely bring tears of happiness to my eyes. If you need to use my scissors, they belong in the bin in the kitchen.
- Last but not least, being your Mother is the most amazing gift I have ever received. Each of you are a blessing from God. But remember: “Cursed is anyone who dishonors their…..mother” (Deuteronomy 27:16).
by Caleb Moore | Apr 12, 2016
I recently returned from a trip to Salt Lake City where I had the pleasure of speaking at a local Christian church that is comprised of many former Mormons. I also spent some time with one of my Mormon friends. After grabbing a quick bite, he suggested we attend the priesthood conference. In Mormonism they have an annual gathering that is comprised of several different events. The main event is the general conference where the LDS Prophet speaks. There are events just for women and events just for the men. The men only meeting is called the Priesthood session, and we were able to score some tickets that had fantastic seats.
Some of you might know people who are a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also called Mormons. In casual conversation, their faith can sound exactly like ours on many levels. However, the more you get to the foundations of their beliefs you begin to see their Jesus is not the same Jesus of Scripture, and their God is nothing more than a glorified man who had a god before him. They are some of the nicest people you will meet, but that does not negate the fact that they are polytheists who have a work based salvation.
The first speaker at the conference was Russell M. Nelson. He is one of the 12 apostles in Mormonism and a former heart surgeon. Early in his career he lost two young girls during surgery who had heart conditions. He was always saddened by their loss and later learned that the family had some resentment towards him. As he began to speak, he told the story of how these two young girls, many years later, visited him in a vision one night. He said he heard their voices “spiritually,” and they cried out to him “Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?”
In Mormonism, children need to be sealed to their parents in order to live with them in one of their three levels of heaven. Since this can seem confusing to non-Mormons, here is what they say on their website:
“While on earth, we can make sacred covenants (promises) with God in the holy temple through priesthood authority. Among these covenants is the opportunity for husbands and wives to be sealed (married for eternity) and their children to be sealed to them. This means that if we keep our covenants with the Lord and each other, death cannot permanently separate us. This sealing ordinance is an essential part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for us to live with Him eternally.”
Russell Nelson was moved by the pleas of these little girls, so he went to the father who was now 88 years old. He said, “I spoke of his daughters’ pleadings and told him I would be honored to perform sealing ordinances for his family. I also explained that it would take time and much effort on his and Shawn’s part to be ready and worthy to enter the temple, as neither of them had ever been endowed.”
As I heard these words sadness filled my heart that soon turned to anger. Could I have heard that right? Did he just say that this 88-year-old man would have to work hard just so that a ceremony could be performed that would allow his innocent little girls to be with him in heaven? I began to take as many notes as possible because I could not believe what he was saying.
He continued, “They worked diligently with their stake president, bishop, home teachers, and ward mission leader, as well as with young missionaries and a senior missionary couple… They were willing to submit to guidance from their priesthood leaders so that the Atonement of Jesus Christ could purify and magnify them.”
All of this work so that he would be worthy to enter into a temple where a ceremony could be performed just so that these two little girls could find peace in the afterlife. He even went so far to say that the atonement of Jesus could not purify them until these steps had been taken.
In closing he encouraged the men in a room that sat 21,000 people to work hard as well, so that they can stay worthy. I was in shock. I thought to myself, what kind of monster is this god? What kind of being would forbid two innocent little girls from entering into his presence simply because their father didn’t pass the test and perform a ceremony. Tithing is required in order to be temple worthy so it is fair to say that this man had to pay a price in order to allow his daughters into heaven. In Mormonism, salvation literally costs money. With that kind of theology hanging over your head, it’s easy to see how the Mormon Church can afford the $3 billion mall they built in downtown Salt Lake City. Such things are bought with blood money much like the early catholic cathedrals.
Can you imagine worshiping a god where salvation must be earned and bought? Can you imagine losing two infant girls and knowing their peace rested upon you? Even though these girls would have made it to one of the lower levels of the Mormon Heaven (they have three levels), they would not have been with God and likely not have been with their families. Can you imagine being told that the atonement does not purify you unless you keep all the commandments?
I have studied their faith for years. I know it well. But it never fails to shock me and break my heart when I watch all these men, all wearing the same white shirts, agreeing with their apostle and prophet that the work of Jesus is simply not enough.
Their conference center is a wonder of architecture. It is 1.4 million square feet and cost over $240 million to build. Music is sent throughout the building through a giant organ with 7,667 pipes. My friends, the entrance to hell is not a cemetery, it is a cathedral. All these men, all dressed the same, following their false prophet straight to the grave. If you have friends who are Mormon, now is the time to lovingly engage them in the Gospel. They need to hear of the free grace of Jesus Christ.
by Caleb Gordon | Apr 6, 2016
Dear Men,
Can I be honest for a second?
You are really a big lynch pin in the transformation of your family. If you value Godly things, statically, your whole family will value them. If you value Christ-centered things, typically, your wife and children will as well.
If men are committed to the church, every other ministry grows in healthy ways as well. If you invest in the ministry of your local church, you can rest assure that you are investing in eternal things. The eternal rewards will be mind blowing.
I understand that we are all being pulled in every sort of direction in our life, but seriously, you’re going to blink, and this thing called life is going to be over. What is your legacy going to be? I mean it! Ask yourself that kind of question on a regular basis. It’s important.
There will come a day when we will have to give an account for how we lived this life, and if we don’t value the things of God now we’re going to wish we had. It’s not too late. Stop making excuses, and start laying plans to lead your family to the feet of Jesus! You’ll be so glad you did!
JESUS IS BETTER!
by Wade Burleson | Mar 8, 2016
The church has always affirmed the role of parents as the primary educators of their children. The responsibility begins at home to raise children in a Christ-centered environment and encourage a strong educational foundation.
Giving parents choices to tailor their children’s educational experience is the single most effective way of ensuring those children can make the most of their instruction, which is why supporting legislation creating Education Savings Accounts, or ESAs, is crucial.
I am very pro public schools. In Oklahoma, lower and middle-income families often suffer disproportionately from a lack of school choice. This issue becomes more acute when there are no quality public schools in the area. Education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty, and children of all income levels need and deserve access to a good school.
Some say the top two reasons for the difficulties in K-12 public education are the need for more teachers due to overcrowded classrooms and a lack of special education services. But these are the problems ESAs are in a position to fix. When students take advantage of Education Savings Accounts, they are able to pursue the type of education that best suit their learning, while simultaneously reducing the burden on the public school system.
And while we should strongly support a faith-based education for children, ESAs provide options for students who can benefit from all types of educational settings, including tutoring, online education or non-religious private school.
Children only have one chance at an education, especially when they’re young, and if they’re in a school where they’re not flourishing academically or spiritually, forcing them to continue in that situation would be unjust when there are options that could be made available.
According to a report by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, school choice and ESA programs lead to higher achievement for students participating in choice programs and in public schools. Choice creates an education marketplace where public and private schools have to perform well and meet the needs of students to keep them in their classrooms. Data shows that choice also has a positive fiscal effect for taxpayers, a positive racial integration effect, and promotes civic values.
God gives parents the responsibility to be the primary educators and formers of their children’s faith. Parents should be able to consider the best option for their children’s whole education and formation — not simply in academic subjects, but in the formation of the whole person.
Families of all backgrounds deserve access to a faith-based education, or whatever education they believe is best. We cannot and should not allow the status quo to stand in the way of this vital evangelizing mission.
It is time for Oklahomans to take bold action. We cannot let Oklahoma’s children continue to fall behind in the most crucial education formation years due to lack of opportunity.
by Caleb Moore | Mar 7, 2016
A few days ago a few pictures of President Obama surfaced that put a spotlight on his interaction with kids. One of these pictures was especially powerful. The first African-American president reaching out with compassion and touching the face of a young African-American boy.
Now I’m not so politically driven that I think these are fake or that he doesn’t really care about kids. My Bible tells me to respect my leaders and to pray for those in positions of authority. Despite all the areas where I differ with our president, I do not think he is a person full of hate whatsoever.
He is the President but also a husband and a father, and it is safe to say that he loves his kids and those kids in the pictures. These pictures were so powerful that the hash tag #obamaandkids went viral. The day the photos circulated, I found myself lying awake in bed, and the weight of my thoughts was physically evident to my wife. She asked me what was wrong, and the only way I knew how to respond was to simply say, “The world breaks my heart.”
How could photos of our president being nice to kids break my heart you might ask? It’s rather simple and difficult at the same time. I always try hard to see things through the eyes of others, especially when I might disagree with them. I’m not so closed off as to believe that I am always right on any given position. But when it comes to how “liberals” (for lack of a better term) view children, I just cannot make the dots connect.
There is no doubt that many liberals truly love children. However, I cannot understand how the president can have such compassion and sympathy for kids at one moment and yet defend abortion-on-demand in the next. I cannot see how those two ideologies can co-exist.
Those with liberal views typically want better healthcare for kids, better schools for kids, better opportunities for kids, but somehow within all that compassion, the support for the physical murder of children inside the mother’s womb is even more passionately defended.
It is no longer a question of science regarding when human life begins. Those issues have been settled. We can hear the heartbeat now inside of the womb, we can see the eyelids and fingers as an 8-week-old baby sucks its thumb. The idea that this baby is just a clump of cells is inconceivable (are we not all just clumps of cells?). Why go to such efforts to dehumanize a child? Most women find out they are pregnant 4-8 weeks into the child’s development when the heart beat can be clearly heard and the spine is formed, transferring signals of pain to that child’s brain.
What I have been struggling to understand is the level of cognitive dissonance required to love life and equality so vocally on one issue yet in the same breath defend a woman’s right to kill her child if she so chooses. (And I don’t use words like “kill” or “murder” to manipulate or frame the argument in my favor; it’s just a reality that when we willingly stop the development of another human being, whether that human is 6 years old or 6 weeks old, we are taking an innocent life.)
I think the best way for me to understand their position is to take a closer look at postmodernism. The 1960s and 70s produced a generation railed against authority, rejecting what was perceived as oppressive rules of morality regarding love, gender, religion, sex, and just about everything else. It was never replaced with anything, nor was a standard for morality ever agreed upon. This left a void at a very foundational level that has never been replaced.
Postmodernism is a term used to describe the mindset made famous by the singer Sheryl Crow that says, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” Postmodernism determines truth not by sound debate or evidence but by feelings. Postmodernism is like a tyrant king who can’t defend his actions, so he has to implement them by force. We see this on many fronts.
If you want to have a conversation about something as serious as abortion, you might be accused of hating women’s rights. If you want to talk about the importance of marriage, you run the risk of being called “homophobic.” Since these people to which I refer have thrown away the absolute moral law of God, we must now accept every ideology as equal, less they be labeled as a hypocrite themselves. This is why we see, at the extreme ends, “a white women demanding to be treated as a black woman because they ‘identify as black.’”
Even recently I saw a woman in England who identified as a cat and demanded to be treated as a cat. Postmodernism has to support these extremes because they have thrown out any tool that might be used to counter such idiocy. Now, this can be comical to think about when it comes to people wanting to marry their cousins, but when it comes to people wanting to kill children, then for me, the laughing stops real quick.
I know all too well that Margret Sanger started Planned Parenthood because she believed in social genocide and believed that black people were a weaker race that needed to be exterminated. We can try to sweep those things under the rug because facts don’t matter when it comes to postmodernism, only feelings. And if people feel like they should be allowed to kill kids then who are we to say otherwise? You can never take liberal thinking to its core ideological roots in a consistent way, because it has not roots or moral foundation. It cannot be defended in the public square so it must be defended by vilifying the opposition with name-calling and hate speech.
This insanity is so wide spread that universities are teaching that truth and morality are relative, and then suddenly display outrage when someone disagrees with their truth and morality. You can’t have it both ways.
When I see the picture of Obama and the little black boy, I don’t see compassion; I see a little boy who survived, despite the efforts of the man touching his face to make sure that if his mother had so chosen, she could have killed him before he even had a chance at life. That little boy is a survivor of a broken system.
Reports suggest that some 15 million African-American kids have been aborted since 1973. That means around 1,800 children are aborted every day. So that little boy, he is most definitely a survivor, as is President Obama. Despite ever effort of the world to keep them from having a full life, they have made it. The opposition wants you to think it is because of their efforts, but the truth is, they made it because Christian values still have a foundation for morality despite every effort to weaken and destroy it by postmodern thinking. Where Christianity has spread throughout history life has been valued, freedom has increased, schools have been started, women have been elevated, and slaves have been set free. Of course there are instances of great failure by those who claim to be Christian, but because our foundation is beyond man’s ability to legislate away the self-correcting nature of Christianity always pulls us forward.
The hand of our president, which so compassionately reached out and touched that young boy’s face, is tainted because of the loss of innocent unborn life. We all share in that shame. Those who support it, and those who are silent – we all share in that great guilt.
Of course “black lives matter,” even in the womb. Children matter, even in the womb. Women have equal rights, even in the womb. If it is wrong to do it to a child outside the womb then it is wrong to do it to a child inside the womb. As I roll over to sleep and look at my bride, nine months pregnant with our second child, I fear I will not be able to protect my son from such a violent world. I fear that he might elevate feelings over truth. I fear that he will be exposed to so much violence at a young age that he will grow numb to it all.
I sometimes dream of buying some land to raise my kids in isolation. I want to protect them from a world gone mad, foaming at the mouth as it seeks to devour all the innocence that is left. I see the photos from the ultrasound of my son taped to the mirror in our bedroom, showing his development. And my heart breaks knowing that it would have been totally within the law to have killed that small little boy. That clump of cells? That is my son, your son, your daughter, even you.
Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You (Psalm 9:19).