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YES – I’m not an Optimist!

July 29, 2014 1 comment
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38,39
      The apostle Paul who penned these words was fully “persuaded” about the love of God in Christ Jesus, and so am I.  There are times that people ask why I’m always smiling.  “You must be a positive person – an optimist.”  In which I reply, “No – I am a Christian.  A Christian goes far beyond an optimist.”
      It is obvious that our world is falling apart.  Murders, wars, health-care cost and gas prices are out of sight while politicians fight.  Advances in technology that make life easier have made life more hectic.  As far as “free speech,” the New Age Gestapo and the P.C. Police are around every corner squashing it.  This is definitely not Jimmy Stewart’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” that we are living in.
      We are flooded with opinions about how to deal with societal depression and how to fix our problems.  There are self-help books and seminars about how to reach for a “higher life,” a “deeper life,” or a “meaningful life.”  They can’t decide which life to sell, but they sell them anyway.   Terms like optimist, realist, or idealist are used to convey positive thinking in a pessimistic world.  Obviously there is no power in negative thinking, but the power of positive thinking relating to this world is an uncertain hope – a “hope so” hope.  Where as the Christian has a “know so” hope grounded on the sure foundation of God’s promises.  That is a bright eternal hope, which will never fade away because it looks forward with certainty.  It will make you smile knowing that you have the “…hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2).  The Christian hope is in the Sovereign God who created us, saved us, and who is working out “all things” for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
      Christian stay informed and pray, but while the “talking-heads” talk, the politician’s fight, and the P.C. Police hand out their “tolerance tickets,” just be “persuaded” that no power shall be able to separate you from the love of God.  Even though we still have to deal with the mess of life, deal with it by talking with Christ in your heart and a smile of grace upon your face.  A Christian is far beyond an optimist, simply because a Christian trusts in God’s promises.  “Yes, I’m not an optimist – I’m a Christian!”  An optimist is too pessimistic and short sighted.  Lift up your eyes child of God and rejoice – YOU are a Christian!  –  (Published in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
1001 Easy Street
Lewisburg, TN 37091
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How Do We Explain the Different Races?

June 20, 2011 Leave a comment

From the beginning of creation it was God’s will for man to populate the whole earth, but in Genesis chapter 11 we read the historic account that human society was of one language and determined with one mind to stay together (Genesis 11:4).  Due to their disobedience to the LORD, He confused (or confounded) their language, so that they could not understand one another.  In doing so, the Lord “scattered them upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:5-9).  As a result of the different languages, people married those whose language they could understand.  This arrangement produced separate INBREEDING groups.

Over a few generations these inbreeding groups produced specific characteristics, including different eyes, ears, noses, and shades of skin color.  Despite different characteristics and different languages, nevertheless, we all have blood flowing through our bodies, we all are given a soul, and we all are created in the image of God according to (Genesis 1:27).

As foreign as this may seem to this generation, “racial barriers” are broken down by the preaching of the gospel, and not by political correctness.  In fact, there are many Biblical examples of racial barriers being broken by the simple preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In Acts chapter 2, Jews from every “nation” believed.  In Acts chapter 8, there is the bringing in of the Samaritans and the Ethiopian eunuch into Christianity.  Acts chapter 10 records the preaching of the gospel to many Italians in the house of Cornelius.  While in Acts 17:16-34, the gospel is preached to the Greeks in Athens.  Therefore, if any racial barriers are to broken down it will come through the church of Christ being BIBLICALLY CORRECT.  The truth is that, the original manuscripts of the Bible do not use the word “race” to describe different people.  Rather, God uses the words “NATIONS, TRIBES, KINDRED, TONGUE, and PEOPLE.”  The concept of “race” was purely invented for convenience in biological and anthropological studies.  Such concepts led to the pseudo-scientific belief that one race is superior to others.  Evolutionary scientists may not all be racist in their personal philosophies but, like it or not, this humanistic philosophy can be traced throughout history as promoting racism.  The Bible teaches that there is only “one blood” or one race of men upon the face of the earth – the human race (Acts 17:26).

 “And (GOD) hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” Acts 17:26




								

			

			

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