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The Slaughter of the Innocents Continues
6 hours ago
Sunday, April 28, 2019
SUNDAY FUNNIES - HAVE YOU MISSED THEM
We are in a season when I often want to say, "Lighten up." Maybe this will help. - STEVE
Sunday, April 21, 2019
MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - AIN'T NO GRAVE
Easter was yesterday and this song was part of the Easter celebration at my home church. Love this musical refection on the Cross and the Resurrection. Enjoy and celebrate the truth that set us free. - STEVE
Friday, April 19, 2019
JOHNNY HART - GOOD FRIDAY
BY STEVE DUNN
The late Johnny Hart, a devout and highly creative Christian, was noted particularly his Good Friday and Easter comic strips. Each year at this time I honor his heart and talent by sharing his form of the Gospel message. - STEVE
Friday, April 12, 2019
LAST FULL MEASURE - CHRISTIAN LIVES THAT MATTER
BY STEVE DUNN
There is so much "news." So much that every hour on the hour the major news outlets could post new stories and not need to repeat themselves in a 24 hour news cycle. That's not, however, the way it works. The media decides what stories are worthy of reporting and often repeating what they have saying over and over ad nauseum. They even run the some video clips, sometimes repeating the clip multiple times in the same brief story.
The production techniques may be annoying but what is troubling is what they choose to report and leaving many of us wondering why they chose those things. In a week when the airwaves were filled with one more reporting of our mercurial president's impulsive actions (which he often must back pedal on by the next news cycle), the news that a bunch of rich Hollywood celebrities used their money and sense of entitlement to spend ludicrous amounts of money to get their children scholarships into universities with bribes that exceeded the tuition costs, and the Patriots owner Robert Kraft's attempts to make his involvement in a prostitution sting go away; where did you see these stories?
| Hong Kong Pastor Facing Prison Preaches the Sermon of His Life
The Baptist leader, convicted for his role in the Occupy Central and Umbrella Movement protests, takes the stand with a biblical defense for human rights and civil disobedience.
Kate Shellnutt
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A Baptist pastor in Hong Kong turned the stands of a Hong Kong courtroom into his pulpit, quoting Scripture and calling for justice in the name of God, after he and eight other activists were convicted Tuesday for crimes related to their involvement with pro-democracy Occupy Central and Umbrella Movement protests.
Chu Yiu-ming, leader of Chai Wan Baptist Church, recounted his testimony of finding hope in Christ after a bleak childhood and defended his calling as a minister to fight for human rights, ...
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China is in the process of systematically attacking and persecuting the Christian Church. It has been jailing pastors, closing and even demolishing churches. On February 17, 2019 China Aid reported: (Chengdu, Sichuan—Feb. 27, 2019) The Chinese government has continued their harassment of members of the Early Rain Covenant Church by arresting 44 more church attendees at two worship venues on February 24.
One church attendee, A Xin, who is a translator, was arrested by nearly 10 policemen at home later that same day. The authorities cited his work, reporting the details of the continual crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church. A specifically wrote about the mistreatment of the children, seniors, and pregnant women who were arrested and Pastor Wang Yi’s 74-year-old mother, who was beaten by police.
At the end of the day, 44 Christians were arrested, including 11 kids with the youngest being just over two months old. They were detained at the Chengdu Police Station, where their cell phones were confiscated.
According to a statement released by Early Rain Covenant Church, Tang Chunliang and other Christians were violently beaten, and children slept on the cold table and floor. During their time in detention, there was no access to food and some of them were not released until 2:00 a.m.
So far, 11 people have been sentenced to administrative detention. Those sentenced to a 14-day detention are Zhang Jianqing, Wei Zhixue, Zhu Xiaoguang, Hou Hong’en, Luo Zhipeng, Yang Duli, Zhang Guanya, Huang Guangtai, and Tang Chunliang. Both A and Yang Jian were given a 10-day detention sentence.
These arrests are part of a massive crackdown on their church that began on Dec. 9. Within that week, more than 150 people had been taken imprisoned, and several of them remain behind bars, including Pastor Wang and his wife, Jiang Rong. READ MORE
This is but the tip of the iceberg of the persecution of Christians and the church in China.
There was a great outcry when a shooter massacred people in a synagogue in Pittsburg and when terrorists homicedally attacked mosques in Christchurch--and well there should have been. An attack on people gathered in their houses of worship is one of the most despicable of attacks on a basic human right--for people to have the freedom to worship in peace regardless of their faith.
There is one further troubling comment I feel compelled to make. These reports, like the ones I commented earlier about the attacks on Christians in Nigeria go largely unreported in the American press. Most of the reports come from the UK and Asia. It seems a part of a pattern in the media that views Christanity negatively in a culture where many seem to believe freedom of religion or to have no religion requires freedom from Christianity or at least denigrating it. Ironically, these Chinese Christians are being persecuted because they believe their faith in Jesus Christ compels them to stand up for democracy, justice and basic human rights. (That message, is unknown to much of the American public more concerned with basketball, gas prices and border walls.)
Monday, April 1, 2019
MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS: WHEN WE WANT TO SCREAM AAARGHHH !!!!
BY STEVE DUNN
“Patience is a virtue.” I am not sure who first shared this little tidbit of counsel with me, but I have heard it repeated over and over. And over and over I have said to myself. “Patience is a virtue.”
Sadly, I must confess that I am not a particularly patient person. My life is so busy, filled with so many responsibilities, with schedules and check-lists a necessity that if something interrupts the flow, I want to push the “arghh” button.
Fortunately for the world but unfortunately for my wife, I tend to mask my impatience from most everyone but Dianne. She gently tries to remind me of the need to keep my perspective on the imperfection of people and life in general in a fallen world. And to maintain a sense of patience as a deal with these things (or at least a quiet expression of impatience.)
Impatience with things – like slow computers and bottom caps that see affixed with super glue – is generally a losing battle. They express no free will. They are incapable of improving their “behaviors.”
Impatience with people, however, is worse. Our reactions quickly mount into frustration and frustration is simply low level anger. And anger with people often devolves into forgetting to love them. Anger that thwarts the command to love them is not godly anger.
Impatience with people can also shut us off to any message God is trying to communicate to us. I find this quote from Joni Eareckson Tada on point here: “The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord.”
Impatience with people also causes us to undervalue the patience God has extended towards us in circumstances far worse than passing inconvenience. That’s why Paul offered this prayer.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. – Romans 15:5
Patience is a virtue. Be patient with that.
© 2019 by Stephen L. Dunn. You have permission to reprint this provided it is unchanged, proper authorship is cited, it is in a publication not for sale, and a link is provided to this site or to www.drstevedunn.com. For all other uses, contact Steve at sdunnpastor@gmail.com
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