Gun Control

Being married to an American and going to school in America has introduce a lot of new things into my life. Everything from gun control to having a president instead of a prime minister. Even the Constitution of United States was foreign to me until now.
One of the very hot topics in America today is gun control. If you ever want to start at hot conversation just mention gun control. The reason why I would be against gun control is because it goes against the Constitutional freedom that Americans and America have or were built upon. If the government continues to go against the Constitution of America when it comes to gun control, I believe there will be a civil war. You think I am crazy! But when something as foundational of being able to bear arms is under attack, people of America are not going to just sit by and watch the government take away a freedom, in which United States was founded. To me, I would not care about gun control if it was not in the Constitution, but it is.
The only thing gun control does, and has done in history, has taken or made it harder for the so called “law abiding” citizen, to use or have guns, for the use of good. It also has made the “non law abiding” citizen more capable of having guns and braver in using them. Braver because they know that the chances of the person, who they are thinking about stealing or attacking, is slim to none to having a gun because of gun control and the laws that would come with it.
Gun control goes way beyond just taking guns. It steps on the freedoms on which America was founded upon.
Should there be better background checks and mental health system? Absolutely! But you do not have to go against the Constitution to make that happen! And when your excuse for not providing better background checks is because you don’t have enough time or man power, it’s not going to be fixed by taking away guns. If you want a civil war, then go ahead and take guns away.
The whole underlying issue of this whole thing is the fact that we are a cursed people. We are cursed by the curse of sin. Everyone is capable of doing what Hitler did or what happened in Connecticut because we are cursed by sin. Sin makes us capable of doing anything. No matter how evil we think something is, you or I, are capable of doing worse. So, it does not matter if we have a gun in our hand or nothing at all, we are already capable of doing evil beyond what we can imagine. This sin curse was broken by Jesus Christ though, and what He did for us on the cross. Without Jesus Christ, all you can do is sin. With Jesus Christ, you don’t have to sin anymore.
Without understanding how sinful we really are, gun control will keep doing more damage than actually stopping the damage.
Understand we are all hopelessly lost in our sin without Christ. Understand that you are sinner, and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin, and rose again, conquering death. Believe and be converted.

Controversial book release in the midst of much controversy

James MacDonald just released his newest book, Authentic. The description of the books says;

“Has hypocrisy crept into your life? It doesn’t just happen overnight. Drifting into hypocrisy is a long, drawn-out journey away from God’s best for your life and toward a two-faced existence. How do you know when your inner self has deteriorated when you’ve become an expert at presenting a faithful-looking facade? Hold up the mirror of God’s word and take a good look. 

Acting like a Christian and saying all the right words sometimes leads to nothing more than empty piety. If you want to live that vibrant life, if you want to be truly blessed, you must get after the disciplines of genuine faith. Follow along with Pastor James MacDonald on the road toward Truth and explore the disciplines of personal Bible study, personal prayer, fasting, fellowship, and service for Christ.

 Become the real deal. Be authentic.”

I am surprised by this because of the controversial issues that are going on with MacDonald and Harvest. To me, it’s really surprising he would publish this book, even in the midst of many disturbing issues going on. I don’t really know what to say about it. It’s just sad.

I do hope to read this book in the future but I have a hard time paying money for it.

http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41830&pid=95213

Book Review: Pastoring with Elders by Kevin Mahon

I was fortunate enough to get this book for Christmas this year. Pastor Kevin Mahon has been my family’s pastor for as long as I can remember. My Dad is a an elder at People’s Church in Wyoming, Ontario. Ever since I can remember our family has been active at People’s Church. I know Pastor Mahon personally, and have heard him preach for many years.

I could not put this book down as it was a short read but also one that kept you reading more and more. You can easily read this book in 2 hours, and gain a lifetime of wisdom through it, not only for the pastor, but also for us who sit in the pews.

It was real and that is what I liked about it! It called a spade a spade, and get’s us back to the Biblical understanding of what a Pastor/Shepherd/Elder should be doing. It get’s right to the heart of what is wrong with our pastor run churches. It encourages both the laymen and the pastor, but also rebukes the laymen and the pastor at the same time. It makes pastors re-think there pastoral role in the church, and it makes the laymen think about things he never has thought about. Yes, this book was written for the pastor, but I would encourage anyone that attends church to read it. It clearly points out the real issues in why our churches at large are in trouble.

Through the Word of God and the re-establishing of what a Pastor/Elder main responsibility is, you will learn that the main problem with our churches today is that our pastor or our pastors are really too BUSY to do what they were called to do in the first place! Pastor today have barely anytime for study and prayer, and when it comes to Sunday there messages are Spiritless,watered down, and more about themselves then about God. Biblically, churches were not lead by one person, but by a group of men called Elders. Mahon brings up many good points as to why pastors have become a one man show. This book fly’s in the face of what our culture church says a “senior” pastor should be doing. He also shows how important it is to have a Biblically functioning elders, not just warm body’s to fill a spot on the board. He teaches us, in the pew, that pastors should not run the show, and that we as a church should be stepping up in different areas of the church. Mahon show us that changes do not just happen over night, but gives the pastor a five year plan to be able to work with over time. It helps the pastor to start thinking about what the true meaning about being pastor is. He helps us realize pastors are making there living from the Gospel, and nothing else. Pastors need help, even if they realize it or not.

The church is full of places to serve, but are we letting the pastor do all the work? Are we paying our pastors what they should be paid or is the heat bill more important? If you think about what your pastor does, does it take away from him being able to spend time studying and praying?
Should the pastor really be on every committee, at every event, shoveling the sidewalks, changing the sign, deciding who gets the keys or not, and engaging in conflict resolution between church members?

I would encourage you to take a read and find out for yourself.

Pastoring with Elders is Available on Amazon!