Forgiven Christians (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In light of the current scandal with abuse in the Catholic Church, Joe determined to add this page in order to give an opinion on current events that challenge us as believers.

Whether it involves religious matters, earthquakes, or crimes against children, it benefits us to look at the world around us with a Christian perspective.

The following are opinions only. Each of us should pray about how we perceive the world around us in light of God's Word.

A NOTE FROM JOE.

Dear friends,

Please understand that these are my opinions only, and the level of passion for one subject or another varies from individual to individual, depending on their experience and perspective regarding the topic.

I will only be addressing news events that I have prayed over, and feel a need to discuss. We live in a fallen world and I would spend a lifetime commenting on the world events. Topics will be dealt with in a general manner, using specific examples only as a means of reference.

Again, these are my opinions only, and I fully respect your right to disagree. If there is anything in particular you would like to address, contact me via e-mail at  joe@forgivenchristians.org

God Bless,

 Joe

THE ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

By now you've visited this website and know that I have my roots in the Catholic Church. I am deeply troubled by the child abuse scandals running rampant throughout the world, most recently in Germany and Ireland.

There is no defense for those priests who have committed atrocities against children, nor for anyone else. Whether the Catholic Churchhas handled this tragedy "correctly" is a matter of opinion we can address later.

On the one hand, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible is clear that people in authority in the Church should be held to a high standard of righteous living. On the other hand, Jesus' sacrifice at the Cross was inclusive to all who would turn to Him in repentance and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. While I believe the priests involved in the crimes should accept the consequences of their sin, I also believe we as Christians should reach out in prayer and have a heart of mercy and forgiveness. There is too much hate in the world to foster more.

Additionally, I know personally many Catholic priests who are truly men of God and shepherd their congregations with a truly Christian love. We ought to resist the temptation to throw a blanket over the entire Catholic Church due to the crimes of a minority and the mismanagement of the situation by its leaders.

We need to pray for those involved in this scandal, that their faith be not shaken, but that they, victim and perpetrator alike, turn to Jesus for healing.

Joe

04/18/10

EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES - MAKES YOU WONDER...

I'm not one to spend a lot of time thinking about the Second Coming, as I figure I'll more likely die physically before it comes to pass. On the other hand, we've had significant earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, China, and Mexico. We are all aware of the massive volcanoe in Iceland.

Rather than speculating on the end of the world, I think this is a good wake-up call to all of us that we should be ready for the Lord's return at any time, and take a good look at our lives and see if, in our heart of hearts, we are ready to welcome Him whenever and however we will be reunited with Him.

We can also see these events as inspiration to evangelize to our unsaved family and friends. Once Jesus comes, the time to share the Gospel will be past. Live well in the hope of His return.

Joe

11/27/10

THE POPE AND CONDOMS...

Last week the Pope suggested the use of condoms by male prostitutes was "a step in the right direction." It seems to me that if an action is wrong (premarital sex and prostitution, for example) the suggestion that the lesser of two evils being an improvement is just wrong.

If the leader of one of the world's major religions is reluctant to say sin is wrong and we shouldn't be sinning, period, we have a problem. Sin, in all its forms is grieving the Holy Spirit. My personal opinion is we ought to live honoring God without compromise.

We all fall short, and every sin we commit is one more burden Jesus paid for on the cross. When we start compromising, choosing "lesser" sins, we are not walking through the narrow gate, we are, in fact, condoning sin.

Jesus first, last, and always.

06/18/2011

END TIMES?

It's been a long time since my last post. We've had an earthquake, Tsunami, and radiation leak in Japan, tornadoes and floods in the midwest of the United States, and most recently a huge fire in Arizona. Lots of people are thinking we're looking at signs of the end times.

What I'm seeing is God manifesting His power in nature, in wayw most of us would rather not experience. My heart goes out to the victims of these tragedies and I applaud the resue workers and everyone doing what they can to relieve the pain and suffering of the tens of thousands of people in great need right now. Whether it's being on scene giving aid, writing checks to charities, or praying mightily for the folks affected by these events, God sees the hearts of those reaching out to His children.

We need to remember those folks in the videos are truly God's children. He has allowed these sufferings to take place, yet He is present in all their afflictions. Our anchor in times of chaos is an Almighty and Sovereign God. We have no right to shake a fist at Him - rather we sould be better served lifting our hands and hearts in prayer to our omnipotent Father. He will never forsake us.

NATURAL DISASTERS

09/04/11

Over the last few months the United States has suffered through a myriad of natural disasters throughout the country. I think the Good Lord God is trying to get our attention.