A Cause For Concern Over Medical Ethics

There should be a growing concern in the area of medical ethics. Specifically, when does death occur such as to make organ removal for transplant purposes permissible. Recently, the Washington Post reported: "Pick up a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, and you'll see the far edge of this tortured world. In the journal, doctors at Children's Hospital in Denver describe how they removed hearts from infants 75 seconds after they stopped. The infants were declared dead of heart failure, even as their hearts, in new bodies, resumed ticking." There is a move to redefine "death" so as to make organ transplants more successful. Where is this leading us as a society?

I think it is taking us down a path that is very dangerous. To me this seems very quick to remove a heart. I am aware of hearts ceasing to beat and then restarting outside of a 75 second span. While I do not debate the Biblical propriety of organ transplants, I do urge a point of concern when humans become more valuable for their parts than they do for their whole. It is a small step from this point to a balancing of the value of one life for another with the perceived most valuable receiving body parts from one who is "less valuable." All life is precious to God. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 8:36 which says in part: "all they that hate me love death." Have you ever noticed that it is the anti-God forces that promote abortion and the right to die. Now don't confuse the issue, Biblical conservatives do argue for the death penalty in certain cases. However, this is different; the one being executed has committed an act that requires he or she forfeit their own life. The baby is innocent; the one in a coma is innocent. That is the distinguishing mark of the Biblical worldview; the Christian protects the innocent life while those that hate God love death.

When does death occur? It occurs when the spirit and soul depart from the physical body. When this is verified (through the cessation of brain activity and all that remains is the physical body), organ transplant would seem Biblically permissible based on the command to love our neighbor. Until death can be verified however,the best course of action would be to attempt to heal the sick before their parts are removed.

A Review of Fireproof the Movie

Several years ago a Baptist church in Georgia produced as movie entitled Facing the Giants. It was an excellent movie that contained the gospel message. The same church has now produced Fireproof. It is about a married couple who are facing a divorce. Kirk Cameron plays the fireman husband who is selfish immature and hateful toward his wife. Erin Bethea plays the wife that is about to throw her marriage away because another man shows her some attention. The movie portrays some of the same issues that couples face in real life today. Cameron's father in the movie gives him a book entitled The Love Dare and asks him to take the dare. Kirk does and after he gives his life to Jesus Christ he is really able to love his wife. Of course she eventually sees something different about him and they reconcile. She gives her heart to Jesus Christ and in the end they confirm their marriage vows. The tag line for the movie is "never leave your partner behind."

The crew is almost entirely volunteer. Only 10 received financial compensation. While the movie was being made, there would be groups of supporters nearby on their knees praying for the actors. Kirk and Erin confirm their belief that prayer made the difference in the making of this movie. This is a great movie. I honestly believe it is better than Facing the Giants as good as that was. Christians, both married and unmarried, need to see this movie. It gets 5 stars from me because of the message, the actors spiritual lives (e.g.Kirk insisted that his real wife stand in for Erin when they kiss after they reconcile), the spiritual content, the absence of foul language and that it is obviously very anointed by God. Don't listen to non Christian reviewers, they will only see a fire movie. Producers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, both ordained ministers at Sherwood Baptist Church, have done it again. Go see Fireproof!

Judgment on California?

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, alarmed by the ongoing national financial crisis, warned Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson on Thursday that the state might need an emergency loan of as much as $7 billion from the federal government within weeks.

The warning comes as California is close to running out of cash to fund day-to-day government operations and is unable to access routine short-term loans that it typically relies on to remain solvent.

California has led the way in the mockery of God in the promotion of homosexual "marriages." Every opportunity it gets, California tries to do the exact opposite of traditional Christian family values. All one has to do is look at Hollywood and the majority of the trash it produces along with the pitiful lives of its "stars." Where has it gotten you California? It has brought God's judgment upon you and now you are crying out to another godless entity the federal government. Unless you both repent for the corporate sins, judgment will get worse. God has abandoned you both and the end is certain. Those that mock God may do so a while and "get away with it," but never for forever. God is a God of love; but He is also a God of justice and holiness. It is His justice and holiness that now brings this judgment. Repent or perish!

Abortion is Murder

My good friend Rev. William Hill has made an excellent post on his blog A World of Truth. Please read his Thursday October 2ND post at http://thefaceoftruth.blogspot.com/2008/10/suppression-of-truth-abortion-murder.html

Abortion is murder and the Democratic Party has become the "party of death." Also, he has posted some VERY GRAPHIC abortion videos. If you disagree on the issue of abortion, I challenge you to look at them. Abortion is murder and there are no excuses or justification for the murder of an innocent baby.

Great Quotes to Inspire You

Grab your Bible and get quiet before the Lord. Read these quotes and meditate on Scripture. It is time to pray for America, your church, your family and friends. Evil abounds but God's grace is sufficient to see you through. Enjoy these quotes from men and women of God.

"The preacher who neglects to preach to himself has forgotten a
very important part of his audience. We must first address our own
soul. If we can move that by the words we may utter, we may hope
to have some power with the souls of others." - C.H. Spurgeon

"We manufacture atheists with mundane Christianity." - Robert Wurtz II

"If you ask me if I believe in the eternal security of the believer, I
would say I most certainly do. And I also believe in the insecurity
of the make-believer." - J. Vernon McGee

"Can we go too fast in saving souls? If anyone still wants a reply,
let him ask the lost souls in Hell." - William Booth

"God is the sweetest friend, but the worst enemy."—Thomas Watson

"Beware of a dividing spirit; shun whatever has the least aspect
that way. Therefore say not "I am of Paul, or of Apollos:" the very
thing which occasioned the schism at Corinth. Say not "This is
my preacher, the best preacher in the land; give me him and take
all the rest..." Do not run down any preacher. Do not exalt any
one above the rest, lest you hurt both him and the cause of God."
- John Wesley

"He that is down needs fear no fall, He that is low no pride."
- John Bunyan

"A man full of hope will be full of action."—Thomas Brooks

"We need to weep over the immorality in our homes. We have to
weep and wail that we have broken covenant with God."
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss

"We are playing church. We are so busy trying to be relevant to
the world that we have become just like the world..... AND the
world is not impressed." - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

"There is nothing wrong with the command of God to 'stone the
false prophet!' The problem is that the church has discerned
wrongly and stoned the true prophet! That is why there are no
more true prophets in our days, because as soon as they begin
their ministry, we rub them out. This is the reason that so many
false prophets are running around, not just because it's the end of
the age but because we have disobeyed God, His command, and
killed off His prophets! We are like Herod, who in the midst of
John the Baptist's ministry, chose a wrong time to listen to his
conscience instead of the Holy Spirit!" - G.A. Jarquin

"If you study the Bible without applying it to your daily life, then it
would be better not to study it at all." - Zac Poonen

"'Nobody's perfect.' This is the hypocrite's couch. This is the
believer's bed of thorns." - Al Martin

"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of
God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done."
- James Hudson Taylor

"Self-condemnation is Satan's lie to prevent sinners from repenting."
- Pastor Jan Greenley (paraphrased)

"Surrender fully! Love wholly!"
-Yolanda Diehl

"Give! pour! pray! yield! follow!"
-Yolanda Diehl

Networks Promote "Religulous" Over "Fireproof"

The movie Religulous is set to open in theaters on October 3rd. Bill Maher is promoting this mockery of religious faith and the networks are helping him."Jesus gave pony rides on dinosaurs." Religion "is a giant elephant in the room of comic gold." These are just two of the pearls that Bill Maher dropped in the course of appearing on all three broadcast networks in little more than 24 hours as reported by www.onenewsnow.com.
He began with an appearance on CBS's Early Show on Monday morning, Sept. 29, then moved to NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien in the late hours of Tuesday, Sept. 30, and continued with a mid-morning appearance on ABC's The View. To the contrary, no networks have promoted the new movie Fireproof, which is a faith based film promoting marriage. Onenewsnow reports: "By contrast, none of the networks has devoted time to Fireproof despite its fascinating back-story. Fireproof was made by the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, which produced the football-themed Facing the Giants. That 2006 movie cost only $100,000 to make and has brought in $10 million. Fireproof, which stars former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron, cost less than $1 million and already has recouped the investment several times over. The tale of a firefighter trying to save his marriage, Fireproof was No. 4 at the box office this past weekend and grossed $6.8 million in spite of the fact that it played in only 839 theatres."

It is becoming more and more apparent that we really are pilgrims on foreign soil in America. The faith of our Founding Fathers in America is gone. America is spiritually dead. The liberal media control the flow of information. A Godly political candidate is attacked relentlessly because of her faith. What used to be right is now wrong and what used to be wrong is now considered right. However, we have a standard in the Word of God to cling to; we do not have to give in to sin. We are to make a stand for holiness and righteousness. Separate from evil; do not compromise with the world and proclaim the truth that God's judgment is coming to America. It has started and will continue as long as sin and idolatry are tolerated. The message is to repent and place your house in order. We are to be morally pure irregardless of what our nation promotes. This is a good time to reread the book of Daniel and follow his pattern. Hold fast to the truth and be faithful to the end and God shall deliver us.

The Monday Market Plunge

It is almost too obvious to comment, yet I am compelled to comment on the market plunge on Monday. Yahoo News reported that: "The Dow Jones industrial average lost 777 points Monday, its biggest single-day fall ever, easily beating the 684 points it lost on the first day of trading after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks."

The Stewart Bible School in Scotland has explained the significance of the number 7 as:
"The number seven has deep spiritual significance. It has been held sacred by the Hebrews and other Semite peoples since the dawn of time. It represents perfection and holiness. It is used throughout the Scriptures and in this sense is the Almighty's Number. We read of:
Samson's seven locks of consecration. (Judges 16:13-19)
The seven pillars of wisdom's house. (Proverbs 9:1)
The sevenfold sign of total commitment and dependence (2 Chron. 29: 20-21)
The seven lambs to attest the conclusion of a peace treaty. (Genesis 21:28-30)
The seven fold sprinkling of blood before cleansing was complete. (Lev:16:19)
The seven week count to Pentecost, the seven year count to the sabbatical year and the seven times seven year count to the Jubilee year. (Lev. 23:15, Lev.25:1-9)
The seven candlesticks, seven churches, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, and seven plagues mentioned in the book of Revelation etc."

If 7 is the number of completion, then 777 could be interpreted as the number of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is this a sign of Divine Judgment? Or is the number a mere coincidence? I suggest to you that God signed His name to the market plunge on Monday. I suggest to you that it is a sign of the coming judgment against America for the national sins of abortion and homosexuality. God's wrath is not talked about much these days as it doesn't produce large offerings. However, the truth is that God is angry at sin. He hates sin so much that He gave His only Son Jesus Christ as an offering for it. Jesus suffered for sin; He died for sin; and He arose again to show victory over sin. America needs to wake up before it is too late. Jesus said in Luke 13:3: "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." America, except you repent, you will perish. These are somber words for somber times; however, it is the message of the hour.