JESUS—HIS death, burial, and RESURRECTION


JESUS Arose
I Corinthians 15: 12-19

“Welcome friend to our program of Bible study, In Search of the Lord’s Way to become and to be a Christian. So very much of that depends on whether Jesus actually arose from the grave. The Bible says He proved Himself to be what He claimed to be by His resurrection. Did He really rise from the dead? What evidence do we have of it? Phil Sanders has prepared a response to those and other questions you might have. Oh say, you’re going to want to stay tuned for this!

Thank you, Mack. Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and we’re here to search God’s Word for the Lord’s Way. The Bible always teaches us the truth; you can trust your Bible, and that’s why we go to it again and again. Thanks for spending this time with us. We love to hear that you’re watching or listening, and we want to be a part of your life each week.

Christianity is first and foremost a belief in the Deity of Jesus Christ, that He is the Lord, the Son of God. According to Romans 1 and verse 4, God declared with power that Jesus is the Son of God through His resurrection from the dead. We believe Jesus arose from the dead, according to the Scriptures, and today we want to tell you why we believe!

Jesus predicted in Matthew 20, verses 18 and 19, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.’ Now, this is a rather bold prediction. Jesus not only told us how He would die but what He would be, that He would be raised. Now, if this happened the way that Jesus predicted, He is everything that He claims to be.

If there was a resurrection, then Jesus is certainly worthy of our love and loyalty. He truly is Lord! We can believe what He says and know that He has power over our lives. If Jesus is a risen Lord, then His commandments are binding on us. The question of the resurrection is crucial to our lives, so we want to take the time to see if Jesus arose from the dead.

We offer the information on this program free. And if you would like a printed copy, a CD or tape of our study, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org Or, if you like, call our toll-free telephone number. We’ll pay for the call, and that number is 1 (800) 321-8633. We also stream this program on our website at http://www.searchtv.org/ Well, Ken Helterbrand’s going to lead the Edmond Church of Christ in song, and then we’ll read from 1 Corinthians 15, verses 12 to 19. Our reading today comes from 1 Corinthians 15, verses 12 through 19. ‘Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.’ That’s from God’s Holy Word. Let’s pray together. Father, we’re grateful that in Your love You raised Jesus from the dead and gave proof to us through His resurrection that He is the Son of God. We’re thankful for that and we pray You will bless our study together today. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The New Testament is clear and consistent that Jesus arose from the dead and is Lord of all. Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul said they were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. Paul said that Jesus ‘appeared to Cephas (that is Peter), then to the twelve. And after that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom,’ Paul says, ‘remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.’ (1 Corinthians 15, verses 5 to 8) Paul had spoken to many witnesses personally and made it clear that people could find out for themselves about the appearances of Jesus.

We can believe the books of the New Testament. They were given at a time when people who were living could judge and verify the facts that they presented. And I’ll have more to say about the trustworthy character of the four gospel accounts on another program. If Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John had lied to us, why the early church would have known it and rejected them. But the early church universally regarded these four books as inspired of God, inerrant and authoritative; and they quoted from them repeatedly.

Jesus did indeed arise from the dead, and Luke said in Acts 1 and verse 3 that Jesus ‘presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days.’ The New Testament records nearly a dozen appearances. Jesus appeared to women and men, to people alone, to two disciples, to the ten disciples in the upper room, and then to the twelve, to the seven by the lake and to more than 500 at one time.

The appearances occurred in different places and under different circumstances. And not one person who witnessed the appearances ever denied what he saw, heard or when he touched the Lord. Jesus proved his resurrection to them. And so convinced were they of the resurrection that they would endure persecution, prison, and even death for what they believed.

Those who saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion became convinced of his resurrection. And one has to account for such conviction, and the only reasonable conclusion for such conviction is that they saw and believed, and what they believed was the truth! They were the ones who knew Jesus best. The apostles had lived and worked with Jesus for three and a half years. They knew him well. They knew his speech, his laugh, his walk, and his appearance. They were certain that the Jesus who endured the cross was the same person who arose from the dead.

Now at first the disciples doubted. You see they had to be convinced. In fact, when the women told the apostles Jesus was risen, the disciples thought it was nonsense. Jesus had to prove himself alive to His apostles. In Mark 16, verse 14, Jesus rebuked his disciples ‘for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after His resurrection.’

John chapter 20, verse 19 has the disciples in the upper room with the doors shut for fear of the Jews. And you remember that Thomas, one of the apostles said, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I’m not going to believe.’ Now, Jesus knew what Thomas said and a week later said, ‘Reach here your finger, and you see My hands; and you reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ (John chapter 20, verse 27) Well, when Thomas saw that Jesus truly was alive, he exclaimed, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’ (John chapter 20, verses 28 and 29)

Jesus was not afraid to prove to His disciples that God had raised Him up. On the following Pentecost, less than 50 days later, all the apostles took their stand before thousands, saying, ‘This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.’ (Acts 2 and verse 32) They further said, ‘. . . let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.’ (chapter 2, verse 36) The frightened disciples became bold. And when the Sanhedrin, that is the Jewish Supreme Court, gave the apostles ‘strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet,’ they said, ‘you have filled Jerusalem with His teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ That’s what they accused them!

But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a cross.’ (Acts 5, verses 28 to 30) You see, they could not ‘stop speaking about what they had seen and heard.’ (Acts 4 and verse 20) They changed from fear to faith, from unbelief to knowing for certain that God had raised Him from the dead. And nothing but a real resurrection can explain the change in the disciples. And not one, not one of the disciples ever denied the resurrection; they died preaching that Jesus arose. Now, according to tradition, the twelve were all martyred for their faith except John, who was said to have been boiled in oil and survived.

Now, think with me: Would you die preaching something that you knew was a lie? Would you endure beatings, imprisonment, and death to proclaim something that you knew was false? It’s certainly not in the character or the teachings of Jesus that one should tell a lie. These men held to the gospel story because they witnessed Jesus resurrected from the dead personally. They knew He arose! They knew that He was indeed the Messiah and Lord! They knew that He was really raised. And they died for Him!

I also remain amazed at how the enemies of Jesus took His resurrection seriously. After Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, some of the witnesses went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. (John 11: 46) And therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council; and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs (that is miracles). And if we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ (chapter 11, verses 47 and 48)

You see, so afraid were the leaders that Jesus would rise again, they went to Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘Well, after three days I am to rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, He has risen from the dead, and then the last deception will be worse than the first.’ Well, Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; you go, and make it as secure as you know how. And they went and made the grave secure, along with the guard and, of course, they set a seal on the stone.’ (Matthew 27, verses 63 to 66) Now, the Jews would not have been satisfied with having one or two Roman guards; they wanted the tomb so secure that no one could steal the body of Jesus. Some scholars estimate there were as many as thirty guards around the tomb.

Now, a door or tomb was sealed by stretching a cord over the stone which blocked the entrance, spreading clay or wax on the cord, and then impressing it with a seal. And the seal would make any tampering obvious. Well, with such precautions, the only way the tomb could be emptied would be for Jesus to rise from the dead. The chief priests and Pharisees failed to understand that no rock, no seal, no guard, and no army could keep the tomb secure. Nothing could prevent the Son of God from rising again.

Now, some people think that Jesus didn’t really die but just revived in the cool of the tomb. But even a revived Jesus would be very weak after the loss of so much blood from his beatings and the crucifixion. That Jesus after being beaten and crucified could have revived in the tomb enough to roll that very heavy stone away, breaking the seals, and then frightening these hardened soldiers is a conjecture harder to believe than the resurrection itself.

How could Jesus endure so much in a day when there was no medical help, as we know it today, how could he recover to the point that he could move a stone so large that it required several men to move? He had lost a great deal of blood from the scourging and crucifixion; a spear pierced His side; He had been sealed in the strips of linen filled with the myrrh and aloe. And if he had not died from his wounds, the burial process would have killed Him. Jesus did not revive on His own; He was raised from the dead by the power of God.

And when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the other women came to the tomb, they didn’t expect to find the stone rolled away. They were wondering who would help them roll that very large stone away, so they could anoint the body of Jesus with their spices.

Well, the soldiers were in the presence of an angel that morning. And Matthew said that, ‘The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.’ (Matthew 28: 4) The angels said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, and see the place where He was lying.’ (chapter 28, verses 5 and 6) What would lead the soldiers to be so scared?

When Peter and John ran to the tomb, they entered it, they saw ‘the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.’ (John 20, verses 6 and 7) They saw the empty tomb and the linen wrappings that had been on his body and the Bible says they believed. If Jesus’ body were stolen, as some have suggested, why did they leave the grave clothes behind?

If you were stealing a body in front of a number of Roman soldiers whose job it was to guard the tomb, why would you take the time to undress the body? Why would you take the time, after you had undressed that body to take the head piece and roll it up again and lay it to a place by itself? Why no thief would do that! But if Jesus were alive again, He would take those wrappings off. Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God! And nothing else could explain the empty tomb or the linen wrappings!

The Roman guards could have been punished with death if they had allowed Jesus’ body to be stolen by the disciples. The Roman guards fled. They left their place of responsibility. How can their attrition be explained, when Roman military discipline was so exceptional? All the Jewish and Roman authorities had to do to disprove the resurrection was just produce the dead body of Jesus, but they didn’t do this. Why? They couldn’t! Paul argued in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 6 that Jesus appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time and that many were still living to verify his claim. My friend, the evidence is so strong that no one can dispute it. Jesus arose from the dead!

Then there’s Saul of Tarsus, the man who fought Christianity with all of his might. He persecuted the church savagely; he held the garments of those who stoned Stephen; he imprisoned men and women; he confiscated houses in order to put a stop to Christianity. He traveled to Damascus to imprison some who had fled there. It was on the road that the risen Jesus appeared to Saul. And from that time forward Saul of Tarsus became the apostle Paul, the apostle who gave his life preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why the change? Well, the only credible answer is that Saul believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And when he faced the facts, he understood that Jesus is Lord, risen from the dead and the one who will judge the world. I hope that you will come to that belief as well. Let’s pray. Father, we are grateful for the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and may it sink deep into our hearts. And may our hearts be convicted to want to serve You always. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ matters greatly. If Jesus arose, we should call Him ‘Lord’ and obey His every teaching. If Jesus arose, His promises are true, His commandments are binding, and He is the only way to heaven. We ought to bow the knee to Him and Him alone. If Jesus is Lord, He’s not merely another moral teacher or just another prophet; He is the Son of God. We must one day stand before Him to be judged for our deeds, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5 and verse 10)

And I hope that you regard Jesus as Lord and live in a way that honors Him and shows that you love and believe in Him. The gospel is indeed good news. And that’s why we need to obey it today! The gospel is the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1: 16 says that the gospel is God’s power unto salvation.

One obeys the gospel by believing that Jesus is the Christ with all one’s heart, repenting of every sin, confessing the name of Jesus as the Christ and Lord, and being baptized in water. You’re baptized into Christ, and in baptism, a person dies with Christ; he’s buried with Christ and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life and it’s at that time that he’s freed from sin. (Romans 6, verses 3 to 7) Without the gospel none of us has any hope of being raised from the dead and living eternally with the Lord.

The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, verses 16 to 19, ‘For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.’ But Christ has been raised, and we can rejoice in that. It means we can trust the Lord Jesus to fulfill every promise of our resurrection and to be able to live with Him forever in heaven. And I pray that you have obeyed the gospel so that you can share the promises.

We sincerely hope you’ve been blessed by today’s study of God’s Word. If you want a free printed copy, a CD, or tape of this message that, ‘Jesus Arose,’ mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us, searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, call the Search office toll-free at 1 (800) 321-8633. Now all our programs also appear on our website, that’s www.searchtv.org. You can access it or download it in a printed, audio, or video format. We also now offer free study sheets and Bible correspondence courses. You can get those free just by calling and asking for them, or the study sheets can be downloaded. Now, they’ll help you study God’s Word.

Please come and worship with one of the churches of Christ in this area; they’re the reason we never ask for money. They love guests, and you’ll be glad that you visited. Well, Mack and I will be back next week, Lord willing. Keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.”

After the CREATION of the universe by GOD, because there would be no history if not for the creation, the death, burial, and RESURRECTION of JESUS, the SON of GOD, is the single most important event in the history of the world. If JESUS was not resurrected, we are still in our sins. We can not be saved. Praise GOD! HE has been resurrected!

Christians have the hope, have the promise of eternal life with GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT! That hope and promise should sustain us, should motivate us in the coming New Year. I pray all will have a great New Year. However, that is only possible through GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT!

Christian Morality


Christian Morality

Titus 3: 3-7

“Welcome, friend, to our Bible study program ‘In Search of the Lord’s Way.’ I’m Mack Lyon. A recent Gallup Poll found three-fourths of Americans saying that moral values in the United States are getting worse. Why are we becoming more immoral? Well, Phil Sanders has been studying some of these things and he wants to explore with you the causes of America’s moral decline; what we can do about it, too. You won’t want to miss this!

Thank you, Mack! Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and this is In Search of the Lord’s Way, where we search the Holy Scriptures to find God’s will about salvation and the Christian life. Thanks for spending time with us. We love hearing that you are watching or listening to this program; and we want to study God’s Holy Word with you each week.

When people said the moral values of America are declining, the Gallup researchers asked them why. People offered a lot of reasons: lack of respect, poor parenting, scandals of politicians and celebrities, increased crime and violence, and the breakdown of the typical two-parent home. Well, all of these certainly contribute to declining moral values, but many of them are symptoms of the problem and not the causes.

Why is it that 41 percent of children born in America are born out of wedlock? Why? The National Cultural Values Survey recently found that 16 percent of Americans say that sex between unmarried adults is never wrong; 49 percent say it depends on the situation; and 65 percent say that they can excuse sex outside of marriage. Well, some say the sin of fornication is wrong but many excuse it as no big deal. And I think what confusion! We live in a world where our young people are afraid to say anything is wrong or sinful. And no wonder so many people think little of doing whatever they please.

Our moral confusion comes from the fact that many Americans no longer give God the fear and the respect that He deserves. In many ways our culture has told God to just be quiet and to leave us alone. The worst thing that we can do is to abandon God and His ways. The consequences of abandoning God are beginning to show themselves in our land. We have sown to the wind and now we are reaping a whirlwind.

For thirty years Mack Lyon has offered the information on this program free; and if you’d like a printed copy, a CD or tape of today’s study, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you like, you can call our toll-free telephone number. Now, we’ll pay for the call. That number is 1 (800) 321-8633 . Now, we also stream this program on our website at http://www.searchtv.org/.

Ken Helterbrand, who has been leading the Edmond Church for nearly 40 years, will be leading them in song; and you might want to sing along with them. And then we’ll read from the Word of God, from Titus 3, verses 3 to 7.

Our reading today from the Scriptures comes from Titus chapter 3, verses 3 to 7. ‘For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ And may God bless the reading of His Word! Let’s pray. O Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the grace and the mercy that You have showed us through Jesus Christ, our Lord; and in the shedding of His blood. Father, we know we didn’t deserve that love but we are so thankful that You were willing to give it. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

What wonderful singing and praise to the Lord! I love a cappella, congregational singing. And that’s the way that God intended our Christian worship in song to be. In the 1800s millions of children in America learned to read from a McGuffey’s Eclectic Reader. In the 1836 edition the author published this paragraph that seems prophetic. He said: ‘If you can induce a community to doubt the genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures; to question the reality and obligations of religion; to hesitate, undeciding, whether there be any such thing as virtue or vice; whether there be an eternal state of retribution beyond the grave; or whether there exists any such thing as a God, then you have broken down the barriers of moral virtue and hoisted the flood gates of immorality and crime. . . .’ He continues: ‘Every bond that holds society together would be ruptured; fraud and treachery would take the place of confidence between man and man; the tribunals would be scenes of bribery and injustice; avarice, perjury, ambition and revenge would walk through the land and render it more like the dwelling of savage beasts than the tranquil abode of civilized and Christianized men.’ The National Cultural Values survey also found that America is losing its fear of God. According to the survey, 87 percent of Americans say they believe in God; yet 52 percent say they believe the Bible is God’s authoritative word. But only 36 percent believe people should live by God’s principles; 15 percent say they will live by their own principles even if they conflict with God’s principles; and 45 percent prefer to combine God’s teachings and their own values. They’ve replaced the God of Heaven with their own thinking.

Now, many people live in immorality or, if not immorality, in amorality. One is amoral when he does not care about right and wrong or moral behavior. Amoral people live their lives never feeling accountable to God. Many people today do not know the God of the Bible, so they make up a god after their own desires. They imagine what they want God to be like. And when they find the God of the Bible doesn’t match their imagined ideas, they immediately exchange the God of Heaven, the real God, for the god that’s in their imagination. But we need to remember the god that we make up in our minds can never replace the God of Heaven.

You see, the god people create in their minds is only an imaginary god. He doesn’t require anything of them morally or spiritually, so they’re happy with this god. But the God of the Bible, the God of Heaven, is not like man-made gods. He is utterly holy, utterly righteous, and utterly moral. He doesn’t tolerate sin, but He was willing to send His Son Jesus to die for our sins.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 1, verses 14 to 19 that, ‘As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (that is, back when you were Gentiles and didn’t know the Lord) but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.’

A famous preacher today says that Jesus never referred to anyone as a sinner, but that preacher needs to read the New Testament more closely. At various times, Jesus publicly denounced sinners as snakes, dogs, foxes, hypocrites, corrupted tombs, and unwashed dishes. Jesus didn’t want His hearers to miss the point. Jesus does not leave us the way He finds us. He’s filled with grace and He wants to wash the sins away from our souls. But Jesus did not save us so that we could keep on practicing sin.

The love of God does not bless and appreciate sin or sinners; but it does bless and appreciate the repentant, the people who will change their hearts and lives. Repentant people hate their sins; they forsake them, and they begin living righteously for God. After David sinned against God by committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband Uriah, he sought forgiveness. He wrote in Psalm 51, verse 17, ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.’ Again Psalm 34, verse 18 says that, ‘The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.’

People rarely mourn over their sins anymore. Instead they excuse them or justify them. They love to blame someone else or even blame God for their sins. When have you, my friend, been broken-hearted and contrite over your personal sins, the things that you have done that are wrong? When have you accepted responsibility for your sins? When have you, my friend, confessed your sin and your sorrow for having committed that sin?

The apostle Paul rebuked the church in Corinth for letting sin go on. He also rebuked them for their attitude about sin. God’s Word says in 1 Corinthians 5, verses 1 and 2, ‘It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has (that is, living with) his father’s wife.’ Then he says, ‘And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.’ Paul rebuked them for tolerating the sin instead of taking action against the man who committed it.

The inspired apostle then takes action. He writes in verses 3 to 5, ‘For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.’

But many are shocked to hear such harsh language coming from the Bible, because they think Christ never judges any sin. But, you see, Jesus called for people to repent so they would not be lost. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 13: 5, ‘No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’ The Lord Jesus will not continue to extend His grace to those who refuse to repent.

Many people presume upon the patience and the grace of God. They honestly believe God would never condemn anyone. But God’s grace and forgiveness do have limits. The Bible says in Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21, ‘Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.’ Then Paul says, ‘I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ My friend, you can’t live the sinful lifestyle and expect to go to heaven. God is serious about sin.

The Bible warns in Hebrews 10, verses 26 to 31, ‘For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains, (listen to me, there no longer remains), a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’

Christ is not content to leave us where He found us. The Lord Jesus takes a man where He finds him and helps him to become what he wants him to be. A Christian is a person Christ has transformed. He takes us out of sin into a life that is clean and righteous. He wants to transform your life. But Christ cannot help us out of sin if we’re unwilling to see that sin in our lives. We don’t have to keep on living in sin. We can forsake our sins.

Titus 3, verses 3 to 7 says, ‘For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’

Christians don’t see themselves as better than others. The ones I know realize they were once lost in sin but saved by the grace of God. They live grateful lives for what God has done for them. My favorite saying is, ‘I’m not all I ought to be; I’m not all I want to be; I’m not all I’m going to be; but thank God that by His grace I’m not what I used to be.” We are all strugglers in this life to become the kind of people that God glorifies and lives for the glory of Jesus.

A person who loves God will not be content to keep on committing sin. The Bible says in 1 John 3, verses 1 to 3, ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world doesn’t know us is because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears (that is, Christ appears) that we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.’

Love and faith lead a Christian to please the Lord in every respect. Christians who love the Lord are not content to lead average lives. They want to grow in their faith, in their holiness, and their love for God and man. The apostle Paul told the young preacher Timothy, ‘Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.’

Some preachers are unwilling to speak against any sin these days. And when Christians fail to set an example of holiness or excuse sin as if it were not wrong, they confuse the generation that follows. It’s no wonder that many young adults fail to see anything sinful with sex outside marriage or having a baby out of wedlock. This is no small matter, my friend! Not only is fornication a violation of God’s law, it’s also a major cause of children growing up in a single-parent home and poverty.

Someone says, ‘Phil, you’re being awfully hard on people.’ No, I’m not being hard. I’m being honest and loving. Now, a cruel person would never tell you sin is wrong or ask you to repent. (Think of all the appeasers of homosexual behavior. There support for this SIN condemns the practitioner unless he or she repents and condemns the supporter unless he or she repents. Think of all the appeasers of the MURDER of unborn babies. There support for this SIN condemns the practitioner unless he or she repents and condemns the supporter unless he or she repents—my addition.) A cruel person would laugh at sin and tell you to forget it. Now that may seem tolerant, until we realize this truth, that God doesn’t forget unresolved sin, He punishes it. Friend, God still says ‘the wages of sin is death.’ (Romans 6 and verse 23)

Our tolerant culture may overlook your sins but God will not overlook unresolved sin. God wants to cleanse you of sin by the blood of Jesus. He loves you and sent His Son Jesus to the cross to forgive you. Why not come to Him for cleansing? Let’s pray. Father, we are thankful for Your love, and we are thankful for the grace that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help us to leave our sins and come to You. In Jesus name, Amen!

‘The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop at late or early hour. To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed. To lose one’s health is more. To lose one’s soul is such a loss that no man can restore.’ Somewhere in the world thirty people died while I was reading this short poem. One hundred twenty people will die every minute. Their spirits will go back to God to be judged for the lives they’ve lived.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5, verses 29 to 30, ‘If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.’

You might ignore the sin in your life today, but you can’t ignore it forever. God expects you to turn your life around and put your trust in Christ Jesus. When you believe with all your heart, repent of your sins, confess the name of Jesus Christ before others, and are baptized, you will find God’s grace and forgiveness. At the time of baptism, God washes away all our sins (Acts 22 and verse 16), and it’s done through the blood of Christ. He adds us to His church and He makes us His child. Baptism is an immersion in water of a penitent person who professes his faith. And that’s why we shouldn’t wait another day to come to Christ in true repentance and to be baptized, just as Peter taught in Acts 2 and verse 38. (And then for the rest of your natural, bodily life, you must live that life in obedience to GOD and HIS will, repenting when you sin against GOD—my addition.) And if you are a Christian who has fallen away, why not come back to the Lord today? There’s no better time!

We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s study. And if you want a free printed copy, a CD, or a tape of this message, ‘Christian Morality,’ mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us; that’s searchtv@searchtv.org.

Or, you can call the Search office toll-free at 1 (800) 321-8633. Now, all our programs also appear on our website at www.searchtv.org. You can access them; download them in a printed, audio, or video format. And we also now offer free study sheets to go along with our programs. You can download them free as well. They’ll help you study God’s Word with us.

Please visit one of the churches of Christ in the area served by this station. The church of Christ loves guests, and you’ll be glad you came. Well, Mack and I will be back next week, Lord willing. Keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.”

We MUST return to GOD and HIS will! If not, all the following of the Constitution, although desirable, will be of little long term benefit. We MUST return to GOD and HIS will! If not, all the following of fiscal responsibility, although desirable, will be of little long term benefit. We MUST return to GOD and HIS will! If not, all the elections of conservative members in government at any level, although desirable, will be of little long term benefit.

If we reject GOD, the CREATOR of the universe, at some point we, individually and as a nation, will receive what we have asked for. GOD does not force anyone to be faithful to HIS will or to accept HIM as LORD and SAVIOR. However, GOD does NOT accept those into his kingdom who have ultimately rejected HIM.

It is our individual choice and our individual responsibility. This is the choice that matters. Making the correct choice is of utmost importance to each of us personally and to the nation collectively. Why would anyone NOT choose GOD?

GOD or evolution—designed by GOD


The first verse of the Bible identifies the beginning of human time references and defines how the universe began and who is responsible for that beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1: 1 (NIV) That statement MUST be either true or false.

If it is false, how can any other portion of the Bible be true? How can anyone who claims to be a Christian deny the truth of the statement and still claim to be a Christian? They can NOT! No man can prove the statement true or false scientifically. It all depends on faith whether or not you accept creation by GOD or evolution according to Darwin or any other man-concocted theory.

Designed by GOD

“Genesis 1 and verse 1 says: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ The word ‘created’ means ‘to call into being something that never previously existed.’ God simply spoke, and something came into existence. God created the world and everything that’s in it, every plant and every animal. And last He created man in His own image. The Bible says in Hebrews 11 and verse 3, ‘By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.’”

Designed By God
Psalm 139: 13-16

“Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and this is In Search of the Lord’s Way. Oh, I’m excited about our program today because we’re asking the question: Is this world designed by God, or have we come into being by accident? Is there evidence of an intelligent designer or did we evolve from non-living matter? Well, stay with us, the evidence may surprise you!

Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and we’re here to search God’s Word for the Lord’s Way. The Bible always teaches us the truth, and that’s why we go to it again and again. And I’m really excited about our spending this time together. We love to hear that you’re watching or listening, and we want to be a part of your life every week.

A person’s view of the beginning affects his whole outlook on life. We have to deal with questions such as: Who am I? Where did I come from? Does my life have a purpose? Am I of any value? What you or I believe about our origin will determine what we believe about ourselves and our place in life. If we consider ourselves merely as a complex animal which evolved from a one-celled creature, we’ll have a pretty empty view of life. But if we consider ourselves unique individuals made in the image of God with an eternal destiny, then there is great reason and meaning to our existence.

Charles Darwin taught that man evolved over time from other species through a process of natural selection or what’s better known as ‘survival of the fittest.’ A biologist who followed Darwin’s thinking said that, ‘Man is the result of a purposeless and natural process that didn’t have man in mind.’ The Bible, however, teaches in Genesis 1 that God created the world and all the creatures within it. Male and female, they were to reproduce after their own kind. About man, God specifically says in verses 26 and 27 that He made man in His own image and gave man dominion over all the earth. Well now, these two views are very far apart and; you know what, they both cannot both be true. But what we believe about our origin does make a great difference in how we see ourselves.

We offer free printed copies, or a CD or tape of our study and we offer them free to you. Mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you like, call our toll-free telephone number. That number is 1 (800) 321-8633. We also stream this program on our website at www.searchtv.org. Ken Helterbrand will lead the Edmond church in song; and then we’ll read from the Holy Word, Psalm 139, verses 13 to 16.

Today’s reading comes from one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 139, a psalm between David and God and the closeness that they share. Verse 13 says, ‘For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.’ God’s thoughts towards us are so very precious. Let’s pray together. Father, we are thankful that You created us out of Your love, and that You gave us life. And, Father, we pray that we may devote our lives to You as our Father, as our creator, and as our God. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Genesis 1 and verse 1 says: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ The word ‘created’ means ‘to call into being something that never previously existed.’ God simply spoke, and something came into existence. God created the world and everything that’s in it, every plant and every animal. And last He created man in His own image. The Bible says in Hebrews 11 and verse 3, ‘By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.’

Believing God intelligently created the world and everything in it is not a leap, a blind leap of faith. It is built on observing all the order and purpose evident in the world. Proverbs 3 and verse 19 says: ‘The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.’ God purposefully designed the world and all His creatures with wisdom and understanding. The more we study this world and even the human body, the more we realize the order and the purpose God put into everything He made.

Those who reject faith in God suggest a different way to explain the existence of life. Some people claim that life evolved from non-living matter; but if we rule out God, then the origin of life is truly a mystery. It’s a great leap of faith to assume that life could come from non-living matter. (Since it is scientifically impossible, it certainly is! And if something is scientifically impossible, it doesn’t matter how long the universe has existed. Five years, five thousand years, five million years, five billion years, five trillion years; it does not matter. If it is scientifically impossible now, it has always been scientifically impossible! Which can only mean, that there has to be some entity ABOVE science to have CREATED science and CREATED life out of non-life! That entity, of course, is GOD!—my addition) They think that there was a gradual development of complex molecules from the basic elements until they finally become molecules that could reproduce themselves and then they assume that they’re living.

Evolutionists once spoke of the primordial soup that spawned life, but many now question that since they’ve learned about how complex life is. The basic building blocks of life are proteins that make up our DNA. The DNA provides the information or intelligence needed to reproduce the proteins that give us life.

Each protein is quite complex. It doesn’t just happen. Protein molecules are made up of a complicated series of amino acids that are ordered by the various genes in our DNA. Sir Fred Hoyle, one of England’s prominent scientists argued that the chance of higher life-forms emerging accidentally from non-living matter is comparable to a tornado making a Boeing 747 jet out of a junkyard. (It’s even much greater than that since the Boeing 747 jet is not alive. How did non-living matter become living matter? Where did the non-living matter come from? In Sir Hoyle’s example, the tornado at least had a junkyard to begin the “creation” process!—my addition)

Living cells use over 75 special kinds of protein and RNA molecules to make one protein that follows the DNA’s instructions. What we know about airplanes convinces us that their flight is the result of creative design. Well, what scientists know about the way living cells make protein suggests, just as clearly, that life also is the result of creative design. (Demands that life also MUST be the result of creative design!—my addition)

In 2004 prominent British philosopher and proponent of atheism Professor Antony Flew renounced his atheism. Well, why? He said because ‘the argument to intelligent design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it. It now seems to me,’ he says, ‘that the findings of more than fifty years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful arguments to design.’ Well, Flew had to admit that he ‘had to go where the evidence leads.’

Evolutionists once believed that man had vestigial organs; that is body parts that lost all or most of their original function through evolution. There were supposed to be 180 such vestigial organs in humans. Well, this list included such things as the tailbone, the appendix, even parts of the ear and the eye. Well, that list is now itself obsolete. Medical science discovered that these organs played very essential roles and were not ‘useless.’

Now, what these organs teach us is that God had a special purpose behind everything He has made. Psalm 139, verses 13 to 15 says, ‘For You (that is God) formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.’

Evolution, according to Darwin, is in a continual state of motion, with gradual change happening over long periods of time. He believed that the fossil record should be filled with examples of transitional forms from one species into another. Well, these forms go from the less complex to the more complex. But paleontologists did not find these transitional forms. What they found were gaps in the fossil record. There wasn’t any evidence of transformational intermediates between documented fossil species.

Many people forget the number of hoaxes that evolutionists have posed to support their theory. (Sound familiar? Think of the “global warming” fraud perpetrated by so-called scientists!—my addition) They put forth ‘missing links’ between apes and men. And they believed that the fossil records would show how one kind of animal, according to them, evolved into another; but none of the fossils ever showed a transitional link between one creature and another.

Instead of gradual change as evolutionists expected, they found sudden appearances of new species and the overlapping in time of these species. One evolution scientist, S. M. Stanley, admits that, ‘Species that were once thought to have turned into others have been found to overlap in time with these alleged descendants. In fact, the fossil record does not convincingly document,’ he says, ‘a single transition from one species to another.’

The first fossil hoax was the Java man found in 1891. And they said that they found a missing link there, and what was the evidence? Well, they found a skullcap, three teeth, and a femur or thigh-bone. They found the thigh-bone 50 feet from the skull a year later, and it didn’t come from the same individual. Well, the skull came from an ape, while the leg bone came from a human.

Then second, there was the Neanderthal man which was found in France in 1908. Neanderthal man was thought to be ignorant, and ape-like, stooped and knuckle-dragging creature. But the evidence proved that Neanderthal man was just as human as we are, and his stooped appearance was because of his arthritis and rickets. Neanderthals are now recognized as skilled hunters, believers in an after-life, and even skilled surgeons. They found one Neanderthal skeleton whose withered right arm had been amputated above the elbow.

Third, there was the Piltdown man; this was found in 1912 in a village named Piltdown in England. It was no missing link, however; it was merely an early human. The evidence came from a human skull and a jawbone of an orangutan. Well, this deception that they had lasted more than forty years before it was proven to be a hoax.

Fourth, Nebraska man was found in 1992 in western Nebraska near Snake Brook. Now, some scientists said that this was the missing link until they discovered the fossil was only the single tooth of an extinct wild pig.

Fifth, there’s ‘Lucy,’ the popular name given to a famous fossil skeleton found in 1974 in Ethiopia by American anthropologist Donald Johanson. To many, Lucy is regarded as a certain link between ape-like creatures and man and supposedly proves evolution. But ‘Lucy’ was not human at all; she was a chimp-like animal, very different from humans.

Now, rather than look to fossils for imaginary missing links, perhaps we should look to the amazing design that’s right in front of us. This purposeful design all around us argues for an intelligent designer; and that designer is God. He is the only one with the unlimited power and the wisdom to create us. (Amen!—my addition) Revelation 4 and verse 11 says, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’

Microbiologists tell us of the utter complexity of a single, living cell in our bodies. Benjamin Miller and Ruth Goode said that, ‘The cell has been likened to a power plant, a furnace, a chemical laboratory. And in its reproductive functions of that living cell, it’s been described as a factory complete with a manager’s office, files of blueprints and plans, intercommunication systems, assembly line, and foremen and workers.’

‘None of these fanciful analogies,’ they say, ‘does justice to the living cell. All of these man-made systems put together, however ingenious and efficient, could not reproduce the functioning of this single unit of life, too small to be seen with the unaided eye.’ My friend, Wayne Jackson, in his book, The Human Body—Accident or Design, asks, ‘If the living cell is more ingenious than any man-made system, who made it? Are we to conclude that it just happened? That’s wholly illogical.’ (And unscientific!—my addition)

The human body is an engineering miracle. It’s indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

We have trillions of cells in our bodies, and they are marvelously designed and show their function. For instance, the human red-blood cells are shaped like a saucer and fairly flat, permitting the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. Nerve cells, on the other hand, ‘have long, thin extensions to transmit messages.’ Hebrews 3 and verse 4 says, ‘For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.’ These exceptionally complex cells didn’t just happen! (Couldn’t just happen!—my addition) God designed and built them for their specific functions. And only a wise God could make them!

Charles Darwin in the Origin of Species said, ‘If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, then my theory would absolutely break down.’ And then he added, ‘But I can find no such case.’ However on page 167 of the Origin of Species, Darwin spoke of the eye. And he said, ‘To suppose that the eye … could have been formed by natural selection, seems,’ he says, ‘I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree possible.’ Even then, Darwin doubted himself. He didn’t know in 1859 what we know today about the eye.

You’re watching me because God gave you eyes and you’re listening because God gave you ears. Bioengineer John Lenihan said that, ‘The eye is an exceptionally sensitive optical instrument displaying many striking features of design and performance; even the windscreen washers and wipers (our eyelids) have not been forgotten.’

Just think! Your eye can see moving images by the thousands as they change. Your eye makes adjustments to the amount of light, to the distance, to the angle automatically. Every camera that we own was patterned after the eye. Wayne Jackson argues, ‘If the function of the camera demands that it was made, doesn’t it stand to reason that the more complex human camera, that is the eye, must also have a Maker?’ (It certainly does!—my addition)

Likewise, the ear is a marvel. Using membranes like the eardrum, small bones, muscles that amplify the sound inside your ear, and 25,000 auditory receptors, the brain is able to receive these vibrations and interpret whether they come from thunder, or a voice, or from thousands of other tones that we hear.

One authority says, ‘Amazingly, the inner ear, although no bigger than a hazelnut, contains as many circuits as the telephone system of a good-sized city.’ Can you believe that a city’s telephone system could design itself or just happen by accident? (NO! And yet people want us to believe that an infinitely more complex system—man—just happened! What utter nonsense! Where is their reasoning power?—my addition) Your ear is far more sophisticated than this microphone that I’m wearing. Did this microphone just happen or did somebody make it?

The Bible says in Romans 1 and verse 20, ‘For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.’ (Read the rest of the chapter!—my addition) My friends, let’s be grateful for all that God has done in giving us this marvelously designed world and our lives. Every bone, every muscle, every organ, and every tissue shouts that God made us in His image. Let’s pray. O Father, we are so grateful that through Your wisdom and through Your power You gave us life to enjoy this wonderful world. Help us to love You and serve You always. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Let’s see, the fossil record doesn’t give us any ‘missing links’ or intermediate forms showing the transition from one species to another. And, the body itself shows us an incredible amount of design. Well, these facts make it reasonable to believe that we’ve been created not the products of natural selection. It takes far more faith to believe that non-living matter produced life than it does to believe in God. It takes far more faith to believe that a reptile could gradually become a bird than it does to believe in creation. It takes far more faith to believe an eye or an ear were accidents of nature than to believe God designed them.

This world contains everywhere the marks of an all-powerful and all-wise Designer, and that Designer is the one and only God. He is your God! He made you, gave you life, loves you, hears your prayers, and wants you to live with Him in heaven for an eternity. You can learn all about Him in the Bible. He gave us this precious book to answer our most important questions of life. It’s the only book that will tell you where you came from, why you’re here, and what will happen to you when you die.

Now, to enter into a relationship with the Lord, believe in Him with all your heart, turn away from sin and follow His Word, confess the name of Jesus as the Son of God, and out of love be baptized into Christ. When you’re immersed into Christ, you’re baptized into His death. And that’s the time the Lord will wash away your sins by His blood (Acts 22 and verse 16) and He will add you to His church. And nothing you can do today is more important than getting into a right relationship with the One who created you. We hope you will today, and let us know about it.

We hope today’s study of God’s Word and God’s creation has blessed you. Now, if you want a free printed copy, a CD, or tape of this message, ‘Designed by God,’ mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org.

Or, call the Search office toll-free at 1 (800) 321-8633. Now, all of our programs appear online at www.searchtv.org. And in this program today we’re also going to provide a printed transcript that has a lot of footnotes; so young people may want to read about them and study a little bit more. We offer this program in printed, audio, or video format. We also offer free study sheets online and Bible Correspondence Courses. Just let us know that you want one, a correspondence course, and we’ll be glad to send it to you.

Please attend worship at one of the churches of Christ in your area. They support us, and they’re the reason we never ask for money on this broadcast. They love guests, and you’ll be glad you worshiped with them. Well, Mack and I will be back next week, Lord willing.

Keep searching God’s Word. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.”

To deny that GOD CREATED all things is to deny GOD! Fortunately, that denial does NOT CHANGE the TRUTH! Man does NOT decide that which is true and/or that which is false. GOD DOES! Thus, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1: 1 (NIV)

Christianity—Is Christianity evil?


A good Christian friend died early Christmas morning. Her funeral is today. Because of previous commitments, I won’t be able to attend. However, her Christian friends and family know (believe, if you wish) that only her physical body died that Christmas morning—her soul and spirit live on. Furthermore, one day in the future, she as well as all of us, will receive a new body.

Is Christianity evil?


“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (physical body died—my addition). For since death came through a man (Adam of Adam and Eve—my addition), the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man (JESUS, the CHRIST, the SON of GOD—my addition). For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come (The end of the earth as we now know it—my addition.), when he (JESUS, the CHRIST—my addition) hands over the kingdom (the church; the children of GOD, CHRISTIANS—my addition) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” I Corinthians 15: 20-26 (NIV)

But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual (body—my addition) did not come first, but the natural (body—my addition), and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

I declare to you, brothers (Christians—my addition), that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (die—my addition), but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet (When JESUS returns and the earth as we know it is destroyed—my addition). For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immorality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15: 35-57 (NIV)

Which leads to the question: “Is Christianity evil?” as some people claim. The answer is a resounding NO! For,

Christianity Is Good
Romans 12: 18-21

“Hello I’m Phil Sanders, and this is In Search of the Lord’s Way. Today we have a very important lesson. Some people say that all religion is evil, and they especially point to Christianity. Well, is this true? Is Christianity an evil religion or does it promote what is right and good for all? Well, stay tuned and we’ll see what the Bible says about it.

Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and we’re here to search God’s Word for the Lord’s Way. The Bible opens up to us the heart and the ways of God. And we love Him and we want to draw near to Him, so we go to God’s Word again and again. Thanks for spending this time with us.

There’s a story I heard from my daddy when I was young about a pig farmer who disliked the church where his wife attended. Well, every time a member of the church would do something wrong, he would spread the news about how terrible this church was. Well, the preacher in that congregation got weary of hearing about the farmer, so he decided to pay the farmer a visit. Well, the preacher told the farmer he wanted to buy a pig, so the farmer showed him all of his prize pigs, wonderful pigs. And the preacher said to them. ‘Well, do you have any others?’ Well, about this time a little runt pig came near; and the preacher said, ‘That’s the one I want!’ Well, the farmer wondered at his choice, but he sold him the pig. And finally he asked, ‘Well, why did you want this pig? He’s the worst on my farm!’ The preacher replied, ‘Well, I wanted to go all over the community and show people what kind of pigs you raise.’ The farmer objected, ‘Well, that’s unfair! He’s not like the other pigs!’ And the preacher said, ‘I know! I know it’s unfair to judge all your pigs by this one; it’s also unfair to judge all Christians by the wrongdoing of a few.’

I tell you I feel like that preacher when I hear people refer to witch trials, or the Spanish inquisition, or the Crusades. Recently celebrities have suggested that Christianity is a breeding ground for terrorism, makes people mean-spirited, or is filled with hypocrites and crazies. When I hear that, I want to tell them about the Christianity of the New Testament. Let’s not confuse the Christianity of the Bible, the New Testament with a corrupted form of Christianity of later years. (Which is NOT Christianity! Anyone can claim to be a Christian. That claim does NOT make him a Christian! I could claim to be a professional baseball player. That claim does NOT make me a professional baseball player!—my addition)

We offer a printed copy, a CD or tape of our study free each week! So mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us; that’s searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you like, call our toll-free telephone number. That number is 1 (800) 321-8633. We also stream this program on our website at www.searchtv.org. Ken Helterbrand will lead the Edmond church in song, and then we’ll read from Romans chapter 12, verses 18 to 21.

Our reading today comes from Paul’s practical advice written in the book of Romans chapter 12, verses 18 to 21. ‘If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ This is from God’s Holy Word, Romans chapter 12. Let’s pray together. Father, we pray that You will help us to live at peace with all men, to love others and to do them good whether they do good to us or not. Father, help us to be like Your Son, Jesus who loves all of us in spite of our sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The Hebrew writer warned Christians in Hebrews 2 and verse 1, ‘Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.’ God knows that humans have the tendency to lose sight of what they’ve learned and slowly move away from it. Nobody intends to drift; drifting usually comes about when people become complacent and take things for granted. One generation might be committed to the truth, while the next generation hardly thinks of the truth.

Judges 2 tells of the generation that followed God and Joshua all the days of their lives and they were righteous; but ‘there arose another generation after them who did not know the work of the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.’ (Judges 2 and verse 10) Now, this new generation began to become like the nations that were around them; they worshiped other gods. At times they were nothing like the generation before them.

Well, as the New Testament arrives, we learn of different sects of Jews, some called Pharisees, some called Sadducees. One can read the entire Old Testament and never hear of the Pharisees or even the Sadducees. These sects arose during the 400-year period between the Old and the New Testament. The Lord Jesus spent a considerable amount of time calling Israel away from the human traditions of the Pharisees and the errors of the Sadducees back to true religion, true faith in God.

For instance in Matthew 15, verses 13 and 14 the Lord said of the Pharisees, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’ The Lord Jesus distinguished what they taught and practiced with what the Father taught; and what they taught wouldn’t last; their traditions and practices will be uprooted. He called the Pharisees ‘blind guides.’ There was no need to follow them; He said leave them alone. ‘If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’

In the same way, much of what people call Christianity is quite different from the Christianity of the New Testament. I’m constantly amazed at how many things have worked their way into modern Christian religion that have nothing to do with what Jesus taught or what He intended for His people to believe. For instance, where do you read about in the New Testament about denominations, human creeds, archbishops, holy water, lent, purgatory, or a special priesthood, or a pope? Not one of these things is mentioned in the New Testament. Each of them arose when Christians drifted away the Word and began adapting to the culture that was around them.

Things like the Crusades, witch trials, and the Inquisition came not from the Christianity of the New Testament but from a corrupted form of Christianity. To say, then, that all Christians are mean-spirited or that Christianity leads people to be terrorists is totally unjustified. (It’s a LIE!—my addition) Well, what then does the Bible teach? How are Christians to act and react to those who are not Christians? Well, we’re going to look at several Scriptures that show God’s will for us as Christians.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5, verses 43 to 48; this is the Sermon on the Mount, He said, ‘You have heard that it was said, that You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as Your heavenly Father is perfect.’

Christ expects His people to imitate the Father in Heaven. They are to be sons of their Father, who causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness. They are to bless and love others even when others don’t deserve it or won’t return it. One of the distinguishing characteristics of true Christianity is in how they treat their enemies. Christians pray for their enemies and those who persecute them. Romans 12 and verse 14 says, ‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.’

The New Testament gets even more specific in Romans 12: 17 to 21. The Bible says, ‘Never pay back evil for evil to anybody. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ Christians are not to kill with swords but to overcome with kindness.

The Lord Jesus taught and practiced compassion towards others. He wanted people to stop and think about how they treat other people. He taught in Matthew 7 and verse 12, the Golden Rule, ‘So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’ That Golden Rule expects people to rise above selfishness and to be a blessing to others around you. (That does not mean that anyone can do whatever he wishes as the current President seems to believe! GOD has defined SIN and no one is to commit sins!—my addition) Now Pharisees thought only other Pharisees were their neighbors to be loved, but Jesus helped people to see that everyone is our neighbor.

In the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus broke down racial and religious barriers, when it came to helping other people. Jews regarded Samaritans as corrupted Israelites who married into other nations and compromised their faith in God. But Jesus used the good heart and the example of a Samaritan to rebuke the selfish and bigoted hearts of his fellow Jews, who would not help a stranger. Galatians 6, verses 9 and 10 says, ‘And let us not grow weary in doing good (Christians do good when they rebuke others, including themselves, for unrepentant sins! SIN is spiritual death. What Christian wants anyone to die a spiritual death?—my addition), for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us (that is, let us as Christians) do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.’ (Galatians 6, verses 9 and 10)

Jesus Christ broke down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Ephesians 2, verses 13 to 16 says, ‘But now in Christ Jesus you (Gentiles) who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.’ Through loving everyone, Jesus brings unity to this world.

There is no passage in the New Testament where the Lord counsels His followers to start a war in His name. Christians do not win souls through violence. They preach the gospel, the good news of the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for people’s sins. Biblical Christianity lifts people out of violence, and selfishness and hatred and puts them into a life of love, and peace, and kindness.

The New Testament does tell when a disciple drew a sword and used it to hurt someone. Matthew 26, verses 51 to 54 says, ‘And behold, one of those who were with Jesus (that is Peter) reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which says that it must happen this way?’

Jesus has, and He had, the power to conquer anyone anywhere at any time, but the Lord is not out to conquer through the sword. The Lord Jesus is love, and no one has ever loved us like He has. He wants to win our hearts so that we will love Him the way that He loves us, not to do us harm but to bless us. (And save us!—my addition)

Just because people claim to act as Christians doesn’t mean that they’re following the will of the Lord Jesus. Many people through the ages have acted on their own desires and have tried to justify their actions by claiming to act in the name of Christ. The Lord said in John 8, verses 31 to 32, ‘If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ Jesus distinguished a true disciple from one who claims to be a Christian. True Christians follow the words of Jesus; false Christians don’t.

According to Romans 13: 1 through 7, God gives government the authority to punish evildoers, so that righteous people may live in peace. When the Jews threatened the life of the apostle Paul; Paul, you remember, as a Roman citizen appealed to Caesar in Rome for protection and his rights. He didn’t organize a group of vigilantes to attack his Jewish enemies. God doesn’t allow Christians to take the law into their own hands with violence. It’s certainly right for Christians to call upon civil authorities for protection and for justice.

Paul urges Christians to pray for civil authorities. First Timothy 2, verses 1 and 2 says, ‘First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.’ Christians pray for authorities to provide peace, so they may live their faith without fear. (The primary purpose of governments is to protect its people—my addition.) It’s one thing to pray for protection from evildoers; it’s another thing to become violent and to take vengeance on your own.

Those who are enemies of the cross can be very cruel to Christians. Evil people don’t mind persecuting and accusing Christians of things that are simply not true. Second Timothy 3 and verse 12 says that, ‘all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.’ The word ‘Satan’ means ‘adversary.’ You see, the devil has been a liar from the beginning (John 8 and verse 44) and is called the ‘accuser of the brethren’ in Revelation 12 and verse 10. Satan doesn’t hesitate to lie about Christianity and falsely accuse them. In ancient times Christians were called cannibals, because they ate the Lord’s Supper. Well, the Lord’s Supper is comprised of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, which prompts Christians to remember the body and the blood of Jesus. It’s a memorial meal, not cannibalism. In ancient times Christians were accused of incest, because brothers and sisters would marry. But it wasn’t physical brothers and sisters but spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ marrying each other. Well, these are clear lies about Christianity; they’re false accusations.

Are Christians perfect? No! They have many weaknesses. They realize they’re sinners saved by the grace of God. They strive to love God and to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ, but sometimes Christians fail. Some accusations about Christians are unfortunately true. However, no one, no one, no one can convict Jesus Christ of sin!

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2, verses 21 to 24, ‘For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but he continued entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. He himself bore our sins (our sins) in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.’ Oh, what a wonderful Savior we have! Let’s pray. Father in heaven, help us to be like our Lord Jesus Christ; to love others, to bless them, and to not take vengeance on them. Father, we are grateful for Your love and help us to be loving to every person we meet. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Let’s take a look at our own Christianity, asking ourselves if we’ve paid attention to the Word of God or if we’ve drifted away from it. We must ever go back to the Bible to examine what God desires from us as Christians. (The Bible as written not the Bible as misinterpreted by those who do not want to follow the truth!—my addition) No one has anything to fear from New Testament Christianity. It’s the religion of love and peace.

And wherever it’s gone, people have learned to love, to forgive, and to be kind and compassionate. They’ve learned to lift up rather than tear down. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And He grants peace with God; He gives us inner peace; and He teaches us the way of peace with our neighbors, even with our enemies.

If you wish to live in peace, then start with your relationship with God. Get right with God and with yourself. Find peace of heart and soul by being obedient to the will of God. Put your trust in God and believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Let the love of God turn your heart from everything that’s evil or violent to everything that is good in life, from hatred to love, from sin to righteousness. You see, that’s repentance. And repentance is how God brings healing to mankind.

Peace with God comes to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. He took the pain of death on himself to bring forgiveness of sins. And when we’re baptized in water, we’re baptized into His death (Romans 6 and verse 3). The blood that He shed in His death graciously washes away our sins when we’re baptized according to Acts 22 and verse 16. At baptism God gives us newness of life and He adds us to the church, His family. God then teaches us through the Word to love and to be kind. You’ll never regret becoming a New Testament Christian. Will you become a Christian today? Will you? Give your life to the Lord!

We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s study of God’s Word. If you want a free printed copy, a CD, or tape of this message, ‘Christianity Is Good,’ then mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org.

Or, call the Search office toll-free at 1 (800) 321-8633. Now, all of our programs and transcripts appear on our website at www.searchtv.org. You can read the transcript; you can hear them again; or you can watch them anytime. Download them if you like. We offer study sheets for every program, and churches are using some of those study sheets in their Bible classes. We also offer a free Bible Correspondence Course. Call or write us. We love Bible students. And we’re glad that you tuned in today. We’re hoping that each time that you come to our program that it will be a blessing to your life. And go by and attend one of the churches of Christ in your area. They help us keep this program on the air, and they love guests. Well, we’ll be back next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend. Keep us in your prayers. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.”

Christmas present to the nation and a petition


Christmas is considered a time of giving. After all the giving to family, friends, and self, we the people have an opportunity to give one more gift to the nation before the end of the year. If you haven’t given the limit to each of the following conservative PACS (Political Action Committee) consider doing so before the end of the year. To continue our efforts to Take Back the Nation, these PACS need money as the fuel to spread our message and getting conservative candidates elected. We did well in 2010. We can and MUST do better in 2012. Now is not the time to relax. We are involved in a marathon battle to Take Back the Nation! Keep INVOLVED!

1) From: Senate Conservatives Fund

Contribute to the Senate Conservatives Fund:

https://senateconservatives.com/site/contribute?c=8C4D023A58A127A

SCF is a political action committee dedicated to electing strong conservatives to the United States Senate. We do not support liberal Republicans and we are not affiliated with the Republican Party or any of its campaign committees.

SCF seeks to bring bold conservative leadership to Washington by supporting only the most principled candidates nationwide—candidates who believe in the timeless conservative principles of limited government, strong national defense, and traditional family values.

We helped elect five conservative standouts in the 2010 election cycle—Pat Toomey (PA), Marco Rubio (FL), Rand Paul (KY), Mike Lee (UT), and Ron Johnson (WI). We did it by making direct contributions to these candidates, bundling contributions from donors across the country, and educating voters on key issues.

Stop Spending

Congress must be forced to cut spending. SCF candidates will support a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget without raising taxes.

Repeal ObamaCare

President Obama’s health care takeover is set to destroy American medicine and bankrupt our country. SCF candidates will repeal it.

Enforce Immigration

The federal government has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. SCF candidates will seal the borders and oppose all forms of amnesty.

Defend 2nd Amendment

The 2nd Amendment protects our ability to keep and bear arms. SCF candidates will oppose all efforts to eliminate or restrict this right.

Ban Bailouts

Bailouts force taxpayers to reward failure and punish success. SCF candidates will stop bailouts altogether and force corporations to compete.

End Earmarks

Congressional earmarks are a gateway drug to higher spending. SCF candidates will ban earmarks and break Washington’s addiction to pork.

Protect Life

Human life is precious and it must be protected. SCF candidates will stop all taxpayer funding for abortion.

Adopt Term Limits

Our country is being destroyed by career politicians. SCF candidates will support a constitutional amendment establishing congressional term limits.

(This is the major issue of those listed with which I don’t agree. I plan to post on term limits at a later date—my addition)

SCF has over 250,000 members nationwide and is in a strong position to support conservative candidates in 2012. SCF members come from every state and from all walks of life. They love America and have decided to take positive action to take back their country.

SCF is chaired by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina).

Contributions to Senate Conservatives Fund are not deductible as charitable contributions. Not paid for at taxpayer expense. Contributions from corporations or foreign nationals lacking permanent resident status are not permitted. Federal law requires Senate Conservatives Fund to report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.”

2) From: http://www.michelepac.com/

M any
I ndividual
C onservatives
H elping
E lect
L eaders
E verywhere!

“MichelePAC is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s official Political Action Committee and is committed to helping elect constitutional conservative candidates throughout the country. In fact MICHELEPAC stands for:

M any
I ndividual
C onservatives
H elping
E lect
L eaders
E verywhere!

As a leader on key issues, Michele is frequently asked to travel around the country to speak, endorse and raise funds for conservative Republican campaigns. As a member of the team focused on ending the reign of Nancy Pelosi and the liberal majority, she is doing her part. So, in August 2010, she founded MichelePAC to provide direct and indirect support to conservative candidates nationwide. Because it is not connected in any way to Bachmann for Congress, MichelePAC can provide this crucial financial support without draining her own campaign resources. And we’ve set some ambitious goals: with your help, MichelePAC will ultimately help retire Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. (It’s happened, of course—my addition) Your immediate support will help Michele bring about a constitutional conservative majority to Congress. (We are on our way!—my addition)

Donate:

https://secure.campaignsolutions.com/michelepac/donation1/?initiativekey=FJMUWTY30PXM”

Also from MichelePAC

“Dear Friend,

In just weeks, Congress will be forced to make a no-win decision.

Thanks to the $858 billion tax cut package President Obama signed into law last week, America moved one large step closer to reaching the $14.3 trillion federal debt ceiling (raised from $12.4 trillion last February) which forces the new Congress to increase the amount of money the government can borrow or default on our loans.

Unfortunately, Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are afraid to stand up and call for the one solution to our nation’s debt crisis: freeze all spending and cut the fat out of the budget.

With national debt $13.8 trillion and counting, Congress’ spending frenzy cannot continue. It’s time to force our elected officials to stop spending cold turkey, and we can start by making sure they do not raise the debt ceiling.

That’s why I'm asking you to personally tell Congress not to increase the amount of money the government can borrow by signing your name to the "Don't Raise the Debt Ceiling" petition.

http://michelepac.com/debtceiling/?initiativekey=IKAJSK47YKI6&tag=DebtCeilingsaber

I’m challenging conservative activists to collect at least 25,000 in the next week to give Members of Congress something to think about over Christmas recess. Please follow this link to sign the petition today.

http://michelepac.com/debtceiling/?initiativekey=IKAJSK47YKI6&tag=DebtCeilingsaber

After signing the petition I hope you will consider making a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or whatever you can afford to enable MICHELE-PAC to continue working to elect a true constitutional conservative majority.

Speaker-elect Boehner has already vowed to begin cutting $100 billion out of the budgets of federal agencies as soon as the new Congress is seated, but it’s not enough! We must stay true to our constitutional conservative values and take away the tool Congress uses to spend more—the ability to raise the debt ceiling.

Think about the consequences of even higher national debt: higher taxes, less jobs, more free handouts. Make sure Congress knows where you stand on the issue by following this link

http://michelepac.com/debtceiling/?initiativekey=IKAJSK47YKI6&tag=DebtCeilingsaber

to add your name to the ‘Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling’ petition.

We cannot begin to repair the damage Congress’ spending spree has inflicted on our nation by ending it once and for all. That’s why I’m reaching out to you today. I can’t do this alone—I need to you know that you stand with me. So I hope I can count on you to stay true to our conservative values by adding your name to the ‘Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling’ petition.

If we are able to prevent Congress from raising the debt ceiling—and begin cutting down the budget—we will be able to get our economy back on track. So please sign the petition today!

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

P.S. In just a few weeks Congress will be faced with a difficult decision: increase the federal debt ceiling, default on our loans, or cut spending. Make sure Congress knows where you stand on this issue by adding your name to the "Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling" petition today. After, I hope you will make a generous contribution to help MICHELE-PAC keep fighting for a true constitutional conservative majority.

http://michelepac.com/debtceiling/?initiativekey=IKAJSK47YKI6&tag=DebtCeilingsaber”

From the above website:

“Tell Congress, ‘Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling’

With national debt $13.8 trillion and counting, Congress’ spending frenzy cannot continue. It’s time to force our elected officials to stop spending cold turkey, and we can start by making sure they do not raise the debt ceiling.

That’s why I’m asking you to personally tell Congress not to increase the amount of money the government can borrow by adding your name to the ‘Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling’ petition.

Please add your name to our petition:”

3) From: Western Representation PAC wrpac@WesternPAC.org

“Dear Patriot,

We here at the Western Representation PAC hope that all of you have a merry Christmas and a happy and successful new year! Just one week after the election the WRPAC family grew as we welcomed Abigail Stockton into the world. There is no truth to the rumor that she organized her first Tea Party in the nursery just after birth.

What a year 2010 has been! Thanks to your support, WRPAC has become one of the largest and fastest growing conservative action groups in the nation. We fought establishment politicians from both parties and helped secure victories in key races across the country.

These victories are key in implementing the first step in our plan to lead America back to the ideals of liberty! Our goal of removing every politician who neglects the fact that they were elected to work for ‘We the People’ is stronger than ever. We want to share with you some of our action items when the new Congress takes over in January.

Step #1: Stop Barack Obama and the Progressive Democrats from advancing their liberal agenda.

Step #2: Start turning back the big government policies implemented by Democrats and Republicans over the last decade. We must demand that the new House of Representatives defund Obamacare. We will also assist the courageous state Attorney Generals legally challenging the unconstitutional law.

Step #3: Defeat Barack Obama and give conservatives control of the Senate.

Step #4: Demand the systematic dismantling of the federal bureaucracy, empowering state and local governments to take control of their communities.

(I hope to provide my own specific list in a future post—my addition.)

To advance our agenda we must continue to rapidly grow. We are fighting against liberal organizations and big labor unions with millions of members and giant war chests.

Thousands of you made contributions, tens of thousands more volunteered their time and energy to help us reach this point. We need to find more patriots like you so that we can advance our shared conservative agenda! Help us reach more like minded patriots by forwarding this email to everyone you know.

We are putting together the infrastructure to reach more patriots through both traditional and new mediums. We are restructuring our organization, our websites, our presence on social media and negotiating deals to create a much larger presence on traditional media.

We still need your help. To fully fund our transition we need to raise $25,000 by January 15th. You can help us grow by making a contribution of $10, $25, $50, or more by clicking ---HERE---

https://www.westernpac.org/donate.html

May God bless you in the new year and may God bless the United States of America!

Merry Christmas,

Dustin Stockton, Chairman”

4) Our Country Deserves Better PAC

When Barack Obama won the presidential campaign of 2008 along with sizable Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, we knew things were going to get worse for America. We just didn’t know how bad it would be—but it’s becoming clearer and clearer with each day.

We’re under assault from liberals in Congress who have gone on a spending spree to the tune of over $10 trillion. Taxpayer-funded bailouts have been passed against our consent. Taxes are being raised. Our government is trying to run the affairs of private businesses.

And now Obama-Pelosi-Reid want to have the government take over our health care choices.

Our Country Deserves Better and we ask you to join our fight for conservative beliefs as we strive to make this a better and brighter America.

Conservatively yours,

Hon. Howard Kaloogian, Chairman

Our Country Deserves Better PAC is leading the fight to champion the Reaganesque conservatism of lower taxes, smaller government, strong national defense, and respect for the strength of the family as the core of a strong America.

Our nation’s future is at stake, and we must stand up to Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress.

To Contribute:

The Our Country Deserves Better PAC is committed to defeating the candidates backed by Democrat Senate and House leaders, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, in the 2010 congressional elections. We will support conservative challengers in these election campaigns. We will then turn our focus to ensuring that Barack Obama is defeated should he chose to run for re-election in 2012.

What We Stand For:

LOWER TAXES

Our government leaders have forgotten that when they push through giant spending plans that they are spending money that does not belong to them, but the taxpayers. Rampant government spending and attempts at social engineering in the housing market caused the current economic crisis. These were problems created by the politicians in Washington who did not respect the taxpayers best interests. The solution is not to take more of the American people’s money—it is rather for government to take less, and allow the American consumer to make his or her own decisions about how to spend THEIR money.

OPPOSITION TO BAILOUTS

We oppose government bailouts of private corporations. Taxpayers should not be expect to foot the bill for something that they are not responsible for. Similarly, a dangerous precedent and trend is being established where the politicians in Washington are advocating more government control of sectors of the American economy. This is quasi-socialism, and it has been proven to be ineffective in places it has been tried (such as Argentina and Japan). The expansion of government into the private sector is not only ineffective, it is immoral. Individual freedom and liberty is sacrificed more and more when the government tries to tell individuals how to conduct their daily lives and imposes more regulations and restrictions upon them. We support capitalism and the power of individual liberty and we oppose government attempts to squelch either.

STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE

We believe America’s leaders must understand that peace comes from strength—and that evil (whether it be Islamic jihadism or Russian aggression) must be confronted with toughness and resolve. We support our military men and women and their missions in the War on Terror. We are opposed to the tentative plans currently being discussed that would cut funding of our military. Providing a safe and secure America is one of the few activities that our federal government should be involved in. Instead, some liberals in our government are pushing to take money away from our national defense and use it instead to support more government-run social programs that have proven to be failures in the past. We say, give our troops the funding and equipment they need to do their jobs, and then support them when they are sent off on their missions. We similarly support taking care of our veterans once they have served this nation, providing them with the services, benefits and assistance they need and that they more than deserve.

SECURE BORDERS

We believe America must have secure borders and that those who come to this country must have respect for the rule of law. At a time when many national security experts fear the ability of terrorists to sneak weapons and personnel through our porous southern border it is inexcusable that we would not once and for all ensure that we know who is coming into this country and ensure that they have proper permission to.

SOUND ENERGY POLICY

We believe that this nation must achieve as much energy independence as possible, and expand our options to include domestic energy exploration (including offshore oil drilling), a greater embrace of nuclear power, as well as increased usage of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources. Until we do, we will not only be beholden to foreign energy suppliers in the Middle East, but we will also be transferring untold billions of dollars from the United States to regimes hostile to our nation, some of whom are state sponsors of terrorism.

JUDGES WHO RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION

We believe our nation is best served by judges who are guided by adherence to the constitutional principles that have made this nation great. We are tired of seeing judges show reckless disregard for our constitution, which is the bedrock of American liberty and protection of the rights of the individual, and instead try to impose their own political agenda.

http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com/contribute/”