Mon, 13 May 2024 19:20:51 -0400WeeblyThu, 01 Sep 2022 04:00:00 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/favor-of-godJan 22,2019 – A Day that will be Remembered Forever in New York’s History.
New York has just passed a law (January 22,2019) that allows a woman to abort their child even to the last day of pregnancy, which was up to week 24 of pregnancy before this law was passed. Medically, there is no reason to abort a child after week 24 because the child can perfectly survive outside the womb of the mother after 24th week (that is why third-trimester abortion is illegal in most states).
In anticipation of that possibility, on January 2019, the state of New York enacted the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) to bring state laws in line with current federal law guaranteeing abortion rights, and to preserve access to abortion services should Roe v. Wade be overturned. In a nutshell, the RHA does three things:
1) It allows for late-term abortion (i.e., after 24 weeks) if the health of the mother is threatened or the fetus is not viable. Previously, late-term abortions had only been legal in New York if the life of the mother was at risk.
2) It expands the list of health care professionals who can perform abortions beyond physicians to also encompass highly trained nurse practitioners, licensed midwives, and physician assistants.
3) It removes abortion from the criminal code and places it entirely within the realm of public health law. Performing a late-term abortion had previously been a felony in New York, which as the Syracuse Post-Standard observed.
The RHA states that “A health care practitioner, acting within his or her lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortion when, according to the practitioner’s reasonable and good faith professional judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case: the patient is within twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or health.”
This will give authorization until the moment of birth and can be interpreted not just physical health (emotional, financial, or health and any other)
I am not discussing the psychological impact, emotional impact or physical impact to both parents and child (Yes Child) in this article, just want to look into some spiritual impact only.
What is the spiritual implication of abortion?
Let’s look to some passages in the bible and see how this abortion is directly connect to worship of Molek. (Worship of Molek was for financial benefits)
(I just want to show some passages and not planning to go detail study on this subject in this article – Planned parenthood does most of the abortions and Abortion is a big financial industry, now allowing not just Doctors but other health professionals have access to it)
Jeremiah 1:4,5
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Leviticus 20: 1-5
The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his   community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people;for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
Leviticus. 18:21
21 “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
2 Kings 23:10
10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek.
Jeremiah 32:35
 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
Psalms 139: 13-17
For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from youn
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
 
There have been over 58 million abortions since Roe vs. Wade (1973).
We need to pray for New York State that the Judgment of God will not come on this state. We are the watchman on the wall to stand against the evil that takes place.
When those (unborn) babies who do not have a voice to cry, let us become the voice to cry for them. If we don’t then who will?
May the Lord open the eyes of people when evil is taking over the planet as the Bible reminds us.
Blessings,
Pr. Ben
 
]]>Sat, 24 Dec 2016 20:18:38 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/why-i-stopped-sending-e-cards-for-christmasWhy I Stopped Sending E-Cards for Christmas.
There was time that I used to send Christmas cards to people, sometime fifty at a time. Sometimes I handed them out personally and sometimes I would send them in the mail.
When technology improved, I stop sending cards through the mail and I started to send e-cards. Now I’ve stop sending E-cards or animated cards too. There are many reasons.
1.      No one reads them anymore. We all know that there is no cost involved in writing those cards.
2.      People who know the technology know that there are no emotions, feelings or even a personal touch involved in those cards.
3.      There is no time involved in creating an E-card. One E-card is enough to send to millions of people. Just change the name on the card, or the computer will change it for you.
4.      There is no reason to keep those cards because there is no personal touch or feeling contained in it. I have some cards that I have kept for a long time that were sent to me in the past.  These were real cards that came in the mail.
5.      If you want to wish someone a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukah, or Happy New Year, please pick up that phone and make a call, or get a card from the store.  Send them to people with a signature and put a “forever” stamp. Then people will know that it cost you time, energy and effort to send those cards.
6.      Studies clearly show that this generation lacks personal contact and the ability to engage in personal communication; let’s pick up that phone and wish people a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukah, or Happy New Year.  At the very least, send them a personal text rather than a group message.
 
Blessings
Ben
 
PS. Wishing You all a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukah, or Happy New Year!!!! (I know this is a group wish)
]]>Wed, 13 Jan 2016 23:47:21 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/running-lowRunning Low?
 
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
1st Peter 5:7 (NIV)

It would be sad to know that God existed but he did not know our needs. But he does know. It would be awful if God knew our needs but did not care, about our circumstances. But God does care. It would be tragic if God knew our needs but was unable to do anything about them. But God is able. But because God knows and God is able and God cares, we can we assured that God will answer.
                   In Peter’s epistle, it is revealed that believers are undergoing hardships, and despite all the advances in the world, hardships still occur today. What we must understand is that despite all our adversities and problems there is no one excluded from God’s compassion and care.
                            The Bible states that in spite of the willful disobedience of men God allowed his Son to die for their sins. The book of Romans says, “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8 NIV). This tells us how deep and unconditional his love and care for us is. When we did not care for him, when our backs were turned against him in rejection, he loved us. That is what the cross is all about. We can never go so far that the love of God can not reach us.
            So much in our world is impersonal. To the government you might be just a number. But God still knows who you are. To your co-workers you might be just an outsider. But God still knows who you are. To your classmates you might be someone without any friends. But God still knows who you are. To your family you might be the one they just ignore. But God still knows who you are. In the description of Jesus as the Good shepherd, we are told that he knows his own by name. (John 10:3)
            So before the needle in your tank hits empty you are invited by God to “cast all our cares upon him”. He is available but it is up to you to rely on Him or not. God is ready to bear the burden of your sorrow and sin, all we need to do is just ask.

May God Bless.
Pastor Ben Thomas

]]>Fri, 08 Jan 2016 23:39:13 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/the-restoration-of-niv-1984-is-neededThe Restoration of NIV 1984 is Needed

After many years of the issue being pointed out by church leaders, it has become apparent that it is necessary for us to get the 1984 edition of the NIV back to the market. For almost 30 years most churches, Sunday schools, and youth groups memorized the NIV 1984 edition. Most Bible Colleges used the NIV 1984 because of the unique nature of the translation. But when we ask for a NIV translation nowadays we are no longer getting the same translation that we loved very much. What we are getting now is a diluted translation that took many good usages that we are very familiar with.

When we read the word “he” it does not necessarily refer to a man, and it can in fact simply address a person. The word “he” was changed in the 2011 edition of the NIV to “they”; the meaning that the original book intended is now altered.

Many other unnecessary changes were made in this version so the intended meaning is changed and the Biblical purpose that one is supposed to follow cannot be completed.

My suggestion to parents is to specifically ask for the NIV 1984 version if you are buying an NIV Bible (the 1984 NIV is one of the great translations of our time). It has vanished from stores and the Internet for some time, but it has now started to come back into circulation.

I encourage parents to specifically ask for the NIV 1984 edition from the store if you are buying an NIV Bible. If you cannot get that version, then ESV is another option. This is a fairly new translation and almost equals the NIV 1984 edition. Either way it is most definitely a more suitable translation than 2011 edition of the NIV.

When our children memorize bible verses, we need them to be able study and learn these verses so that this becomes a blessing in their lives and not a source of confusion. I encourage parents to follow these suggestions when you select a version for your children.

NIV 1984 is available in this link if you are looking for one on the Internet.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/niv/

Some verses are shown below for comparative study:

  NIV 1984 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
   NIV2011 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

  NIV 1984 | Ps 8:4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

   NIV 2011 | Ps 8:4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

 NIV 1984 | Mark 7:15 Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.”

 NIV 2011 | Mark 7:15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

May God Bless You,

Pastor Ben Thomas

   
]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:22:29 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/keeping-christ-in-christmas-by-pastor-ben-thomas KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS by:  Pastor Ben Thomas

             As another Christmas holiday rolls around, a lot of questions come to mind: Do we need to celebrate Christmas? Is it wrong to “celebrate” it? Do we have the right date? Why do we exchange gifts? Have we forgotten the true meaning of Christmas? I don’t intend to address these issues but I do want to encourage you to share the Gospel. What better time than during these holidays?

1. Let’s magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46): “And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord.”                                                                                                                                                                            -Angels sing to the Lord, nature sing the song of creation to the Lord, we too need to lift up His name. God incarnated as a human to save mankind. His name needs to be lifted up on high. When the world uses and abuses the name of Jesus as profanity, it is our duty to continue to magnify the Lord’s name in this generation. No other name brings glory to the earth like the name of Jesus.

2. Let us rejoice in the Savior (Luke 1:47): “And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”                                                                                                                                               -We need to make it a lifestyle to rejoice in God, Who saved us. We’re not able to save ourselves yet we were redeemed by His blood. We need to rejoice in that salvation.

3. We need to enjoy the promise (Luke 1:48): “For He looked upon the low state and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -God’s promises are great and will be fulfilled in our lives as He planned. We need to be ready and prepare ourselves so the promises will be fulfilled. Ask yourself if you’re ready for the promise? Are you able to handle it with care?

4. Declare the Good News (Luke 1:50): “And His mercy is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age.”                                                                                   -Can you tell someone about this awesome love? The most amazing news to the world is that Christ was born over 2,000 years ago. He not only lived and walked among us, but He gave His life up for us. He saved us from the power of sin and curse and redeemed us from the evil one.

]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2015 02:08:46 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/family-and-relationship
A Peaceful Family Life & Relationship [Eph 5:22]

During the course of the ministry I have seen that many people go through problems and difficulties when it comes to relationships. This includes relationships with children-in-laws, parents, children, siblings, etc. If you were to ask anyone about the relationships they have with others, they will tell you that the goal is to have a good and healthy relationship in family. This is exactly what God desires of us to have – a healthy relationship in the family.

It is not them it is you. Many of us focus on others and try to put the fault on anyone else but ourselves – it’s his fault, her fault, mom’s or dad’s fault, etc. It is very easy to escape from taking responsibility of the situation when we put our focus on others. To develop a healthy relationship in our family we need to take the attention away from everyone else and onto us. We need to look and ask ourselves: what can I do to change this situation, what can I do to improve the relationship, what can I do to make this home more peaceful?

Understand that conflict is normal in every relationship. We are all different in nature and in our behavior. We need to understand that conflict is normal in any healthy relationship. When we are in a conflict we need to understand the differences in others and work through the conflict slowly. Although it is natural to have conflicts, it is not natural when we find fault in others at the time of conflict. Do not allow the conflict to destroy relationships, but use it to develop the relationship. Find a common ground and work from there to improve the relationship. Rather than walking away from the conflict, use it as a stepping stone to improve the relationship. Try to understand the reasons for the conflict and work slowly to improve the relationship.

Use time wisely. Before we do anything we need to ask ourselves:

1.Would Jesus do it? If He wouldn’t do it, then you shouldn’t either. We, as Christians, no longer live but Christ lives in us. {Galatians 2:20}

2. Will it bring glory to God? Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. {1 Corinthians 10:31}

3. Can it be done in the name of the Lord Jesus? {Colossians 3:17}

4. Is it coming from selfish or unselfish motives? {1 Corinthians 4:5} Sometimes we don’t receive things we pray for because of wrong motives. {James 4:3}

5. Is it a wise use of my time? {Ephesians 5:16; John 9:4}

7. Is it constructive and beneficial? {1 Corinthians10:23-24}

We need to spend quality time with family or any relationship we have. Fellowship and time together will help improve the quality of the relationship. When Adam sinned, he hid from God because he didn’t feel comfortable in the presence of God. God took the initiative to bring Adam back to his presence by calling for him.

Learn to forgive. (Matt. 18:21) Forgiveness is the key to improving any relationship. In any relationship we will do wrong as well as the other person. How many times are we required to forgive? The answer is how many times do you want forgiveness when you wrong another. Once you learn to forgive then only will you be able to develop a healthy and peaceful relationship. We need to learn to forgive ourselves for the wrongs they do. Some people have a hard time forgiving themselves. They will carry the burden of guilt throughout their life. They are not able to walk in the newness of life which is what God desires. We need to learn that although we do make mistake and sometime we cannot fix the damage of the mistake. We cannot fix yesterday’s failures or mistake. A person who will not learn from the mistake will fail in their relationships. We need to learn to move forward from our failures and mistake of the past. Receive the freedom and peace that come through forgives in Christ. God will forgive us and we need to forgive one other and ourselves.

There are many obstacles we need to overcome to forgive ourselves. A few are: * Do not justify the action of others in the situation * Have a desire to forgive ourselves & move on from the hurt of failure * Come out of fear of that assuming what will happened to me or the relationships. * Overcome the tendency to make decision from emotion. * Give time to heal. Do not expect a quick fix of healing from the wounds of past brokenness.

God wants us to have healthy relationship in our family, church and all other relationships. Learn to improve the relationship by working on your character and behavior, so the work of God will takes place in our life. May God give us grace to apply these life applications and improve our relationships. God bless, Pastor Ben Thomas

]]>Sat, 04 Jul 2015 14:29:03 GMThttp://benthomas.tv/blog/a-winning-attitude-pastor-ben-thomas A Winning Attitude

“A Winning Christian Attitude”A winning Christian attitude includes a positive attitude about yourself, God, the church, and other people! As a Christian we are constantly in need of taking a self-inventory.
1. A positive person is not one who refuses to recognize the negative, but he refuses to dwell on them Remember there is always the negative and the positive in every person or situation. And what a positive person does is develop the habit of looking for the best results even from the worst conditions... It’s always possible to look for something good, even when things look bad.
2. Your attitude affects every relationship in your life. And sometimes relationships will never get started because many times your attitude has built up walls... making it difficult for people to be around you. Bad attitudes effect your marriage relationships/your relationship with your kids/at work/at church/friends.
3. Leave the stress behind. A bad attitude is eventually going to spill out into some negative actions (destructive words and deeds). I once had a manager, that the minute he drove into the parking lot, you knew exactly how his and everyone else's day was going to go. He used to bring his stress from home to the work place and vice versa.
4. Take life easy. There are certain things you cannot change in life. Do not become a person who waits to enjoy life after retirement. Take time and enjoy your family and church now. Be nice to others, deal positively to your family. Do not waste your time on things that you have no control.
5. Be a person of faith. Who am I? “I am a child of God.” My life, family, friends, and church are all in the hands of God. By holding to your faith; what was once a negative turns into a positive. Attitude determines our destiny. By renewing our minds our attitudes will change. Your attitude will determine your successes, health, worship, and blessings. We have a choice. God Bless. Pastor Ben Thomas

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