The Grace
Perspective
In the News
2020
The
Grace Perspective identifies
troubling events/issues In the News
as an opportunity to teach the message of grace – that man is broken, the world
is broken, and trusting / experiencing Christ for salvation (justification and
sanctification) is the beginning of the solution.
Week 5
Item
1: Kobe
Consider:
- God’s instruction with a promise of long life is to honor your parents.
- The premature death of a child is first the failure of parents to provide the support needs of children so that they gravitate to (honor) their leadership.
Related: Tv News Commentary: ‘Life is fragile, time of death
uncertain’
Consider:
- We have confidence of health and happiness and longevity (not the same as freedom from adversity) as we
- abide in (remain connected to) Christ (his Provisions of Grace) per Psalm 91 and John 15:1-8, so that we
- are useful to God for his Redemptive Work in the world.
Related: Hollywood
Consider:
- The thrill of adulation is brief, like a drug.
- Celebrities are among the unhappiest and most discontented people in the world.
- The need for adulation is rooted in the unmet temperament need to feel significant.
- God meets our deepest need to feel significant through leadership in the home and Church.
- From donloyw’s Journey Notes: Carole and I drove into a large retirement community, just the kind of place we would like to live. We learned that the entrance fee for living there was as much as a half-million dollars, and then about five thousand a month. I explained that, although I was a pastor, I was not on tv, so was of the less wealthy ones. But the community is crime free, quiet, beautifully maintained, and occupied by the friendliest of people. I imagined it may be a little bit what Heaven is like. Leaving the place, Carole and I decided our current home and community will do just fine after all. It is definitely not crime free, especially in the areas surrounding us, but I have organized and direct a Watch program in our community. The homes are older and while not all the neighbors take as much pride as we would like, Carole and I lead by example to maintain our home and property. Also, not every neighbor engages with others in the community, but we wave at passers-by and engage at every possible opportunity. We have decided this is what we will need to do and how we can practice living a little bit of Heaven on Earth until we get there.
DonLoy Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 20B01
Week 4
Item
1: Senate Trial Defense Lawyers:
‘Opposition to Trump driven by personal interests’
Consider:
- Both opposition and support of President Trump are driven by personal interests: one is evil, the other righteous (prolife, religious freedom, individual rights/liberties, freedom of speech, national identity, military strength, right to bear arms).
Item
2: Observed: Opposing parties resort
to name calling
Consider:
- Name calling is divisive, forfeits credibility, and does not come from God.
- Jesus called the Pharisees vipers, but did so, not with hate, but with a broken heart.
- From donloyw’s Journey Notes: I like to hear conservative talk show guys argue for their beliefs, but I am disappointed when they resort to unkind name-calling. Some name-calling may be acceptable. I’ve called people nuts, boneheads, butt-ins, idiots, etc. (but never vulgar names). Even so, through the years, I have begun to experience a little more of the heart of Christ for people – even those I don’t like. While watching the House Managers make their case against President Trump this week, Carole and I just shook our heads in disappointment. At one point, Carole got really upset, and I knew exactly what she wanted to express about one accuser; but instead, after looking at me, she said he was “mixed up!” I said he was “obtuse.”
Item
3: Democratic Party celebrates
impeachment of President
Consider:
- Grace leadership does not celebrate accusations against others, but grieves.
DonLoy Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 20A25
Week 3
Item
1: Democratic Party celebrates
impeachment of President
Consider:
- Grace leadership does not celebrate accusations against others, but grieves.
DonLoy Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 20A18
Week 2
Item 1: Christian
Actor says she’s ‘an actor who is a Christian, not a Christian who is an actor’
Consider:
- We can be born again but not be a Christian – that is, to be Christlike (manifest the Light of Christ into the world).
- An actor who is a Christian will manifest Christ in the performance of their occupation.
- But a born again person may not.
Item
2: Family says murderer of daughter
will ‘Burn in Hell for that!’
Consider:
- Hell is separation from God for eternity.
- The only reason anyone will go to Hell is rejection of Christ’s Blood / death on the cross as the only Payment God will accept to satisfy his Judgment against mankind because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
Item 3: Church
security seminar: ‘Security presence in churches is no longer an option’
Consider:
- The Scripture indicates that, as we near the end of the Church Age, values will decline, anger and violence will increase, and man’s heart will fail because of fear.
- “Open Door, Everyone Welcome” churches may be increasingly at risk to attacks by hurting, angry people.
- The safest option is for Christians to win neighbors to Christ, and then bring them to the private meetings of the church for support for learning how to grow in grace.
- From donloyw’s Journey Notes: Recently, a young man walking with two girls through J. C. Penny, and after looking at my wife and me, shouted out loud to the girls for everyone to hear, "(Vulgar Expletive) NO, I DON’T WANT THAT (Vulgar Expletive)" I am 71, I worked for Sears and Penny for 7 years while in college and seminary, and have enjoyed for many years going to malls to shop and also to walk, but have never heard such an outburst of vulgarity in a mall or any other family-friendly, privately-owned venue. Not too long ago, I asked two security officers if parading around the mall wearing a t-shirt with a vulgar term emblazoned on it violated the mall’s code of conduct. They didn’t seem to think it was a big deal. I asked if they thought it contributed to diminish community and public values. They agreed but weren’t motivated enough to confront the violator. So my dilemma became what can I do. Do I confront offenders with a frown, or verbally chastise them? That’s what I want to do! But I am seeking to be increased with the Heart of Christ so that I can minister to their brokenness – which I am sometimes enabled to do. At other times – for example, at a restaurant recently, a party of four was so loud that everyone in the restaurant seemed disturbed. I thought maybe it would help if I stepped over to the table and kindly ask if they would tone it down a bit. But, instead, I looked at them from across the room and stuck my fingers in my ear. When they finally saw me, they got up and left.
DonLoy Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 20A11
Week 1
Item 1: Poll:
Most are ready on day after for Christmas celebration to end
Consider:
- We celebrate Christ’s birth in the same way we celebrate the birth of our children – beginning on the day of their birth.
- That means, we begin (instead of end) our celebration of the Birth of Christ on Christmas Day
Item 2: United Methodist Church
Consider:
- Bible churches pursue the salvation of
every person, and then bring them to the meeting of the church for support
to learn how to grow in grace.
- Membership in Bible churches is open to
every baptized, born again person who is committed to learning how to
experience Christ to fuller measure each day.
- Leadership in Bible church is restricted
to persons who
- are born again, baptized, members of
the church,
- have experienced Christ to fuller measure each day for an extended period of time, and
- are gifted, called, prepared by God, and qualified per 1 Timothy 3:1-7 for leadership ministry.
- From donloyw’s Journey Notes: When
I was a youth pastor in my early 20’s, I didn’t have a clue how to counsel
gays except to warn them of the judgment of God upon them. Today, I
support gays for learning how to experience Christ for healing and
salvation. Once, when
DonLoy
Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 20A04
©GracePoint, AGRC. All
Rights Reserved
