by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
Invariably the question always gets asked of God. Why? Why would God allow children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown Connecticut to be gunned down. I will not pretend that this is somehow and easy question to answer in fact it is far from it. I do know this it is not a new question.
This question was asked long ago in the Old Testament book of Job. Job asked God why, David asked God why as well. In fact the world has been asking God why for a very long time. Throughout history the world has continued to grown with this question. Why God? Why are babies born only to die, why did I lose my father or mother, why did 9/11 happen. Today is no different: why did 26 people have to die? Where are you God?
I am a pastor and I have asked this very same question many times over again. Why God? Why did we lose our baby to a miscarriage? Why was my daughter born so early and had to suffer so much? Why did you allow this to happen to me? Immediately my mind goes to what Jesus said when he told the disciples they would suffer. I understand that in this world I too will suffer.
If you ask me why God allowed 26 people to be killed most of whom were children at Sandy Hook Elementary, honestly I would say I don’t know. I do not have the answers. I am not God nor can I pretend to be Hm. In addition I refuse in times like this to go into some sort of huge theological discussion on Why? I do know something and that is that this world needs Jesus.
I know that this world was created perfectly. It was created without Sin. However, through one man sin entered the world. You see Adam made a selfish choice when he ate the forbidden fruit and ever since that time humanity continues to make selfish, arrogant, ignorant choices, that go against a Holy God. We have been infected by sin, and we are under the curse of sin. What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a direct result of Sin. Humanity ever since the fall of Adam has groaned for a Savior and today is no different. There is only one solution to sin and that is to place your faith in Jesus Christ. To surrender your entire life to Jesus Christ and do things His way. Until Jesus returns or calls us home we will live in a sin filled, sin tainted world. But I know Jesus and I look forward to something great.
There will be a day when the suffering will end. There will be a day when no more will the question be asked of God why? There will come a day when there will be no more Sandy Hook shootings. In fact there will be a day when all of the suffering of this world all of the 9/11′s all of the school shootings, all of the terrible things in this world will pale in comparison to the Glory of God. One day I will step into heaven and I will realize that these troubles were only temporary and the glory of God is forever.
Ultimately when things like this happen we can either urn to God or allow it to drive us far from God. It will make us better or bitter. It will either cause one to surrender to Christ or stay away from Christ. We have seen where the same circumstance cause a different response in people. This world Cries out for a Savior and the only Savior that can take away the pain of sin, the curse of sin, the stain of sin, the shame of sin, is Jesus Christ.
by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | random thoughts, Uncategorized
I have been thinking alot about knowledge lately. Sometime it seems we try to use knowledge as a weapon or as something to hold over someone else. I know people that can’t seem to wait to get the inside scoop on a situation just so they can say they know about it. Or to act as if somehow they know more about it than anyone else. Some people even seek out to know more then others to the point of gossip because they have to know what is going on in a situation. Interestingly enough these people never gain complete knowledge of a situation they merely gain what they want to know and hurl and cast their judgments from ignorance rathe than knowledge which seems odd when knowledge was apparently what they were seeking in the first place. Not sure if this makes sense to anyone.
This has become especially true over my circumstances in the recent weeks. Though I have been through alot as well as my family I am amazed about what people think they know about my situation only because they heard something from someone else. In reality these people know very little because they are acting on limited knowledge or in many cases ignorance. Some even casting judgments or having preconceived thoughts without really knowing all of what has happened.
Tonight I read
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
These verse are primarily dealing with christian liberty. The Corinthians were faced with a huge dilemma and in reality they needed help. Not much different then us they lived in the middle of a sinful and pleasure filled society so how were they to act.  The Corinthians needed guidance from the Apostle Paul could they eat meat offered to idol and what about social function what were they to do? What restraints were put on the Christians liberty or freedom? Could the Christian do whatever they wanted to do? Is there a difference between the Christians behavior and the worlds? It is with that backdrop that Paul is writing here in 1 Corinthians 8.  What I wan to talk about is this knowledge that Paul is talking about in the first 3 verses.
It seems to me what Paul is saying is to judge according to love not according to knowledge. This strikes me as different because we usually do the opposite. Paul states in the very first verse that “we all have knowledge”. I am sure that some of the Corinthian believers were stressing the importance of using the intellect to determine right from wrong. There are three very important points Paul gives us concerning knowledge in these verses.
1. Â Knowledge makes arrogant but love edifies.
I think the point is clear. Just because one can reason through the facts and clearly see something gives them no right to be arrogant about it. Yet our quest for knowledge about circumstances and the like often is done so we can know more than another believer or so we can set someone straight.  The root of this is arrogance. This is the very thing Paul is coming against.
Paul is making it clear that the rule of all Christians is to be love not knowledge. It is love that builds others up and helps them to grow not knowledge. The Christian is not to run around stressing their superiority because they know more than someone else. We are to love and control our lives from love.
2. Paul tells us that knowledge is only partial.
Here is the kicker no matter what someone thinks they know it is always incomplete. We are totally incapable of knowing anything in its fullness or its totality. Of course we like to think we know things but in reality we do not. We often like to try to think rationally but the truth of the matter is to be rational is often weak especially when compared to thinking through things with love instead of rationally. So the next time we think we know something or we think we know the whole story I would encourage you to stop and think again and react and be motivated from love rather than knowledge.
3. Love unites us to God.
If someone loves God then that person is known by Him. Did you notice that we are not known by God because we are always thinking rationally. It also does not say that we are known by God based on our knowledge. It is based on one thing and that is our love. God know us because we love Him. The person that decides to base their life on love rather than knowledge that person is loved by God.
“But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him” (1 Corinthians 8:3)
I give this challenge the next time you seek knowledge about a circumstance or a situation try to seek love instead. See if it makes a difference. To often our knowledge leads to arrogance. So much could be accomplished if we only sought love.
by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
It has been along time since I have posted primarily because I have been so busy. I know that is hard to believe that I have been busy without a job but I sure I have been. Rather than update about Mike Erre’s book (I will do that later) I thought I would just give some things that have been going on in my life.
I’ll start with the crusade we recently had. I meet with one of our Pastors pretty regularly and I really enjoy the time I get to spend with him. Leading up to the crusade he asked me if I would like to help with train the counselors I of course jumped at the opportunity because this is the very thing I love to do. So I spent a few nights getting things ready and going over the training and then we trained the counselors for two evenings, to be ready for the response we were expecting during the crusade. The Impact Macon Crusade was February 22-25 and I was there every night. We saw God move in a remarkable way during that week we saw over 100 decisions for Christ and over 90 0n one night. I must say I was not ready for over 90 people to respond to the gospel that night but it was wonderful. Hey they were all counseled to.
Secondly I was asked if I could teach a book of the Bible to the youth what book would it be. I replied I would go through the book of James and the response was “why don’t you teach it” of course I jumped at that any time I get a chance to teach some teens I am going to do it. So on Sunday nights I am taking our Student Overflow through James. I pray and hope they are enjoying it. I have already taught through James so I already have the messages done, but if you know me you know I spend a great deal of time with message prep even if I have already done it before and making sure I am saying what the Lord wants me to say.
Thirdly the first week in March I started taking over the Wednesday evening teaching to the Youth. This has been going great once again I love teaching the teens. On Wednesdays I typically play a game with them and then we go over prayer requests and then I teach. I desire to see both these ministries grow tremendously and I have seen God definitely working on the hearts of some of the teens that come.
Fourthly I received a call from the principal here at Atlanta school and was asked if I could come in and teach Science while the current teacher is away on maternity leave. I accepted the position. Which if you are a teacher you know the work that gos into lessons and so forth. So for the next few weeks I am now a Science teacher. I must say that teaching in the public school is a lot different then teaching in Christian School, or teaching at church, however the kids seem to like me as a teacher and some even thanked me for teaching.
Finally all of this has been happening while still sending out resumes (required for state aid) and while going through an interview process with a church that is interested me. So yeah I have been busy but hey I like being busy. Please pray I will be directed to the church God wants me at and that I will know it and so will the church.
It has been along time since I have posted primarily
by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
This is something I recently read concerning Obama.
David Freddoso:
When Barack Obama spoke on the Illinois Senate floor in 2001 against Illinois’ born-alive protection bill, did not say that a pre-viable baby is not a “person.” He argued, rather, that even though the state should perhaps provide care for these babies, any recognition of their personhood would create unacceptable consequences. Again, his words, at length, so there’s no uncertainty about context:
There was some suggestion that we might be able to craft something that might meet constitutional muster with respect to caring for fetuses or children who were deliever in this fashion. Unfortunately, this bill goes a little bit further, and so I just want to suggest, not that I think it’ll make too much difference with respect to how we vote, that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny. Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old – child that was delievered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. (Taken from the transcript of the Illinois 92nd Assembly, Mar. 30, 2001.)
Wow. Did you catch that? Since Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then we are allowed to commit murder? You would think it would be the other way around, right? We should not be allowed to kill babies that are born alive from survived abortions and if Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then so be it. Does that logic not follow? But Obama’s stance is as follows: If we have to sacrifice some born alive infants to make sure “women have the right to choose” then that’s what we’ll have to do. How backwards is that?
Read this again: “Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old – child that was delievered to term…”Â
You would think that if you read this paragraph in isolation that what would come next is, “so we need to do exactly that. Protect these persons.” But sadly, it’s not. For Obama, our personhood is not defined by anything specific other than the need to uphold Roe vs. Wade. I think the basis of our personhood should be rooted in ground that is much more solid than the pragmatic need to see the Democratic ticket upheld. Would you not agree? Does this not follow for you Obama voter?
Friends, this man has morally disqualified himself on this issue alone. Don’t drink the Obamalaide.
Last-night on “Hannity and Colmes” Gianna Jessen shared some of her story.  If Obama was president at her birth she would be dead.  She handles herself well.  Check out the video.  This issue is going to heat up in this election especially with the fact that Sarah Palin’s baby Trig being born with Down Syndrome.  It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of all pregnancies diagnosed with Down Syndrome are murdered.  Watch the video below.
by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
Since becoming a pastor this verse has stuck out in my head. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (1 Peter 5:2, ESV). Personally I believe there is a very good reason why this is the case. You see, since becoming a pastor it seems that anytime someone calls me or stops into my office they always apologize. I am not really sure why they apologize but this seems to be the case the majority of the time. For whatever reason they seem to think that they are an inconvenience. Honestly, this is somewhat bothersome to me on many levels.
It seems like the modern pastor has come into this mentality that their job is to advance their agenda. I am not quite sure where this comes from or at what point this began to happen. Pastors are busy writing books, perhaps preparing sermons, etc. and have little time for the people. Honestly I somewhat understand this with a Mega Church naturally a pastor can’t have time to see thousands of folks on a daily basis, but I do not understand this in smaller churches. To be clear, for me, a smaller church would be any church under 1000. Seriously, why is it that our people sometimes have to wait weeks to see there pastor or to schedule an appointment weeks in advance. Before you think this is only in Mega churches it is not. I can list churches running under 500 right now where this is the case. I often wonder what it would have been like if this is how Jesus did ministry. If he said “set up an appointment with my secretary”. Seriously, at what point did we stop shepherding and become so snobbish that we can’t have time for the people we are to be leading. Am I so arrogant to think that the only time I shepherd the flock is when I stand in the pulpit? How foolish we are to think this way.
Honestly, my mind can’t help to think of Jesus and the numerous times He is thought of as a Shepherd in scripture. I think of those times when He saw the masses and said they were like sheep without a shepherd. Yet as pastors we want to go in our office and close our door and continue to let our sheep wander. We constantly see Jesus with the people and we see this at all times of the day, morning, noon, and night. Shepherding takes place on a constant basis. Jesus did life with his disciples they hung out all of the time, and from there he did even a little more with three of them. In addition to the disciples he spent a ton of time with people, the masses were constantly pressing in on him. Yes he took time away, but why is it we constantly see Him respond to the needs of people? Because he loved them. Because He was the chief Shepherd. As pastor’s we must love our people enough to shepherd them. We must spend time with them. They should never feel guilty about coming in to see us, and we should never make it so difficult for them to see us. I want to shepherd is such a way that the people I am leading know I love them. I pray this is the case.
by Josh Monda | Dec 12, 2013 | Uncategorized
I am sure you have probably heard of Christopher Hitchens but have you heard of his brother Peter Hitchens. Peter Hitchens has a book coming out on May 1st entitled The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith you can pre-order the book by clicking the Title. I found this video on youtube giving a preview check it out.
Today I was reading back through Mark 9:14-29 and it was impressed upon me how these verse deal greatly with spiritual immaturity.  I believe spiritual immaturity is a perpetual problem in the Christian life and we often struggle with this.
I picture the beginning of this passage of scripture where Jesus is coming down the mountain and he draws closer to the crowd he hears these scribes just ripping into the disciples. Â I am sure the scribes were belittling the disciples and questioning their ability to even minister. Â We know the Scribes did not like Christ and they had probably hoped that if they could discredit the disciples then they would be able to discredit Christ as well. Â
What I think is great here is that Christ steps right into the middle of the scene. Â Instead of tearing into his disciples for their lack instead he steps in and draws the attention away from them. Â In essence he delivered them from humiliation. Â We could take a great lesson from this.
When Christ asks what is going on it is the father of the child that responds to him. Â Then when the father explains what is going on Christ responds with a rebuke. Â In this passage of scripture we see weak faith. Â The father displayed weak faith in fact he was part of the faithless generation that Jesus mentions in verse 19. Â In addition to this Jesus says “if you can believe” in verse 23. Â This is followed by the cry from the father saying “help my unbelief” in verse 24. Â
This child had not been healed because faith was weak.  Sometimes we like to harp on the disciples in this passage but it was not just the disciples that displayed that weak faith.  There was a crowd there and no one had enough faith to heal the child.  The father did not have the faith, neither did the disciples, and certainly not the scribes.
However we also have to take notice that the disciples seemed powerless in this circumstance. Â We all know what that is like. Â The disciples are the very people that should have been able to heal this boy. Â There were nine disciples there when the man first came but not a single one of them was able to heal the boy because they lacked power to do so.
Now before we get on a high horse and think we are better then others we must notice the rebuke Christ gave.  He looked directly at that generation standing before Him and rebuked them.  But can we really think we are any better.  I mean isn’t every generation faithless and in reality are we not all being rebuked for it.
I must confess I have often been spiritually immature. Â I am not talking about I have failed to pray or read my Bible or something like that but what I am saying is that I have failed to express faith at times. Â So often I let my circumstance control me rather than my faith. Â But that is why I am thankful for these two verses hereÂ
When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?”And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
These verses let us know that Spiritual Power is available and we do not have to me immature.  The disciples wanted to know why they had failed.  They wanted to know the cause.  Jesus had already given them power over evil spirits and they had already cast out evil spirits so what was the problem this time.  Why did they fail when they had succeeded before.  Then Christ gives the answer.
Immaturity and powerlessness an be conquered through prayer and fasting. Â Jesus pointed out this one thing the disciples were not living close enough to God. Â They were not praying and fasting enough, they did not seek him enough, they did not put Him before all things. Â we must crave God so much that other things pale in comparison.
I sit and think how often I have been spiritually immature and let other things step in front of my relationship with the Lord. Â How often I have not put him before all things and have put my problems in front of my God. Â But it is all taken care of if I only put Him before all things.
