GoodnewsEverybody.com: Life: Few, Fewest, Least, Less, Minority,Peer Pressure, etc..

"My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me."-Psalm 55:4

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Ever felt like the "minority" in a circumstance that you couldn't "stand-up" against, so you compromise to "fit" with the "majority"? Currently (July 2011), my Minnesota Twins baseball team is struggling (below .500 record) and I hear friends or media around me "diss" or "talk bad" about them. As a faithful fan (since 87'), I've gone through "up and down" seasons, but I'm still "rooting" for them no matter what circumstances as I have a passion for the sport of baseball overall. It's similar to our faith in God. The world around us can talk "bad" about Him (e.g. there is NO God, taking prayers out of schools, etc...), but are we going to "give-in" and do the same? I can easily say "no" to this because of my growing personal relationship and trust in Him. This is why it's important to grow in our faith-trust in Him, which is encouraged through that daily devotions (e.g. spend time in His Word). It's how I'm a devoted Twins fan, I've been a fan since 87' and been "following" them ever since.

Many or all of us don't like the feeling to be "outnumbered" or be "singled-out". We all get that "peer-pressure" to conform with the "majority" (e.g. society). However, is it always "good"? God is for the "oppressed", which helps all of us (e.g. persecuted) let us know we are "not" alone!


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Children

Animated Stories from the New Testament: The Greatest Is Least - Español Videos

"Teach about humility, sacrifice, and service and other positive character traits through the Nest Learning DVD on The Greatest is the Least!
In the years following Jesus' resurrection, the disciples learn to practice His teachings. While working at the salt mine, James witnesses two fellow prisoners fighting to be number one. He remembers being with Jesus as He embraced the children and humbly kneeled to wash the disciples' feet. Comparing the Savior's humility to King Agrippa, we learn that the way to greatness in His Kingdom is not found in how many serve you, but in how many you serve.
A great resource to use at home for family devotions, in Sunday School any time of the year, during Vacation Bible School, or as a supplement to your homeschool curriculum.
Each Interactive The Greatest is the Least DVD features: All features offered in English and Spanish English and Spanish movie and subtitles and audio dialog Have fun learning history and character with 3-Level Interactive Quiz
Bonus Offer - Each The Greatest is the Least DVD includes a Free Instant Download of our 64 Page Activity and Coloring book."

Law

"2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, ..-Exodus 23 Laws of Justice and Mercy

  • The Theological Implications of the Trial of Jesus – Part 1 By Wayne Jackson christiancourier.com

    • "There are two important matters to be emphasized in this passage. First, there is the affirmation that the death of Jesus Christ was not a mere accident of history. Rather, it was the vital component in the divine scheme of human redemption. The Savior’s crucifixion came out of the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” Grammatically, the expressions “determinate counsel” and “foreknowledge” both are modified by the genitive “of God” (Wuest, 23). This point needs to be driven home. The death of Christ was orchestrated by the divine Godhead.
    Second, God, in the mysterious workings of his providence, used human instruments to facilitate the sacrifice of his Son. God respects human free will; but when men are inclined to evil, the Lord can so order events as to bring about the fulfillment of his own purpose (cf. Isaiah 44:24-45:7; Jeremiah 25:8-14).
    But let us focus upon Peter’s affirmation that “by the hand of lawless men” the Lord was slain. What is the significance of the expression “lawless men”? Some see it as simply a description of the “wicked” (KJV) inclination of the Jewish leaders, who influenced the Roman authorities to crucify Jesus (McGarvey, 33). On the other hand, many commentators argue that “lawless” is but an allusion to the Romans (i.e., Gentiles), those who were without a formal written law from God (Barnes, 38).
    But there may be more here than a mere reference to either Jews or Gentiles as such. The Greek word rendered “lawless” is anomon. The compound term derives from two components —a (without), and nomos (law). The term actually suggests one who acts outside the bounds of law —an outlaw! A.T. Robertson declared that the term signified: “Men without law, who recognize no law for their conduct, like men in high and low stations today who defy the laws of God and man” (IV.29).
    In association with this passage, let us consider another reference in the same book. In Acts 8, Luke records the account of the treasurer from Ethiopia who, having been to Jerusalem to worship, was returning to his native land. As the official journeyed in his chariot, he was reading aloud from the Greek translation of Isaiah, chapter 53. The messianic prophecy upon which his attention was fixed, when he was intersected by the evangelist Phillip, reads as follows:
    He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth" (32-33).
    Phillip, “beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Of special interest is the clause: “In his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” What is the force of this expression?
    It is the view of many authorities that the meaning of the phrase is this: Jesus, because of his humble, passive disposition, i.e., his refusal to defend himself, was robbed of justice. His proper judgment of acquittal was thwarted, and the Lord was convicted as a felon. It is a matter of historical record that the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, found Jesus guilty of no crime; nonetheless, the Savior was turned over to the frenzied mob for crucifixion. Consider the comments of several respected scholars.
    E.H. Plumptre of King’s College in London, and one of the distinguished translators of the English Revised Version of the Bible (1881), wrote that Christ’s “judgment (i.e., the righteous judgment which was His due) was taken away” (53). Professor H.B. Hackett of Newton Theological Institute, and one of the committee members of the American Standard Version (1901), declared that Jesus’ “judgment was taken away, viz. the judgment due to him; he had the rights of justice and humanity withheld from him” (120).
    Recent scholars concur. Polhill, on this passage, speaks of the “deprivation of justice” (225), and William Larkin, Professor of New Testament Greek at Columbia Biblical Seminary, also says that Christ was “deprived of justice, an innocent man condemned” (134). We believe that Kistemaker is correct when he notes that: “The wording prophetically points to the unjust trial and subsequent death of Jesus” (316). The Death of Christ in the Divine Plan
    At this juncture we must make two very important points. According to the teaching of the Bible, if humanity was to have any hope of redemption from the horrible consequences of sin, two things were absolutely imperative.
    1. Jesus Christ would have to die as a ransom for human sin.
    2. As a substitutionary offering, dying in our stead, the Lord would have to be an innocent victim.
    Let us explore these two matters momentarily. We first must emphasize that God, as an absolutely perfect Being, always must act consistent with his own nature; this is because he is a God of truth (cf. Jeremiah 10:10; John 3:33; 17:3; Romans 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:20). One aspect of the divine nature is that of holiness; the Creator is a morally perfect Being. God himself cannot be tempted with sin (James 1:13), nor, being a God who is just (Psalm 89:14; Revelation 16:5), can he simply overlook evil in his creation offspring (Acts 17:28-29). Jehovah is “too pure to look upon evil;” he “cannot tolerate wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13, NIV). Heaven’s justice, therefore, demands that a penalty be paid for sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
    The dilemma thus is: Either we must pay the penalty for our own sins, or someone else, qualified to do so, must pay the price on our behalf.
    Since all responsible human beings have sinned (Romans 3:10,23; 1 John 1:8,10) —(Jesus Christ excepted), it is perfectly obvious that we are not in a position to redeem ourselves from the consequences of our rebellion (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5). What, then, is the human plight? Eternal ruin —unless there is a divine plan to remedy this situation.
    Thanks be to God, there is a heavenly solution (2 Corinthians 9:15). Because God is a being of love (1 John 4:8), and is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), he did not desire that the human family remain beyond the pale of redemption. He is unwilling that any person should perish, with no hope of deliverance (2 Peter 3:9). Out of his infinite counsel (Acts 2:23; 3:20), therefore, came a plan. The divine Word (John 1:1), i.e., the preincarnate Christ (John 1:14), would become a human being (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus would share our very nature (Hebrews 2:14), even to the point of being tempted in every area of human weakness (Hebrews 15). If he passed the test, living a perfect life, the Son of God would be qualified to be the Author (Cause or Source) of our salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9). In such a case, the justice of God could be preserved, and yet he could offer justification to all who submitted to his Son (Romans 3:23-26).
    Well, the fact of the matter is this. There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus passed the test with flying colors. He lived for a third of a century upon this earth without ever sinning. He confidently declared that he “always” practiced the things pleasing to God (John 8:29); he even challenged his enemies: “Which of you convicteth me of sin?” (John 8:46). Christ “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), which means he never experienced it. Though he was tempted in all points, like any other human, he was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). When Peter affirmed that Jesus “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22), he employed a Greek tense which suggests that the Lord never sinned, not even once! Christ was, therefore, a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. He was “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).

    The Unjust Trial of Jesus
    The critics of Christianity have a retort to the case set forth above. They allege that Christ was not an innocent victim; rather, supposedly, he was a blasphemer —a violator of the Jewish law under which he lived. It is further charged that he was properly tried, found guilty in a court of law, and justly executed consistent with the legal code of his day. How shall we respond? There is ample historical evidence as to the nature of Jesus’ trial twenty centuries ago. Corley affirms: “As a fact of history the trial and death of Jesus of Nazareth is a matter beyond dispute. It is better attested and supported with a wider array of evidence than any other comparable event known to us from the ancient world” (841).
    Over the years, several scholarly writers have demonstrated forecfully that the so-called trial of Christ (both the Jewish and Roman phases) was flawed egregiously with numerous moral and legal irregularities.
    In the early 1800s, Dr. Joseph Salvador, a learned Jewish physician residing in Paris, produced a work entitled History of the Institutions of Moses and the Hebrew People. One chapter of this production concerned the administration of justice among the Hebrews. A portion of that section was designated “The Trial and Condemnation of Jesus,” in which the esteemed author attempted to demonstrate, appealing to the Gospel records themselves, that the Lord’s trial, considered merely as a legal proceeding, was entirely consistent with Jewish law.
    After the publication of his essay, Dr. Salvador sent a copy of his work to a M. Dupin, one of the most eminent lawyers of the French Bar. Monsieur Dupin was asked if he would give consideration to the argument presented, which, happily, he consented to do, producing, in 1839, an essay titled: Analysis: Of The Chapter Of Mr. Salvador, Entitled “The Administration Of Justice” Among The Jews. Both Salvador’s piece and Dupin’s review, were subsequently published in a remarkable book titled: The Testimony of the Evangelists Examined by the Rules of Evidence Administered in Courts of Justice, authored by Simon Greenleaf, Dane Professor of Law at Harvard University, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on the nature of legal evidence. A copy of this volume is in the author’s possession.
    In 1954 a book appeared under the title A Lawyer Reviews the Illegal Trial of Jesus. The volume was written by prominent criminal defense attorney, Earle H. Wingo, Past President of the Mississippi State Bar Association, and the author of a textbook on criminal law and procedure. Mr. Wingo for many years had made a special study of the conditions which prevailed in Judea during the time of Christ, particularly concerning the procedures of the Jewish Sanhedrin, as well as those pertaining to the Roman system. His conclusion was:
    A careful study and analysis of all the Jewish laws in existence when Jesus was tried brings one to the definite conclusion that the entire proceedings were no more than a mockery and a farce. Every protective law was ignored when dealing with Jesus (Pre-face).
    In April of 1963 an article was circulated via the auspices of the Associated Press, under the title: “Trial And Sentencing of Jesus Illegal, Says Judge.” The article quoted Judge Elmer N. Holmgren of the Cook County Superior Court, who, for more than thirty years had studied the legal facts of Jesus’ trial. “Delving into ancient Jewish and Roman law, he found that various aspects of the trial before Jewish authorities and Pilate violated both legal systems.”
    In 1952 an important work issued from the press. The title is Hebrew Criminal Law and Procedure, Mishnah: Sanhedrin —Makkot. It was authored by Hyman E. Goldin, a prominent Jewish rabbi. This volume is an authoritative guide to the complex subject of Hebrew criminal jurisprudence, as such existed in the centuries before and after the Christian era. It is an important reference work in that it establishes the extent to which the Jewish code operated in ensuring that an accused person was provided a fair trial in capital cases. The evidence clearly reveals how perverted the proceedings were with reference to Jesus. I have consulted this work generously in this discussion. (Note: Though the legal rules catalogued in the Mishnah were not put into written form until about A.D. 170, they reflected an older oral tradition.)...."

    Music

    -Contemporary

    Rachel Scott - The Least of These EXCLUSIVE video premiere - Music Videos

    "World Premier Debut on tangle! Just in time for the release of her new album, "Resolution", tangle is hosting Rachel Scott's new music video, "The Least Of These."

    -Rock

    Todd Agnew "Least of these" - Today's Christian Videos

    Youth

    Peer Pressure - Today's Christian Videos

    "Peer pressure is something that he sees in every city and school that he goes to, and rather than the people on stage, the peer pressure comes from the people in the crowd."

  • Resist peer pressure and temptation!, from creationtips.com

    • "Peer pressure means that friends put pressure on you to do something you may not want to do. They may urge you to cheat, steal, or say something to someone that makes you feel uncomfortable. That is negative peer pressure.
    But there is a positive peer pressure as well. Your friends may talk you into going to church, to help them hand out Gospel tracts or food for needy people, or perhaps go to a church camp. This is positive peer pressure, and can do much good.
    A study in the United States in 2009 found that teenage girls were much more likely than boys to feel peer pressure. The girls in the study often felt anxious or depressed about what their friends thought of them. Boys generally didn't worry about what their friends thought.
    The problem with negative peer pressure is always this: If you give in to your friends (your “peers”), you may feel guilty or even get into trouble. But you are afraid that if you refuse to give in, you will lose their friendship or respect. What do you do?

    Is it easier for Christians

    In some ways, peer pressure is easier for Christians to resist than it is for non-Christians. At first this may not seem so, because Christians should have a higher moral standard than many non-Christians, which theoretically puts more pressure on the Christian.
    Satan doesn't pressure unsaved people like he does Christians, because unsaved people pose no threat to him. But Satan will try to get a Christian to turn to drugs, alcohol, pornograpy, and so on. The Bible says "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). So Christians can resist him. But if you give in to him you will lose your closeness to God, and not be as useful to Him.
    But Christians have a greater sense of right and wrong than many non-Christians do, so their values sometimes allow them to say no quickly to anything that is dishonest or wrong. As a Christian you always have the strongest person on your side: God is always the majority! When you take a stand for what's right, you are taking a stand for God, and God's side is always the winning side. In this sense, Christians do have it easier, because God promises never to abandon us.

    Good advice from the Bible

    Negative peer pressure is just another name for temptation. The Bible gives some wonderful examples of people who resisted temptation. The key Bible verse to memorize is James 4:7, which says to submit yourself to God, for if you resist the devil he will flee from you.
    Keep in mind that even Jesus Christ was tempted, but not successfully:

    * by Satan (Matthew 4:1–10)
    * by the Jewish leaders (Matthew 16:1)
    * by Peter, His faithful disciple (Matthew 16:23).

    Job withstood enormous temptation to give in to Satan. He resisted and did right simply because it was right.
    Jesus made several comments about resisting temptation. At the last supper (Matthew 26:41) He said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, so we are to watch and pray that we will not fall into temptation. Part of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:13) says, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

    God knows how to rescue us

    In 2 Peter 2:9 we read that the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation. And 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God is faithful and will not allow temptation beyond what we can resist.
    God can deliver us from temptation and negative peer pressure if we pray for it. But we should pray the tempation does not arise. If it does, say no quickly and get away from the difficulty. Even if the results from doing right don't seem promising, they will turn out for the best in the end.
    You have God's Word on it!"

    GLOBAL-Multicultural

    Missions

    "7 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
    40 "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
    41 "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
    44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
    45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
    46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."    -Matthew 25

    AFRICA

    The Least of These Video - Rachel Scott - Today's Christian Videos

    "This was a video made by a missionary friend of Tent Creative Group. It features a recent mission trip to Africa. How fitting it was to use Rachel's song "The Least of These." Rachel was inspired to write this song when she heard a compelling story from another missionary who had served for a time with Mother Theresa. From his account, he mentioned a time when Mother Theresa was questioned by a stranger who had noticed her kiss the face of a leper. "Why would you do that?" The stranger asked. Her reply was gripping... "Because he is my Lord.""

    ASIA

    The Least of These - Ministry Videos

    Military

    "4 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
    15 "Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
    16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive..."    -Judges 6

    "The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly."-Isaiah 60

    Thank you for visiting GoodnewsEverybody! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at info@goodnewseverybody.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website or leave a comment on my blog

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