Birth Of The Promise - Luke 2:11

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 
- Luke 2:11

    The sheer and unapologetic anti-Christian ugliness that pervades popular culture today remains relentless. Open hostility toward people of the Christian faith falls just short of radical Islam’s hatred of the Christian West. Whether it’s a newspaper attack accusing Christians of bigotry toward the LGBTQ herd or celebrities aiming their dim-witted religiously ignorant remarks at anyone who believes in the Christian God, their malevolent and deafening assaults are designed to do but three things; (1) shut down the spread of the Gospel; (2) shame believers into submission; and (3) continue to darken an already hopeless world.  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”- John 3:19.
    One of their favorite ploys is to simply refuse to deny “equal time” to the Gospel. While news report after news report will make every agonizing attempt to discredit decent God-fearing Christians, none will ever give time to God’s glorious word.  And they don’t limit themselves to attacking Christians; they turn their assaults against God Himself! “But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.” - Jude 17-18.
    The anti-Christian troops know that if we can’t preach the Gospel, we can’t teach the Gospel. And in their limited and convoluted minds they, like King Herod, need to kill the “the Message!” Whether their target is a baker who cannot violate his own beliefs by validating one of their heinous lies or a civil servant who refuses to certify their sins, their aim - their objective - is to shut down and criminalize the Christian conscience! Even Christian charities are “offensive” to these haters of God! Could they have had their way, they would have silenced the voices of the very angels declaring, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” - Luke 2:14.   
    But this Christmas Day let us remember the promise made by our almighty Father in heaven; a message that offers salvation to a dark and dying world; a message of hope -“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” - Acts 2:39. God Himself has made the promise to all who will believe in Him despite the wiles of the world, the betrayal of the flesh, and the treachery the devil- “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” - 1 John 2:25.
    Celebrate this day, this very morning “the Promise,” the birth of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, Jesus Christ! “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Genesis 28:14. That “seed” promised so many years ago was born to us on Christmas Day!
     “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16.
Merry Christmas!

The Way We Worship - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. - Ecclesiastes 5:1

    I recently saw a couple (husband and wife, I presume) wearing red tee-shirts on the backs of which was boldly printed - “The church for people who don’t like to go to church.” I can’t begin to tell you the shudder that ran through me when I read those words.
    The “seeker friendly movement” has gone beyond viral and, sadly to say, is now alive and well in nearly every city and town across this country. “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” - Exodus 3:5.
    There are three things that every professing Christian MUST acknowledge or their faith is merely lip service (1) God is the holy of holies; (2) Men, by our very nature, are debased sinners; and (3) because we are sinners, we must approach God with reverent, contrite, and humble spirits. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24.  With this in mind, we can see that it is not enough that we worship God - the way we worship Him must meet the standards that God Himself has set forth for us - “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2.
    Dr. John MacArthur once wrote, “The worst extremes usually start with a slight deviation.” Why not bring in a little extra musical flavor? Maybe a clavinet, a Moog synthesizer,  or a drum machine. A little hooting and hollering couldn’t hurt; after all, we’re doing it for Jesus!
    The reason for such irreverent additions to modern evangelical services has but one source: the desire by these charlatans claiming to be preachers to add numbers ($$$) to their congregations. Remember, they are out to recruit people who don’t like to go to church. Make the service entertaining enough and the problem is solved.
    What these “pastors” have either forgotten or never knew is that a church is the house of God! What goes on there is a reflection of our response to His holiness - “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’” - Genesis 28:16-17. Fear and awe describe Jacob’s realization. Once he realized that the Lord is in this place and this place is God’s house he was filled with the proper reverence, respect, and humility!
    Where is the humility that demands of us - “Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” - Psalm 95:6. Have we forgotten the admonition of Paul so soon?  Have we abandoned that which God seeks? “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:2.
    Reverent worship isn’t something begun by John Calvin despite his warning that “God disapproves all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His word.” But how do we know that God prefers one form of worship over another? Genesis 4:4-5 explicitly defines God’s preference as does His holy word - “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 19:30.
    Are we going to church to be entertained or are we attending services with humble repentance in our hearts to worship the holy God of our faith? “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29.
    If finding a church that uses contemporary “new and improved” praise music is at the top of our list for choosing a place of worship, finding a church isn’t our biggest problem. Proper worship of God is a doctrine that cannot be ignored or placed on a back-burner. If our doctrine of worship is wrong, where else have we missed the mark? God has made it clear - “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24. True reverent worship cannot, must not, be replaced by clanging cymbals and scorching guitar riffs. We must be mindful of God’s profound and holy desires and His sovereign commands - “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.” - Amos 5:23
    May the way we worship our heavenly Father always reflect the spirit and truth with humility and reverence for His holy house.
                                               

Over The Edge - Leviticus 25:35

If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. - Leviticus 25:35.
                                           

    When we hear colloquial idioms like, “over the edge,” or “over the top,” we are oft inclined to think in terms of the deliberations that put one in such a position. A person will climb to the point where for better or worse he can boast that he has gone over the edge or over the top. One might also find him or herself “pushed” to that position. And therein lies a significant difference: to reach such a position by one’s own volition or to be put in that position by circumstances.
    The deliberate and thoughtful efforts of a man or woman have put many “over the edge.” However, positive ramifications don’t always follow when one does so, especially when they reach such a state by their own volition! “For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:14.
    The Scriptures are replete with references to “the poor.” And this is the subject of my post today: poverty, true poverty, as defined by the Bible. The Bible defines true physical poverty just as validly as it defines spiritual poverty.
    The title verse refers to a brother who “becomes poor, and falls into poverty.” Mind you, the reference is to one who “falls into poverty,” not one who willfully jumps into that deplorable condition with both feet. In my opening paragraph, I referred to one who deliberately goes over the edge, not to someone who has fallen into rough times. The distinction is of the utmost importance when considering our Christian duty to feed the hungry! “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:10. “Will not work,” as opposed to “cannot work!”
    Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is a world of difference between one who through no fault of his own has fallen into poverty and one who has deliberately jumped over the edge into that debased life without hope or promise.
    Those who have been injured, become sick, are too young or old to work for themselves, or those who have been laid-off and gotten behind on their mortgages trying to feed themselves and their families - these are prime examples of those who have fallen into poverty. They didn’t choose to be in those straits. There are others, however, who deliberately refuses to seek gainful employment despite being healthy and capable. Inevitably, they will find themselves in destitution and a burden upon those around them. This latter is an example of one who has chosen the path of poverty for himself. The former cannot help himself while the latter will not help himself. There is a difference!  One is willing and ready for a hand up, while the other wants only a hand-out. “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep— so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” - Proverbs 6:9-11.
    But who, honestly, is entitled to our Christian charity? We find constant references in Scripture to our being duty-bound to provide for “widows and orphans.” We must remember that the terms describing those in need are merely representative of the destitute. Historically and culturally, these two classes of individuals represented those who could not fend for themselves. Married women in the Bible were always provided for by their husbands. Should the husband die, the widows were often left destitute. The ancient culture made it extremely difficult for these widows to provide for themselves. Without a family to provide for them, they found themselves on the margins of society.
    Children who became orphans were also left out in the cold unless surviving family members provided for them. In today’s society, parents who are addicted to alcohol or drugs and exist in poverty because of their poor choices essentially place their own children in the position of being modern day “orphans” in the sense that they fail to provide for their children’s earthly needs. Here then we see again the concept that widows and orphans represent those who have fallen into poverty through no fault of their own and our Christian duty to help provide for them. “He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.” - Deuteronomy 10: 18.   
    As difficult as it is to say it: we cannot be blinded by misplaced compassion. Every dime, every expenditure squandered on an undeserving person is a drain on the resources available to those who are truly in need. Let us pray for the knowledge to use our Christian discernment when reaching out with our hearts and hands to the truly poor among us.
   

Confess & Repent - Psalm 38:18

For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. - Psalm 38:18

    The call of Jesus Christ to men of immoral dispositions has seldom been clearer than in recent times. From high profile movie producers and politicians to celebrity actors, news anchors, and talk show hosts the rush to judgment in the public forum has taken on the personality of a 17th Century witch hunt.
    I neither intend to add another nail in the coffins of these suspected profligate men’s careers or defend their actions. It is merely my desire to share the words of the Apostle, John - “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
    Reason demands that among those accusations of philandering, a number of them are true, while some may indeed lack credibility. And quite surely these individuals, both the guilty and those who are not, wish that these allegations would disappear. However, Scripture teaches us that we are all guilty of transgressions against the holiness of God, and without a heartfelt and truthful confession of wrong-doing, none of us, quite literally, have a prayer! “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” - Isaiah 59:2.
    All men and women would do well to follow the confession of David in Psalm 51, when he declares  - “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” - Psalm 51:3-4. We have the very promise of God that we will not succeed in covering or hiding our iniquities. But confession will bring us His mercy. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13.
    God has given us time and room to confess our sins. He wants us all to come to repentance because we are all living in the guilty shadow of sin. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Luke 5:32. We must remember that it is God’s desire that we accept His forgiving call to us to repent and He is giving us all a due time and a season to do so.  “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9.
    The promise of God’s forgiveness is not to be taken lightly. And while there still may be temporal consequences to our sinful actions, God’s promise of mercy and pardon is secure if we but confess and repent. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:7.
    Confession and repentance are the keys to opening the promises of God, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” - Acts 8:22. May we all pray for God’s forgiveness and infinite mercy, now, before the hour of our deaths.

Truth Is An Old Drum! - Exodus 20:16

   
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” - Exodus 20:16

            I’ve got to tell you, I’m just sick to death over all this “transgender” nonsense! Does anyone understand how ridiculous it is to suggest that a person who was born with male genitalia is in reality . . . a female!?!? Stop right now and think about that! Obviously, the inverse is just as ridiculous. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:27-28
    If the bodies of ten men claiming to be women are recovered from the smoldering ashes of an inferno, DNA analysis, and a 1st -year med student’s pelvic examination will determine that ten men died in that fire . . . not ten women. They will dig themselves a highway to hell and not find the remains of a single woman unless a woman in all the physicality of a female member of the human species was present during the conflagration. As I have often said, “You can call an alligator a refrigerator all you want to, but I wouldn’t stick my head in there to get left-overs.” Would you insist that a rattlesnake is, in fact, a kitten? Would you allow your child to handle it?
    Here is a simple but undeniable fact: gender identity, while having a mental identification normally associated with the actual sexual identification of the individual is clearly distinguished by the reality of a physical identification! In other words, regardless of what someone says, we cannot deny the reality, the truth. To do so is to countenance a lie, a deliberate lie! But, “No!”, they say. “It’s not a lie.” Well if their deception isn’t a deliberate lie then it can only be madness. Either way, it contradicts the most holy living God and God is neither a liar nor a madman. And since madness is a mental illness that can neither be encouraged or validated then it is as deadly as a lie! Who would willingly drink such poison?
    So what is a lie? According to Dictionary.com, a “lie” is - a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood. The key words here are deliberate and intentional, as in a deliberate and intentional attempt to deceive. As the term “lie” is defined, it falls under the prohibitions laid down by the Ninth Commandment. Among those prohibitions is giving false evidence. “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape.” - Proverbs 19:5. In a related verse, Leviticus 19:11 goes on to say, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.”
    As Christians, we are commanded not to countenance a lie. If we do so, we are as guilty as the liar! We would become those “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”- Romans 1:32. The truth isn’t the truth because I say it is; it’s true because it is the truth - the absolute truth! Lies have their wellspring in but one author - “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” - John 8:44.
    So we are left with the continuing battle between the Spirit of Truth and the world, the flesh, and the devil. And no matter what the world demands, we know what Christ Jesus has declared - “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33.
    And so we continue to fight against the lie of transgenderism and every other sexual sin. Many have said that we are fighting a losing battle, that we are beating an old drum, that the Sexual Revolution has won. Brothers and sisters, the truth is most certainly an old drum but it sounds the battle with clarity and unmistaken conviction! Let us continue to pound upon this old drum until the victory is secured and the ears of both the enemy and the faithful are opened once again and finally to the sounds of the truth!

On This Thanksgiving - Psalm 65:9

You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. - Psalm 65:9

    In this day and age, we find ourselves too often dealing with a “double difficulty.” We find it difficult to be grateful and we find it doubly difficult to refrain from complaining. What we really and fervently need to do is step back and take stock of all we have to be grateful for and all we have to praise God for. “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!” - Psalm 68:19.
    When we realize all we have to be grateful for, it should silence our complaints and dry up our self-indulgent tears. Our hearts should be bursting with a gratitude and thankfulness that shines forth like the morning sun! We should echo the Psalmist when he declares - “Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious.” - Psalm 66:1-2.
    And there is very good reason to praise God for all His providence, for without Him we would have nothing! “Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.” - Psalm 67:5-6.
    As the year draws near its end there will be those who cast aspersions upon God’s holy name. They will decry events that have taken place over the past year, pointing their crooked fingers at the glorious One Who grants them their very lives, Who gives and takes away in His time . . . not ours. Yet they forget the common grace and daily providence which we all share.
“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” - Psalm 65:11.
    And sadly, in far too many cases there will be people who fail to recognize that even our very breath comes to us from God! If not God then who or what keeps us alive, breathing, and prospering? Chance? Mere chance?!  “ . . . because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”- Romans 1:21.
     Unlike those poor folks, I believe there is a guiding hand that gives me direction as well as my physical and spiritual needs. And that hand belongs to God almighty! My life is not a daily roll of the dice nor is it a lottery ticket. My life, my existence . . . and yours has been ordained by God from before the beginning of time, not by the shifting winds of fortune. It is God who granted me the family I came from, the family I have, the wife I have been blessed with, the children and grandchildren I am exalted enough to call my own, my education, my faith,  my job, my home, and my friends. Everything I have ever had, have now, or ever will have is evidence of the providence of God.
    We need to thank God every day for our education, skill sets, physical endowments and all those attributes we rely on to carry us through our lives. We need to thank Him again when things don’t turn out the way we may have planned for the lessons we can learn from those tribulations!             
      “ . . . in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Let us be thankful as the Psalmist was thankful! “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” - Psalm 104:33.
    Father, do not hold our weaknesses and iniquities against us. Grant us grateful and praise-filled hearts on this Thanksgiving Day, in Christ’s holy name.

Sin? Whose Sin? - Philippians 3:14

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 3:14

    A quick perusal of the cultural media today ensures us that we, as a nation (world?), no longer recognize sin or its deadly wage. Sin has fallen off the grid and into that disputable region of religion and God. So, it naturally follows that many see the concept of sin as an anathema to be censored and avoided, effectively relegating it to mythological status along with evil and the devil.
    Of course, we can and do break mankind’s laws and for such secular transgressions some  are called to account for their actions; some are not. That is a primary difference between mankind’s laws and God’s law. Under man’s laws, status, wealth, lineage, and a host of other factors often forestall charges, convictions, and punishments. Whereas with God’s law, there is no privilege and no escape. “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’”- Jude 14-15.
    The bedrock upon which secular laws rest is neither moral nor Godly. The best that can be said is that it seeks expediency for what is perceived as the “common good.” Is it then any wonder that sins like lying, greed, pride, sexual sins, parental disrespect and a myriad of others go unchallenged, uncharged, untried, and unpunished? You see, if a secular connection cannot be attached to the transgression, no “crime” has been committed, regardless of how heinous the moral depravity of the act is!
    The very term “immoral” burns like acid on the tongues of secularists. There is no such thing as good or evil, morality or God! Mankind continues to express the belief that it and it alone shall determine what is right and what is wrong and God shall have no say in the matter!
“No God - No Master,” the mantra of the 21st Century. “The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’ they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” - Psalm 14:1.
    So for the Christian, sin is too often determined today by its visible corruption in other’s lives when in reality we need look no further than at our own reflections. The Spirit will convict us of our own transgressions. We can still see visible sin in our own lives. We need not look at our neighbor’s. And because we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t imply that He will produce the same conviction in other’s lives. If I can see my own sin, can my neighbor see his? And here the truth is harder than that: I know the temptation to critique sin in others is often overwhelming. But rather than constantly eyeing our neighbors and their sins with derision, we must focus upon repentance in our own lives and that prize of the upward call of God. Let us remember the words of the Apostle - “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”- Philippians 2:12-15.
    That is not to say that we should overlook, advocate, excuse or otherwise ignore the sins that surround us. Sin is sin no matter who the transgressor is! And the shifting tides of popular culture can never declare righteous what God has declared sinful! Perdition awaits all who ignore the words of Christ Jesus - “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” - Matthew 4:17.

Founded On The Rock - Matthew 7:25

“ . . . and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” - Matthew 7:25

    The great English Reformer, Hugh Latimer, once wrote to King Henry the Eighth, “True preachers should be persecuted and hated.” - (A letter of Master Latimer written to King Henry [VIII] for restoring again the free liberty of reading the holy scriptures.) Latimer’s point is as valid today as it was back in the 16th Century.
    As we will always see: the truth and anyone speaking the truth will always be hated by the world. Anything that refuses to yield to the ebb and flow, shift and turn, slide and slip of the “current dictates” of the world must be met with anger and hatred! For the truth, as they insist, is all relative. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” - Judges 21:25.
    Christ’s parable about building a house upon a rock or upon sand is one of His most direct assessments of the truth. He describes the truth as a rock, then deals a killing blow to the sands of falsehood and relativism - “ . . . and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  - Matthew 7:27. This is why the world must hate the truth in all its manifestations.
    A week doesn’t go by when we don’t observe or hear of some worldly “philosopher” (I use the term in its loosest sense) purging out some diatribe against Christianity in general and against God in particular. Every time there is a tragedy in the world, these minions of intolerance hoist the flag of relativism and shout out loudly, “Where was your God?” As if every blessing and every curse doesn’t already fall within God’s divine ordinance. “Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed?” - Lamentations 3:37-38. And depending on the severity of the event or circumstances this is what most people simply cannot understand: why does God allow such misery to escape His attention? A simple perusal of Scripture assures us that nothing escapes God’s attention! This alone should give every human pause for thought. Every “happening” falls within His ordinance and because it does unbelievers choose their own narrative rather than God’s. This is the truth, but it makes them more comfortable to build their houses upon sand.
    For the Christian, God’s words are the truth and the rock upon which we will stand against the lies and the opposition of the world. And it is here that we will be hated . . . for Christ’s sake. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” - John 15:18-19.
    The minions of secular society want nothing to do with “the truth.” They much rather prefer their own convoluted interpretation of reality. Did I say “interpretation?” I meant interpretations, plural because each of them has their own idea of what the truth is. As we’ve seen, for them there is no singular absolute truth. For them, the truth can be molded daily to become what they are most comfortable with at any given time. And so they build their houses on sand, watch as they collapse, then stare with hatred at the house founded on the Rock!  

What Privilege? - Proverbs 16:3

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. - Proverbs 16:3

    There was a recent video on Facebook regarding the latest social justice cause. Normally, I wouldn’t respond, but at the end of the video they tossed up a verse from Holy Scripture to kind of justify their erroneous position. With that I took exception!
    I’ll be forthcoming and as honest as I can possibly be regarding the truth contained within this post. Beyond the common grace He makes available to all men, God simply doesn’t always pave a road of ease and comfort for we who profess our faith in Him. So if a life of worldly health, wealth, and comfort isn’t necessarily “a given” to believers, then why do those who refuse to believe think that they are somehow being denied access to the finer things in life because of one social stigma or another? Why do they continue to blame others for their shortcomings? Why do they continue to blame their inability to obtain wealth, health, or fame on someone or some particular set of circumstances?
    Because Christians are made up of men and women from various backgrounds of race, ethnicity, social status, national origin and a number of other variables, many fall through these perceived “social safety nets.” There is no specific privilege assigned to any one of any distinction! No, faithful Christians are not expressly granted a life of ease because they are faithful. In fact, to be a Christian often means having quite a rough time of it - “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” - 2 Timothy 3:12
    So when people today make excuses for their failures or make strenuous attempts to place the blame for their inability to get ahead on someone else, we all need to put this rationalization in perspective.
    We are all born into different circumstances. We are all born with different strengths and weaknesses. We are all born with different advantages and disadvantages. In fact, we can safely say that in terms of equality it is our differences which make us equal - we are all equally different! What takes place between or births and deaths may be radically different, but we’re all born equal. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28. Equality only exists in regard to our relationship to Jesus Christ! If however, we deliberately choose not to find our equality in Jesus, then indeed, our differences will be manifest. And at that unbecoming stage, our differences and disadvantages will certainly make their marks felt. If God doesn’t grant worldly advantages to a believer, then why do unbelievers think there is an unfair disparity between men and women and the stations of life they find themselves in? Note that there is no Scriptural command to divest ourselves of our possessions and give them to someone else! What Scripture commands is that we humble ourselves - “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time . . .” - 1 Peter 5:6. Regarding Christ’s words to the young ruler - Jesus was not commanding the man to go, sell everything he had, and follow Him; He was testing the young ruler’s heart! Christ’s test applies to us all, rich and poor alike! To follow Christ, we may have to surrender that which we hold most valuable.
    In “The Root,” an online magazine of African-American culture, an article entitled, “Hey, Media: White People Are Poor Too,” the article stated, “According to Census figures in 2013, 18.9 million whites are poor. That’s 8 million more poor white people than poor black people, and more than 5 million more than those who identify as Latino. A majority of those benefitting from programs like food stamps and Medicaid are white, too.”  I mention these statistics only to break the subversive suggestion that there is a “privilege” associated with one’s skin color. God knows no such distinction. “For there is no respect of persons with God.” - Romans 2:11. This passage does not imply that God doesn’t respect human beings; it merely means that to God it doesn’t make any difference if one is poor or rich, Black or White, male or female, Jew or Gentile!
    To suggest that the Gospel somehow has the power to “liberate” us from our social circumstances is sheer folly - there is no such Gospel! There is no social aspect to the Gospel. There is only the Cross! And you cannot correctly exegete or extrapolate a message of social justice from the Cross of Jesus Christ! The core of the Gospel is the Cross, both Christ’s . . . and ours! “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” - Luke 9:23. Does that sound like an invitation to a life of wealth, comfort, and fame? The cry is currently about privilege and advantage. Here is the unvarnished truth according to Holy Scripture: we are all fallen sinners born into a fallen and sinful world. Could someone please tell me where the advantage or privilege is in that? It is no revelation that there will always be someone who will take advantage of this; it merely confirms the prior statement.
    We must all come to terms with our individual circumstances and stop coveting that which we do not have or can not earn for ourselves. What we want in this life eludes us for one of two very specific reasons - we have not asked - “Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” - James 4:2-3. And we do not have because It is simply not God’s will that we have what we desire - “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” - 1 John 5:14.
    As I stated earlier, barring the common grace bestowed upon all men and women, our days of sunshine and of rain are not the determiners of our circumstances - God is. And if God determines who, what, and where we are in our lives, doesn’t it behoove us to honor and glorify Him? “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” - Hebrews 11:6.
    Perhaps all of us, Black, White, Hispanic, and all the other races and people in every situation should remember the words of Paul, who says it best - “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:11-13.
    May we all come to the understanding that God, and God alone, determines our lives and our fates. And dishonestly tossing a verse of Scripture out as a Divine stamp of approval on a social justice cause does nothing to curtail God’s sovereignty! We will all live our lives in the place God has declared for us.

The Judgment Seat Of Christ - Acts 17:30-31

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. - Acts 17:30-31

    Of all the misconceptions about Jesus that I hear, the one that consistently bites into my patience is the notion that Jesus is “all love and only love.” I cannot fathom for myself exactly how many people actually believe this tripe. Yes, yes, Jesus is love! However, He is not "only love!" He is also God! And God is not a one dimensional being whose only concern is for our tranquility. Our God is a God of many attributes, including both love and wrath. If our title verse doesn’t speak to this truth, nothing does!
    Was there something we missed? Maybe this will help clear the water - “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God (Jesus)* to be Judge of the living and the dead.” - Acts 10:42.
    Still, there are those who resist the truth that Christ will indeed return to judge the living and the dead - “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” - Romans 14:9-10.
    Are there still any who believe that Jesus will not ultimately judge us all? For one to maintain that, they would have to dismiss the Holy Scriptures in their entirety. And if we can choose not to believe what Scripture tells us, then the Bible is nothing, it reveals nothing, and our faith is dead.
    But if we are to believe the Bible, then we must accept and admit that upon Christ’s second coming, He will judge both the living and the dead - “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;(2 Peter 2:4)   then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,  and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.”-  2 Peter 2:9-10.
    Many prefer to believe in a “Jesus” who is more of a big brother or friend than the righteous and sovereign God of creation. And to their dismay, they will one day see the error of such specious thinking - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10.
    Christ is going to return, and when He does, He will  shower those who have repented in faith and believe in Him with His eternal love. Let us pray that we all repent in faith and believe that Jesus is indeed the loving, righteous, and sovereign God of creation.
    * - parenthesis mine.

Show Me, Teach Me, Lead Me - Psalm 25:4-5

  

Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5

    Today’s verse is quite a prayer. In it we find the petitioner asking for a God-glorifying lifestyle, one which requires that we wait upon the Lord if need be . . . all day. This kind of prayer also requires of us the strongest form of humility. To be shown, taught, and led requires a fear, an awe, of the Lord, a decrease in ourselves and an increase God - “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.” - Proverbs 15:33.
    One might venture to ask, “How, how can God show, teach, and lead me?” And rather than over-analyze the means and the methods, we need not complicate what stands before our very eyes and ears - the Word of God! By reading and hearing the Word of God we are shown, taught, and led to the ways, paths, and truths contained in Holy Scripture. Therein we find the God of our salvation. We need look no further. The Bible provides us with all we’ll ever need -
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17. It truly is as described in the Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) under the heading, “Chapter 1 - Of the Holy Scriptures” - The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
( 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Galatians 1:8,9; John 6:45; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; 1 Corinthians 11:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 14:26,40)
    And this Word of God is more than sufficient to accomplish the petitions within the prayer because God intends for it to winnow out the chaff and to separate the tares. And what God intends is His will - “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:11.
    If God’s Word returns empty, it is only because God intended for it to return empty; it is part of His decree - “For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14. As we are called out of the wilderness by God’s holy word, some will indeed respond to His offer of salvation while others will remain dead in their sin.
    Salvation awaits the humble heart. Perdition awaits the proud. For if we truly seek God, we need only surrender our human pride to be shown, taught, and led by God’s holy word.

The Thomas Moment - John 20:28

  
 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:28

    I often think about people who have yet to come to Christ. Many of them explain their unbelief away, stating lack of evidence. I myself was guilty of the error. And those of us who are fervent believers could each share our moment of enlightenment. For some, it was a “lightning moment”, like that of Martin Luther. For others, it was the effect of attrition: God wearing us down until we had no other choice than to believe.
    For the apostle, Thomas, he needed evidence of the risen Lord. His hope of being with the Messiah ended abruptly and cruelly, dying on the cross with Jesus. - “The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” John 20:25. “Unless I see, I will not believe.” His doubt has marked him for ages.
    We know that Christ returned later and approached Thomas, He chose to speak specifically speak to him - “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’” - John 20:27. Christ chose Thomas specifically, just as God has chosen each of His elect, specifically! The proof, the evidence of Christ’s resurrection was undeniable and led to Thomas’s belief. His doubt was shorn from him in that moment. This was the Thomas Moment. Then - “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” - John 20:29.
    What a wonderful and exhilarating moment it must have been for the apostles to be present with the risen Lord; to experience seeing Him and hearing Him. But what of the doubters and unbelievers here, today in the 21st Century? How can we see and hear Him today? “And He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” - Mark 4:9.
    So, we cannot “see” Christ as His disciples did. That doesn’t mean we are without recourse. Christ has declared that we must hear Him. We must hear His word. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” - Romans 10:17. Yes! If we hear; if we listen to the word of God we may come to faith in our own “Thomas Moment.” The Holy Spirit will not be quenched in the hearts of God’s elect. It is not necessary that we “see” Jesus to believe in Him and His word. We need not ever doubt - “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7.
    It is believed that Thomas preached the Word of God as far as India, where he was martyred around 72 AD. And although no credible evidence exists, there have been suppositions that Thomas traveled as far as Paraguay via Indonesia.
    Thomas had the unique blessing of having been taught firsthand by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, Thomas walked with the Word of God, just as we too can walk with the Word - “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” - Matthew 11:15.

A Time To Kill - Ecclesiastes 3:1,3

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: . . . A time to kill, And time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up . . . . - Ecclesiastes 3:1,3


        When Satan is using a human agent to produce and inflict evil upon humanity, do we, as Christians, have a duty to stop that human agent if we can? And by what means? Certainly, we know  - “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” - James 5:16b. But do we not also bear a responsibility to use physical force to stop the evil? “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” - Proverbs 25:26.
    There are numerous examples of when we must respond to the call for action - active shooter situations, war, a violent felony (armed robbery, murder, rape) in progress, genocide, etc. These are instances when Scripture tells us without ambiguity that sitting by idly will draw judgment upon us. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8.
    It is true that we should never, under any circumstances, seek vengeance for a wrongdoing, but to prevent or stop a violent evil from taking place Scripture is clear - “Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.” - Psalm 82:4.
    During WWII, the Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer became part of a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. The decision was certainly one he made after wrestling with his Christian faith over the idea of killing another human being. Yet Bonhoeffer, who was executed for his role in the failed plot, spoke the truth with these words - “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” We are instructed by Scripture to fight with physical force when we encounter deliberate Satanic evil hiding behind a human face. “And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” - Nehemiah 4:14.
    There are many professing Christians who steadfastly refuse to entertain the idea of using violent physical defense in any case! I, for one, do not know what Bible they’ve been reading or if they have merely been very selective as to what they read in Scripture. And we all know what we have been taught about the whole counsel of God - “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” - Deuteronomy 4:2. And perish the idea that we should ignore the words of our Lord and Savior when He spoke to His disciples in the upper room the night before His crucifixion - “Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” - Luke 22:36. Christ wasn’t suggesting that His disciples took the world by the sword; He was telling them that there would be times that required a swift and violent physical defense. Let us remember His words of warning and be ever watchful in this fallen world. Let us pray for the wisdom to know when we must raise our hands against the evil wrought by Satan through his human agents. And let us daily pray that God uses us as His human agents for His glory.

Beyond Death’s Darkened Corner - John 8:24

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.- John 8:24

    Imagine for a moment that you are alone and walking in a very dark place (actually, we all are - it’s called “the world”, and we ARE all alone). Now as you are walking in this very dark place, you come to a point where the road turns, but your view of what is waiting beyond that corner is obscured. It’s dark and up until now what little light you have has at least allowed you to travel this far . . . alone. You have heard about this dark corner, this gloomy threshold. Others have had varying opinions about what lies beyond the darkness, though none have ever gone there and returned. Your heartbeat is elevated; your pulse is beating rapidly. Your breathing is growing more intense. Let me stop here for the moment: are you comfortable? Are you happily and enthusiastically looking forward to turning that dark corner into - for all you know, oblivion?
    Now allow me to give you something for your journey, something that any reasonable human being would like to have for such a darkened sojourn; a light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” - John 8:12.
    In the above scenario, I have metaphorically described our walk through this world and our innate fear of death. None of us know what lies beyond the darkened veil because none of us have ever gone there and returned, regardless of what the liars and hucksters have tried to convince us of. So why wouldn’t we want to know beyond a shadow of doubt what awaits us? And with a light, we can have confidence that we can know what lies around that corner.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:2. True believing Christians know these words to be true. God has never lied to us nor will He ever lie to us!
    The darkness that enshrouds our thoughts about the afterlife stems from fear, fear from what we know and fear from that which we do not know. Only fear awaits all those who die in the darkness of the world. And there is ample reason for that fear -
 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28. We all know where such fear comes from. It comes from our wondering whether or not we have done all we needed to do to obtain our salvation in heaven or whether our shoddy human “works” have merited us only an eternity in hell. I can guarantee you that if good works were the ticket, anyone could purchase salvation. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” - Isaiah 64:6.  We will never produce works which make us worthy of heaven! “ . . .  knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” - Galatians 2:16
    Praying to icons and “saints” will do nothing to forestall what can only be conquered by Christ Himself! Novenas, rosaries, the stations of the cross are all futile in reaching out to God! There is but one Way. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6. One Way and only one Mediator between man and God - “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” - 1 Timothy 2:5. The wise will in no way ignore these words!
    Knowing what Scripture has revealed to us, we then must know that there is but one way to cast off the fear of death -  “ . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” - Romans 10:9-13.
    We spend our time trying to beat death because we fear death! The “Good News”, the Gospel, tells us there is no good reason for the Christian to fear death because there is a Light that lies beyond its darkened corner. Freedom awaits, without reservation - “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” - John 8:31-32. Abide in Christ’s word, in His truth, and you will be free! Free of the fear of death!
    As death approaches us, we should spend our energies preparing to meet Christ, rather than futilely seeking a way to avoid the inevitable. The fact that we all must die shows us the value of our time here. We should spend our time wisely, seeking Christ and His grace, rather than vainly trying to beat death. We must seek Christ and the freedom from death that He alone provides. Let us join Paul in declaring both boldly and bravely  - “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” - 1 Corinthians 15:55.

The Place - Luke 22:40

When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” - Luke 22:40

    As Christ led His disciples into the Garden of Gethsamane, He came “to the place” where He would pray to His heavenly Father on the night before His crucifixion. Our Lord’s heart and mind weighed heavily upon Him as His hour drew near. His only words to His disciples were to pray that they would not enter into temptation. That warning to them remains a warning to us! When inattentiveness leads to distraction, distraction leads back to inattentiveness. “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.” - Proverbs 4:25-27.
    You simply cannot display such proverbial wisdom if you’re asleep or distracted. Sleep and distraction are two of the most dangerous stumbling blocks a Christian can ever face because both take our eyes off the prize. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:1-2.
    Sleeping was the disciples’ preoccupation in “the place” on the night of our Lord’s agony. Did they dream? Were they dreaming of the greatness they seemed to yearn for earlier in the evening? (Luke 22:24) Are dreams of worldly favors and affluence keeping us asleep when we should be praying? What are we seeking in our dreams? “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2.
    Distractions are common to us all, as they were to the disciples. What distracts us from the priority of prayer in our lives? Is it work? School? Family issues? The weight of living in a fallen world? These are the very times we need prayer the most! Or is it something so superficial that we should be ashamed it actually distracts us from our prayer life? I won’t stoop to pick at that sore. We’re all guilty of placing great attention and importance on the trivial matters of our puny lives in contrast to the sanctification we should be attending to. Idolatry is idolatry even when we downplay our obvious engagement in it. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”- 1 John 5:21.
    As Reformed Christians we are in “the place” where Jesus is beckoning us to - “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Mark 14:38. Let us be ever vigilant in prayer and strengthened by the Spirit of God.

It Was Meant To Be - Isaiah 46:10

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ - Isaiah 46:10

    “Well, it was just meant to be?” How many times have we heard that comment made? When a Reformed Christian makes that comment I know what he or she is referring to, but when a devout unbeliever makes the same comment I find myself wanting to ask them, “Who meant for it to be?”
    As a North-East coast Floridian, I wasn’t spared the ire of Hurricane Irma. While my home was miraculously spared any physical damage, we were out of power for 6 unbearable days and we lost all of the contents of our refrigerator/freezer. The heat and Florida humidity were stifling so we took to a hotel until our power was restored. But ours was a minor inconvenience compared to many who lost so much in the storm. By any account, we were blessed to have lost no more than we did. We were not meant to lose more than we did. God in His beneficence granted us a welcome blessing. Many, many others were not as blessed. And so we come to the question - why were some people forced to endure so much more heartache and difficulty than others? “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?’” - Luke 13:2.
    Thankfully, the answer to Christ’s question was a resounding, “No!” Far too often, people of faith make the mistake of thinking that the degree to which some suffer is inextricably connected to the degree of sin in their lives. We are told more than once in Scripture that this notion is patently false. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’” - John 9:2-3.
    Of course, there are times when our suffering is directly connected to sin. Think of an inebriated driver in a single car crash resulting in his permanent paralysis. Or there are times when our suffering is tied to the sins of others. Think the previous scenario where an innocent victim is harmed. To the extent that the world is a fallen place, yes, sin is the cause of so much suffering. “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:’Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.’” - Genesis 3:17-18.
    But for all the suffering in the world; whether it be the result of hurricane in Texas, Florida, or the Caribbean, or a series of earthquakes in Mexico, there is still so much to be grateful for as we, despite our sinfulness, are continually showered by the graces of a God - “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” - Act 14: 16-17.
    And with each natural calamity the age-old question makes its appearance again - why does God let such terrible events affect so many people? While there will never be a pat answer which relieves the bewilderment of all people satisfactorily, we must in faith believe the words of Paul - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.  May we hold diligently to our faith even through the harshest times.

Is This Love? - John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. - John 13:34

    Love - probably one of the most misunderstood and thus misused word in any language, except for perhaps Greek. The Greek terms for love actually is a four-fold treatment of how we are to relate to one another. But the Greek word for love that concerns us here is the word “agapaō.” to love in a social or moral sense. This is the sense in which Christ was telling His disciples to love their fellow men. “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12.
    This simple concept remains perhaps the most difficult for mankind to grasp, despite it being the very essence of God’s Law - “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Galatians 5:14.
    To quote and exposit upon the many commands of God to love our fellow human beings would take volumes. It is the rhyme and reason for Christ’s incarnation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16. Suffice to say, love is the lynchpin of the Gospel. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” - John 15:13. It is as fundamental to our Christian claim of faith as is our obedience to God - “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” - 1 John 4:21.
    And this Greek word for love, “agapaō,” is the root of the tree that bears good fruit! It is this kind of love that must fill our hearts for one another, as well as those who would do us harm - “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you . . .” - Matthew 5:44.
    Selfish love will not do. Jealous love will not do. Spiteful love, angry love, unholy love, words of love will not do! We must ask ourselves, “Is this love?” And if it fails to meet the measurement of agapaō love as commanded by God, then whatever it may be, it is not Godly love.
    Of course, we must never confuse advocating sin as a measure of our “love” for someone. To suggest that the real measure of Christian love is to show toleration for another’s sinful lifestyle is disingenuous and sinful in itself! We must be quick to admonish those out this Christian love - “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” - Proverbs 27:6. When we quietly assent to the sins of those we are supposed to love we do them more harm than good. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who is love, admonished us all when He said to us - “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:15.  So in the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we always love as God has loved us, for the love of God.

Stepping Out Of The Boat - Matthew 14:30

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30

    Sitting here thinking about our current hurricane season gave me pause. I know what I do when the winds of this world buffet me and erode my spiritual strength - I do as Peter did and cry out to my God. And although my supplications may not quiet the wind, they help to quiet my heart. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - John 14:27.
    Peter was perhaps the most boisterous of the Apostles. A fisherman by trade, he suffered from the same excesses that hexed all such men. Peter was a product of his times, as we too are products of our time, and thus shaped and troubled by 21st Century issues. Since Peter, a coarse Jewish fisherman, was an impulsive man, he often “led with his chin.” He thus found himself on the windy end of things more often than he wished. His impetuousness often led him into the force of the gales despite stern warnings. “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” - Matthew 26:33-35 Then, before the break of dawn - “And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed.” - Matthew 26:73-74.
    Aren’t we often a lot like Peter? I know without doubt that I am just a bit too prone to self-confidence in the face of the storm until the gales begin to blow, of course. Then I am floundering about, just as Peter did after stepping out of the boat. And Who was it that came to his rescue? The very same Jesus Who has promised - “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:19-20.
    We won’t always face catastrophic tempests in our lives but when we do we can have full faith that Christ is with us, even through the worst of storms.

Where Was God? - John 4:48

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’” - John 4:48.

    So, where WAS God during Hurricane Harvey’s destructive winds and flooding in Texas? That, I’m afraid would depend on who is asking. First, the question stands on the presumption of belief in God! How can one ask a question of an entity they don’t believe in and expect to get an answer? Why would God, the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe bother to answer the skeptical question of an unbeliever? No matter what God answered, it would never be enough to bring such an atheist to belief.
    It’s very much like demanding God to provide us with a reason why our loved ones have to die. We don’t always get to have those questions answered. Human beings are simply in no position to demand anything from God . . . period! So if you don’t believe in God now you have another reason to be angry with the God you steadfastly refuse to believe in. That is the definition of bizarre.
    Second, for those of us who are believers, perhaps we should look to the Book of Job. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” - Job 38:4.
    Who ARE we to question the will of the almighty God? The insensitive truth of the matter is rather simple: there isn’t a living or dead human being who has ever had the right to demand an answer from God. In fact, The Westminster Catechism states very clearly man’s role in relationship to God in the answer to the first question - Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
    Holy Scripture gives us an unambiguous answer to questions about God’s presence and His will - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.
    God has a plan. Make no mistake about it. God has a plan! It may be to bring thousands more to belief in Him and this terrible storm was His method. It may be to further harden the hearts of those who already disdain their knowledge of Him.
    A three-year-old child survived the flooding of Beaumont, Texas, clinging to the body of her mother and the unbelievers don’t see a sign, a miracle, in that tragedy? Simply put; those who see this incident merely as a tragedy just aren’t meant to find God’s presence there or anywhere. On the other hand, those who see a miracle in this tragedy are fully conscious of where God was in the Texas storm. Every survivor rescued from the raging torrents of the flood waters knows where God was. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1.
    May we all pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and know, along with the survivors, that God was indeed there during the storm.


                       

The Offense Of The Gospel - Matthew 11:6

“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” - Matthew 11:6

    The healing of the blind, lame, sick, and deaf would surely be of no offense to anyone of humane convictions. The raising of the dead would certainly raise an eyebrow or two but again, hardly a reason for offense; however, preach the gospel? Now you’ve got a fight on your hands! And you can bet the unbelievers will have a myriad of “good reasons” for being offended. Throughout the history of Christ’s church, the aim of our persecutors has been and remains to kill the messenger along with the message! “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” - John 15:19.
    Countless pastors and theologians suggest that the church’s real problem is not unbelievers but the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” within the body of believers. I do not possess the qualifications nor inclination to argue with that opinion but I will say, having lived through the later half of the 20th Century that persecution of Christ’s church is at an all time high during my lifetime. Whether it comes in the form of simple people snickering at the Word of God in our communities, or the target of the nightly mainstream media, or the victim of judicial legislation, or is manifest in the murder of Christians by ISIS; the persecution of Christians grows exponentially every day.
    The issues that divide us Christians had better be of the utmost import if we are to engage in questionable theological debates. Supralapsarianism or infralapsarianism? The mode and time of Baptism. Positions on ethics the Bible doesn’t address. We need to stop worrying over the minutia and get a grip on our doctrine! “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” - 2 Timothy 2:23. While we split hairs, the pagan forces sharpen their swords!
    There is a world of hateful unbelievers out there just waiting for the season to act out their aggression toward the gospel they find so offensive. They have achieved great strides conquering the mainstream media, the system of education, the judiciary, the arts and popular culture. Against them and the devil who moves them, our Christian faith must be the bulwark between the world and God’s will! Offend them we must  - “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” - Isaiah 40:3. Offend them, we will - “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” - Mark 16:15-16.
    The world rejects the Gospel; the Gospel offends the world. May our spiritual stamina match our desire to preach God’s word to every creature and help bring God’s will to fruition.

No Truth? - John 8:44

 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
 - John 8:44

    The relativist insists, “there is no absolute truth,” and he insists so absolutely! If one is the least bit thoughtful, I believe this relativist position is shattered before it even hits the ground. The argument has the seeds of its own demise born into it. The semantics of such a statement simply defies logic. Still, we have this ongoing battle of words and meanings; hoping that one day the relativists will “get it.”    
    Scripture clearly gets it right in our title verse. The relativists are incapable of seeing the truth because they neither stand in (or on) the truth nor is there any truth in them. To paraphrase an old saying, “They wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up and bit them.”  What was it the serpent said to Eve?
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1.
    The relativists have anchored themselves fast to the father of lies, and upon hearing the nonsense and drivel which foams out of their mouths, any thinking man or woman should be able to detect the sheer lunacy of such an untenable position. I could certainly destroy the myth of no absolute truth simply by pushing the relativist off a tall building. An abrupt stop at the end of a long fall will be the certain outcome, and that is the absolute truth. But speaking the truth is the Christian’s way of ending the dispute. “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” - 2 Timothy 2:24-26
    When one insists that there is no truth, they communicate that falsehood with nonsense. And falsehood is a tool of the devil. However, there is indeed absolute truth. We have heard from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6.
    Finally, we must come to the conclusion that, in nearly every case, the belief in no absolute truth is not so much a deeply held belief as it is a cheap political position. It is part of an agenda most specific to those who choose disbelief. The truth limits them and confines their methodology so they may keep their anarchist passions alive. They must deny what they know to be the truth so they can rise up indignantly and cry out, “No God - no master!” We shall see.
     But the truth really can set us free. And all we have to do is believe. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” - Psalm 145:18.

To The Addict - Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13

    I have chosen this verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians to stress the fact that it is Christ and Christ alone who can rescue us from our personal demons. It matters not what the addiction is. Whether it is smoking, drinking, gambling, pornography, drugs, or any of a plethora of other fixations; Christ almighty can put an end to all such worldly pitfalls.
    Now I know that many an addict or an addict’s loved ones will object and say, “Then why haven’t my prayers been answered?” With such a question many doors are likely to be opened; some of which might better be left closed. But I can and will remain steadfastly convinced of the power of Jesus Christ to conquer any addiction known to man. The problem lies not in Christ but within us. Far too often we seek a human solution to a spiritual problem. Remember: from the Christian perspective we are dealing with man’s sinful nature and we simply cannot cure ourselves. Only God has the panacea for what ails us; after all, how can we save ourselves from ourselves?
    Far too many cases of addiction are excused by or enabled by the notion that “this particular addiction is different from all others. No one can understand or imagine what I (or my loved one) is going through.” Not true!  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
    Addictions are nothing more than temptations we have succumbed to. We weren’t born with cigarettes in our mouths any more than we were born with needles in our arms. Clearly,  it is when we choose to associate with people or when we choose to frequent those places which present us with the greatest temptations that we fall. “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” - Proverbs 6:27.
    We are warned and warned again against allowing the devil to have his way with us. The Apostle, Peter, a man with his own shortcomings, warns us about maintaining our sobriety and the danger of allowing the devil an inroad - “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter5:8.
    Still, you cry out, “How? How can I fight and beat this sickness? I have tried everything!” Have you? Do you remember the words of our Lord, Jesus Christ? “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” - Matthew 5:30. Christ isn’t literally commanding us to maim ourselves but what He is saying is that you have got to take this addiction seriously. Whatever is leading to your continued addiction has to go! Leave your job; leave your friends; leave your family! Whatever and whoever is helping keep you a slave to your addiction has to go! “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7. If you are focused on your feeding your addiction then you aren’t focused on Christ Jesus.
     Whenever I look at someone who remains in addiction, I think, “You are where you are at because you haven’t put your faith in Jesus Christ. If you had, you wouldn’t be an addict!” You may object to that concept all you like; nonetheless, it remains true. Seek Jesus Christ not only as your Savior but as your Lord! Unfortunately, the number of people who want Jesus as their Savior will always be greater than the number of people who want Him as their Lord. We cannot pick and choose the attributes of God!
    Twelve steps haven’t helped? Try the most effective three step program available: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Where the famous “12 Step program” fails, the Holy Trinity succeeds.
    So there are three things that every addict must take into consideration and hold close to his or her heart if they truly want freedom from the slavery of addiction - “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” - 1 Corinthians 3:16. You were made by God for God.
      Secondly, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” - Psalm 50:15. The lost cannot save the lost. The dead cannot raise themselves. Where man fails, God triumphs.
    And finally, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” - Galatians 5:1. Get all those things which bind you to your slavery behind you and never look back to your sins; look forward to the glory of God.
    Remember, remember first and foremost that we are children of God. Before anything else - we are children of God and He has promised us - “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8.