Pastors: Speak Up! - James 1:22-25

       
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

    Tuesday, January 23rd, 2019, is a day which will surely live in infamy. New York’s radical leftist Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a new bill which made it legal to abort viable living infants up to the day before birth. This stunning law provides for the murder of living babies for basically any reason the mother or her doctor chooses to give. Yes, there is some ambiguous language regarding the “mother’s health,” however; in reality, all that is required is the woman’s simple expressed desire to rid herself of the burden of giving birth to a living human being: her own flesh and blood. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” - Psalm 127:3.
    Here lies the problem: the term “mother’s health” describes a very sketchy interpretation within a large field of definitions. In other words, we now run the risk that with the new law late- term temporary depression or anxiety could fall within the parameters of “a mother’s health.” Having a bad day in your third trimester? Abort!
    We know that rational thinking cannot be expected by men like Cuomo or the ilk he so proudly associates himself with. It wouldn’t surprise me to see in the future an even more barbaric law that allows for mothers to “leave their recently born children” to environmental exposure as a way of ridding themselves of the child. This was an ancient Roman practice which was finally declared illegal by 6th century Roman Emperor Justinian, thus ending the barbaric practice of simply leaving unwanted infants out in the elements to die of exposure or be eaten by dogs. We have now come nearly full circle. Thank you, Gov. Cuomo . . . may your soul rot in hell!
    But my anger is not piqued as much by savages like Cuomo as it is by men of the cloth who sit by idly, saying and doing nothing! This particular missive is aimed at citing both nationally recognized ministers and our own local pastors for their consistent failure to address the issue of anti-Christian culture in more than a cursory way. Just like the clergy during WWII, with few exceptions, our pastors are failing us by not publically rebuking the forces of evil at large in our nation. If there had been a universal outcry from a united Christian front during WWII, the names of pastors like Bonhoeffer and a few others would not be the only voices which rebuked the authorities for their barbaric methods. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6.
    To all of you men who represent the Christian Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, your silence is seen by your congregations as fear of the government as worst and sheer apathy at its best. We, the members of your congregations who look to you for spiritual guidance, are stunned by your silence! What are you waiting for, a lightning strike? Roll up your sleeves when you step up into the pulpit on Sundays and be more than just speakers of the Word. Be doers of the Word!
    When a celebrity or a politician or anyone for that matter, invokes God’s Holy Word to support their sinful and hellish desires, speak up! Your congregation does not live in a bubble. We read the news. We watch the news. We hear the news. It is as pervasive as the sin it describes in lurid detail every day and night. And yet when we come into the Lord’s house on Sundays, you remain silent. When a politician like Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Andrew Cuomo, Chuck Schumer or their cronies invoke your Holy Name to defend their evil causes, speak out! Respond to their lies and gross misinterpretations of God’s Holy Word. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” - Proverbs 8:13.
    When someone the likes of Lady Gaga, Madonna, or Pope Francis quotes the Bible to support some twisted and sinful notion, you should be the first ones out there to condemn their heresy. We are in the midst of a cultural war with secular society and the less you men of God speak out against it, the more traction it gets. Yes, we firmly believe in the truth of Christ’s words in John 18:36 - “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” But that doesn’t preclude taking a stand against the godlessness that permeates our world here and now! You have both the duty and responsibility to defend our faith and you cannot possibly do it in silence and obscurity. You must be seen. You must be heard!
    Will you continue to stand quietly while our politicians declare the God is dead? Will you allow them to remove Him from oaths of office? Write His Holy name out of government documents? How far will you allow these minions of Satan to remove God from our American life, from our very history? How far? It is your responsibility as our ministers and pastors to raise your voices against the voice of Molech and not be quieted by threat or warning. It is time for our pastors to pick up the spear of Joshua and put these evil ones on notice. Like God said to the sea upon its creation - ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’ - Job 38:11. Your congregations are praying for you, pastors. Stand up and be heard!

To The Glory Of God? - 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  - 1 Corinthians 10:31

    Whatever I do? Whatever I say? Whatever I think? Whatever I dream or hope for? But what if it isn’t God’s will? What if, in fact, it doesn’t glorify Him? Despite the clarity of Paul’s words to us we still sometimes have a difficult time separating the wheat from the chaff. We often approach our desires from the margins and the edges, hoping we can find an angle, excuse or approval in the vagueness of our requests. But with God, there is no uncertainty. That is why the Bible is said to be perspicuous. Its meanings are understandable and self-evident, even if we can’t see it at first. “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” - Psalm 119:130.
    There are many times in our lives when we know right from the start that God would never under any circumstances agree with a decision we were about to make. We get around it by simply pushing God back, out of the picture. It makes it so much easier for us to satisfy our own worldly desires. Once God is out of the picture, we have no one to answer to. Especially if the world holds a confused or obscured perspective on right and wrong. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” - 1 John 2:15-16.
    A clear and virtuous conscience never sees the need to run or hide for fear of discovery. It is a guilty conscience that tries to hide. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” - Genesis 3:8.
    The difficulty is this: the dilemma we face as Christians is something unbelievers never fret about. They never lose a moments sleep over their intentions unless, of course, it is because they just haven’t worked their plans out yet. Think about it: for the unbeliever, right or wrong becomes pragmatic. Whatever needs to be done to expedite their goals, they will inevitably do! But for one who believes in God, the issue is much more difficult. We have to remember that we are called to walk with God. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” - Isaiah 30:21.
    Consider a friend, a loved one with a journey to make. If he asked you to make that journey with him you would have to walk alongside him to fulfill that commitment. You wouldn’t lag behind nor would you race ahead. To fulfill that promise, you would keep stride for stride beside that loved one. That is the encumbrance of the faithful Christian. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” - 1 John 2:6.
    As a Christian, while we may find ourselves struggling to walk with Christ but understanding our responsibility to do so should be self-evident. So whenever we seek a goal, it should be blatantly obvious whether we have the Christian freedom to do so or not. Can we in good conscience turn our backs on those we find reprehensible? Can we refuse to reach out and help someone up? Can we refuse the thirsty a cold drink of water? Can we deny the hungry a piece of bread? And if we can; can we do so to the glory of God? If not, then we knew the answer before we asked the question. “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:44-46.
    So to understand then; for the Christian - we are always to make Godly decisions, to “do the right thing,” to the glory of God. We must walk with Christ. To do otherwise is to sin.

Of Border Walls & The Bible - Nehemiah 1:3

And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” - Nehemiah 1:3

    There has been much debate about whether or not “Jesus would build a wall” to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States. Clearly, Christ would not, based on His words regarding His kingdom. “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’” - John 18:36. And listening to many Christian pastors, there is scant reference in Sunday sermons to our current political issues. Most avoid discussion of a border wall like the plague. But it need not be that way. There is plenty of Biblical support for the building of a border wall designed to protect the US from those who would violate our sovereign borders.
    Aghast, you cry out for the sojourner and the stranger! Does not our Holy Bible tell us to treat them as we treat ourselves? Indeed it does. Right down to the consequences of breaking the law! “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.” - Romans 13:1-3. The teaching of the Bible clearly refutes those who would lie and say that as a nation we must accept any breach of our borders for the sake of those who would do so. If it is not done legally then it is done “illegally!”
    And of the wall. What should we do? “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.” - Nehemiah 2:18. And just as our President has his critics and obstructionists, Nehemiah had his. “But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?’ So I answered them, and said to them, ‘The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.’” - Nehemiah 2:19-20.
    Even with the blessing of God, Nehemiah and the Israelites were to face opposition, even danger, so they took all reasonable precaution when building the wall. “Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” - Nehemiah 4:7-9.
    Nehemiah knew how important it was to restore the walls of Jerusalem. It was so important that his enemies would do anything to prevent him from completing his task. So Nehemiah took the necessary precautions to complete the wall. “Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 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 4:13-14.
    Nehemiah reminded the people that securing a wall for national protection wasn’t only necessary for the protection of their national security but it was ordained by God as well! What was the reaction of those who opposed the wall upon its completion? “And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.” - Nehemiah 6:16.
    Let us protect our sovereign borders as God has commanded us to. The words of God are never ambiguous or confused. We have a duty to protect our own whether it be our front door or our nation’s border. “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.

A New Year, A New Start - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17


    I gave up New Year's resolutions many years ago for the same reason that so few of them ever come to fruition: most of us simply don’t have the staying power to effect the change we feel we need to make. After all, if it was that easy, we wouldn’t have to wait for a special day to make the commitment; we would just make the change. But if we are intent upon making a substantial change in our lives, why not make a change that will affect us into eternity?
    Obviously, we all struggle with sin in our lives. Why not make a resolution to deal with the one issue that will cost us the most if we fail to contend with it in our lives? There are five considerations we should take into account if dealing with sin is going to be our goal.
1.    The devil is limited by the staying hand of God. “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” - Job 1:12. Simply stated: there is a limit to what Satan can actually do to us. He’s not a magician. He tricks because we are gullible enough to believe him. He is not all-powerful and cannot hurt us if we trust in God Almighty.
2.    The devil is already throwing everything he has at you. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” - Ephesians 6:12. From the moment we wake up in the morning Satan is at work on us, trying everything in his power to turn us and sift us like wheat. Think about it: what is our first impulse when that guy cuts us off on our way to work? Trust me, if we throw all caution to the wind and let Satan have a foothold in our lives, our day will end much worse than it began.
3.    Satan’s success depends wholly upon our response to his overtures. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7. Satan can only hurt us if we let him hurt us. He can only use us if we let him use us. His assault against us will continue as long as we lay ourselves open to his temptations. We must block him by submitting ourselves to God’s will for us through fervent prayer.
4.    Satan’s success depends upon our refusal to acknowledge his presence and influence.
    “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8. Remember the old saying: “The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.” Satan is not some bumbling fool in red pajamas, carrying a pitchfork. He is the most potent enemy a Christian will ever face. He is dangerous and he is deadly and only the power of God can utterly defeat him. On our own, we are helpless against the Beast.
5.    His ultimate victory (our spiritual death) comes when we die in our sins. “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. Jesus was not ambiguous in the very least. He let us know in no uncertain terms that the wages of sin is death. If we die without redemption, we die twice: once physically then once spiritually. And there is no resurrection from this spiritual death.

    So, are we looking to make a significant change in our lives this New Year? Then let us make a real change. Let us make a change that will resonate into eternity. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” - Philippians 4:8.  Let us put away our desire for worldly self-expression and let us seek God where He may be found.