No Pets in the Pearly - John 3:16

“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
    Recently, I have heard people speak of pets they have lost. Some were long time members of their families and obviously well loved and care for. Then I hear the clanging of a harsh cymbal - “I’ll see them again one day.” What? I ask myself. When? Where? Ohhhh, you mean ‘in heaven.’ Sorry again, my faithful believer: no pets in the Pearly!
    John 3:16 specifically state that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will have everlasting life, not “whatever!” Even the psalmist says, after a litany of creatures that God has created -
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” Psalm 104:29
    There are those who would argue to the contrary citing Isaiah 11:6-9 -
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea”
    Unfortunately Isaiah didn’t say, “And they will play with Fido again . . . .”
    I have even heard the ridiculous comment that if part of our eternal happiness in heaven requires us to reconnect with our former pets it will be so. Trust me, our happiness in heaven will in no way rely on our seeing dead pets again. The glory of being in God’s holy presence is all we will need for eternal bliss.
    No, of all God’s creation, heaven is reserved for angels and men. Which is not to suggest that God could not, should He choose to, include our former pets in our heavenly experience. There simply is no scriptural support for such a notion.
    The problem with such convoluted thinking is that it stems from human sentiment or emotion. We feel a deep love and attachment to our pets and when they leave us we transfer this feeling of emotional loss into a desire to keep them alive in our hearts. One of the best methods for this is to try to convince ourselves that we will see them again. Aside from some twisted horror novel we understand that this is impossible; the beloved pet is dead. There is no animal resurrection. Again, the notion of such a thing finds no support in holy scripture. So we tend to assuage our feelings of loss with the misconception that we will see the deceased pet again . . . in heaven. That is, at least, if we have a belief in the afterlife. If we don’t then the whole issue is moot.
    We must find solace in the fact that we tended this deceased animal throughout its life. We cared for it in sickness and health and we enjoyed God’s blessing of camaraderie the pet shared with us. We followed God’s law and were good stewards. Beyond this gratification we must be especially careful not to attempt to create a heavenly gateway of our own liking as opposed to the heavenly gateway as described in holy scripture.
    We must remember that animals do not have souls. Only men have souls. Animals are not sinful or evil by nature and therefore cannot be ‘regenerated or ‘born again;’only men can be born again. Remember always, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” - John 3:3.
May God’s blessings continue to shower you.
   
               

No Free Delivery: The Second Law of Gleaning - Leviticus 19:9 - 10

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.  And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” - Leviticus 19:9-10

    It seem that more often than not I am at odds with those who have either never read Leviticus 19:9-10 and/or its adjacents (i.e. Lev. 23:22 and Deut. 24:19-22) or have a convoluted notion of their meaning. It is not difficult. In fact, the Old Testament actually presents us with a vivid example of the second law of gleaning in Ruth 2:8-23; specifically - “And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, ‘Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.’” - Ruth 2:15-16. So there simply is no excuse for getting it wrong.
    Let us first examine what scripture means by the word, ‘gleaning,’ or ‘to glean.” The Hebrew prime root is ‘lâqat;’ meaning ‘to pick up, or ‘to gather.’ Gathering crops was a common practice in the Bronze Age and therefore was something all were familiar with. So in our case what was meant by the second law of gleaning? Within the second law of gleaning was the word ‘leave’ - the Hebrew prime root - ‘âzab,’ to relinquish. So upon the gathering of crops the Israelites were charged with relinquishing the corners of their fields and those crops which had fallen during the gathering. Notice that nowhere within the scripture is there a command from God - to deliver the gleanings to the poor and the stranger! They are certainly welcome to those gleanings but it required that they actually put in their own efforts to collect the God-gifted charity . . . for themselves.
    So how does the second law of gleaning apply for us in today’s society? The gathering of crops today relies more on technology than back-breaking work, except, of course, in the case of migrant field labor: some crops still require hard work to gather. So in the world today the able-bodied poor and the able-bodied stranger are required to at least make a minimal effort to gather or perform some other manner of labor to receive the generosity of those who have an abundance. Notice that in the aforementioned verses God does not mention the sick, elderly or disabled in His law of gleaning, only the poor and the stranger. Scripture has always addressed the needs of the former; it goes without saying that we are to take care of these unfortunates. No, this particular scripture is specifically addressing the able-bodied poor and those who are simply ‘without.’ There will be food available for them, but they must do something to receive this blessing from God. There simply is no ‘free-ride’ for those who are capable of earning their own needs. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’” - 2 Thessalonians 3:10.    Paul doesn’t say those who cannot or are unable to work. He says those who are unwilling! And this New Testament command could actually be considered God’s ‘third law of gleaning,’ as well as a warning of violating the 8th Commandment - “Thou shalt not steal.” For one who is perfectly capable of working for a living yet refuses to do so is stealing from those who do work for a living? This is the heart of the law of gleaning: you will gather for yourselves but you will always leave some for the less fortunate to gather for themselves.
    One final word - just as in the verses from Ruth, we, who have been blessed greatly with abundance should neither reproach nor rebuke those who must rely upon our charity. If they are willing to take responsibility for their own gathering then they are fulfilling God’s law and we should find joy in their willingness to do what they can to earn for themselves.
May the truth of the Lord lives always in your heart

How To Know Jesus - 1 John 2:3

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
                     - 1 John 2:3 
This is the most straightforward statement about “knowing Jesus” in the entire bible. While John’s entries to holy scripture often contain poetic-like metaphors this direct revelation comes through clear and crisp, without need for interpretation. This simple entry is one of the cornerstones of our Christian faith. If we fail to acknowledge this pillar of understanding we put ourselves at the center of Christ’s condemnation in Matthew 7:21, 23 -  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. . . Christ then warns of the consequence for not doing the will of His Father
 . . . And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
    This vital tenet of our faith is not directed by Christ to the unbelievers but to those within the flock who ‘claim’ to know Jesus . . . personally. We hear the trumpet sounds of professing Christians all too often and then see no evidence of their salvation. The trumpet sounds are hollow. That which they claim is music is just so much noise. Jesus now asks us all this pertinent question: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” - Luke 6:46.
    The question is not rhetorical; it is direct and simply put because this is the bedrock for the foundation of true belief and faith in Christ as ‘Lord’: Christ will not save us while we continue to live in our sins. He will only save from our sins.
    When we glorify God with our Christian behavior He blesses us without exception by acknowledging that He does indeed love us and know us. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” - John 14:21.  By putting our sinful lives in the past and recognizing our need to accept Jesus Christ as both our Lord and Savior we then give evidence that we truly know and love Him.
    “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
                    - 2 Timothy 2:19
May God always know you are His.

To Tattoo Or Not To Tattoo - 1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. - 1 Corinthians 10:23
So is it sinful to get a tattoo? This is always a subject guaranteed to create a disagreement not only among Christians but people in general. The "tat-free crowd" likes to point to Leviticus 19:28 - "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord." Tattoos and ‘piercings’ have a long association with pagan practices and for that reason alone should be avoided. However, those Christians in favor of fashionable "ink-wear" point to the fact that we are no longer under the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament for we are now under a New Covenant. So is there a quick answer? Sure, but a quick answer needs quick qualification. The answer is . . . it depends. Thought you were going to get a locked-down easily discerned answer? Not a chance. You see, while the answer is easy to arrive at it is our motivations that need testing.
First, let us look at the reason(?) for getting a tattoo. For many it is a way to distinguish themselves (as in ‘gang tattoos) or a method of self-expression (as in rebellion against the reverent or the conventional). In neither case is the reason laudable. However, there is an even more insidious reason for getting tattooed - as a cultural or worldly fashion statement. Scripture has a thing or two to say about that - "Therefore,"Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." - 2 Corinthians Also - "And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’"
Let’s look at the simple act of getting a tattoo. It involves a conscious (or semi-conscious) decision to have an image (graven or not) transferred into our very flesh with lifetime ramifications. In other words, short of a painful surgical operation, the image or images will remain in our flesh throughout our lives and long into the grave. A picture is already developing here (no pun intended).
Now add to this fact the tattoo’s price and we now have a situation where monies perhaps better spent on real human needs have been squandered on a selfish desire to somehow improve what God has created . . . you! The picture is becoming clearer now.
Remember what Jesus told us - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21. In the verses preceding Matt 6:21 Jesus was telling his disciples not to worry about "laying up treasures" on earth where moths and rust could destroy them. He wanted them to understand that one’s eternity should be the chief concern, not what one acquired or gained in this life. So while the mere act of getting a tattoo may not be sinful in and of itself you should probably give it the 1 Corinthians 10:23 test - is it profitable and/or does it edify? According to Strong’s, "profitable" comes to us from "expedient" - conducive, advantageous, be good for, thus profitable. "Edify" means to be a "house-builder," to build up or embolden. One need only look to the very next verse to see what Paul means by being profitable and edifying:
1 Corinthians 10:24 - "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being."Paul is telling us that we should be seeking ways to build up Christ’s church and any activity we engage in must meet this final test. Does it build up the church? Does it set us apart from nonbelievers as "holy?" Is what we are about to do or engage in setting a Christian example to our fellow Christians and those around us? Can you defend your decision to get that tattoo in light of this New Covenant scripture? I think that we now have a clear picture of what the bible has to say about tattoos. I, myself, have never felt the need or desire to mark my body with either ink or piercings; that was my choice. I have simply never seen an image that I would want to display on my skin for the rest of my life. Again - the final decision will always rest with you. Perhaps the idea is something you may just want to contemplate long and hard. Think about it! And pray for guidance. May God’s peace be with you always.

On False Assurance - Matthew 7:21-23

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ - Matthew 7:21-23

    I’m sure you know many folks who are quick and proud to claim their Christianity (depending on the circumstances and/or where they are). Trust me; all the people who know me, whether friends or merely acquaintances know I’m a Christian. No matter where I am I’m always quick to let people around me know exactly what my belief system is . . . whether they believe the way I do or not.
    So it always concerns me when I hear a person claiming to be a Christian go off on a tangent about their belief about salvation. The red flag usually pops up with these three words, “I feel that . . . .” Those three little words are generally the kiss of death to any discussion of correct soteriology. Because the proper understanding of our salvation doesn’t hinge on one’s “feeling” about the subject. Scripture is very concise about how we must be saved.
    This “false assurance” usually rests upon three tenuous pillars: one is legalism (what I like to call, “Phariseeism”). Under legalism people believe they can achieve salvation by being good people . . . or at least being as good as they can. The second is universalism. Universalism is the belief that ultimately God will bring all people into salvation. In either case those who believe in these errors could not be further from the truth, as Christ declared in Matthew 7:21-23.
    Universalism is an erroneous argument that God is a great and powerful “all-forgiving” Spirit in heaven who will ultimately bring us all home . . . in the end. But scripture tells us - “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ ”
 - 2 Timothy 2:19
    Finally there is the soteriological error of Sacerdotalism. People who make this mistake believe they can achieve their salvation through sacremental performances such as saying “the sinner’s prayer,” stepping up to an “altar call,” or signing a “salvation card.”  But again, it is not a man or woman’s performance which saves them.
    The problem for most of these people is that after they imagine themselves “saved,” they fall back to their old ways of life. After all - once saved, always saved . . . right? The author of Hebrews has a thing to say about such a belief - “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,  and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,  if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” - Hebrews 6:4-6
    Such “saved” were enlightened. But enlightenment doesn’t assure salvation. Many people are aware (enlightened) of the gospel but are not saved. Many have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God. Like “common grace” - the rain falls on the just and the unjust the same. But they are not saved. Finally it is impossible to renew these people to repentance . . . because they have never really repented to begin with! I can not give back to you something you never possessed to begin with. That is not to say that they cannot be saved, but they must drop the “I feel that . . .” notion and return through sound theology to the Lord Jesus Christ - in heart and mind and soul.
May the blessing of God be always upon you.

Awakenings - Ezekiel 36:26-28

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:26-28

    The term “regeneration” mean many things to many people. For our purposes here I will limit its definition to the awakening of faith within the fallen sinner. And what is the source of this awakening of faith? Is it man, himself? Is it some series of worldly events? Is it a desire to be closer to God? Fortunately for mankind the answer to all of these is an emphatic “No!” The source of the spiritual awakening in man is God, Himself, and only God.
    As our heavenly Father says in Ezekiel 36:26-28, He will give . . .  He will put . . . He will be. It is all from a loving and merciful God that we are graced with a new heart and new spirit. Regeneration is the work of God. We merely receive the blessing.
    Why? Why does God select us for this awakening? In one of the two occurrences of the word “regeneration” in scripture Paul tells why God grants us this most prized blessing. “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:3-7.
    Mankind is simply and ultimately sinful. Without God’s perfect gift of regeneration we could never be saved. We would never seek God if left to our own devices. Something about us had to change or be changed and that is our hearts. It is because of God’s kindness, love, and mercy that we are regenerated with God’s spirit. It is a one time event and it awakens in us our need for God. According to Herbert W. Lockyer, “The moment faith receives Christ, the miracle of regeneration takes place.”
    God’s gift is regeneration; our role includes both repentance and yielding to Christ through faith. Then we are truly “new creations” in Christ. “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 . A new heart; a new spirit; we are His people and He is our God.
All glory and honor to Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

No Home to Phone, E.T - Psalm 115:15-16

May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
    but the earth he has given to mankind.
            - Psalm 115:15-16

    What can we infer from these verses? Obviously, that God created the heavens and the earth; that the heavens belong to God; and that He has given the earth to man. I will save the fact that God created the heavens and the earth for another time. What I want to emphasis in this post is the fact that the heavens “belong to God,” and that He has given the earth to mankind.
    Notice, if you will, the curious absence of any reference to extraterrestrial life. In these all encompassing verses. It is nowhere stated or even mentioned that any other life form exists besides our heavenly Creator and . . . us! No E.T., my brother; none - zip - nada - zero! Now when you consider all the evidence we have accumulated over the years of space exploration there isn’t one shred that points to any other life-form anywhere else in the entire universe. Every photograph we have ever recovered from our expensive explorations reveals . . . nothing; nothing but piles of rock and dirt. Nowhere have we ever seen the slightest hint of life anywhere but here, on earth!
    Now, as a Christian, don’t you believe that if God in His infinite wisdom had created another life form somewhere in the universe he would have made us aware of it? Why not? The bible opens it’s very first chapter with an account of God’s creation of the universe and the earth. He certainly speaks to us about the creation of living creatures including “ . . .birds . . .(and) great living sea creatures and every living thing that moves,” (Genesis 1:20-21). He goes on to tell us that He “made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:25) No, God certainly isn’t shy when it comes to declaring the life He created . . . ON EARTH!
    Why? What possible motive would our heavenly Father have for hiding His involvement with the creation of life elsewhere in the universe? And when you understand God’s plan for mankind it becomes even more difficult to believe that He created life elsewhere - “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in our own image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26) Scripture does not reveal a different plan for other worlds or galaxies. It speaks to us only of man and his dominion over the earth.
    What possible reason can you imagine that God would have given man, a creature He created in His own image, dominion over the planet earth and all it’s varying life-forms? The answer lies in the first line of Psalm 115:16 - “the highest heavens belong to the Lord,”. Earth, he has given to mankind. This special, one of a kind celestial body alone has been given life by its Creator. The heavens remain God’s and God’s alone. He shares them with no one, especially not E.T. May God bless you and keep you.