The Gift - John 4:10

  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

    I overheard someone the other day complaining about Thanksgiving. He shrugged his shoulders and asked what we had to be so thankful for. I didn’t know the man personally so I reserved any thoughts of judgment. Then it struck me like a bolt from the blue. I didn’t know him personally! And therein lie his problem. Not that he and I weren’t personally acquainted but that perhaps he had yet to receive the gift of grace from God and the contentment that proceeds from the gift of  “knowing Christ, personally!” He certainly didn’t talk like he was blessed by the gift of salvation through Christ. His discontentment gave me pause to think more about my own disposition and if I were resolute enough in my own thankfulness.
    Grumbling about our lives is far too common, even among those of us who are saved through the gift of God’s grace. I catch myself complaining about “this or that” far too often. And it is only the refocusing of my attention on that unmerited gift of grace that stems the tide of my discontentment. Careful inventory of our blessings will often quell our tumultuous hearts. “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” - Matthew 6:27. I find I am most at ease; I am most content, when I forget my anxieties and rest in the Lord.
    May we all find our place of “rest in the Lord” through God’s gift of grace on this Thanksgiving Day. And may we learn to extend that contentment to each and every day of our lives. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” - Psalm 118:24. Happy Thanksgiving!

There Is Indeed A King - Judges 17:6

 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. - Judges 17:6

    Ochlocracy: the rule of the mob. This archaic term is seldom used anymore. Most people mistakenly confuse it’s concept with that of anarchy, which is no rule or order of law at all, i.e. chaos, disorder, mayhem. Don’t be confused. In an ochlocracy there is most definitely a rule of order. As it’s definition states; it is the rule of the mob. And that rule is anything that runs counter to a systematic rule of order either via legislators or individual ruler. As opposed to such systematic paradigms, the ochlocracy ostensibly runs about on its own power rather than that of well-defined moral principles or a subjective rule of law; in our case, the bible. Certainly ochlocractic rule manifests itself in a variety of ways, depending of course, on what “the mob” sees as tolerable, in the least respect, or desirable at worst. But one thing is for certain: no ochlocracy has ever or will ever use the holy law of God as an manifestation of their behavior.
    As our title verse states, “In those days there was no king .  . .” This is a prerequisite for an ochlocracy: there can be no individual ruler, otherwise it’s a dictatorship. So there is no ruler present in a ochlocracy. In such a situation it is inevitable that men will then do what is right in their own eyes. Herein lies the fallacy that an ochlocracy runs about on its own power. It does not, for we know from Romans 14:23 that whatever does not proceed from God is sin. If God is not the prime motivator of your thoughts, words, and deed then Satan is! There are simply two ways and only two ways. The mob sees the worship of God as some type of pathological sickness. But there is nothing pathological about worshiping God; it is man’s greatest purpose!
    The problem inherent to ochlocratic thinking should be obvious, especially to believers. Since man has walked the earth he has not known a day when there was no king! “For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.” - Psalm 95:3. Therefore, we indeed have a sovereign king and we must obey Him. We cannot afford the mistake of doing what is right in our own eyes? If we believers know what God’s law demands it is just as certain that unbelievers know the law too; it is their choice, their deliberate choice to disobey Him and do what is right in their own eyes. Whether it is abortion, same-sex marriage, sexual promiscuity, or moral relativism in general they know the law of God and still refuse to obey.“But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,  for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine . . .” - 1 Timothy 1:8-10.
    We know what God has ordained. We know what God expects from us. All of humanity does. We have seen His revealed will. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6:8.
    Make no mistakes: there is indeed a King, a King of kings, Jesus Christ. And we know that those who prefer to do what is right in their own eyes rather than obey the law of God will wage war with the King of kings, but they will not prevail. There is no God-given right for a woman to kill her unborn child. There is no God-given right for men to have sexual relationships with other men. “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.  You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” - Leviticus 18:21-22. No matter how loud they scream. No matter how many law-suits they initiate. No matter how many judges they have in their pockets. No matter what their celebrity-gods declare . . . they will not prevail! “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14.
    Let us continue to pray for their souls that they may see what the called, the chosen, and the faithful see, that Christ is King! May the Holy Spirit of God fill their hearts as He has done ours and may we always bow down on bended knee to Christ Jesus, our Sovereign Lord, Savior, and King of kings.

“Go . . . AND SIN NO MORE!” - John 8:10-11

  

 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
 - John 8:10-11

    In the social media there has been a recent spate of posts suggesting that Jesus hung around with tax-collectors, drunkards, and prostitutes. “Hung out?” I’d suggest that such a description is hardly scriptural. Jesus didn’t commune with unrepentant sinners; allow me to offer the scriptural evidence.
    No where in the bible do we get a picture of Christ running around with sinners. No where! We see Him in encounters with sinners and when our lord Jesus Christ encounters the sinner in his or her sin He demands they cease and desist their sinful lifestyle; as the example in our title verse clearly depicts. Where the said sinner repents Christ welcomes them into His Holy company. But no where in scripture do we see Christ welcoming and continually communing  with unrepentant sinners. . . no where! Just as Jesus washed the dirt from the feet of His disciples (John 13:3-5) we are washed clean of our sins by His holy blood. What, to return to our worldly filth again? And then what: Christ is to die that agonizing death for us over and over again because we want to remain in our filthy circumstances? Christ even admonished Peter that he must be washed to enjoy the salvation He was to provide for him - “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’” - John 13:8. No! Jesus did not “hang out with sinners!”
    The woman about to be stoned left her sinful life behind as did Levi (Matthew) the tax-collector. They left their sins behind to follow Christ! Consider how she responded to Christ when He asked, “Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, LORD.” “Lord,” she said. In her moment of tribulation she recognized Christ as the Lord! What fool would dare suggest that this woman left the scene that day and returned to the life she had before Christ’s intervention? And an “intervention” is exactly what it was. Christ intervened in a life  that cried out for forgiveness and that is why He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
    In another instance of Christ’s “questionable associations” we find Him calling upon Zacchaeus , yet another tax-collector and sinner. “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”- Luke 19:5-7. Zacchaeus made hast, came down, and received Him joyfully. Again, here is a sinner who recognized Christ as the Lord and not merely received Him but received Him joyfully! Verses 8 thru 10 detail the effect of Christ on the man and the salvation that accompanied his faith in Christ: “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Zacchaeus restored what he had taken unjustly; he didn’t remain in his sin.
    Again the scriptures tell us - “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, ‘How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’” - Mark 2:16-17. This was the very reason Christ came into the world - to save us!
    If your will is to save someone from a raging inferno you have go to the fire. You can’t save them from afar as you watch the flames consume them. Jesus seeks to save those who need saving, so in effect, He goes to where the fires are burning. “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” - Matthew 18:11.
    Christ’s first words in the Gospel of Mark set up the purpose of His entire ministry here on earth: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:14-15. Jesus never said or suggested that it would be just fine for us to remain in our sins. He never said he would accept us in our sins. He came to save us from our sins. And anyone who preaches another gospel is a liar and a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
    May the Holy Spirit of God grant us discernment enough to know the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ from the post-modern heresy that tells us Jesus accepts us and our sins and does not require repentance from us.

One True God - Exodus 20:1-3

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” - Exodus 20:1-3

    I guess it just comes with the territory. Being a Reformed Christian I am daily faced with the erroneous pontifications of delusional people who fabricate their own versions of God. From the rosy-cheek happy-go-lucky “older gentleman in the sky” to the laid-back sandal-wearing bearded hipster preaching “peace, love, and climate-control.” I have heard it all and I have had it!
    You know, if I wanted to learn fly-fishing I would read everything I could get my hands on about . . . fly-fishing! I would consult those who are considered proficient fly-fishermen. I would learn everything I possibly could about the subject, the nature, and the substance of fly-fishing. I certainly wouldn’t attempt to make it all up or to reinvent it myself! So why do people insist on making up their own personal versions of God?
    I seldom hear anyone describe the God of scripture. I never hear them describe the God who hung from a cross and gave His life so that we sinners could find comfort, grace, and salvation in His self-sacrifice. I never hear them describe God as being jealous and capable of wrath. I never hear them describe a God who demands righteousness and holiness . . . even though these descriptions of God are the way holy scripture depicts Him! So where on earth did they get their vision of God?
“The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for ‘310 million people with 310 million religions.’"
"We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion.” - USA Today, 9/13/2011
    So why are so many people attempting to take this imaginary route to heaven? I believe it has a great deal to do with the term “Systematic Theology.” Most people don’t like systematic anything! They want to do things at their own pace, in their own time, and in their own way. And if that includes inventing their own “designer god” who is basically a sappy milquetoast being who would never get mad at us and send us to hell, then so be it. This simply betrays the fact that these individuals do not know (let alone understand) what God’s relationship to man is. As our title verse states without ambiguity - “I am the Lord your God!”
    Scripture clearly says that man will be inventors of gods they choose rather than the one true God and it is equally clear how true Christians should respond. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” - 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
    True Christians know and understand that there is one true God. Even Jesus Christ spoke directly to the idea of knowing the very words of God and believing in them - “But He said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” - Luke 11:28.
Let us pray that we are never so fallen that we feel the need to invent a god who doesn’t care.

God’s Choice; Not Ours! - Genesis 1:27

    So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. - Genesis 1:27

    The myriad of expositions on this one verse alone is almost inexhaustible. But in this post I will address the subject of ‘trans-genderism:” those hapless individuals who’ve decided against God’s natural order that they, not He, will decide which gender they will claim.
    The current tide of progressive public opinion favors the individual’s right to claim whichever gender they choose for themselves as opposed to what their own DNA has determined. I see this as not only the end result of sinful pride but also as the sinful machinations of those who would usurp the roll of God Almighty.
    “Male and female He created them.” I don’t understand the confusion. Six simple words here; what’s so hard to understand? Among lower primates there is no confusion as to gender identity. There is a submissive roll as opposed to the “alpha roll,” but that regards the member’s social status. . . not its sexual identity. No, among the lower primates male gorillas remain male gorillas from the time of their births until they die, just as God intended . . . as GOD intended!
    So aside from the psycho-babble that we hear from the purveyors of the personality disorder circus what possible reason could there be for such a bizarre psychosis? “Professing to be wise, they became fools . . .” Romans 1:22. Obviously there will always be an apologist for even the most profoundly disturbing behaviors. Even murderers have their defenders! But what is the deep seated reason for this maladjustment? Godlessness, pure and simple. If Godlessness is the reason then what is the solution? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6. I defy anyone to put a trans-gender personality under the microscope and not find a Godless individual who leans on his or her own understanding (or that of the psychiatrists) and one who neither acknowledges God nor trusts Him! They will ask, “prayer? What is prayer?”
    Going back to Romans 1 - “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” - Romans 1:26-27. “For this reason-” God allows them to continue on their course of spiritual self-destruction - because, “professing to be wise, they became fools!” No, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender) community purports to be wiser than God and in their finite wisdom they are nothing more than fools hell-bent on destruction. And they will find it. Make no mistake: the rise in sexual deviancy in America is directly proportionate to the degree which we acknowledge and legitimize these “alternative lifestyles.” The courts, the legislators, even the President of the United States may defend their “right” to be whatever they choose to be but they will have no defense before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ! “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. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10-11.   
    May we all be wise enough to recognize that the will of God for man will not be perverted without judgment and cost.

The Bible . . . Redacted - Jeremiah 26:2

 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.” - Jeremiah 26:2
                   
    According to Merriam-Webster to redact something is: to select or adapt (as by obscuring or removing sensitive information) for publication or release. Coming from the Latin redactus, it’s original meaning was to “drive back.” To obscure (hide) - remove (edit) - or drive back. This is the very essence of the word, redact.
     We’ve all seen reports or documents which have been redacted. We see that where the pertinent information originally was there is now only a blackened space amongst the words, thus effectively obscuring, hiding, removing, editing, and driving it back from revelation. Can you imagine reading a copy of the bible that has been redacted? That is exactly what far too many evangelical churches are doing to the holy words revealed in the bible these days.
    There is no discussion of hell or judgment at Sunday service any longer. Yet the bible is full of such discourses on these very issues. Jesus Christ, Himself, had more to say on the subject of hell than any other figure in the bible - Old or New Testament! Jesus warned us of the coming judgment against mankind. Yet the evangelical pulpit remains curiously silent on these subjects today. Ask yourself: why would a Christian pastor purposely refuse to deliver the unbridled and entire word of God to his flock every-time he stepped up to the pulpit? Calvin certainly did! Edwards did! Spurgeon did! Does yours?
    In our title verse God speaks to the nation of Israel. His command is to stand in the Lord’s house; to speak all the words he has commanded, and do not diminish a word! Take a moment: are you hearing the undiminished word of God in your church on Sundays?
    Have you ever heard evangelists like Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen, or any of the other “popular TV evangelists” speak on the coming judgment of God? On the pain and eternity of hell? On any aspect of the gospel that doesn’t start off cheerfully, continue cheerfully, and end cheerfully? Is this a problem you encounter in your own church? Are you hearing far too much about your best life now and not enough of the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit in your lives? Are you hearing what Christ said about taking up our crosses and following Him? Are you hearing about how truly difficult it is to be a Christian in this Godless world today?
    “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” - Deuteronomy 12:32. Is there something inherently difficult to understand about that particular command of God?
    The dangers of “Sunshine and Rainbows Evangelism” ( i.e the Emerging Church) are a greater threat to true Christianity than the dangers of secular progressives and Muslim extremists combined! No outward attack on the true word of God has ever succeeded in destroying the core doctrines of Christianity. The church has survived thousands of years of persecution only to arrive at a place in time when we have to fear those who call themselves “Christians” more than we have to fear those who would legislate us into hiding or attempt to kill us off!
    Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” - Acts 20:27.  Tell your pastors today to put down their lattes and pick up their bibles! Let us always seek the whole counsel of God rather than the vain imaginings of men who would rather redact His holy word than speak all He has commanded.
       

Flesh Works - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

    I really should be hesitant to approach this subject yet once again (http://maranathia.blogspot.com/To Tattoo Or Not To Tattoo - 1 Corinthians 10:23, Sunday, September 1, 2013)  but upon seeing the multitude of people walking around exhibiting the most garish artwork (tattoos) on their bodies I feel compelled once again to speak out. The subject is sensitive, I know, and to those I offend I would beseech you to do as the Bereans did - “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” - Acts 17:11. Please remember: this post is not addressing what we did yesterday; it addresses what we do today and in the future.
    The commonality of tattoos and body piercings today is out of control.  One need only attend a large public event or work in a retail business to see the sheer number of individuals sporting these violations of the body.  The immediate defense is that such practices are culturally accepted today more than in past years. That is tantamount to using the same rationalization for the increase in abortions or the homosexual lifestyle. Cultural acceptance? Scripture warns us of seeking cultural acceptance, of being part of this world - “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.’” - Revelation 18:4. Are we aligning ourselves with “the world” when we engage in worldly practices which no reasonable Christian would suggest is edifying to other Christians?
Let’s not forget that tattoos and body piercings were originally condemned by the bible because they were pagan practices! (Leviticus 19:28) For those of us who counter that Jesus did away with the Old Testament “ceremonial laws,” remember that a sin so abhorrent God specifically prohibited it has probably not taken on a new-found holiness. That would be the same as submitting that worshiping a golden calf is now allowable under the doctrine of grace found in the New Testament! Remember: there is no where in the New Testament that Christ said, “Oh, and those tattoos? They’re okay now.” So at the very least we have determined that tattoos and body piercings are “of the world.”  “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.
    God has spoken to us in no ambiguous terms regarding being a part of the world -  “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.’” - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18. The follow-up lies in the very next chapter, verse 1: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” - 2 Corinthians 7:1.
    Perfecting holiness. It is a God-given command - “ . . .but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” - 1 Peter 1:15-16. Holiness as defined by the Greek term “hagiŏs” means “clean.”  “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7.
    We must ask ourselves (as we should with anything we are about to think, say, or do) - “Does this glorify God?” It’s a simple question, the answer to which can have dire effects if we choose wrongly because it could most certainly determine our commitment to Jesus Christ! Would we carve our initials into the bible? Would we frivolously take a crayon or marker to its pages to mark and deface the holy word of God? Don’t our bodies deserve as much consideration? Do we really believe someone with a tattooing instrument can improve upon what God has created when He knit us together in our mother’s wombs?
    As a final consideration allow me to add just a bit more fuel to the fire: the tattooing of images of Christ, the cross, or other images of heaven are expressly forbidden by the 2nd Commandment of God -  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth . . . .” - Exodus 20:4. Obviously those of us who insist upon having a tattoo of such nature on us have either(1) never read the Ten Commandments; (2) don’t understand the Commandments; or (3) simply don’t care. Either way, in all three possible cases it is apparent that God is not being glorified. The only thing being glorified is the ego of man!
    At this point I would like to add that aside from the theological implications involved there is the consideration of one’s health. Study after study has been done regarding the dangers of both tattooing and body piercing. The best news for those inclined to engage in such practices is that the jury is still out on many of the perceived health threats; however, there are very clear indications that there are numerous and often fatal Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases (TTDs) including Hepatitis and HIV associated with both tattooing and body piercing. Google “The European Commission’s Review of Health Effects from Tattoos, Body Piercing and Related Practices,” for a completely secular, eye-opening, and unbiased report on the possible physical dangers involved.
    Then there is the issue of “risk-taking behavior.” The study (and similar ones) concluded that those most likely to engage in tattooing or piercing their bodies also tend to engage in risky behavior, i.e., drugs, binge drinking, smoking, criminal behavior, and sexual impropriety. It doesn’t take a strong set of eye-glasses to see how such behavior is “of the world,” and NOT “of God.”
    As I said to begin with: this is not about what we did yesterday; it IS all about what we do henceforth as Reformed Christians. Lord knows we don’t have enough space here to devote it to past sins. Mine alone would fill the Encyclopedia Britanica . . . and then some!
    So let me close now with a verse from the Letter of Paul to the Romans: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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 12:1-2.
    Each and every day may we place the glorification of God and the edification of our brethren at the forefront of all our thoughts, words, and deeds. May God bless us all.