Bookends - Luke 12:51

Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.
 - Luke 12:51

    In 1968 Simon and Garfunkle released an album called “Bookends.” On that LP (that’s ‘Long playing album’ for you younger folks) there was a sad song named “Old Friends.” The lyrics read, “Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly?” How quaint. How nice it would be if the words rung true, wouldn’t it? And perhaps they would were it not for the fact that truly faithful Confessional Christians will have to contend mightily for the truth. And therein lies the problem for old friends.
    From bitter experience I can testify to the fact that if you openly identify yourself as a Bible-believing Christian; preach the word of God in season and out, and vigorously defend the faith you will be the most unpopular member of your circle of friends! Even members of your own family - your own flesh and blood - will keep their distance from you. “For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;  and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’” - Matthew 10:35-36
    True, your own family and your oldest friends will turn their backs on you if they don’t share your belief in and your passion for Christ! Perhaps the answer to Paul Simon’s question is, “No, in fact I can no longer imagine sharing a park bench quietly.” I can only envision sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people I love and cherish. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18. May we always share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially with those we call our “old friends.”

Sinners Anonymous - 1 Timothy 1:15

 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. - 1 Timothy 1:15

    This utterly beautiful passage presents the living root of the Gospel to us. Within these words we have our very eternity! And this single verse is just a part of a greater doxology dedicated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When read in its entirety it is one of the most inspiring praises ever uttered by man - “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
    Paul speaks to us like he is a new member of Sinners Anonymous. You can almost hear him cry out, “My name is Paul . . . and I am a sinner . . . .”  He claims his sinful status and owns his sin. He doesn’t run from his confession; He runs to it! There is no 12 Step Program here. It is clear by his very words that it is by grace alone that he has been saved. It is by grace alone that he receives mercy and he thanks not some clever man-contrived methodology but God who alone is wise.
    Paul speaks about a ‘pattern’ of mercy based on Christ’s longsuffering that is more than validated by holy scripture.  “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 Lord understands the resistance of sinners and yet He is longsuffering toward us! No matter where sin has positioned us in this life God is ready, willing, and able to bestow His grace upon us for our redemption and salvation. Mercy toward sinners who believe in Christ; who were once ignorant in unbelief; who now believe.
    Let us all praise God with the enthusiastic gratitude that Paul sets forth for us. Let us all believe on Him for everlasting life.

For the Fatherless - Malachi 4:6

“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”- Malachi 4:6

    Any clear thinking individual knows that children raised in single parent homes are more likely to suffer from social problems such as dropping out of high-school, teen pregnancy, alcohol or drug related problems, criminal behavior and/or suicide. As the research shows that the absentee fathers suffer from this epidemic as well (higher rates of drug and alcohol use, incarceration, etc.), the mothers of these children have their share of problems as well, but as is the case in the majority of circumstances the children live with the mother. So what of the children of these single-parent homes?
    “A study using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health explored the relationship between family structure and risk of violent acts in neighborhoods. The results revealed that if the number of fathers is low in a neighborhood, then there is an increase in acts of teen violence. The statistical data showed that a 1 percent increase in the proportion of single-parent families in a neighborhood is associated with a 3 percent increase in an adolescent’s level of violence. In other words, adolescents who live in neighborhoods with lower proportions of single-parent families and who report higher levels of family integration commit less violence.”
Source: Knoester, C., & Hayne, D. A. (2005). Community context, social integration into family, and youth violence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 767-780.
    As we watch the violence unfold in Baltimore, MD. We must wonder if God’s words to the Prophet are not coming back to haunt us. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.”
 - Malachi 4:1. Root nor branch; father nor son?
    Baltimore in flames? Children running amuck? Attacking and fighting with the police? Yes, the signs are all there. But what is law enforcement’s role in all of this? They are certainly responsible for their behavior; are they not? Are we then without answer? Are we now without recourse or remedy? Our Lord God would not leave us without either; but we must listen to His words to the Prophet - “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” - Malachi 4:4. Clearly, God has expressed Himself with a clearness that is hard to undermine. “‘Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.’” - Malachi 3:7.
     We know what fuels the hatred and anger in these fatherless communities. We can only wonder that if the fathers of these young men were present in their lives would these children still be out on the streets causing mayhem? And what of the law enforcement agencies involved? Is there no reasonable way to police a society without the unexplained deaths of our citizens? Let us all pray that the children of these absent fathers and these men who absently father those children return to God as we must too. “Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.”

Paul’s Sharpest Rebuke - Galatians 5:12

 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! - Galatians 5:12

    Paul is on fire. And I mean ON FIRE! But before we delve into the exact meaning of Paul’s rather gruesome remark I think it would be best to remember the reason for his letter to the Galatians in the first place.
    Paul’s mission to Galatia had been successful. The churches he established there were vibrant communities so when it came to his attention that Judaizers had infiltrated the churches there he became understandably upset. You see, more than simply casting aspersions upon Paul’s credentials these false teachers had placed the Gospel itself in jeopardy. So yes, He became upset.
    It seems they wanted to subject these gentile Christian converts to the impossible ordinances of “the law.” And first on the list was circumcision! After Paul had preached freedom in the salvation that Christ had provided, these purveyors of the “works gospel” were creeping in like some insidious disease and Paul wasn’t having any of it.
    Paul’s love for the Gospel was as intense as his defense of it was ferocious. But could he have really meant to suggest that those who infiltrated the ranks of the church and denied the proficiency of the Cross should actually . . .? That, brothers and sisters is exactly what Paul was suggesting, at least in the figurative sense.
    “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out 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.  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 5:29-30. In this passage Jesus suggests a course of action to sinners that parallels Paul’s rebuke of the false teachers. Did Christ actually mean for people to pluck out their own eyes and cut off their own limbs? Literally? No! What our Lord was doing was making use of an hyperbole, and doing so in the most extreme sense. His intent was to make His disciples understand the gravity of their sin and what that sin would cost them. And this was precisely what Paul was doing when he issued his imprecatory wish to the Galatians: he was making the point that he would rather these “wolves” castrate themselves then have their false gospel compel the Galatians to return to a works based religion. Now that’s a hell-fire preacher! I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I suggest we could use more preachers like Paul in today’s churches.
    May we all share Paul’s  fire for the truth of the Gospel and reject any false teacher who tells us that we need more than Christ for salvation.

God, Manifested - Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
 - Psalm 19:1

     We look out upon the creation: the oceans, the stars, the forests, the mountains and we wonder what, where, how, when, why . . . who? Even the least spiritual among men has been filled with wonderment. Despite eons of discovery and revelation those least spiritual are still filled with that wonderment. But their questions have been brought down to how, when, and why because the “who” has been revealed. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” - Job 38:4-5 Still, the least spiritual among men deny what has clearly been revealed to them.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 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 1:20-21.
    In how many ways has God manifested  Himself to us through nature? “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions -  This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great.” - Psalm 104:24-25.
    Let us continually praise God that we never forget the “who” behind creation and all the wonderment of the earth.   

Our Christian Calling - Matthew 28: 19-20

 “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 20:19-20

    The disturbing rise in Christian persecution around the globe has many of us suggesting that martyrdom is the natural calling for today’s evangelists. I heartily disagree with that notion. We are not called to lay down our lives for our faith. While it is true that in many places in the world, contemporary Christians do face the imminent threat of death, but we fulfill no Christ-given directive if we deliberately lay our heads on the chopping block. In fact, our Lord and Savior gave us an entirely different command in the upper room at the last Supper. “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’s command here is not intended to be a “call to arms,” as some have suggested. But it is clear that He was referring to self-defense for His disciples. Of course there will be the contrarian who interjects, “What about Christ’s directive in Matt 5:39 or Luke 6:29?” I simply refuse to even entertain a debate regarding the idea of “turning the other cheek.” It is clear that our Lord was referring to simple insult here rather than a physical assault and if it isn’t clear to the contrarian, it should be. “But what about Christ’s command to Peter in Matthew 26:52 to ‘put away’ his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane?” Once again, such an objection is based on a false premise.  Christ’s surrender to the temple guard was to fulfill the prophecies. Jesus wasn’t admonishing Peter for simply drawing his sword. Peter was intent upon curtailing what had been foretold. Christ didn’t say, “Get rid of that sword,” or “throw that sword away.” He simply said, “Put it away,” allowing that it my be needed at another time! Christ’s warning that “they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:52 [b]) was merely an admonishment that men whose lives were constantly led by the sword would eventually die by the sword. It was not a condemnation of reasonable self-defense.
    No, our Christian calling is not to submissively lay down our lives; our calling is to spread the Gospel; however, if in the carrying out of that great commission we are to lose our lives then so be it; we will have exhibited the greatest love - “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” - 1 John 3:16.
    We must, as Paul said, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” - 2 Timothy 4:2. We pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in the dangerous places of this fallen world. May they have the fortitude to continue spreading the Good News that is Jesus Christ! And in those moments of threatened physical persecution may they be able to defend themselves  if it is God’s will and may they live and preach another day.

Living Among The Dead - Luke 24:5

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”  - Luke 24:5

    The women came to Christ’s tomb seeking to dress His body with a spice mixture designed to anoint Him. They came seeking the ravaged body of the man they called “Lord.” What they encountered when they arrived at the tomb caused them great concern: they found the stone barricade rolled back and an empty tomb. Suddenly, two angels appeared to them and asked them a question; the answer to which became a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith: Christ resurrected from the dead!
    The importance of the risen Christ can not be amplified enough. Theologian, R.C. Sproul wrote, “The resurrection of Jesus is the sine qua non of the Christian faith. Take away the resurrection and you take away Christianity.” (Sproul, R.C. , “Who Is Jesus”1983)
    The resurrection of Jesus give us the assurance of eternal life; a life without pain or fear; a life without sickness; a life everlasting. “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.
    Of course we must believe in Christ Jesus, but faith must accompany our belief in Him. “ . . . 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.” - Romans 10:9
    But the question posed in our title verse could possibly be seen from a more subtle and ominous place; one that should bear witness to the unbelieving masses. The final four words “. . . living among the dead.” Posed as a declarative sentence in the present tense, it speaks to the eternity of those who refuse to believe, to those without faith. They will forever live among the spiritually dead. Their existence will be one filled with the darkness and eternal misery of the absence of God. Is it any wonder that we who believe celebrate Christ’s resurrection? For us it means everlasting life, saved by Christ to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” For us Christ’s resurrection means everything!
    Let us praise our Lord today, Resurrection Sunday, and let us share the Good News with those who have yet to enjoy the assurance of God’s rock solid promise to all who believe in His Son, our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ!