Christ’s Winepress - Revelation 19:15

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  - Revelation 19:15

    The next time you hear someone minimizing the attributes of Jesus Christ by erroneously limiting Him to love and mercy alone, you might want to point them to the title verse of this post.
True, our Lord and Savior is indeed a God who loves us immeasurably and by His grace grants us sinners his mercy. Our entire salvation is built upon God’s love and mercy. However, that salvation is granted only to those who obey His words - “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” - 1 John 2:3-6. Yes, love plays a great role in our salvation. Yet, for those who do not keep His commandments there is wrath -  “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.” - Matthew 7:21.
    Many “professing Christians” are all about “the love.” Not many prefer to consider the winepress of fierceness. And yet it is all there in black and white, repeated plainly and boldly throughout the Holy Bible - “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:12. “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” - Revelation 2:23. Kind of empties that “all love and no wrath theory,” doesn’t it?   
    No, the composition of the 66 books known as the Bible, still make up one story - the story of God’s love and compassion for His creation and the covenant of grace that He, out of that infinite love, offers to us. As the Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts and the blood of Christ Jesus covers our sins we are forgiven by God’s mercy. But we must accept our salvation on God’s terms, not our own. We don’t define our Savior nor do we choose Him: He chooses us! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love . . .” - Ephesians 1:3-4.
    So you see: God is love, the ultimate love, but His love does not come without a cost -
 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.” - Luke 14:28. The cost. Counting the cost; and that includes carrying our own crosses so that we can walk just as he walked in obedience. Try to keep this item in mind: all of the verses I have used to illustrate God’s wrath come from the New Testament. Many folks claim that the New Testament and its emphasis on love replaces the Old Testament and its stories of genocide, fire, and brimstone. Well, based on the verses above and scores more, that simply isn’t a tenable position for a true believer to take and try to defend.
    God indeed has expectations of us. He has even given us His commands. Perfection He does not expect but “direction” He does! That is why, “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. The implication is undeniable: we are to walk in the way, the truth, and the life. We must all stop this nonsense of believing in a God who is nothing but love, for that is a God of our own invention. The one true God has described Himself; He has spoken to us clearly and decisively . . . in both Old and New Testaments -  the Bible; His word in its entirety!

The Right Person For The Job - 1 Kings 5:6

   
 Now therefore, command that they cut down cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians.
- 1 Kings 5:6

    I have always been a firm believer that God chooses and uses people from a variety of backgrounds to accomplish His will. From Rahab, a harlot, to Pilate, a Roman governor, God has used people of varying beliefs and unbelief to work His sovereign  plans.
    When Solomon began building the Temple, he enlisted the help of King Hiram of the Sidonians, a people who made no bones about worshiping Baal among others in their polytheistic religion. This Phoenician religion often included temple prostitution and child sacrifice. And while there existed a friendship between Hiram and Solomon’s father, King David, there was never any suggestion, stated or implied, that the Sidonians considered the God of Israel to be among those they worshiped.
    So why did Solomon enlist the help of a people who worshiped Canaanite gods; especially when Joshua had been given the command to slaughter these very people without mercy and to utterly destroy them? “So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.” - Joshua 10:40.
    Using the Bible to discover the intent behind Solomon’s contract with King Hiram and the Sidonians, the only plausible reason was because as our title verse contends - there were none among the Hebrews who were as skilled at cutting wood as these people from the area known today as Lebanon. Solomon’s desire to build the most magnificent temple for the one true God required the use of those who were the very best artisans to do the job, regardless of either their beliefs or reputations. Solomon looked beyond the headlines of the day. He looked beyond the religious shortcoming of Hiram and his people. He looked at the big picture. “Then Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: ‘As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me.’” - 2 Chronicles 2:3. Solomon looked at the overall ability of King Hiram and his people. He looked at what they had done in their previous dealings with King David and the Israelites. Hiram and the Sidonians had proven themselves capable of fulfilling a contractual agreement. As a result of Solomon’s choices, the magnificent temple that rose was to become his crowning achievement.
    Of Hiram, all we can say is that while  the Bible does not imply he was a true believer, he did at least respect the God of Israel and there was never any recorded enmity between himself and King Solomon or the people of Israel. Hiram was a Phoenician and practiced the religion of the people he ruled. Solomon in his wisdom knew what Hiram represented but he also knew that their deal was for wood to be harvested and sent to Israel . . . period! Solomon wasn’t hiring a “Sunday school teacher.” Sometimes, when it comes to the people we have to work with, our choices are limited, especially when getting the job done is the priority.
    Selecting the right person for “the job” may often include vetting many of dubious character, based not so much on their religious convictions, but more on their innate ability to accomplish and follow what God has declared right for the people of a nation. Solomon used a pagan to help build a temple to our most holy God.
     On November 8th, 2016,  I leave it to you to decide for yourself who the right person is for the job of leading our nation into the future; who the right person is to protect our nation; who the right person is to protect our religious convictions; who the right person is to protect our children’s lives; who the right person is to defend our God given liberties.
    May the Holy Spirit Himself drive our understanding and our discernment on that momentous day for the future of our nation. God bless us all.

Shelter From The Storm - Mark 4:39

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. - Mark 4:39

    After leaving work to prepare for Hurricane Matthew, I set in to put my steel awnings up around the windows of the house. My wife and a neighbor lady assisted me as we separated the awning pieces then hung them in a deliberate manner until the house was secure. We then went to the neighbor’s house and helped her do the same. Despite the growing threat and the natural anxiety I faced, I have continued to pray for God’s blessing of safe passage for us all. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7.
    There are times when, like Christ’s disciples, we experience fear and trepidation during stressful times in our lives. For anyone who has ever had to stay in place during a major hurricane in Florida I’m certain you understand the feeling. But with diligence of heart and faith in Christ we need never fear - “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.
    We need not fear the storms of this life if we trust in God. “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.
    And while we find ourselves floundering in a tumultuous sea with the wind howling about us, we must remember - “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 Himself has assured us of His continuous presence in our lives - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9.
    Let us always remember that in God we truly have shelter from the storm.

On The Sanctity Of Marriage - Matthew 19:4-6

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”  - Matthew 19:4-6

    Jesus raised the standard of marriage beyond that of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees knew that according to Old Testament law a man was entitled to divorce his wife if certain covenantal agreements were breached. But they soon began to throw in additional breaches to the law thus enabling a man to easily divorce his wife for even the most inane reasons. Christ would not be tested on such a grave matter as His heavenly Father’s will, so He declared that what God had put together no man should ever try to separate or divide. God’s declaration that a man and a woman becoming one flesh was to remain inviolable.
    It stands to reason that from the days of Eden marriage was sanctioned by God; sanctioned and legitimized. Therein lies the consternation which plagues the homosexual community regarding the legitimacy that the institution of marriage brings to an interpersonal relationship. Because of the time-honored institution of marriage and the recognition implied by its legality homosexuals have sought, demanded, and gained the support (albeit erroneously) of courts, despite God’s decretive will. “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.
    Since homosexuals cannot be “married” as Biblically defined, what they are asking for, demanding, and receiving is similarly as illegitimate as heterosexuals choosing to cohabit outside the bonds of matrimony. It is the simple choice of cohabiting with another person in a non-marital relationship they want recognized as legitimate without the incumbrance of “the paper work.” There are no permanent ties or bonds holding such people together. Their mutual agreement that they will remain faithful is all they share. But they are missing the point: mere legality is not the issue in a marriage any more than it is in an abortion. The simple “right to do something” is not in itself validation! Both same-sex marriage and simple cohabitation among straight couples violate God’s plan for men and women. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman, not two or three men or women, nor simply a straight couple “shacking up.”
    Divorce? Approximately 50% of all first marriages end in divorce, a statistic which is often the excuse of couples who choose to cohabit rather than enter into a legitimate marriage. But it doesn’t square it  in the eyes of God.
    If we Christians are to invoke the word of God in such matters we must do so uniformly and without prejudice. Any violation of marriage as defined in the Bible, is a violation against God’s word, a transgression against God, and sinful, regardless of the sexes involved. “The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’” - John 4:17-18.
    Our Lord, Jesus Christ raised the bar on marriage. We should not trivialize nor redefine what a marriage is or who the participants may be. God’s word on the matter is sufficient and final. Christ’s emphasis on “what God has joined together” should ring as a warning to those who seek to do otherwise

Rebuke & Exhortation - 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. - 2 Timothy 2:2-4

    Rebuke, according to Merriam- Webster, is “an expression of strong disapproval.” Exhort is “to try to influence (someone) by words or advice : to strongly urge (someone) to do something”  Neither of these actions find many fans in today’s worldly culture, unless, of course, the receiver is subjected to them for simply telling the truth.
    Paul was, in his own manner, exhorting Timothy to carry the mantle of “preacher” with strength and integrity, two more characteristics that have come into a low view these days. But why? Why do exhortation and rebuke incite such vitriol today? Paul finds the symptom to be in “the desires.” It is what they desire that provokes them to anger against anyone who would dare rebuke them for ungodly hearts and minds. And exhortation is simply too much like leaning on them or pushing them against their own sinful desires. But it is more than rebuking and exhortation that angers the masses. The real root lies in the truth. They choose not to believe even though they know it is true.“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” - Romans 1:18. In fact, they will believe anything as long as it isn’t the truth! Paul continues in Romans - “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools . . .” - Romans 1:21-22
    The fact is that no one wants to be rebuked for doing what is wrong or exhorted to do what is right. Not one of us! We perceive our sinful pride is being stepped upon; that we are being judged. It is and we are. “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” - Romans 2:6-8. We’re being judged righteously when we are being rebuked for sinful pride and exhorted to seek the truth in humility. And to take offense continually, with no sense of repentant humility, with those who rebuke and exhort us, is dangerous - “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” - Proverbs 29:1.
    Rebuke and exhortation are in every man’s and woman’s best spiritual interest. However, it must be given in proper Christian manner. “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 . . .” - 2 Timothy 2:24-25.
   May we always and at all times accept correction and encouragement with humble hearts and show true Christian love for our brothers and sisters when we correct and encourage them in Christ Jesus’s name.

Enemy At The Gate - Deuteronomy 28:34

So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see.  - Deuteronomy 28:34

    Today is a somber occasion: the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks on September 11th, 2001. As we look back over the last fifteen years it seems that we have learned so very little of the consequences begotten by our enmity with our heavenly Father. “The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young.” - Deuteronomy 28:49-50.
    The first part of the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy is comprised of blessings given to the chosen people for obeying God’s holy word. The second part details the curses God would place upon them for their heard-necked resistance to His words. “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you . . .” - Deuteronomy 28: 45. Still, today, we scorn God for both His holiness and His justice.
    Surely, on that tragic day not so many years ago, there was a deep feeling that we were no longer invincible. There was a feeling of dread which swept our nation. “Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. In the morning you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’ because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see.” - Deuteronomy 28:66-67. Why have we not returned to Him? If we have been driven mad by the sights we have seen how could we ever expect God Almighty to take a lesser view?
    Many will scoff at these words and suggest convoluted popular interpretations but God has truly spoken to us - “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you.” - Deuteronomy 28: 52. Why do we continue to serve other gods and worship at the altars of idolatry even after such tragedy? Why do we still ignore God’s warnings to our nation even as we continue to face the enemy at the gate when we still have a prayer; we still have His promise - “. . . if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14.
    May we observe this occasion and take the time to reflect on the great providence our heavenly Father has given us and return to Him now, today, at this very hour!

Generational Contempt - Deuteronomy 5:16

   
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. - Deuteronomy 5:16

    As a man in my early 60's I often wonder how we ever got along without the younger generations. I mean how do we manage to get out of bed in the morning, dress ourselves, and go through our days without the immediate supervision of younger people? Of course the remark reeks of sarcasm and facetiousness - it’s supposed to!
    But the fact remains that the younger generations are just as scornful of my generation as I was of my father’s. I was wrong then and they are wrong now. “Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” - Proverbs 23:22.
    Part of a generation’s contempt for previous generations is that they cannot experience the wonder of the past’s accomplishments and innovations. All they can do is reap the benefits. They flick the light switch, not anticipating the light, but expecting it. So yes, familiarity does indeed breed contempt. They scorn the past because the innovators were more imaginative and creative than they can aspire to be today.
    The greatest discoveries and inventions come as a result of the perfect marriage of knowledge,  imagination, and creativity tempered by wisdom. My generation and those of today are mired in the morass of fanciful imagination and unable to climb up and out of it to the apex of true creativity. The generations are the same. So how in the world can we possibly attain the heights, since our reach exceeds our grasp despite our imagination? The fact is that “in the world” we cannot. “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” - Proverbs 22:4.
    Face it: there are very few “original concepts” alive in the world today. Most achievements are merely modifications of past ideas and accomplishments. The greatest inventors and innovators were men who realized they were adrift in a world created from nothing by a God who is all powerful! Without the humility that comes from recognizing our God as almighty we are simply slapping a stick against a stone and expecting a skyscraper to rise from it. Humility begins in the heart and only our heavenly Father knows what is in each of ours. “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” - 1 Peter 5:5.
    Our hearts and minds can only be inspired by the Holy Spirit. And Jesus Christ is the only true vine by which we can come to fruition with our hopes, dreams, and imaginations.