You Say You Want A Resolution - Ezekiel 18: 30-32

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” - Ezekiel 18:30-32

    Ask someone, anyone, if there isn’t some kind of cosmic justice for all of us. Clearly, you’ll find the vast majority of people will assert that yes, in the grand scheme of life there is a sense of justice for both the law-keeper and the law-breaker. Some will attribute this ideal to the silliness of “karma,” the ridiculous eastern theory that what goes around comes around if for no better reason than to give the universe some order. And certainly, if you’re a Buddhist or simply parroting this nonsense, you’ll be quite at home with the fallaciousness of such a world view. But for the Christian there are no such delusions. We have the veracity of God’s very word that He will judge the actions and hearts of all men and women according to their ways. “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” - Jeremiah 17:10. This is universal justice and it comes only by the very hand of God! On what side of the cross will we be found?
    It is true - God takes no pleasure in the death of one who dies the spiritual death. And often His justice seems slow in coming - “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. He is patient with us because if His justice were swift, none of us would be able to stand. He is forgiving! No matter what our sin, He is faithful to forgive us. But he will not under any circumstances leave us in our sin, and Christ is the Way - “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.
    We say we want a resolution this new year? Let us make this year, 2017, the year we come to Christ. Today is the day. Now is the time.

Evangelion - Luke 2:10-11

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:10-12

    And thus the shepherds were given the good news of Jesus’s birth, the Savior’s birth! And being stunned by the angel’s appearance they responded in faith and sought out the Lord.
“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” - Luke 2:15.
    The journey for the shepherds was certainly not as great a one as that for the wise men to follow but just as determined, the shepherds made their way to see the Messiah. Are we as compelled to seek the Lord and Savior as were these lowly shepherds? Keep in mind: they were given the good news; in turn, they responded in faith; they sought out the Lord, all based on that which the Lord has “made known” to them. From where these shepherds watched over their flocks they made a decision for Christ.  From where will we make a decision for Christ? “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” - Deuteronomy 4:29. Surely, from wherever we seek Him, if we seek Him with all our heart and soul, we will find Him. “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13.
    The shepherds did indeed find the Savior exactly where the angel said they would. “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.” Luke 2:16. But the shepherds' story doesn’t end there. In fact, the shepherd’s story continues to this very day - “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” - Luke 2:17-18.  All of us blessed with the knowledge of and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must share the good news just as these lowly shepherds did. If we have truly responded in faith, sought and found the Lord Jesus Christ, how can we not join in the heavenly chorus -“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Merry Christmas to you all!

The Cross Closes The Gap - 1 Timothy 2:5

  
 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus . . .
- 1 Timothy 2:5

    Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding about salvation that most “good people” have is the notion that they can somehow be “good enough” to merit eternity in heaven based upon their basic “goodness.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard folks say that they think they are basically good people and do not think that a good God would punish them for eternity. But how about a “holy God?”  “And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” - Isaiah 6:3.
    So what of our basic human goodness? Aren’t there at least some people who truly are, by design, “good people?” “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’” - Romans 3:10-12.
    So, on one hand we have a holy God, a God who cannot be cajoled or fooled by our overestimation of our inherent goodness, a God whose sheer holiness demands justice and on the other hand we have a demographic of people who are erroneously convinced of their innate goodness. Who is right?
    The fact of the matter is as clear as the guilt in our hearts. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t sin, transgress God’s holy law. In some cases the transgression lies in the minutia; in others, our sinfulness is as darkly deep and cold as the tomb. That tomb represents a chasm, an unbridgeable gap “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” - Genesis 6:5. With the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness, how can we ever possibly be justified enough in the eyes of our holy God to merit eternal salvation? How do we close the gap? The simple answer is that we can’t. It is impossible for us to ever cross from our sinfulness to the level of righteousness that God demands of us. Yet the Bible promises us salvation, does it not? “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” - John 10:27-28.  Christ speaks to us of “My (His) “sheep.” So if we consider ourselves His sheep and we are as good as we can possibly be, doesn’t that provide us with a gate-pass to salvation?
    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9. Clearly, Scripture tells us that we must confess our sins to be forgiven; it never suggests that some of us may be just “good enough” to merit salvation. But there simply must be more - “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 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 10:8-9. So if we confess our sins and confess Christ raised from the dead we will be saved. Why? Why can’t we simply work our way to salvation? “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” - Isaiah 64:6.
    But why Christ? “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) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12.
    One final word of caution to those good people who remain convinced that their “good enough lives” will be “good enough” to merit salvation - “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” - John 3:36.
    Let us remain devoted to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ whose death on the Cross closes the gap between man and God.

Murder, By Any Other Name - Psalm 94:20-21

Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. - Psalm 94:20-21

    “A rose is a rose is a rose.” “It is what it is.” These seemingly simple cliches represent an example of the Law of identity which states that each thing is comprised of its own unique characteristics and cannot be confused with anything else. The concept has been around since Plato described it in 369 BC. A simpler representation of the law would be that you can paint a pig to look like a horse but it still remains a pig. But I digress, so let me get to the point - murder is murder no matter how it is differently described or by whom it is committed.
             “And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘You shall not murder.’” - Exodus 20:1, 13. Common misinterpretation had this particular Commandment forbidding the act of killing. It is murder that God is forbidding by the 6th Commandment, not the mere act of killing.Killing is often a distasteful action necessitated by self-defense, in time of war, or as sanctioned by the governing authorities because of some reprehensible criminal act, like murder.  But murder is always murder, especially in the case of innocent blood.   
  “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” - Psalm 127:3. Every human conception is ordained by God and touched by His almighty hand. No matter what the evil doers of iniquity say, children, innocent children, are being murdered by legal decree in America! Roe v Wade is nothing more that a legal decision made by godless individuals who would not recognize that it is God who delivers innocent human life! “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” - Jeremiah 1:5.
    Roe v Wade is an evil law devised and upheld by wicked men and women. It condemns innocent blood and allows other wicked men and women to murder infants in the womb! “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.” - Proverbs 17:15.
    We must come to agree that human life within the womb is still innocent human life created by God! “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” - Psalm 139:13. And God will not overlook or give into the evil machinations of mankind. “Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.”  - Exodus 23:7. No woman’s desire to end a pregnancy trumps the sanctity of human life! Shame on the woman who justifies the murder of her own flesh and blood with the chant, “It is my body and I will do as I like.” Shame on the woman who arrogantly declares that she has the Constitutional right to murder her own baby. The Constitution states that “No person shall be . .
.deprived of life . . .without due process of law.” And when an infant is deprived of his or her life while still in the womb, there has been no due process!
    Know this: even if we have had or know someone who has had an abortion, God is still willing to forgive us all now! But we cannot remain silent on the matter nor can we continue to use murder for the sake of convenience. God will not be mocked. Murder is murder no matter who commits it, even if it is sanctioned by the government. Man’s laws cannot and will not supersede God’s sovereign law. Let us all pray for the end of the Roe v Wade era  in America and may we seek and pray for the forgiveness of those who have sinned in action, complicity, agreement or silent assent.
           

In The End, God Wins - Psalm 115:2

  
Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” - Psalm 115:2

    It is clear from holy scripture that much of what is said regarding false theology, reckless tongues, and hasty judgment is directed toward the Christian community. And we are to be as “lights” of the world. - “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16.
    But there is still the slithering presence of the unbelieving. Those who, no matter what we say or do, will continue to despise us and seek every avenue to persecute us. And every victory they perceive is yet another notch on their belts in the war against Christianity! And they sing in unison, “So where is their God?” Are these the very people we are commissioned to preach to?
“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” - Matthew 10:14.
    Certainly, we are commanded by Christ to preach the gospel to all creatures. And so we must comply with our Savior’s command, even to these Godless creatures! Perhaps Spurgeon’s words sum it up - “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”
    While the unchurched and the unbelieving may not see our God and while they may continue to mock, provoke, and taunt us, let us never lose sight of our most holy God’s position. “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21. Let us therefore take heart - “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” - Psalm 115:3-8.
    May we always and everywhere place our trust in God’s sovereignty. That is where our victory lies and where the unbelievers are finally and indisputably disarmed! “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John: 16:33. In the end, God wins.

Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. - Psalm 100:4

    If we just stop for a moment each and every day to count our various blessings how can we not be thankful for God’s divine providence? Certainly, we can grouse about the things we would like to have in our lives and while Satan knows our wants it is our most holy God who knows our needs. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19.
    We go through our days striving for material possessions. Often they are merely desires of our hearts - a new car, a more expensive wardrobe, a bigger tv screen. But those are merely desires. God knows our desires as well but He also knows that often they would serve us no good service were we to obtain them. It is our needs that God provides for us. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” - Matthew 6:31-33.
    How often have we achieved our worldly goals or garnered those earthly possessions we so urgently reached for only to come away with that still and numb feeling of emptiness? How often have we gained all we wanted and still felt beleaguered and unsatisfied? “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” - Ecclesiastes 5:10.
    Our wants and desires change like the weather but our needs remain constant. And the greatest need we could ever have has already been fulfilled for us by God: our very eternal lives redeemed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! “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.
    Let us all take time on this Thanksgiving Day to meditate on all our merciful and gracious God has provided for us and bless His holy name. Have a great Thanksgiving Day. We all are indeed blessed!

American Idols - Joshua 24:23

  
 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” - Joshua 24:23.

    I have heard it said that Christians in America suffer from circumstances  similar to the Jews in Egypt. Personally, I believe the parallel is dubious at best. In particular, I cite one major reason for the failure of this example. Idolatry.
    In Egypt there was a pantheon of idols. The Egyptians called them “gods,” but make no mistake: they were nothing if they weren’t idols. Even the Pharaoh was worshiped as a god. But who did the Israelites worship? “And he blessed Joseph, and said: ‘God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” - Genesis 48:15-16. Clearly the God of Abraham was the sole focus of the Israelites in Egypt. It was indeed the clearest indicator of an Israelite; so clear that the Pharaoh was easily able to identify the Chosen People and thus mark them for bondage. “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage - in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” - Exodus 1:12-14.
    The Israelites in Egypt were set aside (made holy?) for persecution and enslavement because they were fruitful and mighty . . . and they worshiped the one true God of Abraham. So how does this concept translate to modern day America? The fact is - it doesn’t; it can’t because Christians today are barely distinguishable from the idol worshipers of this nation. Remember: the Israelites were easily recognized and easily observed because they worshiped the one true God, not idols.
    While we no longer worship the gods of rain or the gods of prosperity or the gods of health, we still worship enough idols in America to be virtually indistinguishable from those who we dare call “unbelievers.” Face it, unless we speak of our faith in Jesus Christ how many of us would actually be perceived as such based solely on our outward behavior?
“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” - Romans 13:13-14.
    It was by the way the Israelites walked that the Egyptians were so easily able to ostracize them and enslave them. They walked as Abraham and Isaac walked before God. Are we not called today to do the same? “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” - 1 John 2:6.
    No, the Israelites in Egypt were not perfect, nor are we but we have been called to make such perfection our sanctifying goal. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” - Matthew 5:48. Can you imagine the effect on this nation if just we Christians could walk as we have been instructed to walk? “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"  - 2 Corinthians 6:14.
    Let us today put away our American idols so that all the world can see us as a people set apart by God almighty. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” - Colossians 2:6-7.