It Was Meant To Be - Isaiah 46:10

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ - Isaiah 46:10

    “Well, it was just meant to be?” How many times have we heard that comment made? When a Reformed Christian makes that comment I know what he or she is referring to, but when a devout unbeliever makes the same comment I find myself wanting to ask them, “Who meant for it to be?”
    As a North-East coast Floridian, I wasn’t spared the ire of Hurricane Irma. While my home was miraculously spared any physical damage, we were out of power for 6 unbearable days and we lost all of the contents of our refrigerator/freezer. The heat and Florida humidity were stifling so we took to a hotel until our power was restored. But ours was a minor inconvenience compared to many who lost so much in the storm. By any account, we were blessed to have lost no more than we did. We were not meant to lose more than we did. God in His beneficence granted us a welcome blessing. Many, many others were not as blessed. And so we come to the question - why were some people forced to endure so much more heartache and difficulty than others? “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?’” - Luke 13:2.
    Thankfully, the answer to Christ’s question was a resounding, “No!” Far too often, people of faith make the mistake of thinking that the degree to which some suffer is inextricably connected to the degree of sin in their lives. We are told more than once in Scripture that this notion is patently false. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’” - John 9:2-3.
    Of course, there are times when our suffering is directly connected to sin. Think of an inebriated driver in a single car crash resulting in his permanent paralysis. Or there are times when our suffering is tied to the sins of others. Think the previous scenario where an innocent victim is harmed. To the extent that the world is a fallen place, yes, sin is the cause of so much suffering. “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:’Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.’” - Genesis 3:17-18.
    But for all the suffering in the world; whether it be the result of hurricane in Texas, Florida, or the Caribbean, or a series of earthquakes in Mexico, there is still so much to be grateful for as we, despite our sinfulness, are continually showered by the graces of a God - “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” - Act 14: 16-17.
    And with each natural calamity the age-old question makes its appearance again - why does God let such terrible events affect so many people? While there will never be a pat answer which relieves the bewilderment of all people satisfactorily, we must in faith believe the words of Paul - “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.  May we hold diligently to our faith even through the harshest times.

Is This Love? - John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. - John 13:34

    Love - probably one of the most misunderstood and thus misused word in any language, except for perhaps Greek. The Greek terms for love actually is a four-fold treatment of how we are to relate to one another. But the Greek word for love that concerns us here is the word “agapaō.” to love in a social or moral sense. This is the sense in which Christ was telling His disciples to love their fellow men. “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12.
    This simple concept remains perhaps the most difficult for mankind to grasp, despite it being the very essence of God’s Law - “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Galatians 5:14.
    To quote and exposit upon the many commands of God to love our fellow human beings would take volumes. It is the rhyme and reason for Christ’s incarnation. “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. Suffice to say, love is the lynchpin of the Gospel. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” - John 15:13. It is as fundamental to our Christian claim of faith as is our obedience to God - “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” - 1 John 4:21.
    And this Greek word for love, “agapaō,” is the root of the tree that bears good fruit! It is this kind of love that must fill our hearts for one another, as well as those who would do us harm - “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you . . .” - Matthew 5:44.
    Selfish love will not do. Jealous love will not do. Spiteful love, angry love, unholy love, words of love will not do! We must ask ourselves, “Is this love?” And if it fails to meet the measurement of agapaō love as commanded by God, then whatever it may be, it is not Godly love.
    Of course, we must never confuse advocating sin as a measure of our “love” for someone. To suggest that the real measure of Christian love is to show toleration for another’s sinful lifestyle is disingenuous and sinful in itself! We must be quick to admonish those out this Christian love - “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” - Proverbs 27:6. When we quietly assent to the sins of those we are supposed to love we do them more harm than good. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who is love, admonished us all when He said to us - “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” - Mark 1:15.  So in the strength of the Holy Spirit, may we always love as God has loved us, for the love of God.

Stepping Out Of The Boat - Matthew 14:30

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30

    Sitting here thinking about our current hurricane season gave me pause. I know what I do when the winds of this world buffet me and erode my spiritual strength - I do as Peter did and cry out to my God. And although my supplications may not quiet the wind, they help to quiet my heart. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - John 14:27.
    Peter was perhaps the most boisterous of the Apostles. A fisherman by trade, he suffered from the same excesses that hexed all such men. Peter was a product of his times, as we too are products of our time, and thus shaped and troubled by 21st Century issues. Since Peter, a coarse Jewish fisherman, was an impulsive man, he often “led with his chin.” He thus found himself on the windy end of things more often than he wished. His impetuousness often led him into the force of the gales despite stern warnings. “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” - Matthew 26:33-35 Then, before the break of dawn - “And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed.” - Matthew 26:73-74.
    Aren’t we often a lot like Peter? I know without doubt that I am just a bit too prone to self-confidence in the face of the storm until the gales begin to blow, of course. Then I am floundering about, just as Peter did after stepping out of the boat. And Who was it that came to his rescue? The very same Jesus Who has promised - “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 28:19-20.
    We won’t always face catastrophic tempests in our lives but when we do we can have full faith that Christ is with us, even through the worst of storms.

Where Was God? - John 4:48

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’” - John 4:48.

    So, where WAS God during Hurricane Harvey’s destructive winds and flooding in Texas? That, I’m afraid would depend on who is asking. First, the question stands on the presumption of belief in God! How can one ask a question of an entity they don’t believe in and expect to get an answer? Why would God, the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe bother to answer the skeptical question of an unbeliever? No matter what God answered, it would never be enough to bring such an atheist to belief.
    It’s very much like demanding God to provide us with a reason why our loved ones have to die. We don’t always get to have those questions answered. Human beings are simply in no position to demand anything from God . . . period! So if you don’t believe in God now you have another reason to be angry with the God you steadfastly refuse to believe in. That is the definition of bizarre.
    Second, for those of us who are believers, perhaps we should look to the Book of Job. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” - Job 38:4.
    Who ARE we to question the will of the almighty God? The insensitive truth of the matter is rather simple: there isn’t a living or dead human being who has ever had the right to demand an answer from God. In fact, The Westminster Catechism states very clearly man’s role in relationship to God in the answer to the first question - Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
    Holy Scripture gives us an unambiguous answer to questions about God’s presence and His will - “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 has a plan. Make no mistake about it. God has a plan! It may be to bring thousands more to belief in Him and this terrible storm was His method. It may be to further harden the hearts of those who already disdain their knowledge of Him.
    A three-year-old child survived the flooding of Beaumont, Texas, clinging to the body of her mother and the unbelievers don’t see a sign, a miracle, in that tragedy? Simply put; those who see this incident merely as a tragedy just aren’t meant to find God’s presence there or anywhere. On the other hand, those who see a miracle in this tragedy are fully conscious of where God was in the Texas storm. Every survivor rescued from the raging torrents of the flood waters knows where God was. “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.
    May we all pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and know, along with the survivors, that God was indeed there during the storm.


                       

The Offense Of The Gospel - Matthew 11:6

“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” - Matthew 11:6

    The healing of the blind, lame, sick, and deaf would surely be of no offense to anyone of humane convictions. The raising of the dead would certainly raise an eyebrow or two but again, hardly a reason for offense; however, preach the gospel? Now you’ve got a fight on your hands! And you can bet the unbelievers will have a myriad of “good reasons” for being offended. Throughout the history of Christ’s church, the aim of our persecutors has been and remains to kill the messenger along with the message! “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” - John 15:19.
    Countless pastors and theologians suggest that the church’s real problem is not unbelievers but the “wolves in sheep’s clothing” within the body of believers. I do not possess the qualifications nor inclination to argue with that opinion but I will say, having lived through the later half of the 20th Century that persecution of Christ’s church is at an all time high during my lifetime. Whether it comes in the form of simple people snickering at the Word of God in our communities, or the target of the nightly mainstream media, or the victim of judicial legislation, or is manifest in the murder of Christians by ISIS; the persecution of Christians grows exponentially every day.
    The issues that divide us Christians had better be of the utmost import if we are to engage in questionable theological debates. Supralapsarianism or infralapsarianism? The mode and time of Baptism. Positions on ethics the Bible doesn’t address. We need to stop worrying over the minutia and get a grip on our doctrine! “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” - 2 Timothy 2:23. While we split hairs, the pagan forces sharpen their swords!
    There is a world of hateful unbelievers out there just waiting for the season to act out their aggression toward the gospel they find so offensive. They have achieved great strides conquering the mainstream media, the system of education, the judiciary, the arts and popular culture. Against them and the devil who moves them, our Christian faith must be the bulwark between the world and God’s will! Offend them we must  - “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” - Isaiah 40:3. Offend them, we will - “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” - Mark 16:15-16.
    The world rejects the Gospel; the Gospel offends the world. May our spiritual stamina match our desire to preach God’s word to every creature and help bring God’s will to fruition.

No Truth? - John 8:44

 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
 - John 8:44

    The relativist insists, “there is no absolute truth,” and he insists so absolutely! If one is the least bit thoughtful, I believe this relativist position is shattered before it even hits the ground. The argument has the seeds of its own demise born into it. The semantics of such a statement simply defies logic. Still, we have this ongoing battle of words and meanings; hoping that one day the relativists will “get it.”    
    Scripture clearly gets it right in our title verse. The relativists are incapable of seeing the truth because they neither stand in (or on) the truth nor is there any truth in them. To paraphrase an old saying, “They wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up and bit them.”  What was it the serpent said to Eve?
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1.
    The relativists have anchored themselves fast to the father of lies, and upon hearing the nonsense and drivel which foams out of their mouths, any thinking man or woman should be able to detect the sheer lunacy of such an untenable position. I could certainly destroy the myth of no absolute truth simply by pushing the relativist off a tall building. An abrupt stop at the end of a long fall will be the certain outcome, and that is the absolute truth. But speaking the truth is the Christian’s way of ending the dispute. “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, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” - 2 Timothy 2:24-26
    When one insists that there is no truth, they communicate that falsehood with nonsense. And falsehood is a tool of the devil. However, there is indeed absolute truth. We have heard from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus 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.
    Finally, we must come to the conclusion that, in nearly every case, the belief in no absolute truth is not so much a deeply held belief as it is a cheap political position. It is part of an agenda most specific to those who choose disbelief. The truth limits them and confines their methodology so they may keep their anarchist passions alive. They must deny what they know to be the truth so they can rise up indignantly and cry out, “No God - no master!” We shall see.
     But the truth really can set us free. And all we have to do is believe. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” - Psalm 145:18.

To The Addict - Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13

    I have chosen this verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians to stress the fact that it is Christ and Christ alone who can rescue us from our personal demons. It matters not what the addiction is. Whether it is smoking, drinking, gambling, pornography, drugs, or any of a plethora of other fixations; Christ almighty can put an end to all such worldly pitfalls.
    Now I know that many an addict or an addict’s loved ones will object and say, “Then why haven’t my prayers been answered?” With such a question many doors are likely to be opened; some of which might better be left closed. But I can and will remain steadfastly convinced of the power of Jesus Christ to conquer any addiction known to man. The problem lies not in Christ but within us. Far too often we seek a human solution to a spiritual problem. Remember: from the Christian perspective we are dealing with man’s sinful nature and we simply cannot cure ourselves. Only God has the panacea for what ails us; after all, how can we save ourselves from ourselves?
    Far too many cases of addiction are excused by or enabled by the notion that “this particular addiction is different from all others. No one can understand or imagine what I (or my loved one) is going through.” Not true!  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
    Addictions are nothing more than temptations we have succumbed to. We weren’t born with cigarettes in our mouths any more than we were born with needles in our arms. Clearly,  it is when we choose to associate with people or when we choose to frequent those places which present us with the greatest temptations that we fall. “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” - Proverbs 6:27.
    We are warned and warned again against allowing the devil to have his way with us. The Apostle, Peter, a man with his own shortcomings, warns us about maintaining our sobriety and the danger of allowing the devil an inroad - “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter5:8.
    Still, you cry out, “How? How can I fight and beat this sickness? I have tried everything!” Have you? Do you remember the words of our Lord, Jesus Christ? “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 5:30. Christ isn’t literally commanding us to maim ourselves but what He is saying is that you have got to take this addiction seriously. Whatever is leading to your continued addiction has to go! Leave your job; leave your friends; leave your family! Whatever and whoever is helping keep you a slave to your addiction has to go! “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7. If you are focused on your feeding your addiction then you aren’t focused on Christ Jesus.
     Whenever I look at someone who remains in addiction, I think, “You are where you are at because you haven’t put your faith in Jesus Christ. If you had, you wouldn’t be an addict!” You may object to that concept all you like; nonetheless, it remains true. Seek Jesus Christ not only as your Savior but as your Lord! Unfortunately, the number of people who want Jesus as their Savior will always be greater than the number of people who want Him as their Lord. We cannot pick and choose the attributes of God!
    Twelve steps haven’t helped? Try the most effective three step program available: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Where the famous “12 Step program” fails, the Holy Trinity succeeds.
    So there are three things that every addict must take into consideration and hold close to his or her heart if they truly want freedom from the slavery of addiction - “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” - 1 Corinthians 3:16. You were made by God for God.
      Secondly, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” - Psalm 50:15. The lost cannot save the lost. The dead cannot raise themselves. Where man fails, God triumphs.
    And finally, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” - Galatians 5:1. Get all those things which bind you to your slavery behind you and never look back to your sins; look forward to the glory of God.
    Remember, remember first and foremost that we are children of God. Before anything else - we are children of God and He has promised us - “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8.