When To Walk Away - Matthew 10:14-15

   
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. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
- Matthew 10:14-15

    Holy Scripture has instructed us in the ways of God. And it has instructed us in the manner we are to respect and adhere to God’s ways. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22.
    In the title verse, we see Christ’s position on those who have had the Gospel preached to them and yet ignore the instruction and admonitions. He tells His disciples to “shake off the dust from your feet,” an old Jewish sign of contempt. There are yet other cases of this “shaking effect” as a symbol of contempt. We find the same Jewish custom in Nehemiah 5:13, Acts 13:51, and Acts 18:6. Clearly, this action was a resolute sign of contempt for the people who rejected the Word of God. And finally this instruction is also repeated twice in the Gospel of Luke (9:4-5 and 10:11-12), so it is not a mere anomaly which happens to runs counter to Christ’s instruction to love others. This is God’s command for us to avoid being sullied by a world that rejects Him. If you offer the Gospel, the Holy word of God, and the people you offer it to reject it - you shake off the dust from your feet . . . and walk away! This old Jewish sign of contempt could rightly be compared to someone in contemporary society “spitting” in disdain. There is no doubt that this is a reflective reaction to someone’s complete and total rejection of the Gospel. It is not a reflection of a hardened Christian heart. There have been times in all our lives when we have encountered someone we simply couldn’t talk to. Raging and offering insult for insult is not an appropriate response for a Christian. In those times, Matthew 10:14-15 is the appropriate Christian response: walk away!
    Mind you, we’re not talking about those “as yet undecided” or merely doubting. We’re talking about those who are adamantly “in your face” scoffers. It is Christ Who tells us -  “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. Again we are admonished by Christ Himself to “turn away” from such people. The words are clearly written in Holy Scripture. For those who have resolutely rejected the Gospel, we are to terminate our association with them with extreme prejudice. Upon the contrition of such an individual we may continue to prophesy to them, but while they rail against hearing the word of God and blaspheme the Holy Spirit we are to have no part of them. “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” - Isaiah 52:11.
    Let us not allow the vain imaginings of pseudo-evangelists to convince us that we are to stay in the breach regardless of the outcome. We believe in the regeneration by the Holy Spirit in the of hearts of God’s elect. And we believe that there are many who will be left to their reprobate hearts and souls. Where the Spirit is rejected by man we need not remain too close to the coming fire. “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.
    We are to remember the words of Solomon - “To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7.
    Let us always seek God’s will, His entire will, when preaching to those whose hearts will receive them and those who will not.

Starry Starry Nights - Genesis 7:4

“For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” - Genesis 7:4

           Now just suppose God had indeed destroyed everything on the face of the earth. Every microbe, every bacteria, every insect, every walking, swimming, flying creature on the planet was destroyed. If God were to have done that, would there still be life elsewhere in the universe? It is an important question today because there are many people who insist that we are not alone.    I have actually heard the argument that this verse from Genesis is the lynchpin that “proves beyond a shadow of doubt” that there are alien life-forms. The argument goes something like this: God is only saying that He was going to destroy the life . . . on earth! With all due respect to those of you who desperately want to believe that we are not alone, both the Bible and the latest scientific evidence prove that you are not only misguided but resolutely wrong. “In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.” Acts 10:12. As just one example of God’s creatures, we can see Peter’s vision of animals coming down to earth . . . these are creatures OF the earth. No alien life forms here.
    We seem to be constantly barraged with news reports from the “authorities” that there is now evidence that there “may be, could be, is possible” evidence of life on another planet. And if that seems hard for you to follow then all I can say is “join the club!” Every statistic, photo, video, and sample extracted from the Moon, Mars and every other heavenly body we have ever observed show us nothing that would lead a logical person to believe there is life elsewhere in the cosmos. There isn’t a single shred of evidence that would lead us to such a conclusion. In answer to this, a recent scientific paper suggests that the reason we can’t find life on any planet is because they have moved “underground” to avoid being observed. This new claim isn’t only laughable; it’s pathological!
    Nowhere in our Bible is there any reference to alien life forms. There are ostentatious  suggestions that the vision described in Ezekiel 1 included an alien spacecraft, a conceivable “chariot of the gods.” Nothing definitive, mind you, but if there is an opening for those who would suggest such nonsense, there it is.   
    What does the Bible say regarding the life forms God has created? “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” - Revelation 5:13 Such passages suggest that all of creation worships God. Again, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” - Psalm 150:6. I’m pretty sure that secular scientists of today would in no way endorse such a fiat from God. In fact, you have these same secularists taking the high moral ground, claiming abortion is a woman’s right, homosexuality is not a sin but a lifestyle choice, transgenderism is not outright insanity but a personal decision, and then they all agree that we are not alone in the universe?  I can only speak for myself but I just find all of their claims unbelievable. Again, such claims as these border certifiable insanity. We must never forget that these “intellectuals” are the same ones who claim a single bacteria floating through space would be LIFE! Yet they reject the very idea that a zygote, a fertilized human ovum, is the beginning of human life on this planet. The irony of this madness cannot be ignored.
    Finally, according to our Holy Bible, man has been given dominion over all the animals - “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen— even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.” - Psalm 8:6-8. What man has dominion over is “the works” of God’s hands. Obviously, any secular scientist worth his weight in relativism, would have to disagree and say that for an alien life form to reach earth would require technological advances far ahead of our human understanding and capabilities at this time. Were such an event to actually take place, the Bible would be wrong about mankind’s dominion. We can’t have it both ways. Either God is in control and man is the highest form of biological life created by God, or secular science is right and we’re just floating haphazardly through space waiting for the next comet to hit.
    God has made the future of our world clear to us and He has made our responsibility clear to us - “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:13-14. The gospel will be preached in THIS world . . . and then the end will come. Let us concentrate on spreading the holy gospel of Jesus Christ in this world and leave the heavy lifting of galaxies and universes to their Creator - “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” - Revelation 21:5.
    Our Holy Bible contains all the evidence I have shown to disprove life anywhere but here on earth; where is your evidence to prove the contrary? The starry nights have been given to us by God for the natural revelation of His holy being and His own glorification, not to be the subject of erroneous speculation.   

Hope For The New Year - Luke 14:11

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Luke 14:11

    Another year has come and gone. Again we have witnessed the angst, the wrath, the evil, and the hopelessness of mankind. We continue to filibuster upon things which we cannot control whether by coercion, legislation, or threat and we wonder how man has fallen into such a hapless state. And all the while we have already answered our own riddle - man IS fallen! “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned . . .” - Romans 5:12.
    The symptoms of man’s fallenness are apparent all around us and far too numerous to list. However, the precursor to all these hindrances relay on one common denominator; the human sin of pride. It is pride that separates a devote man from the secular man. It is pride that demands, cajoles, lies, steals, threaten,  fights, murders, rapes, and every other heinous sin imaginable. “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” - James 4:2-3.  But none of this has come upon us unsuspectedly. We have been guilty of such behavior since the beginning of time and are guilty of it now. “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 . . .” - 2 Timothy 3:1-4.
    Take a look back at the year. Review it and what we’ve seen and heard whether from Washington DC or Hollywood or within our own homes! Pride is rampant in all its ugliness and God is watching and waiting for His time. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” - Isaiah 13:11.
    Whether we are star athletes, Oscar-winning actors, Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, politicians, TV celebrities, or simply common men and women - pride precedes us along with our sins. But this year, this New Year, our lives need not be a mere repetition of our previous years. To change the sinful patterns of the past we need merely do two things: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”  - Philippians 2:3.  And, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” - James 4:10.   
    This is what God wants. This is what God expects. This can be the hope for the New Year - “. . . 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. Let this be the year we recognize God as our Lord . . . and Savior!

Birth Of The Promise - Luke 2:11

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 
- Luke 2:11

    The sheer and unapologetic anti-Christian ugliness that pervades popular culture today remains relentless. Open hostility toward people of the Christian faith falls just short of radical Islam’s hatred of the Christian West. Whether it’s a newspaper attack accusing Christians of bigotry toward the LGBTQ herd or celebrities aiming their dim-witted religiously ignorant remarks at anyone who believes in the Christian God, their malevolent and deafening assaults are designed to do but three things; (1) shut down the spread of the Gospel; (2) shame believers into submission; and (3) continue to darken an already hopeless world.  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”- John 3:19.
    One of their favorite ploys is to simply refuse to deny “equal time” to the Gospel. While news report after news report will make every agonizing attempt to discredit decent God-fearing Christians, none will ever give time to God’s glorious word.  And they don’t limit themselves to attacking Christians; they turn their assaults against God Himself! “But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.” - Jude 17-18.
    The anti-Christian troops know that if we can’t preach the Gospel, we can’t teach the Gospel. And in their limited and convoluted minds they, like King Herod, need to kill the “the Message!” Whether their target is a baker who cannot violate his own beliefs by validating one of their heinous lies or a civil servant who refuses to certify their sins, their aim - their objective - is to shut down and criminalize the Christian conscience! Even Christian charities are “offensive” to these haters of God! Could they have had their way, they would have silenced the voices of the very angels declaring, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” - Luke 2:14.   
    But this Christmas Day let us remember the promise made by our almighty Father in heaven; a message that offers salvation to a dark and dying world; a message of hope -“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” - Acts 2:39. God Himself has made the promise to all who will believe in Him despite the wiles of the world, the betrayal of the flesh, and the treachery the devil- “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” - 1 John 2:25.
    Celebrate this day, this very morning “the Promise,” the birth of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, Jesus Christ! “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Genesis 28:14. That “seed” promised so many years ago was born to us on Christmas Day!
     “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.
Merry Christmas!

The Way We Worship - Ecclesiastes 5:1

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. - Ecclesiastes 5:1

    I recently saw a couple (husband and wife, I presume) wearing red tee-shirts on the backs of which was boldly printed - “The church for people who don’t like to go to church.” I can’t begin to tell you the shudder that ran through me when I read those words.
    The “seeker friendly movement” has gone beyond viral and, sadly to say, is now alive and well in nearly every city and town across this country. “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” - Exodus 3:5.
    There are three things that every professing Christian MUST acknowledge or their faith is merely lip service (1) God is the holy of holies; (2) Men, by our very nature, are debased sinners; and (3) because we are sinners, we must approach God with reverent, contrite, and humble spirits. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24.  With this in mind, we can see that it is not enough that we worship God - the way we worship Him must meet the standards that God Himself has set forth for us - “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2.
    Dr. John MacArthur once wrote, “The worst extremes usually start with a slight deviation.” Why not bring in a little extra musical flavor? Maybe a clavinet, a Moog synthesizer,  or a drum machine. A little hooting and hollering couldn’t hurt; after all, we’re doing it for Jesus!
    The reason for such irreverent additions to modern evangelical services has but one source: the desire by these charlatans claiming to be preachers to add numbers ($$$) to their congregations. Remember, they are out to recruit people who don’t like to go to church. Make the service entertaining enough and the problem is solved.
    What these “pastors” have either forgotten or never knew is that a church is the house of God! What goes on there is a reflection of our response to His holiness - “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’” - Genesis 28:16-17. Fear and awe describe Jacob’s realization. Once he realized that the Lord is in this place and this place is God’s house he was filled with the proper reverence, respect, and humility!
    Where is the humility that demands of us - “Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” - Psalm 95:6. Have we forgotten the admonition of Paul so soon?  Have we abandoned that which God seeks? “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 12:2.
    Reverent worship isn’t something begun by John Calvin despite his warning that “God disapproves all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His word.” But how do we know that God prefers one form of worship over another? Genesis 4:4-5 explicitly defines God’s preference as does His holy word - “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 19:30.
    Are we going to church to be entertained or are we attending services with humble repentance in our hearts to worship the holy God of our faith? “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29.
    If finding a church that uses contemporary “new and improved” praise music is at the top of our list for choosing a place of worship, finding a church isn’t our biggest problem. Proper worship of God is a doctrine that cannot be ignored or placed on a back-burner. If our doctrine of worship is wrong, where else have we missed the mark? God has made it clear - “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24. True reverent worship cannot, must not, be replaced by clanging cymbals and scorching guitar riffs. We must be mindful of God’s profound and holy desires and His sovereign commands - “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.” - Amos 5:23
    May the way we worship our heavenly Father always reflect the spirit and truth with humility and reverence for His holy house.
                                               

Over The Edge - Leviticus 25:35

If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. - Leviticus 25:35.
                                           

    When we hear colloquial idioms like, “over the edge,” or “over the top,” we are oft inclined to think in terms of the deliberations that put one in such a position. A person will climb to the point where for better or worse he can boast that he has gone over the edge or over the top. One might also find him or herself “pushed” to that position. And therein lies a significant difference: to reach such a position by one’s own volition or to be put in that position by circumstances.
    The deliberate and thoughtful efforts of a man or woman have put many “over the edge.” However, positive ramifications don’t always follow when one does so, especially when they reach such a state by their own volition! “For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:14.
    The Scriptures are replete with references to “the poor.” And this is the subject of my post today: poverty, true poverty, as defined by the Bible. The Bible defines true physical poverty just as validly as it defines spiritual poverty.
    The title verse refers to a brother who “becomes poor, and falls into poverty.” Mind you, the reference is to one who “falls into poverty,” not one who willfully jumps into that deplorable condition with both feet. In my opening paragraph, I referred to one who deliberately goes over the edge, not to someone who has fallen into rough times. The distinction is of the utmost importance when considering our Christian duty to feed the hungry! “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:10. “Will not work,” as opposed to “cannot work!”
    Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is a world of difference between one who through no fault of his own has fallen into poverty and one who has deliberately jumped over the edge into that debased life without hope or promise.
    Those who have been injured, become sick, are too young or old to work for themselves, or those who have been laid-off and gotten behind on their mortgages trying to feed themselves and their families - these are prime examples of those who have fallen into poverty. They didn’t choose to be in those straits. There are others, however, who deliberately refuses to seek gainful employment despite being healthy and capable. Inevitably, they will find themselves in destitution and a burden upon those around them. This latter is an example of one who has chosen the path of poverty for himself. The former cannot help himself while the latter will not help himself. There is a difference!  One is willing and ready for a hand up, while the other wants only a hand-out. “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep— so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.” - Proverbs 6:9-11.
    But who, honestly, is entitled to our Christian charity? We find constant references in Scripture to our being duty-bound to provide for “widows and orphans.” We must remember that the terms describing those in need are merely representative of the destitute. Historically and culturally, these two classes of individuals represented those who could not fend for themselves. Married women in the Bible were always provided for by their husbands. Should the husband die, the widows were often left destitute. The ancient culture made it extremely difficult for these widows to provide for themselves. Without a family to provide for them, they found themselves on the margins of society.
    Children who became orphans were also left out in the cold unless surviving family members provided for them. In today’s society, parents who are addicted to alcohol or drugs and exist in poverty because of their poor choices essentially place their own children in the position of being modern day “orphans” in the sense that they fail to provide for their children’s earthly needs. Here then we see again the concept that widows and orphans represent those who have fallen into poverty through no fault of their own and our Christian duty to help provide for them. “He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.” - Deuteronomy 10: 18.   
    As difficult as it is to say it: we cannot be blinded by misplaced compassion. Every dime, every expenditure squandered on an undeserving person is a drain on the resources available to those who are truly in need. Let us pray for the knowledge to use our Christian discernment when reaching out with our hearts and hands to the truly poor among us.
   

Confess & Repent - Psalm 38:18

For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. - Psalm 38:18

    The call of Jesus Christ to men of immoral dispositions has seldom been clearer than in recent times. From high profile movie producers and politicians to celebrity actors, news anchors, and talk show hosts the rush to judgment in the public forum has taken on the personality of a 17th Century witch hunt.
    I neither intend to add another nail in the coffins of these suspected profligate men’s careers or defend their actions. It is merely my desire to share the words of the Apostle, John - “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.
    Reason demands that among those accusations of philandering, a number of them are true, while some may indeed lack credibility. And quite surely these individuals, both the guilty and those who are not, wish that these allegations would disappear. However, Scripture teaches us that we are all guilty of transgressions against the holiness of God, and without a heartfelt and truthful confession of wrong-doing, none of us, quite literally, have a prayer! “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” - Isaiah 59:2.
    All men and women would do well to follow the confession of David in Psalm 51, when he declares  - “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” - Psalm 51:3-4. We have the very promise of God that we will not succeed in covering or hiding our iniquities. But confession will bring us His mercy. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13.
    God has given us time and room to confess our sins. He wants us all to come to repentance because we are all living in the guilty shadow of sin. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Luke 5:32. We must remember that it is God’s desire that we accept His forgiving call to us to repent and He is giving us all a due time and a season to do so.  “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 promise of God’s forgiveness is not to be taken lightly. And while there still may be temporal consequences to our sinful actions, God’s promise of mercy and pardon is secure if we but confess and repent. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:7.
    Confession and repentance are the keys to opening the promises of God, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” - Acts 8:22. May we all pray for God’s forgiveness and infinite mercy, now, before the hour of our deaths.