As a child I knew where Mom hid our Christmas and birthday gifts. I also knew that I was not supposed to look there. One year I snuck around to discover the toy John Deere tractor that I had been hoping for. I was wrong, for I did it in direct disobedience to my parents.
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Now as a parent myself, I face the challenge of keeping the gifts a secret from my little boys. Leading up to Christmas, I had not noticed that Crystal had taken out the new pair of boots to wrap when I got our little guy up from his nap. He was definitely excited about them but had to wait a while to open them. He was definitely pleased with them and now after Christmas he runs around the house with them on.
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Hiding gifts from a little boy is one thing, but hiding them from their mother is another. I have actually started a little game with her by hiding her gifts in plain sight. A few years ago we moved right before her birthday, so I knew it would be difficult to hide her gift through the move since she was actively involved with the packing. I solved the problem by placing her gift in the trunk of the car with some other items so that she could easily see it if she just looked. That way there was nothing suspicious about it.
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I had some more fun this year for our anniversary. I had bought some candy for her while on a trip and hid it under the front seat of the van. She did not mean to find it but as she was unloading the van, wondered what that bag was doing under the seat and discovered her candy a bit early. Of course, I still wanted to surprise here so I got another box and this one was a solid color with a stripe down the middle, so I placed it on the book shelf among the other books. On our anniversary, I called her into the office and told her to get a book from the shelf so that she would finally find it. She was surprised because she had looked at that shelf many times without seeing her box of candy.
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What a reminder that we can have something so close and so accessible and still miss it. The teaching of Christ is a lot like that. It is right there in front of us if we would only look to our Bibles, but even many that do end up missing it’s truth. Matthew 11:25 shows us that the truth is so simple a child can understand it, yet many miss it: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
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So how could something that is right in front of a wise and prudent man be missed? Could it be that they really don’t want to see it? The Apostle Paul shows us that the gospel is hid to many because they are lost. In other words, they don’t understand what Christ has taught and what He has done in paying for their sins because they have rejected Him as their Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
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The point is, you cannot expect the scriptures to make sense if you have rejected the God of the Bible. The treasures are hid in plain sight if you will but believe in Christ alone as your Lord and Savior. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cardboard Christmas
We don’t buy our little boys many toys. We don’t have to because Grandma does it for us. We have a special place in the corner of the living room where our little 2 year old Jared can keep his toys. The other day he had lost interest in them and began to rummage through drawers. I directed him to his corner and the brightly colored toys for him to amuse himself with. Amongst that pile of play things was a discarded cardboard insert from a fabric spool. Instead of going for the nice store bought items, he began to play with that piece of cardboard and was soon sharing it with his baby brother who also enjoyed playing with it.
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That brought to mind memories of my own childhood. We typically received a lot of toys at Christmas time. Again, my Grandma and Grandpa were big contributors. In spite of all the toys, one of the best things about the Christmas gifts were all the boxes. It was so much fun to play with the boxes that the gifts came in and the bigger the box, the better.
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I remember one year in particular because there were some especially big boxes left over after the gifts had been opened and Mom let me have them. Wow! I wasn’t all that big yet, and these boxes were big enough for me to crawl into. I then got an idea. If I taped the boxes together in an “L” shape and cut some windows in one it would look like a truck cab. I was able to talk Mom into letting me use a scissors, and have some masking tape (I had not yet discovered duct tape). Soon I had my own toy truck that I could sit in.
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I can’t remember anything else I got for Christmas that year, but I can still remember that cardboard truck, and apart from the masking tape, it was free. What a precious reminder that the best things in life really are free.
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We must not forget that the real meaning of Christmas is not about boxes and toys, or even about us giving gifts to each other. It is about God coming into this world as the Son of God in order to give the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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The best Christmas gift of all is not a cardboard box or a fancy toy. It is the salvation that comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to really understand that gift, we must understand John 3:16. Just as my Mom loves her grandkids so much that she wants them to have Christmas gifts, our Heavenly Father loves us enough that He provided a way for us to have eternal life.
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The reason we needed that gift is because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Notice that it is a gift, and looking back at John 3:16, we realize that all we have to do to receive that gift is to believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 also tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
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So what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? It means to believe God. That means believing all that God said about the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Read what God directed the prophets to write about Him in the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2 are a few clear examples of God telling us about Christ long before He was even born. You need to believe that God said in Isaiah 6:9 that Christ is the Mighty God. That means you have to believe what Christ said about Himself when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
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Belief in Christ means believing everything He says and thus putting your complete confidence in Him alone for your salvation. If you do that, according to His words in John 3:16, He then guarantees you everlasting life. That is a gift that lasts forever. My mom threw away my cardboard truck long ago, but I never have to worry about losing the best gift of all, eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
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The Christmas gifts my kids get from Grandma cost them nothing, but Grandma had to spend money for them. Our salvation is also a gift, and costs us nothing but belief. Instead of cash, the purchase of salvation cost God something even more precious. It cost Him the very life blood of Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) If you want to receive the best Christmas gift ever, realize that it is free if you will believe God, and not argue with His truth concerning Christ as Savior. Jesus promised in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” That is good news, the good news of the gospel.
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That brought to mind memories of my own childhood. We typically received a lot of toys at Christmas time. Again, my Grandma and Grandpa were big contributors. In spite of all the toys, one of the best things about the Christmas gifts were all the boxes. It was so much fun to play with the boxes that the gifts came in and the bigger the box, the better.
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I remember one year in particular because there were some especially big boxes left over after the gifts had been opened and Mom let me have them. Wow! I wasn’t all that big yet, and these boxes were big enough for me to crawl into. I then got an idea. If I taped the boxes together in an “L” shape and cut some windows in one it would look like a truck cab. I was able to talk Mom into letting me use a scissors, and have some masking tape (I had not yet discovered duct tape). Soon I had my own toy truck that I could sit in.
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I can’t remember anything else I got for Christmas that year, but I can still remember that cardboard truck, and apart from the masking tape, it was free. What a precious reminder that the best things in life really are free.
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We must not forget that the real meaning of Christmas is not about boxes and toys, or even about us giving gifts to each other. It is about God coming into this world as the Son of God in order to give the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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The best Christmas gift of all is not a cardboard box or a fancy toy. It is the salvation that comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to really understand that gift, we must understand John 3:16. Just as my Mom loves her grandkids so much that she wants them to have Christmas gifts, our Heavenly Father loves us enough that He provided a way for us to have eternal life.
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The reason we needed that gift is because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Notice that it is a gift, and looking back at John 3:16, we realize that all we have to do to receive that gift is to believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 also tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
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So what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? It means to believe God. That means believing all that God said about the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Read what God directed the prophets to write about Him in the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2 are a few clear examples of God telling us about Christ long before He was even born. You need to believe that God said in Isaiah 6:9 that Christ is the Mighty God. That means you have to believe what Christ said about Himself when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
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Belief in Christ means believing everything He says and thus putting your complete confidence in Him alone for your salvation. If you do that, according to His words in John 3:16, He then guarantees you everlasting life. That is a gift that lasts forever. My mom threw away my cardboard truck long ago, but I never have to worry about losing the best gift of all, eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
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The Christmas gifts my kids get from Grandma cost them nothing, but Grandma had to spend money for them. Our salvation is also a gift, and costs us nothing but belief. Instead of cash, the purchase of salvation cost God something even more precious. It cost Him the very life blood of Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) If you want to receive the best Christmas gift ever, realize that it is free if you will believe God, and not argue with His truth concerning Christ as Savior. Jesus promised in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” That is good news, the good news of the gospel.
I've Been Shot
Thanksgiving was a happy time for our family. The food was great even though I ate too much of it and the time spent with family was a blessing. I soon learned that not all families had had such a joyous holiday. In Florida, a man, suddenly, without warning, went on a shooting rampage, killing 4 relatives. Closer to home, a Russian roulette game gone wrong took the life of a Minnesota teenager. What a reminder that a harmless gun, like so many other good tools, can be deadly if used maliciously or irresponsibly by a sinful man.
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As a child, I was taught that guns could be dangerous, though not evil. I was also taught that using them in an irresponsible manner was evil. Therefore, if I ever hurt someone with a gun, the gun was not at fault, I was. Blaming guns for death and crime is symptomatic of a society that is not willing to take responsibility for sin. We must not forget that the scriptures told us that the wages of sin is death long before the gun was ever invented. It also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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I bring up the subject of guns, not to open up a debate on the Second Amendment, but to illustrate how easy it is to take a statement out of context. Let me make such a statement, “I have been shot by multiple family members.” This is a true statement. My father, both my brothers, and my brother-in-law have all shot me. If I ended the article here, you may be left wondering how we were able to have such a joyous holiday time of thanksgiving to God this year.
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Let me put the statement into a broader context. Going back to my preteen childhood years, we once received dart guns for Christmas. Now they were not the sharp darts, like the deadly lawn dart game, but the little plastic darts with a rubber plunger on the end that was shot by a spring activated gun. The plunger was to allow the darts to stick to a window, mirror, or refrigerator. Lets face it, they couldn’t be too dangerous if Mom would allow us to shoot at a mirror with them. Now we could debate the morality of shooting at each other with them, but I must admit that one of my favorite childhood memories of my father is this “mature” middle aged farmer running around the house, hiding behind the door frames, and shooting his children as they attempted to shoot him first (with a rubber dart).
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Several years later, my little brother began to play paintball with his friends and invited me to join them. This was even more exciting than playing dart guns. My brothers and I definitely had fun running through the woods shooting at one another, being careful to wear the proper safety gear before we played. It was actually much safer than football.
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After Crystal and I were married, it did not take long before my brother-in-law shot me. This time it was not during a game, and it was not a toy gun. Sure, he had shot me earlier with his super soaker, but this time could have been much more serious. We were installing soffit and facia on a house and were using an air powered staple gun to attach the soffits when the safety trigger malfunctioned and a staple brushed my face. The wound was only a scratch, but it alerted us to the danger.
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My stories about being shot have a much different meaning than the recent news headlines. Once you put them into their proper context they make more sense. I could say the same thing about our understanding of the Word of God. It would be easy to take a passage from the Bible and make it sound much different than what was actually being said. That is why we must study the scripture so that we are not ashamed for taking it out of context. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) I encourage you to bring your Bibles to church to know if the preacher is actually doing this. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
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As a child, I was taught that guns could be dangerous, though not evil. I was also taught that using them in an irresponsible manner was evil. Therefore, if I ever hurt someone with a gun, the gun was not at fault, I was. Blaming guns for death and crime is symptomatic of a society that is not willing to take responsibility for sin. We must not forget that the scriptures told us that the wages of sin is death long before the gun was ever invented. It also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
-
I bring up the subject of guns, not to open up a debate on the Second Amendment, but to illustrate how easy it is to take a statement out of context. Let me make such a statement, “I have been shot by multiple family members.” This is a true statement. My father, both my brothers, and my brother-in-law have all shot me. If I ended the article here, you may be left wondering how we were able to have such a joyous holiday time of thanksgiving to God this year.
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Let me put the statement into a broader context. Going back to my preteen childhood years, we once received dart guns for Christmas. Now they were not the sharp darts, like the deadly lawn dart game, but the little plastic darts with a rubber plunger on the end that was shot by a spring activated gun. The plunger was to allow the darts to stick to a window, mirror, or refrigerator. Lets face it, they couldn’t be too dangerous if Mom would allow us to shoot at a mirror with them. Now we could debate the morality of shooting at each other with them, but I must admit that one of my favorite childhood memories of my father is this “mature” middle aged farmer running around the house, hiding behind the door frames, and shooting his children as they attempted to shoot him first (with a rubber dart).
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Several years later, my little brother began to play paintball with his friends and invited me to join them. This was even more exciting than playing dart guns. My brothers and I definitely had fun running through the woods shooting at one another, being careful to wear the proper safety gear before we played. It was actually much safer than football.
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After Crystal and I were married, it did not take long before my brother-in-law shot me. This time it was not during a game, and it was not a toy gun. Sure, he had shot me earlier with his super soaker, but this time could have been much more serious. We were installing soffit and facia on a house and were using an air powered staple gun to attach the soffits when the safety trigger malfunctioned and a staple brushed my face. The wound was only a scratch, but it alerted us to the danger.
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My stories about being shot have a much different meaning than the recent news headlines. Once you put them into their proper context they make more sense. I could say the same thing about our understanding of the Word of God. It would be easy to take a passage from the Bible and make it sound much different than what was actually being said. That is why we must study the scripture so that we are not ashamed for taking it out of context. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) I encourage you to bring your Bibles to church to know if the preacher is actually doing this. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
Friday, November 20, 2009
Once Upon A Time
My sister-in-law is a published author of children’s stories. Her most successful book is called One-Eyed Jack. It is about a little boy who finds a stray dog and has to convince his father to let him keep it. The ideas for her story came from stories my brother had told her about a dog that we had when we were growing up. Our dog had come from an animal shelter and Dad had decided we should get him, but what had really gotten Paula’s attention was hearing her husband, Travis, talk about the special bond that formed between a boy and his dog.
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I had formed bonds with that same dog, but in different ways than my brother had. Because I was older, I wanted to train him, and was quickly able to teach him to shake hands. Travis on the other hand just wanted that puppy to be his friend and soon they were spending hours together jumping on the hay stacks.
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I recently picked up Paula’s book about the little dog named Jack, and realized that she was wise enough to avoid the old cliché, “Once upon a time,” in her introduction. I began to think about that phrase and realized that it would not be fitting for her book at all, for the relationships boys and dogs have are not a one time story. In fact, that same story plays out in the lives of many children all over the world. I am confident that many of the readers of this article could share special stories of a dog that they were close to when they grew up.
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The fact that these stories are so common does not make them any less interesting, in fact, they sometimes make them more so because we are able to connect with them. At the other end of the spectrum are the stories that are so very exiting because they really did happen only once. Those once in a lifetime adventures like a solo hike to the top of a treacherous mountain or the journey of Lewis and Clark across an uncharted America continue to intrigue readers for generations. But what if an event were so special that it wasn’t just once in a lifetime, but would only occur once in forever? There is such a special event in Scripture, and that event was the death of Christ in order to pay for our sins. Consider Hebrews 9:24-28:
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24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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What an amazing story from history. Look at verse 26. Christ appeared to put away sin and He did it once when He offered Himself as a sacrifice. Please read this passage again, for it makes it very clear that He only did it once. Do you realize how good that news it? Christ was sinless and His sacrifice was so perfect that it only needed to occur once in order to take care of the sins of those who would trust Him. Please look at verse 28 again as well.
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If these verses are true, why do some people teach that Christ needs to be reoffered weekly? If you do not believe that these verses are really part of scripture, please look them up in your own Bible and reread them again.
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Romans 3:4 tells us to let God be true, but every man a liar. I trust what the Word of God teaches. This is an issue concerning the very gospel itself. It is an issue concerning how many times Christ had to offer His body to pay for our sins. The apostle Paul warned about false gospels and was quite adamant in his warning of Galatians 1:8 when he said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” I must say that I am more concerned about the anathemas found in the Holy Scriptures through the pen of the Apostle Paul than I am about the anathemas of men through the church. “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9).
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Hebrews 9:24-28 makes it very clear that Christ only paid for our sins once upon a time, and that that time was upon the cross. So are you trusting in what He did to pay for your sins then, or are you trusting in what you do in taking part in a ritual now? One is an anathema, and we must look to the Scriptures to know which one it is.
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I had formed bonds with that same dog, but in different ways than my brother had. Because I was older, I wanted to train him, and was quickly able to teach him to shake hands. Travis on the other hand just wanted that puppy to be his friend and soon they were spending hours together jumping on the hay stacks.
-
I recently picked up Paula’s book about the little dog named Jack, and realized that she was wise enough to avoid the old cliché, “Once upon a time,” in her introduction. I began to think about that phrase and realized that it would not be fitting for her book at all, for the relationships boys and dogs have are not a one time story. In fact, that same story plays out in the lives of many children all over the world. I am confident that many of the readers of this article could share special stories of a dog that they were close to when they grew up.
-
The fact that these stories are so common does not make them any less interesting, in fact, they sometimes make them more so because we are able to connect with them. At the other end of the spectrum are the stories that are so very exiting because they really did happen only once. Those once in a lifetime adventures like a solo hike to the top of a treacherous mountain or the journey of Lewis and Clark across an uncharted America continue to intrigue readers for generations. But what if an event were so special that it wasn’t just once in a lifetime, but would only occur once in forever? There is such a special event in Scripture, and that event was the death of Christ in order to pay for our sins. Consider Hebrews 9:24-28:
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24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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What an amazing story from history. Look at verse 26. Christ appeared to put away sin and He did it once when He offered Himself as a sacrifice. Please read this passage again, for it makes it very clear that He only did it once. Do you realize how good that news it? Christ was sinless and His sacrifice was so perfect that it only needed to occur once in order to take care of the sins of those who would trust Him. Please look at verse 28 again as well.
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If these verses are true, why do some people teach that Christ needs to be reoffered weekly? If you do not believe that these verses are really part of scripture, please look them up in your own Bible and reread them again.
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Romans 3:4 tells us to let God be true, but every man a liar. I trust what the Word of God teaches. This is an issue concerning the very gospel itself. It is an issue concerning how many times Christ had to offer His body to pay for our sins. The apostle Paul warned about false gospels and was quite adamant in his warning of Galatians 1:8 when he said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” I must say that I am more concerned about the anathemas found in the Holy Scriptures through the pen of the Apostle Paul than I am about the anathemas of men through the church. “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9).
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Hebrews 9:24-28 makes it very clear that Christ only paid for our sins once upon a time, and that that time was upon the cross. So are you trusting in what He did to pay for your sins then, or are you trusting in what you do in taking part in a ritual now? One is an anathema, and we must look to the Scriptures to know which one it is.
Justified
Imagine that a young man and his little sister are walking home from a ball game on a dark night. A suspicious looking van pulls up beside them, the side door opens, a man jumps out and tries to take the girl. What he does not realize is that her brother is a United States Marine, home on leave, who is trained in hand to hand combat. He quickly subdues the assailant just as a police officer arrives on the scene. Not having seen the whole incident, the officer assumes the kidnapper is being assaulted. The marine tells the officer that he can explain. The officer asks, “how can you ‘justify’ beating up this guy?” Once the evidence is presented, the officer agrees that the marine was indeed ‘justified‘. This illustration will actually help to clarify a seeming contradiction in the Scripture.
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There is a raging debate in Christianity over whether a man is saved by grace or by works. Romans 11:6 tells us, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The point is, we cannot be saved by BOTH grace and works, it has to be one or the other. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies the issue, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”This passage settles the issue. Salvation is clearly by grace alone, not by works. Some confusion, however, can result if another passage is misinterpreted. Consider James 2:18-26.
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18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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This passage from James does not contradict the Ephesians passage; instead it supports it. Some may ask, “if Abraham was justified by works, doesn’t that mean he was saved by his works?” The answer is no. That would be a misapplication of the word justification. In order to understand this passage we must understand that word. Remember the marine who gave the justification for his actions? Perhaps you as well have done something where you have been asked to provide justification for your actions. What they are asking you to do is to show them that your actions are just. In other words give them evidence that what you did was right. Justification in James 2 means showing through action that you are just. Let us break down the passage further.
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Verse 18 says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” In other words look at what I do, and I will show you I am just. Then, verses 19-20, state, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” This shows us that there is a kind of belief that is nothing more than an understanding of the truth and there is a belief that puts one’s complete confidence in God and turns to Him as Lord and Savior. The devils did not have the second kind of belief and that was evidenced by their actions. The same can be said of humans. If they do not have a saving belief, their works will show that they are not justified before God and that they are spiritually dead.
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A question is then asked about Abraham. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” That rhetorical question is not saying that Abraham was saved by his works, it is showing that he was shown to be just by his works. In other words, his works proved his relationship with God rather than establishing it. Notice how verse 22 is saying that his faith worked with his works. In other words the works were a result of his faith.
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So then how was his faith established? Verse 24 makes it clear that it happened when he believed God- when he put his full confidence in the Lord- not when he did the works: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Notice the difference in terms. The earlier verses talked of him being justified. This one speaks of him being righteous. His righteousness is his right condition before God as opposed to his justification which was the evidence of that condition.
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His righteousness came by belief, not by works, but the works which followed justified, or showed that his belief was real. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (vs. 24) In other words, you cannot show yourself to be just if you don’t do anything. The works are the evidence, but belief/faith is the means. If all you do is exercise faith and then don’t do anything, how can you show that you really believe?
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The passage ends with another example of this principle. “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Vs 25-26) Realize you are not saved by your works, but if there are no works there is no evidence that you are saved and you are thus unable to show yourself to be just. So what is your justification for ‘your’ claim of faith? Could you show any proof that you actually believe God like Abraham and Rahab did?
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There is a raging debate in Christianity over whether a man is saved by grace or by works. Romans 11:6 tells us, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The point is, we cannot be saved by BOTH grace and works, it has to be one or the other. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies the issue, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”This passage settles the issue. Salvation is clearly by grace alone, not by works. Some confusion, however, can result if another passage is misinterpreted. Consider James 2:18-26.
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18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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This passage from James does not contradict the Ephesians passage; instead it supports it. Some may ask, “if Abraham was justified by works, doesn’t that mean he was saved by his works?” The answer is no. That would be a misapplication of the word justification. In order to understand this passage we must understand that word. Remember the marine who gave the justification for his actions? Perhaps you as well have done something where you have been asked to provide justification for your actions. What they are asking you to do is to show them that your actions are just. In other words give them evidence that what you did was right. Justification in James 2 means showing through action that you are just. Let us break down the passage further.
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Verse 18 says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” In other words look at what I do, and I will show you I am just. Then, verses 19-20, state, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” This shows us that there is a kind of belief that is nothing more than an understanding of the truth and there is a belief that puts one’s complete confidence in God and turns to Him as Lord and Savior. The devils did not have the second kind of belief and that was evidenced by their actions. The same can be said of humans. If they do not have a saving belief, their works will show that they are not justified before God and that they are spiritually dead.
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A question is then asked about Abraham. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” That rhetorical question is not saying that Abraham was saved by his works, it is showing that he was shown to be just by his works. In other words, his works proved his relationship with God rather than establishing it. Notice how verse 22 is saying that his faith worked with his works. In other words the works were a result of his faith.
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So then how was his faith established? Verse 24 makes it clear that it happened when he believed God- when he put his full confidence in the Lord- not when he did the works: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Notice the difference in terms. The earlier verses talked of him being justified. This one speaks of him being righteous. His righteousness is his right condition before God as opposed to his justification which was the evidence of that condition.
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His righteousness came by belief, not by works, but the works which followed justified, or showed that his belief was real. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (vs. 24) In other words, you cannot show yourself to be just if you don’t do anything. The works are the evidence, but belief/faith is the means. If all you do is exercise faith and then don’t do anything, how can you show that you really believe?
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The passage ends with another example of this principle. “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Vs 25-26) Realize you are not saved by your works, but if there are no works there is no evidence that you are saved and you are thus unable to show yourself to be just. So what is your justification for ‘your’ claim of faith? Could you show any proof that you actually believe God like Abraham and Rahab did?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Reliable Salvation
Some folks have a green thumb. My little brother has a greasy thumb. He loves to tinker on old motors. Today he has a job working for Pipestone County, but after work he still loves to “play” in his shop.
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I remember when he was barely a teenager, and we pulled an old ‘36 Dodge truck up from the pasture. The motor was shot, but there was an old Dodge car in the grove that Dad said he could take the motor out of. With a lot of time and just as much determination he got the motors swapped out and that old truck running again. Sure we had to pull it to get it started and it popped and banged a bit, but he was able to drive it around the yard. The tires barely held air, the signal lights didn’t work, and don’t even ask about the brakes.
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It was exciting to get that old truck running again, but we would not have trusted it to take us very far. There is no way I would want to rely on that truck for a cross county trip, let alone a ride to town. If I ever have to drive to California, I want something much more reliable than that old Dodge truck with rotten tires, rusty valves, and useless brakes.
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We just recently bought a used van. It is much newer than that old truck, but since I have not had it all that long, I still am not all that confident in it for such a long trip. I’ve had my pickup much longer, and it has been fairly reliable, but with around 190,000 on the odometer I’m not so sure I would want to take that either. We still have our car and it is fairly new and has much lower miles on it. That is probably the vehicle I would chose for the trip. Still even with fairly reliable transportation I realize I am not guaranteed to get there. The engine could blow, the transmission go out, or a computer chip could stop working. We could even have an accident.
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What if our hope for salvation was like a cross country car drive? Sadly, a lot of people think it is like that- thinking that, maybe I’ll make it, maybe I won’t. What if instead of just taking a car or a truck, God said, “just trust me, I’ll get you there.” Now God doesn’t do that for us when we plan a trip to California, but He does do that for us when it comes to eternity.
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John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That makes it clear that if we are to have eternal life, we must believe on Jesus Christ. Instead, too many people try to find there own way to heaven and come up short as Romans 10:3 proves, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”Let us realize if we depend on our own works, they are just as unreliable as that old truck from the pasture for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some people suggest that Jesus does 90% of the saving and then we have to do the other 10%. That’s like saying God will get you 90% of the way to California, and then you have to drive that old truck the rest of the way. I’ve been in that truck. Trust me- it won’t make it even that far.
-C
an we really believe God when He promises to save us? Can we really have assurance of salvation? Folks, that is what faith and belief is all about. It is about putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh- trusting in Him alone to save you. Romans 3:3-4 makes it clear that God tells the truth and we can believe Him, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I John 5:13 makes it clear that if we believe on Jesus Christ we can know that we are saved, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (emphasis mine)
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If you are trusting in anything other than God’s power to save you, you have no reason to have any assurance. But notice the assurance that comes with exercising faith, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
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I remember when he was barely a teenager, and we pulled an old ‘36 Dodge truck up from the pasture. The motor was shot, but there was an old Dodge car in the grove that Dad said he could take the motor out of. With a lot of time and just as much determination he got the motors swapped out and that old truck running again. Sure we had to pull it to get it started and it popped and banged a bit, but he was able to drive it around the yard. The tires barely held air, the signal lights didn’t work, and don’t even ask about the brakes.
-
It was exciting to get that old truck running again, but we would not have trusted it to take us very far. There is no way I would want to rely on that truck for a cross county trip, let alone a ride to town. If I ever have to drive to California, I want something much more reliable than that old Dodge truck with rotten tires, rusty valves, and useless brakes.
-
We just recently bought a used van. It is much newer than that old truck, but since I have not had it all that long, I still am not all that confident in it for such a long trip. I’ve had my pickup much longer, and it has been fairly reliable, but with around 190,000 on the odometer I’m not so sure I would want to take that either. We still have our car and it is fairly new and has much lower miles on it. That is probably the vehicle I would chose for the trip. Still even with fairly reliable transportation I realize I am not guaranteed to get there. The engine could blow, the transmission go out, or a computer chip could stop working. We could even have an accident.
-
What if our hope for salvation was like a cross country car drive? Sadly, a lot of people think it is like that- thinking that, maybe I’ll make it, maybe I won’t. What if instead of just taking a car or a truck, God said, “just trust me, I’ll get you there.” Now God doesn’t do that for us when we plan a trip to California, but He does do that for us when it comes to eternity.
-
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That makes it clear that if we are to have eternal life, we must believe on Jesus Christ. Instead, too many people try to find there own way to heaven and come up short as Romans 10:3 proves, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”Let us realize if we depend on our own works, they are just as unreliable as that old truck from the pasture for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some people suggest that Jesus does 90% of the saving and then we have to do the other 10%. That’s like saying God will get you 90% of the way to California, and then you have to drive that old truck the rest of the way. I’ve been in that truck. Trust me- it won’t make it even that far.
-C
an we really believe God when He promises to save us? Can we really have assurance of salvation? Folks, that is what faith and belief is all about. It is about putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh- trusting in Him alone to save you. Romans 3:3-4 makes it clear that God tells the truth and we can believe Him, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I John 5:13 makes it clear that if we believe on Jesus Christ we can know that we are saved, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (emphasis mine)
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If you are trusting in anything other than God’s power to save you, you have no reason to have any assurance. But notice the assurance that comes with exercising faith, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
Friday, September 25, 2009
DEATH
Summer has passed and fall has arrived. With fall comes harvest and Halloween decorations. Now I like pumpkins- especially pumpkin pie, but I am not a fan of the creepy Halloween decorations that pop up this time of year. Have you noticed that much of this holiday revolves around themes of murder and mayhem? For example, just consider the plots of the horror movies that are typically promoted during this time of year. Further, there is an undue fascination with death. Consider the typical Halloween costume or decoration. Sculls, skeletons, coffins, graveyards, mummies, spirits of dead men (ghosts) dominate the scene.
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You don’t have to be a stodgy conservative to see that evil prevails with this holiday. Witches and wizards are also prominent. Though many in our culture would try to make us think that these magicians are harmless, the scripture makes it clear that they are evil. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”
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I fear the “Christian” community has done an injustice in not warning about the dangers of these activities and in some cases has even promoted them. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings, promote such abominations yet they are encouraged in Christian circles. No wonder Satan is getting such a foothold in this area. It is not just books and movies and cartoons though. Video games also promote witchcraft, wizardry, and communication with the dead (necromancy). God clearly speaks against such things. Though these verses come from the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law was for the Hebrew, yet the Gentiles are condemned for this activity in the Deuteronomy passage. The context of the passage shows that they should have known better than to do these things even without the Law that Moses gave.
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So why this fascination with all this evil at Halloween? Could it be a Satanic conspiracy? Don’t forget, a lot of people dress up like him too. Actually there are reasons why the devil would be fascinated with death. First of all, man is put here to glorify God, and once we die, we can no longer glorify Him on this earth. Further, it seems that Satan has been given a certain amount of power in this area of death. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
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This intriguing passage suggests that the devil had some sort of power of death. It also shows that by dying Christ was able to destroy that power. Consider Christ’s words in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
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So what was this power concerning death that Christ has the keys to? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Death came into this world when Adam, the first man ever created, sinned. The devil had a huge part in that, so you could say that he, Satan, tempted mankind into death. No wonder he loves death so much. But all is not lost. “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17)
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When Satan temped Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit and Adam followed her, sin and death entered the world. When Christ died on the cross, payment was made for our sins so we could have eternal life. Notice that nowhere did you read that what Christ did plus what we did defeated death. No, Christ did it all. Romans 5:17 makes it clear that it was by ONE, Jesus Christ that it was done- not by Christ plus us, or Christ plus the priest, or even Christ plus baptism. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ
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This time of year as you are reminded of death, remember, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. The only way to escape the judgment after death is to put your full confidence in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to reverse the consequences of sin and death. That means putting your confidence in Him alone, not in anything else. Anything more or less than Christ in your life means Satan has won your soul in your death. Let Christ have the victory over your soul in death, not Satan. Christ is God, and He has the power to save you all by Himself. He is stronger than Satan.
-
You don’t have to be a stodgy conservative to see that evil prevails with this holiday. Witches and wizards are also prominent. Though many in our culture would try to make us think that these magicians are harmless, the scripture makes it clear that they are evil. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”
-
I fear the “Christian” community has done an injustice in not warning about the dangers of these activities and in some cases has even promoted them. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings, promote such abominations yet they are encouraged in Christian circles. No wonder Satan is getting such a foothold in this area. It is not just books and movies and cartoons though. Video games also promote witchcraft, wizardry, and communication with the dead (necromancy). God clearly speaks against such things. Though these verses come from the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law was for the Hebrew, yet the Gentiles are condemned for this activity in the Deuteronomy passage. The context of the passage shows that they should have known better than to do these things even without the Law that Moses gave.
-
So why this fascination with all this evil at Halloween? Could it be a Satanic conspiracy? Don’t forget, a lot of people dress up like him too. Actually there are reasons why the devil would be fascinated with death. First of all, man is put here to glorify God, and once we die, we can no longer glorify Him on this earth. Further, it seems that Satan has been given a certain amount of power in this area of death. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
-
This intriguing passage suggests that the devil had some sort of power of death. It also shows that by dying Christ was able to destroy that power. Consider Christ’s words in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
-
So what was this power concerning death that Christ has the keys to? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Death came into this world when Adam, the first man ever created, sinned. The devil had a huge part in that, so you could say that he, Satan, tempted mankind into death. No wonder he loves death so much. But all is not lost. “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17)
-
When Satan temped Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit and Adam followed her, sin and death entered the world. When Christ died on the cross, payment was made for our sins so we could have eternal life. Notice that nowhere did you read that what Christ did plus what we did defeated death. No, Christ did it all. Romans 5:17 makes it clear that it was by ONE, Jesus Christ that it was done- not by Christ plus us, or Christ plus the priest, or even Christ plus baptism. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ
-
This time of year as you are reminded of death, remember, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. The only way to escape the judgment after death is to put your full confidence in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to reverse the consequences of sin and death. That means putting your confidence in Him alone, not in anything else. Anything more or less than Christ in your life means Satan has won your soul in your death. Let Christ have the victory over your soul in death, not Satan. Christ is God, and He has the power to save you all by Himself. He is stronger than Satan.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Who Built My Lawn Mower?
I finally got my lawn mower running. The problem was more serious than being out of gas or not getting spark. It threw a rod and the motor needed to be taken apart and rebuilt. This gave me a chance to have some garage time after a day of sitting behind a desk.
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Although there can be some challenges, it is not an insurmountable task to disassemble and reassemble a small engine. I am however amazed at how such a machine could have originally been built. There is so much that could go wrong even with a simple reassembly. For example, the mark on the camshaft gear has to line up with the mark on the crankshaft gear or the valves will open at the wrong time. Further the carburetor cannot be plugged or the gas will not even get into the motor. If the flywheel key is broken and it sparked at the wrong time it would run too hot or not at all. And if the valves did not seat properly it would run terribly.
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It baffles me that anyone could’ve invented an internal combustion engine. All the little details that had to be worked out are remarkable. Then I think of my car. Instead of just one piston and set of valves like my lawn mower has, my car has six. Besides that, it has an automatic transmission and all kinds of computer sensors to keep everything working just right. Cars are becoming harder and harder to work on because of all these details.
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We know that cars are made in great big factories with technologically advanced assembly lines. Once a car is designed, all they have to do is to copy that design over and over again. The question we must answer however, is where did that first car come from? It likely developed from something similar to my lawn mower and through the years parts were added until we have our current cars.
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But where did the very first internal combustion engine even come from? If I were to tell you that it was likely formed over millions or even billions of years beneath the rocks of the iron range, you would say I was nuts. There is far too much detail for it to have just happened by chance. Obviously there was a designer. We could do an historical study and find out that many men contributed to the development of the internal combustion engine. Actually, theories for its development even date back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1509.
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What about man? He is even more intricate than my car. When I broke my arm, I didn’t just take it apart and put a new bone in. Instead the doctor put the bones back were they were supposed to be and it just fixed itself. I wish my lawn mower would do that. If my car and lawn mower needed a designer, I am sure that I did as well. Guess what? History tells me the answer to that as well. I can read about it in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Not only did God make man, He made the whole world and everything in it. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
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With such a clear explanation for how we got here, a man would have to be foolish to think any different. I will go a step farther, he would have to be evil to think any different. I believe men argue against God and His existence because they do not want to be accountable to Him. If He exists, why wouldn’t He be the creator just as history says? His existence is not even worth arguing about. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 2:15 also says, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,”
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God’s existence is so clear. Now you can understand why I would suggest that a man would have to be an evil fool to say there is no God. In fact Psalm 53:1 says just that: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”
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So who will you believe, a God hating intellectual, or the Word of God? Jesus Christ, said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Christ is God in the flesh. I will believe Him and His Word.
-
Although there can be some challenges, it is not an insurmountable task to disassemble and reassemble a small engine. I am however amazed at how such a machine could have originally been built. There is so much that could go wrong even with a simple reassembly. For example, the mark on the camshaft gear has to line up with the mark on the crankshaft gear or the valves will open at the wrong time. Further the carburetor cannot be plugged or the gas will not even get into the motor. If the flywheel key is broken and it sparked at the wrong time it would run too hot or not at all. And if the valves did not seat properly it would run terribly.
-
It baffles me that anyone could’ve invented an internal combustion engine. All the little details that had to be worked out are remarkable. Then I think of my car. Instead of just one piston and set of valves like my lawn mower has, my car has six. Besides that, it has an automatic transmission and all kinds of computer sensors to keep everything working just right. Cars are becoming harder and harder to work on because of all these details.
-
We know that cars are made in great big factories with technologically advanced assembly lines. Once a car is designed, all they have to do is to copy that design over and over again. The question we must answer however, is where did that first car come from? It likely developed from something similar to my lawn mower and through the years parts were added until we have our current cars.
-
But where did the very first internal combustion engine even come from? If I were to tell you that it was likely formed over millions or even billions of years beneath the rocks of the iron range, you would say I was nuts. There is far too much detail for it to have just happened by chance. Obviously there was a designer. We could do an historical study and find out that many men contributed to the development of the internal combustion engine. Actually, theories for its development even date back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1509.
-
What about man? He is even more intricate than my car. When I broke my arm, I didn’t just take it apart and put a new bone in. Instead the doctor put the bones back were they were supposed to be and it just fixed itself. I wish my lawn mower would do that. If my car and lawn mower needed a designer, I am sure that I did as well. Guess what? History tells me the answer to that as well. I can read about it in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Not only did God make man, He made the whole world and everything in it. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
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With such a clear explanation for how we got here, a man would have to be foolish to think any different. I will go a step farther, he would have to be evil to think any different. I believe men argue against God and His existence because they do not want to be accountable to Him. If He exists, why wouldn’t He be the creator just as history says? His existence is not even worth arguing about. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 2:15 also says, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,”
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God’s existence is so clear. Now you can understand why I would suggest that a man would have to be an evil fool to say there is no God. In fact Psalm 53:1 says just that: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”
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So who will you believe, a God hating intellectual, or the Word of God? Jesus Christ, said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Christ is God in the flesh. I will believe Him and His Word.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I Can't Put the Tomato Back on The Vine
Being a father is a great adventure. After years of hearing stories from my mother about the things I did as a toddler, it is fun to call her and let her know about the latest escapades of her grandson. Our oldest is about a year and a half old and his antics are prone to cause us to laugh- or cry- or both. Instead of just saying dog, he barks out the word. If he sees bare feet, he is inclined to run his fingers over them while exclaiming, “ticky, ticky, ticky!” He also likes to explore. His latest exploration involved finding out exactly what was in his dresser drawers and that involved emptying all the clothes and scattering them throughout the nursery.
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He loves to go outside and help Daddy in the garden. He also loves to eat. We are pleased that he likes fresh vegetables and considers it a treat to nibble the fruits of our labor as Daddy works. It did not take long for those bright red tomatoes to catch his eye. Some of the earliest ones we had were also the smallest. Just perfect for a little guy to have his own personal treat. After letting him have one, he decided to pick his own. This one was orange and not quite ready.
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He has been trained to put things back when we tell him to, so when Daddy said, “Oh no, Jared, that one isn’t ready yet,” he simply took it back to a vine, and held it up. He was trying to put it back. I had to try to keep from laughing as I explained that once it was picked it was too late to put it back.
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What Jared did was really not all that serious. A few days on the window sill and that tomato would be just fine to eat, but I recall that there were many times that I wished I could just go back and undo something but now it is too late. For example, I said something thoughtless to my wife last week. I immediately knew that it hurt her feelings and I apologized. My wife is a wonderful lady and she forgave me, but I wish I could have just undone it like Jared wished he could put a tomato back on the vine.
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Some of our regrets are heavier to bear. I heard of a couple of instances recently of a driver who ran a stop sign and another person was killed. I do not envy the burden of wanting to be able to put that tomato back on the vine.
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When facing such a burden we must realize the importance of repentance and forgiveness. First let us realize that things we regret are sometimes simply accidents, and other times they are caused by sinful actions. A drunk or someone who is in a hurry and selfishly runs a stop sign has sinned. A person who is unfamiliar with a road and does not see the stop sign during a snow storm was simply involved in an accident.
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Even if there was no sin involved, we still feel better after expressing our regret and making restitution if possible. What if our irreversible action was caused by sin? Lets face it, we have all done irreversible actions of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Whether you consider your sins big or little, they are all serious in God’s eyes. We must be reminded that none of us measures up to His standards. Consider even man‘s inability to keep the 10 commandments. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
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We have a sin problem and we cannot undo it. That is serious. How serious is it? Deathly serious. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). We cannot undo our own sin any more than Jared could put that tomato back on the vine. Do you think that Jesus Christ could put that tomato back on the vine though? Of course He could. He is God! You cannot reverse your sins and neither can I but Jesus Christ can. In fact, He is the only one who can. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
-
Remember how serious sin is. Jesus died to pay for that sin. He is able to do it all by Himself because He is God. He testified in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the father.” Then we clearly read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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So what do you do when you cannot put a tomato back on the vine? You trust Jesus Christ and His payment for sin, realizing that no matter how small your sin is, you cannot undo it or even make up for it no matter how much restitution you pay, because the wages is death. But if you realize that Christ paid it all and trust Him, your receive His gift. Romans 5:20 also gives us further encouragement, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
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He loves to go outside and help Daddy in the garden. He also loves to eat. We are pleased that he likes fresh vegetables and considers it a treat to nibble the fruits of our labor as Daddy works. It did not take long for those bright red tomatoes to catch his eye. Some of the earliest ones we had were also the smallest. Just perfect for a little guy to have his own personal treat. After letting him have one, he decided to pick his own. This one was orange and not quite ready.
-
He has been trained to put things back when we tell him to, so when Daddy said, “Oh no, Jared, that one isn’t ready yet,” he simply took it back to a vine, and held it up. He was trying to put it back. I had to try to keep from laughing as I explained that once it was picked it was too late to put it back.
-
What Jared did was really not all that serious. A few days on the window sill and that tomato would be just fine to eat, but I recall that there were many times that I wished I could just go back and undo something but now it is too late. For example, I said something thoughtless to my wife last week. I immediately knew that it hurt her feelings and I apologized. My wife is a wonderful lady and she forgave me, but I wish I could have just undone it like Jared wished he could put a tomato back on the vine.
-
Some of our regrets are heavier to bear. I heard of a couple of instances recently of a driver who ran a stop sign and another person was killed. I do not envy the burden of wanting to be able to put that tomato back on the vine.
-
When facing such a burden we must realize the importance of repentance and forgiveness. First let us realize that things we regret are sometimes simply accidents, and other times they are caused by sinful actions. A drunk or someone who is in a hurry and selfishly runs a stop sign has sinned. A person who is unfamiliar with a road and does not see the stop sign during a snow storm was simply involved in an accident.
-
Even if there was no sin involved, we still feel better after expressing our regret and making restitution if possible. What if our irreversible action was caused by sin? Lets face it, we have all done irreversible actions of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Whether you consider your sins big or little, they are all serious in God’s eyes. We must be reminded that none of us measures up to His standards. Consider even man‘s inability to keep the 10 commandments. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
-
We have a sin problem and we cannot undo it. That is serious. How serious is it? Deathly serious. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). We cannot undo our own sin any more than Jared could put that tomato back on the vine. Do you think that Jesus Christ could put that tomato back on the vine though? Of course He could. He is God! You cannot reverse your sins and neither can I but Jesus Christ can. In fact, He is the only one who can. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
-
Remember how serious sin is. Jesus died to pay for that sin. He is able to do it all by Himself because He is God. He testified in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the father.” Then we clearly read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
-
So what do you do when you cannot put a tomato back on the vine? You trust Jesus Christ and His payment for sin, realizing that no matter how small your sin is, you cannot undo it or even make up for it no matter how much restitution you pay, because the wages is death. But if you realize that Christ paid it all and trust Him, your receive His gift. Romans 5:20 also gives us further encouragement, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
Version Question
Q: What kind of versions would you feel comfortable using?
A: When we consider the kinds of versions available today, beyond the manuscript debates, the issue typically comes down to a translation philosophy. The simplified way of stating the issue would be to say that there are literal kinds of translations and dynamic equivalent types.
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A literal approach would be to translate each Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word with it’s language equivalent (English). The dynamic equivalency approach would be to translate the idea, rather than the actual words. We must understand that among the translations available, there is a wide range into which they fall upon this spectrum of literal to loose dynamic equivalence.
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For example, I have on my shelf The Interlinear Greek- English New Testament. It is essentially a reference tool that has the Greek words of the New Testament written out with the English equivalent for each of those words directly below it, and the KJV written in the margin to the side for comparison. To understand how literal this version really is, consider how John 3:16 is translated. “For so loved God the world that his Son the only begotten he gave, that everyone who believes on him may not perish, but may have life eternal.” This version is so literal, that the word order is unnatural to our way of speaking.
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On the other end of the spectrum we have paraphrases which try to capture the idea of the passage, but have little concern for the actual words. This provides a problem because each word of scripture has meaning, and the change of a single word can change the meaning of a whole passage. When an overview of an idea is given, it could be argued that they are just relating a concept rather than actually translating a passage. The Message, and the Living Bible would fall into this extreme category.
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The danger of using such these paraphrases should not be overlooked. In their attempt to relay an easy to understand concept, the actual meaning has been changed. I find no comfort in these versions and fear they are leading many astray.
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Although I am much more comfortable on the literal end of the spectrum, I must express a note of caution there as well. Because our language is so different than the original languages, the challenge of translating goes far beyond just restating the words to their equivalents. The challenge comes in both preserving the very words as well as not losing the concepts- the very ideas that the original languages were teaching. A good translation must take all of these things into consideration.
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I believe the translation that has done the best job at this great challenge for the English language is the King James Version. I appreciate how when the translators added certain words that were not found in the original languages, they put them in italics. This was one way in which they went beyond being rigidly literal in order to preserve the meaning, while still letting the reader understand that these words had been added for clarification. Further, they arranged the word order in a way that was natural for the language that they were translating into (Note the difference between John 3:16 in the KJV and the Interlinear translation).
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As I study, I will consult with Young’s Literal Translation, one that is even more literal than the KJV. I consult it basically to look at how a particular word in a verse happened to be translated. It often helps in coming up with descriptive synonyms for words as I preach. At the same time, I would not be comfortable in using that version for my reading or for my primary study.
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I would as well like to address the NIV because it is quite popular today. I believe that this version has gone too far in the dynamic equivalent direction, and that much of the original intent of the words has been lost in the translation process. I am therefore not comfortable consulting that version. Though I am not totally comfortable with the NASB, I would consider it to be a much higher quality translation than the NIV, based on its more literal equivalency approach.
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As we consider this issue, it is easy for us in the United States to become preoccupied with our English translations. May we not forget that there are many people in this world who do not yet have a translation in their own language. Baptist Mid Missions is one organization that has taken up that burden through Bibles International. As they translate, they attempt to balance the literal words with the intended meaning in a similar way that the KJV translators did. Not all Bible translation societies have this same philosophy. Many just throw together versions quickly and haphazardly. When supporting translation work, these issues must be taken into consideration as well.
A: When we consider the kinds of versions available today, beyond the manuscript debates, the issue typically comes down to a translation philosophy. The simplified way of stating the issue would be to say that there are literal kinds of translations and dynamic equivalent types.
-
A literal approach would be to translate each Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word with it’s language equivalent (English). The dynamic equivalency approach would be to translate the idea, rather than the actual words. We must understand that among the translations available, there is a wide range into which they fall upon this spectrum of literal to loose dynamic equivalence.
-
For example, I have on my shelf The Interlinear Greek- English New Testament. It is essentially a reference tool that has the Greek words of the New Testament written out with the English equivalent for each of those words directly below it, and the KJV written in the margin to the side for comparison. To understand how literal this version really is, consider how John 3:16 is translated. “For so loved God the world that his Son the only begotten he gave, that everyone who believes on him may not perish, but may have life eternal.” This version is so literal, that the word order is unnatural to our way of speaking.
-
On the other end of the spectrum we have paraphrases which try to capture the idea of the passage, but have little concern for the actual words. This provides a problem because each word of scripture has meaning, and the change of a single word can change the meaning of a whole passage. When an overview of an idea is given, it could be argued that they are just relating a concept rather than actually translating a passage. The Message, and the Living Bible would fall into this extreme category.
-
The danger of using such these paraphrases should not be overlooked. In their attempt to relay an easy to understand concept, the actual meaning has been changed. I find no comfort in these versions and fear they are leading many astray.
-
Although I am much more comfortable on the literal end of the spectrum, I must express a note of caution there as well. Because our language is so different than the original languages, the challenge of translating goes far beyond just restating the words to their equivalents. The challenge comes in both preserving the very words as well as not losing the concepts- the very ideas that the original languages were teaching. A good translation must take all of these things into consideration.
-
I believe the translation that has done the best job at this great challenge for the English language is the King James Version. I appreciate how when the translators added certain words that were not found in the original languages, they put them in italics. This was one way in which they went beyond being rigidly literal in order to preserve the meaning, while still letting the reader understand that these words had been added for clarification. Further, they arranged the word order in a way that was natural for the language that they were translating into (Note the difference between John 3:16 in the KJV and the Interlinear translation).
-
As I study, I will consult with Young’s Literal Translation, one that is even more literal than the KJV. I consult it basically to look at how a particular word in a verse happened to be translated. It often helps in coming up with descriptive synonyms for words as I preach. At the same time, I would not be comfortable in using that version for my reading or for my primary study.
-
I would as well like to address the NIV because it is quite popular today. I believe that this version has gone too far in the dynamic equivalent direction, and that much of the original intent of the words has been lost in the translation process. I am therefore not comfortable consulting that version. Though I am not totally comfortable with the NASB, I would consider it to be a much higher quality translation than the NIV, based on its more literal equivalency approach.
-
As we consider this issue, it is easy for us in the United States to become preoccupied with our English translations. May we not forget that there are many people in this world who do not yet have a translation in their own language. Baptist Mid Missions is one organization that has taken up that burden through Bibles International. As they translate, they attempt to balance the literal words with the intended meaning in a similar way that the KJV translators did. Not all Bible translation societies have this same philosophy. Many just throw together versions quickly and haphazardly. When supporting translation work, these issues must be taken into consideration as well.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Who Is Jesus?
Who is Jesus Christ? It is not hard to imagine that question being asked of the Apostle Paul as he went forth on his missionary journeys not long after Christ had died and risen from the dead. Without CBS, CNN, and FOX news, it is likely that many of the folks he ran into had not yet heard about Jesus.
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Today we assume that everyone knows who Jesus is- at least in a Christian country like the United States of America. But I must ask, “Do we all know the same Jesus?” Perhaps you have been talking to someone about a friend with a common name like John. As the conversation progresses you realize that you could not possibly be talking about the same person, because the one they are describing has totally different characteristics than the person you know. Finally you understand that they are talking about John Johnson, and you were talking about John Smith.
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I often feel the same way as I hear people talking about Jesus. Are they talking about the Jesus of the Bible, or some imaginary religious figure of their own making? For example, some speak of Him as if He were some effeminate weakling, yet my Jesus had the courage to stand up to the leaders of His day, and to turn over the money tables in the temple and drive the crooks from the scene. He had the courage to face the death of the cross even as He knew exactly what would come.
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My Jesus is no weakling. He is the all powerful God. In fact, He will return in power as well. Revelation 19:11-16 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
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Why would man come up with a religious figure of his own making, when the real Jesus is so magnificent? I believe it is because of man’s sinful resistance to the true God. Let us not forget that Jesus is God in the flesh. If man can convince himself that Jesus is weak, then he thinks God is not such a threat to him. Telling ourselves lies does not change our accountability to God.
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I believe that there is another factor at play as well. If Jesus Christ is presented as weak, that would mean that He may not be powerful enough to save man all on His own. That would mean that God needs help to save us because He is not powerful enough. Let me state emphatically, that is not the God that I serve. My Jesus was powerful enough to create the whole world (see John 1:1-3 & 14). He was also powerful enough to pay for my sins all by Himself. Peter tells us how powerful Christ is to save when he says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
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Peter was so adamant about how powerful my Jesus is, that he made it clear that Jesus only had to make a sacrifice once in order to pay for our sins. Read carefully what he said in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
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My Jesus is so powerful that He only had to offer his body once to pay for the sins of mankind. This is made clear in the book of Hebrews as well. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10.
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I do not worship a weak Jesus. I worship a powerful Jesus who is my Lord and Savior. He is able to save me all by Himself without the help of priest or saint. I love Him and want to serve Him because He is my God. I pray that you would believe in Him as well. Instead of believing in a manmade idea of who Jesus might be, believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Read it and learn who He is.
-
Today we assume that everyone knows who Jesus is- at least in a Christian country like the United States of America. But I must ask, “Do we all know the same Jesus?” Perhaps you have been talking to someone about a friend with a common name like John. As the conversation progresses you realize that you could not possibly be talking about the same person, because the one they are describing has totally different characteristics than the person you know. Finally you understand that they are talking about John Johnson, and you were talking about John Smith.
-
I often feel the same way as I hear people talking about Jesus. Are they talking about the Jesus of the Bible, or some imaginary religious figure of their own making? For example, some speak of Him as if He were some effeminate weakling, yet my Jesus had the courage to stand up to the leaders of His day, and to turn over the money tables in the temple and drive the crooks from the scene. He had the courage to face the death of the cross even as He knew exactly what would come.
-
My Jesus is no weakling. He is the all powerful God. In fact, He will return in power as well. Revelation 19:11-16 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
-
Why would man come up with a religious figure of his own making, when the real Jesus is so magnificent? I believe it is because of man’s sinful resistance to the true God. Let us not forget that Jesus is God in the flesh. If man can convince himself that Jesus is weak, then he thinks God is not such a threat to him. Telling ourselves lies does not change our accountability to God.
-
I believe that there is another factor at play as well. If Jesus Christ is presented as weak, that would mean that He may not be powerful enough to save man all on His own. That would mean that God needs help to save us because He is not powerful enough. Let me state emphatically, that is not the God that I serve. My Jesus was powerful enough to create the whole world (see John 1:1-3 & 14). He was also powerful enough to pay for my sins all by Himself. Peter tells us how powerful Christ is to save when he says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
-
Peter was so adamant about how powerful my Jesus is, that he made it clear that Jesus only had to make a sacrifice once in order to pay for our sins. Read carefully what he said in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
-
My Jesus is so powerful that He only had to offer his body once to pay for the sins of mankind. This is made clear in the book of Hebrews as well. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10.
-
I do not worship a weak Jesus. I worship a powerful Jesus who is my Lord and Savior. He is able to save me all by Himself without the help of priest or saint. I love Him and want to serve Him because He is my God. I pray that you would believe in Him as well. Instead of believing in a manmade idea of who Jesus might be, believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Read it and learn who He is.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Right and Wrong
Is there such a thing as right and wrong? That may sound like a silly question until you realize how often people, who point out that something is wrong, are accused of being judgmental. The accusation goes something like this: Since none of us has the right to determine what is right or wrong, it is wrong for you to judge someone else’s behavior. They do not seem to notice that in order to make such a statement, they had to make a judgment as well.
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Lets face it, we all make judgments about what is right or wrong. The question is: on what basis do we make those judgments? If we each make up the rules about what is right and wrong, then we are going to have a lot of disagreements. Imagine if we were to play a game of checkers, and each player could change the rules whenever he decided. It would be complete chaos and soon no one would want to play anymore.
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I fear our country has come to such a place when it comes to debates on morality. Once the Bible has been rejected there is no firm basis for where to go on matters of right and wrong. Abortion and gay marriage are just a couple of the issues that come up. It is sad to say that even some churches have abandoned the Bible on such issues as to not seem judgmental. Where will this lead? If we cannot let God speak through His Word, how do we determine if anything is right or wrong?
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What if you think stealing is wrong, but you have something that your neighbor wants? What if your neighbor says he does not see anything wrong with him taking it, and that he is offended that you would judge him? Of course you would say that you have the law on your side, and that you would call the police. But what would happen if the authorities decided that there would no longer be laws against stealing? That would then make stealing legal, but would it make it right? Of course not. Stealing is wrong, whether it is made legal or not.
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Aren’t we judging when we say stealing is wrong? Of course we are. We are judging based on the clear teaching of right and wrong found in the Bible. The 8th Command says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Further it is made clear in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” -When we make laws against stealing, we are legislating morality. Imagine if morality were not allowed into any legal decision. In effect, we would then be legislating a lack of morality. Only the most depraved would advocate such a move. Still we are back to the same dilemma. Who gets to decide what is moral? Whether those decisions take place in the government, the church, or the home, who decides?
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It would be tempting to say that regardless of what the government or even the church decides, we still get to determine the morality in our homes. Let me state it differently, you get to determine how you behave in your homes, but that does not necessarily make it moral no matter what your belief. True morality- the ideas of what is right and wrong- comes not from our beliefs, not from our law, not even from whether or not a church advocates something. True morality comes from God.
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“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.
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Lets face it, we all make judgments about what is right or wrong. The question is: on what basis do we make those judgments? If we each make up the rules about what is right and wrong, then we are going to have a lot of disagreements. Imagine if we were to play a game of checkers, and each player could change the rules whenever he decided. It would be complete chaos and soon no one would want to play anymore.
-
I fear our country has come to such a place when it comes to debates on morality. Once the Bible has been rejected there is no firm basis for where to go on matters of right and wrong. Abortion and gay marriage are just a couple of the issues that come up. It is sad to say that even some churches have abandoned the Bible on such issues as to not seem judgmental. Where will this lead? If we cannot let God speak through His Word, how do we determine if anything is right or wrong?
-
What if you think stealing is wrong, but you have something that your neighbor wants? What if your neighbor says he does not see anything wrong with him taking it, and that he is offended that you would judge him? Of course you would say that you have the law on your side, and that you would call the police. But what would happen if the authorities decided that there would no longer be laws against stealing? That would then make stealing legal, but would it make it right? Of course not. Stealing is wrong, whether it is made legal or not.
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Aren’t we judging when we say stealing is wrong? Of course we are. We are judging based on the clear teaching of right and wrong found in the Bible. The 8th Command says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Further it is made clear in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” -When we make laws against stealing, we are legislating morality. Imagine if morality were not allowed into any legal decision. In effect, we would then be legislating a lack of morality. Only the most depraved would advocate such a move. Still we are back to the same dilemma. Who gets to decide what is moral? Whether those decisions take place in the government, the church, or the home, who decides?
-
It would be tempting to say that regardless of what the government or even the church decides, we still get to determine the morality in our homes. Let me state it differently, you get to determine how you behave in your homes, but that does not necessarily make it moral no matter what your belief. True morality- the ideas of what is right and wrong- comes not from our beliefs, not from our law, not even from whether or not a church advocates something. True morality comes from God.
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“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Intermediate Bodies?
Q: When we die, if we are spirits in Heaven, how will we recognize others? According to II Cor. 5:1-8, it seems a case could be made for an intermediate body, before our resurrection body. Can you shed any light on this?
A: You are correct in understanding that the new body is not given until the resurrection of the dead, thus it is natural to ask what happens between our death and our resurrection. Much of what happens during this time period is a mystery. Some suggest that we will sleep during this time and have no conscious awareness of any events. The events of Luke 16:22-31 tell what happened to an unsaved rich man and to a man named Lazarus.
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Lazarus went to a place called the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man went to the place of torments in hell. Although these places are near to each other- near enough that they can see each other- they cannot go back and forth, because of a great gulf between. This passage provides more detail about the intermediate state than others. I find it interesting to note that the rich man was able to see both Abraham and Lazarus. This would suggest that he could either see their bodies or else recognize their spirits. Perhaps even more intriguing is that the rich man wanted Lazarus to use his finger to dip water on his tongue. Tongues and fingers are body parts, suggesting some sort of body.
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2 Corinthians 5:1-8 KJV 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
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Notice how vs. 1 speaks of a tabernacle being dissolved and a house put in its place. A tabernacle could be taken down and put back up quite quickly, a house was more permanent. The house of vs. 1, would be eternal/forever in the heavens. Our bodies now are temporary, but our resurrection bodies will be forever.
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Though this passage gives us hope for our final bodies, it is not clear enough about what is happening during the intermediate state. Vs 3 speaks of being clothed with a body, but based on the context, that likely refers to the body we will have for the eternal state. Ultimately, we have very little information about the bodies of those in that intermediate state. We know very little about what happens during that time. Although it seems that men can see each other, there is no indication that they can actually see us here on earth. On the other hand, we are not told that they cannot.
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The II Cor 5, passage show, however, that we will have bodies during the eternal state. How recognizable we will be then is questionable, for remember that we will be as the angels. (Matt. 22:30).
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I do find it interesting that although Abraham was from a different time in history than the rich man, he still recognized him. Perhaps God will just give us the insight.
A: You are correct in understanding that the new body is not given until the resurrection of the dead, thus it is natural to ask what happens between our death and our resurrection. Much of what happens during this time period is a mystery. Some suggest that we will sleep during this time and have no conscious awareness of any events. The events of Luke 16:22-31 tell what happened to an unsaved rich man and to a man named Lazarus.
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Lazarus went to a place called the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man went to the place of torments in hell. Although these places are near to each other- near enough that they can see each other- they cannot go back and forth, because of a great gulf between. This passage provides more detail about the intermediate state than others. I find it interesting to note that the rich man was able to see both Abraham and Lazarus. This would suggest that he could either see their bodies or else recognize their spirits. Perhaps even more intriguing is that the rich man wanted Lazarus to use his finger to dip water on his tongue. Tongues and fingers are body parts, suggesting some sort of body.
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2 Corinthians 5:1-8 KJV 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
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Notice how vs. 1 speaks of a tabernacle being dissolved and a house put in its place. A tabernacle could be taken down and put back up quite quickly, a house was more permanent. The house of vs. 1, would be eternal/forever in the heavens. Our bodies now are temporary, but our resurrection bodies will be forever.
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Though this passage gives us hope for our final bodies, it is not clear enough about what is happening during the intermediate state. Vs 3 speaks of being clothed with a body, but based on the context, that likely refers to the body we will have for the eternal state. Ultimately, we have very little information about the bodies of those in that intermediate state. We know very little about what happens during that time. Although it seems that men can see each other, there is no indication that they can actually see us here on earth. On the other hand, we are not told that they cannot.
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The II Cor 5, passage show, however, that we will have bodies during the eternal state. How recognizable we will be then is questionable, for remember that we will be as the angels. (Matt. 22:30).
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I do find it interesting that although Abraham was from a different time in history than the rich man, he still recognized him. Perhaps God will just give us the insight.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Question on Election
The following question came after a question box was placed in the back of the church. I plan to post other questions and answers as well.
Q: How do we reconcile election, for example Rom. 8:30, Eph. 1:5, with verses such as II Peter 3:9 and John 12:32?
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A: The balance between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility has been a perplexing challenge for many a theologian. J.I Packer in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, calls this challenge an antinomy, which he describes as an “appearance” of a contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable, or necessary (18).
William Pettingill writes:
There is no doubt that God’s absolute sovereignty is taught, and clearly taught, in the Word of God, and just as clearly is man’s responsibility also taught in the Word. Our difficulty comes when we seek to “harmonize” these two doctrines. Such a task seems to be beyond the power of the human mind. Let us believe all that God has said on the subject and be content to wait for further light as to the harmony between these things. We may depend upon it “the Judge of all the earth” will “do right.” Let us preach to men as if everything depended upon them, and then let us pray to God for them as if everything depended upon God. (Bible Questions Answered, 208)
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Let us now consider the afore mentioned verses:
Romans 8:30 KJV 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Ephesians 1:5 KJV 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
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Predestined means predetermined. That fact that God has decided to do certain things and that He will in fact do them should surprise no one. Eph. 1:5 clearly tells us that He determined that believers would be adopted by Christ. Notice the verse that comes right before Rom 8:30:
Romans 8:29 KJV 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
This tells us that not only did God determine that certain things would happen, but that He based His determination on what He knew would happen- His foreknowledge.
1 Peter 1:2 KJV 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
We should be aware that there is a debate about whether or not knowing what would happen is determining what would happen. That is often at the core of the whole election debate. Election is clearly taught in scripture, but the big question is if it is based on what God knew man would do or if it is based on what God has decided that man would do.
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I must be quick to remind us that God is all powerful and that whatever He does is just. We also recognize that He allows man to do evil. Consider as well how often God gave “if then” promises. (If you will do this, then I will do that). I like to refer to such things as man’s limited freewill. Man does not have total freedom to do whatever he wants to. However, God often allows or permits us to act. We must also realize that God has the power to stop us at any time. That is why we are limited. We are not robots programmed by God, nor do we have freedom to do whatever we want to do.
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Let us also consider the other verses:
2 Peter 3:9 KJV 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
John 12:32 KJV 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
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I believe that II Peter 3:9 is teaching that within man’s limited freewill there is an offer of salvation to all, not just certain elect. We must also be aware that God knows that some will never accept that offer. He is all knowing and is never taken by surprise. That He would harden those that He already knows would reject Him no matter what, and use them for His specific purposes should not surprise us. I am not convinced, however, that God never interferes in such matters of drawing men to Himself or else I would be slow to pray for His power to influence a lost soul.
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John 12:32 clearly teaches that He does draw men to Himself- all men. That He might make that drawing irresistible to some is His right and even my prayer. With that in mind, we must be quick to point out that without His drawing, no one would get saved. John 6:44 KJV 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
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Regardless of how we interpret election, may we praise God for His justice and control over everything. How much freedom He gives man will not be known this side of eternity. I pray that He limits my freedom when it comes to sin so that I might better glorify Him. I also pray that He limit’s the freedom of my unsaved neighbor to reject Him so that he as well might glorify Him.
Q: How do we reconcile election, for example Rom. 8:30, Eph. 1:5, with verses such as II Peter 3:9 and John 12:32?
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A: The balance between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility has been a perplexing challenge for many a theologian. J.I Packer in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, calls this challenge an antinomy, which he describes as an “appearance” of a contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable, or necessary (18).
William Pettingill writes:
There is no doubt that God’s absolute sovereignty is taught, and clearly taught, in the Word of God, and just as clearly is man’s responsibility also taught in the Word. Our difficulty comes when we seek to “harmonize” these two doctrines. Such a task seems to be beyond the power of the human mind. Let us believe all that God has said on the subject and be content to wait for further light as to the harmony between these things. We may depend upon it “the Judge of all the earth” will “do right.” Let us preach to men as if everything depended upon them, and then let us pray to God for them as if everything depended upon God. (Bible Questions Answered, 208)
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Let us now consider the afore mentioned verses:
Romans 8:30 KJV 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Ephesians 1:5 KJV 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
-
Predestined means predetermined. That fact that God has decided to do certain things and that He will in fact do them should surprise no one. Eph. 1:5 clearly tells us that He determined that believers would be adopted by Christ. Notice the verse that comes right before Rom 8:30:
Romans 8:29 KJV 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
This tells us that not only did God determine that certain things would happen, but that He based His determination on what He knew would happen- His foreknowledge.
1 Peter 1:2 KJV 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
We should be aware that there is a debate about whether or not knowing what would happen is determining what would happen. That is often at the core of the whole election debate. Election is clearly taught in scripture, but the big question is if it is based on what God knew man would do or if it is based on what God has decided that man would do.
-
I must be quick to remind us that God is all powerful and that whatever He does is just. We also recognize that He allows man to do evil. Consider as well how often God gave “if then” promises. (If you will do this, then I will do that). I like to refer to such things as man’s limited freewill. Man does not have total freedom to do whatever he wants to. However, God often allows or permits us to act. We must also realize that God has the power to stop us at any time. That is why we are limited. We are not robots programmed by God, nor do we have freedom to do whatever we want to do.
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Let us also consider the other verses:
2 Peter 3:9 KJV 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
John 12:32 KJV 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
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I believe that II Peter 3:9 is teaching that within man’s limited freewill there is an offer of salvation to all, not just certain elect. We must also be aware that God knows that some will never accept that offer. He is all knowing and is never taken by surprise. That He would harden those that He already knows would reject Him no matter what, and use them for His specific purposes should not surprise us. I am not convinced, however, that God never interferes in such matters of drawing men to Himself or else I would be slow to pray for His power to influence a lost soul.
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John 12:32 clearly teaches that He does draw men to Himself- all men. That He might make that drawing irresistible to some is His right and even my prayer. With that in mind, we must be quick to point out that without His drawing, no one would get saved. John 6:44 KJV 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
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Regardless of how we interpret election, may we praise God for His justice and control over everything. How much freedom He gives man will not be known this side of eternity. I pray that He limits my freedom when it comes to sin so that I might better glorify Him. I also pray that He limit’s the freedom of my unsaved neighbor to reject Him so that he as well might glorify Him.
Friday, June 26, 2009
What is God Telling Us?
Are you cheating on your taxes? Many taxpayers would honestly answer, “I hope not, that’s why I hire an accountant.” The tax code is complicated enough that it is difficult to know which deductions are allowed and which ones are not, so the interpretation of the code is often left to the professionals.-There is a parallel in the area of Scripture. Many Christians are like their taxpayer counterparts, thinking that believing the Bible is beyond comprehension, and to be left to the professionals to interpret. Is that the correct approach to take?-From the time the first books of the Old Testament were given, even children were to study and learn them. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 commands, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Paul was able to encourage Timothy concerning the Word of God, because he had learned as a child. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15 -The writer of the book of Hebrews encourages the reader to move beyond the basic understanding of the Bible that is gained in childhood, and to reach the point of actually being able to understand it well enough to teach it. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:12-In other words, the Scripture must be used so it can be understood and taught. It must be studied. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”-Notice that the passage says ‘rightly dividing the word of truth’ and that it also warns about not being ashamed. The call to interpret the Scripture correctly is an important admonition. Still the challenge should not be neglected.-I believe one of the reasons why the challenge is often avoided is because of a misunderstanding of even how to interpret the Word of God. Some are intimidated because they do not realize that a reader is supposed to take the work of God quite literally. But aren’t there figures of speech and even symbolism in the Bible? Yes, of course, but they are to be read according to the rules of the normal use of language.-To clarify- what I am suggesting is that we are to take the Bible literally within the structure of the normal use of language which allows for figures of speech and symbolism. The context will clearly show when such devices are being used.-There is an approach that says that the Bible doesn’t really mean what it says and that the statements really symbolize some other truth that only the enlightened are able to divulge. If you have such a belief, then it would be easy to give up on studying the Bible, because how could you possible know what it had to say? You are thus at the mercy of whoever you happen to listen to and you have no way of knowing if they just made it all up.-On the other hand, if you believe that the Bible means what it says, that means that you actually have to study it to understand it. Spiritualizing the words is actually the lazy way out for the preacher. He can either make things up or just repeat what someone else has come up with. But if the words really mean what they say, that means that the preacher has to both explain them as they are and deal with supposed contradictions. By the way, a preacher who really trusts that the Bible came from God is not worried about contradictions. He knows that God does not contradict, so there has to be an explanation. Some are easier to explain than others. Some may not find a ready explanation, but that never gives us the right to say that the Bible says something different than what it says.-Many of the problems vanish when verses are simply read in the context of their surroundings- both the context of time and setting as well as the context of words. That means as a Christian, studies the Bible, they should also be studying about the setting of the original audience. For example if the book of II Timothy is to be taken literally it is helpful to know that it is written to a leader in the church of Ephesus during the first century A.D. -On the other hand, if that book is nothing but a spiritual allegory, why even bother going to all the work of finding out about the background of the book because it doesn’t really mean what it is saying anyway? This approach ends up minimizing the significance of the Word of God.-God is not the author of confusion. He wants us to both understand and to obey His word.
Get To Work
One of the things that I admire about small town America it the work ethic. I just finished talking to my cousin, and he was upset about a coworker who was going to do as little on the job as he could because he had union job security. We live in a society were it seems more and more people are taking without giving anything back. It is sad when a man who doesn’t want to work hard cannot be fired, and when someone who does not want to work at all can have most of their needs met through government programs. My wife recently read that in some states, government programs were offering free cell phone service for low income individuals. (These were not just emergency 911 phones either). I have no problem with low income people having cell phones- I am one of them- I just do not believe someone else should pay for it.
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What happened to the idea that we should work for what we get instead of looking for free handouts? Some might say that what I am suggesting is an old fashioned idea. I will agree, the idea of a work ethic is quite old fashioned, because it comes straight from God. The Scripture goes so far as to say that if a man doesn’t work, he should not eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
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That is a pretty bold statement. If anything is a necessity, it would be food, yet the Scripture makes it clear that free food is not to be available to those in the church who are unwilling to work. Consider that there are those who have real needs. How immoral would it be to let a widow starve because all the available resources had been given to those who were just too lazy to work. Even as we consider helping out widows, we are given specific instructions in I Timothy 5, so that those most deserving of the help get what is available.
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Man has been expected to work ever since he was created. Even before Adam sinned, God gave him work to do. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15. God did this even before he commanded Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit. Work is not a punishment of sin, it is just part of what man was made to do. In fact, there are few things as fulfilling to man as an honest days work. The big secret is that work is fun. If that is part of what we were created for, why shouldn’t it be?
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But lets face it, work can be hard. Certain aspects of an enjoyable job are not so much fun. This is a part of the consequence of sin. Because of sin, man would have to sweat for his food, instead of having easy work to get it. Genesis 3:19 clarifies, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
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Even during hard times-especially during hard times- work is still the best way to prevent poverty. Proverbs 24:33-34 warns, “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” Proverbs 20:13 says as well, “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” In hard times, we recognize that a job may not be as easy to find as it was before, but the harder you work, the more likely you will be to have and keep a job. Further, if even a hard worker cannot find a job, this should remind us not be so prideful in our work ethic that we forget to trust God and lean on Him for help. That trust in Him should not be an excuse for becoming a sluggard though.
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Instead of being lazy, we should follow the example of the hard working ant. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” Proverbs 6:6. Sadly, a lazy man will come up with all kinds of excuses why he cannot work. Proverbs 20:4 shows little patience for such excuses, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” If you keep making excuses for not working, do not be surprised if you end up with nothing. Proverbs 13:4 is clear, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”
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If you have not been working and are not sure how to get started, try doing what I did at a time that I was without a job. I showed up a the job site and told the potential employer that I was willing to work for him for free for the first day so that he could see if he wanted to hire me. I had a job by mid morning the first day I went job hunting.
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I am not guaranteeing a high paying job, but if we are satisfied with having our basic needs met (1 Timothy 6:8 “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”) there are still plenty of opportunities for those willing and able to work. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Ephesians 4:28
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What happened to the idea that we should work for what we get instead of looking for free handouts? Some might say that what I am suggesting is an old fashioned idea. I will agree, the idea of a work ethic is quite old fashioned, because it comes straight from God. The Scripture goes so far as to say that if a man doesn’t work, he should not eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”
-
That is a pretty bold statement. If anything is a necessity, it would be food, yet the Scripture makes it clear that free food is not to be available to those in the church who are unwilling to work. Consider that there are those who have real needs. How immoral would it be to let a widow starve because all the available resources had been given to those who were just too lazy to work. Even as we consider helping out widows, we are given specific instructions in I Timothy 5, so that those most deserving of the help get what is available.
-
Man has been expected to work ever since he was created. Even before Adam sinned, God gave him work to do. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15. God did this even before he commanded Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit. Work is not a punishment of sin, it is just part of what man was made to do. In fact, there are few things as fulfilling to man as an honest days work. The big secret is that work is fun. If that is part of what we were created for, why shouldn’t it be?
-
But lets face it, work can be hard. Certain aspects of an enjoyable job are not so much fun. This is a part of the consequence of sin. Because of sin, man would have to sweat for his food, instead of having easy work to get it. Genesis 3:19 clarifies, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
-
Even during hard times-especially during hard times- work is still the best way to prevent poverty. Proverbs 24:33-34 warns, “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” Proverbs 20:13 says as well, “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” In hard times, we recognize that a job may not be as easy to find as it was before, but the harder you work, the more likely you will be to have and keep a job. Further, if even a hard worker cannot find a job, this should remind us not be so prideful in our work ethic that we forget to trust God and lean on Him for help. That trust in Him should not be an excuse for becoming a sluggard though.
-
Instead of being lazy, we should follow the example of the hard working ant. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” Proverbs 6:6. Sadly, a lazy man will come up with all kinds of excuses why he cannot work. Proverbs 20:4 shows little patience for such excuses, “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” If you keep making excuses for not working, do not be surprised if you end up with nothing. Proverbs 13:4 is clear, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”
-
If you have not been working and are not sure how to get started, try doing what I did at a time that I was without a job. I showed up a the job site and told the potential employer that I was willing to work for him for free for the first day so that he could see if he wanted to hire me. I had a job by mid morning the first day I went job hunting.
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I am not guaranteeing a high paying job, but if we are satisfied with having our basic needs met (1 Timothy 6:8 “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”) there are still plenty of opportunities for those willing and able to work. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” Ephesians 4:28
Friday, April 10, 2009
Marriage
I grew up listening to Paul Harvey. He recently passed away shortly after losing his lovely wife “Angel.” I enjoyed hearing him announce the anniversaries of couples who had been married for many decades. His love for his own wife and his admiration for those who had stayed with their commitment to their spouses was clearly apparent as I would listen to his noontime visits. Paul Harvey has since passed on, and so has the meaning of marriage.
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I am so grateful for my own wife. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” I truly found a good thing. She was worth waiting for, and I hope I do not take my special “angel” for granted. Many of my friends were married before I was, but I was committed to waiting for the right one. Proverbs 31:10 asks, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” I was looking for such a prize.
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In my quest for a mate to love and cherish, I always knew that I was looking for a woman. In earlier times that would have been so obvious as to not even to be stated. Today things have changed so much. Our Iowa Supreme Court has trampled on the very meaning of the word marriage, suggesting that two people of the same gender can be united in matrimony. By the way, there is a vote every couple of years on whether or not these judges should be retained. All the judges currently on the Iowa Supreme Court voted against the ban on same gender marriage. Typically the section on the election ballots pertaining to judges is ignored because people do not know anything about them. Well folks, I’m not telling you how to vote, but do not forget next election, that you know something about each and every one of these judges now. Further, it would be wise to know what kind of judges you would expect a candidate for Governor to appoint as well. If I understand it correctly, if enough people vote no on a judge, then the Governor must appoint an new one.
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Enough on politics though. I am not as alarmed over what is happening in our courts as I am over what is happening in our churches. Recently a preacher named Rick Warren suggested that he was more concerned over the economy than he was over what had happened here in Iowa concerning homosexual marriage. Other so-called pastors actually said that this decision was good. What is going on when people who call themselves “Christians” so blatantly go against what the Bible teaches?
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Now I understand that not everyone will agree with what the Bible teaches on this issue. I actually expect those who reject God and His Word to disagree with me. That is understandable, but I must make it very clear what the Bible says about this issue for the sake of those who claim to be “Christian.” If you believe God and His Word, you cannot ignore these verses.
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“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31
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“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22
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“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:26-32
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“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” 1 Corinthians 6:9
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Some folks get angry when such verses are used. It is almost as if they believe that if the rest of us ignore these passages, then God will too. I am just a man. I have no right to change or ignore the word of God. Further, it is my job to warn about what God says, even if it steps on some toes. It is time that more “Christians” took a stand for the Word or God, or else quit calling themselves “Christian.” This challenge includes the wolves in sheep’s clothing who call themselves pastors and yet reject the clear teaching of the Word of God.
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Some may argue that my call for people to quit calling themselves “Christian” will lead to fewer Christians, and therefore I should be careful what I ask for. Think about it, if they do not stand for what Christ taught anyway, why would we want them to call themselves by His name when they are really just imposters? Is God glorified by that, or does it just confuse the rest of the world about what it means to be a Christian? “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 1:9
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I am so grateful for my own wife. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” I truly found a good thing. She was worth waiting for, and I hope I do not take my special “angel” for granted. Many of my friends were married before I was, but I was committed to waiting for the right one. Proverbs 31:10 asks, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” I was looking for such a prize.
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In my quest for a mate to love and cherish, I always knew that I was looking for a woman. In earlier times that would have been so obvious as to not even to be stated. Today things have changed so much. Our Iowa Supreme Court has trampled on the very meaning of the word marriage, suggesting that two people of the same gender can be united in matrimony. By the way, there is a vote every couple of years on whether or not these judges should be retained. All the judges currently on the Iowa Supreme Court voted against the ban on same gender marriage. Typically the section on the election ballots pertaining to judges is ignored because people do not know anything about them. Well folks, I’m not telling you how to vote, but do not forget next election, that you know something about each and every one of these judges now. Further, it would be wise to know what kind of judges you would expect a candidate for Governor to appoint as well. If I understand it correctly, if enough people vote no on a judge, then the Governor must appoint an new one.
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Enough on politics though. I am not as alarmed over what is happening in our courts as I am over what is happening in our churches. Recently a preacher named Rick Warren suggested that he was more concerned over the economy than he was over what had happened here in Iowa concerning homosexual marriage. Other so-called pastors actually said that this decision was good. What is going on when people who call themselves “Christians” so blatantly go against what the Bible teaches?
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Now I understand that not everyone will agree with what the Bible teaches on this issue. I actually expect those who reject God and His Word to disagree with me. That is understandable, but I must make it very clear what the Bible says about this issue for the sake of those who claim to be “Christian.” If you believe God and His Word, you cannot ignore these verses.
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“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31
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“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22
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“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:26-32
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“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” 1 Corinthians 6:9
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Some folks get angry when such verses are used. It is almost as if they believe that if the rest of us ignore these passages, then God will too. I am just a man. I have no right to change or ignore the word of God. Further, it is my job to warn about what God says, even if it steps on some toes. It is time that more “Christians” took a stand for the Word or God, or else quit calling themselves “Christian.” This challenge includes the wolves in sheep’s clothing who call themselves pastors and yet reject the clear teaching of the Word of God.
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Some may argue that my call for people to quit calling themselves “Christian” will lead to fewer Christians, and therefore I should be careful what I ask for. Think about it, if they do not stand for what Christ taught anyway, why would we want them to call themselves by His name when they are really just imposters? Is God glorified by that, or does it just confuse the rest of the world about what it means to be a Christian? “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 1:9
Friday, April 3, 2009
Daydreaming
I’ll admit it, I’m a day dreamer. In fact, I usually fall asleep at night thinking about something. Throughout the day, if I am not actually doing something, I am generally thinking about something. I’m guessing we all day dream. How often don’t you find yourself thinking about sports, your job, your family, or your favorite television show?
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Recently I have been day dreaming about building a garage. I may never do it, but I think it would be fun. The problem is that with my carpentry background, I do not just day dream about the size and kind of garage, but I also daydream about how to build it. Of course it would be better to use 2x6’s than 2x4’s, but is the extra cost justified? What kind of siding should I use? I could go with wood, steel, vinyl, or even cement board. Then there is the roof. Asphalt shingles vs. steel- steep pitch vs. flatter pitch- hip vs. gable- rafters vs. trusses.
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As I daydream on this one little subject, I quickly realize how long I could spend thinking about it and still have unanswered questions. Suddenly, my daydreaming led to a demand to find answers for some of my questions. How much does a 2x4 actually cost compared to a 2x6? How long of a 2x4 can I by? I was actually able to find these answers fairly easily. All I had to do was look at the Menard’s ad. Soon, my daydreaming had actually led to study. Not only did I have the Menard’s ad before me, but I also had a calculator and a piece of scrap paper. Soon I knew how much more it would cost to use the 2x6’s and that I could easily get a 20 ft long 2x4.
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As I said, I spend a lot of time daydreaming, but I do not always think about building things. I also day dream about God. I think about Him and what He has told us through His word. The Scripture uses the word “meditate” (to ponder--imagine) rather than daydream. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8. Psalms 77:12 says, “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”
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When I daydream about the things of God, I often come up with questions that I do not have the answers to, just like when I day dreamed about building the garage. I obviously will not find the answers to the most important questions of life in the Menard’s circular. I will however find them in the Bible. Now the Bible is much bigger than the Menard’s add, so I may have to work a bit to find the answers. 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
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It will take work and study to find Bible answers, just like it took work and study to find out the cost difference between 2x4’s and 2x6’s. In the garage example, I received help in my study from my calculator. I could have done it by hand, but it would have took a bit longer. There are also study helps for Bible learning. One of the most basic is the concordance. An exhaustive concordance is a book that lists all the words in the Bible. It then tells you which verses those words are found in. It is very helpful in finding what the Bible says on a particular subject.
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The other tool you should have is that piece of scrap paper. Write down the verse and jot a few notes as you study, then think about what you have learned. Meditate on it and then search for the answers for your new questions. As you do this, do not neglect prayer. Ask for God’s help in your study.
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If you have internet access, you do not even have to buy a concordance. You can find one online for free at places like blueletterbible.org. At this site, all you have to do is type in the word your are looking for, hit search, and it will bring up the verses. Then you can click on the verse that you want, and it will bring you right to that chapter so that you can look at it in context (this is very important to be sure you apply it correctly). Then you can also click on other study helps including the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge which is a link to other verses on the same topic. Take some time to use this tool, and you will quickly find that the Bible has more answers than you ever imagined. It will give you endless material to daydream about.
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Recently I have been day dreaming about building a garage. I may never do it, but I think it would be fun. The problem is that with my carpentry background, I do not just day dream about the size and kind of garage, but I also daydream about how to build it. Of course it would be better to use 2x6’s than 2x4’s, but is the extra cost justified? What kind of siding should I use? I could go with wood, steel, vinyl, or even cement board. Then there is the roof. Asphalt shingles vs. steel- steep pitch vs. flatter pitch- hip vs. gable- rafters vs. trusses.
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As I daydream on this one little subject, I quickly realize how long I could spend thinking about it and still have unanswered questions. Suddenly, my daydreaming led to a demand to find answers for some of my questions. How much does a 2x4 actually cost compared to a 2x6? How long of a 2x4 can I by? I was actually able to find these answers fairly easily. All I had to do was look at the Menard’s ad. Soon, my daydreaming had actually led to study. Not only did I have the Menard’s ad before me, but I also had a calculator and a piece of scrap paper. Soon I knew how much more it would cost to use the 2x6’s and that I could easily get a 20 ft long 2x4.
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As I said, I spend a lot of time daydreaming, but I do not always think about building things. I also day dream about God. I think about Him and what He has told us through His word. The Scripture uses the word “meditate” (to ponder--imagine) rather than daydream. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8. Psalms 77:12 says, “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”
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When I daydream about the things of God, I often come up with questions that I do not have the answers to, just like when I day dreamed about building the garage. I obviously will not find the answers to the most important questions of life in the Menard’s circular. I will however find them in the Bible. Now the Bible is much bigger than the Menard’s add, so I may have to work a bit to find the answers. 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
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It will take work and study to find Bible answers, just like it took work and study to find out the cost difference between 2x4’s and 2x6’s. In the garage example, I received help in my study from my calculator. I could have done it by hand, but it would have took a bit longer. There are also study helps for Bible learning. One of the most basic is the concordance. An exhaustive concordance is a book that lists all the words in the Bible. It then tells you which verses those words are found in. It is very helpful in finding what the Bible says on a particular subject.
-
The other tool you should have is that piece of scrap paper. Write down the verse and jot a few notes as you study, then think about what you have learned. Meditate on it and then search for the answers for your new questions. As you do this, do not neglect prayer. Ask for God’s help in your study.
-
If you have internet access, you do not even have to buy a concordance. You can find one online for free at places like blueletterbible.org. At this site, all you have to do is type in the word your are looking for, hit search, and it will bring up the verses. Then you can click on the verse that you want, and it will bring you right to that chapter so that you can look at it in context (this is very important to be sure you apply it correctly). Then you can also click on other study helps including the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge which is a link to other verses on the same topic. Take some time to use this tool, and you will quickly find that the Bible has more answers than you ever imagined. It will give you endless material to daydream about.
Cell Phones
Cell phones are wonderful inventions. As long as you have your phone with you and it is changed up, you can make a call from almost anywhere. Unfortunately telemarketers are starting to get a hold of some of the numbers. Suddenly it seems almost impossible to get away from them- unless you live in Bancroft. Fortunately the reception in town is bad enough that you can hope your call will be dropped if a telemarketer happens to call you.
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Now I really should not complain because the reception is better in some parts of town, and even in some parts of the house, than in others. For example, I get the best reception of all in my office. That is truly a blessing, because that is where I make most of my calls. I‘ve learned however, that if I have an important call, I should not walk around with the phone. I recently did that with my brother and the call was dropped. I talk to him often enough that he has gotten used to it and knows that I am not just hanging up on him.
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In spite of the challenges of dropped calls, the cell phone is still a useful tool. I really like the caller ID feature. This lets me know the number and often the name of the person calling me. Sometimes, however, I get calls that have no identifying number. After a while, I figured out that these are often the telemarketers. Aha, that gave me a caller idea. If I am in the middle of something and do not want to be disturbed, I do not have to answer the calls with no number by them. If it is really important, they can always leave a message.
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As I write this, I must ask if there are any lessons we can learn about God based on the illustration of the cell phone. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” With the cell phone we often wait to make our calls until we have free minutes, but we should not just wait for our free minutes to talk to God.
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Now I must ask, do we ever have to worry about dropped calls with God? Our first thought may be to say no, but is that really what the Scripture teaches? Psalms 66:18 makes it clear that, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” May we be careful not to shut down communication between God through sin. Thankfully, that problem is easier to rectify than a lost cell phone signal. For, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
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Essentially sin is the only thing that can interfere with our communication with God. We are not dependant on signals, towers, satellites, or even other men. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” I Timothy 2:5.
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Finally, I cannot make a call on my cell phone if I have no battery. Without power, my phone is useless. We have already established that if we regard sin in our hearts, the Lord will not hear. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. That means that all humanity has the problem of sin standing between them and their prayers to God. The only way to have our sins forgiven is through Christ alone. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26.
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These verses make it clear that Jesus is the justifier, no one else. The sin problem for all humanity is presented in verse 23, then Jesus Christ is presented as the solution. It is through His righteousness, not our own. This fact is made even more clear as we read the very next verse of this passage: “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27.
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When our sins are forgiven so that we can be reconciled to God, we have nothing to brag about, because it was through the righteousness of Christ, not through any of our own works. This brings us to a final point, I have to pay to use my cell phone, but I do not have to pay for salvation- Christ paid it for me by grace. Romans 11:6 says, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Titus 3:5-7 affirms, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
-
Now I really should not complain because the reception is better in some parts of town, and even in some parts of the house, than in others. For example, I get the best reception of all in my office. That is truly a blessing, because that is where I make most of my calls. I‘ve learned however, that if I have an important call, I should not walk around with the phone. I recently did that with my brother and the call was dropped. I talk to him often enough that he has gotten used to it and knows that I am not just hanging up on him.
-
In spite of the challenges of dropped calls, the cell phone is still a useful tool. I really like the caller ID feature. This lets me know the number and often the name of the person calling me. Sometimes, however, I get calls that have no identifying number. After a while, I figured out that these are often the telemarketers. Aha, that gave me a caller idea. If I am in the middle of something and do not want to be disturbed, I do not have to answer the calls with no number by them. If it is really important, they can always leave a message.
-
As I write this, I must ask if there are any lessons we can learn about God based on the illustration of the cell phone. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” With the cell phone we often wait to make our calls until we have free minutes, but we should not just wait for our free minutes to talk to God.
-
Now I must ask, do we ever have to worry about dropped calls with God? Our first thought may be to say no, but is that really what the Scripture teaches? Psalms 66:18 makes it clear that, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” May we be careful not to shut down communication between God through sin. Thankfully, that problem is easier to rectify than a lost cell phone signal. For, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
-
Essentially sin is the only thing that can interfere with our communication with God. We are not dependant on signals, towers, satellites, or even other men. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” I Timothy 2:5.
-
Finally, I cannot make a call on my cell phone if I have no battery. Without power, my phone is useless. We have already established that if we regard sin in our hearts, the Lord will not hear. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. That means that all humanity has the problem of sin standing between them and their prayers to God. The only way to have our sins forgiven is through Christ alone. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26.
-
These verses make it clear that Jesus is the justifier, no one else. The sin problem for all humanity is presented in verse 23, then Jesus Christ is presented as the solution. It is through His righteousness, not our own. This fact is made even more clear as we read the very next verse of this passage: “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27.
-
When our sins are forgiven so that we can be reconciled to God, we have nothing to brag about, because it was through the righteousness of Christ, not through any of our own works. This brings us to a final point, I have to pay to use my cell phone, but I do not have to pay for salvation- Christ paid it for me by grace. Romans 11:6 says, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Titus 3:5-7 affirms, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Friday, March 27, 2009
Unchristian
What does it mean to be unchristian? It could mean being uncharitable, thus acting contrary to Christian teaching. It can also mean being non-Christian, in other words not being a Christian. The prefix ‘un’ often has the idea of undoing. Has there ever been a time when Christianity has been undone- undone to the point that it becomes unchristian? Sadly this has and is happening.
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There was a time when the Bible was believed by all who called themselves Christians. That is no longer the case. Much has changed over the last couple of hundred years with the advent of modernism/liberalism within the churches. A major characteristic of this movement was a denial of the supernatural. Biblical narratives such as Jonah and the whale and the parting of the Red Sea were said to be just stories and not real events. The argument was that they either did not happen or had just been exaggerated. It was essentially a denial of the Word of God.
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These so called scholars often suggest that key doctrines of the Bible are accurate, but science and history are not. Some would even lie and state that the Bible teaches a flat earth, when in fact the Bible actually teaches that the earth is round. The first part of Isaiah 40:22 says, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.” I am simply giving this example to show how the Bible is slandered. Further, archeological discoveries continue to affirm the accuracy of the Bible and its history. The same could be said about science (actual provable experiments, not theories).
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So what happens when only part of the Bible is accepted as inerrant? People are not dumb. If we cannot trust all of the Bible, why should we trust any of it? Had the scholars simply come out and said that we can’t trust any of the Bible, they would have immediately been run out of the church as heretics. Yet once you give room for error in the Scriptures, you are essentially saying that the Bible cannot be trusted. Once that happens, precious fundamentals of the faith are soon denied. Soon evolution is being taught. The resurrection of Christ is denied along with His deity (fact that He is God). Soon it is taught that your eternal destiny is not even affected by whether or not you are a Christian. In fact, the existence of heaven and hell are even denied. At this point, Christianity ceases to be Christian.
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Seminaries like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton once stood for the truth of God’s word. They were established to train pastors. Today they are totally secular and often in opposition to Scripture. Many of the less known seminaries are not any better. The denial of the Bible as accurate has taken over and that teaching has been passed on to the pastors that fill the pulpits.
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Can you imagine that churches would send their pastors to be trained in places that deny that you should trust your Bible? As crazy as it sounds, that is exactly what has been happening in many denominations. No wonder so few pastors are able to clearly teach the Bible. Why teach it if you don’t even believe it?
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About a hundred years ago, many men across a broad denomination spectrum began to sound the alarm about the denial of basic fundamentals of the faith. They became known as the fundamentalists. They were not a new movement. They were the ones who stood where Christians have stood throughout the ages. I am among the remnants of traditional Christianity throughout the ages. I still believe the Bible. I still preach and declare every word of it as from God. This is not some new novel idea, rather it is basic to what it really means to be a Christian. That is why we are often called “fundamentalists”.
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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16
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“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4
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“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Romans 16:17
-
There was a time when the Bible was believed by all who called themselves Christians. That is no longer the case. Much has changed over the last couple of hundred years with the advent of modernism/liberalism within the churches. A major characteristic of this movement was a denial of the supernatural. Biblical narratives such as Jonah and the whale and the parting of the Red Sea were said to be just stories and not real events. The argument was that they either did not happen or had just been exaggerated. It was essentially a denial of the Word of God.
-
These so called scholars often suggest that key doctrines of the Bible are accurate, but science and history are not. Some would even lie and state that the Bible teaches a flat earth, when in fact the Bible actually teaches that the earth is round. The first part of Isaiah 40:22 says, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.” I am simply giving this example to show how the Bible is slandered. Further, archeological discoveries continue to affirm the accuracy of the Bible and its history. The same could be said about science (actual provable experiments, not theories).
-
So what happens when only part of the Bible is accepted as inerrant? People are not dumb. If we cannot trust all of the Bible, why should we trust any of it? Had the scholars simply come out and said that we can’t trust any of the Bible, they would have immediately been run out of the church as heretics. Yet once you give room for error in the Scriptures, you are essentially saying that the Bible cannot be trusted. Once that happens, precious fundamentals of the faith are soon denied. Soon evolution is being taught. The resurrection of Christ is denied along with His deity (fact that He is God). Soon it is taught that your eternal destiny is not even affected by whether or not you are a Christian. In fact, the existence of heaven and hell are even denied. At this point, Christianity ceases to be Christian.
-
Seminaries like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton once stood for the truth of God’s word. They were established to train pastors. Today they are totally secular and often in opposition to Scripture. Many of the less known seminaries are not any better. The denial of the Bible as accurate has taken over and that teaching has been passed on to the pastors that fill the pulpits.
-
Can you imagine that churches would send their pastors to be trained in places that deny that you should trust your Bible? As crazy as it sounds, that is exactly what has been happening in many denominations. No wonder so few pastors are able to clearly teach the Bible. Why teach it if you don’t even believe it?
-
About a hundred years ago, many men across a broad denomination spectrum began to sound the alarm about the denial of basic fundamentals of the faith. They became known as the fundamentalists. They were not a new movement. They were the ones who stood where Christians have stood throughout the ages. I am among the remnants of traditional Christianity throughout the ages. I still believe the Bible. I still preach and declare every word of it as from God. This is not some new novel idea, rather it is basic to what it really means to be a Christian. That is why we are often called “fundamentalists”.
-
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16
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“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4
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“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Romans 16:17
Friday, March 20, 2009
FEAR GOD
The thunder rolled the lightning struck
Thick the cloud, loud the trump
The Lord came down with fire and smoke
He showed His power before He spoke
The ground did quake as did man
Then spake God, the Great I Am
He gave commands, ten spoke out
And wrote in stone so no doubt
They moved back with fearful zeal
Their fear of God, it was real
Oh that there were such a heart in man
That he would fear & obey command
Observe ye now to do therefore
Fear the Lord as those before
From Exodus 19-20 and Deut. 5
Thick the cloud, loud the trump
The Lord came down with fire and smoke
He showed His power before He spoke
The ground did quake as did man
Then spake God, the Great I Am
He gave commands, ten spoke out
And wrote in stone so no doubt
They moved back with fearful zeal
Their fear of God, it was real
Oh that there were such a heart in man
That he would fear & obey command
Observe ye now to do therefore
Fear the Lord as those before
From Exodus 19-20 and Deut. 5
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I've Got Culture: Agri-Culture
When I was still on the farm, I saw a shirt that got my attention. The slogan on the shirt read, “I’ve Got Culture: Agriculture.” I considered getting that shirt but instead opted for one that had a farmer standing in a field with the words, “Out standing in his field.”
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As I reflected on the farm humor of days gone by, I was reminded of the whole concept of culture in general. Often right and wrong is assessed based on cultural relativism, or cultural ethics. The problem with such an approach is that it allows culture to determine right and wrong rather than God. We must not forget that good and evil, right and wrong are determined by God, not us. We are not allowed to redefine it. Abraham Lincoln once asked, “If I call my dogs tail a leg, how many legs does my dog have?” His answer, four! My dog only has four legs no matter what I call his tail. Calling a tail a leg does not make it a leg. Calling something acceptable does not make it unsinful.
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As we consider the subject of cultural relativism, is it acceptable to suggest that some cultures are morally inferior to others? In our multicultural society, such a suggestion is prone to bring about accusations of bigotry and even racism. We must understand that in some cases it is only right to point out the shortcomings of a culture. For example, the Children of Israel were warned about a cultural practice of their neighbors the Ammonites who sacrificed their children to the false god Molech by burning them in fire. “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:21. Few would disagree that the culture of child sacrifice is evil.
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The example of the Ammonites is relatively benign for us today, for I do not know of many people who still worship Molech. Therefore I can use that example and not ruffle too many feathers. What about a culture that encourages its children to strap bombs to their bodies and blow themselves up in crowded public areas with the purpose of killing as many people as possible? What about a culture that prides itself in honor killings of relatives who they feel have disgraced their families and culture? From a Biblical perspective, not only must I condemn the religious beliefs of Islam, but also the culture of violence. Some would call me intolerant for such a statement. That’s okay with me, let me go on record that I am intolerant of murder. What is more intolerant, writing about those we disagree with or killing them? A culture of intolerance that leads to murder is something we all must be concerned about.
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I am saddened that the debate over culture often leads instead to a debate over race. Many Muslims are Arabs, but we must not come to the conclusion that all Arabs are more evil than anyone else. The issue is not their race, but what values they embrace.
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Many of those same issues come up when we examine the values of some of our inner city cultures in this county. For example, a culture that encourages drug use, out of wedlock births, and violence should be spoken against. Sadly, instead of speaking against such a culture, many speak against a race. These behaviors are wrong no matter what races are involved in them. Further, not every person of a particular race does those things, and it is wrong to imply they do.
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At the same time, it would be just as wrong to ignore the sinful characteristics of a culture just because of a fear of offending a certain demographic within our society. What I am suggesting is judging a culture by the content of its character, not by the color of its skin. -
What about the culture of our own small town agricultural area. It is easy to pride ourselves in our small town values, yet culture relativism has crept in here as well. For example, we live in a culture where premarital sex (fornication) is accepted. We live in a culture where our possessions have become our gods. We live in a culture were divorce and adultery are all too frequent. We live in a culture where we covet and want whatever someone else has. We live in a culture where it is not uncommon for our citizens to get drunk.
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1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
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It is time for people to reject their cultures and embrace God.
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“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3.
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As I reflected on the farm humor of days gone by, I was reminded of the whole concept of culture in general. Often right and wrong is assessed based on cultural relativism, or cultural ethics. The problem with such an approach is that it allows culture to determine right and wrong rather than God. We must not forget that good and evil, right and wrong are determined by God, not us. We are not allowed to redefine it. Abraham Lincoln once asked, “If I call my dogs tail a leg, how many legs does my dog have?” His answer, four! My dog only has four legs no matter what I call his tail. Calling a tail a leg does not make it a leg. Calling something acceptable does not make it unsinful.
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As we consider the subject of cultural relativism, is it acceptable to suggest that some cultures are morally inferior to others? In our multicultural society, such a suggestion is prone to bring about accusations of bigotry and even racism. We must understand that in some cases it is only right to point out the shortcomings of a culture. For example, the Children of Israel were warned about a cultural practice of their neighbors the Ammonites who sacrificed their children to the false god Molech by burning them in fire. “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 18:21. Few would disagree that the culture of child sacrifice is evil.
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The example of the Ammonites is relatively benign for us today, for I do not know of many people who still worship Molech. Therefore I can use that example and not ruffle too many feathers. What about a culture that encourages its children to strap bombs to their bodies and blow themselves up in crowded public areas with the purpose of killing as many people as possible? What about a culture that prides itself in honor killings of relatives who they feel have disgraced their families and culture? From a Biblical perspective, not only must I condemn the religious beliefs of Islam, but also the culture of violence. Some would call me intolerant for such a statement. That’s okay with me, let me go on record that I am intolerant of murder. What is more intolerant, writing about those we disagree with or killing them? A culture of intolerance that leads to murder is something we all must be concerned about.
-
I am saddened that the debate over culture often leads instead to a debate over race. Many Muslims are Arabs, but we must not come to the conclusion that all Arabs are more evil than anyone else. The issue is not their race, but what values they embrace.
-
Many of those same issues come up when we examine the values of some of our inner city cultures in this county. For example, a culture that encourages drug use, out of wedlock births, and violence should be spoken against. Sadly, instead of speaking against such a culture, many speak against a race. These behaviors are wrong no matter what races are involved in them. Further, not every person of a particular race does those things, and it is wrong to imply they do.
-
At the same time, it would be just as wrong to ignore the sinful characteristics of a culture just because of a fear of offending a certain demographic within our society. What I am suggesting is judging a culture by the content of its character, not by the color of its skin. -
What about the culture of our own small town agricultural area. It is easy to pride ourselves in our small town values, yet culture relativism has crept in here as well. For example, we live in a culture where premarital sex (fornication) is accepted. We live in a culture where our possessions have become our gods. We live in a culture were divorce and adultery are all too frequent. We live in a culture where we covet and want whatever someone else has. We live in a culture where it is not uncommon for our citizens to get drunk.
-
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
-
It is time for people to reject their cultures and embrace God.
-
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3.
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