It’s another election year. Call me cynical, but I have a hard time believing that all politicians tell the truth. Voters do not like to be lied to. Whether it is a salesman making a false sales pitch, a politician trying to get elected, or a neighbor outright lying to our face, we do not like being deceived.
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Now if we as sinful humans hate lies, what does God think about them? Proverbs 6:16-19 gives a list of things that God hates, and the second on that list is a lying tongue. Consider as well Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
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It may be tempting to lie to try to protect yourself or even your possessions, but Proverbs 19:22 says it is better to be poor than to lie. “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”
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Some argue that the examples in scripture of the midwives in Exodus 1 and Rehab in Joshua 2, would show that lying in certain circumstances is acceptable. First, we do not know that the statement of the midwives to Pharaoh in Exodus 1 was actually a lie. Second, though Rehab did lie to protect the spies sent by Joshua, she is rewarded not for her lie, but for her fear of God. Though she is praised in Hebrews 11:31 for receiving the spies, nowhere is she praised for her lying. In fact, shortly after she had lied to protect the spies, the Gibeonites lied to Joshua to protect themselves. Though God is merciful in preserving their lives, He punishes their lies by making them servants.
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I heard a story about an honest little girl during WWII. The Nazis entered her house looking for hidden Jews. They asked her were they were. She sincerely replied that they were under the table. Looking under the table and seeing no one there, they though they had been made fools of and left. They had not looked under the rug below the table to see the trap door and thus the Jews were safe. God rewards honesty. “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19)
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Not only is truth rewarded, but lying is punished. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) Notice how lying is listed with murder and idolatry. It is also listed with the sin of unbelief. If we really believe God is holy, we will realize how bad lying is.
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Most likely you have told a lie. Perhaps you are even known as a liar. Liars can expect the punishment of the lake of fire unless they repent and believe in Christ as their only hope of salvation. Know that when you trust the Lord, you are trusting in a God that cannot lie. He promises 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.”
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Christ died to forgive your sins, including your lies. The only way to have them forgiven is to trust Him. Once you have trusted him, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:9).
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
What About Drinking Alcohol?
I recently read about the concern surrounding underage drinking in Algona. Many of the young people involved in this activity may wonder why if it is okay for someone over 21 to do it, why can’t they? They may even consider the older generation to be hypocrites. The older generation may argue that they have more experience and are able to act more responsibly. Sadly not everyone in the older generation does act responsibly. That is why organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving have organized to address the irresponsible behavior surrounding alcohol.
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So what does the Bible say to both young and old about drinking? First of all, God makes it clear that drunkenness is a sin. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:10).
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If drunkenness is sinful, why did Jesus turn water into wine when the men were well drunk? Actually the scripture does not say that they were drunk, it simply says that the governor of the feast noted that the best wine was saved till last when typically men waited to serve the best until after men were drunk. The fact that he could tell it was the best shows he was not intoxicated.
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In Bible times, just as today, not all wine had the same alcohol content. In fact, the term wine could include both fermented and non fermented fruit juices. Before refrigeration, fermentation was a means of preserving, but the understanding of the dangers involved with alcohol led to many warnings in scripture concerning this substance. For example, the job of the priest was so important that they were to stay away from wine when serving in the tabernacle. (Leviticus 10:9). Proverbs 20:1 as well warns about it, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
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So if alcohol is so dangerous, why didn’t the Bible just say to totally stay away from it no matter what? I believe the answer is found in the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy. “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.” (I Timothy 5:23) In that day, they did not have refrigeration nor many of the preservatives we now use, so fermentation into alcohol was an efficient way to keep fruit juices from spoiling. Further, many of the water supplies were contaminated and it was likely that Timothy was suffering from dysentery as a result. By drinking wine instead of the water, he could have some relief.
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So what should a Christian do about alcohol today. First of all, there is not a verse that says, “thou shalt not drink alcohol,” but we have already looked at just a couple of verses that warn against drunkenness. I must ask, how much must you drink before you are affected by the alcohol? The laws concerning drunk driving suggest that the amount is very low. I do not want to even come close to being drunk so I just abstain. Along with God’s warnings, consider the obvious sins that occur during drunkenness. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8)
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Because we have clean water and many ways to preserve our drinks I see no need to drink alcohol. Instead of being focused on getting my fill of wine, I want to focus on being filled with a submission to the Spirit of God. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
-
So what does the Bible say to both young and old about drinking? First of all, God makes it clear that drunkenness is a sin. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:10).
-
If drunkenness is sinful, why did Jesus turn water into wine when the men were well drunk? Actually the scripture does not say that they were drunk, it simply says that the governor of the feast noted that the best wine was saved till last when typically men waited to serve the best until after men were drunk. The fact that he could tell it was the best shows he was not intoxicated.
-
In Bible times, just as today, not all wine had the same alcohol content. In fact, the term wine could include both fermented and non fermented fruit juices. Before refrigeration, fermentation was a means of preserving, but the understanding of the dangers involved with alcohol led to many warnings in scripture concerning this substance. For example, the job of the priest was so important that they were to stay away from wine when serving in the tabernacle. (Leviticus 10:9). Proverbs 20:1 as well warns about it, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
-
So if alcohol is so dangerous, why didn’t the Bible just say to totally stay away from it no matter what? I believe the answer is found in the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy. “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.” (I Timothy 5:23) In that day, they did not have refrigeration nor many of the preservatives we now use, so fermentation into alcohol was an efficient way to keep fruit juices from spoiling. Further, many of the water supplies were contaminated and it was likely that Timothy was suffering from dysentery as a result. By drinking wine instead of the water, he could have some relief.
-
So what should a Christian do about alcohol today. First of all, there is not a verse that says, “thou shalt not drink alcohol,” but we have already looked at just a couple of verses that warn against drunkenness. I must ask, how much must you drink before you are affected by the alcohol? The laws concerning drunk driving suggest that the amount is very low. I do not want to even come close to being drunk so I just abstain. Along with God’s warnings, consider the obvious sins that occur during drunkenness. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8)
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Because we have clean water and many ways to preserve our drinks I see no need to drink alcohol. Instead of being focused on getting my fill of wine, I want to focus on being filled with a submission to the Spirit of God. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Telling God to Wash His Hands
Imagine men trying to tell God the difference between right and wrong. Christ had to deal with that in Luke 11:37-52 as He was challenged about washing His hands before a meal. It is not a bad idea to wash your hands before you eat, but let us not forget that Jesus is God, and God makes the rules. Some have argued that Jesus simply excused Himself from the law of God because He is God, but Mark 7:3 makes it clear that the hand washing was based on the traditions of the elders rather than the law of God. So Christ was not ignoring His own laws, He was ignoring man‘s law.
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The Pharisees where the ones who were upset about the hand washing. They were known for being zealous over the law. Now following God’s standards of right and wrong is a good thing. The problem was that they had replaced God’s rules with man’s rules and became so focused on following the manmade standard that they missed what God had commanded. Thus Christ says in Luke 11:42, “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
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Things like washing hands before a meal are good. In fact, my mom used to command it, and living on a farm where we got dirty outside, it was a good idea. Although it was something we should have done, it was not needed to obey God’s law. Giving mint and rue and herbs was good too, but it was not required by the law of God.
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What really made the scenario in Luke 11 repulsive, was that man was rebuking God using a manmade standard of right and wrong. That problem was not isolated to those of 2000 years ago. We face it today as well. Man still wants to make up his own rules and exclude God’s rules. This is a problem shared by the nonreligious and religious alike. The nonreligious still have a standard of right and wrong but they exclude God from that standard. Too often the religious elevate their traditions above God’s Word.
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After rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus as well rebuked the scribes. They were the ones who studied the scriptures. Again a good thing- a thing commanded by God. The problem was that as they studied scripture, they redefined it through their interpretations in such a way that it was hardly recognizable. No wonder they were in conflict with Christ.
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Many looked to the oral traditions of the scribes as being more authoritative than God’s word because it was the interpretation of God’s word. We often see the same approach in churches today. We need to decide- will we believe God and His word as it is written, or man’s distorted definition of what God’s word is saying.
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I must be honest. There are debates over certain passages of scripture. That is one of the reasons why we have so many denominations. But the problem is not solved when we ignore God’s word or even minimize God’s word by elevating the standards of man or even the decrees of the church above the Word of God. What it comes down to is that we must look at what God’s word actually says and not twist it no matter what our preconceived notions may be. You see, we as men have no right to tell God what His word should say.
-
The Pharisees where the ones who were upset about the hand washing. They were known for being zealous over the law. Now following God’s standards of right and wrong is a good thing. The problem was that they had replaced God’s rules with man’s rules and became so focused on following the manmade standard that they missed what God had commanded. Thus Christ says in Luke 11:42, “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
-
Things like washing hands before a meal are good. In fact, my mom used to command it, and living on a farm where we got dirty outside, it was a good idea. Although it was something we should have done, it was not needed to obey God’s law. Giving mint and rue and herbs was good too, but it was not required by the law of God.
-
What really made the scenario in Luke 11 repulsive, was that man was rebuking God using a manmade standard of right and wrong. That problem was not isolated to those of 2000 years ago. We face it today as well. Man still wants to make up his own rules and exclude God’s rules. This is a problem shared by the nonreligious and religious alike. The nonreligious still have a standard of right and wrong but they exclude God from that standard. Too often the religious elevate their traditions above God’s Word.
-
After rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus as well rebuked the scribes. They were the ones who studied the scriptures. Again a good thing- a thing commanded by God. The problem was that as they studied scripture, they redefined it through their interpretations in such a way that it was hardly recognizable. No wonder they were in conflict with Christ.
-
Many looked to the oral traditions of the scribes as being more authoritative than God’s word because it was the interpretation of God’s word. We often see the same approach in churches today. We need to decide- will we believe God and His word as it is written, or man’s distorted definition of what God’s word is saying.
-
I must be honest. There are debates over certain passages of scripture. That is one of the reasons why we have so many denominations. But the problem is not solved when we ignore God’s word or even minimize God’s word by elevating the standards of man or even the decrees of the church above the Word of God. What it comes down to is that we must look at what God’s word actually says and not twist it no matter what our preconceived notions may be. You see, we as men have no right to tell God what His word should say.
Babies are Worth The Cost
Our youngest son continues to grow. It is hard to believe that he is over 2 months old already. The chubby round cheeks and bright eyes are a picture of health. That picture began to blur a bit the other night as he became fussy for no apparent reason, the bright cheeks flushed, and my wife informed me that he had a fever.
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Having a sick baby is one way to make a father feel helpless. The baby cannot talk and tell you what is wrong, and daddy doesn’t know what to do to make it all better. Because daddies like to fix things, I went online to try to find information about young babies and fevers. I quickly discovered that if the fever is over 100.4 and the baby is less than 3 months old, you should call the doctor immediately. Crystal retook his temp and found out is was at 100.9.
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We called the hospital and they suggested we bring him in. Now it was a Sunday, so the clinic was not open. That meant an emergency room visit, and I know that they are way more expensive than the clinic visits, but when it is your little baby, the cost doesn’t matter. We are under a medical plan, so the cost won’t be that high, but even if it were, a life is more important than money.
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Fortunately the doctor found nothing seriously wrong and now Heath seems to be doing well again. This small trial reminded me how insignificant possessions are compared to a human life. It saddens me how many lives have been stopped before they were even born just so that the parents would not have to give up possessions or time to raise them. Few would even imagine doing the same thing to a growing baby after it has been born.
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Perhaps that explains why once seeing an ultrasound, a mother is less likely to end a pregnancy. I recall how exciting it was to visit the doctor and get our first little black and white pictures of our babies showing their tiny heads, hands, and feet months before they were even born. No wonder Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
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Even at 9 weeks, the head and feet can be distinguished as the little life is being molded and formed by God.
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So is that baby really a life, or a clump of tissue before he or she is born? Consider what God said about Jeremiah. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) This shows us that God knew Jeremiah and set him apart before he was even born.
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Another baby, John the Baptist, is also spoken of before his birth. “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:44) Notice the scripture calls him a baby before he is even born.
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Yes babies are precious, and it is worth the cost to see them live.
-
Having a sick baby is one way to make a father feel helpless. The baby cannot talk and tell you what is wrong, and daddy doesn’t know what to do to make it all better. Because daddies like to fix things, I went online to try to find information about young babies and fevers. I quickly discovered that if the fever is over 100.4 and the baby is less than 3 months old, you should call the doctor immediately. Crystal retook his temp and found out is was at 100.9.
-
We called the hospital and they suggested we bring him in. Now it was a Sunday, so the clinic was not open. That meant an emergency room visit, and I know that they are way more expensive than the clinic visits, but when it is your little baby, the cost doesn’t matter. We are under a medical plan, so the cost won’t be that high, but even if it were, a life is more important than money.
-
Fortunately the doctor found nothing seriously wrong and now Heath seems to be doing well again. This small trial reminded me how insignificant possessions are compared to a human life. It saddens me how many lives have been stopped before they were even born just so that the parents would not have to give up possessions or time to raise them. Few would even imagine doing the same thing to a growing baby after it has been born.
-
Perhaps that explains why once seeing an ultrasound, a mother is less likely to end a pregnancy. I recall how exciting it was to visit the doctor and get our first little black and white pictures of our babies showing their tiny heads, hands, and feet months before they were even born. No wonder Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
-
Even at 9 weeks, the head and feet can be distinguished as the little life is being molded and formed by God.
-
So is that baby really a life, or a clump of tissue before he or she is born? Consider what God said about Jeremiah. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) This shows us that God knew Jeremiah and set him apart before he was even born.
-
Another baby, John the Baptist, is also spoken of before his birth. “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:44) Notice the scripture calls him a baby before he is even born.
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Yes babies are precious, and it is worth the cost to see them live.
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