First Baptist Church- Preaching the Word Since 1888

Look Out for the Bad Guys!

2012-01-27T08:12:00.001-08:00

The other day one of our little boys came into my office and announced that he was going to the bank. They often play make believe, but I realized that we do not live that far from the bank, and they might actually decide to walk over there some day. We then had a long talk about the danger of getting run over by cars if you go near the street.-Because we live in a sin cursed world, we also had to have another discussion. I warned them about “bad guys.” No doubt, it is a blessing to live in a small town like Bancroft, but from time to time we hear news stories about children being abducted and abused and sometimes it happens in a small town area. I wish it was not necessary to warn my little boys, but because of sin it is. Thus a few days later when we walked up town, the two older boys were very careful to hold on to their little brothers hand so a bad guy did not get him.-I do not want my boys to live in constant fear, but I do want them to understand the reality of evil. Though I want them to be aware of the special dangers posed by a “bad guy,” I also want them to understand when they have done something bad. I want them to understand that they should always tell the truth and that lying is bad. I want them to know that they should not steal anything that belongs to someone else.-I do not just want to adjust their behavior though. As they grow older, I want them to understand who God is and His role in their lives and even in their sin problem. I do not expect them to understand all about Christ’s payment for sin when they are toddlers, but as they get older I want them to grasp sin’s reality not just in the life of the “bad guy,” but in all our lives.-Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 5:12 says, “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:”-Some people think that hell is just for those who have done something really bad, but the truth is, all of us have sinned, and even if you do not think your sin was all that bad, Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death. As we consider the condemnation for our sin, listen to what God‘s word tells us about not believing in Jesus Christ: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)-Jesus is telling us that if you do not believe on Him, you do not have to do something really bad to be condemned- you are condemned already. The reason we are already condemned is because all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God and sin has passed onto all of us from the time that the first man Adam sinned. You see hell isn’t just for kidnappers and guys like Hitler, it is for all people who have not had their sin paid for. -That reality brings us to Christ. He is the only one who can pay for our sins. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) “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) “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)

What Should I Wear Today?

2012-01-12T09:09:00.001-08:00

My wife was all excited. She is able to fit into her jeans again after having our big baby boy. He weighed over 11 pound and at the end of her pregnancy she could not even fit into her maternity pants. Fortunately she had a couple of skirts she was still able to wear. -I am glad that I do not have to deal with the fashion struggles that she recently had. I still have shirts that I wore two decades ago, so I have to be careful not to continue to wear something that is totally out of style. I have a tendency not to be concerned enough about what I wear, while it seems that some people’s lives actually revolve around fashion. Though my wife is not preoccupied with fashion either, she can at least help me match my ties. -I get a lot of encouragement in reading about John the Baptist. He wore leather and camel hair. These were not the fancy clothes of the day. I once heard a preacher emphasizing how we should make sure and wear good quality wool suits. Though I have no objection to owning quality clothes, why should we judge someone who wears a polyester blend? In fact, the scripture condemns such judging. James 2:2-4 is quite direct on this matter when he says, “For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”-As with so many things in the Christian life, people have a tendency to go to extremes in the area of clothes- either not caring at all about what they wear or becoming preoccupied with fashion. Though James gives a warning about judging concerning dress, Paul also gives guidance in the area of fashion as he specifically addresses women. I cannot help but think that the feminine gender had a great interest in fashion even back then. Consider what Paul had to say, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” (1 Timothy 2:9).-Much is said about clothes in this little verse. First, Paul is pointing out that women should adorn themselves with their clothes. That word adorn has the idea of decorating. In other words, there is nothing wrong with a woman wanting to look nice- in fact she is told to take care to adorn herself, but she is also given guidance about how to do it. She is to do so with modesty. Typically when we hear of modesty we think of not being risqué, and though that would definitely be included, the meaning goes much further than that.-The Greek word translated “modest” here is only used twice in the Bible and the other time it is translated “of good behavior.” Strong defines it as “decorous“, which means “in good taste.” In other words though we should not be risqué, we should also be dressing in a manner that is culturally acceptable. For example my second cousin recently sent me a picture of our families together in the 1970’s and I must say the shiny polyester orange of that era is not as culturally acceptable now as it was then. Further it is not good behavior nor good taste to dress risqué. -I believe the point Paul is making is that we are to dress within our culture in an acceptable manner without having to have the most expensive and extravagant clothes, hairstyles, or jewelry. In other words we should dress nice, without being lewd or preoccupied by our wardrobe.

Abounding as Needs are Met

2011-12-30T08:20:00.001-08:00

In Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul showed that he understood what it meant to abound and to suffer need. We are so blessed in this country that few people here really know what it means to “need” food. Sure we might have times when we are hungry because we cannot find a drive thru restaurant, but few have to worry about starving to death.-Still, most of us know what it means to live on a budget. In other words, we do not have a limitless supply of money to buy whatever we want to. That is actually a good thing, because it teaches self control and responsible stewardship.-Part of our stewardship as a family involves keeping a small emergency fund set aside. This fall we were grateful that we had it because both vehicles ended up needing repairs, a couple of us visited the hospital for minor issues, and a new baby was added to our family. In spite of all these challenges, by God’s grace, we have been able to pay all our bills. -Our story probably sounds quite familiar to many of you who are going through similar times in your home, but our story took an interesting turn about a week before Christmas. Our new baby had a slight tongue tie. It was not serious enough for the local doctor to even be concerned about it, but it was causing serious problems with his nursing. -We found a specialist in Lincoln, NE that could do a minor surgery, but it would cost $250 plus the expense of driving out there. After talking it over, we decided that even though finances were tight, we should go ahead with the procedure and trust God with the rest. As we made that decision, we received a gift of $50 in Bancroft Bucks. Then while we were gone to Lincoln, a couple of men stopped by with another $50 in Bancroft Bucks. Then the next day a lady stopped by with a bunch of groceries and a $150 gift card. The Bancroft Bucks and gift card replaced the $250 we spent on the surgery. -We were overjoyed that our only expense for the procedure was our cost to drive out to Lincoln which came close to $100 in gas. Then the next day we received an envelope with our typed address and no return address with a $100 gift card to Fairway. -We were praising God for His provision through the loving charity of others, but it did not stop. We also received another $50 gift certificate for gas and another Johnson’s Grocery gift card. Further, we also received gifts from other individuals. What a wonderful Christmas it has been. The Miller family knows what it means to abound.-Philippians 4:12-20 says, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”-I want to thank God and all those He used to help us abound.

The Best Gift

2011-12-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

When I was a child we would get a couple of huge toy catalogs. We would go through and pick out our favorite items so that we could pass a list on to Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa with hopes that they might fulfill our desires. Recently our little boys found one of the small toy catalogs that came in the mail. They were enjoying looking at all the pictures but had not get grasped the idea of asking to have the items they saw. For now the catalog itself is a satisfying gift for them.-When it comes to Christmas shopping, I must buy for young and old alike. It is easy to find gifts for little boys who get excited about looking at bright pictures on pieces of junk mail, but it is much harder to find a gift for my mother who already has almost everything she needs and doesn’t really want a lot of extras. -You see my mother has reached the contentment that comes with maturity. When I say that I do not just mean the physical maturity of aging, but the spiritual maturity of godliness. The Apostle Paul had reached such a place in Philippians 4:11 when he said, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”-My little boys are pleased with almost any gift and my mom doesn’t really want much more than time with family. Both are easily satisfied. On the other hand, so many people are so preoccupied with what others have that it can end up ruining what could be an otherwise joyous holiday.-Rather than coveting the possessions of others we are to covet the best gifts. “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) The next chapter makes clear what those best gifts are. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)-The word here translated “charity” is “agape“- the wonderful Greek word for selfless love that gives to others. Jesus Christ set the perfect example of this love when He died on the cross to pay for our sins. “Greater love (agape) hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)-His death provided the means for us to have the best gift of all- a gift that is completely free- the gift of eternal life after death by having our sins forgiven. “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (Romans 5:14-15)-When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone as our Savior, we get the free gift of salvation. It is far better than anything in the Christmas catalog or anything our neighbor has. When we accept His free gift we should realize that we are getting something really special. Once we have Jesus as our Savior, we never have to worry about Him leaving us. Other gifts will get broken or lost. Other gifts will lose the excitement as they age. If we put our hope in other things we will quickly lose our contentment and want something better, but when we receive Christ, we get the best. His gift is one we can really be content with. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

The Truth About Christmas

2011-12-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago our little boys looked out the front window and saw the beautiful Christmas lights in and on our neighbor’s house across the street. One of them got all excited and said, “they have Christmas!”
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Not long after that we went to the open house at our local bank and the boys got free coloring books. One of them saw a picture of Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, and since he is young enough that he doesn’t know all his animals well, he asked if it was a horsey. When I told him it was a deer, his older brother asked, “we shoot him?”
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Now before you start to think that we have been training our children to kill Rudolf, understand that we come from a family of deer hunters. Although I have not hunted for a few years, my brother did this year and my boys heard me talking to him about it. Furthermore, when they pretend that their sticks are guns, we often tell them to shoot deer instead of people. Thus our boys are much more familiar with the pursuit of the whitetail than they are with the legend of Santa and his reindeer.
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We do not emphasize Santa much in our home. For our boys, he is the man at the bank open house who gave them their candy canes. The same boy who wanted to shoot Rudolf saw a figurine of Santa and said, “he give me candy.”
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I want our boys to view Santa for who he really is- a local man who dresses up in a funny outfit with a fake beard because he likes kids. I do not want them to think that he really lives up at the north pole or actually has a sleigh that flies through the air. I want them to know that the gifts they got at Christmas time came from Grandma, not that man who gave them candy. I want them to know that the man who was dressed up did give them a candy cane and that they should say thank you.
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In other words, I want my kids to know the truth about Santa Claus instead of trying to deceive them. I want my kids to know that they can trust what I tell them and that I am honest with them. I want them to be excited when they see reindeer at the zoo, but not expect them to land on our roof.
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As they hear stories from make believe I want them to know the difference between fun and real. I want them to believe the real stories from the Bible. I want them to know that Jonah really was swallowed by a whale, but that Paul Bunyan is just for fun. I want them to know that Samson did have super human strength, but Super Man is just comic book fiction. I want them to know that the Apostle Paul really did survive a shipwreck and was stranded on an Island for a time, but that Gilligan is just a funny made up character.
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I do not just want my children to know that I will not lie to them, I want them to know the difference between truth and fiction. Then I want them to understand the important truth- that God sent His only begotten son into the world so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I want them to know that Jesus came into this world to die for our sins. That really is the true meaning of Christmas.

Hypocrisy or True Morality?

2011-12-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Our family continues to grow. We just had another baby boy. He was welcomed home by three older brothers and a couple of aunties who helped care for him the first week of his life as mommy recovered. He was also welcomed home by a daddy who not only lived with his mommy, but was married to her.
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I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the moral values of our society have degraded farther than we could have imagined. I recently read how few teenagers have both a mom and dad in the same house. Parents separating or divorcing is just part of the problem. According to the CDC, 41% of all births in the USA are to unwed mothers.
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Such statistics should break our hearts, but instead they have become the new “normal”. It is not my intent to single out unwed mothers. They did not reach that state alone. There was a father as well. If he can be found he will be forced to pay to support his child and that support will be a huge financial burden on him. At the same time the mother trying to raise the child herself will face challenges that are almost unimaginable.
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As a father of little boys, I cannot imagine trying to raise them without my wife’s help or her raising them without mine. My heart breaks for those trying to go it alone. At the same time I am so grateful that so many unwed mothers are choosing to let their babies live. I am definitely a strong advocate of adoption, but recognize it is not as common as raising a child alone.
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I bring all this up to show that this is one more area of our society where moral values have changed. The family structure has definitely broken down. My mother talks about when she was in high school in the early 1960’s and how girls were “sent away”. What often happened is that an unwed mother would be sent to live with relatives a long way away so no one would know she was pregnant and then the baby was put up for adoption.
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I fear the stigma ended up making the pregnancy itself look like a sin when there is nothing sinful about being pregnant. On the other hand, the behavior that results in pregnancy is to be reserved for marriage. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” Fornication is the idea of sinful sexual relations. Hebrews 13:4 tells us, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
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Today the values of our nation have changed much from what they were a century ago. Too many have forgotten or do not even care about God’s way. When everyone does what is right in his own eyes regarding sex, why are we surprised when there are so many sex scandals?
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Premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, and bestiality are not wrong because I say they are wrong, they are wrong because God says so. If we condemn homosexuality and participate in premarital sex are we not hypocrites? If we condemn pedophilia but commit adultery are we not showing a double standard? The point is not that we should accept other sins because of our own sins. The point is that all sin is wrong, including the ones we are involved in.
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The truth is that we are all sinners and that is why Christ came to die for our sins. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20b). “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)

Santa

2011-11-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming up, I decided to post a program that we put on a couple of years ago. It shows some interesting things about Santa Claus that you may not have known before.

THE IMPOSTER

Pastor’s Introduction: With all the commercialization of Christmas it is sad how many have completely lost the true meaning of this special holiday. It seems in our society that Jesus has been replaced by Santa. This is actually quite a clever deception, for Santa has not only displaced our Lord, as we will find out tonight, but he has actually turned into an evil imposter. Tonight we will be reminded of who the true Lord really is.

Pray

Piano playing Christmas hymns.
Scene opens with Santa sitting in a large chair with Shopper and Mother beside him and the son on his lap. Mother then takes picture

Grandparents walk up with grandchildren.

Amanda: Grandma, can we get our picture taken with Santa Claus?

Grandma: No, I do not think that is a good idea

Daniel: Why not?

Grandpa: Well, Santa is not real.

Amanda: But I can see him, he is right there.

Grandma: What grandpa means is that he is actually an imposter

At this time Elijah pulls Santa’s beard off as Policeman walks up

Policeman: Ah. An imposter you say. It looks like your right.

Santa sits there looking embarrassed without his beard.
Mother: (looking embarrassed herself) Elijah, you come and stand by me for a while.

Elijah goes and stands by mother

Policeman: So can someone explain what’s going on here?

Grandpa: Sure. We were just explaining to our grandchildren that Santa is an imposter when that little wipper snapper pulled his beard off.

Policeman: (turning to Santa) Ok, so what’s your name?

Santa: Chris Cringle

Shopper: I heard that Chris Cringle meant Christ Child.

Santa: That’s correct- in fact, you can verify it by looking it up in Webster’s 7th Collegiate Dictionary. It calls me the religious and holiday spirit of Christmas personified, Father Christmas, the Christmas Gift, or the Christ Child.

Mother: (Rolling her eyes at Santa) He sure doesn’t look like the Christ Child to me.

Grandma: He’s not. That is why he’s an imposter.

Mother: How do you mean?

Grandpa: Actually there are a lot of ways. Jesus Christ is the true Christmas gift, not Santa Claus.

Daniel: Doesn’t Santa give kids gifts?

Elijah: I want a toy truck.

Grandpa: James 1:17 says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Amanda: Then that means they come from God, not Santa.

Grandma: That’s right dear.

Shopper: I find it interesting that the perfect gifts come from God, yet we tell our kids to ask Santa for stuff.

Mother: So we should have them write letters to God instead of letters to Santa?

Grandma: We could just tell them to pray.

Mother: Yah, and God knows who has been naughty or nice.

Santa: Hey, you better be nice or I won’t give you any presents.

Grandpa: Jesus Christ is the ultimate judge, not Santa and He knows all our secrets. Romans 2:16 says, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

Grandma: Have you noticed that Santa only rewards us according to our works, but Christ saves us based on the grace of God? “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.” Ephesians 2:8&9.

Santa: Okay, if I’m supposed to be an imposter of Christ, why am I dressed up in this red and white outfit.

Grandpa: When Christ returns He will be dressed in red and white as well. Daniel 7:9 says, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.”

Santa: See, His clothes are white, mine are red.

Grandpa: His white robe will be stained red by blood when He returns. Revelation 19:13 tells us, “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

Amanda: Grandpa, why was it stained with blood.

Grandpa: He shed his blood for us, Amanda. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Shopper: I noticed you mentioned something about His hair being like pure wool. Would that mean that Christ might have white hair like this imposter?

Grandpa: That’s right. Revelation 1:14 explains, “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;”

Amanda: I didn’t know Jesus would have white hair.

Grandma: Yes, even whiter than Grandpa’s. Like wool and white as snow.

Policeman: Okay, Mr. Cringle, why don’t you tell me how you got here.
Santa: In my sleigh with 8 tiny reindeer.

Mother: So Santa, why are you just sitting here? Shouldn’t you be flying around delivering gifts or something?

Santa: Oh, I don’t have to do that until Christmas eve.

Shopper: You probably should get started now. There are billions of people on this planet and if you only visited 1 billion houses in 24 hours, that would mean you would have to go to over 11,000 per second. You could not be that omnipresent unless you were God.

Grandpa: Correct again. Furthermore, Christ is able to be present in more places that one. Daniel can you share that verse you just learned?

Daniel: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Mother: Yah, that whole thing about Santa flying around with reindeer and giving gifts is obviously fake.

Shopper: Yes, but the idea of Jesus doing so is not. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” That is found in Eph. 4:7 & 8. You see the gifts Jesus gives are even better than toys.

Santa: Okay, I’ll agree the reindeer and sleigh thing is a little far fetched, but did you know that some stories have me on a horse instead?

Grandpa: I am not waiting for you to come on your horse, but I am waiting for Christ to come on His. Let me read from Revelation 19, “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. 12 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. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 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. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Grandma: That tells me we should be waiting for Jesus, not for Santa. Amanda can you share the verse you just learned.

Amanda: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Mother: That Christ you were reading about- He sounds really powerful- even more powerful than Santa Claus.

Grandpa: Yes, way more powerful. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18
The similarities between Christ and Santa are astounding. I believe they were both considered carpenters who made things. If it were not for the fact that Santa replaces and takes attention away from Christ, he could be a great reminder of who Christ is, but I want to be reminded by the real thing not some counterfeit who sits on his throne in the shopping center receiving worship that only belongs to God.

Mother: Yah, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” and that comes from 2 Corinthians 11:14.

Shopper: As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember who is really the one with power and judgment at Christmas time. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, not Santa. Let us pray to Him, worship Him, and think of Him during this time, not the imposter.

Policeman: Yep, I’m convinced. This guy is an imposter. You’d better come with me.

Santa: Wait. I’m not really Santa. They’re right, he’s just a fake. I’m just a teenage kid with a side job here. Besides, I want to know the true Christ. I don’t want anything more to do with this counterfeiter. pulls hat and fake hair and beard off.

Amanda: Grandpa, thank you for telling us the truth about Santa and not lying to us and telling us he is real. I know I can believe you when you tell me that Jesus is real because you never lie to us.

Daniel: I don’t like Santa anymore because he is a fake, but I love Jesus because he is real.

Santa: Me too

Elijah: Me too

Pastor: Perhaps you are here today and once believed in Santa as a child and realized he was a lie and no longer believe in him. Perhaps you have taken a similar approach with Christ. There is one big difference. Jesus Christ is real. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Jesus was born into this world to pay the penalty so that you could be forgiven when that judgment comes. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
You may have been lied to about Santa Claus, but God will not, and has not lied to you, and He gives us hope of eternal life. Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” So trust Christ if you have not do so already.

Penn State and Morality

2011-11-18T07:35:00.001-08:00

As I write this article, the country is reeling over the news of one of the worst scandals to have ever hit college football. The scandal is so bad that a famous head football couch has stepped down from his position. I do not want to go into all the disgusting details surrounding the terrible events that happened at Penn State. For those who may not know about this incident, it involved a high ranking assistant couch raping young boys who were around 10-12 years of age. What made it worse is that many people knew about it yet did little or nothing to stop it.
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Today many are speculating about what went wrong at Penn State. Why did so many turn a blind eye? No doubt the success and popularity of the football program was a factor. Further the perpetrator, Sandusky, was running a program to “help” underprivileged boys. Of course what he was doing was hurting them more than helping them.
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Part of the problem is that not everyone in our country believes that what Sandusky was doing was wrong. There is actually an organization that is attempting to legalize the sort of behavior this coach had with minors as long as it is consensual. Fortunately most people are still appalled at such an idea, but how long before that changes. Just a few decades ago, most people were appalled at the idea of homosexuality, now it is simply considered an alternative lifestyle choice. How long before pedophilia falls into that same category?
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You may ask how I could even suggest such a thing. Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” In other words, man can justify any sin in his own eyes, but God is the ultimate judge of what is right and wrong.
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Here is the problem. If we leave God out of the equation, who gets to decide what is right or wrong? Does the football coach get to decide because he is popular? Does Hollywood get to decide because they are able to use their influence to make deviant behavior acceptable and even popular? Does the government get to decide because political campaigns and politicians are influenced by the money given by pedophiles and homosexuals? Right and wrong should not be based on any of these factors. Instead it should be based on the moral absolutes of an unchanging God.
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No doubt college campuses have played a role in the changing moral ethic of our nation as well. Students are told that they need to accept the choices of others and promote those choices even if they believe those choices are wrong. At the same time those who believe in God and commit to following Him are mocked. Essentially there is tolerance for every deviant behavior, but no tolerance for Christ. Should we then be surprised that such sin would occur at a college campus like Penn State?
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Isaiah 2:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” It is time that we stop making excuses for evil and stand up for what is right. It is time that we stop trying to determine for ourselves what is right and wrong. It is time we stop letting other people tell us what is right an wrong. It is time we listen to God and let Him tell us what is right and wrong.

Those Cold Blanket Wars

2011-11-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

The blanket wars have resumed in the Miller household. There had been a cease fire in the battle for quite awhile. Through the summer months blankets were not such a prized commodity, but now that fall has set in and the temperatures have gone down we had our first skirmish in a long time last night.
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Now before you feel sorry for our family and start donating bedding, realize that we have cedar chests full of blankets. The problem occurs with the tug of war that can occur during the middle of the night.
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Again, do not feel sorry for us. Our bed was piled with 3 nice quilts last night, but by morning I only had the slim edge of a sheet and the thinnest of the quilts. I sensed that all it would take was for my wife to roll over and I would have no blanket at all, so I said something to her. Her response, “I know, I don’t have any either.” Incredulously, I responded, “sit up and look how much I have!”
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She did look, and then informed me that the rest of the blankets were all on my side- on the floor. It is amazing the difference a little perspective can make.
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Crystal and I were able to laugh about what happened, but it is sad how often conflict arises between two people simply because we do not have the complete picture of what has actually happened. We may think someone has wronged us when in fact we had unintentionally wronged them.
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Proverbs 10:12 advises, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Fortunately the love between my wife and I is strong enough that we were able to see the humor in the event rather than inciting strife. That strife was diverted as our loving relationship was informed about what had actually happened.
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Too often people who should be getting along with each other are at odds simply because they do not understand each other. This is especially true in a husband and wife situation. I might be upset because dinner is not ready and my wife is already upset because the crock pot quit working. It was not her fault that dinner wasn’t ready and she already feels bad that she needs a new crock pot. The last thing she needs at such a time is a bitter attitude from me.
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At the same time she should not expect me to understand why dinner is late and the extra stress she is under if she does not tell me. Really what it comes down to is dwelling with one another according to understanding. In fact Peter gave specific instruction to husbands to do just that. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
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Understanding one another so we get along better is not just limited to the marriage relationship. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1)
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Let us take time to see the bigger picture so that we understand what the other person is going through. Then hopefully our blanket wars will be something we can look back and laugh at instead of adding tension to our relationships.

Mystery in the Lake Bottom

2011-10-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

My brother and I recently went out to the family farm and dug up some field tile. These were lines that had been in the ground for many years. We were amazed to find that the cement tile looked like they had just been installed. We found something even more amazing as we were digging on the other end of the field. There was a hole in the ground that looked like it had been caused by a tile washout (often when there is a large break in the tile it will wash away the dirt above it causing a small sink hole). What puzzled us was that we did not even know there was a tile in that spot.
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As my brother ran the backhoe, I probed the ground to show him how much farther he had to dig before reaching what we thought was the tile. As I watched for little pieces of cement that might indicate he had hit the tile, instead I saw pieces of wood. Soon the digging revealed whole timbers. As he maneuvered the backhoe and moved one of the timbers, we found a hollow cavity below them.
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Suddenly we had a mystery on our hands. I do not recall any trees being buried in this area during my lifetime and in the year 1900 that area was actually the bottom of what was then called Crooked Lake. It was not until 1915 when a floating dredge dug a ditch that the area was drained.
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We took a flashlight and shined it into the open area below the timbers and were able to make out tree trunks, large slabs of bark and twisted branches. It was hard to imagine that these trees had been buried for nearly a century and had only rotted as if it had been a few years. Then we remembered that this was a low area with a typically high water table. Was it possible that the water table had stayed as high as their three foot burying depth for much of that time period, thus keeping out the air that would allow for rot?
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What makes this story so interesting is that we expect things to rot away. We do not expect them to stay intact. Though the trees were largely unchanged, they had begun to rot some, and I do not expect the drain tile to last forever either. I think of the old chicken house at the farm site. The sill has rotted off the north wall and it is only being held up by plywood sheeting and the roof is being propped up by old wooden fence posts.
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I think of my own body as I age. Some people age at a slower rate than others. They may be more like the trees in the lake bottom than like the chicken house. Others age quickly. Regardless aging and death are inevitable.
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Consider as well, so much of what you have thrown away recently because it had worn out. Christ showed His followers that because of the decaying process and the uncertainty of being able to keep what we have in this life, we need to be focused on the next life instead. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
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It is so easy to focus on the things of this life that seem so exciting now, but will soon end up in the trash heap. Instead, let us focus on God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him so that we can spend our eternity where nothing will rot away.

Are You Known as a Hater?

2011-10-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

I recently watched multiple interviews with members of the Westboro Baptist Church. This is the group that goes around to protest military funerals. I was struck with the hatred that those being interviewed had for others. Since we both share the title “Baptist”, I felt it was important to respond.
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Though First Baptist in Bancroft, and Westboro Baptist, both have “Baptist” in our names we have no common affiliations. In order to call itself a Baptist church, an organization does not have to join any other group, conference, synod, or association. In other words, just because Westboro calls itself a Baptist Church, does not mean they are representative of Baptist beliefs.
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Rather than being identified with traditional Baptist doctrine, Westboro has become identified with hate. Their focus is on God‘s hatred, but let us not forget that “God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten son.” It is true that there are things that God hates: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19) I do not believe it is a stretch to suggest that multiple things on that list characterize Westboro.
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It would be easy to focus this article on the sins of Westboro, but instead let us look at the scripture and see if Christians should really be focused on hate, and then examine our own hearts to see if we really have the fruits of the Spirit.
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“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)
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“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” (Luke 6:35)
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“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8-9)
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“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23)
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The works of the flesh involve hate and other such things, while the fruit of the Spirit involves love. No doubt a Christian’s life is to be characterized by love rather than hate. What characterizes your life?

A New Outlook on Revival

2011-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I decided to write this article because I have some concerns about revival. Now before I go farther, please let me state that I am not opposed to revival. In fact, I am praying that this country would have a revival. When I say that, I mean a REAL revival, not just worldly sorrow over the consequences of sin.
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My thoughts about revival have changed somewhat since preaching through the Old Testament books of Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, and then Judges. As the children of Israel were led out of the promised land, they needed to learn much about God. God had revealed Himself to them in supernatural ways, but they still did not have the proper relationship with Him.
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Even after the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, and the water from the rock, they still did not believe God enough to enter the promised land and were cursed to wander the wilderness for 40 years. That brings us to the book of Numbers. To a large extent, it is a book about a backslidden people in need of revival.
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Then we get to the book of Joshua. The unbelievers who would not enter the promised land have passed away and the book of Joshua is characterized by an obedient people who are serving the Lord.
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Next is the book of Judges. There is a major contrast between Judges and Joshua. Whereas Joshua was characterized by “we will serve the Lord“, Judges is characterized by the backsliding of Israel as, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
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As I preached through the book of Judges I was also struck by another depiction- revival. Essentially the book is a repeating cycle of backsliding and revival. Things would get really bad, God would chasten, and then there would be a revival, but what stuck out was that the revivals did not last.
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I believe much of the reason that the revivals did not last is because of the depravity of man, but I think there is another important reason. During the time of Judges, the backslidden people turned to God when they wanted something from Him. During the time of Joshua they were actually walking close to Him.
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Revivalism is generally directed at a backslidden people and calls for them to make huge changes. I would rather see people consistently walking with God so that those HUGE changes are not needed. For example in the book of Judges, Gideon did a good thing and tore down an idol on his father’s property, but wouldn’t it have been better if that idol had never been built?
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One of the characteristics of revival is big changes instead of consistent incremental growth. As pastors we need to be training our people about who God is and what it means to walk with Him so that the incremental growth is occurring so that we do not have to call on a Gideon to tear down the idol.
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I do not want to live in the book of Judges, even with all it’s revivals. I’d rather live in the book of Joshua, and consistently walk with God in a way where sin is regularly recognized and corrected rather than waiting for the backsliding to get so bad that a major revival is needed.

God’s Glory in The Gospel

2011-09-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a Christian home. As far as I know, none of my forefathers called themselves anything other than Christian. Other than a few agnostics here and there, most of the people I know would call themselves Christians. Still I have met people from other religions.
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There are about 20 different major religions in the world. Even the religions at the bottom of that list have over ½ million followers. This does not count many smaller religions that do not fit into the other 20 categories. Surprisingly, Christianity is still the most popular religion in the world, but even amongst Christianity, there are many sects and a wide variety of beliefs. That raises the question, “what does it even mean to be a Christian.” In order to answer that we need to understand what the good news of the gospel message really is, because just calling oneself a Christian is not the same thing as believing the gospel of Christ. In fact, we will learn from Paul that even 2000 years ago some were already departing from the truth. Let us examine what the true gospel is and make sure we have a real Christian belief.
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The book of Galatians was a letter written by Paul to a group of churches in the region of Galatia. In that letter, Paul reminds us about what Christ did for us and the importance of the proper gospel. “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” (Galatians 1:4).
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Notice that Christ delivered us- HE took care of our sins, not we ourselves. That is why He gets the glory, not us. The next verse makes that very clear. “To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:5)
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Though Christ will change lives, our salvation comes through what He did, not what we do. Consider the following verses:
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Romans 3:25-27 “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. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “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.
II Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”
Romans 11:6 “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 “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;”
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Salvation is by grace not works, but it is also important for us to understand that the grace comes only through Jesus Christ. Paul makes it clear in Galatians that any other gospel message is not the real gospel but a perversion. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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.” (Galatians 1:6-8)
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So what does it mean to really be a Christian? Believe on Christ, trusting Him alone and give all the glory to Him for your salvation.

Godly Pleasure All Around

2011-09-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our little boys are at an age when the simplest of pleasures are still exciting for them. I didn’t realize how easy it was to entertain them until a recent trip to a Pizza Ranch. We happened to be seated in a place where the boys were able to see the arcade games. There was a hunting game with deer, elk, and moose. The boys did not know it was a game but instead thought they were getting to watch a movie while they ate dinner.
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The best part came after we were done eating. We went back to the video games and they were able to see another game that had been hidden from their view earlier. They were then able to watch a race care “movie” and best of all, they got to sit in the drivers seat and turn the steering wheel and shift the gears while the watched the screen. They had no idea that most kids put a quarter into it. They are actually still young enough that they wouldn’t be able to make it go where they wanted anyway and they had a blast just pretending to drive. As I tucked them into bed that night, our oldest was still talking about driving the car.
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As I thought about our little boys I suddenly realized how people often miss out on what should be bringing them pleasure. When I was ten years old, I looked forward to getting a quarter to drive the race car game, but now the fun has wore off. Instead I find pleasure in little things like seeing my boys having fun.
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Too many miss the basic pleasure in life and become so preoccupied with trying to find pleasure that they miss out on the joy that is right in front of them. If they are not able to look forward to the next party, or the big game, or the exciting vacation, they become discouraged.
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But for someone who has put their trust in Christ, godly pleasures are all around us. For example we are to take pleasure in the beauty of nature that God has created. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)
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For example, there can be more joy in watching a sunset with an understanding that God made it than going on an all expense paid vacation if you are burdened by guilt the whole trip. Once our relationship with God is right, we are able to find pleasure in the simplest of places. We no longer have to seek it, we find out that it is all around us.
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Please do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am not suggesting that you become religious just so you can find pleasure. That is not what being a Christian is about. It is about believing in Christ whether you ever get any benefit or not. The point is that joy and rejoicing are a natural result of walking with Christ and when you are close to Him you are able to see the pleasures that you might not have even recognized before.
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Consider these Psalms that show the result of rejoicing once God’s mercy and salvation are understood. “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” (Psalm 13:5) “And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.” (Psalm 35:9)
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If you are missing out on the simple pleasures of life because you have not believed on Jesus Christ, trust Him now. Often people lack joy because of guilt and they try to cover it by seeking pleasure. Rather than trying to cover up the guilt, believe in Christ for forgiveness and find that true pleasures are as close as the nearest sunset once you believe His promise of forgiveness.

Converting that Ugly Rust

2011-08-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

The other day I had to fix some rust on the minivan. It actually surprised me, because I had not noticed a rust problem until I took a closer look. The metal on the bottom insides of the doors was starting to deteriorate and the culprit- rust.
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Rust is a lot like sin in our own lives. We might not recognize it at first, but it is still there. I am reminded of Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
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Because of the deceitfulness of our hearts we often hide our sins from ourselves like the rust hid on the inside of the van doors. But like the rust, if sin is not dealt with, it will eventually spread.
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I could have just taken a can of spray paint and painted over the rust. The rough surface of the deteriorated metal would still be there, but the rust would be hidden- for a while. That is kind of like what the Old Testament sacrifices did. They temporarily covered the sin though the consequences of the sin were still there. They did not really take care of the sin problem though, it just covered it over until Christ could come to take care of it in full.
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Simply painting over the rust would not solve the problem, it would just hide it for a time. Eventually the paint would bubble and the rust would come back through worse than ever. I decided to try something different on the van. I purchased a chemical rust converter that is supposed to actually chemically alter the rust so that it can be painted over and not spread. I have never used it before so I am not sure it will work, but I do know about something that will work for treating sin.
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Though the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4) Jesus sacrifice did sanctify us (Hebrews 10:10). But just like the rust, the consequences of the sin are still left behind yet now we are forgiven if we believe on Jesus Christ.
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If the rust converter really did work on the van, does that mean that new rust will not start in another area? Of course not. In a similar way we should not expect that we will never again sin just because we have trusted Christ, but the difference is that now we have something to apply to our sin- His finished payment. “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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This whole concept is clearly explained in the little book of First John. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 1:8-2:2)
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Sin is a much more serious problem than rust, for the wages of sin is death, but Jesus Christ is far better than rust converter for it is through Him that we get God’s gift of eternal life. Therefore, believe on Jesus Christ and have your sins converted.

It’s Good to Save Ahead

2011-08-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

We recently updated one of our vehicles. The pickup had a lot of miles and with our growing family, we needed more room, so we ended up trading for the behemoth of SUV’s, a GM Suburban. With the higher gas prices, the seller was motivated, and we were able to trade off the pickup.
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We had been looking for a while and were not overly anxious to buy unless we found the right deal. We were actually at an advantage, because we had the finances set aside for the purchase. By doing much of the mechanical work myself, we were able to build up a bit of an emergency fund in case we ever needed a major repair like an engine or transmission, or if we decided to trade.
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I had always considered having savings set aside as a virtue, yet in my reading, I recently discovered that some people actually consider savings a lack of trust in God. Luke 9 is cited where God sent out the disciples and all their needs were provided even though they had taken no bread or money with them.
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Yet in order to condemn saving for future needs many other scriptures must be ignored. When Jesus sent out His followers in Luke 9, it was a special group of people at a special time in history. In fact, later in the Gospel of Luke, Christ tells them to make preparation ahead of time for their journey. “Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” (Luke 22:36)
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The sword Jesus was talking about was likely a long knife that could serve many utilitarian purposes. It could obviously be used for defense, but more importantly, it could be used for getting and preparing food and many other incidentals that would take place in a camp site for those traveling and spreading the good news.
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It is not strange that Jesus would instruct His followers to prepare for the future. This is a principle that was clearly taught in the Biblical Proverbs. “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” (Proverbs 21:5) In other words, those who show diligence will have extra, but those who hastily spend what they have instead of saving will not be able to meet their needs.
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That principle of being diligent and saving is illustrated by the ant. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8) The ant was working hard to save up for a future need and we are told to do the same. May we never use the hope of God’s provision as an excuse for laziness.
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Proverbs 21:20 clearly shows that saving is wise, “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
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We must also be careful that we not save up so much that we become greedy for savings. “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matthew 6:20) At the same time we must not condemn what the scripture clearly teaches (savings). I fear the confusion comes when believers have a zeal for being spiritual without studying all the word of God so they can better understand how to put their spirituality into practice in a Biblical way. In other words, show responsibility in saving, but do not make your savings into an idol.

Windows and True Holiness

2011-07-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have been installing new windows in the parsonage. We replaced the windows in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom with plans to replace the bedroom and office windows next year. Of course our little boys were all excited about the project. They got to watch daddy work and they even got to crawl up and down the ladder outside.
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They definitely noticed the change as our house was renewed by having the old windows taken out and the new ones put in. It reminds me of Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
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We could see a difference between the old windows and the new ones just by how they looked, but the real difference is in how they perform. The new windows open and shut easily whereas the old ones did not. Then come next winter we expect them to be much less drafty than the old ones.
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The Ephesians passage is not about windows, but about believers in Christ. Like the windows, righteousness and true holiness is not as much about how it looks on the outside as how it actually performs.
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Consider the differences listed in the Ephesians passage: In the next verses we are told not to lie but instead to speak the truth. Then we are told not to lose control when angry, but instead let the go of wrath at the end of the day. It comes down to following God instead of doing what the devil wants us to do. That means not stealing, but instead working so that you can earn extra to give to others in need. True righteousness and holiness means being careful that bad things don’t come out of your mouth but instead giving words of encouragement and grace. Finally Ephesians 4 ends by instructing that instead of bitterness wrath and anger, the believer should be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.
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Chapter 5 of Ephesians then goes on to talk about the importance of love and thanksgiving. It also shows how fornication, impurity, covetousness, filthy vulgar foolish talking, prostitution and idolatry are definitely not part of righteousness and true holiness.
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These comments may be stating the obvious, but too often man tries to come up with his own list as to what righteousness and true holiness looks like while forgetting what God has already told us about it. Fruit naturally grows on a healthy plant.
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A spiritually healthy Christian who is living a life close to God will naturally have fruits of the Spirit. Ephesians 5:9 says, “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)” Paul further elaborates in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
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Set aside pride for a moment and honestly evaluate if you have the fruit of the Spirit in your life. If not, ask yourself if you are really trusting in Christ. If you are but the fruits are still not there, then ask yourself what your focus has been. Have you been so focused on yourself and trying to look good to others that you have actually missed out on glorifying God through natural fruit?

God Became Man for Sinners

2011-07-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished you could be in two places at once. We had that challenge a few weeks ago. A wedding and a graduation were scheduled on the same day, so my wife and I had to split up. She and the boys went to the graduation, and I went to the wedding. It would’ve been nice if I could’ve just duplicated myself and sent one of me to each place.
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It is impossible for me to do such a thing, but it is not impossible for God. He can be in more places than one. Further, although He is a single God, He is composed of three separate distinctions: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
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All three parts of the trinity are one God each with a separate purpose. Consider that our hand does not have the same purpose as our head, but they are still both part of a single body. The body illustration is insufficient to describe God though. Apart from the Son, who took on human flesh, God is Spirit.
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This brings us to a very important concept. Who is Jesus Christ, the man who was born in Bethlehem and died on the cross? Was He a man who stove hard to be sinless so that He might attain the right to be included in the trinity, or was He always God who took on the job of coming to earth as a man to die for our sins?
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The answer is clear. Jesus always has been God- even before He was born in Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) As God, Jesus was even involved in the creation of the earth. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:16-17)
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Many other verses show Jesus is God and show that He always has been God. He did not have to attain that position by living a good life. So what are some of the implications of thinking that Jesus attained Godhood, rather than always possessing it? Some people think that they as well can attain Godhood. This is the grave error of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). It is also the error of some holiness teachers who think that if Jesus could attain sinlessness, then so can other men.
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Jesus DID become a real human man, but He was able to remain sinless because He always has been God. Mere men do not have the same ability, that is why we are so dependant upon Christ. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
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Harry A. Ironsides tried to obtain sinless perfection and quickly realized it was a losing battle. He finally realized that he needed to strive to do right and trust Christ’s forgiveness when he could not. He went on to bring great comfort to others in the same struggle by writing the book, Holiness: The False and The True. What a reminder of I John 1:9- 2:2, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Don’t Pull up New Believers

2011-06-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Early this spring, my oldest son helped us plant the garden. As he saw us hoeing the ground, he wanted to do the same, but we warned him not to hoe the ground we had already planted. Once the plants started to grow, we had a whole new problem- weeds. As I started to pull weeds, my young helper saw what I was doing and like so many little boys, he copied his father. Unfortunately, instead of pulling a weed, he pulled a newly sprouted zucchini.
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Sometimes we as Christians are like little boys in the garden. We end up digging up seeds before they have started to grow, or we stop growth before the plant even gets solid roots. In other words, our actions may end up discouraging unbelievers from wanting to learn more about Christ or they may hinder new believers from growing more faithful to Him.
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Paul dealt with the issue of immature believers in Romans 14. There were some who thought that they couldn’t eat certain meats, but mature believers understood the truth of I Timothy 4:4, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving”. Even though there was nothing wrong with eating meat, Paul showed that it was good to avoid it so that the immature brother would not stumble (Romans 14:21).
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Imagine if all the men in your church decided to grow beards for a centennial celebration and at that same time an Amish man trusted Christ and started to attend. Since married Amish men are expected to have beards, the men of the church might decide to apply the principles of Romans 14 and keep their beards as not to offend their new brothers weak conscience.
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Suddenly the church has a new challenge. Should wearing beards become a new requirement for the assembly? If that is made a requirement, what will be the next issue that comes up? Soon there will be a whole list of things that have to be done so that someone’s weak conscience is not offended. Soon the things on the list will contradict each other and even scripture.
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A closer reading of Romans 14 solves the problem. First of all, verse 3 shows that with the original issue of eating meat, the person that was offended by eating meat should not despise the one who ate it, nor was the one who ate it to despise the one who didn’t. In other words, don’t nit pick each others behavior in things which the scripture does not require or forbid.
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Then we find a very important follow up in Romans 16 where Paul clearly states, “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). In other words, if someone becomes divisive over an issue that is not commanded or forbidden by scripture, we are to mark them and avoid them.
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Romans 14 was addressed to those who were dealing with someone who was weak in the faith- an immature believer. They were to be given time to get their roots and grow in maturity, but during that time they were to be taught proper doctrine. If the new believer thought eating meat was wrong, and they saw other Christians doing that, it would’ve stunted their early spiritual growth. Because they were still immature in the faith, they were not ready to take that all in, but as they grew they needed to learn what was and what was not expected of them. They needed to learn Bible doctrine so they could teach others rather than dividing the body. Have you been studying the Word, so you can understand what God really does expect?

An Object Lesson to Remember

2011-06-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Albert Lea, my friend Steve would open the Sunday School with intriguing object lessons. He might brings some kitchen utensils or other items to drive home important Biblical truth. I do not have Steve’s talent for such things. I once did an object lesson with a flashlight for a group, but more often my object lessons are impromptu. For example, my boys might come up to me with their toys and I will use the toys to teach them some lesson, or I might be on a job site and use what we are working with as a conversation starter. As we consider the Last Supper, we should understand that Christ used a very important object lesson that we still repeat today.
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As Christ and His disciples gathered in the upper room they observed a very significant meal. Understand that this was the evening right before Jesus would be crucified the next afternoon. Further this was the time of the Passover celebration when the Hebrews would commemorate their deliverance from Egypt and the protection of their firstborn by God. During that time no leaven was allowed and a special lamb would be killed.
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The Passover time actually lasted over a week, with the main meal observed after the lamb was killed, but all leaven disposed of the day before. The Lord’s Supper seems to have occurred on the first meal after all that leaven was gone. It is in such a setting that He brings forth a powerful object lesson, using items that He has right there before Him.
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“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:19-20)
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Christ had been teaching that He would die, but I don’t believe His disciples had really come to grips with that truth- that He would die as the ultimate Passover lamb- so He brings forth this very vivid object lesson. He tells them at the beginning that He will not be eating the Passover with them again until He suffers. Then He shows that His body and blood will be given for us.
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Notice that He also gives a clear command. That command is to repeat this object lesson and to remember Christ. When He died that next day and rose again three days later, He provided forgiveness. When He gave that object lesson, He was looking ahead to the cross, as we repeat it, we look back to what He has already done.
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What He did on the cross was completed, it does not have to be redone each time we observe Communion. We are simply repeating an object lesson to remind us of what He already did. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once.” (Hebrews 10:10) Therefore, the Lord’s Supper does not forgive our sins, it is an illustration that helps us to remember that He forgave our sins.
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In Luke 22:19, we are told that Christ gave thanks. That Greek word for “thanks” is “eucharisteo.” I fear many observe Eucharist without even knowing what the word means. May the meaning of the word remind us that we have much to be thankful for as we remember that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins as He willingly went to the cross. If you have not trusted Him as your Savior, do so today, and understand why this repeated object lesson is so precious to His followers.

A True Love Relationship

2011-06-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Through the years, I have watched other couples. It seemed like so many relationships were forced. It was like the two people didn’t even like each other, but they stayed together because they figured the other person could advance their popularity. Then I saw other couples where it was as if God had placed them together (I believe He did) and no one could pull them apart. That is what I found when I met my wife.
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As I reflect on relationships, it seems that so many of them are based on personal advancement. Gals strive to look just right so that they can get the most popular guy, and guys strive to be popular so they can get the best looking girl and then become even more popular. It is as if relationships become nothing more than stepping stones in a cosmic popularity contest.
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When I met Crystal, it wasn’t about how popular she could make me. It was about two people who fell in love and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together no matter what anyone else thought.
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What about your relationship with God? Which kind of relationship is that? Do you simply call yourself a Christian because it is popular, or do you really want to live your life in a close relationship to Him? Would you be a Christian, no matter what anyone around you thought?
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Relationships that are based on popularity so often become performance driven. In other words, they are based on what the other person in the relationship can do for you. Once the other person does not measure up to your expectations, or you to theirs, the relationship starts to fall apart.
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True love is much different. There is a lifelong commitment regardless of performance. We had lunch with such a couple recently. She suffered from a stoke and was not the woman she used to be, but her faithful husband was right there with her day by day, showing his true love.
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I fear too many Christians approach their relationship with God on a performance basis. If they pray and God does not give them what they want, they draw away from Him. Further many think that if they do not do everything perfectly, that God will abandon them. They have missed the truth of Romans 5:20, Romans 5:20b, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” We should never use that as an excuse to sin, but rather to remind us of 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
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Once we trust Christ, we have a loving dedicated relationship with God that will last forever. We do not have to worry about Him divorcing us simply because of our sin. At the same time, once we see that love, we should return it. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)
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There will be performance of loving deeds and obedience in a true love relationship, but what a contrast they are to a performance driven relationship that simply does things for ones own benefit. No wonder those who have a true love relationship with God are more interested in His glory than their own.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

As we consider the lost lives of our soldiers today, I cannot help but think of a great milestone in our recent military conflicts. Less than a month ago, the major target of our soldiers, Osama Bin Laden, was killed
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Though few like to contemplate the eternal destiny of a US soldier who rejects Christ, there is little argument about Osama‘s fate in Hell.
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Since Bin Laden was also a warrior, the question must be asked, “Why do we consider our own soldiers heroes and Osama a villain?”
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The answer is simple. There is a difference between good and evil. Good and evil are not based on ones perspective, but are based on the unchanging character of a holy God. I will not suggest that our country has always done what God has expected- though we should have. But Mr. Bin Laden clearly violated the principles and teachings of our God and creator. Osama justified killing innocent people, whereas our Bible teaches that innocents should be protected.
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Some have called our brave soldiers and the politicians who gave them their orders murderers because they must kill in battle. The Apostle Paul clarified that rather than murderers, rulers and the soldiers under them are ministers of justice to restrain evil.
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Romans 13:3-4 KJV 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
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God uses rulers and soldiers to restrain evil. As we consider that many of our soldiers have given their lives for this ministry of service, we should be thankful to both them and God that evil men do not go unchallenged in this wicked world.
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I do not celebrate Osama Bin Laden’s eternity in the Lake of Fire. I wish that instead he had repented and been the recipient of God’s grace in spite of all the evil he did. But I am glad that our God does not leave evil unchecked either in this life or in the next.
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Let us also be somber as we remember that many of our countrymen have crossed from this life to the next as they were used in God’s eternal plan, and that the battles fought were more than flesh and blood, more than gun and sword, but were for the holding back of the spread of true evil.
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Today we remember- we reflect on those soldiers who gave their lives for our good. May we also remember that there is a difference between good and evil, between truth and error, and between a hero and a villain. Let us remember the heroes as we honor their sacrifice of life for what is good.
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As we consider the battle for good and evil, let us not forget that Jesus Christ gave His life in order to defeat sin and death. Because He died, our evil (our individual sin) can be atoned for if we believe and trust Him.

When Will Jesus Return?

2011-05-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

By the time many of you read this, May 21st will have come and gone. For some of you that date has little significance. For the Millers, it is quite important, for it is the first birthday of our youngest son.
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The date also has some significance for those who have been listening to Family Radio. I personally am not a listener, for they have promoted many unbiblical doctrines. Among them is the idea that we can know the date of the Lord’s return. Harold Camping, the president of Family Radio set the date of God’s judgment and the rapture of the elect as May 21st, 2011. So what should our response be to those who set such dates?
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Christ was very clear in teaching that only God the Father knows the timing. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
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It is tempting to think that Camping and his teaching will become irrelevant after May 21st, but as we look at the history of past date setters, that might not necessarily be the case. In the 1800’s William Miller taught the 2nd coming would be between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. When it didn’t happen, a new date of Oct 22, 1844 was set.
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After that date came and went, some followers left, but many just tried to find a new explanation. Out of this came Ellen G White (founder of 7th day Adventism). They decided that Jesus was moving in heaven on that date, not coming to earth. (Notice the extreme they went to to defend the false teaching)
Another group, led by Jonas Swendahl taught that 1844 was just the beginning of the last generation and that meant the 1844 date was 30yrs off. He set the date at 1874. When that date came and went, one of his followers, Charles Taze Russell decided 30yrs wasn’t long enough for a generation and so he added 70 yrs to 1844 to bring the date to 1914 and founded Zion’s Watchtower Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses). The date was later changed to 1925, 1941, and 1975.
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Harold Camping himself has a history of date speculation. In 1992, he published the book 1994? 1994 has come and gone, yet Camping has now predicted 2011. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 gave those in Old Testament times a way to test the prophets. If their predictions did not come true, they were to be rejected. We shall see if Camping and Family Radio are rejected, or if their followers will come up with some sort of excuse.
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Much of Camping’s errors come about because he applies a spiritual meaning to the text instead of just reading it with the normal use of language. This is a dangerous interpretation method. It allows the individual teacher to decide what the hidden meaning is. All kinds of ideas can then be created with no real Biblical support.
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May we, instead, study the clear meaning of scripture rather than being led astray by every wind of doctrine that comes along. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

Who Is In Charge Anyway?

2011-05-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

I once helped with some carpentry work for a family who had a little boy who was about six years old. He was quite a talker and would come out and watch us work and try to “help.” Our job was to build a small landing with steps leading up to that landing. A fairly simple job, except they wanted the steps to come up from three sides with a diagonal. What made the task even more challenging was that the ground was not level leading up to the steps. Thus I was measuring and remeasuring before I started to build. The little guy who was “helping” finally asked, “do you know what your doing?”
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I had to admit to him that the reason I was doing all the measuring was because I didn’t know what I was doing until I had all the information I needed to plan the design, but before explaining that I said, “not really.” He said, “I thought so.” His dad who was helping me was a bit embarrassed, but it left the question: who was really in charge- the dad who owned the house, his friend who was helping figure out how to build the steps, or the little six year old kid?”
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Figuring out who is in charge on the job site can be funny when a six year old wants to lead, but it isn’t quite as funny in the church. So who is in charge in a church setting? For those with a Presbyterian or Centralized governing body, the church simply looks to their synod or headquarters for decisions. Most evangelical churches, however are independent of such bodies and fall into either a congregational or pastoral rule.
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Ephesians 5:23 and Col 1:18 make it clear that Christ is the one who is in charge of the church. Still decisions must be made, and because we are all sinful humans, each form of church government has it’s challenges. One of the dangers of a centralized structure is that if just a few leaders stray from the faith, they can influence a large number of congregations. On the other hand, I fear the worst danger of congregational and elder rule is selfishness.
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Paul actually gave a warning of what would happen when congregations followed their own selfish desires rather than keeping Christ as their head. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3). I fear that is what has happened in some of the extremes of the seeker sensitive movement.
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In order to counter that tendency, some churches have moved to elder rule. That also has problems. Often there is elder rule without elder accountability. Because pastors are sinful, they too are prone to selfishness. Thus Peter warned, “Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:3) Hebrews 13 and I Timothy 5, show that pastors are to rule, but Peter has made it clear that it is to be by example. Further they are to be held accountable for their actions. When Paul told Timothy, “them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear“ (I Timothy 5:20), he was talking about rebuking the pastors ( if 2 or 3 witnesses).
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Ironically, one of the reasons why some congregations tolerate tyrannical pastors is because they tickle their ears. Thus you have a situation of selfishness on the part of both the pastor and the congregation. May we remember that Christ is to have the preeminence in the church, not the congregation or the pastor. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Col 1:18) Therefore, both pastors and congregations must set aside their selfish desires and put Christ first.

Wow, Our New Baby Pictures

2011-04-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

Medical technology is amazing. Today, surgery that used to be done with a scalpel is now done with a laser. My little brother recently had laser eye surgery and is very satisfied with the results. All the technology has actually created a few ethical dilemmas for end of life care as families and doctors try to determine how much to intervene to keep a terminal patient alive.
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Although ethical dilemmas at the end of life have increased, the new technology has helped to answer many questions about the beginning of life. Our family has been growing quickly and my wife is expecting again. Medical technology helped us to see a beautiful ultrasound of our new child even though he or she is only 12 weeks old. We could have actually seen our baby even sooner, but it was amazing how detailed this little person already is. We watched the legs kick and the arms wave. The head was clearly visible. The picture looked like a totally formed baby, just smaller. It looked like a baby because this person is a baby. Though we already have our hands full with our other three boys, we are excited to welcome this new child into our home soon.
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If for some reason we were not able to care for this child, there are many couples who would love to have a new baby but are unable to. My cousin and his wife were such a couple and now they have both a son and a daughter because two biological mothers chose life and adoption.
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We are not considering putting our new baby up for adoption, but my wife’s grandmother did. My mother in law was adopted by a loving couple after her teenage mother gave her up for adoption. She was able to benefit from the love of a mother who carried her to term and then gave her to another loving mother who raised her. Because Grandma Pam chose life so many years ago, we were able to see her great-grandchild on a 12 week ultrasound.
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Luke chapter 1 talks about Elisabeth being six months along in her pregnancy and in vs. 41 it says the baby leaped in her womb. The Bible is clear that what is in the womb is a life, not just tissue. Psalm 51:5 and 139:13-14, Exodus 21:22-25, and Job 31:15 all show that a pregnancy is a human life.
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As I write this, I understand that not all readers will share my views or even the Bible’s views on this matter. I do have one request though. If you ever find yourself overwhelmed with the news of a pregnancy, please get an ultrasound from a doctor who regularly does them so that he is able to get the sort of quality images that we saw. Take a look at what is growing inside of you and see how wonderfully amazing that little life really is.
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Then if you are still overwhelmed, do not feel ashamed of giving a baby up for adoption if you are unable or just too busy to care for him/her. We should not view adoption as a selfish choice at all. It gives childless couples the opportunity to be parents and it gives babies life. It gave my mother-in-law life. Thank you grandma Pam.

Grace For The Mess of Sin

2011-04-08T09:16:00.001-07:00

We have three little boys who all share one room. That means that not only do all three sleep there, but there are also three dressers and clothes for three boys all in one room. The two oldest ones are just learning how to dress themselves, so as they search for clothes, they can often create a lot of disarray. Further they often drag things into their room that don’t belong there. Lets face it, the nursery becomes a mess.
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Well, my wife decided to tackle that mess. She put everything back in its place and the nursery once again looked neat and orderly. In the process though, she took aome things that did not belong there and temporarily moved them to the dining room until they could be sorted. Because the dining room was now a mess, I did not even notice how nice the nursery looked.
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My wife had worked hard and had gotten the nursery really nice, but because that mess had simply been transferred to another room, her hard work went largely unnoticed.
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Man often does the same sort of thing with sin. We might gain victory in one area, simply to realize that other sins have gotten worse. We then clean up those areas and find the first area is dirty again. Suddenly we realize that the battle against sin is like trying to keep every last leaf out of our yard in the fall while the wind in blowing.
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The apostle Paul understood that struggle when he wrote in Romans 7:15, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” He is admitting that he ends up doing some of the things that he preaches against and ends up sinning even though he hates sin. The passage continues as the Apostle shares very personal thoughts about his inward struggle with sin. You can almost feel his frustration as you read his writing. I know I feel it myself as I examine my own life and my struggles with the sin nature.
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After understanding that apostles and pastors still struggle with sin, what kind of hope do any of us have? Paul himself seemed to ask that same question before answering it himself. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24) The answer comes in the very next chapter of Romans as he finally writes: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
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The point is, we cannot be sinless. Our only hope is in Christ, and as we trust Him and walk in His Spirit, we no longer have to worry about condemnation even though we are sinners. Of course Paul was not saying that this gives us license to sin. Consider his earlier clarification on this, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)
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God’s grace is not an excuse to sin, but it is a wonderful hope to all of us as we inevitably fall into sin even after we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As we walk in submission to the Spirit of God, let us remember the wonderful hope of His grace. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20)

How to Finance God’s Work

2011-03-25T08:24:00.001-07:00

Palm Sunday is just a few weeks away. As Jesus came to Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, many believed that He was riding into the capital city to set up His Kingdom and to reign as a king. They likely expected Him to drive the Romans out, but instead He went to the Temple and drove out those who bought and sold. As He did so, He quoted part of Isaiah 56:7, “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”
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Notice that God had said in Isaiah that the Temple would be a house of prayer for all people. The context of Isaiah 56:7 is that the stranger- the Gentile/non-Jew, would have the joy of praying and worshipping in the Temple. There was actually a special court set apart in the Temple just for the Gentiles. It is believed that this court was the place where the moneychangers and sellers of animals had set up shop.
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Imagine a Gentile traveling from a far country to worship the true God coming into the Temple. He would find the place that was to be set apart for him to pray looking like crazy days on Main Street. No wonder Jesus drove out those who bought and sold.
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I was recently asked how churches justify fundraising activities in their building in light of what Jesus did in the Temple. Since we do not do fundraisers (bakes sales, raffles, etc) I hesitate to say how others justify it, but let me point out that the church building is not the same as the Old Testament Temple. Since the cross of Christ, we no longer have to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to God’s special house of prayer.
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Some believe that our modern church buildings have actually replaced the Temple but it is actually the believer’s human body that is now God’s special dwelling place. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
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The church building is definitely different than the temple, but this brings up another issue. How should the church be financed? Paul said that on the first day of the week (Sunday) God’s people should bring in an offering based on what they had earned throughout the week. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Corinthians 16:2). If Christians would faithfully and consistently bring in a portion of what they earned then the church wouldn‘t need to fundraise. (10% is the literal definition of the word “tithe” and offerings are above that). Malachi 3:8 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
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Consider the classic bake sale. After you figure the time and ingredients for the cake, is the church really making much more than if the baker had just given her money? As I consider that many look at these activities for their social, rather than monetary value, let us be reminded that tithes and offerings have effectively financed God’s work for thousands of years. We need not be dependant on fundraisers.

Making Decisions in Marriage

2011-03-11T08:30:00.001-08:00

Ephesians 5:21 teaches mutual submission, yet the verses following teach that a wife is to submit to her husband. How can both be obeyed?
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I love to drive down roads I’ve never been on before. Often if we are not pressed for time, I will turn down a road that takes me in the direction I want to go, even though I have no idea where it goes.
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Often my wife is with me and if I ask her if she thinks it’s a good idea, she will say that she would have stayed on the main road. Even though she would prefer the main road, she calmly accepts my decision, understanding that I will take total responsibility if we get lost.
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My little driving excursions provide an illustration for a healthy marriage relationship. Ephesians 5 gives instruction to both husbands and wives. Wives are told that they are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are told that they are to love their wives. Some have balked at that teaching, claiming that it is overtly sexist.
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Though the teaching does deal with issues along gender lines, we should not think of it as oppressive. Within a husband and wife relationship decisions must be made. Since there are two people in the marriage the vote will either be 100% or split 50/50. This could present a huge problem, but in our marriage, I get the tie breaking vote because Ephesians 5:22 gives me that right.
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Now this is great for me, because I get to drive down any road I want to even if I don’t know where I’m going. For my wife, its really not that big of deal what road we go down unless she needs to get home quickly for something special she has planned.
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So what if I always exercised my right to cast the tie breaking vote, but never consulted my wife first? For example my wife may want to get home quickly because she is not feeling well. If I did not even allow her input before casting the tie breaking vote, I would not be aware of that. So what should I do with my tie breaking vote once I have that information? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” As a loving husband, if I am to obey Ephesians 5:25, I must cast my tie breaking vote in her favor instead of mine in such a situation.
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In order for this to work, I also have to trust that my wife is telling the truth and not just lying about how she feels in order to get her way. You see, love and submission are not the only important elements in a relationship, there must also be trust and communication.
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Whenever an issue comes up where I must cast the tie breaking vote, we first communicate so that I have all the information that she has so that I can make a loving decision as I cast that vote. Then, my wife has the understanding that all the consequences of that decision will fall on my shoulders. That takes a lot of pressure off of her as she submits to the decision and it allows me to make the decision with love. My love does not mean that I always let her have her way nor does her submission mean I always decide to do what I want to do. In this way we are truly submitting one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
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“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)

Proclaiming Christian Bias

2011-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

I love science. It was in my high school science class that I learned to use pulleys to lift heavy objects. When I farmed I used the scientific research of others to determine the proper amounts of fertilizer to apply to the crops.
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Science is quite helpful, but I realize it has limits as well. Often a new product will come out that promotes higher yields, but I have my doubts. If I’m going to try it, I want independent data from someone other than the guy who is trying to sell it. The oil of a garter snake may or may not improve corn yield, but I want the data from the University, not the snake oil salesman.
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You see, I figure the salesman is too prone to bias. But what if I learned that the snake oil producers had all gotten together and given a donation to the University. Suddenly I would be suspect of their data as well.
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The issue is not that I mistrust science, it is that I mistrust the interpretation of data. I realize that it is impossible to keep bias out when coming to conclusions no matter how well intentioned a scientist may be.
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Actually this is true in any study, not just science. Our bias tends to direct our conclusions regardless of the data we are given. Now as a Christian who believes in the authority and accuracy of the Bible, I come to every issue with a bias toward the scripture. Now we may be inclined to think that all bias is bad, but if I were to try to ignore my scriptural bias, I would have to replace it with an anti-biblical bias. The point is that it is impossible to completely escape our biases.
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Since it is inevitable that I will have some sort of a bias anyway, I will make no apologies for agreeing with God on whatever issue comes up. By doing that I am actually putting my personal bias aside and simply agreeing with God. Not everyone agrees with God, but that doesn’t change the fact that He is right. “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.” (Romans 3:3-4)
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If I depart from scripture, I let human bias get in the way. Yet, because I trust God, I have no fear that His Word is true, and I know that the position I hold will be justified in the end as long as it comes from Him.
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Some theologians have had such little faith in God’s Word that they rejected parts of it because the “scientific data” did not seem to support it. When we realize that bias affects all sorts of data, its not surprising that some would be able to come up with data that refutes the Bible. Lets face it, someone could come up with data to refute gravity. All you have to do is throw a ball in the air and ignore the data of it coming back down and you have given evidence that gravity doesn’t exist. So much of the data that “refutes” the Bible does just that sort of thing.
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It is not surprising that avowed atheists would stoop to such levels, but it should sadden us that even clergy would do the same. The Apostle Paul warned, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30) Let us not be disciples of man’s bias, but rather followers of God through His Word.

Faith for God’s Glory Not Mine

2011-02-11T08:22:00.001-08:00

It is amazing how much courage we can come up with when we want to show off. I recall the time I was knee boarding behind a boat many years ago. I was much younger, more reckless, and more interested in preserving my pride than my health. One of my best friends was driving the boat when one of my other best friends said, “lets drown Jerry.”
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I could tell by the look on their faces that something was up. Soon the boat turned and headed for the wake it had just created. It was fun to jump that wake and show how “good” I was even though I really wasn’t all that “good.” Well, I had shown them that I could jump it without wiping out, so he went around again, this time hitting the double wake. I should have been thinking, “pride goes before a fall,” but instead I was thinking, “no guts no glory.” I should have just let go of the rope, but instead I crested a huge wave and landed right in front of another huge wave that caught the front of the knee board pulling it under water and putting me in a jackknife position.
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The first thing I did when I surfaced was to wiggle my toes to see if they still moved. By God’s grace they did, and after a few chiropractor visits I was alright. My friends felt really bad. They had expected that I would have just let go when I saw the big waves. They had not factored in my selfish pride.
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I fear that sometimes Christians take a similar approach to faith by confusing arrogant confidence with faithful courage. I recently heard of a pastor in a city of less than 3,000 in an area with declining population, suggesting that they should build a 70,000 seat auditorium. No doubt he had confidence, but is that the same as faith? Is it also possible that we could lack confidence and be afraid and still have faith?
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We have been studying Gideon on Sunday nights at First Baptist. He is a great example of a man who was not overly confident, and who was even scared at times, yet he was considered faithful. The book of Hebrews was written many years after Gideon, yet Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among those with faith.
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Gideon is such a wonderful example of faith, because he was not trusting in his own ability, but recognized that he could only have victory if God was there to help him. When he was told to go down to the enemy camp, he went even though he was afraid. You see faith is not about a lack of fear, it is about doing God’s will even when we are afraid.
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Going back to my kneeboard example, how many times don’t we go forward even when we are afraid because we think it will help us to look good? Just look at how many guys will do something scary to try to impress a cute girl. As Christians, we should have even more zeal to do things for God and His glory than we do for our own glory. We should go forward and serve Him and do what is right, even if it is scary.
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What if serving God did not improve your standing? What if doing right did not make you look better? Would you still do what God expected? As Christians we need to get out of the rut of being so focused on ourselves and our own improvement- our own pride- and focus instead on God’s glory and His will regardless of what it does for us personally.
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If you are serving God simply so you can look good, that isn’t courageous at all. But if you go forward and do what is right even if it is scary and no one notices, that is true faithfulness. Are you motivated by pride or faithfulness? Will you be found faithful?

Submission’s Humble Virtue

2011-01-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Our two oldest boys like candy. They really love the suckers that they are given at the bank. In fact, when I went online to check my account, once the picture of our local bank came on the computer screen, our toddler pointed and said “sucker.” He has already connected the bank with candy and really likes going there.
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As I am writing, my wife was getting ready to go to the new yarn shop open house and was talking about the coffee and cookies. That same little guy piped up, “coffee and treats!” If we did not restrict his diet, he would eat treats all day long.
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We don’t let him eat as much candy as he wants to. We place limits on our children. We expect them to obey those limits.
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Of course they would love to have their candy limit lifted, but are learning that Mom and Dad have to be obeyed even if that is not what they want. It is a good lesson, because some day they will have to obey others besides us. Once they get a job, they will have to obey their boss. Once they make money from that job, they will have to obey the government and pay taxes. There are many other laws that they will have to obey as well.
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As independent Americans, it is easy to forget that the Bible teaches that we must submit to those who are in authority. I Peter 2:13-18 instructs believers about submitting to the rules of government and those we work for. Youth are to submit to their elders (I Peter 5:5), wives to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), believers to church leaders (Hebrews 13:17), children to parents (Ephesians 6:1), and all to God (James 4:7).
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Our submission to God must be the ruling authority for all other submission. What if an employer asks his employee to embezzle? What if a parent asks a child to lie? What if a husbands tells his wife she is not allowed to pray? What if a government orders a citizen to kill the innocent? What if a church leader uses authority to take advantage of a child or orders his followers to commit suicide? In these things and others like them, we ought to answer like the apostles: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
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Submission should never become an excuse for sin, but the teaching of submission must not be ignored either. We must realize that without submission there would be chaos. Romans 13:3-4 shows how submission brings stability.
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Some have balked at the idea of submission because they figure they are just as important as the person they are told they should submit to. The issue of submission is not an issue of worth. I see great worth in my little boys even though I expect them to obey. As I consider worth, no man who ever walked this earth was worth as much as the Lord Jesus Christ, yet even He submitted to His earthly parents (Luke 2:51).
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Submission is not an issue of worth, but of humility. Christ set the example of humility when He being God came to earth as a man (Philippians 2:3-8). Will we be humble enough to submit to others so that we might obey God and live a life of stability or will we be too proud to obey?

Lessons From a Baby’s Joy

2011-01-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

Our little baby is starting to grow up. We got so excited when he rolled over for the first time and now he is able to scoot around and get wherever he wants to go. Since my office is right in the parsonage, he often ends up crawling under my desk and playing at my feet.
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As the rest of us were eating breakfast this morning, he was laying on the floor, happily exploring his surroundings. Suddenly our three year old exclaimed, “oh, oh, baby!” as he pointed at the little guy playing with the vacuum cleaner hose. Though the hose was harmless, it was connected to a handle that was leaning against the wall and could have hit him.
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I was quite pleased that our toddler saw the danger and warned of it. He has become quite the protector of his little brother when he is not sitting on him or trying to wrestle with him.
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In fact, when I told the baby, “no, no” as he started to crawl into the bathroom, his big brother again came to his aid- this time by grabbing his little feet and pulling him backwards into the living room. Ironically, the baby loved it. He smiled all the way, just as he often does when he is being sat on or wrestled with. As long as his brothers aren’t too rough with him, he loves the attention.
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As I began to reflect on our sons, I had to ask, “do I love God’s attention in the same way our baby loves the attention from his brothers?” Think of it this way, if God were to grab our feet and pull us away from trouble, would we be grateful for it, or would we feel mistreated by Him?
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Psalm 66 is a Psalm of appreciation and blessing to God. It speaks of how impressive and frightening His powerful works are and then concludes with a recognition of His mercy. Yet right in the middle of the Psalm we read of God actually causing trials in our lives and then delivering us from them. “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” (Ps 66:10-12)
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Notice that God caused the trials. He brings trials to refine man just like silver is refined- to get a better product in the end. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that we have to suffer through in order to grow us and even to give us a better life in the end. As we go through the trials, do we get mad at Him or are we grateful that He is paying attention to us? Our baby was grabbed by the feet and pulled to a better place. Shouldn’t we be pleased when God brings us to a better place in our walk with Him through trials? Shouldn’t we be happy that He cares enough about us to pay attention to us?
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As I watch our toddler wrestle with his little brother I often worry that he might get too rough and hurt the baby. I do not need to worry when God lays affliction on our loins though. He knows how to interact with us without going too far. In fact, as we trust Him, we are promised not to be given more than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
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So the next time that you go through diverse trials in life, count it all joy, reacting like the baby did as he was drug from the bathroom floor to the soft carpet of the living room.

Mary Was Blessed With Christ

2010-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

As I was preparing to write this article, I looked over at my wife who was holding our youngest son who is now seven months old. As I watched them I began to think of Mary holding Baby Jesus so long ago. What a joy she must have had as she realized she was not holding just any baby, but the promised Messiah Himself.
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She had been told about Him before He was even born. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
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What a privilege it must have been to be able to give birth to the Lord and to raise Him from a little baby. No wonder both the angel and Mary’s cousin Elisabeth said that she was blessed among women.
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The words of the angel leave no doubt that Mary was a wonderful woman. “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28)
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Though Mary was a wonderful woman, some have raised her much higher than she deserves, even suggesting she was sinless and saying that she provides for our salvation along with Christ. Such teaching is blasphemy, for Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
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Some may argue that by trusting in Mary, they are only trusting her in addition to Christ, but Acts 4:12 makes it very clear that there is no one else to trust other than Jesus Christ when it comes to salvation: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
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Even Mary’s own words show that she was not depending on her own righteousness but on God Himself. “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)
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So if Mary isn’t our co redeemer with Christ, why did the angel say that she was highly favored and blessed among women? The answer is easy. It was a wonderful honor for her to be able to give birth to God in the flesh. It was something no other woman would get to do, but that did not mean that Mary was the only woman in history that was highly favored or blessed by God.
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In fact, hundreds of years before Mary another woman was also praised for the important role she played in God’s plan. “Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.” (Judges 5:24)
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Though Mary and Jael were both significant women in God’s plan and both were blessed to be used of God, neither of them can help us into heaven. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is Jesus Christ, not Mary or any other clergy for that matter. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Timothy 2:5)

The Miracle of the Virgin Birth

2010-12-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas has become a time to celebrate the eternally existing God coming to earth as a little baby born in Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)
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We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but how was the everlasting God conceived into a human mother? One of the miracles of Christ’s birth is that He was born of a virgin. Sadly the whole concept of the virgin birth has been challenged by Bible critics. For example they have pointed out that the word that was translated virgin can simply mean a young woman. Linguists could defend the choice of the word “virgin” to describe Mary, but even without that debate, the scripture is very clear that she was in fact a virgin when Christ was born.
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Consider Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Notice that before she had even been with Joseph, she was with child. In fact, when Mary was told she would have a baby, she was confused. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34) She had not been with Joseph or any other man for that matter. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
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The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ entered her womb. Soon He was born, and grew into a man. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy that God would be with us. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) These verses prove not only the virgin birth, but also the deity of Christ (that He is God).
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Joseph took Mary to be his wife because an angel had explained to him about this virgin birth, and he did not come unto her until after Christ was born. “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:25) Mary later had other children. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3) Joseph did go on to raise Jesus as his own son, but Luke makes it very clear that Joseph was not His biological father. “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,” (Luke 3:23). In fact, earlier in Luke 2:43, Luke refers to the parents of our Lord as Joseph and his mother, not father and mother.
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So why does all this matter? Adam was the first man and all men since Adam, with the exception of Christ, have had a human father. Sin has passed on all men from their fathers. “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) Adam’s sin did not pass on to Christ though, because His father is God, not a descendant of Adam. Therefore Christ is perfectly sinless- not just in deed, but in position. That perfect righteousness of Christ, allowed Him to pay for our sins. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18)
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As you celebrate Christmas, understand that the virgin birth allowed God to be born into this world in perfection so that He could pay for your sins. If you have not trusted Him, what better time of year to give your life to Christ?

Learning Through Instruction

2010-12-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

My favorite class in high school was industrial arts. I quickly decided that I had the confidence to put in studs and hang sheetrock, but I did not have the confidence to finish the sheetrock or to put up the fancy wooden trim at the end. Any mistakes made at that late step in the process would be very difficult if not impossible to hide without much skill.
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Several years later I was putting my basic carpentry skills to use helping on a church addition. The man who was planning to do much of the trim work ended up getting cancer and was too weak to do it. I was willing, but did not have the skills nor confidence I needed. I remembered some of the basics that I had learned back in high school about coping joints for corners and a few other tricks, but I still had much to learn.
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Fortunately my friend Gerrit, the man with cancer, was patient enough to give me instruction as I worked, and the project was completed. Without him, I don’t think I would have even attempted it. Because of his help, I can now easily put up wood trim.

Instruction about the Bible is actually a lot like my carpentry instruction. Many of us know a little bit about the Bible, but we really don’t know how to use it. We need someone to explain it to us, just like Gerrit explained the carpentry to me.
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In Acts 8:26-35, the evangelist Philip is able to do that for a man who he met on the road. The man was riding in a chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah (likely chapter 53). He did not understand what he was reading. Philip then comes along and explains to him what he is reading about.
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As a pastor, I want to do what Philip did. I want to take the Bible and explain to people what it is saying so that they can understand it. But I don’t just want to show them what it says, I want them to start to use it themselves as they begin to understand it. Just as Gerrit was faithful in teaching me how to cut and nail wood trim, I want others to be faithful in using God’s Word. I want to teach them so that they can teach others just like Paul did with Timothy. “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Timothy 2:2)
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As I have talked to others, I have found that there are a few people that know their Bibles quite well, but there are also many who just know a few basic points from the scriptures. I have also found that there are a lot of people who really don’t know much at all about the Bible.
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If that is you and you want to know more, please do not feel ashamed. I think of what the man that Philip met on the road said as he was asked if he understood what he read. He said, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” Just as Gerrit guided me in my carpentry skills, it is my job to guide people in understanding what the Bible says. That is why at First Baptist in Bancroft, we study it verse by verse, as we explain it and relate it to our lives. If you want to learn more, you are welcome to visit our services or call me at my office anytime at 885-2702. I’d love to get together for a Bible study.

CHURCH WEBSITE

2010-11-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

We now have a new church website.
It can be viewed by visiting bancroftbaptist.com
It also has a blog page where you will be able to find these same blog posts.

Giving Thanksgiving to God

2010-11-19T10:32:00.001-08:00

I think back to some of the Thanksgiving meals that I have had through the years and the word feast does not do them justice. Just think of some of the things you have eaten on that special day. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green bean casserole, candied carrots, cranberries, fresh baked dinner rolls, lefsa, and your choice of pecan, apple, cherry, lemon meringue, or pumpkin pie. Oh and did I mention that you could have ice cream on your pie? Of course there is no need to complain over having to eat the leftovers for it is just as good warmed up. Yes, we have had much to be thankful for, but as we step back and get the bigger picture, our focus will be taken off of the food to something much better.
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As you bite into that turkey, did you stop to think where it came from? Did you thank the grocer and the check out clerk as you purchased it at the store? How about being thankful for the farmer who raised that turkey, or the farmer who raised the corn that he fed to the turkey? How about being thankful to the God who allowed that corn and that turkey to grow?
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Let us not forget that without God sending the rain and right weather conditions, nothing would grow. Consider Psalm 65:9-11, "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness."
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The last couple of years have been good crop years for the area farmers. Sure, many of them did the right things at the right time, but notice that according to the passage in Psalms, their ground wouldn't even be soft in the spring, if God hadn't sent the rains to loosen up those dirt clods as they were wetted and dried out again.
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On an even larger scale, consider how God makes sure that we have the right amount of oxygen in the air we breath. Too much oxygen is toxic and too little we would suffocate. Consider as well that we have the sun to make the crops grow and to keep us warn without burning us up. If our earth was much farther from the sun, we would all freeze to death, yet if it were much closer, we would burn up. It is God, the creator of the universe, the creator of all, who holds it all together.
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Colossians 2:16:17 reminds us of God's role in all this. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." A similar reminder is found in the first part of Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being."
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If it were not for God, we would not even be alive and if not for Christ's death on the cross, we would have no hope for eternal life. Therefore we should give thanks through Him continually, not just at thanksgiving. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)

Hating, Hateful Hypocrisy

2010-11-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

I hate it when I hit my thumb with a hammer. My wife hates bugs in the house. My little boy hates it when his big brother takes a toy away from him. I think most of us could come up with some things we hate.
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Even God has a list of things that He hates. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
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I must admit that there are a number of things that I hate. I hate child abuse. I hate that women are raped. I hate that drug cartels are killing police officers and innocent citizens.
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Now what would you say if a drug cartel thug put a gun to your head and asked you why you hated what he was doing? He likely would try to justify his actions, even using force to do so, but that would not make it right. If you were in such a position it would be difficult not to hate what he was doing no matter how tolerant you are.
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The prophet Amos brought this challenge: “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate:” (5:15a). Not only is it allowed that we hate certain things, it is commanded. “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10) “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
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So based on these verses, what should be the standard for the things that we hate? The standard must be our fear and love for God and what He classifies as evil. I wasn’t the one who decided that it was wrong for drug cartels to go around killing whoever they wanted to kill, it was God who determined that.
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As I look at God’s standards for right and wrong, I hate the fact that innocent babies are killed. I hate the fact that pornography and sexual perversion are running rampant in our culture. For that I am called intolerant when the truth is that what is not being tolerated is God and His standards. Thus we have hatred on both sides. The one side hates what God calls evil and the other side hates God’s values. It is sad that those who fear God have been bullied into silence by those who hate what He stands for.
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“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
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Romans 12:9 tells us to let our love be without hypocrisy and to abhor evil and to cling to what is good. Christians need to stop letting others define right and wrong. They need to love and fear God and let Him define the standard. Sure they may be called hateful, but it is good and loving to hate evil. Let us not be fearful to call evil what it is and to call sin “sin.”

Is The Devil Really Real?

2010-10-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween is often referred to as the devil’s holiday. Some laugh at the idea of this being his holy day, because they do not even believe that he exists. Let us take some time to examine scripture to see that the devil is real.
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Christ told us that the lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41). This passage is interesting, for it makes it clear that men who do not trust Christ have the same eternal destiny as the devil. Further it shows that the devil has angels. In the Greek there is actually a separate word used to distinguish these demons from Satan, though in English the word devil is often used for them as well.
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The Greek word diabolos refers to whom we typically think of as the devil. This is the word to describe the devil who tempted Christ in Matthew 4. Christ then addresses the tempter as Satan, showing us that they are the same. Revelation 12:9 also connects them.
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Peter warns us to be on guard for he is dangerous. “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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James drives home the reality of the devil as he commands that he must be resisted. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Notice that submission to God along with resistance to the devil, must happen before he will flee.

Peter warns about the devil, James says to resist him, and Paul tells Timothy that there is hope for those who are enslaved by him. “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II Timothy 2:26).
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The hope for being free from the devil comes from the one who resisted all his temptations. The same one who came to this earth as God in the flesh to die for our sins. In so doing, Jesus Christ destroyed what the devil was trying to accomplish. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil“ (I John 3:8).
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Notice the connection between sin and the devil. When we sin, we are like him rather than like Christ and thus it brings us short of God’s glory. But notice as well that Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. By trusting Christ as Savior, the wages of sin are paid by Him and thus we are forgiven by His grace. Through Christ, the devil’s works are destroyed in many ways. First of all, the devil’s work of keeping us separated from God has been destroyed as we are delivered from the lake of fire and reconciled to God. Further, by trusting Christ, we are now able to say no to sin as we submit to Him. That doesn’t mean that we become sinless, but it does mean that Christ is there to enable us to resist when we couldn’t resist on our own before. Thus the devil’s victory of easily influencing us to sin has been destroyed as well.
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As we look at the reality of the devil, we cannot miss the reality of the Savior who has come to deliver us from him. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ and submit to Him as you resist the devil and have him flee from you.

Glory Not For Us, But For God

2010-10-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Imagine if we were able to give a truth serum to husbands and wives and we asked them why they married each other. I suspect many of them would say, “so the other person could make me happy.” That sounds quite self centered, but what if you were to ask Christians why they trusted Christ? How many of them would say, “so He can make me happy?”
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No doubt, I am happy to know that my sins have been forgiven and that God the Father loved this world so much that He sent His son to die for us. But, it is so easy to start to think that everything that God does is all about us, rather than all about Him.
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Did God make us just so He could please us? Perhaps you have heard a few sermons or motivational speeches that have left you with that impression. Actually, the truth is that God made us for His own glory. Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” That includes us. We were created not so that He could please us, but so that we could please Him.
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No doubt, as we trust Him and serve Him, we receive many blessings, but that is not the reason we are here. Revelation 4:11 actually gives us the meaning of life- the reason we are alive. That reason is to glorify the one who created us. Realizing Christ is the creator God, Hebrews 3:3-4 says, “For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
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We live in a society where people know about God, but they are so vain that they act as if their desires are more important than God’s. Roman’s chapter 1 talks about the downward progression of a society that has turned from God. Notice how that progression starts. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
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Too many Christians focus on what they are saved from and forget about what they are saved for. So what are we saved for? Often the focus is on heaven and its benefits, but consider I Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” This shows us that we are not saved JUST so that we can enjoy the benefits of heaven, but we are saved so that we can glorify God.
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Some may be tempted to criticize God for being so self centered in wanting all that glory for Himself, especially when He says things like, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:11) Any criticism of God is a misunderstanding of who He is.
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Being self centered is wrong for a sinful human because it takes the focus off of a perfectly holy God, for all have sinned and come short of His glory. But, for a perfect God to reserve glory for Himself is only natural. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.” (Psalm 115:1)

Are You in Touch WIth God?

2010-09-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to keep in contact with friends? People move away and we get caught up in the business of life and soon we remember that we haven’t talked to that good friend in a long time.
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I think of my friend Mike. We went to school together from kindergarten until we graduated. He got married shortly after high school and I was able to be in his wedding, but after he went into the Air Force, we didn’t see each other very often. Now we only talk on the phone every couple of years. Though I still consider Mike a friend, in reality he really doesn’t have much of a part in my life anymore.
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Both of my brothers live 2-3 hours away, but we still make it a point to get together. Travis just called me the other night. They were writing their will and wanted to know if we would take their kids if anything ever happened to them. We are definitely a part of each other’s lives. My other brother Dusty calls me regularly and we can talk for hours, even if we have just seen each other recently.
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My brothers and I are so close because of our shared values and our shared faith in God. Neither of them are pastors, but God is a central part of both of their lives. They have each trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior and are committed to training their families according to His Word. Travis is not quite as outgoing as Dustin, but he is not afraid to talk to and about his God.
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So how many of us are like that? Even for those who have trusted Christ as Savior, has your relationship with Him become like my relationship with my high school classmate? Have you become so distant from God that it is almost like you don’t even know Him anymore? I believe much of the downfall of our society is because people (even those who call themselves Christians) do not really know God. God declares in Jeremiah 9:24, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
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If you really get to know God, you will find that Jeremiah 9:24 is true. He is a God of justice and righteousness and He is also loving and kind. But when people don’t even know Him and don’t understand who He really is, no wonder there are so many problems in our world. “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;” (Romans 1:28).
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I think of the most memorable moments of my life. In many of them my brothers were there. In all of them, my God was there, but did I really acknowledge that at the time? Was I walking close with Him, keeping in touch with Him, not just on a daily but on a moment by moment basis? Am I doing that now?
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If you were to describe your most memorable event, what role would God have in that description? Would you even mention Him? As we consider the Psalms of David, we realize that he is describing things that happened in his life,. What makes those descriptions so important, is not the details of the events. Rather, it is God’s role in those events and David’s connection to his God throughout them that stand out. If someone were to read your diary, would they find God in it? As you go throughout your life, is God a part of it, or is He a distant acquaintance far far away?

Girls are Prettier Than Boys

2010-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Our little boys have an assortment of bathtub toys, ranging from a boat, to bowls, to rubber duckies. The duckies actually came in a set, with the momma and her babies. My 2 ½ year old son brought a baby ducky and the momma ducky into my office and was showing them to me. He quickly understood which one was the baby because it was smaller. I had often told him that his own mother was pretty, so I pointed out the big long eyelashes that were painted on the momma ducky and said, “look, Jared, this is a momma because it is pretty.”
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He then picked up the baby ducky and pointed to it’s long eyelashes and said, “baby mommy ducky.” It looks like our little boy is starting to understand the differences between boys and girls.
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This reminds me of the little 5-6 year old girl I talked with. She had been on a field trip and was all excited to tell me about it. I told her that it sounded fun and that I would have liked to have gone. She informed me that I was too old. I responded by saying that I wished that I was her age for just a little while, then I could go on the field trips and we could play on the swings. She looked at me with total indignation and said, “I wouldn’t play with you.” I asked why not. She looked at me as if I were the most ignorant person in the world and said, “because you’re a boy!”
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Yes, boys and girls are different. “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” (Mark 10:6) Though we can have the same relationship to Christ (see Gal 3:28) we are obviously different.
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Some would like to minimize those differences and suggest that there is no distinction at all between the genders. This goes against nature itself. For example, I did not have the strain nor the pleasure that comes with being able to carry our children in a womb. I will never know or understand exactly what it is like to be a woman, nor will my wife understand what it is like to be a man.
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The differences between men and women go far beyond the physical. It has been said that women tend to be more emotional than men. I fear that tension between men and women has resulted because too often those differences are not understood. It has become politically incorrect to even discuss them.
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Consider how men tend to want to talk about a problem until a solution is found and women just want to know that the man cares. I have learned that instead of trying to find a solution to every concern my wife voices, I sometimes need to simply listen for a minute, be quiet, and give her a hug.
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Now if I thought she was just like me, I would never do that. You see once we realize we are different and that those differences are not bad- just different- we are better able to relate to each other.
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I fear the high divorce rate can partly be attributed to the lie that men and women are the same. If more couples went into the marriage aware of the differences and loved each other because of those differences, they would be better equipped to relate to one another. Yes, God created us male and female, and though different, those differences make us complementary to one another.

Put Away Your Lying Lips

2010-08-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

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).

What About Drinking Alcohol?

2010-08-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

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).

Telling God to Wash His Hands

2010-08-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Babies are Worth The Cost

2010-08-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

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.

No Fear is Not Wise, Fear God

2010-07-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

The teenage years are often characterized by risk taking. I remember a marketing campaign that began about the time of my high school graduation that tried to capitalize on that drive for risk. Soon “No Fear” T shirts were popping up all over the place and the same logos could be seen in the back windows of teenager’s cars. Interestingly, a near animosity developed between those who gave into this latest trend and those who rejected it. Soon there was the response slogan, “No Fear, No Brains.”
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Around that same period in my life, I also listened to advice promoting abstinence. Many of the arguments centered around fear. The warnings that I heard about included the dangers of STDs, unwanted pregnancy, emotional turmoil, violence, and a girl’s father with a gun.
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So how effective are such scare tactics at reducing teenage sexual activity? Statistics tell us that few people wait until marriage. Some argue that with abstinence education, we could increase that number. I would not argue against such an approach, but the problem is that too many of the programs simply use scare tactics alone. The real reason to avoid sex outside of marriage is because God said so.
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It seems that most people either do not know or care about God’s position on this issue. Many abstinence advocates actually tell teens to wait until they are ready instead of waiting until they are married. That is not what God says to do.
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1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” Hebrews 13:4 tells us, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
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Back to the fear issue. Teens love to take risks. Rock climbing, down hill skiing, and bike racing are all risky but not sinful. There is a difference between risk and sin. As a teenager I was willing to take risks. Given the opportunity, I would have ridden a bull or skydived. The reason I waited for intimacy until my wedding night was not because of my fear of all the dangers I had heard about, it was because of my fear of God. Further, sex outside of marriage is not just sinful for teens, it is sinful for all people.
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If the dangers and consequences of sin were a sufficient motivator, sins like drunkenness would not be a serious problem, for the consequences are deadly. Immediate danger is not a sufficient motivator for many men. Perhaps it is because they have not grasped the concept that they not only need to fear consequences, but they need to fear God Himself.
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The problem is that until you trust Christ, so many of the motivators to stop sin are quite ineffective. You see, Christ is the only answer to the sin problem. He is the answer both to having your sins forgiven and the answer to helping you to no longer be involved in them. Apart from Him, there is little motivation to even care about sin- let alone to get the victory over it. That is why you must come to the place where you admit you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you as you agree with His standard of right and wrong.

Why Bother With Church

2010-07-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

I love to spend time out in the garage. It can be both relaxing and fulfilling. No wonder my father-in-law calls his garage the men’s crisis center.
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I was recently able to get an old John Deere B to work on, and it is small enough to fit in the garage and still allow room to work on the lawn mower. It has given me further incentive to spend my evenings in the garage.
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This actually reminds me of a statement that I have heard quite a bit lately: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.” I am obviously not a car, but I fear many church goers may not be real Christians either. God knows.
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So if going to church doesn’t make one a Christian, why bother going? Some may ask, “If I don’t get anything for myself from church, why bother?” Such attitudes have led to people staying home, and churches attempting to cater to man’s desires through entertainment.
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What man and churches are missing in all this is the glory of God. Is Christianity all about us, or is it about HIM? As I realize that God loved me so much that Christ died to pay for my sins, I want to honor Him. I want to know more about Him so that I can tell others about how wonderful my Lord and Savior is. I want to know what He expects of me. I want to be equipped for service to Him.
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We should desire to go to church so that we can learn from God’s Word and be equipped by it. That is what a pastor of a church is supposed to be doing for the saints as he teaches. Ephesians 4:11-16 says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
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Notice that we are to be taught so that we are not sidetracked by every doctrine or teaching that comes along- so that we understand God’s teaching and are equipped by it. If you really are a Christian and are not in a church that is doing that, find one. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

The Normal Use of Allegory

2010-06-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Encarta World English Dictionary defines allegory as a symbolic work: a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning. I am reminded of reading Animal Farm in high school where the pigs on the farm represented the communists. It was an interesting story that cleverly illustrated the deficiencies of a specific political movement.
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In a similar manner, Christ used parables- stories that were given to illustrate a spiritual truth. When Christ spoke in parables, it was clear that He was saying much more than just what was seen on the surface, for He often gave the interpretation right after He gave the parable. As we read the Gospel accounts, the normal use of language makes it very clear when a parable is being used and when simple history is being given. For example, Matthew 13:18 begins with the words, “Hear ye therefore the parable.” Matthew 13:33a: “Another parable spake he unto them.” Matthew 21:33a: “Hear another parable.”
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The point is that when the scripture uses allegory, there are clear indicators. The problem comes when men try to allegorize portions of scripture that have no indicators of specific symbolism. What ends up happening is that men make up their own allegorical interpretations to passages that should simply be read in their original normal meanings.
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It has often been asked why people cannot agree on the interpretation of the Bible. Part of the reason is that many do not even use normal use of language rules when looking at the scripture and instead try to allegorize almost any passage they come across. Understand that a conservative will usually come up with a conservative allegory, a liberal will likely come up with a liberal allegory and moderate- you get the picture. The Bible should shape our way of thinking, but this approach tries to twist the scripture into man’s way of thinking instead.
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It is an intellectually dishonest and potentially manipulative approach to interpreting what God has written. Some scholars actually try to make it look sophisticated by coming up with all kinds of intricate reasons for their interpretations, but let us remember 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
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Instead of allegorizing the passages we do not understand, we should study them in their context and compare them with other scriptures. We must examine the audience, culture, and history at the time of the writing to understand the meaning in the setting of normal use of language. Sure this takes some work, but it gives us the pure meaning rather than just coming up with some symbolic idea that cannot be proven.
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At First Baptist Church in Bancroft, you can expect to hear God’s Word preached and explained in its historical setting, as we use the normal use of language to interpret the Bible. We invite you to join us and see that the Bible really can be understood and that it is not just a bunch of broken up allegories. It is a book with continuity that shows the interactions between God and man and clearly gives us God’s expectations for man in a way that we can understand.

Not All Advice is Good Advice

2010-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I remember reading “Dear Abby” in our local newspaper. Readers would write in with questions and she would give an answer. Sometimes I would agree with her answers, but often I would not. So who was right, Abby or me?
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No doubt Abby had many more years of experience than I did, but I consider my own mother who has lived in this world for more than 6 decades. She didn’t always agree with Abby either. So where should I get my advice- from a dear Abby or from dear Mom?
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We should seek advice from others. The problem we face is that human hearts and minds have been corrupted by sin and often the advice we get encourages sinfulness rather than godliness. Consider the advice that is often given when someone has done wrong to us. So much of the worldly advice we receive concerns how to get back at them or to show them how it feels to have been done wrong. Such advice encourages bitterness rather than meekness.
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Consider what James wrote in dealing with this very subject: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:13-18)
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Notice what the scripture says. The sort of wisdom that says you should have bitter envy and strife in your hearts doesn’t come from God; it comes from the earth, from our own passions, and from the devil. The wisdom that comes from God is not ready to pick a fight, but is rather ready to look for peace. This doesn’t mean we compromise truth, but it means that we submit to God’s wisdom rather than our own or the devils. It means setting aside our selfishness for God’s glory.
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It actually sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit that we read about in Galatians 5: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 5:22-6:1)
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So who’s advice do I want- Mom’s or Abby’s? I want God’s advice and thankfully I have a mother who does as well. “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25)

How Much Can I Get By With?

2010-05-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

How much will God let us get by with? When I worked as a chaplain with the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Department, I would regularly do ride alongs with the deputies while they were on patrol. When it came to enforcement of the law, they were concerned for the safety of the drivers as well as others on the roads, but they actually let people get away with a lot. They had a speed that was well above the posted limit that they would allow the drivers to drive at. Now I am not encouraging drivers to ignore the posted limits, but I do recognize that our human nature wants to push the limits as far as it can.
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Perhaps that was part of the motivation for a question that Christ was asked in Matthew 22:36, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Christ’s answer was quite simple: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).
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So does that mean that as long as you are loving God with your all, and your neighbor as yourself, then you can get by doing whatever you want? Well, actually if you do really love God with your all, you will already be doing what He expects and will be treating your neighbor right as well. You see, if you love God that much, instead of seeing what you can get by with, you will be looking for ways to serve and honor Him.
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Notice how Christ said that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. That means that all the commands God gives us are based on our love for Him and others. No doubt a society that follows the rules of God treats their fellow man much better.
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Instead of showing us what we can get by with, Christ’s response shows us the importance of all of God’s commands. Consider what James wrote, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10) In other words, if you violate the least of the commands, you are guilty of violating the most important command of loving God completely. No wonder we are told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
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There is good new though. Christ came to pay the penalty for our sins. By believing on Him, trusting Him for our salvation, realizing that He died and rose from the dead for our sins, we too can have eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
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Once we really believe in Him and trust Him, our love for Him motivates us to want to obey. It is no longer about what we can get by with, it is about believing that His way is best. You see, it isn’t about cleaning up your life so that you can trust Him. It is about trusting Him and letting Him clean up your life because you love Him.

Do You Have the Wrong Number?

2010-05-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

You know you’re in a small town when someone dials a wrong number and you talk to them for five minutes. We actually get a lot of wrong number calls from people trying to reach Spa dee Dah. Now I do not know how to do makeup or to cut hair, so all I can do is tell them to call 2772 instead of 2702.
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Now getting a wrong number in a small town isn’t that big of a deal, but what if you got the wrong number when trying to reach God? I fear that is happening more often than we would like to admit. Too many people don’t know God’s “number,” so they end up trying whatever they think might work. Romans 10:3 says, “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.” The point is, when we try to do things by trial and error because we do not know what God expects, we cannot reach Him any more than we could reach an old high school friend just by dialing random numbers on the phone.
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Now if you dial 885-2702, you will reach the church, and you can talk to me, but you still will not be reaching God. You see, I cannot get you to God, all I can do is tell you how to reach Him, just like I can tell callers how to get ahold of the Spa. I am not the mediator, I am simply the messenger. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (I Timothy 2:5).
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You see, you do not get ahold of God, by reaching me or any other clergy for that matter. You have to get ahold of Christ Jesus. “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). To reach God, you do not dial a number, you trust in a Savior. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
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If you want to call God, you don’t need to know His number, you need to know Him. God came to this earth in the person of the Son of God, Jesus Christ in order to die for your sins and to raise again victorious over sin and death. If He had the power to do that He has the power to save you and to hear your prayers when you call out to Him. You don’t have to worry about a bad connection if you will humbly submit to Him, turn from your sin, and trust Him as you call out to Him. He promises, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).
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Many have tried to reach God using the wrong number when His way is so straight forward. “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) So if you have not yet gotten ahold of God and turned to Him, call Him now. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Judging Hot Potatoes

2010-04-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Both our little boys are on solid food now. When feeding small children you must be very careful. First you have to make sure that the food is cut up into small pieces so that they do not choke. Then you have to make sure that it is not too hot. I made a mistake with hot food a while back. I felt the potatoes and thought they had cooled enough but when A.J. grabbed them with his tender hands, he pulled back and began to cry. They were still too hot. My judgment was wrong.
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As serious as a bad judgment on hot potatoes is, bad judgments on spiritual matters are even more serious, for they can have an eternal impact. In fact, because my own judgment is so prone to error- as all our judgments are- I try to avoid making spiritual judgments. That may sound strange coming from a pastor, but let me explain. Rather than making judgments from my own intellect, emotion, or life experience, I instead recognize my inability to judge perfectly and step back and let God judge. In doing that, I allow Him to be the ultimate authority and that means that I agree with what He has written in His Word.
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In other words, I don’t make up the rules and decide what is right or wrong, God does. That means that I cannot ignore the parts of Scripture that I don’t want to see even if it would seem more convenient or popular to do so. The Apostle Paul was clear in rebuking man for making up his own rules while ignoring God‘s. “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.” (Romans 10:3)
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Now even if we agree that God makes the rules, not us, the question arises, “what parts of Scripture are the Words of God?” Is it just the red letters of words spoken by Christ? Should we consider the Old Testament, realizing that many of the ordinances written in that part of the Bible were given specifically to the Hebrew people and were done away with on the cross (Colossians 2:14)?
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The answers are actually quite simple. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Now that verse was written by the Apostle Paul, yet the Apostle Peter testifies in II Peter 3:15-16 that what Paul wrote was Scripture. You see, the words for the text were not just the words of man, but were inspired by God and carried the authority of God behind them and still do today.
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The Old Testament as well still has authority. Though the Hebrew ordinances have been done away with, much of what was written relayed God’s expectations for all mankind. For example Leviticus 18 is addressed to the Hebrews and it warns them against doing the sort of sexual sins that caused the land to be defiled by the Canaanites. God makes it clear in vs. 27 that this behavior was abomination for all people. In other words, it was a universal decree of right and wrong coming from God.
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Judgment belongs to God and if we are to know what God has judged, we must look to all of His Word.

Thanking God for Melted Snow

2010-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

We just finished a memorable winter. I must say that as a citizen of Bancroft, I am very pleased at the skill and efficiency our city workers demonstrated in getting our roads opened up. Even on Christmas day in the middle of a blizzard, though the roads were not perfect, I could still get around town because there was a plow out on our streets. I noticed how the snow was winged back away from the streets so that there was room for the next round of accumulation when it came. I noticed the extra time that was taken to clean the intersections as they as well built up with snow. I noticed the long hours that were spent just trying to keep up. For that I say thank you.
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Have you ever noticed how easy it is to take things for granted? It is so easy to complain that the snow plow wing piled snow in front of our driveway again and forget that if they were not out on the road there would be no place to go once we left our driveway. How many times don’t we do the same thing with God? Do we realize that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
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I recently heard about a study that said that the more thankful a person is, the more successful they are likely to be. That does not surprise me. God commands us to be thankful. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) Notice how thankfulness is connected with peace in the heart. If we complain about the pile of snow in our driveway, we end up with conflict in our hearts, but if we are thankful for the snowplows we have peace in our hearts in spite of the fact that we have a huge pile of snow to shovel. You might say that thankfulness helps us to make lemonade out of lemons. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18)
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So should we complain about the mud or praise God that the snow has melted? Should we complain that the sun is glaring in our eyes, or praise God that it will dry the mud? Should we complain that it is now cloudy, or praise God that the sun is not glaring in our eyes?
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Actually such approaches to thanksgiving are not at all ridiculous. In fact, as we understand the goodness of God, they should be natural. It is no wonder Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So what can you give thanks for today? Have you thanked those around you? Have you prayed and thanked God?

Do We Have a Good Culture?

2010-03-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

The following is a condensed revision of an earlier article:

Too often people form their values based on their culture. The problem with such an approach is that it allows culture to determine values rather than God.
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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? 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 not very controversial, for I do not know of any people who still worship Molech. Therefore I can use that example and not ruffle too many feathers.
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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? From a Biblical perspective, not only must I condemn the religious beliefs of Islam, but also their culture of violence. Some would call me intolerant for such a statement, but 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 which races are involved in them. Further, not every person of a particular race does such things, and it is wrong to imply that 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” rather than a race by the content of its character, not by the color of its skin.
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What about the culture of our own area. It is easy to pride ourselves in our small town values, yet cultural 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
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“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3.

Missionaries

2010-03-12T12:27:00.001-08:00

We are hosting a couple of missionaries at different times this spring. On March 28th, Chris Stoll, Missionary to Ireland is planning to be with us. He will teach Sunday School and be with us for the regular morning service. Instead of the evening service, we are planning a 1 p.m. service for that day after a fellowship meal.
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We also plan to host Darrel Jingst for the morning of May 2. He is one of the Missionaries our church currently supports. He is involved in a Spanish printing ministry. If you are able to make it to any of these services, we would love to have you join us.

Learning The Child's Language

2010-02-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Greek and Hebrew are not the only languages I struggle with. Lately I have been challenged with “toddler talk.” Our son Jared is learning how to speak, and it is fun trying to interpret his words. Dad is Daaee, Mom is Maee, and A.J. is Zae. One of his most used words though is “snack,” or as he says it, “sna.” A.J. can’t talk yet other than saying “mumma” or “daad.”
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It is interesting how closely their language is tied to food. Not only am I learning baby talk, but I am learning what it takes to feed a couple of growing boys. Jared has gotten big enough that he can explore on his own, and often his exploits involve a hunt for a “sna.” We do not want him just rummaging through the cupboards unsupervised, so we have instructed him to ask for a snack instead of just taking it. Now he goes around pointing and saying, “wat sem” (want some).
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He still cannot say apple, but knows the word ball, so if he wants an apple he will point at the fruit basket and ask for a “bau.” He has also learned that if he scoots his stool up by the counter, he can reach the apples himself but has been told not to take them without asking. He gets scolded if he grabs one without permission. Today I caught him doing something new. Instead of actually touching the apple in the basket with his hand, he was leaning over the basket attempting to eat the apple without holding on to it.
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I must admit that it was quite clever for a two year old, but he got in trouble anyway. As I reflect on this little incident, I realize how much adults are just like two year olds. How often don’t we try to get around the clear commands of God. It was also a reminder of how important it is to work hard at training our boys to in obedience. The first word we trained them to understand was “NO”. We did this by touching their hands firmly when they reached for something off limits and repeating the word, “no”.
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Child training is hard work. We only have two, but I am already finding how different each one is. What worked for the one may not work for the other. We can read child training books or talk to others and find out what worked perfectly for them, but it may not work for our child.
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Regardless, I know that I cannot give in to their every whim. If I do, they will learn to blackmail us simply by throwing a tantrum. I have heard of parents giving into their children simply to avoid a conflict. That is a mistake. If you do not stop doing that when they are still infants, do not be surprised if you find them laying on the floor at Wal-Mart kicking and screaming until they get the toy they want.
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Scripture is very clear about this. “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” (Proverbs 19:18). “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” (Proverbs 29:17)
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It is sad when children become so unruly that they are no longer a delight to their parents. Often parents neglect to say “no” when the children are still babies, and then end up yelling and screaming at them when they are older. By this time the child has already learned to manipulate and often just tunes the parent out.
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There are times we need to yell. For example if the child is ready to touch a hot stove. But yelling usually just trains children that losing their temper is okay. Instead, we must calmly take the time to train and develop godly behavior in the child, both by leading and example. Spanking must also be an option. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” (Proverbs 13:24) The problem with spanking is that many do not understand the difference between a physical reprimand meant to train and an actual beating. A Biblical spanking is done in love in order to train. It must be done calmly and not in anger, and generally once the child is trained spankings are rare. A parent who beats their child because they are embarrassed or inconvenienced needs to repent of their abusive sin.
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Child training is hard work, but it yields lasting rewards. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

The Iowa Marriage Debate

2010-02-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of discussion about marriage in Iowa over the last year, and I would expect even more in the days and years ahead. A few years back, the Legislature of the state of Iowa passed a law stating that marriage was between one man and one woman. In April of 2009, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued an opinion against that law. Today there is a debate on whether or not a sitting Governor would have the authority to put a stay on that decision. At the same time, many Iowans are calling for a vote to just let the citizens of the state settle this issue.
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Essentially, Iowans find themselves in a position of debating who has the right to be the final decider of this issue. In the midst of all the emotion, we run a grave danger of forgetting that this issue has already been decided. It was not decided by a legislature, or a court, or a group of citizens, or even by a church. It was actually decided by our Creator when He made them male and female and put them together in order to procreate.
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This principle of man and woman coming together predates even the Scriptures which were given to us by God. In other words, God had established the natural order of things long before He even had Moses write the Pentateuch. Even today as we go into the hardware store and ask for plumbing and electrical connections we use the terms male and female because of the nature of how God made us. This was not something established by man, but rather by God.
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If the courts were suddenly to declare that gravity does not exist, would it change the fact? Of course not. Some would then argue that if it doesn’t change anything why worry about it. I worry about it because lies are deadly. Of course I can understand that gravity does exist, but I remember when my little brother broke his arm trying to fly like Super Man.
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What it comes down to is that we as the citizens of Iowa must oppose any decision of the court that so blatantly goes against reality. We all know that marriage is between a husband and a wife. To declare differently is to distort the truth and to even change the very definition of a word that was founded upon the principles of nature. To argue otherwise is not only to argue with God, but to argue with the reality of the creation that He made.

Will We Ever Get Global Warming?

2010-02-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well, the groundhog saw his shadow. So what does it mean? Besides the fact that there was enough sun for him to see a shadow, it means absolutely nothing. “But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” (1 Timothy 4:7) In spite of the truth, this little varmint has become famous for predicting how long the winter will be. According to this years prediction we can expect 6 more weeks of what we have already been putting up with (well, a few less than that by now). Yes, this is turning into a memorable winter.
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I must admit that I kind of enjoy pushing all the snow though. I doubt I would enjoy it so much if didn’t have a skid steer to use. It sure is fun to ram into a snow bank and just see how far I can push it before I have to back up and hit it again. It is also fun to spin that thing around on a dime. If I did the same thing with the van, I’d risk rolling it or getting a ticket. This year, however, I have begun to wonder if I will run out of places to push all the snow.
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As much fun as I have playing on the skid steer, I look forward to all this snow melting. In fact, I have joked for years that I am in favor of global warming because I like the summer temperatures much better than the cold winters.
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In all honesty, I must disclose that I have long been a global warming skeptic. I believe God is in control of the weather, not man. It has been interesting to listen to all the debate and even the recent scandals surrounding this subject, but does the Scripture have anything to say about weather patterns?
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Psalm 148:8 tells us how meteorological activity is actually directed by the word of God. “Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:” This tells us that all God has to do is speak and the weather obeys Him. Not only can Christ calm the storm, but God sends the storms or holds them back at His will. “And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.” (Amos 4:7)
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I love to watch and listen to thunderstorms. I recently had the chance to preach on Psalm 29. This Psalm uses the language of thunderstorms, and it describes the different features of what was likely a powerful supercell. Over and over again through the chapter we read that the voice of God was upon these different parts of the storm. Now that is not hard to imagine when we think of thunder, but as we reflect on Ps 148:8 as well, let us not forget that the voice/word of God directs all the aspects of the weather.
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I can’t tell you how much longer our winter will be or how much more snow we will have, but God knows. I don’t even know if the earth will warm up or cool down in the next few years, but God knows. I do however know that one day, global warming will occur and it will be far worse than anything Al Gore is suggesting. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (II Peter 3:10)
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Nothing we can do will be able to prevent this warming. The only way to make sure we are not burned up is to trust Christ as our Savior. Consider the verse right after II Peter 3:10. “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness”. This whole earth will be burnt up and dissolved before a new heaven and earth are made. Because the earth belongs to God- not us, we should take care of it, but we must also keep it in perspective. The earth will be gone, but God will remain. Who should we put or greater focus on? I will focus on God.

What Has Our Society Come To?

2010-01-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

I just finished pulling my old high school year book off the shelf. It is amazing how quickly hair styles change. As I thumbed through the pictures of my old classmates, I thought about their parents. Of all those that I graduated with, as far as I know, none of their parents were divorced. Sure, it was a small public school in a rural area, but that is still amazing. Sadly, as we look at our society, now 20 years later, we realize that hair styles were not the only thing that changed. Today, not only are divorces common, but so are out of wedlock births. The whole family structure has deteriorated to the point that we now have a debate over the very definition of marriage.
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Evil has become acceptable in our society. For example, sex outside of marriage is considered the norm by the world, even though it is clearly a sin. Wickedness is all around us. Even though we are blessed with so much, people are envious of what others have and want it for themselves. Some even kill to get it. People fight and lie. They have a hatred for God and His standards. Their bad character is displayed with pride as they brag about their sin. The children disobey their parents, the grown ups don’t keep their word, godly love is a foreign concept, and so many care about no one but themselves. (see Romans 29-31)
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No doubt, we have always lived in a sin cursed world, but it seems to be getting much worse. So, I must ask, “how did we get here?”
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The answer is clear. We are here because man has rejected God and His standards. Instead of worshipping God, the people of this nation have put their desires on other things. It sounds a lot like what we can read of in Romans 1:21, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” You see, when man rejects God so blatantly, He punishes them by giving them over to their sin. The natural consequences of sin are severe punishment all by themselves. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25)
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Not only did God give them up to uncleanness of the heart, but he gave them over to vile affections and reprobate minds. Romans 1:26-31 says, “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:”
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The characteristics of our society that were listed in the second paragraph of this column came from these verses. They should be a wake up call that we live in a society that has rejected God. As I said, the consequences of sin are a punishment themselves, but we know as well that the wages of sin is death, and this first chapter in Romans ends by telling us that both those who do those things and those who take pleasure in them are worthy of death. By trusting in Christ’s gift of eternal life, you can escape eternal death, and by following His standards of right and wrong, you can escape the consequences of sin in this life. If you have no desire to follow His standards though, it is obvious that you have rejected Him and thus He will reject you.
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Folks the sins listed in the Romans 1 passage are disgusting, but let us not forget that they are actually only a symptom of an even bigger problem. A rejection of God, because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. Let me be clear here, a rejection of God’s standard of right and wrong is a rejection of Him. It is time for us to repent and turn to the true God.

The Amish and Early Christians

2010-01-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I thought it would be neat to live like the Amish. Part of that desire stemmed from my love for horses. I see no sin in all modern conveniences, but I can see a huge advantage to not having a TV. There is so much filth on the screen that we did not even get a converter box and we do not have cable TV.
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I recently discovered that some of the Amish actually use tractors and have indoor plumbing. Most people know little about their religious beliefs beyond the issue of technology. Some of the groups really do put their confidence in Christ, while unfortunately others are simply trusting in their lifestyle. The diversity of their belief is as diverse as their positions on tractors.
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I have no intention of becoming Amish, but I do admire their simple lifestyle and how they pitch in to meet the needs in their communities. By working together they are able to share one another’s burdens. That is similar to what was happening in the early church in Acts chapter 4, where the early believers had all things common in order to benefit the group as a whole so that God might be glorified.
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Now before some of you accuse me of endorsing communism let me explain that there are some clear differences. The early church, like the Amish today, shared resources with those who shared their values. They did not divide it among society as a whole. Acts 4:37 tells us that they laid the money at the apostles’ feet, not at Caesar’s. Further, the next chapter makes it clear that it was voluntary, not compulsory. “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” (Acts 5:4)
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By working within a framework of common belief, they also had the ability to exclude those who did not share the same values. This is shown in I Corinthians 5:11-13, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
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Further, the early church had the ability to oversee one another and to make sure that everyone was contributing. “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (II Thessalonians 3:10)
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The widows are amongst those who have the greatest need for assistance within the church and many had all their needs met by the church. There were guidelines for helping them as well. I Tim 5 lays out the standard. First, her immediate family was expected to help her first, so she would not be dependant on the church. If she did not have children or nephews to help, then she had to show that she trusted in God through her prayers. She couldn’t just be living for pleasure, but for God. Further she had to be at least 60 years old before all her needs would be met. Finally she had to have a good reputation and no other means of support.
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The widow passage also challenges the readers to take care of widows themselves so that the church not be charged. Again, we see the scriptures teaching charity. This should be the case whether we are living in a communal setting or not. Among Christians there should be an attitude that all that we have belongs to God, therefore, we should use it to help fellow believers, thus having all our possessions in common.
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We do not need to form a commune to do that, but many groups have found economic advantage to doing so. Under times of severe persecution it may be a wise step for all Christians to take. At the same time, it is quite a different approach than letting the state function in the place of the church as the distributor of the resources of a society. It would even be a mistake to give that job to a single religious group, rather than letting each individual congregation take care of its own like minded believers and other believers in similar congregations who they may choose to help. Further, this is not a suggestion that charity should not extend to unbelievers as well. May we not just learn from the Amish, but from Scripture itself.

It's Hiding in Plain Sight

2009-12-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

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)

Cardboard Christmas

2009-12-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

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.

I've Been Shot

2009-12-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

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).

Once Upon A Time

2009-11-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

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.

Justified

2009-11-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

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?

Reliable Salvation

2009-10-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

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.
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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).

DEATH

2009-09-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Who Built My Lawn Mower?

2009-09-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

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.

I Can't Put the Tomato Back on The Vine

2009-08-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

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.”
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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.”

Version Question

2009-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

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.

Who Is Jesus?

2009-08-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Right and Wrong

2009-07-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

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.

Intermediate Bodies?

2009-07-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Question on Election

2009-07-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

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.

What is God Telling Us?

2009-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

Marriage

2009-04-10T11:16:00.001-07:00

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

Daydreaming

2009-04-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Cell Phones

2009-04-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

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.”

Unchristian

2009-03-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

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

FEAR GOD

2009-03-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

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

I've Got Culture: Agri-Culture

2009-03-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

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.

A New Baby

2009-02-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

I was sleeping soundly, all the excitement of the world around me shut out for several blissful hours of wonderful rest. Suddenly I heard my wife’s calm gentle voice next to me telling me that her water had broke. When your wife is nine months along, such news is not unexpected, but at twenty after three in the morning it can be a surprise. I knew I had to stay calm. A few weeks earlier Crystal had has some false labor pains and I had gotten all nervous. She reminded me that if I stayed calm it would be easier for her to stay calm.
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We had arranged ahead of time for a babysitter to come over for our older son when this special moment came. I placed the call to her, and then to my mother who was also planning to come. It is amazing how gracious people are about being woke up in the middle of the night when a baby is on the way. The joy of a new precious life coming into this world seems to overshadow all the feelings of inconvenience.
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We then made our way to the hospital, counting the minutes between contractions on our way. They were coming about 5-6 minutes apart by this time. The nurses helped Crystal get settled into our room as we excitedly waited for the arrival of our little A.J.
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Crystal was a real trooper. She calmly breathed through each contraction. I could clearly see the pain on her face, yet she had been through this before and knew what to expect. By 8 a.m. she was holding our beautiful baby son.
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It is amazing to witness a birth. I have watched calves, pigs, and even kittens come into this world, but those events pale in comparison to watching the births of my sons. A real live human baby breathing air for the very first time is a sight to behold. Just to imagining that this is the first time that this little person has ever experienced light or air is an astounding thought. No wonder they cry.
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Now that our son was born, we finally got to see him and hold him. Even though I had not seen little A.J. until the birth, we knew he was there. Once we confirmed that my wife was expecting, we knew for certain that a baby was growing inside of her, even though we could not see him. We witnessed the first ultrasound pictures at such an early date that we were not even able to tell if he was a boy or a girl. Even though these pictures were taken before 13 weeks along, we were still able to see the little head, body, hands, and feet. By 17 weeks she began to feel him move. Soon I began to feel him move. Clearly he was a real baby even before he was born. Our precious little Allan Jerry Miller was not just a glob of tissue, he was and is a real baby.
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I must admit that it disturbs me know that even in our little town there are likely some people who think that it would have been okay for us to have killed our little baby a few months ago before he was born. Now if these people do not even call themselves Christians, and make no pretense of a fear of God, such a position would not be all that surprising. What disturbs me most is when people call themselves Christian and yet defend the most ungodly things. Please see my article on should ‘Christians’ be trusted.
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If you are a real Christian, you should care what God’s Word has to say in this matter. Consider Psalms 139:13-15, “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. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” David speaks personally of himself in this passage, because even when he was in the womb, he was a real person.
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God speaks to Jeremiah, telling the prophet that he was personally known and chosen before birth. “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.
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John the Baptist is called a babe, not a bunch of tissue when he was in the womb. “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:” Luke 1:41.
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As I look at my son, I cannot imagine anyone condoning killing him at this point. Only a complete pagan would suggest the killing of my sweet little boy. The question then must be asked, “if he was a baby before he was born, what is the difference between killing him then and killing him now?” If you are a Christian who has condoned the murder of innocent life, repent. If you have supported such barbaric acts because you do not know the Savior, realize that repentance is available to you as well.
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Finally, some who are reading this may be faced with the decision concerning life or death for a baby within you. Please get an ultrasound first and see who you are killing. Further, many women are filled with heartache over past sin. Please realize that even the sin of murder can be forgiven by God. If you come to Christ for salvation, He is able to remove our transgression as far as the east is from the west. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Should 'Christians' Be Trusted?

2009-02-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

“Why should I become a Christian? They’re nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.” I have heard that statement more than once as I have shared the gospel. I am not surprised to hear such a response. The surprise comes when they hear my answer. I look them right in the eye and tell them that I agree. They don’t expect to hear that from a preacher- to hear him agree that Christians are a bunch of hypocrites.
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Now if you are upset with me because you are a Christian, let me explain just as I do with the unbelievers. The word ‘Christian’ and even the phrase ‘born again’ are thrown around quite loosely. Anyone can call themselves a Christian, and in many areas of our country it is still quite popular to do so.
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Originally, the term Christian was given to the followers of Christ. These were people who took His teachings seriously- so seriously that they were willing to die for them. Acts 11:26 tells us the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
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Today it is much harder to know what someone means when they say they are ‘Christian.’ In fact, I just looked up the word in the dictionary and one of the definitions was simply “kind and unselfish”. In another era, when a man said he was Christian, it meant he was civilized as opposed to heathen. Both these definitions fall short of being a true follower of Christ, though a real Christian should be kind and unselfish.
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I have heard that 85-95% of the people in the United States claim to be Christians. I do not believe that anywhere near that number really takes following Christ seriously. That means the rest are a bunch of hypocrites.
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To support my assessment, let me site some figures that I found in a recent World Net Daily article entitled “1 in 3 ‘Christians’ says ‘Jesus Sinned’”. The article gleaned information from a Barna poll that suggests that half of “Christians” do not believe that Satan exists. 40% believe we have no responsibility to share our faith. 25% do not believe the Bible is accurate in all principles it teaches. These are basic things that all Christians should believe.
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II Corinthians 5:21 clearly tells us Jesus never sinned. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Job 1:7, tells us Satan is all too real, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” For those who feel no responsibility to tell others about Christ, read Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” For those who do not trust the Bible consider Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
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These statistics show us that we cannot trust what someone believes just because they call themselves Christian. In fact, these trends seem to indicate that we cannot even trust what many pastors are teaching. It is sad to realize how few preachers are actually going through the Bible verse by verse, telling their congregation what it teaches. No wonder we have so many ‘Christian’ hypocrites. They have not even learned what it means to be a follower of Christ.
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I pray that this trend would be reversed. It seems that too many pastors are either teaching the same old recycled denominational messages or else they have given into the seeker sensitive entertain the masses at the expense of the Bible mentality. Neither of these methods are true discipleship. Christ commanded in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The command is to TEACH, not to bore or entertain. Obviously many Christians have not been taught.
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How about you? Are you an unbeliever who is put off by a bunch of hypocrites? Realize that true Christianity is not hypocritical. Christ is not a hypocrite, in fact, He condemned them (Read Matthew 23:23-31). How about you? Are you one of the hypocrites? Repent, get into the Word of God and become a true follower of Christ. (Read Matthew 7:20-23). How about you? Are you a true follower of Christ? Read Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

How God Wrote His Book

2009-01-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Why do we believe what we believe? It is important for each of us to ask that question. Why do we believe what we believe? For me the answer to that question is rooted in my belief in God, but it goes even further than that. I believe what I believe because I believe the Bible. God gave man a series of books. Today we call those books the Bible.
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Understanding how we ended up with the Bible can help us to have a greater confidence in the inspired Word of God. Many have heard the phrase “inspired word of God” without really knowing what it means. The Bible itself claims to be inspired, but that claim has little significance if a person does not know what it means. Webster tells us that inspire means “to breathe; to infuse by or as if by breathing; to instill; to communicate divine instructions to the mind of.” This is why Scripture is often referred to as God breathed or as coming directly from the mouth of God. Remember the holy words of the Bible are not just ordinary words, but the words of God.
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If these divine words came directly from the mouth of God, how did they get to the pages of the Bible? Let us allow God to answer that Himself through His word:
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“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” Ps 68:11.
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“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” II Peter 1:21.
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“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:” Isaiah 30:8.
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In the above verses, the Psalmist tells us that the words came from the Lord. Peter wrote about how the Holy Spirit of God gave the words to those who He wanted to deliver His message. Isaiah tells us how He was specifically commanded to write down the words that were spoken to him. These were not just ordinary words, they were the words of Scripture given by God. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy concerning these words from God:
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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:” II Tim 3:16.
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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. That means every verse of the Bible came from God. Each jot and tittle was written by His intent. Yes, He used men like Isaiah, Peter, and Paul, yet as Isaiah testifies, God told them what to write. These men were moved by God. The Bible is not a bunch of ideas made up by these men. These men were guided specifically by a Holy God to write a message down so that we might know what God has for us to learn.
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We must guard against the idea that certain parts of the Bible are reliable and other parts are not. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. If we pick and choose what we want to believe, we can make it look like it says whatever we want it to say. That is why it is so important to read it in context. Sometimes folks will try tell us that the Bible has things in it that are not “Christian”. Before you get upset at your Bible, read it and find out if they are taking a verse out of context. It is God’s word, let us make sure God is not taken out of context.
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Jesus Christ Himself testified to the importance of the Word of God: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. The Proverbs also testify of God’s Word: “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6.
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These last few verses are not only a continued testimony of the importance of Scripture, but as well a testimony that it comes from God. There are also many verses throughout the Bible that have phrases like “thus saith the Lord” or “hear ye the word of the Lord”. The Bible claims to be God’s word, and thus is worthy of the title “The Word of God. That is why I believe it, and that is why it is to guide all that I believe.

The Truth Like No Other

2009-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

I was recently made aware of an article where patrons were able to write in and give their experiences with customer service at various retail store chains. Some of the experiences were heart warming as store employees went beyond the call of duty to help their customers. It was interesting to note, however, that one of the store chains to receive a complaint, was called “Friendly’s”. Now I have never even heard of such a store and do not know if this was an isolated incident or not, but I found it interesting that a store with a friendly name had unfriendly customer service.
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The experience of this particular customer reminds us that things are not always as they seem. It also reminds us that we cannot always trust those we are told we should be able to trust. I grew up believing that I could trust the Bible. That belief has not changed. There were some people that I thought I could trust, but I later found out I could not. The Bible is different. The more I study it, the more I realize I can trust it. I cannot accuse the Bible of false advertising or clever gimmicks that do not hold true. It is just what it claims to be. It can be trusted. It is truth like no other.
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The reason we can trust the Bible is because it comes from God. It was not made up by a bunch of men, it came to us be the inspiration of God. When God does something, it is perfect. It can be trusted. Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
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Our perfect God has given us a perfect book. There are no errors in the Bible. His word assures us that it can be trusted. There may be a few things which we do not understand. Things which seem to our human minds to be impossible, but we must remember, we are only men, He is God. He is the one who parted the waters and walked on them. Because we are only human, we cannot expect to have ALL the answers. Instead, we must accept what He tells us as truth. For example, before the days of Columbus, folks could have known that the world was round if they had just read the Bible. Sadly, many laughed at the reference to the circle of the earth in Isaiah 40:22. Today we know the earth is not flat, God’s Word once again proves itself to be true.
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God’s Word itself makes a claim of trustworthiness. Consider Psalm 18:30-31, “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?” II Samuel 22:31-32 actually has the same words as the above verses. Please read Psalm 33:4 as well, “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Christ Himself testified of the truth of God’s word as He prayed in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
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These verses provide a foundation for the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Scriptures. There are other verses that also support this important teaching. “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.” Psalms 119:140. “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” Psalms 119:160. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Psalms 12:6. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” Proverbs 30:5.
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As you can see, the claim that we can trust God’s Word, is not just a claim that is made by a country preacher, it a claim that is made by the Bible itself.

Burrr Cold

2009-01-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

You know it is cold when the gas meter locks up. Wednesday January 14, 2009 was a very cold day. If the cold itself were not bad enough, the wind chill was life threatening. Of all days for a furnace to quit. God gets your attention when He allows it to happen on such a day. What made the problem really serious was that ALL the furnaces in the church, not just one of them had quit. Not only the furnaces, but the gas water heater as well. Fortunately the problem was discovered before the temperature inside dropped enough to freeze any pipes. The gas company sent a man out to fix the problem and we had heat again within a few hours.
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Reflecting on what happened, I am reminded of all the challenges that the cold brings. I recall how much more difficult the cold seemed when I was farming. For those with livestock it is especially difficult. I can remember having to start the tractor to feed the cattle when it was bitterly cold. There were times when it just would not start. We would have it plugged in, with the battery charger charging, as the Nipco heater blew a bit of warmth onto the engine. As we waited for the tractor to warm up, we would have to go around and thaw out the floats and drinkers on the hog tanks. Then we would check the automatic waters for both the hogs and cattle and often they were froze up in spite of the electric heaters that were supposed to keep them working.
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Starting the tractor and thawing the water was not the only problem. The animals themselves faced their own challenges. Often the hogs would cluster together in a corner to try to stay warm. That worked well unless you were the pig at the bottom of the pile. Livestock would die. Gates would be frozen shut. Cattle would walk over fences. Still the best of farmers revel in these challenges rather than facing discouragement.
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No doubt the cold has become MUCH easier to bear now that I am no longer on the farm. Still that does not mean that I no longer have to contend with its challenges. I still get cold walking to the post office, the fan motor in the truck locked up on a bitterly cold morning, and then there was that incident with the gas meter. These, however, are minor compared to what I used to contend with. Today I face different kinds of problems then I did then.
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This reminds me a little bit of the salvation experience. Some suggest that if you just come to Christ, all your problems will go away. That may make for a good sales pitch. The problem is, it is not true. The Lord has not promised to take all our problems away, but He does help us to bear them.
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Furthermore, if we come to Christ just for what we can get, where is the repentance in that? We are to trust the Savior because He is God and we want to glorify Him, not just because we want our life to be easier. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
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The Apostle Paul warned that instead of ease, the godly Christian should expect problems. He said us in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
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So then, why would anyone even want to be a Christian? Because being a Christian is not just about us getting from God (we definitely get much), it is also about us trusting God- especially when the going gets tough. It would have been so much harder struggling to get the cattle fed, if I had not had the privilege of calling out to my Heavenly Father for grace to bear the cold.
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He doesn’t take all our problems away, but He does help us through them. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
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What’s more, as Christians, we do not just consider this life, but the life ahead. Paul admits in I Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” Yet Paul was not miserable. His hope was for a better place. A place where is neither the bitter wind chill or the fires of hell. His hope was not of this world. His trust was not in this world. Even as he knew he would face more problems in this life, he was still joyful. Consider what Paul said in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
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I pray that you as well could finish your course with joy. The only way that you can do that is to put your complete trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The next life will not be this cold, but it could be very hot if you neglect so great salvation.

I Don't Trust the Ice

2009-01-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Is there a difference between a coward and a cautious chicken? I hope so, because when it comes to ice covered lakes, I fall into the latter category. I have driven onto the lakes during the winter, but only after extended period of VERY cold weather and numerous reports of VERY thick ice. Even when the ice is over a foot thick, there is something unnerving about sitting in a fish house and hearing the cracks and rumbles as other vehicles drive over a bridge of ice that is only kept in tact by the freezing temperatures.
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One of my best friends was typically amongst the first to venture out in the fall and the last to come off in the spring. He worked long hours on road construction during the summer and had his winters free to fish. It was almost as if he reasoned that if the ground was froze too hard to build a road, then the lake must have thick enough ice.
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He would invite me to join him on the lakes at times that I just did not trust the ice. We would typically go back and forth about how safe it was. He would try to convince me not to worry and I would give the reason why I was not ready to drive out on the lake. He would reassure me of the thickness of the ice where he had his fish house, and I would ask if he had checked the thickness in every spot between there and the shore. Of course I did not expect him to do this just so I could feel confident in driving out to him, but my question was a reflection of my lack of faith in the ice’s ability to hold my pickup, and even myself.
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Now I could sit on shore and watch others driving back and forth on the ice between the shore and various fish houses. If you had asked me if I believed that one of those vehicles would fall through the ice as I watched, I would have had to say no. I did believe the ice would hold them, but I did not have enough trust to put my confidence in it.
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You see, there is a difference in the kinds of belief we have. There is a belief that acknowledges facts, and there is another kind of belief that ventures into the area of trust. So what does ice fishing have to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ? A true saving faith in Christ is not just an agreement about facts concerning the Lord, it is a trust, confidence, and life changing faith in Him.
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I could look at those other trucks on the lake and believe that the ice could hold them up, but if I did not put my trust in that ice enough to drive out there, I did not have a real life changing confidence in it. Many people approach a belief in God in a similar manner. They believe that He exists. They can see the evidence of it just as we can see people driving on the lake, yet they are not willing to change their lives and serve Him. I believe that is what James meant in 2:19, when he writes, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
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The devils- the enemies of God- believe that God exists. They even know all about Jesus, and that He died for the sins of mankind and deserves our worship. Does that mean that devils will get to heaven? No not at all. In fact, the lake of fire was made specifically for them. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41.
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Those who do not have a saving belief- the sort of belief that puts a total confidence in Christ- will face the same wrath as those devils. That is why the love and forgiveness of God expressed in John 3:16 is so precious. “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.”
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As we compare the words of James and John, we are reminded that the belief we are to have is not to be just a belief of existence. Our belief must be a belief of commitment and trust. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:38-39, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
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As I think about the ice, I realize that putting my trust in it could be a life or death decision. The fear of falling through and dying in freezing water is a strong motivator. My friend finally found out how big a risk he was taking when his pickup fell through on a path others had crossed just a short time before. Fortunately he was not hurt, and only lost his pride and the time it took to get a Ford Courier off the bottom of the lake. As we consider the path of life, let us not forget, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14. The decision concerning trusting Christ, is not just a life threatening decision, it is an eternal life threatening decision.
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Christ is worthy of our trust, thin ice is not. Psalms 71:1, “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.”

God With Us: A Christmas Message

2008-12-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season has once again arrived and it appears that this year will once again be a white Christmas. As I gaze out of my office window I am able to see a large pine tree frosted with a fresh snowfall that not even the brisk wind is able to dislodge. The shingles of the church roof have as well been decorated with wisps of snow that create a card like backdrop for that beautiful tree. Ah, the perfect picture of Christmas, or is it?
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That picture may be a great reminder of December 25th, for it is but one of the captivating scenes painted by the hand of God upon our landscape during this time of year. Yes a reminder of a Midwest December, but not necessarily a reminder of Christ. It is quite unlikely that Jesus was actually born in December, let alone on the 25th. In many ways I fear that our celebration has done more to distract us from Him than to cause us to focus on Him.
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So why is it so important to focus on Jesus Christ? The reasons to focus on Him go back much farther than His birth in Bethlehem. Those same reasons show us why our focus on Him must go beyond one day, or even one season. Jesus Christ must become a day by day moment by moment part of our lives.
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To fully grasp the significance of Christ coming to earth and being born as a child in Bethlehem, we must first realize why He came. His reason for coming dates all the way back to Adam and Eve and the first sin. “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. Since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, prophets have been predicting that a Savior, a Messiah, would some day come to bring deliverance. The Old Testament of our Bible contains many of those prophecies, so when Jesus was born, many were already looking forward to His coming. The fulfillment of all these prophecies comes together as the angel told Joseph, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
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There is something very important that we must understand about the birth of Jesus. His birth was an incarnation. That means that the baby Jesus was a manifestation of the true God in human form. That means that He is God in the flesh. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
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The Old Testament prophets clearly testified to the truth that Jesus would actually be God in human form. This was even made clear in the prophecy of the virgin birth. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14. That name, repeated in Matthew 1:23, means “God with us.” The deity (truth that He is God) of Jesus Christ is also made clear in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Notice what Isaiah says about Him. The child is The mighty God, The everlasting Father. When Jesus claimed, “I and my Father are one,” in John 10:30, He was affirming what the prophets had already predicted.
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Some folks refer to this time of year as the advent season. The word advent means the arrival of something important. What could be more important than the arrival of God? When we consider that the birth of Jesus Christ was God’s arrival to earth in human form, we must ask the question- when did Jesus actually come into existence? Micah 5:2 has the answer to that very question: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This prophecy written about 700 years before the birth of Christ tells us that He has always existed. Jesus Christ has always existed because He is God.
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Because He is God, Christ deserves our worship. Trusting Him and accepting Him as the long awaited Messiah who came to forgive sin is what makes the difference between heaven and hell. John 3:16-18 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” By not trusting Him, you are condemned already because since the time of Adam, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. What better time to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ than the advent season. Then you will not only be focusing on the arrival of God to earth, but the arrival of God into your life.

The Teenage God of Popularity

2008-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

The first of the ten commandments clearly exhorts, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” In spite of this command, many teenagers put popularity ahead of God, thus the teenage “god” of popularity.
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Whether you are a parent, pastor, youth worker, or a teen yourself, many of the problems that must be dealt with in relating to young folks can be traced to the teenager’s desire to be popular. We recognize that drugs, alcohol, and even premarital sex are often driven by peer pressure. But what about the basic issues of showing love for one another? Consider the young lady in the youth group who gets ignored by the other girls because she doesn’t quite fit in. Consider the young man who becomes so preoccupied with sports that he forgets about his relationship with God just because he wants others to think well of him. Consider the parent, pastor, or youth worker who sets a bad example in these same areas by putting a premium on popularity in their own lives.
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The quest for popularity is not just about the party atmosphere, it can be as simple as a put down in order to make yourself look good. You see there are many little foxes that spoil the vine.
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As we consider the players in the popularity game we would do well to consider how popular Jesus Christ was. He had friends and even disciples who followed and learned from Him, but was He really popular in our way of thinking? Isaiah 53:3 tells us, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
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Sure, He had a lot of friends, but He was not popular in a fashionable sense. It reminds me somewhat of my years at a small Bible college. If the students there were asked who was the most popular, and then they were asked who had the most friends, I suspect they would have given a different list. You see, in the world’s mind, popular is fashionable, cool, and trendy. It really has little to do even with how likeable a person is. It is actually less about how many friends one has and more about how many people they think want to be their friend.
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Some of the popular people are likeable, but others actually attain that status by being rude and unlikeable. Then there are those who would not be considered popular because they are not necessarily trendy, but because of their love and kindness to others they have many friends. This quickly shows that there are actually two kinds of popularity. A godly popularity, and the popularity of the world.
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If a popularity is actually godly, it would never compete with the true God for position. What really must be discouraged among both teenagers and adults, is the sort of popularity that puts pride ahead of God. Essentially, this is the root of the problem. The lust for popularity becomes self idolatry. Pride says we are more important than God. We must be reminded that idolatry is about more than just graven images, it is also about trying to take glory and attention that is reserved only for God. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Isaiah 42:8
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In many ways the popularity challenge is really a priority challenge. What is more important, the love of God or the pride of life? 1 John 2:15-17 is very clear, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
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Matthew 22:37-39: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“ When man pursues popularity at the expense of these great commands, he is putting the world and all it has ahead of God.
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So is it really that bad to put the world ahead of God? James 4:4 answers that question, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” No doubt it is a serious matter to be an enemy of God. Common sense as well as godly sense says it would be better to be an enemy of this world than an enemy of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us the same in John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
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So what are parents, pastors, youth workers, and teens to do in a world that puts such a premium on popularity. No doubt the advice to Timothy is appropriate, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season.” The sad truth is that instead of preaching godly principles, parents and others often end up pressuring young people to be popular. Dads and moms, do you really know what you are asking your children to do? If you push them to live up to your worldly ideal, you are pushing them to be God’s enemy.
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Parents, pastors, youth workers and godly teens must not only teach with words, but they must teach by example. How can we expect the next generation to overcome this challenge if we fail at it. Do we recognize the danger of pride in our own lives? Do we act like we always have to be the center of attention? Are we willing to shun worldliness in our lives? Are we willing to be seen with unpopular social outcasts? How can we expect the youth to mortify their sinful nature if we are not willing to do the same?
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“And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” 1 Corinthians 4:6

Does the Devil Want to Confuse Us?

2008-12-02T08:32:00.001-08:00

I have not had to sit for jury duty yet, but I did receive a subpoena to testify in a court case. Because of my earlier work as a sheriff’s department chaplain in another county, I was placed at a scene that allowed me to be a witness in this particular incident. Such cases are presented before a jury, and the jurors are left with the challenge of looking at all the evidence in order to make a judgment as to what the truth is. You do not have to be on a jury to face these same challenges. Mothers and fathers are faced with similar challenges as they attempt to resolve conflicts between their children as the kids give conflicting testimony and the parents must try sort out the truth.
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What about the matters of theology and Bible teaching (doctrine)? Do you think the Devil would like to give a little conflicting testimony himself? Let us not forget that he is the father of lies. (John 8:44)
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The Apostle Paul actually warns Timothy of this very danger of false teaching coming from Satan and his followers in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
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Paul is one of the most prolific writers of New Testament Scripture, and much of his writing includes warnings about false teaching. In verse 14, chapter 4 of Ephesians he alerts his readers, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”. Not only does the Devil recruit his demons for this terrible task, but he uses men to lead others astray with wrong teaching.
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We need to know what the truth is so that we do not fall for these false testimonies of Satan. You see when it comes to doctrine, the Devil is the great counterfeiter. He will take a little truth from Scripture, and distort it just enough to be extremely dangerous. The best way to recognize false teaching is to study true teaching. That means we need to study our Bibles. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” The more familiar we are with God’s word, the better we will be able to spot false doctrine. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

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Yes, the Devil does want to confuse us. The ideas of men and their teaching will change, but the word of God will endure forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25 tells us, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” God and His word do not change. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8
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Paul warned us about being carried by every wind of doctrine. One of the characteristics of false religious systems is that their beliefs change based on who is in power. I am so thankful that we have an unchanging Savior who has given us an unchanging word so that there might be a check on the lies of Satan. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23

What Does 666 Mean?

2008-11-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

In an earlier article we were told that Jesus Christ would one day return to set up His kingdom, but what if an imposter comes and claims to be the Messiah? Actually the Scriptures warn of that exact thing. In fact, there will be many anti-Christs or false messiahs. Jesus gave a very clear warning about this in Matthew 24:23-27: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
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Jesus Christ’s warning is very clear. These false christs and false prophets will even do amazing signs and wonders in order to trick people, but when the true Christ comes, there will be no doubt who He is. His coming will be as quick and powerful as lightning lighting up the whole sky from one horizon to the other. There will be no speculation on if He is the Messiah or not, because there will be no doubt.
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Although there will be many anti-Christs, there will be one specific anti-Christ called the beast who will rise to preeminence in the last days before the real Christ returns to earth again. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” Revelation 13:18 A score is 20, so 3 score would be 60. 600+60+6=666. That is the number of the Anti-Christ.
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As was shown earlier, these false Christs and prophets would be able to do signs and wonders. Let us be reminded that the ability to do the unexplainable is not proof that someone is from God. Even Pharaoh’s magicians were able to copy many of the things that God gave Moses the power to do. This beast and his false prophet will as well deceive people with wonders. Revelation 13:13-18: “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”
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The fact that there are false messiahs should concern us. Jesus Christ is the true Messiah. He gave His life for us, but the beast would like to take your life from you. When Jesus was on this earth, He told His followers, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11
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Make sure you trust the true Christ before it is too late. What if the false christ comes along and deceives you instead? 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

Gabby's Ground Rules

2008-11-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Fall has always been a busy time of year for me. When I was on the farm, harvest time meant late and sometimes all nights in the field. We wanted to get things done before the weather turned bad. Then when I spent a few years as a contractor, I found myself facing similar deadlines as I desired to finish outside work before the bitter cold of winter set in. Now as a pastor, I get to work from a nice heated office most of the time. Now that is not the reason that I went into the ministry, but it does have its perks.
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Still, I have that desire to get things finished up outside before the snow flies. One of my goals this fall was to have the garden all tilled up and ready for winter. Once this goal was met, I sat back with a sigh of relief. The feeling inside of me was actually more than relief. As I looked at the deep black dirt of the garden, all tilled and ready, I felt a sense of pride. Of course the familiar Proverb says that pride goes before a fall. This actually comes from Proverbs 16:18 which says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” I should have known better, I have preached against pride.
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So how could tilling up the garden possibly humble a man? I would like to introduce you to Gabby Groundhog. No I did not kill him as I worked in the garden, but I should have called him before I planned to dig. I heard the ads on the radio about Gabby’s Ground Rules: always make the Iowa One call before you dig. I did not. Furthermore, I had decided to make the garden a bit bigger, and tilled up an area that had not been tilled before, and that is where the phone line was. Yep, not only had I taken out our phone service, but I had cut the line to our neighbors across the alley as well. My wife enjoys reading the “Great Goofs” sections in the back of my handyman magazine, and she tried to make me feel better by reminding me of what others had done.
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We found out later that the line was only seven inches deep, and some have tried to make me feel better by saying that it should have been deeper. That did not help as I went to bed that night realizing what I had done. By the time I realized my mistake, it was around 10 p.m. so it was too late to call for repairs and I had no idea how many others were without a phone. I went to bed feeling really guilty. I told my wife that I would feel better in the morning once I was able to call the phone company and admit to them what I had done. I was up early and called the phone company and listened to a recording that said they would open at 7:30. I called then, reported what had happened, and immediately felt better.
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I had learned long ago, that confession is the best way to deal with guilt. Now cutting the phone line was not a sin. Iowa law does not even require the Gabby call for gardening. Still I felt bad about it until it was taken care of. How much more shouldn’t we feel that way about sin and our relationship with God. Proverbs 28:13 warns, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
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Jesus Christ did not die on the cross to fix phone lines. He did not even die in order to make all our problems go away, but He did die to take care of our sins. 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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I feel good knowing the phone line is fixed, but I feel even better knowing that all my sins have been fixed. I no longer have to worry about the penalty or guilt of sin. Anyone who has truly surrendered to the Lord, trusting Christ alone as Savior, can truly say, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12. That is why I am able to sleep at night.