Author Archives: drsteve73

Ethical Standards

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Ethics. What comes to mind when you hear the word? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word as “a set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values”, and “the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group”. We are all guided by a set of ethical standards, and we make decisions based on those standards. But the question is, where do my standards originate? In our present cultural state of obvious confusion, it would do us all well to think seriously about this question.

Let’s give our attention to just a few of the possible sets of ethical standards that are prominent in our society today. First, there is situational ethics. As the name infers, those who embrace this particular ethical standard would simply make decisions of good or bad, right or wrong, based on the situation at hand. Situational ethics places the responsibility of decision making squarely on the shoulders of the individual. For example, consider the situation in which an individual has lost his/her source of income, and has now reached the point of dire destitution. The cupboards are literally bare. The children are hungry, the baby is crying, and all efforts to find employment has proven futile. So, in this state of desperation the father/husband takes it upon himself to go to the local market and steal some food for his family. His actions are based on his situation.

Second, there is cultural ethics. Again, as the name suggests, those who adhere to this set of ethical principles make their decisions based on their cultural environment. I remember hearing my father say on several occasions, “If all your friends were jumping off a cliff, would you do it just to be part of the crowd?” It would amount to brainless, thoughtless actions on the part of the individual, as his decisions are based on what everyone else is doing. This type of ethical behavior is always in a state of flux, as cultural principles and values change with the passing of time.

It is amazing to consider cultural changes that have occurred in my lifetime. Some of them are innocuous, producing no obvious harm, like the changing of popular haircuts or beard trim styles, or the popularity of tattoos, or the changing of accepted vocabulary. But others are much more serious, like the embracing of behavioral patterns that prove to be harmful, or those that are in direct contradiction and opposition to the long-standing cultural norms that have stood the test of time.

Third, there is utilitarianism, which focuses on the greatest amount of happiness or good for the greatest number of people. The person who embraces this philosophy of ethics always thinks of how his/her actions will affect others, and, more importantly, which actions he/she takes will provide the greatest good for the greatest number.

It can be clearly seen in each of the three philosophies of ethics that they are subjective at best, with no real, objective principles to guide in the decision-making process. They are either subjective to the individual’s personal set of preferences, or to actions based on the most popular and widely accepted guidelines imposed by culture or society.

How are Christians to determine what is right or wrong, good or bad? How are we to determine what actions are acceptable, and those that are not? What is to give direction to our daily decisions of what to do, and how to react, to choices we must make in our daily lives?

Simple: for the believer in Jesus Christ, our decisions are not based on subjective principles which have no substantive source of guidance, but rather on the objective truth revealed in Scripture. Read these very familiar words from Paul’s Epistle to Timothy:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Timothy 4:2-4

As believers and disciples of Jesus Christ, let’s always establish our guiding principles of ethical behavior of Scripture, and not allow ourselves to be swept by the popular practices of our culture. Let’s let the true light of God’s word shine brightly through us so the world can see the genuine difference between believer and non-believer as we share the REAL truth to a desperately needy world.

Until next time:

Blessings!

A Defiant Fist in the Face of God

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This is the absolutely horrific invitation issued by Planned Parenthood, inviting anyone to come to the Democratic National Convention to receive a FREE vasectomy or abortion. What an affront to a holy God, the One who created humankind in His image. This is the major platform commitment to those who would vote for the democratic candidate for the office of president: abortions paid for by the government!

Let me make it clear: I could never vote for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation, if they support abortion. And yet this is a major, if not THE major issue being propagated by the Democrats. And now Planned Parenthood has the unmitigated gaul to actually broadcast the invitation to come to the convention and have an abortion while you wait on the next convention speech. What a travesty.

I, along with countless others, was appalled at the events of the opening ceremonies at this year’s Olympic games. What a slap in the face of Christianity. I made a commitment to not watch even one minute of the games due to this shameful performance. But now, I am even more appalled that the Democratic National Convention has become a place of child sacrifice, offering free abortions at their gathering. God cannot be pleased.

I am once again reading through the prophecy of Jeremiah and see striking parallels between the captivity of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians because of the people having turned their backs on God. Jeremiah, along with other Old Testament prophets, had sounded words of warning to the people, but they refused to listen to the prophet’s call to repentance. As a result, the people of Judah suffered tremendously at the hands of God as He used the Babylonians to destroy the city of Jerusalem, deporting multitudes to the land of Babylon.

Could this same type of judgment be looming ahead for the United States of America? Could this nation, which was founded on the principles of God’s Word, having now turned its back on those principles, expect anything different? I’ll leave you to answer that question for yourself. My personal response would simply be a quote of a verse from the pen of the Apostle Paul:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV

This applies to individuals as well as to nations, as is seen clearly in God’s judgment of Judah in the pages of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Let us not think that America is somehow immune to the judgment of God. When a nation begins to flaunt its defiance of God’s Word in such blatant ways as we are witnessing at the Democratic National Convention, then, as I see it, there are only two options awaiting our nation: either repentance which will result in deliverance from God’s wrath, or defiance, which will result in the experience of God’s judgment.

Let’s be reminded of God’s formula for revival for a nation that has walked away from God:

If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Second Chronicles 7:14

God help us!

The Church’s Disappearing Vocabulary, Part Five

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The fifth word in my disappearing vocabulary series may sound out of place at first, because it is a word that is commonly used in most churches still today. It is a most common word in the pages of Scripture, being found 170 times in our English translations of the Bible. It is a word that is not only commonly used in the church through preaching and teaching, but one that is quite often heard in general conversation among professing believers. The word to which I refer is salvation.

The reason I am including this word in my disappearing vocabulary series is not because it is no longer heard, but because it is, very often, totally misunderstood. So, to begin this blog I would like to strive to explain why the word is so vitally important for us to understand.

From the creation of humans – Adam and Eve specifically – God initiated a set of parameters which would give clear guidance for the behavior of the human family. He placed the first created couple in a perfect environment, gave them everything they would ever need to live fulfilling lives, and even fellowshipped with them personally in the beautiful garden paradise He created for their enjoyment. Life could not possibly have been better than that.

However, they decided to disobey God and go outside those parameters He had established for them. Because of their act of sin, they were banned from the garden, and the sentence of death was carried out. They would no longer enjoy the bounty and blessing of the garden paradise, but far worse than that, they would no longer enjoy the fellowship with God. Their sin had severed that beautiful relationship.

God was not caught off guard by their act of rebellion. The Bible makes it clear that He had already – even before He created anything – preordained a plan by which sinful man could be saved from his fallen state. That plan was His plan of salvation, which would be secured through the propitiatory sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ. John, in the book of Revelation, refers to Jesus as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, thus establishing the fact that God’s plan of salvation was established before Adam and Eve were created. The reason being that God, in His ability to know all things, knew that Adam and Eve would sin before the act ever occurred.

Paul presents his argument most eloquently in his masterpiece, his letter to the Romans:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23

And are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. Romans 3:24-25, ESV

Based on the clear teachings of the Bible, the desperate need of salvation is due to the fact that we are separated from God because of our sin. Thus the need for Jesus Christ to obey the Father’s will to be that Lamb who would be slain to take away the sin of the world.

Jesus Christ is the one and only means of salvation for sinful man. And this is the reason I am including this word in this series of blogs on disappearing vocabulary. It is not because the word is no longer used, but because it is so often misused. In a quite often quoted statement by Jesus we see clearly the importance of understanding this word correctly:

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

And Peter, in the Book of Acts, makes the following assertion:

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Salvation is provided through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He gave His life in total surrender to His Father’s will so that through His death we might have life. However, the word ‘salvation’ is often used to describe other means and methods of attaining a relationship with God. We need to make sure that in this world of confusion as to what certain words mean, we give careful consideration to the true meaning of important theological words such as salvation. We must not allow ourselves to be forced into silent submission from the pressures of the world to change the clear Biblical meaning of this word.

Salvation is the means through which God the Father provides salvation for lost humans so that they might be reconciled to a holy God. It is through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, through the foreordained plan of salvation, that we must be saved. There is no other way.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Church’s Disappearing Vocabulary – Part Four

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So far in this series we have considered three words that have almost disappeared from the modern church’s vocabulary: Sin, hell, and repentance. Commitment is still another word that is seldom heard. Jesus had much to say about the matter of commitment, most of which is seldom spoken of in many modern churches.

The following is just a sampling of some of the statements Jesus made concerning the commitment He expected from His followers:

Now it happened as they traveled on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’

Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’

And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’

Luke 9: 57-62, NKJV

Those statements are some of the clearest assertions on the matter of true, sincere discipleship – discipleship that literally costs the committed follower of Christ everything. All other commitments and relationships pale in significance when compared to the disciple’s commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the most intimate of relationships. Read carefully these biting words of the Lord:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot by My disciple.

Luke 14:26-27

All of these quotes drive home the importance of the believer’s commitment to the Lord. Can you imagine how these words cut straight into the hearts of those listening as Jesus spoke to them? Were they – are we – to take these admonitions seriously? Understand them literally?

We could spend a great deal of time delving into each of the four examples cited above, but what I want us to do is simply think about the commitment it would take to obey them. Jesus offers no promises about the future of the individual disciples to whom He spoke. He simply wanted them to know that to be His disciple would literally cost them everything.

The demands of commitment to the Lord seem almost impossible, especially when we think of them in light of our contemporary cultural climate that very seldom calls for this kind of commitment. We have throw-away relationships, throw-away careers, throw-away business interests, throw-away, well, you name it. Pretty much everything is throw-away these days.

And so it is in the church. Too many, it seems, have a consumer mentality when it comes to church. What can I expect out of that church if I join? What do they have to offer that the church down the street doesn’t? We look for what we can get rather than what we can give. Our desire should be to commit to be a part of a local faith family in which we can use our gifts and talents in service and ministry to others. But instead, many look at so differently, so selfishly. It’s all driven by a “me-mentality.”

We need to understand the far-reaching ramifications of the demands of the Lord in His shocking statements quoted above. Don’t look for a church where commitment is never mentioned, but look for one that places a high premium on leading the members to understand each person’s important role in the ministry of that particular faith family, and for the greater purpose of glorifying God in all we do.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Church’s Disappearing Vocabulary, Part Three

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Thus far we have given consideration to two words that are becoming more and more conspicuously missing from the church’s vocabulary: sin and hell. Still another word that is closely connected to these two words is repentance. It is a very sad reality that the modern church has become pretty much silent when it comes to the Biblical concept of personal repentance.

The Bible tells us that it is absolutely necessary for one to repent of sin in order to have a personal relationship with God. God has established a standard of righteousness – a standard that no one has ever been able to live up to – except, of course, for Jesus. The Bible states clearly that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and, therefore, all are in need of His grace of forgiveness. Individuals accept His offer of forgiveness through the co-actions of confession and repentance: confession of sin, and repentance, turning away from, that sin.

Read the following examples of the Bible’s demands for genuine repentance for one to gain entrance into the kingdom of God (all verses are taken from the NKJV):

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgives us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Matthew 3:8

From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!’ Matthew 4:17

I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance. Luke 15:7

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32

Hopefully this short selection of verses will be sufficient to show the Bible’s emphasis on the necessity of repentance. But, some might ask, what exactly is repentance? To boil it down to its simplest form, repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior. When one reads the Bible and is confronted about some sinful behavior in their life, then repentance begins with a change of mind to agree with what the Bible says. For instance, if one is living in a pre-marital relationship with a member of the opposite sex, and they read in Scripture that sex outside of marriage is sin, then repentance would call for them to agree with the Bible’s teaching. It would then be followed with a change of action: getting out of the pre-marital sexual relationship until they can be legitimately married according to the Bible’s instruction. So, repentance is changing one’s mind to get into alignment with the teachings of the Bible, and then to change the behavior to show a change of action based upon the change of mind.

Could it be that the church has become silent on the subject of repentance because so many people in the church are living in open sinful behavior, and thus the church’s leadership is afraid to offend them by calling for sincere repentance? Or, could it be that the church is silent on the matter of repentance because it now accepts the sinful behaviors as legitimate relational behaviors that God condones? Either way, it is a blight of the modern church that repentance is no longer clearly taught as being essential for one to have a relationship with God.

For one to read and study Scripture and not see clearly that repentance is a mandate from the Lord is an oversight of major proportions. May we ever be diligent in sharing with others the need of confession and repentance.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Church’s Disappearing Vocabulary, Part Two

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Hell – where in the world has hell gone? We sure don’t hear much about it anymore, except when someone, in a burst of anger, tells someone else to go there! (By the way, you would have to hate someone terribly to ever tell them to go to hell!) We hear the word used in this sort of way quite often, but the sad reality is that we very seldom hear the word in the church.

So, what has become of hell? Let’s begin by reviewing some basic, Biblical facts about the subject. We will focus our attention on our Lord, Jesus Christ. What exactly did He have to say about this subject?

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:22

The Son of Man will send out His angels. and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:41-42

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Matthew 25:41

And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 25:46

This very limited sampling of some of Jesus’ statements concerning hell should show us how seriously He viewed the subject. He warned people over and over about the judgment of God against all who rejected His gracious offer of salvation secured through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son. He warned of the eternal consequences of that decision. He called people to repentance (another of those seldom used words we will consider in a future blog), with the dire warning that refusal to repent would result in eternal separation from God.

It may very well be that the main reason for the conspicuous silence on the subject of hell is because it is, to some, such an offensive subject. How could a loving, compassionate God ever even consider sending anyone to such a place as that described in the words of Jesus quoted above?

We certainly don’t have time to delve into that topic in a single blog, but let it suffice to say that God, from eternity past, made certain decrees, and set certain parameters, on His human creation. God created man to live forever: to enjoy His bounty and blessings in a perfect environment, and to enjoy the intimacy of His presence in that environment. However, He demanded obedience from His human family. So, when Eve decided to eat of the forbidden fruit, and then to persuade Adam to partake of the same, they were banned from that perfect environment, and separated from the fellowship they had enjoyed with God. Death was the sentence pronounced on them, and through them on the entire human family.

But, thanks be to God, He did not leave us with no means of escaping the eternal consequences of our sin. He decreed that His Son, Jesus Christ, would be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin. And He made the declaration that anyone who would accept His gracious gift of salvation would be saved from the eternal consequences of separation from God in hell.

Hell is real, just as much so as heaven is real. These two eternal destinations are the only two available to the human family. Every person will spend eternity in one or the other. God offers a choice: a very real choice. It matters not how one views this choice, the fact of the matter is that it is a choice each individual must make. God has put before us blessing, or cursing; life, or death; eternity lived in His presence in the glory of heaven, or banned from His presence in the horror of hell.

What choice have you made? Heaven, or hell? Please, make the choice for life before it is eternally too late.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Church’s Disappearing Vocabulary

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If you have been a Christian for as long I have, then you have probably noticed a very obvious phenomenon taking place gradually in the church: disappearing vocabulary. There are certain words that have become conspicuously missing from the pulpit to the pew. Words that are prominent in the Bible, and that were at one time just as prominent in the church, that have become almost non-existent in the vocabulary in the church. My next few blogs will delve into this matter of the church’s disappearing vocabulary.

The first word that has become almost non-existent in today’s church is sin. Think for a moment about the last time you heard the word, either from the pulpit or from your acquaintances in your local church. Hopefully you attend a local church where the Bible is preached, and the important words of Scripture are still used. But some reading these words may be attending a local fellowship where sin is seldom, if ever, mentioned.

For the sake of clarity on the importance of this word, let’s consider a few verses that illustrate how crucial it is to keep sin fixed firmly in our vocabulary:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:13-14

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Romans 6:1-3

The word sin is found 448 times in the King James Version of the Bible. This overwhelming number of usages of the word should be a clear indication of the importance of the word in Christian vocabulary. And yet, in many churches today, the word has been silenced.

Perhaps it is because of the desire to be more palatable to modern-day churchgoers. Perhaps we want our attendees to come to church to be encouraged and uplifted, not wanting to burden them with the demands of Scripture to repent of sinful actions, behaviors, and practices. Perhaps our desire to make people feel good about themselves gives the impression that God is pleased with a non-repentant attitude toward sin.

Read carefully the following warning concerning sinful lifestyles that are forbidden in Scripture:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

For any church to become silent concerning warnings such as this is to condone such actions, leading people to believe that these forbidden actions are acceptable for Christians to embrace. But hear the clear warning: those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

Sin is serious. So serious that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had to give His life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin. If you ever question just how serious it is, just look at the cross where Jesus paid it all.

The work of our archenemy, the devil, is to deceive individuals with his treacherous ways. If he can succeed in silencing the church on this crucial issue, he will make us feel comfortable with our sinful behaviors and lifestyle choices. The ultimate result will be eternal condemnation because the Bible states clearly that these will exclude individuals from enjoying eternal life in God’s kingdom.

I encourage each of you to take seriously the implications of becoming silent when it comes to sin. Let’s warn our friends, family members, work associates, classmates, and casual acquaintances of the dire consequences of becoming silent when it comes to sin.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Prayers for Those in Authority

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Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:1-2, NKJV

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a theological, Biblical, social, and political conservative. Some who know me best might even describe me as an ultra-conservative in each of these areas. Since my conversion in 1977, I have studied the Bible consistently, and have done my best to base my beliefs, behavior, convictions, and confidence in the Bible as the final authority in all areas of life.

I make this disclaimer as a foundation for the following comments. I have been listening with keen interest to the political pundits as they have made their opinions on recent events in the political arena. There has been a vocal outcry calling for President Biden to withdraw his name as the democratic nominee in the upcoming presidential election. Up until yesterday he has stated adamantly that he would not withdraw, but that all changed yesterday when he said that he would no longer run for office in November.

I have been scouring social media since his announcement, and I must say that I have been appalled at some of the remarks I have read. It has become increasingly clear in the past months that Biden’s mental capacities have diminished greatly. His performance in the presidential debate was certainly a wake-up call for any who might have doubted this reality. But instead of getting on social media and bashing him, we need to have compassion for his present condition and pray for him and his family as they go through this traumatic time.

We are admonished in the Bible to pray for those in positions of political authority, whether we agree with them or not. I am one who disagrees with practically everything the democratic party has come to stand for in recent years, but that does not give me the right to bash those in that party, and it certainly doesn’t give me cause to ridicule a politician, or anyone else for that matter, when it becomes obvious that their mental capacities are diminishing.

When it comes to casting our votes for the politicians of our choice, I will vote for those who hold closest to Biblical principles and values. I will vote for those who stand for traditional family values, and conservative Biblical convictions. But I will pray for all those running for office, that God would give them divine guidance and draw them to those Biblical values that made this country great.

Join me in prayer today for the Biden family. Any person who has had to stand by and watch a loved one go through the heartache of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease knows the pain of this horrific condition. Pray for their strength as they care for him in what will certainly be an extremely hard road ahead.

And please, let’s use the opportunity we have in sharing our thoughts on social media to be uplifting, encouraging, and compassionate. The world is filled enough already with hatred and verbal viciousness without me joining the fray. We are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ – let’s let His light shine through us.

Until next time:

Blessings!

A Nation in Desperate Need of God

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We may never know what motivated the would-be assassin to make an attempt to assassinate former president Donald Trump. However, without knowledge of his reason for acting in such a way, there are some assumptions and conclusions that we can deduct from this act.

First, it is obvious that he acted out what many others would do if given the chance. I don’t make this as an accusation, but simply as one making observations from our present political climate. The animosity that is openly displayed from both sides of the political aisle is nothing less than a seething boiling pot of dislike, if not pure hatred, from many on both sides.

Second, it shows an absolute disdain for the recognition of the sanctity of life. For one to wantonly, recklessly, with obvious hatred in his heart toward the former president, try to take his life, with no regard for anyone else who might be in his line of fire, is a clear indication that he has no regard nor respect for another human life. No one will ever know how many more shots would have been fire had he not been killed.

Third, this is a clear display of the fact that the United States of America has become so divided, so divisive, that it would probably not be a surprise to anyone if civil war breaks out in the aftermath of the upcoming presidential election, regardless of which candidate is elected. I don’t mean to come across as an alarmist, and I certainly pray that this never happens, but there is so much hatred between Republicans and Democrats that it seems all civility is being completed abandoned. The act of an attempted assassination is a clear indication of this fact.

In the opinion of this writer, this downhill trajectory of our nation can be traced back to declining voice of Christians. We are to be the heralds of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. Where is that voice? Where are the voices of truth that should be sounding forth the claims of Scripture? Are we allowing ourselves to be silenced by those who oppose the message? Are we being subdued by those who disagree with us? Are the voices of opposition causing us to lose our voice, and thus our influence?

Allow me, in closing, to share that well-known and oft-quoted verse from the Old Testament:

If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land. Second Chronicles 7:14

Sometimes what we fail to do is take into consideration the context of this verse. This statement is made by God to Solomon after the dedication of the temple. That night, after the dedication, God appeared to Solomon. This is the message Solomon heard:

Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people… Second Chronicles 7:12-14a

The drought, the locusts, and the pestilence are all acts of God in judgment against His people because they have walked away from Him. Spiritual drought brought about all these disasters. But God promised that when His people would come to their senses and turn back to Him, then He would hear, forgive, and heal.

We desperately need God to hear, forgive, and heal. Would you join with me in praying for our nation? Would you pray that God would provide leaders who will turn this nation back to God? Would you pray for God’s protection for those who are running for office? Would you pray for the forgiveness this nation so desperately needs as we have turned our backs upon Him? And will you pray for God to bring this nation back to what our forefathers envisioned this nation to be: a nation whose God is the LORD.

God help us!

What Does True Love Look Like?

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Social media can be used as a tool to promote truth, or to promote falsehood. It can be used to disseminate information that is beneficial, or that is divisive and destructive. It can be a vehicle through which people share their thoughts and concerns, with the hope that through their sharing it will be of help to those who read their words.

I saw the following quote on social media and viewed it as a very thought-provoking statement. Read it carefully, taking time to think about the far-reaching ramifications, and ultimately the conclusion it would lead you to embrace.

When you die, God isn’t going to ask you about someone else. He won’t ask you about the two men down the street who got married. He won’t ask you about the girl who had an abortion. He won’t ask you about the atheist that lives on the corner. He won’t ask you about the woman who feels more comfortable as a man.

He will ask you how you loved those people as He called you to do.

And some of you didn’t.

Read those last two lines again – slowly, taking time to allow the implications to really sink in. I’m not suggesting that I fully understand what prompted the individual who wrote these words to say what they said, and I don’t presume to know what is in another individual’s heart when they make such statements. The following thoughts are simply my personal reaction to how I understand the statement.

The clear implication is that if I truly love someone, I will not point out to them the destructive path they have taken in life. I should rather turn a blind eye to their sinful behavior that I know, according to Scripture, will result in their eternal destruction. If I really love them then I will keep quiet about what the Bible teaches is a lifestyle choice that is abhorrent to God.

The principle I am speaking of is found in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. God appoints His prophet as a watchman for the people of Israel. The following command of God to Ezekiel is quite eye-opening, to be sure.

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 3:17-19, NKJV

The premise is clear: to really love someone is to be willing to speak the truth to them about the consequences of their actions that are denounced in Scripture. What is the greatest display of love that we could ever show our family members, our friends, our acquaintances? Is it to sit by quietly while we watch them live lives that will lead to their eternal destruction? Or is it to share with them the teachings of the Bible concerning the consequences of their actions and behaviors?

And for those who might think that a quote from the Old Testament is non-binding on this present age of grace, let me quickly remind you that Jesus taught the same principle. Don’t listen to me – listen to Jesus Himself:

And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:14-16, NKJV (Jesus speaking)

So, is true love my willingness to turn a blind eye to another person’s sinful behavior? Am I to be silent in the face of those who have chosen lifestyles, and have made other choices in life that are clearly denounced in the Bible, or am I to love them enough to tell them the truth?

For the sake of clarity, let’s consider the specific lifestyle choices referred to in the quote at the beginning of this blog: the two men down the street who got married; the young girl who had an abortion; the atheist who lives on the corner; the woman who feels more comfortable as a man.

First, the two men who got married. The Bible is unmistakably clear on this subject: marriage is for a man to be united to a woman in a life-long commitment. Scripture gives no place for same-sex marriages. As a matter of fact, same-sex relationships are forbidden in the Bible. Am I, then, to applaud such relationships, or am I to speak the truth in love from the Bible’s instructions?

Second, the young girl who had an abortion. I wish the writer had referred to a young girl who was contemplating an abortion, as the loving thing to do would be to share with her the sanctify of human life. However, in the case spoken of, as followers of Christ it would be our responsibility to share with her the message of God’s amazing forgiveness in Christ. An abortion cannot be undone, but grace can be received. But we should never minimize the Bible’s teaching on the sanctify of life in the face of abortion.

Third, the atheist who lives on the corner. Atheism is the belief that God does not exist. The Bible says that it is a fool who says there is no God. It also teaches us about the eternal existence of this Supreme Being who created everything that exists. There is ample evidence in nature itself that testifies to the existence of God. The psalmist says that the heavens declare the glory of God. We see evidence of His existence everywhere and in everything. We should lovingly share with the professed atheist testimony to the Bible’s teachings, and then, as Jesus says, if they reject the message then we are to wipe the dust off our feet as a powerful testimony to them of their own decision to reject. God’s offer of salvation.

And finally, the woman who feels more comfortable as a man. Once again, the Bible states clearly that God created male and female, period. Anything else is clearly denounced in Scripture. We, as believers, should strive to live according to the teachings of the Bible, and not according to how I might “feel” at any given time. We are to live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings, and not by feelings that can shift as quickly as the wind can change directions. Personal feelings should always be filtered through the lens of the Word of God.

For followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be heralds of the truth of Scripture. True love is to share that truth with others. We are then to leave the decision to accept or reject the message of the Gospel to the individual. It is, in the final analysis, their choice to make.

That, in the estimation of this writer, is true love.

Until next time:

Blessings!