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!

Practical Atheism

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“Let me ask you, how many atheists are now in this house? Perhaps not a single one of you would accept the title, and yet, if you live from Monday morning to Saturday night in the same way as you would live if there were no God, you are practical atheists.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon

What a horrible thing to consider! Practical atheism – living life as if God does not exist. As Spurgeon puts it, “[Living] from Monday morning to Saturday night in the same way as you would live if there were no God.” Professing faith in Christ while at the same time living life without any thought of God or godliness.

Please understand that this does not mean that the individual lives a life of absolute evil. It does not mean that the individual commits horrific acts of sin. It does not mean that the individual is a murderer, a rapist, a thief, a terrorist, a wife-abuser or child-abuser, etc. It simply means that he/she lives life with no thought of God.

This type of individual may be well-respected in the community. They may do good things. They may give to worthwhile causes, live successful lives, have envious careers, live in the best of neighborhoods, drive the most luxurious automobile, have the most well-behaved children. They even attend church regularly and see to it that their families are there with them. But Monday through Saturday they live with no thought of God.

Something happens at the moment of salvation that changes a person instantly and permanently. He/she is instantaneously born again! The individual is taken out of spiritual death and ushered into spiritual life. By the amazing grace of God the individual puts off the old and replaces it with the new. He/she is a new creation who now has the Spirit of God living in them, imputing to them the righteousness of Christ, while at the same time imparting to them that same righteousness.

The imputation of righteousness, in its simplest terms, means that when God looks at the individual who has been saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, He now sees the righteousness of His Son. The individual is pronounced righteous because he IS righteous.

The impartation of righteousness means that in the realm of day-to-day life the individual now has the desire to live righteously before God and man. His mind-set changes, his attitude changes, his view on life changes – everything changes. He now lives life in the awareness of God’s presence, and with the desire to live his life for God’s glory. He no longer lives as if God does not exist, but he lives in the constant awareness of God’s presence and with the desire to please God in everything he does.

The individual who has truly been born again into the family of God begins to see things differently. He may not change careers, but his career now becomes a source of ministry through which he can share the goodness and grace of God with his coworkers. He now works for Christ, not for self. His desires become God-centered rather than self-centered. His vocation is now seen as a vehicle through which he is afforded the opportunity to be on mission for God. He no longer lives life with only self-serving interests, but now with God-centered interests.

What role does God play in your Monday through Saturday activities? Parents, do your children see you as a Christ-centered person, whose first priority in life is to show them and share with them the love of Christ, or do they see you as a self-serving person who does everything out of selfish ambition? Are you teaching them to strive for a life of Godliness, or are you pushing them to live for the moment, to put their own personal ambitions and desires ahead of any thought of seeking God’s will for their lives?

What role does He have in your life? Right now – this very moment – could you honestly say that others see Christ in you, and witness His presence in your attitudes and actions? Or would they be shocked to learn that you are a professing believer because they see no evidence of a commitment to Christ in your day-to-day life?

We are admonished by the teachings of Scripture to walk in the Spirit of God so that our lives would display His righteousness and would reveal to others His glory. Let’s not fall prey to the tendency to live lives of practical atheism, but to live lives of sincere and total commitment to God.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Our Remarkable Memory

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I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14, NKJV

Have you stopped lately to praise God for the amazing assertion the psalmist makes in Psalm 139 about how intimately involved God is in the procreation process? You are the personal craftmanship of God. You! There is no one quite like you. You are indeed one of a kind.

There are over eight billion people in the world, and all of them, each of them, are different. You are unique, created by God and given, at the moment of conception, the DNA roadmap that will determine every facet of your being. Your eye color, hair color, body build, sex, etc. are there, mapping out the life you will live in great detail. As you grow, you will make decisions and choices that are in alignment with who you are. Why do some choose vanilla over chocolate, tea over coffee, pizza over a hamburger, milk over soda? It is because of the DNA map that motivates you to do certain things and not others, to be attracted to one person and not another. You, yes YOU, are an amazing, personal creation of God.

I would like to focus on one aspect of our being that we all have in common: memory. Granted, some persons have a truly astounding memory. It is as if they are incapable of forgetting anything. This is not the kind of memory I am referring to. Rather I am speaking of the fact that we are all capable of remembering.

Our memory plays a large role in our ability to form habits. We do not have to be told to do those things that we do every day. We do them out of habit, which is based on our memory. We remember to brush our teeth, to take a bath, to eat our meals at certain times of the day, to go to work without having to be told the way, to do our job without having to be retrained time after time. Memory is truly a cherished gift given to us by our Creator.

We remember people. There are those with whom we have crossed paths, and every time we remember them, we are flooded with memories that bring certain emotions. Perhaps some bring a sense of tremendous joy, while others are a source of heartache. Some bring about a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude, while others bring a sense of pain and remorse.

We also remember those who have made an indelible impact on our lives. These should cause us to pause for a time of prayer and praise to our Father for allowing us to be touched in such powerful ways by these people from our past.

Memory – a prized possession for those who still have it. But sadly, one of the most devastating things that can happen to a person – in my estimation – is the loss of their ability to remember. Debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia are a terrible thing to witness. My Mother began to show signs of Alzheimer’s toward the end of her life. As I would visit her, I began to notice signs of the disease taking its horrible toll on her mind. My sister started making notes and taping them on the walls of my Mother’s room, reminding her of some of the simple, everyday things we need to remember. But with all of these tactics to exercise her memory, the disease continued to take its toll.

I knew the day would probably come when I would walk into her room, and she would now know me. I prayed that day would never come, but it did. The memory of this day is etched forever in my mind. When I walked into her room, I noticed a blank stare looking at me. I walked over, sat on the edge of her bed, and wept. I knew she had no idea who I was. I began to ask her questions: Do you know what day it is? Do you remember what you had for breakfast? She could not remember even the simplest of things. And finally, after several more questions of this nature, I asked, Do you have any children? If anything should jog her memory, this should be it. My sister visited her every day – often more than once in a day. Surely, I thought, she would at least remember Ada. But, no, she didn’t remember any of her three children.

I thought I was prepared for that day, as I realized with certainty it would eventually happen. But how wrong I was. Nothing could have prepared me for that blank stare. Nothing could have prepared me for the stabbing pain I experienced in that moment when time stood horribly still.

Thankfully, this was not a permanent loss of memory. She had days in which she carried on conversations with full recollection, but there were others when she struggled to remember hardly anything.

Have you stopped to thank God for this amazing gift? Can I encourage you today to never take it for granted, because we never know when it might possibly, quickly, and permanently be gone. Could I also encourage you to pray for those who are struggling with this awful disease? And finally, could I encourage you to pray for the caregivers of those who lovingly stand by the side of those who are struggling under the weight of this horrific erosion of their memory.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Have We Got It Backwards?

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How is the church supposed to relate to culture? Is the church supposed to accommodate cultural change? Are we to embrace the shifting sands of cultural evolution, or are we to stand fast on what many believe to be an old, outdated book written thousands of years ago to a people in a faraway land?

For the sake of this discussion, let’s think of the Old Testament example of the nation of Israel, and the New Testament example of the church. First, we’ll focus on Israel, the chosen people of God. A brief, cursory review of the history of Israel would be helpful at this point.

Let’s remember that God did not choose a nation already in existence, but rather He chose a man, Abram (later God changed his name to Abraham), and out of this one man God developed the nation over time. It was this small, fledgling, almost unnoticeable beginning that eventually became the nation.

God gave specific commands, guidelines, instructions, and cultural parameters by which the people of this nation were to live. They were forbidden to embrace the practices of other nations. Political practices, religious practices and ritual, cultural practices, etc. were all to be viewed as abominable and never to be synchronized into the practices of the nation of Israel.

According to the promises of God given to Abram in Genesis 12, the nation was to be a beacon of God’s grace and guidance, with the desire to show the world, and share with the world, the message of hope they could receive from God. Abram was promised that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him, and the nation which developed through his descendants.

Cultural practices of other nations were to be completely discarded, never finding place or practice among the people of Israel. Of course, we know that the nation failed miserably in this matter, having the desire to be like other nations, and as a result experienced the judgment of God.

Fast forward to the New Testament era and think of the beginning of the church. Jesus said that He would build His church, and all the power of hell could never stop it. Through the writings of the New Testament, the church was given specific instruction on how it was to relate to the world. It was never to embrace the cultural and religious practices of non-Christians but was to be the beacon light of God’s message of salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that the church should be distinct, not embracing the massive cultural swings of HIs day, and warning future generations of being swept up in the swelling tide of cultural evolution.

But it seems that in many respects the church has lost that distinctive edge. Instead of standing in opposition to the cultural climate, it seems that the church is welcoming cultural change in order to be more appealing to those outside the church. It is our obligation, after all, to get out there in the hedges and highways, compelling people to come in, right?

Well, yes and no. Yes, Jesus did indeed say those very words, instructing us to be out there among non-Christians, non-churchgoers, inviting them, appealing to them, to come visit the church. And too often, it seems, the church is going to the extreme of embracing culture in order to make the church seem more alluring to the lost person.

The New Testament is crystal clear on this matter. The church is the body of Christ. We are to live as He lived. We are to embrace and obey the teachings of His Word. We are to love the world, but never compromise with the world. We are to stand against cultural swings that would cause the church to disobey clear instructions from the Bible. We are never to change the message of the Gospel to accommodate the whims of the world. We are never to exchange Biblical theology with humanistic philosophy. We are to love the sinner without condoning the sin. We are to strive to point people to Jesus Christ, but being sure to tell them that a relationship with Him demands sincere repentance – a change of heart, mind, and behavior as one is brought into the likeness of Christ.

The world desperately needs Christians who will give a true witness to the world. We were dead in trespasses and sin. Christ came into the world to give His life as the ultimate sacrifice which made it possible for sinful man to be reconciled to God. To come to Him we must meet Him on His terms. We cannot love the world and the things of the world, and love Jesus Christ at the same time. Jesus said it like this: no man can serve two masters; he must make a choice.

Have you made yours?

Until next time:

Blessings!

For Such WERE Some of You

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Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

In my last post, I stated that many are embracing – both in the pew and the pulpit – lifestyles that are clearly denounced in Scripture as being abominations in the eyes of God. This alarming shift in the way churches, and even entire denominations, view the seriousness of sin is a clear indication that the church is moving toward a state of spiritual apostasy. It seems that the church, in general, has strayed from its spiritual moorings, anchored firmly in the word of God, and has now attached itself to the shifting winds of cultural change.

The passage quoted above is an amazing testimony to the power of grace given to the individual who experiences salvation. It is a statement verifying Paul’s assertion in Second Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Salvation brings forth change in the life of the believer.

Make special note of the emphasized phrase in the passage quoted at the outset of this post: And such were some of you. BUT… Read again the sins and sinful behaviors Paul mentions: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. And when Paul adds, “Such were some of you,” he states the obvious: they have now changed. They are no longer living lives characterized by these sinful lifestyles and actions. They are literally new creations in Christ.

When Paul adds, “Such were some of you,” he states the obvious: they have now changed.

When the church – individual, local congregations, or entire denominations – embraces these sinful lifestyles as being acceptable then it has lost its distinctiveness as the body of Christ. It is then not only in the world, but it is of the world. The church is to be a beacon of hope to those who are without Christ. It is to shine the light of God’s love and grace to those who are shackled to sinful lifestyles and behaviors that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible. It is to show the way out of the darkness and decadence of spiritual death, and point the way to spiritual life, which is found only in Jesus Christ.

When the church embraces these sinful lifestyles as being acceptable, then it has lost its distinctiveness as the body of Christ.

Admittedly, it seems that the church today focuses only on what it deems to be the more serious sins in Paul’s list. It often seems that the focus is on homosexuals, sodomites, adulterers, and fornicators. But the list includes thieves, drunkards, covetous, and others. Oftentimes, we tend to categorize sins. Some are viewed as more offensive to God than others. But note carefully the entire list. It clearly shows that all sin is an affront to God, and it teaches that salvation brings about a change from the old to the new. Such WERE some of you – but praise God you are no longer bound to the sins of your past!

So, let’s consider, in closing, a question and answer posed by the Apostle Paul that should give further clarification to this matter. In Romans 6:1-2 he says:

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.

Being in Christ, having been made a new creation with all things becoming new, means that we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Our lives should bear testimony to that truth. And if not, then we are showing that we never truly died to sin and are thus still enslaved to it.

The church should bear the message of hope for those who are shackled to, and under the power of, sin. We should share the message of salvation to those who are still living in darkness, with the prayer that God would open their eyes to see and embrace the truth of His amazing offer of forgiveness and newness of life. But we must not allow ourselves to embrace and accept these alternative lifestyles as normative. We must, rather, embrace and propagate the message of the life-changing, behavior-altering power of the gift of God’s salvation.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Perilous Times

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But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

These words are found in Paul’s letter to Timothy, and sound an alarm for the spiritual and cultural climate of what he refers to as “the last days.” I would encourage you to turn to 2 Timothy now and read the third chapter before reading further in this blog. As you read this passage, remember that you are reading the inspired, inerrant, infallible, Word of God. Let Paul’s words resonate with you as you see the parallel between what he said two thousand years ago, and our present state of spiritual and cultural chaos.

We need to realize that we have a very real, very powerful, very persuasive enemy who is out to tear down and destroy all that is of God. He does this in a variety of ways, and oftentimes he accomplishes this by disguising himself as a minister of righteousness. The following verse speaks to this very issue:

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, who end will be according to their works. – 2 Corinthians 11:14, NKJV

The focus of this blog will be on the spiritual deceit of Satan that is becoming more and more blatant in our present state. The church is supposed to be a beacon of hope, a light of life, shining forth the message of God’s love and grace into a world steeped in spiritual confusion. However, it seems to this writer that instead of the light of God’s love and grace shining out from the church, the darkness of the world is flooding into the church. Denominations that were once bastions of conservative Biblical and theological truth have become heralds of a watered-down version of the Gospel, espousing fallacious and even heretical teachings that are filled with worldly-minded philosophy. The God of the Bible who created us in His own image has now been recreated in our image. Some might even argue that the words of Friedrich Nietzsche ring truer today than ever before.

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche’s comment is probably to be understood in the sense that due to man’s expanding knowledge of the universe, the necessity of the belief in a Supreme Being was no longer valid. Man could now explain the intricacies and perplexities of the universe without having God in the formula. Everything had become man-centered, with little room, and practically no need, for a belief in God.

We might think that the church – at least those that are still committed to the teachings of the Bible – is still a bastion of truth. But we are witnessing today a mass exodus from those teachings. Churches are changing their policies and practices to embrace a cultural climate that is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Bible. Many are embracing – both in the pew and the pulpit – lifestyles that are clearly denounced in Scripture as being abominations in the eyes of God. In order to reach the masses, the message has been altered to become more appealing to the human spirit, rather than being in alignment with the teachings of the Holy Spirit.

Is it easy to maintain a commitment to Scriptural instruction? Absolutely not! It is extremely costly and dangerous. Look no further that the lives of the early disciples of our Lord to see this clearly. They were persecuted, even executed, by the scores simply because of their belief in and their commitment to Jesus Christ. And remember our Lord Himself. If our Lord and Master was treated in such horrific ways why should we expect anything different?

But we do expect something different. Why? Because, sadly, that is what the prosperity gospel teaches: health, wealth, and perpetual happiness. Jesus promised the exact opposite. He taught clearly that in this world we would suffer persecution. But we don’t want persecution? We want prosperity; we want health and wealth; we want the blessings and bounty. And the watered-down gospel of this present age promises just that.

Paul identified the spiritual climate of our present day in graphic terms in 2 Timothy. And I would like to draw our attention to just one phrase out of that passage as I bring this blog to a close. Paul said they would be:

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power! And from such people turn away! – 2 Timothy 3:4-5

For the church to be the church we need to stand up and speak out. The world desperately needs to hear the truth of God’s message: The whole truth! Let’s be part of His vast army of dedicated and committed soldiers, engaging in the spiritual war that rages. Let’s show the world that God is alive, well, and seated on the throne of the universe!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Why Do You Love God?

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.

Matthew 22:37-38, NKJV

Jesus made this statement in response to a lawyer’s question about the greatest commandment. In His response Jesus actually condensed all of the ten commandments into two: love the Lord and love your neighbor. If we obey these two commandments then we obey all ten. The first four commandments speak of our relationship with God, and the last six of our relationship with others.

The question I would like to address is seen in the title of this blog: why do you love God? Jesus said we are to love him with our whole being: heart, soul, and mind. And I feel quite sure that any Christian, in response to the question, “Do you love God?”, would respond with an immediate “Yes”. But if this question was followed by another, “Why do you love Him? “, we might get different responses.

Let’s think of our response in correlation with our relationship with our children. Most Christian parents would probably admit that, for some period of time, they taught their children to love and obey them by using fear as a motivation. We would develop certain rules, both spoken and unspoken, to instill in our children a sense of obedience. We might even use conditional phrases to convey this concept to them. They may come in the form of “If…but” phrases. “If you obey then… But if you disobey…”

We actually see God using this tactic in His relations with Israel in the Old Testament. He made certain unconditional promises to individuals such as Abraham and David, but He also made conditional promises to the nation as a whole. This was to serve as a deterrent for the nation, as they realized that their actions of obedience and disobedience had consequences – serious consequences.

We as parents use this same tactic with the hope that it will serve as a deterrent with our children. We actually teach them to obey us out of a certain level of fear of the consequences if they disobey.

But we don’t want them to continue in this state of fear. We want them to grow in their relationship with us to the point where they obey us out of love. This could actually be thought of as fear in reverse. Parents desire that their children grow to the point that they obey not out of the fear of punishment, but out of the fear that to disobey would hurt the parent.

This is an amazing transition to witness. Children make it as they realize that their actions have consequences for their parents. Parents want the best for their children and invest so much time, energy, and resources into this endeavor. They desire that their efforts will eventually result in their children truly responding to them in love – even in the fear that to do otherwise would hurt the parent(s).

Have you made that transition? First, in your relationship with family relationships. Do you, as a parent, invest in the lives of your children out of your love for them? And do you, as a child, display a sincere love for your parents in striving to show your love by your life of obedience?

And then think about your relationship with God. Do you obey Him out of a sense of fear, or of love? Certainly, we are to maintain a reverential fear of God simply because of who He is, but we should obey Him out of our deep, abiding love for Him and what He has done for us. Have you grown in your relationship with Him to the level of love, or are you still languishing in a groveling fear because you have not yet grown to love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind? He certainly deserves our love, worship, adoration, and obedience.

Until next time:

Blessings!

In Memory

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This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day – a federal holiday in the United States that has the intent of honoring and mourning US military personnel who have died while serving our country. The holiday was first called Decoration Day and originated during the Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had died in battle.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13, Jesus Speaking

It is certainly right to observe this day with honor and respect for those who gave their all for our nation. They bravely fought for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today. In the midst of all the family get togethers, the backyard barbeques, the gathering around the TV to watch Nascar, and the multitude of other things we find to do during this holiday weekend, let’s remember those who gave it all to secure our freedom to do so.

Might I suggest that we also take time to remember another Who gave His life for our freedom from bondage? Those of us who identify ourselves as Christians should not have to be reminded of His sacrificial death, but sadly we oftentimes get so caught up in the hectic rat-race of life that we fail to remember. I suppose this is one of the reasons Jesus instituted Communion, to give us a reminder of His body and blood which were given for us. It is only through His death, burial, and resurrection that we have forgiveness of sin, redemption secured through the shedding of His blood.

And one of the amazing things about Jesus’s death is seen in a statement recorded in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were still sinners, at enmity with God, Jesus gave His life for us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, giving no regard for God or the things of God. We were going our own way, doing our own thing, seeking and serving self, with no thought of our own wanton sinfulness and our desperate need of salvation. But God! He graciously demonstrated the immensity of His love for us by giving His Son. And Jesus – He willingly gave HIs life in obedience to the Father’s will so that we might be saved. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Today, let’s not forget those who have lost their lives on the battlefield as they fought for our nation – but more importantly let’s not forget the One who died in our place, paying the penalty for our sin, providing the means of our salvation. Let’s make this day, and every day, a day of remembering this amazing gift of God.

Until next time:

Blessings!