If I was...

I don't remember if it was Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor who was saying this, but for some reason it crossed my mind today. They were joking about blacks they knew who would boast about how things would be different if they had been alive during slavery. It was funny how they mentioned how these particular individuals would proudly proclaim what they would do to the slave master and how they would act if somebody tried to make them a slave. The funny part was how the comedian said these people boastfully proclaim, "Yeah, if I was alive back then, I would have taught them a thing or two!" But the comedian went on to joke how they wouldn't be doing much talking after they were struck by that whip (paraphrase)! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to minimize the horror of slavery or trivialize the lives lost and havoc wreaked on an entire race of people and their culture. After all, this is my history I am talking about as well. I only bring this subject up to make the point of how, in our human pride we can easily think that if only we had been alive during some period of time things would have been different. There are Christians that seem to have a similar view about our Christian heritage. They look back on the first century church with a sort of nostalgia and admiration as though they would have loved to been alive during that time. I can understand their views to a point. It would be nice to have been an eyewitness to the great events that fill the pages of Scripture. But, if I may be so bold, I would have only wanted to observe them apart from actually having to live during those times.

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." 2 Corinthians 11: 23-28

You know what? Paul sounds like he was a slave here in this passage. In fact, he was a slave of Christ. How many people today would even be able to stand one of the trials that Paul went through during his journeys to proclaim the message of Christ? Trust me, I am not putting Paul on some sort of pedestal as if he is any better than any Christian alive today. But, for many of us, especially here in the United States, our suffering pales in comparison to what Paul, and other Christians, endured and still endure today. Just like a slave, Paul didn't know if he would even make it another day to proclaim the Gospel message or if he would have something to eat, a roof over his head, clothes on his back or be in one piece. I know when I look at what he endured, I wonder if I would have been able to persevere like he had to do. It is easy to pull out cliched answers, platitudes and scripture verses like, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," but that is easier said than done. We forget that Paul wrote these passages during and after he suffered for Christ, not before. We don't hear about it enough, but the experiences of Paul, unfortunately, are not isolated to him or the early Church. To this day, all over the world, Christians are suffering terribly for their faith. One mistake we can make is to be naive enough to believe that our experience is the experience. The signs are there that are a prelude to the possible suffering we may face. The Bible and prayer has already been removed from schools. Public proclamations of faith like Nativity Scenes and saying Merry Christmas are being outlawed. Anything deemed Christian is slowly being taken away. How long will it be before we have first hand knowledge of what the Paul's of the world face?

"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11: 35-40

The first part of Hebrews 11 talks about those who stood tall for the faith and received some form of earthly reward for their efforts. However, none of that is guaranteed. In fact, we are much more likely to be treated the ways in which our brethren above were treated as described in the latter portion of the chapter. But, the one thing that all these Christians have in common is that they were commended for their faith and all of them received the Heavenly reward of eternal life. As a citizen of the United States, I am blessed to live in a country that, for the most part, has been accommodating to my faith thoughout my lifetime. That is something pretty much unique in this world today. Religious freedom for Christians is at a premium. Much of the world is intolerant of the message of Jesus Christ just as scripture warned us it would be. Therefore, we should not be surprised of the animosity that follows those who name the Name of Christ. There probably won't come a time when those described by Murphy or Pryor will have the Chance to put their words into action. The chance of slavery being reinstituted is slim and none. However, if a Christian makes a similar boast about how they believe they would have behaved in the first century, when faced with the sufferings of Paul, they may get an opportunity to put their money were their mouth is. But, should that time come, take heart in those who have come before us and stood tall for the faith. Regardless of what awaits us down here, God has planned something better for us.

KERPLUNK!!!

One day Chicken Little was walking in the woods when — KERPLUNK — an acorn fell on her head. "Oh my goodness!" said Chicken Little. "The sky is falling! I must go and tell the king."

Many of us have heard the fable, The Sky Is Falling, where Chicken Little believes the sky is falling when an acorn falls on her head. As she goes to warn the King she runs into Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, Goosey Poosey and, unfortunately, Foxy Loxy. Foxy Loxy plays along with Chicken Little and the others and tells them he knows a shortcut to the King. The shortcut is really Foxy Loxy's attempt to lure all of them into his den so he can eat them. Just before they enter his den, the King's hunting dogs come growling and howling after Foxy Loxy. They chase Foxy Loxy off and Chicken Little and her friends are saved. The King gave Chicken Little an umbrella as a present so she would not have to worry about being hit on the head by falling acorns as she walked through the woods. The moral of the story is not to be so easily deceived by what happens because you can make yourself a target of somebody willing to take advantage of you.

I work in the financial services industry. All day long at my job we were bombarded by people worried about the security of their money because of the news surrounding the failed passing of the financial bailout package. I understand their concern and share it to some extent. My retirement portfolio has taken a hit as well during all the uproar. To add to my concerns was the fact that the president of my company lectured the employees about just how bad the situation is and how much worse it could get, in his opinion. There was serious, and lighthearted, talk of buying canned goods and getting guns to protect yourself from the "impending" doom. Many people also talked about which Presidential candidate they believe will get us out of this mess. While everybody must deal with this situation to the best of their ability, I was amazed at how quickly fear can creep into a person and start motivating their decisions. It pushes them to rely on anything and anyone promising relief.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7

I called my financial advisor just to get some professional advice about what I should do with my portfolio. I did so partly because I just wanted to see how the chaos had affected my money. But, also because being surrounded by all the talk of doom and gloom began to bother me as well. There were people moving large amounts of money from one vehicle to the next trying to secure it. Others talking about moving out of the country to avoid any potential calamity. Predictions of a second Great Depression were being made. And, as I mentioned previously, the talk of buying guns, ammo and non-perishables raised its head. It is easy to get suckered into a mindset that has you relying on your own understanding and following after the desires of the flesh. First, anxiety sets in. Your mind wanders as you are fearful that you are going broke. "What am I going to do when my money runs out?" Secondly, the anxiety and fear turns to anger. As one individual, upset with the government, exclaimed, "I would fire their a**** and throw them all in jail!" And eventually, the anger turns to the third thing, concession. You end up sitting back, throwing your hands in the air, and wait to see what happens. I know there are various other reactions that can happen, but you get my point. Thankfully, I was reminded that regardless of what action, or inaction, I take, I can rest in the fact that the God of the universe indwells me and guides me from within. This truth leads me to a thankful heart as I know that regardless of the outcome of all this financial madness, I win in the end. It is that truth that makes me rejoice in the Lord and ends up guarding my heart and mind against all the things the world throws at me.

"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near... "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21: 20, 25-28

I know it may not make sense, to those without the Lord in their life, that I would talk about rejoicing in the midst of a financial crisis. I am not rejoicing that this is happening. What I am rejoicing over is that it reminds me of where my strength comes from and that it could be a sign that my Lord is soon to return! Besides this current crisis, what else do we see happening? We see the enemies of Israel, like Iran, saber-rattling and calling for her destruction. There is the worldwide push for mankind to do something about global warming, whether the phenomena is real or not. The Indonesian Tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Ike and the massive earthquake in China, are just a few of the natural disasters that seem so commonplace nowadays that they don't even shock us anymore when they strike. The terror and dread can, and has, made men faint and become apprehensive over all that is going on. While this is all terrible and we should address the situations as much as possible, and with a sober mind, as Christians, we must remember that these times must happen before Jesus Christ will return to gather us. I would not be surprised to see things get decidedly worse regardless of man's best efforts to prevent them. But, I also know that we must prepare ourselves as best as possible, both financially, physically, mentally and spiritually. And it all starts with the a sure foundation in the saving life of Jesus Christ. When the acorns of life start to fall on our heads, and it looks like the sky is falling, remember the umbrella of truth provided to us in Christ Jesus. And remember that it is okay to, occassionally, peak out from underneath that umbrella and look up because our redemption is near.

Not Good Enough

One of the best descriptions about the supposed goodness of mankind that I have ever heard goes something like this:

"Nobody does anything they believe is wrong."

One of those eternal questions that people from all walks of life seem to ask is "Why do bad things happen to good people?" And, of course, the opposite question can be asked as well. "Why do good things happen to bad people?" This latter question arose recently on a Christian chat room. The following three examples were given to discuss because as the person asking the question said, "these things really tweak my cookies."

I struggle with seeing the drug addict who cares nothing for no-one... especially her children... get a court settlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from her dad dying that she had nothing to do with all of her life. (a real person... we counseled with her)

I struggle with the wicked, bottom grabbing business man who thrives on his greediness, end up with millions of dollars... and pays his employees poverty wages. (a real person... we knew him and his wife)

I struggle with THE under-age drunk driver who collides head on with another car and receives a check from her insurance company for over $25,000 dollars because she got an owie. (another real person)

These are all good examples and deserve an answer. However, I am one who does not readily accept the premise behind the examples. And that premise is that there are good and bad people. Normally, what we consider good and bad is based upon our own personal definitions of these two terms. Add to that the fact that most people in this country, and many in this world, have an accepted and shared morality then you have a backing that justifies your beliefs. In general, good people are those considered to pay their taxes, are friendly neighbors, take care of their families, go to church, mind their own business and believe in the "Golden Rule." Conversely, anybody who violates these same tenants, or worse, on a consistent basis is considered bad. That is why your average individual is not considered a bad person, but your Adolf Hitler's, Saddam Hussein's and those like them, are considered bad. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that we shouldn't try to keep these tenants or to excuse those that don't. But, there is a selfishness and pride behind these examples.

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Judges 17:6

"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:2

As I stated earlier, nobody does what they believe to be wrong. And even if they do, they will try and justify it in some way. I say this because if we believe something is wrong, we will not do it on most occasions. Some of the most evil people that ever walked this earth, like the previously mentioned Hitler and Hussein, believed that what they were doing was right and good. And all of them had some sort of foundational doctrines that supported their beliefs, not to mention thousands and millions of followers. However, when somebody who we believe is rewarded for bad behavior, it does not mean that they are good or bad people. I remember watching an episode of the Simpson's and the Simpson family had just survived another misadventure started by Homer Simpson. Near the end of the episode, Marge, Homer's wife, tried to find a moral to what the family had experienced. Homer quipped that there is no moral, but rather what they experienced was just a "bunch of stuff that happened." In some ways, that applies to these situations as well. I am sure we can find examples of people who we feel are deserving of financial rewards. But, they are no more deserving as those we feel are bad are not deserving. It is just the way things work out in this world.

"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone." Mark 10: 17-18

There are no good people in this world. You can also argue that there aren't any bad people as well. All of us come into this world as spiritually dead people simply doing what comes naturally. And that is to indulge the flesh to varying degrees. Granted, we have to have an agreed upon system of right and wrong, or good and bad, in order to have a functioning society for us to live in. But, from a Christian standpoint, we have to judge good and bad from God's perspective. When the man in Mark 10 called Jesus, "Good teacher," he was rebuked. From the perspective of the individual that called Jesus "good teacher," he is using the same definition of good that the individual who gave the three examples above is using. And that is that their are "good" people. Those, by human definition, we believe to be good (i.e. somebody who has done something beneficial to us or mankind). I don't believe the man Jesus rebuked thought Jesus was God when he called Him good. Rather, because of the way Jesus was acting and what He taught lined up with his definition of good, he called Jesus good. But, from God's perspective there are no good people. Besides, the drug addict, businessman and drunk driver that are called bad in the above examples, may not benefit from inheriting all that money. That money could be a curse, as much as it is a blessing, because it affords these individuals more resources in which to indulge the sins they are apparently trapped in. Furthermore, we are not to judge ourselves by others in these circumstances. I would presume if we had come into a large some of money we wouldn't view it as something good happening to a bad person, right? After all, most of us aren't drug addicts, wicked, bottom-grabbing businessmen or under aged drunk drivers. Therefore, we are not bad by our own definition and are deserving of financial rewards. We all think we are "good" people. Therefore, we are the ones deserving of "good" things happening to us.

"All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:12

If no one does good that means nobody is good. Because goodness can only come from an ultimate source of good. And that source is God. Anything we do that is good, from God's perspective, is only what He has done through us. If we were good, that means we are God, and only God is good. That is something none of us can ever be nor does God expect us to be. It is our pride at work that makes us sit in judgment of others who seemingly have benefited from sinful behavior as if it should not have happened to them. It also sounds like simple jealousy on our part. In order for us to feel better about ourselves we must find ways to tear down those who have what we want. The last time I checked, coveting was still a sin. This is not an attitude that comes from God. An addict, wicked businessman or drunk driver has a larger problem than their sin or any financial reward they seemingly receive from engaging in their sin. Their sin is evidence that they are dependent on something other than Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Instead of sitting in judgment over them we should go to them, in love, and try and share the Gospel with them. If they are lost, we have given them an opportunity at salvation and eternal life. If they are a Christian, we can restore them back to the knowledge of who they are in Christ. We should not be concerned with trying to figure out why good things happen to bad people. What we should ask is why a good God loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, as ransom for our sins so that we could have the opportunity to spend the rest of our natural lives and eternity with Him in Heaven?

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Q: Everything discussed in the Bible happened in Middle Eastern countries. What was happening in the rest of the world? God created the earth, so the other continents had to exist, whether they were all connected or not, there were other large masses of land. Was the population so minimal that these other lands were not inhabited?

A: We must remember that, from a biblical perspective, everybody on the earth today is a descendant of Noah. The Global Flood, of Genesis 7, occurred about 4,500 years ago. And we know that the entire population of the planet, except for the eight members of Noah's family on the Ark, died during the deluge. Therefore, the six billion people who inhabit the planet today have populated it since that time. It is my understanding that you could fit the entire population of the world into an area the size of England with each person having more than 20 square meters to themselves. We sometimes tend to think that the earth is overcrowded when, in fact, most of us simply congregate together in the same cities. This tends to skew our perspective of how populated the planet really is and what it must have looked like thousands of years ago. The Bible tells us that "the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4)." This area of the world is located in modern day Turkey and for some biblical scholars is called the Cradle of Civilization. Therefore, in those 4,500 years, the population of the planet has gone from eight to six billion. That seems a bit unbelievable, but according to Dr. Don Batten, of Creation Ministries International, it "is relatively easy to calculate the growth rate needed to get today’s population from Noah’s three sons and their wives, after the Flood. With the Flood at about 4,500 years ago, it needs less than 0.5% per year growth." That is not a lot of growth required in order to reach today's population.

Not long after the Flood we read that "the whole world had one language and a common speech (Genesis 11:1)." I think it is safe to say that if you have a group of people who speak the same language that they will live in close proximity to each other. As we read further in the same chapter, we learn that these people attempted to build the Tower of Babel in order to have it reach up to the heavens. But, God did not like what the people were doing and said, "let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other (Genesis 11: 7)." Now, the Tower of Babel is located in modern day Iraq. Iraq borders Turkey to the South. Therefore, there was not much distance covered by the descendants of Noah from the time the Ark came to rest until God confused their language. After their language was confused the Bible says that God "scattered them over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:9)." If we look at the world today, most people are united by having a common language. If you don't speak the same language it makes it nearly impossible to communicate with each other. The natural byproduct is to avoid contact with those you can't communicate with and to congregate with those that do. If you look at the world today one of the many things that separates everybody is language. Variations of English are spoken in many of the Western countries like the United States. You can find Asian dialects spoken in Far Eastern countries like China and Japan. Arab dialects permeate the Middle East and it goes on and on depending on where you go on the planet. It has been said that the population of the earth was around 300 million people at the time of Christ. There are 300 million people in the United States today. So, I think we can begin to see that regardless of what the geographical make up of the planet was during biblical times it is safe to say that the population of the planet was not as spread out as it is today. And even if it was they all had one thing in common.

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live (Acts 17:26)." Remember, in Genesis, that God confused the language of the people and caused them to scatter over the face of the world. This point is underscored in the book of Acts where the Apostle Paul reaffirms that all mankind is the descendant of one man, Adam. And that God knows exactly where everybody who has ever lived, and ever will live, should be. There is no doubt, however, that the farther you get from a shared beginning, combined with the scattering of people who spoke different languages and who had different experiences, the further away from from their origins they become. However, one thing that nearly every culture has in common is a story of a great flood. According to Dr. Duane Gish, author of the book Dinosaurs by Design, there are more than 270 such stories, most of which share a common theme and similar characters. I believe it is because they can all trace that their roots back to the Middle East and, specifically, the mountains of Ararat where Noah and his family heeded the call of God when He said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1)."

Therefore, while the Bible may confine much of what it talks about to the areas commonly known as the Middle East, it is not meant to ignore any other people groups inhabiting unmentioned geographical areas of the planet. However, based upon what we know about where civilization started and the growth of the world population from that point, I believe it is safe to say that whatever was happening in the rest of the world was minimal, at best. Regardless, we must not forget about the purpose of the Bible as a whole. It is God's plan of salvation for all mankind. It focuses on the Middle East because that is where God stepped into His creation and became a man, Jesus Christ. It is critical to understand the origins of mankind so that we can recognize why we all need a Savior. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22)." From Adam to Noah and from Noah to all six billion people alive today, there is one common thread linking us all. That thread is that we all come into this world spiritually dead to God in sin because of Adam's disobedience. Therefore, we all need to come alive to God through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God's only provision of life everlasting for man's condition of spiritual death. The reason God made all men from one man is "so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27)." Whether you are in the Middle East, the Far East, the West, or somewhere in between, God knows where you are and desires a relationship with you in the person of Jesus Christ.

Transparency

I just finished watching the Presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. One of the things that impressed me the most was the transparency I have seen coming from John McCain. There is a sense that our leaders have to be perfect in every aspect of their lives although we all know that nobody is perfect. McCain was willing to admit mistakes on policy issues in the past and how they have shaped his political career and will shape his Presidency, if elected. In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, McCain admitted that the torture he endured during his imprisonment in Vietnam had "broken" him. Some may look at this as a sign of weakness. I see it as a admission of his humanity. If we are honest, all of us have failed or struggled in our lives. But, we would also admit that our weaknesses and failings can make us stronger and can be used to bring people to us who have experienced similar struggles as we have. I have not agreed with McCain on every issue, but I admire a man who can get up there and be open and honest about his experiences when he is in a line of work that sees weakness as evidence of being unfit for duty.

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1: 8-11

As Christians we can sometimes feel that when someone comes to us who is struggling in a sin, or doesn't know the Lord, that we need to project an image of perfection in order to win them over. But, when you think about it, what is the best way to win the confidence of another? Is it not through being honest and open about our experiences? One of the first things a Christian learns to talk about is their testimony. Most testimonies are full of our failures in the midst of coming the know Christ. We use those failures to give us credibility when talking with someone who doesn't know Christ. Often times an unbeliever has a misconception of what it means to be a Christian. Unfortunately, that misconception can be traced back to Christians who believe they can act, or someday will act, perfect and never face any difficulties in life. We end up becoming our own worst enemies and of no earthly good to those we encounter. The Apostle Paul talked of how his suffering for the faith was so intense at times that he wanted to die! And let us not forget how he called himself the least of the Apostles because he persecuted the Church. This type of honesty flies in the face of the idea that we have to mask our struggles and difficulties as if admitting them diminishes Christ in some way. We forget that if we didn't struggle and didn't face trials in life than we would not need Jesus Christ. Much of the Bible is about man's failure and God's faithfulness in the midst of our struggles. Our desire is to point people towards Christ and His sufficiency. We are seen as perfect by God, but that does not mean that we will always act perfect.

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6: 1-5

One of my biggest struggles early on in my walk with the Lord was with abusing alcohol. It took me three years after being saved before I could declare any sort of victory over this sin that I was caught in. Years later I found myself driving a relative of mine around town who was visiting from out of state. Surprisingly, he had been drinking and was quite intoxicated, although I didn't realize it when he got in my car. During our ride he wasn't able to control himself and vomited out the car window. He was very apologetic and agreed to wash my car to clean it up. My reaction was to comfort him. Yes, he shouldn't have been drunk and I did not want my car sprayed with whatever he had consumed. However, it takes one to know one. He didn't do anything that I hadn't done in my life. When he realized I was not upset and didn't condemn him he felt comfortable enough to open up to me about some issues he was going through and we grew closer to each other as a result. One thing I knew is that the last thing my relative needed was a lecture about the evils of drunkenness. The embarassment of what he had done, the impending hangover and the sick feeling he had was punishment enough. What he needed was to be restored and for me to allow the love and forgiveness that G0d has shown towards me to be expressed to him. His problems were deeper than having too much to drink, as were mine when I was drinking. If I had come across as though I was better than he was or as if I had never walked in his shoes, I don't think I would have been of much use to the Lord. In fact, I believe our struggles in life are used by God for those exact instances. We are reminded of how we once were and how we would have wanted to be treated. This humbles us enough so that we share words of love rather than of rebuke. Hopefully, by doing so, those we touch will be intrigued enough to seek the source of our actions, Jesus Christ.

"When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19: 5-10

What is the duty of every Christian? It is to share the Gospel message with the world in an effort to seek and to save what was lost. I don't see any other way in which to do that than to be open and honest about why we needed Jesus Christ. Nine times out of ten that starts with being transparent about our failures and struggles which revealed our need to be saved. When those we desire to reach see that we have problems as well, then we can show them the answer to those problems. The alternative is putting up a false front of perfection that only serves to turn off those we want to reach and could lead to them being antogonistic towards our message. I remember as a child how I could see right through the churchgoers who tried to put up the image that they had it altogether. However, it didn't take a trained eye to see just how phony these people were. The effect it had was to turn me off of the message they were trying to proclaim. I don't believe my experience is unique. I am sure their are numerous individuals out there who need the Lord, but who believe that what He offers is the phony Christianity so many Christians portray. To them we can look like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz who was exposed as a fraud. What the world needs from Christians is a reality check. The world needs to know that what we have in Christ does not make us better then them. What we have in Christ makes us better off. And when they see that the path they are on has already been traveled by us, they will be more apt to continue on the path right into the saving arms of Jesus Christ.

Jumping Ship

Within the last ten years I have experienced two people leaving churches they had attended for quite some time. One of those people was me and the other a close relative. I still remember sitting on my bed, with the Bible opened in front of me, as I talked on the phone to my family member. I am still not certain what brought on the change in their life, but what they were going through led them to ask me about my opinion of their circumstances. This particular person was raised in the Catholic church and was starting to question everything they had ever been taught. Before I go on, let me be clear that what I am about to say has nothing to do with the Catholic church. My relative was asking me questions that centered around the Church supposedly "changing" the Sabbath Day from Saturday to Sunday and whether or not the Pope is the Antichrist. This was some real off the wall sort of stuff. The deeper issue was that my relative questioned whether or not their continued attendance and involvement in the Catholic Church, after all these "revelations," would somehow jeopardize their salvation.

"I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9: 1-5

At the time I had only been a Christian for a short while. And I didn't know if what I was being asked was the result of the Holy Spirit revealing something to my relative that they needed clarity on or someone who was being influenced by anti-Catholic propaganda. But, even then I knew that being disgruntled with a religion does not mean the Lord is working on a person. There are hundreds, even thousands, of Christian religions and most of them were started after a person or group became disgruntled with the status quo and moved on. Our conversation started to sink into me being asked to give my opinion on myths and legends surrounding the Church. Eventually, I had to say "enough." Honestly, I said "Who cares?" Who cares if everything that has ever been said or written about the Catholic Church is true? God didn't come to start a religion. God came to have a relationship with individuals. The only thought that came to my mind was to tell my relative that all God is concerned about is whether or not you are born again. It doesn't really matter if you are sitting in Mass on Sunday morning. Personally, as I exclaimed, I couldn't sit still inside a service that I believed wasn't teaching the truth of the Word, but that is just me. My opinion was coming from my own experience sitting in a Word of Faith fellowship with its circus-like atmosphere. So, I was biased to say the least. The advice I gave was to let the Lord use them regardless of where it leads. Perhaps, as I suggested, God wanted them to stay in the Catholic Church and be a witness to those inside of it. After all, the Apostle Paul's heart for his Jewish brethren was so strong that he would have given up his salvation if it meant they would repent and turn to Christ.

"When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women." Acts 17: 1-4

My suggesting that my relative stay involved in the Catholic church was in hopes that they would focus more on preaching the fullness of the Gospel to their fellow brethren rather than trying to tear down the religion. The Apostle Paul was accused of telling the Jews not to obey Moses. While that was not true, the effect of his preaching could lead to that outcome. Paul was the "Apostle to the Gentiles." Yet, every time the opportunity presented itself, he would witness to the Jews in hopes that he could save the Jews and anyone else who would listen to him. As we see here, in Acts 17, his efforts were rewarded on occasion. I don't know what the outcome was with my family member and his church. Presently, they are no longer involved in the Catholic Church and attend a fellowship that I believe is a branch of the Presbyterian religion. I have since had other discussions with them on areas we disagree on. That is most likely always going to be the case when it comes to our fellow Christians. My relative had problems with Catholicism. I had problems with a Word of Faith fellowship. And both of us have had issues with each other. We can't all be correct, but we can all be wrong. My point is that we all need to continue to focus on what the Lord is leading us to do. As we grow in our knowledge of the Lord all the error we may involved with will begin to fade away. Just think about what would have happened if my relative had gone back to other Catholics and tried to pull them out of the religion by condemning it? Nobody would have listened, my relative would have been labeled a kook and their efforts would have had the opposite effect as the faith of the Catholics would have been emboldened by the attack. The same could have been said if Paul had attacked Judaism and the Mosaic Law. But, when we understand and preach the truth, the Holy Spirit will change us from within and our behavior and beliefs will change as well. We are called to Jesus and then Jesus sends us out in the world. Whatever falls away as a result of standing on the truth is only the natural byproduct of shining a light on the darkness.

unAWARE

In an article entitled, "What Happens When We Die?" it talks about the scientific study known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation). It is basically a study of 1,500 survivors of cardiac arrest and their "near death" experiences. As the article says:

"When your heart stops beating, there is no blood getting to your brain. And so what happens is that within about 10 sec., brain activity ceases - as you would imagine. Yet paradoxically, 10% or 20% of people who are then brought back to life from that period, which may be a few minutes or over an hour, will report having consciousness. So the key thing here is, Are these real, or is it some sort of illusion? So the only way to tell is to have pictures only visible from the ceiling and nowhere else, because they claim they can see everything from the ceiling. So if we then get a series of 200 or 300 people who all were clinically dead, and yet they're able to come back and tell us what we were doing and were able see those pictures, that confirms consciousness really was continuing even though the brain wasn't functioning."

I have neither experienced, nor know anybody who has experienced, a near-death episode. So, I don't have any frame of reference to use. However, what is interesting is that the article makes us believe that we will get an answer about what happens when we die. But the article goes on to talk about people who have been "brought back to life." Personally, my unscientific opinion is that when people are resuscitated it doesn't mean they died and were brought back to life. Rather, I believe they reached a point, near death, where they no longer registered on the systems commonly used to detect life (clinically dead). In other words, they weren't dead there was just no life detected.

"For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:24-28

The reason I don't believe that people are brought back to life is because Scripture is clear that man is destined to die once and then face judgment. All the "visions" people who have had near death experiences or have been "brought back to life" claim to have are difficult to explain, but seem very similar to what we all go through when we sleep and dream. The Bible does compare death to sleep, so there is no doubt these people are close to death. But if they were really dead, they would not have lived to tell about it. Furthermore, if they were able to return to life I think there descriptions would be alot more vivid then those we commonly hear. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, we read were the Rich Man begged for an opportunity to return to life in order to warn his brethren of the error of their ways. He was not given the opportunity. In fact, what Abraham told him was that "they will not be convinced even if someone rises from dead." If he had been allowed to return from the dead, the Rich Man would have had a story to tell that would have been more detailed then the average story of lights, dead loved ones and bliss often accompanying these stories. The Rich Man is a perfect example of someone who was caught unaware of the fate awaiting those who die apart from faith in Jesus Christ and the One true God.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2: 1-5

What most of these scientists and survivors may not know is that they were "dead" long before any of them had a "near death" experience. Because of Adam's sin all mankind is born into the world spiritually dead to God, but alive to the world. Therefore, one could argue that life itself is a sort of "near death" experience. We are not only spiritually dead, but also face the reality that we are, but one heartbeat away from eternity. And because we come into this world dead in sin, we can spend much of our lives following after the ways of the world, endulging the cravings of our sinful flesh. The people in this study are blind to the fact of just how close they are to a "post death" experience that they won't be able to come back and tell to others. There stories would not be of looking down from the ceiling at the doctors and themselves. Their stories would be of the fear and dread of knowing they have entered into a Christless eternity apart from the God of the universe. They are objects of wrath to a just God. If they chose to live their lives apart from God, God will grant their wish and allow them to spend eternity apart from Him. What the article correctly illustrates is that a dead person needs to be brought back to life. The only life available to a spiritually dead person is the life of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simply the restoration of the life of God to all who come to Him by faith. The resuscitation we need is only made available through the resurrection. For those who are physically "brought back to life" they will still die someday. And, if they are apart from Christ, they have only delayed the inebidable because they are unaware of the real problem in their life. For a believer, whether resuscitated or not, they have already been brought back to life because as Jesus said:

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11: 25-26

Do you believe this?

A Child shall lead Them

Kid's say the darndest things, so the television asks. But, they can ask some darn good questions as well.

Q: Did Jesus ever do anything bad when He was little?

A: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:15

I have often wondered about this myself. Given the fact that children seem to be prone to doing bad things, whether they realize it or not, it is hard to believe in a perfect child. The Bible doesn't say much about the childhood of Jesus Christ apart from His birth and a reference to Him and His mother when He was a youth. But, we know, as the passage from Hebrews says, that Jesus was without sin. This means He didn't sin at all His entire life. If He had, then our entire salvation is futile. If Jesus had sinned, then He is not God in the flesh and thus did not have a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. So, the answer to the question is no, Jesus did not do anything bad when He was little.

Key Passage:

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2: 22-24

Q: Was Jesus a real person or was He pretend?

A: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." 2 Peter 1:16

I don't know of any child who doesn't have a make believe friend, or more, at sometime during their youth. And the fact that Jesus was raised from dead is something that could fit into the realm of make believe or pretend. However, the reality of Jesus Christ as a real person does not rest solely on the testimony of modern day believers who never saw Christ. Some of the best proof that He was a real person comes from those that knew Him personally. One of those people is the Apostle Peter. Peter, while defending the truth of Jesus Christ to those who did not believe in Him, says that he and other disciples were eyewitnesses to His life on earth. Eyewitness testimony is irrefutable in many cases as to the fact of what has been witnessed. Another convincing proof involving Peter is that He denied Jesus in an effort to save his own life. I don't think Peter would have had to deny Jesus Christ if He wasn't a real person. Furthermore, if Jesus wasn't a real person then you have to explain why those who didn't believe in Him felt it necessary to persecute Him and crucify Him on the Cross.

Key Passage:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us." 1 John 1: 1-2

Q: If Jesus died on the cross, how can He be alive today?

A: "I passed on to you what I received, of which this was most important: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day as the Scriptures say; and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died" 1 Corinthians 15: 3-6

Given the fact that nobody alive today has ever witnessed someone die and come back to life three days later, it makes sense that Jesus being alive would lead to a question like this. But, many of those who saw Jesus die were also eyewitnesses of His resurrection. The Bible tells us that hundreds of people saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest miracle to ever happen. Without His resurrection there is no hope for a believer. Nobody can be saved and spend eternity with God without Christ being resurrected. We all are familiar with Adam eating the forbidden fruit back in the Garden of Eden. When he ate that fruit, he died spiritually. God removed His life from Adam thus sin and death entered the world. Before God could restore His life back to mankind He needed to do something about the sin that caused His life to be removed. That is where Jesus comes in. Jesus, being sinless, was the only person who ever lived that was able to take the penalty for our sins. Once Jesus died, God was able to restore the life we lost in Adam back to us. He did this through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now lives inside every Christian who has accepted Him as their savior. And when Jesus returns, He will take all of us who believe in Him to Heaven to spend eternity. We must not forget that Jesus is God and that God is capable of miracles. So, Jesus rising from the dead is something only God could accomplish. If miracles were the norm, then they cease to be miracles. That is why we thank God for performing the miracle of raising Jesus from dead.

Key Passage:

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." John 11: 25-27

Although, these are questions asked by children they help us get a clearer picture of the foundations of our Christian faith. It doesn't matter who asks the questions or what their age may be. What matters is that they can be answered and we must be prepared to give one. If we don't answer the questions of the most innocent among us, then we risk losing them altogether. Besides, if an inquisitive child can stump us, then what will happen when adults ask us to give an account for our faith? The answers we give may not convince those who have asked the question. The convincing is between them and God. However, the beneficiary of the answer may the one who gave it. The more we stand for our faith, the more our faith will strengthen as we realize the truth of what we say we believe is revealed with each response we give.

Not Give Up Meeting

A few years after I found the Lord, I left the church I was attending because of the terrible message it was proclaiming. It was one of those Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel churches that was more about sensationalism and gaining the world than equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. I was without a church to attend for a few years after that time, but still was able to mature in my faith through the teaching of the Holy Spirit and the help of a radio ministry I was fortunate enough to find. However, there is a large part of the Body of Christ that would have saw my years away from consistent church attendance as neglecting my duty as a Christian. I was not neglecting any Christian duty, but was simply avoiding bad teaching and learning to trust the Lord. Besides, the Bible doesn't command a Christian to go to church. And I don't really think you can call what most consider fellowship as fellowship.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10: 23-25

I have mentioned before how a fellow Christian scolded me for not being in a church and that I needed to be under the "authority" of a pastor. Aside from the obvious poor theology this person was using, many Christians use the passage from Hebrews 10 as though it is a command from God to regularly attend a church. Personally, that is looking at the bible and inserting a meaning into it based on currently accepted norms. Scripture doesn't say anything about going to church, it says not to give up meeting together. Given the fact the way the early Church was despised by many, and was fledgling in its growth, meeting together was probably difficult and definitely was not done in large, abundant and, publicly, accepted buildings like we see today. Meeting together took place in homes, under trees, on hillsides and any other place that they could find. So, this belief that Christians are supposed to assemble in a church building is unfounded. When I was not attending a church on a regular basis there were those that I know didn't believe I was a true Christian. After all, if they believe a mark of a true Christian is faithful church attendance than I see why they could think such a thing. However, I am not a Christian because of where I sit on Sunday morning. I am a Christian because of who indwells me. And it is God, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is faithful, not me. I don't say that to excuse me, or any Christian, from attending church. But that my status as a Christian or claim to be one is not based on whether I do or not.

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

On average a church will have anywhere from one to four services a week, depending on the size of the church. Normally, two of those services are held on Sunday, one Wednesday and the fourth on Saturday evening. Many Christians will try and attend services every time the doors are opened for many different reasons. But, even the most devout Christians don't attend church everyday. But, we see the early church met daily! In today's fast paced world, meeting daily is almost out of the question for most people. Although some would love to do it, most wouldn't, even if they could. But, there are ways to meet daily that don't involve going to church. I belong to an online fellowship of believers who don't have a church home to attend regularly. This fellowship doesn't exist because people don't want to attend a local fellowship, but, like me in the past, they don't have a place to go that teaches the fullness of the Gospel and the finished work of Christ. And, while some have tried to attend churches, seeking to fill that need for fellowship with other believers, if you are not of like mind, is it really fellowship? Yet, on our online fellowship, we do meet daily with each other. We have people from all walks of life and from all over the country. And one more benefit from this fellowship is that we actually get to know each other personally. From my experience, when you are attending church, you really don't get to know your fellow Christians apart from the normal pleasantries we all share with each other before and after services.

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20

Finally, the church is not an organization we belong to or a building we attend. The Church is the Body of Christ, an organism made up of individual believers all over the world. Our "duty" is not necessarily to meet together, but to go out into the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those we encounter. We do this by allowing God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to live His life in and through us on a daily basis. Granted, the normal way we get equipped to do this is through meeting at church. However, it is not the way or, necessarily, the best way to get equipped. Furthermore, we don't get taught the meaning of scripture in church. The meaning of scripture is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. That is why somebody like me, who didn't attend church for nearly four years, was able to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In many ways, the "isolation" allowed me to focus solely on His leading without all the distractions and trappings that come along with your average church. While this was happening I did desire to meet with like-minded individuals and I found it as I said earlier. While Christians need each other for support and encouragement, doing so at a local church is not required, not the only way to meet, nor should it be done at the expense of sound teaching.

Birthright

Q: Please explain Galatians 4:1 to me.

A: Galatians 4:1 says, "What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate." An heir, by definition, is a person who inherits all the property of a deceased person, as by descent, relationship, will, or legal process. As a child of God, a Christian is an heir to all God has given them through the death of Jesus Christ. In other words, the will of God can best be described as a description of the inheritance we have been given in Christ. The love, acceptance, meaning and purpose we all seek in life is realized in Christ Jesus. When we understand how much God has loved us, and how much we have in Him, we can then engage the world with what we have received from God rather than looking to get from the world that which it cannot provide. What the world has to offer is a poor substitute for God's love and can only be experienced through some form of sin. When we don't realize what we already have in Christ we try to obtain it through many different avenues. This normally manifests itself through attempted obedience to religious law. Galatians 4:1is a summation of what the Apostle Paul was writing about in the previous chapter regarding the difference between law and grace.

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29)." The promised seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ. Since all Christians belong to Christ, we are, therefore, heirs according to that promise. "For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise (Galatians 3:18)." The promised inheritance of God can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ. It can not be obtained through obedience to the law or any other form of self-effort. The purpose of the law, whether it be the Mosaic Law or man-made religious law, is to show us our sinfulness, spiritual death and complete inability to live up to God's righteous requirements, so that we would come to the end of ourselves and turn to Jesus Christ by faith. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)." This is a command that nobody can live up to. In order for us to be as perfect as God the Father, we would have to be God ourselves. Jesus said this in order to bury us under the weight of God's standard of perfection in order to receive His inheritance. The law of God demanded perfect obedience or death. Jesus Christ took both options for us. He lived a perfect and sinless life, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the law. Then, although He didn't deserve it, He took our place on the cross and died for us. Thus, "having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14)."

There are many instances in life where you see a child unable to access their inheritance until they reach a certain age or certain requirements are met. However, the inheritance is still rightfully theirs. As children of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we may not have experienced the complete benefit of all we have inherited as heirs, but it is still our possession. That is why Galatians 4:1 says that we own "the whole estate" although we are said to be no "different from a slave." We are compared to slaves because, like slaves, we are "subject to guardians and trustees (Galatians 4:2)." Our guardian and trustee is the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides a believer through this life and on into eternity. Through resting in and trusting in the Holy Spirit we are certain to experience the fullness of the inheritance we have waiting for us. "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4:6-7)." As is the case with many who inherit fortunes, the individual who has that fortune must die before the beneficiaries are rewarded with what is promised them. What a child wants most from their father is His unconditional love and acceptance. As children of God we have been given all of that from God, our Father, and more.

What is the whole estate we own as children of God? At the moment of salvation everything we strive to achieve through self effort is credited to us by our one act of faith. Amongst other things, we are totally forgiven (Col. 2:13), totally cleansed (1 Cor. 6:11), holy and blameless (Col. 1:22), safe from the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9), saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), made at peace with God (Rom. 5:1), freed from condemnation (Rom. 8:1), sanctified (Heb. 10:10), made perfect forever (Hebrews 10:14), made an heir to God (Gal. 4:7), made complete (Col. 2:9-10) and given everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). These truths completely eliminate the idea that we have to keep striving for things we already have been given as heirs in Christ. Once we believe that, we are free to enter His Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:1). When we realize that we are already right with God through what Christ did for us, we are free to experience the abundant life spoken of in John 10:10. We can boldly proclaim His salvation message to the lost because we are secure in the knowledge of what we have inherited. It is not about what we earn from Him, but what He freely given to us in Christ.

God and Perry Mason

I remember watching the old Perry Mason television programs, starring Raymond Burr as the title character. I used to say to myself that if Perry Mason tried every case there would be no unsolved crimes. No matter how difficult the case was he was able to not only solve the case, but get the main suspect to confess. Only on television. What is interesting to note here is that while a confession is an admission of guilt, it is not a request for to be forgiven of your crime. Yet, within the realm of Christianity, there seems to be a unanimously held belief that God requires us to confess our sins in order to be forgiven of them. I happened across the website of a large and popular Christian denomination. Under a section titled, Sin and Salvation, I found the following:

[Denomination] believe it is through the action of God working in us that we become aware of our sinfulness and our need for God's mercy and forgiveness. Just as a parent is quick to welcome a wayward child who has repented of rebellion, God is willing to forgive our sins if we but confess them and ask for forgiveness in the name of Christ.

I have no problem with admitting that a sin you are guilty of committing is a sin. However, to ask God to forgive you is to believe that you are not forgiven in the first place. I wonder how many Christians would agree with the statement above from this denominations website. I also wonder how many of those same Christians would say that Jesus died to take away all their sins. My question to them would be, "Which one is it?" Jesus either took away all our sins or He didn't. And if He didn't then that means He either must die again to pay for whatever sins He missed the first time or we must find a sacrifice equal to or greater than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Both are wrong.

"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:11-14

Jesus Christ obtained eternal redemption when He gave His life for us. Eternal means forever. That means that the sins you and I commit today and tomorrow were forgiven 2,000 years ago! Many Christians will say that Jesus only died for the sins we commit as an unbeliever or that He didn't die for our future sins. Well, unless you are over two thousand years old, all your sins you will ever commit were in the future when Jesus died. Furthermore, I can't speak for anybody else, but when I used to asked God to forgive my sins it didn't change my behavior one bit. All it did was make me feel better about my sin and supposed relationship with God until the next time I sinned. I was only fulfilling my religious duty as I believe every other Christian who does the same thing is doing. Think about it, without all the man-made rituals we perform to try and obtain more forgiveness how else would these institutions survive? Every time we ask God to do what He has already done we are calling Him a liar and our actions are not an expression of faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us. If sin separates us from God, and we have to keep asking Him to forgive us every time we sin, how are we going to be able to serve Him? You can't serve a God if you feel your sins are still coming between you and Him.

"When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9: 19-22

I remember it as if it was yesterday. "Father forgive me, for I have sinned. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads me to sin." I used to say this prayer every night! The fact that I did so was proof that I hadn't stopped sinning nor was I avoiding sin. Plus, if God is helping me, and I am still sinning, what does that say about God? Not to mention the fact that by asking forgiveness from Him, I was admitting that I didn't believe I was forgiven. Even worse was the fact that I believed that there was something wrong with me and that I had try harder and harder to stop sinning. It is this never-ending cycle of sin and forgiveness that keeps many believers trapped in their sins unable to approach God for His mercy in their time of need. Ultimately, we must realize that these ritualistic prayers do not meet God's requirements of shed blood in order to get forgiveness. It is like we believe that God required the blood of bulls and goats as payment for our sins in the Old Testament, but now, through Christ's sacrifice, we only need to ask God to forgive us. There is no shed blood in our apology! Did Jesus die so we could apologize? Of course He didn't. He died because there is nothing we could ever offer to God that He would accept as payment for our sins.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Galatians 5: 1-4

When Perry Mason breaks a defendant, that individual has been overwhelmed by the amount of evidence against them. Whether they confessed or not, they were going to be found guilty of the crime and punished for it. That is not any different than what we feel when we are asking God to forgive us. We feel that if we don't admit the sin, we will be found guilty anyway and sentenced to some sort of punishment. Well, the wages of sin is death. So, if we are supposed to die when we sin, but we don't, do we think it is because we confessed our sin or because Jesus died in our place? The answer is obvious. We make Jesus of no value to us when we deny His sacrifice. God's grace is that He withholds the punishment for our sins because He sees the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Anything we do to obtain more forgiveness is proof that we have fallen from grace and back under the yoke of slavery which is religious obedience. We are free in Christ. That doesn't mean that we are free to sin, but that we are free from the wages of sin, death, so we can approach God with confidence when we do sin. It is our ability to do this which allows us to discover why it was we weren't trusting God when we sinned. As my pastor put it, "Sin is best expressed as our attempts to find love, acceptance, meaning and purpose to life apart from a relationship with our God." We can't have a relationship with God if we still believe our sins are separating us from Him. It is okay to confess our sins to God as long as we also confess what God has done with our sins. And that is that they were taken away from the eyes of God for all eternity by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Inadvertent Whistle

This past Sunday afternoon the Denver Broncos benefited from a controversial call which led to them beating the visiting San Diego Chargers in an exciting football game. With less than a minute left to play in the game, Broncos quarterback, Jay Cutler, fumbled the ball while attempting to throw a pass. However, the referee, believing Cutler’s miscue to be an incomplete pass, inadvertently blew his whistle ending the play. The Chargers had recovered the ball, but because of the whistle being blown, the play was ruled dead the moment the football hit the ground. Denver retained possession of the ball and scored a touchdown two plays later. The Broncos converted a 2-point conversion after the touchdown to take the lead and eventually win the game. The obvious uproar that has ensued over the past few days has led to people wanting the referee to be fired and for the National Football League to change the rules regarding these types of plays. After all, the Broncos would have most likely lost the game if the whistle had not been blown. The second chance the Broncos received was a rare moment in sports. It isn’t often that a team gets a chance to win a game after the mistake of a referee.

"Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." Hebrews 10: 11-18

One of the most famous quotes about football was uttered by Herm Edwards. He is now the Head Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. But, when he was the coach of the New York Jets, he responded to a question from a reporter with, “You play to win the game!” To a football player, the way to “win the game” is by scoring as many points as possible, preferably by scoring touchdowns. The end zone in many ways can be described as Heaven. Everybody wants to get there and is willing to do whatever it takes. However, similar to Jay Cutler’s fumble, our sin prevents us from reaching that goal and there is nothing we can do about it on our own. The Broncos used a referee’s blown call, something out of their control, in order to get a chance to score the winning points. Jay Cutler’s “sin” of fumbling the football was wiped clean, so to speak, by the referees error. The sin of mankind is keeping us from our goal of entering Heaven. There is nothing we can do in order to free ourselves from the sin that separates us from God. No matter how successful we are at performing our religious sacrifices meant to atone for our sins, God does not accept them. In fact, the only sacrifice He accepts is the once and for all propitiating sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Our sincerity towards, and dedication to, trying to keep ourselves cleansed from sin is only telling God that the death of Jesus Christ is not enough. The last words Jesus Christ spoke prior to His death were, “it is finished.” I have heard that what He said means “paid in full” in its original language. When something is paid in full that means the debt no longer remains. How would you feel if you paid your debt, but were told you still owed on it? Now, imagine how God must feel when we are, effectively, doing the same thing when it comes to our sins.

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. " Romans 5: 17-19

If Jay Cutler’s fumble had stood, and San Diego was awarded the ball, he would have been left with no recourse. He would have been left to suffer the consequences of his mistake. If the referee had performed his duties efficiently, not only Cutler, but the entire Broncos football team would have suffered for it. When Cutler dropped that ball, the fate of his team and every Broncos fan hung in the balance. The actions of one man would have effected many lives. When Adam ate fruit from the forbidden tree, he died spiritually and, subsequently, all mankind is born into this world dead to God, in sin. Once Adam ate that fruit, and God removed His life from Adam, there was nothing Adam could do that would be able to restore that life he lost. Since all of us are born into this world spiritually dead to God in our sins, there is nothing we can do in order to get the life of God restored to us. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is the only man who ever existed who had a life worthy enough to satisfy God as payment for our sins. Adam was created spiritually alive. Jesus, the second Adam, was born spiritually alive. Being God, and born spiritually alive, qualifies Jesus as the only man who ever had a life to give on behalf of mankind. All mankind suffered the consequences of the sin of one man. Just as, in Christ, all mankind has a chance for the life lost in Adam to be restored to them throughout eternity.

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10: 26-29

If the referee makes the correct call on Jay Cutler's fumble the Broncos lose the game. There goal of reaching the endzone would have ended and they would have deserved to lose. It is not much different when it comes to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We deserve death for our sins. But, because of God's love for us, He sent Jesus Christ to take our place. And now, in Him, we have become children of God and citizens of Heaven. We don't deserve His love. We haven't done, aren't doing and can't do, anything that would please a God who is only pleased by the work of His Son. That referee's blown call resulted in unmerited favor being shown towards Jay Cutler and the Broncos. Jesus dying for our sins is God's unmerited favor, grace, towards a people who don't deserve His mercy. Anytime we act as though we are pleasing to God through our own efforts of trying to sacrifice for our sins we are insulting the Spirit of grace! Our efforts are no better than a fumbled football we cannot recover. It is that mentality that is deserving of punishment. But, instead of being punished for trampling the Son of God under foot we have been blessed by God's "blown whistle" which has given us a chance to win the game in Christ. Amen!

Opinions against TRUTH

It is amazing how there are so many believers who feel that if they say something witty that it somehow becomes the Gospel truth. But, one thing that usually is missing in all of this is biblical support for what they say they believe. I can't tell you the times that I have seen Christians state their opinions as if they are chapter and verse! Unwilling or unable to defend their opinions, they fall on their denominational swords rather than reason from the scriptures. Maybe I am wrong, but I will let you decide. Here are a few comments on certain subjects that are more opinion than truth.

Eternal Security

Opinion: "No! Rather God says, "Son, I love you so much that I'm willing to let you go if that's what you really want, although it breaks my heart to do so. I'll not force you to stay where you don't want to."

Truth: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." John 10: 27-29

Opinion: "I agree that no one or nothing can separate me from God ...... EXCEPT me. I can choose to remove myself from Jesus' hand."

Truth: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38-39

Identity

Opinion: "And this is why I do not subscribe to the popular teaching within Evangelicalism of Imputed Righteousness."

Truth: " Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." Romans 4:23-25

Opinion: "So how can we convince someone sin exists in his or her life? The theology of man, the theology of sin. Every true Christian is a sinner saved by grace."

Truth: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3: 1-2

Christian Living

Opinion: "Work to stay on God's track & He will not only be sure to get you to heaven, but also to portray you as clean to our Heavenly Father."

Truth: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5

Opinion: "We are called in order that we might bear everlasting fruit (John 15). To bear fruit (a time consuming process even in the horticulture world) requires that we be continually in communion with our Savior. That requires obedience. That's usually a bad word to most Christians, but it's a very important word. We can talk about how much faith we have, but it's our obedience (or lack thereof) that's a true measure of our faith. And just like Abraham, it's faith on our part that will be credited to us as righteousness (right standing with God)."

Truth: "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5: 4-6

These are only three subjects, a handful of opinions about them and the scripture verses that they contradict. To the Christian who is more familiar with religion, tradition and experience rather than truth, there opinions can sound like fact. However, having rock solid opinions based on zero information can be dangerous to those who don't take the time to check things against scripture. And the fact that these opinions are repeated ad nauseum is more of a indictment on those saying them then anything else. The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. And the growing number of Christians who are more willing to repeat the accepted truth rather than study to find biblical truth is at an epidemic pace. I don't say this to make a judgment about anyones salvation. My point is that the Bible is not difficult to understand if we are willing to be led by the Spirit. There are those that substitute the teachings of men for Biblical truth and end up doing damage to the scriptures they claim to get their opinions from within. Our job is to test what they say up against scripture. We can both be wrong, but we can't both be correct!

Equally Yoked is not Enough

Prior to being saved the most I cared about when it came to a mate was if she was attractive, liked me and laughed at my jokes. And for the most part that worked pretty well. However, after being saved there is a whole lot more that goes into my decision making process. While the above qualities still matter I now have to consider what someone believes before I can decide if she is someone I should consider dating. The hardest part about being a Christian, for me at least, is being single. I would presume that for most single Christian men they would agree. I know now that just because someone says they are a Christian doesn't mean that they are or that we share a majority of our beliefs in common. Now, when I meet a lady and find out she is a Christian, I must also discover what she means by "Christian." That entails asking some probing questions.

Do she know the full Gospel and understand it?

What's her understanding of the finished work of Christ?

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't sit my dates down in a dark room under a glaring light and give them the third degree. If I did, then it would be easy to see why I am single! But, I only mean to convey what I am trying to discover about this person before both of us invest too much time and feelings into a relationship that won't work out.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16

There are those that will say that as long as we are both Christians than the relationship will work out. They conclude that if we are both believers in Christ than all is well. In general, that is correct. We are both righteous, in the light, in Christ, believers Well, that isn't always the case. The young lady may be a believer. After all, man looks on the outside, but God knows the heart. However, I need to know that our relationship will start off on a solid foundation. Because after the infatuation wears off and reality sets in what do we have to build off of? For example, a few years ago I met a beautiful young lady through one of those online dating sites. She was a Christian, strong in her faith and passionate about the Lord. Great! But, less than a week after meeting her we had a disagreement over the subjects of tithing and the Prosperity Gospel. Okay, fine, disagreements are going to happen. The answer should be for both of us to put aside our pride and biases and turn to scripture to the let the Lord sort it out. But, her response, since I disagreed with her, was to chastise me by saying that I needed to be under the authority of a pastor. In other words, I came to my conclusions because I wasn't subjecting myself to a teacher, namely hers, so I couldn't be correct. I thought the Holy Spirit taught us truth, not another person. But, this conversation was enough for the relationship, brief though it was, to end. Again, I won't say that she was not a Christian, but that alone is not enough to sustain a relationship.

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1: 28-32

You may be wondering what a passage about the wickedness of unbelievers has to do with the topic of being equally yoked. It applies to this topic because not everybody who claims to be a Christian has any grounding or support for Christian doctrine. Just the other day, I had a young lady who I used to date, and who would say she is a Christian, ask me who I was supporting in the upcoming Presidential election. When I said I was supporting the Republican ticket she launched into a diatribe about why they were not right for the country. But, what surprised me even more was that she proudly asserted that she was supporting the Democrat ticket. One of her reasons for doing so is that they are "Pro-Choice." I understand in a political realm how there comes times when we won't get everything we want in a candidate. But, for a mother, which she is, and a supposed Christian, to support a ticket and a Party that will not defend the most innocent among us is a huge red flag. Honestly, I would be pro-choice too, if there was actuall a choice given by these proponents. If the opposite of being Pro-Choice is Pro-Life, that means being Pro-Choice is really "Pro-Death" or Pro-Abortion. This underscores my point about getting to know who it is that I date. When a Christian can openly support an obvious unbiblical position like this, I have to ask, "Where else do they compromise scripture?" This is not something I am interested in exploring and is actually a turn off.

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2: 22-24

Perhaps it is my lack of knowledge as to what it means to be equally yoked. But, how does one become united with his wife or become one flesh with her if they don't agree on some foundational issues? Granted, I have only given two examples, but I doubt they are isolated incidents. Perhaps, there are others who can tolerate those who resemble the two ladies I used in my example. But, to me it takes a lot of compromise in order to do so. I am not so naive to believe that I will agree with someone on every issue. But, being equally yoked has to mean more than just saying, "I believe in Jesus." What Jesus someone believes in and what they believe about Jesus is also paramount to becoming equally yoked. It is not my job to convince another individual, especially a perspective mate, to believe like I do. That is the job of the Lord. It also doesn't mean that I have to suppress what I know to be true for the sake of not being single. I would rather meet a newborn Christian who doesn't know much, and grow with her, rather than trying to deprogram her or be deprogrammed by her. I won't say that I understand this whole idea of Christian dating. There are other subjects, regardless of what we believe about the faith, that are issues as well; namely how to avoid pre-marital sex. But, you have to be equally yoked in faith, as well as understanding, before you can progress on to becoming one flesh.

Hurricane Jesus

On September 8, 1900, a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 135 mph, made landfall on the city of Galveston, Texas. Somewhere between 6,000 and 12,000 people lost their lives from this storm. This seems unbelievable by modern standards to have such a large loss of life, especially in the United States, given all the technology we have at our disposal. With radar that can see the storm when it forms you can have at least a week's warning of the storm before it hits. Combine that with around the clock coverage of the hurricane on television and radio and you would be hard pressed to find anybody who doesn't know about the storm prior to it making landfall. Yet, despite all that people still refuse to leave when certain destruction is imminent. And, in most cases, they pay the ultimate price for their stubborness.

"The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away." Matthew 16: 1-4

In this day and age the threat of a hurricane is nothing new and nothing surprising. Still, many people are caught off guard by these storms. How many people are just as unaware and ignorant when it comes to the things of the Lord and the promise of His return? Like those people who try and ride out a hurricane thinking that nothing will happen to them because previous storms didn't harm them, eventually their number will be called. By then, however, it will be too late to do anything about it. Just like weatherman and public officials warn people to be prepared for the coming storm, Christians try our best to warn unbelievers of the pending "storm" coming their way. But, like those individuals who pay with their lives by refusing to heed the warning of those chosen to protect them from the storm, unbelievers risk paying with their lives and their souls for eternity for refusing to respond to God's offer of salvation in Christ. What is strange is that we all know we are going to die. We also know that hurricanes take lives each and every year. We know when to expect them and where they usually strike, but many people still fall prey to them.

"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3: 3-7

Does this sound familiar? We are all familiar with hurricanes and the havoc they have wreaked for centuries. However, time and time again people deliberately forget the power and devastation they possess. The Bible talks about scoffers who are willfully ignorant of the coming of the Lord. They know the Bible has only been proven, never disproven. They are aware of the history of Christianity and how it has stood despite centuries of opposition. They see the hand of God in His creation. They know of the light of God, they have been given, that gnaws at their consciences when they are sinning. But, yet we still have evidence of their defiance.

"Christianity is such a silly religion." -Gore Vidal

"The inspiration of the Bible depends on the ignorance of the gentleman who reads it." -Robert Ingersoll

"It would be more consistent that we call [The Bible] the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind." -Thomas Paine

As I have often said, just because someone says something with passion doesn't mean that what they say is accurate. If you are like me your blood boils when you see people pronounce their defiance of the word of God which such venom. At least two of the gentleman quoted above have passed away. I wonder if they would write these same words today? Regardless, we must remember that these gentleman, and those that share their beliefs, serve as perfect opportunities for us to express the love of God towards them. It is human nature to want to ignore people like this and sit back until the Lord comes, but God does not want anyone to perish. And He wants to use us to express that sentiment to unbelievers.

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-3

I have family who live directly in the path that Hurricane Ike was taking towards the southern United States this weekend. Up until yesterday, they were not sure when, or if, the storm would strike where they lived. They told me that the storm was going to strike during the middle of the night. Thankfully, they made it through the storm after heeding the direction of local officials. It is interesting that despite knowing the storm was coming they were not certain when it would exactly strike. But, the one thing they did do was prepare for its arrival. Christians have prepared for the "arrival" of the Day of the Lord by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. Now, we act like those weatherman, television and radio announcers who try and warn unbelievers of the coming storm headed their way. We can see storm clouds on the horizon and their are those that will listen to our warning. There are also those that will scoff at us despite the evidence that proves them wrong. I heard that the enormous loss of life during the hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, back in 1900, was due in large part to the curiousity of the citizens. As the storm approached they went to the shoreline to watch it coming. The rising waters of the storm surge caught them off guard to their detriment. We know the storm is coming. Their will be no riding it out or running away from it. The only way to survive the storm is safe in the arms of God through faith in Jesus Christ.