Thanksgiving As Sacrifice

"Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving..." (Ps. 95:2a). God isn't looking for a great sacrifice to impress Him; "...the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit." "For you will not delight in sacrifice or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering" (Ps. 51:16-17). You may feel a cleavage betwixt you and the Lord and the only thing you might need to do is to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving ("Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!" (Ps. 100:4). "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good" (Ps. 107:1).
Who glorifies God? "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me..." (Ps. 50:23).

Remember the sobering words of Paul about those who were not thankful: "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him..." (Rom. 1:21a). Everyone has a treasure chest to thank God for in spite of his circumstances: I recall the man who felt sorry for himself because he had no shoes until he saw a man without any feet. Looks like we have no excuse. "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (Ps. 103:2).

Conclusion: "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?"--being thankful is a start-- (Ps. 116:12).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Self-Made?

"...IN ALL THAT HE DOES, HE PROSPERS..." (cf. Ps. 1:3). "...For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (cf. Josh. 1:8).
Pertinent verses to ponder:

"...I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go" (cf. Isa. 48:17). "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2, NLT). "If your riches increase, do not set your heart on them." "For one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of his possessions" (cf. Luke 12:15). "He who mocks the poor insults his Maker" (cf. Prov. 17:5).

They say that the classic definition of an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his creator! Did you ever wonder what was more important: Your ambition or the grace of God? I thought it curious that President Obama says his favorite word in any language is "grace." This is what sets apart Christianity from religion which relies on merit or works for salvation.

Have you ever heard of a taxi driver with a Ph.D.? Eccl. 9:11 says: The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise are often poor and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives..." (The New Living Translation). "Time and chance happen to them all."

If you are successful it is because others have suffered, and if you are suffering, it is so others may succeed," a wise preacher named Judson has said. Amos had a lot to say to the rich of his day: "And just as stupid is this bragging about Lo-debar [nothing]. You boast, "Didn't we take Karnaim [something strong] by our own strength and power?" Isaiah says in Isa. 26:12: "All we have accomplished you have done for us." Remember that the poor and the rich have this in common, according to Proverbs: God is the maker of them all. "And always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get rich" (cf. Deut. 8:18). They say There, but for the grace of God go I. "I am what I am by the grace of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).

I heard about one politician say that in an economic system the cream always rises to the top. This is another form of class warfare and thinking we should live in a dog-eat-dog world or a system of evolution where the "survival of the fittest" rule rains in the law of the jungle. I think the ideal of American society is that we are really a classless society and that people should remember their roots ("...Look to the rock from which they are hewn, the quarry from which they are dug" it says in Isa. 51:1) and know from where they came. I believe that in a free society all can aspire to improve themselves because they are no "untouchables" and there no caste-system. "Do not abhor an Edomite [who is offensive], for he is your brother," (cf. Deut. 23:7).

Money is not how we keep score: Like they say that he who dies with the most toys wins! Rather the better measure of our riches is not in the abundance of our possessions, but in the fewness of our wants according to Billy Graham.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Marching To The Beat Of A Different Drum

Years ago my coworkers couldn't understand my ways and said I marched to the beat of a different drummer--it was when I had rededicated my life to Christ. I seemed to them like a mystic that listened to the "inner voice" like a Quaker does. I believe this is okay as long as the "User's Guide" is the Scriptures. God has no general M.O. to reveal His will for our lives. It is a walk, step by step, day by day--we only know the next step when we are obedient to the previous one. "Job One" is knowing God's will but and we will not be given an itinerary or master plan, but shown an open door and maybe some closed doors. We "walk by faith and not by sight" and "the righteous shall live by faith" and progress "from faith to faith" growing in glory into the image of Christ himself.

Sometimes we may have to go against the grain and take chances, just like Abraham went out not knowing where he was going, he took a leap of faith. The Christian life is a journey, not a destination, and no one can say they have "arrived." If we do make mistakes, God turns them into blessings according to Rom. 8:28, which says all things will work together for our good.

David was a "man after God's own heart" and the reason he was is that he was willing to do all the will of God. There is no "1-2-3" method of finding God's will because we are all unique individuals in God's eyes. However, He does have a master plan according to Jer. 29:11 which says, "I know the plans I have for you...." Yes, "let the chips fall where they may," because God cannot be thwarted and He has a custom-made plan for each of His children. 

There are many "no-brainers" in the Bible that declare God's will like 1 Thess. 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." We are commanded to know God's will and not be ignorant of it: "Do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." We have the privilege of being given the will of God: "...[God] has chosen you to know His will" (Acts 22:14). We are not to sing with Doris Day: "Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be." We are not subject to impersonal fate. Nor can we be like the blind kismet of the  Muslims who proudly say in a catastrophe: "It is the will of Allah."  

 As a matter of definition, there is the preceptive will of God laid out in Scripture, and His secret, sovereign, decreed will that is secret and none of our business. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, and those that He has revealed belong to us and to our children..." (Deut. 29:29). When we discover the will of God, like an epiphany or "Aha!" moment in the Scriptures, we will have peace (cf. Col. 3:15).    We are to claim promises like Psalm 32:8 saying: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go, I will counsel you with my eye upon you." We can get in sync with God's will by knowing the Word: "I desire to do your will O my God, your law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:8). "Send forth your light and your truth, let them lead me" (Ps. 43:3). "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:105). "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" (Ps. 37:23).   Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is Prayer?

"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples..."  (cf. Isa. 56:7).  When we pray we enter and gain access or entrée into the throne room of God and into another dimension.   We are not overcoming His reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness--not so much getting our will done in heaven as His will done on earth.  The best and most complete prayer is simply:  "Thy will be done!"  This divine power lies dormant in all believers and they don't realize their potential.  Prayer is where the action is and the goal of prayer is prayer, i.e., it has its own rewards!  We should enjoy dialog with the Almighty.  The problem with most prayer warriors is that they don't listen.  "But for me, it is good to be near God"  (cf. Ps. 73:28).

 It is better to be plainspoken than to preach and it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.  Indeed, we must learn to be straightforward and bare our souls to God.  If we really want the glory of God we have the right attitude and motive.  It is more an attitude than a dialog when we say we "pray without ceasing."   Prayer doesn't waste our time, but someone has said it is "the ultimate time-saver."  Saying "Amen" is not a magic word or formula, but an expression of faith and means essentially "so be it."  My tribulations and trials have kept me on my knees--so how's your prayer life?  Lincoln said that many a time he was driven to his knees, simply because he had nowhere else to go." 

One keynote:  Keep short accounts with the Father they say and remember the most important verse to keep the conversation going is 1 John 1:9  which says:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Did you know that we can't pray for too big a request or to small a matter--His love is great enough for everything and nothing is too great for an infinite God.  How big is your God?   He has not given us a blank check or carte blanche but must ask in Jesus' name, which means we seek to honor Him and are asking on His merits, not ours.   Other provisos are abiding in Christ (cf. John 15:7) and obedience (cf.1 John 3:22).   "Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live"  (cf. Psa. 116:2). 

Seek God with all your heart!  Call upon His name in the day of trouble (cf. Ps. 55:22)!  Cast your burden upon the Lord cf. (cf. Phil. 4:6).  Continue in prayer (cf.Col. 4:2).  And above all be thankful!  This is only Prayer 101!  Some wise believer said to work as if everything depends on you, but pray as if everything depends on God. 

By definition, prayer is a two-way dialogue with the Heavenly Father or one of the other members of the Godhead, in the name of Jesus, according to God's will, in the power of the Holy Spirit. There are conditions: Prayer is communion (we bare our souls) and the Lord's Supper, or Communion, is an analogy or type of prayer whereby we cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit and renew our fellowship with God. "If we regard iniquity in our heart the Lord will not hear us" (cf. Ps. 66:18). Peter said that a lack of harmony in a marriage can be an impediment to a person's prayer life and may hinder effective prayer. It is the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails"(cf. James 5:16) and so we must meet all the conditions of prayer: humility, reverence, and sincerity, for example.

Prayer is only to the Deity of the Trinity of Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit and invocation to any other person, saint, or deity is idolatry (cf. Ps. 5:2). We must pray according to God's will to be heard according to 1 John 5:14. We must pray in Jesus' name (our mediator) according to John 14:13,14, and not give up but importune according to Luke 18:1 ("One ought always to pray and not to give up"), and Matt. 7:7 ("keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking"). To gain entrée into God's presence, as if to another dimension, we must "enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His courts with praise" (cf. Ps. 100:4).

Brother Lawrence wrote a book, Practicing the Presence of God. He learned to keep the conversation going. We aren't always uttering prayers, but the channel is open and we are in fellowship in an attitude of prayer, sensitive to His promptings. President Lincoln is quoted as saying that many a time he found himself on his knees, simply because he had nowhere else to go! It is well said that Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. Posture is not that important per se, but the attitude in prayer: i.e., we don't always have to lie prostrate or lift our hands to heaven.

 Scripture teaches both the efficacy of prayer and the sovereignty of God and we conclude that God ordains the means of prayer to His glorious ends. When we say "Thy will be done" this is not a cop-out but faith and it isn't trying to make a loophole if it isn't answered, but this is commanded by God and His will will be done despite our prayers, but He has chose as the means to His ends, that He will use our prayers. The prayer of relinquishment is the greatest prayer one can say.

Yes, indeed, prayer is the "acid test" of one's spirituality and as the famed follow-up counselor of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc., Charlie Riggs was known as one who could only pray and quote Scripture, and look at his success to become the head of follow-up. Many famous saints spent a lot of time in prayer, Martin Luther would spend at least 2 hours to start the day in prayer, and if he was busy he would spend more time! Yes,  again:   "Prayer doesn't just take time, it is the ultimate time-saver."

Prayer is entering God's presence (like into another dimension) or His sanctuary: We are to seek His face and His presence continually. "The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him" (cf. Hab. 2:20). "Be still and know that I am God" (cf. Ps. 46:1). Genuine prayer will always be answered: sometimes no, sometimes yes, and sometimes wait or I have something better! God does answer prayer: "Call unto Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me" (cf. Ps. 50:15); "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (cf. Jer. 33:3); "Before they call I shall answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (cf. Isa. 65:24).

My pastor keeps reminding us that prayer is where the action is and one cannot have a healthy relationship with God without a growing prayer life. We either grow or go backward; there is no treading water or standing still spiritually. To open prayer, it is helpful to just praise God for who He is and thank Him for your blessings. He is interested in everything ("Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you"). No problem is too big or too trivial; they are all small to God. The best single prayer I have ever seen is the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

In summary, prayer is seeking God and aligning ourselves with His will--we don't change God, prayer changes us! "Seek the Lord while He may be found" (cf. Isa. 55:6). "You shall seek Me and find Me, when you seek for Me with all your heart" (cf. Jer. 29:13); "The Lord has not forsaken those who seek Him" (cf. Ps. 9:10). "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me" (cf. Prov. 8:7). "Sow for yourselves in righteousness, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness on you" (cf. Hos. 10:12). Prayer is a blessing to God and to have a vital relationship with Him we must thirst after His Spirit and yearn for His presence, and seek His face. The Lord's Prayer is a paradigm prayer, not meant to be uttered word-by-word, but as a model and it is the prayer par excellence of Jesus. It is important to say, "Amen!" (So be it!) to our prayers as a confession of faith and relinquishment to God's will.  To reiterate let me say emphasize my point.   A word to the wise is sufficient: the goal of prayer is prayer.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Did God Promise A Rose Garden?

Job wasn't surprised that God dealt him a hand of trouble for he said, "Shall we accept good at the hand of God and not evil?" Surely, one can postulate that our life is no bed of roses; but don't get a martyr's complex either. However, everything that happens is Father-filtered and Isaiah says, "When you [not if you] pass through the waters I will be with you." Jesus says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Charlie Riggs says that"adversity builds character and Christlikeness."  Indeed, adversity is the crucible that prepares us and helps us to share in the holiness of God, as Paul referred to the "fellowship of His sufferings."

Rabbi Harald Kushner wrote a book, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? Well, they happen to bad people too! But the point is that there are no good people either. Adversity, discipline, suffering, trials, grief, heartache, and even ordeals and tragedy can happen to any Christian. Christ didn't exempt himself from suffering and was honest enough to warn us of it. Trouble inevitably comes to all believers: "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (cf.Job 5:7). The Psalmist says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous..." (cf. Psalm 34:19). Riggs says that Hardship is part of the divine curriculum, part of Reality 101, as it were.

The famous Viennese Psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, was in a concentration camp known as Dachau and Riggs points out that the secret to his success in enduring was that he had a purpose (if you have a why you can endure the how); we can endure anything if we have hope! What they say as a cliche is that it is not what happens to you, but in you; you either become bitter or better.

We may have a "thorn in the flesh" like Paul and we are to remember that God works everything together for our good (cf. Rom. 8:28). Phil. 1:29 says, "For it has been granted unto you not only to believe in Christ but to suffer for His name." Even "Christ "learned obedience from what he suffered." C. S. Lewis says, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts to us in our pain."
As a matter of discipline per Heb. 12: 5-6 and Prov. 3: 11-12 and Job 5:17, God is pruning and not punishing us. "It is good that I was afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes;" "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your Word" (cf. Psalms 119: 71, 67).

"Lay out the welcome mat" and rejoice with thanksgiving at trouble--no problem! Negative stress is good for you. "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice" (cf. Phil 4:4). Remember, God sees the long-term advantage and result, and we must keep the faith. Our walk is at stake and the Lord will "lead us in the path of righteousness for His namesake [our testimony]."

As an illustration, Riggs mentions a sculptor making a horse out of a stone; "How can you make a horse out of that? One inquires. "Oh, I just chip away at anything that doesn't look like a horse." God does likewise with us. To sum it all up, I quote Job 23: 10. "But he knows the way that I take when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold." In sum, God promises no bed of roses, but don't get a martyr's complex either, thinking the more you suffer, the better saint you are.   Soli Deo Gloria!

A Doctrinal Testimony

A testimony is to attest to a first-hand account and account for it--it is hard to argue, like a man saying, "I was blind, but now I see." In a testimony, we give the synopsis of our life before conversion, how we got converted, and life after the leap, so to speak. Before the conversion, there is unrest and perplexity, then there is a turning point or climax, then there is peace, fulfillment and rest in Christ according to Billy Graham. They all tell of the person's personal pilgrimage and usually don't spare the details, as some like to glorify the past. I will spare you the details; believe me, I was a bad boy and a prodigal son and went through the school of hard knocks and had to come to the end of myself before I would cry out to the Lord in saving faith. I was surely depraved and knew it; I had been there and done that!

Conversion is the act of repentance, faith, and regeneration all occurring together by an act of God ("Salvation is of the Lord.") We do the repenting and believing and God does the regenerating which is passive. Faith is a gift of God and repentance is just the flip side that occurs simultaneously; it is either believing repentance or penitent faith that saves.

 My first step was to admit my need; like they say the preacher has to get the lost before he can save them. I was at my wit's end and at the end of my rope! Confirmation in the Lutheran church had been to no avail and I had lost what faith I had in college. It was in the Army that I came to know the Lord. I was not a very good soldier and didn't think I was going to make it as the loner I was. I wasn't getting out of life what I wanted and was existential in my philosophy thinking there was no purpose in life but to party. But I don't want to give "too much info!"

Before I was saved my life was dominated by sin and pleasing myself; I had no peace of mind and was looking ours for Number One! There seemed to be pleasure in sin for a season as I went to the bar scenes and learned to drink. I was also looking for love in all the wrong places if you know what I mean. I was separated from God and there was a cleavage or chasm between us. My life was empty, void and seemed boring in a vacuum. I yearned to have a relationship with God, not just know that He exists,  and didn't know what I was searching for; however, I wanted to know the truth. As Pascal said, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in us that only God can fill." And Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee."

  We are made to know God and have a relationship with Him.     I like Psalm 107:2 which says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story ("Let the redeemed of the Lord say so"); if you have been redeemed speak up, in other words! Now how I got saved listening to Billy Graham. I was listening to the sermon being translated into Korean and it was going so slow I got every point he made!   He was talking of repentance and that seemed the missing link in my life that I had never done; I had to renounce sin for good. First I realized my need: "Indeed it is the straightedge of the law that shows us how crooked we really are" (Rom. 3:20). Then I recognized that Christ was indeed God in the flesh who died on my behalf personally. I received Christ with saving faith, which is either called believing repentance or penitent faith as my personal Lord and Savior. Note that I realized that repentance was imperative or mandatory according to Acts 17:30, "Now He commands all men everywhere to repent." Acts 3:19 says, "Repent and turn to God that your sins may be blotted out and times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

I made a clear commitment that was a response to the wooing or tug of the Holy Spirit and I literally gave up, surrendered, and committed to following Christ. I went from the "gutter most to the uttermost."    The result is not that I am everything I ought to be, but thank God I'm not what I used to be!  I have peace with God, others, and myself ("Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God..."; "My peace I give unto you..."; "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace....")

I have an assurance that I am going to heaven because I am not ignorant of God's Word and take Him at His Word. "He that comes to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). This is my spiritual birth certificate you could say! As they say:  "God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, that settles it in my mind."    Most important I have an abundant and fulfilling life according to  His promise of abundant life with a capital L (in short purpose in living).  I am now learning to overcome sin, know His will and seek His kingdom. But faith is manifest only in obedience; it has legs and must be followed by action or it is dead (no fruit, no faith);we must turn our beliefs into deeds, for we are saved unto good works though not by them,  and we are His masterpiece (says Paul in Eph. 2:10).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Voting Your Duty?

According to Rom. 5:14 there was sin even before the Law was given and no explicit commandment existed--men should've known right and wrong. All wrongdoing is sin, e.g., budding in line or road-rage, to name two. We have a civic duty to fight evil in whatever way we can and as citizens, we should be "good" citizens and vote in my opinion; or else we forfeit the right to complain. The argument from silence is a ploy that tricks naive people that know they are a rationalization and defense mechanism. Our liberty is curtailed by our brother's conscience and we certainly aren't supposed to encourage others in our sin or questionable acts as citizens. A good rule of thumb for morality would be the following: What would happen if everyone did it?

We are to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." We will have to give an account of ourselves as to what we did with evil and not voting is trying to be neutral and there is no neutral as far as God is concerned. Are we part of the problem or part of the solution?

As long as we are in an imperfect world before the Millennial Kingdom of Christ we will always be choosing between the lesser of two evils; no one is perfect! It is just as wrong to exalt someone as a hero and "savior" than it is to demonize. God is a jealous God and doesn't appreciate us thinking someone is the panacea for our societies woes. The choice will always be between the lesser of two evils until Christ comes--so don't be disillusioned or disenchanted! I want as little evil as possible, don't you?  Soli Deo Gloria!

Whom Shall We Choose?

Like Joshua said, "Choose this day whom you shall serve...." We are on a road with a fork in it and have to decide which way to go. Josiah was the only king of Judah that had been compared to David and followed in the ways of him all the days of his life, not turning to the left nor to the right (2 Cor. 34:2). In Proverbs, we learn that it is wise not to go to one or another extreme--this is what is happening in the gridlock of our government! We are losing the voice of compromise and everyone wants his way or the highway so to speak. Where are the moderates that don't think they are speaking for God in everything?

I do not believe, as my presupposition, that you can assume God is a member of a political party or that one party represents the Christian worldview or agenda, like saying the litmus test is being pro-life. I agree with George Washington that we shouldn't even have parties [to be like bullies in my opinion] and we must accept those who disagree with us politically and not be fanatics politically, but only fanatics for the gospel of Christ which is the Great Commission, no reforming the cosmos, in which the devil is the god of.

I recollect the first election that I voted in: 1972 in Nixon vs. McGovern. I just liked Nixon like they liked Ike and had no real political philosophy: I thought he was the man as it were. I have since found out that he was dishonest and corrupt and had a dirty tricks man named Chuck Colson. If I were to vote all over again today I would not vote for Nixon even if I didn't consider myself a liberal.  (I was loyal to him to the bitter end, however, if I had known Bible doctrine I would not have been hurt.) However, God's Providence overruled and despite our foolishness He had a reason for putting Nixon in there to end the war et al. do we vote for the better man or for the one who agrees with our agenda? I voted for Reagan because I deemed him the better man than Jimmy Carter; I wanted a real man in the White House. Martin Luther said that he would rather vote for a competent pagan than an incompetent Christian. I don't know that that is right; Hitler was very competent and lots of people thought he could turn the economy around.

I believe voting for a person is a choice and we must believe that God is in charge and can use anyone He desires according to His pleasure. I do not want to find myself voting for the devil in disguise or an antichrist or one who believes in "another Jesus." Actually, in summation, both agenda and character, as well as competence, are valid reasons to choose but sometimes we are forced to choose between them. One must decide which is his most important issue or one that he could live with and pray the most for God to use in His will. Let's pray, "May the better man win!" Let's not compromise our principles to vote for what seems convenient or expedient to us, but what is good for the country.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Habitual or Sinful Smoker?

Smoking is a bad habit--I'm sure no one would deny that, even if they think it is cool. Soon the reality sets in and they long for freedom from the drag, especially the cost and health concerns (do you have money to burn?). The prince of preachers C. H. Spurgeon was asked if he'd ever stop smoking--he said when it became a problem! (He defined a problem as having to smoke two at a time!) Smoking is one of the strongest addictions, nicotine to be exact is narcotic in its strength and smoking should be labeled a vice--like drinking and gambling or similar activity that is deleterious.

When a habit interferes with your Christian walk it is time to quit. There can be neutral habits like scratching your head that have no moral value positive nor negative but are just idiosyncrasies. I do not judge people just because they smoke, because smoking per se is not prohibited in Holy Writ; but it can be inferred from many passages that the addiction can be sinful. There isn't much to build an anti-smoking case on but it is there and every spiritually ambitious believer should consider letting God give him victory over this vice which is a vicious habit.

1 Cor. 6:12 says that all things are indeed permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor. 9:27 says that we should bring our body under subjection, lest, when we have preached to others, we ourselves should be disqualified. Gal. urges us not to be entangled in bondage and stay free in the Spirit. Most important though are Rom. 12: 1 saying that we should present our bodies as living sacrifices and 1 Cor. 6:19-20 saying that our bodies are not our own, but belong to God--they are not to do with what we want ourselves. When people first started to smoke they didn't know the hazards, except that it was a dirty habit.

It is only recently that tobacco is a known carcinogen and even second-hand smoke isn't safe. I know of an old Christian man who smokes a pipe, but he's in control of it, not vice versa. My uncle Bob chewed snuff his whole adult life with it being nothing more than a nuisance to others. If we can't afford to smoke it is a matter of stewardship, not being cool or of our liberty.

I have acquired a taste for wine, and I am not an alcoholic and I don't have cravings, just an appreciation on occasion. Jeremiah in the Old Testament drank wine but he respected abstinence. I know that you can have victory over the flesh in Christ who makes us more than conquerors.  Sin is "lawlessness" and sinners are known to be a "law unto themselves" making up their rules as they go along, not subject to any authority. The ultimate question you must ask:  Do you control it, or does it control you?  Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty--not bondage. "All wrongdoing is sin:" Case closed.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Must America Be Punished?

No nation has had the privilege that we have or the high standard of living for so many as America. We are indeed responsible to God for the way we vote and participate and pray for our nation as it is "under God." Israel was specifically known by God above all nations and therefore God chose to punish them (cf. Amos 3) and not let them get away with idolatry.

The captivity in Babylon cured them of that but they had the sign of hypocrisy and legalism to boot notwithstanding. The promises in Deuteronomy 28 refer to God's covenant with Israel and not the church. The Abrahamic covenant of blessing those who bless us is still in effect.

We are admonished to not give up on our leaders but to intercede for them. There's nothing endemically wrong with infidel leaders who are moral and competent. The promise in 2 Chron. 7:14 is valid and pertinent to the Gentile nations: "If My people, who are called by My name [Christians] shall humble themselves [and seek His face, etc.]" God shall "heal the land" That's a promise you can take to the bank! America will only be punished if His people fail our country en masse.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Can Controversy Be Good?

"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3).

John Stott authored the book Christ the Controversialist and I think he's onto something here: Avoiding controversy completely is avoiding Christ, as it were. There are foolish controversies or quarrels, and there are ones that are worth the fight and are "non-negotiables." We shouldn't quarrel about disputable matters, such as eating meat or a Sabbath, but everyone should obey his conscience and be fully convinced in his own mind (Rom. 14:1ff).   Some have an unhealthy craving for quarrels and meanings of words (1 Tim. 6:4,8). 

We are to avoid "foolish controversies" or dissensions according to Titus 3:9. In the book Patton's Principles: A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It he admonishes us not to argue over something that you have nothing or little to gain in winning--to pick our fights wisely.  You could lose a friend arguing about a trivial subject.    As St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

There will be factions though we are not to have a factious spirit (a fruit of the flesh) because Christ said that he came not to "bring peace, but a sword (Matt. 10:34). But we are to beware of "deceptive philosophy and empty deceit.." cf/ Col. 2:8. So don't let anyone fool you with sophistry or "plausible arguments" and not according to the Word (Col. 2:4).   Soli Deo Gloria!

What Do We Know About Israel For Sure?

Defining Israel as the descendants of Jacob, not just of the tribe of Judah, of which the modern-day nation of Israel is composed.

There are a few facts that are clearly delineated in Scripture about present and future Israel: (1) Israel is presently blinded by God but even now the elect or remnant are being saved (Rom. 11:7-8); (2) in the last days "all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26); (3) Israel "stumbled over the stumbling stone" (Christ) (Rom. 9:32); (4) they will "come" to the LORD in the last days (Hos. 3:5); (5) today's condition of Israel is prophesied as without king, prince, sacrifice, sacred stones, ephod or idol (Hos. 3:4); (6) it is prophesied that they shall be "wanderers among the nations" (Hos. 9:17) and in the last days they shall be planted again in their own land (Amos 9:15);(7) Israel is a source of blessing for "in Abraham shall all the nations be blessed" (Gen. 12:2-3); (8) at last God will" pour out His Spirit" on Israel and they shall believe in Christ "whom they pierced" (Zech. 12:10); (9) finally, the mystery of Christ is that the Gentiles and Israel are heirs together in one body and share in the promise of Christ (Eph. 2:6).  There will come a time when they will not miss the ark of the covenant.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Divine Curriculum

"For it has been granted unto you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but to suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29).  "We glory in our afflictions," (cf. Romans 5:3).   Let's not suffer as offensive Christians, but for the offense of the cross, okay?
Job proclaims: "Shall we receive good at the hand of God? and shall we not receive evil [trouble]?" (Job 2:10). The psalmist says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous..." (Ps. 34:19)
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, cried in Lam.3:1: "I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath." But he also said: "He does not afflict willingly or grieve the children of men" (Lam. 3:33).

Suffering is the crucible that God uses as a change agent. A sculptor was asked how he could make a horse out of a rock of marble. He replied that he simply takes away everything that doesn't look like a horse! The psalmist said in Ps. 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." "It is good that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Ps. 119:71).

Suffering, whether it be an ordeal, punishment, discipline, trial, affliction, adversity, disaster, or troubles come to Christians as a given. They are part of Reality 101 and every student of Christ is enrolled in this school: consider it a joy to suffer for Christ's sake like the disciples did. Christ did not exempt himself from difficulty or pain of suffering. Paul shared that he wanted to obtain "the fellowship of sufferings" of Christ. Most of us have our "thorn in the flesh" like Paul and we all have our crosses to bear. Fortunately, our problems are "Father-filtered." Nothing happens apart from His providential guidance. Suffering is par for the course! It comes with the territory!

Adversity builds character and that is the good news. There is an upside of down, as it were. Suffering and success are correlated: Judson said that if you are suffering and not succeeding, it is so that others may succeed; if you are succeeding without suffering, it is so that others may succeed. So, lay out the welcome mat and welcome adversity and trials as friends and rejoice! They help us conform to the image of Christ. God sees the long-term result and the goal is Christ-likeness. If we let the world change us we are conformers if Christ changes us we are transformers. We have Christ's sympathy, for He did not exempt Himself from suffering.

Life is no bed of roses and God never promised us a rose garden. But we are not to get paranoid or develop a martyr's complex either, thinking the world is out to get us. "For it has been granted unto you not only to believe in Him but to suffer for His sake" (cf. Phil. 1:29). Christ learned obedience from what He suffered and was a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (cf. Isa. 53:3).

Grief or trouble makes us bitter or better. NB:  experience is not what happens to you but what happens in you.  The same sun melts the butter and hardens the clay. Christians are like tea bags that you don't know what they're like till their in hot water. We should refrain from pity parties and have the attitude of Viktor Frankl, Viennese psychiatrist captured by the Nazi's, that "this too shall pass." He said that man can survive any "what" if he has a "why." Our attitude cannot be taken from us and it determines our altitude.

When we see others suffer we are not to gloat or feel superior, but think, "There but for the grace of God, go I." Scripture says in Obadiah 12: "Do not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune." God wants to teach us by other's examples but may have to get our attention by other means. It has been said, "God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains." All suffering is to bring glory to God and conform us to His image that we may share in His holiness. God had said what great things Paul would suffer for the kingdom and some are mentioned in 2 Cor. 11:16ff such as shipwreck, stoning, exposure, scourging, et cetera. "When times are good to be happy; but when times are bad to consider: God has made the one as well as the other" (Eccl. 6:10).

Remember, that it only takes a night to make a mushroom, but many years to make an oak. A good summation would be as Job said: "The Lord knows the way that I take; when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). Hebrews says not to despise the chastening of the Lord! Job said in Job 5:7 that "But man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." And "Man, born of woman, is of few days and full of trouble" (cf. ob 14:1). So, why do bad things happen to good people? There are no good people in God's estimation and also, bad things happen to bad people, too.

Pertinent verses are as follows:  "He gets their attention through affliction, "(cf. Job 36:155).  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous..." (cf. Ps. 34:19). "I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." But God's crucible is Father-filtered so that all things work together for our good (Rom. 8:28). What faith Job has: "Though He slay me I shall trust Him" (cf. Job 13:15). Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We Keeping In Touch?

I'm not talking about keeping in touch with family and friends, though this is vital to a healthy and fit spiritual life--for if we are awry in our human relationships we are ill at ease with God too. They can be distinguished but not separated; we need both the vertical and the horizontal relationship to be well spiritually. Many would assume that a long articulate prayer will automatically get results and since it impresses those in attendance, it expresses God's will more explicitly. We need not draw attention to ourselves; the best prayers get lost in the presence of God. Job said, "O that I might know where I might find him."

Prayer is like entering another dimension where we approach the throne room and God's gracious presence and the Holy Spirit just uses us as a channel or conduit of grace to pray on our behalf. "...The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." [Better feelings without words, than words without feelings, it has been said.] And so God translates our prayers in spite of ourselves--no need to impress God with high sounding words or thinking that with many words we will be heard. Recall the publican who simply prayed, "God be merciful to me the sinner!"

Preachers tend to sermonize and preach in their prayers and think that it is the time for a doctrinal exposition or want to elaborate the best they know-how even if the average Joe gets lost in the shuffle. Some believers have a special anointing of prayer-works and are the exception to the rule; J. I. Packer says that his prayers are feeble as it were and nothing to brag about but they are his private matter.

The test of prayer is the result, not that we are expedient, but we must realize that it is done to us according to our faith. The Pharisees were very articulate and pompous in their prayers and Jesus called them hypocrites. Psalm 116:1-2 shows us that the psalmist prayed because he knew God heard him. This is my experience: the more I realize that God hears me, the more I pray. Psalm 119 is the longest prayer in the Bible and shows that prayer can be refined and polished and doesn't always have to be spontaneous, extemporaneous, or be an ad lib effort.

 Now the best players put the focus on God and not on ourselves; the more they dwell on Christ the closer we draw to the throne of grace. We are not to always be uttering prayers, but be in the attitude of prayer with the line open, as it were. Finally, it is important to "pray the Word" and by this, I mean utter the prayers of the Bible and personalize the text to your own life situation.   Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is Genuine Fellowship?

Our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son and with one another in Christ (1 John 1:3,7). "If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another...." According to the Navigators, fellowship is on the "Wheel of Obedience" along with prayer, witnessing and Bible study. The early disciples devoted themselves to fellowship... (Acts 2:42). This is God's body-building program where we exercise our spiritual gifts. The Greek word is koinonia. By definition, fellowship is two fellows in the same ship. We must share something in common to have fellowship.  There is no fellowship with the unbeliever as light and darkness (2 Cor. 6:14).

Male bonding is not fellowship per se, but fellowship is a sort of bonding, nevertheless. "Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). The hobby of the 17th-century gentleman was to talk theology or what is called "God-talk" (but even this is not necessarily true fellowship, but can be merely intellectual or academic). When two Christians get together ("Whenever two or three are gathered together in my name there I am") and talk about the weather or sports it is not necessarily true fellowship. This is faux fellowship. We don't need a neutral subject to share with one another. In Malachi, the fellowship was with those who feared the Lord and spoke often with one another (Mal. 3:16).

There are some who think they are spiritual lone rangers or lone wolves. Like the Simon and Garfunkel song "I Am A Rock." It says: "I have no need for friendship, friendship causes pain" and "A rock feels no pain and an island never cries...." I like the Beatles' lyrics better: "I get by with a little help from my friends." We are all in this thing together and need each other as one part of the body needs another.

The purpose of fellowship is manifold: to edify the body, share honesty, touch base, have good company, keep in touch, be accountable, be a companion, share burdens, have someone to talk to in time of need; we are not to have a bed of roses or a rose garden and not to be comfortable, but be comforters (2 Cor. 1:4).

In sum, we are social creatures and should always strive to reach the "rock higher than [us]." "For iron sharpens iron: so a man the countenance of his friend"(Prov. 27:17).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Is Evolution Untenable?

They say they have found the missing link; actually, there are thousands of missing links and of the 11 million forms of life on earth there are none--no half pig and half sheep or half horse and a half cow or half ape half human. I say that the missing ling link between great ape and man is one who is building a chapel because animals are oblivious to God and don't have the necessary equipment to know Him or worship Him. They simply don't have the mind to know Him, the will to obey nor the affections to love Him.

I'm not saying animals don't have intellect, will or feelings--I'm saying only on a limited scale. Man is the crown of God's creation in His image and the only one of the creatures that God said He breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living being. Some apes and chimps are smarter than the dumbest humans intellectually (so this cannot be the distinguishing trait), but they still aren't able to know God and have eternal life and worship God in Spirit and Truth. There are things that distinguish man from beast: thinking in the abstract and imagination, ability to analyze and criticize self, self-consciousness, and embarrassment, knowing good and evil, desire to know God, loss of innocence, awareness of eternity and death, and a conscience to guide instead of instinct.

We can adduce what man has that animals don't by a sort of algorithm. The point of this is that if we say a man is an animal then it logically follows that it is morally right to experiment on humans like the Nazis did; if we say animals are people too, then we must extend rights to them and not eat them or experiment on them.

BUT NOTE:  Animals are not capable of sinning or of worshiping God so this is what separates man who alone is bad enough to need salvation since he defies God and does not obey in his rebellion and stubbornness. ANIMALS ARE OBLIVIOUS TO GOD; NO ANIMAL EVER BUILT A CHAPEL OR PRAYED.

The Achilles' heel of evolution is that they cannot explain the precise origin of life.  Experiments of life fail to succeed without rigging the system in a way it couldn't have been in primordial times.   They presume a primordial soup that gave rise to simple life but doesn't know where it came from.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Know The Devil's Schemes?

Charlie Riggs says we should be aware of the wiles of the devil so we don't get entangled in his web. "We are not unaware of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11).  Even though the cartoon character Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us" we are our own worst enemy--part of the EVIL TRIUMVIRATE of the world, the flesh, and the devil--and Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, said to know your enemy, [Lord Nelson told his troops who were quarreling, "Gentlemen, the enemy is over there."] this is Satan's turf and we live in enemy-occupied territory. The devil is the "god of this world [age]" (2 Cor 4:4).

The battle has just begun, but the battle is the Lords! "If God be for us, who can be against us?" When we become saved, the battle is initiated. Remember the battle-cry of King David facing Goliath: "I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts!" Live in victory over the foe! The battle-cry of the Reformation was "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" by Martin Luther. who had quite a fight with the devil?

The devil is perfectly capable of putting evil thoughts into your mind, (recall what Jesus said to Peter when he rebuked him: "Get behind Me, Satan."), but don't blame the devil for your own evil, for Jesus said "for from within, out of man's heart proceeds evil thoughts..." (Mark 7:21) As examples, Satan "rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census" (2 Chron. 21:1), and Peter told Ananias that Satan had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.

Let's not think there is a devil around every corner and all our evil thoughts must be demonic. We are plenty of evil ourselves ("The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). You may not be able to pinpoint which thoughts are yours and which are the devils, but remember Martin Luther said that you can't keep a sparrow from flying over your head, but you can keep him from making a nest in your hair. Satan wants you to believe a lie because he is the father of lies. He is deceptive and the accuser of the brethren before God day and night. The Holy Spirit convicts with an open and shut case, Satan accuses. The primary area of Satan attacks is our pride, which was the first sin of Satan. Even though Satan can instill evil, we are still responsible (Mea culpa) and we still decide to act on our thoughts or not to.

Satan uses psychological warfare or mind games (he messes with your thinking) and his number one strategy is to divide and conquer. But don't ever give the devil an opportunity: submit to God and he will flee from you. "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). There is the story of a Civil War soldier who couldn't make up his mind what side to be on, so he wore half gray and half blue; he got shot at by both sides. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12).

Don't be a sitting duck waiting for the devil to attack--be proactive and anticipate that he "prowls around like a roaring lion," as Peter says. He has subtle tactics and his multitudinous demons do his dirty work. One of his strategies is to accuse you and make you feel guilty but remember "there is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," according to Rom. 8:1. There is a big difference between the open and shut case of the Holy Spirit's convicting ministry and the vague accusations to make you feel guilt and shame.

We must daily pray "Deliver us from evil." The M.O. of the devil is "to steal, to kill, and to destroy;" [his name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon] he wants to ruin your life; whereas God has a beautiful plan for your life. We can be assured that the battle is the Lord's and again "greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Whatever Became of Sin?

This is the title of a book by Dr. Karl Menninger, the eminent psychiatrist. For the most part, psychiatrists see all mental problems as a chemical imbalance  (because we do not have a soul, just a material body), so this book was revolutionary in thought. Billy Graham says sin is a disease. The only cure is the blood of Christ. [The solution to our three problems of sin, death, and Satan.] The three areas of sin are the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes (cf. 1 John 2:15). The Greek word hamartia means to "miss the mark" or to fall short of a goal; it is an archery term and we sin when we miss achieving the norm or mark of God's law as the standard.

To label sin as human weakness, bad habits, mistakes, errors, or shortcomings merely makes the sin more dangerous--like mislabeling poison as the essence of peppermint! There are basically five names for sin: lawlessness (1 John 3:4); iniquity or deviating from right (Hos. 14:1); missing the mark (Rom. 3:23); trespassing or selfishness (Mark 8:34); and unbelief (1 John 5:10).

A renowned philosopher said that the "absurd is sin without God." Take God out of the equation and you can have no sin. When we violate our fellow man we sin against him; when we violate God's holiness we sin against Him. So what is sin? A succinct definition of sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of, the Law of God, or the will of God.

Jesus mentioned sins of the heart--these have to do with our mental attitude. There are sins of commission (when God's Law is couched in negative terms, as R. C. Sproul says, such as "Thou shalt not..."), and sins of omission (not sins we haven't gotten around to committing yet, but where we fall short of the glory of God and fail to do what Jesus would do, or what is commanded). John Bunyan wrote a book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Paul called himself the chief of sinners also, so we need not despair that our sins are too bad to be forgiven. Charlie Riggs sees sin as any thought, word, act, omission or desires contrary to the Law of God.

Of course, sin is universal and we are born sinners: "We are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners," as it has been said. The point to see our sin is not that we are "good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation". "We can't escape our birthright," Billy Graham says.

Not all sins are equal though; there are some more heinous or egregious than others and are an abomination and special offense to God. There is no such thing as venial and mortal sins as Rome teaches. Venial being forgivable, and mortal being those the kill the justification of grace and require the sacrament of penance ("the second plank of salvation for those who have made shipwreck of their faith).

No sin can make you lose your salvation, and all your sins, as a believe, are forgivable and covered by the blood of Christ. But remember Christ is always making intercession for us when we sin (Heb. 7:25) and when we sin we only have to confess it and move on according to 1 John 1:9 ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness").  Soli Deo Gloria!

How the Earth Was Made

Maybe you've been intrigued by History's "How the Earth Was Made." Scientists think they have it all figured out! But I'm sorry, you can't take God out of the equation and maintain intellectual integrity--you're really committing mental suicide. Man will be without excuse as Rom 1:20 proclaims. They supposedly believe in the "Big Bang" but not in the "Beginner!" If you heard an explosion, wouldn't you wonder whodunit? Science is very good at telling us "know-how" but not "know-why." If they would stick to their guns on what they observe in nature there would be no conflict. One who believes science and religion cannot coexist or contradict each other doesn't know either science or religion. I can see how you can look at the sad state of affairs of a man socially and wonder if there's a God, but how can you not look up to the heavens and deny Him? Napoleon was once asked if there was a God: (looking to heaven)  "But who made all that?"

"In the beginning God...." God is the logical starting point and orientation point to get our bearings straight. If your philosophy starts anywhere else it will be erroneous. The source of all and instigator of all is God. This is of primary importance, i.e., that we acknowledge that God is the one and only creator--we are merely creatures. The account is not comprehensive, but gives us what we need to know--God believes in a need to know philosophy. The question of "when" is the beginning--the beginning of time and space as we know it--yes the Bible proclaims that time had a beginning and scientists are realizing this also.  It is better to begin with God and explain the universe, than begin with the universe and try to explain God.

The point is that everything in our four-dimensions of the time-space continuum had a beginning. You and I both had beginnings. Every atom had a beginning; nothing could be more obvious. But R. C. Sproul says not to jump to the conclusion that everything had a beginning. That would be "fatal" and contrary to reason, science, logic, and faith. Why? Imagine the total negation of everything--total nothingness! A rule of science and philosophy says: Ex nihilo, nihil fit or "out of nothing, nothing comes." There must be something transcendent or supreme over creation that didn't have a beginning in order for everything to exist in time and space. We all owe our very existence to this Being (the formulation we all refer to as "God").
 
The Bible gives us everything we need to know for our faith to nurture and save us. It answers "why," "what," and "who" and "when." God created the earth by His Word or command (Ps 33:6,9; Heb 11:6). He created it out of nothing by virtue of His essence as Creator-God. Rev 4:11 gives us the reason why God created the heavens and the earth. For the glory of God and that it would elicit worship of the Godhead.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Doctrine Prosaic?

I guess it comes with the territory of a theologian to be boring--ennui you might say. Everyone wants what's practical and not what is true to Scripture. The Bible says that in the last days many will "bailout theologically", maybe a bunch of "do-gooders" who aren't really interested in knowing the true God. This is spiritual suicide, because you can have sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine. We are all theologians, as it were, and the way we interpret Scripture has a lot to do with our ethics (orthodoxy and orthopraxy). Hos 4:6 says: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." Is 5:13 says: "For this reason, they go into captivity because they lack knowledge."

Some people think ignorance is bliss, but au contraire--knowledge is power (says Prov. 24:5); it is ignorance that binds us not knowledge. There is value to knowing the scoop, and getting the "big picture;" to whet one's appetite is progress. We have so-called "tunnel vision" (not seeing the forest for the trees) without knowing basic Bible doctrine and can "twist the Scriptures to [our own] destruction."

We need to recognize fallacious doctrine like the "perpetual virginity of Mary" and have no preconceived ideas. If we have no presuppositions we can have a better chance of arriving at the truth. That means we must have a teachable spirit. We take an open mind, a willing spirit and a needy or thirsty heart  (or teachable spirit, receptive mind, and obedient heart), to Scripture to have it speak to us. Doctrine gives substance to faith and biblical savvy is a fortification in the angelic conflict and war with the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing doctrine is like having our antennae sensitized. It gives mental stability. As long as we "keep the main thing the main thing": In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity (St. Augustine's dictum). It is a childish faith that "balks at learning the things of God in depth," says R. C. Sproul.

 Once we know our way around the block theology-wise we can "deliver the goods" as we hone our skills. Doctrine is not blasé or dull; it is the foundation upon which our interpretation rests and the superstructures are built. We need to improve doctrine's reputation and realize that it is just "teaching" and basically it what the Bible teaches dogmatically. It is not an application like promises, commands, warnings, examples, but principals to have faith in. To be mighty in the Scripture like Apollos we need a frame of reference or a worldview, so to speak.

We can "add a cup of discernment" when we know doctrine--if you only drink of one fountain, you will lose it, according to Chuck Swindoll. But we must never be intolerant of those we disagree with, or what we have is "truth gone to seed." Remember, no one has a monopoly on the truth or has cornered the market. The Bible itself is profitable for doctrine and the measures up where we don't.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Equality Of Sin

This question is raised by those who want to believe pseudo-saints sins are just as bad as rapists, murderers, or thieves. They may have a pride problem and self-righteous attitude and God hates pride, but the point is that there is a gradation of sin, though one can drown in 6 feet of water as well as 60 feet. Remember the words of our Lord who told Pilate that the one who delivered him over had the "greater sin." Are all sins equal in severity in God's eyes? Do all sins deserve the same punishment? Obviously, if there is justice in the afterlife, Hitler will get a severer sentence than your typical run-of-the-mill sinner. It was said of Judas that it would've been better had he never been born--and so there you are. Jesus did say that some sins deserve fewer whips than others. God is a God of justice as well as mercy and there will be no cruelty in hell, only what justice demands.

If all sins were equal, that would encourage the slanderer to go all the way from character assassination to murder, since they are the same. Jesus did say that lusting was committing adultery, but he didn't say they were the same. Rome has divided sin into mortal and venial. Those which destroy the grace of salvation are more serious and require penance and are called mortal. All sins are mortal in the sense that they deserve eternal hell, but no sin is mortal in the sense that it cancels the state of grace. All sins are venial to the Christian, in that he only needs to confess them and repent to regain fellowship, not a state of grace or salvation.

The closer you get to God the more you see your shortcomings and sins; you don't begin to see yourself as perfect or having "arrived." There are certain sins that are an abomination to the Lord: homosexuality, bestiality, incest, to name a few. Remember, how Lot said to the men in Sodom not to "do such a disgusting sin." We live in an age of sexual predators and perverts and this is becoming more rampant every day, but we must not go along with a society that we are just progressing in leniency and toleration; it is alright to be shocked and abhorred at our society. We are often shocked at others' sins when we should be shocked at ours.   NB: The Pharisees considered all commandments of equal weight, but Jesus changed that and called some more serious (cf. Matt. 23:23).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Should We Be Ashamed Of Depression?

We all have to learn individually how to cope with our "demons." After we have indulged ourselves in a pity-party (being in a funk, in the pits, or having the doldrums) we should rebound to fellowship (or as a friend told me to "snap out of it"), and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let's not wallow in self-pity, but seek a divine viewpoint--things are not all that bad as we make them out to be. Depression usually happens to people who have a sensitive side and are in touch with their feelings (but this is a luxury not all enjoy); those too busy with the rat-race don't have time to get depressed nor elated, for that matter. "Sorrow is better than laughter because a sad face is good for the heart" (Eccl 7:3). [Remember Christ was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."]

Here is a case in point: Psalm 40:2 says the psalmist was lifted out of the "slimy pit," out of the "mud and mire": he strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6b). N.B. he didn't necessarily know why he was depressed ("Why am I downcast O my soul?" (Ps 42:11). "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Ps 40:2). As we quoted Psalm 42: "Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" Evidently, he had bouts with being of broken and contrite spirit or of depression, which some call sloth. According to Rome, this is one of the seven deadly sins.  Depression is more common than most admit: Note Neil Diamond's song "Song Sung Blue" which says, "Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then/Song sung blue, everybody knows one, every garden grows one."

God puts trials in our way to make us learn dependence on Him. If we think we are a rock that feels no pain or an island that doesn't cry like the Simon and Garfunkel song "I Am A Rock" we will suffer more because we are in this thing together and all the parts of the body must work in coordination and in sync. It takes a real man and a big person to admit his weaknesses and vulnerabilities to others. True fellowship often takes place when we "come clean" (share our vulnerabilities) and are totally honest as to our feelings--sometimes the best of us needs "therapy." I like Job 23:10: They are merely trials we must overcome. "The Lord knows the way that I take; when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold."

  By common definition, depression is anger turned inward; however, depression often results from fallacious or erroneous thinking, and we must substitute a more helpful and healthy thought. Job was so depressed he wanted to die. Likewise, Elijah wanted to die and so did Jonah. God gave Elijah something to eat and he was good to go, as they say.   Jonah was angry and wanted to die. Many suicides can be prevented if we knew the warning signs of depression and suicidal ideation.

Note that depression usually is the result of the dwelling of living in the past, misinterpreting the present, or anticipating the future.   Some say, "Impression without expression = depression!"  How do we overcome? 2 Cor. 1:4 says: "[Who] comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted."

Find someone who's been there and done that!   Abe Lincoln rightly said that the Bible is the best cure for the blues--he was known for getting depressed. People who get depressed often also get elated or have periods of euphoria (bipolar affected personalities), and tend to be more in touch with their feelings--that is good! Sometimes, to get out of depression, all we need is to talk with a friend ("I get by with a little help from my friends")--this is talk therapy. Sometimes we just have to wait it out: "This too shall pass!" "Wait, I say, on the Lord" (cf. Psa. 27:14).

A good rule of thumb is to be too busy to get depressed, which is a luxury that not all possess. It is not depression per se that is sin, (the coping skills need to be healthful habits of hygiene),  but what we end up doing that can be problematic: oversleeping, overeating, shopping sprees, social withdrawal, etc. We need to find therapeutic things to do (hygienic psychology) when depressed like going for a walk, and talking to God about what concerns us: "Casting all your care upon the Lord..." (1 Pet 5:7). "Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psa 55:22).  The ultimate is sometimes prayer therapy or even talk therapy (not cash therapy, food therapy, or sleep therapy!).   "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God..." (Phil. 4:6).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Gambling Sin?

To be sure, there are no impersonal forces at work in God's universe such as fate, luck, chance or fortune. Fate is impersonal; God is personal. Luck is dumb; God is omniscient. Fortune is blind; God sees all. Prov. 16:33 is quoted: "The lot is cast unto the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD." Yes, God rules over all and doesn't leave anything to chance (which doesn't exist as a force, but only as a mathematical possibility); so worshiping at the idol of chance is insulting to our Maker's providence and sovereignty. In essence, we are testing God and our desire to get rich is clearly condemned.

I don't want to deflate someone's balloon, or a good thing going, but gambling can be a serious sin. Gambling per se is not sinning--that is, it is not specifically prohibited by Scripture--but, like smoking is a bad habit or way of life to succumb to and Paul certainly didn't want any undisciplined lifestyle (cf. 1 Cor 6:12: "...but I will not be mastered by anything"). What may be a sin for me, with greater light, may not be for someone else ("anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"). Today we have people whose retirement plan is to win the lottery! Many poor people who can't afford to gamble are using good money to gamble and hoping to strike it rich. Some idle rich who have nothing better to do gamble for the fun of it not realizing that God will make them give an account someday. I realize that modern society is based on greed and gambling in the market, but you cannot equate the evil of a casino to the capitalistic system that is necessary.

There is a necessary risk, and then there's uncalled for risk that is unwise. There might be a little wiggle room for "penny machines" for amusement and blowing hard-earned cash--well, as they say easy come easy go. Many simply do not respect the value of a dollar! We are merely stewards of what God has entrusted us with and we don't own anything ("For the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," says Ps. 24:1).

The big question to ask is whether Jesus would gamble. What would Jesus do? Making honest money is not evil: Wesley said to make as much as you can, save as much as you can, and give away as much as you can. It is in serving money (not using money) and loving it as an idol--anything that takes the place of God--that is evil. There are extenuating circumstances, of course, and you can't absolutely build an anti-gambling case from the Bible (you have to deduct or infer it). Obviously, playing penny poker or penny machines is trivial and a diversion for some.

But the most important aspect is being a responsible steward with our blessings. It all belongs to God and He lets us use it. I do not condemn Indians for owning casinos, because there are those that know what they are doing, and you don't throw away the baby with the bathwater. I also wonder about the dependence of governments on gambling revenue, whether it is moral.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Seeking the Will of God

All genuine believers want to be in the will of God--this is Job One!   Sometimes the only time they think of it is when they have to make an important decision like marriage or a job; this is unfortunate. God can put a hedge around us if we are in the will of God and the devil cannot touch us; we can live in victory over our enemy. The safest place to be is in the will of God. Does God still speak to us about His intentions today? God is not bound by any certain MO or 1-2-3 formula like circumstances (which Gideon used with a fleece; (c.f. Judges 6); but most commonly speaks through His Word, as He was wont to do in biblical times. Greg Laurie calls the Bible God's "User's Manual." We can get an existential experience ("Aha!") or epiphany in the Word if we take every situation to the Bible with an expectation of God's illumination.

 If we do find God's will we will have peace of understanding as it says in Col. 3:15 (there is always peace of mind in God's will). [To define terms, God's will is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God, as Romans 12:1-2 describe. I am not referring to God's secret or decreed will that is none of our business, such things as necromancy, tarot cards, or crystal balls (Deut. 29:29).] Before you seek God's will, decide if you really want to know it; you may be fooling yourself into thinking you're willing to do it.

The Christian journey is by faith ("For we walk by faith and not by sight"), so we just need to "just walk" as Laurie says. Knowing God's will is a state of mind and not a rolled-out "itinerary" There is no easy MO, but it is revealed one step at a time, one decision at a time.   As we are obedient to the things God does reveal to us He gives us more guidance. God does have a master plan for our life and "the just shall live by faith" (Jeremiah 29:11: "I know the plans that I have for you...")   God has promised to make His ways plain in Isa. 35:8, and Isa. 30:21: "Whenever you turn to the right or to the left, you shall hear a voice behind you saying: 'This is the way, walk ye in it.'" Psalm 25:4 says God will reveal His way to us ("The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him").

But one caveat: Laurie says the condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart. Some people want to know God's will so they can decide if they want to follow it or not. We must surrender to God's will first, then He will reveal it to us.   Eph. 5:17 says: "Do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." Acts 22:14 says that it has been granted unto us to know His will. When we get in sync with the Bible we can echo Hebrews 10:7 which says, "Behold, it is written of Me in the volume of the Book: to do Thy will." God's will is not just common sense, but sometimes we are to go against the grain and march to the beat of a different drummer. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says not to lean unto our own understanding--"there is a way that seems right to a man."  I'm not saying we should be mystical or "spooky," but the more we grow in grace, the clearer God's will becomes to us. If we make a mistake God can "turn curses into blessings."   You will have peace of mind as you walk by faith, so "start walking." This  begins with our relinquishment or surrender to God's sovereignty over our lives. 

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" cf. Psa. 37:23).  The Lord is our shepherd and "for His name's sake" "He leads us in the paths of righteousness" (Psalm. 23). We are to pray "Thy will be done" in our prayers. King David was anointed because he was willing to do all of God's will.  The Word of God is the "litmus test;" [cf. Isa. 8:20] so if it doesn't line up squarely with the Word, it is wrong for you.  To sum up, I don't know the future, but I know who holds the future.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You With The Program?

God doesn't want any spiritual Lone Rangers, we are in this together as the body of Christ. Some believers march to a tune of a different drummer from that of the church. They don't take part in any of the activities, especially Bible study, and shun contact or fellowship because they don't want to be held accountable. To be with the program of the church is vital and if you can't honestly agree with it you'd be better off in another church where you can consent. The book of Judges is about Israel doing their own thing and it says each man did what was right in his own eyes. They are doing their own thing! "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each to his own way" (cf. Isa. 53:6).

The pastor of the church is the under-shepherd and will give account for you at the judgment. Heb. 13 and verse 17 says to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority." We are not lone wolves in the church that can survive on our own; we need fellowship, accountability, and support from other believers. Going to church regularly is like getting a spiritual checkup.

I am writing this from experience because I refused to do a Bible study that our pastor wanted everyone to do because I disagreed with some Pentecostal elements. Some Christians are really members of the "nod to God crowd" that just shows up on Sunday and doesn't have any intercourse during the week with the body of believers. If you don't like Christ's body you don't like Christ!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Pre-salvation Mindset

Before we get saved we must first realize we are lost and depraved or heinous in God's eyes. We aren't good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation. Our frame of reference should be the totality of our depraved or sinful nature in God's estimation (not man's estimation of man that is) of man. There is a consensus that to err is human and that nobody's perfect as we all acknowledge, but the question is whether man is basically (intrinsically, inherently) good or evil and the word to note is "basically." Many will assert and affirm the basic goodness of man, and there was a man that was held captive by Saddam Hussein and said he never lost confidence in the basic goodness of man. Where have they been living, the North Pole?

Sin is universal because of "original sin" that is inherited by being in solidarity with Adam as the head of our race. Some claim they are a "victim of circumstances" or that the environment or genes are to blame. I realize that a run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint compared to Hitler, but the model is Christ if you want to compare to a standard. If man were basically good you'd expect a certain percentage to be good, but the Bible says there are "none good, no not one." "In sin did my mother conceive me," said King David in Psalm 51:4. Sin is natural and that is why you don't have to teach a child to lie. As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners." It is the humanistic agenda that wants to elevate the goodness of man at the expense of belittling God.

The domain of sin is complete: it covers the intellect, affections, and volition. If sin were yellow, we'd be all yellow. You cannot likewise be a little pregnant as it were in an analogy. We are sinful through and through. The doctrine of the total depravity of man is often called the radical corruption of man because we are sinful and evil to the core. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The crux of the problem is that sin is not peripheral or tangential but total and there is no island of righteousness or innate goodness mixed in.
How bad are we? We are not as bad as we can be (Hitler loved his mother as a redeeming quality you might say) but we are as bad "off" as we can be. This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man.

You might add that we did not cease to be human at the fall but ceased to be good. The ironic thing is that you don't know how bad you are till you've tried to be good, and you can't be good till you realize how bad you are; kind of like a "catch-22." It doesn't matter if you drown in 10 feet or 100 feet of water the result is the same, and likewise, there is no sliding scale or grading on the curve to see who gets into heaven. One sin is enough to condemn because Jesus said that if you break one command it is like breaking them all.

We cannot escape our birthright: original sin and solidarity in Adam. We are all degenerates, as it were and Jesus sees through the veneer that we make and even sees through the dark side that we show to no one. We all have feet of clay and that means areas of weakness that aren't readily apparent. "Can a leopard change its stripes, or an Ethiopian his skin? Then he cannot do good who is accustomed to evil" (Jer.. 13:23). "All our righteousness is as filthy rags," according to Isa. 64:6. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," says Rom. 8:8. You must realize that your biggest enemy is you and that you are your biggest problem!

 Finally, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are! (Cf. Prov. 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."   Soli Deo Gloria!