Why People Reject The Bible

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." (Eph. 1:18, NIV). 
"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" (Psalm 119:18, NIV).

People who reject the Bible have motives that aren't readily apparent but should be obvious.  If the heart is in the right place one would see for oneself that it appeals to the very heart of man.  The Bible is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart and it reads us as we read it.  Many have read through the Bible thinking they apprehend its message of salvation, but have never let the Bible read through them!  When we ignore what we do see, God blinds us and refuses more light.   Mark Twain illustrated this by quipping:  "It's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me; it's the parts I do!" Likewise, we must heed what the Lord is trying to say or we will not get further light.

Israel witnessed many signs and wonders and still wouldn't believe (cf. Psalm 78:32, NIV) and the Pharisees in Jesus' time would not, not could not, believe despite His signs and miracles (cf. John 12:37, NIV).  The point is that miracles don't elicit faith, but faith evokes miracles. Miracles can bring about skepticism as well as increase faith.   Miracles only increase faith but don't make it.  If you remove the miraculous from Scripture, you have just idle tales, a catalog of religious idealism, meditations, or even list of dos and don'ts.  This is not the case of so-called miracles of other religions--they are believed because the religion is already affirmed to them, not to make them believe--they are not necessary for their religion.

If Jesus had performed no miracles, He'd be a mere footnote in history.  Jesus' miracles were not haphazard or helter-skelter, nor for personal gain, but to illustrate His Deity or to show compassion and make a point in His teaching--they were not fantastic, nor showy and He never did a miracle on-demand or any biggie miracle to force faith on the hardened and unwilling.  He said in His teachings that if anyone is willing to do His will (cf. John 7:17), he shall know whether His works were of God or not and His teaching was from God.

Now, you don't have to believe the Bible per se to become a Christian, but it will make a believer out of you upon reading it.  Note that the Pharisees believed the Scriptures, but were blind to the truth due to the hardness of their hearts.  And Paul preached to the Greeks who didn't necessarily already believe in the Scriptures. But most people that reject the Bible or say it's obsolete or even legend or tall tale,  have never read it!  If they say they have, ask them what its main message is!   The Bible is known to feed you, then make you hungry--one can never get too much of the Word and newborn believers seem to have an insatiable appetite for its contents--a true thirst and love for the Word.

The person who has never read the Bible is on the verge of being barbarian or illiterate and doesn't realize the Western Civilization was founded upon its principles.  The Bible has always been considered part of the Common Law of England according to Jurist William Blackstone.  It's easily the most influential book in history, even most popular!  People who reject it have a problem in their heart because the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart--one's heart needs to be in the right place to appreciate it.  Bitterness can blind a person to the truth!  The Bible is so foundational to wisdom that a knowledge of the Bible without a college education is worth more in life than a college education without knowledge of the Bible.  

Now, why do the vast majority of skeptics deny the Bible's authenticity as true, even historically?  If a secular scholar or historian disagrees, it's assumed they are the ones without bias.  They believe and accept usually by faith since they may have only heard this, that it contains contradictions.  Several scholarly books have been written to dispel this notion; namely, The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties and Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible.  But I contend that there are no contradictions because I have seen many resolved and see that most are merely the result of not knowing basic Bible doctrine, semantics, or of sound reading, of seeing the big picture, or even that they don't know basic rules of interpretation like interpreting the obscure in light of the clear, and seeing that the Scripture interprets itself.  When they say that the Bible contradicts itself; it really contradicts them!  Some famous men have done Bible revisions or tried to rewrite it the way they see it, even taking out the miracles which they find offensive or unbelievable.  But they are not believing the Bible, but are believing themselves! 

The Bible is its own Supreme Court that appeals to no higher authority for attestation.  the proof of the pudding is in the eating!  If it appealed to science, then science would be the ultimate arbiter of truth!  The proof of the Bible is in itself:  "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" The Bible appeals to the heart and soul of man and if it's not good soil, it will not be able to grow into fruition and mature.  We often are asked to prove the Bible is the Word of God by those who cannot prove it isn't!  But the Bible can prove itself if given the opportunity.  If they say prove it to me!  You ought to say, "No, you prove it yourself--read it!"  All one needs is an open mind, willing spirit, and needy heart and God will authenticate Himself through His chosen vehicle or method of communication--the Bible. 

In sum, people who think they are rejecting the Bible are really rejecting themselves and/or their perception or understanding of it, not necessarily what it says in reality; the Bible tells it like it is and shows people who and what they are in God's estimation (it isn't pretty!), but some people don't want to live up to its reality but choose to delude themselves and reject the truth.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Peace Beyond Comprehension

"'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked'" (Isaiah 57:21, NIV).
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you" (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).  

To say that knowing Jesus is knowing peace, and with no Jesus, you get no peace.  But the devil always has his counterfeit peace with just enough truth to lure them into his lies and deception, inoculating them from the real thing, for example, secularists are intellectually fulfilled by adhering to evolution to explain reality.  He offers the world faux peace through idolatry, crutches, the supernatural, drugs, and in many forms.  Putting anything where God should be in one's priorities is idolatry--a time-consuming habit, hobby, or pastime.  

Christians can only know peace when they give Christ first place in their lives.  He is called the Prince of Peace for a reason!  He paid the price to set us free from our guilt and confusion brought on by sin. And only by His truth can we be set free from the lies of the enemy.   He is still in the resurrection business and can transform our lives into something beautiful to His glory.  Ephesians 2:14 says He is our peace!

One of the Jehovah texts is Judges 6:24, which calls Jesus  "the LORD is our peace," or Yahweh Shalom in Hebrew.  God's peace is manifold and multi-dimensional in the spiritual realms transcending our comprehension.  We are given peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other, and the ability to bring peace to the land by humbling ourselves in repentance to Him, and even being set free from our bondage and slavery to sin.  

We are also given the ability to share, communicate, and bring peace to others as Christ's "peacemakers," and we are lights to the world of what real peace is.  We experience this peace in the Lord and want to pass it on!  But it must start with a decision to call upon the Lord as our peace!  We must look to God, not ourselves and we will be saved, keeping our eyes focused on Him and not the obstacles.  Without Jesus, in our lives, we head towards chaos not knowing where we are going, and cannot find God or any real lasting peace.

Everyone has a God or god and if not the real thing--Jesus--there is some idol in the life filling the void.   So-called faux Gods are only the substitute that the devil offers to lure us away from the real thing!  People mistakenly believe that if something works, it's true.  The test of an idea is not whether it's true, but whether it works just considering the consequences (this is pragmatism):  because it works is no guarantee it's true (e.g., TM, hypnotism, astrology, meditation, channeling, and yoga).

That's why it's so important to seek the truth and to seek the Lord, not peace per se.  Many are really looking for the benefits, not the Benefactor, and are content with the things the devil offers the world, which will diminish one's appetite for the spiritual things of God.    Soli Deo Gloria!

"We're Looking For A Few Good Men"

"Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.  Your every action must be done with love" (1 Cor. 16:13-14, HCSB). 
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible [i.e., the "outward appearance" per KJV], but the LORD sees the heart"  (1 Sam. 16:7, HCSB).
"God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness." --Mother Teresa of Calcutta, canonized by Rome and recipient of 1979 Nobel Peace Prize

THE POST TITLE IS FROM THE USMC RECRUITING REGISTERED TRADEMARK SLOGAN, AND THE NAME OF A TOM CRUISE, JACK NICHOLSON MOVIE ENTITLED, "A FEW GOOD MEN."  

We shall see men in the light of Jesus' standard, which is the true measure of a man.  

That used to be the rallying cry or catchphrase of the US Marine Corps until women were allowed (How macho can it be if women can do it (LOL!), assuming they don't lower their standards?), then they changed it to "the few, the proud, the Marines."  It's quite ironic that you can become a cook in the Marines and or a medic and think that requires some special manly or exclusive, especially masculine skill set or mindset--the image is all psychological and social.  One tends to think of grunts, jar heads, or warriors--a lean, mean, fighting machine!  But just being in the Marines is an attitude and they always say, "Once a Marine, always a Marine!"  They take special pride in their catchphrase "Semper Fi," Latin for always faithful.   Marines also pride themselves in believing pain is weakness leaving the body!   My dad was one and he never once talked about it, but it seemed he raised us like he thought we should be ones.

We must commence by defining terms so as not to cause any undue misunderstanding by connotation.  Voltaire said, "If you want to converse with me, define your terms!"  So many disagreements could be settled this way because many quarrels are mere problems of semantics or a failure to communicate.  Don't they know that to be "good," any religion will do; Christ didn't come to make bad men good, but dead men alive!

Now to the title of a few good men.  Don't they tolerate "bad" men?  Depends upon connotations and denotations.  Does this imply that the Marines have a monopoly on good men or that if you are a Marine you are a good man?  Aren't the men of the other services also good in a sense?  Are there only a few of them?  You would think that the more good men, the better!  By good, they probably mean disciplined, intelligent, teachable, moral, patriotic, and very physically able.  Obviously, their boot camp is known to be more rigorous than Army basic training and is longer in duration though.

Jesus said that only God is good and that we are evil!  God doesn't grade on a curve!  Only by human standards can man be considered good and goodness is only relative (as if God were to grade on a curve and compared to Saddam Hussein, we are saints!).  By our standards, we sometimes call men good but this kind of goodness can be found in any religion--do-goodery or becoming goody-goodies.  God is good and the gold standard of goodness we measure us all by--the bar is pretty high and let's not lower it to make us look good.  The word is commonly becoming misused nowadays and people refer to themselves in the first person as being good--"I'm good!" That remark has no predicate and no one knows what is good: his accent?  Misuse only confuses issues and muddles the truth.  But we must become aware of the real meaning of the term too and not be part of the problem, but of the solution! 

I've heard of people referring to someone as a good Christian or a bad Christian in comparison, but these terms are unbiblical and there aren't even so-called carnal Christians as some subset of the category of believer--all believers can be spiritual or carnal at any given time and in or out of fellowship due to unconfessed sin--this isn't a problem for the few, but all.  The problem is that some believers haven't learned to walk with God and stay in touch with the Spirit or are just immature or infants in Christ.  We all need to grow up and be patient with less mature believers because we have been there and should relate not condemn.  In discernment, remember your humanness and their spirituality or position in Christ.  We are all works in progress so to speak and must realize God isn't finished with any of us yet!  Note that the Bible delineates all 52 known virtues that one should cultivate and these are applicable to both genders--courage, integrity, fairness, justice, temperance, self-control, etc.

To define terms spiritually we speak of obedience as the measure of faith and we are all committed to it as a condition of discipleship.  Obviously we can know them by their fruits!  Obedience is the more easily recognized, not one's internal spiritual state.  However, when people often speak of bad Christians they are usually talking of hypocrites or nominal believers (in name only) and don't think they are walking the walk, though they talk the talk.  One condition of salvation is sincerity--without which there is none; it's necessary but not sufficient.  There are those sincerely wrong!  What matters also is that the heart is in the right place, even more than one's doctrine be impeccable.

We are all good Christians in the sense of following Christ in obedience, for no Christian is truly a hypocrite---God has no dealing with them and Christ hated duplicity. In another vein, we are all bad Christians in the sense of falling short and not measuring up to Christ's perfect standards and being sin-free--William Jay of Bath said that he was a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior!  Everyone that is biblically savvy knows Paul referred to himself as the "chief of sinners!"   John Bunyan wrote his famed autobiographical book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, alluding to Romans 5:21 and 1 Tim. 1:15 to show his falling short, not emphasizing his spirituality, nor to glorify his past or sinfulness--it was a work in humility.  Sinless perfection this side glory is unattainable (cf. Psa. 119:96; Prov 20:9).  Some Christians will be the first to tell you they are hypocrites!   We must get away from the "let's compare" mindset and start realizing that compared to Christ we all fall short.  Jesus said to be perfect like the Father is perfect, meaning that perfection is the never attainable standard, but direction is the test.

There are godly standards of a so-called "good man" should strive to have.  It doesn't mean marriageable or husband material--but he is faithful and reliable with a proven track record that speaks for itself!  Women are looking for them and wonder what to look for or where to find them!   A good man isn't one who is necessarily impressed with his machismo or how "tough" he is.  He certainly isn't a bully!  He is like Jesus in many ways or in the process.  In Christ's humiliation and subordination, he emptied Himself of the independent usage of His Deity or divine nature and submitted to the Father's will, known as the kenosis in Koine (Greek).

Jesus was manly (even a man's man), for example, was gentle and He and Moses were called this in Scripture (gentlemen is a word of compliment!), which implies He had his strength under control and in restraint or never lost control of Himself.   But one thing for sure:  Jesus was no people-pleaser.   NB:  We must never equate good men as men of the world or successes in the eyes of the world; e.g., achieving the American dream or having a degree of education or scholastic merit or achievement.  God doesn't want our achievements--He wants us and our obedience in God's will! What is honorable in the eyes of the world is often despised in God's eyes! 

All Christians are called to be submissive to authority and respectful but not doormats--they know how to stand up for what they believe and fly their Christian colors!  We must all stand up and be counted for Jesus or we are not with Him--as Christ said, "If you are not with Me, you are against Me."  Jesus was a magnet to other men and therefore the fisher of men and also good with children and that's why they were drawn to Him.  There are many godly or Christian qualities to admire in men and no man has all of them.  It's the role of the Holy Spirit to make a believer holy or mature in Christ after His image and likeness and He does it by doing away with everything that's un-Christlike, not resembling Jesus.  Jesus was a leader of men extraordinaire, but to be a good leader one must first be a follower and that's why He asked us to follow Him.

You ask me what the measure of a man is:  how a man lives for Christ's glory and knows his purpose in life; a man with vision or one with a plan!  No one should be a nowhere man not knowing where he's going or what he wants to do with his life!  He is purpose-oriented and makes goals that are achievable, realistic, measurable, time-specific, and spiritually focused.  In other words, he's not concentrating his efforts and desires on selfish ambition but in serving God.  He doesn't necessarily have big plans or goals for himself but for God's glory.  As Baptist preacher William Carey preached:  "Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God."  With God, we can do anything, even move mountains.

The measure of a man in God's view is not his stature, looks, clothing, talents, aptitudes, possessions, sex appeal or prowess, athleticism, physical appearance, build or physique; however, according to Proverbs, the glory of a young man is his strength, but of an old man, his wisdom!  We all should be known for our faith being expressed by our love in action.  That means all that matters is that God is on His side and with Him in what he's doing and that way he cannot lose--he's in a win-win situation and never a no-win one.  Job was told to brace himself like a man and men are not to assume the feminine role in society but identify with their own gender, neither must he be effeminate, wimpy, or a pushover--able to assert himself.  NB: Scripture frowns upon "girlie" men, so God expects men to act like men!  Is it any wonder men bond so easily--they should have much in common and I'm sure there was plenty of bonding that Jesus did with His disciples too. 

Never discount or count a man of God out who is in God's will!  No one for whom Christ died is a loser in God's eyes or worth nothing--a good-for-nothing!  Christ is the only One who has something to say to so-called losers and the down and out--there's hope!  There are no hopeless cases, only those who've given up hope.  The answer to how to become a good man is to become a godly one, doing good and avoiding evil, who is mature in Christ and focused on His will--never underestimate the power of what God can do with someone dedicated and sensitive to His will!  It takes fortitude and grit to dare to stand alone, gallantry, even guts or mettle!  It is a noble undertaking that shows faith in action and creeds translated into deeds.  Dare to follow Christ and do His will!  He challenges us all to follow in His steps to our individual crosses, dying to self or saying "no" to Satan and self before saying "yes" to Him.  The world needs more of these men who are taking their cues from God, not the culture!  And who are willing to step up to assume their spiritual roles as models and mentors in the church, family, one's circle of influence, and even society at large.

In the final analysis, Christ is beyond our analysis; we cannot put Him in a box, and can only know Him but not fully comprehend Him, figure Him out; He cannot be adequately described but only known.  (For the finite cannot contain the infinite, the ancient axiom goes.)  In short, we cannot put Christ in a box or peg Him psychologically or personally and must not define a so-called good man in any certain terms without some reservations--we're all at different stages of development and cannot compare ourselves with each other.    Soli Deo Gloria!

 

An Incentive To Live The Good Life

"The heart has reasons the mind knows not of."  --Blaise Pascal
[No nation has been able to maintain] "a moral life without the aid of religion."   --Will Durant, humanist and historian.  
"God must exist for ethics to be possible."  --Immanuel Kant
"If God does not exist, all things are permissible."  --Fydor Dostoevsky
"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:  'Love your neighbor as yourself'"  (Gal. 5:14, NIV).  
"...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"  (Gal. 5:6, NIV, emphasis mine).  
DEFINITIONS:  RELIGION IS KNOWLEDGE OF A CREED; CHRISTIANITY KNOWLEDGE OF A PERSON

Some philosophers reduce moral living to living the good life (however they define it!), but this is impossible without getting one's thinking straightened out and beginning to think clearly to do it.  The path to enlightenment is not an easy one (Jesus said the truth would set us free) and once we've found it we want to share as contagious believers--you'll want to pass it on!  Our goal in life must not be our own happiness, but to unselfishly seek the happiness of others and to glorify God. The goal is spiritual and moral goodness which will have fruit, not to be on a blind pursuit of happiness which can have no anchor or moral compass but have the problem of excess or abuse.   Man always seems to do what is right in his own eyes,  but the Lord sees the heart and considers motive. (Cf. Prov. 16:2; cf. 21:2)  Happiness can be seen as the fruit of moral and right living as the byproduct not aim.   We all ought to live beyond reproach in order to have maximum influence and impact with our lives--to make a difference!

Ethics, then, is about the good life.  But goodness without God is evil because it's a sham.  Many have pondered, "How shall we then live?"  I'm not just talking about being a goody-goody or do-gooder but living a fulfilling life that counts.  If you just want to be a good person, any religion will do! Everyone has a religion or faith, and to some, they reduce Christianity to a code of conduct or ethics or make it simplistic like "My religion is the Golden Rule." We must not reduce Christianity to the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man--it's simply knowing God and then making Him known, which brings Him glory and will be rewarded.  According to John Stott, Christianity is Christ, all else is peripheral or circumference.   But the valued spiritual life is about a relationship, salvation being the restoration of it, not just studying Him academically.   We don't study or read the Bible to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.

We soon discover that there's a moral center to the universe--God!   And that without Him life makes no sense!  Without God in the picture there's no basis of absolute right and wrong and character doesn't count--it's all relative.  But we all are convicted of the moral and divine order of the universe; that's why we see justice, love, fair play, courage, integrity, etc.).  But we all have the same weakness as far as morals go:  we tend to justify ourselves and hope we don't get caught or no one will know our flaws or faults.  We are a moon with a dark side no one sees!  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!  Being a Christian isn't about rules or a list of dos and don'ts but dedication and commitment to Christ, who said, "Follow Me!"  Even Plato realized that to know how to live in reality, we must know what God is really like.   We experience God and grow in the knowledge of Him as we put it to use and apply what we know:  "Now that you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  (Cf. John 13:17).

Now a good person learns to live according to faith, not feeling, which can be as variable as a weather vane in a storm.  There's no walking around on cloud nine or on some spiritual, perpetual high either.  He doesn't necessarily feel on top of things all the times, or even in control, but keeps the faith--he does 't go by feelings.  He doesn't know all the answers or what's going sometimes but knows the Answerer and the One in control.   He learns to know right leads to thinking right, which leads to doing right and finally feeling right.   The good life is the byproduct of being focused and living on purpose to glorify God and never for oneself.  The only truly happy people, according to Albert Schweitzer, are those who've learned to serve.  We never know how bad we are until we've tried to be good, and we cannot be good without realizing how bad we are!            Soli Deo Gloria!

Domesticating The Biblical Evangel

Many preachers today are into watering down or contextualizing the gospel message, even glossing over sin, while they preach to make it seem less strident and more palatable to the seeker.  Jesus made it appear well-nigh impossible and even discouraged the faint in heart and those who wouldn't count the cost of laying down their lives for Him. When the evangelist preaches that all we need to do is simply believe, or agreeing without obedience or lordship, he is guilty of disseminating a false gospel or what are termed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer as "cheap grace."  (NB:  Salvation is free but not cheap! This is also known as "easy-believism" because it denies the necessity of making a lordship commitment to enter into a permanent relationship with God in salvation and reconciliation.  Its logical conclusion is that there can be "carnal Christians" who haven't fully surrendered to Christ's lordship and ownership of their lives as a new type or class of Christian.

This is where we must distinguish but not separate law and gospel in our preaching and evangelizing.  Law is what we must do: gospel is what God has done (the done deal!).  We must get them lost first!  We must preach sin to get them convicted of sin--for they may not see any need for salvation or believe they're righteous already.  We must not dumb down the gospel to those would-be disciples who admire or respect Jesus but don't worship Him. Why?  Because false assurance that one is saved is more of a problem than lack of assurance among sincere believers with weak faith.  Those who see no need of Christ are worse off than those seeking Him and realize their sinfulness.   What does lordship entail but obedience to the gospel and following on to know the Lord and walk with Him in fellowship producing fruit? And so the bad news of condemnation due to sin is the first word.  Sin is not a killjoy word to be avoided, even though it seems like a thankless and unwelcome task to preach it.

Then we welcome the grace of God to set the sinner free and restore his relationship with God (reconciliation). The bad news is our condition as totally depraved and that we are not good enough to need to be saved, but bad enough to be saved (knowing that no one is too bad to be saved though).  However, there's a catch-22:  we must realize how bad we are to be saved, and to realize how bad we are, we must try to be good! It's like not realizing how addicted one is to cigarettes until one tries to stop.  The good news is what God has done for us: solving the sin question with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  We must become grace-oriented to have any assurance because merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in God's economy.

Faith is not seen as a work of man for then he'd be worthy but as a miracle work of kindling it as wrought in God ("This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent," cf. John 6:29).  When we are grace-oriented in our salvation it affects our whole outlook on our relationship or walk with God.

Does It Seem Like A Lost Cause?

"You start by standing up for what you believe, then you go out there and fight for it!" --Sen. Elizabeth Warren
"... Our God will fight for us" (Neh. 4:20, ESV).
"'Do not be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes" (Neh. 4:14, ESV). 

St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, is the supposed patron saint, or champion, of lost causes in the Roman Catholic Church.  Everyone must have a go-to person for aid in time of need when the chips are down and one needs to grin and bear it. Not that we face life like fate with a stiff upper lip, but with faith in Providence.  We are to keep on praying and not to give up despite the circumstances because discouragement is actually a sin.   This is where the church body comes in:  We comfort those with the comfort we have received (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4) and be there for them just like the Holy Spirit is with us (i.e., He is called the Paraclete or "One called alongside").

When we get focused on the here and now instead of the heavenly vision it can seem hopeless at times; however, we're never in a no-win situation with God as our Pilot!  That's how we get depressed:  not correctly interpreting time by worrying about the future and regretting the past--two great time wasters.    But we are to live in light of eternity though and each day one at a time, not being remiss or slack in our duty, but trusting in Providence to meet all our needs and to guide us in God's will.  When we live for something bigger than ourselves, our whole perspective on life changes and is an inspiration to others.

God wants us to engage in spiritual warfare against spiritual wickedness using the armor of Christ.  We fight Satan's territory in protesting injustice, standing up for righteousness, and being appalled by sin in any form.  We are literally marching as to war, singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers!" on Sunday and must not go AWOL the next day!   Our victory is sure because the battle is the Lord's and we are fighting from victory, not for a victory--Christ already won and our battles are but a win-win in the name of Christ.  All victory comes from God and He must get the glory or credit not us.

We will be rewarded for our battles in the kingdom of God or what may be a hardship tour of duty with the Lord at the helm.  It is always our duty to fight with all we have, i.e., our whole being, but to pray also with all our being.  You could say we work as if it depends on us, but pray as if it depends on God.  We must be honored to be God's standard bearers or the ones carrying the Lord's flag into battle for Him. The flag we bear is the one for the kingdom of heaven and we must be reassured God will fight for us as we maintain our allegiance to Him. We march to victory in Christ's name and claim the beachhead in His name, taking Satan's turf away from him.  Yes, we engage in the enemy-occupied territory and must be prepared to meet the enemy in his domain on his terms.  We only can have the right attitude in fighting if we are oriented towards serving, obeying, and trusting the Lord.  We are not here to usher in the Millennial Kingdom in a visible sense like establishing a utopia, and don't see the government as a means to advance the agenda of God, but in being a light in a dark place, a city on a hill.

What this is to us in the application is that we are proud to serve in God's kingdom and to represent Jesus to the world in their need.  We must always be ready to stand up for Jesus, to fly our Christian colors, and to be God's ambassadors in the world at large.  We should never be afraid to stand alone or to suffer for the Name, which is an honor!   Jesus is our standard bearer, who will never be a casualty, carrying the flag on ahead of us into battle with pride and we must believe that He will always be there in Spirit representing our assured victory. What is our flag but our symbol of bravery and courage in the name of Christ and it represents all we fight for:  our ideals and dreams in Christ.  It should be our inspiration to bravery and victory as it will forever wave and never cease to fly to the glory of God. Never cease to fly our Christian colors! 

In sum, the positive thinker sees opportunity in any difficulty and believes there are no hopeless situations, only those who've given up hope.     Soli Deo Gloria!

God Works In Mysterious Ways

"God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." (Heb. 2:4, NIV).
"Do you know the laws of the universe?   Can you use them to regulate the earth?" (Job 38:33, NLT).
"So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands"  (Psalm 78:7, NLT).  
"For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.  You alone are God" (Psa. 86:10, NLT).
"Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:  the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me"  (John 10:25, KJV). 
"If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not" (John 10:37, KJV).  

NOTE:  IT IS SAID THAT WHEN THINGS GO BAD, BELIEVERS SAY, "GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS," AND WHEN THINGS GO GOOD, GOD IS BLESSING THEM.  MAN GIVES HIMSELF GLORY FOR HIS SUCCESS BUT BLAMES GOD FOR HIS FAILURES (CF. PROV. 19:3).

"God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform," according to William Cowper's hymn (cf. Isa. 45:15, NLT).  Even in the days of Job's trials, he says, "He does great things too marvelous to understand.  He performs countless miracles."  (9:10, NLT).  Note he said "countless miracles."  Was Job naive or did he actually witness miracles?  Even in the days of Moses, the magicians recognized the "finger of God" at work.  The people of the Bible cannot be portrayed as naive, credulous, ignorant, or superstitious.  They knew when God was performing a miracle because they were observers of nature and recognized God at work.  For instance, when the blind man was healed, they said no one had ever healed a man born blind!

If God's miracles were everyday events, we'd call them "regulars." All events are caused by God, the Causa Prima or primary mover of all creation--He is the so-called First Cause, and  the existence of motion itself proves there is a God, because one has to wonder when did the first act of motion happen, since the law of inertia says that a body at rest tends to stay at rest---it doesn't happen by itself but must be set in motion! 

Jesus didn't want to be known primarily as a miracle or wonder-worker but came to be our Savior.  His miracles were but signs to illustrate a teaching point about His Deity or out of compassion, not for show or personal gain, prestige, or money. He never did a biggie miracle to convince the unwilling, nor miracles on-demand or special request.  That's because miracles only produce the desire for more miracles and miracles don't produce faith, faith produces miracles!  Proof of this is when Jesus said in John 12:37, NIV,  that "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." Note they "would not" not "could not!"  The psalmist Asaph said in Psalm 78:32, NIV, that: "In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe."

And so God causes everything (we are the secondary agents) and miracles are but unusual events caused by God.  Have you ever wondered how an immaterial thing such as a thought can affect material things such as a muscle?  What causes our motion?  If you want to see a miracle, look in the mirror or behold a sunset! Scientists will tell you that miracles are against the laws of nature, but if there are laws, there must be a Lawmaker who can override His own law!  By definition, God is not bound by His own laws of nature!  Science then cannot forbid miracles, for God is not tangible, visible, or audible and you cannot repeat, measure, observe, or put Him in a test tube or have laboratory conditions to study--He's outside the province of scientific endeavor.      Soli Deo Gloria!

The Man On A Mission Extraordinaire

Jesus came to save sinners and set them free from themselves, God's wrath, their enslavement to Satan, and sin.  His message only has something to say to those who are lost, sick, and unrighteous and see their need for a Physician to heal them.  Sin is a virus that must be healed and we cannot approach God while affected--He must cleanse us or He will have no part of us.  He saves us despite ourselves and our own efforts, for there is no pre-salvation work we can achieve or preparation we can make to qualify for grace--that's why it's grace and not merit-based.  In fact, the only qualification for salvation is to realize our need and bankruptcy in God's tribune.  Jesus is on a rescue mission and meets us in our deepest need--the effects of sin.

Sin is both alienating and enslaving, it estranges and separates us from others and God.  Jesus is the Great Reconciler and has done something about the sin question on the cross by shedding blood.  Yes, He owns us because He purchased us with His very own blood was shed voluntarily on our behalf.  Our greatest need was to be forgiven and made righteous, both accomplished at the cross.  We are forgiven for our sins (what we've done or called being justified) and delivered from what we are (sanctification or from our sin nature).  The cross is a great rescue operation!    "If our greatest problem had been ignorance God would've sent an educator, or if it had been technology, He would've sent a scientist, but our greatest need was the restoration of our relationship with Him" (source unknown). 

That's what salvation is: the healing of our relationship with God and getting back into fellowship with Him, for sin precludes and prevents that.  We were in no position to save ourselves or salvage our souls, in fact, we needed divine intervention to meet our needs and do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves.  Jesus raised the bar on love and sacrifice, giving His all for us and pouring out His compassion on the cross when He was suffering the most--the ultimate sacrifice.

He thought of us to the very end and would rather die than live without us!  His love is unconditional and sacrificial and cost something!  We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving!  In the final analysis, Jesus knew what His mission was--to do the Father's will and be subordinate to it in all things (that was His mission statement or motto of life--to do God's will!), which would bring about the salvation of His sheep, by laying down His life, for whom He shed His blood and poured out His very life.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Is There A Social Gospel?

"They asked only that we remember the poor, which  I made every effort to do" (Gal. 2:10, HCSB). 
"... 'He defended the cause of the poor and the needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the LORD"  (Jer. 22:16, NIV).  
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Prov. 29:7, NIV).

Jesus brought the good news to the poor, but He met them where they were at in their need.  For instance, he never sent a crowd of listeners away hungry.  But the primary purpose was to focus on the gospel message and make it relevant.  There is no social gospel, which is a misnomer; however, we have another commission--the Social Commission, which hasn't been rescinded, to practice what we preach and to care for each other in the family and our community as good neighbors so our testimony will not be jeopardized as a church body.  Jesus said we would be known by our fruits and we must all practice practical, sacrificial love to our neighbors, especially to the family of faith.

But we want to keep the main thing the main thing (the Great Commission), but also realize our call to turn stones into bread.  And we must not end there; being known primarily as do-gooders; even Jesus didn't want to be known as a miracle worker and didn't do any for show, but only out of compassion and to illustrate a point in His teaching, especially His Deity.  The church must not despise the poor or down and out, but show mercy (this is a spiritual gift) and reach out to the people who are down on their luck.  Some people feel used and manipulated and are taken advantage of even by the church.   We must not stereotype them as lazy or having made bad choices, but be gracious with the attitude:  "There but for the grace of God, go I"--the words of George Whitefield.  It could happen to you!  Anyone could need someone to help them get back on their feet someday.

Sympathy would help the church to put themselves in the shoes of the destitute, the homeless, and the needy or ill.  Why do you think we have high crime rates, but due to social injustice?  Part of the problem is systemic; namely, our education and economic safety net.  This means some have the cards stacked against them from the get-go.  Poverty can happen to anyone because God says He's the One who makes one rich and another poor.  You even hear of lottery winners declaring bankruptcy.  Sometimes all it takes to begin the cycle of poverty is an unexpected car repair, an extended sickness, drug abuse (illicit or prescription), alcoholism, mental illness (treated or not), hospitalization, divorce (one's fault or not) or long periods of unemployment (voluntary or not).

 Many people in our country live paycheck to paycheck believe it or not.   Loss of a vehicle can limit one's opportunities, but Christians don't believe in equal outcome, redistribution of wealth, or complete equity of income, but in fairness which demands equal opportunity and social justice for the all under the law.  God hates the exploitation of workers (cf. Mal. 3:5) and of the rich taking advantage of the poor in their vulnerabilities.

Social nets and programs don't always fill in the gap or meet all the needs--there are manifold ways and reasons for poverty.  Many people rely on family, but what if you've had to burn bridges?  Certain personal problems such as depression and PTSD are becoming more prevalent and these people are becoming stigmatized, which is detrimental and counterproductive to the society's "general welfare."  Depression itself is a highly debilitating illness and many don't understand what it can do to a person and these people often commit suicide before getting help and don't know how to seek help or send out warning signs and their cry for help is ignored or unnoticed.

People can be victims of circumstance like a flood, tornado, fire, etc., and have no control over them--this can happen to anyone and they will find their need for the Red Cross or Salvation Army.  People may ask, "Where's God?"  But the real question should be, "Where's the church?"  It has been said that many philanthropists do the work of God because they don't feel God is doing it--touche!

People need to believe they have hope and can overcome their situation (when a man has nothing to lose he is capable of nearly anything) and find their way out of the cycle of poverty (the Bible doesn't teach that poverty is necessarily due to laziness or is one's' own fault); often success stories and motivation speakers can inspire and give hope, but the gospel is the good news they need to hear and take to the bank. One can never understand the value of an education for getting ahead in our technical age and some have been left behind and are still living in the last century!

People can get victory over their problems with Christ as their champion, hero, Lord and Savior, but they must want to be healed and helped, putting God first in their lives at the helm ("Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" --Matt. 6:33). Christians must remember the words of Mother Teresa, canonized by Rome and 1979 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, saying:  Christ has no feet to go for Him but ours; no hands to lend a helping hand but ours; no eyes to see problems but ours; no ears to listen to others but ours; no voice to speak for Him but ours; no mind to solve the problems with but ours!  We have an eternal debt to provide for the needy and to work for the betterment of society (cf. Jer. 29:7)

They must never give up because there's always hope and no one is beyond the grace of God.  I am a great believer that government is neither the source nor the solution of all our problems and don't believe we need a government program for everything--government is not the means of salvation nor of achieving utopia.  We are not here to usher in the kingdom of God nor advance His kingdom by our efforts--it's not of this world!  They say an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his creator!   I do not believe in self-help (we all owe a debt to our community) or in becoming a self-made man (there is none!), but in learning to walk by faith and to give God the glory following His will--that's why we're here (cf. Isa. 43:7).  The worldly-savvy will tell you that "God helps those who help themselves"; however, God "gives more grace" to the humble (cf. James 4:6).

Most people just need a second chance and are willing to go the extra mile if required--they aren't afraid of work, they just haven't found something they're suited for or what they can enjoy or is gainful employment--everyone has a gift and we shouldn't sell anyone short and just think they are fit only for being slaves or common laborers like Aristotle thought of the mass of men--it's a sin to underestimate or shame men and refuse to give them their warranted dignity and self-worth, just as much to honor a fool or promote a scoundrel.

Christians don't believe in castes, karma, classes, discrimination, or prejudice of any kind (cf. Gal. 3:28), but that every believer is a child of God and capable of doing God's will to glorify Him.  We believe in the dignity of man and sanctity of life and that man is in God's image, not an animal to be treated without rights conferred by God.   Christians don't believe in rugged individualism nor in communism but in being a member of a family, a community, and a body of Christ.  Each of these three institutions ordained by God (family, government, church) have their own sphere of sovereignty and responsibility over us.

When a person gets saved and finds the Lord their whole life can be turned around and he can start over with the God of a second chance and fulfill God's best for his life.  It's never too late to get on board with God and to be commissioned by Him in His work and will.  No one is beyond hope in God's eyes!  There's a reason why the Beatitude pronounces blessings on the poor in spirit.  They have the right mindset!  Getting saved implies more than pie in the sky and spiritual hope, but also the redemption of one's life for God's will!  It's never too late to get with the program and look redeemed as a witness to the world and contribute something to it!

CAVEAT:  We must be careful not to endorse "prosperity theology" or that God promises financial gain for our spirituality, supposing godliness is a means to financial gain (cf. 1 Tim. 6:6).  God does promise to reward us by making us prosperous in doing His will (cf. Heb. 13:21) and this is different to different people (cf. Josh. 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Jer. 17: 8).  We have no guarantee of achieving the so-called American Dream, for example, but we will be blessed in doing God's will and He will supply all we need to do it out of His provision (cf. Phil. 4:19).   It is God who gives us the power to get rich, but the evil can also prosper--it's no sign of God's blessing or countenance of our lives.  He teaches us the way we should go!  (cf. Deut. 8:17-18; Isa. 48:17).

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Church's Designated Role

"What then is the conclusion, brothers?  Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation.   All things must be done for edification."  (1 Cor. 14:26, HCSB).  
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers" (Acts 2:42, HCSB). 

Everyone is welcome to come as they are; however, not expecting to stay that way--no perfect people need to apply!  

The church, as one of three divine institutions (along with family and government), has what's called sphere sovereignty or authority in its rightful domain which shouldn't be usurped by other institutions (role reversal or switching).   Operating in its place, the church has the authority to salvage the soul through the preaching of the gospel; however, Christians have not sanitized the self or society but aim to save and salvage them respectively.  The church must not concede everything away and let secularism win by default or neglect.  "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph," according to Edmund Burke, "is for good men to do nothing!"  We have an inherent, intrinsic duty as the children of God to render unto Caesar our civic duty in whatever capacity we can (cf. Mark 12:17).  That's why Jesus called us salt and light in the lost world (cf. Matt. 5:13-14) that lies under the dominion and authority of Satan (cf. 1 John 5:19).

But if the salt loses it's preserving element or saltiness, the society will suffer consequently.  That's why we must beware lest heresy and false teachers creep in (cf. Jude v. 4) and manipulate the church in the wrong direction, and even by their charisma (which can lead to a personality cult). We must acknowledge the church being the stabilizer and anchor, or moral fiber and conscience of society and a positive influence for good in the face and presence of evil.  We all have a part and this is our mission to the world, sometimes referred to as the so-called "social commission," which has not been rescinded.  Anything less is defined as a dysfunctional church.

The church has multiple ministries (prophetic, sacramental, disciplinary, and pastoral) to be completed in Christ by the application of the power of the Spirit at work in the believers.  All the various gifts are exercised only in the living church and to the benefit of the body, chosen severally as the Spirit wills (cf. 1 Cor. 12:18), to His divine purpose. In short, "mission" is to the lost, ministry to the saved.  We must edify or build each other up and be faithful to complete the ministry given us.  Jesus didn't definitively say how many members would comprise a church but did declare that, wherever two or three are gathered in His name, that He is present.  The church basically is present when the gifts of the Spirit function as a unit or whole, giving members the opportunity to grow in their faith, being equipped to spread the Word and edify others.  We all have a roll and are part of the "family" and should be committed and dedicated in that sense. We have a place to belong, grow, and become what we are meant to be.

This is what a church service should be.  It is imperative we attend church (cf. Heb. 10:25) to achieve spiritual checkups and take spiritual inventory, lest we drift away by becoming rogue believers, lone wolves, or Lone Ranger Christians.  Some would call the singing portion the worship, but it's all worship to God because it's dedicated to serving God in various capacities.  Giving is worship, heeding the sermon or message is too; however, we don't just go to church to listen to preaching.  It must be sound in doctrine and in spirit (cf. John 4:24).  The main focus should be to equip the saints for the great completion of the Great Commission, which is not a suggestion, but a mandate. There is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and we all have different tastes, traditions, customs, maturities, and backgrounds that determine our choices. It's vital that all believers realize their gift (cf. 1 Cor. 12:1) and place in the kingdom of God manifest in the church.  The ultimate purpose is for the flock to attain maturity (Eph. 4:13) in Christ and have a foundation to "rightly divide the Word of God" (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15, KJV) and not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (cf. Eph. 4: 14).  Christians are learners or disciples and must realize that this is a perpetual state and we never "arrive" (cf. Phil. 3:12) when we know it all and can rest on our laurels (cf. Phil. 3:14).

And so the function of the local church is five-fold summarized in the two greatest commandments, and the Great Commission:  We love God with all our heart (worship); we love our neighbor (social and gospel mission to the lost and needy--not just "turning stones into bread," or do-goodery); we make disciples (evangelism to lost, even in church); baptize (fellowship, sharing, friendship, service, and family orientation), and teach (preaching of the Word, ministry of gifts, "discipling," mentoring, or edifying).  That's why some say that the "great Christian is one who has a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission," according to Rick Warren.

We all are given the opportunity to serve God and our fellow man and are put on earth and in the church to make a contribution!  The church has a designated purpose and a place and opportunity for everyone to serve.  There ought to be a place for everyone to grow!  We can now see that the purpose of the church is to be conduits of grace by demonstrating faith through love in action, not just preaching it.  Caveat:  The church is to be semper reformanda, or always reforming, and never is without error or corners the market on truth.    Soli Deo Gloria!