High and Mighty

In today's religious culture, preachers are almost deified.  Men and women rush to tote water, wipe perspiration, fasten cufflinks and even wipe shoes of their respective preachers.  I once witnessed a female preacher have her shoes dusted off before she entered the pulpit.  With that kind of fanfare, I was expecting a sermon that was out of this world.  Needless to say, I was left wanting after she was done.  I've heard of preachers that have been carried into their churches on litters (seats that are carried between two poles).  Sometimes I wonder if men have ever heard the scripture in Isaiah 45:6 where God says that there is none beside me!  It's no wonder that many preachers are able to take advantage of hapless women that come to their studies for "private counsel" or are able to siphon off enormous sums of cash from their parishioners.  Men and women look to the preacher as the perfect person and we have seen time and time again that they are not.

Biblically, it does not make any sense either.  Yes, those that lead well are worthy of double honor- but they are not to be worshipped.  Although the attention and the fame does go to many-a-preachers' head, they should remember that there is one thing separating them from divinity...that would be the flesh.  I like the way the Hebrew writer puts it in Hebrews 5:1-4.  Let's take a look:

"For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was."

So the first thing we see here is that, in the Old Testament, the high priest (our modern day preacher) is appointed on behalf of men.  Appointed is a very important term because many of those that are behind the sacred desk have called themselves to preach.  Appointed here is understood to mean appointed by God!  It was not because Grandma and Grandpa told you when you were a little boy that you were going to preach, it is the calling of Almighty God that qualifies a person to carry the gospel message. 

Secondly, we see that the high priest offered gifts and sacrifices for sins- this was his duty and why he was called.  We are no longer under the law so this is no longer a part of the office, but it is still important that the leader shepherd the sheep and not take advantage of them (see Ezekiel 34).  Check this out here:  he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, SINCE (emphasis added) he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself...

Lest one thinks he is high and mighty, the bible says clearly that the high priest should deal gently with the ignorant (i.e. those that sin unknowingly, unintentionally) and misguided (those who have wandered away).  Why does it say this?  Because the high priest IS ALSO BESET (encompassed, surrounded) WITH WEAKNESS!  Too many of our leaders have a holier than thou attitude.  The sermons are filled with "you this" and "some of y'all" and not "we" or "some of us"!  There is so much finger pointing going on from the pulpit that many just refuse to come in and be berated.  I am in no way advocating watering down the gospel- what I am advocating is making it inclusive and applicable to the one preaching and the ones listening!  Too many leaders have a high and mighty attitude and they feel that they are above the people that they are preaching to.  They would be wise to read this scripture. 

Not only was the high priest to offer sacrifices for the people but also for himself because he too had sinned.  He actually offered the sacrifice for himself first, so that he would be clean to offer sacrifices for the people.  I guess what I am trying to say is that many of our leaders need to come down off their high horses and humble themselves before God.  The reason we see so much turmoil in the church is because, in a lot of cases, the leaders have exalted themselves so high that they begin to seek glory in lieu of God's grace. 

This high and mighty attitude especially  permeates the Black church.  Historically, it is understandable that the church was really the only place where Black people could actually be important.  It is understandable that society made it so that the only place we had any influence was in the church.  While it is understandable, it is inexcusable when we think of what the church actually is.  The church is the body of Christ and within the body of Christ, there are no favorites.  The apostles of the New Covenant didn't have sweat wipers, armor bearers, security details or guys with secret service earpieces talking into their sleeves.  The mega mentality of many churches has caused many of our leaders to get so puffed up that they forget that they too are just human.  Peter told this to Cornelius when Cornelius bowed down to him (Acts 10:26).

One of my favorite scriptures is found in 1 Peter 5:6 and it is a scripture that I have tried to live my life by, "Humble yourself under God's mighty hand and He will exalt you in due time."  Even after you are exalted, you will never be exalted to the place of Christ and you will still have to wash some feet.  A familiar song comes to mind, about the One, the Author and Finisher of faith that we should all imitate, "there is not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one, no not one..."  Emphasis on lowly.  Verse 5 of Hebrews 5 is a fitting way to end this post.  "So also, Christ did not glorify himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "You are my Son, Today I have begotten You."  Perhaps the cure for highandmightyitis (yes I just made this word up, lol) is to remember Who called you in the first place.  

Mayan Prophets?

OK, so we are supposedly one day away from the end of the world.  The Mayas have supposedly predicted this day long ago because their calendar ends on December 21st 2012.  The History Channel has gone full throttle with the Nostradamus and Mayan prophecy shows.  I am listening to folks, many of them atheist, describe everything from zombie attacks to alien invasions.  Let me pause here, how can someone not believe in God but believe in aliens?  How can someone believe that DNA was created in the vacuum of space and placed on meteorites BUT not acknowledge that something can never come from nothing unless Someone put His had into nothing and brings something from it!  Only God can create ex nihilo.

Anyway, everyone is going bonkers about this Mayan calendar and has been going bonkers for a long time.  The first time that I heard of it was last year.  I'm all of evidence but there is really no evidence that this whole thing is for real.  There is really no evidence for UFOs either, but people have faith in them.  God has given evidence in His word concerning creation and we can see Him in creation (Romans 1:18-20) but we still look to other things in order to discredit God.

God is a God of order and His word should guide the Christian in all things.  In His word, the only people that proclaimed His thoughts and His will to the people were prophets.  They spoke directly from God to the people.  The only people that were able to proclaim future events were prophets and this is because they received these events from an omniscient God.  The prophets did not speak from their own minds but they spoke from God's mind as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).  The bible says that no one knows the thoughts of God except for the Holy Spirit and no one searches the deep things of God except the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). 

Armed with this knowledge, we also need to understand that the Holy Spirit is not granted to anyone that is a non-Christian.  In order to receive the Holy Spirit, one must FIRST receive Jesus.  As far as I know, the Mayans were pagans that did not know God.  How could the Mayans, who did not even have a  fleeting relationship with the Father, receive something that not even the Son, who has an eternal and coequal relationship with the Father, did not receive?  Jesus said himself that He did not know the day nor the hour of His return and He sits at the right hand of the Father!  If that is the case, can someone prophesy without the aid of the Holy Spirit?  Any Christian that answers in the affirmative needs to search the scriptures!

No one can prophesy unless they are inspired by the Holy Spirit.  There are no space aliens that came down to give revelation to man- and if there are aliens, even they are subject to the Almighty God!  The bible says that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and everything in it (Psalms 24:1), the bible also says that the Lord created the ENTIRE UNIVERSE just by speaking (Hebrews 11:3) so if there is any intelligent life in the universe other than what God created on earth, even they came from God! 

I don't put much stock in Mayan prophecies.  IF the world happens to end, it won't be because they predicted it but because God chose to send Jesus back to judge the earth.  If you want a view of the last days, read the bible- not the tabloids.  Make peace with God through Christ and it doesn't matter what happens on December 21st.  If Jesus returns, hooray!  There will be no more crying, suffering or death for those that have trusted in Him (Revelation 21:1-3).  We will be able to drink from the river of the water of life for free!  We will walk on streets of gold and finally get to that mansion that the Father has for us, that imperishable inheritance that Jesus has promised to all believers.  Mayan prophets?  I will trust the word of the real prophets instead, at least I know what their source is.

Tunnel Vision

2 Samuel 12:2-7 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nourished;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,
And was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

 

Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. “He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”  

 

Nathan then said to David, “You are the man!

Have you ever wondered how some folks can be so focused on others that they can't see their own faults?  Sometimes we have tunnel vision.  We can see everyone else's problems and everyone else's issues but we forget that we are oftentimes guilty of worse things.  David suffered from tunnel vision and it took the prophet Nathan to wake him up.

David had slept with Bathsheba and then hatched a plan to do away with her husband, Uriah.  He was so caught up in his sin that he did not see that he was committing adultery and murder simultaneously.  Nathan used a parable and painted a vivid picture of a rich man who abused his power and took away a poor man's prized possession.  The ewe lamb was all the poor man had as opposed to the man who had everything.

When Nathan related this parable to David, David was incensed!  How dare he take from the poor man.  He deserves to die!  He needs to make restitution!  All of these things were uttered by David and at that moment, David became self righteous.  He started lambasting the rich man for his thievery without understanding that he was also guilty of an even more heinous crime.  Nathan quickly reminded David that this parable was directed at him; that he was the rich man that stole from the poor man, Uriah.  David's sin against his "friend" Uriah and his indignation with the man in the parable is a great example of someone with tunnel vision.

We jump to conclusions many times when it comes to sin.  We immediately jump on the case of anyone that falls, many times not realizing that we've done things as well- but they were done in secret!  We get tunnel vision when a situation presents itself that can excuse us from our own guilt.  All of us are guilty of something.  Jesus said that we are not to judge hypocritically but many times we do.  We blast others when we are guilty of the same crimes.

As a Christian, we need to remember not to have tunnel vision when it comes to jumping too quickly to judge others.  We need to remember that we should not think we are something when we are nothing (Galatians 6:3).  We need to remember that if we are "standing" we need to take heed lest we fall (1 Cor 10:12).  We should not be so quick to judge others in light of our own sins.  Sure, there are some situations where sin has to be called out and exposed.  There are many people playing with God and pretending to be Christians, these folks need to be exposed.  Jude says that we are to contend for the faith.  By all means, charlatans and phonies need to be exposed so that they do not shipwreck the faith of true believers.  But there are other cases where those who are spiritual are to be restore the ones that fall with a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1).  Let us never get so haughty that we believe that we have arrived.  Philippians 1:6 says that the good work that began in us will be brought to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.  We don't arrive until we die or until Jesus returns.  That's enough to keep anyone humble.

The Question Is...

The first three chapters of Genesis are packed with powerful and transformative words.  With Genesis being the "beginning", we see many firsts.  The world was created, the sun and the moon, night was separated from day, earth was separated from the sky, the first animals were created...the book moves through the early history of planet earth swiftly.  The first people were created in God's image.  While they did not share His power, the were created with His communicable attributes...his ability to love, to communicate, to think, to reason and to choose.

The ability to choose played a huge role in Eve's rebellion and Adam's compliance.  They had a chance to maintain perfection but gave it up after being coerced into rebellion by the architect of sin, Satan.  Man's sin set a pattern of destruction in motion that continues to this day.  The corruption that we see in the world happens not because of God's absence but because of man's presence and man's propensity to sin.  Evil entered into the world because of Adam and Eve's complicity with the devil.

When evil entered the world, the choice to do evil also entered.  After their sin, Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.  Previously, they knew no shame because of their nakedness...sin brought shame.  They heard God "walking" coming toward them and they sought to hide themselves.  Genesis 3:9 says "God called out to the man and said, "where are you?""

This is a puzzling question considering that God is omniscient and knows everything.  Neither Adam nor Eve could hide from God.  They could not hide their nakedness, their shame or their guilt.  But the question had nothing to do with their locality.  The question is a question that, if answered honestly, will lead any man to repentance!  When God asked "where are you?"  God already knew that Adam had sinned.  Honestly, God knew that Adam would sin before he actually did.  God knew that Eve would disobey before she did.  That's why Christ was slain "from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8).  God was asking, where are you?  What they had done had driven a wedge between Creator and the created.  The fellowship was broken because of this act of disobedience.

Adam had the choice to answer honestly and say to God, "God forgive me, I am here but I really messed up."  Instead, Adam said "I was afraid because I was naked and so I hid myself."  Adam's nakedness had not prevented him from communing with God before but sin opened his eyes and made him cognizant of his nakedness.  The question is...where are you?

When the question of "where are you?" is asked, we can't try to play games with God.   answering this question honestly is the first step towards repentance.  "God I am in a place that is bad and I know that it is bad!"  If we are willing to acknowledge a mistake and admit to and accept responsibility for sin, then repentance  (turning from that sin) becomes an inevitable response.  Knowing that we have sinned against God and God alone puts us squarely into His presence and His holiness.  It exposes our nakedness before Him and the proper response is the same one that Isaiah had..."Woe is me!  I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips! (Isaiah 6:5)"

Many throughout history have been used to ask this question for God, "where are you?"  Joshua asked in this way:  "Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15)."  Joshua was saying to the Israelites..."where are you?"  Elijah asked it in this way: "How long will you limp between two opinions?  If the Lord be God , follow Him, If Baal is god, follow him."  Elijah was asking the people on Mt. Carmel..."where are you?"  John the Baptist preached his entire ministry with the following statement preceding all of his messages: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 3:2)!  John came preaching a message that asked, "where are you?  Will you be honest and admit that you are sinners that need to repent?"  John's message of repentance was a slap in the face of the religious leaders who thought they had it together and did not need repentance.

"Where are you?" is a call to repentance and honesty before God.  The question is...will we answer it in a way that we lay every burden at the feet of Christ?  Will we answer it in a way that shows that we accept responsibility for our sins and realize that there is no way out except Christ?  Will we answer in a way that is transparent and that says to Jesus, "I need you and I cannot do this without you!"?  Or will we be like Adam, sewing fig leaves together trying to hide and trying to conceal things from God that he already knows about?  This is obviously the wrong approach.  There is nothing hidden from His sight- what God desires is for us to be honest and accountable.  The question is...where are you?  The answer that is given will determine if we live a life of repentance or a life of hiding behind fig leaves.  God's grace and peace be upon you.   

The Anchor Holds

You've heard it said often times that we are "sailing on the seas of life."  Sailing is used as an analogy because of the dynamic conditions of the sea.  The sea can be calm one second and then tumultuous the next.  At times, if you are sailing or boating you will have to drop anchor.  The anchor is dropped with the understanding that your boat is not going to move from the spot where the anchor is.

The writer of Hebrews understood this when he penned the 19th verse of the 6th chapter.  He said: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil..."  Earlier in the chapter, the writer described those that had fallen away and how their hope had not been developed into full confidence.  He (this is just a pronoun here as the writer of Hebrews is unknown and could very well be a woman) urged his readers to take hold of the hope set before them.  God had given them all the incentive they needed in that he made a promise and he sealed that promise with an oath.

The promise God made to Abraham that he would have a Seed that would bless the whole world was partially fulfilled through the birth of Isaac.  It was fully brought to past when Mary and Joseph stopped by a stable in Bethlehem, had a child, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and named Him Jesus.  God made a promise to Abraham and fulfilled that promise, although it took 42 generations to do it.  Ephesians 3 says that God has an eternal purpose, carried out in Christ, that has not changed regardless of how much the world has changed! 

With Jesus, the promise to all believers is eternal life.  He said, "he who believes in me shall not perish but have everlasting life."  He said it with confidence knowing that he was well able to deliver on that promise.  When he was crucified, I am certain that some who came to faith were afraid that Jesus was just another religious figure that angered the Roman government.  However, after three days, Jesus got up from the grave with all power!  His resurrection proved that: a. God the Father was satisfied with the sacrifice of God the Son b. It proved that He was actually God, as He had proclaimed and c. It proved that His promise of eternal life was real.

What is this hope that the Hebrew writer encouraged the readers of his day with and it still encouraging us with today?  First off, hope is from the Greek work elipdos which means an expectation of what is sure.  Hope is always based on a promise.  God makes promises and we can expect, with certainty, that He will deliver.  So the hope that the writer encourages us to hold on to is based on the promise that we will inherit eternal life from Jesus Christ!  The bible says that the hope is sure meaning it is not subject to shifting or wobbling- if you push is, it won't budge.  It also says that it is steadfast, meaning that is is solid enough for one to "walk" on and it will not give way.

That hope is truly an anchor.  The anchor has been dropped in Jesus.  No matter what happens in our lives, no matter how hard the winds blow, the one holding the anchor is heavier than the winds (see Romans 5:3,4).  No matter how dynamic the conditions of the world are, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever- He will not move or change!  That's good news for the believer.  What the writer here is saying is this: we need something certain, and this hope is certain.  1 Peter 1:4 says we have an inheritance stored up for us that is imperishable, undefiled and will not fade away and is reserved in heaven for you!  Peter also says that we have a LIVING hope rooted in the resurrection.  The word living is a verb, that means that it is alive, present tense and it is alive right now! 


If you are reading this, and you have not dropped anchor in Jesus, your boat is going to continue to drift.  If you are reading this and you've pulled up your anchor, please put it back.  Although we cannot see the promise just yet, IF God made it, then it is certain and our expectation of it will not be in vain.  Imitate the faith of the old saints in the hall of faith.  Live by faith and not by sight.  We should let our hope for eternity drive our every day lives.  We should live like we know what to expect if we stay rooted in Jesus.  We can expect heaven, with its gold streets, perpetual praise of God, angelic hosts and perpetual peace.  It is not a fairy tale, it is real, as real as the nose on your face.  Remember this, the anchor holds as long as it has been dropped in the right place.  God's grace and peace be upon you.

The Replacements

Jesus Christ is our High Priest.  He is a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.  These are powerful words because Jesus changed everything.  He changed the priesthood forever.  No longer would the priesthood be based on genealogical pedigree but on grace!  In the Old Testament, the Levites were the priests.  They handled all of the priestly business, but the book of Hebrews eloquently makes the case for why the priesthood was replaced.  It was merely a copy of what was in heaven.  It was a shadow of what Jesus made real.

The priests, the high priest in particular, was responsible for making the atoning sacrifice on the Day of Atonement.   A very elaborate procedure is laid out in Leviticus 16.  Everything had to be done down to the letter.  A bull for the sins of the priest, two goats for the people- one to be slain as a sacrifice, the other to be sent off into the wilderness.  The priest would take the blood into the holy of holies, the inner most part of the tabernacle where God’s presence was, and make atonement for the nation.  This would be done year after year- perpetually.  No one else had the privilege of going behind the veil.  Aaron’s sons were killed because of it- well, actually, they dropped dead in God’s presence because they burned the wrong fire before Him (Leviticus 10).

The book of Hebrews depicts Jesus not only as our High Priest, but as the perfect High Priest.  One that does not need to offer sacrifice for Himself, but one that offered the ultimate sacrifice for the people.  He offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice and then assumed the role as High Priest in that he went behind the veil for all of us.  His sacrifice on Calvary was the finished work of atonement for sins, going behind the veil fulfilled the entire Law in that the high priest, after atonement, made purification for the elements in case they were defiled by sin (see Leviticus 16).  When the song says that Jesus paid it all, He really did pay it all!

Hebrews 6:20 says that Jesus went behind the veil as a forerunner.  The Greek word for forerunner is the word prodrosmas and it literally means one who goes ahead to reach the destination before others.  Totally different from the Levitical high priest, who went behind the veil alone as a representative for the people, Jesus went behind the veil as a pioneer- as one that the people could actually follow into the presence of God!  The bible says that when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38)!  What Jesus did as our High Priest gave the believer unfettered access into God’s presence!  We can now approach the throne of grace confidently (Hebrews 4:16) because of Jesus and the sacrifice that He made at Calvary.

Here is some good news: because Christ did away with the Levitical priesthood and the genealogical requirements necessary to be a priest, all of His followers are also priests of the Lord.  Not high priests, but priests that serve the living God.  Isaiah 61:6 says you will be called PRIESTS of the LORD!  Under the New Covenant, the one in Jesus’s blood, 1 Peter 2:9 says “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”  Earlier in the same chapter, Peter expresses this thought again but in a different way: “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Being a part of God’s priesthood with Jesus as our High Priest is an awesome task.  We are to serve God with gladness and minister to each other.  We are to edify one another and encourage each other daily as we see the day approaching.  Let us honor our role in God’s kingdom and offer sacrifices to Him.  Not burnt offerings, sin offerings and the like, but the sacrifice of obedience to His word.  May God bless you and make His face shine upon you.

Restoration

In Joel 2:25,26, God says this:

“Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.

 

"You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame."

 

The prophet Joel prophesied around 830 B.C. during the reign of King Josiah.  He speaks of plagues and locusts and, although there are no historical events to link his prophecy to, it has meaning in that is shows God's judgment and also God's mercy.

 

 

This also has meaning for our own lives.  All of us have gone through things that have subtracted from us.  I can speak for myself that during my wife's bout with cancer, I was in a fog for almost that entire period.  I was at a low point because of the extreme stress that we were under in dealing with the doctor's visits, the care taking, the housekeeping and the brunt of the work falling to me.  I got to a point where my brain would just shut down.  Maybe it was a defense mechanism to keep me from burning out, but I had no real inspiration to write, I couldn't really think clearly and I was just seeking God's mercy to get through the day.  It seemed as if everything that I knew dried up.  My memory seemed shot in that there were scriptures that I had known for a long time that were, all of a sudden, hard to remember.

 

In retrospect, I was in the furnace of life and there were some moments where Satan seized an opportunity to kick me when I was down.  But even those hard things had a purpose as I have seemingly been revived.  I never left God's Word, I didn't lose faith...I was simply in a funk that I now realize was a fire designed to move me somewhere different in God.  I thank God for it.

 

Here is the blessing, no matter what we have dealt with in life, God is a restorer.  In the text, He says that He will restore all of the years that were taken away because of the different pestilences that befell the people.  He will do the same thing for us.  Those of us in hard places, rest assured that as long as our focus remains on Jesus, we will eventually be restored and come forth as pure gold.  Not only does God restore, he does so bountifully.  The scripture says that we will have plenty!  And as a result, we should praise His name because He is truly praiseworthy!  I love the Lord because of his steadfast love and His mercy!  I thank God that restoration is not a fleeting occurrence but one that is perpetual- we lose, God restores.  If you would, in your prayers today, thank God for His restorative power!   

Giftwrapped

Around this time of year, we start hustling and bustling and stressing out over the holiday season.  We start racking up huge debt to "make this Christmas better than the last one."  We flood our children with toys that they won't play with past the first week of January, and spend unnecessary dollars trying to get them to smile on Christmas morning!  We spend so much time trying to fall in line with the commercialized worldly view of Christmas, we sometimes forget what this season is all about.  While we wrap gifts, we should consider the true gift!

Luke 2:12 ""This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 

 

Here, the angel spoke/prophesied to the shepherds that were in the field and told them that there was a baby in Bethlehem that they needed to see.  This was not just any baby though, this was the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, Zecheriah's branch, the branch from the root of Jesse...this was God in the flesh and as a sign, they would find this baby in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes.  How ironic, the God of the universe lying in a place for animals.  How fitting that the coming of the Good Shepherd be revealed to shepherds. 

 

Here, God has condescended and come to earth as a man in order to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  All of the burnt offerings, sin offerings, festivals, pomp and circumstance was not enough to deal with the problem of sin and the broken fellowship between man and God.  The bible says that in Christ, God was reconciling man to Himself (2 Cor 5:19) and not counting men's sins against them.  That's good news for all and the gift was wrapped up in a manger in Bethlehem.

 

 

The story didn't start in Bethlehem, it started in eternity.  Genesis 3:15, God tells Satan the serpent that there would be enmity between he and the Seed of the woman that he caused to sin and that the Seed of the woman would bruise his head!  This is the same Seed that God spoke to Abraham and said that his Seed would be a blessing to all nations.  1 Peter 1:10-12 says this: "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look."  Jesus said it plainly in John 8:58, "Before Abraham and Jacob...I AM."  Colossians 1:26 Ephesians 3:9  refer to the coming of Christ and the plan of God through Christ as a mystery that was revealed at the proper time.  So God wrapped the gift up in eternity, sat Him down in time and all who would come in faith to open the gift would be saved!  How awesome is that?

 

As we shop and overindulge, let us remember the true reason for this time of year.  It is not all about the gifts but about the Gift, Jesus Christ.  As long as we keep Him as our focus, there will be no doubt, anxiety or stress as we enter into the most commercialized season known to man.  We will understand that it's not about how much money we spend but the riches of God's grace that were poured out for us when Christ was sent to die at Calvary for our sins.  The people of His time actually got to see that progression as He grew in wisdom and in stature- and as He eventually carried His own cross through the streets of Jerusalem and up the hill to the place called Golgotha.  Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice and for the gift, salvation, that keeps on giving.

Cherrypicking

Atheists like to paint God as a murderer and as evil because of some of the events that took place in biblical times.  They like to discredit God using the bible and especially certain stories in the bible that involve the deaths of people, children etc.  Once, I had a debate with an atheist and his beef with the bible was that God allowed/demanded human sacrifice and that God was somehow a sadist.  He used a story from the book of Judges to make his point. 

The story of Jephthah in Judges 11 is an interesting one.  Jephthah was an outcast from his family.  His brothers ran him off because his mother was a harlot and they did not want him to share in his father's inheritance.  After some time, the people of Gilead came back and asked him to become their military leader and he obliged, only after making a deal with them (Judges 11:9-11).

"So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?” The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is witness between us; surely we will do as you have said.” Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah."

 

Jephthah was militarily skilled and he was a valiant warrior.  He sent the king of Ammon a letter which the king refused.  Then, Jephthah made another deal.  In verse 30:

 

Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

 

The bible says that the Spirit of God was upon Jephthah as he passed through certain areas.  When he made this vow, I believe Jephthah was being overzealous and being a deal-maker.  I don't think that he was in the Spirit when he made this vow knowing that either his wife or his daughter was going to come out to greet him!  It was foolish of him to make such a vow.  This text shows the seriousness of a vow made to God.  Let's see how it ends in verse 34 and we will talk further.

 

"When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter."

 

So, Jephthah makes a vow to God and is bound by it.  When he gets home, his daughter rushes out to greet her father and now, because of his foolish vow, he has to do what he said that he would do.  His daughter is a rather amazing person in that: 1. She understood the seriousness of a vow to God 2. She was willing to die, even for father's mistake 3. She did not complain.  She asks for two months to mourn and Jephthah agrees, after which time, they carried out the vow- with the daughter as a willing participant.

 

So, this is one of those stories that atheists love because, to them, it shows the brutality of God.  "He's a savage that accepts human sacrifices." is a common refrain.  They cherrypick this story without understanding the context of the times.  The time of Judges was a very tumultuous time in the history of the Israelites.  The bible commonly states  in this particular book, that "each man did what was right in his own sight."  In other words, people made their own rules and were not trusting in God.  

 

Even God's own Judges rebelled.  Samson was a Nazarite from birth.  A Nazarite is one that takes a vow, in the case of an adult, or whose parents take a vow, in the case of a child, to not cut their hair, not drink strong drink and to never touch anything that is dead.  There are other things but these are the basic requirements.  John the Baptist's parents also received the command to bring him up as a Nazarite.  Well, we know that Samson broke that vow repeatedly.  Not only was he a whoremonger, he killed a lion with his bare hands and then ate honey out of his carcass and he even gave up the secret of his superhuman strength, his hair, to the conniving Delilah.  Although he was ordained by and really belonged to God, he constantly lived in his own will and God's will was an afterthought.  Samson was a judge, God's chosen man to lead the Israelites and even he could not get it together.  Sin was rampant.  Idolatry was rampant.  It was simply a terrible time in the history of the Israelites.

 

Atheists take this story and run with it and blame God for everything that was happening, including this little girl losing her life.  Here are the issues that I have with their argument:

 

1. Jephthah made the vow to God, God did not force him to make a vow nor ask him.  Nowhere in the text do you see God asking for a child sacrifice!  But these guys twist this scripture up really good.

 

2. Faith is nowhere in the equation- Jephthah's painful vow really shows a lack of faith- did he not trust God and therefore try to add a safety net in the form of a vow.  Earlier in the text, Jephthah is said to have made his initial vow in the LORD's hearing.  If that is the case, and God actually orchestrated this situation and sent the elders back to ask Jephthah to lead them, it stands to reason that God would make provision for the victory in battle.  God placed confidence in Jephthah and there was really no need for a second vow!  There was a disconnect in Jephthah's faith.

 

3. God cannot be blamed for the corrupt nature of the people of that day, nor any foolishness as a result of that corruption, considering that the people lived in open rebellion and did what was right in their own sight.  The same holds true to this day.  People want to blame God for the actions of other people when the primary motivation for the actions of man, especially those outside of Christ, is sin.  Period.

 

4. Piggybacking on point 3, the issue of sin is rarely dealt with or commonly brushed aside by atheists, many of whom believe that man is inherently good.  This is in stark opposition to the truth of the Bible which says that we are born into sin (Psalm 51:5).  Sin must be considered if we are to debate seriously on any theological topic concerning God and man.  Atheists always sidestep the issue of sin and how if affects  every facet of human behavior.

 

 

God cannot be blamed here.  Unless we address sin and understand that sin is the root cause of all behavior and the only way to change the behavior is to release man from the yoke of slavery that we call sin, people will always try to find fault with God.  Whether it was Jephthah's pride or his lack of faith that led him to make this vow, he made a very costly mistake.  Was he thinking more about himself than anything else?  If you recall, earlier in the chapter, a military victory would cement his acceptance as leader by the same people that ran him out of Gilead.  This is my take on Jephthah.  He was longing so much to be accepted by his peers that he put everything on the line to ensure it!  That's very dangerous.  The bible says that each man did what was right in their own sight. The fact that God's Spirit had not been fully given meant that one second, Jephthah could be in the Spirit and then out of the Spirit in the same moment of time.  Being filled with the Spirit is not a one time act but there is a constant refilling of the Spirit.  Take this example, you are driving down the interstate listening to your favorite gospel song or your favorite preacher, and you are in the Spirit- then someone cuts in front of you and you go from being in the Spirit to road rage!  That's how it works. 

Jephthah is to blame here, not God.  He made the vow and ended up having to honor it knowing full well that someone of value to him would be coming out of that house to greet him!  Was Jephthah thinking like the pagans, that God would delight in a human sacrifice?  God has never required a human sacrifice in the entire bible!  Isaac was only a test of Abraham's faith and a typology of Christ's sacrifice that would happen thousands of years later.  Human sacrifice was a practice of the pagan religions of the time but not of the Jews.  Not to mention, the bible is very clear, God desires obedience not sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). 

 

Rather than cherrypicking scriptures, read the bible in its proper context.  In context, it is hard to distort scriptures because you have to consider every factor that surrounds the scripture in question.  Out of context, you can make a scripture mean whatever you want it to mean.  Here is the beauty that gets lost on those that use this argument and this scripture to make a case against God, Jephthah's daughter never blinked.  Even she, at her tender age, understood God's sovereignty and God's integrity.  A vow to God couldn't be broken.  Deuteronomy 23:21 says it very clearly, ""When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you."  On a different level, God's rulership of the universe and His omniscience means that He knew exactly what was going to happen and who was going to come out of the house.  Could he have stopped it, yes.  Why didn't He stop her from walking out of the house?  I don't know, but that does not negate His goodness!  There is far more good in the bible and we should not allow this one story to detract from it.

 

A hard sacrifice is something that God understands, considering John 3:16.  God loved the world and He gave Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, as proof of His love for us.  He sacrificed the life of Jesus in lieu of taking the lives of those that actually deserve death...mankind!  Jesus died for the atheist as well as the one that has accepted Him-- difference is, the atheist refuses to acknowledge it and subsequently rejects salvation in favor of humanism.  It is my prayer that anyone that tries to debunk the bible would come to realize that it is a futile effort.  The seamlessness with which the Old Testament is woven into the New Testament is a beautiful sight to behold, if you are willing to see it.  The promises of God are all there for anyone that, by faith, is saved and seeking a deeper relationship with Christ!  If ever in a debate with someone that cherrypicks scriptures to support their atheism, find out why they are rebelling.  Ask them what event changed their thinking about God.  Seek not to win the argument but to win the person which is what we should  always try to do.  Help them to realize that the ENTIRE bible is there for them to take, the entire bounty of cherries, handpicked by Christ, and free of charge.  Why pick one single cherry when you can get the whole tree- which would in turn allow for a better understanding of the scriptures erroneously taken out of context?  The tree is there for the taking if you are humble enough to seek it and the tree gives life.  God's blessings be upon you. 

 

 

A Covering

You know, it's funny what some people think about God.  A.W. Tozer said something that I totally agree with.  He said, "The most important thing about a person is how they think about God."  Whether folks think highly of God will determine how they live their lives.  It is really simple, if we understand God's holiness and God's sovereignty, then we understand that we cannot bring trash to God and expect Him to validate it.

Yesterday in church, after the sermon, a woman came to the altar and asked for a covering.  It seemed innocent enough.  She was someone that did not look familiar to me and my initial thought was that she was from out of town and wanted to be under watchcare at our church.  This all changed when she asked our pastor if she could say something.  She began talking about her life and how she wanted to make a change.  She talked about being shot at and stabbed.  Then she dropped a bomb, she said that some of the people in the church should know her because she "worked" on that side of town.  She talked about "continuing to live her life because it was the only way that she could take care of herself."  She proceeded to ask the women of the church not to be angry at her if she had been with their men because, "they came to me, I didn't come to them."  This is the point where our pastor stopped her dead in her tracks.

He immediately picked up on this unclean spirit.  This woman was basically asking us to pray for her that she would be covered while continuing in her sin.  This was bold and he immediately rebuked the spirit and we came down from the pulpit and joined him and prayed for this lady.  It was amazing that she would actually stand there and ask for the church to condone her sin and pray for her/cover her while she wilfully lived in rebellion against God.  She didn't ask for us to pray that she would turn from her sin, but rather that she would be kept alive as she continues her sin.  That says a lot about what she actually thinks about God and what she thinks God desires. I would even go so far as to call that absolute lunacy.  I'm not judging her, we have all had issues in life, but coming to God without repenting or even the desire to repent is like modeling a fur coat in the store but walking away without it.  There is no exchange because repentance is a requirement if we are truly going to be transformed.  If we come asking for forgiveness, repentance is implicit. 

God is holy and will not sanction sin.  Habakkuk 1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?"  God's holiness will not let Him accept sin.  His holiness will not let him accept anything less than holiness.  That's why it is so important to have a relationship with Jesus because every Christian's holiness and righteousness comes from Jesus.  Will you join me in prayer for this sister, that she would come to her right mind?  God's grace and peace be upon you.

Leftovers

Leftovers are not always a bad thing- we think of leftovers as yesterday’s dinner, something used up and passed down...a TV that you have to change the channel with a pair of pliers, but I submit to you today that leftovers, in God’s sight, are not a bad thing at all. In God's eyes, He is always trying to get us to the point of being the leftovers of His eternal purpose. What I am saying is this, when God sends us through a process, what's left-over is someone that is better than they were before they entered the process. When a man produces leftovers, whatever is left has been subtracted from and used up; but when God produces leftovers, whatever is left has generally been touched by Him and has been proven to be genuine.

There is a message in Zechariah 13:8, 9 that stuck with me and I want to share it with you. The scripture reads:

8“It will come about in all the land,”
Declares the LORD,
“That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.

9“And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

To put this scripture in context, Zechariah is prophesying in a post-exilic Jerusalem during the rebuilding of the temple. The issue of impurity is present and God says in verses 1-5 of this same chapter that he is getting ready to purge the land by cutting off the names of idols and driving out the false prophet and the unclean spirit. Sometimes, God purges using fire, a universal symbol for purification. God uses fire to get to the leftovers. Fire does three things: 1. Identifies 2. Purifies and 3. Glorifies

Fie Identifies (Verse 8)

Recall fiery tongues identified the disciples of Jesus at Pentecost, John said that Jesus was coming and was going to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire! Fire identifies in that it separates the sheep from the goats! Peter 2:9 says that God knows how to deliver the righteous from trial and punish the wicked-at the same time– so we see in verse 8 that although the entire land was burning, only 2/3 actually perished. Fire distinguished the righteous from the wicked. The righteous were God's leftovers.

If we were to apply this to our lives, in the fire, the righteous will see God for who He really is AND understand that this fire has purpose! God works all things together for my good…so although it is hot, I’m alright because I know that God is ultimately GOOD!  I also understand that He will not give me any more than I can bear.  On the other hand, the wicked will see God as the judge-if you are outside of Christ the fire is different for you!

What we can conclude is this: the wicked and righteous might be in an identical situation- and the wicked man will curse God and die whereas the righteous man will give God glory for being a deliverer! What we also see is the same fire having two different purposes: The fire for the wicked is punishment--- BUT for the righteous is purification and what’s left is holy! In Isaiah 1:25, God says, "I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities."

Fire Purifies (Verse 9a)

If we read the A clause of verse 9, we see that after the 2/3 has perished, what's left, a 1/3 remnant,  is dealt with by fire and the fire has two intended purposes: 1. Refine and 2. Test

Refining is designed to burn off the mess and to get us to the place that God desires for us to be. Refining is a purification process. Fire from a chemistry standpoint, causes a chemical change. A physical change simply means putting on a new outfit but burning reduces anything into its basic elements. Fire for the ones that love God- is designed to bring about a chemical change- to reduce us to our basic elements. Fire removes all of the pretenses and causes a spiritual change in such a way that what I was when I went into the fire is not what I am when I come out of the fire.

Malachi 3:3 says that Jesus is like a refiner’s fire and a fuller’s soap who comes to purify the priests!  Isaiah 61:6 says you will be called PRIESTS of the LORD!  Under the New Covenant, the one in Jesus’s blood, 1 Peter 2:5 says that we are a royal priesthood; we are the ones that proclaim the excellence of God! We cannot proclaim God's excellence in impurity therefore the fire is used to purify us!  Christians are constantly being conformed into the image of Christ.  We were created in God's image, however, the image was marred in the garden of Eden.  God had an eternal plan in place to repair the image.  Every fire moves us a little closer to holiness- and repairs the image incrementally.  Therefore, what is left over after the fire is the image restored and not the image deformed. The fire brings all of the mess to the top---the dross---God skims it off and what’s left is holy!

Testing is simply this: the leftovers must be examined and found to be sure! Peter says (1 Peter 1:7) that our faith, which is more precious than gold, must be tested and found to be genuine! It’s one thing to say we have faith but it something else to demonstrate that faith while enduring suffering! God is trying to move us to holiness, to a place where I no longer view Him as an outsider- but an insider, living inside of me (Holy Ghost) and moving me closer to Him through the fire- the more fires that I walk through with Him, the more I trust Him! So the fire separates and identifies those that are committed to holiness as opposed to those that reject to God.

Fire Glorifies (Verse 9b)

In the fire: I will learn to call on His name. In the fire, I will learn that God is trustworthy because when I call on His name, the text says, He will answer! I will learn to give God praise even though the predicament that I am in has me confounded, perplexed and tired- wishing that this was over. But if God sends the fire or if God ALLOWS the fire, God will take us through the fire! I don’t have to avoid the fire because God gives grace when we need it most. God says, “My grace is sufficient.”!

The fire in this text came as a result of sin in the land- God was purging the land! The whole land was on fire but not everything in the land was burned up! God’s grace is unlimited and all of us need it.  If you are confounded by the fire that you are experienceing and wondering "why am I going through this?", consider this: although we do not live in sin (i.e. practice sin) anymore, we will still see trouble in this lifetime!  We have to deal with cancer, heart trouble, money issues, credit issues, marriage issues, etc.  Simply put, being saved does not exempt us from trouble but it does give us some options on how we deal with trouble! Grace allows us to glorify God while I am in a fiery situation. If you notice in the text, it is the ones that love God, the remnant, the leftovers that were the ones that were subjected to the fire for an even longer period of time. God is saying to us, "I will bring you THROUGH the fire, I will not lift you above it, I will not quench it, I will not douse it…I will bring you through it!"

If we recall the Hebrew boys (Daniel 3), when Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal, we should also recall his reaction to what he witnessed. He said (paraphrasing), "We threw three in but I see four now, unbound, unharmed--- and one looks like a son of the gods!" We need to understand that Jesus is in the fire with us and when that is the case, there is no smoke, no burning, not even the residue of being in a fire…just glory to God for the great things that He has done!

What we see from this scripture is this: God's leftovers are good because He has dealt with the raw material in order to produce something that is pleasing to Him. I'm ok with being God's leftovers. I was once sick with sin, but the blood of Jesus covered me and I became leftovers- no longer the sick person that went into the fire but a changed person after the fire. All of us are going to hit patches where we feel like we cannot go on-- I submit to you that not only can you go on, those rough patches are designed to humble us and bring us closer to God.  Find the lesson that the fire is trying to teach.  If God is currently dealing with you and purging you, submit to His process! His leftovers are blessed, holy and sanctified-- and I'm ok with that.  God's grace and peace be upon you.

The Paradox of Being Lost

It is common to hear people, especially those that are confused or those that are on a "journey", say that they are trying to "find" themselves.  This journey to "finding" of oneself is usually filled with all types of asinine pursuits, foolish relationships and bad choices.  Finding yourself is usually that period of time that we are alienated from God and are looking for some type of purpose in life.  I have been on this quest to "find" myself and realized that outside of Jesus, the pursuit of your true identity is futile.  Jesus Christ replaces that old identity with an identity that is inherited from Him and is constantly being conformed to His image.

Luke 9:24 says that the one that tries to "find" his life or "save" his life will lose it.  That's a simple statement.  When we are trying to "find" ourselves, we are in effect trying to save our own lives.  We are trying to ensure that some defining trait is maintained or we are trying to develop a sense of who we are so that the world will recognize us.  Jesus says, point blank, this is folly and will only end up leading to death.  The life that we are seeking to save and find outside of Christ is, for all intents and purposes, worthless.

Jesus follows up the a clause f Luke 9:24 with an even greater statement: "however, the one that loses his life on my account, while save it to eternal life."  Here, the same word for lose is used which alludes to two things: 1. If my physical life is destroyed on the account of my relationship with Christ, I will be ok and 2. My life does not belong to me, it belongs to Christ.  My identity is with Christ and therefore, the life that  I am trying to find cannot actually be found- Christ must indeed find me.  The bible says in Galatians 6:14 that as Christians, we are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to us. 

Can you see the paradox?  Trying to save your life, trying to find yourself and live independently of Christ will result in the exact opposite.  As bad as you might want it and as bad as you desire to be autonomous, apart from Christ we are doomed to a life of mediocrity and death.  However, the one that will lose his life...this one will prosper.  This one will inherit eternal life because not only have they identified with Jesus, they have forsaken their own identity to do so.  When we forsake all else for the sake of the cross, we become lost to those that do not understand the power of God in Christ.  We become an aroma of death and a stinch (2 Cor 3:15,16) to those that are perishing trying to hold on to their last bit of themselves. 

The paradox here is that if I find myself, then I am lost- but if I am lost for the sake of Christ, then I am found.  If I try to preserve my own life in this world, I forego the preservation that God offers through Christ.  The bible says in 1 Tim 4:10 that God is the Savior, i.e. the physical and spiritual sustainer of all men, especially of believers.  Why would I give up the riches of God's grace in order to chase the dragon of "self"?  I would much rather be lost in Christ and to be found in the world.     

Therefore, the quest for my existence, should end with Christ.  It should not end trying to become one with myself, looking for Zen or feng shui or "inner peace" but it should end with me realizing that there is nothing redemptive within me.  All redemption and validation comes from Jesus.  If you are reading this and you are on that quest to become one with yourself and to maintain the status quo, consider this, you will never be as satisfied with yourself and you will be with Jesus.  Get off the hamster wheel and lose your life for Christ.  God's grace and peace be upon you.

Sideswiped

I try to edify myself and refresh myself on a daily basis by reading my bible (I don't always succeed here, smile), listening to uplifting Christian music, and listening to good, theologically sound Christian ministries.  I often listen to Family Talk radio, Sirius XM 131, and, politics aside, there are several excellent ministries on this station.  I was listening on Friday and I listened to Jack Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham.  I admire Dr. Billy Graham for his evangelistic efforts and I am also very fond of his son, Jack.  I try to catch him in the mornings, although the kids usually overrule me and get to listen to Kids Place Live, also on XM. 

Friday morning, Dr. Graham was preaching from a series that he has been doing on the culture of America and how the culture runs counter to the Word of God.  I have no disagreement with Dr. Graham here at all.  I too believe that pop-culture is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the principles set forth in God's Word.  His sermon Friday dealt with man being created for paradise.  He spoke from Genesis 2 and he was building a very convincing case.  I did not disagree with him at all, but there was on particular comment that was troubling to me and you can listen to the message yourself here (Life in Paradise, Jack Graham). 

The argument that Dr. Graham was making was against the humanistic worldview that man is inherently good.  Christians that understand the fall of man also understand that nothing is further from the truth.  Man is not good but evil.  Man, according to Psalm 51:5 is inherently evil, born into sin.  Man is birthed into a sinful world and our initial propensity is toward sin, not toward God.  Man has to be called out of sin, redeemed from death and called into a renewed and reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  There is no other way for man to reconcile with the Father except through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Then we can be born again, not in sin but in the newness of life.

With that being said, and with the understanding that men are born evil, Pastor Graham went on to say this.  I want to directly quote him so that there is no misunderstanding of my ensuing argument against what he said in his message(beginning at about 15:00). 

"Man was perfect sociologically.  Man was in a perfect environment. He placed him, according to verse 15, in the Garden of Eden.  Today there is a worldview that man is basically good...that you elevate him, that you educate him, get him in the proper environment and he will succeed and that's what we need to do...and millions of dollars spent on attempting to get people elevated and successful in life, out of the ghettos and so on and out of the poverty of our times and so on...and elevated.  But the fact is, we tend to blame our circumstances, our background, our genetic pool or whatever rather than understanding in the very beginning that God is teaching us that he placed man in a perfect environment in the Garden of Eden  and yet even in a perfect environment man chose to rebel against God."



I have no beef with the premise of Dr. Graham's argument.  What he said is essentially true, that even in perfection man chose to rebel rather than to serve God.  Man was also tempted into rebellion, which is a point that Dr. Graham did not emphasize...but ultimately, the choice was man's to agree to the temptation.  That's not what I disagree with at all. 

What I did not like was his assertion that  "elevating, educating and getting man into the proper environment" is somehow a bad thing.  Getting people out of the ghettos and out of poverty is somehow bad?  He also seems to insinuate that those "millions of dollars" have been wasted "trying" to elevate folks that have blamed their circumstances and their genetic pools.  I can't help but think that this is a swipe at a particular ethnic group and although he may not have even intended it that way- that's how it came out.  Someone with a discerning ear would catch that in a heartbeat.  His intention was to show that even in spite of Adam being in a perfect place spiritually and sociologically, he still sinned.  One could easily gather from his thought that if Adam was in a perfect place and still fell, why waste time trying to change the sociological status of men/women that are in imperfect places- they won't "change" and it won't make a difference.    He did highlight that Adam was created in perfection earlier in the sermon, and we cannot fail to make that point.  Adam was not born, he was created, and he was not created sinful but he was created in perfection.  We could argue about what point Adam became sinful, etc., but that is a totally separate issue. 

What Pastor Graham missed is this.  He conflated two issues to make his point and in doing so he ended up weakening his argument.  The two issues that he mixed up are: 1. Socioeconomic equality so that one is able to "do" good versus 2. a spiritual disparity in man so that one is able to "be" good.  Those two issues do not mix.  If you look around, there is evidence that, when the socioeconomic playing field is leveled, there really is no difference in ability between those of different "genetic pools".  Circumstances can indeed play a huge role in the outcome of how a person makes choices, how they live, their self-esteem, their ability to get a quality education, their ability to achieve, even if a person never blames said circumstances.  The reality is, the conditions exist and do indeed influence those that live in them. 

Through court decisions like Brown vs Board of Education ruling, through constitutional amendments like the 13th and 14th amendments, attempts have been made to level the socioeconomic playing field such that African-Americans are given the same opportunities as their cultural counterparts.  Efforts to get rid of Jim Crow laws and Dred Scott mentalities, voter suppression, and questions like "how many bubbles are in a bar of soap" that were asked to African-American voters to ultimately deny them the right to vote, have been sustained but gains are still not where they should be.  Through the struggles of the Civil Rights movement which led to programs like "affirmative action", "equal opportunity" etc., we have tried and had some success in getting equal recognition for ALL human beings, regardless of the color of their skin.  To make light of the situation by relegating it to someone "blaming" their circumstances and "blaming their genetic pool" is a little offensive and I think he could have made the same argument a different way.  I would venture to say that those "millions of dollars" are not enough!  Per capita, the amount of money spent in school districts that are predominately African-American pales in comparison to that of our cultural counterparts.  While there are some that abuse programs like welfare, there are many that have benefitted and many that do not desire to simply remain on welfare, but that look for a way out by educating themselves, learning a skill or a trade, or pursuing other means of bettering their situations. 

Without understanding the jumpstart that white-America has had based on several hundred years of oppression of black-America and several hundred years of forced, free labor and several hundred years of racial discrimination, there is really no way to discuss the socioeconomic plight of those of a particular gene pool.  You will never reach a common ground with anyone that fails to recognize the disparity in resources and in opportunity between one gene pool and the other gene pool that has existed from the inception of this country.

While I respect Pastor Graham a great deal, I think he would have been better served to use a different illustration than the one that he used.  He would have been better served to highlight not just the ones that "blame their circumstances" but also the ones that helped to create said circumstances through evil, malicious, greedy motives based on the principle that all men were not created equal. 

There are scriptures that could be used to support the argument that wherever you are, that's where you should stay.  This is a different issue, but it is relevant to the discussion of "elevating a man to better conditions."  1 Corinthians 7: 17, 20, 24 all say that each one is to "remain with God in that condition in which he was called."  Whatever your social status is, remain there and operate in God's grace.  But Paul makes a point to tell the slave that if they were called while a slave, do not worry about it- BUT if you are able to become free, rather do that.  What Paul is saying here is that if an opportunity to better yourself is present, take it.  Here we see that this scripture is not discounting upward social mobility, but it is simply saying that we should not use our salvation or "new existence" as an excuse to change our social status. The "name it and claim it" crowd loves to do exactly this, say that because you are saved you should automatically be moved into a penthouse with the finest of everything. Nothing is further from the truth.  It is no different than Joseph being elevated in Pharaoh's house or the Israelites going to Canaan in Numbers 14, when Joshua and Caleb returned with a good report.  Joshua and Caleb based their confidence on the fact that God assured them victory- they had faith that although giants were indeed in the land, God was on their side and they could not lose.  If anyone entrusts their future to God, God is faithful and will not leave nor forsake the one that trusts in Him.  God was getting ready to change the condition of those that had been enslaved but were now free.  He did so at his own discretion and at His own pleasure.   

What cannot be mistaken is that we do not determine our lot in life, God does and just as He determines it, He can also change it.  The bible says that one that humbles himself will be exalted and one that exalts himself will be humbled (Luke 14:11).  As long as we operate with the understanding that it is God that exalts and God that humbles, as long as we seek God's kingdom first, then we can live a life that glorifies God regardless of our circumstances. 

Pastor Graham's message, in my eyes, was slightly diminished by his statement but his overall message was very solid.  We were created to live in perfection and in perfect unity and harmony with the Father.  We were created for His good pleasure, to worship Him and to fellowship with Him.  Sin caused the playing field for the entire human race to be skewed toward evil.  That's why we saw evil men walk seemingly victorious and triumphant in their evil deeds- because sin and the author of sin, Satan, reigned in the earth.  Despots like the slave traders, like Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein or even Bin Laden operated with impunity because of Satan's position as the "prince of the air" but God has remained in control and was not asleep at the wheel. 

God sent the remedy for sin in Christ, who paid the price for our sins and for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and for those that accept that payment, we are able to join a different gene pool where race, ethnicity, gender or color no longer matter (Galatians 3:28) - we are able to all become heirs to the inheritance that God has promised us through Christ (Ephesians 1:11).  We are able to be children of God and our prior genetics don't factor into God's will!  He called us through the kindness of His will, not because of where we live or what our social status is and through His Spirit, we are able to become New Creatures (2 Cor 5:17) no longer slaves to sin and to the "old man".  Thank God for His grace and for His mercy.  Thank God that He does not judge us based on anything else except for Christ- and whether we stand with Him or against Him.  If you are unsaved and reading this, my question is this: Have you accepted your new genes?  If not, God is willing and waiting to exchange your old genes for those that are infused with Christ's DNA- and He is willing and waiting to grow you, develop you and conform you to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, regardless of what gene pool you are from.  God's grace and peace be upon you.

Satan the Pervert

Satan is a total pervert.  By definition, a pervert is one that corrupts something from its intended purpose.  Clean jokes get perverted all the time.  Seemingly innocuous statements become sexual innuendo because of the perversion of someone's mind.  Satan is one that tries to pervert that which is pure and cause it to be profane.  When Job was "on trial", Satan tried to pervert God's justice and cause God to punish Job unjustly but God did not take the bait.

Satan's perversions can be seen everywhere.  Pornography is a perversion of sexual purity.  God intended sex to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife.  It is meant to be mutually beneficial and enjoyed by both parties.  The porn industry, on the other hand, objectifies one party in favor of the other, they reduce sex to a quick fix, they promote promiscuity, fornication and all manners of sexual immorality.  Pornography has been the downfall of many married men that have lusted after the images displayed on the computer or TV screen or depicted in the pages of dirty magazines.  Coming from someone that has dealt with a porn addiction, those images are hard to get rid of.  The whole idea of using a woman for your own selfish desires and to treat them as a piece of meat is a perversion of the intimate, selfless relationship that God intended for man and wife.

Satan has even perverted the weather.  Perfection reigned until sin entered the world.  Now, the chaos that we see in the environment mirrors the chaos that is in the world as a result of sin.  The weather and the natural events that occur are even in rebellion.  Tornadoes spring up and kill hundreds of people with no warning.  Tsunamis wash away entire cities.  Hurricanes come ashore and blow down houses, flood streets and destroy electrical infrastructure.  Satan takes something that God intended for good and causes it to rebel, thus corrupting it and causing it to act contrary to its purpose.

Satan tried to pervert the plan of God by tempting Jesus to worship him.  He waited until an opportune moment and then came when Jesus was at his weakest point.  That's when he tried to tempt Jesus and that's when we see how to deal with Satan's lies and his tricks...use the Word of God against his lies.  That's why it is important to have God's word written on our hearts! 

Satan tried to pervert the priesthood (See Ezekiel 34) by causing the shepherds to feed on the flock versus feeding the flock.  Ezekiel indicates that the priests made themselves fat off of the flock rather than being servants of the flock.  The priesthood in and of itself was not corrupt, but the people that were a part of the priesthood were corrupted.  God understood this and because of this, in eternity He made up His mind to replace the high priest with the true High Priest (Hebrews 4) and the priests with a new, holy priesthood (1 Peter 2) that are made holy through the finished work at Calvary of the High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Our bodies are also in rebellion because of the perversion of Satan.  Cells multiply too rapidly and become cancer.  Children are born with genetic defects, deformities and health problems that and leave us wondering why a child would have to enter the world with a challenge from the outset of life.  Sickness is everywhere.  The devil is a master at taking what God created and trying to use it to kill us.  Take, for instance, when Jesus and the disciples were in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (See Luke 8) and that storm came out of nowhere.  Well, the tempest that showed up can bee seen as an ambush of sorts because Jesus and the disciples would later encounter a man possessed with 2000 demons.  He was eventually set free from demonic oppression and went on to become an evangelist in the Decapolis.  That storm, from the water that God created, was intended to stop this man's deliverance- but notice, Jesus spoke to the winds and the waves...and they OBEYED!

This we know, regardless of the ferocity or the perverseness of Satan- when Jesus speaks, even the most perverse event is abated and must obey the words of our Lord.  When the words "The Lord Rebuke you Satan (Zechariah 3)" are spoken, Satan has no choice but to tuck his tail between his legs and go.  Whether it is the weather, cancer or some other illness, whatever it is has to give way to the command of Christ!  That is good news for those of us suffering from illness, those of us affected by different issues, those of us that have had recent problems with Hurricane Sandy etc.  Jesus is still the Master even though Satan seems to be in control.  The devil is nothing more than a glorified landlord and one day, Jesus is going to kick him out of the house and restore everything back to where God the Father intended it to be from the beginning.  Jesus has already taken away the keys of death and Hades when He got up from the grave and when He returns, everything will be made perfect.  There will be no more tears and there will be no more perversion of what God created in holiness and in perfection!  Thank you Jesus for sitting on the throne and thank you that the pervert will soon be put in his place.

The Open Road

I am writing this to share a testimony.  On Sunday morning I was travelling back from Mobile to Montgomery.  I left Mobile at 5:30am to ensure that I got back in time to teach Sunday School.  I hadn't made plans to be absent, I did not notify the superintendent that I wouldn't be there and I even cut my time with my family short so that I could prepare my lesson.

I have been teaching about Paul's journey to Rome (Read Acts 22 through 28 to get the big picture) and how he encountered so much opposition in his quest to get there.  He was beaten, he was tried by the Jerusalem council, tried by Felix the Governor, Agrippa the King, shipwrecked, snakebitten and finally he got a chance to get to Rome- although the bible never records that he spoke to Caesar, he did get a chance to preach freely although he was under house arrest.  There is are several underlying currents to this story: 1. God's plan is totally unstoppable 2. God's grace is totally unlimited and 3. Although we are all endowed with a mission from God, we do not know what they journey will be like to carry that mission out.

So, with that lesson in mind, I will finish my story about the trip.  My daughter was sound asleep in the back seat, my gospel music was sounding sweet and all of a sudden, about 80 miles into the trip...traffic came to a complete stop!  I looked at my watch and it was about 7am.  Traffic was so bad that people were getting out of their cars and jogging over to the rest area to relieve themselves and walking back to find their cars in the exact same place.  One guy's truck's battery went dead and he got a jump off right there in front of me!  I called my wife and I am on the verge of spazzing out because Sunday School started at 9am and I wanted to go home, change clothes and then go back to church.  The time ticked and we moved up enough for me to see some red flashing lights on the horizon.  Obviously there had been an accident and I am thinking now, "I am not going to make it to Sunday School."  I send the superintendent a text message and asked her to pray that the lanes on the road would open up. 

At about 8:00 am, traffic finally started moving.  I passed the rest area and saw cars lined up trying to get back onto the interstate.  I was roughly 86 miles from my exit with one hour to get there and I was not about to be the "courteous" driver and let 10 cars come over in front of me.  The miraculous thing was this, as I drove up, those emergency vehicles that were on the horizon were absolutely gone!  It was as if they vanished into thin air.  Because I commute about 100 miles round trip every day to work and I have seen a ton of accidents on the road, I know that it takes WAY longer than one hour to clean up an accident.  Traffic was backed up for at least two miles and all of a sudden, the lights were no longer flashing and we were driving along...and as I picked up speed, I noticed that I was not slowing down or having to use my brakes because everything was moving very smoothly.  Where did the emergency vehicles go?  Where did the accident go?  What happened?

I am a firm believer that IF God has a message for even one person, that nothing is going to stop that.  The bible says in Isaiah 43:13 that when God acts, no one or no thing can reverse it.  I am in no way trying to say that I am so special or that someone else couldn't have taught the lesson but I simply want to give thanks to God for getting me to my destination safely and for opening up a situation that was stagnant and threatening to keep me stranded on the highway.  God's grace is sufficient, even in spite of our doubts.  I was doubting that I would make it on time.  Although I was about 10 minutes late, I did get there, I did teach the lesson and I do believe that God was glorified.

Here is the take home message, do not doubt God when things look bleak or things look as if they won't work out.  The bible says that God works all things together for good for those that love the Lord and that are called according to His purpose.  I learned a valuable lesson sitting there on the interstate, never doubt, never fear because God is awesome and whatever God has prepared for us, He is faithful and will deliver it.  I know that it is human to doubt but faith is divine and faith comes from God!  Whenever we walk in faith, we please God.  Some of you are facing some situations were you are stranded on the interstate with an assignment in front of you...let me encourage you to remember that once God acts, no one can reverse it.  Once God says go, once He flips the on switch, there is no one that turn it off.  Continue in grace and peace.