Please humor me in this endeavor to explain why gay marriage is totally ludicrous and why those who are homosexual that, all of a sudden, think that they should be married are only coveting what God has ordained as an exclusive union between a man and a woman. Marriage was the first institution that God ordained. He created marriage before the church was even created. God allowed Adam to name every creature and then the Bible says that there was not ONE suitable as a helper for Adam. As a side note, this is also a word to say that bestiality is wrong, otherwise Adam could have hooked up with any of the animals that He wanted. So, the Bible says that, because there was no suitable helper for Adam, the Lord put Adam to sleep, took one of his rib bones and fashioned it into a woman. Think about the magnificent creative power that it took to take a bone and make it into a person. Maybe that is a metaphorical reference but the thought of it is still staggering. The ribcage encases the heart and lungs, both vital organs for survival.
So, after all of the creatures were created and named, God ended up creating Adam's mate from within the first body that He created. He created them co-equally but that didn't last because of sin. Sin had consequences and repercussions that led to the woman being made subject to the man. That's another blog post but here is the thing, God created a mate for Adam that Adam named...drum roll please...WO-man, because SHE came out of man. The Hebrew word for woman is ishshah which means female. That alone is enough common sense for me to say that marriage should be between a male and a female. But again, that's just me.
The people that would pervert marriage are doing so based on emotional love. Love based on feelings and not deep and spiritual love that comes from God. Adam's love while it may have had an emotional component, was also spiritual because he was intimately connected with this woman. She came out of his own body. In my opinion, marriage and happiness occurs when a man's rib bone returns to him i.e. when the helper that God created as suitable for him is sent to him by God or he is sent to her by God.
So, when Mom and Mom show up at the steps of the courthouse, is this a man and his missing rib bone coming together? No, it is two rib bones that belong somewhere else. When Pop and Pop show up at the Justice of the Peace to get hitched, is this a man and his missing rib bone coming together? No, it is two people, both missing rib bones that belong somewhere else. The biblical definition of marriage is very simple and has been held up for years...it is between a man and his rib bone, or a man and a WO-man. Very simple.
Children that are thrust into these selfish relationships are destined to be confused regarding human sexuality. How can you walk into your school with Mom and Mom? Which one is Dad? If Pop and Pop show up, which one is Mom? God gave Adam certain equipment and Eve certain equipment meant to make them fruitful and make them such that they could multiply and populate the earth when their equipment was brought together. Not only that, but God made the experience pleasurable for all involved! Now, when Pop and Pop get together, their equipment is the same- there are no eggs to fertilize and therefore no fruitfulness nor any multiplication...that's not natural. When Mom and Mom get together, one is strapped up and the other is a hapless vessel or they pleasure each other a different way...again not natural. The operative word is pleasure. Yes, there may be pleasure, but there is no fruitfulness nor is there any multiplication. It stands to reason that these relationships only based on two people pursuing pleasure and not pursuing what God intended. So the children are adopted, unwittingly, into automatically dysfunctional situations between two selfish people that are only together to satisfy their own pleasures.
Speaking of pleasures, I was recently listening author Sherif Girgis, the author of "What is Marriage?: A Man and a Woman" (What is Marriage?) and co-author of an excellent article in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy (Girgis, Sherif, George, Robert and Anderson, Ryan T., What is Marriage?
(November 23, 2012). Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Vol. 34, No. 1,
pp. 245-287, Winter 2010. [PDF of article], who made a great point that marriage is more than pleasure and romantic love. Marriage is not simply based on pleasure although there is great pleasure in marriage. But one should never enter into marriage because of physical or even emotional pleasure. It is more than that. The physical and emotional parts play a big role, but they wear out and if the "love" is only based on that, when the ability to be physically pleasing fades and the emotions turn from gooey and mushy to angry...what happens then? Marriage must contain both Agape and Eros love in order to be sustainable and to be real. It cannot be all eros, but Mom and Mom and Pop and Pop are only interested in eros, pleasure and that's it.
What's my point. I am wholeheartedly FOR Mom and Pop and wholeheartedly against Mom and Mom and Pop and Pop. It's that simple. If Mom and Mom and Pop and Pop want to get hitched, don't use the term marriage because that is based on the biblical definition of a man and a woman coming together in an exclusive union. Are there problems in marriage, absolutely. Are heterosexual marriages perfect? No. But what a person does with what God has ordained does not change the fact that God ordained it, God still holds it in high esteem and God's views have not changed. God still views marriage as between a man and a woman. Yes culture has shifted, but God is not like a shifting shadow. He is constant and everlasting. If God ever changed, that would mean that He would cease to be God. It's not going to happen. He doesn't have to line up with us, we have to line up with Him through Christ.
Even with this long diatribe, there is not a bone in my body that hates, despises or has any contempt for anyone of a different sexual orientation. I love all of my brothers and sisters. It is my sincere prayer that folks come to their senses and realize the error of their ways and realize that all of us are sinners in need of God's grace. Some people's sins are more public than others, but we are all trapped in a battle with our flesh. May God bless and keep you as you continue on this Christian journey.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Joy In the Morning
I have been dealing with a lot of stuff lately. There has been a seemingly endless pile of things that have sought to consume me. Trials can make you fold or they can make you focus. I have done both, at different times. I have folded only to be reminded by God that He is STILL in control. I have also focused, remembering that as long as I am walking by sight I will fail but when I walk by faith, I am depending on God and not on myself. Focus is one thing, but the object of our focus needs to be defined. Jesus is to be the object of our focus and the issue or trial should not be exalted above Him. Even with the different trials and with both proper and improper responses on my part, God has been faithful and in moments that I felt like there was no hope, He spoke. I cried out to Him, He heard me and He responded.
David speaks of this type of dilemma in Psalm 30:5 and also in Psalm 27:13. He says in Psalm 30:5 that weeping only endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. David was speaking of momentary affliction or chastisement that was brought on by/ allowed by God. This was a teachable moment in his life and these times are also teachable moments in our lives as well. He said in a different Psalm, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes" (Psalm 119:71). The times that we are under the chastisement of God are times when His love for us is made manifest. He chastises those that He loves (Hebrews 12:6). It is during these times where we should listen for what God is trying to teach us.
Momentary chastisement, if we allow it and accept it, can produce a change that is life altering. I know this personally and as I continue to grow, I am beginning to understand that ebbs and flows are inevitable. Just as the tides move onto the shore and the off again, life's issues rise and fall. We live in times of plenty and in times of lack. Life is cyclical with God orchestrating it all. When the tide goes out and times get lean, these are times when God tests our faithfulness. It might seem as if God is not there but God's silence does not proclaim His absence. He's always there. Those silent times are also times when we can truly learn the direction that God has for our lives. Teachable moments are all part of the process of spiritual growth. Rather than complaining in the ebb, I am now starting to use that time to learn the intended lesson and grow so that when the flow comes, I am able to see what the ebb was preparing me for. Just as the ebb is dry, the flow is wet and when the flow comes, the lessons learned in the ebb are priceless. That's when things all come together and we have those spirutal aha moments, and that is when God gets the glory! When everything comes together and everything that God was teaching us in the trial clicks and we see God working things for our good...we should glorify His name and give Him honor, praise and ascribe majesty to Him.
So joy does indeed come in the morning. Night might seem to last forever but as with anything else, night has a limit and must eventually give way to daylight. If you are reading this and you are dealing with an issue or issues, ask this question: "What is God trying to teach me by allowing this situation?" There is a lesson in every trial and every battle that will equip us to fight subsequent battles. God knows exactly what He is doing and it requires faith on our part to trust that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). I thank Him for joy, His joy that no one can take away (John 16:22), His joy that is our stronghold (Nehemiah 8:10) and His joy that always comes after the night has passed. God's grace be upon you.
David speaks of this type of dilemma in Psalm 30:5 and also in Psalm 27:13. He says in Psalm 30:5 that weeping only endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. David was speaking of momentary affliction or chastisement that was brought on by/ allowed by God. This was a teachable moment in his life and these times are also teachable moments in our lives as well. He said in a different Psalm, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes" (Psalm 119:71). The times that we are under the chastisement of God are times when His love for us is made manifest. He chastises those that He loves (Hebrews 12:6). It is during these times where we should listen for what God is trying to teach us.
Momentary chastisement, if we allow it and accept it, can produce a change that is life altering. I know this personally and as I continue to grow, I am beginning to understand that ebbs and flows are inevitable. Just as the tides move onto the shore and the off again, life's issues rise and fall. We live in times of plenty and in times of lack. Life is cyclical with God orchestrating it all. When the tide goes out and times get lean, these are times when God tests our faithfulness. It might seem as if God is not there but God's silence does not proclaim His absence. He's always there. Those silent times are also times when we can truly learn the direction that God has for our lives. Teachable moments are all part of the process of spiritual growth. Rather than complaining in the ebb, I am now starting to use that time to learn the intended lesson and grow so that when the flow comes, I am able to see what the ebb was preparing me for. Just as the ebb is dry, the flow is wet and when the flow comes, the lessons learned in the ebb are priceless. That's when things all come together and we have those spirutal aha moments, and that is when God gets the glory! When everything comes together and everything that God was teaching us in the trial clicks and we see God working things for our good...we should glorify His name and give Him honor, praise and ascribe majesty to Him.
So joy does indeed come in the morning. Night might seem to last forever but as with anything else, night has a limit and must eventually give way to daylight. If you are reading this and you are dealing with an issue or issues, ask this question: "What is God trying to teach me by allowing this situation?" There is a lesson in every trial and every battle that will equip us to fight subsequent battles. God knows exactly what He is doing and it requires faith on our part to trust that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). I thank Him for joy, His joy that no one can take away (John 16:22), His joy that is our stronghold (Nehemiah 8:10) and His joy that always comes after the night has passed. God's grace be upon you.
Freshly Hewn Tombs
Revelation 6:16 "They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!"
Revelation's interpretation has been debated by scholars for years. Some say that it only referred to 1st century Christians while others work themselves into a frenzy trying to decode what Revelation means to the modern day Christian. One thing that cannot be debated is the fact that Jesus has not returned yet. That is a fact and those of us that are saved eagerly await Him.
With that being said, I write this as a Christian, a conspiracy theory buff and an observer and critic of popular culture. I haven't blogged in about two weeks, but the other day I had a thought. The movie 2012 hinted at it and a show that I watched the other night on the security of the White House also touched this subject. If you watch the show "Doomsday Preppers", you see people frantically planning for the day when they will have to "bug out". What that means is when all you-know-what breaks loose i.e. the end of the world. These people have thousands of pounds of non-perishables packed up, farms, livestock, biodiesel fueled vehicles, guns and bunkers ready for the day when the world ends. They have obviously been prepping and not reading the Bible because no amount of resources will be able to stop Christ's return and his return signals an end to everything- there will not be a time to use those resources.
In keeping with this doomsday theme, Denver International Airport has underground shelters- the largest in the world (Denver Shelters) actually, but these probably won't be available to the average citizen. Even the President has spent some time in these as a part of a drill in 2011 (President ordered to underground shelter). There has been a lot of planning and resources that have gone into getting these shelters and bunkers ready in the event of nuclear war or some other calamity. People are even trying to colonize space to get off this planet. Although NASA is now defunct, the space industry is now controlled by independent billionaires that are developing newer vehicles for manned space flight and are offering trips to the moon for several millions of dollars.
The fact that there are people buying underground shelters and that the largest shelters just happen to be in one of the most mountainous regions of the country made me think of the scripture that opened this post. Rich and elite people will flock to these shelters in that Great Day thinking that the shelters will provide an escape from impending doom. What those shelters are, and what the shelters that Joe Blow has spent a pretty penny on getting it installed underground in his backyard, are simply freshly hewn tombs. Being in a bunker or some type of shelter is the equivalent of being in a tomb; these hiders will have sealed their fates. It's so ironic that as they seek to hide from "doomsday", this has already been prophesied in Revelation 6. It's almost as if they are asking the mountains to fall on them and hide them. I am sure that God will oblige them, but it is appointed unto man once to die and after that, the judgment (Hebrews 9:27)- from that, there is no escape.
There will not be away to escape the destruction that will come upon the earth at Christ's return. There is no way around it. Well...maybe there is a way to escape. The way to escape the fiery fate of those that have dug their own tombs is this: to actually get saved and be on the Lord's side when He returns! If we are on His side, we will be rewarded according to our works here on earth rather than be judged and condemned for not accepting the free gift of God's grace. Being on His side means being on the winning team in the cosmic battle of good and evil. Yes, it might look like evil is winning but trust me, Jesus will set all things right.
Read it here, Revelation 19:11-16:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The return of the King is inevitable and imminent. Although he left as a Lamb, He will return as a Lion. No one will be able to withstand His coming, but those of us that are saved and that have trusted Him as our Savior will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb! I don't know about you, but I want to be there. Hold on until He comes.
Revelation's interpretation has been debated by scholars for years. Some say that it only referred to 1st century Christians while others work themselves into a frenzy trying to decode what Revelation means to the modern day Christian. One thing that cannot be debated is the fact that Jesus has not returned yet. That is a fact and those of us that are saved eagerly await Him.
With that being said, I write this as a Christian, a conspiracy theory buff and an observer and critic of popular culture. I haven't blogged in about two weeks, but the other day I had a thought. The movie 2012 hinted at it and a show that I watched the other night on the security of the White House also touched this subject. If you watch the show "Doomsday Preppers", you see people frantically planning for the day when they will have to "bug out". What that means is when all you-know-what breaks loose i.e. the end of the world. These people have thousands of pounds of non-perishables packed up, farms, livestock, biodiesel fueled vehicles, guns and bunkers ready for the day when the world ends. They have obviously been prepping and not reading the Bible because no amount of resources will be able to stop Christ's return and his return signals an end to everything- there will not be a time to use those resources.
In keeping with this doomsday theme, Denver International Airport has underground shelters- the largest in the world (Denver Shelters) actually, but these probably won't be available to the average citizen. Even the President has spent some time in these as a part of a drill in 2011 (President ordered to underground shelter). There has been a lot of planning and resources that have gone into getting these shelters and bunkers ready in the event of nuclear war or some other calamity. People are even trying to colonize space to get off this planet. Although NASA is now defunct, the space industry is now controlled by independent billionaires that are developing newer vehicles for manned space flight and are offering trips to the moon for several millions of dollars.
The fact that there are people buying underground shelters and that the largest shelters just happen to be in one of the most mountainous regions of the country made me think of the scripture that opened this post. Rich and elite people will flock to these shelters in that Great Day thinking that the shelters will provide an escape from impending doom. What those shelters are, and what the shelters that Joe Blow has spent a pretty penny on getting it installed underground in his backyard, are simply freshly hewn tombs. Being in a bunker or some type of shelter is the equivalent of being in a tomb; these hiders will have sealed their fates. It's so ironic that as they seek to hide from "doomsday", this has already been prophesied in Revelation 6. It's almost as if they are asking the mountains to fall on them and hide them. I am sure that God will oblige them, but it is appointed unto man once to die and after that, the judgment (Hebrews 9:27)- from that, there is no escape.
There will not be away to escape the destruction that will come upon the earth at Christ's return. There is no way around it. Well...maybe there is a way to escape. The way to escape the fiery fate of those that have dug their own tombs is this: to actually get saved and be on the Lord's side when He returns! If we are on His side, we will be rewarded according to our works here on earth rather than be judged and condemned for not accepting the free gift of God's grace. Being on His side means being on the winning team in the cosmic battle of good and evil. Yes, it might look like evil is winning but trust me, Jesus will set all things right.
Read it here, Revelation 19:11-16:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The return of the King is inevitable and imminent. Although he left as a Lamb, He will return as a Lion. No one will be able to withstand His coming, but those of us that are saved and that have trusted Him as our Savior will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb! I don't know about you, but I want to be there. Hold on until He comes.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
What Shall I Render?
"Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and unto God that which belongs to God." Jesus said this to a man seeking to entrap him with a trick question regarding paying taxes. The man, looking for a reason to accuse Jesus asked Jesus if it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman government. Jesus, not seeking to cause an insurrection or arouse the suspicions of the government asked the man for a coin bearing the image of Caesar. The story is recounted in Luke 20, Matthew 22 and Mark 12.
What is interesting here in the text is the question that Jesus asked. After the man retrieved a coin, Jesus asked plainly, "whose image does it bear". The image on the coin was that of Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor of the time. The word used for image is the exact same word used when we speak of the "image" of God. Therefore, a great follow-up question would have been to ask, "what shall I render to God?" If the coin that bore the image of Caesar was tribute to Caesar then is stands to reason that the man the bears the image of God belongs to God.
Ask the question, whose image is stamped on us? It is the image of God. The bible says in Genesis 1:26 that the Godhead said, "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness." We are not little gods, we are human beings that carry the transitive properties of the Almighty God- the ability to love, to weep, to show compassion, to make decisions, etc. It's important to note that although we bear God's image, God alone is God- there is no other. Whatever we have comes from Him and any power that we have belongs to Him and is only used through us as the Holy Spirit wills.
Three things jump out of this text that can help us in 2013:
1. Ask God for a discerning spirit- Jesus discerned the scheme of the Jews that came to entrap Him and he turned the tables on them. When he asked them the question, the pressure to answer was no longer on Him.
2. If God's image is stamped on us, we ought to reflect his glory in the world. The bible says in Matthew 5:16 to let our lights shine among men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. Are we glorifying image of Caesar (the world) or are we walking in the image of The Almighty God? Jesus made the distinction clear in the text that Caesar was NOT God, Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and to God that which belongs to God! It did not say Render everything unto Caesar. Tiberius Caesar called himself Augustus which means divine…BUT Jesus is saying that there is only ONE GOD!
3. We all have a Caesar: Here Caesar represents the government, but in our lives, Caesar represents any oppressive force that stands in the way of our full obedience to God. Caesar represents anything that stands in the way of our relationship with God! However, there is nothing here that states that we have to remain oppressed. We don’t have to remain in bondage. People followed Jesus because of the freedom that he afforded them…and WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED! Jesus destroys yokes of oppression, Jesus destroys the works of the enemy, and once we were dead in our transgressions but now we are alive in HIM! Let 2013 be the year that we walk out of oppression and into the glorious light of life in the Son of God!
In closing, let us ask again..."What shall I render unto God?" If we are made in His image that means that we belong to Him. Romans 12:1,2 tells us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Let us not hold anything back but give ourselves over to the service of the Almighty. This is a charge to me, in particular. I am still learning to trust God in ALL areas of my life. No matter how many blog posts I write, never let it be said that I have it all together- nor will I ever claim to. This is a marathon and at times, I get tired, I stray off the path and I screw up. I am still learning to give myself completely to God. Am I giving more of myself now than I did before, yes. Do I still have work to do...absolutely! In 2013, if there is any area of your life that you have not totally submitted to God, ask Him to help you to give it over to Him. Let us all be in prayer for one another that we begin to obey God as never before. It will be difficult, but through Christ, we can do all things as He supplies us with strength from on high. May God bless you and Happy New Year! God's grace, peace and prosperity be upon you in 2013.
What is interesting here in the text is the question that Jesus asked. After the man retrieved a coin, Jesus asked plainly, "whose image does it bear". The image on the coin was that of Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor of the time. The word used for image is the exact same word used when we speak of the "image" of God. Therefore, a great follow-up question would have been to ask, "what shall I render to God?" If the coin that bore the image of Caesar was tribute to Caesar then is stands to reason that the man the bears the image of God belongs to God.
Ask the question, whose image is stamped on us? It is the image of God. The bible says in Genesis 1:26 that the Godhead said, "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness." We are not little gods, we are human beings that carry the transitive properties of the Almighty God- the ability to love, to weep, to show compassion, to make decisions, etc. It's important to note that although we bear God's image, God alone is God- there is no other. Whatever we have comes from Him and any power that we have belongs to Him and is only used through us as the Holy Spirit wills.
Three things jump out of this text that can help us in 2013:
1. Ask God for a discerning spirit- Jesus discerned the scheme of the Jews that came to entrap Him and he turned the tables on them. When he asked them the question, the pressure to answer was no longer on Him.
2. If God's image is stamped on us, we ought to reflect his glory in the world. The bible says in Matthew 5:16 to let our lights shine among men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. Are we glorifying image of Caesar (the world) or are we walking in the image of The Almighty God? Jesus made the distinction clear in the text that Caesar was NOT God, Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and to God that which belongs to God! It did not say Render everything unto Caesar. Tiberius Caesar called himself Augustus which means divine…BUT Jesus is saying that there is only ONE GOD!
3. We all have a Caesar: Here Caesar represents the government, but in our lives, Caesar represents any oppressive force that stands in the way of our full obedience to God. Caesar represents anything that stands in the way of our relationship with God! However, there is nothing here that states that we have to remain oppressed. We don’t have to remain in bondage. People followed Jesus because of the freedom that he afforded them…and WHO THE SON SETS FREE IS FREE INDEED! Jesus destroys yokes of oppression, Jesus destroys the works of the enemy, and once we were dead in our transgressions but now we are alive in HIM! Let 2013 be the year that we walk out of oppression and into the glorious light of life in the Son of God!
In closing, let us ask again..."What shall I render unto God?" If we are made in His image that means that we belong to Him. Romans 12:1,2 tells us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Let us not hold anything back but give ourselves over to the service of the Almighty. This is a charge to me, in particular. I am still learning to trust God in ALL areas of my life. No matter how many blog posts I write, never let it be said that I have it all together- nor will I ever claim to. This is a marathon and at times, I get tired, I stray off the path and I screw up. I am still learning to give myself completely to God. Am I giving more of myself now than I did before, yes. Do I still have work to do...absolutely! In 2013, if there is any area of your life that you have not totally submitted to God, ask Him to help you to give it over to Him. Let us all be in prayer for one another that we begin to obey God as never before. It will be difficult, but through Christ, we can do all things as He supplies us with strength from on high. May God bless you and Happy New Year! God's grace, peace and prosperity be upon you in 2013.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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