Sometimes I want to scream … and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I want to scream, "Stop lying to people. Stop perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Stop twisting God's Word to make it say what you and others want it to say. Don't use the very words that God gave and that have the power to bring life, to sentence people to death by leaving them in their sinful state before a holy God! Stop telling people that God's love is "all-inclusive," that God loves everybody, no matter what they believe or even IF they believe." But while I want to scream, I know that those who need to hear aren't listening, don't want to listen and … without God's Spirit, will continue to refuse to listen. So my only recourse is to continue to speak God's truth and to OFFER God's love to those who have been given ears to hear by His Spirit, all the while praying that God will use His Word to bring some, or even one, out of their spiritual darkness and into His marvelous light.
I read a newspaper article recently that was written by a "gay Christian." In it he claims that he wants to "recapture the gospel" from those who have made the debate about homosexuality the central issue of Christianity. He says that those who speak out against homosexuality are hindering people from hearing the good news of God's all-inclusive love in Jesus. We have, according to him, let people know what we are against, but not what we are FOR. He states that those who refuse to welcome LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, questioning … or queer) people into the church are making the church look uninviting to those who are not "straight" and that only by opening our arms to all people can we really understand and express the true gospel which is good news for all people.
There is so much that is wrong with what he says that I scarcely know where to begin, and what is even worse is that many people in the church are agreeing with him. I have heard people say, "Well we all sin and we should accept anyone who comes with the same grace God has given to us." But wait, it is indeed true that we all sin, but you're missing the point that is being made by the LGBTQ lobby. They are saying that homosexual or bisexual behavior is NOT sin … Don't miss this. And as sad as that is, there are those in the church who believe that such behavior IS sin, along with other heterosexual sins, BUT, that we must love and welcome those who ARE LGBTQ … learning to understand each other better and to live together by ignoring what the Bible declares to be sin. We'll just talk about God's love. We need to be "welcoming AND AFFIRMING."
What's wrong with that? What's wrong is that the Bible that all these people seem to like to quote says that confession of our sin, repentance - a heartfelt sorrow for sin that causes us to desire to turn from it - and faith in Jesus Christ are necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness and to be received into His eternal kingdom … to be saved from His wrath and judgment. The Bible reveals that while God OFFERS His love to all, ONLY those who come to Him through the narrow gate RECEIVE His love and grace and enter into His kingdom. Though offered to all, God's redeeming love is NOT "all-inclusive." It never has been.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16". And John goes on to write, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:17-18).
So don't "gay Christians" believe in Jesus? Well, what does it mean to "believe" in Jesus? I can't question what you or anyone else believes, any more than you can question what I believe. However, what each of us believes can and must be judged by the Word of God. What you or I believe is only "right" if it matches what God's Word teaches. To "believe" IN Jesus means to know who He is and what He has done for His children, His sheep. To believe in Jesus does not mean simply to believe that there was an historical man named Jesus who died on a cross 2,000 years ago … or even that He rose from the dead. To "believe in Jesus" means to know that your sin was laid on Jesus and that He suffered God's wrath and judgment against it. And to believe in Jesus means that His perfect righteousness has been credited to your account by God's grace through the instrument of faith (a gift of God). And to believe in Jesus means that you acknowledge Him as Lord and seek to live according to the truth that HE has revealed by HIS Spirit in HIS Word.
There are undoubtedly some "gay Christians" who believe in Jesus and who struggle with their sexuality because they know it is sin to act on the feelings they have and which some may have had as long as they can remember. ALL who are seeking God's redeeming love must be and are welcomed by the true Church, by believers who understand God's grace because we all need it. But what we cannot do is "affirm" sin. God does not allow us to say that what He says is sin is now OK. When I speak against homosexuality and other sexual immorality it is not to condemn people but to point them to repentance, forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ. I need that myself! I need to repent, I need God's forgiveness and I need the life of Christ. By God's grace I have received Jesus Christ as Savior and confess Him as my Lord. Now, what HE says is my guide, and when I sin, which I still do, I am convicted by His Spirit to confess my sin, to seek His forgiveness and to rely on His power to continue the work He has begun in me until it is complete, conforming me to His image. While it is true that some who claim to be Christians and who may know about Jesus spend their time condemning others to make themselves feel better, there are many followers of Jesus who are FOR grace and forgiveness. We are AGAINST sin because it not only enslaves people in this life, but for those who have not been called to repentance and who have not been born again by the Spirit of God, sin leads to eternal death! We are FOR LIFE!!
I would agree with those who say that some have made the church uninviting by continually pointing out God's just judgment against sin and by singling out one sin or another (and homosexuality has been an "easy" target), without offering the solution. God's grace and love have been buried under a mountain of condemnation by some. Yet, doing the reverse and claiming that God's love is blind, or that what God calls sin is no longer sin because we decided it is not, does people no good when they finally meet the Judge of all men. Those who claimed to know Jesus but judged and condemned others will face His wrath … but those who cried out that their sin was NOT really sin, in spite of what God's Word says, will be condemned right along with them. You see, GOD is always right … and He judges fairly and impartially.
Romans 1-3 makes it clear that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10). And "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) … while "the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). People like the man who wrote the article I read are trying their best to lump all those who claim to be Christians into one mold and condemn all of us as guilty of not showing God's grace and love. He has never met me or the congregation I serve. All people are welcomed to worship with us and to fellowship with us. What none of us are allowed to do is ignore the sin in our lives … sin we all still struggle with. Together we approach God's throne of grace and confess our sins, knowing that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). That is the hope of the Gospel and that is what we are "for."
My desire to "scream" turns into a deep sorrow and grief for those who are being misled by the lies of those who say they care about LGBTQ people. God says, "If anyone is IN Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come" (II Corinthians 5:17). Leaving people with an identity defined by their old nature of sin is not good news. What I and others in the body of Christ who love God and who love people are FOR is the truth that Jesus sets believers free from the guilt AND power of sin. God's grace doesn't just cover up sin, it delivers the captive! As I have written before, in Christ there is no such thing as a "homosexual," simply a person who struggles with same-sex attraction. While I understand that this is all tied together with companionship, love, marriage, benefits, "rights," etc., the bottom line is God's redeeming love in Christ. His love is offered to all, but must be received by a faith that includes repentance and confession. A "faith" that does not confess what the Bible calls sin and that has no desire to turn from sin is not a faith produced by the Holy Spirit. It is not "saving faith" and it leaves people in their bondage. God's Word is clear: "Repent and believe!"
I pray that more Christians will love people enough to tell the truth … God's truth. Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!" May those of us who have been rescued throw God's lifeline to those who are drowning in the sea of sin and help them find firm ground on which to stand at the foot of the cross!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
"Catholic, Christian, Religion and Jesus ... "
"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because He has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has GIVEN US eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:10-13).
It's Monday morning and my mind is going in a hundred different directions. As a pastor I think back over yesterday's worship and the message God led me to bring from His Word to His people, and I pray that God will bring forth fruit for His glory in the lives of all who heard the Gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ. I think of some of the things that I know are going on in the lives of the people of Lighthouse, people I love and care for. I pray for wisdom, for strength, for endurance and perseverance, and I pray for opportunities to share the love and grace of Jesus with others, at home, at work, at school and elsewhere ... "being ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason for the hope that we have" (I Peter 3:15).
Then I look ahead and see what meetings are scheduled for the week and contacts I need to make and begin to consider the passage before me for the message next Sunday. Like everyone else, there is a lot to think about. But as I think and pray and work, there is often a nagging feeling that arises within me that I am not doing enough to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by all the possible means available to me. More and more often there is the conviction that people are being deceived and I feel helpless to do anything about it ... except to keep doing what I'm doing - proclaiming the truth of God's Word concerning Jesus and the way of salvation.
It's not as though God has not made the way clear. Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). As the apostles (the "sent ones") went out preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they called people to repent and believe: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). To the Romans, Paul wrote, "We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law" (Romans 4:28) and to the Galatians, "We know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:15-16).
The true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, revealed throughout God's Word, is that God's gift of eternal life must be received by faith in Jesus Christ ... period. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). God sent Jesus as the payment (the "atoning sacrifice") for our sins. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross satisfied God's justice. He took our place. My sins were laid on Him and by faith in Jesus God credits Jesus' perfect righteousness to my account (Romans 4 and II Corinthians 5:18-21). "The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). There is no other Gospel. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last ..." (Romans 1:16-17). Good works, be they "religious works" or any other kind of good deed, earn us nothing. We are saved from God's judgment against our sin by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That is the message of the Gospel found in God's unchanging Word.
But that is NOT the message being preached by so many today ... and people are being deceived by the millions. The passage that I quoted at the beginning of this blog, from I John 5:10-13, weighs heavily on my mind and heart, along with the whole testimony of God's Word. The "testimony" of the Holy Spirit in the heart of every true believer is this: "God has GIVEN us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." Therefore, every true believer can and should KNOW that they HAVE eternal life ... NO DOUBTS! Did you hear what John wrote in verse 10? "Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because He has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."
God says that Jesus paid the perfect sacrifice for all who will believe. Even the popular verse, John 3:16, declares, "God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life!" Every person who believes that Jesus suffered and died on the cross to bear God's judgment against their sins, and who is then moved by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus as their only Savior and the Lord of their life IS SAVED! God's testimony points to the sufficiency of Jesus to accomplish what only He could do: satisfy the justice of God. As true man and true God He was the perfect "Lamb" and all who believe HAVE BEEN redeemed by His blood, once and for all. Now, NOTHING can separate me from my Father's love ... not even death! (Romans 8:37-39).
So, why do people listen to anything else ... to any other message? Having proclaimed this Gospel to so many, Paul wrote to the Galatians, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8-9). Then he adds, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). There is ONE true Gospel: Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, suffered God's judgment in the place of sinful man on the cross, and whoever believes in Him ... whoever trusts totally and completely in the sacrifice of Jesus as the ONLY thing that brings forgiveness and life to those who believe ... these, and ONLY these are saved.
So why do people listen to anything else? Deception. I titled this post "Catholic, Christian, Religion and Jesus ..." because so many people around the world equate being "Christian" with being "Catholic." The "Religion" section of our local newspaper in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this week had four or five articles about the Catholic Church, Catholics or the Pope, one on Buddhism and another on Jews. Once in a while there is something about another "Christian" church, but the goal is clearly to place all religious thought of any kind together under one umbrella: "religion." Sadly, most people are OK with this, whether they are Catholic or Jews or "Christians" ... but no true Christian should approve of being lumped together with those who "preach another gospel." And that's what is happening.
It's nothing new. The Popes and the Catholic Church have been preaching for centuries that while Jesus died for our sins, it is only through participation in the sacraments and other rites of the "church" that one can hope to be saved. Even then, most people will have to pass through the "fires" of purgatory and will pass into heaven only by receiving merits from the saints or through the prayers and gifts of others to the church. This is "another gospel" and it should be condemned. Others in the "church" are preaching that God loves everybody and even those who don't know Jesus or believe in Jesus or confess Jesus will still be saved. This is "another gospel" and it should be condemned. Talking about Jesus and believing Jesus lived a long time ago is NOT "believing" in Jesus. Those who say it is "good enough" are preaching "another gospel" and it should be condemned.
But who dares say such a thing? Am I condemning Catholics? Am I condemning others who are preaching "about" Jesus? I am not condemning anyone ... GOD says they are condemned who teach any other message that is contrary to the true Gospel and God will judge those who BELIEVE any other message than the true Gospel. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Much of the "Christian" church today is preaching a different gospel, a gospel of prosperity, or a social gospel that declares that our main task is meeting people's physical needs (we are to do that, too, but people need to HEAR the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to have forgiveness, hope and peace with God that brings true and lasting HOPE!).
I have heard preacher after preacher interviewed and asked, "Are you saying that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will go to hell?" And I have witnessed one after another give a politically correct answer: "Well, it's not for me to judge" ... or "It's my job just to tell people about Jesus and God will sort all of that out" or ... " Are we not called to declare God's truth and to warn people of the coming judgment of God? If we see people being deceived, are we not called to love them enough to tell them the truth, and THEN to leave it in God's hands? It is unbelief that condemns people ... and that includes believing the wrong things about Jesus and about God and His love and His grace and His holiness and His justice. Belief in "something" and yes, even belief in some "Jesus" who lived a long time ago will not save you. FAITH is TRUST based on knowledge and it brings certainty!
More and more people are being deceived through what most consider to be the "Christian" church. I was told last week that someone who used to attend Lighthouse was going somewhere else because they preferred a more "upbeat, feel-good" (their words) message. I thought about that yesterday as I preached from Romans 4 that God in His grace has "credited righteousness" to those who believe in Jesus. If you want to feel good, this is the most awesome message ever known to man: God sees me as perfect, as righteous in His sight through faith in Jesus Christ!! What is so great about being told that you have to keep on trying to be a "better Christian" in order to get right with God? What is so great about thinking that all religions have "some" truth, but that none of them are completely true? Since you need a lifeline, don't you want one that you are SURE will hold you?
Which takes us back to I John 5:10-13. The testimony in the heart of every true believer is this: "God has GIVEN me eternal life. I believe in Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my Lord. He suffered and died for ME, and by God's grace I receive Him as my Mediator, through whom I have access to the very presence of my Father in heaven. I KNOW I am saved. I KNOW God is with me now, and I KNOW I have eternal life ... because GOD says so." Remember, anyone who does not believe God's testimony is calling HIM a liar!
Are YOU calling God a liar today? Are you declaring that faith in Jesus isn't enough? True believers will live lives of thanksgiving to God that include worship, prayer, study and service, to the glory of God, but they will do this because God has given them a new heart and a new mind and a new will and their desire is to serve Jesus. They will know that nothing they do can add to what Jesus has done in their place and they will trust totally, completely in the finished work of Christ on the cross ... period. Deception comes in many packages. In the first thirty to forty years following Jesus' ascension into heaven the true believers were being bombarded with false teaching, so the apostles warned them: "Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve" (II Corinthians 11:13-15).
Deception is deception because it is not obvious to most. It deceives because people do not know the truth and so cannot compare the lies they are being told with the truth of God's Word. The Apostle Paul wrote of the coming of the Antichrist in II Thessalonians 2:9-10: "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." The TRUTH is found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation by grace through faith. Nothing more ... nothing less ... my hope is sure and certain because my hope is in the shed blood of the perfect Lamb of God. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
Are YOU sure today? Whether you claim to be Catholic, Christian or go by some other label, do you believe in Jesus? That means, do you believe that He suffered and died in your place and that by God's grace, through faith, HIS perfect righteousness has been credited to your account and you stand before God clothed in that beautiful garment of Christ's making? If THAT is your confession, then you must KNOW today that you are one of God's children and you will live a life of thanksgiving for His GIFT of love every day, knowing He is with you and that if your life should end today, you will enter into His marvelous and glorious presence, without fear and with great joy! We have many people coming to Lighthouse from a lot of different backgrounds. When they come we tell them that the ONLY identity they have as a believe is in Christ Jesus. No other label is necessary ... no other label matters. "I trust in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation and I know that I am His by grace through faith."
Jesus said that His sheep hear HIS voice (through the Gospel) and that not one of His sheep would be lost. Jesus always tells the truth! So let me finish with the benediction from Jude, where he calls believers to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" because false teachers had already slipped in among them. He closes with these words: "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen" (Jude 24-25).
It's Monday morning and my mind is going in a hundred different directions. As a pastor I think back over yesterday's worship and the message God led me to bring from His Word to His people, and I pray that God will bring forth fruit for His glory in the lives of all who heard the Gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ. I think of some of the things that I know are going on in the lives of the people of Lighthouse, people I love and care for. I pray for wisdom, for strength, for endurance and perseverance, and I pray for opportunities to share the love and grace of Jesus with others, at home, at work, at school and elsewhere ... "being ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason for the hope that we have" (I Peter 3:15).
Then I look ahead and see what meetings are scheduled for the week and contacts I need to make and begin to consider the passage before me for the message next Sunday. Like everyone else, there is a lot to think about. But as I think and pray and work, there is often a nagging feeling that arises within me that I am not doing enough to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by all the possible means available to me. More and more often there is the conviction that people are being deceived and I feel helpless to do anything about it ... except to keep doing what I'm doing - proclaiming the truth of God's Word concerning Jesus and the way of salvation.
It's not as though God has not made the way clear. Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). As the apostles (the "sent ones") went out preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they called people to repent and believe: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). To the Romans, Paul wrote, "We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law" (Romans 4:28) and to the Galatians, "We know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:15-16).
The true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, revealed throughout God's Word, is that God's gift of eternal life must be received by faith in Jesus Christ ... period. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). God sent Jesus as the payment (the "atoning sacrifice") for our sins. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross satisfied God's justice. He took our place. My sins were laid on Him and by faith in Jesus God credits Jesus' perfect righteousness to my account (Romans 4 and II Corinthians 5:18-21). "The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). There is no other Gospel. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last ..." (Romans 1:16-17). Good works, be they "religious works" or any other kind of good deed, earn us nothing. We are saved from God's judgment against our sin by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That is the message of the Gospel found in God's unchanging Word.
But that is NOT the message being preached by so many today ... and people are being deceived by the millions. The passage that I quoted at the beginning of this blog, from I John 5:10-13, weighs heavily on my mind and heart, along with the whole testimony of God's Word. The "testimony" of the Holy Spirit in the heart of every true believer is this: "God has GIVEN us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." Therefore, every true believer can and should KNOW that they HAVE eternal life ... NO DOUBTS! Did you hear what John wrote in verse 10? "Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because He has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."
God says that Jesus paid the perfect sacrifice for all who will believe. Even the popular verse, John 3:16, declares, "God so loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life!" Every person who believes that Jesus suffered and died on the cross to bear God's judgment against their sins, and who is then moved by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus as their only Savior and the Lord of their life IS SAVED! God's testimony points to the sufficiency of Jesus to accomplish what only He could do: satisfy the justice of God. As true man and true God He was the perfect "Lamb" and all who believe HAVE BEEN redeemed by His blood, once and for all. Now, NOTHING can separate me from my Father's love ... not even death! (Romans 8:37-39).
So, why do people listen to anything else ... to any other message? Having proclaimed this Gospel to so many, Paul wrote to the Galatians, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8-9). Then he adds, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). There is ONE true Gospel: Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, suffered God's judgment in the place of sinful man on the cross, and whoever believes in Him ... whoever trusts totally and completely in the sacrifice of Jesus as the ONLY thing that brings forgiveness and life to those who believe ... these, and ONLY these are saved.
So why do people listen to anything else? Deception. I titled this post "Catholic, Christian, Religion and Jesus ..." because so many people around the world equate being "Christian" with being "Catholic." The "Religion" section of our local newspaper in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this week had four or five articles about the Catholic Church, Catholics or the Pope, one on Buddhism and another on Jews. Once in a while there is something about another "Christian" church, but the goal is clearly to place all religious thought of any kind together under one umbrella: "religion." Sadly, most people are OK with this, whether they are Catholic or Jews or "Christians" ... but no true Christian should approve of being lumped together with those who "preach another gospel." And that's what is happening.
It's nothing new. The Popes and the Catholic Church have been preaching for centuries that while Jesus died for our sins, it is only through participation in the sacraments and other rites of the "church" that one can hope to be saved. Even then, most people will have to pass through the "fires" of purgatory and will pass into heaven only by receiving merits from the saints or through the prayers and gifts of others to the church. This is "another gospel" and it should be condemned. Others in the "church" are preaching that God loves everybody and even those who don't know Jesus or believe in Jesus or confess Jesus will still be saved. This is "another gospel" and it should be condemned. Talking about Jesus and believing Jesus lived a long time ago is NOT "believing" in Jesus. Those who say it is "good enough" are preaching "another gospel" and it should be condemned.
But who dares say such a thing? Am I condemning Catholics? Am I condemning others who are preaching "about" Jesus? I am not condemning anyone ... GOD says they are condemned who teach any other message that is contrary to the true Gospel and God will judge those who BELIEVE any other message than the true Gospel. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Much of the "Christian" church today is preaching a different gospel, a gospel of prosperity, or a social gospel that declares that our main task is meeting people's physical needs (we are to do that, too, but people need to HEAR the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to have forgiveness, hope and peace with God that brings true and lasting HOPE!).
I have heard preacher after preacher interviewed and asked, "Are you saying that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will go to hell?" And I have witnessed one after another give a politically correct answer: "Well, it's not for me to judge" ... or "It's my job just to tell people about Jesus and God will sort all of that out" or ... " Are we not called to declare God's truth and to warn people of the coming judgment of God? If we see people being deceived, are we not called to love them enough to tell them the truth, and THEN to leave it in God's hands? It is unbelief that condemns people ... and that includes believing the wrong things about Jesus and about God and His love and His grace and His holiness and His justice. Belief in "something" and yes, even belief in some "Jesus" who lived a long time ago will not save you. FAITH is TRUST based on knowledge and it brings certainty!
More and more people are being deceived through what most consider to be the "Christian" church. I was told last week that someone who used to attend Lighthouse was going somewhere else because they preferred a more "upbeat, feel-good" (their words) message. I thought about that yesterday as I preached from Romans 4 that God in His grace has "credited righteousness" to those who believe in Jesus. If you want to feel good, this is the most awesome message ever known to man: God sees me as perfect, as righteous in His sight through faith in Jesus Christ!! What is so great about being told that you have to keep on trying to be a "better Christian" in order to get right with God? What is so great about thinking that all religions have "some" truth, but that none of them are completely true? Since you need a lifeline, don't you want one that you are SURE will hold you?
Which takes us back to I John 5:10-13. The testimony in the heart of every true believer is this: "God has GIVEN me eternal life. I believe in Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my Lord. He suffered and died for ME, and by God's grace I receive Him as my Mediator, through whom I have access to the very presence of my Father in heaven. I KNOW I am saved. I KNOW God is with me now, and I KNOW I have eternal life ... because GOD says so." Remember, anyone who does not believe God's testimony is calling HIM a liar!
Are YOU calling God a liar today? Are you declaring that faith in Jesus isn't enough? True believers will live lives of thanksgiving to God that include worship, prayer, study and service, to the glory of God, but they will do this because God has given them a new heart and a new mind and a new will and their desire is to serve Jesus. They will know that nothing they do can add to what Jesus has done in their place and they will trust totally, completely in the finished work of Christ on the cross ... period. Deception comes in many packages. In the first thirty to forty years following Jesus' ascension into heaven the true believers were being bombarded with false teaching, so the apostles warned them: "Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve" (II Corinthians 11:13-15).
Deception is deception because it is not obvious to most. It deceives because people do not know the truth and so cannot compare the lies they are being told with the truth of God's Word. The Apostle Paul wrote of the coming of the Antichrist in II Thessalonians 2:9-10: "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." The TRUTH is found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation by grace through faith. Nothing more ... nothing less ... my hope is sure and certain because my hope is in the shed blood of the perfect Lamb of God. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
Are YOU sure today? Whether you claim to be Catholic, Christian or go by some other label, do you believe in Jesus? That means, do you believe that He suffered and died in your place and that by God's grace, through faith, HIS perfect righteousness has been credited to your account and you stand before God clothed in that beautiful garment of Christ's making? If THAT is your confession, then you must KNOW today that you are one of God's children and you will live a life of thanksgiving for His GIFT of love every day, knowing He is with you and that if your life should end today, you will enter into His marvelous and glorious presence, without fear and with great joy! We have many people coming to Lighthouse from a lot of different backgrounds. When they come we tell them that the ONLY identity they have as a believe is in Christ Jesus. No other label is necessary ... no other label matters. "I trust in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation and I know that I am His by grace through faith."
Jesus said that His sheep hear HIS voice (through the Gospel) and that not one of His sheep would be lost. Jesus always tells the truth! So let me finish with the benediction from Jude, where he calls believers to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" because false teachers had already slipped in among them. He closes with these words: "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen" (Jude 24-25).
Saturday, October 12, 2013
"The present demise of the United States of America - from a Biblical perspective ..."
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - II Chronicles 7:14
These words are often used to offer hope to those who believe that only the one true God can turn our nation, or any nation, from its self-destructive ways. While not wanting to be pessimistic, hearing the truth is necessary if we are going to find a real solution to the problems facing our nation and, indeed, the world. In our present financial crisis (again), it has been rightly said by those in our own government and in the governments around the world, that if the United States were to default, not to pay its bills, the economic consequences would be almost instantaneously felt worldwide. Like never before in the history of the world, the nations of the world are tied together through trade and economic policies that have ripple effects through every nation on earth. But what about the words of II Chronicles 7:14?
Let me point out a few key words from that verse: First of all, the word "if." This is a conditional promise based on the actions of those to whom God is speaking. Secondly, God is speaking to those who are rightly called "MY people." This promise is given to those who have the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on them. Thirdly, these people must humble themselves AND pray AND seek God's face AND turn from their wicked ways. God is not saying, "Pick one or two" and I'll see what I can do. These words were spoken specifically to Israel when the twelve tribes were still one nation under King Solomon. They were spoken to a people who were the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and who bore the name of their God, who had made His covenant with them and them alone, out of all the nations of the earth.
So did the people do it? Did they call on God and humble themselves and seek His face (draw near to Him in worship) and turn from their wicked ways? NO! The nation was divided under Solomon's son, Rehoboam, and in less than 250 years the nation of Israel was no more, though the descendants of Abraham continued through the line of Judah. Even those to whom these words were spoken directly did not respond to God's call and their land and their people were destroyed. The "if" is a big little word. Still, there are those today who claim this promise for the United States, even in our present circumstances.
Truthfully, these words and the promise they bring do not apply to America or to any other nation on earth today. In fact, they are at best a "placebo," a "pretend cure" for the real problems facing us as a people and as a nation. A placebo makes you THINK things will be OK, while the disease only progresses and ultimately leads to more serious consequences and even death. Well-meaning people are led to believe that they can sit in their homes and their churches and pray and claim God's promise for their nation and perhaps all will be well in the end. It is a false hope and it is used by some as a substitute that distracts people from getting up off their knees and actually DOING what God has called HIS people to do. Prayer is PART of our calling - but not our whole calling!
I'm a pastor and I believe prayer has power because God has promised to hear ... but not just any prayer. The Almighty God has given access to His throne only to those who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus told His disciples to ask in His name. God tells those who are His children through faith in Jesus Christ to pray, to ask, to seek and to find. He tells us to pray for our leaders and all those in authority over us ... not that they would do what WE want, but that they would so what GOD wants: TURN from their wicked ways and live! We so often selfishly pray for things that would have a positive impact on our own lives without thinking of the spiritual welfare of those who are spiritually dead, blind and ignorant of the truth. In our nation today it all seems to revolve around MONEY!!
Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about the Tea Party, or any other political group ... not because I disagree with some or even most of the things they are standing up for, but because it is simply another political movement seeking to do things for all the wrong reasons. We have taken the true God out of politics, out of our schools and even out of our churches (SOME churches). Any "god" will do. But the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not give His glory to another. The task of true believers, true Christians, those who come to God, our Creator, through Jesus Christ, the "Seed of Abraham," is to point people to God, to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey whatever HE has commanded in His Word, the Bible. Our involvement in politics ought to be with the desire to proclaim HIS Name. Anything less is a distraction. It is our task to point out the truths of God's Word, whether people listen or not. Instead, even those who claim to be Christians fail to mention the Bible or the true God because they are either embarrassed, ashamed or intimidated. We have given up so much ground that we have settled for fighting insignificant battles that leave our nation floundering in unbelief and facing the judgment of the God whom most people have scorned.
The answer ... the only answer, is calling people to Jesus Christ and back to God's Word. THAT is what we should be doing, WHILE we are praying. When those in the church fail to believe God's Word or to preach about the cross, where Jesus suffered the wrath of God to reconcile all who believe to our Father in heaven, then the rest doesn't really matter. The demise of the United States is not future - though things will get worse ... it is a present reality. Our leaders are acting like two-year-olds and it is embarrassing and shameful. "I said I won't negotiate, so we're just talking." They treat a growing financial crisis as so much leverage to get re-elected and they govern by the polls rather than by conviction. And let's be fair, many preachers and teachers in the church, and Christians at large, do the same thing. Whatever is convenient, whatever won't make waves, whatever is best for ME ... that's what I'll do. Is THIS the way Jesus called His disciples to live?
What CAN we do? Preach the Word! Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the early believers were persecuted and scattered, they "preached the Word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4). First, you need to learn what the Word says. We are watching a DVD series by Russ Miller, founder of Creation, Evolution and Science Ministries, in our Education Hour and it is sad that most people even in the church today believe in some kind of evolution or have settled for "Intelligent Design" and the majority of those who claim to be Christians do NOT believe the Bible to be the very Word of God. Yet we pray some prayer and think Almighty God is going to heal our nation because of some promise given to Israel 3,000 years ago.
The principle of that promise is true: If those who are truly God's people by faith in Jesus Christ will humble themselves, confessing their sin and turning from it to commit their lives to Christ, God will heal "their land" - their territory ... beginning with their marriages, their families and their churches, and perhaps expanding to their communities, their schools, and who knows from there. Politicians talk about a "grass roots movement." We need a grass roots movement of true believers, a "remnant" if you will, to proclaim the truth of God's Word and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our energy should be devoted to HIS cause: "Your name and your renown, O LORD, are the desire of our hearts" (Isaiah 26:8).
Will WE turn our nation around? No!! Only God can do that. And it must begin with YOU! Don't think you can "throw up a prayer to the guy upstairs" and the God who created the universe will say, "Oh, thank you for asking. I'll get right on that." Humble yourself, seek HIM, turn from sin and watch God heal YOU, your marriage, your family, your church family and other relationships. Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world right where you are. Imagine what COULD happen if all the Christians in even one community gathered to worship, to pray, to love, to serve, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their neighbors. If you aren't willing to do that in your own home or your own church or your own community, how can you in good conscience ask God to do that in our nation??
It's time to stop talking and start doing. It's time to add to our prayers the actions that reveal hearts that are committed to Christ and to making the one true God known to those around us. Evangelism is not a four-letter word, it is the calling of every true believer. "They preached the Word wherever they went." Let's be about our Father's business. Whether you are a preacher or a politician or a teacher or a farmer or a wife and mother, or a husband and father or a youth or young adult, or a senior citizen ... if you are a true believer in the Christ you have a calling to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, to live in obedience to His Word and to call others out of darkness to behold His marvelous light and the freedom that only HE can give. Half-hearted devotion is no devotion at all.
There's a new heaven and a new earth in the future. We who believe in Jesus and who are His disciples are citizens of His kingdom, by grace through faith. He has given us a job to do, whether you are here in the United States or in any other nation around the world. You are His ambassador, an alien and a stranger in this world. Don't be distracted from your primary task as His disciple. Build your own house upon the ROCK and then help others to do the same. There's a big storm coming and only those who build on a firm foundation will stand. "No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 3:11). Whatever we may accomplish, whatever good we may do, may HIS Name be praised!!
These words are often used to offer hope to those who believe that only the one true God can turn our nation, or any nation, from its self-destructive ways. While not wanting to be pessimistic, hearing the truth is necessary if we are going to find a real solution to the problems facing our nation and, indeed, the world. In our present financial crisis (again), it has been rightly said by those in our own government and in the governments around the world, that if the United States were to default, not to pay its bills, the economic consequences would be almost instantaneously felt worldwide. Like never before in the history of the world, the nations of the world are tied together through trade and economic policies that have ripple effects through every nation on earth. But what about the words of II Chronicles 7:14?
Let me point out a few key words from that verse: First of all, the word "if." This is a conditional promise based on the actions of those to whom God is speaking. Secondly, God is speaking to those who are rightly called "MY people." This promise is given to those who have the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on them. Thirdly, these people must humble themselves AND pray AND seek God's face AND turn from their wicked ways. God is not saying, "Pick one or two" and I'll see what I can do. These words were spoken specifically to Israel when the twelve tribes were still one nation under King Solomon. They were spoken to a people who were the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and who bore the name of their God, who had made His covenant with them and them alone, out of all the nations of the earth.
So did the people do it? Did they call on God and humble themselves and seek His face (draw near to Him in worship) and turn from their wicked ways? NO! The nation was divided under Solomon's son, Rehoboam, and in less than 250 years the nation of Israel was no more, though the descendants of Abraham continued through the line of Judah. Even those to whom these words were spoken directly did not respond to God's call and their land and their people were destroyed. The "if" is a big little word. Still, there are those today who claim this promise for the United States, even in our present circumstances.
Truthfully, these words and the promise they bring do not apply to America or to any other nation on earth today. In fact, they are at best a "placebo," a "pretend cure" for the real problems facing us as a people and as a nation. A placebo makes you THINK things will be OK, while the disease only progresses and ultimately leads to more serious consequences and even death. Well-meaning people are led to believe that they can sit in their homes and their churches and pray and claim God's promise for their nation and perhaps all will be well in the end. It is a false hope and it is used by some as a substitute that distracts people from getting up off their knees and actually DOING what God has called HIS people to do. Prayer is PART of our calling - but not our whole calling!
I'm a pastor and I believe prayer has power because God has promised to hear ... but not just any prayer. The Almighty God has given access to His throne only to those who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus told His disciples to ask in His name. God tells those who are His children through faith in Jesus Christ to pray, to ask, to seek and to find. He tells us to pray for our leaders and all those in authority over us ... not that they would do what WE want, but that they would so what GOD wants: TURN from their wicked ways and live! We so often selfishly pray for things that would have a positive impact on our own lives without thinking of the spiritual welfare of those who are spiritually dead, blind and ignorant of the truth. In our nation today it all seems to revolve around MONEY!!
Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about the Tea Party, or any other political group ... not because I disagree with some or even most of the things they are standing up for, but because it is simply another political movement seeking to do things for all the wrong reasons. We have taken the true God out of politics, out of our schools and even out of our churches (SOME churches). Any "god" will do. But the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not give His glory to another. The task of true believers, true Christians, those who come to God, our Creator, through Jesus Christ, the "Seed of Abraham," is to point people to God, to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey whatever HE has commanded in His Word, the Bible. Our involvement in politics ought to be with the desire to proclaim HIS Name. Anything less is a distraction. It is our task to point out the truths of God's Word, whether people listen or not. Instead, even those who claim to be Christians fail to mention the Bible or the true God because they are either embarrassed, ashamed or intimidated. We have given up so much ground that we have settled for fighting insignificant battles that leave our nation floundering in unbelief and facing the judgment of the God whom most people have scorned.
The answer ... the only answer, is calling people to Jesus Christ and back to God's Word. THAT is what we should be doing, WHILE we are praying. When those in the church fail to believe God's Word or to preach about the cross, where Jesus suffered the wrath of God to reconcile all who believe to our Father in heaven, then the rest doesn't really matter. The demise of the United States is not future - though things will get worse ... it is a present reality. Our leaders are acting like two-year-olds and it is embarrassing and shameful. "I said I won't negotiate, so we're just talking." They treat a growing financial crisis as so much leverage to get re-elected and they govern by the polls rather than by conviction. And let's be fair, many preachers and teachers in the church, and Christians at large, do the same thing. Whatever is convenient, whatever won't make waves, whatever is best for ME ... that's what I'll do. Is THIS the way Jesus called His disciples to live?
What CAN we do? Preach the Word! Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the early believers were persecuted and scattered, they "preached the Word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4). First, you need to learn what the Word says. We are watching a DVD series by Russ Miller, founder of Creation, Evolution and Science Ministries, in our Education Hour and it is sad that most people even in the church today believe in some kind of evolution or have settled for "Intelligent Design" and the majority of those who claim to be Christians do NOT believe the Bible to be the very Word of God. Yet we pray some prayer and think Almighty God is going to heal our nation because of some promise given to Israel 3,000 years ago.
The principle of that promise is true: If those who are truly God's people by faith in Jesus Christ will humble themselves, confessing their sin and turning from it to commit their lives to Christ, God will heal "their land" - their territory ... beginning with their marriages, their families and their churches, and perhaps expanding to their communities, their schools, and who knows from there. Politicians talk about a "grass roots movement." We need a grass roots movement of true believers, a "remnant" if you will, to proclaim the truth of God's Word and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our energy should be devoted to HIS cause: "Your name and your renown, O LORD, are the desire of our hearts" (Isaiah 26:8).
Will WE turn our nation around? No!! Only God can do that. And it must begin with YOU! Don't think you can "throw up a prayer to the guy upstairs" and the God who created the universe will say, "Oh, thank you for asking. I'll get right on that." Humble yourself, seek HIM, turn from sin and watch God heal YOU, your marriage, your family, your church family and other relationships. Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world right where you are. Imagine what COULD happen if all the Christians in even one community gathered to worship, to pray, to love, to serve, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their neighbors. If you aren't willing to do that in your own home or your own church or your own community, how can you in good conscience ask God to do that in our nation??
It's time to stop talking and start doing. It's time to add to our prayers the actions that reveal hearts that are committed to Christ and to making the one true God known to those around us. Evangelism is not a four-letter word, it is the calling of every true believer. "They preached the Word wherever they went." Let's be about our Father's business. Whether you are a preacher or a politician or a teacher or a farmer or a wife and mother, or a husband and father or a youth or young adult, or a senior citizen ... if you are a true believer in the Christ you have a calling to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, to live in obedience to His Word and to call others out of darkness to behold His marvelous light and the freedom that only HE can give. Half-hearted devotion is no devotion at all.
There's a new heaven and a new earth in the future. We who believe in Jesus and who are His disciples are citizens of His kingdom, by grace through faith. He has given us a job to do, whether you are here in the United States or in any other nation around the world. You are His ambassador, an alien and a stranger in this world. Don't be distracted from your primary task as His disciple. Build your own house upon the ROCK and then help others to do the same. There's a big storm coming and only those who build on a firm foundation will stand. "No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 3:11). Whatever we may accomplish, whatever good we may do, may HIS Name be praised!!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
"Christians, Creation and Evolution ... Which one doesn't fit?!"
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ... God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day" (Genesis 1:27, 31).
Most people who know anything about the Bible know that it begins in Genesis 1, verse 1, with these words: "In the beginning, GOD created!" But a growing number of Christians do not understand the problem with believing in evolution ... the unbiblical theory that the various species of life, even including man, evolved from primitive forms of life over billions of years. Even Christian colleges and universities are opening the door to other "theories" that outright deny the biblical account of creation or cast serious doubt as to its importance.
We have begun to view a DVD series by Russ Miller, "Creation, Evolution and Science Ministries," during our Education Hour on Sunday mornings. Anyone with a computer can go on line to creationministries.org and download this series for a small cost. Quotes from Russ are also heard regularly on "Real Remnant Radio," (realremnantradio.com), a new 24-hour internet radio ministry, founded to proclaim the truth of God's Word to the world. Both of these ministries believe the Bible to be the very Word of God, true from cover to cover. That is also our starting-point at Lighthouse Community Church Nondenominational!
My purpose in writing this particular blog is to attempt to FIRE UP Christian parents and educators!! We need to understand the consequences of sitting back and allowing Satan and the world to indoctrinate our children and young people with lies that are not supported either by God's Word OR by the evidence of science. If you are reading this and have children in school, from Kindergarten through colleges and universities, your children NEED to hear the TRUTH!! As a pastor I feel ashamed that we have let this go on for so long. While never believing or teaching evolution, I have not made it a point to speak often about it or to encourage our Children's Ministry or our Youth Ministry to combat these lies that our children and young people are hearing. We need to do better!!
Russ points out so well at the beginning of his series that the teaching of Darwinian Evolution (1859) denies the original creation of man in God's image, rejects the idea of mankind's "fall" into sin, which separated him from God, his Creator, and thus removes the need for a Savior and makes the rest of the Bible and God's plan of salvation a fairytale. If Darwin's theory of evolution is true, then Christianity is a lie. They cannot both be true. So which is it?
The facts are that there is NO evidence for Darwinian Evolution and there is MUCH evidence for Biblical Creation. I cannot begin to go into all the evidence that Russ presents, but he makes a great point when he says that true science is the friend of the Bible and of the true Christian. True science examines the evidence and arrives at truth, contrary to evolution, which begins with a theory and then manipulates the evidence in a vain attempt to "prove" it. Too many Christians have been intimidated by false evidence and have failed to realize that the teaching of evolution is a religion!!
Darwinian evolution, established when Darwin wrote his book in 1859, begins with a philosophy that is directly contrary to where the Bible begins. It begins by saying, "In the beginning there was no God ..." ... at least not the God who created all things for His glory, who separated Himself from man because of mankind's sin, and who sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for sin and to reconcile all who believe to Himself. This God, the only TRUE God, does not exist in the religion of evolution.
For the first one hundred years following Darwin's book most people who believed the Bible rejected Darwinism and its teaching of billions of years of evolution. Even public education left the subject of our origins to parents and churches to teach. But since 1960 secular humanists have taken control of the textbooks and have promoted what they now call "Neo-Darwinism," no longer as theory but as fact. The old saying seems to be true: "Tell a lie often enough and people will begin to believe it!" Because nearly a century of efforts to prove the theory Darwin wrote about failed to produce ANY evidence, those who did not want to believe in the God who created all things decided simply to stop calling it a theory and to present it as fact. This "fact" is now presented to grade school children and by the time they are in Middle School and High School they have accepted it as truth. Meanwhile, Christian parents and churches have been silenced by those in high places who say that we're just trying to push our religion on the unsuspecting masses.
Enough!! When the Apostle Paul entered the city of Athens, into a culture of philosophers who were much like our culture today ... wanting to consider every idea without coming to any conclusions ... Paul saw all of their statues and idols and altars and pointed out one that said, "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." Paul's response was, "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth" (Acts 17:23-24). He then went on to call them to repentance, to turn from lies to the truth, for God has appointed a Judge for all men and has given proof of this by raising Him from the dead. In this obvious reference to Jesus, Paul connects the belief in God as the Creator with His plan of salvation - sending His Son that whoever believes in Him might be saved from His coming judgment.
More than 70% of children raised IN the Church today are leaving Christianity behind. How many of these have been influenced to reject God's Word as truth because they have been led to believe that the Bible is not true from its very beginning. When Christian colleges begin teaching that there was not really an original couple, Adam and Eve, you know that we have allowed Satan to win the battle in the educational realm. Further, we in this country have believed the lie that the Constitution of the United States forbids the teaching of creation in public schools and we have retreated into our church buildings with our heads bowed and our tails tucked between our legs, apologizing for our failure to understand the difficult facts of "science."
True science cannot contradict God's Word. All of the evidence that has been found and all of the evidence that ever will be found must support the unchangeable Word of God. If it appears to contradict anything God says it is because we have failed to interpret it correctly or our information is as yet incomplete. There are some things that cannot be proven, which must be accepted by faith. As modern science has uncovered more of the complexities of the human body, including DNA studies and genetics, all of the evidence ... ALL of the evidence makes evolution impossible. There is absolutely NO evidence that living matter has ever come from non-living matter, or that one species mutated to another species ... NONE!! Yet, this "theory," which hardly qualifies as a theory because of its lack of support, is presented in textbook after textbook as fact. Shame on us for allowing this to happen!
And now the same is happening with history. Secular humanists are now re-writing the history of our nation and of the world to exclude God, the Bible, Christ and sin. Never mind that they have no explanation for the evil in our world today and no solution for the future. There is no good news apart from the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are in an inescapable mess and all we can hope in is human ingenuity and/or luck to change our course.
GOD offers something better! From the beginning to the end of the Bible God reveals a path that leads to life and that is filled with love, joy, peace and hope for those who come to know their Creator through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we need to FIRE UP!! We need to proclaim from the rooftops, "Our God reigns!!" Jesus is on the throne and His Spirit dwells within the hearts and minds of His disciples. Are you one of them? Have you been deluded by the lies of the false religion of secular humanism? Are your children even now being led astray by the lies they are hearing from people they are supposed to trust and respect? What can you do?
Check out creationministries.org and learn yourself so that you can teach your children and others. Talk to your pastor and others in the church where you attend and call their attention to these resources. Use them in small groups and begin to gather a group in your community that will challenge the status quo. There are some states where Christians have demanded that creation be taught. To date, the courts appear on the side of the secular humanists and their religion, but our churches are called to be LIGHT!! Let's let our light shine and proclaim truth. Let's equip our children with the evidence they need to stand firm in their faith amidst the lies of the world. Let's lead them to the God who sent His Son Jesus Christ, to a Savior who is also Lord, and to the power of His Spirit to give them strength to stand when all those around them head the other direction.
To do less is to fail this generation. To do less is to fail to glorify God. The heavens declare His glory! May we be found doing the same.
Most people who know anything about the Bible know that it begins in Genesis 1, verse 1, with these words: "In the beginning, GOD created!" But a growing number of Christians do not understand the problem with believing in evolution ... the unbiblical theory that the various species of life, even including man, evolved from primitive forms of life over billions of years. Even Christian colleges and universities are opening the door to other "theories" that outright deny the biblical account of creation or cast serious doubt as to its importance.
We have begun to view a DVD series by Russ Miller, "Creation, Evolution and Science Ministries," during our Education Hour on Sunday mornings. Anyone with a computer can go on line to creationministries.org and download this series for a small cost. Quotes from Russ are also heard regularly on "Real Remnant Radio," (realremnantradio.com), a new 24-hour internet radio ministry, founded to proclaim the truth of God's Word to the world. Both of these ministries believe the Bible to be the very Word of God, true from cover to cover. That is also our starting-point at Lighthouse Community Church Nondenominational!
My purpose in writing this particular blog is to attempt to FIRE UP Christian parents and educators!! We need to understand the consequences of sitting back and allowing Satan and the world to indoctrinate our children and young people with lies that are not supported either by God's Word OR by the evidence of science. If you are reading this and have children in school, from Kindergarten through colleges and universities, your children NEED to hear the TRUTH!! As a pastor I feel ashamed that we have let this go on for so long. While never believing or teaching evolution, I have not made it a point to speak often about it or to encourage our Children's Ministry or our Youth Ministry to combat these lies that our children and young people are hearing. We need to do better!!
Russ points out so well at the beginning of his series that the teaching of Darwinian Evolution (1859) denies the original creation of man in God's image, rejects the idea of mankind's "fall" into sin, which separated him from God, his Creator, and thus removes the need for a Savior and makes the rest of the Bible and God's plan of salvation a fairytale. If Darwin's theory of evolution is true, then Christianity is a lie. They cannot both be true. So which is it?
The facts are that there is NO evidence for Darwinian Evolution and there is MUCH evidence for Biblical Creation. I cannot begin to go into all the evidence that Russ presents, but he makes a great point when he says that true science is the friend of the Bible and of the true Christian. True science examines the evidence and arrives at truth, contrary to evolution, which begins with a theory and then manipulates the evidence in a vain attempt to "prove" it. Too many Christians have been intimidated by false evidence and have failed to realize that the teaching of evolution is a religion!!
Darwinian evolution, established when Darwin wrote his book in 1859, begins with a philosophy that is directly contrary to where the Bible begins. It begins by saying, "In the beginning there was no God ..." ... at least not the God who created all things for His glory, who separated Himself from man because of mankind's sin, and who sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for sin and to reconcile all who believe to Himself. This God, the only TRUE God, does not exist in the religion of evolution.
For the first one hundred years following Darwin's book most people who believed the Bible rejected Darwinism and its teaching of billions of years of evolution. Even public education left the subject of our origins to parents and churches to teach. But since 1960 secular humanists have taken control of the textbooks and have promoted what they now call "Neo-Darwinism," no longer as theory but as fact. The old saying seems to be true: "Tell a lie often enough and people will begin to believe it!" Because nearly a century of efforts to prove the theory Darwin wrote about failed to produce ANY evidence, those who did not want to believe in the God who created all things decided simply to stop calling it a theory and to present it as fact. This "fact" is now presented to grade school children and by the time they are in Middle School and High School they have accepted it as truth. Meanwhile, Christian parents and churches have been silenced by those in high places who say that we're just trying to push our religion on the unsuspecting masses.
Enough!! When the Apostle Paul entered the city of Athens, into a culture of philosophers who were much like our culture today ... wanting to consider every idea without coming to any conclusions ... Paul saw all of their statues and idols and altars and pointed out one that said, "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." Paul's response was, "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth" (Acts 17:23-24). He then went on to call them to repentance, to turn from lies to the truth, for God has appointed a Judge for all men and has given proof of this by raising Him from the dead. In this obvious reference to Jesus, Paul connects the belief in God as the Creator with His plan of salvation - sending His Son that whoever believes in Him might be saved from His coming judgment.
More than 70% of children raised IN the Church today are leaving Christianity behind. How many of these have been influenced to reject God's Word as truth because they have been led to believe that the Bible is not true from its very beginning. When Christian colleges begin teaching that there was not really an original couple, Adam and Eve, you know that we have allowed Satan to win the battle in the educational realm. Further, we in this country have believed the lie that the Constitution of the United States forbids the teaching of creation in public schools and we have retreated into our church buildings with our heads bowed and our tails tucked between our legs, apologizing for our failure to understand the difficult facts of "science."
True science cannot contradict God's Word. All of the evidence that has been found and all of the evidence that ever will be found must support the unchangeable Word of God. If it appears to contradict anything God says it is because we have failed to interpret it correctly or our information is as yet incomplete. There are some things that cannot be proven, which must be accepted by faith. As modern science has uncovered more of the complexities of the human body, including DNA studies and genetics, all of the evidence ... ALL of the evidence makes evolution impossible. There is absolutely NO evidence that living matter has ever come from non-living matter, or that one species mutated to another species ... NONE!! Yet, this "theory," which hardly qualifies as a theory because of its lack of support, is presented in textbook after textbook as fact. Shame on us for allowing this to happen!
And now the same is happening with history. Secular humanists are now re-writing the history of our nation and of the world to exclude God, the Bible, Christ and sin. Never mind that they have no explanation for the evil in our world today and no solution for the future. There is no good news apart from the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are in an inescapable mess and all we can hope in is human ingenuity and/or luck to change our course.
GOD offers something better! From the beginning to the end of the Bible God reveals a path that leads to life and that is filled with love, joy, peace and hope for those who come to know their Creator through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we need to FIRE UP!! We need to proclaim from the rooftops, "Our God reigns!!" Jesus is on the throne and His Spirit dwells within the hearts and minds of His disciples. Are you one of them? Have you been deluded by the lies of the false religion of secular humanism? Are your children even now being led astray by the lies they are hearing from people they are supposed to trust and respect? What can you do?
Check out creationministries.org and learn yourself so that you can teach your children and others. Talk to your pastor and others in the church where you attend and call their attention to these resources. Use them in small groups and begin to gather a group in your community that will challenge the status quo. There are some states where Christians have demanded that creation be taught. To date, the courts appear on the side of the secular humanists and their religion, but our churches are called to be LIGHT!! Let's let our light shine and proclaim truth. Let's equip our children with the evidence they need to stand firm in their faith amidst the lies of the world. Let's lead them to the God who sent His Son Jesus Christ, to a Savior who is also Lord, and to the power of His Spirit to give them strength to stand when all those around them head the other direction.
To do less is to fail this generation. To do less is to fail to glorify God. The heavens declare His glory! May we be found doing the same.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
"Again ... it's not the guns, people!"
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God" (Romans 8:5-8).
Another tragic shooting and the politicians and media and others line up again to declare that we need to take away the guns. Is that REALLY the problem? I have never owned a gun, but with our nation and the world in the state it is, and growing worse, there may come a time. In the meantime, the arguments I hear for "gun control" are so misguided that it makes me wonder if those who are speaking are that ignorant of what the real problems are or if they just want to appeal to the greatest number of people who are on a "side" in the debate about gun control so that they can get re-elected. And when I hear people bring the Bible into the discussion and twist it to support a particular political agenda, it makes me angry and compels me to respond with truth!!
First, the problem is not guns, it's HUMAN NATURE!! The verses I quoted above reveal the truth that human nature is self-centered, not God-centered or even other-centered. Human nature is selfish and bent on having its own way. The increase in anger and violence in our culture is the natural outgrowth of a society that is determined to ignore God and to elevate the power of human wisdom. Within the heart and mind of every person is a natural inclination toward God, our Creator, but the sin within us refuses to acknowledge the truth, rather suppressing it, covering it up, denying it (Romans 1:18). In that same chapter, Romans 1, the Apostle Paul goes on to say,
"Although they knew God (deep inside), they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. ... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts ..." (Romans 1:21-22, 24).
Human nature is turned away from God and toward self. Parents soon realize that allowing that nature to go unchecked leads to disaster. Toddlers and very young children will try to control their parents, the world around them and everything in it - when it is clear that they cannot even control themselves. Schools try desperately to help parents (or in too many instances be substitutes for parents) as they try to guide this sinful nature into some form of decent, acceptable behavior. By the grace of God, most people abide by the laws of man in order to avoid the consequences. Yet the sinful nature is rebellious at its core. Only the Spirit of God can change the heart and mind so that it WANTS to please God by obeying HIS laws. Yet we have removed the Bible from our schools and the majority of homes (even those who claim to be Christian) rarely if ever open it, ignoring God's command in Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
Only those who are born again by the Spirit of God, who have Christ dwelling in their hearts and who have their minds and hearts set on things above can win in the war against the flesh, the old nature of sin. No amount of willpower or good intentions or psychological warfare or social programming can do what the Spirit of God can do through His Word. The FIRST problem is that most in our nation "have a form of godliness but deny its power" (II Timothy 3:5). The result: People are "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Timothy 3:1-4). It's sad, but true!
We should not be surprised when people do horrible things. We should be thankful that God, in His grace, restrains people from being as evil as they COULD be! Those in churches who still hold to the truth of God's Word need to understand its power and teach their children and help parents to do the same. Together, we CAN make a difference! But does this leave us helpless to do anything else to stem the tide of violence that seems to have become almost a natural part of our everyday life? Are people right when they say we can expect more shootings and more violence? Isn't there anything else we can do?! Not everybody is going to come to know Jesus! What about the rest??
I would love to paint a pretty picture of the future, but God's Word does not allow me to do so. Truth is truth. There ARE, however, some other things that we as a society should focus on. One is mental illness and another is violent video games. In the last two shootings both of these have been factors in the lives of those doing the shooting. God tells us that those of us who know the truth are no longer in the darkness of the old nature of sin. We can see more clearly than others, not because we are so smart, but because God gives us wisdom by His Word and Spirit. Let's pretend for a moment that someone might actually listen to what I'm about to say. God says to those who believe in Jesus Christ and who know the true God, our Creator, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:8-11).
The mental health community needs to take a hard look at the treatment of mental illness and the government, which has been given the role of protecting society, needs to take an active role in arriving at a way to identify those who have mental illness that has expressed itself in violence or appears to be heading towards violence, and then intervene. When mental health "professionals" are hindered from identifying potential "shooters" by privacy laws and mandated confidentiality, something needs to change. Sadly, even some of the medications that are given today can and do cause agitation, anger and even violence. This is very quickly becoming an epidemic. Many people are helped with certain medications today and are able to live relatively normal lives. However, extreme caution needs to be used and a closer monitoring by doctors, psychiatrists, parents, families and friends needs to take place.
In this latest instance the young man who killed twelve other people had reported that he was hearing voices and that people were after him. He had expressed his anger with gun violence before. With all of our modern technology, why are these signs not being put together so that proper action, even hospitalization or some other kind of strict monitoring, can take place. This is not everybody, but in virtually every one of the last several instances, mental illness has played a part and there was somebody, or several people, who knew of the problem and who had even been warned of the problem. We can do better, but someone has to take responsibility. Just blaming the problem on guns won't fix the problem. This was a rifle. Anyone can get one.
The second thing we can do is to eliminate completely the senseless violent video games that too many young people, especially young men, are drawn to. In case you haven't noticed, the rise in shootings has coincided quite closely with the promotion of violence in movies, television and video games. Most people may be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy, but those with a mental illness cannot do so. Even those who may simply be faced with bullying or isolation or a host of other negative social experiences can be moved to express their anger in violence. "Virtual violence" feeds the old nature of sin and removes the inhibitions that God has placed there to restrain evil activity. Parents and others must first of all monitor what their children watch/"play", and all of us should be demanding that these video games be outlawed.
"Freedom" is an elusive goal, because the sinful nature MUST be restrained. Absolute freedom does not exist. It hasn't since Adam and Eve first rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden. As our society demands that a person's privacy be protected, even when they are an obvious threat to themselves and to those around them, we expose ourselves to the kind of violence we are seeing. When we refuse to confront sin and allow video games, movies, etc., to incite the sinful nature we set ourselves up for tragedy. It is just a matter of when and where the next one will be.
It's hard to know how to pray these days. I pray for the families directly touched by such senseless violence. I pray for a nation and its leaders as we move towards self-destruction in so many areas of life. I pray for the Church, for those who KNOW the truth because they know Jesus Christ and have been made "new creations" by the power of His Spirit at work within them. We have a job to do. We are called to be "light in the darkness" and that requires "speaking the truth in love" to all and pointing them to the only One who can help, to the One true God, our Creator, who has come to us through His Son Jesus Christ to lead us out of the darkness and into HIS light!!
Perhaps someone who is in a position to do something in our nation's government will read this, or perhaps enough people will pass it on to those in high places that people will begin to realize what the real problems are and try to address them. Meanwhile, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, let your light shine!! Tell people the truth and point them to Jesus. There is a new world coming soon; "a new heaven and a new earth ... the home of righteousness" (II Peter 3:13). Those who know Jesus will be there someday. God is with us, do not be afraid! He will rescue us and fill us with joy unspeakable. Serve Him today and be faithful in what He has called you to do. He IS LORD!!
Another tragic shooting and the politicians and media and others line up again to declare that we need to take away the guns. Is that REALLY the problem? I have never owned a gun, but with our nation and the world in the state it is, and growing worse, there may come a time. In the meantime, the arguments I hear for "gun control" are so misguided that it makes me wonder if those who are speaking are that ignorant of what the real problems are or if they just want to appeal to the greatest number of people who are on a "side" in the debate about gun control so that they can get re-elected. And when I hear people bring the Bible into the discussion and twist it to support a particular political agenda, it makes me angry and compels me to respond with truth!!
First, the problem is not guns, it's HUMAN NATURE!! The verses I quoted above reveal the truth that human nature is self-centered, not God-centered or even other-centered. Human nature is selfish and bent on having its own way. The increase in anger and violence in our culture is the natural outgrowth of a society that is determined to ignore God and to elevate the power of human wisdom. Within the heart and mind of every person is a natural inclination toward God, our Creator, but the sin within us refuses to acknowledge the truth, rather suppressing it, covering it up, denying it (Romans 1:18). In that same chapter, Romans 1, the Apostle Paul goes on to say,
"Although they knew God (deep inside), they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. ... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts ..." (Romans 1:21-22, 24).
Human nature is turned away from God and toward self. Parents soon realize that allowing that nature to go unchecked leads to disaster. Toddlers and very young children will try to control their parents, the world around them and everything in it - when it is clear that they cannot even control themselves. Schools try desperately to help parents (or in too many instances be substitutes for parents) as they try to guide this sinful nature into some form of decent, acceptable behavior. By the grace of God, most people abide by the laws of man in order to avoid the consequences. Yet the sinful nature is rebellious at its core. Only the Spirit of God can change the heart and mind so that it WANTS to please God by obeying HIS laws. Yet we have removed the Bible from our schools and the majority of homes (even those who claim to be Christian) rarely if ever open it, ignoring God's command in Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
Only those who are born again by the Spirit of God, who have Christ dwelling in their hearts and who have their minds and hearts set on things above can win in the war against the flesh, the old nature of sin. No amount of willpower or good intentions or psychological warfare or social programming can do what the Spirit of God can do through His Word. The FIRST problem is that most in our nation "have a form of godliness but deny its power" (II Timothy 3:5). The result: People are "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Timothy 3:1-4). It's sad, but true!
We should not be surprised when people do horrible things. We should be thankful that God, in His grace, restrains people from being as evil as they COULD be! Those in churches who still hold to the truth of God's Word need to understand its power and teach their children and help parents to do the same. Together, we CAN make a difference! But does this leave us helpless to do anything else to stem the tide of violence that seems to have become almost a natural part of our everyday life? Are people right when they say we can expect more shootings and more violence? Isn't there anything else we can do?! Not everybody is going to come to know Jesus! What about the rest??
I would love to paint a pretty picture of the future, but God's Word does not allow me to do so. Truth is truth. There ARE, however, some other things that we as a society should focus on. One is mental illness and another is violent video games. In the last two shootings both of these have been factors in the lives of those doing the shooting. God tells us that those of us who know the truth are no longer in the darkness of the old nature of sin. We can see more clearly than others, not because we are so smart, but because God gives us wisdom by His Word and Spirit. Let's pretend for a moment that someone might actually listen to what I'm about to say. God says to those who believe in Jesus Christ and who know the true God, our Creator, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:8-11).
The mental health community needs to take a hard look at the treatment of mental illness and the government, which has been given the role of protecting society, needs to take an active role in arriving at a way to identify those who have mental illness that has expressed itself in violence or appears to be heading towards violence, and then intervene. When mental health "professionals" are hindered from identifying potential "shooters" by privacy laws and mandated confidentiality, something needs to change. Sadly, even some of the medications that are given today can and do cause agitation, anger and even violence. This is very quickly becoming an epidemic. Many people are helped with certain medications today and are able to live relatively normal lives. However, extreme caution needs to be used and a closer monitoring by doctors, psychiatrists, parents, families and friends needs to take place.
In this latest instance the young man who killed twelve other people had reported that he was hearing voices and that people were after him. He had expressed his anger with gun violence before. With all of our modern technology, why are these signs not being put together so that proper action, even hospitalization or some other kind of strict monitoring, can take place. This is not everybody, but in virtually every one of the last several instances, mental illness has played a part and there was somebody, or several people, who knew of the problem and who had even been warned of the problem. We can do better, but someone has to take responsibility. Just blaming the problem on guns won't fix the problem. This was a rifle. Anyone can get one.
The second thing we can do is to eliminate completely the senseless violent video games that too many young people, especially young men, are drawn to. In case you haven't noticed, the rise in shootings has coincided quite closely with the promotion of violence in movies, television and video games. Most people may be able to differentiate between reality and fantasy, but those with a mental illness cannot do so. Even those who may simply be faced with bullying or isolation or a host of other negative social experiences can be moved to express their anger in violence. "Virtual violence" feeds the old nature of sin and removes the inhibitions that God has placed there to restrain evil activity. Parents and others must first of all monitor what their children watch/"play", and all of us should be demanding that these video games be outlawed.
"Freedom" is an elusive goal, because the sinful nature MUST be restrained. Absolute freedom does not exist. It hasn't since Adam and Eve first rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden. As our society demands that a person's privacy be protected, even when they are an obvious threat to themselves and to those around them, we expose ourselves to the kind of violence we are seeing. When we refuse to confront sin and allow video games, movies, etc., to incite the sinful nature we set ourselves up for tragedy. It is just a matter of when and where the next one will be.
It's hard to know how to pray these days. I pray for the families directly touched by such senseless violence. I pray for a nation and its leaders as we move towards self-destruction in so many areas of life. I pray for the Church, for those who KNOW the truth because they know Jesus Christ and have been made "new creations" by the power of His Spirit at work within them. We have a job to do. We are called to be "light in the darkness" and that requires "speaking the truth in love" to all and pointing them to the only One who can help, to the One true God, our Creator, who has come to us through His Son Jesus Christ to lead us out of the darkness and into HIS light!!
Perhaps someone who is in a position to do something in our nation's government will read this, or perhaps enough people will pass it on to those in high places that people will begin to realize what the real problems are and try to address them. Meanwhile, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, let your light shine!! Tell people the truth and point them to Jesus. There is a new world coming soon; "a new heaven and a new earth ... the home of righteousness" (II Peter 3:13). Those who know Jesus will be there someday. God is with us, do not be afraid! He will rescue us and fill us with joy unspeakable. Serve Him today and be faithful in what He has called you to do. He IS LORD!!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
"Evil will not win ..."
Most people in the United States know the name of the leader of Al-Qaeda who with the help of others planned the attacks that took place on American soil twelve years ago today ... I will not mention his name here. He is dead, along with others whose desire was only to seek, kill and destroy. But there are others ... a seemingly never-ending and growing stream of people bent on destruction. Their motives are varied: from an insatiable craving for power to a deep-seated hatred borne of lies and deceit. The blindness of SELF destroys many from the inside out. The spiritual state of mankind is desperate and hopeless. 9/11 ... a date that brings to mind the remembrance of intense evil ... and since then Iraq, Afghanistan and other examples of the growing evil around us ... cause us to pause and move some to wonder if evil is winning.
Truth is truth, the facts are facts, history is history. Evil may win some battles, but it will not win in the end. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has promised that HE will win the victory for those who come to Him through faith in His anointed King, Jesus Christ. Our God reigns!!
Psalm 2 points to the hope that those who know Jesus Christ can have as we live in this world today:
"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, 'I have installed MY King on Zion, my holy hill.' I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.' Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (Psalm 2:1-12).
We live today in the most uncertain time in the history of the world and of mankind. Ours is the first generation to have the capability to destroy ourselves and yet, the technology to communicate with people all over the planet at the same time. There is great potential for good and people want to be optimistic as they look at the future of planet earth and of mankind. The problem: evil ... evil that resides within the very nature of humanity. God has promised that evil will not win in the end, but He has told those who are disciples of His Son Jesus Christ that there will be suffering and trials until Jesus returns.
"Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power" (II Timothy 3:1-5). So it is today as many consider themselves "religious" and basically "good," but who reject God's Word and make for themselves gods of their own invention.
When evil rears its ugly head in moments like 9/11 much of the world is appalled that men are capable of such acts, but we should not be surprised. Hatred and murder and anger and worse lie within the human heart. It has been so since Cain killed his brother, Abel, shortly after Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden and were cast out of God's presence. Satan himself rebelled against God, his Creator, in heaven itself, and one-third of the angels followed him. What we see on the news every day is the result of this rebellion against God.
We need a Savior! Every person who has ever walked this earth has needed a Savior. Evil brings the judgment of God, sooner or later, or both. Evil deceives people and makes them believe that WE can overcome the evil in men and in the world all around us. Only the one true God offers real hope in the midst of all the evil around us, and that hope is found only through faith in Jesus Christ. Today, however, many are being deceived into believing that all religions are equally valid paths to this one true God. Even some who claim to know Jesus believe that the followers of Mohammed or Buddha or the Dalai Lama or other religious leaders are all following the same "god."
The longing for peace in this world and for unity among all of mankind leads people to ignore God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, God's own anointed King. Satan is the father of lies and as I have written previously, religious diversity leaves millions without a Savior. Many today have heard the name of Jesus, but have never heard the truth about who He is or what He came to do, or that He is coming again to establish God's kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth.
Evil is spreading. That's not a popular message, but it IS God's message. Those who think that evil will stop advancing, that it will somehow implode and disappear, are self-deceived. It is wishful thinking. Whether we should have carried out a military strike against Syria or not can be and will be debated - apparently for an extended period of time ... but this much is certain: the evil that motivates men like the leaders of Syria, Iran, North Korea and other nations will not just go away. And that same evil resides in US, which is why we must continually question our own motives.
Christians, those who have been born again by the very Spirit of the God who created us, true believers in Jesus Christ, have the answer. We have the answer not because we are so smart, but because God has opened our minds and our hearts to receive the answer He has given in His Word, the Bible. It is found in the words of Jesus when He says, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life." By faith in Jesus, believing that He died on the cross to bear God's wrath against your sins, that He rose again and ascended into heaven, from where He reigns over all things until He comes again to establish His kingdom on the earth ... by believing all that the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ and what it means to be called by God to be one of His disciples, you can KNOW that there IS hope!!
Evil will not win ... because God has promised!! Things WILL get worse before they get better. It is important to know what the Bible says about the end times. God says that many will fall away and will perish because they did not love the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10). Others will remain in the darkness in which they were born, looking only for a solution in this world and hoping for the best. They will follow anyone (right now, the leaders of Russia and Syria) who will tell them that there is a chance for peace in this world. They will sacrifice their morality, their compassion for people brutally killed by dictators and their integrity for a "chance" at peace, all under the disguise of "diplomacy." It is like a lamb negotiating with a lion.
God has taken all of this into account. He knows the end from the beginning. He allows people to reject Him, to carry out their evil designs and to mock His name, even as Jesus allowed Himself to be beaten and spit upon and crucified. Satan and evil thought they won ... surprise!! Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death and now He reigns until He makes His enemies His footstool. The calling of the Church, of those called out of the world to follow Jesus Christ, is to live in this world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ until He comes, offering forgiveness and hope and life to all who believe in Jesus. God knows those who are His and all whom He has chosen will hear the Gospel and be moved by His Spirit to believe and be saved.
Judgment will finally come on mankind - on ALL of mankind. I have been told that some will not believe in a God who will send people to hell, but you see, we ALL deserve to go there. "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "the wages of sin is death!" (Romans 6:23). But that same verse goes on to say, "but the GIFT of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Have you received that gift? John writes in his first letter to the churches, "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son (Jesus). And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:10-13). "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Evil will not win ... JESUS will win!! It is not some generic "love" that wins, but the love of the God who sent His Son to die on the cross to take your place and mine, the love of the Savior who suffered God's judgment for all who believe, for all whom the Lord our God will call. Is God calling you today? Will He use you to tell others about Jesus so that they will come to Him to be saved. Wherever you are in the world, you can know today that God is with you, that He loves you and that there is hope in Jesus Christ. Evil will often seem to be winning. Do not be afraid. God is with you and He has promised.
If you are reading these blogs from anywhere in the United States, or in one of the many countries who have people reading these words, I encourage you to tune in to realremnantradio.com to be encouraged to persevere in your faith and to share this good news with others. Tell others to read these words and to pass them on ... not because I have written them, but to build one another up as we see the end of this age drawing near. May the Lord encourage you today as you seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, through Him we have access to His very throne in heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16).
God bless you and keep you in His love and grace! I would love to hear from you. If you want to send me a personal note or a question, please email me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.
Truth is truth, the facts are facts, history is history. Evil may win some battles, but it will not win in the end. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has promised that HE will win the victory for those who come to Him through faith in His anointed King, Jesus Christ. Our God reigns!!
Psalm 2 points to the hope that those who know Jesus Christ can have as we live in this world today:
"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, 'I have installed MY King on Zion, my holy hill.' I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.' Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (Psalm 2:1-12).
We live today in the most uncertain time in the history of the world and of mankind. Ours is the first generation to have the capability to destroy ourselves and yet, the technology to communicate with people all over the planet at the same time. There is great potential for good and people want to be optimistic as they look at the future of planet earth and of mankind. The problem: evil ... evil that resides within the very nature of humanity. God has promised that evil will not win in the end, but He has told those who are disciples of His Son Jesus Christ that there will be suffering and trials until Jesus returns.
"Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power" (II Timothy 3:1-5). So it is today as many consider themselves "religious" and basically "good," but who reject God's Word and make for themselves gods of their own invention.
When evil rears its ugly head in moments like 9/11 much of the world is appalled that men are capable of such acts, but we should not be surprised. Hatred and murder and anger and worse lie within the human heart. It has been so since Cain killed his brother, Abel, shortly after Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden and were cast out of God's presence. Satan himself rebelled against God, his Creator, in heaven itself, and one-third of the angels followed him. What we see on the news every day is the result of this rebellion against God.
We need a Savior! Every person who has ever walked this earth has needed a Savior. Evil brings the judgment of God, sooner or later, or both. Evil deceives people and makes them believe that WE can overcome the evil in men and in the world all around us. Only the one true God offers real hope in the midst of all the evil around us, and that hope is found only through faith in Jesus Christ. Today, however, many are being deceived into believing that all religions are equally valid paths to this one true God. Even some who claim to know Jesus believe that the followers of Mohammed or Buddha or the Dalai Lama or other religious leaders are all following the same "god."
The longing for peace in this world and for unity among all of mankind leads people to ignore God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, God's own anointed King. Satan is the father of lies and as I have written previously, religious diversity leaves millions without a Savior. Many today have heard the name of Jesus, but have never heard the truth about who He is or what He came to do, or that He is coming again to establish God's kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth.
Evil is spreading. That's not a popular message, but it IS God's message. Those who think that evil will stop advancing, that it will somehow implode and disappear, are self-deceived. It is wishful thinking. Whether we should have carried out a military strike against Syria or not can be and will be debated - apparently for an extended period of time ... but this much is certain: the evil that motivates men like the leaders of Syria, Iran, North Korea and other nations will not just go away. And that same evil resides in US, which is why we must continually question our own motives.
Christians, those who have been born again by the very Spirit of the God who created us, true believers in Jesus Christ, have the answer. We have the answer not because we are so smart, but because God has opened our minds and our hearts to receive the answer He has given in His Word, the Bible. It is found in the words of Jesus when He says, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life." By faith in Jesus, believing that He died on the cross to bear God's wrath against your sins, that He rose again and ascended into heaven, from where He reigns over all things until He comes again to establish His kingdom on the earth ... by believing all that the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ and what it means to be called by God to be one of His disciples, you can KNOW that there IS hope!!
Evil will not win ... because God has promised!! Things WILL get worse before they get better. It is important to know what the Bible says about the end times. God says that many will fall away and will perish because they did not love the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10). Others will remain in the darkness in which they were born, looking only for a solution in this world and hoping for the best. They will follow anyone (right now, the leaders of Russia and Syria) who will tell them that there is a chance for peace in this world. They will sacrifice their morality, their compassion for people brutally killed by dictators and their integrity for a "chance" at peace, all under the disguise of "diplomacy." It is like a lamb negotiating with a lion.
God has taken all of this into account. He knows the end from the beginning. He allows people to reject Him, to carry out their evil designs and to mock His name, even as Jesus allowed Himself to be beaten and spit upon and crucified. Satan and evil thought they won ... surprise!! Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death and now He reigns until He makes His enemies His footstool. The calling of the Church, of those called out of the world to follow Jesus Christ, is to live in this world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ until He comes, offering forgiveness and hope and life to all who believe in Jesus. God knows those who are His and all whom He has chosen will hear the Gospel and be moved by His Spirit to believe and be saved.
Judgment will finally come on mankind - on ALL of mankind. I have been told that some will not believe in a God who will send people to hell, but you see, we ALL deserve to go there. "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "the wages of sin is death!" (Romans 6:23). But that same verse goes on to say, "but the GIFT of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Have you received that gift? John writes in his first letter to the churches, "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son (Jesus). And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life" (I John 5:10-13). "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Evil will not win ... JESUS will win!! It is not some generic "love" that wins, but the love of the God who sent His Son to die on the cross to take your place and mine, the love of the Savior who suffered God's judgment for all who believe, for all whom the Lord our God will call. Is God calling you today? Will He use you to tell others about Jesus so that they will come to Him to be saved. Wherever you are in the world, you can know today that God is with you, that He loves you and that there is hope in Jesus Christ. Evil will often seem to be winning. Do not be afraid. God is with you and He has promised.
If you are reading these blogs from anywhere in the United States, or in one of the many countries who have people reading these words, I encourage you to tune in to realremnantradio.com to be encouraged to persevere in your faith and to share this good news with others. Tell others to read these words and to pass them on ... not because I have written them, but to build one another up as we see the end of this age drawing near. May the Lord encourage you today as you seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, through Him we have access to His very throne in heaven (Hebrews 4:14-16).
God bless you and keep you in His love and grace! I would love to hear from you. If you want to send me a personal note or a question, please email me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
"Syria, the United States ... and what to do now!"
The purpose of this blog is to share Biblical truth that reveals God's grace to those who come to Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh, true man, true God, who died to pay the penalty for our sins and rose again in victory over sin and death. HOPE in this world and for the life to come is found only in relationship with the living God, the Creator of all things, the only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has revealed Himself in His Word, the Bible, and in His Son Jesus Christ.
Those who are regular readers know that I refrain from commenting on merely political matters, believing that my calling is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it applies to every circumstance of life. Because there are readers from many countries around the world, I seek to resist the temptation to address issues that are of interest only to those in the United States. Therefore, I pray that what follows is not only faithful to God's truth, but also to His grace and His purpose in sending Jesus to bring life to all who believe in Him, from every people, tribe, nation and tongue.
Questions continue about whether the United States should engage in a military strike against the current government of Syria because of their use of chemical weapons against their own people. Let me say to begin that there is little if any question that this has happened - on multiple occasions. For those who want further proof, it is quite likely that nothing will satisfy. It is probable that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but was given time to move them before the Gulf War - possibly even to Syria. The debates rage on and Iraq has been brought up over and over, but the fact remains that these governments have killed thousands upon thousands of innocent people in their nations - both using chemical weapons (as well as others) to do so.
One more point needs to be made before I go on. The United States of America stands squarely under God's judgment for its approving the killing of millions of unborn children through abortion. We are NOT morally superior to other nations when it comes to our "standing" before a holy God. The sin of abortion (as well as other sins) brings disgrace upon our nation. If we approach the subject of Syria simply from a comparative moral perspective, it is difficult to make the case that we have the "moral right or duty" to respond to the atrocities in Syria. God's truth makes it clear that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, where good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10), and "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
So if the United States is not capable of responding solely on moral grounds, should we then do nothing as chemical weapons are used by leaders in the Middle East or elsewhere? Having just listened to hearings in the Senate of the U.S. (one of our branches of government), I heard several different arguments, but one stood out: Can we know whether military action will make things better or worse? Is it possible that things will be worse if we conduct a military strike against the people who are responsible for this horror?
Let me attempt to answer those questions. EVIL exists! The Bible says "There is none righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). God instituted laws and governments to control evil. Romans 13:4 states that those who govern are "God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." That is the purpose of human government. In our day, since World War II, the United Nations has existed as a gathering of the nations of the world in order to attempt to maintain order by keeping EVIL in check, no matter where that evil comes from. However, over the past decades it has been proven that the United Nations is unable and/or unwilling to keep evil in check; in fact, the nations assembled cannot even agree as to what evil is ... EXCEPT when it comes to something like the use of chemical weapons. Here, at least, the nations of the world have agreed ("in principle") that such weapons should not, must not, cannot be used by any nation, either against its own people or the people of other nations. Like the nuclear non-proliferation treaties, the nations of the world have attempted to restrain EVIL by agreeing that certain actions are not to be tolerated.
The present situation, however, is complicated by certain nations on the Security Council of the United Nations, specifically, Russia and China, appearing to either approve of the use of chemical weapons or being willing to ignore it. The same is true with North Korea, Iran and other nations seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. EVIL is present everywhere in the world and in every nation of the world. And when governments are allowed to ignore even those agreed-upon restraints established by the nations of the world (Syria previously signed on to this agreement), it is up to the rest of the nations of the world to "enforce" these restraints. To fail to do so allows evil to proceed unchecked and is not only a national security issue, but a world-wide security issue.
Having said all of that, if the world fails to act, as it appears it has and will (see even the vote of the government of the United Kingdom, let alone others), should the United States act on its own or with the support of very few others? Should our government conduct military strikes in an effort to enforce international laws? It is very interesting that those who say this would be contrary to international law say little or nothing about the use of chemical weapons - a clear violation of international law. These appear willing to overlook the killing of hundreds and thousands of people by a government that claims to be part of the international community, while at the same time condemning the very punishment of this government, which IS the responsibility of the national community.
I am not trying to be a "good politician" by avoiding the answer to the question as to whether the United States should act, but am simply trying to point out the inconsistencies in the arguments against our acting. Every time you ask the wrong question, you will inevitably get the wrong answer. "Is there any guarantee that military strikes by the United States will make things better instead of worse?" What Secretary of State John Kerry said to Senator Rand Paul was exactly right: there is never a guarantee when it comes to military action. However, he also stated that it was a guarantee that the government of Syria and other like governments would be emboldened to act without restraint in the future if this action is allowed to happen unchecked. God's truth would agree with that. Evil will continue until Jesus comes and the Bible says it will increase. The often MIS-quoted verse, Proverbs 29:18 ("Where there is no vision, the people perish.") actually says, "Where there is no revelation (commandment), the people cast off restraint." To allow evil to advance unchecked, whether on a personal level or a national level, leads to further evil. The Word of God and history bear that out.
Many demand that we have a stated goal for conducting military actions against the Syrian government. It is simply this: To restrain evil. Will it work? There are no guarantees. But to the question, "Is it any business of ours" (the United States)? The answer is: Yes. In fact, it is the business of anyone who has the God-given capability to do something. Questions of when to go to war are always difficult to answer and we often come up with the wrong reasons. I grew up in the 1960's and could have very easily been drafted to go to Vietnam. God spared me that horror and the "cause" of that war may have been just at the beginning, but it was clearly not fought with the intention of winning against evil. It became a horrible, unjust, senseless and useless occupation. We should have learned from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan that we cannot MAKE people act justly towards each other. We cannot force people to stop sectarian fighting that has been going on for centuries and suddenly desire a democracy such as God has graciously given us.
BUT, when it comes to being used of God to attempt to restrain some of the worst evil ever to come on the world, we must be ready and willing to respond. In this day we do not need to send in troops or occupy nations, nor should we. We have been given the means to use our freedom to restrain evil where and how we can, and sometimes, perhaps now, that will require military action. In the end, a "man of peace" will bring a counterfeit peace to the Middle East and all the world will follow. The whole world is weary of war. But this "man of peace" will be an instrument of Satan to bring the world to the brink of destruction, and then the end will come, when GOD pours out HIS wrath on the nations and upon all who have rejected His offer of forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus.
Since we are a "global community," the words of Romans 13:4 apply not only to individual governments, but also to those who have "signed on" to be part of the United Nations: "He is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." To do less is to decide that it's everyone for himself, or every nation for themselves. Are we ready for the consequences of THAT? We will eventually get there ... maybe in God's plan we're there now, but if not, then the only "reason" we need is this: To restrain evil. That's really what Secretary Kerry was trying to say ... which didn't seem to satisfy some of the Senators, but which is the best answer that can be given.
In all of this we must keep this truth in mind: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. ... Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:1-2,10-11). God offers His grace today to those who draw near to Him through Jesus. One day soon, the time will come for God to pour out His wrath upon the earth. Until then, His grace is still available. Come to Him today and find true HOPE as you live in the joy of His presence!!
Those who are regular readers know that I refrain from commenting on merely political matters, believing that my calling is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it applies to every circumstance of life. Because there are readers from many countries around the world, I seek to resist the temptation to address issues that are of interest only to those in the United States. Therefore, I pray that what follows is not only faithful to God's truth, but also to His grace and His purpose in sending Jesus to bring life to all who believe in Him, from every people, tribe, nation and tongue.
Questions continue about whether the United States should engage in a military strike against the current government of Syria because of their use of chemical weapons against their own people. Let me say to begin that there is little if any question that this has happened - on multiple occasions. For those who want further proof, it is quite likely that nothing will satisfy. It is probable that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but was given time to move them before the Gulf War - possibly even to Syria. The debates rage on and Iraq has been brought up over and over, but the fact remains that these governments have killed thousands upon thousands of innocent people in their nations - both using chemical weapons (as well as others) to do so.
One more point needs to be made before I go on. The United States of America stands squarely under God's judgment for its approving the killing of millions of unborn children through abortion. We are NOT morally superior to other nations when it comes to our "standing" before a holy God. The sin of abortion (as well as other sins) brings disgrace upon our nation. If we approach the subject of Syria simply from a comparative moral perspective, it is difficult to make the case that we have the "moral right or duty" to respond to the atrocities in Syria. God's truth makes it clear that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, where good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10), and "God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
So if the United States is not capable of responding solely on moral grounds, should we then do nothing as chemical weapons are used by leaders in the Middle East or elsewhere? Having just listened to hearings in the Senate of the U.S. (one of our branches of government), I heard several different arguments, but one stood out: Can we know whether military action will make things better or worse? Is it possible that things will be worse if we conduct a military strike against the people who are responsible for this horror?
Let me attempt to answer those questions. EVIL exists! The Bible says "There is none righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). God instituted laws and governments to control evil. Romans 13:4 states that those who govern are "God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." That is the purpose of human government. In our day, since World War II, the United Nations has existed as a gathering of the nations of the world in order to attempt to maintain order by keeping EVIL in check, no matter where that evil comes from. However, over the past decades it has been proven that the United Nations is unable and/or unwilling to keep evil in check; in fact, the nations assembled cannot even agree as to what evil is ... EXCEPT when it comes to something like the use of chemical weapons. Here, at least, the nations of the world have agreed ("in principle") that such weapons should not, must not, cannot be used by any nation, either against its own people or the people of other nations. Like the nuclear non-proliferation treaties, the nations of the world have attempted to restrain EVIL by agreeing that certain actions are not to be tolerated.
The present situation, however, is complicated by certain nations on the Security Council of the United Nations, specifically, Russia and China, appearing to either approve of the use of chemical weapons or being willing to ignore it. The same is true with North Korea, Iran and other nations seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. EVIL is present everywhere in the world and in every nation of the world. And when governments are allowed to ignore even those agreed-upon restraints established by the nations of the world (Syria previously signed on to this agreement), it is up to the rest of the nations of the world to "enforce" these restraints. To fail to do so allows evil to proceed unchecked and is not only a national security issue, but a world-wide security issue.
Having said all of that, if the world fails to act, as it appears it has and will (see even the vote of the government of the United Kingdom, let alone others), should the United States act on its own or with the support of very few others? Should our government conduct military strikes in an effort to enforce international laws? It is very interesting that those who say this would be contrary to international law say little or nothing about the use of chemical weapons - a clear violation of international law. These appear willing to overlook the killing of hundreds and thousands of people by a government that claims to be part of the international community, while at the same time condemning the very punishment of this government, which IS the responsibility of the national community.
I am not trying to be a "good politician" by avoiding the answer to the question as to whether the United States should act, but am simply trying to point out the inconsistencies in the arguments against our acting. Every time you ask the wrong question, you will inevitably get the wrong answer. "Is there any guarantee that military strikes by the United States will make things better instead of worse?" What Secretary of State John Kerry said to Senator Rand Paul was exactly right: there is never a guarantee when it comes to military action. However, he also stated that it was a guarantee that the government of Syria and other like governments would be emboldened to act without restraint in the future if this action is allowed to happen unchecked. God's truth would agree with that. Evil will continue until Jesus comes and the Bible says it will increase. The often MIS-quoted verse, Proverbs 29:18 ("Where there is no vision, the people perish.") actually says, "Where there is no revelation (commandment), the people cast off restraint." To allow evil to advance unchecked, whether on a personal level or a national level, leads to further evil. The Word of God and history bear that out.
Many demand that we have a stated goal for conducting military actions against the Syrian government. It is simply this: To restrain evil. Will it work? There are no guarantees. But to the question, "Is it any business of ours" (the United States)? The answer is: Yes. In fact, it is the business of anyone who has the God-given capability to do something. Questions of when to go to war are always difficult to answer and we often come up with the wrong reasons. I grew up in the 1960's and could have very easily been drafted to go to Vietnam. God spared me that horror and the "cause" of that war may have been just at the beginning, but it was clearly not fought with the intention of winning against evil. It became a horrible, unjust, senseless and useless occupation. We should have learned from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan that we cannot MAKE people act justly towards each other. We cannot force people to stop sectarian fighting that has been going on for centuries and suddenly desire a democracy such as God has graciously given us.
BUT, when it comes to being used of God to attempt to restrain some of the worst evil ever to come on the world, we must be ready and willing to respond. In this day we do not need to send in troops or occupy nations, nor should we. We have been given the means to use our freedom to restrain evil where and how we can, and sometimes, perhaps now, that will require military action. In the end, a "man of peace" will bring a counterfeit peace to the Middle East and all the world will follow. The whole world is weary of war. But this "man of peace" will be an instrument of Satan to bring the world to the brink of destruction, and then the end will come, when GOD pours out HIS wrath on the nations and upon all who have rejected His offer of forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus.
Since we are a "global community," the words of Romans 13:4 apply not only to individual governments, but also to those who have "signed on" to be part of the United Nations: "He is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." To do less is to decide that it's everyone for himself, or every nation for themselves. Are we ready for the consequences of THAT? We will eventually get there ... maybe in God's plan we're there now, but if not, then the only "reason" we need is this: To restrain evil. That's really what Secretary Kerry was trying to say ... which didn't seem to satisfy some of the Senators, but which is the best answer that can be given.
In all of this we must keep this truth in mind: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. ... Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:1-2,10-11). God offers His grace today to those who draw near to Him through Jesus. One day soon, the time will come for God to pour out His wrath upon the earth. Until then, His grace is still available. Come to Him today and find true HOPE as you live in the joy of His presence!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)