Madness!

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) ends with a prisoner-of-war doctor repeating the single word, “Madness!”. This was his response to witnessing the death and destruction of war, deprivation, torture, and especially the loss of moral compass. All the horrors of war were magnified by that one thing: forgetting the difference between right and wrong.   

And as I see it, that’s exactly where we are now, seeing rampant demonstrations of insane hatred for Israel and actual support for the raping, pillaging, baby-killing terrorists who are dedicated to the utter destruction of not only Israel but America and western civilization itself.

This present madness has confounded me. I have wondered how there can be such hatred focused on the Jews and Israel, when they have contributed so much to humanity in areas such as education, science, medicine, agriculture and more. Israel has been our strongest ally in the middle east. They are a tiny island of democracy and religious freedom in a sea of Islamic intolerance.

Their enemies’ accusations are all lies. It is a lie that Israel practices apartheid. All the accusations in the world cannot prove a lie to be true. Another lie is that Israel is guilty of genocide. It’s an absolute lie which has not and cannot be proven. On the other hand, that is exactly what Israel’s enemies want to do to Israel and all Jews: wipe them off the map. The original Hamas charter proves that.

But not just Hamas. Hezbollah, Houthis and other Iran-funded Islamic terrorist groups want nothing more than to completely eradicate Israel, as a nation and as a Jewish people. Don’t take my word for it. Israel’s enemies have long been very clear about the fact that they want to wipe Israel off the map. To support such liars and haters can only be described as madness.

Recently I watched a ten minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTDiH727eWQ that helped me to begin to come to grips with why we are experiencing such madness. The video is of John MacArthur addressing the issue of God’s judgment by abandonment. He produced a number of similar videos on this topic, but this is the one that opened me up to the idea.

Most people associate God’s judgment with fire and brimstone, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But John MacArthur points out from Romans 1:18-32 https://biblehub.com/context/romans/1-18.htm that one form of God’s judgment is through abandonment of those who have turned away from him, giving them up to their lusts (vs. 24), dishonorable passions (vs. 25), and finally giving them up to a debased mind (vs. 28). In other words, His judgment is to let sin have its full effect and allow people (and nations) to reap the consequences.

I looked up several translations of this passage to get a clear picture of the meaning of “a debased mind”, and I came up with a list of descriptives. I encourage anyone to simply look up their definitions. But first, let me emphasize  it isn’t just one word in one verse that I was seeking to understand. Back in verse 21 it says that they (those who turned away from God) “became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened”. So, I will add “futile” to this list (not to mention, darkened hearts): reprobate, degenerate, corrupted, base, depraved, irrational and worthless.

These words describe the kind of thinking that is prevalent in society today. Whether it’s woke policies in industry and commerce, woke principles taught by the public education system, disinformation promulgated by the media, perversion in the entertainment industry or the utter contempt in government for traditional virtues like honesty and freedom of speech, God has given our society up to reprobate, worthless thinking. It runs throughout our culture, and is even found in many churches. 

My purpose here is not to simply point at evil, but to come to the understanding that there is a reason for all the madness we are witnessing. Our nation is under God’s judgment. He is allowing the sin of apostasy to come to fruition. Knowing that, I no longer wonder how people can be so deceived, so irrational, so unresponsive to reason and common sense. God has given them up to their madness.

What can we do? First, we must remember, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). And 2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 

The Messiah – fully God and fully Man – offers salvation to everyone. Religion is not the point. It’s who Jesus is and what he’s done. That’s the gospel – the good news. Immanuel gave his life to pay for all sin. He died, was buried, arose on the third day – all according to Scripture – and is seated by the Father in heaven where he intercedes for us. Believe Him. Receive Him and be saved. 

United In Christ

Jesus prayed that his followers – his Church – would be one (John 17:20-23). Yet even the early Church was rife with division (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). Today there are literally thousands of Christian denominations, many of which claim their doctrines and tenets are exclusively true. Using simple logic, if their dogmas do not agree, they all can’t be teaching the truth. Someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong. It is painfully obvious that the Church is not experiencing unity in Christ, but suffers grave divisions – some over major concerns, and some over relatively minor concerns.

Romans 14 teaches that we are not to quarrel over disputable matters, or doubtful disputations, or pass judgment on another’s reasonings (depending on what translation you use). Christians who take the authority for what they believe from the Bible should be aware that the New Testament repeatedly tells us to be “of one mind” or “like-minded” or “one in spirit”.

And yet verse 5 of Romans 14 makes it clear that we aren’t going to agree on every little thing. Rather, each one of us is to be “fully convinced in his own mind”. The tacit implication is that unity in Christ is possible even though we may disagree on minor matters. It therefore becomes essential to discern which things are subject to authority and which things are subject to opinion. This raises two issues: 1) where do we get the authority for what we believe? And 2) what role do our personal opinions and reasonings play in what we believe?

2 Timothy 3:16 affirms that the Bible – not our opinions or reasonings – is our standard and authority:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:20 and 21 add that “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation” because it is from God. That means each person’s own understanding of any passage in the Bible is to be subject to God and his authority. In other words, while there is nothing wrong with having a personal opinion, our personal opinions carry no weight, when it comes to the authority of Scripture.

Resolving our differences of opinion is possible as we learn to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). As far as possible we are to live at peace with one another (Romans 12:18). And in that vein, Colossians 3:13 teaches us about “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other”. As most of us should know through personal experience, we cannot do this without Christ. That is why Ephesians 5:21 uses the phrase “out of revernce for Christ”.

The underlying challenge here is to attain to unity in Christ despite our seemingly unresolvable opinions. We can only do that if we let Christ be the head of the Church. He is the One who is to have preeminance (Colossians 1:18), not us or the wisdom of our own thinking.

Philippians 1:27 points out where our focus should be:

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

The gospel of Christ is the key to unity in the Church.  We can each be convinced in our own minds of our various opinions, and still “stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” as long as we can agree on what that gospel is, according to Scripture.

A personal note on Philippians 1:27: The word “spirit” appears to be used in the general sense here. However, it would not be incorrect to understand it as meaning the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used can mean either one. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Addressing the issue of unity in the Body of Christ, Ephesians 4:4 says, “There is one body and one Spirit…” It seems clear to me that when Philippians 1:27 says, “stand firm in one spirit” there can only be one Spirit in whom we can stand. But that’s just my opinion.

Traditionally, most “mainline” Christian denominations have been able to agree on theological basics: the divinity of Christ; sin separates us from God and leads to death and punishment; Christ’s death on the cross pays the price for all sin; his resurrection conqueres sin and death; and by faith receiving him as Savior and Lord our sins are forgiven and we are born again as Children of God, eternally to be with him. That is why I can say with confidence that the Church has been made up of folks from many different denominations and includes anyone who has been “born again”, according to Scripture.

So, what is the gospel? “Good news” isn’t a generalization to be applied to whatever you want. The “gospel” refers to something very specific.  It is summed up in 1 Corinthians 15:3-9:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

The message of the gospel is that Christ died to offer salvation from sin and death to all who will receive him by faith believing. Salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12), and is offered freely as a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8). Paul described this good news that he received himself and later delivered to others as “of first importance”, not religious rules or rites. This is in line with the last instructions Christ gave the church, which we call The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).

The command to “make disciples” can only be obeyed by first leading people to Jesus by sharing the gospel. That’s what makes it “of first importance”. Christianity isn’t about following a religion. It’s about following Jesus. And that is exactly what the Church needs to be doing: “with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel”.

Though I have tried to avoid a strongly theological approach to this discussion, I have tried to show abundantly how the Bible can be relied upon to guide Christians into unity in Jesus. But I fear that even Scripture  isn’t what many Christians want to look to for the authority for their faith. Many seem to want to cling to “progressive” leaders who tout “new” ways to explain Christianity. There are aberrant teachings being popularized today that assault traditional, Bible-based orthodoxies. Fewer believers are willing to submit their beliefs to the authority of Scripture.

That said, I will finish with these thoughts: Christianity isn’t about religion. If it were, then the first believers would have been told to convert from Judaism to Christianity. But they were never told to do that. Most of the earliest believers were Jews who never stopped being Jews because as Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the [Jewish] Law or the [Jewish] Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus came to save everyone, “first to the Jew, then to the gentile” (Romans 1:16).

Rather than religion, his message of salvation is about having an eternal relationship with the Living God. Jesus told the woman at the well, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Today we see significant differences in how various Christian denominations worship. Worshipping in spirit and in truth is something that anyone in any culture in the world can do, regardless of the “particulars”, as Francis Schaffer might say. Focusing on those differences, and condemning them on the basis of culturally derived styles achieves nothing but division. It is only when we focus on the substance of worship that we can experience true unity in Christ.

That “substance” is spirit and truth. Spirit and truth may or may not be your culturally comfortable tradition or style of worship. Check your biases. Is there room for your Savior in your style of worship? And what about the way other believers worship? Can the Spirit and Truth be found in them too? The body of Christ needs to humble itself and pray about this. Apart from him we can do nothing.

What Amazes Me

In Ezekiel 33:1-9 God sets out the principles of his plan for warning people of his coming judgment. He has someone keep watch to warn everyone else that his judgment is coming. And God’s judgment is always the result of people’s sin, so it is the watchman’s duty to warn the people to repent of their sin. In verse 7 God tells Ezekiel, “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.”

The upshot of this passage is that whoever takes the warning will be saved, and whoever does not take the warning “his blood shall be upon his own head” (meaning he must take responsibility for his consequences). Yet there is something more. If the watchman does not warn the people, then he assumes the responsibility for what will happen to them. This is a serious responsibility because God does not want anyone (even wicked people) to perish. He wants them to repent of their sins and be saved (see 2 Peter 3:9).

What amazes me is that so many people today turn a deaf ear to warnings of God’s impending judgment. And so few heed the warnings. It’s more popular to be entertained by an endless parade of trivial oddities than to stand in awe of the infinite and Almighty God. Many a meme shows someone with their mouth agape over something or other – whether real or not — and for a while it is trendy to be amazed at that particular thing. But soon it is forgotten, as something new becomes the popular target of our amazement. Always it is something new and different that is supposed to amaze us.

In reality, this phenomenon is a reflection of young (or inexperienced) people discovering something for the first time. Old-timers must remember that those things which now make up the most common elements of reality were once very new and exciting to us. We must remember that as toddlers we too bent down to pick up the plainest of stones and viewed them as rare finds. It’s OK to be amazed at the simplest of things. It shows you are engaged in life and appreciating the experience.

Still, there is another side to amazement. It’s when for a very long time you’ve known something to be true while so many people around you seem oblivious of the fact. It’s being amazed at all that has been forgotten – all the forgotten things that have been replaced by newer amazements. There is a danger that people can become so addicted to the feeling of amazement that it is no longer important to them what amazes them, as long as they feel amazed. So, they begin to seek out amazement any way they can – beneficial or detrimental.

Just as Ezekiel saw the sword of God’s judgment coming to the house of Israel, by reading the Bible I can see God’s judgment coming upon the rest of the world. As Ezekiel was God’s watchman for the house of Israel, so are all those believers who read God’s word, watchmen for those around them. That’s why we share the gospel, as Jesus, Head of his church has instructed, “…and you will be my witnesses…to the end of the earth” (see Acts 1:8).

I am amazed at how many people don’t respond to the warning. Being born again – a free gift of God’s love – is being saved from our sins, that is, saved from God’s coming judgment of our sins. His holy Bible tells us all we need to know. We are warned to choose forgiveness and life in Christ over condemnation and death, and yet so many people ignore the warning. And for each of those who choose ignorance, “his blood shall be upon his own head”.

At 31 years of age, while reading the Gospel of John, I found that despite my sinfulness, God loved me so much he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for all my sins by dying on the cross. By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior I was born again into eternal life, adopted as a child of God and everything about my life and worldview changed.

This is both amazing and common. The numbers of those who have been saved from eternal damnation is vast. Unfortunately, the numbers of those who reject Jesus is also vast. I am amazed that anyone would refuse to honestly consider their spiritual condition and how they relate to God – refuse to see the light but prefer to wander into darkness.

 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ~ Jesus (John 8:12)

And this is the whole point. We all make this decision for ourselves. Everyone has a choice of which way they will go: to life or death; to light or darkness; to God or sin; to redemption and deliverance or punishment and damnation.

Again, Jesus told his believers that we are to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. That means we are to share the gospel as far as possible. The gospel simply means that despite the fact we are all sinners and destined to pay the price of death for our sins, the good news is that Jesus already has sacrificed his life for ours, so that whoever receives him as Lord and Savior and lives their life for him receives forgiveness and eternal life.

If that doesn’t amaze you, you are a prisoner of life’s distractions but you haven’t yet begun to live. Still, it’s not too late. Believe in Jesus and be saved. It’s not about religion. It’s about getting real with God. Jesus said, “…whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

Reasons I send this warning and hope:

Romans 3:23

Romans 6:23

John 1:1-18

Acts 4:11-12

1 Corinthians 15:1-7

John 3:36

John 6:40

Revelation 3:20

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

God Speaks

“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” ~ Ezekiel 22:30

“For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.” ~ Jeremiah 25:29

Who are we to think that we are not subject to God’s judgment when the punishment of his own chosen people was so harsh? Humanity’s sin nature has not changed since Bible times. We are still the same and God is still the same. The only thing that has changed is that Jesus has now taken our punishment for us, if we are willing to receive him as Savior and Lord.

But that requires humility and repentance. We can only approach God if we are humble of heart and contrite of Spirit. So confess your sins, turn away from them and turn towards Jesus.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ~ Revelation 3:20

“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” ~ John 1:11-12

What Made America Great?

“Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” ~ Alexis de Tocqueville (1847) “Democracy in America” p. 11

America’s founding recognized that we all are created equal before the law. That means that America is the land of opportunity because it is based on the fact that our Creator gives us the freedoms to pursue life, liberty and happiness. The government doesn’t give us rights. God does. But it’s the government’s job to secure them, “deriving their just powers from the consent of governed”.

Many people today are ignorant as to what freedom means. They think it means they can do whatever they want. That isn’t freedom. It’s anarchy. Real freedom can only result from two conditions: taking direct responsibility for how we live our lives; and respecting how others are living their lives. This is summed up in something Jesus taught us a long time ago: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  

That is what once made America great. The original charters of the early colonies were dedicated to the glory of God and freedom to worship without a tax-supported State religion. The prime purpose of education began as a means to further the gospel and reading the Bible. The main focus in the founding of our earliest colleges and universities was to equip Christian pastors for ministry. It was common for people who worked in jobs that served the public to be held accountable to high moral standards. Even the Pony Express (1860-1861) gave their riders Bibles to carry and required them to sign a pledge as Christians that they would conduct themselves in a morally upright manner. 

Before I was saved, I used to think such practices were “repressive”. But after receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord (at 31 years of age) I began reading and studying the Bible regularly. It has definitely changed my perspective. Real freedom is found in Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:1 tells us it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Now I read the Bible every day. When I finish Revelation, I go back and start all over again at Genesis.  As many times as I have read through the Bible these past 47 years I keep seeing new things and finding deeper understanding. 

As I finished the book of Lamentations in my most recent read-through, I took time to listen to the commentary of Dr. J. Vernon McGee (1904 – 1988). While he was very well-educated as a doctor of theology, his down home country way of speaking made him very listenable and easily understood. For those who aren’t familiar with Lamentations, it is Jeremiah’s sad recounting of the suffering of the people of Jerusalem who were starved out and finally captured and taken captive by the Babylonians. This all happened as part of God’s judgment of his chosen people for their stubborn rebelliousness against him. 

To understand this, read chapters 27 and 28 of Deuteronomy, wherein God spoke through Moses describing the blessings they would have if they obeyed him and kept his covenant, and the curses they would endure for disobeying him and thus breaking the covenant. And as it turned out, God’s chosen people were so stubbornly disobedient that their punishment was a horrible ordeal. As the one who recorded this event for all time, Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet”.

The close of Dr. McGee’s commentary on Lamentations is a timely message for us today. Who are we to think that God will not judge us? Perhaps we should consider Jeremiah 49:12: For thus says the LORD: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.”

Here is what J. Vernon McGee had to say:

…We could learn a lesson from this: before it is too late, we had better turn to the Lord.

            Daniel Webster made this statement many years ago, and it sounds like a prophecy: “If religious books are not circulated among the masses and the people do not turn to God, I do not know what is to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be. If God and his word are not received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt through the length and the breadth of the land, anarchy, misrule, degradation, misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.”

            What a picture! Today we live in a day when you cannot read the Bible in the schools, but pornography is permitted because we must be free to do what we want to do! Well, can’t some of us have the Bible in our schools, especially when it is desired by the majority? Dr. Harmon (sp?) of the University of Michigan years ago made this statement: “The United States of America in the past 50 years has been dominated to a large extent by persons who do not understand the spiritual heritage bequeathed by their own ancestors.”

            When our great nation was founded during the period from 1775 to 1787, the following statement by Benjamin Franklin was still widely accepted: “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of the truth that God governs in the affairs of men.” Unless a marked change takes place in the United States of America, it’s doomed just as sure as was ancient Babylon.

            Dr. Machen said, “America is coasting downhill on a godly ancestry.” Now we have reached the bottom of the hill. What a message Lamentations would have for us today, but it will not be selected as Book of the Month or the Book of the Year. It is unfortunate that we will not listen.

This is why I pray that more people will listen. Near the end of the Bible (Revelation 3:20) Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” For those who hear and open their door, it’s never too late. 

The Word of God

This is not about religion. Forget religion. It’s about God’s revelation of himself to mankind through his faithful servants (“…men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” ~ 2 Peter 1:21). A common phrase in the books of the Hebrew prophets is “the word of the LORD” which is applied to various, specific prophecies. “LORD” (all letters capitalized) is the Hebrew tetragrammaton יהוה (transliterated YHWH) which is the unspoken Name (Hashem) of Almighty God. 

 

So, the word of the LORD means a particular word of God applied to a specific situation, while the word of God means the total collection of God’s words. These terms are mere conventions of speech. The substance they refer to is spiritual in essence and greater than what we are able to comprehend. Ephesians 6:17 calls the word of God “the sword of the Spirit”. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

 

Psalm 12:6 says the words of the LORD are pure (flawless). John 17:17 records Jesus praying to the Father, “your word is truth”. As such, Scripture warns us against either adding to or taking away from God’s word because it is already perfect. I address this issue in my post, https://retiredday.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/the-immutable-word-of-god/

 

Psalm 119:103 says his words are sweeter than honey. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Throughout the 119^th Psalm, the word of God is described as his law, precepts, regulations, rules, judgments, ordinances, promises, instructions, teachings, commandments (or commands), decrees and statutes. 

 

These days a lot of people don’t think the Bible applies to them. Skeptics object to what they call the ignorance or irrelevance of ancient cultures, but the underlying values in all of Scripture point to timeless and universal principles for everyone. Referring to Old Testament historical records, 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” So, the word of God in its totality applies to all people.    

 

The Old Testament spans the time from creation to about four centuries before the birth of Jesus, recording God’s interaction with humanity in general, and in particular, Israel’s special relationship to God as his “chosen people”. The New Testament tells us of the advent of Jesus the Messiah (meaning the anointed one or the Christ) who fulfills the prophecies of the Hebrew prophets, and ushers in an age of grace, in which God’s ultimate plan of salvation is offered first to the Jews, then to the whole world. To reiterate, the word of God means the whole Bible.

 

The word of God is eternal. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets [meaning the Tanach or Hebrew Bible]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  He also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). That is because Jesus is God the Son, the Messiah, spoken of by the prophets. The New Testament records who he is, what he did and what he said.  

 

The Bible was originally written in ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek (commonly spoken in the eastern Mediterranean prior to Byzantine Greek). The first five books of the Bible (the books of Moses) were transcribed from what had been the Hebrew oral tradition. Great care was taken over millennia to preserve the accuracy of Scripture, both written and oral. In fact, among the Dead Sea Scrolls was found a copy of the complete book of Isaiah which in all respects is identical to the book of Isaiah in our Bibles today.

 

Another criticism skeptics make of the Bible is what they refer to as “inaccuracies”, “contradictions” or “mistakes” found in Scripture. It may surprise these critics to know that much scholarly research has been spent in researching these errors. In total, all of the so-called errors amount to about 3% of the whole word of God. That number is made even less significant by the fact that none of the errors change or influence any Biblical doctrine. The most common causes for these errors has been put down to copying mistakes by scribes (primarily of names and numbers). Considering the amount of information that had to be hand-copied, the Biblical text we have today is amazingly accurate.   

 

Scholars have translated the word of God into almost every language in the world today. The work of translation continues in the hope that the entire Bible will soon be available in every language – some 3,800 of them. That day could come within a dozen years. 

 

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Sadly, even among Christians, there is contention as to what “Scripture” is. There is argument about which translation is “correct”. Some feel that paraphrased versions are fine. Some believe it’s best to stick with a literal translation, and some insist that only the Authorized King James Version or only the Textus Receptus is the word of God. In terms of accuracy, the English language can only be second best since it is a translation from the original languages. Even when for the first time Gutenberg’s printing press made the Bible available to people in their common language, that language was German, and it was a translation from the Latin – which was in turn a translation from the original languages.

 

For accuracy, I recommend you learn to read ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. But short of becoming language scholars, we all can find original word meanings in a good concordance or other Bible study tool. My personal opinion is that the Bible I read and study should be written in the language I understand. I do not speak the same English they spoke four centuries ago. I speak 21^st century American English. That’s the language I want to read. 

 

One preacher argued that at issue isn’t the meaning of a passage, but the actual words of a passage that make a translation correct or incorrect. I was gob smacked. No English language Bible can lay claim to being the most accurate word of God. The original words had to be translated into English. So, if you want to read the most dependable Bible, get a parallel or linear Bible that shows you the original words. Scholars in King James time weren’t better than today’s scholars. And they had less material to work with. That said, I see nothing wrong with the KJV. It does no harm. It won’t mislead anyone. I simply prefer modern English.

 

While there are some good English Bible Translations today, there are also some very poor and even misleading versions out there. I suggest avoiding versions that paraphrase the word of God. Often the true meaning is lost or changed by trying to simplify or popularize language. I also suggest avoiding versions that make grammatical changes in order to be “inclusive”. God didn’t pull his punches. We shouldn’t either. Changing Father to Parent is ridiculous. Always check the backgrounds and qualifications of the Bible translation contributors. Are they dedicated to accuracy or willing to bend the word to fit their own biases? 

 

Avoid Bible translations that make changes in order to emphasize a particular denominational or doctrinal view. The word of God should never be made to submit to a doctrinaire view. It is our doctrinal understanding that is to submit to the word of God.  

 

There are some good sites online where you can read multiple translations and compare them. My favorites are biblehub.com and blueletterbible.org. Another popular site is biblegateway.com. These are only a few of the available sites where you can read and study a variety of translations. 

Regardless, God’s word is intended for everyone willing to listen to God. Its meaning is not hidden, but revealed to all who earnestly seek the LORD. Whatever you do, don’t depend on what someone else may tell you about what the Bible says. Examine it for yourself, as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11). Test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). If you are a born-again Christian the Holy Spirit will guide you in your understanding. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). If you are not born again, read the first chapter of the gospel of John and pray to receive Jesus Christ.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pride Parade

On my morning walk I passed a church with a sign in front announcing the Clayton Pride Parade. This didn’t come as a surprise to me because for years that church has flown a gay pride flag daily at the front of their parking lot entrance. Actually, it isn’t just gay pride anymore, but LGBTQQ+ pride (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and any other sexuality preference that differs from God’s heterosexual plan). 

Those who want to celebrate pride have adopted a world view that sets aside the authority of God in their lives. They either assume their own authority over themselves, pushing God out of the picture, or they are deceived by Satan’s question to Eve in the garden, “Did God really say that?” In other words, they either reject the Biblical text or distort its meaning in order to justify themselves.  

Defending the sexual perspectives of this so-called “community” I have often heard it said that they were “born that way”. However, that in no way validates their sinful sexual mores. On the contrary, all humans are born with a sinful nature. But God wants us to turn away from sin (repent) and seek his righteousness — not be wise in our own eyes and continue to do whatever we want. 

God didn’t make us sinful. We made that choice – a choice that separates us from him now and leads us along a path towards death. But God provides salvation from this curse, a salvation that can only be found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who paid the price for all our sins by dying on the cross and rising to life on the third day as the prophets foretold, then ascending bodily into heaven, where he is now enthroned by the right hand of God the Father.  

God wants us to be content, that is, feel good about ourselves and how we live our lives. But he does not want us to be prideful. There’s a difference. He wants the very opposite. God calls us to be humble. Jesus says to those who would come after him, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me”. Therefore, the idea of celebrating pride is an ultimate denial of His authority. This is especially an abomination when those who claim to follow Christ exalt pride in themselves instead. 

James 4:10 counsels, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you”. But a pride parade puts the cart before the horse. People exalt themselves without God’s blessing. Proverbs 16:18 teaches, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” – a theme which is woven throughout Scripture. One example:

“For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up – and it shall be brought low; And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:12, 17)

If you don’t believe the Bible is the word of God, that is your right. God created us with free wills. But if you claim to believe in the God of the Bible, you would be wise and prudent to heed what his word says. What sense does it make to believe in the God of the Bible, and yet not the words of the Bible which has revealed him to us? 

While God has always commanded obedience, he has also been reasonable in offering forgiveness and redemption: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Especially, for those who claim to love Jesus, he said, “If you love me obey my commandments” (John 14:15). And importantly, from 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I have heard it argued that Jesus never preached or taught against sexual (let’s call it “diversity” for lack of a better term). What invalidates that argument is that Jesus never stopped being Jewish. He was not simply a Rabbi, but in the Sermon on the Mount preached, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). 

That means he solidly supported the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures, which were clear on the issue of sexual morality. The Bible doesn’t record Jesus teaching on sexuality because he did not introduce any changes from traditional Jewish morality. His silence does not argue for change, but for already well-established morals.

Whatever your beliefs, the Bible cautions us against pride. It is the most basic sin, and it keeps us separated from God and others. Rather than celebrating pride in yourself, humble yourself before the Lord. Let him lift you up. 

More Than Healing

Thursday, May 4th, 2023 is our National Day of Prayer. Perhaps you’ve heard the Bible passage, “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray…I will heal their land.” That’s a big if. I, for one will pray for more than healing. By and large, Americans have left behind their once characteristic faith in God. I am praying that those who have never known the LORD will turn from their godlessness and seek God. For only his salvation can restore this nation to righteousness.

We are so selfishly concerned about ourselves. But faith in God is more about his infinite power and loving forgiveness than fixing our problems or giving us what we want. There is an unspoken assumption that the reason for “religion” is that God can help us with our many difficulties. But many people in today’s secular world don’t feel that they need God. They may feel they can deal with their problems themselves, or try to deny they have a problem, or they don’t believe God exists.

One problem currently being denied is sexual dysphoria. Bible believers understand that God creates us in his image: male and female. But our society has turned its back on the God of the Bible, so even something as straight forward as the biological determination of gender by chromosomes has been dismissed due to political correctness. That’s just one example of society’s denial that a problem exists.

As America becomes increasingly confused by this type of “thinking” popular attitudes toward religion and God are distorted and the most important thing about God is forgotton or ignored. God is good and he loves us with an eternal, unconditional love. He created us, he knows everything about us, and he wants the very best for us, regardless of who we are or what we’ve done.

The spiritual reality of human nature is that our sin separates us from God. Without him we are born into sin, cursed with the consequences of death and suffering. But the gospel (which means “good news”) of Jesus Christ provides the only real way for us to be truly happy by reuniting us with God so that we may joyfully live in his presence.

Jesus wants us to know and experience the utter joy of being united with God and be released from our burdens of sin and guilt. In this life we suffer because of sin, but being born again into Christ gives us the promise and hope of eternal joy now and perfect joy and peace when we pass from this life. No matter how hard our circumstances become, in Jesus we are overcomers.

It is a shame for anyone to miss out on this greatest gift of all. Forget about “religion” or escaping present pain and suffering or solving your problems. It’s not about you. It’s about God, and he is much bigger than all those bad things put together. Faith in Jesus Christ makes it possible for anyone to know the joy of God’s love and forgiveness — not just smart people or beautiful people or successful or powerful. All people are equal in the eyes of God. He loves us all and does not play favorites.

God is Spirit. Wherever you are, come humbly into his presence. In humility, bare your heart before him and ask him to forgive your sin. He absolutely will. All he’s looking for is an honest and contrite heart. And he will accept you forever as his child. For everyone in Christ he offers supernatural peace and utter joy in the presence of the Creator. This isn’t religion. This isn’t striving. This isn’t an ever-turning wheel of Karma. This is real.

Heavenly Father, bring us back to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Immutable Word of God

(Bible quotations are from the ESV. Italics are used for emhasis.)

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). He also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). For Christians, this means living according to Biblical standards. So, in order to follow Christ, we must know the Scriptures and live accordingly. Yet, many who say they believe in the God of the Bible don’t look to the Bible itself as the authority for their faith. Some so-called Bible-based religions either ignore the actual written text of the Bible or create new tenets out of whole cloth, which are not found in Scripture. 

Beside the fact that “The heavens declare the glory of the God” (see Psalm 19:1-4) and that God’s invisible attributes are self-evident (Romans 1:19-20), the Bible is the best genuine basis and authority for believing in God because it records his words to us. Those who claim to have faith in the Bible’s God while rejecting or abridging the very source of revelation about him are making a fatal error in judgment, as those in Romans 1:22 who, claiming to be wise, became fools.

The Danger of Thinking We Are Smarter Than God

There is nothing new about false prophets or false religions. We humans have been making stuff up ever since the first time we disobeyed God. “Original sin” is simply our bent towards doing what God tells us not to, and acting on the authority of our own judgment instead of his. That’s basically what false prophets and false religions are all about: believing, saying and doing what we think is right, in spite of how God may instruct us. 

I do not pretend to be a Bible scholar, I simply recognize that Scripture reveals both the truth of God and the deceptions of man, offering the discernment to know the difference, if we are willing to exercise it. The following passages underscore the fact that there is a big difference between God’s truth and man-made facsimiles. Not all religions are equal. We all need to “test everything” and “hold fast to what is true” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 

• “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Spirit. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 1:20-2:3)

• “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9, from Isaiah 29:13)

• Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD”, “…let him who has my word speak my word faithfully” (Jeremiah 23:16, 28).

• “Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” “They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD’, when the LORD has not sent them” (Ezekiel 13:3, 6).

• “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” “These [human precepts and teachings] have indeed the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:8, 23).

The reason for these warnings is crucial. Believers are to avoid churches that have the appearance of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). The Truth is a narrow way. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow Gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus identified himself as the gate for the sheep in John 10:7 and also said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). So, knowing the truth will set us free (John 8:32).

Paul warned the church in Corinth: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you  received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). 

He similarly confronted the church in Galatia: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Choosing the Narrow Path – Not Going Beyond What Is Written.

The way we correct error, avoid being deceived and keep our faith pure is by knowing what the Scripture says and sticking to it. The Bible is consistent throughout, teaching us to go as he directs and not to wander away from his lead. Our “wandering” is called sin, as in Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – everyone – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” And because we have this inclination to wander, God has given us his holy word to teach us how we should go.

From the Old Testament (Tanakh), the LORD instructed Joshua: “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7). 

From the New Testament, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; and Luke 9:23 which adds the word “daily” after cross). Follow means to go behind in the same direction, not to veer from but obey, heed, and imitate.

• According to God’s instructions, Moses told the Israelites, “You shall not add to the word that I commanded you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I commanded you” (Deuteronomy 4:2) and, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:32).

• Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”

• Ecclesiastes 3:14 wisely observes, “I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.” Ecclesiastes 12:11-12 applies this principle to God’s word: “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these.” 

• “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God” (2 John 9).  

• Paul to the Corinthians: “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

• Paul to the church in Galatia: “To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified” (Galatians 3:15).

• “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

Taken together, these verses illustrate the critical nature of aligning ourselves with Biblical principles. The Bible is God’s holy revelation to the whole world, for all time. We are wrong to think we can improve on it by making changes that suit our less-than-perfect intellects. Psalm 19:7-11 tells us God’s word is already perfect (complete), sure, right, pure, true, and righteous altogether. 1 Peter 1:24-25 (from Isaiah 40:8) says, “…The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law [Torah] or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass away from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).

Stick with what is eternally true. Don’t mess with the holy Bible. It’s God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Will You Pray?

[A note of apology: the National Day of Prayer is not until May 24. Sorry for the mistake. Still, the need for us to pray for our country couldn’t be greater.]

Today is our National Day of Prayer. And today is a particularly low day in our history with former President and declared candidate for the presidential election of 2024, Donald Trump being indicted on bogus charges for political reasons.

I do not dispute the fact that some Americans do not agree with that assessment at all. They hate Trump. They see him as an evil criminal and are salivating at the prospect of not just punishing him, but completely removing him as a political presence. They not only hate him. They hate everyone who stands with him. We are “the deplorables” — so evil that we don’t even deserve certain civil rights, especially freedom of speech.

At so many levels, this is not a good day for America. But I am only addressing one group of people on on one issue: Christians who are rejoicing in the prospect of getting revenge against Trump. Will you pray for him? Many of you don’t realize that Donald Trump is a Christian. You may not want to believe that but Dr. James Dobson has testified to that fact.

This morning in my Scripture reading, I came across Psalm 49:5: “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me?” I pray that Trump’s spirit will be uplifted by this and other Bible verses, because it definitely applies to him. Beyond that, there are several passages in Scripture that apply to Christians regarding Trump and what is happening to him. They shed light on what godly attitudes we should have, so it is profitable to consider these:

Jesus said, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36-37).

This is because we are all sinners saved by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” That means there is no justifiable basis for being “holier than thou”.

Consider the prayer of King David in Psalm 51:1-4. It begins with, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions…” Read the whole chapter for yourself. It includes “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”. We who are in Christ know that that is exactly what he has done for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

So, we must remember that at one time we were darkness, but now we are light in the world (see Ephesians 5:8). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 reminds us, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”

Aside from the fact that the charges against Trump are bogus, you are no more righteous than he is. And he in no way deserves the outrageous political attacks he is enuring for nothing short of political revenge in the form of weaponizing the legal system against him.