"Apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

 

To live a life void of a belief in God frees the person from an eternal responsibility in their own thought. This allows the person to live relative to their own desires, passions, and lusts. "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die." At this point there is no moral basis for their decisions because there is no moral standard to calibrate their life. The best one can do is to immolate another person based on the outcome desired. Without the standard of God, there is no morality and everyone will do what is right in their own eyes. Without a reference point, there is no right or wrong. Apart from eternity what is man's purpose? Without a standard, necessity supersedes all other standards. This would allow one person to kill another and to eat them if there was no other food available. This is survival of the fittest and is only rational and reasonable if there is no eternity.

 

If humanity sets the standards for morality then humanity also sets the standards for viability. This begins to wreak havoc in society moving it from realizing the sanctity of life to pro-choice across the board. At this point you begin to see post-birth abortion, euthanasia of the elderly and terminal, and will eventually move to unnatural selection for the purpose of a determined ideal existence.

 

A great misconception of some, if not much of academics is that science disproves the existence of God when in all reality it simply does not allow the existence of God in the process. Only in the existence of God is there absolutes; without God, there must be a variable. This variable comes with variety fueled by a voracious desire to dispute singular truth.

 

To deny the existence of God is to actually affirm His existence in order to deny His existence. So then there is no wonder mankind wishes to deny God, for the point of acknowledgement brings the dilemma of Biblical truth, eternity, heaven and hell, and the need for salvation and worship.

 

Without God there is no sin. If there is no sin then we can have no legal system. Our legal system is founded on the laws of God. Man's existence has been shaped by these thoughts either by compliance or rebellion. To refute God's moral initiative would be to disallow our laws. As a society moves away from God's moral law, it begins to decline. This is truth proven throughout history.

 

So morally we cannot condemn others nor can others condemn us but only we can be condemned by ourselves by rebellion against a moral law.  Without a moral law there is no condemnation but with a moral law, we are condemned already.  Only the moral law giver can justify the rebellion against His law.

A Pattern for "church"

A Pattern for "church"

"So Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?" Nu 11:11-12 NKJV

 
This is not a burden Moses desired to reject, or to even really complain about. It was not his desire to shirk his responsibility, but the true burden was his desire to see the people totally fulfilled by following the desires of the Lord. He cared so much for the people that he was willing to bargain his own eternity for their lives.


"Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin — but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." Ex 32:31-32 NKJV

This doesn't sound like a leader desiring to throw his congregation away because of their lack of following the Lord, but one who desires to intercede on their behalf. I truly believe most pastors feel the same way. I know their desire is to care for their congregation and to reach the lost and bring them into the sheepfold. But the pressure continues; placed on the pastors by themselves and the congregation. If there is a decline in the congregation, the credit will go onto the "leader", but if there is an increase, many are ready to accept the credit. But as a leader, I do find myself taking more credit for decline than for increase. Many leaders will take the blame for decline and most give God the credit for the increase, when, in all reality, if the leaders are truly following the Lord, the Lord is sovereign over both.

 
Craig Groeschel once said, "We must be careful not to blame ourselves for the decrease or we might be tempted to take credit for the increase."
 

The temptation is, and always has been, for churches to gravitate to new and fresh programs and ideas in order to maintain numbers or reach others. I don't believe this comes from desperation but from a sincere desire to grow the Kingdom. The problem we have now is that so much of what we do is only attracting Christians or at the very least, other church's members. This is not adding to the pot, it is only stirring the pot. It seems we are spending much of our resources on the church in the name of "making disciples." Why is it that Jesus only spent three years making disciples and we are taking 20, 30, 40, even 50 years to make a disciple that may not even share the Gospel with another person! This frustration is seen when the apostle Paul accused the church of being milk babies that were unable to eat solid food.

 
The greatest action for the church today is not to be “cool” or “un-cool”, traditional or modern, but the greatest action for the church is to be authentic!  If the church is created to be the Body of Christ, then BE the Body of Christ! 

Reflections over the Sea

As I sit and look out over the Sea of Tiberias, I am trying to organize all of the information I have taken in over the last few days. The sights, ruins, people and cultures have been pleasantly overwhelming. Yesterday, we visited many archaeological sites; some recent, some not so recent. We had devotions on the Sea, which was most powerful. The thought of floating on the water in the early part of the day while singing songs and reading the Word really moves your heart to soften in the hands of the Mashiah, Yeshua. Tto be in this land is to know Him more. To walk where Jesus walked and float on the Sea is wonderful, but to understand what He did, day by day, season by season, as a Jew, lets me come to know him more deeply than ever before. To know the desires and habits of someone opens up a whole new world when they speak or write. This adventure has done that so much. The more I understand Judaism, the more I understand the context in which Jesus was speaking and how those who were arond Him would understandand respond. I know the Lord has led me here. On the first day during some quiet time the Lord led me to Psalm 48.

Vss. 1-3

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. God is in her palaces; he is known as her refuge."

Vss. 12-14

"Walk about Zion, and go all around her. count her towers; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generations following, for this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death."

Oh how He loves us by showing us His ways and guiding down His paths. "The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. And He delights in his ways." Ps. 42:23

Allow God to order your steps and be "the light unto your path."

Over the past few days, we have taken in more information than I could possibly imagine. We have seen some of the oldest ruins known to the modern world. The best and most assuring part of this information is that it gives the evidence to affirm the Scriptures in the mind of the skeptic. Today while visiting Tel Dan, we saw the site of the oldest known city gate, dating back to the time of Abraham, that has been recently uncovered. This gate is over 4000 yers old. It is likely that Abraham would have stayed inside this gate while on the trek to free his nephew Lot.

One has to know that God, in His infinite wisdom, has kept these places a mystery until they could be used for His glory and so we use science to spread the gospel to a people who already love God and are seeking the gospel of the Messiah. Oh I hope we can love them to Jesus. I also hope they can love us into a deeper understanding of the heart of God and His desire for His people to understand Him by understanding the Older Testament.

Enough for today, more later.

Shalom!

Wedding Day

On the last New Year's day, I was celebrating being married to my wife for 30 years. I can still remember how she looked when she entered the doorway at the rear of the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church in Murray, KY. She was (and still is) the most beautiful woman in the world! Dressed in a gorgeous white dress she had chosen herself for that day. Everything about her was perfect; her hair, her makeup, and her shoes.  Fresh and new, except for the something borrowed, especially for that day. She had made that day not only a special day for her, but for me, her groom. Even after the wedding and reception, she continued to try to keep the dress clean and unblemished by lipstick and punch because the dress itself was very special to her. The dress was not just any dress, it was the dress she wore to make the covenant to me and to God to remain pure and faithful till one of us is put in the ground. That makes it very special. Even though I looked forward to that day, I had little idea what her dress would look like and I never dreamed how beautiful she would look when she came to the altar to meet me. My knees still get as weak today as they did that day. She was beautiful and I had nothing to do with it except to be the motivation. I can't help but think about Jesus everytime I perform a wedding ceremony or reflect back to my own wedding because it causes me to realize even though I am a man, I am still a bride. The bride of Christ. The church, those who are believers in Christ, are the bride of Christ. The difference between me, a part of the bride, and my bride is that my bride prepared herself for me, but Christ is preparing His bride, the church, for Himself.


"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with
the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a
glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she
should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:25-27 NKJV

This has seemed to be a very troubling thought to me when I think about the actions of Christ's bride. I know my bride would never have put on her pure white dress and purposefully wallowed in a mud puddle or poured something on it to soil her garment. My concern is, why would the bride of Christ, intentionally soil her bridal clothes that Christ is preparing to be "without blemish"? I can understand sin that is committed by being "led away by his own desires and enticed." (James 1:14) This will usually lead to a repentant heart and undesirable consequences, even if the sin covers a long period of time. But I have a hard time understanding how believers will knowingly and proudly, even praising God for their position, claim God's desire for them to "be happy" and walk into sin like walking into a beautiful ocean surf, damaging everyone in their path because of their own selfish desires. This is the bride of Christ purposefully soiling her dress before the wedding!

"And to her (the bride of Christ) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." Rev. 19:8 NKJV

If those who claim to be the bride of Christ continue to live apart from the teachings of God's Word, what will her dress of fine linen look like on the wedding day? It seems to me, the bride is soiling the garment as fast as the groom cleans it. It might make one wonder, if those who are part of the "bride" chooses to soil their garment, maybe they're not part of the "bride" to start with. If this is true, many have a greater problem than dirty clothes....they have no invitation to the wedding.

Something to think about.

Shelf Space

My oldest daughter has just begun a new job with a large soda distributor.  Each day she must see to it that the shelves in the large supercenter are filled with the products she represents.  She must be very diligent to make sure that ALL of the shelf space awarded to her company is filled at all times.  The store is not as concerned with what products that are filling the shelves but more that the shelves are filled.  If she does not keep her space filled, she will lose it to another vendor.  Less shelf space equals fewer sales.  No one in sales wants sales to decline.


Today as I was coming into town, I saw a building remodel under way. Its future will be a bar targeting university students. With the expansion of alcohol sales invited last summer, we experience the opening of either a retail liquor store or a new tavern or club on a regular basis. Already we have seen many store shelves, even complete aisles, given to alcoholic beverages. For many years, this small town has been able to tout something very special but today the look is changing rapidly.  Few cities in the US could say that alcohol is not available and my town “was” one of these.  Until now! 
 

We can cite many reasons for this; progress, economic growth, signs of the times, and on and on.  But I am concerned about the negligence of “the Church.”  As I was meeting with a friend this morning, who at one time was a store manager for a large retailer, he shared how he would continue to award shelf space to those who would keep the space filled.  If the vendor did not keep the space filled, there would be another, anxiously waiting, to gladly take over the space and keep it filled. I think the churches have given up a lot of shelf space in this town.

 
We know that everyone is searching for fulfillment in life.  Everyone is in the market, shopping for whatever they think might supply this need.  We are presented every minute with a supplier trying to sell his product and fill this need.  The world’s shelves are filled with Satan’s products; sex, money, power, alcohol, drugs, cars, pleasure, ease, complacency, houses and anything other material things you might dream up.  Satan keeps his shelves stocked.

 
I feel that one of the greatest problems in the church today is that we have been given shelf space in this global market and are failing to keep it filled.  We do not have problems with supply because we are told in the Bible that our supply is not limited.

 
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”  Ephesians 3:20 


“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

 
And the product that we have to fill the shelves with has a demand by consumers.

 
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”  Romans 1:20

 
So the problem must be coming from the church that is responsible for keeping the product in the face of the consumer.  The church should be gaining shelf space not losing it.  We are not keeping the shelves filled.  We are concerned with keeping the back room stocked and expecting someone else to fill the shelves.  We refuse to research the market and hunt for consumers.  We show our merchandise in our own showrooms and expect the consumer to come looking for it.  When will we learn that the Great Commission tells us to go, not them to come.

 
So ends my rant for the day.  Church!  Go stock the shelves with Love, Compassion, Understanding, Grace, Righteousness, and Holiness!  Let’s take back some shelf space!  Let’s give them Jesus!

Israel

What a beautiful sunrise over Tel Aviv this morning. We arrived in Tel Aviv without any delays in flight or customs. Everyone is very friendly here. You would never know there is such turmoil in the land. We arrived at our hotel around 4:30 p.m. and quickly changed into our swimsuits to play in the Mediterranean Sea. The water was warm and the waves were just right for body surfing. I thought about where I was. We are near to the Biblical city of Joppa. When I thought about the sunset, I thought of Jesus and realized He would have enjoyed this same coastline. Later, we enjoyed dinner as Dr. Chad Foster led us through Shabbat prayers and what we know as communion. It is quite humbling to see the men come into the resturant with a "kippa" and lead their family in "kiddush" which is similar to Christian communion. It is so uncommon in America for Christian men to even lead in a prayer of thankfulness before eating let alone be so bold as to stand and pray. Dr. Foster led in the blessings in Hebrew and followed with english translation. Today, after breakfast we will travel up the Via Maris, "The Way of the Sea" to Caesarea, Megiddo and Mt. Carmel, where fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the altar and licked the water up out of the ditch. Oh, I am so looking forward to this. Shalom for the day!

Focus, Focus, Focus

Today I was at the school where my children attend. It was the last day of school before summer break. For the elementary classes, the day was filled with fun and games. I was watching as they played and rotated around many different events. As I watched one event I really saw the life of a Christian modeled. The game consisted of a styrofoam ball about 2" in diameter and a plastic spoon. The object of this relay game was for each team to balance the ball on the spoon and travel down the course about 20 feet, go around a cone, and return to the starting point where the next person in the relay would take over and continue this process until all had participated. The team completing this task would be declared the winner. Sounds easy but trying to keep that lightweight ball balanced on that little spoon is quite hard.

As I watched the girls and boys compete, I began to distinguish those that were successful and why. The ones with the competitive spirit would try to see how fast they could go. If they tried to run or walk too fast, the wind would blow the ball off and they would have to pick it up and start over. But another thing happened to the ones trying to move fast; they would be going faster than their competitor but just when they thought they were doing good, they would look away and invariably drop the ball.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were some who were very nervous and walked very tensed and slow. This seemed to work for them, but just like the speeders, just when they thought they were doing good, they looked away and guess what? They dropped the ball!

The ones that were the most successful were the ones who were not as concerned about speed but were focused on the ball. You see, that was the most important part of the game; don't drop the ball.

Now, as I see this game, I see the need for Christians to "focus on the ball."

The writer of Hebrews tells us this:

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now He's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." Hebrew 12:2 MSG

As I studied these kids, grade after grade, the results were the same. The ones who kept their focus on the ball were the ones who were the most successful in the race. By the same token, those Christians who keep their focus on Jesus will be the most successful in this race called life.

If we keep our eyes on Jesus, whatever adversity may come our way will be overcome by the One who has, with pleasure, endured the cross, despised the shame and finished our race.

Don't run too fast, you might take your eyes off and be shallow.
Don't walk too slow, you might take your eyes off and be complacent.
Focus your walk on Jesus and stay with Him and you will be what He intends for you to be.

I hope you will keep your eyes on Him!

Don't drop the ball.

Wet Feet

Last night, I went to bed with many thoughts on mind about the agenda for today. This morning I was awakened by a very loud rainstorm at 3 o'clock. Suddenly, all of the thoughts from the night before rushed back to my mind and I was unable to go back to sleep. At 4 o'clock I decided to go ahead and start my day since I had a men's Bible study at 6. I spent some time in the Bible and prayer and began my routine to leave. When I walked out, the rain was coming down hard and the porch light was quickly blocked out as I made it to my driveway. It had been raining hard and long and many puddles had accumulated in my gravel driveway. Some were very deep, shoe top deep. Yes, that's right. I tested the depth of the puddles with my feet. I looked like a cat with wet feet as I was shaking the water off.

When I made it to my Uprising group comprised of four other men, I began to complain about the rain this morning and the wet feet I had received as a result of it. During the opening prayer, one of my friends thanked the Lord for even my wet feet. It quickly dawned on me how ungrateful I am. Even though my feet were wet, they had carried me from my bed to the shower. My feet carried me through the rain and drove me to town. My feet then carried me into the church where I would meet with one man slightly older than I, one slightly younger than I and two young men that are seniors in high school; my friends, my prayer partners, and the ones that hold me accountable to love the Lord and love others. I then realized, my wet feet would provide the means to do the work the Lord has called me to do and that is to preach the goods news of a Savior whose feet carried Him to a cross where they would be nailed along with His hands for my sins and yours. When I thought about that....I could no longer complain that my feet were wet.

I am thankful today for all things. Even wet feet. May they lead me down the path of righteousness.

Where will your feet take you?

"The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.
He delights in every detail of their lives."
Psalm 37:23 NLT

Hard to Stand

Today is the National See You At The Pole for students. This is an annual event that has been initiated to be a student-led prayer gathering at the flag pole of their school. Today as I went to the local middle school to meet at 7:30, I found that the teachers had organized a gathering at 7:15. However, many students were still arriving at 7:45. I saw something very unique as the three students that came to meet with me tried to encourage peers to join with them. Each peer would either pretend they did not see or hear them, or dodge the invitation with a "gotta do something" or "I'll be right back". But never the less, there were three of whom I was very proud. I am always proud of students that will take a stand for Christ but especially for those who are standing in the small group.

I shared Matthew 18:20 with them which reads in the NLT, "For Where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them." These three lifted their voices to the Lord and asked that their peers be saved! Wow! How many times do we adults join in small gatherings in front of crowds of onlookers and pray that our friends be saved?

Verse 19 of Matthew 18 tells us "If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you." These three prayed the same thing. They "agreed" with one another desiring their friends be saved.

The church is not changing. We meet at "safe" times, in "safe" places. It is safe to go to church on Sunday morning when all the churchy people go. We have always been told there is safety in numbers. But Christ has not called us as a group, He has called us an individuals and that is how we must stand for Him.

Why plan a prayer meeting that meets early before everyone arrives? Why plan a worship service when and where it will not be offensive to anyone? Why do we as Christians desire to be "bold" in secret? In Christ there is power. Stand with the few in plain sight. That is boldness.

Don't run away when no one is chasing you. Proverbs 28:1 ".....but the righteous are as bold as a lion."

Be bold....stand when there are only a few to stand with you!

Come Lord Jesus

Today I yearn for the return of Christ. As I contemplate the Second Coming of Jesus Christ I become very anxious. Like a child looking forward to Christmas morning. Wondering what it will be like, scared yet quickend by this bizzare fear and hunger for the things to come. I am quite sure that to see Jesus and the things He has prepared for me will be exceedingly abundantly more than I could possibly think or imagine. I also know that this day will not come until every opportunity has been exhausted for all to be presented with the saving Gospel. John joins with the Sprit and the bride and says, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" I look at the last words that the Apostle John shares with us from the Revelation and feel much the same way as the days pass and God reveals more about Himself to me. Each additional and glorious glimpse causes the anticipation to increase. I dismay when many who are gifted and empowered by the Spirit choose to neglect these offerings. Many who have great talents for teaching, leadership, encouragement choose to utilize these talents on themselves instead of using them for the glory of God. In James we are told "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
(James 4:17 NIV)

I wish there was a switch in the life of each believer that God would flip at the commonly prescribed time that would move us from point A to point B in our Spiritual walk. In Jewish tradition there is the Bar/Bet Mitzvah taking place at thirteen years of age, moving one from childhood to adulthood in regard to one's responsibility to the Law. Would it not be wonderful if this point was easily defined for Christians regarding our walk with Christ?

Paul said, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a chld does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." Oh, that we could have clarity to know when to put away the immature thoughts of childhood and grow up. No one having even entered into adolescence would drink milk from a baby bottle but why do so many "Christians" continue to drink milk from a bottle instead of feasting on the meat in God's word and His will?

True joy and fulfillment in a person's life will only come when God's will is sought and not their own. No matter how honorable the intention, or intense the work, if not done according to the will of God it is but stuble in the fire. Live to know God more and share in my anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!!

The one that got away

I spend much of my life looking for men of God to follow in their dust. It seems the Lord is very particular when growing these men. It only stands to reason why these men are so few and far between. I often enjoy these older men who become "sages" after their years of maturing. When one of these men are found, I want to draw from their wisdom and personality everything I possibly can. I have been fortunate to have been led to a few of these precious gems in my life and will continue the search. Young men and boys need these seasoned influences in their lives. Older mentors ready and willing to invest more than money into their lives but to invest themselves. Paul, in all his wisdom and education followed in the footsteps of Gamaliel; one of the greatest rabbis in history. Not only did Paul learn the Scripture, along with all its meanings, but I am sure he drew much wisdom about life as well. Paul was always anxious to take on others to share this wisdom. Barnabas and Timothy were among the more well known, but I suspect their were scores of young men hungry for the care and leadership that Paul could offer.

Paul, in all humility, knowing he himself was not perfect, as he addressed himself as the "chief" of sinners, was committed to following Christ in his life and desired for others to follow his example.

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." 1 Cor 11:1 NKJV

No one on this earth is perfect but many have the desire to live in such a way that will be pleasing to the Lord. We must all live as unto the Lord in everything we do and continue to grow in Christ.

It is important to all of us as men and women that we find others to include in our lives that help us grow in Christ. I personally found Gary Taylor to be one of those men and was so looking forward to many years with him. My friend and mentor, Gary Taylor, 58, went home to be with his Lord last night very unexpectedly. God allowed him to finish well. We enjoyed the final Men’s Fraternity meeting for this season together with two of his sons and his brother David yesterday. What a blessing God bestowed on this family and this community through him.

Now I feel I am back to square one, in search of another male mentor to disciple me as I look to find younger men to disciple. Although Gary will be missed, I know for sure I will see him again. Not only in eternity, but through the legacy he has left behind in his sons and his disciples.

In Christ

Bro. Martin

Boring or Bored

Do organizations get boring or do people get bored with organizations? Obviously organizations did what was not boring in the beginning because people were involved and interested. If they were doing the same things later that they were doing in the beginning, the organization was not boring, the people became bored with the way the leaders were doing things. I say that to say, is boredom a choice just like happiness and anger? Hmmm!?

Israel was visibly in the presence of God as they watched a pillar of fire by night and smoke by day but it was "boring."

"Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him,"'Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'" Ex 32:1 NKJV

God provided everything Israel needed, shoes, clothes and manna, but it was "boring."

"And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet." Deut 29:5 NKJV

"Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said:'Who will give us meat to eat?5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!'" Num 11:4-6 NKJV

Now I understand these texts are out of chronological order but that does not change the fact of the attitude of the people.

At what point do we move beyond boredom into contentment, not complacency but contentment? Nothing God does is boring, we just become bored with the way He chooses to do things. Complacency is boredom. If we look to find God in all things, we will never be bored. It is only when we look to the ways of man to prove excitement that we become bored and then blame it on God for not giving us meat! Manna is boring to the one who would rather have quail but for the one who enjoys being fed by the Lord, Manna is filet mignon!

So what will you have for dinner?

Your Choice America

"I ask that all of you keep these families and these individuals in your prayers today." Texas Governor Rick Perry said.

God said, "Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:7 NIV

Your choice America!! How loud must God call out to us before we listen?

This nation was founded on Biblical principles and Godly ideals. What has happened since then? For many years this nation has been in decline despite the appearance of success. We live higher, eat better, act refined, and appear to care. What all this amounts too is we have become self-centered, conceited and proud. Jesus addressed the religious community of His day when He called them white-washed tombs full of dead men's bones. (Matt. 23:27) This nation has become a nation of white-washed tombs. Like cups clean on the outside and disgustingly filthy on the inside. We battle in countries over oil and money but refuse to care for nations that are starving due to oppresive governments. We spend more on ice cream in one year in America than it would cost to feed nations. We spend billions of dollars to bail out mismanaged corporations while Americans suffer from the lack of affordable healthcare.

Young people are required to learn of alternative lifestyles and how to have sex without spreading disease but are not even informed of the thought of moral living that obviously comes from a moral law giver.

We cannot continue to turn our backs to God at every turn and expect Him to spare the rod of discipline. How quick we are as a nation to cry out to Him and acknowledge His existence when catastrophe hits. People around this nation are asking "Why God?" People around this nation today are praying for strength and healings. Today the military personnel are leaning on a God that would not have been acknowledged two days ago.

America and its leaders must today decide whom will you serve? Will this nation continue to depart from God or will it return?

I am thankful the Lord continues to protect this nation from the possiblities of evil destruction. The shooting tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas yesterday is but a glimpse of the devastation that will come when God lifts His protection only for a moment. If this nation is going to call itself a Christian nation then BE a Christian nation. If this nation will not BE a Christian nation, then hang on, for destruction is sure to come.

Leading/Following

Many times we are confronted with great decisions that not only affect ourselves but many that we do not even have any contact with. Leadership is by far one of the hardest tasks ever given. Solomon was given this authority at a very young age. The Bible lends us to think he could have asked the Lord for anything. For a materialistic mind this could have been the proverbial "Genie in a bottle" wish. Solomon, exhibiting great wisdom even with his prayer, sought wisdom from the Lord to give him wisdom to govern God's people.

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
1 Kings 3:7-9 NKJV

We must use great caution when placed in a postion of leadership. Not only do we have the responsibility to lead wisely but also Biblically. I have found it found very hard at times to discern between the voice of God and the voices of human influence. It is very difficult to over come fleshly desires and "gut" reactions when opportunities arise to pursue what seems to be a righteous agenda. Sometimes I feel like Peter with a sword, but Jesus told him to put the sword away for if you live by the sword you will die by the sword. When we find ourselves in the point of contention and not sure what direction to move we must find ourselves seeking God's leadership. Sometimes it does not make any sense and may seem to be against past examples but when confidence comes as we rest in Him, common sense or the lack thereof becomes Faith.

King Jehoshaphat was at this point in his leadership when the enemy came against him.

2 Chron 20:1212 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."NKJV

2 Chron 20:15-1715 He said, "Listen, King Jehoshaphat! Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!"NLT


God often calls us to stand and stand firm but not proceed or pursue; just be at ready. It is at this point He continues the fight. When we come to our vantage point, we will find, if we have been obedient, to see the victory and collect the spoil.

2 Chron 20:24
24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, there were dead bodies lying on the ground for as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.NLT

When the battle comes, it is not ours but God's. We are only His to be used as tools for whatever purpose He chooses. May we always be given the wisdom and discernment needed to be the appropriate tool.

Consequence or Penalty

My son is a very smart boy with the need to do more than what his order can hold. Each night, the task of completing his homework in a timely manner is often a great difficulty; but it is something that has to get finished before the next morning. Often his procrastination leads to no television or video games before bed. This is not a punishment but a reality, a consequence of procrastination. The homework must get done even if it takes the whole evening to do it. Even a bad grade the next day is not a punishment but a consequence. Although he feels like the loss of TV or games is a punishment he continues to put off completion. Why is it that many times we feel like consequences are punishment and forgiveness removes all results of our choices. I can tell my son that I forgive him for disobedience for not finishing his homework and he wonders why I still will not let him watch TV. The consequence is that he must complete all other tasks for the day and TV is not a required task. Hence the consequence.

Adults think because we are forgiven of sin that the consequences should be removed because of forgiveness but only the punishment can be removed. For instance, the Christian husband who has an affair fails to forsee the consequences. The sin of adultery is forgiven by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. Death is the punishment for his sin but the penalty or punishment is conferred to his substitute, Christ. However the consequence of his sin remains; broken family, scarred children, lost trust and roles of leadership. One of the hardest concepts for people to understand about Christianity is Jesus' sacrifice transfers the penalty from one to another but the consequences remain with the original owner.

A consequence is the natural progression of effects following an action.

A person gains wisdom by realizing the consequences before an action takes place and chooses a different action based on the consequences, not because of the punishment. Too often people weigh the punishment and not the consequence.

Drinkers do not want to drink and drive because of fear of punishment, not because the consequence could be property damage, personal injury or injury or death to others bringing more consequence of rehab, broken and ruined families and lost opportnities. The punishment is fines and jail but the consequences remain.

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." 1 Cor 9:27 NKJV

Shoot for the bullseye

2 Tim 2:15-16
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. NIV

A few weeks ago our son-in-law received a traffic citation in the mail for failure to yield at a stop light. In the envelope were several pictures of his car including positive proof of him as driver and a clock to show he did not come to a complete stop. The citation was in the amount of $446! That is a gigantic amount when you have just married, trying to shift your gears to the financial adjustment of living on your own and to provide for an additional person. None the less, he still had to pay the huge fine for what seems like a very trivial offense since he did slow to almost stopping and he did look to make sure the way was adequate to enter into traffic, but the law said STOP! There is only one way to interpret this command.

Many times in the Scripture, God’s commands are crystal clear and very understandable. But other times we must see extra guidance and counsel to properly interpret God’s commands toward us. As believers we have the individual responsibility to search the Bible for truths. Many times the answer we are looking for is not underlined and highlighted but it is in the obscure synthesization of the whole intent of the Scripture.

When I was a sales representative for a large carpet manufacturer I would go to great lengths to close a sale. Many times I would alter company policies, nothing illegal, in order to close the sale. Most times it would have to do with shipping times or discount percentages or time periods. But the most convenient thing about all of this was that I was new to the company and even though I was very fluent in company policy I often found it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

I am afraid the church operates very much the same way today. The tweaking of Scripture to help alleviate the pressure of living by Biblical standards, when those standards seem to leave room for us to follow our personal desires, is much too common in the church today.

The desire of the believer should be to absolutely stay in the line that God has laid before us. We should do the best we can and go to any and all lengths to live a life that is pleasing to Him; searching every crevice of the word to be sure we are living with the mind of Christ.

Oswald Chambers in the book “My Utmost for His Highest” reminds us that “Every bit of your life physical, moral and spiritual, is to be judged by the standard of the Atonement.” When we constantly compare our lives to the life offered by Jesus we may still find it hard to make the desired choices but it will not be because we have not exhausted every appeal to “correctly handle the Word of truth.”

Age of Accountability

What a comfort to know that our loved ones that have died in Christ now live with Him. It is also comforting to know those loved ones who were never able to proclaim Christ are also living with Him. Having this assurance makes living possible.

It would be easy to just say “I believe our children are in the presence of God.” Please stay with me as I present the case for what I call “Childhood Redemption.” As we read the Scripture this water sometimes becomes murky. With passages such as “unless one be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3) and “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), it can be discomforting if not heart wrenching. I hope in the next passages, to give an unshakable assurance that all those who have died young or without adequate mental capacity will be found with Christ.

First, I feel we should have a good understanding of the sovereignty of God. He has created us for His good pleasure.

Secondly, this brings into question at what age does a person become responsible for their own sin or by questioning the term “age of accountability?”

The Bible does teach, ever so subtly, that there is an age, which is unknown to man, at which each one does become accountable.

“While the status of infants and those who never reach moral competency is a difficult question, it appears that our Lord did not regard them as under condemnation.” (Erikson, Millard J, Christian Theology pg 654)

Isa 7:15-16
15 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. 16 But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much--the kings of Israel and Aram--will both be dead. NLT

Third, the Jews followed a belief of corporate responsibility, meaning everyone would be required to pay the consequences of sin. However, as the Lord dictated who would enter into the Promised Land He made provision for those who had not reached this “age of accountability.”

Deut 1:39
39'Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it. NASU
Every person must stand accountable for his own actions but at what point do we become responsible for this accountability?

Finally, since the responsibility comes with the knowledge of good and evil as it did in the very beginning then we know by this that the Lord has made provision for eternal life for undelivered babies, infants, young children, people without the capacity to understand and possibly others.

Ex 33:19
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. NIV

God said to Moses “I AM”. (Exodus 3:14)

Jesus told the Pharisees that asked about marriage “You do not know the power of God”. (Matt. 22:29)

The Bible does not plainly say what we desire in our hearts to hear but we can have peace in His word and through the Spirit that guides us in and through faith in Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:8-98 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,…NLT

Gal 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. NKJV