The Beauty of the Day in Between

Posted by Tom Pilarski

As I sit on the couch this morning preparing for the day I can't help but think that this day has the potential to be one of the most beautiful of the weekend. Is it because it is a Saturday? Well yes, but no. Is it because I get to rest today? Well yes, but also no. This morning on this Saturday the beauty comes from the fact that it is the in between day. It is in between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

The beauty of this day is that we can think about the beauty of the cross. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The beauty of the cross is that my sins were nailed to there with him. The beauty of the cross is that the sacrifice that my sin required was done there on Calvary. Last night as I sat in our Good Friday service a just thought about what the cross meant. That without the sacrifice of Jesus I would be lost in my sin. I had time to sit and think about the weight of the sin upon my Lords shoulders and the three hours of darkness. Today I get to just meditate on all of that.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

The beauty of this day is that I can think about the beauty of the Resurrection. Romans 6:3-4 says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." The beauty of the resurrection is that as he conquered death, he conquered death for me. As Jesus rose from the dead, I rose to eternal life. With the resurrection I received eternal life in which I will reign with Him. Today I get to think about the beauty of eternal salvation. Today I get to think about the empty tomb and the significance that has to how God views me and my sin now. Today I get to see the beauty of His resurrection and what it means to all sinners everywhere.

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
 
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
  “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
 
 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:50-58)

As we all move forward to Resurrection Sunday may it not be about the Easter eggs. May it not be about the candy and Easter baskets. May it not be about bunny rabbits and all the nonsensical things that make us look like the world. May Easter be Resurrection Sunday! May it be a day which we thank God for what He did so that we may reign on high with His Son. May it be a day in which we talk to our children about what Jesus did for them. May we separate ourselves from the world and make this about our Savior. 

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!

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Has a Bird Hit Your Plane?

Posted by Tom Pilarski


Lately in reading the news I have noticed that quite a few planes are running into birds or birds are running into planes. I guess when your flying there is no such thing as right of way or maybe, just maybe, these birds are like those we all know and love that try to put on make up, talk on their cell phones or text while driving. Man, I really love those people. We have seen some pretty heroic landings, like the one a couple of months ago where the pilot landed in the Hudson river and like the one yesterday where the pilot landed at an airport in Atlanta.

So why does this strike me as interesting, why did I feel the necessity to blog about this instead of Calvinism being named the No. 3 in Times list of Ten Ideas that are Changing the World Right Now? It is because I believe that many Christians in their walks today have been derailed, to use a train term (not a plane term), or to carry on with the bird analogy, they have been forced to land due to a bird hitting their spiritual windshield.There are times in our spiritual walks where we feel like God is not with us or that if God were truly looking out for my best interests I would not be going through this trial. Whenever a bird hits our spiritual windshield we immediately doubt the pilot, God, has left the plane, why is that? Do you think when the plane was going down into the Hudson back in January the passengers were thinking the pilot had left the plane? Sometimes under the same circumstances though we think like unbelievers going down in a plane crash, "Man I hope my pilot isn't on crack" or "Man I hope my pilot really knows how to fly this plane". We as believers hope that God isn't on crack or has gone to a good "god" school so that He can help us in our time of need. Why is that? 

Think about these verses:

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4


"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6-7

"then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment," 2 Peter 2:9

Notice that when a bird hits our windshield we are to rejoice in the trial that it has brought us. We are to rest in God and His plan for us. When our plane, spiritual walk, is headed for the Hudson River we should be looking for how God is using this situation to strengthen our walk with Him. Is he drawing us to Him? Is he showing us that we have more faith in Sully the pilot that landed the plane in the Hudson River than in Him? Also take a look at the 2 Peter 2:9 verse, the Lord knows how to rescue us. We can rejoice in the fact that our pilot knows how to land the plane. Our pilot knows exactly how to and when to rescue us from the onslaught of birds coming towards our windshield. 
So, as we think about our decreased hours at work, our possible unemployment, our relatives who have grave illnesses or just how things aren't going our way, understand that our pilot, God, knows your situation and completely understands when and how to rescue you.

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Relational

Posted by Tom Pilarski

Lately I have been really thinking about our relationships as Christians. I mean we as human beings are naturally a relational creature. In today's society our relationships have taken on a different feel too. Look at how we communicate these days, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and if your old school MySpace. All of this just got me thinking about Christians and these forms of media and how it affects their relationships.

The passage  that I have been studying is Matthew 22:34-40 and it's relationship back to the Decalogue. In this passage in Matthew Jesus tells the Pharisees that the two greatest Commandments are that "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind"  and that "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". The first refers back to the Jewish Shema and the Jews relationship to their God. The second refers to the Jews relationship with each other and the Gentiles. The second is the one that has really brought me to a deep searching of my soul.


The first thing I have been asking myself is do I really know my neighbors and with that do I even have a desire to know my neighbor. I started thinking, I live on a fairly safe street in a safe city and I have made no effort to know any of the people who live around me. I mean I feel a sense of camaraderie with the guy down the street that has a Christian sticker on his car, but that's about it. Is that right? Here I am in seminary, working my way towards a pastoral position and I do not know my neighbor. So often I am happy talking to my Christian buddies about theological controversies or about the interpretation of a certain text, but I do not take the time to know my neighbor. So if I don't know my neighbor, how can I love him? If I do not share the Gospel with them, can I even say that I love them? When I don't show care for their soul, do I love my neighbor?


My heart has been heavy lately because I believe that I am not the only one who is this way. I think if we were to go through our churches we would find that we are very good at maintaining our Christianity in the four walls of our church. This is not to say that we don't evangelize every now and then or that we don't go on a missions trip once a year. I just think that we do all this and we do not know the people who live around us. I believe taht we are somewhat afraid to share the Gospel with the people that live around us, because they are going to see us everyday as long as we live near them. When we go to the mall or another country we can evangelize them and not realy fear rejection because we will not have to see them everyday, but our neighbors.....we will see everyday.


So ask yourself the question I am asking myself, "If I call myself a Christian and I believe that Christ called me to share the Gospel message with all people, then why do I not know my neighbor?" and "why do I not love my neighbor so much that the fear of rejection is no big deal?" I pray that my heart will change and I pray that the hearts of our churches will change also.

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What's Your Favorite Christmas Song and Why?

Posted by Tom Pilarski

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know?

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

Over the past few years this has become one of my favorite Christmas/Easter songs. I say Christmas/Easter because this song speaks of Jesus as Lord and Savior. I love the fact that this song walks through the amazing things that Jesus did as the Son of God and Son of Man. Most important it speaks of the future reign of Jesus as the Eternal King and the fact that he is God. What theology in a song. I love it! 


So what is your favorite Christmas song? Why is it your favorite?  

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The Bible on Gay Marriage

Posted by Tom Pilarski

 
In the latest issue of Newsweek the lead article, entitled "Our Mutual Joy", speaks to the Bible and gay marriage. Normally I take articles like this with a grain of salt. Most non-believers do not know the Bible so why would I listen to any argument they have in regards to what the Bible says? Well the reason I'm speaking to it this time is because the so-called tolerant are becoming intolerant and more vocal about imposing their agenda and in this case gay marriage. 
Ms. Miller starts off her article by showing instances of sin in the Bible. She uses this as the foundation of her article and the premise for her argument about the Bible and gay marriage. What she fails to do though is to see God's grace in the situations she cites. In each of the instances of sin she cites, God forgives the sin of the person involved after they repent of the sin they committed. The Bible is all about sinful men and God's grace, after all Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. 
When confronted with scripture, Ms. Miller states the following, "while the Bible and Jesus say many important things about love and family, neither explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman." I guess we will ignore Genesis 2:27, 1 Cor. 6:12-20 and 1 Tim. 1:8-11. Ms. Miller also says, "no sensible modern person wants marriage—theirs or anyone else's —to look in its particulars anything like what the Bible describes." Really!!! I guess I must not be a sensible person. I guess the rest of the Bible believing Christians are not sensible people too. So once again if you believe in the Bible and follow it's statutes and are convicted by them then you are not sensible. She goes on to state that the Bible gives us no good reason why gay marriage shouldn't be acceptable. 
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, 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." 1 Cor. 6:12-20
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted." 1 Tim. 1:8-11.
Ms. Miller then goes on for the remainder of the article to take scripture out of context and to call verses that state that homosexuality is a sin in the Old Testament "throw away verses". Ms. Miller also cites liberal thologians that take the verses out of context and do not believe in a traditional hermenuetical translation of the Bible. I guess when you have to prove sin is ok and that you do not require a savior you have to bring your presuppositions to the text and then force the text to prove it out. 
You know I could go more into Ms. Millers article and break down the falicies within it, but ultimately what this boils down to is that there is only one difference between thos ewho are gay and accept a gay lifestyle and me as a believer. That difference is that as a believer I have accepted Christ as my savior. I have recognized that I am a sinner and a hypocrite. I have recognized that as a sinner I need to repent before a Holy and just God. I also realize that without Jesus Christ as my Savior I am doomed to an eternity in hell. What Ms. Miller and many other non-believers are looking for is an acceptance of their own sin. After all it is easier to make the statement, "Here, the Bible praises enduring love between men. What Jonathan and David did or did not do in privacy is perhaps best left to history and our own imaginations." in reagrds to 2 Sam. 1:26 instead of repenting of sin. 
Ms. Miller you are right in that Scripture is about love. God sending His Son to die for our sins is a sign of His love for us. We as believers are called to love all men, but we are also called to hate sin. Ms. Miller if you truly desire eternal life you must realize that you come to God bringing nothing. You must come realizing that you are a sinner requiring a Savior.
Believers, do not allow these words o persuade you into believing that Scripture is what Ms. Miller and many liberal theologians say it is. Be a faithful Berean and search scripture and pray.

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Amazing Video and Amazing New Bibles

Posted by Tom Pilarski


See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

A friend of mine showed me this video yesterday and I have to be honest I was amazed. Why was I amazed? I am amazed that first people who do not approve of marriage being between a man and a woman are being portrayed as haters. Really!! Because my personal convictions do not allow me to accept gay marriage I am a hater. Coming from a group that preaches tolerance, I find that a very intolerant point of view. I will say right now that if you are truly convicted by your religious beliefs then there will be intolerance to something. My religious beliefs make me intolerant to sin. Now this does not make me perfect, because I to am a sinner. I am intolerant of my own sin too and confess that sin before a Holy God everyday. Knowing I am a sinner allows me to be evangelize other sinners, not as a person who is better than them, but as a person who believes that Jesus died on the cross for his sins. Because of that belief my sins are forgiven. That truly is the only difference between Jack Black, any gay person on the street and me.

The second thing that amazed me about this video was that they portray people as being duped into voting for Proposition 8. So what you are telling me "Hollywood elite" is that the same people you have been saying are stupid because they believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins are the same people that were so smart and witty to convince people to vote in this manner. Really!! Once again what I see here is those who preach tolerance, being intolerant and saying, "oh by the way if you don't see tolerance my way then you are intolerant, not me." I really don't want to belabor the point because I firmly believe that people who support a gay lifestyle are being seen for what they truly are.....arrogant and selfish. This truly shows that this is all about them. By the way they also liked our political system while it worked for them, but now there is something wrong with it. Funny, don't you think.

Lastly and I really must say the worst part of this video is the part with Jesus. Really, if you are going to quote scripture, please use it in context.Do me a favor if you will and before you slam my faith read a little more about it and especially if you are going to slam the Bible read all of it. You really only make yourself look ignorant when  you pull things out like the Bible says it's OK to stone and sell women into slavery. 

I know that most people probably find this video funny, but to tell you the truth I find it offensive. The reason I find it offensive is because the same respect gays demand, they do not give. The same level of tolerance they preach, they do not give. The love that they say the Bible preaches and they say they advocate, they do not give. Am I surprised by this, no I am not. Am I saddened by this, yes. I am saddened because my Lord was mocked and people find it funny.

 
 The new Bible that caught my attention is the "Illuminated Bible". NPR wrote an article on this Bible that described it as a Bible that is for a hip, young and even secular audience. So do I find this disturbing? Do I find something inherently wrong with this? Well honestly it's a yes and no answer. The yes would be to the fact that the Bible as it is now, is for all people. The Bible as it is, needs no changes to make it hip. I also don't care to much for the picture below in regards to Scripture. The Old Testament could be described as a love story, but between man and woman. The Old Testament could be described as a love story between God and man, his creation. God loved Israel and chose to make her His own. She did not love Him back and also cheated on Him with other Gods. God in His awesome grace though provides a Savior. That's the love of the Old Testament.
  
So, with all that said, why do like this Bible? Mainly because people who would under normal not pick up the Bible will now...maybe...just maybe pick one up. Like the article says, it's geared for secular people. The contemporary photography may bring people to the point of purchasing a Bible that a regular Bible would not. The problem is that same photography. The Words that are inside the Bible are more important than the pictures. I fully understand that God can use anything to saving faith and maybe this will bring some to that saving faith. Maybe those same people that enjoy the video above will purchase this Bible and God would use it to bring them to repentance and ultimate salvation. I hope and pray that would be the what would happen.

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What am I thankful for?

Posted by Tom Pilarski



I believe on a day like today we all need to look at what we have and what we have been blessed with and thank God that He has more generous to us than we deserve.



First, I am thankful that I was chosen by our Lord and Savior to be a part of his eternal plan. I am thankful for my salvation and His forgiving me of my sins.



Second I am thankful for my family. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and mother to my children. God has blessed me with three wonderful kids, who for the most part, are good kids......no I'm wrong they are great kids. I am thankful for my parents and all they provided me with as I grew up. I am thankful for my in-laws (and I really am). The Lord has surrounded me with a wonderful family.



Third, I am thankful for my home church, Placerita Baptist. In a day where the Word is not taught from many pulpits, in a day when the Truth is absent from many churches, ours preaches the Word of God without reservation and with full conviction. Besides that's where my ministry is at.




Fourthly, I am thankful for the country in which God has me in. Amidst many Christians believing it's the end of the world, because Barack Obama is out President-elect. In a country that tends to dwell on all the horrible things within our country and in a country that is truly free and blessed, we should be extremely thankful for this.



Lastly, I am thankful for the meal that I am about to eat and the roof over my head. Over the past few years and my trips to Tijuana, Mexico I have grown to appreciate the things that I used to take for granted. There are so many people across this big ball called Earth that have so much less than us.

Please join me this Thanksgiving and for that matter, everyday God graces us with breath, and thinking about all that we have to be thankful for.

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