Verse and a Quote

Verse: They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. (Hosea 7:4)

Quote: "First we make our habits and then our habits make us." Charles C. Noble

As I studied Hosea 7 this morning this verse stuck out to me. In the time that Hosea is writing and saying this to the nation of Israel the people would constantly have to stoke and stir the fire when cooking. This would create the desired heat to cook what ever was in the oven. The verse here speaks of unleavened bread being in the oven. So when Hosea here writes that Israel is a heated oven that does not need to be stirred, what is he talking about?

In Israel's case it was a lack of self discipline, a lack of self control and a total giving in to it's sinful lifestyle. They had so given in to the pleasures of the world that they really needed no temptation at all, they would see something, desire it and whether or not it was right they would give into it. In today's culture we would say, "If it feels good, do it" or as a co-worker of mine so aptly put it, "party like a rock star because you never know when your time is up". This is much like the attitude of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21.

I believe that many in the church today have given into some of the things of the world and have lost their ability to discern. I see people who attend churches looking for their pastor to be the next great entertainer. I sometimes feel like we are looking for our evangelistic pastors to be like Bob Barker from The Price is Right and say "Come on Down" when there is an alter call. In many ways our churches have turned into that oven that needs no stoking. We live in an entertainment driven culture that has to be entertained or they are bored. I struggle if I see the church that way. If my pastor isn't teaching and the guy up front isn't entertaining me with his sermon, am I bored or am I listening to what God's Word has to say?

I like this mornings quote, because it states that the habits we sow are the habits we reap. If I sow entertainment in my life, I reap entertainment. If I sow sex and pornography in my life, I reap sex and pornography. The question I asked myself this morning is "what am I sowing and am I a fire that needs not stoking?". I also asked myself, "do I exercise self-discipline and self control or do I give into my hearts desire?"

I pray we all would learn fro Israel and the example Hosea gives us here.

Peace!

Verse and a Quote

Verse: “Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Ps.139:12)

Quote: A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C.S. Lewis

As I saw this verse this morning I couldn't help but think of my life prior to salvation. I felt like I could hide from God. I felt like if I pretended He didn't exist then that made it true. I look back at that time in my life and I almost have to laugh at my ignorance to who God is. I tried to run, I tried to hide and I even tried to use logic to rationalize the fact that He wasn't there, but it didn't work. 

This verse is a scary, but comforting verse at the same time. For the person who is living in sin this quite a frightening thought. To know that God is so big and so great that He can see you in the dark. The amazing thing is that it's not just the physical darkness God sees like day, but he sees the dark recesses of our minds like it was shown with light. God knows our every thought, he knows our every action prior to us acting it out and He knows exactly who we are going to be. The scary part of this verse is that in our sin God sees us. In our sin God knows us. The comforting part in all of this is that even in spite of knowing our sin and in spite of knowing our thoughts and actions defy His holiness, He wants us to draw near to Him. Our comfort comes from the fact that the cross makes us clean in the sight of a Holy God. 

I really like this quote from C.S. Lewis because in many ways it was me prior to salvation. I know that in many ways this me as a believer now when I am caught up in sin. We do think that if we just pretend He is not there then everything will be better. We tend to think that if just don't recognize the holiness of God then He must not be holy. The fact of the matter is God is Holy no matter what we think. God is sovereign no matter what we think and God is God no matter what we think.

Verse and a Quote

Verse : Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.  I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! (Psalm 119:1-8)

Quote: "We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives." Charles H. Spurgeon


I can't help but read today's scripture and feel like that is unattainable. The first thing I asked myself was, "do I seek after Him with my whole heart?". At times I could probably answer with a resounding "yes!" and at times I could probably answer with a whole-hearted and disappointed "no". I know that as a believer I desire to walk i His ways, I desire to know Him and what defines His ways, but I also know that I am a prideful person that desires to praised also. So, then how is it that we obtain this blessing the psalmist lays out for us. How do I obtain the blessing of a person that is righteous and whole-heartedly seeks after God? I believe that verse 6 answers it the best. We are to keep our eyes focused on His commandments. We are to walk in His statutes. So, then my seeking to love God and to pursue Him with my whole heart is directly related to my time in His Word and in prayer. The more I understand who He is and the more time I spend with Him, the more I'll love Him and desire to follow Him with all my heart. I pray that I would we would do just that.


Peace!

Verse and a Quote

Verse: For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:23-25)

Quote: If lips and life do not agree, the testimony will not amount to much. H. A. Ironside

 As I did my devotional this morning this verse came to mind. It was not a random thing, because I have been contemplating it quite a bit lately. I have been looking at my life and wondering does it match the words I speak to friends and family? Do the words I speak match a lifestyle fully given over to the Lord and then is my life the practical application of those words before those same friends and family?

I believe that as believers we struggle daily with the idea that our words must match our walk. I have seen two responses to this in my own life. The first I have seen is the "clam up" response. Instead of changing my walk to match the words I know I just stop saying anything at all so that I have nothing to fail at in my walk. I know that is wrong because that is just an external solution to an internal problem. The second response I have seen is that I live hypocritically before the world. My words and my walk are diametrically opposed to each other. With this I bring shame to the Gospel message and dull the true work at the cross.

I pray always that my walk would exemplify James 1:25, that I would persevere and that I would be a hearer that does act on what I know and hear. I pray that like the Ironside quote above says, that I would have a life and lips that agree. Oh how I pray that I would have that vision in the mirror of a man that sees the reflection of Christ in his life and not the reflection himself.

Peace!

An Edwards Minute

"Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live."

 As long as I have been reading Jonathon Edwards Resolutions I have to say that this is my favorite. I like it because it is simple, but yet so deep in it's meaning. When I read this I ask myself who am I living for and who is living in me? I believe that when it comes to the word live we must ask those two questions. Our walks as believers are dictated by who lives in us and who we are living for. 

As of late I have been wondering if I live my life with all my might to the glory of God. After all I do claim to be a Christian and I do claim to have the Holy Spirit residing in me. So if this is true then when I pray in the morning, am I praying with all my might. Do I pray in a manner that shows that I am praying to a Holy and Sovereign God? When I do my devotionals in the morning am I studying and learning to the best of my ability? When I live my life each and every day am I doing it with all my might?


I think that there are days when I just sleep walk the day. I don't think one person would realize that a Christian walked by or that I have the strong beliefs I do. I believe that I am not the only Christian that does this too. I think there are many believers that sleep walk Monday through Saturday and then live life to it's Christian fullest on Sundays. There are some that make it through to Wednesdays or Thursdays, but how many of us could actually say that we lived life mightily for the Lord our whole week? I believe that this is what Jonathon Edwards is talking about here. We are to live our life mightily for the Lord while we are alive. We can not look to heaven and say I will have an eternity there to praise and worship Him. We are called to worship and praise Him here and now with our whole minds and bodies. We are to show who is alive in us while we are alive down here. 


What a challenge!

Verse and a Quote

Verse: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;  you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." (Psalm 139:1-6)

Quote: My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me." Oswald Chambers

As I read this psalm in conjunction with my morning reading in the Book of Hosea this morning I couldn't help but think about what it means to have an omniscient God. To have a God that is all knowing. It struck me how our culture and some people who claim to be Christian shutter at the thought that our God would use tragedy to bring people to Himself. Reality is, He does. Our God knows when we are happy and when we are sad. He knows when we are in trial and when we are not. He knows our thoughts and our next foot steps. For a believer this is comforting and for and for a unbeliever this is horrifying. 

Some things I thought of in regards to an omniscient God are:

- Because God is Omnipresent he knows all things. When I thought about the fact that God is in all places at the same time and that He is in all of time at the same time, I thought about the fact that He must know about all my comings and goings. Because He is absent from time he knows where I've been and where I am going. That brings me comfort.

- Because God is Omnipotent He is all knowing. When I thought about the fact that God is so powerful that He controls all things, I thought about the fact that He knows all because He controls all. How comforting to know that our sovereign God controls all of time and all the events contained therein. 

- Lastly I though about how because of all of this He deserves my praise. Knowing that I find comfort in a God that knows all, is all powerful and is everywhere at the same time, should drive me to praising Him. So, I left my devotional this morning wondering, do I praise Him enough or even with my whole heart? Can I do that? Things to ponder this morning.

Peace!

Verse and a Quote Day 2

Verse: I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.(Hosea 5:15)

Quote: “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” Augustine



 This morning as I read this verse I couldn't help but think about how far we can get away from God and yet He waits for us to come back to Him. I look at my daily decisions and constantly ask, "was God in that decision?" I look at the things I say and do and ask, "was God glorified in that or was I magnified?" This verse states that God is waiting until Israel acknowledges their guilt before Him. This is the same for us. Much like Israel, a covenant people, believers, also a covenant people, need to acknowledge their guilt before a Holy God and seek His face. 

I know that when I am in trouble it is hard to seek God and to seek His will in that situation. I know that when trials that don't seem to fit our plans or that don't seem fair come our way, it is hard to go to the throne of Grace. Even though it is hard we must do just that, take it all to God. We must ask God to forgive us of our transgressions and to help us endure and grow in the trail He has put before us. We must not look for the easy exit because it is hard. We must seek God's face.


Today, is their unforgiven sin your life? Do you need to seek God and ask for His forgiveness? Are you in a trial that is causing you to question God? How often are you seeking His face?


I pray that you would seek His face and rest in His Grace.


Peace!

Verse and a Quote Day 1

Verse: “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)


Quote: A "god' whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt. A.W. Pink

I have been thinking lately about why I should blog. What do I have to say that other more qualified theologians and Bible teachers could say better. Then it dawned on me that I could post something I have been doing lately. I have been studying the book of Hosea the past few months and when I get done reading it and studying it I usually look for thinks men in Christian history have said about the particular verse I am reading or about the subject I pull out of the chapter I just got done reading. So starting today and as often as I can I will be posting a key verse in my morning devotional and a quote that caught my eye that I believe fits that verse or my thoughts as I read that verse.

Today I chose Hosea 6:1.We see Hosea heralding the fact that Israel should return to their God. He tells them that just as God has broken them down, He will build them back up. As I read this I couldn't help but think of Isaiah 64:8 and the fact that we are clay in the potters hands. God is constantly molding us into the men and women He desires us to be. So often we make ourselves the potter and make God the clay. We tell god that we don't like the path He has chosen for us. How often have you looked at the path that God has chosen for you and said to yourself, "I like this path because it has less pain and resistance"? How often have you not liked the way God is molding you so you took matters into your own hands? When I get this way, and I wish I could say it was something that I rarely struggle with, I remember Romans 9:21. God is soveriegn over everything, especially my life.

In that vain I saw this quote from A.W. Pink. Why would we chose to worship a god that we can manipulate? Why would we worship a god that we make mold into our beliefs? Seems foolish, huh? Yet so often we do this exact thing. Many people call themselves Christians and yet reject the fact that Jesus died for our sins. Many call themselves Christians and focus only on the attributes of God that jive with their beliefs. So often people claim Christ, but allow sin to reign and not the Holy Spirit within them. Why worship the God we create in our heads? Why worship a God that we make out of metal and trees? I pray that we all would worship the one God that is the potter. I pray that we would believe that the Potter is sovereign and knows what is best for us. I pray that we would allow the Potter to mold us into the men and women He wants us to be. As Hosea 6:1 says, He will heal us and bind our wounds after He has torn us and broken us.

Peace!

The Beauty of the Day in Between

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!

Has a Bird Hit Your Plane?

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.

Relational

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.

What's Your Favorite Christmas Song and Why?

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?  

The Bible on Gay Marriage

 

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.

Amazing Video and Amazing New Bibles

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.

What am I thankful for?

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.

Where is your heart?

To some of my friends who happen to be of the smart aleck persuasion would say in my body, but that is not the question I am asking. In the ancient middle east the heart was believed the seat of all emotion, in our current culture we would believe this to be our mind. So when I ask the question where is your heart I am really asking what stirs emotion within you? What makes your motor hum? or even what brings you ultimate joy?

I think if we wanted to be honest with ourselves we would say, our kids, maybe a computer game or even an X-Box/Wii game, cars, or even money.Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

When Moses was writing this he was just coming off the Ten Commandments in Chapter 5 and was writing that God demanded all of Israel's heart. He wanted them to have His Word on their hearts. It was Gods desire to be the one thing that made Israel's motor hum. Now this command is not just to Israel then, this command is to us now. So my question is to you, where is your heart?

When I was in high school I ran. In order to be the best runner I could be I had to dedicate my whole heart to running. That meant when I ate, when I was out at night or even how late I stayed out, it was with running in mind. God here is commanding Israel and us to dedicate our heart to Him in the same manner. So, when you are out in town, or when you are alone at home, is your heart given over to the Lord. Verses 7-9 give us the checklist to see if our heart really is on god and His Word.

Look at verse 7a, "teach them diligently to your children". If you are a parent are you teaching your children through words and actions about the greatness of our God? Are you teaching them about the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? If our heart is truly given over to the Lord then we will take every opportunity and every chance to use Scripture to teach our children about God.Verse 7b says, "when you sit in your house". Your family life should exude your love for God, so much that when you are sitting at home with your family all you can do is talk about Him and what He is doing in your life and what He is doing for the family. You will be talking about the attributes of God and thanking Him for being a great God.

Next, if you had a wholehearted love for God it would be displayed in our public life.Look at verse 7c, "when you walk in the way".The idea here to the Jewish reader would have been as he is walking through town or as he is on his way to do business. For believers today this would be in our work places and as we run errands around town. When I preached on this passage a couple of weeks ago I asked the men who I was preaching to, "what would the lady at the bank, market,restaurant you frequent say if I told them you were a Christian?" "Would they be surprised due to some things you do while you are around them?" You see Christian our life is a testimony to those around us. Either it is a testimony unto darkness or a testimony unto light. Which is yours?

Next, if you truly love God with all your heart, how is it reflected in your private life? Look at the last part of verse 7, "when you lie down and when you rise".When you are at home all by yourself what rules your heart.To me this is the overarching and foundational question. How you answer this question, to me, determines how you would treat the two above. When you are all alone with he computer on, what Internet sites are you visiting? When you are all alone in front of the television, what shows are you watching? You see believer, you may fool your friends, you may fool your family, but you cannot fool a Holy and all knowing God. He is there with you when you are all alone.

Lastly, if we have a love for God the encompasses our heart in total we will treat the Word of God appropriately. Look at verses 8-9, "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." The idea here for the Jew was that of binding the Word of God to their bodies. In ancient Hebrew times they had what were called phylacteries or Tephilim. These were leather boxes with straps that the Jews would bind on their wrists and head. Inside of these boxes were mini scrolls with scripture written on them. They took this verse literally.I believe the God was speaking a little more metephorical, and I belive taht for the believer today this would mean taht we are to be using Scripture actively in our lives. We should be memorizing it. We should be utilizing it to combat temptation and sin in our lives.When I asked above about what you are doing when you are alone, this is a great time to draw on Gods truths. Put a verse up next to the computer and put a verse up next to the television. Gaurd your heart and mind from evil.

This piece of scripture has been instrumental to my heart as of late, because with all the distarctions of school, work and ministry I hadn't done a self diagnosis. I hadn't taken my heart and put it before the divine cardiologist in a while. How about you, when was the last time you put your heart on the table before God? When was the last timeyou checked your life to see if it measured up to God's standards? So as we get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, check yourself, where is your heart? On the things of this world or on God.

Time, Time, Time

"Time, time, time, see what’s become of me", those are the lyrics from Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkel and they express exactly where I am at today. It's been almost a month since my last post and I feel like my blog has been neglected, but at the same time I have been more busy then I have ever been in life. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like you could not get any more busy then you are right now? Well that is where the Lord has brought me to.

Next week I will be starting seminary and trying, Lord willing, to get my Masters Degree in Divinity. This will done on top of my current schedule of bringing up a family in the fear and admonition of the Lord, a full time job and a full time ministry. When I step back and look at this schedule I do not see how this will work, but knowing that our Lord and Savior is bigger then my scheduling issues, I know I will get through this time as long as I rest in Him.That is the part I glory in. The fact that when all is said and done that if I achieve anything it will be because He did it and not me.

"Won’t you stop and remember me, At any convenient time" is another line from Hazy Shade of Winter. As I thought about the thing I fear the most in starting this journey is that my family and my friends would be left in the wake of seminary; that the words sung by Simon and Garfunkel would be their mantra. I pray that this would not be so.I pray that I would not be the man that was described to me in an illustration this week at seminary orientation. The man that come graduation day had his wife put his books in the place where she used to sleep and told him to spend the rest of his life curling up next to his books, because she was not putting up with the neglect any longer.I pray that I would not disqualify myself from ministry at the same time I seek to serve the Lord in full time ministry.

I do know that I serve a "BIG" God. I do know that I serve a God that will help me if I ask Him. So I pray for balance in my life. To me it is not important to get "A's" for the sake of getting "A's". I mean it's not as if you get a better church if you graduate Sigma Cum Laud. I just pray that I would do all that I have on my plate to the glory of God and to the best of my ability. In this time I fear mediocrity more then anything else. I do pray for excellence.

"Hang on to your hopes, my friend" is one last quote from that song and I do believe it is my sentiment as I close today's blog.Here are my hopes as I go down this path:

1) My walk with the Lord would grow.

2) My family time would be quality time.

3) My ministry would be God centered.

4) My time in school work would be excellent in nature.

5) Lastly, that I would have time to blog.(truly not important, but definitely fun).

By the way I know if I were exegeting Hazy Shade of Winter I probably would have exegeted it wrong, so please forgive me in the use of the song. For those of you that are worried that if I exegete music wrong how can I exegete the Word of God, well......to be totally blunt with you......Get A Life! That was a song, not the inerrant Word of the Living God.

What is "Above Reproach"?

I am ashamed to admit that I am a fan of Sports talk radio. As a believer this can be quite difficult due to the fact that sports radio tends to be like the sports section of the newspaper, a Hooters advertisement on steroids. If you happen to be like me then you have been listening to all the talk about Alex Rodriguez and his divorce. They have been talking about did he or did he not have an affair with Madonna, did he or did he not have an affair with another girl earlier this year. They have been talking about whether or not it was right for the media to report on these things. They talk about an era in sports reporting where when athletes were cheating on their wives the media would look the other way. It's interesting, but none of the shows I have listened to has stated teh obvious, be above reproach.

"Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled, yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, because he has nothing evil to say about us." Titus 2:6-8

As I listened to all these sports guys talk about this situation all I could think about is that as Christians we are called to be above reproach. That is we are called to be in a position, like the verse above states, that will not give anyone the opportunity to speak evil about us. If we live our lives so that no one could even intimate that we are cheating on our wives, so that no one could say that we are liars, cheaters or thieves. As believers we must live a life that is holy. The word holy in the original language means to be separated from and that is what we are to be. If you are a believer do you hang out with people that curse the Gospel? Do you watch movies that you shouldn't? What about the television shows you watch or the music you listen to? How do you act at work? Is it different then when you are a t home or at church?

There are a lot of believers out there that are that are riding the fence. If we as believers chose to look like the world then we are doing anything, but remaining above reproach. In our culture today Christianity has become a religious word. It really can mean everything and anything, even one who does not believe in the true Christ. Believer the challenge for you today is to live a life that truly defines the word Christian. You are called to live a holy and righteous life. You are called to be above reproach. Believer if the media were to follow you around as much as they follow the celebrities of our culture would they be able to bring a case against you showing that you have acted contrary to the Gospel? Examine your life and chose not to be an Alex Rodriguez. Chose to be holy and above reproach.