Sovereignty of God

Good Morning,

On occasion, I find myself in a conversation with someone who has accepted the “Calvinistic” view of the Christian life.  It is more often found among those with college and even seminary training than among “normal” believers, but that is not always the case. At least one church in our area is strong in the folly of Calvinistic philosophy. 

Ephesians 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

The main idea of Calvin that people love to embrace is the election of some to salvation and the “irresistable grace” of God that saves a soul. The idea is that God picks who will get saved, and that one cannot not resist the will of God, even if they wanted to. The contrary part of that doctrine is that God also picks who will go to Hell, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that.  Church members sit around studying their Bibles and trying to gain a happier life, but they never lift a finger to get the Gospel to the world around them; for the men and women around them are going to go to Heaven or hell and there is nothing any of us can do to change that. 

The common believer knows this is foolish; for the idea of  “irresistable grace,” and “total depravity” says that man is so bad, he could not muster up the faith to call on God for help or salvation, without God giving him the grace to call.  Now that might make some measure of sense in a classroom, but in the real world, it will not work.  Just as a professor challenges the number of genders, no farmer ever thought up something so ridiculous.  If one lives in the real world, he will gain much truth. 

For instance, a drug-addicted person was not forced down that road of ruin by God, it was the decision of the individual. The drunk driver was not forced by God to walk into that bar, to drink liquor, and then to drive.  Any reasonable person knows these are the choices of man.  

Isaiah writes of God knowing all things and doing what He wants in the world, but it is far from causing man to sin or to do right. 

Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

Some people have taken this philosophy so far as to say that God placed the forbidden fruit in the garden because He planned and forced man to eat of it, so that Christ might come and save humanity (well, at least those who are ordained to be saved). 

I know that most of you who are reading this article think it is a waste of time, and are thinking, “I have other things to do beside read foolish ideas of ignorant men.”  Yet, the doctrines of Calvin are in most Bible colleges, are creeping into countless commentaries on the Bible, and are being brought subtly into the pulpits of Baptist churches across America. 

When God commands us to “be not drunk with wine,” He obviously states that the decision is up to the man.  When God says for a man to love his wife, it is logical that the man may NOT love her; God is urging him to do so, but the decision is left to the man. When God tells children to honour their mother and father, any child can see that the choice is in the heart and mind of the child, not one that is forced upon them by God.

When God says, “come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28), it is clearly an open invitation that leaves the choice up to the hurting one to come or not to come.  From the Ten Commandments to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel,” God expresses His will, and though He knows all things, He does not cause all things.  

The lazy, satanic excuse of not going soul winning because God has ordained some to Heaven and some to Hell is tragic.  Do we leave our children to brush their teeth or not because it was ordained of God?  Do we not seek to order the friends of our children?  Do we not teach our children to behave with respect, diligence, or punctuality?  If God is totally sovereign and ordains all things, why “train up a child in the way he should go?”  For he will go the way God eternally ordained him to go, and there is nothing we can do to change it.  No common Bible-reading Christian would consider such foolish ideas.   Remember that college is often the source of corrupt thinking, both in the secular world and the sacred. 

Why would we fast and pray for some important situation if it were ordained by the eternal edict of Heaven?  This kind of thinking will cater to the flesh and caudal the spirit.  This takes away the broken heart over the wayward child, and removes personal responsibility for the lost man next door. This eases the grief over the direction of society, and basically allows everyone to do what they want, to relax, and not to worry about anyone or anything else.   

The average Christian in a Calvinistic church will not believe all this, for it is obviously foolish, but if we want to accept the doctrine of total sovereignty, then we must follow that road and see where it leads and it most certainly leads to a land of stupidity.

Let us be clear that there are some verses we do not understand. When we read some passages, we wonder about them, but we should not allow idiotic doctrines into our churches because of our limited understanding.  

Pastor

Believe Every Word?

Good Morning,

Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

Romans 16:18 “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

Consider the number of recorded Bible stories in which someone got into trouble because they believed what they heard rather than verifying the facts.  We might start with Eve; she caused a few problems when she believed the tempter’s words. In addition, there were those who believed the idea that building a tower could reach Heaven.  I wonder what they thought they would do then?  Once the giant tower was built, who really wants to climb it?  Who wants to live up that high? What good will it do?  Without considering these questions, someone conceived the idea, and everyone jumped on the bandwagon (as many people do when they see something on social media.)  Abraham listened to Sara and took Hagar as his wife; this decision brought about endless hurt through the Arab race.  Isaac listened to his mother and deceived his father and that advice did not develop into anything worth while (and those illustrations were found in the first few dozen chapters of Genesis).  

The point is, a prudent man listens, thinks, acquires facts, and determines if the situation is any of his business. If not, he ignores the words because they are simply unfounded or the actions of a busybody.

Let me give you an example.  An older man had been missing from church for a few weeks.  Another man came to me and said that the missing gentleman was angry with me about something.  In foolishness, I believed what I was told and ignored the missing man.  After a week or two, I felt I had to see him.  Stopping by his house, he came to the door and began to tear up that I cared enough to come visit him. The man's elderly father had moved into his home and fallen. He had been forced to find help and on and on. You can imagine just how overwhelmed he was. He was so thankful his pastor cared enough to come by. Oftentimes, people say things that are LIES, mistaken impressions, or misinformed opinions. 

Proverbs 14:15 "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

Do not believe everything you read or hear, even if the information you hear is from family or friends.  I was verbally accosted by a man about how a situation was handled at church, the issue was not momentous, but it did need a response.  I was chastised, scolded, and rebuked.  Then I explained that when the event occurred, I was out of town for a few days, and the situation was handled by others. I had no involvement or information about the incident.  The man simply ignored the facts and continued to scold me – before I even had a chance to research the facts of the situation.  

Some people will believe what they hear, even if facts prove otherwise.  Do not panic; if we think hard enough, we may also remember having done something like that before.  Have some mercy and guard your response.  It may be that emotions will calm and reason will return (or maybe not). Do not react to what you hear, and do not accept what is written in the news or social media as fact. (Have we not learned that lesson already in vibrant ways over the past few years?) 

Romans 16:18 “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

There are people who set themselves to deceive others.  They plan their words, order their conversation, and have an agenda.  Others want an excuse to be angry, to quit their job, to drop out of church, or to move across the country; when a fixed desire is in place, information becomes warped, stories are twisted, and details are bent to fit their narrative–and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. In their predetermined agenda, they will deceive others and cause much harm.  

Have we all not read about propaganda from communist leaders such as Hitler and Stalin to our current socialist politicians? 

Do not believe what you hear and read; at least have the prudence to look into the information.  In reality, most of the deceitful things we hear do not even need to be researched: someone is angry at you, someone said mean things to you, someone does not like your child, or some disease is going to kill everyone so you must stay inside (you know the kind of statements that are made).  

Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” 

Do not believe every word, it may hurt more people than you think.

Pastor

Go On Anyway

Good Morning,

When someone close to us falls, there is a certain grief that hits us.  If it be a child, a spouse, or someone who works for us, it is a heavy weight to bear when those near us make a mess of their lives. 

I know people who have quit going to church when their marriage failed (often simply out of shame and partly wishing not to be reminded by the questions folks innocently ask).  The same is true if a business fails, if a child gets into great trouble, or any number of personal sins. Some people also feel personal responsibility that they failed as a spouse, parent, or boss; they blame themselves and withdraw from life in guilt or self-abasement.  

Allow me to mention a few Bible truths and some thoughts to ponder when those near to you fail.

Our knowledge of history begins long before Genesis one; we find the earliest historical events in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 when Satan was cast out of Heaven.  I am so thankful that God did not quit when one of His created servants rebelled and took a major part of the heavenly creatures with him to their ultimate destruction.  God is perfect, yet one of the beings He created used his free will to seek the highest position in Heaven.  God went on being God.

Sometime later, God made man, and you know how that went. One child was fooled by Satan, and the other chose willfully to disobey the simple commandment not to eat from that tree. Skipping ahead to the New Testament, we see how our Lord personally picked his followers, and one of the twelve was filled with Satan and sold out the Master.  That choice to pick Judas was not a BAD decision; it was perfect like everything our Lord did. I am glad Jesus stayed on track doing the will of God. When a follower does wrong, it has nothing to do with the leader, much like Satan's decision to rebel against God had nothing to do with God.

We can look at stories of earthly leaders and see one of the Apostles’ key couples lie to the Lord. God had to kill them (Acts 5).  When your child or spouse chooses wrong, you are not to blame; it was their choice, not yours.  

2 Timothy 4:10 tells of three of Paul’s hand-picked workers who went back to the world:

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."  

While I'm sure Paul missed them and was grieved over their bad decisions, Paul kept going on for God.

Parents, when your child fails, you still have a life to live for God. No, you were not perfect, and neither were any other people. When a traitor walks away from his post to join the Taliban, the fault does not lie with the commanding officer.  When your spouse walks away from their marriage vows, it is not your fault any more than it was the fault of Hosea that his wife went into prostitution.  No, you were not a perfect spouse, but neither is anyone else.

Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Do not join the wicked one in trying to discourage good people from doing their duties in life. We live in a broken world, and will feel some hurt when a child or someone near you goes astray. Once you have hurt and grieved, get up and get going to make up for the work that was left undone by the one who walked into the world. Ask the manager at any major store if he ever had employees break company policy, steal, or defraud the store.  Then ask if the boss took the blame. If you are the one who messed up things and you failed, read about Edison who found a thousand ways NOT to make a lightbulb.  If leaders around you make a mess of things, remember our founding fathers who had to walk away from England – they built the greatest nation on earth.

If it was your decision to go astray, remember the cross, and that forgiveness is available (1 John 1:9), because "God so loved the world."

Some of the finest pastors and church members I know lost a child, a spouse, a business, and they went on with a broken heart to do countless wonderful things. (Yes, even while being criticized.) Keep on!  

Pastor

Misuse of Words

Good Morning,

I would like to take a few minutes to address the tongue and the evil done with it.  

Allow me to first address the way the Lord feels toward those who say things that separate friends. We read about a "forward mouth" or one who uses their words to promote an agenda, one who has a plan of attack and uses words as ammunition.  For starters, God hates it!  

Proverbs 6:12 “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.”

vs. 14 “Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.”

vs. 16 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:"

vs. 19 “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

We can look many places in the Scripture to passages that deal with words and evil speech, but for the moment, let us focus on the person who uses their "tales" to divide, to separate, and to sow discord.

GOD HATES THAT PERSON.  That is what we just read...

vs. 16 “These six things doth the LORD hate…

Vs. 19 … he that soweth discord among brethren.”

God is speaking of a person who has used their words to separate friends.  It makes God angry.

Proverbs 16:28 “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

God hates the use of words to divide or to cause hurt between believers.  Consider Paul as he writes to the church at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Paul says the divided, fussing Christians are "babies" and need to grow up.  

1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”  

vs. 3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

Strife, contention, and wounds from words are a big issue to the Lord, believers are told to STOP USING WORDS TO HURT PEOPLE!

Proverbs 26:20 “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth."

vs. 21 “As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.”

vs. 22 “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”

God wants us to work at keeping close not at using foolish and corrupt communication to divide the brethren.  Those who do so are in great peril.  

Paul deals with these activities in a general manner in Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 12:20 .”..debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:”

Believers need to get a grip on their words.  Stop using words to hurt people; find a biblical manner in which to speak.  The use of words to cause division will be dealt with by God in a harsh way. 

Pastor

Baptist or Protestant Revivals

Good Morning,

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Most have read about the great revivals of George Whitefield.  His revivals were spectacular in the number of people coming to hear the preaching and in the number of people getting saved. Basic information about these eras of revival with Charles Finney to Billy Sunday can be easily accessed among Protestant groups.  Any caring believer would love to hear and rejoice in the results of those meetings.  Unusual things were associated with these early revivals, things the world might call crazy: people shaking, passing out, running outside into trees, and many other odd behaviors.  Although I do not doubt that God can use anything He wants in any way He wants, those results were never recorded in the Bible conversions.  (Historical note: few Baptists attended these meetings; the Protestants were the very people who persecuted the Baptists and dissenting churches.) 

One more element accompanied these revivals was that the converts were sent back into their own churches, much like the more recent Billy Graham and Harvest revivals.  

One reason for the great number of converts was that these Protestant churches preached a vague Gospel; they did not make it clear, and they did not make it attainable as Whitefield did.  George Whitefield preached “ye must be born again” hundreds of times, while the various Protestant churches were telling people to “pray through” (an unbiblical term), to “hold out” at the altar, or to “get right with God.”  Bible conversions were always immediate!  

The thief in the cross with Jesus was not told to pray through or hold out “until he got it.”  The jailor in Philippi was told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31)   The people heard, they believed, and they were saved– period!  Likewise, when Whitefield preached to be born again, thousands of church members did that very thing; he made it clear!  The Gospel was not often made clear in the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches; they believed it, but made salvation a process, and a difficult one at that.  

Contrast that with the colonial era Baptists who went soul winning and started churches; the Baptist soul winner did not send people back to their old church that allowed members to go to Hell, they started new churches. The Baptist revivals were grounded upon soul winning, baptizing converts, and starting churches (thus the Bible Belt).   The Baptist revival meetings were winning, not church members, but the unchurched people of their area.  There were no recorded “spectacular” side effects, like barking, rolling on the ground etc.; people got saved, baptized, and joined churches.  Why were church members not getting saved as in the Protestant revivals?  Because the Baptists made salvation clear every week and door-to-door. 

I love to hear about a revival where folks got saved.  Without criticism, most soul-winning Baptist churches see folks saved out in the streets every week.  I would guess that in a church like ours, there are as many people saved every month of the year as there are in some city-wide revivals that take place once every few years (whose roots are in the same Protestant religious philosophy as early America). I would like to repeat that I am happy for every person who places their faith in Christ.

The testimonies of revival meeting where folks are getting right with God are wonderful, but it is a rare week in Baptist churches where folks are not on their knees, at the altar getting right, or better yet, staying right with God.  The message is more clear and the work is day-in and day-out. 

Baptists tend to make the Gospel clear and simple.  The mega churches of our area have allowed the Gospel to be clouded, vague, and difficult to find. I cannot begin to count the number of people we have met while knocking on doors, who were faithful church attenders, but also had no idea if they were saved – but they were “trying.” 

The Gospel is to be SIMPLE! We must keep it that way! We rejoice in every soul that gets saved in any church or in any type of meeting, as long as they are trusting Christ alone. 

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ.”

Remember the conversion of the Jewish man from Ethiopia?

Acts 8:36 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”

vs. 37 “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

vs. 38 “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” 

Hear, believe, be saved, and be baptized;  quick, simple, and no need for anything spectacular.  (The baptism was UNDER WATER, not sprinkling.) 

Pastor

I Am Sorry

Good Morning,

Ezekiel 23:35 "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.”

This verse follows thirty-five other verses that reprimanded the people of Judah for their shameful and godless living.  God pronounced judgment on them because of their vile living, and for putting God behind their backs (out of their sight). 

I grieve over these verses as I consider America and her corruptions, and I hurt for how we have treated God. Much of chapters 22-23 deal with how good God has been and how perverse Israel and Judah were in response to the Lord’s mercies and blessings.

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have treated You.

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have treated Your Word.

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have ignored Your house.

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have passed laws against You, the Bible, and the church.

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have passed laws to elevate shameful deeds, protect sinful actions, and promote filth to the place of lawful. 

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how Christians love their entertainment and are so complacent toward church attendance (at best, maybe giving God an hour a week).

I am sorry for what we have allowed our schools to do to our children: exposing and instructing them in perverse lifestyles.  

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how we have defamed the home, attacked the place of a father, ridiculed the role of mother, and placed the television as the central teacher in our homes and families. 

I say to God, “I am sorry” for how holiness, discretion, purity, modesty, and virtue have been almost completely removed from our vocabulary. 

I say to God, “I am sorry” for the millions of babies murdered and endless innocent blood that we have allowed to be shed in our land.

Ezekiel 22:12 “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.”

I say to God, “I am sorry,” for the pornography and the endless stream of polluted talk that  courses through our hearts and homes.

I say to God, “I am sorry,” for how the Bible lies unread while everyone in the home has their “screen” at hand – from parents to toddlers.

I say, “I am sorry that we have preschoolers who can run a tablet or cell phone yet have never read one verse of Scripture.”

For this and so much more, I am sorry.  May we become honest in confession and perhaps find some mercy.

Are you sorry enough to take a moment to confess the sin of our land? 

Pastor

Types of People

Good Morning,

Almost every day, we live among people. At work, school, church, or even in our neighborhood, people are a constant factor in our lives.  Perhaps it would be wise to learn from the Lord about types of people in order to better guide our relationships.  Here are simple words used by God to identify men and women. A casual reading of passages with these words will be a great assistance in hiring co-workers, making friends, and making social or business choices.

Women are called strange, whorish, evil, foolish, gracious, fair, virtuous, wise, contentious, angry, brawling, adulterous, and odious.  

Men are called wise, evil, wicked, just, righteous, good, prudent, slothful, diligent, foolish, wrathful, understanding, ungodly, froward, violent, faithful, angry, furious, unfaithful, mad, contentious, deceitful, and unjust. 

God pointed out these characteristics; therefore a wise person will look and consider character. 

Of course, it is possible I have missed some, but these things give us a look at character types, and as such, are good to read about with our children or with those whom we influence. What kind of character do we want to nurture or suppress in our own children?  Who is it we are hiring?  What kind of person do we want our children to befriend?  For whom do we want to work?

We should face the fact that the great coach might be a terrible husband, and the man who is wise with money might be an evil employer.  We might ask ourselves, "How involved should this person be in our lives?"  A productive co-worker might not be a wise choice for a spouse.  

This list is not given so we can sit back and critique everyone, but it might help us avoid trouble from day to day.  

Pastor

In His Presence

Good Morning,

I was noticing how people react when they are in the presence of God.  One’s reaction is an indication of how close one is to Him.  Let us look at the Scripture:

Isaiah 6:5 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." 

Job 40:4 “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.”

vs. 5 “Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.”

Genesis 17:3 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,”

Ezekiel 1:28 “And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” 

Matthew 17:6 “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.” 

We could go on and on showing the abhorrence of self, the unwillingness to say anything, or the absolute emptiness of personal opinion.  When sinful men enter into the presence of a holy God, they are empty. 

Luke 5:8 “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 

When we draw near to God, we understand more clearly our own sinfulness, and no one looks at others to compare ourselves among ourselves.  

I understand that we are to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help, but I also understand the better the view of God, the more we shut up. 

Job had taken time to speak in defense of his deeds, but it was not his deeds that were the trouble, IT WAS HIM.  When Job got a good close up experience with God, he shut up.  His problem was personal not behavioral.  It was who he was, not what he had done. 

Job 40:4; Job 40:4 “Behold, I am vile…" 

Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”

vs. 6 “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

As long as personal righteousness and “what I deserve” is foremost in our minds, we can be sure that we are not anywhere near the Lord.  

When the Gospel is preached with the anointing of God, the lost who hear will most likewise respond in humility. 

1 Corinthians 14:25 “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.”

May we get to know Him better, remembering Micah 6:8, “… walk humbly with thy God.” 

Pastor

Imparting Our Soul

Good Morning,

Too many marriages are selfish, self-centered, or perhaps focused on an agenda. In business, a bus route, a church, or in training our own children, I think the weak link is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:7: “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:”

vs. 8 “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.”

Notice the key phrases, “as a nurse cherisheth her children,” “being affectionately desirous,” and imparting their own soul – because they were dear to them.  That depth of feeling is far beyond simply doing our duty or doing what is required of us. Those kinds of feelings and emotions are what make a difference in a bus route, in a Sunday school class, or even in our own children.

Many children grow up in a home wondering if they are dear to anyone. Many a spouse wonders if their marriage partner is affectionately desirous of them. The Apostle Paul talks about being gentle as a nurse cherishes children – not about doing one’s duty, but imparting his own soul.

When Jesus left Heaven, He did not just come to die, He walked where we walked and lived like a human being. Jesus was tired, hungry, ridiculed, and was, “in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.”  Jesus did not just hang on a cross to get you into Heaven. He poured out His very soul. He left Heaven and all it’s glory and majesty for a dirty, foul, putrid earth. He left the glory, riches, and praises of the eternal glory to live among the mortal. He loves you!  Christ did not just give us the Gospel, He imparted unto us His own soul.  

When I think about our church and the people here, there is nothing I would not give or forfeit for them. I could not imagine doing what I do for a paycheck. That would cheapen the depth of my love. If I were younger and healthier, it would be easy to work a job, pay all my bills, and still be the pastor; for it is not a job it is life. At my age, and my health, I do not think I have the endurance to do both, but I have the love to do both.  Being a pastor is not a job; it is not for money; it is being affectionately desirous. Over the last years, more and more, I have grown in affection, fondness, and tender love for those whom I pastor. I see their hurts and it grieves me. I see their broken hearts and long for God to help them.

If you were in leadership of a ministry, or have a marriage or children, I would like to encourage you to ask God to help you embrace the very spirit of the Apostle Paul.

When I consider our founders and read their writings, it is obvious that they loved this country; they loved freedom, and they loved the idea of liberty and opportunity. Those who founded our nation pledged, “…their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.” We have taken two hundred years of progress to come to the point that our politicians love their lies, seek great fortune, and have no honor. They have no deep love for the nation, the dream, or the people. We do not need to criticize our politicians; we need to look at our own house, our own church, our own school, and our own ministries.

Might we rekindle love.

Pastor

Expectations

Good Morning,

Psalm 62:5 “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” 

We all have expectations, but in most cases, they deceive us.  Expectations are the romance of the mind, the meditation of the heart, and the dream of young love.  All too often, those pesky expectations turn out to be disappointments and frustrations.  

As I said already, we all have expectations, whether about a Christmas gift, a new job, or marriage.  Often a young man gets married thinking he found someone who loves him and desires to be with him, but within a short time, often a new addition to the home robs the heart of the beautiful bride and leaves the young husband with unfulfilled expectations.   In many homes, the lovely young lady marries the hero from her dreams only to find him working so many hours that she rarely sees her Prince Charming. Again, expectations are left unfulfilled.

The five-year-old enters kindergarten with expectations; often thinking it will be just like home, only with learning.  Soon the child discovers that he is sharing the attention of the teacher with a group of other children – and disappointment follows.  

A man accepts a new job; he expects an enjoyable work place, a good paycheck, a chance for advancement, and more; but those expectations are not always fulfilled and disappointment visits his heart. 

The main point brings us back to the passage in Psalms 82; it is wise to have all our expectations resting in the Lord. 

1. When trouble comes, assume God is alive and well, and that He knows what is best (believing Romans 8:28).  

2. Another help to avoid unfulfilled expectations is to control who you expect to do what.  Meaning, I cannot control my new boss, but I can control me.  So my goal, my expectation, is to do well, to do my best, and to fulfill the responsibilities I have upon me. 

With my wife, it is best to set my sights (expectations) on being a good husband and expecting nothing in return (a very difficult thing to do for sure).  When disappointment creeps into my heart, before it takes root, I need to examine my own behavior and be sure I have done my part, and then be content with that action; for the heart and behavior of my spouse is not in my control. 

Firstly, I need to place my expectations in Christ and His faithfulness in my world, and then secondly, seek to apply myself to the job to be the best I can be. If others miss the mark, that is not my trouble (although, on occasion, it becomes our problem).  

Lastly, it is wise to remind ourselves often that we do not plan well.  We do not know the future, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow; and as such, we need to be guarded about expecting anything from anyone.  You might say, we ought to keep the “bar low.”  

James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”

vs. 14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

With that in mind, is God not wonderful when He sets up the two great commandments – love God and love your neighbor?  We can do those two, at least they are more attainable than the unknown people and circumstances of the heart, the school, or the business world.  

We will all face some unfulfilled expectations, but placing these guidelines might soften the blow when it does come.  

Pastor  

Facing the Judge

Good Morning,

I would like to think that all people consider the future (the long-term, forever future), but we know most do not.  James warns about having the right spirit toward one another; he uses the powerful phrase, "the judge standeth before the door."  At the door, ready to enter, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords awaits; anyone with any good sense is fearful of that day.

James 5:9 “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.”

Every one of us will stand before the ultimate Judge. Parents and bosses, as well as social media judges, jury, and executioners will all stand before the Lord to be judged in perfect righteousness. That fact alone ought to produce some measure of mercy from us; for we all fail, and we all miss the mark.  As such, the Lord urges us to be merciful.   

James states another warning:

James 2:12 “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."

We will be judged, but the Book sets forth perfect judgment. The Creator of the universe, not the opinions of society or the vote of the media, set the standard of right and wrong in motive and action, and He placed those standards in His Book, the Bible.  That Book will be our judge.  We have had it in our nation, in our bookstores, and, in many cases, our homes. God said that we have the Truth and are accountable for knowing it!  

Regarding “judgment," Jesus warned us to be merciful, for we will receive similar judgment in our time before the Judge of the universe.  

Matthew 7:2 “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

May we be careful about being slanderous, attacking others verbally, passing judgment on others, and especially seeking to destroy another; for that will be the kind of mercy and judgment that we will receive one day.  

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Pastor

Follow The Plan

Good Morning,

Many people have the idea that every Christian can see, understand, and anticipate the same circumstances as others.  There is no area in life that is that way, so why should it be so with believers?  One Christian attends church faithfully, pays close attention to the preaching, reads their Bible privately, prays for wisdom and understanding, and in their daily life, seeks to honor God and gain His presence in their activities.  Another Christian attends church rarely, seldom reads their Bible, and lives day-to-day just as any other person.  Do people actually think the second person will have the same perception and insight into life and the work of God as the first?

Notice what Peter says:

2 Peter 1:9 "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

We can “lack” things that will cause us to be blind and not see “afar off,” even to the extent of forgetting we are saved. The child of God who diligently applies the truth to their life will see the opposite result.

2 Peter 1:8 “ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.“

God offers eight elements to diligently apply to our lives that will give us a fruitful Christian life, clear vision, and guidance for the future: faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.  These are byproducts of gaining the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:2-3)

Through these things, we are able to escape the “corruption that is in the world through lust.”  (2 Peter 1:4)

Do not think the casual Christian will discover equal victory with the diligent believer. This is no more true than a casual guest at the gym obtaining the same result as one who follows a rigid workout plan.  God gives us the plan, but it is our choice to follow.

Pastor

Identity

Good Morning,

Genesis 1:11 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

vs. 12 “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:24 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”

Notice the phrase "after his kind."

All of us are well aware of the attacks our culture regularly throws at America. America, our beloved, great country, is being attacked and mocked. Statements such as, “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty…” are being removed from our culture. Globalism and (using an older term) unilateral perspective toward the world tears away the very idea of unique nations and promotes us to be one, they try to break down those unique boundaries of national loyalties. This line of thinking is the cause of the destruction of wonderful cultures and people across the world. In History stories, we read about the French, Germans, Austrians, and other people of other nations, and we look with admiration on these unique people groups. All of these people and cultures are being assaulted as much or more than America.

We are being robbed of our national distinctives.

Follow my thinking here:

• One ripple of this globalistic thinking is surfacing in our churches. There were once Nazarene, Baptist, or Pentecostal churches, but now we have community churches, fellowships, vineyards or branches — identities are being eliminated.

No one knows what another church believes, what sets them apart, or what they truly are.

• Likewise, gender identities are being attacked and eliminated. We now live in a culture in which speaking about manliness or something regarding a character trait of your gender (whether a feminine woman or a masculine man) is attacked and treated as a narrow-minded, bigoted slander.

In reality, we have pine trees and palm trees; we love them both; each tree is unique and distinct. There is nothing wrong with being who we are. Eliminating the boundaries, lines, and divisions is a work of Satan’s slow destruction of the work of God. I do not have to hate others to enjoy being who I am. I am a left-handed Norwegian who lives in America, and I love it; but I would expect a Japanese person to love Japan.

Women ought to glory in their feminine creation. Men ought to love being manly. There is nothing wrong with lines.

When you think of "Cajun food,” you do not think of European cuisine. When you think of lumpia, no one imagines a group of Mexicans cooking. We are different. We are unique, and we ought to enjoy being that way.

In the beginning, God made all kinds of trees and animals; He then created a man and a woman. They were different from one another, and God said that it was good.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Let God be God and Creator. He made us; He made the nations, and He made two genders which are easily identified from birth in all mammals. Let us keep our identity!

Pastor

Discretion

Good Morning,

One of the tragic changes in American culture is the lack of discretion.

Proverbs 2:11 “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:”

Proverbs 11:22 “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.”

Discretion has to do with good judgment or good taste, both in appearance and action. Discretion will preserve; the lack of discretion will destroy. A woman without discretion is like a beautiful ring in a pig's nose. We need to speak about discretion to our young people — it matters to God!

In Proverbs 7, we read about a woman with the attire of a harlot. Obviously, forward women and forward men have always existed. I am not so foolish to say that the devil has only just begun to use inappropriate behavior to hurt the people of God, but I will say it has become very acceptable — that is the dramatic change. In the ’60s, girls wore extremely short mini skirts, and people looked at them with a measure of shame. In this age and culture, we find the pastors’ wives and the leading ladies in the church revealing far more flesh than is appropriate.

One cannot look at the news team or sports announcers without noticing the obviously well-chosen angles of crossed legs (far more noticeably than they ought) — that is indiscreet! We have become so familiar with impropriety on television that Christian men and women have lowered their standards of discretion.

Being discreet: when a lady stands too close to me, I move away. When a man or lady speaks about anything too personal or inappropriate, discretion tells listeners to shut them down or leave.

Young men as much as young ladies need to have a wall of appropriateness and discreet behavior at all times. A man should not be flattered by a forward woman, but he should rather treat her as if she was an assailant looking for the opportunity to destroy him.

Again, the trouble today is the acceptance of forward behavior: the little girls studying how to stand, how to hold their hand on their thrust-out hip, or how to wear the clothing that screams "sex" as the gal walks by a man. This acceptance of indiscretion has prompted parents to send their children to dance classes — classes that ALWAYS end up in a sensuous manner. We act as if "sexy" is a normal thought in dressing for work or for a date — but it is wrong! If we are to be pleasing to God, modesty, discretion, and keeping a blush on our girls is vital. A girl needs to realize that her level of discretion will, most often, be left up to her to keep her dating life clean; a guy simply will melt if she allows physical activity to begin. Sad, but true, the burden falls on the girls.

Timothy speaks of ladies dressing in a way that becomes godliness.

1 Timothy 2:10 “But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”

Solomon wrote of the forward woman in this way...

Proverbs 7:10 “And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:”

Yes, our words matter. Yes, our dress matters. Yes, our conversation should always be appropriate.

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be alway with grace,”

Proverbs 4:24 “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”

Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.”

Let us all decide to make discretion a part of everyday life.

Pastor

Defeating Satan

Good Morning,

Most of us have personal areas that we acknowledge are bad, and other areas we simply tolerate that may not be so good when observed closely. We all have that one area we excuse, yet we accuse another severely for his flaws.

Most people would consider adultery as “bad," and of course, God does too. Such was the story in 1 Corinthians 5; a man, who was living in adultery, attended church without shame and was "puffed up" about it. Paul urged the people not to fellowship with him or eat with him, and to do so with the purpose of making him ashamed. (Separation is not mean, it is biblical.)

The story is in 1 Corinthians:

I Corinthians 5:9 “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:”

vs. 10 “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”

vs. 11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

We are forced to deal with the unsaved world and their mess, but we need not fellowship with the saved in their shame, "no not to eat" is the admonition in verse 11.

Paul concludes the instruction:

vs. 13 “...Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

The church accepted the instruction of Paul, and the heart of the man broke. The next question was, "What do we do now?"

In the following book, 2 Corinthians 2 tells the end of the story and is summarized by one word, "forgive."

Paul reminds them of his writing:

2 Corinthians 2:4 “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears;”

Paul assured them that the separation was for a purpose — to bring the man to repentance, not to avoid him and hate him for life.

vs. 6 “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.”

We will be called judgmental, critical, and mean-spirited. We will be accused of acting as if we felt we are "holier than thou" and much more; but the issue is not me or my feelings, the focus is placed on God's church. The church was purchased by His Son's blood, and He wants the folks in His church to be clean. Broken fellowship is God's plan for drawing people back into close and pure fellowship. Separation is the tool God uses because He loves those who have strayed from Him, and He wants them back. Keeping them in close fellowship when they are unrepentant is not loving, but shameful.

Back to Paul's writing in 2 Corinthians 2, we find that the man was broken and needed to receive forgiveness:

vs. 7 “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”

This is the point at which we fail:

Yes, we ought to separate from those who are boastful and unrepentant of their sin, but once they repent, they need to be brought back into fellowship.

vs. 8 “Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.”

vs. 9 “For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.”

Paul spoke of the people being obedient in "all things,” meaning the forgiveness as well as the separation. We may be good at removing fellowship from a wayward believer, but are we as good at bringing them back into fellowship? That is obedience too!

Paul said in verse 8, "...confirm your love toward him."

Make it very clear that he is loved and that he belongs.

Satan gets an advantage if we do not forgive the broken sinner:

vs. 11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

When one is proud, boastful, and unrepentant about his sin, this progression should take place:

1. Separate from them.

2. They lose friends and companions, and yes, this may seem unkind, but it is biblical.

3. They repent with a broken heart.

4. We forgive and offer comfort (vs. 7).

5. We confirm our love for them (vs. 8).

If we do not....Satan gets the advantage.

When we hold a believer away at arms length after he has gotten right, Satan wins. To forgive, comfort, and love is the way to beat the devil. The broken person should not be the object of gossip, or be accused of false repentance. Love and comfort should be freely offered to him.

May we be obedient in all things. (2 Corinthians 2:9)

Pastor

Clear Message

Good Morning,

While reading through the book of Ezekiel, I am reminded of how frankly the Lord speaks to us. God is strong, yet wants to bring comfort to His people.

Ezekiel 14:23 “And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.”

Not only does God want us comforted amidst our troubles, but He also wants sin to be pointed out; and He has no problem naming sin.

Ezekiel 16:30 “How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;”

vs. 31 “In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;”

vs. 32 “But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”

vs. 33 “They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.”

vs. 34 “And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.”

vs. 35 “Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:”

That statement is rather pointed! God makes no excuse for moral impropriety! The words: harlot, adultery, and whorish are all words used to describe the pitiful way the people treated God. While the people of Israel had been formed by God, blessed by God, turned into a great nation by God, they now acted like whores enjoying the world and the things of the world. Could we say anything less about America today?

God calls sin terrible names; He makes no softening excuses for sin and demands that we, too, lay claim to the shame and vile nature of our sinful deeds.

1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

vs. 9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

vs. 10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

God wants us to label sin as BAD and to acknowledge that our actions are wrong and that our deeds are shameful and perverse.

We live in a world where preachers are afraid to call sin by name. (In fact, you will have trouble finding preachers who even like being called preachers. They often prefer to be called “teacher" or “pastor.” This is not wrong, but we have few prophets of God who stand for righteousness.) Few reverends today are willing to name sin. Men who stand before congregations want to please the audience in hopes of building a crowd and an offering. Our churches are gaining more worldliness, more casual Christianity, and more tolerance of sin. Now I know that our church is full of sinners, starting in the pulpit, but we call it sin, we do not act as if wrong actions are okay.

Just think with me: when is the last time you heard a pastor talk about loud women?

Proverbs 7:11 “(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:”

…or about flattery and forward women kissing a guy?

Proverbs 7:13 “So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,”

Proverbs 7:21 “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.”

When have we heard a preacher address the evils of religious celibacy, or vegetarianism as a religious mandate? (That could refer to Catholics or Seventh Day Adventists, not to mention others as well.) A good minister is supposed to preach on those subjects.

1 Timothy 4:3 “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth…"

vs. 6 “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ,”

So, yes, the gal who hops into bed with a guy she is not married to is a whorish woman —simple as that!

Ezekiel 16:30 “How weak is thine heart ... the work of an imperious whorish woman;”

Imperious: one who will not follow rules, submit to the authorities, or refuses to follow the rules. Hmmm… this is probably not used as a text mentioned by most preachers.

Ready for a real shocker? How about preaching on work? Paul sure hit it hard.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

vs. 11 “For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.”

Paul continues to say that men should work and EAT THEIR OWN BREAD:

vs. 12 “Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”

vs. 13 “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”

vs. 14 “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.”

People who do not work should be avoided. WOW! That is unpopular preaching. We, of course, are not referring to those who would take a job if it were available; many a good man found himself out of work for a short time. This passage speaks of those who are busybodies and avoid jobs.

The point is that churches need to identify right and wrong and help people see what God thinks about certain subjects.

The Bible is a frank Book; we ought to be loving, kind, giving, and merciful, but we need not act as if wrong is right or that someone's feelings are more important than right. God is blunt and clear about what is right and what is wrong. With a spirit of love, may we also be clear, and may we never side-step naming certain actions as right or wrong.

Pastor

Blame

Do not blame anyone but yourself.

Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

We hear much about why people do this or what drives someone to do that. The scenario is not uncommon; Adam said, “The woman thou gavest me…” It was either God or the woman who received the blame, but surely, Adam was not going to take the blame. We are all prone to blame others for our troubles or even our sin. Today, even our society responds with blame.

If a guy shoots a group of people, we study his background and ask if he was loved, if he was a loner, and if he faced difficulties in his life. Yet the bottom line is, he shot some people and he needs to be shot or hanged!


Society does not cause a man to kill others, nor is it America and her moral impropriety that brings about the hatred of radical Islamic groups (or even some political groups). Those involved with Islam choose to kill; they choose to hate; they choose to take life — that is no Christian doctrine; that is a satanic doctrine! Islam has been killing and beheading folks for thousands of years. President Jefferson had trouble with Islamic people and pirates in the North African area. The pornography or movie industry of our country did not cause the behavior of those people — the cause was the evil in their hearts. America was no super power in those days to bring about the ill treatment. Islam was simply a culture of hatred and lawlessness; one comprised of people who hated, stole, and pillaged.

We all blame others. One man in another church said, “I would be in the ministry had I not married my wife.” What a terrible thing to say! Why not do the will of God, be in the will of God, and honor the will of God today? Why not man up and say, “I married this gal I loved when I knew I should have stayed in college. We had babies, got busy with life, and I never got into the ministry.” It is not the lady's fault. Go on and serve God where you are right now instead of blaming the past for your lack of obedience today.

I knew a man long ago who was unfaithful to his wife. After hearing of this man’s actions, a good friend of mine said, “His wife drove him to it.” Now let us be honest, a wife can drive her husband away. A wife can be ugly to him and make him want to leave: but if he does wrong, he did it — not her. A wife who never communicates may leave her husband starving for conversation, but she does not make him break his vows; he does that all on his own. Unfair society does not make someone hate people. A poverty-stricken life does not force someone to steal or hurt others. Dr. Ben Carson showed us that someone can grow up as a black youth in poverty and still do right. Countless less-famous men and women likewise have proved these truths. My pastor, Dr. Jack Hyles, grew up in terrible poverty with a drunkard dad who beat him and his mother, and then left them. That poor, ghetto boy went through life without ever tasting liquor — anyone can do what they want to do.

We will give an account of our own actions to God, Who is the perfect Judge, and no newspaper will be at the judgement to try to transfer that blame to someone else.

1 Peter 4:5 “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.”

Preachers will give an account for their actions, their teaching, and for what they allow to take place in their churches.

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

The pastor who said he did NOT BELIEVE the doctrine of sprinkling babies was in the Bible but sprinkled babies anyway because the people liked it will stand before God for his actions, and he will not be able to blame his people. He made the choice to compromise!!

God says we will give an account of our idle words:

Matthew 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Whether it be a test in school or a bad performance in a ball game, do not allow your children to go through life pointing fingers at everyone else.

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Likewise, do not blame yourself for the actions of another. Yes, a little more kindness, a little more prayer and love might have changed the situation, but that individual chose their actions and did them on their own; you did not force them into their pitiful life. Whether it be your child or a friend, you cannot blame yourself for the corrupt choices of another. Jesus did not sit around blaming Himself for Judas’ betrayal. God did not walk around mourning and trying to rethink the decision about having the tree in the garden. Adam and Eve made a choice, and it was their own fault.

My attitude is my choice; if I allow your actions to give me a bad attitude, then I am letting you run my heart and mind. That is my choice. When someone says they get angry watching the political news, well, that is their own fault; they can shut off the news. Society wants to blame everyone for everything except the one who is guilty. Let us get this straight: God does not work that way and neither should we.

Jesus often spoke of our standing to be judged for our actions; no one is going to point a finger at another person, our own actions have been because of all our choice.

Matthew 18:33 “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”

vs. 34 “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.”

vs. 35 “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

We do what we do because we choose to do it. We fail because we do not study enough. We do not have a decent job because we do not adequately prepare; or maybe because God is doing something unusual in our lives — any number of reasons are possible, but let us not blame others. This trial may become a wonderful blessing; why blame someone else? Do right; love God; and honor Him with the actions of today.

Are there bad schools? Yes. Are there bad referees? (Of course! The bad ones are the ones who referee our losing games!) But in those times, we turn to God trusting that He gave us the leaders we needed to improve our game and to challenge us to be better in spirit or actions. There is more to life than winning and making money. We need to better our character and trust that God is involved in those things, both with our children and our own lives.

Blame is a sorry response to a failed situation. Confession is a far better path to travel.

Pastor

Fancy Dress

FANCY DRESS

Good Morning,

For those who are not aware, these Morning Moments began as simple thoughts from my devotions that were sent to my staff. Though my deacons started getting them, then my church members, and now to readers on-line, these Morning Moments are still just thoughts from my daily Bible reading — nothing scholarly, just thoughts as I read my Bible. May these thoughts be a blessing to you.

My Bible reading chart places me in Isaiah for a while. I see so many similarities between Israel in Isaiah's time and our nation today. Notice the emphasis on the body and clothing:

Isaiah 3:18 “In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,”

vs. 19 “The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,”

vs. 20 “The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,”

vs. 21 “The rings, and nose jewels,”

vs. 22 “The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,”

vs. 23 “The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.”

vs. 24 “And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.”

All of these strange terms apply to fancy styles in dress, jewelry, and hair styles.

God was a little tired of their fancy, worldly clothing; He was telling them of a day when they will have no rich and worldly ornaments with which to adorn themselves.

Remember, Peter spoke of this as well:

1 Peter 3:3 “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;”

The unknown prophet, Zephaniah, likewise speaks of this:

Zephaniah 1:8 “And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.”

The Lord finds something important about the way we look. It might be our pride over rich apparel, or it could be the reliance on the outward man rather than leaning on the real man inside us. For many, to fit in with the world, to draw the eye of the worldly people, and to gain the fleshly esteem of carnal men is the desire. Regardless of the reason, God takes notice of how much emphasis we place on our dress, especially when it is ornamented with jewelry and fancy, rich, worldly styles. God tells ladies to dress modestly: modest in style and modest in economics.

1 Timothy 2:9 “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;”

How this fashion-focused, Christian world today hates to hear about topics like this, but this issue is in the Scriptures far too often not to admit that it matters to God. Proverbs 7 talks about the woman and forbids the crossing over of dress styles. There is a man’s clothing and woman’s clothing, and the two should never trade places Deuteronomy 22 speaks of apparel being that of a man or that of a woman; God truly does notice and care about styles.

In our overall behavior and dress, Peter and Paul write about fashioning ourselves according to our former lusts and presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, not conforming to this world.

(1 Peter 1:14, Romans 12:1-2)

No, we should not allow our girls to gaze at fashion magazines; and malls should not set our fashion trends. Neither should commercials, movie stars, or famous singers be influencing our appearance. Not long ago, boys started allowing the gang fashion of flat billed ball caps worn down to the eyes to become trendy. No, a hat is not sinful, but allowing a gang member or rapper to guide ones fashion might be. When boys start wearing skinny tight clothing for who knows what reason, it brings about questions as to who is guiding their thoughts and actions.

Back to Isaiah:

Isaiah 3:18 “In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,”

vs. 19 “The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,”

vs. 20 “The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,”

Put a ring on your toe or in your nose? Really? Who got you thinking that will make you beautiful? Instead let it be the hidden man of the heart who places value on a person.

1 Peter 3:4 “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Pastor

Value of Ladies

Good Morning,

I happened to be reading the book of Genesis during the same week that we had our annual missions conference when I noticed similarities regarding the treatment of women in heathen cultures of today and the early years in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 34:2 “And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.”

vs. 3 “And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.”

 vs. 4 “And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.”

vs. 6 “And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.”

 vs. 7 “And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.”

vs. 8 “And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.”

The man raped Dinah, then wanted her for himself.  The young lady became a thing to be bargained; the relationship did not involve a man and woman in love.  

The entire situation was terrible to the sons of Jacob (her brothers).

vs. 31 “And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?”

The heathen tried to bargain for her and to negotiate a deal, a deal that treated the young lady (who had already been exploited once) as merchandise. The brothers negotiated the situation to allow them to kill all of the men in the city.  


One of our missionaries told of how their tribal customs treated women as no better than dogs — to be used, traded, and told where to go and with whom to sleep.  The idea of love and family values was totally non-existent in that culture.  In so many third-world nations, young ladies are often molested, and the respect or love that would seem normal in a Christian culture is not found.  

A missionary friend told me of a twelve-year-old girl who had been attending his church who came to tell him goodbye.  He asked the reason why. She explained that she was turning thirteen and was to be sold.  (Child prostitution and slavery are commonplace in Vietnam.)

As we read the Bible, we can see how God's Word brings great honor and protection to women.  In the story of Dinah, we find family protection and the refusal to make merchandise of the sister.  In the story of Abraham’s servant going to get a bride for Isaac, the final decision to go or stay was given to Rebekah.

Genesis 24:57 “And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.”

vs. 58 “And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.”

Jesus taught men to love their wives as Christ loved the church “and gave Himself for it…” (Ephesians 5).  Again, husbands were commanded to “love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” (Colossians 3:19)

Nothing has exalted women like Christianity.  Nothing has provided freedom and respect to ladies as much as the teaching of our Lord. Yet, women’s rights advocates fight to do away with any scriptural instruction or practice.   Do not interpret the mistreatment of women during the Dark Ages and the teaching of Catholicism to apply to Bible-reading Christians — the two sets of people are light years apart! The priests of Catholicism and the Protestant leaders of the Dark Ages knew little of Christianity and Bible-based values.

Observe the treatment of women in the Middle East. Women are not allowed to attend school, drive, or go outside without an escort; women are little more than slaves.  Note the manner in which godless men in America make merchandise of women through pornography or prostitution.  Godless, Bible deniers have pressured the general populace to put men in ladies restrooms; Christian values offer privacy, protection, and respect for ladies.   The cultures without a Bible-based foundation have placed women in harm’s way through the military; America, when she was under the rule of Bible-based conscience, never allowed such an atrocity to take place.  The reasoning was not to disrespect women, but to impart a total respect for them.  We have read of Molly Pitcher and others who risked their lives in times of necessity and served in military situations. Simply explained, men with Bible-based views did not want to risk their women being in such dangerous situations — for women were highly regarded and cherished. (Also, logically, a woman does not have the physical strength of a man.)  But the logic of sending men to war was more than a physical difference; the difference was that women were respected and protected.  Bible-based cultures taught boys to hold the door open for ladies and to allow a lady to walk first into a situation of safety but last into a dangerous circumstance.  Not only did I teach my boys to go down the escalator first in case mom or sister slipped, but I also taught them to allow the lady to go first when riding up the escalator in case she stumbled back.  How is it demeaning to a woman to always be placed first in the safest situation and to allow the man to take the risk?

Only the society without the teaching of Jesus pulls women down to the world of men.  Only a people who have thrown out the Bible turn women into sex objects and merchandise to be sold in pictures or reality.  Christ and the Bible do more to honor and respect ladies than any earthly culture.  Cling to the Word of God; for It alone can place society in balance and perspective.  

Every missionary is a friend to the girls and adult women when he brings Christ's story of love and forgiveness to the heathen.

Pastor

Feelings

Good Morning

God gave us feelings. We are flesh, and our flesh was given feelings by the Creator. Weariness, temperature, pain and comfort: all these are feelings that came from the manufacturer — there is nothing wrong with those feelings.

Likewise, God gave us feelings of emotion. We are emotional creatures who feel anger, pleasure, fear, love, and disappointment. These feelings are not wrong; but anyone with even the slightest bit of wisdom knows that we cannot live a decent life while pleasing and catering to these feelings, emotionally or physically. Most of our feelings need to be suppressed or even changed. How many young people would have married in pre-teen years, and how many moral wrongs would have been committed if we allowed feelings to run wild in youth or adulthood? Our prisons are full of people who did what their feelings told them to do. Abortion is usually a result of following unrestrained passion or following the feeling that you do not want a baby right now.

If we have a child that does not feel like going to school or doing his homework, a wise parent still makes the child fulfill his duty. No accomplished musician ever went through the many years of practice without fighting the feelings of not wanting to practice. Work is not a synonym with pleasure, ease, or comfort. Work is something that needs to be done because it is right, because it is a pathway to a desired goal, or because it is necessary for survival.


Why do we allow society to place such emphasis on feelings? We all know that feelings will ruin us, and that right must be our guide — not feelings. The Bible tells us that the feelings in our heart are untrustworthy.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Jeremiah 16:12 “And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:”

Genesis 6:5 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Following feeling results in all sorts of negative outcomes:

I feel like I need a break — so I quit my job.

I feel like I want to punch someone — so I am in trouble with the law.

I feel like I need drugs — so I am an addict again.

I feel like I am going to panic — so I run from my responsibilities.

I feel like I am another gender — so I commit unrighteous acts.

The fact remains that we cannot respond to our feelings or allow feelings to run our lives. Our feelings are untrustworthy. I may feel depressed, but I still need to be good to people, I still need to go to work, I still need to conduct my behavior according to the laws of the land.

If I feel angry and want to lash out at my spouse, I must suppress that feeling. I must control my thoughts and create righteous feelings intentionally: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

A successful military force must depend upon control of reactions to physical pain or weariness and emotional feelings that would hinder necessary action. The same is true with athletics; no winning team allows feelings to rule. Feelings of winners are controlled by logic, a coach, and the mind of the athlete.

As all unrighteous emotions need to be suppressed, so must wrong physical feelings be controlled.

A former drug user must say, “No!” to emotional or physical desires.

An alcoholic must say, “No!” to physical cravings for alcohol, else ruin will follow.

What a stupid idea to think that because I feel a certain way, I must act upon it. Every human experiences sinful feelings; it is what we do with those feelings that makes the difference.

Proverbs 28:26 “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

The Spirit brings life; following the flesh will bring death.

Jesus said the most basic trait required to be His disciple was to deny ourselves and not cater to our feelings.

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Some people are more prone to certain weaknesses or to strengths. Whether it be genetic or upbringing, some people lean more toward disorganization, or laziness, or athleticism, or intellect. We are not all naturally artistic, but we can at least be careful when writing so our written words are legible. Every child will not naturally do well in English and composition, but every child should learn to communicate. Some children will have more trouble with math than others, yet all must learn basic math functions. Feelings or natural tendencies are not to determine our actions.

Some girls are more masculine than others, some boys are softer or somewhat feminine, but that does not justify abominable behavior any more than my anger justifies killing someone. The fact I do not want a baby that was recently conceived has no bearing on the fact that the rights of the child demand I guard and protect its life. Allowing emotional feelings to develop toward a co-worker when one is married is simply the sin of allowing the feelings to develop; this does not justify moral impropriety.

Mark 7:21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,”

vs. 22 “Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:”

We must allow right (the Word of God) to control our choices.

If a spouse feels as if they do not love their spouse any more, but has vowed to “love and cherish ‘till death,” he must suppress those feelings and cultivate right feelings.

It is our foolishness that allows wrong feelings and wrong thoughts to take root in our minds and hearts causing us to be consumed with passion for something that God, and human logic, forbids.

James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

vs. 15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

One might think, “I hate my job and I want to quit.” To quit a job with no secure income is folly; thus one should act logically and seek other employment, get trained for another industry, or back to school in order to change careers — none of those decisions are wrong. To train up a culture of young people to feel they should enjoy their job or quit is nonsense. Most people do what they enjoy on days off work, then do their best to appreciate the benefits of their job and simply keep working — work is work, not play (character and integrity, not laziness).

If one feels anger, bitterness, jealousy, laziness, or any other wrong feeling, he must recognize those feelings as wrong and fill his mind and heart with right thoughts resulting in right feelings; and then right actions will follow.

To obey feelings will leave us useless, unproductive, and finally dead:

Ecclesiastes 9:3 “…yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live…”

We can spend our lives changing the location of our home, the job we hold, the church we attend, the spouse we have, or any number of other elements of our lives — yet, the changes only lead to a world of total instability. Following good counsel, logic, and the Bible will keep us on the successful path of those who walked the path before us.

Instead of allowing feelings to run my life, God instructs me to trust in His Word.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Pastor