More Sure Word - Understanding Bible Prophecy

Trojan Horse

A Trojan Horse is defined as, “someone or something intended to defeat or subvert from within usually by deceptive means” (merriam-webster.com). This term is derived from Greek mythology. The story is told that the Greeks defeated Troy by sending them a wooden horse as a gift; within the horse were Greek soldiers. Upon receiving the gift and closing their gates the Trojan’s were defeated by the soldiers that they unwittingly took into their land. We are committing a similar error in judgement as Bible-believing Christians today. The social justice movements of today are Trojan horses. They purport to be one thing, but closer examination of their beliefs shows that their agenda is the opposite.

 

For example, the BLM movement has taken hold of the very real issue of the unjust treatment of black people in America and is using it to push an agenda of sodomy. They, like the slave masters of earlier years, the sharecropping “partners”, the politicians, and so many others, are yet again taking advantage of the plight of one group of people to accomplish their depraved, anti-biblical, anti-patriarchal agenda. They do very little to uplift the people they claim matter, on the contrary, their highest purpose is to degrade all of society. As Christians our guilt in maintaining segregation in our churches has now caused us to flood the streets with these “social justice” groups to assuage our collective consciences. This is not the answer (Proverbs 11:21).

 

One of the rally cries in the recent demonstrations caught my attention. It is the idea that the US Constitution is racist. As Bible believing Christians, we know where the US fits into prophetic events and the role of their constitution in those events. The US constitution and Bill of Rights, as they were originally written ensured a nation without a king and churches without a pope (Revelation 13:11). The people that founded the nation were running from the tyranny of both of these rulers. In the 1860’s, however, a Trojan horse was placed into this document. The 13^th Amendment of the US Constitution states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

 

On a cursory reading of this amendment it seems like standard verbiage for its intent – ending slavery – however, a closer look brings to light the hook with which many former slaves and their descendants have been caught – “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted”. This hook is now firmly in the grasp of the ones who placed it there, to do just the thing they had planned – the demolition of the US constitution. There is one group of subtle, deceitful, crafty people, from the “old world”, who despise all that the US constitution stands for, and they worked determinedly from inside the governance to see it destroyed. Now here we are.

 

This document stood as a barrier between the “new world” and the tyranny of the dark ages in the “old world” (Revelation 12:13, 14). Now, because it has been repeatedly violated by prejudice, its end is here. With the fall of the governing principles of the constitution, the only thing left to rise is the tyranny of a dictator (Revelation 13:15-17). This has been prophesied in Scripture. A United States unrestrained by the reins of the constitution will carry out the dictates of the tyrannical “old world” (Revelation 13:12).

 

I caution those of us that are aware of what is happening not to get caught up in the pseudo-righteousness of the world (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus told us that there will always be injustice in this world, this we cannot fix (John 16:33). What we can and need to do is to hold up God’s truth. Point the people of this dying world to the real Jesus Christ of the Bible, Who is willing and able to forgive our sins and cleanse us form all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The same Jesus Who is returning “with power and great glory” to put an end to all injustices and evil forever (Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:14). This is the commission that was given to us as Bible believing Christians (Matthew 28:19, 20).

 

Behold the Bridegroom Cometh!

Job

Iceberg ahead... Meet It

How did we get here?

Atonement

According to the dictionary atonement is “the act of making amends for a wrong or injury”. In scripture we learn that God ordained ceremonial services that ran on an annual schedule. These services were tangible representation of how sin would be removed from their individual lives and the collective community (Leviticus 16; 23). Because sin is corrupting and ultimately kills, because it separates us from the Life Giver, it is vital that they be removed (Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:20). Ideally, not sinning at all would ensure that its adverse effects would not be experienced; however, Adam sinned, and we’ve all sinned, therefore, in order to regain connection to the Life Giver we need to engage in the process of atonement (Romans 2:23; Leviticus 23:23-32).

As sinners, we know that atonement is necessary to restore our relationship with God; but how do we accomplish this? The reality is we could never pay the debt for the sins we commit – this would mean death (Roman 6:23). God made a promise to humanity to take that consequence, and He did by dying on Calvary (Genesis 3:15; John 19:30; Romans 5:19; Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 9:26; 1John 2:2). So how do we gain the benefit of this gift? John the Baptist, Jesus, and all the Apostles preached the how – “Repent” – The central theme of Jesus’ ministry on earth, and the commission He left the apostles with, was to preach repentance from sin, and adherence to His commandments (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 28:19, 20; Mark 1:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 26:20).

Well how does one repent? Do we merely give a verbal acknowledgement of our wrongs and keep on in the path? Do we make excuses and give reasons why the offence was committed? Or is there to be a change made? A prime example of repentance can be found in the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector (Luke 19:1-10). Zacchaeus was a thief and when he encountered the Saviour he repented of his sins and pledged to repay all that he had stolen with interest. As a result of Zacchaeus’ thorough repentance Jesus declared, “This day is salvation come to this house”. True repentance is manifested in genuine heartfelt remorse demonstrated in our actions without attempts at self-justification.

How do we know what is appropriate? In Physics we learn that ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’. Scripture also teaches that what you sow you’ll reap. The reality is reaping usually yields more than was sowed (Hosea 8:7; Galatians 6:7). If you steal you pay back with interest, if you lie you retract with loss of trustworthiness, etc. But what if your crimes are multifaceted like King David’s big sin (2 Samuel 11; 12). David’s sin brought punishment directly from God, his home didn’t see peace again until after his death (2 Samuel 13-15; 1 Kings 1:1-40). How did David take his punishment – like the man of God he was – he did not complain, he did not beg for the punishment to be removed, he did not attempt to manipulate situations, he accepted God’s punishment for his selfish act, and continued praising the name of the Lord (2 Samuel 16:5-14; 1 Samuel 13:14; Psalm 51; Acts 13:22).

Does David’s suffering or Zacchaeus’ need to make restitution mean they were not forgiven? On the contrary, because they recognized their sins and accepted willingly the consequences for them, forgiveness was immediate. Being forgiven does not mean that the natural effects of one’s wrongs are not experienced. Being forgiven means you are not stuck in that vicious cycle of sin and guilt and sin to cover guilt and guilt over sin. When you are forgiven you are free, free from the sin that brought the guilt in the first place (Romans 4:6-8). In popular culture there is a move toward the idea that being forgiven means you don’t have to suffer the consequences for your actions. This is unbiblical, ungodly and an utter falsehood directly from the heart of the enemy.

Some believe that because they have ceased the sinful act which caused harm to others, that all is well, and restitution is unnecessary. This flies in the face of God’s justice. God is both merciful and just. Individuals, organizations, and nations need to be aware that they are responsible for the entire history of their actions and will be accountable to God for all their choices (1 Samuel 15:2, 3; Revelation 18:4, 5). If you have committed some wrong in the sight of God toward your fellow man make amends, repent. If your organization or company has grown at the expense of others, pay your debts, make a public acknowledgement of corporate wrongs. If your nation has harmed others, built and sustained itself on the victimization and degradation of its citizenry, and the citizenry of other nations, make an outcry for restitution, because judgement is sure (Exodus 20:5, 6). No one who benefits from or condones such activity, within their family, business, or country, whether actively or passively, will escape retribution (Exodus 22:21-24; Joshua 7:16-26).

God bless,

Three

I saw an interview with, what seemed to be, an earnest couple who had recently become Christians. They were ostracized from their church because they chose to believe the non-trinitarian views of another individual who was put out of the church for these views. Prior to hearing this interview, I saw a video of an elder calling out a pastor for believing and teaching that God is three distinct beings. I also had an interesting discussion with a very confident individual at church once, who did not believe that God is three distinct beings. Therefore, I feel the need to address this topic. However, before I begin, I must make a disclaimer: As finite, created, human beings we will not now nor ever in the future be able to fully understand the nature of God (if we get to that point then we become God); however, the parts of Himself that God has deemed necessary for us to understand He has revealed in His word and therefore, we are perfectly capable by His grace to comprehend. Let’s begin.

 To find out what God has to say about Himself let’s begin “In the beginning”. Genesis 1 opens: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” From this we learn that God is the Creator. As we continue reading, we learn that God, by commandment, created all the things we interact with on a daily basis including ourselves. Let’s take a closer look at the “ourselves” aspect of this. In Genesis 1:26 after God created the land animals, He engages in a discourse: “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This is a loaded verse, however, the first thing about God that we need to point out is the plurality with which He refers to Himself. He said “Us” and “Our” not ‘me’ or ‘my’. The second thing is that man was made in Their image giving them (man) dominion over creation. Verse 27 says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Man was created in the image of God – to reflect God – therefore man is to share some of God’s characteristics. The ones listed in these two verses are that man was to have dominion over the creatures of the earth, just as God has dominion over all created things, and the plurality of man (male and female created He them) reflects the plurality of God.

The argument of the non-trinitarians that I have encountered centre on the scripture in Deuteronomy 6:4 in which God speaks to Israel saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”. This is also repeated and affirmed by Jesus in the new testament (Mark 12:29). So, the question now arises, ‘Is the Bible contradicting itself when in the beginning God refers to Himself as plural and then five books down, says that He is one?’ There is no contradiction here to understand the oneness of God we need to look at the image of Himself that He created. Genesis 2:23, 24 states, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Adam was one distinct individual and the Woman, later named Eve, was one distinct individual, however, scripture tells us that in marriage the two become one. This is a reflection of the Oneness of God in multiple distinct beings.

Now based on Genesis 1, we know that there are more than one beings that is God, however, we have to probe further to find out how many. Some may hold to two beings as man and woman reflecting God are two. However, we know from practical experience that images are not exactly like the original. Case in point, God is self-existent, all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent we, His image, are not. So how many beings make up God? In 1 John 5:7 we learn that “there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” To bear record is to be a witness and to be an good witness one has to have seen the whole of an event. Form Scripture we know that there are other beings in heaven worshiping God day and night (Revelation 4:8). However, these beings can’t bear an adequate record because they were created and haven’t seen the whole story, they can only give their perspective of events. There are only Three in heaven that have this capacity.

So, Who are these three, “the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost”. The Father is the One from Whom we are separated because of sin. He is the One to Whom we address our prayers (Matthew 6:9-13). He is the One Who sent Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16). The Word is Jesus, the Son (John 1:1-5, 9-14). He is the One that spoke in the beginning and created all things on the earth. John 1:1 clearly points out the plurality of God because “the Word was with God and the Word was God”. He is our redeemer and our mediator; we pray to the Father in His name (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 15:16). Jesus led the Israelites through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). He came to earth in the form of a man, the image of God, to show us the Father, and stand at the head of the human family to reconcile all of mankind with God (John 14:8, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Colossians 1:15). The Jews wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy because He claimed to be God (John 10:30-33). Jesus forgave sins and thereby successfully brought healing because He is God (Matthew 9:2-7). Jesus submitted Himself to the father to die in our behalf and did not feel diminished by this position (Philippians 2:5-11). God is the only one that is worthy of worship. The scripture actively encourages us to worship Jesus; all other messengers that have come to earth emphatically instruct humanity not to worship them (Revelation 19:10; 22:9). The Father refers to Jesus, the Son as Lord and God (Hebrews 1:8-10). He laid down His own life as a man and took it back up as God (John 10:17, this is the mystery of Godliness – 1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus is God. The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is referenced throughout scripture as well. In Genesis 1:2 “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” to enact creation. The Spirit of God dwelt in Joseph giving him wisdom to interpret dreams and govern a nation (Genesis 41:38, 39). The Spirit of God caused Saul and others to prophesy (1 Samuel 10:10). Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah (Jesus) would be filled with the Spirit of God and by the Spirit He would preach, heal and free humanity (Isaiah 61:1). At Jesus’ baptism witnesses saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him in the form of a dove (Matthew 3:16). They also heard the voice of the Father declare, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus promised when He left earth that the Father would send the Comforter, Who would teach all believers about Jesus (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). With these scriptures (and there are many more) we see that the Godhead (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9) is composed of three distinct individuals with distinct job description, existing eternally and that Jesus came to earth as Their representative to reconcile humanity with God.

As it relates to terminology, I prefer to be cautious about the words I use. I’m not perfect and therefore sometimes I slip and use the wrong term. But as a general rule, in all things, it is best to use scriptural definition for all things. The bible does not use the word trinity. Many people that believe as I do try to explain away the term as meaning what the Bible describes. Because the term trinity is loaded with many pagan connotations, I choose to use the Biblical term Godhead. It is abundantly important, in the time of earth’s history that we find ourselves living, that we be very solid on what the scripture actually teaches in all things because “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” and the deception in these last days will be such that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

Hold fast, 

Manifesto

Some of you may think I’ve been living under a rock for having just learnt about the “Georgia Guide-stones”. The reality is I just recently heard about them and found out a bit about their history. They were inaugurated in 1980, the information the convey is written in multiple major languages of the past and present and it is aligned with curious astronomical significance. I will not address any of these symbolisms. I had heard the first manifesto of these mysterious tablets quoted by others but never knew the source. In reading a bit about the origins of these stones and their content I felt impressed to address the implications of the text. As I see it, excluding the first point, all the other proposals are very vague and leaves a lot open to interpretation. That is my general impression of the list. The declared motivation, “guidestones to an Age of Reason”, brings to mind events in 18^th Century France when religion in all its forms was banned. They dressed up a prostitute and declared her the “goddess of reason” parading her into their national assembly as an object of worship. During this time France fell into chaos, rejecting all things scriptural, they even attempted a disastrous 10-day week. As is repeatedly demonstrated throughout history without God all human reasoning will collapse into utter disaster (1 Corinthians 1:19-25).

The next thing I observed is that there are 10 proposals itemised that should be the guide for this “age of reason”. They are all listed on one stone; this still brings to mind the 10 commandments God itemized on two tables of stone. In God’s 10 commandments the first table outlines our interaction with Him and the second, our interaction with our fellow man. The guide-stone proposal is curiously only focused on man’s interaction with his fellow man and the environment. Therefore, I can safely assume that the authors of this proposal do not believe in a deity and imagine that with sheer human intellect they can bring about this new way of being. 6,000 years of human history suggests that this is not the case. Because we did not just appear, and we have a Creator, in all things that we do, He must be the primary factor. Removing our obligation to Him will only lead to anchor-less chaos. (Psalms 14:1; John 15:5).

Since the orchestrators of this new society have chosen to have “Reason” as its “god” lets get a definition. Reason – the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgements logically or, what is right, practical or possible; common sense. This seems like a good way of making decisions. However, these definitions require a basic set of systemic rules on which reason can be exercised. For example, reason tells me that I should not walk off the top of a building unless there are stairs on which to walk. Why is this choice reasonable? My understanding of the rule of gravity says that if I were to initiate that journey without stairs, or some other conveyance, things would not end well for me. For these proposals to make any sense foundational systemic rules need to be established. Who will be determining these rules? How will what is logical, right, practical or possible be determined? What are the foundational rules? Does something being possible make it right?

Now to the actual text. The first proposal is the only one I had heard prior to learning about the guide stones. I imagine this to be the case because it strikes at the basic decency and love of freedom, we all still possess. The shock of executing this proposal horrifies anyone with an appreciation for life. The proposal states: “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.” The current population of the world is about 7,500,000,000. To achieve this proposed peak population 7,000,000,000 people would have to be wiped out somehow. Some apologists for this manifesto suggest that this may be an ideal that would be achieved after some cataclysmic event on the earth decimating the world’s population (eg. Effects of climate change, detonation of a nuclear weapon, MDR epidemic, etc.). Ok, so let’s suppose (God forbid) one of these tragic events should occur wiping out 99% of the world’s population, leaving 75,000,000 people, who happened to get into a bunker, with enough food, before the tragedy hit. Some years go by the environment begins to clear and these underground dwellers resurface. Nature takes its course people pair up and children are born. After a few years the 500,000,000 population is achieved (a random number with no scientific support). How is this maintained? Are people killed as a new person is born? Are people not allowed to have children until someone dies? What if someone has twins shifting the population equilibrium? How is the male/female ratio maintained? What of racial balance? My questions may seem facetious, but they are rooted in a truth. Is this new “age of reason” a free, life respecting society? We have a practical example of the disaster that population control is. China ballooned to a peak population of about 1,300,000,000. To curtail this, they instituted a one child policy. Those who had children chose to have a male child and sacrificed their female children. Others who had multiple children could only afford to register one therefore the others went without basic resources. Some chose to have no children. Now the nation is faced with an aging population that will soon have a sharp plummet and insufficient females for the males to find mates to supplement the population. Is this the world we are to face under these worshipers of “reason”? (Genesis 1:28; 9:1)

The second proposal states: “Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity.” Setting aside the unnerving prospect of who will be guiding reproduction, lets assess fitness and diversity. As a biologist I learnt that fitness, in reference to evolutionary biology determined survival rates (survival of the fittest). Fitness can be determined by various factors, strength of genes, level of practical reasoning ability, age, and general health to name a few. This seems to me to be eugenics. The limited population of this society will then be engineered to produce traits deemed desirable by the leaders of this society. With this focus on fitness, then diversity automatically becomes limited. Who determines the diverse desirable traits of fitness? Are all recessive traits to be eliminated? Is race or ethnicity the source of diversity? And in what proportion will this diversity exist? Or will age be a factor in diversity and in what proportion is this 500,000,000 to be divided age-wise? (Psalms 139:14; Ecclesiastes 11:5)

The third proposal “Unite humanity with a living new language.” On the surface of it this sounds good. All remaining humanity will be able to communicate freely. However, if you are a Bible believer then you’ll know when and why we received all the different languages we have. Humanity lost faith in God and defied His instructions to spread out in the world and populate it. They opted to form one community and to build a tower that would take them to Heaven. This would not do; so, God destroyed the tower and confounded the languages, resulting in dispersion (Genesis 11). Multiple languages bring its own inherent diversity. Varying ways of expression and points of view. Is this one of the undesirable traits that needs to be eliminated from the “age of reason”? Or is this a defiance of a direct act of God?

The fourth proposal, “Rule passion – faith – tradition – and all things with tempered reason.” In this new society passion, faith and tradition are to be controlled by “tempered reason”. No one should believe in anything fully. This brings to mind the Laodicean church – not hot or cold, insipid and disgusting to the taste, completely lacking commitment (Revelation 3:14-17). I am particularly drawn to the reining in of faith. The term faith is typically used to denote religious belief. Religion by its nature is founded on specific rules – for the Christian faith it is the 10-commandments. How can baseless reason control well anchored faith?

Proposal five, “Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.” Excellent proposal! This world could use the proper application of fair laws. My question stands and may become repetitive, what is the foundation of these fair laws. Are any of the laws currently in existence considered fair under lawless reason? Proposal six ties into five, “Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.” I appreciate the fact that nations will still be able to exist within their own borders, however, will these nations be free to make their own laws? Or must they adopt the laws of the architects of the “age of reason”? Proposal seven is also in the same vein, “Avoid petty laws and useless officials. Again, on the face it seems reasonable, but based on what? What determines a petty law? Is “Thou shalt not commit adultery” a petty law? Or “Thou shalt not covet”? Or is “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy” a petty law? All these laws and the remaining seven in their set are vital to our acknowledgment of our origins, the demonstration of love and respect toward our creator and how we are to love and respect our fellow human beings. Will humanity be free to kill, steal and lie in this new society in the name of weeding out the weak and maintaining fitness?

Number eight, “Balance personal right with social duties.” The golden rule as spoken by Jesus expresses this, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” My rights should never infringe on yours, nor should your rights infringe on mine. Nine, “Prize truth – beauty – love – seeking harmony with the infinite. I only know One who is infinite, however, the first two proposals of these guidelines are diametrically opposed to His instructions about how life on the earth is to be. What is truth, beauty and love? Are these ethereal concepts that are determined by the beholder? I know truth is absolute. Scripture says that the word of God is truth (John 17:17), it also says that Jesus is truth (John 14:6). Love is also absolute. From scripture we learn that keeping God’s commandments is love (1 John 5:3). It can also be argued that beauty can be determined objectively. While each individual has his own preference, a mathematical formula has been derived to determine beauty.

And the tenth proposal, “Be not a cancer on the earth – Leave room for nature – Leave room for nature.” Also, excellent advise but how do we do this. I imagine for the architects of this new society this ties in to the first two proposals. Adherence to God instructions would ensure this. When God made man, He gave him a garden for which to care (Genesis 2:15). Agrarian lifestyles lend to caring for the earth. When the Israelites were given rules about how their society was to run, they and their animals received rest once per week and the soil received long-term rest every seventh year so that nutrients can be replenished (Leviticus 25:1-5). Maintaining a patient, unhurried lifestyle that does not require the use of dangerous chemicals to accelerate production, is the design of our Creator.

I don’t know who the authors of these guide stones are. The individual who commissioned their erection utilized the curious pseudonym R.C. Christian. The origin of this manifesto is unimportant – though with some thought I’m sure we could ascertain the source – however, their instructions are dangerously imprecise. In the world we now find ourselves living, it is very possible for us to experience a cataclysmic event that could require such a rebuilding of society. Such vague platitudes will not hold any society together. What we will need in such an event and what we need now is the Word of God. The absolute, reliable, all encompassing law of our Creator will ensure synchronicity with our Maker and cooperative unity with our fellow human beings. Let us reason together with Him and be made whole (Isaiah 1:18).

Blessings,

Mediation

I was listening to a podcast today addressing the topic “Morality of Disobedience”. The context of the discussion centred on the issue of clerics who violate trust. Many believers have become disillusioned with all things related to faith because of paedophile, philandering, embezzling, perjuring and faithless clerics (Isaiah 56:10-12). In the cases when church leaders engage in these blatant violations of trust, is it moral for the congregants to be disobedient? Well this depends on what standard we are choosing to obey or disobey. Many have come to equate God with the church, so when the church and its leadership fails, individuals become disillusioned with God and stop believing in His goodness (Ezekiel 34:1-6). This is a direct work of the enemy of souls. He has orchestrated a system, manipulating our desire for the visible and the tangible, causing us to equate the sinless, infallible God with sinful fallible human beings. God’s standard is sure and perfect and can, through His help be obeyed. Church standards and traditions tend to fall short of God’s perfect will (Matthew 15:3-9).

With this knowledge how do we overcome the faults of human beings to see the never-failing God? First, we need to know where to find God. In His infinite wisdom God has provided us with a book in which we can find all the information we need to know about Himself and ourselves (John 5:39; 2 Peter 1:19). An honest reading of the Bible will bring us to an understanding that this book is very different from all others. However, many believers in the Bible have been made to think that scripture cannot be understood by an individual without the interpretation of an organized system. This is fallacy. The Bible clearly teaches how it can and should be interpreted. The Bible is inspired by the God and written by individuals with varying writing styles all conveying the same message of the love of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible interprets itself, one passage is related to another that give more clarity to the previous passage (Isaiah 28:9-13). When the Bible is earnestly studied as a whole, with dependence on God, the giver of this word, we will all come to the same conclusions, as seen during the time of the reformation.

So, what of the church community? Scripture teaches that we are not to forsake the assembly (Hebrews 10:25). So then, are we all expected to congregate under the administration of those that cause injury and harm through wanton violation of God’s laws? Following the principle of ‘line upon line’ and precept upon precept’ we learn that assemble does not require an established “mainstream” church body, Jesus said that where ever two or three are gathered in His name He is there to bless (Matthew 18:20). Therefore, the key to obeying God’s command of assembly requires that we gather with others that truly believe in Jesus and He will bring a blessing (Acts 2:1-4). The reality is even when we are alone and unable to find another soul who shares our belief in Jesus, He is there to bless, because we as believing individuals are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). There is an old saying that rings abundantly true in these circumstances “you plus God is a majority”. Elijah stood on his own, with God behind him, in the face of a completely apostate Israelite nation and was victorious (1 Kings 18). Therefore, if we would have victory and genuine peace in our lives, we need to seek for God not the church.

Then if the church is not necessarily the way to God, then how do we gain forgiveness? As we read the Bible we learn of our sinful condition (Psalms 51:5). We also learn that Jesus came in the form of sinful man and by living the obedient life conquered sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:3). By virtue of His victory, Jesus is our only mediator, and the only way back into favour with the Father (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5). Through this gift we are now able to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive forgiveness and mercy (Hebrews 4:16). The churches of today may claim to be our one route to God, but a careful study of God’s word will reveal that Jesus is the only way to the Father and in searching the scriptures we will find Him (John 5:39). When we come to know Jesus and learn how to love Him, we will find true peace and atonement with the Father (Matthew 11:29; John 14:15; Hebrews 4:15, 16).

Keep the Faith

Déjà vu

According to the dictionary worship is “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity”. Then what is reverence? – “deep respect for someone or something”. Okay, let’s summarize. To worship is ‘to express deep respect or adoration for a deity’. Reading scripture, we learn that there is no being worthy of worship but the Almighty God (Exodus 20:3-6; Psalms 99:5; Matthew 4:10; John 9:31; Revelation 22:9). With this understanding how does one worship? According to scripture worship is expressed by obedience to commandments (1 Kings 9:6; 2 Kings 17:13-17; 2 Chronicles 7:17-22). Therefore, the commandments of the one we choose to obey is the one we worship.

God in all His omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent complexity, as He relates to man is very simple and straightforward. God, in all His creative majesty, chooses to create beings and bless them with life. In recognition of God's position in the universe and in gratitude for the gift He has blessed His creatures with, God demands our worship (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14). However, for this worship to be perfect it must be given freely. Therefore, when God creates any living, sentient being He gives them the free will to choose whether to worship Him or not. In order to determine loyalty God therefore presents His creation with a test.

For the first beings of our race this test came in the form of a fruit. This test in its simplicity was profound (Genesis 2:17). In all respects this test was easy. Hundreds and thousands of fruit options from which to choose. One to avoid. Worship God and eat the others or worship self and eat the one. The first of humanity was duly warned of the consequences of self-worship – disloyalty to God would sever them from their Source of life resulting in death. Loyalty to God would cement their attachment to their Source of life resulting in everlasting life. As we are all painfully aware our first parents chose disloyalty and ate the fruit, thereby plunging us into the condition in which we find ourselves.

However, God in His infinite mercy chose to pay the debt we owed for disloyalty. As a result, we now have a second chance at the same test - will we be loyal to God or disloyal. Will we acknowledge Him as the Creator of all things and Lord of the universe? The test this time is also elegantly simple, worship God on the day He asks or on another (Revelation 14:6, 7). Some see it as so simple that the world's fate could not possibly rest on so basic a choice. Why would an infinite God care about something so small like a day or a fruit? However, what we need to understand is that God is not in need of our grand gestures. He does not require our good deeds. He is able to accomplish, without us, all the good deeds we prioritize over His actual requirements. He created it all and can do with it all as He pleases, when He pleases and how He pleases (Psalms 50:12). The one task He has placed in our hands is to choose whether to be loyal to Him or to self.

Will you worship Him on His day or worship yourself on your own chosen day (Exodus 20:8-11) in the manner He requires (Isaiah 58:13)? Will you receive the rest He gives from your weekly labour or will you seek to find your own way (Genesis 2:1-3)? Will you keep the day God blessed and sanctified, holy or will you attempt to make another day holy (Daniel 7:25)?

This is the choice with which we are now faced. Will you make the simple choice and be loyal to your Creator, the Omnipotent God, though the heavens fall?

Be Blessed

Perspective

Perspective – a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view (OED). I find this a curious concept; a person makes decisions based on their perspective which is determined by their education and experiences. As scientists we are trained to try and view data objectively only stating the facts of what we find and subsequently relating it to previous observations. Making decisions based on our own or some other person’s perspective seems to me to be very dangerous. My education and experience are not the same as yours and it can never be the same. However, in most aspects of life we face similar decisions. So, if that is the case there should be a standard by which decisions should be made. Then, what is the standard? Social doctrines of today would have us believe that each of us make our own standards leading to each person having their own truth. I find this nerve-racking. I’ve heard pilots say if they worked with this idea flying would cease to be safe. Likewise, in life there needs to be a fixed standard that originates from an unbiased perspective.

Truth, “what is truth?” a man once asked not waiting for the answer (John 18:38), Truth is that fixed standard that we need that has an unbiased perspective. It overlooks all of us and sees things as they are not as we want them to be. As Bible believers we believe that truth is in the Scriptures. This book that has remained largely unchanged and verifiably so, contains truth. Its predictive descriptions give us confidence that its principles for life and salvation are truth; and when put into unwavering practice we have living proof of its validity (2 Peter 1:16-19). I’ve heard the comparison being made that the way to salvation is like blind men attempting to describe an elephant, some getting a hold of the leg, others the tail, some the ears and some the trunk, with no one having the full concept. I find this analogy offensive. How fair would God be if He left us groping around in the dark with no way to know if we are even facing the right direction? How can we all be heading to the same destination with so many different concepts of how to get there? This is lunacy! The Bible tells us clearly how to achieve this goal – Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

I saw a counter-political slogan recently that bothered me it said, “Make Lying Wrong Again”. It’s a very true statement, lies seem to be an acceptable way of life among humanity, that needs to be smothered. However, the reason it bothered me, is because the socio-political group behind this encourages lying within their own ranks. Lack of adherence to the unbiased truth of God is lying. Invoking God’s principles while not following them is, to me, the worse kind of lying – hypocrisy. Jesus spoke to this advising that we remove the beams in our own eyes before assisting our brother with the mote in his (Matthew 7:5; Luke 6:42).

I submit that most of us have one particularly massive beam in our own eyes – an obsession with our own perspectives – pride and selfishness. We are utterly incapable of seeing life for what it is because we get stuck behind our varyingly priced educations and experiences. This needs to be dealt with first. We need to adopt God’s truth because it comes from a panoramic point of view. He sees all and knows all and above all, made us all so he knows what we all require. He gave us Ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) that when faithfully followed, and all of life is processed through them, make life peaceful and happy for all. But until we take on this perspective it is best that accusations not be made because it will only lead to strife and bitterness (Philippians 2:3).

With Love

A Little Leaven

Come Search with Me - Scrutiny of Relativism & Pluralism

Loss

Growing up I never understood the grief in death. My grandparents on both sides died before I was born or was old enough to remember any of them. My first experience with genuine loss came when I was 20-years old. My aunt died. I’d been to funerals for different relatives and family friends before. Some of those deaths were sadder than others for various reasons but the first one to really hit me was my aunt. She’d been there my whole life. I used to stay at her house when preschool was done until my parents picked me up. My sister and I used to go to her house during school holidays to watch TV (before cable came to where we lived). We became friends with her music students. Sometimes I would go with her when she had playing engagements, at some church or other, to be page turner and general baggage carrier. She was my idea of what and aunt was to be, not intrusive and always available. When I was away for college, I’d always check in with her on my visits home. When she passed, I was away at school and couldn’t make it back for the funeral. I remember the sense of loss I felt. My sister and I cried together for the loss of our aunt. That loss shook me, but I was still firm. A few years later another aunt died, I’d known her my whole life as well, but she was different from her sister. She was one of life’s truly unique personalities. She was a nurse, a very good nurse. But she lived a bit more in her own world marching to the beat of a different drummer, as one might say. I was also away at school when she passed. I don’t remember crying when she died, I was sad, but I imagine that I may have been inoculated to the grief, by the loss of the first aunt.

Then a few years went by and I received the gut punch from which I’m still recovering. My father died. There still are no words to express this pain. He was my protector, provider, teacher, and friend and he’s gone. When he died, I was at home. I’d finally finished my last degree and came home. He’d been sick and about a year before he passed, he received his diagnosis. I got the call on New Year’s Eve with the news. I called his siblings to let them know. When I came home, he and I hung out like we usually did, I tried to be as much help to my mother as I could in caring for him. Then 11 months after his diagnosis he went to sleep, and it knocked the wind out of me. But as I have been raised to do, I went into work mode. My tears were not immediate. There is a lot of paperwork and planning that happens at the end of a person’s life. I called his siblings and informed them, then I did all the running around associated with planning a funeral. When we sat down for family worship that Friday night it all came flooding out. No more work to do on the Sabbath, you see, so it all came out at the sound of his favourite Sabbath hymn. That Sabbath happened to be my birthday. Then we buried him that Sunday.

I’m writing this because a friend of mine lost his mother, after a lengthy illness, a few days ago and I’m not sure how he’s dealing with it. Two other childhood friends recently lost their brother, suddenly and unexpectedly, as well, and I know one of them is struggling. I know there many other people in this world that are experiencing loss in various degrees for varying reasons. I learned recently that at least 70 people in my country have been declared missing. This number is exponentially greater across the world. A loss like this I imagine may be worse than death because you are stuck in the land of not knowing. Loosing a loved one has caused many to lose their faith in God. I was reading John 11 recently and it brought me to tears thinking about my father. I really believed that my daddy would get better, to his last breath, I believed. He’d never really been sick the entire time I knew him, I was sure he would recover. But he didn’t, and the story of Lazarus made me ask God why. Why not my father? He was still relatively young. He was highly active and very energetic up until his diagnosis. Why didn’t I get that miracle? I believed. The simple answer is, The All Knowing, All Loving, All Powerful God, saw that the greatest good would come from allowing His faithful child to rest. The hurt and the pain and the added responsibilities left by those who are gone will draw those who remain closer to Himself and bring Glory to Himself (John 11:4). But we must be humble and accept God’s judgement in life (Romans 8:28). God allowed John the Baptist, His servant, the greatest of the prophets, to die in a most vicious manner (Matthew 11:7-11; 14:3-12). Judgement will be meted out on the perpetrators of his death but a greater good was achieved, Christ was lifted up and we all have a hope of salvation (Luke 3:16; John 3:30).

Like Martha I know I’ll see my father at the resurrection. I believe his sins are forgiven and I know he served the Lord faithfully and believed completely in every Word of God. The waves of sadness still come, with I think that he won’t see me married or know my children in this life. But I have faith that he will know them from the rest of eternity in a land were there will be no more sickness or dying, no more pain or misery and all tears will be wiped away and all things will be made new (Revelation 21:4). Until that day I keep most of my thoughts of him, happy ones. I remember the positive impact he had on his students, his laugh, his sense of humour, his reliability, the example he left of what a father should be. His example let me know some of what my Heavenly Father is like (Matthew 7:11). Now that my earthly father is gone, God in Heaven stands firmly, unwaveringly and reliably as my Protector, Provider, Teacher and Friend.

May this bring you Comfort

Humility

There are two very different groups of people in the world today, who claim to be the descendants of the ancient Israelites. Now I do not proport to endorse or oppose either claim as I am not God. He is the one Who scattered ancient Israel and Judah, He is the one Who knows who they all are, and He is the one Who can and will inform them of their identity at the appointed time (Isaiah 43:5-7; Jeremiah 31:10; Amos 9:9; Zechariah 1:19). And when that identity is revealed no one can refute it. So, with this being my opinion on that matter why do I mention these people? I am using these two groups as an example. Both of these groups claim Jacob as their father, both claim to be serving the One True God, both claim to be following the ancient Hebrew scripture and both, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, have missed the lessons that Israel was to learn in being scattered, and the task Israel was appointed to accomplish. The Jewish people, during the time Jesus was physically on Earth, preferred the teaching that the Messiah was to come as a conquering king that would destroy their oppressors and elevate them to a high and lofty race in the earth. The spiritual leaders of the Jews did not accept or teach the truth of the Messiah’s true purpose – to die in our place paying the debt for sin (Isaiah 53:3-5 Daniel 9:24-27). They desired temporal elevation over eternal salvation (Luke 12:16-21).

Ancient Israel, because they were chosen, by The Almighty God, to be the bearers of the special message of hope for redemption, became haughty and proud and self-confident. They forgot that God did not choose them for their “profound righteousness”, He repeatedly informed them of their superior stubbornness (Exodus 32:9; 33:3-5; Deuteronomy 9:6-13, 27; Judges 2:19). God stayed with them because He made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and any promise God makes He keeps (Genesis 12:1-3; 22; 15-18; 26:3-5; 28:13-15). The peoples currently claiming to be the descendants of these faithful men cause me concern because their rhetoric echoes heavily of the sentiment of Ancient Israel, a proud, haughty, self-serving, self-defending, self-exalting spirit that does nothing but drive people away (John 8:37-45). God’s true people, by this point, should have learned or at least should be learning the lessons of humility (Romans 11:16-24; Galatians 3:29). God will only use the truly humble to carry out His work, because only they will rely fully on Him (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11). In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we hear from God, Himself: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.”

God is so willing to forgive our sins, but we need to acknowledge them and repent. There are three major sin categories defined in scripture: “the lust of the flesh”, “the lust of the eyes”, and “the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). These are all deadly. The first two – lust of the flesh and eyes – in a humble man are more likely to bring about a repentant heart than the third – the pride of life. Viewing the outcomes of one’s actions to gratify physical desires and the pain caused, can bring a conscientious person to genuine sorrow for sin. However, when the pride of life is brought into the mix it is very difficult to change course. The feeling that “I am justified in all my actions” and “what I am doing is right because that is how I see it”, makes one less likely to assess one’s course in accordance with The Standard. This is the reason it is “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). The rich, whether rich in finances, education, friends, even scriptural knowledge tend to rely of what they have as opposed to relying on God.

Scriptural knowledge is vital. However, without God it will not get anyone anywhere. It is for this reason, when Jesus sent out His disciples to preach, that He told them not to bring a script (Mark 6:8). They were to have the Word of God in their hearts through diligent study, but when presenting, the Holy Spirit would guide their words (Luke 12:11, 12; 2 Timothy 2:15). Self-reliance needs to be completely gone in order for God to work fully and mightily (Proverbs 3:5, 6; Jeremiah 33:2, 3). These groups claiming to be God’s chosen conduit of truth have a great wealth of knowledge of the words of Scripture, but they have missed the meaning and have not gained the transforming influence that scripture is to have in the soul (1 Corinthians 13). The same can be said to us as spiritual Israel. We too have a wealth of knowledge, for which we are responsible and until we let God transform our lives we will only be “sounding bass and tinkling cymbals”. When the Word of God is truly known we will gain a clear perspective of where we fit into the grand scheme of life (Isaiah 45:9, 10; Romans 9:20, 21). We are His workmanship, wonderfully designed to uplift God and Him alone thereby drawing all of humanity to Him (Psalms 139:14; Ephesians 2:10; John 12:32).

Humbly,

How to Run a Business

The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment to the United States of America’s constitution states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This was adopted into the Bill of Rights on 15^th December 1791. I have been listening to a podcast series about the twenty-seven amendments to the United States of America’s constitution and I find it interesting that this amendment is the one that garnered the most attention and is the most misunderstood. This causes me to wonder if the lack of understanding, and the perpetuation of confusion, while explaining the amendment is intentional. While listening to the umpteenth reading of the verbiage of this right a clarity hit me. The amendment is simply saying that in order to maintain a free state a well regulated militia should be able to be formed. What is a militia? According to OED a militia is “a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency” or “a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army”. I find this second definition interesting, but I’ll return to that shortly. The definitions plainly state that a militia is composed of civilians not career military personnel. Therefore, in order to form a well regulated militia, in the event that the state drifts away from being free, the civilian population needs to be armed and capable of using their arms. The second definition that the OED offered I found interesting, because resisting a less than free state is viewed as rebel or terrorist activity (eg. American Revolution).

Now, before anyone leaps to any conclusions, I am by no means a gun toting second amendment fanatic. However, I do have an appreciation for words, and when I find people misapplying, misunderstanding and misrepresenting clear verbiage I am driven to address it especially when there is a spiritual connection. The Word of God is compared to a weapon, an extremely sharp two-edged sword, which can cut in both directions (Hebrews 4:12). As Bible believing Christians, dwelling in the middle of a spiritual war we can apply the verbiage of the 2^nd Amendment to our Christian walk. In accordance with Scriptural teaching we all belong to a church. We are baptized (born) into a faith group (nation). These faith groups have leaders who are to, with the guidance of Biblical Scripture (national laws), lead the faith group. However, some lose their way and set aside the clear teachings of the Bible and form man-made teachings that result in sin (bondage). Now this is where the 2^nd Amendment kicks in. The church members (civilians) should be so versed in Biblical teachings (armed) that they can rein in the now rogue church leadership (maintain a free state).

The Bible admonishes us – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) As Christians, it is incumbent on us to search the Scripture daily, for ourselves, and plant it in our hearts that we do not return to the bondage of sin (Psalm 119:11). The leaders of the church have a responsibility to disseminate truth to the people. However, the people also have a responsibility for their own personal growth. God will hold church leadership accountable for not teaching the Bible accurately (Ezekiel 9; Matthew 23). Each individual will also be held to account for not obeying what is clearly written in Scripture (Galatians 5:7; Revelation 20:13). Therefore, it behoves us to take personal responsibility for our own soul’s salvation (Philippians 2:12). We cannot rely on fellow sinful human beings to sustain obedience to God (Luke 11:52). The battle for salvation is not for the faint of heart. We all need to take up arms (the Word of God) and be prepared to wield it deftly as Jesus did in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). The devil hurls fiery darts at us seeking to destroy us, our only means of defence, as demonstrated by Jesus is “It is written…”. Know the Word of God, meditate on it day and night, reject sin in all its forms, and your freedom in Christ will be maintained (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:2; John 8:34-36).

In Peace

For Every Truth: I Told You Before

Haemorrhage

I heard a statistic recently, that 70% of the youth population of my church is leaving, and that the majority of this number are those who grew up in the church. This is very disconcerting to know. A large part of the leadership of the church are spreading the idea that this mass exodus is occurring because the church is not being relevant to the youth. So, they have made changes to make the church feel more attractive: modifying the music, the dress code, and the complete message of the church to make the youth feel comfortable. As a young person I can safely say this will do nothing to help anyone. I am deeply offended at the notion that the youth of today are so shallow that something as petty as not having drums in the church or being expected to dress appropriately in the presence of The King of the Universe, would drive them from the place where their Saviour should be found. The real reason young people are leaving the church is simply this, the hypocrisy of church leadership.

The first thing to consider is this: numbers mean nothing to God. He can, and has, and will continue to, work by few or by many (1 Samuel 14:6; Judges 7:1-7). Therefore, the numbers leaving, staying, or joining do not matter. God is first and foremost interested the quality of persons claiming His name, not the quantity. In church we hear the accounts, from the Bible, of great men and women of faith, honour and integrity, like Job, Abraham, Deborah, Jonathan, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We also hear modern mission reports of the faithful like George Müller and his orphans, or the missionaries surrounded by lions that were saved. But this belief in God is not demonstrated in our leadership. The purpose of the church is to provide a means by which individuals can meet God, not to provide for the self-centred desires of sinful human beings. Services and messages are to be designed with praise to, and magnification of God, as the primary goal, not for the congregation’s enjoyment.

All our lives growing up in the church we’ve been taught about an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills yet as soon as the church needs to be repainted out comes the well-crafted, guilt-tripping tithe and offering sermons, and the appeals dictating how much money is needed from each church member. Where is the faith in God? When Moses was constructing the Sanctuary, he had to send people away with their gifts (Exodus 35:21-35; 36:1-7). Why? Because God moved on their hearts. The leadership was obedient to His will and taught the people to live in obedience. His name was being honoured, reverenced and uplifted by the Israelites. During the time of the youngest king of Judah, Joash, the temple was in disrepair because of prior ungodly leadership. When Joash restored proper worship to God the people brought their offerings willingly and abundantly and the temple was repaired (2 Kings 12:1-14). During the time of the early church all the believers were so committed to the purpose of the church, they gave all that they possessed to the further spreading of truth, and God blessed them for it (Acts 6:31-37). Where is the faith?

When individuals in the church commit blatant wrongs against God and against each other we placate and make excuses claiming not to have the right to judge instead of calling sin by its right name. As a result, false witnesses remain in the church repeatedly offending and giving the church a bad name with their vile, thieving, self-centred, faithless behaviour against church membership and others in the wider society. Had the presence of God been working in our churches we could and would with boldness uphold the standards of God in our membership allowing the faithful and the wider community to be safe in what is to be the house of God. Consider God’s instructions for dealing with those who broke His Sabbath day (Numbers 15:32-35) or God’s instructions through Paul for the vile offenders in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1-8). Some of us leave because we are berated for seemingly tiny sins while members of church leadership continue with their vices and get protection (Matthew 23:24). All sin in the church should be dealt with appropriately. None should be covered none should be ignored all should be dealt with fairly and in proportion, because all will lead to death if left to fester. Where is the justice?

We learn in scripture that in order to receive eternal life we must keep the commandments (Luke 10:25-28). Most of the elders in the church hammer this into our heads but never discuss why and how this should be done. The youth of the church have questions and these questions need to be answered and the Bible has the answers if we would just read it. But most of the church’s leadership (possibly because it would be self-condemning) do not provide adequate guidance and study help. We need to hold the Bible as our primary text book and any book that supports it, we need to put away these books containing the musings and imaginings of non-scriptural, god-less, uninspired, inferior minds. God will hold church leadership to account for every youth that is lost because of their selfish withholding of truth (Matthew 18:6; 23:13). God’s justice and mercy must be taught in equal measure so that individuals may receive the full picture of God’s love. God calls us to reason with Him so that we may come to a clear understanding of how our salvation will come about (Isaiah 1:16-20). Jesus took the ultimate punishment so that we could have a second chance at making the right choice in every temptation that is allowed to pass our way. When this is explained, and practical tools are given to support the youth in holding fast to God’s strength to obey they will have a reason to stay in church. Where is the truth?

These were just three of the many hypocritical inconsistencies the youth find in the church, not to mention the perpetuation of baseless racial, and cultural divisions. Those of us from over-privileged societies need to be extra cautious about our hypocritical ways. Because we are not face to face with the tangible challenges others face daily, we tend to forget that this life was meant to be a struggle (1 Peter 4:12). Our struggle is against sin amidst a barrage of discouraging attacks from outside and inside, through which God said we must endure in order to be saved (Matthew 10:22; 24:13). Our pastors - self admittedly - are more interested in their own pleasure and entertainment than leading out prayer meeting. We need to pray for vision to see beyond this life. This is not the best there is. Until there is a genuine revival and reformation in the church, where we return to obedience of the truth of Scripture the church will continue to haemorrhage its youth.

By Faith

No Excuses - The Rebellion

No Excuses - You Knew

Being Kingdom Conscious

The Pure In Heart

The Things that Divide

There are many things in this life that cause division among human beings, racism, sexism, classism, ageism, etc. to name a few. These are all dross and they only hurt our true purpose on this earth. Our one and only purpose on Earth is to learn to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14). When we loose sight of this purpose all these differences become magnified and cause us to do harm to others and in so doing damage ourselves.

Racism is a huge issue worldwide. One group claims superiority over another group then victimize individuals of that group. Then the inevitable pendulum swing occurs, and the formerly victimized group becomes self-focused and highlights himself above the original victimizing group, perpetuating certain stereotypes that may have been theirs or may have been thrusted upon them. And the vicious cycle of hate and self-importance continues. The same is seen among societally manufactured classes, those with different education levels and career types are deemed inferior to another group and are thereby disenfranchised.

Scripture tells us that we are all of one blood, therefore, racism and ethnic strife has no real tangible basis (Acts 17:26). The Jews of Jesus’ time thought themselves superior to the Samaritans and any non- Jew. Today we have racial discordance based on skin colour or ethnic origins. All this means nothing. We are all Adam’s children and until we get past the petty small-mindedness of this thought process we will keep missing our true purpose. Heaven, unlike our churches, is not segregated (or separate but equal). We serve one God, Who has one expectation – keep His commandments. Scripture also reminds us that we are not to think of ourselves as more than we are (Romans 12:3). Everything we are or have was given to us we didn’t make ourselves or bless ourselves with anything we have or can do (1 Corinthians 4:7). We are all formed from dust and we are all returning to dust (Genesis 3:19; Psalms 103:14). Those that have been victimized need to forgive and focus on God’s truth. Those that have victimized need to wake up and see reality and focus on God’s truth.

Ageism and sexism are two more delicate issues. There are certain things, by nature, that different age ranges and sexes cannot interchange. However, the contributions that each brings to society should not be diminished because of preconceived notions. The aged of society bring a wealth of knowledge, based on experience, from which younger generations should be taught – to prevent unnecessary errors (Leviticus 19:32). For example, if young people planning on marriage would have a frank discussion, on what a successful marriage is like, with couples who have put in the effort and carry 20, 30, 40+ years of marriage, divorce would not be as big an issue as it is now. These long-married people can share the fact that sustaining that many years is not for the selfish at heart, that everything will not go your way all the time, that you need to communicate and forge a united way of doing things together. But this is lost when the young see the aged as out of touch and unable to relate to life today. The wise king said, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). With all our seeming variations human nature has not changed and therefore advise from those who have lived successfully should be taken and heeded.

Each of the different sexes have their roles to play in society and should be respected for it. A woman who chooses the path to stay home and care for her husband and children should not be treated as less than in society. After all, ‘the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world’. Having dedicated wives and mothers to ensure the smooth, efficient running of homes and families is the most valuable gift men and, by effect, all of society can have, and her work demands and should be respected (Proverbs 31:10-31). Because of the unthankful treatment of homemakers, many women of today’s society choose to compete with their husbands in the corporate world resulting in emasculated men, neglected homes, and all but abandoned children who perpetuate this pattern (Proverbs 14:1). Women should be industrious, financially savvy contributors in society but not to the detriment of their own homes and families. The family is the building block of society and when it collapses society will crumble.

The reality is, there is one criterion that should, and scripture tells us will, divide human beings, only one. This source of division is truth. In scripture Jesus states that He came to bring a sword; and the Bible also tells us that God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword (Matthew 10:34; Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word is referred to as the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). This is the only line along which humanity should be divided – belief in God’s truth and disbelief in God’s truth, obedience to God’s Word and disobedience to God’s word. All other divisions are a distraction of the enemy skillfully designed to cloud perspective and deceive humanity. However, true to his form the enemy has placed in the hearts and minds of believers that division based on God’s truth is equivalent to all other sources of division – in essence, all division is bad. This is not the case. Consider the division of the children of Seth (those who served God) from the children of Cain (those who served self). For centuries God had a people with a pure worship to Him, but as soon as that line of demarcation was blurred, and the two groups began to mingle, evil reigned on Earth (Genesis 6:1-7). If we will serve God aright separation must be made to ensure pure God approved worship.

Division based on truth will lead to the persecution of those who choose to obey God’s Word, never the reverse (Matthew 5:12). Followers of God only seek what God seeks, obedience to His commands and the salvation of souls. Scripture tells us repeatedly that at the time of Jesus’ return to Earth there will be a clean unambiguous line dividing those that keep God’s commandments and those that do not (Matthew 13:30; 25:32; Revelation 12:17; 14:1-12; 22:11). That separation begins at the time a person decides to follow the will of God, the whole sinful world turns against him. The sinful things of this world and anyone who chooses that life are at enmity with God and anyone who follows Him because God placed the enmity between them (Genesis 3:15; James 4:4). As believers we need to examine the companions we choose in all aspects of life (Amos 3:3; 1 Corinthians 6:14). Absolute allegiance to God, no matter the cost, is the only way to be saved (Mark 10:17-21; Luke 18:18-22). God gave all in defense of His truth and to give us a second chance at adherence (John 3:16). Let us not waste this invaluable opportunity.

In Love

The Power of Value

How to be a Godly Man

Just Do It

Red Herrings

A red herring is defined as a clue or piece of information, which is or is intended to be misleading or distracting (OED). This life is full of such deceptions meant to keep us distracted from our one true mission. The reason these red herrings are so good is because they are actually a part of our mandate; but we invert the order of things confounding and injuring ourselves. In scripture we learn that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Micah 6:6-8). We know God to be all-powerful and all-knowing, therefore demanding respect. We also recently reviewed God’s immutable law, which He spoke with His own mouth and wrote with His own hands, emphasizing its importance. When we get our focus right then all the good things that hinder us will fall into place. I would like to review some of these good things that we often place above obeying God. Some of them are very sensitive topics that cause a lot of anger among people. I pray that God’s Spirit guides your reading.

Environmentalism

The way we treat the environment and animals has caused a great rift in society resulting in climate change promoters and deniers, tree-huggers and loggers, and hunters and vegans to be at deep odds with each other. I’m not picking any side here. What I know is that the obsession with these arguments has distracted many from our true purpose in life. Scripture expects that we are to care for the earth and the creatures in it. This earth and the animals were created for man and man was given dominion over them to care for them (Genesis 1:26; 2:15; Hebrews 2:6-8). However, we have lost the primary focus. We care for this world for it’s own sake not because of Who made it and His mandate. The reality is we are caretakers; God entrusted us with a responsibility and when we care for His creation, because it is His creation, we will do it adhering to all His commands and with His help (Psalms 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26). God is a great defender of His creation (Revelation 11:18). Christian stewardship demands that we do not pollute our environment and that we care for the animals entrusted to us. However, these things should not take the place of God. They were created for our use and with proper management we will not be overrun with waste and animals would not go extinct.

Social Justice

There are many social justice issues being advocated in our society: “equal rights”, “black lives matter”, “me too”, to name a few. People support or refute these in varying degrees. The church has been accused, throughout different generations, of inaction or even indifference toward these many issues. I dare say I can agree with these accusations. However, I would never advocate for the church or a Christian joining these movements/causes. As previously, stated our purpose here on earth is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14). These movements focus on the individuals being wronged and not the God who created us free moral agents with rights to all the resources on this planet. As a result they plot and scheme and resort to subterfuge and even violence in order to accomplish their goals, some of which, is in complete opposition to the will of God. This is selfishness and the clear work of the enemy of souls; this is the means by which he took one-third of the angels from Heaven (John 8:44; Revelation 12:3, 4, 7-10). As Christians it is our duty to act justly and treat everyone with their God given dignity (Micah 6:8). In this I dare say that we have failed. Church services are said to be the most segregated hour in the week. This is appalling and raises the question: who is being worshipped in these services? How can we claim to love God who we cannot see while we hate our fellow man who we can see? (1 John 4:20) True love is keeping God’s commandments and His commandments describe true love to our fellow man (1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6; Exodus 20:12-17; Deuteronomy 5:16-21). God has designed an order to society and when we subvert that order we end up in chaos and individuals become disenfranchised (Exodus 22:22-24; Leviticus 25:17). He has made provision for all members of society no matter the status, and He will provide justice for all in due season (Exodus 22; Numbers 36:1-10; Deuteronomy 22:23-29, Ecclesiastes 12:14). It behoves us to honestly study God’s plainly spoken word and accept it. We must stop trying to wrestle the Scripture to fit into our skewed world-view (2 Peter 3:16). We need to choose to wrestle ourselves to fit into God’s perfect design.

Career

“…If any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) This is a very straightforward statement from scripture. Therefore, if we would like to sustain our lives, which require us to eat, it then becomes necessary that we work. Most people get this very simple yet profound fact. However, some of us go overboard. We find our definition in our careers even to the point that we forgo this basic reason for working. But even more detrimental to our lives we place our careers above the law of God, disregarding His Sabbath, lying, stealing, or even killing to achieve worldly success. This is a dangerous way of living. Imagine (God forbid) that one should develop a degenerative disease, or meet in an accident that takes away the physical means necessary to carry out their chosen profession, or just simply just get old, what would life be like? If our career defined us, this narrow world-view would make it very difficult (nearly impossible) to find another useful occupation. Some people, who live this way, end up becoming invalids and even suicidal because they can’t see beyond their selfish desires.

However, as Christians we are defined by Someone greater than the work we do (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:23-34; Acts 17:28). We are defined by the God we serve not the skills He gave us to serve this world (Romans 6:16; 12:3, 1 Corinthians 4:7). Therefore, in order to be truly successful we need to get our priorities straight, His commandments always come first (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14). It is hard for the hyper-planning, overachieving, type-A professionals of this world to yield control of their lives to Another. But to be truly successful it is necessary. We cannot judge our achievements by the standards of this world (1 Corinthians 1:25). Moses was at the height of his career – next in line to rule the greatest kingdom of his age – he would have had all the power at his disposal to free his people. But God saw fit to accomplish this task another way. Moses was made humble in order to become the greatest leader this world has ever known (Exodus 2, 3; Hebrews 11:24-29). Yielding to the will of God is vital. Making ourselves malleable to His will is essential. All the career goals that we align may not be His will for our lives (1 Corinthians 3:19). If we will sincerely serve Him we must die fully to our selfish ambitions for perceived success (1 Corinthians 2:5; Philippians 2:13).

Church Work

Church work is a major stumbling block for many! Why? Because it is work masquerading as the will of God. There are many important tasks necessary to be done in and for the church to ensure the successful fulfillment of its purpose. However, many of us get lost in the work of the church forgetting the God of the church. The analogy preachers like to use is the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was busy preparing food for the people in her home and Mary was consumed listening to Jesus’ words. Martha was upset that Mary was not helping her and Jesus responded that Mary had made the better choice (Luke 10:38-42). This is an excellent typology for us today. Before we sit and listen to the Master that we may learn His will we run ahead claiming to do His work with very little regard to the way in which He would have it done. We put in all this effort with planning committees, focus groups, studying the best practices of other organizations and performing SWOT analyses, but very few seek to know how God would have us carry out His work. We do what makes us happy and what makes us feel good and claim that God is being praised. We place culture and tradition before God’s truth. Throughout scripture whenever God issued a command for a task He gave explicit instructions on how it was to be done and who was to carry it out – The ark for the flood (Genesis 6:13-16), The sanctuary and it’s services (Exodus 25-40; etc.), The disciples evangelistic work (Luke 10:1-20; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; etc).

Preachers often emphasize the great commission, in part, stressing the baptism side of the decree and lightly touching the preaching and teaching aspect of it (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18). People are to be taught to observe God’s commandments before they are baptized. Simply being baptized will save no one. Faith in God and His grace to help us adhere to His will is the foundation of salvation. The example of the thief on the cross is a perfect view of this. He genuinely believed in and respected Jesus he confessed Him before all, and rejected his sins but did not have an opportunity to be baptized, however, he will still be saved. Many of us church folk run around scheming and plotting how to get more people baptized to increase church membership, by any means necessary, with very little consideration to the conversion of hearts, thereby flooding the church with erroneous ideas and theories that are contrary to the word of God (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Revelation 12:15). As church members we need to consider deeply the warning in scripture that in the last day many will claim to have done God’s work but He will respond that He never knew them and declare them to be workers of iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23). I was talking to my mother about this recently and I used the example of her garden beds. She requested that the workman make the beds fifteen inches wide leaving more space between the beds for cleaning and movement. He made the beds twenty-four inches leaving hardly a one-foot space between the beds. Did she get the garden beds made? Yes. Are they in a form she can use properly? No. Likewise when we do God’s work in a manner He did not prescribe the outcome, though seemingly prosperous, is not acceptable or capable of producing His desired fruit; to Him it is the work of iniquity (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8; 23:15; Mark 7:6). The bottom line is God requires obedience not numbers (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Micah 6:8).

End Time Events

The final book of the Bible reveals Jesus Christ and the events leading up the to the end of the world as we know it. In the first chapter there is a blessing pronounced on those who read and obey what is in this book (Revelation 1:1-3). With a blessing placed on it, how could it possibly be a distraction? This is the ingenuity of human effort combined with that of the enemy of souls. Prophecy is given to us to warn, guide and encourage us (2 Peter 1:16-21). However, some have taken the ability to explain prophetic truths as a point of superiority and pride. This is not the will of God for His truth. Scripture plainly tells us if we have these skills and lack love we’ve lost our purpose (1 Corinthians 13:1, 2). We know that love is keeping God’s commandments. There are many that can give a clear breakdown of the fearful things to come in this world but they lack the empathy, compassion and basic decency toward their fellow man. Simply knowing the truth will not save anyone, the Devil knows what is coming and he is already lost (Revelation 12:12). There are many in this world, who will never have an opportunity to study and know the prophecies, but we will all come face to face with God’s laws before He returns (Matthew 24:14). Obedience to these lay at the foundation of salvation (Matthew 19:16-21; Luke 10:25-28). God requires us to fear him and keep His commandments, to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Micah 6:6-8). The prophetic books of the Bible were not designed to create classes of Christians they were given to build faith in God. We have a duty to our fellow man to sound a warning not treat him as a pariah (Isaiah 21:11, 12; Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 9:4; 1 Corinthians 14:8).

Family

The first of the commandments associated with our interpersonal relationships, which also is the first with a promise, requires us to honour our parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3). Those of us with children know that they are fully our responsibility to care for and nurture (Ephesians 6:4). With those instructions, is it possible to place parents and children before God? Yes. When we are children we are expected to obey our parents every instruction, however, when these instructions contradict the word of God it is required that we obey God (Ephesians 6:1) Parents are to raise their children to know and love God but these children are not to detract from the work God gives us to do. Abraham’s allegiance was tested by God to determine if his promised earthly posterity was more important to him than serving God (Genesis 22:1-19). When Nadab and Abihu sinned against God (making an offering to God with strange fire) and were killed, Aaron was instructed not to mourn for his sons because he was the High Priest, a representative of God (Leviticus 10:1-7). When children grow up it is their duty to care for their parents. Jesus chastised the Jews about the practice of Corban, which allowed them to forgo providing for their parents (Mark 7:9-13). However, by giving up His life Jesus was no longer able to care for His mother. He made adequate provision for her and fulfilled the will of God for His life (John 19:26). The parent-child bond is very strong but this relationship should never supersede our obedience to God. What of the marriage bond? In this bond two become one, hurting one’s spouse is hurting one’s self (Ephesians 5:22-31). This is the strongest interpersonal bond created by God, however, this too cannot supersede our allegiance to God if we are to be saved (Job 2:9, 10). This was the error Adam made. He placed the bond with his wife ahead of the bond with his God (Genesis 3:6, 1 Timothy 2:14). The familial relationships are a difficult one to navigate, but we must navigate it. All earthly ties must be placed in subjection to the will of God. When Jesus was on earth He called many to be disciples. One such person asked to go bury his father and Jesus’ response was to let the dead bury their dead (Matthew 8:21, 22; Luke 9:59, 60). When God calls us to act there should be no debating and no hesitation; like Elisha, we are to sever all earthly ties and proceed in the will of God (1 Kings 19:19-21; Luke 9:61, 62).

Truth

How are we then to positively impact the world in which we live? Temperance, one of the fruit of the Spirit, is a key guiding factor (Galatians 5:22, 23). Because of sin we carry everything to extremes. This is because sin separates us from God and without God we loose perspective. He is our guidepost, plumb line, measuring rod, cornerstone, without His guidance and direction we will destroy the earth, each other and ourselves (Ephesians 2:20). We are to be good stewards of the environment returning to the earth as much or more than we take from it so that it can keep giving (Leviticus 25:1-4). We are to deal kindly, justly and mercifully with our fellow man (Luke 6:31). It is the duty of the church to provide a place of solace and peace for those that have been injured and downtrodden. It is to be a safe place of respite where a person can find hope in God’s mercy, comfort in His justice and peace of mind in learning how to truly forgive. Scripture teaches that vengeance belongs to God and He will repay and He is not slack concerning His promises (Romans 12:19; 2 Peter 3:9-14). We need to share this well needed truth with others saving them a lifetime of hurt, shame, regret and bitterness. We are to work and rest as God describes and when He sends us in a different direction we should be amenable to the change (Exodus 20:8-11; Ecclesiastes 9:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31). The work of God through the church is to be done in the way He describes, diligently and with reverence (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2; 1 Corinthians 14:40; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16). His present truth is to be the focus of our message to the world the three angels messages or Revelation 14 pointing the world back to His commandments and highlighting the work of Jesus as our living Example, Mediator and Saviour. We are to ensure that the full picture of sin and its consequences are understood in conjunction with obedience and its rewards. Family relationships must be subjected to the will of God. We are responsible for caring for our children and teaching them the will of God (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Colossians 3:21), respecting our parents (Exodus 21:15, 17; Colossians 3:20), and loving and respecting our spouses (Ephesians 5:22-28; Colossians 3:18, 19) We are to care for our families but the work of God comes first always (Matthew 10:37). Let us not get distracted by the good works that we are to do, losing sight of the Reason why we do these good works.

By God’s Grace

From the Heart

For Every Truth

In Love and Lost

Behold The Man

The Other Side of God