Warned Over Your Iniquities

WARNING: CAUTION! BEWARE!

The following, heavily scripturally-referenced article, requires very serious reader discretion. The biblical truth it contains will be very disturbing and upsetting to the spiritually faint of heart or culturally compromising Christian. It will only make sense to the spiritually mature and faithful in heart who are ultimately willing to take God at His word, and do what He said, no matter what (Lk. 6:46)! Beware. You have been warned …

Hear and Obey.

Hear and Obey.

Question: What one, absolute biblical truth, do all of the following scripture references commonly convey in crystal clear fashion? (All highlighting mine – DED)

1. (1 Sam 8:4-18): Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day–with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods–so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said… “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”

2. (2 Chronicles 7:12-22): Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are alled by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place… “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ “

3. (Psalm 66:16-20): Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

4. (Isaiah 1:11-20): “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

5. (Isaiah 59:1-4): Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity. No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies…

6. (Jeremiah 7:11-28): Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord. “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren–the whole posterity of Ephraim. “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you. Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place–on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched.” Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.

7. (Jeremiah 11:6-14): Then the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’ ” And the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal. “So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.

8. (Jeremiah 14:11-12): Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good.” When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'” And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.

9. (Jeremiah 15:1): Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

10. (Ezekiel 8:17-18): And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.“

11. (Micah 3:4): Then they will cry to the Lord, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have been evil in their deeds.

12. (Zechariah 7:8-13): Then the word of the L ord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’ “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts.

13. (John 9:31): Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

14. (Acts 10:34-35): Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

15. (1 Timothy 2:8-14): I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

16. (1 Ptr. 3:12): For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

17. (1 Jn. 5:16-17): If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

After even the most cursory or peripheral reading of all of the above scriptures, and keeping in mind that neither God, His Son, or Their eternal instruction ever changes (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; Psa. 119:89, 160), how can anyone who considers themselves to be any sort of an honest, sincere, and/or even remotely-open-to-the-truth-seeker, not come to the incredibly and unquestionably crystal clear conclusion, that if someone – anyone – continually, willfully, and defiantly chooses not to listen to and submit to God, then God will, in return, be left with no choice in His righteousness, but to not listen to them and their prayers? I know that this is not an easy topic, understanding, or conclusion to accept (but neither is it the first “hard teaching” of Jesus – See: Jn. 6:60-66); but think about it… for whether or not one’s prayers are truly heard by God is a pretty big deal… isn’t it?

This is an especially vital and necessary truth of God to cover and come to understand currently, seeing as how so many once-faithful congregations and their leadership have decided to bow the knee to Baal and culture, ‘bailing’ on God and His eternal truth by claiming some semblance of the sentiment that, “after two years of careful prayer and study” they have come to the conclusion that God is okay with female preachers, teachers, and leaders over men. This, when the fact of the matter is – at least according to all of the above cited verses from God – that their willful decision to wantonly, completely, and continually close their ears to, and cast God’s eternal edicts and commandments regarding women’s roles in His Son’s church behind their backs (1 Cor. 14:33-37; 1 Tim. 2:8-15), undeniably caused God to, in reality, stop listening to their prayers from that point on anyway!!!

And, taking it a step further… let’s say you are at a public function such as a business luncheon, funeral, graduation, or other event, and someone, such as perhaps any local “clergy” or denominational leader…

  • who utterly, abjectly, and resolutely rejects and chooses not to hear and obey God’s holy word regarding the process by, and point at which, a lost sinner is saved by grace (such as is seen in Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-41, 22:16, Ro. 6, Gal. 3:26-27, 1 Ptr. 3:21 and a whole host of other passages);
  • who utterly, abjectly and resolutely rejects and chooses not to hear and obey God’s holy word regarding the one, called-out, undivided and pre-denominational, first-century body or church of Christ (Matt. 16:18-19; John 17:20-21; 1 Cor. 1:10, 12:12-28; Eph. 1:22-23, 3:8-12, 4:4; Col. 1:18, 24; etc);
  • or, who utterly, abjectly and resolutely rejects and chooses not to hear and obey God’s holy word regarding the one faith, once delivered, for all the saints, prior to the end of the first century as seen evidenced and experienced throughout the entire New Testament from Acts 2 forward (Eph. 4:4-6; Jude 3);

…begins to lead the assembled in a public prayer … is such a person’s prayer heard, welcomed, and accepted by God, based on the word of God as relentlessly referenced above? (And if you think it is, then please go back and re-read all of the above, divinely-inspired scriptures straight from the heart of God – 2 Tim. 3:12-4:4; 2 Ptr. 1:16-2:3.) And if not, then how can any true and sincere, biblical Christian, who is always seeking – although at times badly failing but still humbly trying with all his/her heart – to learn, understand, repent, and to do God’s will on a constant and consistent basis, even consider allowing themselves to be led in prayer, by any such as would choose to make it a point to militantly reject, constantly rebel against, and ultimately cast God’s all-authoritative word behind their backs, while making up, establishing, and defending their own man-made churches, anti-biblical doctrines, and/or self-chosen will-worship practices as they go (Mk. 7:1-13; Rom. 10:1-3; Gal. 1:6-10; Col. 2:23-3:2)?

So, what should we do? The answer is actually quite simple. While we dare not allow ourselves to be led in prayer by those who refuse to listen to God – and are therefore not listened to by God, according to God – our responsibility to them as lost and erring, scripturally-lacking souls is certainly not over.

The first thing we must try to honestly and objectively ascertain (Jn. 7:24), is whether or not they are humble, sincere, and honestly-seeking souls who have simply been misled over the years by man-made false doctrines (Matt. 15:7-9)… or, if they are those who both know and have been well-exposed to and taught the truth, but who just militantly and continually choose to outright reject it (2 Ptr. 2). If they are the latter, then not only does it appear pointless to pray with them, but based on several of the above-referenced scripture verses – and particularly those from the books of Jeremiah and 1st John – it would probably also be pointless to even pray for them. However, if there is even the slightest indication that they might be of the former persuasion (that is to say, honestly God-seeking souls who have simply been misled and taken captive by the persuasive philosophies, deceits, and doctrines and traditions of men – Col. 2:4-8), then we need to do everything in our power, to reach out to them with His power, the gospel (Ro. 1:16)! Speaking of prayers, we must first and foremost pray for them and our efforts to reach them. Secondly, we must seek to set aside the time and effort to share the full, biblical, grace-laden and God-given gospel with them (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:6-10). We must not fear (Matt. 28:18-20). We cannot be thwarted if we stand only, always, and steadfastly on the exclusive and invincible truth of almighty God Himself (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 6:10-20).

And then comes the line of delineation (Matt. 7:13-27)… If they are sincere seekers who had simply not previously heard or been exposed to the full and God given gospel of salvation straight from the heart and word of God like Cornelius was (Acts 10:1-48), then when they see/hear the truth of God concerning: how and when He said one is saved (John 3:3-5, 16, 36; Acts 2:37-41, 8:26-39, 22:16; 1 Ptr. 3:21); the one, saved, undivided and undenominated church or body of Christ which God adds one to upon their faithful repentance and obedience to the one, first-century faith/gospel (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 2:37-47; Rom. 1:5, 16:16-26; 1 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 3); as well as what is – and is not – involved in spirit and truth worship according to God (Jn. 4:23-24); then they will be eager to repent, to obey the gospel, and to be converted to Christ according to the God-given pattern repeated throughout the New Testament book of Acts. We can – and should – be eager to pray with our new brethren in Christ according to God at that point (Acts 2:42). However, if they, at that point, choose to willfully and ongoingly rebel, refuse to listen, and reject humble submission and obedience to His New Testament truth, will, gospel and pattern, then hasn’t God made it quite clear that He will not hear them… or those who would pray with and/or for them…?

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SALID DE EN MEDIO DE ELLOS

SALID DE EN MEDIO DE ELLOS

La frase que reúne nuestra atención en esta ocasión es encontrada en 2 Co 6:17-18, donde la Biblia dice: “Por lo cual, Salid de en medio de ellos, y apartaos, dice el Señor, Y no toquéis lo inmundo; Y yo os recibiré. Y seré para vosotros por Padre, Y vosotros me seréis hijos e hijas, dice el Señor Todopoderoso.” En estos versículos se combinan varios textos del A.T. El v17 cita a Is. 52:11 y se refiere a la futura santidad de Israel cuando fuera restaurada por el favor del Señor. El v18 aparece por primera vez en 2 S.7:14 en la promesa del pacto de Dios a David pero se reitera en Is. 43:6; 49:22; 60:4 y Os.1:10. En estos pasajes el Señor prometió que El y su pueblo serían como una familia y la aplicación era inmediata para ellos si se arrepentían de su camino pero también Dios tenía en mente la relación de Cristo y su esposa la Iglesia (Ef. 5:23). Israel fue rebelde y nunca quizo volverse al Señor de corazón  de una vez y para siempre. En la dispensación Mosaica cualquier persona que tocaba alguna cosa inmunda de las que Dios ya había designado como inmunda no se le permitía a tal persona, ni siquiera entrar a la congregación de los hijos de Israel hasta que se purificara así mismo.

“Por lo cual, Salid de en medio de ellos, y apartaos"

“Por lo cual, Salid de en medio de ellos, y apartaos”

Al parecer el apóstol Pablo estaba citando a propósito estos pasajes para dos cosas en particular: 1) Recordarles el rechazo de Dios para con Israel por no salir de en medio de ellos, sino más bien hasta de contraer matrimonios con paganos y adorar a sus dioses. 2) Recordarles que Dios al rechazar a Israel estaba pensando en algo mejor aún antes de la fundación del mundo; y era la gloriosa Iglesia de Cristo, con un llamado a salir fuera de en medio de ellos de una manera muy superior a Israel y con mucho más gloria ya que era el pacto final con el hombre. La necesidad de mencionar estos pasajes era apremiante según podemos observar en ambas cartas. La Iglesia de Cristo que se encontraba en la ciudad de Corinto seguramente tenía una tremenda lucha día con día. La cuidad en sí misma era muy reconocida en el siglo primero por ser un puerto estratégico para el comercio y por ser “la ciudad del placer sexual”. Habían muchos templos de dioses paganos pero lo principal era la adoración a Afrodita, este templo estaba en la Acrópolis y en  donde más de mil prostitutas ejercían libremente su oficio. Ser un Corinto prácticamente equivalía a tener aventuras con muchas mujeres y emborracharse todo el tiempo, de ahí el hecho que Pablo escribiera en detalle acerca de asuntos matrimoniales tan solo un capítulo después del 6. Es muy fácil identificar los errores de la Iglesia en Corinto y acusarlos de volverse atrás del santo mandamiento y no ser fiel a cabalidad tal como Israel. Pero sabe una cosa estimado lector, pasa lo mismo en nuestros días la maldad y la inmoralidad es igual a la de  los días de Corinto, nada a cambiado y lamentablemente estamos viendo un avance cada vez mayor dentro de la Iglesia. La inmodestia a la ora de vestir de tantas hermanas y el poco interés de vestirse bien de tantos hermanos varones es trágico.  El hecho de que el versículo diga “salid de en medio de ellos”, No significa una acción de una sola vez, como: “Ya  yo salí y ya, es todo”…¡NO!. Más bien se refiere la frase al hecho de estar separados de ellos, de no compartir su naturaleza, no es solamente un asunto de compañías. Desde el versículo 14 usted puede ver el contraste claro que se hace entre ambas partes para mostrar que la naturaleza de Dios es diferente muy diferente, Habacuc observó mucho tiempo atrás: “ Muy limpios son tus ojos para mirar el mal” (Hab. 1:13 LBLA), por eso no puede mezclarse con la naturaleza del diablo. Para que Dios sea mi Padre y su Padre tenemos que tener por así decirlo su misma “sangre” su mismo ADN su misma naturaleza.  Hay una tremenda necesidad de que aprendamos a no mezclar las cosas y creo que eso es lo más difícil de hacer en este tema. En los tiempos de Noé o estabas dentro del arca o estabas fuera, en los tiempos de  Moises o estabas dentro de las casas que tenían el dintel pintado cuando el ángel de la muerte pasara matando a los primogénitos, o estabas fuera en las casas de los Egipcios donde había  muerte, en los tiempos de Rahab la ramera  o estabas en la casa de Rahab para ser salvo o estabas fuera y eras destruido cuando vinieron los Israelitas. “Salid de en medio de ellos” tiene por implicación un: ¡Entiende que no tienes la misma naturaleza que ellos!.  Pero el salir de un lugar también implica el llegar a otro, y la esperanza de todo fien cristiano es salir del mundo y arribar al lugar donde mora el Padre y donde el Espíritu Santo y Jesús han coexistido por la eternidad; el cielo (Filp.3:20). Lo más bello del v18 es como concluye este capítulo: “Dice el Señor todopoderoso”. Judas 24 menciona que Dios es poderoso para guardarnos sin caída aún si vivimos en el centro de la ciudad de Corinto (énfasis mío H.L.M), Pablo también mencionó el poder de Dios para guardar su depósito (1 Tim. 1:12). La frase “el Señor Todopoderoso” nos recuerda a los milagros imposibles para el hombre que hizo para con Israel pero nos ayuda a no olvidar también los castigos que trajo en su sola soberanía al mismo pueblo desobediente y terco. El todopoderoso para nosotros en Apc 1:18 identificándose el Señor Jesús de esta manera, debería recordarnos perfectamente bien que a El al Todopoderoso Señor Jesucristo es a quien iremos a dar cuentas el día del juicio final como El juez supremo de los vivos y los muertos  ( 2Tim 4:1). Salir de en medio de ellos es algo de todos los días, si usted es cristiano y tiene que ver con la naturaleza de nuestro espíritu. La Iglesia de Cristo es de carácter divino es la ekklesia (Los llamados fuera), para ser diferentes y para vivir diferentes. Si no es cristiano el Señor también le está llamando a travez de su evangelio (2Tes 2:14) a salir de en medio de ellos a ser diferente a vivir por El.  No existe nada más importante  y más bello en este mundo y en el universo entero, que el hecho de saber que mi Papá, mi familia, mi Padre, es el Gran YO SOY ¡Espero que el suyo también.!

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Judged? Condemned? Admonished?

Judged? Condemned? Admonished?

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3:18

Picture this.  You’re in the passenger seat of a car that is speeding down the Interstate at 100 mph, and your spouse/significant other/friend is behind the wheel.  As you pass the posted sign that advertises the speed limit at 70 mph, you say to the driver, “Hey, you need to slow down!  You’re speeding!”  Haven’t we all done something like that?

Feel Condemned? Should you?

Feel condemned? Should you?

Now, imagine that your spouse/significant other/friend turns to you and retorts, “Who are you to say that to me?  You’re not the judge!  You can’t judge me!  You can’t condemn me!  You’re judging me right into a speeding ticket!  You’re judging me right into a fine!  You’re judging me right into jail time!  How dare you?!?!”

It’s hard to imagine someone saying something like that to you in such a situation, isn’t it?  I mean, come on!  It’s a pretty ridiculous thing to say, considering the circumstances.    After all…

  1. You just saw the 70 mph speed limit sign, and therefore you saw the speed that the law of the land was allowing in that area.
  2. You then saw that the speedometer of the car your spouse/significant other/friend was currently driving was at 100 mph, 30 miles over the speed limit advertised by the law of the land.
  3. Therefore, you recognize that your spouse/significant other/friend is guilty of violating the law of the land, and in fact is ALREADY guilty of it even though so far he has not been stopped by a police officer, given a ticket, pronounced guilty by a judge, and given a punishment of a fine and/or jail time.
  4. So even though you are not a police officer or legal magistrate and did not in fact write the law of the land concerning the speed limit in that area, you know what the law of the land is and therefore have no problem telling your spouse/significant other/friend that they’re breaking that law because you are concerned about them (and yourself also.)
  5. And you recognize that you’re not in fact “judging” them into anything.  If any negative consequence – any condemnation from a cop or a magistrate – comes upon them, it is their own fault, not yours.  They are the ones breaking the law, not you.

Which is why I’m sure that, if your spouse/significant other/friend was ludicrous enough to say something like that to you, you would retort that such a statement was extremely foolish, to say the least.

Any idea where I’m going with this?

How many times have you tried to tell someone that they are in sin, and yet no matter how kindly and gently you tell them (Eph. 4:15; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-26) they come back with a similar statement of “How dare you judge me?!  You’re not the judge, God is!  You’re judging me right into hell!  Who gave you that right?!”

Granted, I’ve seen in the church more times than not people admonish others over a perceived violation of nothing more than 2 Opinions 3:16 rather than any actual scriptural command or principle that’s actually found in the Bible, and in such cases the retort that God is your judge rather than them is correct (Rom. 14:1-4, 10-12).

However, that is not what I’m talking about here.  I’m talking about a situation in which you encounter someone who violates an actual command or principle that is revealed in the Word of God.  In such a situation, are you really “judging them into hell” by simply telling them that they are wrong and in sin, especially if you do so the way in which God commanded?  Are you REALLY condemning them, or are they in fact already condemned?  Think about it…

  1. You have read in your Bible the actual commands that they are disobeying, and you have taken into complete and honest account EVERYTHING that God’s Word says about that particular matter (Ps. 119:160).  (Very important, because a lot of times we don’t do this, you know…)
  2. You have seen with your own eyes them disobeying that verse, and you have already talked with them about it to make sure of it.  (Also important, because a lot of times we either listen to gossip or we jump to conclusions, something God doesn’t want us to do – John 7:24)
  3. Therefore, you recognize that their belief in God is in fact weak in this particular area due to their disobedience (cf. James 2:14-26) and they are guilty of breaking the laws of God, and in fact are ALREADY guilty of doing so in the sight of God.
  4. So even though you are not God and his Word did not originate with you, you know what his Word says about this matter, you also recognize that his Word has commanded you to not keep quiet about the matter, and so you have no problem “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-26) to this person because you are in fact concerned both about their soul and yours.
  5. And you recognize that you’re not “judging” them into hell at all.  If any condemnation comes upon them, it will come from God, not you, and in fact has ALREADY come upon them barring their repentance…because they’re the ones sinning, not you.

Don’t let the “you can’t judge me” people intimidate you, folks.  While we are not to judge hypocritically or with unrighteous standards or according to appearance (Matt. 7:1-6; John 7:24a), we are in fact commanded to judge righteously (John 7:24b).  In other words, judge with the Righteous Standards that have already been put in place which will be used on that last day (John 12:48; Rev. 20:11-15).

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God Knows How You Are Feeling

Does God Know How You Feel?

“Daddy, do you think God knows how we are feeling” were the words of my seven year old son after we found our pet dog, Dallas, dead in the back yard on a September morning. It was the first time he had lost any living thing to which he had an emotional attachment. He was crying hard and didn’t know how to express his sadness. Yet, it was expressed in a profoundly common way. He wanted to know if God understood and cared that his little heart was breaking. “Yes,” I answered. “God knows exactly what you are feeling.” I wanted to cry along with him and did.

Does God know how we are feeling?

Does God know how we are feeling?

There are so many more tragic things in life than the death of a beloved pet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the feelings or emotions are any less real. And in many tragic circumstances, people ask the same question, “Does God know how we are feeling? Does He care?” Yes, He does.

It would be a cruel, insensitive, and heartless creator that didn’t care about his creation’s well being. We have little sympathy for fathers and mothers that have no natural affection toward their own children. So also, a god that didn’t care for his creation would be no god at all. Of course the God of the universe, the Creator and Giver of all life, cares about His creation. We’re reminded of God’s care for us in Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” In the words of Civilla D. Martin, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

The Bible also teaches us that we can carry our burdens to God in prayer. Just as we would talk to our earthly father and let him know of our joys, aspirations, and concerns in life, so also we may approach our heavenly Father. It is the privilege of every one of his children to be able to talk to Him in prayer as Father. Galatians 4:6 declares, “And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” When we so approach our Father, we can then, as Peter tells us, cast “all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Perhaps, however, the greatest proof that God does indeed care for us is in the love that He showed us through His Son, Jesus. Does God know what it feels like to lose someone dear to Him? Yes, he does, because God gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

And Jesus, God Himself, experienced what it was like to live as a man. “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He knows what our feelings are like when we are sad, lonely, depressed, aching, despondent, and hurting. And he cares. He also experienced those feelings. Yes, God KNOWS what and how we are feeling.

What is sad, however, is that many will not turn to God’s word as the source of true comfort. God knows each of us better than we know ourselves; so, God can tell us what we need to do to appropriately work through our strong feelings without resorting to methods and means that would only deepen our unresolved problems. God’s word has all of the answers to life’s problems and through our faith in it, we can overcome (1 John 5:4).

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Down Came the Rain

The Screams Heard Round the World

In late August, 2005, hurricane Katrina ripped through southern portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. While citizens in New Orleans dodged a direct hit from this major storm, the intense rain eventually proved too much for the outlying system of canal levees and substations. For citizens of “The Big Easy,” the next few hours would place them on an emotional roller-coaster that few will ever forget. After experiencing the joy of having “dodged the bullet” they discovered that the levees broke, and many parishes began to fill with water. Individuals were trapped inside their homes as the water washed away their furniture, along with a lifetime of memories. Up and down the streets people found themselves trapped in upper levels of their homes, as cries for help rang out incessantly. There was no way out. People were dying all over the city…and yet the water kept on coming.

Down Came the Rain.

Down Came the Rain.

This modern day tragedy was a harsh reminder of the power of Mother Nature. While we can still visualize television images of those who were stranded on rooftops, take a minute and try to imagine the horror and the screams that echoed around the globe when God let loose His fury on a sinful world. In August of 2005 we only heard the screams from the citizens of New Orleans and outlying regions. Thousands of years earlier there were screams heard literally around the world. Literally millions of people perished from the Global Flood that forever changed this Earth.

For decades atheists and evolutionists have scoffed at this ancient account. They assign it the label of myth or fairy tale. The mainstream media continues to bombard us with news clips, movies, and “documentaries” that call biblical accounts into question. For instance, on June 22, 2007, Universal Pictures released Evan Almighty, a modern day comedy about a politician who prays for divine help in changing the world. God’s response was for Evan to build an ark in his backyard. He was to be a modern day Noah. While audiences may find some of the jokes funny, the point should not be missed that more and more Christians have begun to question the validity of this account. Many college students find themselves abandoning their faith in favor of “science,” rather than defending accounts such as the Global Flood or Adam and Eve.

Consider the following charges that are often leveled by atheists and evolutionists:

1. The ark would not have been big enough.

In Genesis 6:15 Moses wrote: “And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.” A cubit is defined as the length of a man’s forearm. In ancient times there were “royal” cubits measuring up to 20 inches, and common cubits that measured approximately 17.5 inches. In their classic work, The Genesis Flood, John Whitcomb and Henry Morris used a conservative 17.5 inch cubit, and demonstrated that the total volume on the ark would have been 1.39 million cubic feet of storage—taking into account the three decks mentioned in verse 16. They then demonstrated that an ark of this size would have had the carrying capacity equivalent to that of 522 railroad boxcars! This was not some little Sunday afternoon sailing vessel. This was the largest ship built to that day. Is it not logical to conclude that God—the Creator of the animals—could give the appropriate dimensions for a vessel to house all of the land-dwelling animals He created?

Currently docked near Pier 39 in San Francisco is the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien—the last of a fleet of ships known as the Liberty Ships. These boats were specifically built to carry massive loads through rough seas. However, when I called a retired Navy sailor to discuss this particular ship he told me the entire fleet was built to the exact dimensions of Noah’s ark! God was the initial Architect Who provided the dimensions for a boat that could carry a heavy load through rough seas.

2. But you still can’t get two of every species on the boat!

It is important to point out that no where in God’s Word does it say Noah had to take two of every “species.” The text indicates that he was to take two of each “kind” of animal (Genesis 6:20). For instance, would Noah have had to take two Golden Retrievers, two Labrador Retrievers, two English Setters, two wolves, two coyotes, etc.? Or could he have simply taken two of the dog “kind”? But even when one examines the evidence for the species argument, we realize the ark could have easily done its job.

For instance, in 1980 Ernst Mayr, a very famous evolutionary taxonomist, published a book titled Principles of Systematic Zoology. In his book he outlined every creature we knew of that was alive on the Earth. According to Mayr’s own numbers, Noah would have had to provide protection to:

  • 3,700 Mammals
  • 8,600 Birds
  • 6,300 Reptiles
  • 2,500 Amphibians (even though some would like the water)

Thus, 21,100 different species would have needed protection aboard the ark. We can multiply this number by 2 because we know he was to take two of every unclean animal. We also know Noah was to take seven pair of the clean, so we can look through the Old Testament and discern which animals were considered clean for sacrificing. If we use the “species” definition, the total number of individual animals that would have needed protection on the ark would be approximately 50,000. If we average these 50,000 animals to the size of a sheep (knowing that most birds, reptiles, and amphibians are much smaller—but there will be cows and elephants much larger), then we can ask the question: Can we get 50,000 sheep sized animals onboard the ark? Well consider that one boxcar is capable of holding 240 “sheep-sized” animals. Thus, we could place 125,000 sheep-sized animals into 520 boxcars—and yet we only had to get 50,000! That would have left plenty of room for Noah, his family, and all of the food necessary.

3. Noah would not have had sufficient time to build a boat that big

Many creationists have proposed that Noah hired out men to help him build the ark. They Bible however remains silent on the specifics of how the boat was constructed. Given that Noah and his family were the only ones saved, we can safely assume most people considered this “preacher of righteousness” a raving lunatic. As such, hired hands may have been extremely difficult to come by. However, John Morris and Tim LeHaye wrote a book titled, The Ark at Ararat in which they proved mathematically it could have been accomplished with just Noah and his sons! They described how four men could have cut, dressed, and installed approximately 15 cubic feet of gopher wood per day. Since we know the dimensions of the ark (Genesis 6:15) we can safely assume they would have needed approximately 380,000 cubic feet of wood to complete the ark. If they worked six days per week, these four individuals could have completed the task in only 81 years!

4. How could Noah have collected that many animals by himself?

Often we find that those who utter the most complaints against God’s Word have usually read it the least. The text never indicates that Noah had to collect the animals. In fact, it says quite the opposite. Genesis 6:20 states: “Of birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the Earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive” (emp. added). Noah simply had to provide the ark of the appropriate dimensions with a door that would allow the animals to enter two-by-two.

5. Well, you may be able to get them all on the ark, but how did Noah feed, water, and clean up after that many animals?

There is a theory that is popular with many creationists suggesting that God put the animals into a state of hibernation. Obviously, atheists would charge that Christians are playing the “God card” to get around answering the question. In 1996, John Woodmorappe wrote a book titled Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Studyin which hewent into painstaking detail to show not necessary “how” it was done, but rather that it could be done. Drawing on previous research and mathematical calculations, Woodmorappe demonstrated how, using 80 man-hours per day, we can account for waste management, feeding, and watering of all the animals. His research clearly indicates that Noah and his family working ten hours per day, could have easily taken care of the animals—and this does not take into account the possibility of God miraculously caring for the animals.

6. Where did all that water come from?

The second half of Genesis 7:11 records, “on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” While even young children recognize that it rained for “forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12), the text indicates that the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven continued to usher water on the face of the Earth for several months (Genesis 7:24-8:2). While most have no problem envisioning fountains of the deep (as we know we have fresh-water springs even in the oceans today, Job 38:16), the question remains: What does it mean that the windows of heaven were opened?

Part of the answer can be found in Genesis 1:6-7. Moses recorded: “Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.” The word translated “firmament” is the Hebrew word raqij`a, which refers to an expansion or the heavens. So Moses described waters above and below this firmament. Today we are familiar with waters below the firmament. However, what were these “waters above the firmament”? Many creationists believe that there was once a water vapor or ice crystal canopy around the Earth—and when God opened the “windows of heaven” it was the ultimate collapse of this canopy. This presence of the canopy would explain how earlier in the Earth’s history much of the land was tropical in nature.

Consider that God not only had to cover the Earth with water, He had to know how much water to place on the Earth. Most individuals living in coastal areas know that the draft of a boat is how deeply it sits in the water. A speed boat has a shallow draft, because its purpose is to move quickly across the water, whereas the draft of an ocean-going freighter is much deeper. Most ship-builders will tell you that the draft of a boat that can withstand the pounding waves of the ocean is ½ its height. In other words, that boat has to be able to settle into the water roughly ½ its own height to keep from capsizing. What about the ark? Was it built for speed? No. It didn’t have anywhere to go. But it did need to be able to withstand the pounding waves. So again, the draft would have been ½ its height. In Genesis 6:15 we learn Noah was to make it 30 cubits high—which means it would have settled into the water roughly 15 cubits. That means it would have required 15 cubits of water clearance. Now look at Genesis 7: 18-20: “The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the Earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered” (emp. added). God knew precisely how much water He needed to place on the tops of the mountains to keep the bottom of the ark from crashing into them.

7. Then where did all of the water go?

If there was a Global Flood, then where did all of the water go? Genesis 8:1 indicates that God “made a wind to pass over the Earth.” We know today that trillions of gallons of water are now in our atmosphere in the form of clouds. Additionally, we know that trillions of gallons are stored below the Earth’s crust in the water table. However, the inspired psalmist informs us that God changed the topography of the Earth after the Flood, thus accommodating much of the water. Psalm 104 states: “You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the Earth (Psalm 104 6-9, emp. added).

Noah obeyed God, and for that, he and his family were saved. If God needed a Noah today, could He count on you? The skeptics and infidels will continue to scream and argue against God’s Word. Their collective voices do nothing to change the validity of the Bible. God’s Word will remain. The prophet Isaiah observed: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (40:8). Jesus Himself warned that “heaven and earth shall pass away” (Matthew 24:35), but went on to note that “my words shall not pass away.” One wonders: Will the skeptic’s screams be heard once again around the world when heaven and Earth pass away?

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