Taking it Personally

Taking it Personally

Treated poorly by the world? Do not take it personally.

Treated poorly by the world? Do not take it personally.

It has probably happened to all of us at one point or another. You’re out in public and someone suddenly sees and then seeks to avoid you like the plague, simply because you’re a faithful member of the Lord’s church. It might be some formerly faithful, but now fallen away, out of service member who has foolishly and fatally chosen to go back to the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Peter 2:20-22). On the other hand, it could be some devoted denominationalist who knows from former conversations that they can neither find biblical, “book, chapter and verse” validations for their religious convictions, or, knock you off of yours (2 Timothy 3:14-4:4). Or, it could simply be someone who refuses to even want to acknowledge God’s existence – although they certainly ought to know better (Romans 1:18-32). To any and/or all three of these tragically God-forsaking groups, you, as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and member in good standing of His one, New Testament church, are a constant, visual, hated and much-loathed reminder of their sinful choices and unsustainable self-justifications, just by your physical presence. You don’t have to say or do anything. No matter how nicely you seek to try to treat or to greet them, it doesn’t matter. They will go in circles around the supermarket; studiously stare at an item they don’t even want; perhaps pretend to be engaged in perpetual and important conversations on their cell phones; or simply stick their noses up in the air, contemptuously turn their backs, and disdainfully stroll away in a different direction; all in an effort to avoid coming face to face with you. No cause for alarm or surprise; Jesus said that for those who would faithfully follow Him, it would be exactly that way (John 15:18-25).

And whatever you do, don’t take it personally. In fact, if you truly know the scriptures, then you obviously know enough not to. But while you can’t take it personally, you must take it prayerfully – for them that is. Jesus taught that we must pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). The apostle Paul later echoed similar sentiments to our first century brethren in the Lord’s church in Rome (Romans 12:17-21). We must pray for them just as our Lord and Savior prayed for those responsible for leading Him to the cross to be crucified. Because just like His persecutors, ours too – no matter which of those three aforementioned groups they may fall into – “know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) either! If they did, then the vast majority of them certainly wouldn’t dare do it.

You see, when people turn their backs and contemptuously walk away from or avoid us, simply because we’re faithfully following God and His word and they’re not… they’re not truly rejecting us, but God Himself. Just as He had to remind Samuel, so too, God reminds us today: “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”

The New Testament too, repeatedly reinforces this same exact point. Read and re-read the great Judgment Day depiction of Matthew 25:31-47. And as you do, please notice in that text, that the dividing line of distinction between those who will go away into everlasting destruction and those who will enjoy the utopia of everlasting life with Jesus, comes down to just one thing: whatever they did or did not do, to one of the least of Jesus’ brethren! That’s it! Because just as Jesus Christ Himself assures in that very passage, whatever anyone does or does not do to even the least of one of His brethren (which we are – Hebrews 2:10-18), He takes it as if they did it personally and directly to Him!

We see this same truth portrayed loud and clear by our Lord and Savior yet again, when He said to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus as Saul was in the process of persecuting members of Jesus’ one, New Testament church: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…” (Acts 9:4-5). In that passage as well, Jesus reinforces the fact, and makes it absolutely, abundantly, and unmistakably crystal clear, that those who avoid, dislike, persecute, disavow, reject and rebel against, and disdainfully and contemptuously turn their backs and walk away from God’s people or Christ’s church, do so absolutely and directly to none other than Jesus Christ Himself as far as God and His word are concerned! And to continue to do so, is to do so to ones’ own, self-induced destruction (2 Chronicles 29:6-9)! Do you now see why we need to pray for, and reach out to such people? Surely when they do such things to us, they know not what they do – to Him! But one day they will…

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Preparation and Action

A Time for Preparation and Action

Following the death of Moses the children of Israel, led now by Joshua, made preparation to enter into the Promised Land. The Lord commands Joshua concerning how the new nation would go forward and be successful (Joshua 1:1–18).

Have you engaged in preparation so you can act accordingly?

Have you engaged in preparation so you can act accordingly?

We too need to make the necessary preparations for our entrance into the Promised Land of Heaven. As the children of Israel did not merit or deserve the land God gave them, but where led therein by the captain of the Lord of hosts, so we too do not merit or deserve the home Jesus has gone to prepare for us (John 14:1–3). But His leading us into that land demands that we prepare ourselves and faithfully follow Him and fight the good fight in order that we may receive the victory in the end.

 Be Strong and Courageous. Joshua and the people are told to be strong and of good courage. They were going into battle, but God was with them. Doing God’s will is never easy. No one said it would be! The minute one decides to act on the Lord’s commands one’s faith will begin to be tested. Satan himself will put seeds of doubt into your mind. Friends and family members will belittle you, try to pursued you, and even forsake you. It’s easy to live and act like everyone else, but the worldly are like water and electricity, always taking the path of least resistance. The successful prepare and labor in the face of every obstacle!

 Be Obedient. The people are told to “observe to do accord-ing to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you” (1:7). Many today will tell you that you do not have to do anything, that obedience to the law of Christ is noth-ing more than “legalism” (a word that is thrown around quite a bit without understanding the true definition of the word). These naysayers are friends of those mentioned above. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My command-ments” (John 14:15). This includes repentance of sins (Acts 17:30), confession (Romans 10:10), and baptism for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21).

 Be Faithful. The children of Israel are also told not to turn away from the law, “to the right hand or to the left” (1:7). There may be no more important word in all of sacred scripture than the word faithful. It is what is required of every steward (1 Corinthians 4:2) and is the word every Christian longs to hear (Matthew 25:23).

 Be Meditative. The children of Israel are told that they should meditate on the law “day and night” (1:8). Preparation for eternity means spending time with the word of God. Daily Bible study and times of regular group study are impera-tive to knowing, understanding, observing, and remaining faithful to the law of Christ. Remember the noble Bereans (Acts 17:11).

 Be Successful. The Lord promises Joshua and the people that if they will do these things they will make their way “prosperous” and then they would have “good suc-cess” (1:8). Without proper spiritual preparation and action there is no spiritual prosperity or success.

The people responded, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you…Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death” (1:16–18). A spiritual modern day parallel applies here too…we either prepare and act or we too shall be put to death (Matthew 25:46). Have we made the necessary preparations? Are we faithfully following the Captain of the army of God? Be faithful!

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Truly Beautiful

Heart of the Matter: Pretty on the Inside

[In this column I hope to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my own children and those whom I love.]

Are you beautiful? You can be.

Are you beautiful? You can be.

For three short years, things were going smoothly. God had blessed our family with two healthy boys, and our floors were littered with balls, plastic dinosaur figurines, cars, trains, and castles. I truly believed I had this parenting thing under control. Then my little “princess” was born, and oh, how my life changed.

In the blink of an eye, I began to look at everything from a different perspective. Everything from clothes, television programs, dating, and even marriage was immediately placed under a more powerful microscope. (In fact, prearranged marriages are looking really good right now!) The pressure on young girls to be “pretty” has reached epic proportions in our society. Magazines, television, and movies are constantly bombarding our children with the idea of what is “beautiful.” Ultra-thin models are paraded around as if they were the normal standard for beauty. This constant clamoring for external beauty has even caused many Christian parents to put too much emphasis on physical looks. While society does its best to promote a worldly view of what is attractive, as a parent I realize the importance of teaching a biblical view of beauty.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about true beauty—even my two-year old daughter who is already learning to be “pretty on the inside”:

If you try to live up to the world’s standard of beauty, you will lead a very unhappy life. There will always be someone out there who has a prettier complexion, better hair, or is younger looking. You can spend a great deal of time and energy trying to make yourself more attractive—even to the point of surgeries or botox injections. But none of these procedures, potions, or creams will make you beautiful in the eyes of God. I do hope you will learn to be happy and confident in the external “shell” God has given you on this Earth, but never forget that God does not look at external appearances.  One day your current “shell” will be replaced with an incorruptible one (1 Corinthians 15:42). While the mainstream media wants you to believe otherwise, external beauty is fleeting and not important to Almighty God.

Without a doubt, you will meet many individuals who are very pretty on the outside—but some of these same individuals will be very unattractive on the inside. Without going to the extremes of surgery we can’t do much to alter our external looks, but every one of us can make sure that our “inside” is beautiful and very attractive to people. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” Simply put, God wants you to be pretty on the inside.

How do we make ourselves pretty on the inside? We cultivate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our hearts. We develop a sincere love for people and their souls (Matthew 22:39; 28:19-20). We need to esteem others higher than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). We make sure that people know we are individuals who value integrity and honesty. We are vigilant about  what we allow into our minds (Philippians 4:8). And, we remember that it is the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4).

It’s my desire that you grow into Christians whom your friends know they can trust, individuals who are respected for their stand for the Truth. I pray that you will cultivate the skill of genuinely listening to others and trying to help when you can. I pray that you will learn to be givers instead of takers. And I hope that you will surround yourselves with individuals with whom you can learn and laugh. If you are able to accomplish some of these key ingredients, then almost everyone you come into contact with will identify you as a beautiful person indeed.

In Isaiah 53:2 the prophet reveals that the coming Messiah “has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” Yet, Jesus was the most beautiful person on the inside. Is this the beauty our children are striving for?

The day will come when you begin looking for a mate. Your mother and I have been praying for that special person for many years. As you search for that special person to share your life with, I pray that you will find someone who is beautiful on the inside—and someone who will help you get to Heaven. Do I want you to be attracted to their physical appearance? Sure—but I’ve been around long enough to know that those looks will one day fade away. That smooth skin and beautiful hair will one day give way to wrinkles and a new shade of gray. That’s when you will treasure the importance of finding someone who is beautiful on the inside.

I hope that in the coming years people who meet you will stop in their tracks and say out loud or to themselves—“Wow, that person is extremely attractive…on the inside.”

Love, Dad

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Objections to Catholicism

Biblical Objections to Catholicism

Catholicism has always had a large media spotlight, but recently Catholicism has garnered more media attention that usual. This is because of the scandalous events that have surrounded the Catholic Church as of late. The media has focused the spotlight on the abusive sexual practices of the priests in this institution and rightly so. Any time an evil is perpetuated upon society in such a way that society is in danger from such an evil, the media should focus attention upon that evil. The activities of pedofilic priests within the Catholic Church certainly qualify as evil. With all of this heightened attention, however, it is also a good time to take a look at what the scriptures teach regarding the Catholic Church itself. Is it really an institution of good or does the Bible teach that it represents the forces of evil?

What is Catholicism all about?

What is Catholicism all about?

Perhaps the first passage that we need to discuss is one that is found in Matthew 23:8-11. In the midst of a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees, Jesus specifically warns his disciples, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Jesus is not condemning the idea of describing someone as your father (at home) or your teacher (in school), but the idea of using these monikers as religious titles. So to call another man, “father” as a religious title is specifically forbidden by Jesus as being of the same attitude as those who were hypocrites when it came to practicing religion. Yet this is exactly the practice of the Catholic church. They call their priests “father” and the word “Pope” is just another way to say “Father” as well. The scriptures, however, are clear. Religiously there can be only ONE Father–the one who is in heaven (Ephesians 4:6). For us to call someone else by that name in this manner is idolatry for it is putting a human in the place of God the Father.

Second, Paul had some things to write regarding a great apostasy that was going to come upon the church after the first century. He writes these things in the book of Second Thessalonians 2:3, 4. He says, “let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.” To paraphrase, Paul says that a great apostasy is coming. When this apostasy comes, there will come a man who will sit in the temple of God and say that he is like God. People will come and worship him also as God. In actuality, Paul says that this is the son of perdition. This description should remind us of the Pope. The Pope sits in the Catholic Church and each day people come and bow themselves down to him (even something that apostles and angels would not allow to be done to them). People kiss his hand and his feet in worship to him. And he, the Pope, sets himself forth as God by claiming to be infallible in his pronouncements. The Pope fits this description of the “son of perdition” to a “T.”

Finally, there is a third clear passage in regard to some of the doctrines of Catholicism that Paul wrote would come upon the church. This is found in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Paul writes, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” Notice that these are they who have departed from the faith, who have listened to evil spirits and teachings of demons. In other words, their source of teaching is not from God, but from Satan. Paul says that their teaching are lies. What are some of the specific things that they teach? First they forbid marrying. Second, they command to abstain from meats. Now, do not these two doctrines fit exactly what the Catholic Church teaches regarding their own priesthood, that they cannot marry? Is not this exactly what Catholics teach regarding eating meat, namely that they cannot do it on certain days or at certain times of the year? Again, we have clear condemnation of Catholic doctrine within scripture.

This article could go on for many pages regarding the many additional errors that the Catholic Church teaches. We could discuss the doctrine of transubstantiation, the doctrine of purgatory, the doctrine of basing religion upon the traditions of men versus the word of God, and many different things, but these things specifically are mentioned specifically and condemned specifically in God’s word. Any clear thinking person can see the errors involved. We call upon all who are in the Catholic Church to renounce it at once and leave behind the evil institution which mockingly calls itself “The Church.”

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Dealing with Mistakes

Dealing with Last Year’s Mistakes

One of the unseen blessings of memorizing Scripture is that doing this opens the door to our souls. Solomon showed this when he said that a man is what he thinks in his heart (Prov. 23:7). What is perhaps even more remarkable is that what we memorized when we were children is so much a part of what we are today. We all know about what happened to Jack and Jill, Little Miss Muffet and the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. We owe a tremendous debt to those who helped us learn spiritual truths when we were so much younger.

Are you dwelling on mistakes of yesterday?

Are you dwelling on mistakes of yesterday?

I am not sure what teacher required that I memorize the opening stanza of a poem which I can so easily recall now six decades after I learned it. It was written by Lolita Hiroshi (I did not memorize her name, but found it on Google), but the moral truth found in it still impacts my life.

I wish that there were some wonderful place

Called the Land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be on again.

The reality is that such a place does exist. That land of beginning again is found in Christ. His grace is so amazing that He allows us to bury all the mistakes of the past and then to begin again. Paul said, “If anyone in Christ he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). That old man is crucified and buried in baptism, and we are raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-6). Mistakes of the past are gone and laid aside like an old garment, and we clothe ourselves in Christ-like apparel.

This truth is vividly described in Paul’s description of those in Corinth. Before becoming Christians, they were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners. There was no way, living that way, they could inherit the kingdom of God. But, Paul described what happened when they became Christians. “But you were washed…sanctified…justified (1 Cor. 6:9-11). They entered the “Land of Beginning Again.”

That same beginning is still available for those who have become Christians and made foolish mistakes. John says that the blood of Jesus cleanses us also (1 John 1:7). The Lord continues to see us a without spot, wrinkle and without a single blemish (Eph. 5:27). With humble hearts we can live each day in the “Land of Beginning Again.”

So, as this new year begins, let’s take time to have an honest look at changes we can make. With His help every wrong can be made right. Memorize His words about the “land” in which we live. Write them on your soul, today!

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