Never Give Up

Never Give Up

Dating all the way back to elementary school, I have loved sports and competition.  The mind set has always been “We can win this!”, regardless of who the opponent was.  The score may have been lopsided, but my motto was “Never Give Up!” My brain always told me that there was some key or action that would counteract anything the other team could do.  The issue was figuring out what that key was and working together to win.  To win may mean doing something completely out of character, position, tradition, orthodoxy, etc.  To accomplish this meant communication, trust, resilience, and despite the belief that a win could be had, humility.

We have not seen the final victory of God over this world.  God has communicated that it will happen.  “Death is swallowed up in victory”.  He has throughout the Old Testament demonstrated His power to deliver and conquer despite seemingly overwhelming odds from a human point of view.    God provides a clear path in scripture of how to overcome the world and by the hands of angels, judges, prophets, Jesus, and apostles communicated this frequently.

God never fails those whose ears and heart are open to His direction.  A statement like this implies that the recipient of communication trusts the giver of the message and engages in the course of action provided.  Someone who simply says, “I believe” or “I have faith” or “I trust” and does nothing, really did not have trust.  This is the sentiment provided in the second chapter of the book of James.  Do you trust God?  Then engage in His plan for victory.

There are times in scripture, where God has tested the faithful.  They did not see victory instantly.  They lost battles.  They were scattered.  They failed momentarily.  They were allowed to engage in the foolishness of sin.  Yet, in resilience, Israel finally marched away from Egypt, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, and the people of AI fell to Israel.  Of the men of Judah in the days of Nehemiah as they tried to rebuild the city wall it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing.  There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” Yet, they continued and finished the wall despite harm threatening from all sides.  David in his foolishness, committed adultery and was guilty of the murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah.  Upon the confrontation of his sin through Nathan, David could have given up.  Yet, David was resilient in repentance.  He did not give up.  He acknowledged his failure, and continued His walk with God.

Communication, trust, resilience, all of these are fine attributes to have within a team and a relationship with God.  However, these falter if not joined with humility.  The Pharisees had put themselves in the seat of Moses.  They saw themselves as guides to the blind.  The shared the communication of God with the people.  There was an appearance of trust in the many works that they observed and commanded.  Truly, there was resilience in holding to the commandments of the Old Law even when the teachings and signs of Jesus and the apostles confronted them.  A blameless Pharisee zealous for the Law of God named Saul persecuted the Christians vigorously.  Did He know the communication of God?  Yes. Did he trust God? Yes.  Was he a resilient man?  Yes!  Yet, until Saul humbled himself before God, there was nothing he could have done to see the victory over this world.  It is the poor in spirit to whom belongs the kingdom of God.

There is a similarity in the book of Esther to scriptures in Revelation.  The Jews of Esther’s time were subject to an edict initiated by Haman an official of the king of the Persian Empire.  The Persians controlled most of the known world and the edict called for the elimination of all the Jews in the kingdom.  Why not give up and renounce God?  It appeared the end of the people of God was at hand.  Similarly, in Revelation 20, Satan and the nations of the world emerge immanently positioned to destroy the Church of God.  In Esther, the Jews are given victory by the hand of God.  The same occurs in Revelation 20 despite what appeared to be overwhelming forces.  The world menaces wickedly as a Goliath in comparison to the small shepherd boy of the faithful, yet, for those that hear the Word of God, trust in it, endure in their obedient faith, and submit themselves to the Almighty God, the band of believers which compose the Church will be victorious.

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A Goal to Help

A Goal to Help

Charlie and I went up to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas to go to the Little Missouri Falls.  Our goal was to take some pictures for the photography club that we are in, and we accomplished that goal.  After we were done looking at the falls, a man with a big number on his shirt approached Charlie and said that he was running a marathon and lost the trail.  Nick was only twenty years old, alone, tired, and thirsty.  So we gave him some water, a granola bar, and set off to find the start of the race.  There was only sporadic cell service in that whole region, and so we had to drive around a lot to different places, but he was eventually able to use our phone to get in touch with his family.  We ended up in Langley, Arkansas at a small gas station around 5:00 PM where we met the race director, and Nick was reunited with his wife and family. goal of help

After we dropped Nick off, Charlie commented to me, “Dad, helping people is hard work,” and it is true.  You never know what you are going to get into when you start helping someone else.  It involves real sacrifice because you are giving yourself over to them fully and putting your interests behind their needs.  Paul wrote: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil.2:3-4).  Being a Christian is not something that we do on Sundays only, take up as a part-time hobby during the week, or only practice at home with our family.  Being a Christian is something that takes place every moment of our lives as we render service to God in whatever situation we are in at that moment.  God has blessed us greatly!  May we be a blessing to others as we serve the Lord Jesus.

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God Created Good

God Created Good

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth.”  Within days, God would make mankind. Man did not know good from evil, but he did know what God had commanded him to do and what not to do.  God declared what He had created was good.  When a child is still in the womb, the apostle Paul directed by the Spirit of God declares a child has “done nothing either good or bad” (Romans 9:11).  The prophet Ezekiel proclaims the Word of God in Ezekiel 28:15 declaring the king of Tyre was blameless in his ways from the day he was created (all children are).  Ezekiel 18:20 teaches that a son does not inherit the sins of his father.  Finally, Matthew 18:3 “…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Men are encouraged to be like children, because Children are good and innocent, not sinful.  All the above being presented, when someone living a life contrary to the pattern established by scripture makes the statement “God made me this way”, what is to be made of it?God Made Me

Micah 6:8 “He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humble with your God?”  Walking humbly with God, is when someone avoids living a lifestyle identified as sinful in the eyes of God.  God created man good, so when man does something evil, it is their own choice.  James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”  Making the choice to sin is what all mankind apart from Jesus has done. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”.  However, though a person chooses to sin, they can also choose to walk in righteousness instead of sin.  Sin does not have to become an individual’s way of life.  God did not make man that way.  The idea God made man sinful is completely false.

Today, our society rightly teaches a person that they have the choice to engage in homosexuality, have sex with someone to whom they are not married, commit adultery, engage in watching pornography, drink alcohol, use marijuana and other drugs socially, dress immodestly, pretend they are not their biological sex, gossip, cheat, be unkind, be dishonorable to their parents, lie, disobey law, create their own morality, and so much more.  Television, radio, the internet, universities, high schools, elementary schools, government officials, and the world around them screams “Your body! Your choice!”  Yes, they are right.  God gives man the choice to obey Him in righteousness or to commit sin against God and man to their own destruction. Acts 17:30-31 “… And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness…” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9  “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” This is the end result of the choices the world is encouraging you to make.

You are lying to yourself if you think God made you to engage in sin.  In fact, “…we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”.  The good God wants us to walk in is characterized by “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control”.  This is what God has created you to represent. God created you in His image.  Jesus was the “exact imprint” of the nature of God.  He taught that those who saw Him, had seen the Father.  If he was the image of God, and He was sinless, then that is exactly how you were created.  If you are engaged in sin, break free from that captivity.  Return to the abundant life of purity God created you to fulfill.

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Paul’s Motivation In His Writings

Paul’s Motivation In His Writings

The history of the life of David is recorded in three Old Testament books, but it is in the book of Psalms that we begin to understand the heart of David. His heart is so important because it is so much like the heart of God (1 Sam. 13:14). There is somewhat of a parallel to David in the life and writings of Paul.

It is in the book of Acts we learn so much of the details of the life of the great apostle, but there are historical events revealed in his epistles. In a similar way, the heart of Paul is revealed in his letters, and they often give us insight as to the spiritual depth of his devotion to God and the truths of God showing the nature of his heart in serving God. Consider the following to see some of these truths.

“I AM PERSUADED that neither death nor life…nor things present nor things to come…shall be able to separate us from the love of God” (Rom. 8:38-39). Do you wonder how he could give up so much and endure such suffering? Do you struggle in your trials and seek motivation for all that is around you? Write these words from Paul on your heart. Be fully persuaded that there is nothing on this earth, neither in the demons of hell, which can keep God from loving us.

I AM NOTHING. “Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing “(1 Cor. 13:2). Imagine having complete understanding of all things and having all faith. Paul emphasizes something far greater than these and that is love. It was not that he was just persuaded of God’s eternal love. Written deeply on his heart was his responsibility to place love above all of these. Write these words on the depths of your soul as you seek to imitate Paul as he imitated the Lord (1 Cor. 11:1).

“I…AM PERSUADED that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12). The life of every person on this earth is committed to something. We are investing all of our time and energy to self, to sin or to things much higher. Paul looked at every decision he made as an investment and knew the Lord would never forget them. You may, like Paul, have to turn the other cheek to those around you. You may have to bless those who are cursing you and to make decisions about what you must give up to follow Him. Think about these choices as being registered in a heavenly book which some day will be opened. Trust God to remember it all, even to as small a matter as a cup of cold water.

As you read Paul’s doctrinal discussion in his writings, remember to discover hidden truths which show his heart.

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Baptism Washes Away Consequences?

Baptism Washes Away Consequences?

“All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”.  “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  “The wages of sin is death”.  “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’”  “Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  These passages summarize the plight of those who have sinned and those who repent and are baptized living faithfully in repentance going forward.  I was once asked if baptism washes away all sin.  The answer, is yes, if there was repentance.  However, baptism does not wash away all consequences of sin previously committed.Baptism washes

A predominant New Testament example of this is the Apostle Paul.  Paul, named Saul before his conversion, was a devout Jew.  However, in his persecution of Christians (all in earnest intention) Saul was guilty of sin.  Following his baptism, His sins were forgiven.  However, this did not change the fact that Paul had previously associated himself with violence against Christians.  “And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.”  Paul had to live with the consequences of his actions.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.” Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian Christians.  They had been washed in the waters of baptism and their sins had been forgiven.  However, the fact they had lived different lives at one point is still recalled.  It is a joy they once were those things, but the world will rarely forget and there are consequences to the prior behavior.

I was involved in the conversion of a man who had murdered another.  He is serving time in jail for a sentence of around 45 years.  He was baptized in jail.  Baptism washes away repented of sin.  He is a brother in Christ.  However, he is still suffering the consequences of having murdered.

I have attended congregations with men who committed crimes against youth.  Those men were not allowed to be alone with or near any youth.  In cases where this occurs, there is often a person assigned to be in that person’s presence until they leave the property.  They were still suffering the consequences of their sin.  Baptism did not wash away the consequences.

There are men and women today who prior to becoming Christians divorced their spouses even though there was no adultery committed.  The apostle Paul addresses this situation in I Corinthians 7.  He tells the married couple they should not separate or divorce, but if this happens, they are to remain single or reconcile. Whether the spouses are Christians or not, they are accountable to God’s Law.  Matthew 5:32 and Matthew 19:9 both establish whoever divorces except for the reason of fornication, commits adultery when they remarry.  They also cause the new spouse to be an adulterer.  But what if one repents and is baptized?  Is there sin forgiven?  Yes.  However, what is the sin? If it is just having left their wife, they have two choices be single or reconcile.  If it is the sin of adultery, the adultery is forgiven when the relationship is left.  The verb tense of “commit adultery” identifies the sin continuing indefinitely in that relationship.  The consequences also of having been previously married never go away.  Scripturally, there cannot be another marriage to someone else.  Secularly, if you were married and owe alimony or child support, those consequences also stay.  Did you burn other relationships when you divorced?  Baptism washes away repented of sin, but does not wash away all consequences.

Consequences of good and evil actions may follow us our whole lives.  It would be great if they all disappeared at baptism.  Unfortunately, this is not reality.  Do not let someone fool you into believing the foolishness of a totally clean slate at baptism.  Yes, repented of sin is forgiven, but you are still going to have to live with what you have left behind until you are called home to glory.

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