A Covenant with My Eyes

A Covenant with My Eyes

Smoke is burning your eyes. You know the fire is up ahead, but you call to your wife, take your children by the hand and you press forward. Common sense tells you that your current path will result in serious burns, but you continue on—confident that you can safely guide your family through to the other side. After another 15 yards, you look around and realize your family is surrounded by flames. Fire licks at your very heels, threatening to engulf those whom you love. It’s at this moment you question your decision to press forward. Why didn’t you just turn and run? But it is also this moment that will determine how great a leader you truly are. So…how do you get your family safely away from the soul-threatening media they are surrounded by?

Friends, it is high time we train young men and women to be “soldiers” and leaders who can rise to the occasion of safely leading their friends and family away from the danger of immoral media. We need fathers who are the spiritual leaders in their homes men not too afraid or apathetic to take control of the remote and turn off material that is offensive to Almighty God. We need preachers and elders instilling the sentiments of the inspired psalmist who declared, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your way” (Psalm 119:37, emp. added). Now please do not misunderstand, I recognize not all media is bad (after all, you are reading a magazine that is classified as a form of media), but I am not naive enough to think that one can continually ingest the diet offered by the mainstream media and walk away without it affecting your mind and contributing to spiritual sickness.

The tentacles of media are far more reaching than most parents realize. Sure, we monitor what our children watch on TV, and we don’t allow them to watch “R” rated movies. But friends, that just barely touches the hem of the proverbial garment. Consider the opening paragraph of the most recent Kaiser Family Foundation Survey in which they acknowledged: “Over the past few years, media use among children and teens has become more prevalent than ever. With the launch of the iPod, the explosion in instant messaging, the birth of mobile video and YouTube, and the advent of social networking sites like MySpace, young people are rarely out of contact, or out of reach of the media” (emp. added). [To see the full report go to http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/7638.pdf ] We must realize that Satan is alive and well, and he has surrounded the average person with a whole host of media—most of which is immoral or secular in nature.

A quick glance down the TV guide will reveal that television and movie producers have taken a “Shock and Awe” approach to programming. The simple days of “Andy Griffith” and “Little House on the Prairie” have been replaced by “Desperate Housewives” and “Sex in the City.” The images of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire’s romance, dressed in their very best in their 1934 film The Gay Divorcee, are but a fading memory. Oh, for the day when curse words were taboo in television shows. Today even commercials have foul language and often promote immorality!

We know that things are getting worse in the media, but my question is this: Are Christians becoming more diligent to prevent their consumption of this garbage? It is no secret that movies rated “PG-13” today would have received an “R” rating in the past, and that many “G” rated movies today would have been considered “PG” in times gone by. But is the average Christian “sober” and “vigilant,” on guard against the roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8-9)? Are we really remaining “steadfast in the faith,” or have we bought into the lie that it’s just harmless “entertainment”?

Before you read the following statistics, consider this: Hollywood would not produce the garbage if it were not profitable. They won’t make it if we stand up and declare we are no longer going to consume it. If we are going to demand change, then we must have the strength to resist temptation. One hard and fast economics rule is that advertisers will not pay money for television shows people are not watching—period. We complain and protest about the media from ivory palaces and pulpits, but what are we actually doing behind the closed doors of our own homes? Consider the following:

A 2005 Kaiser Family study demonstrated “the number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998…. The study found that 70% of all shows include some sexual content, and that these shows average 5.0 sexual scenes per hour, compared to 56% and 3.2 scenes per hour respectively in 1998, and 64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002. These increases combined represent nearly twice as many scenes of sexual content on TV since 1998. [For more information, see http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia110905nr.cfm].

A 2007 study reported that American adults and teens would spend an estimated 3,518 hours—or nearly five months each—plus $936.75 per person consuming media.

  • 65 days in front of the TV
  • 41 days listening to the radio
  • More than a week on the Internet
  • A week reading a daily newspaper (www.frankwbaker.com)

By the time a child is 18 years old, he or she will have witnessed (given average viewing times), 200,000 acts of violence including 40,000 murder (Huston, et al., 1992).

A report in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics published in 2004 noted that sexual content appears in 64% of all TV programs. The data they collected demonstrated that programs with sexual content averaged 4.4 scenes per hour that contained sexually related material, and approximately 1 out of 7 programs includes a portrayal of sexual intercourse. The professionals who conducted this study concluded:

“Watching sex on TV predicts and may hasten adolescent sexual initiation. Reducing the amount of sexual content in entertainment programming, reducing adolescent exposure to this content, or increasing references to and depictions of possible negative consequences of sexual activity could appreciably delay the initiation of coital and non-coital activities” (see Collins et al., 2004, pp. e280-289 or available online at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/114/3/e280).

We know the problem exists, but are we willing to do anything about it?Make no mistake about it; actions have consequences. The old computer science term GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) is still applicable today. Paul admonished the church in Rome, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). Have we forgotten that we are not to be conformed to this world?

Living in the Information Age, Christians can no longer use the excuse “I didn’t know.” There are excellent Web sites available that, within just a few minutes, will provide a review of the content on television shows, movies, and even music. (There are free sites such as http://www.pluggedinonline.com and http://www.kids-in-mind.com/, as well as subscription services such as http://www.screenit.com/). The resources are available! But will we utilize them? Consider the following reviews from Kids-In-Mind.com given for two popular movies (focusing only on the aspect of profanity):

Alvin & the Chipmunks[PG] Profanity: 2 mild anatomical terms, 1 mild obscenity, 1 exclamation (holy nuts), name-calling (stupid, filthy creatures, sudsy, loser), 1 religious exclamation.

Austin Powers in Goldmember[PG-13] profanity: 9 F-words (1 mouthed, 8 are bleeped), 2 obscene hand gestures, 16 sexual references, 7 scatological terms (1 in German is not translated, and 1 is spelled out in subtitles), 43 anatomical terms (3 spelled out in subtitles), 18 mild obscenities, 1 religious profanity, 3 religious exclamations.

Having read that, now consider the words of Jesus Christ, Who was asked what “is the greatest commandment?” and replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38, emp. added). Can we honestly say we love God with all of our mind if we have just filled it with the garbage listed above? The reality is that within just a few minutes, a family can determine if such programming is really something they want to be watching. Will you rise to that challenge?

In Job 31:1, we find Job declaring, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon young women?” It is time we follow Job’s example—make that covenant with our eyes—and set our minds on things above, not on things of the Earth (Colossians 3:2). The cost of failure is too high.

Fire licks at your very heels, threatening to engulf those whom you love. It’s this very moment that will determine how great a leader you truly are. So…how do you get your family safely away from the soul-threatening media they are surrounded by? Will you continue to lead your family into the fire, “hoping” they arrive safely on the other side with only minor burns? Or will you be proactive and flee?

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A New Pope

So the Catholic Church has a new “Pope.” To listen to the news over the past few days one would think that everyone in the world is Catholic; that the resignation and election of a new pope impacts everyone’s life. However, this is not true in my case. The truth is that I feel that the NFL free agent signings and pending draft are bigger events in my life than the religious elevation of a mere man. I continue to be dumbfounded by the things I see and hear. So I thought I would share some thoughts with you and then ask you some questions.

1.  We do not have a new “Pope” and he is NOT the “Holy Father.” My Holy Father is in heaven and I will worship and serve Him alone! Jesus said, “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” (Luke 4:8). My Lord also said, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). But apparently these sayings mean nothing to the Catholic Church. Someone might say, “We do not worship the Pope.” This is not what I saw and heard from thousands who stood Vatican waiting for a white smoke signal and announcement of a new “Head.” When the elders selected me to be the preacher at Point Pleasant I looked outside my office window and do you know what I saw? Grass growing! Had the church been standing out there I would have told them to go home and go about the Father’s work!

2.  Unlike the previous selection, this transfer of power did not come because of death but due to the resignation of Joseph Alois Ratzinger. But I am reminded of something the events surrounding the death of Karol Józef Wojtyła (John Paul II) and I promise you this is true (I could not make this stuff up). Apparently for centuries, when the “Pope” had evidently taken his last breathe, the senior Cardinal (not from St. Louis) would take out a “silver mallet” and bonk the “Pope” on the head three times, each time calling out his birth name. If he did not respond the Cardinal would announce to everyone present that the “Pope” was dead. No foolin’! You just hit him in the head with a hammer! If he wasn’t dead before, he is now. I have searched my Bible and cannot find any mention of this anywhere. Apparently they have stopped the beatings and just call out his name now. I don’t know why they changed this. Maybe for the same reason they are not allowed to eat meat on Friday (or are they?). And anyway, I thought fish was meat.

3.  Speaking of birth names, the new “Pope”, Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, got to pick his “Pope” name as all other “Popes” have. They say that they can choose any name they want from the list of previous popes (Jorge picked Francis) except for the name Peter. This is apparently out of respect for their “first Pope.” Yet, there is no credible evidence that Peter was a “Pope” or ever was in Rome. In fact, Paul was there and told Timothy, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them” (2 Timothy 4:16). Where was Peter? Any way, Jorge broke the norm and chose Francis (a name not previously used) is honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

4.  As for the election of a new “Pope” I found this interesting. I again have searched my Bible for this information and came up empty. Apparently many changes have taken place with this process over the years; mostly because the process can become very political (imagine that, when men do things their way, instead of God’s way, they always have to have, their way). But here is the most intriguing thing about this process. All the cardinals under the age of 80 (120 max) come together in a secret meeting to elect the new “Pope.” They say they believe they are being “guided by the Holy Spirit” and God already knows who the man is He wants. So here is my concern, why would it ever take more than one, unanimous ballet? Why would there ever be a need for black smoke to come from the chapel’s chimney (hang on, let me check, nope that’s not in the Bible either)? I heard that many years ago it took more than three years to decide whom the new “Pope” would be and it only happened because a bird landed on one of the “cardinals” when they all walked outside. They determined that the bird was the Holy Spirit. Amazing. This time a bird landed on the chimney prior to the white smoke coming out and this was perhaps a sign from God as well. But Check Acts 1:15-26 to see how the process really works when God’s hand is in it!

Amazing that so many people have been so deceived by this religion and its ungodly, unauthorized traditions. Yes, Paul said to keep the traditions (2 Thessalonians 2:15), but the word there means the teachings that came from God by inspiration and where passed on to all men through the Bible (Ephesians 3:1-5; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The fact is that I am sad today, and frustrated by the work of Satan in the religions of men.

Please dear friends, study the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11). Be ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15) and earnestly defend the one true faith (Jude 3).

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Body of Christ

Order in the Body of Christ

1 Cor. 3:3-9 – “for you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

The church is a Divine Institution with a set order for everyone who is a part of it.  In the New Testament we have the Divine arrangement set forth so that we do not have to fuss over our particular place in it.  In the text; 1 Cor. 3 we have some material that tells us that the church (i.e. its members) all have their place. In this text Paul is disappointed in the membership of the Corinthian congregation because they apparently misunderstood the role of the teachers, the hearers, and the relationship of each to God and to each other (verses 3-4). The failure to understand the role of teachers and their mission by the congregation had caused division in the congregation. The division might be referred to as cliques; each clique claiming allegiance to a specific teacher. Paul says of this division that it displays carnality (i.e. “fleshly things” – not understanding properly spiritual things – From – A Critical Lexicon and Concordance by E.W. Bullinger – pages 134-135 – def. #2) on the part of those involved in these cliques. Indeed, cliques in the congregation are a detriment to progress and soundness; this is true because the various cliques spend their time competing with each other for prominence when they ought to be promoting Jesus Christ and His Church. There are times when it seems that within our brotherhood the most important thing to some is to make sure that there is some kind of issue that brethren can fuss over when they all should be fussing about the lack of progress in the local church. Was it not Jesus who told us to “seek the kingdom of God first” in our list of things for disciples to do (cf. Matt 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.“)?

In verse 5 – Paul tells those that were following a particular man that all men are just men, that each Christian regardless of his position, age, personality, etc. were all servants of God. Paul encourages them to disband these cliques and all together serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a single unit (i.e. to the congregation in Corinth he is encouraging unity under one Head – i.e. Jesus Christ) cf. Col. 1:18-19 -“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; (KJV)”

In verse 6-8 Paul instructs those that he has referred to as carnal minded to understand the role of teachers. Paul says that teachers are to sow the good seed (i.e. “the Word of God” – Luke 8:5-11). Paul clearly understood that those that know the truth will be free from sin and schism (John 8:32; John 17:17). Paul is careful to show the roll of the teacher (i.e. preacher. elders, or otherwise) as all equals in a project for Christ to teach everyone the truth of the gospel (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2). Paul continues in verse 8 saying that the key figure in the conversion of the sinner is not man but that the increase will be the result of Christ efforts (i.e. He will give the increase).

In verse 9 Paul concludes this context with a call to unity of purpose and understanding; “or we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

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The Centrality of the Lord’s Supper

The Centrality of the Lord’s Supper

In Acts 20, the apostle Paul is in the midst of making his way through the Gentile churches to collect money for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26). He passes through Macedonia, Achaia, back to Macedonia, and across the Aegean as accompanied by several men who likely served as Gentile guards and guarantors for the money the apostle was carrying to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-4). These men sailed ahead of Paul and waited for him at Troas. On a Wednesday, Luke and Paul set sail from Philippi to meet up with these men in Troas. It took them five days against prevailing head winds to make the journey, but they arrived on Monday. Luke tells us that he, Paul, and all of these men stayed in Troas for seven days until the arrival of the first day of the week, Sunday (Acts 20:5-6).

Next, Luke writes, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” In English we have the dependent clause “when the disciples came together to break bread.” In Greek, this expression is known as a genitive absolute. Here it answers the question, “When did Paul preach to them?” It was when the disciples came together to break bread, and they did that upon the first day of the week. The expression “to break bread” in Greek incorporates an infinitive of purpose. It states the reason why the disciples came together upon the first day of the week. It was their weekly custom to “break bread,” that is, to observe the Lord’s Supper of which the first act is to break bread (1 Cor. 11:23-24).

Thus, the observance of the Lord’s Supper was the purpose of their gathering together upon the first day of the week. First Corinthians 16:2 teaches us that the disciples gathered upon every first day of the week. Hence, the disciples gathered upon every first day of the week for the purpose of observing the Lord’s Supper. Singing, praying, and studying God’s word may be observed by the Christian upon any day of the week. The Lord’s Supper and the collection must be observed upon the first day of the week. Acts 20:7 teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is central to congregational worship upon the first day of the week.

This does not imply that the Lord’s Supper is more important than any other aspect of worship; it simply means that the Lord’s Supper is the central purpose of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day. Most have forgotten this, or do not want to remember it as did the Christians in the New Testament. We know of many who place the Lord’s Supper on Thursday or Saturday night. But, this thwarts God’s purposes. It was God’s intention that the Lord’s death be remembered on the day He arose, not on the day he was betrayed, crucified, or buried. It is a perpetual memorial of Christ’s death on the day of His triumph over death. Any other day of the week fails to fulfill this ultimate significance.

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The Curse of the Law

Galatians 3:10-13 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. In addition, the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…”

What law is Paul speaking of and what is the “curse” of that law? Paul was referring specifically to the Law of Moses (i.e. the Ten Commandments), but the same principles apply to any system of law. The “curse” of the law is that one must keep the entire Law in order to be justified by it and that once one has sinned under the Law, there is no way to put away one’s guilt. The Law of Moses made no provision for the forgiveness of sin. In James 2:10, we are taught that under a system of law (any system that is totally based upon a rule of law), if one tries to keep the whole law but offends in even one point, he is guilty of all. The curse of the Law, according to Paul in Romans 7:7-13, is that it exposed sin in his life, yet it did nothing to take away his guilt.

The Law of Moses only allowed for forgiveness in prospect, that is, it only covered the sins of men until Christ came to take away those sins. Now that Christ has come, the Law has been taken away. It was nailed to the cross along with Him (Colossians 2:13-14) So now, we are free from the curse of the Law of Moses. Does this mean that there is no longer a law that we must follow? Is there not a requirement for Christians to obey in the New Testament?

Yes, obedience is a requirement even under the Law of Christ. Christ demands our obedience. Matthew 7:21 teaches that we must do the will of the Father in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The will of God is our law. The will of God has been revealed in its fulness in the New Testament. The Word of Christ will judge us in the last day. Those who reject Christ and His Word are rejecting the very law that will judge them. (John 12:48) We are now under the Law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 gives us the imperative command to bear one another’s burdens in order to fulfill the law of Christ.

We are under the law of Christ, which is a law of Liberty. The fact that Christ’s law is a law of liberty does not mean that we are free to disobey it (Galatians 5:13). James teaches, that we must be a doer of the Word of God and not a hearer only (James 1:22-25). One who is a doer of the Law of Liberty will be blessed. James also teaches in that we will be judged by that Law of Liberty (James 2:12).

Since one could not keep all of the commandments under the Law of Moses, as we read in James 2:10, one would be guilty of all the Law. There was no way under the Old Law for ones sins to be taken away. The punishment for sin is death. Therefore, violation of any point of the Law of Moses brought one under the “curse” of the law, which was the death sentence. Only by the grace of God was a way made for man to rid himself of the “curse” of law. The grace of God freed man from the curse of the law.

Does this mean that grace and law are mutually exclusive? God forbid! Grace is what brought about a system of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. We are justified only by our obedient faith in Christ, not by works of law. However, that does not void every form of law. Romans 3:31 teaches that law is established through faith. Faith establishes or confirms law. If we have faith in Jesus and are obedient to His Will, then we must recognize His Will as law, or else we would not be faithful to it. Our obedience to Christ’s Law confirms that His Law is in effect.

In Galatians 2:16-21, the word “law” is referring any system whereby one is saved according to works of merit. Whether it is by the Law of Moses, which made no provision for forgiveness, or whether it was by the Law of the Jews, which was apart from the Law of Moses, and had developed into a system of works based salvation. The Jews believed that they could earn their way to heaven by keeping the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, we are not justified by law keeping in and of its self, but we are justified by the law of faith in Christ Jesus.

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