Stop Here to Actuate Signal

At most every lighted intersection there are wide visible white lines painted
horizontally across the road indicating where the driver should stop and wait for a
green light. At many of these stops you will find a sign that reads something like
this, “Stop here to actuate signal.” The word actuate is a transitive verb which
means, “to put into mechanical action or motion” or “to move to action.” So if you
pull too far forward of the line or stop too short of the line you will NOT actuate
the signal and you may sit there for a very long time.

It never ceases to amaze me how some folks will pull a full car length forward of
these lines and wait for a green light and then get angry because the light doesn’t
change. Some I have seen purposefully disregard the red light and make an
illegal turn because of their own ineptness. I have seen some stop too short of
the line and anger those behind them. Some of these lines are staggered so to
allow vehicles turning from the right ample room to negotiate the turn. Those who
pull too far forward of this line can impede traffic or cause an accident.

Maybe you now realize that this is a bit of a sore subject with me. It aggravates
me! I have even at times slowed down and advised the driver (who has been
unwilling or unable to properly follow simple, logical instructions) of their
incompetence. I think what really bothers me though is how this all translates
spiritually.

God has said in His Word that we are not to “go beyond” that which is written. 2
John 1:9 reads, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of
Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the
Father and the Son.” The word “transgresses” here means in part, “to go past or
pass over without touching a thing…to overstep, neglect, violate, transgress.” In
other words, if we desire God’s mercy, grace, blessings and salvation then we
must stop where He says to stop in order to actuate those things in our lives. If
we stop short or go beyond what He has told us, then we will fail to receive that
which we desire of Him.

The old adage “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” is relevant here. The King
James Version translates 1 John 3:4 like this, “Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Other
translations use the word “lawlessness” for transgression. The idea here is of one
acting in violation of the law either by blatant disregard or by ignorance.

Friends we cannot add to or take away from the Word of God and receive His
spiritual blessings (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19). The wise man hears
and does what God says (Matt. 7:24). Not only will those who fail to know and do
God’s will not receive His blessings but they will receive His wrath (2 Thess. 1:8).
My dear friends it is imperative that we obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). Be faithful!

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Can a Christian use Cooking Wines

CAN A CHRISTIAN USE COOKING WINES TO USE FOR COOKING ONLY?

Well, this is beginning to become a big topic.  There are beer brats.  Some of the frozen meals you buy have been dipped in some sort of alcohol and most of the time, we may buy those frozen meals and not give it a single thought at looking at the ingredients.  And in almost every case, you can buy cooking wines that do not ask for an I.D.  So, from a state and federal point of view, they do not necessary compare it to the same alcohol for the purpose of drinking, nor do they see one getting drunk on this.  But, what about Christians?

Well again, there seems to be a lot of confusion.  Some believe that alcohol is acceptable because it is marketed and sold in the food isles around vinegar.  Second, some believe that it is acceptable to have it in the home because it is so full of salt and other spices, no one in their right mind would try to drink it outright.  Third, some do not believe that it would influence one in a negative way because of the differences between cooking wine and drinking wine.  Fourth, some do not believe that it is a big deal claiming that the alcohol that is in it, burns off when cooked.

Now, there are others who claim that the alcohol never entirely burns off in cooking.  For example: if alcohol is added to boiling water and taken from heat, 85% remains. Alcohol when just flamed: 75% remains. When it is baked for 25 minutes: 45% remains (U.S. Department of Agriculture).  However, there are a couple of problems with this study.  First, it is years old and needs updating.  Secondly, it was not done by those who use wines on a daily basis.  Third, it does not use cooking wines, only drinking wines in their comparison which have a much higher content of wine than cooking wines.  Fourth, the majority of cookbooks suggest adding wine to bake with or to flame, not to boil.  Fifth, in baking, the majority of recipes used with wines calls for 1-2 hours of cooking instead of 25 minutes.  So, when wine is used in this type of cooking for this long, there is 0% alcohol left.  Sixth, it is true that 75% alcohol remains when just flamed, but what they do not tell you is that chefs flame for 3-5 minutes, which again leaves no alcohol in the food.  So, we can see why a better study needs to be done.

Now, on a different note, cooking with cooking wines is a very poor wine and given the fact that all the alcohol would be burned off, it leaves you with salt and other spices along with a poor taste from the wine.  Therefore, as the old saying goes in the culinary profession, “If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t add it.”

As for the Bible, we are warned that wine is a mocker or makes one arrogant (Prov. 20:1), Hab. 2:15 tells us to not give it to our neighbor, that is “Reya” (our friend or companion). Also, people make mistakes through drinking wine (Isa. 28:7) and Gal. 5:21 commands us to stay away from getting drunk and then uses the words “TOUTOIS HOMOIOS” (such like), meaning stay away from that which would lead one to drunkeness, no matter what amount of consumption it is.  True, if cooked properly, there is no alcohol which would be fine.  However, in order to make the recipe the right way, going to buy the wine and going through the wine section, standing in the checkout buying the wine, walking out of the store with it, leaves an awful bad impression on others who do not know what we would be using it for.

Besides, I think there are some recipes we could just do without.  Personally, I think we should just not cook dishes with alcohol in them.  I mean, even if you would buy drinking alcohol for cooking only, what if a child gets a hold of it in your home and gets drunk from it?  What would others think to come to a Christian’s home and find a big bottle of Chardonnay.  It would certainly tarnish the influence the child of God has.

But, most people have had wine whether they know it or not.  Most meat marinades from restaurants have wine in it.  Shrimp scampi from Red Lobster has a small dose of sherry in it.  However, they test in their kitchens the recipes to ensure the alcohol is completely burned off because parents are known for giving their children a bite of their food.  I think that is a good practice.

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I Cannot Live the Life

Recently it has come to my obvious to me that many in our society do not understand the value system of true Christianity (i.e. true religion). I am not sure what has created this situation, I simply have detected that it does exist with many people that I have approached in recent months. Many of these people have no idea of the Christian’s philosophy. Ideals, lifestyle, and are themselves caught up in discouragement, unhappiness, and indecision with life in general. Many people in current society subscribe to the following philosophy; “If I do nothing, I will have no further problems – If I stay where I am I will be no worse off than I am.” The sad part about those that possess this attitude is, this attitude, when applied to spiritual situations creates an impossible obstacle for the person to overcome when they are confronted with the gospel. You see, the gospel requires that the person possessed with this philosophy will find the challenge of the gospel more than they are willing to personally accept.

Many times we talk to and occasionally discuss (i.e. in Bible classes) with those we describe here. We soon find out that they are unwilling to consider anything other than their own conclusions about life, family, and  religion. Most people are unwilling to make the life changes that God requires of them through the conversion process – such as Hebrews 5:8-9, “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;” (ASV) Many people that possess this disposition feel that the Biblical standard requires too much change, they are unwilling to consider such a drastic change of life; Paul deals with this attitude well in

Romans 6:1-13 – Please note the passage – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with (him) in the likeness of his death, we shall be also (in the likeness) of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with (him), that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin (as) instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members (as) instruments of righteousness unto God.” (ASV)

WE NEED UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE: In helping these people come to accept Christ and make the conscious decision to change we need to exercise patience and long suffering, we should do as Paul instructed Timothy –

cf.  2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge (thee) in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (ASV)

We must first convince them that others fail too, that everyone makes mistakes but that we must learn that just because we make a mistake, does not mean we are a failure; we must repent and start anew –

cf. Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (ASV)

EMPHASISE THE CHRISTIAN’S HOPE: Teach this person that there is more to life than is obvious to man in the world, there is the Christian’s hope of heaven. The Christian is looking beyond this present world and sees something exceedingly precious and beautiful –

cf. Romans 2:7, “to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (ASV)

Hebrews 11:10, “for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

We must teach this person that God has made allowances for his children who fall from grace (i.e. backslide) –

cf.  Acts 8:22-24, “22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.” (ASV)

1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.” (ASV)

1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

CONCLUSION: We may not convert many people with this formula but we may convert some. The Lord has instructed us that we are to “sow the good sees” and He will “give the increase,” – cf., 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, “What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.  I 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.” (ASV)

REMEMBER THIS FACT: There are many people that are in the world. Many of those in the world do not know us nor do they understand our motives. Because of this we must continue to approach everyone with the patience and understand that ought to characterize every Christian while they work at personal evangelizing with others. May we never become discouraged in our efforts to convert the lost – cf. Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (ASV

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The Farmer’s Runt

“The farmer had refused to consider the church because of all the hypocrites in it. One day the preacher went to buy a pig from the farmer. He asked for the runt as his pig of choice. The farmer reluctantly sold the runt but was appalled as the preacher told him, ‘I’m telling all my friends this is the kind of pigs you raise!’”

I read this from an Internet post by a fellow preacher the other day and it made me smile. But as is so often the case the truth of this humorous story is sad. Sure the church has its hypocrites just like the litter has its runt. And certainly we don’t like it when folks cast wide sweeping judgment on the many because of the few “runts” in the litter. And it is absolutely right to point  this truth out.

However, consider this observation…the runt of the litter had no choice in the matter, the hypocrite does. God’s Word is filled with warnings and condemnation of hypocrites and their duplicitous ways. Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees (Matthew 23) was not for their legalism but for their hypocrisy.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7) Jesus warned us concerning the act of pointing out the faults of others when we ourselves need to take a long look into the mirror of our own lives. This may be in the way we are living, the words we are saying, or our attitude about others and ourselves. Yes, we must point out sin and error but remember what Paul by inspiration said in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Be certain too that none of us are immune from such hypocrisy. Not the preacher, not the elders or deacons, the Bible Class teacher, not even the most faithful brother and sister warming a pew every time the door is open. Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). We shouldn’t give anyone good reason to look down upon us or the Lord’s church!

The fact is there is little difference between the hypocrite in the church and the farmer’s runt. Except that the hypocrite has a choice in the matter. Are you the farmer’s runt? You don’t have to be, and your soul’s eternal destination hangs in the balance. You don’t have to be perfect… but you do have to be obedient (Hebrews 5:8-9) and be faithful (Revelation 2:10).

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Degrees of Punishments and Rewards

ARE THERE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF REWARDS IN HEAVEN AND DIFFERENT DEGREES OF PUNISHMENTS IN HELL?

In Luke 19:11-27, we find the master of the household gives ten of his servants a pound each and commissions them to use the money in a way that shows a profit.  When the master returns, one multiplied his pound to 10 and was given 10 cities, another 5 pounds and was rewarded with 5 cities.  Now, some say that this clearly shows that those in heaven will be honored on different levels according to their works.  But, what can really be compared to the glory that we will experience in Heaven (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17-5:2)?  Besides, I never really think about what these rewards will be, or even the fact that there will be rewards.  I will be content just to reach heaven, where the things that really matter will be shared equally by all.  I am confident that “I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop” up in Glory Land!

Now, referring to degrees of punishments, we first have to look at sin and if there are different degrees of sin.  In Jn. 19:11, “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”  Now, this verse does not imply that one sin is worse because sin separates man from God regardless what kind it is (Isa. 59:1-2) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).  Now, there are different consequences for sin: one who makes an illegal u-turn faces different consequences than one who commits murder.  This principle is seen in Lev. 24:20-21 where it speaks of an eye for eye, tooth for tooth.  Simply put, there are some crimes less consequential than others.

With that said, the Bible does seem to indicate that there will be different levels of punishment in hell.  In Luke 12:47, 48 at the conclusion of the parable of the faithful steward, we read, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”  The principle being taught here is that the person who understands more regarding God’s will and yet does not take warning will be held more accountable than the person who does not know.  Both are held accountable; both will be separated from God; both will be punished.  However, one will be punished more than the other.

Also, in 2 Pet. 2:20-21, we read, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”  The Christian who knows what is right and wrong and yet, turns back to the things of the world is going to end up in a worse state than the person who never knew the way of righteousness.  Both are still lost.  Both are still separated from God, but one will be punished more than the other will.

Now, what just exactly are these punishments, I cannot speculate on.  But, we should not think that Hell might be a place that is tolerable if we just don’t sin very much.  Hell is not going to be a place that you want to be.  It is a place where punishment is reserved for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).  It is a place of darkness (Matt. 22:13).   It is a place where the unrighteous will dwell (Matt. 25:30).  It is a place of everlasting agony (Matt. 22:13).  And, some will not suffer as much as others due to their sin, but even the least bit of suffering in hell will be bad enough.  Merely eternal separation from God himself would be unthinkable.  You don’t want to miss being with God in eternity.

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