One of the Most Terrifying Passages of Scripture

A certain portion of Scripture has been on my mind quite a bit lately. This passage troubles me for two reasons. The first reason is because it describes our culture in a very exacting way. From the big cities to the rural areas like I live in, the similarities are striking. The second reason is because the passage also describes in great detail what God does to people who do the things outlined in this chapter. Let me share the passage with you so you can see what I am talking about. I am going to put what our culture has done in italics and what God will do (and is already doing) in bold letter. The passage is a little lengthy, but I think you will be blown away by what it says.

Romans 1:18-32 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

A ton of things could be said about the passage above, but let's look at the four main things that jump out to me.

1. Did you see what the first verse said? Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." That is a terrifying text in itself. God's holy wrath is revealed from heaven against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness to those who suppress the truth. How often do we forget that God is holy, righteous, and just? We talk about God being a God of love (and He definitely is), but He is equally a God of holiness and justice. Because He is holy and just, He MUST punish sin. God must and will punish each and every sin ever committed in thought, motive, word, or deed. Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor." The punishment will either be poured out on unrepentant sinners in an eternal hell, or has already been poured out on our Great Substitute (Jesus Christ) who bore the punishment of sins of each and every person who comes to Him in repentant faith. Mark 1:15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Make no mistake, though, God's wrath burns against all sin. Psalm 5:5 says, "The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity." What an amazing testimony to God's love and mercy that He would offer forgiveness to the very ones who are His enemies!

2. The next thing I want to show you is this: Those who do not honor God and give Him thanks will face a terrifying punishment here and now (not to mention eternally). God will give them up in the lusts of their heart to impurity. That might not shake you up, but it surely does me. Let me explain. Those who do not honor the true God are without excuse for their actions of rebellion. They may appear to be very wise and educated, but if they do not honor and acknowledge God, they are fools. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good." Why don't people honor God? They don't because they love sin. And God's response to that is what is frightening. He gives them up to their impurity. He let's them go. He let's them fulfill their wicked hearts' desires. He removes His restraining hand of grace. He will let them dishonor themselves. He will allow them to worship the gifts instead of the giver. If that is not terrifying, then I don't know what is. Do you want to see if a nation (or person) is pleasing to God? Then take a look at how they live. Do they love unrighteousness and the very things that God hates? That is a very strong indicator that God has already begun to give them up to their desires.

3. Look at the next step in the progression. Man's first step down the slippery slope of sin is when they deny God or don't honor Him. God then gives them up in the lusts of their hearts to their impurity. The next step gets worse. Look what happens to a culture when God gives them up to the lusts of their hearts. God gives them up to dishonorable passions. What are some examples of this? Romans 1:26-27 says, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." Did you see the main symptom of God's judgment on a culture? He gives them up to sexual sin, particularly homosexuality. Do you want to know if God is judging a nation by giving them up to their lusts? Then look at how they view sex. Is sex a sacred gift God has given to one man and one woman to enjoy between themselves for a lifetime? Or does the culture view sex as an enjoyment to be obtained in whatever sinful way is pleasing to them? It is very troubling to me when I take a long and hard look at the culture that we live in. I think it is quite plain to see where we are as a culture.

4. Let's look at the last step in the judgment of God before the eventual eternal punishment that await those who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:28-32 says, "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

If sinful men continue to go down the path of sin, this is the final step before eternal judgment. Look at this descriptive list of those who are on that path. What an accurate description of our culture! And here is the most telling thing about the list. Not only do people who God has given up do those sinful things, but they also give approval to others who practice them. There is no shame. Do you want me to tell you how you know a person or culture has sunk to an all-time low? If they have no shame for their sins and encourage and approve of others sin, then that is a very good indication that they are in a frightful situation.

Now do you see why this passage troubles me? What are we to do? Is there no hope for such a sinful culture? Thankfully, there is hope. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Since that passage is true, it is no wonder that Jesus gave very specific marching orders to the church. Matthew 28:19-20 says, "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

I am thankful that the Gospel of Christ has power to save. I am thankful that God can still break the hardest of hearts. I am thankful that in the midst of a perverse generation, God is till on the throne. Praise His name that in the midst of judgment, there is still hope to those who repent and believe on Christ.

Until next time, blessings and peace...

THE FEAR IS GONE

Psalm 33:8- Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.



If there is one verse that you don't hear quoted much in the average American pulpit, that one is it. These days our main job is to make people feel good about themselves and be as comfortable as possible at church. And we are seeing the results of it. I challenge you to take a look at most people in your lives that call themselves Christians. Next, take a look at the ones who say they are not Christians. Do you see much of a difference? Well, besides the Christian t-shirt or bumper sticker that the professing Christian is sure to have. The sad reality is this: Our watered-down preaching and teaching is producing nothing but shallow spiritual counterfeits.

God wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. Sin is no big deal. Hey, nobody is perfect, right? I've repeated a prayer. I've asked Jesus to come into my heart. Sure, I don't hunger for God's word. I don't long to cry out to God in prayer. I don't have a burning desire to share the Gospel with the lost. I listen to music that mocks God. I watch tv and movies that God hates. I use filthy language from time to time. Sure, I dishonor God by lusting and having premarital sex (or by watching porn or cheating on my spouse). I constantly gossip and talk badly about people. Lying and cheating aren't really that big of a deal to me. I know I do all of those things, but I still love Jesus. I asked Him to come into my heart. Don't you remember?

Sadly, that is the typical testimony of most church-goers these days. If you were to ask them if they feared God, they would enthusiastically say that they surely do. Let's hold their profession of faith up to Scripture, though. Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate." What does it mean to fear the Lord? It means to hate evil. That doesn't sound much like the typical testimony above, does it?

Why should we hate evil? What does that have to do with fearing the Lord? Let me allow Isaiah to answer that question for you. Isaiah 8:13 says, "It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread." The reason is this: God is holy. God is holy and you are not. When you come face to face with the fact the you have offended a holy God with your sin, it should cause you to fear Him and dread Him, just like Isaiah said. Most people don't fear the Lord, though. Christians have t-shirts that proclaim "Jesus is my homeboy". There is no reverence for the King of Kings. There is no standing in awe of His holiness. There is just a quick yawn and glance at the clock to see if the sermon is almost over.

Scripture teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge and wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Did you see that? It is only when we have a proper fear of God that we can begin to understand who He is. And what is this Holy God like? Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and you can not look on wickedness with favor." We think of sin as "no big deal". Unfortunately, it is a very big deal to our holy God. Psalm 7:11 tells us, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." This awesome God is angry. He is angry with sinful humanity. Isaiah 13:9 says, "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it." That doesn't sound like your typical Sunday morning sermon, does it? 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 says, "Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." What is awaiting sinful humanity when they face a holy God? Eternal punishment. Eternal torment in an awful place called hell. Revelation 20:15 says, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

But wait a minute. Isn't that just for the "bad" people. I mean, come on, aren't most of us good people? Let's let Scripture answer this one. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That's not all. Romans 3:10 says, "As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one." How about one more? Isaiah 64:6a says, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." Wow, maybe we are not as good as we thought. Psalm 5:4-6 says, "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity."

If somebody truly believes the verses I just shared, I can guarantee they will fear the Lord. I promise that they will stand in awe of the Holy One. Most don't truly believe that, though. But, wait just a minute. Don't you just have to believe in Jesus? Or ask Him to come into your heart? Please read this warning from Scripture. James 2:19 says, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." There is more to true faith than believing that Jesus is real, or even that He died on a cross for sins.

We must have REPENTANT faith. Mark 1:15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT and BELIEVE in the gospel." We must repent AND believe in Christ as our only hope of salvation. Can I tell you something? Everybody and their brother in America believe in Jesus. The problem is, very few have repented. Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." It sounds like repentance is a vital part of the Gospel, doesn't it?

But what does all of this have to do with the fear of the Lord? Like the earlier verses told us, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is what produces true repentance. It is foundational to true salvation. The fear of the Lord comes when you realize that you are sinful and you will stand before a holy God who hates sin. You realize that you have absolutely nothing to offer in atonement for your sins. You realize that because God is holy and just, He must punish you with eternal torment in a place called hell. That is where true repentance comes in. It produces a hatred and disgust of your sin. That is why Proverbs 8:13 told us that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Most people don't hate their sin. They love it. They have never repented. They just repeated a prayer for a little insurance that they will get to go to heaven. They want to keep doing the same sinful things, they just don't want to get punished for it. Let's look at what true repentance does, though. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." Did you see that? True godly repentance leads to salvation. The sorrow of the world (which is sorry about getting caught, not about the actual sin) produces death.

What about faith? What about believing in Jesus? Repentance strips you of your love of sin. It makes you loathe your sinful condition. It makes you realize that you have absolutely nothing to offer for your salvation. Then it causes you to hunger for righteousness. It makes you crave forgiveness. Then you realize that, "He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21) " 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit." That is the only news that can calm a soul that has just begun to know what it means to fear the Lord. Christ died for the sins of His people. He paid for their sins. He took the punishment for their sins and now He offers them His righteousness by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Repentance makes us loathe our sins and give up all hope of being able to save ourselves. Faith trusts in Christ as their only hope of salvation. Faith believes that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to pay for a lifetime of sin and is confident that Christ will fulfill His promise to "save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25), those who place their faith in Him.

So, what about you? Do you truly fear the Lord? If so, let me tell you what God declares to you. Psalm 33:18 says, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindess." Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." If you are a true child of God, then those words should be a balm to your soul.

Now to the ones who have no fear of God. Let me tell you what God declares to you. Proverbs 3:7 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Job 28:28 says, "And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." It is my prayer that you learn what it means to fear the Lord before you stand before Him in judgment. I pray that God will grant you repentance and faith so that you will trust in Christ as your only hope of salvation so you may escape from the wrath to come.

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think that fear isn't such a bad thing. Until next time, blessings to you...

Salvation is From the Lord

SALVATION IS FROM THE LORD

Lyrics by: Mark G.



Eternal, infinite Father of lights

No one can withstand Your power and might

The heavens declare Your glory O Lord

Unchanging Sovereign forevermore



O Holy Father, separate from sin

Your ways are higher than mere mortal men

Justice and righteousness flow from Your throne

Praise Your great name You are worthy alone!



If You counted our sins, no one could stand

We've nothing to offer, just empty hands

Our hearts are deceitful, filthy within

No way to approach you, dead in our sins



Yet God sent His Son, in love to the earth

Holy and righteous, of infinite worth

Tempted in all ways, He was without sin

A Man of sorrows, esteemed not by men



For joy set before Him, endured the cross

He cried "It is finished", paid the full cost

The Father was pleased to crush His dear Son

Then three days later, the vict'ry was won!



Seated in heaven, no slumber or sleep

Sent down the Spirit, to find His dear sheep

Gave them repentance, supplied them with faith

Praise His great name for that wonderful grace!



Forever in heaven, saints will fall down

Praising His holy name, casting their crowns

The Lamb eternally will be adored

For this great salvation is from the Lord!

History Has a Way of Repeating Itself

The last couple of weeks I've been reading the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah has been my favorite book of prophecy for quite a while. After reading through the first eleven chapters, I remember why. As I have been making my way through the book, I've been amazed again at the similarities between the culture then and our culture today. I thought I would share a few things that have really jumped out to me.

Jeremiah 7:8-11 says, "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD."

If that doesn't describe American Christianity, then I don't know what does. How many people do you know that live a life of constant rebellion against God, yet claim to be saved? They love to practice the very things that God hates, yet loudly proclaim that they are Christians. At the end of the passage above, God declares that he has seen what they are doing. We might deceive everybody around us. We might even deceive ourselves. Yet we cannot deceive God with our empty profession of faith. What does James say? James 2:17 says, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Works do not save us, but true faith always produces works.

It is troubling to read that this indictment came during the time of King Josiah (2 Kings 22). Josiah was a godly king who instituted huge reforms in the nation. He did everything he could to get rid of all pagan worship in the country. Listen to what the Lord said about him. 2 Kings 23:25 says, "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." Even though Josiah was such a godly king and had truly repented and turned to God, the people had not truly repented. They went through the motions, yet God indicted them for not turning with all of their heart. They were living a lie. They said they were following the Lord, but their actions proved that they were liars. They honored Him with their lips, yet their hearts were far from Him.

Jeremiah 5:1-5 says, "Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and look now and take note and seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. And although they say, 'As the LORD lives,' surely they swear falsely." O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have smitten them, but they did not weaken; You have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. Then I said, "They are only the poor, they are foolish; for they do not know the way of the LORD or the ordinance of their God. I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD and the ordinance of their God. " But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke and burst the bonds.

Just stop for a minute and think about all of the people you know (including yourself). How many of them are truly following Christ? I'm not talking about how many of them go to church, wear Christian t-shirts, and listen to Christian music. I'm talking about truly following Christ by turning away from all appearances of evil and striving for holiness and righteousness. The sad fact is, most are like the verses above. Even though they hear God's word week in and week out, they refuse to repent. They continue to do the same sinful things. They continue to love the very things God hates. From the wealthiest to the poorest, they follow their own sinful desires without any concern for God or His Word.

Jeremiah 6:13-15 says, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD."

What are we hearing from preachers and teachers these days? "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Just like in Jeremiah's day, they are healing the people superficially. They are saying "peace, peace", yet there is no peace. Just repeat this prayer and ask Jesus into your heart. Gone are the warnings of judgment. Gone is the call to truly repent and believe on Christ. Gone is the call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. Sin is no big deal. God is a God of love so he will just overlook all of that. Right??? WRONG!! People have become so hardened by their sin that they are not even ashamed anymore. Their wickedness doesn't even make them blush. Yet they arrogantly think everything is okay between them and God. We must wake up and realize that God is holy and He does not take our sin lightly. We must heed His continuous warnings to turn from our sin in repentance and put our faith in Christ and the sacrifice He made for our only hope of salvation.

Jeremiah 6:16-20 says, "Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' And I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' "Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their plans, because they have not listened to My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it also. For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."

Let's not be like the people in these verses. Let's not ignore His continuous warnings. Let's not serve Him with empty words. Let's not claim that everything is alright with us and God when we cherish the very things that he detests. Let's return to the ancient paths of repentance, faith, and pursuing holiness. Let's look at one more passage from Jeremiah to sum things up.

Jeremiah 3:12-14 says, "Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD.I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion."

Even though we have rebelled against God and His Word, He still offers us mercy. Let's humbly acknowledge our sin and stop living a lie. Instead of holding onto it, it is time to see it for what it is. We must be disgusted by our sin, hate it, and turn from it. Let's trust in Christ as our only hope of salvation. He lived the perfect life that we couldn't. He payed the sin-debt for sinners when He died on the cross. And He defeated death, hell, and the grave when He arose three days later. Repentant faith in Him alone is the only way to escape the judgment that is surely coming. Let's deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. Praise His holy name, for He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise!!

Come Quickly

I just finished writing a new hymn yesterday. I'm still not quite done with the melody, but I thought Thanksgiving week would be the perfect time to post the lyrics. My original goal had been to write one hymn in my lifetime. Writing the first song motivated me to try my hand at another one. Who knows, maybe one day they will actually be tolerable. I hope you enjoy.

COME QUICKLY
Lyrics by: Mark G.


In Your sight our goodness is filthy.
By our sins we've been carried away.
Condemned by Your justice, we're guilty.
We are dead in our sins and enslaved.
Please take this heart of stone from my chest,
And give a heart of flesh in its place.
You said, "Come to Me" and I'd have rest.
O I long for Your mercy and grace!

Yet how can a man stand before You?
For You're holy and righteous and pure.
My broken heart cries out for good news.
O I hunger and thirst for a cure!
Praise Your great name for sending Your Son!
He came to seek and rescue the lost.
He cried "Not my will but Thine be done!"
O He drank the full cup on the cross!

But the tomb could simply not hold Him.
He defeated death, hell, and the grave.
Living water is offered to them,
Who repent and believe on His name!
Seated at the right hand of Power,
He's preparing His children a home.
We know not the day or the hour.
But we pray that You would quickly come!

To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question...

To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question…

(Matthew 7:1-5)

Matthew 7:1-5- Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? Your hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Now, do these verses teach that we are not supposed to judge in any way? Can we not say anything that is perceived as negative to anybody? In other words, can we ever tell anybody that they are wrong? Let's get to the bottom of this judging thing. Let's begin by looking at what these verses do not mean. Then we will see what they do mean.

This does not mean that we cannot say something is a sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22- But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Romans 12:9- Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Throughout Scripture, we are commanded to differentiate between evil and goodness. I don't think that anybody will argue with this point. From Genesis to Revelation, God tells us what is evil and sinful. He tells us to do this. He tells us not to do this. When God tells us in His Word that something is sinful, we can be confident that it is certainly sinful and wrong. God's Word is very clear on what He considers sin. So, Jesus did not mean that we cannot say something is wrong. We most certainly can and God repeatedly commands us to make the distinction between good and evil. So, this kind of judging is okay.

This does not mean that we have no right to point out false teaching.

2 John 9-11- Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Matthew 7:15, 20- Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Jude 3- Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Titus 1:9- Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

A lot of people think that we don’t have a right to correct somebody that is teaching something that is incorrect. These verses and others take away that myth. We are commanded to judge whether what somebody teaches is Biblical or not. Not only that, we are supposed to point out their false teachings and correct them. God takes false teachings very seriously. That is why we have to judge whether a teaching or a teacher is teaching the correct thing. We can’t sit by and let people be deceived. John went so far to say that you should not receive a false teacher in your house. This kind of judging is also okay. It is not only okay, but we are commanded to point out false teachings.

This doesn't mean that we are not supposed to talk to unbelievers about sin.

Matthew 28:19-20- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Luke 24:47- And that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

We could look at a multitude of Scriptures on this one, but we'll settle for these two potent reminders. These verses and many others let us know that we are to take Christ's teachings to the whole world. Not only are we to take Christ's teachings to the world, but we are also supposed to call people to repent (turn from their sins to God). We are commanded to call people to turn from their sins. The Scriptures are clear on this one as well. We are supposed to share God's Word with all people. It doesn't matter what their nationality or religion is. We are commanded to call them to repent. So once again, this kind of judging is okay.

This doesn't mean that we cannot confront sin in the life of a fellow believer.

Matthew 18:15-17- If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Leviticus 19:17- You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Proverbs 27:6- Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Galatians 6:1- Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

A lot of people think that they don’t have any business to confront sin in the life of a believer. We are commanded to confront it, though. Jesus gave us a process of confronting sin that can potentially end pretty severely. Some think it is hateful to confront sin, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is the loving thing to do. If you don’t confront sin in the lives of fellow Christians, then you are not really loving them. We can’t sit by and let them destroy their lives and their witness for Christ. So, this kind of judging is okay, too.

THEN WHAT DOES “DO NOT JUDGE” REALLY MEAN?

We have to remember that Matthew 7 took place during the Sermon on the Mount. The whole way through that sermon, Christ was comparing the way the Pharisees (and other "religious" people of the day) practiced their religion and how true believers were supposed to. Pharisees were some of the most critical, malicious, judgmental people on the face of the planet. They enjoyed making themselves look good by making others look bad. They were very good at pointing out other people's faults, but they never dealt with their own. They also excelled at making up their own standards while ignoring the standards of Scripture.

Jesus was really getting to the heart of the matter. One of the biggest things Jesus stressed during that sermon was our motives and our heart's desires. The Pharisees desire was to belittle others. They would gossip, slander, and talk about others. That made them feel "super-religious". That is what Jesus is condemning. That is why he said that they were trying to take a speck out of their brother's eye, yet they had a log in their own eye. They had a bigger problem than the people they were criticizing. But, Jesus didn't stop there. He went on to say that if they took the log out of their own eye, they would see clearly to take the speck out of their brother's eye. It is okay to try and take the speck out of somebody's eye. First, you need to examine yourself, though. We need to carefully inspect our own life and make sure our motives and actions are sincere.

Did you notice that when Jesus said we are supposed to confront a brother in sin, He said to do it privately? That is the exact opposite of how the Pharisees handled things. We are not supposed to be spreading gossip to everybody and their brother. We are supposed to confont them privately and discreetly. How does Galatians 6:1 tell us to approach them? "In a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." Do you see? It is all about our motives and the way we handle the situation. We are supposed to confont sin. How do we do it? Quietly, gently, and with much love (and only after much self-examination). If confronting them privately does not work, then we are supposed to bring the issue to the church (Matthew 18).

When we follow God's guidelines on judging, then it is not us who is doing the judging. It is God's Word. We are not to be like the Pharisees and make up our own standards. The Word of God is the standard by which we should judge and the standard by which we are judged.

Until next time, blessings and peace...

Just How Sovereign is God??? A Fieldtrip to the Garden...

Genesis 3:6- When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

In the last blog we discussed how God sovereignly created the universe. We looked at several verses to show that God was, is, and will be in complete control of His creation. If God really is in control, though, what do we do with this passage of Scripture? Did God "make" Adam and Eve sin? Did God "make" Satan tempt them? There are several questions that we need to look at to see how this passage relates to God's sovereignty.

Let's go ahead and make one thing clear. The fall of man didn't overthrow God's original plan. I've often heard teachers, preachers, and your "average" Christian explain how Adam and Eve messed up God's original plan and He had to figure out a way to "fix" everything. One might come to that conclusion if you simply skimmed over the first few chapters of Genesis. We need to look at what all of Scripture teaches, though. We must rightly divide the Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and let God speak for Himself, rather than putting words in His mouth.

Psalm 33:11 says, "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." In other words, God's plans don't fail. If He purposes to do something then He will do it. Job was right when He said, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2) Job knew a wonderful truth that we would do well to remember as well. He knew that God rules and reigns. He knew that God was on the throne. In short, He knew that God is God. Let's look at a few more verses that go along with this. Isaiah 46:10 says, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure." Did you see that? God Himself said that He will accomplish all that He purposes to do. He will do whatever He pleases.

But wait a minute! God gave Adam and Eve a command but they didn't obey it. Didn't God have to change His plans? Didn't He have to fall back on "Plan B"? Let me make this as plain as I possibly can. Sending Christ to die for the sins of His people was not "Plan B". It was "Plan A". There was no backup plan. It was His plans from before the foundation of the world. Acts 2:22-24 says, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." I hope you let that one sink in. Christ was crucified by the predetermined plan of God, not by the backup plan of God. Want another one? Revelation 13:8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." (See also Rev. 17:8) I often hear well-meaning preachers say that the moment somebody believes, their name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Scripture teaches something else, though. Scripture teaches that their names were written before the foundation of the world. How is that possible? It is possible because it is all according to God's eternal, immutable plan.

Does all of this mean that God "made" Adam and Eve sin? After all, it all happened by His predetermined plan, right? That means He must have made them sin, right? Wrong… James 1:13-14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." God did not make Adam and Eve sin, nor does He make anybody sin. Adam and Eve sinned because they were enticed by their own desire. That is the same reason we sin as well. Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor." God never approves of evil. He is not the author of sin. Psalm 89:14 says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You." God cannot approve evil because that would go against everything that He is. Righteousness and justice are the very foundations of His throne.

How do we reconcile Adam and Eve's disobedience with God's sovereignty? How can it be that God didn't cause sin, yet it fit within His eternal, predetermined plan? God didn't cause sin, but He allowed it. Allowing and causing are two different things. Why would He even allow sin, though? I can't answer all of the questions about why God created things the way He did. He is the potter and I am the clay. What I do know is this: God can overrule the wicked intentions of man and use them for His own good purpose. I think about what Joseph told his brothers after they had sold him into slavery. Genesis 50:20 says, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." What an amazing God we serve, that He can override the evil intentions of man and cause them to accomplish good! Ephesians 1:11 says, "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." Did you see that? He causes ALL things to work according to the counsel of His will. Evil men cannot thwart His purposes by their evil deeds. On the contrary, He takes their very acts of disobedience and uses them to accomplish His good pleasure! Men may think they are shaking their fists in the face of God with their rebellion, yet they cannot stop His purposes from being accomplished. How ironic that God can and does use wicked man's rebellion to accomplish His desire? He is amazing! What kind of power does it take to be able to make all things work according to the counsel of your will? It takes the sovereign power of our Almighty God. Daniel 4:35 says, "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" The host of heaven or the inhabitants of earth cannot stop Him from accomplishing His desires. He will accomplish His plans… all of them.

Just think, even Satan himself cannot do anything without God allowing Him to do it (Job 1-2). The story of Job is a wonderful reminder that God is in complete and total control of the most evil and wicked beings. Nothing can happen without God permitting it. Since that is true, we can rest assured that everything that happens will be used by God to accomplish His perfect, eternal plan.

Let's try to close this up with another quote from Arthur Pink. "But, it may be objected, do we not read again and again in Scripture how that men defied God, resisted His will, broke His commandments, disregarded His warnings, and turned a deaf ear to all His exhortations? Certainly we do. And does this nullify all that we have said above? If it does, then the Bible plainly contradicts itself. But that cannot be. What the objector refers to is simply the wickedness of man against the external word of God, whereas what we have mentioned above is what God has purposed in Himself. The rule of conduct He has given us to walk by is perfectly fulfilled by none of us; His own eternal "counsels" are accomplished to their minutest details."

I'm excited to continue this study so we can see even more clearly that God is sovereign and He is on His throne ruling and reigning over all!!! Until next time, blessings and peace…

Just How Sovereign is God??? Let’s Start at the Beginning...

I can't think of anything that gives me more comfort, peace, and assurance than the knowledge that my God is absolutely sovereign. This is the bedrock truth that I always come back to when things do not go right or my plans seem to fall apart. When things around me seem to be coming apart at the seems, it is always thoughts of the sovereignty of God that calms my troubled heart and gives me peace in the midst of the storms of life.
What do I mean when I say that God is sovereign? Let me let Arthur Pink answer that for me. "The sovereignty God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creatures, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, absolutely independent; God does as he pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word expressly declares: "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10); "He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand" (Daniel 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things "after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11)."
It is ironic that the attribute of God that brings me the most peace is the same one that seems to come under fire the most from all kinds of people, some of whom are professing believers. Most people are not comforted by the sovereignty of God. On the contrary, they seem to loathe the thought that God is in control of all things.
John MacArthur was right when he said this: "No doctrine is more despised by the natural mind than the truth that God is absolutely sovereign. Human pride loathes the suggestion that God orders everything, controls everything, rules over everything. The carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees. Most of all, the flesh hates the notion that salvation is entirely God's work. If God chose who would be saved, and if His choice was settled before the foundation of the world, then believers deserve no credit for their salvation."
Thinking about the sovereignty of God brings up a ton of questions, comments, and thoughts that need to be considered. It is my hope that over the next several blogs we can go through God's Word and see what He has to say about His sovereignty. Thinking over these things the last few days has turned my heart to praise God for all that He is. So let's start at the beginning. Literally...
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Sometimes we are tempted to quickly read over that verse without considering it's implications. Just think, God created the heavens and earth. He created them from nothing. He merely had to speak the words and the force of His sovereign power instantaneously brought His commands to pass. "Let there be light, and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) Can you comprehend that? He merely gave the command and it was so. Stop and think about this for a minute. What did He create the heavens and earth out of? What substance did He use in the creation process? He used nothing. He created everything out of nothing (ex nihilo). He spoke them into existence from absolutely nothing. What kind of sovereign power does it take to be able to do that? He is not only Sovereign in title, He is sovereign in fact. He is on the throne and He rules and reigns, doing whatever He pleases. Whatever He intends to do, He does.
On each day of creation, God said "let there be", and it was so. What kind of power does it take to do this? Our finite minds can't comprehend the power required to create a universe. Seeing the results of His creation with our naked eye is amazing enough, but think about the complexities of His creation on a molecular level (or smaller). All it took was a simple command from our Almighty God to produce things so complex that scientists spend lifetimes studying a small portion of His amazing creation to "discover" how things work.
Now we come to a question. Why did God create things the way He did. Are you ready for the answer? Here goes... Psalm 115:3 says, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." Why did He create things the way He did? To put it simply, He did it because He wanted to. Psalm 135:6 says, "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps."
Was God sovereign in Creation? Scripture gives a resounding "YES" for the answer to that question. God was in complete and total control during creation. Whatever He commanded happened. Whatever He desired, He did. Why did He do them that way? For His own pleasure, or in other words, because He wanted to.
Looking at these things brings up some questions. Is God still sovereign? Was He sovereign when Adam and Eve sinned? Is He still sovereign today? Is He sovereign over the good times and the bad? Is He sovereign over salvation? Is He sovereign over some things or all of them? The list goes on and on.
I'm anxious to go through the Scriptures with you and let God's Word answer these questions for Him. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what we "think". It matters what God says. I'm looking forward to sharing what God's Word "says" on the topic of His sovereignty.
Until next time, blessings to you...

Rise Up and Call Her Blessed: For My Mama

Well, today is Mother's Day. This is a day that, more than anything, I would like to spend with my Mother. It was not possible for me to get to do that this year. I had to work 12 hours today. What is something that I can give or do for the woman who has done more things for me than I could even begin to list (especially since I could not be with her today)? What do you buy for the woman who has every gadget known to man (especially since her son is broke... lol). Then it dawned on me that the thing I really wanted to give her was to tell her how she has impacted my life and how my heart could burst with appreciation and love for her. So this blog is dedicated to my Mama.
I have so many fond memories of my Mama from childhood that I could write a book. One of my earliest memories was going to church. After Sunday School, it was time to go upstairs to "big church". I would snuggle up to Mama during the first part of the service. I can vividly remember when everybody would stand to sing, I would lay down and try to go to sleep. When I didn't drift off to sleep, Mama had a trick that always worked to keep my interest during the sermon. She would take the wrapper from a piece of gum and wrap it around her finger. A few twists and turns later, I had a tiny goblet that I would pretend to drink from. That seems like such a little thing, but I don't think I will ever forget those little memories that she made for me at church.
I can remember one night when Mama came into my room to tuck me in. I always said a little prayer goodnight. This particular night, she asked me if I wanted to learn a special prayer that I could pray. She taught me the Lord's Prayer. I prayed that prayer from that day on through my high-school years. I don't know if she knew that by teaching me that, she has impacted my prayer life from that day forward.
I can remember how me and Mama could eat an entire half-gallon of Goo Goo Cluster ice cream in one night! Those were the days...
After I became a teenager, I remember holding my poor Mother (okay, really she asked for it sometimes by picking on me and Daddy!) upside down when Daddy asked me to (or if I decided to on my own!). Not even that could make her back down from picking on us! She has always been fearless.
I can remember when I quit my job at Ace Hardware when I was a teenager. I went in my room and cried my eyes out because I didn't know how I was going to pay my car payment. I was listening to some of my Gospel music. She came in the room and asked me, "Don't you believe what you are listening to? He will take care of you." She was right. He did take care of me.
I remember how Mama cried when she found out her son was going to wear white at graduation (for having an A average through high school). I think she had given up on that by my senior year. haha
I can remember how we cried together when I told her that I was going to get married 2 days after graduation. She never once told me I was crazy or not to do it. When I told her that I had prayed all year about it, she gave me her complete and total support. Just like she always has.
I can remember seeing my mother cry when I said "I do".
I can remember us both crying together again when I brought each of my boys out of the delivery room.
I remember seeing the tears in her eyes as I was ordained to preach.
There are thousands of little and big things that I could list; ways that my Mother has impacted my life and made me a better person.
She has invested her life into mine. Not only mine, but my brother and sister's and each of our families as well. She has done big things like helping out me and my little family during tough money problems. She has taken care of the boys countless times while I was traveling to preach or teach. My Mother does so many things to further God's Kingdom. Much of what she does is behind the scenes, though. She doesn't do it for applause. She doesn't do it to make herself look good. She does it because she loves her son and she loves her Lord. She does countless little things, too. Like making chocolate no-bakes when she knows we are coming (she even makes sure Daddy and Sharon leave some for me!!). Like rushing to the store when she knows we are coming so she will be able to cook supper for us.
I could list things all night that she has done and she does. But I guess I could sum it up in one sentence. She has always given me unconditional love. I can not think of one time that my Mama has ever let me down. Not only do I have her unconditional love, but I have a Mother who cries out to God for her son. Even though she might get nervous about what God might call me to do, she always prays for God's will in my life. She prays that not because it is easy for her. She prays it because she wants her son to follow Christ.
There is so much I wish I could do for my Mother. I wish I could heal all of her physical pains. I know that there is so much she can't do lately because of sickness. I wish I could by her a huge house with a maid (and pay off all of her bills). There is so much I would do. More than all of that though, I hope I can show my Mama how much I love her and what a blessing she is to me and my family. I hope that there will never be a doubt in her mind that I love her and am so thankful for all she has done and everything she does.
Proverbs 31:10, 27-31 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates."

I have no doubt when God inspired those words, He had my Mama in mind. This little blog is just a small way for me to rise up and call my Mama blessed. The wonderful works she has done and continues to do praise her in the gates.
God has blessed me with so much. He has been so good to me. One of the most precious gifts he has ever given, or could ever give, is the gift of my Mama. Thank you Lord, for that wonderful gift.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama...