Thots on the Bible

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Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. --Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We must not remain silent as evil rises up and threatens to engulf our nation! Stand on the Word of God. Do NOT compromise!

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Wolves Among the Sheep

Acts 20.29-30 (ESV)

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Our family includes a very large and opinionated cat named Squirt.  He was part of a feral group, but when I went into the back yard to shoo away the sire, one little guy disobeyed his mama's order to hide and, instead, stopped, turned toward me, and raised his nose to catch my scent.  I reached down and picked him up.  That was  fourteen years ago, and he's been with us ever since.

Why am I writing about a cat in what is supposed to be a Bible study? Because a lot of Christians are just like that cat.  Like most cats, Squirt loves sunshine and begs to be allowed outside on the back porch, where he can bask in the warm sun.  However, when the temperature drops to freezing and the wind off the mountain picks up, I tell him, 'No.  It's too cold.'

But the allure of the sunshine is just too hard to resist, so he goes to a south-facing window and stretches out on the sunny windowsill, where he naps in the warm sun.  He emerges from behind the drapes toasty warm, and he simply can't understand why I've insisted that it's cold outside.

A lot of Christians are just like that cat.  They go to a church service on Sunday morning, and if they come out feeling warm and fuzzy, they assume everything is just fine.  They don't bother to read the Bible to see whether what they've been told agrees with Scripture.

The Church has been under attack from its inception.  Lately, the attacks have grown much worse, for we are entering the last days of this age, and Satan knows that his time is short.

We have always had false teachers among us.  Even so, it grieves me to discover that some of the teachers whom I admired when I first came to the faith have been seduced by the world, have been lured away from the true faith, and are now preaching heresy.  I weep for them and I weep for those who have blindly followed them down that wide, easy road that leads to destruction.

I would not have believed the heresy they are teaching, had I not heard it with my own ears.

Our Lord warned us:

'Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.'  – Matthew 7.13-14

He immediately followed that with a warning:

'Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?'  – Matthew 7.15-16

Do not follow blindly those who present themselves as preachers and teachers, though they may lead a congregation of thousands, for the world has invaded the Church, and many of its leaders have been seduced by money and fame.

I advise you once again to emulate the Bereans:

… they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see  whether these things were so.  – Acts 17.11

No matter how sweet the words sound to you, or how much the teachings tickle your ears, you must search the Word of God to see whether the things you are hearing are really true—or if they're only clever lies to lead you astray.

And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  – Acts 20.32

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the NASB.

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Love God; Love Your Brother

1 John 4.20

If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

I recently read a post on Tumblr that I think it is well worth considering.  The quote is attributed to Tommy Galloway, author of The Cure for Common Christianity.

'If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you have to accept me as your sibling.  If God is your Father, that makes me your brother, because He's my Father, too.  He said if I don't love you and you don't love me, neither of us really love Him.'

Think about it.  Loving God must also include love for your brother, love for your fellow man.

We love, because He first loved us.  – I John 4.19

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the NASB.

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Toxic Christianity

1 Corinthians 13.1

If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Lately, I've noticed a disturbing trend in many churches.  Perhaps I've mentioned it before. Many modern Christians seem to think that God is not big enough for their needs; they need to add their superior humanism to the mix. Churches seek the help of government programs to assist their members to overcome addictions.  Rather than point their members to the Savior and His Word to find the answers to their problems, they urge them to schedule sessions with a 'Christian psychologist' to explore the problem.

Worse, the psychologists are fond of interpreting the actions and teachings of Jesus through the lens of 'Christian' psychology.

For example, the Bible says:

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him.  – Mark 1.35-36

That's clear enough, isn't it?  Jesus simply found a solitary place where He could spend time with the Father.  But the Christian psychologists put a different slant on it.  They'll tell you that Jesus just needed to get away from those people around Him because they were 'toxic'. They forget why He came; they forget that He is God.

Jesus teaches:

'For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.'  – Matthew 7.2

He illustrates this teaching in the following verses:

'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?  You 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.'  – Matthew 7.3-5

'Christian psychologists' teach that anyone who dares question your views is a 'toxic' presence in your life and should be removed, lest they cause you distress. However, my Bible says:

[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  – 1 Corinthians 13.7

And then, there's this, which I've heard used to 'prove' that even Jesus considered some people 'toxic'.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.  – John 2.24-25

Is that really what this is saying about Jesus?  I don't think so.  This passage followed the miracle of the wedding at Cana and His cleansing of the temple.  There would have been those who were drawn to Him because of the miracle He performed (shallow believers) and those who would have been angry that He routed out those doing business in the temple (enemies).

Matthew Henry wrote this about those verses:  'He knows all men, not only their names and faces, as it is possible for us to know many, but their natures, dispositions, affections, designs, as we do not know any man, scarcely ourselves.  He knows all men, for his powerful hand made them all, his piercing eye sees them all, sees into them.'

And David Guzik cites a man named Bruce as follows:  'Other leaders and teachers may be misled at time into giving their followers more credit for loyalty and understanding than they actually possess; not so Jesus, who could read the inmost thoughts of men and women like an open book.'

That's quite a bit different than what the so-called Christian psychologists teach, isn't it?  I especially like Matthew Henry's observation that, of course, He knew their hearts, because He made them all.

And, of course, the Creator does not depend upon the approval of the men whom He created.

And there's this:

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.  – Luke 5.16

Yes, Jesus spent much time alone.  He withdrew from the company of men not because He found them 'toxic' – after all, He made them!  He withdrew to solitary places in order to commune with the Father.

We, too, should withdraw from the daily noise and distractions of our lives, spend more time with the Father, and less time with humanist 'teachers' who misdirect us and misinterpret the clear truth of God's Word.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the NASB.

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Set Apart

2 Corinthians 6.17-18

'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord.  'And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.  And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty.

Several times in the past, we've discussed the necessity of separating ourselves from the world, setting ourselves apart.  As we move farther into the last days of this age, it becomes more and more important for the Church to separate itself from the world.

This was brought home to me recently, when I read an article in the Fox News Digital feed entitled, 'On this day in history, Feb. 27, 1827, New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras for the first time'.  The article was written by Kerry Ryan/Fox News, and contained this statement: 'Mardi Gras in New Orleans is rooted, like so many other Christian traditions, in seasonal pagan rituals....'

The celebration (which I've never thought of as vaguely Christian) is 'rooted, like so many other Christian traditions, in seasonal pagan rituals.'  What does that say to you?  What does the world see in Mardi Gras?  Do they see Christianity?  Do they see a celebration set aside for God?  Or do they see a pagan celebration, a celebration of excess?

And isn't this, as the writer pointed out, a pagan ritual, one that organized religion has co-opted for the use of their converts who don't really want to leave the world behind.  Many of our so-called 'Christian' holidays are simply pagan celebrations with a veneer of Christianity.  Let's take a look at a few of them.

Is there any mention of 'Christmas' in the Bible?  No.  We don't even know what month the Messiah was born, only that Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for a census.  So why do we celebrate the birth of the Messiah in December?  It was a Roman festival celebrating the rebirth of the sun god and, in order not to cause new converts undue upheaval in their lives, the church decided to simply change the name and make it a 'Christian' celebration.

Others, like Ash Wednesday, Lent, etc., are nothing more than traditions created by organized religion.

The only date we know for certain, is the crucifixion.  We know the Messiah was crucified at Passover as the perfect Lamb of God, who gave His life as an atonement for our sins.  And we know He was resurrected on the first day of the week.

Jesus told us to celebrate His death until He returns.  The rest of it is nothing more than the rituals of organized religion.

To celebrate pagan holidays, covering them with a veneer of religion, is to blur the lines between the Church and the world.

We are told to separate ourselves from the world, not participate in their pagan rituals.  There is to be a clear separation, not a blurry, smudged line.

I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.'  – Revelation 18.4-5

That's pretty clear, isn't it?

Think about your next holiday.  What is it you'll be celebrating at Easter? Will you celebrate bunnies and decorated eggs?  Or will you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah?

As the angel told Mary:

'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.  He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.'  – Matthew 28.5-6

There is an empty tomb in Jerusalem.  But Jesus is not there, for He has risen!  Go, see the place where He lay.  And then put away your Easter bunnies, and celebrate the risen Lord!

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

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Wars and Earthquakes

Luke 21.9-11

'When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.'  Then He continued by saying to them, 'Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.'

There seem always to be wars these days—or perhaps it's only the speed at which news travels in modern times.  China is violating the airspace of various nations with aerial surveillance balloons, and apparently has been for some time.  The war in Europe is expanding, drawing adjoining nations into what began as a limited invasion.  Now Russia is threatening to use nukes.  And tens of thousands of people have died in a powerful earthquake that occurred in southern Turkey, followed by many strong aftershocks.  Should we be worried?

Jesus told us that these things must happen before the end of the age, but He said when they do, we should not be 'terrified'.  And note that He did not say if these things happen, but when they happen.  Jesus gave us a heads-up about some of the things that will happen and has told us not to fear.

The psalmist tells us:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.  – Psalm 46.1-3

And Jesus Himself said:

'These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.'  – John 16.33

Courage!  Our Lord has overcome this world!

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NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

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The Days of Noah

Luke 17.26-27:

'And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.'

Matthew 24.37-39:

'For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.'

Jesus said that when He returned, it would be like it was in the days of Noah.  What was He saying?  What were those times like?

For one thing, people were completely unaware of the significance of the time in which they were living.  They were going about their daily activities, making plans for the future, unaware of the judgment that was about to befall them.

Here's what God said about conditions on Earth when He decided to wash mankind away.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  – Genesis 6.5

The times were evil, full of violence.  People seemed to no longer have a conscience.

Jesus also compared the time of His return to the days of Lot.  

'It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.'  – Luke 17.28-30

Lot was Abraham's nephew. This was after the Flood.  Yet the people of Sodom had fallen far from God.

Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.  – Genesis 13.13

When the two angels went to Sodom to warn Lot to leave the city, what does the Bible say about it?

Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight?  Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.'  – Genesis 19.4-5 (italics mine)

Of course, the angels were quite capable of defending themselves.  If we read a little farther, we'll see that they pulled Lot inside and struck the mob with blindness.  They didn't bother with more than that, for they knew that judgment was about to fall.  Their mission was simply to save Lot and his family, not to carry out that judgment.

We notice that the same things are true of Sodom just before its destruction.  The people were completely unaware that judgment was about to befall them.  They were going about their daily lives, and their society had fallen so far from God that the conditions seemed normal to them.

The prophet Daniel also speaks of such a time.

'In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power...'  – Daniel 8.23-24

What does the phrase mean, 'when the transgressors have run their course'?  Other versions translate the phrase as 'when the transgressors have reached their limit' and 'when rebels have become completely wicked.'

Messianic Rabbi Kirt Schneider thinks this means that 'there will be no more capacity to be sensitive to sin.  Mankind's conscience will have been seared...' and that 'mankind will no longer be able to tell the difference between right and wrong.  They will be incapable of detecting such darkness in a global leader because the entire world—including themselves—will be so darkened by sin.' (The Book of Revelation Decoded: Your Guide to Understanding the End Times Through the Eyes of the Hebrew Prophets by Rabbi K. A. Schneider).

This will be the condition of the world when the antichrist arises.  Have we reached that point?  Has the evil surrounding us become so intense that, we, like the proverbial frog in the heating water, are sitting here in the deepening darkness, unaware of the time in which we live, unaware of the possibility of the rise of the anti-messiah in our midst?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the NASB version.

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Old Earth or Young Earth?

Genesis 1.1-5

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.  Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.  And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

The Hebrew calendar lists the year as 5783.  Scientists say the universe is 13.8 billion years old.  Who is correct?

The 'Big Bang'/old earth theory was introduced in 1927 to cast doubt on the creation account in Genesis.  It was an attempt to explain the creation of the universe without God.  A few years ago, this theory had been discredited, because no one, not even the 'great' Stephen Hawking, could explain where the original material had come from.  Hawking was reduced to theorizing that there must have been a 'pre-time'.  Yet not even that could explain the material scientists insisted had 'exploded' to form the universe.  Hmmm. . . sticky problem, isn't it?

In fact, astronomy.com has this to say:  'The often-asked question “What came before the Big Bang?” is outside the realm of science because it can’t be answered by scientific means.'  In other words, they don't know.  They have no idea.  'It can't be answered by scientific means.'  And do you know why? Because it is impossible to explain creation without God.

What about dinosaurs?  Orthodox Jews believe that God created the so-called 'fossils' when He created earth.  *shrug*  Personally, I can't quite buy that theory, either.  However, research at Cornell University has proven that carbon dating, used to support the 'old earth' theory, is notoriously inaccurate.

You may notice that the Bible presents a detailed account of the generations up to Noah, and God gives His reasons for wanting to start over.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  --Genesis 6.5-6, 8

Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.  God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.  --Genesis 6.11-12

Every culture has in its past an account of a great flood.  Accounts differ about what happened afterward.

May I present an alternative version of history, one that makes a lot of sense.  It's a video presented by creation scientists regarding the aftermath of the flood.  If you pay close attention, especially to the explanations of animal groupings, you'll discover that this explanation answers a lot of your questions and refutes a lot of the nonsense floating around today.  It's presented on the channel Answers in Genesis:

https://youtu.be/Ey98tT84PKA

As we near the time of Jesus' return, we can expect Satan to muddy the waters as much as possible in order to draw people away from their faith.  Today's society mocks the Bible, even though God's Word makes much more sense than so much of the gobbledygook that the world tries to force-feed us.

As you open your mind to a more truthful, more rational explanation of events, I hope the scales will fall away from your eyes—and mind—and allow the light of reason to enter.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NASB Bible.

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Turning

Isaiah 9.13—17 (ESV)

The people did not turn to Him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.  So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day—the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.  Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows.  For all this His anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

I had turned to Isaiah 9.6 during the Christmas season, and then I kept reading.  The prophet talks about judgment falling upon Israel because of their pride and arrogance.  Enemies were sent against them but instead of turning to God, instead of repenting of their sins, they reacted with defiance.  They shook their fist at God and declared that they would come back even stronger.

Sound familiar?

For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still.  --Isaiah 9.12 (ESV)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that this nation has fallen under judgment.  But have we repented?  No.  Instead of repenting and turning back to God, we have strayed even farther from God's Word.

We celebrate homosexuality, even though we know it is morally wrong.  We encourage children to mutilate their bodies in an attempt to become something they're not.  We violate the laws of nature and of nature's God in deliberate defiance of the Almighty.  We shake our fist at God.

Oh, we try to persuade ourselves that we're doing these things in the name of 'equity' and 'inclusion'.  Like the serpent in Eden, our leaders ask, 'Did God really say that?'  And if we dare insist that He did, they tell us, 'But He didn't really mean that, did He?  That's an outdated interpretation.  It can't possibly be valid today.'

They show us images from the latest satellite telescope and defiantly pronounce that we are seeing the universe as it was nearly to the point of the Big Bang.  Never mind that that theory was discredited long ago.  Never mind that what they're telling us is nonsense. Never mind that most of what they're seeing is far beyond their understanding.  If you pay close attention, you'll occasionally hear an honest astrophysicist admit that they have no idea what they're seeing out there.

Instead of believing God's inerrant Word, instead of turning back to God, instead of repenting of our lawlessness, we choose to follow those who are leading us astray.  The Almighty God, upon whose Word this nation was founded, has withdrawn His protection, and His hand remains outstretched in judgment.

For those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.  --Isaiah 9.16 (ESV)

We need to stop wallowing in lies.  We need to shake off the deception. We need to turn back to our Creator, our God, repent of our foolishness and defiance, and beg His forgiveness.

There's an old hymn that speaks to our tendency to wander from the Lord: 'Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, oh take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above.'

Turning is a deliberate choice.  Don't let those who are teaching lies lead you away from God and His Truth.  Open your eyes and see the deception with which you are being bombarded!  Then, with eyes wide open, return to your God.  Cling to Him.

'This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'  --Acts 4.11-12 (ESV)

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A PERSONAL NOTE:

I must apologize for what must seem like a lack of diligence on my part.  You see, my trusty old—emphasis on old—laptop had developed some serious problems, so I'd purchased a new one at half-price during Lenovo's Black Friday sale. I chose one that I was able to modify to get exactly the features I wanted, no more, no less.  It arrived the week before Christmas, but I didn’t unpack it until later.  The first order of business was to disentangle the claws of Big Tech from my machine, no easy task.  Then I needed to learn a new word processor.  (I'd been using Word97.  Yes, you read that right!)  All in all, it's been a steep learning curve for me. Thank you so much for your patience.

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The Choice

 Joshua 24.14-15

 'Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth…  If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.'

  As you enter the new year, choose wisely.

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Christmas

 Isaiah 9.6-7

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Two thousand years ago, the Messiah came to us as a child.  Soon He will return, not as a child in a manger, but as the King of kings.

Are you prepared to welcome Him?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the NASB.

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Vultures?

 Luke 17.37 (ESV)

He said to them, 'Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'

How many of you, like me, have been reading Luke 17, in which Jesus is talking to His disciples about the end times, telling them what those days will be like, so that they will not be deceived, and then have come upon that perplexing statement.

Jesus was saying,

'I tell you, on that night, there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.  There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.'  —Luke 17.34-35

The disciples asked Him where these things will happen.  I thought that was a little odd.  They sounded as though they thought it might be a localized event.

Rather than correct their assumption, Jesus responded with this cryptic line:

And He said to them, 'Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.'  —Luke 17.37

There are various translations of that line:  Where the corpse is, the vultures will be gathered; where the body is, the eagles will be gathered.  But any way you read it, it sounds like it was simply dropped at the end of the chapter without any context, and you find yourself thinking, 'Huh?  Where'd that come from?'  At least, I did.

However, I recently read a commentary that suggested that the correct translation is 'Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together,' and that it may simply be a figure of speech meaning that when conditions are ripe for judgment, it will happen.

That make sense to me.  I remembered that somewhere in the Bible, God said that a nation was not yet ready for judgment.  I finally found the passage in Genesis.  When God was telling Abraham what would happen to his descendants, He says this:

'Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.'  —Genesis 15.16

In other words, when conditions are right, God will judge them.

When He was speaking with His disciples, Jesus said that when He returns, society will be like it was when the flood occurred and as it was in Sodom when God destroyed it.

In that context, the figure of speech makes perfect sense: When conditions are right, it will happen.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

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The Law

Exodus 20.1-2

Then God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before Me.'

When I think of the Law of Moses, the picture that springs to mind is of Moses descending Mount Sinai, after having communed with God, carrying in his arms the stone slabs on which the hand of God Himself had written the Ten Commandments.  But is that accurate?

Read those verses again.  'And God spoke all these words…'  God didn't simply engrave His Law on stone tablets, He spoke to the people.  He instructed Moses to tell the people to wash their clothes and consecrate themselves (Exodus 19.10), and then to gather at the foot of the mountain, where God Himself would speak to them.

The Law of Moses isn't Moses' Law; it's God's Law.  The people of Israel didn't get the Law second-hand; they heard God speak to them audibly and clearly.  There could be no confusion about what God said or what He meant.

God Himself descended upon the mountain, in smoke and fire, and His presence was announced by a great trumpet blast.  I assume this sound was like a blast from a ram's horn, one that increased in volume until He had their attention.  Quite frankly, they were terrified, and begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf afterwards and relay His words to them.

What does God have to do in order to get our attention?

Today, we are fortunate enough not to have to face a smoking, thundering mountain to approach God, for He has provided a Mediator, a great High Priest to intervene/intercede on our behalf.  The Law was a precursor, something to guide us and make us aware of our sin.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  —Galatians 3.24-26

Are we still expected to obey the Law?  We are not bound by the letter of the Law, for we live in the newness of the Spirit.  However, I think we need to honor the spirit of the Law, for it expresses God's heart.

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.  —Romans 7.6

The teachers of Jesus' day tried to trip Him up with questions, one of which was a challenge to name the greatest commandment.  This is how our Lord answered:

And He said to him, ' "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.'  —Matthew 22.36-40

Think about it. If you truly love and reverence the Most High God, and if you love others as much as you love yourself, your actions will reflect those beliefs and nothing you do will violate any of God's Laws.

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Note: Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

[thotsonthebible]

Samhain

Exodus 20.3

'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

Why do Christians celebrate what is obviously a pagan holiday?  Is it simply ignorance?  Or perhaps thoughtless tradition?

When I was a kid, my brother and I always went trick-or-treating.  We thought nothing of it.  It was just something that our family did.  We'd rummage in an old trunk in the attic and dress up in clothes from a century ago and knock on the neighbors' doors.  The pastor at the church we attended never criticized the holiday, never questioned it.  In fact, the church celebrated it, too.

When my own children were old enough, they dressed up and I took them trick-or-treating.  By then, I'd become a Christian, but even though the holiday was obviously pagan, I didn't see it.  I was deluded by the fog of custom and tradition.

Halloween originated from the celebration of Samhain, when the ancient Celts believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead merged and the spirits of the dead walked the earth.  Thus, masks and costumes were donned to disguise oneself from the spirits. Hollowed-out root vegetables were used to ward off evil spirits.  According to history.com, the Druids built large 'sacred bonfires' upon which to offer sacrifices to their gods.  In the first century, two pagan Roman holidays were added to the mix.

Does any of this sound remotely Christian?

As this nation slides deeper into paganism, the celebration of Halloween has taken on greater significance in our culture.  At every turn, we are encouraged to participate in the pagan holiday.

Should we, as Christians, take part in the world's celebration of pagan gods?  God has some pretty harsh words for those who do.

'Beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?"  You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods…'  —Deuteronomy 12.29-31

Do you think that God has changed His mind about that?  Do you think He will just look the other way when we adopt pagan rituals, then try to pass them off as nothing more than a bit of fun?

So much of the blame for the confusion in the church can be laid at the feet of its leaders. Rather than tell believers that they need to turn their backs on the world and follow Jesus, many pastors and teachers simply incorporate pagan practices into their services!  After all, why ban pagan holidays, when they're so much fun! They have persuaded themselves that having a Halloween party in the church is fine, as long as people dress up as Bible characters.  Do you truly think that a holy God finds this sort of thing acceptable?

'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'  —Leviticus 18.20 (italics mine)

Based upon what God says in His Word, I'd have to guess that He most definitely is not all right with the church bringing paganism into its midst.

 Regarding the pagans who resided in the land before God it gave to Israel, He had this word of warning:

'But you shall keep My statutes and My rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you…  So keep My charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them.  I am the LORD your God.'  —Leviticus 18.26-27, 30 (ESV)

Consider the Word of God this weekend, as you decide whether or not to honor the ancient Celtic gods!

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

[thotsonthebible]

Dwell on These Things

Philippians 4.8

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

There is so much evil in the world today.  So much depravity.  So much violence.  So much darkness.

Here in America, we now live in a post-Christian era, a time of paganism.  Our cities are no longer safe.  Truth has been turned on its head.  The prophet Isaiah said it well:

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. —Isaiah 59.14

Evil and perversion are now celebrated; righteousness is condemned.  Voicing God's will is now considered 'hate speech'.  Churches are being vandalized.

So why, amid all this darkness, are we advised to dwell on the things that are good and true and honorable? Are we simply to ignore what is happening around us?  No, it's for our own good, our own well-being.

This morning, I made the mistake of reading the news before breakfast.  Among it was an item describing an act of horrific cruelty that had been perpetrated upon a child, and for the rest of the day, I couldn't shake the image that had been described in that news item.  I wept for the child, I wept for the deadness I saw in the eyes of the perpetrator, and I wept for the depths to which our society has descended.

How much better had I set my mind on the things of God and on His kingdom, instead of on the depravity of this world!

Jesus loved little children and welcomed them into His presence.  Their innocence was held out to us as an example:

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.'  —Matthew 18.2-6

We must adopt childlike innocence if we are to see the kingdom of heaven, and not dwell on those things below.  How can we see God, if we look only upon darkness?

We must fix our thoughts on the things of God, and pray for His will to be accomplished.  As darkness increases, may the light of Jesus increase in our lives!

The prophet Daniel spoke these words about the time of the end:

Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.  —Daniel 12.3

May the light of the Holy Spirit within you shine brightly in the darkness!  Don't let the darkness of the world dim that light!  

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

[thotsonthebible]

God's Will or Our Own?

Psalm 106.15

So He gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them.

Another word of warning, one that I find very dire.

The previous verses read:

But they quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but craved intensely in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.  —Psalm 106.13-14 (Italics mine)

The wasting disease is mentioned in Numbers 10, which tells us what happened to the 'rabble-rousers' (as one version calls them) who yammered about the food God provided and begged for meat.

While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague.  So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah [the graves of greediness], because there they buried the people who had been greedy.  —Numbers 11.33-34

They were complaining about the heavenly food God was providing for them, about the manna! They were longing for the fish and onions of Egypt (Numbers 10.5).  They wanted to turn back to their former condition!

Some of us do the same thing.  We are so wrapped up in our own will, our own desires, our own greed, our own plans, that we don't bother to consult God.  We just assume He's okay with whatever we plan to do.

Something I've long noticed about Christians is that so many are big on 'doing God's work'—yet they don't bother to inquire if that is what God actually wants them to do.  They have a notion of something they can do 'for God', but don't bother to ask Him about it.

An example: There was a sort of 'boot camp' for troubled youth run by the Assembly of God in northern Virginia.  I was appalled to learn that they sent the kids out into the streets to panhandle! I expressed the opinion that if this project were truly of God, He would provide funding for it.  The response I got was, 'Maybe that is the way God's providing for them.'  Ah. . . I don't think so.  My Bible tells me this:

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.  —Psalm 37.25

In his commentary, David Guzik cites Meyers (He gave only the surname.), who advised, 'Oh, do not seek to impose your will on God; do not insist on anything with too great vehemence; let God choose.  Whenever you make requests for things which are not definitely promised, ask God not to grant them, except it be for the very best.'

In other words, be sure to seek God's will in the matter, rather than insist on having your own way.

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Note: Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.