Old Testament America

Many of us miss the point of the Old Testament. Unbelievers think it displays a spiteful, wrathful God, while many believers prefer to simply skim over its more unpleasant parts--understandably so.

But the OT is more than just the bloody history of Israel; it is God’s warning against wicked nations. It is also the map that can lead wayward people back to Him.

Israel is God’s chosen nation, yes, but in the OT this chosen state acts as a stand in for all nations, the precedent from which we can and should learn. Countless times throughout the OT we see how God brought devastation and destruction on Israel whenever she turned her back on Him. Whenever Israel said no to God’s will and yes to idolatry, God would use her enemies to punish her, bringing foreign militaries to her borders, devastating Israel’s crops, or afflicting her people and livestock with plagues. Sometimes He would bring its population into captivity by raising opposing kings; and at other times God would respond to Israel’s wickedness and depravity by letting her false prophets lead her people into self-destructive lives.

  

IS ANY OF THIS SOUNDING FAMILIAR, PEOPLE?

America has turned her back on God, plain and simple.

As a result of our moral depravity, of our rejection of God’s love, of our refusal to honor Him in our public spheres, of our systematic marginalizing of the Almighty, we are now suffering.

We’ve never faced more dangerous, hateful enemies. We’ve never been more exposed to devastation from threats both foreign and domestic. We have never been as defenseless as we are today, because despite our vast military resources, God is no longer fighting our battles for us. How was Israel able to defeat armies of vastly superior numbers? Her righteous leaders obeyed God’s Word and called on God. There’s a lesson here—a pretty obvious one.

Psalms 9:17 provides this warning: ‘The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.’

Think about the correlations between Israel and America. Then search the OT (just open it up anywhere from Exodus on through Nehemiah) to see what happened each time Israel veered off the path of obedient righteousness to serve other gods (idolatry comes in many forms). Joshua 23:16 pretty much sums it up.

Hebrews 10:30-31 warns of God’s wrath and vengeance, closing with this disturbing verse: ‘It is a terrible thing, to fall into the hands of the living God.’

If that didn’t shake you, see Judges 10:13-14. ‘Ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.’ This is what God is saying to America right now.

If this is all true and if we are witnessing God’s wrath against America today, what can we do about it? The answer is not ‘out there’ in the world, but in the Word. Secularism cannot save us. Liberalism cannot redeem us. Military strength cannot protect us from God’s wrath. Our only hope still lies in our Savior, in His redeeming grace. Salvation and redemption He freely offers. They are ours to be received. But before we can receive His saving grace, we must first repent (Acts 2:38 and 2 Corinthians 7:10).

Our political leaders need to repent for lowering the bar of morality set by God’s commandments. One bill after another has denigrated this nation’s once great faith in GOD’S DESIGN.

Our pastors, preachers, and celebrity teachers need to repent for feeding us false doctrines designed to comfort rather than convict.

We need to repent for placing every little thing in our lives before God's will, for putting a priority on 'important' appointments and 'busy' schedules rather than placing emphasis on service to the Kingdom, on lending our God-given time and gifts to help those in need.

Of course I could be wrong in these claims. Don't take my word or the word of anyone else as gospel. Search the verses above and see for yourself. Pray for guidance. Pray for America.

The Holy Ghost of Christmas Presence

My recent annual reading of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol opened my eyes to the peculiar and miraculous way in which Jesus Christ interacted with mankind.

You are no doubt familiar with the revelation Jacob Marley’s ghost gives to Scrooge, but it is worth repeating here, being a powerful spur to good works:

Marley’s ghost laments: ‘Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!’

Marley goes on to lament the fact that in life he had wandered through crowds of his fellow-beings with eyes turned down. Dickens, in his deep concern and commiseration for the poor, was trying to open our hearts to the tragic life habit so many of us get into of indulging in empty busyness without stopping to consider the real business of our lives, which is mankind, helping those we meet, aiding the poor, or in the very least, interacting (for the Kingdom) with people, strangers and loved ones alike.

This revelation brought me to consider Christ. Consider Him with me, if you will.     

When you read the gospels with Marley’s lament in mind, you realize that the most important man to ever walk this earth--whose life involved events and actions that were world-changing--was never too busy for anyone he met along the road. Jesus Christ Himself always made time for strangers, for the poor, the rejected, and the lost.

What a testament! Matthew 8:5-7, 9:18-19, and 20:29-34, are just a few of the many examples of Jesus making mankind His business. This is all the more remarkable when we consider the fact that Jesus knew he had only a short time left, and could have spent those days serving His will, saving Himself. But Jesus refused to ignore the suffering of his fellow-beings.

So, even though we lead busy lives, perhaps we could/should take a moment each day to consider one vital question: ‘Have I made room in my schedule for God?’ We serve God by obeying His commands, which are summed up in Galatians 5:14, to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is done by giving our time and gifts to those we meet on our daily path.

Anyway, that’s some basic but nourishing food for thought (which I know I needed to hear, anyway).

Conduct of a Christmas Christian

During the Christmas season, it seems fitting that we should take a moment to remember how we are called to conduct ourselves as followers of Christ.

In a world increasingly divided and ruled by hatred, it is getting difficult to find examples worth following, lives worth emulating. In fact, we must look back two millennia to find the only illustration of untainted godliness: Jesus Christ.

Even if Jesus had never spoken a word, his conduct, his actions alone, would have put the world to shame. He—the Son of God, the Word incarnate—humbled Himself, coming in the form of a servant, living and dying in service, for the benefit of not only the men and women he encountered, but for mankind. This meek nature is a lesson many of us today need to be taught or at least re-learn. I, for example, definitely could use a good long seminar on self-sacrificial love, on Jesus 101.

Let’s take a moment to consider our daily conduct. Does it reflect the love of Christ? If not, how does it reflect on Him then? When people see us, do they sense the love Christ displayed and advised us to share?

We must remember that we might be the only representative of Christ that some people ever meet. Our conduct should therefore reflect this, should be performed: ‘. . . in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ’ (Philippians 1:27) and exercised with holiness because He is holy ‘so be ye holy in all manner of conversation’ (1 Peter 1:15-16). This means our every word and act is to be filtered through self-control and enhanced by love. These virtues don’t come easy; they must be developed and exercised by us on a daily basis (2 Peter 1:5-8), and they are vital to helping us replace inherited bigotry, bias, and baseness, this last of which we tend to gravitate to when we fail in our Christian duty of honing Christ-like virtues.

Finally, let us close with the simple yet profound passage found in 1 Corinthians 16:14, which states: ‘Let everything you do be done with love.’

Happy Holy Day!

Ever been in a store, busy reading a label or perusing the spices, when some grungy old bugger suddenly stops right in front of you? He's completely oblivious to you--or maybe just incredibly rude! You're left standing there with 3 choices: say something and risk receiving a nasty come-back, keep quiet and stew in your anger, or choke the rude bugger until he cries uncle.

All three choices are wrong, by the way. If you indulged in any one of them, you've made a pretty bad faux pas as a believer, because it isn't until you get out to the parking lot that you even remember you're a Christian. Or at least a Christian in training. That's what I feel like when I get back out to the parking lot, anyway. It's like, oh yeah, I totally forgot all those huggy-bear parables I read in the bible about loving your neighbor . . . and stuff.

Religion (or as the new-agers prefer: spirituality) is easy when we're sitting in a pew on Sunday, listening to our pastor's inspirational GO OUT THERE AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS! speech. But out in the world, putting it into practice, well, frankly it often just slips our minds.

1 Timothy 1:5 says 'The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.' Great advice, very simple and direct. But how to put it into practice, how to recall it when the moment it is most needed arrives?

I'm sure there are any number of methods to help us recall our faith when we'd rather indulge in the flesh, and you probably know some real good 'uns, but the only one I've found that really puts me in a proper Jesus mood all (okay, most) of the time is a daily dose of the Word and a good healthy prayer life. 'Rejoice always and pray constantly' (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17). A dedication to these two simple rules will lead to a better daily Christian attitude--which God knows we need during those encounters with annoying buggers and especially at this time of year when everyone is in such a fine Christmas spirit.

Each day is holy to the Lord. Each encounter can be an opportunity to share the Word or to plant the seed of faith. We should treat each day and each encounter as gifts, even the ones that are annoying and snarky. Anyway, that's my good word for the day from the books of Timothy and Thessalonians. Take it as you will, and God bless!  

 

 

The Purpose of the Word

Let's have a little fun. Who knows, we might even learn something accidentally!
 
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for training in righteousness (paraphrase 2 Timothy 3:16). Webster's Dictionary defines righteousness as "The state of being morally right or justifiable." Now, if training in righteousness is found in the Word of God, then logic suggests that those who do not study and live the Word inevitably fail to attain training in what is morally right. As such, it seems that, even from the simplest non-theological viewpoint, and even if God did not exist, studying and actively following the precepts found in the Word would be the only morally proper method of living.

Let's look at it this way: If God did not exist, and you still chose to follow the Bible, you would:

·         Love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:14)

·         Bear the burdens of others (Galatians 6:2)

·         Seek to live in peace with all men (Romans 12:18)

·         Bear good fruit, which include: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)

·         Enjoy the work of your hands and provide for your family (Eccl 2:24, 1 Tim 5:8)

·         Give to the poor (Psalms 112:9)

·         Help the widow, the orphan, and visit those in prison (Isaiah 1:17)

·         Display mercy and truth to everyone you meet (Proverbs 3:3-5)

·         Be gracious, compassionate and righteous (Psalms 112:4)

·         Conduct your business with fairness and justice (Psalms 112:5)

 If following the Word makes life better for those around us, then those who have a problem with the Word clearly have not yet discovered its elegant beauty, simplicity, and undeniable usefulness. Even putting aside the argument of the existence of God, you cannot deny, His Word is essential to the establishment of morality in this world.