YOU and GOD

First Things First

There are so many interesting things in Scripture, not all of which are “heavy duty” doctrinal matters but just the ordinary events of everyday life that sometimes perplex, sometimes amuse, but always warrant some level of meditation and musing. I want to share with you what I have been thinking about lately under the heading of “First Things First.”

We read fewer than 100 words in our English Bible before the word “first” occurs: “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” That is important, of course, because of the “evening and morning” formula of the Jewish reckoning of a 24-hour day, which is critical in our conviction that God created the world and all that is in it in six 24-hour days (not in billions and billions of years, as evolutionists and “Day-Age” creationists would have us believe).

Moving on through the Old Testament, it is noted that when God ordained certain feasts for the nation of Israel to commemorate annually, one of them was the feast of “first fruits.” (Lev.23:9-14) One of seven religious festivals observed every year, the feast of first fruits affirmed that there would be a full harvest to come, and it found its fulfillment in the resurrection of Christ (I Cor.15:23), assuring the Church that Christ our Lord was indeed the first fruits of the resurrection and that there would be more to come—namely, the Church, comprised of “they that are His at His coming.”

Fast forward to the New Testament and we will focus on some “everyday, as-life-unfolded events.” When Jesus made His initial appearance to the disciples, John records that when two disciples of John the Baptist heard Jesus say “come and seek,” one of them, Andrew, “first findeth his own brother Simon.” Andrew was excited about having met the one that John had just announced was “the Lamb of God,” and he could not wait to find his own brother, first, to tell him that the Rabbi, Master, had come! Isn’t that the way it is? When you have some earth-shaking news—some exuberant, off-the-charts news—you cannot wait to first tell those you love the most and are closest to. Time has not changed that.

In fact, the Gospel of Mark is one of the four gospel accounts that makes sure we know that “when Jesus was risen the first day of the week (another “first”), He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.” (Mark 16:9) Later that day, he would appear to the disciples who were “hunkered down” and laying low, as it were. But He wanted to appear first to the woman who had seen Him hours before—beaten, battered, bloodied and bruised for our iniquities as He hung upon the cross, showing Mary of Magdala His resurrected body. He knew that this woman whose body had once been inhabited by seven demons would rejoice that day, probably as none other. Just an interesting tidbit that Mark thinks we’d be delighted in musing over!

Paul, the apostle to Gentiles, stressed that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it was the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) He would later remind the Corinthian believers that “I delivered unto you first of all that which also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” (I Cor. 15:3) Just another word, this word “first”? I think not. It is a word often used to show order or priority, and it is interesting to see how, when, and on what occasions it “pops up.”

And of a greater significance than in most other instances, let us not forget that Christ is “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Rev. 22:13) He is the “firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18); the “first begotten into the world” (Hebs.1:6); the “first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5); the “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29); and the “firstborn of every creature.” (Col. 1:15) Need more be said about the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ?

There are other “firsts,” of course. The fourth commandment, to honor our parents, is the “first commandment with promise.” (Eph. 6:4; Ex. 20:12) We worship God corporately, as a church body, “the first day of the week.” (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16: 1,2) Women are to first learn piety at home (Titus 5:4), and judgment must begin first at the House of God. (I Pet. 4:17) And don’t forget that “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” (I Th.4:16)

But, at the top of our list of firsts must come these: (1) The one commandment that God considers utmost is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matt. 23:38) Then, in His sermon on the mount, Jesus exhorted the great multitude gathered to hear Him preach, that they should “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33)

So, every “first” is important, but some are more important than others. The “great commandment” and the “seek ye first” exhortation in Christ’s message to the multitude are in a class of their own. How is it with you, my friend? Are you putting Him first in your life? He is not worthy of any place but first.

Obert Logan, a former safety for the Dallas Cowboys, was once quoted as saying, “The thing I remember most about my rookie season was he (Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry) asked us players on the first day of training camp what our priorities were. He said, ‘I don’t know what your priorities are, but mine are God, family and the Dallas Cowboys.’ That made quite an impression on me, because I thought football was going to be his top priority.”

What is first for you?

“And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.” (Col.1:18)

Same Sex and Homosexuality, part 2

With about 1 million same-sex couples—some legally “married,” some living as partners—in our nation today, it is important for believers to know how to respond and relate to this trend. It will become more prevalent, and polls suggest that new generations coming on will only become more accepting of it. It is a late-20^th and 21^st-century phenomenon (the widespread practice and acceptability of it—with mayors of large cities leading “Gay Pride” parades). It will possibly, if not probably, touch every one of us up close and personally through a family member or close friend, neighbor, church-family member, or acquaintance. Thus, I introduced some thoughts on this subject in the previous “You and God” post. In today’s installment, I want to continue with some “Do’s and Don’ts” when confronted with this situation.

I write not as a professional counselor but as a pastor whose only counsel is the Word of God and His wisdom, which is from above; and I draw upon a half-century of pastoral experience, for what that is worth. I write with a broken and burdened heart for our peoples, but with a heart full of love and compassion for all who are victims to Satan’s deception, and for the extended circle of family and friends whose lives are turned upside down by those startling words, “I am gay.” When you hear that from a person you care deeply about, I would like to offer some “Do’s” and some “Don’ts.” I will begin with the “Don’ts”:

Hearing that may be like suddenly learning of an unexpected death in the family. Satan’s victim may have struggled with it for years before “coming out,” while you may have been clueless. So, try to allow yourself some time to process this news, and even grieve over it, before you react to it. It may well be like the death of one dear, so give yourself some time alone and with God. The don’t here is: “Don’t immediately launch into a hyper reaction to what you just learned.”
Don’t reject or disown your loved one or friend who has decided to be honest with you. Read the account of the prodigal son in Luke 15, and study the devastated father’s reaction to the preposterous request of the younger son for his part of Dad’s inheritance early. Ask for God’s grace to respond, when you do respond, with the same steadiness, maturity, faith, hope and love that the father of the prodigal demonstrated, praying for the same outcome.
Don’t assess blame. Do not blame God for not keeping His promise that if you train up a child in the way that he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Provs. 22:6) That, like many of Solomon’s proverbs, is a general rule of life, to which there may be and are often exceptions. Compare Cain and Abel, Isaac and Esau, Joseph and his often-wicked brothers—and many more, all of whom had the same upbringing. Do not blame yourself. Blame sin and Satan, and the “old nature.” You cannot and should not blame anyone else.
Don’t bombard him (allow me to use “him” in the remainder of this post, for brevity, realizing that it is often a “her”) with a bunch of scripture verses, or knock him over the head by calling him the worst names you can drudge up. He probably already knows the verses and suffers from the guilt accompanied by sin.
Don’t cut him off from any further visits with the family, contacts, or communication.
Don’t dismiss this as a “passing phase” that he will one day move on from, or out of.
Don’t beat him down as an abject failure in life.
Don’t fail to recognize the crux of the problem as being spiritual and originating in the heart, like all sin that has resulted from the fall of man into sin.
Don’t try to figure out the why of this. Some will say he was born that way, some will ascribe it to environmental factors, etc. The truth is: No provable reason can be offered except that Satan is a master deceiver and appeals to our fallen sin nature with the lie that this is desirable, pleasurable, and something one should not be reticent to do if the urge is there. Some will believe that lie and participate in this sinful practice, much as some are gluttons, alcoholics, pornographers, liars, thieves, covetous, and more.
Don’t fail to assure him of your unconditional love, even though you hate the sin, allowing and praying for God’s love to flow through you to him unimpeded.

Now, for some “Do’s”:

As stated above, but now positively: Always affirm your love to the one who has shattered your dreams with the words “I am gay.” God can do this through you, as God does and will always love your loved one. Remember, you too are a “broken” piece of humanity, just the same as all sinners, needing God’s love and grace.
Pray, pray, pray—and never cease praying—for him, not despairing even though the answer may not come soon.
Keep the lines of communication open on your side.
Acknowledge that this is sin; he knows it, and to call it anything else would be scripturally untrue (cf. the previous post on this subject).
Be ready, anxious, and willing to restore him upon repentance. Again, the prodigal son’s father in Luke 15 is a sterling example.
Affirm the self-worth of the person. Yes, he is broken and has transgressed God’s law, but if he has achieved success in other worthwhile endeavors, acknowledge that with praise.
Let him know that he is welcome to come home at any time.
Trust God’s Holy Spirit to work in his heart and know that the key to your loved one’s redemption will be, not your logic, but your love and God’s irresistible grace applied to one’s heart by the Holy Spirit.
Consider—if you still have children at home—not allowing your kids to do a “sleep-over” in the home of a friend. Too, too many children have been exposed to drugs and/or molestation in the home of someone that had been a trusted friend of the family. Just a word to the wise. I have heard the anguish in the voices of parents and grandparents whose kids’ lives have ended in apparent ruin (some in suicides) because of “sleep-overs.”
Cling to and cultivate an attitude of HOPE! No circumstance is beyond the reach of our great God, so cast this burden upon Him and continue to hope that what you never could do, God can—and will—do according to His good pleasure.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)

Note: I highly recommend the book “A Changed Affection” by Becket Cook, who was deceived into the practice and pursuit of same-sex relationships from a fairly early childhood experience (exposed in a sleep-over). He was powerfully converted to Christ and transformed by God’s grace, with a mission now to share his testimony with others. The book will impact you and encourage you immeasurably.

Same Sex and Homosexuality

In its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Surveys estimate that, by 2019, there were 543,000 same-sex “married couple” households—in addition to 469,000 households with same-sex unmarried partners living together—in the U.S. That means there were nearly 1 million households composed of same-sex couples.

A recent poll by Gallup found that support for same-sex marriage had reached an all-time high of 70% of the general population. And a demographer at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, Gary Gates, reported that there are 9 million Americans—or roughly 3.5% of the population—who fit the description of “gay, bisexual, or transgender.”

Probably every person reading this post can think of someone—a relative, friend, neighbor, church member or acquaintance—whose life has been impacted by the “coming out” of a person they know and/or love. Such was rare 50 years ago; not so in today’s world.

I believe it is important for all of us to take a serious look at how we respond to these (usually) shocking revelations. (Maybe not so shocking in this culture, but still usually troubling and surprising.) What ought our Christ-like response be? How do we navigate ongoing friendships and relationships with loved ones and friends whose lifestyle is, frankly, totally foreign, incomprehensible, and abhorrent to our way of thinking?

Have you grappled with these issues? I will not be able to allay your concerns or even answer your questions, but I think it behooves each of us to search the mind and heart of God for Holy Spirit directed thinking, resulting in Biblical relations, as we cope with this modern phenomenon; i.e., 70% of our population supporting legalized marriage among same-sex couples, and an ever-rising number of such marriages occurring annually. Support for the practice is likely to continue increasing as Gen-Zers (people born between 1997 and 2012) and the Alpha Generation (people born between 2013 and 2025) move through adolescence and adulthood.

First, God labels as “vile affections” when “women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly.” Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states the reason for men and women doing such things is “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,” resulting in God giving them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:26-28) The sin of homosexuality is often called “fornication.” Paul cites it—along with many other sins, such as unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, and others—and says, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:29-32)

So, homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” are sins, according to Romans. But in the same passage, 21 other sins—the practice of which is “worthy of death”—are listed. We tend to elevate homosexuality in gravity or abhorrence above many of those 21 other sins listed right next to fornication. It is a sin—to be sure—but not necessarily in a class of its own.

The Apostle Paul said that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, “of whom I am chief.” (I Tim. 1:15) Jesus said of His own ministry that the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) Christ our Lord was often criticized for associating with sinners—such as when Simon, a Pharisee, was critical of Jesus for letting a woman known for her sin wash His feet with her hands and hair. Jesus reminded His critic that persons who are forgiven much, love much. (Luke 7:36-48) On another occasion, Jesus led His disciples out of their way to go through Samaria to meet, dialogue with, and lead to a saving knowledge of truth a woman who had been, and was even then, living in adultery. Shocking again, no doubt, to His disciples and to the woman and to the people of her town, many of whom also put their trust in this seeking Savior.

I cite these biblical examples as a reminder that there are all sorts of sinners needing to hear the good news of salvation. Homosexuals are not excluded! We need to love them as souls like our Lord loved them; we need to have compassion on them, as He did—and go out of our way, if needs be, to share the saving truth with them. We need to remember what Jude said when he exhorted: “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 22,23)

That said, how do we do this? How do we react and relate to the loved one who, out of nowhere, one day announces that he/she has same-sex attractions? What do we say or do when a person that we dearly love, and who is part of our closest circle of family or friends, announces “I am gay”? Perhaps many who are reading this post can say, “I have already crossed that bridge.” If so, and you have insights to share, please feel free to share them with me by responding under the section at the close of this installment, where it says “Comment.” Or simply hit the reply button to email. In a future blog, I may be able to pass along some of the discussion that would be helpful as we navigate what (for many of us) are uncharted waters.

I will continue this post, Lord willing, in the next installment of “You and God.” I hope to address questions such as: “Can a Christian have same-sex attraction?” “If so, am I supposed to live my life alone, unhappy and unfulfilled?” “Why would God create me with these desires and attractions?” I pray for wisdom, as I am sure you who love Christ, His Word, and souls do. May we trust our teacher of truth—the indwelling Holy Spirit—and nothing more or less than the Word of truth—the Bible—as we prayerfully seek to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.2:5)

Please stay tuned.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Best Practices

The term “best practices” is sometimes used in the world of business to identify activities, methods, and processes that are proven to be the most successful, yielding fewer complications and failures and producing the best outcomes.

For the Christian, Jesus set forth a clear set of best practices in Matthew 22:37-39: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Tom Landry, the Dallas Cowboy’s first and only coach for 29 years—during which he led that famed team to 20 consecutive winning seasons, including 13 division titles, five NFC championships, and two Super Bowls—was once asked why he had been so successful. He replied, “In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do. I determined my priorities for life: God, family, football.”

Many have done that, but the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the allure of materialism have sidetracked their pursuit. Lewis Sperry Chafer, referring to a friend who was devoting most of his time and energy in pursuit of an insignificant practice, said, “He reminds me of a bulldog chasing a train: what’s he going to do with it if he catches it?”

Another practice that Jesus put at the top of the list for His followers is found in His Sermon on the Mount, when He said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) The things Jesus referred to were what we eat, what we wear, and the basic necessities of life. He has promised to supply all of our needs, Paul reminds us in Phil. 4:19, “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” So, our priorities should be to seek God first, and to pursue the advancement of His kingdom and His righteousness as we trust Him to take care of our necessities of life.

In one of his sermons, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., founder of Bob Jones University, told of growing up in southeast Alabama, where hunters loved to go possum hunting with good possum dogs. He said, “Many of the best possum dogs in the country were plain, ordinary cur dogs. We did not judge them by their ancestors. Most of the dogs had no certificates of birth, and they had no family trees. One of the best possum dogs I ever saw was an old, mangy cur dog that nobody would have wanted for any other purpose except to hunt possums. There was a type of dog that nobody wanted. It was a rabbit-chasing dog. Sometimes, that kind of dog would go down a possum trail until he reached where a rabbit trail had crossed the possum trail; then he would leave the possum trail and follow the rabbit trail. Everybody in our section of the country had contempt for such a dog. We all liked good rabbit dogs. We liked to chase rabbits, and we did this often; but when we had a dog on a possum trail, we expected him to stay on the trail until he got the possum up a tree. About the worst thing anybody could say about a dog in our country when I was a boy was to call him a rabbit chaser. Some of you are on the possum trail of divine purpose. It is up to you to decide whether you are going to stay on the possum trail or whether you are going to be a rabbit chaser as long as you live.”

The Psalmist was laser-focused on staying on course for God: “I have set the Lord always before me.” (Ps. 16:8). “My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up.” (Ps.5:3)

Such was the sterling priority practice of the teenage Jewish exile, Daniel, in Babylon. In adulthood, he would stand at the right hand of five kings, of five different kingdoms, as a counselor/administrator. His consistent practice of pursuing God was demonstrated in his pattern of praying with an open window toward the city of God, Jerusalem, three times a day—even on the threat of death. (Daniel 6:10) His practice of godliness, of faith, of prayer, and of obedience had stayed him in good stead. It would, in the den of lions’ experience, prove successful again. “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps. 107:8)

“I counted dollars while God counted crosses. I counted gains, while He counted losses. I counted my worth by the things gained in store, but He sized me up by the scars that I bore. I coveted honors and sought for degrees. He wept as He counted the hours on my knees. And I never knew ‘til one day at a grave how vain are the things that we spend life to save.” (The Heavenly Herald)

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.3:12-14)

A Decision for and a Protest Against, part 2

I grew up in the 1950s listening to the founder of Radio Bible Class, M.R. DeHahn, on our local AM radio station in Ottumwa, Iowa. DeHahn would teach the Word of God on Sunday morning broadcasts as we ate a bite of breakfast and scurried around, getting ready for church. The late medical doctor/Bible teacher had a gravelly voice and an exceptional ability to expound God’s Word in a way that any sincere heart could hear and believe. His son once wrote of Dr. DeHahn, “Oh, he wasn’t a perfect man. He had his faults. He was human. Some people even thought of him as stubborn. But he was a man of the Book, the Word of God. And he was a man of courage. My father went home to be with the Lord on December 13, 1965. Yet I can recall his words to me on one occasion as if he said them only yesterday. Accenting his statement by pounding his fist on his desk, he said, ‘Richard, I don’t care if the whole world differs with me. I must do what’s right. I must act according to my convictions.’”

Convictions. That’s what we are speaking to in this second installment of “A Decision for and a Protest Against.” In the previous post, I enumerated five convictions that all believers could be reasonably expected to adhere to. Here are a few more fundamental tenets of the faithful:

(6) It is important to conduct my life so as not to be a stumbling block to another believer, or a reproach to Christ in the eyes of the lost. “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” (I Cor.8:13) Paul, in Titus 2:5, says that we ought to so live “that the Word of God be not blasphemed.” Again, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (I Cor.10:23)

(7) Concerning marriage, a believer should hold to the conviction that marriage is a lifetime covenant, severed only by death. Those words traditionally have been repeated by couples at a wedding altar, and a breach of those holy vows is a serious matter before the God in whose name they have been uttered. Marriage is to be severed by death, and the Bible says that “God hates divorce.” Though it is common in our world today, it has never been a viable option for believers who are seeking to maintain Biblical convictions consistent with God’s revealed Word and will. “For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth.” (Romans 7:1) “Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away.” (Malachi 2:15,16)

(8) It is my conviction that I am a steward before God of my time, my talents, and my tithes, and that I will one day give an account to Him of my stewardship of these things. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor.5:10)

(9) It is my daily duty to make sure that my mind and mouth are always in conformity to the Word of God: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor.10:4); “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” (Col. 3:17); “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2)

(10) It is my conviction that my citizenship is in heaven and that I am only passing through this life/world as a pilgrim; and that, therefore, my affections should be set on “things above and not on things of this earth.” (Col.3:1) “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (I Pt. 2:11) “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.” (Hebs. 11:13) “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” (Eph. 2:19)

Convictions. They are part of the testimony of every believer. We do not look for opportunities to be controversial and “swim upstream,” against the current of culture. But inevitably, our stand for truth and upon God’s Word will pit us against the philosophies of the age at times. Back in the 1990s, Reggie White, a Pro Bowl defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, was a “shoo-in” as a future NFL Hall of Famer. But on a popular television program, while calling for ethnic and racial harmony, White put his neck in a noose, politically, when he said that homosexuality was a sin. He was excoriated by the public and denounced by fans. But he stood his ground, saying that “I am going to speak the truth. If people think that’s a contradiction and that’s hate, they need to take it up with God, not with Reggie White.“ White, an ordained Christian evangelical minister, lost a lucrative contract as a sports commentator with a major network, as well as multiple opportunities to endorse popular products that would have yielded handsome financial dividends. But he stood on his convictions.*

George Norris, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska in the early 20^th century, having taken a stand that was very unpopular with his constituents, said, “I would rather lie in the silent grave, remembered by both friends and enemies as one who remained true to his faith and who never faltered in what he believed to be his duty, than to still live, old and aged, lacking the confidence of both factions.” (Quoted in Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy)

*Reggie White was inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, two years after his death at the age of 43.

A Decision for and a Protest Against

Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” once said to a 19^th century congregation, “Learn to say no! It will be more use to you than to be able to speak Latin.” Spurgeon, pastor to thousands, whose sermons were published worldwide, also said, “Neither when we have chosen our way can we keep company with those who go the other way. There must come with the decision to stand for truth a corresponding protest against error.”

He was talking about the importance of having convictions and being able to stand up for what you believe in, even if it means that uncomfortably you must at times say, “No!”

As believers, we are called upon to maintain a testimony for our Lord and Savior in a world of which the Apostle John spake when he wrote: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passeth away…but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (I John 2:15-17)

To do so will require convictions. Some may be “ordinary” mundane things about what to eat or what not to eat; others may be extraordinary—matters of faith and practice that to bend upon would sorely wound one’s conscience: “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23b) “Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” (Eph.6:14) Believers today and throughout history have “gone to the stake,” as it were, because they have been unwilling to bend on what they hold as a Biblical conviction. History is tinted red with the blood of martyrs who have been beheaded, burned at the stake, beaten to death, or drowned because they would neither bow nor bend. Here is a brief list of core Biblical convictions that are principles upon which every believer would, I believe, rightly stand firm upon today:

(1) Whatever the Bible says is so. It is our final authority of faith and practice, and “all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim.3:16) “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no truth in them.” (Isa.8:20)

(2) The main purpose in living my life is to bring glory to God. It is not to make a name for myself, nor to “do my own thing,” nor to “enjoy myself while I do it my way.” God’s Word says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou has created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev.4:11)

(3) My body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, and therefore I should glorify God in my body and not defile it by what I do with it, or by where I take it. I cannot justify wrongdoing in this temple by saying, “I am only hurting myself.” In sinning with, to, and through our body, we grieve God’s Holy Spirit, hurt our loved ones, our teachers, and those who have looked to us as examples. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Cor.6:20)

(4) The local church is the organism through which God is fulfilling His divine purposes today, and I will, therefore, be actively involved in the ministry of a local, New Testament assembly of believers: one that preaches the whole counsel of God and is engaged in obeying the Great Commission as given by our Lord in Matt.28:18-20—a church that I can support with my presence, prayers and pocketbook. A church that is unashamed of the preaching of the Book, the Blood, and the Blessed Hope of His soon return. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb.10:25)

(5) Children are an heritage of the Lord, and as a parent it is my responsibility (and privilege!) to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” (Ps.127:3) “Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Prov.22:6) “And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children..” (Deut.6:6,7) It is not the responsibility of the school, nor of the church, nor of the state to train up our children. It is our God-given task, and we must hold to the conviction that nothing on our calendar from day to day is more important than this training.

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.” (I Cor.16:13,14)

(To be continued)

“The Old Rugged Cross”

A missionary was visiting with Mahatma Gandhi, and at the close of their visit Gandhi said, “Before you leave, would you sing one of your hymns?” When asked what hymn he would like to hear, Gandhi replied, “Please sing a hymn that expresses all that is deepest in your faith.” After a few moments, the missionary broke out in

“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died;
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Often, we who have been redeemed from the curse of the law ought to go back to where, for us, life began. “Lead me to Calvary” should be our constant prayer: “Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine agony, lest I forget Thy love for me, lead me to Calvary.”

Come back with me for a few moments today as we kneel at the cross.

Paul, the Apostle, in his epistle to the Galatian saints, made three references to the cross. In each of these we can find something significant about the cross—the emblem of suffering and shame, and of the Christian’s faith.

(1) The Offense of the Cross: “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.” (Gal. 5:11) The cross is the source of shame: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13) In Deut. 21: 22,23 Moses gave instruction that if a man committed a crime worthy of death, and he was put to death by hanging on a tree, his body should not remain all night upon the tree, “but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, for he that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God.” Cicero, a Roman statesman and orator, said of the cross and crucifixion: “The very name should be excluded from the thought, eyes and ears of a Roman citizen: no word can adequately describe such a nefarious thing.”

The cross was also a source of stumbling. (I Cor. 1:23) To the Jews, looking for a Messiah, it was a stumbling block since they were awaiting the appearance of their King. Pilate, interrogating Jesus, asked, “Art Thou the King of the Jews?” He would later have the superscription written on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” And, while the cross was a stumbling block to the Jew, it was just plain foolishness to Greeks—lovers of wisdom, beauty, and bodies. The cross, to the Gentile, was not wise; nor was there beauty in a body that was beaten, bloodied and bruised. “Human nature, whether of the philosophic mind of the Greek, the religious mind of the Jew or the analytic mind of the Roman, or the intellectual mind of modern man, recoils from the thought of seeking salvation from a crucified messiah.” (MacArthur)

Contrast what Harry A. Ironside—the 20th-century Bible commentator and one-time pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago—said about Isa. 53:6, a verse which paints the picture of our suffering Savior as he pays the price for sin at Calvary: “To me verse six (‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all’) is the most wonderful text in the whole Bible. I have been trying to preach for sixty years and that is the first text I ever preached on. I was just a boy 14 years old, and out on the streets of Los Angeles with the Salvation Army. I started speaking on that verse, meaning to take 5 minutes, but a half hour later the captain leaned over and said, ‘Son, we should have been in the Hall twenty minutes ago; you’ll have to tell us the rest some other time.’ I have been trying to tell the rest all through these years since, but it is a text I never get beyond.”

(2) The Persecution of the Cross, Phil.3:18: “I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Lucifer, of course, is the ancient and age-old enemy of the cross of Christ. He has been—and is to this hour—joined by unbelievers, modern religion, false prophets, and the masses of the world who are simply indifferent to the Cross. Rembrandt, the famous Dutch artist, in painting the scene of the crucifixion of Christ, painted himself in a corner scene, suggesting that he himself was just another interested but indifferent part of the crowd that crucified the Christ. “When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree…when Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by.” (Studdert Kennedy)

(3) The Glory of the Cross, Gal.6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Our Lord, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, “and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) We can and should then “glory” in the cross, as did Paul. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 3:13-15)

When Portuguese traders, following the trail of the explorer Vasco da Gama, settled on the south coast of China, they built a massive cathedral on a hillcrest overlooking the harbor. In time, though, typhoons and three centuries wreaked havoc on the structure, leaving only the front façade. That part of the cathedral stood long after most of the structure had crumbled to dust. Left “high on its triangular top, clean cut against the sky, and defying rain, lightning and typhoons, is a great bronze cross. When Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong, visited Macao in 1825, he was so impressed by the scene that he wrote the famous hymn, ‘In the Cross of Christ I glory; towering o’er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story, gathers round it head sublime.’” (Samuel Zwermer, The Glory of the Cross, 1928)

Think of hamburgers and you might think of a golden arch; think of the Olympics and a burning torch might come to mind; think of freedom and the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island may loom large in your thinking; think of politics and a donkey or an elephant might be the physical emblems of what you have in mind. We do not have a golden arch or a burning torch or a Statue of Liberty or an elephant or donkey; BUT we have an “old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” May we ever glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

The Light of God’s Word

“The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” (Ps. 119:130)

The young person asks: “How do I know whether what I have always been taught is right…which church can I trust? Enter the light of God’s Word: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

The believer whose body is assaulted by pain daily asks, “Why does God make me suffer like this?” Enter the light of God’s Word: “For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Cor. 4:17)

The missionary who labors faithfully year after year with few visible results wonders whether it is really worth the sacrifices he and his family have made. Enter the light of God’s Word: “For God is not unfaithful to forget your work and labor of love.” (Hebs. 6:10)

The businessman who struggles to keep his small business afloat is tempted to cut a shady deal in order to get ahead—like so many others are doing, with apparent success. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” (Romans 12:17b)

The high school junior who becomes pregnant through a relationship with a boy who, learning of her plight, disclaims any responsibility and distances himself from her. Her high school counsellor advises her to proceed quickly and quietly to abort the baby—even though the girl and her parents are committed Christians, and they have always believed abortion to be an unbiblical choice. The counsellor assures the girl that no one needs to know, and that she will give her all the help needed going forward. What to do? Enter the light of God’s Word: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Ps.119:105) “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139:13,14)

The middle-aged lady who believes she has internal physical problems for which there is no medical cure. Whether real or imagined, these problems fill her with constant fear. Enter the light of God’s Word: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7)

The young person who faces the uncertain future with a big question mark in his mind: “What shall I do with my life? Shall I go to college? If so, where?” Enter the light of God’s Word: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Provs. 3:5,6)

The lady who is suddenly left without a husband through death and who wonders how she will ever cope without her longtime, loving mate. Enter the light of God’s Word: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper.’” (Hebs. 13:5,6)

The couple who just cannot seem to find happiness in their strained marriage, and whose friends and family urge them to give it up as a lost cause. Enter the light of God’s Word: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Cor. 10:13)

The teen who feels the pull of peer pressure and wonders if it would be all right to attend a school event that might compromise her Christian testimony. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (I Thess. 5:22) “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23b)

The single lady who feels she has fallen in love with the man of her dreams—a man who meets every criterion she has ever had for a husband except for one: he is not saved, never having accepted Christ as his Savior. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” (2 Cor. 6:14)

The church member who has so many debts he just cannot see his way clear to giving a tithe of his income to God through his local church, even though he believes it is right to do so. So he gives a few dollars each week hoping that God will understand, reasoning that we are not under the law anyway, and that tithing was for the Old Testament believer. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of thy increase.” (Provs. 3:10)

The person who suddenly faces death and is afraid to die, but is not afraid of what will happen to him after death. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” (Ps. 23:4)

The person who feels he has committed such awful sins that God would never forgive him. Enter the light of God’s Word: “Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord: ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” (Isa. 1:18)

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14,16)

How to Become a Son of God

Two great battles have been recorded as turning points in history: the battle of Waterloo (1805), sealing Napoleon’s doom and destiny; and the battle of Trafalgar (1815), which was masterfully won by the British Navy and established its global naval supremacy for more than a century.

The year 1809, about midway between those battles, is not known for a great historical event. But, quietly, a sovereign God was doing something on earth that would have far greater impact than either of the aforementioned battles: the statesman William Gladstone was born in Liverpool, England; the physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Boston; the musician Felix Mendelsohn was born in Hamburg, Germany; and Abraham Lincoln made his entrance into the world in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Just four births—but the effect they would have upon the world far eclipsed the impact of those great battles!

The most important day in your life, and the day that will make the eternal impact upon your destiny, is not your natural birthday but the day you were born into the kingdom of God—the day you became a child of God.

Maybe you have never experienced that birthday yet. It would be the saddest thing in the world to have been born naturally, lived on the earth, died, and gone into eternity never having been born again! “Better never to have been born, than to never have been born again!”

Who would not want to be a child of God?

To those who had put their faith in Christ, the Apostle John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.” (I John 3:2)

None of us is worthy, but God’s infinite grace, His matchless love, and His inexhaustible mercy have provided for us sonship! “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” How does one become a son of God? Very simple. Two things:

First, BELIEVE on His name. It is something you do by faith. Suppose you were to receive in today’s mail a check drawn upon, say, Chase Bank of New York City, signed by Bill Gates. You would doubtless take it to your bank and deposit it into your checking or savings account, not questioning whether Mr. Gates could and would make good on the draft. If God draws on the Bank of Heaven a promise made out to you and signed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, why then would you not “cash in” on it by faith.

The only reason one would not do that, by faith, is unbelief, which is the only thing that can keep a person out of heaven. Jesus plainly said to the Pharisees of His day: “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life…How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:40-47)

Jesus, stirred in his soul by the unbelief that kept men in His day upon the earth from become “sons” of God, agonized: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” (Matt. 23:37)

Believe ON HIS NAME. He is the Word, the Light, the Lamb, the Door, the Way, the Truth and the Life; He is Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Alpha and Omega. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

One evening, Charles Lamb and friends were talking about people they would have liked to have met—Chaucer, Sir Thomas Brown, and William Shakespeare, to mention a few. At length, the sacred name of Jesus was mentioned, the name which is above every name. There was a pause, then Lamb said, “If Shakespeare were to come into this room, we should all stand up: but if He (Jesus) came into the room, we should all kneel.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31)

Second, RECEIVE HIM! As the Bible says, “As many as (i.e., whosoever will!) received Him, to them gave He the power.” (John 1:12) It is personal, simple, powerful.

Sir James Simpson, the famous Scottish surgeon who developed the modern use of anesthetics, was once asked what was his greatest discovery. The eminent scientist and surgeon simply said, “My greatest discovery is that I am a great sinner; and that Jesus is a great Savior.” Paul, God’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles, said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (I Tim. 1:12)

Won’t you believe and receive Jesus today and become one of His sons? Josephus, a historian who lived at the time that Jesus was walking the shores of Galilee, healing the sick and saving the penitent, said this of our Lord and Savior:

“Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man, for He was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to Him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at the first did not forsake Him, for He appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from Him, are not extinct at this day.”

Sounds like Josephus might have believed and received. But the question today is, Have you? Will you?

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12)

Seventeen Inches, Now and Always!

John Scolinos, baseball coach at Pepperdine University and for three decades at Cal State Polytech U., became well known for a speech he once delivered at the Opryland Hotel in 1996 to 4,000 baseball coaches who were meeting in Nashville for the annual American Baseball Coaches Association. Wearing a home plate around his neck, he queried of the Little League coaches present “How many inches is home plate.” Several in the audience responded “Seventeen inches.” He then asked all the Babe Ruth League coaches present “How many inches is home plate?” The same answer was echoed, “Seventeen inches.” He continued asking high school coaches, college coaches, minor league and major league coaches the same question, “How many inches is home plate?” The same response came back from every group present, “Seventeen inches.” He then made his point that it never changes and that some things should never change, things having to do with time-tested character standards, whether in sports, in the home, in the church, in the nation. His conclusion: “Coaches, keep your players, no matter how good they are-your own children and most of all yourself at seventeen inches!” Scolinos applied his principle to the nation, to the schools and the dumbing down of educational norms that were at one time designed to build character, and, finally to the Church. One coach who heard Scolinos speak that day said, “I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and bunting…I learned something far more valuable. From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path.”

It’s a matter of character, which is the subject of what I want to share with you today. You will not find the word character in the Bible, but you will note that it bleeds through every person on every page of the Bible. It is not defined but it is depicted, from the fall of Lucifer to the fall of mankind, from the beginning in the garden to the ending in the New Jerusalem. Men and women whose lives wrote a story, depicting a character for good or for bad, for time and for eternity. Every person possesses character, some bent, some beautiful, some honest, some crooked; it cannot be camouflaged indefinitely, for at some time or other, in life or in death, it will be on center stage and one’s true character will be on display for a watching world.

Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and playwright, arrived for a visit in the United States in 1882. Asked by officials what he had to declare, he replied “Only my genius.” Fifteen years later, alone and broken in prison, Wilde reflected on his life (character): “I have been a spendthrift of my genius; I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character.” (Hillsdale College, Imprimus)

Character’s core: the inner person that men do not see but that God looks upon: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (I Sam.16:7)

Character’s crux: 19^th century evangelist D.L. Moody said that character was “what a man is in the dark.” When no one can see you and no one can know what you are doing or thinking, then the crux of your character, known only to God and to you, will be revealed, Moody opined. What a man is in the dark will depend upon what there is inside of him to command and compel him to do right or to fail to answer to the commands of his conscience and of his creator.

Character’s consistency: A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across the river. “Are you mad?” exclaimed the turtle. “You’ll sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.” “My dear turtle,” laughed the scorpion, “if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now, where is the logic in that?”

“You’re right,” said the turtle. “Hop on!” The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle resignedly said, “Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there’d be no logic in stinging me. Why did you do it?”

“It has nothing to do with logic,” the drowning scorpion sadly replied. It’s just my character.” (Copied, Horizon)

Character’s course: When James Garfield was president of Hiram College a father brought his son to the school requesting that he be given a shortened course of studies, affirming that his boy could never take in all the required assignments. Garfield, a minister/educator said, “Oh, yes. He can take a shorter course: it all depends upon what you want to make of him. When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when He makes a squash, it only takes a matter of a couple of months.”

Character’s constancy: Charles Lindbergh spoke to the enduring aspect of character when he said that “short-term survival may depend upon the knowledge of nuclear physicists and the performance of supersonic aircraft, but long-term survival depends alone upon the character of man. We must remember that it was not the outer grandeur of the Roman but the inner simplicity of the Christian that lived on through the ages.”

Character’s crumbling: David Brooks in “Road to Character” wrote that our culture, technological and meritocratic, had not made a race of depraved barbarians of us but it “has made us less morally articulate. Many of us have no clear idea how to build character, no rigorous way to think about such things. We are clear about external, professional things, but unclear about internal, moral ones.”

Character’s components: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest…just…pure…lovely…of good report…virtue…praise….” (Phil.4:8)

Character’s conversion: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17)