Christian Life

A Steady Trickle of Poison

June 25, 2024

I was reading a book recently that told the true story of a woman named Lara. Born in Kazakhstan in the middle of last century and living most of her life in Ukraine, her life was filled with things we can’t even imagine. Lack of food, lack of clothing, lack of shelter, and, perhaps most importantly, lack of love. And, yet, in her heart, she always knew there was a God and He so lovingly led her to Himself.

Today I’d like to write about something specific that happened to her and delve a bit into the spiritual lesson that can be learned from it.

A few years after she got married, she and her husband found a small, dirty house that was said to be haunted. This made it cheap enough for them to afford and they bravely moved forward. They lived in that house for a long, long time, through the births of many children and then through the untimely death of her husband. Through all this time, Lara just didn’t feel well. She spent weeks in the hospital, trying to recuperate, only to come back home and eventually end up back in the hospital to recuperate again. It was a mysterious illness with seemingly no cause.

Until one day…

She and her son-in-law were in the attic working on something that needed fixing when they came across something they had never realized: There was mercury stored in the attic.

They started putting the pieces together and realized that she was suffering from severe mercury poisoning and that her husband’s death may have also been from that.

The house was condemned (and no home insurance!) and the whole family was taken immediately to the hospital. (If you want to read the rest of this story, I’ll put the link for the book at the bottom of this post. Definitely worth reading!)

But I want to reflect a bit on that mercury poisoning. The family was being slowly poisoned and did not even know it. It was affecting their health and yet they were in complete ignorance as to why they weren’t feeling well.

In light of this, my mind was led to the subject of entertainment. I have been thinking a great deal about its role in the lives of Christians. Time after time, I am flummoxed at the choices of those who say they love Christ. Time after time, I find myself puzzled at my own choices, specifically back in the day, as someone who claimed to love Christ.

Meanwhile, my appetite for the Word was not great. And my attitude towards prayer was apathetic. My passion for worldly movies and ungodly music and spiritually unhealthy fiction far outweighed my desire for scripture or anything holy.

I am so grateful to God for His continual conviction to my heart in this area, as one by one, He began to show me the poison I had been filling my heart with. It was a slow and arduous process and it continues to this day. But, oh so slowly, I’ve been ridding my life of the mercury that poisons my soul and so greatly affects my spiritual health.

But none of it could have begun without one specific choice: I chose to surrender my entertainment to my Lord.

Oh, that was so very hard. And I had to do it over and over again. And, in fact, I continue to do it to this day. Only recently, I was watching a series someone recommended to me. I was enjoying it and yet there was this niggling that wouldn’t go away. The series was filled with lies about God. Lies that specifically went against scripture. The Holy Spirit just kept working on my heart until I finally surrendered. It saddens me that it took me too long to get to the place of surrender.

I am not sure we can even get to a place of conviction until we take the first step and say, “Lord, I surrender my entertainment to you. I ask you to show me the truth about what I am watching, what I am listening to, and what I am reading. I ask you to take away my taste for anything that is displeasing to you.”

It isn’t instant, but I promise you that as you start removing the mercury from your spiritual life, you will be surprised at how much more spiritually healthy you feel. It’s quite amazing, really.

I think many of us are spiritually poisoned and we don’t even realize it. We grow lazy and watch movies and shows that are filled with the things God hates. Or we get caught up in a book series filled with sorcery and magic. Or we just turn on the radio to any old channel. We dismiss the idea that these things affect us in any way.

Satan knows this. He knows that Christians think entertainment is simply just that: entertainment. What he also knows is that most entertainment has some level of mercury hidden within that is specifically designed to deaden our consciences and to make us apathetic towards the things of God.

Oh, how important that we consider the consequences of our entertainment choices. I am a living, breathing example of what happens when you surrender this to the Lord.

I still find myself utterly amazed at how the Lord took away my desire for ungodly music. It’s like my own personal little miracle. I know I have mentioned this before but I am going to do so again for any new readers.

I LOVED—and by that I basically mean “was addicted to”—rock music. Of both the secular and Christian varieties. The harder the better. Eventually I became convicted that secular was definitely displeasing to the Lord. That wasn’t too painful. But, oh, the Christian music that was patterned after the world was a tough one.

Finally, I threw my hands in the air and said, “Lord, I can’t do this. I need your help. If you want me to stop listening to this, can you take away my taste for it?”

And HE DID!

It wasn’t instant and it wasn’t easy but HE DID. Today, I just don’t even desire the ungodly music I had been so addicted to for so many years.

And as I have, very intentionally, begun removing the mercurial entertainment from my life I have found that, little by little, God has reawakened my hardened conscience and given me a hunger for the Word that I never had before.

And so I heartily encourage you to also turn your entertainment over to the Lord. Trust me, I know it’s hard. And I know it’s unpleasant to even consider. But I also know how incredibly rewarding it is. And I definitely know you won’t regret it!

*Lara’s Hunger, written by Harold Troyer. You can find it here.

Who is Jesus, According to the Orthodox Church?

8 Comments / June 19, 2024

Today I had planned to take a look at the Orthodox and Anglican Churches, which I call the “cousins” of Catholicism. I say this because they have some key similarities. Both have Catholic roots that run quite deep. The Orthodox church was born from the “Great Schism” in 1054 and the Anglican church was basically the Catholic church in England, re-named due to a frustrated King who wasn’t getting his way (more about that next time).

While the Orthodox and Anglican Churches have a few similarities, they also have some really big differences. I was planning to include both on this post but it was going to get way too long. So today, we will take a look at the Orthodox Church and the next time we will turn our focus to the Anglican Church.

So let’s find out what the Orthodox Church believes about Jesus.

Before I began this study, I had no idea that there were so many different Orthodox churches These churches are broken into two specific branches– the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox, (which is also known as the Coptic Church). As most of us are more familiar with Eastern Orthodox (which includes Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox, among many others), and as the two branches of Orthodoxy believe very similar things, my focus for this particular study will be the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The first thing we find as troublesome in the Orthodox Church is their belief in continuing divine inspiration. It is worded like this on the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America’s website—

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, along with Sacred Apostolic Tradition are the divine Sources in which Almighty God revealed His Will and which the Church accepted as being the only depository for these truths.

So we can see from this that they believe that God has revealed divine truth not only through the scriptures but continues to reveal divine truth through their Church Fathers. They say that both the Bible and the words of church leaders through the years are equal, believing both to be divinely sourced.

This is foundational to the rest of the errors we will find in this church. As soon as we include (and rely on) any human’s words for divine truth, we are going to end up in a very confused and erroneous state.

I just have to add something here that is relevant for us all at some level. While this belief is quite troublesome, since we know that the Canon is closed and God says we shall not add or subtract anything from the Bible (Revelation 22:18-19), we need to ask ourselves if we actually and personally believe this to be true? I ask this because so many now believe in revelation from God outside of His Holy Word. Whereas this used to be considered the highest of heresies, now it is a commonplace belief that God is still speaking personally to people. I do not believe scripture confirms this belief and that this belief is, in fact, a product of our culture that is steeped and overflowing in mysticism. While I won’t go into this here, you can read more about what the Bible has to say about special revelation in this current age here at this post.

A second concern regarding this church is their dependence upon the sacraments for salvation–

The sacred ceremony of Baptism with that of Chrismation and the ceremony of the Holy Eucharist with that of Confession are the sacred Mysteria (sacraments) which every Christian should receive as an active communicant of divine Grace. There are three other sacraments: ordination, marriage, and unction. They are granted to man, but are not obligatory, if not so desired.

Just a note: Chrismation is the Orthodox term for what the Catholic Church would call “Confirmation”. However there are some differences. While the Catholic Church’s confirmation is based on the age of the participant (“the age of reason”), the Orthodox Chrismation is dependent upon events rather than age and generally happens after Baptism and before their first Holy Communion.

So what does the Orthodox Church think of Jesus? We can see that, just like in Catholicism, Jesus is not enough. What He did on the cross is unable to save us for all eternity. Something is needed from us. So here again, we see a religion of works. Man must DO something in order to be saved.

We know from scripture that this just isn’t true–

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Third, and also from the same website listed above, we see their belief that the communion bread and cup is turned into the very body and blood of Christ–

The most awesome ceremony in the Orthodox Church is the Mysterion (sacrament) of the Holy Eucharist. This ceremony was instituted by Jesus Christ the day before His Crucifixion, as He enriched His Church forever with the Divine Gifts, His own Body and Blood. This ceremony of the Holy Eucharist is both His sacrifice for the salvation of man and a sacred mysterion. The Holy Eucharist is the seal of the proclamation of the communion with God. It is the only Sacrament offered by the Church in which the elements of bread and wine not only carry the Grace of God, as a mysterion, but are “changed” into and “are” the very Body and the very Blood of Christ, being a propitiatory sacrifice.

So again we see that Christ is, in essence, being continually crucified. Why the continual crucifying of Jesus Christ, when He has risen victorious over death? Not to mention how disturbing this belief is when you really take a moment to reflect on it. There is no way it is from God and it’s certainly not found in the Bible anywhere. We are to hold communion in remembrance of Jesus’s sacrifice (Luke 22:19; I Corinthians 11:24-25). Communion helps us to remember Christ’s sacrifice–not to relive it (or for Him to relive it) over and over again. Jesus is not on the Cross! He has risen victoriously over sin and death and reigns on high, where He sits at the right hand of God! (Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 12:2)

Fourth–and this is seriously heretical–the Orthodox Church does not believe in the substitutionary death of Christ. They emphasize the medicinal value of the cross (to help man rather than to appease God’s wrath). I first became familiar with this idea through an interview I watched with an Orthodox Priest. But I found this confirmation on the Orthodox Church in America website—

[Jesus] “paid the price,” not in some legalistic or juridical or economic meaning. He “paid the price” not to the devil whose rights over man were won by deceit and tyranny. He “paid the price” not to God the Father in the sense that God delights in His sufferings and received “satisfaction” from His creatures in Him. He “paid the price” rather, we might say, to Reality Itself. He “paid the price” to create the conditions in and through which man might receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life by dying and rising again in Him to newness of life (see Rom 5–8; Gal 2–4).

So they completely remove the concept that Jesus died to appease God’s wrath. He, rather, died to “pay the price to Reality”…whatever that means. Do you see the danger in this? They don’t like how God is portrayed in scripture, and so they change it. (I just have to add that much of what was written in this particular article sounded very biblical. It took me a bit of scrolling to get to this heretical understanding.)

But the Bible makes it clear that Jesus saved us from God’s wrath–

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (I Thessalonians 1:10)

Other verses regarding this concept of God’s wrath and Jesus satisfying it can be found in Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; I Thess. 5:9; and Rev. 6:17, 11:18, 15:7. I am sure this could be a study all on its own. But when all taken together, we know from scripture that Jesus most certainly was sacrificed to appease God’s wrath.

And fifth, and finally, one of the biggest concerns I found regarding the Orthodox Church is a doctrine they call Theosis. I had never even heard this word before researching Orthodoxy. Here is how OrthodoxChristianity101 defines it–

Theosis, a foundational concept in Orthodox Christian theology, encapsulates the profound journey of transformation and communion with God. Rooted in the belief that humanity is called to share in the divine nature, theosis emphasizes the process by which individuals are gradually divinized or deified through their union with God. This transformative journey unfolds through a life of prayer, asceticism, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

So we can see that they believe that the end goal for man is deification–that he/she will become a god. According to a video I watched, this process is likened to a ladder where the person is continually climbing and will not reach perfection until they go to heaven. (Although, they never really are quite sure if they are worthy of heaven. And so there’s really no guarantee they are even on the ladder. There is no assurance of salvation in a works-based religion).

How did the Orthodox church end up with this doctrine? It happens by taking a verse or two out of context and, instead of comparing scripture to scripture, something “new” is taught that is inconsistent with the whole of scripture. Interestingly enough, the Mormon religion uses the same verses to promote their belief that men will become gods, so perhaps we will take a closer look at these verses when we get to Mormonism.

And so we can see that there are several errors in the Orthodox Church which would render it a false religion. Could someone be saved and still attend an Orthodox Church? Perhaps. But they could never stay there as they read and study their Bible and compare what it says to what they are learning in their church.

I never fail to be amazed at how subtle and deceptive Satan is as he presents these “almost Christian” religions to the masses. Almost but not quite. As soon as a religion requires works it becomes a false religion. We know this clearly from scripture.

Now, let me add this: Just as in biblical Christian circles, there is a wide swath of beliefs and “flavors” of any specific religion. What I wrote here may not be what every priest believes. I tried to do my research carefully, using several different sources. But what I wrote here may not represent every Orthodox Church or every priest. I do believe it represents most of them.

I hope this will help you as you seek to witness to and converse with members of the Orthodox Church.

Next time, we will take a look at what the Anglican Church believes about Jesus….

What does the Bible actually teach about Jesus? Find out at this link. You can find the rest of this series at this link.

PLEASE NOTE: Find a printable pdf of this post in its entirety HERE. You will find a bibliography and list of resources used on the last page of the pdf.

Finding Perspective

4 Comments / June 11, 2024

We were at the Outer Banks for a little anniversary getaway last week. Just my husband and me. We had planned to go away last year for our 35th wedding anniversary but life got in the way. As it often does. (Our anniversary is not until August. Last week was just when we could make the time to get away for a few days.)

While we were vacationing last week, we ran into people from all over the United States and from the rest of the world, who come there to work for the summer, some who end up staying there to live.

I will often start a conversation with waiters and store clerks just to be friendly. And so I will ask just basic questions…questions like “how do you enjoy the weather here at the Outer Banks?” I found this particular question to be quite dependent upon where the person had come from. For example, one young lady from Ohio thought it was so warm there as compared to her native state. But the young woman from Jamaica thought it was so cold! Depending upon where they were coming from was what determined their answer to this particular question.

How true is this for each of us? What looks hard or difficult to some, looks like a “cakewalk” to others. For example, a few weeks ago when I flew to Texas by myself to visit my daughter and her family I had all sorts of troubles and trials in getting there and in coming back. To someone who flies regularly, I am sure they would just consider this par for the course. But to myself, unfamiliar with airports and already a bit on edge when I fly, it was quite difficult and I found myself almost in tears a time or two (I will add that I now know that I can fly by myself even if things don’t go as planned, knowing that God will shed His mercy on me even if my plans go all to shreds. As He showed me in amazing ways even on that journey. Such small things…and yet so big…!)

A few weeks ago, we found out that one of our closest friends has stage four cancer. The wife of the couple has been one of my best friends since we were in 5th grade. We are devastated for them and for ourselves. They know the Lord and He is sustaining them, but as many of you already know…the journey they are on is not an easy one. We love them both so much and we are still reeling from shock. But we recognize that we are hurting for our friends. My friend is hurting for her husband. Her husband is hurting for his beloved family. (Please do pray for them. I won’t share their names for privacy’s sake but God knows who they are…)

It has been challenging to process any of our own trials these past few weeks as we recognize the depth of theirs. And we’ve had quite a few. Some minor, others not as minor. But still not-so-big comparatively. What had looked big doesn’t look as big anymore. And, yet, they still need to be gone through. The illnesses, the infections, the aches and pains, the surgeries and the recoveries, the ridicule and antagonism that comes when we wholeheartedly follow the Lord, the loss of those we love, the very real grief that comes with life changes, the challenges that naturally come with marriage, having kids, and growing older.

I’d like to add here that I’ve been so grateful for our friends’ trust in God during their journey. Her kindness in praying for me with some of my own little trials amidst her great one has been a source of great encouragement to me. I know God is sustaining them as they travel this road through the many prayers that are being lifted for them. They are reminding both my husband and me that God’s promises are very real.

But back to the subject at hand…how we face trials can be so much about our perspective. What may look huge to us can morph into not-so-huge, depending on what else is going on in our lives. But, no matter what trials and troubles we are facing, whether big or small, they tell us so much about ourselves, don’t they?

If you subscribe to the blog and read the personal letter I sent out a few weeks ago (not posted publicly), then you will know that I intentionally took a break from writing these past few weeks. I have been so emotionally drained. I didn’t even feel like writing. Plus I didn’t really have time to write, either. Lots has been going on and it was best to just step back for a bit.

I shared on the Growing4Life Facebook page a week or so ago that my brother mentioned in a sermon how a lake can be clear blue on a still sunny day. But when the storm comes, the mud from the bottom comes swirling up and the water becomes a muddy mess. He compared this to what happens to us in trials. We can look like “pretty good” Christians but then the trials come and sins we thought we had victory over come roaring back or perhaps new sins beckon to us.

This is one of the things that has been so difficult for me specifically this past month or two (and maybe the past year) was recognizing how much sin is still in my heart as I have faced certain trials. Particularly the sins of worry and anxiety. Do I trust God or don’t I? Surely, I’ve come further than this? But no, no, I had to face the reality that I haven’t. It has been both discouraging and disappointing.

As I have struggled through this, I found myself feeling utterly unqualified to continue writing here or anywhere. My goodness, if I still struggle so, surely I have no business writing about God and His Word.

But one of the things God has been reminding me of during this time is that it’s not about me. If it was, I would have had to quit writing years ago. Or probably never even started. For I am an undeserving sinner who has been saved by God’s grace alone through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. I will never merit God’s favor. I have nothing good to offer. Jesus Christ is my only righteousness.

And so I don’t write because I’ve reached any kind of perfection or some spiritual “level”. For I am utterly hopeless this side of glory. I write because I want to point you (and myself) to God and to His Word, where we find not only His commands but also His abundant promises, given to those that love Him and want to please Him. I will keep singing my God’s praises and declaring the truth of His Word because I believe with my whole heart that it is our perfect and only anchor for the Christian life.

And so, though life hasn’t been as carefree as usual (and could continue in this way), I do find myself grateful that God has reminded me how much I need Him over these past few weeks. I am so thankful for the many mercies He has poured upon my life, the examples of strong Christian faith that He has given to me in believers around me, and the many encouraging words and prayers on my behalf (which include many from you, my readers. Your kind emails in response to my personal letter meant more to me than you can imagine).

As we all continue on as pilgrims traveling in a foreign land–some facing tremendous trials right now and others small ones (but perhaps numerous)– may we trust the Lord who loves us and cares for us, may we live for His glory, and may we take just one hour at a time, knowing that God’s great grace and mercy will lead us all the way.

Please Note: What I have shared here today is very personal. Perhaps too personal. It makes me feel very vulnerable. If this has encouraged you, I hope you will let me know because it is extremely disconcerting when I put myself “out on a limb” (so to speak) and there is little response.

I also want to be clear that I am not complaining about this season of life. We all walk through different seasons. And I have talked to so many that are going through similar seasons. Or much worse. This is not about me nor is it to draw attention to myself. As always, I just like to share what God is teaching me in different seasons of my life. And to remind us all that God is faithful in all our seasons.

A Sad Tale Indeed

1 Comment / May 14, 2024

The other week my husband and I were on the way home when suddenly he pointed to a group of dead trees. “All ash,” he said. What a sad sight. He then went on to point to other dead trees and mentioned that almost all the ash trees in our area were gone now. There was hardly one healthy ash tree left standing in our area.

In 2002 a small beetle called the “emerald ash borer” was spotted for the first time in America. It had hitched a ride from somewhere in Asia and thus began its invasion. Within 20 years it was in 35 states and it was killing off what would become tens of millions of ash trees (according to the USDA website). Whole forests of Ash Trees would disappear.

How was this accomplished exactly?

Here’s how this USDA website explains it–

According to scientists, the adult beetle causes little damage aside from minor leaf feeding from late May through September. It is the larva that does the real damage by feeding on the inner bark of the ash trees disrupting water and nutrients from moving through the tree resulting in its death. Typically, trees die within three to five years of infestation and trees may be infested for a couple years before exhibiting any signs or symptoms.

So the tree actually looks fairly healthy for a few years even though, inside, it is dying. But, eventually, it perishes–all due to what looks like a small, harmless beetle.

This is a striking picture of what used to be biblical churches across America. Strong and solid, they stood tall among the many churches no longer preaching the Gospel. Churches that had fallen much earlier to liberal theology or bad doctrine.

But a tiny seed of false teaching started to make its way through the churches almost unnoticed. I believe it was the seed of worldliness. It came in all shapes and sizes and attractive packages. Here are just a few ways it entered the church–

Witnessing— how will anyone listen to you if you look and act so different from the world? And so we rationalized and reasoned and came up with the man-created idea that we must be “like the world to win the world”. We lost sight of who God is and of His power and began to believe that people coming to Christ was reliant upon us and our methods. Nothing could be further from the truth, as scripture says it is God who draws us to Himself (John 6:44; Ephesians 1:17-18). But this man-made philosophy convinced us that we could have Jesus and the world, too. And, in fact, that we were doing valuable work for God’s Kingdom by embracing the world. Despite scripture’s clear teaching to the contrary (James 4:4; I John 2:15).

Running a Church— Bringing in the business model to the church, it began to be run by pragmatism, which is the practice of basing what we do on “what works”. If the church wasn’t growing, then we were told that we had to make certain sacrifices to make sure it was growing. We are talking about numbers here. No one seemed to care even one bit about growing the believers in holiness or spiritual depth. This brought in a revolution of changes in music, changes in sermon style and length, changes in clothing, and a variety of other ways. But, again, we forgot that a church is not a business. It is God’s house. It is the bride of Christ. It’s not a corporation that can be manipulated to get the results that someone out there tells us we must have in order to be viewed as “successful”. The biblical purpose of the Church all but disappeared in this influx of business idealogy.

Church Focus— As our view became horizontal, rather than vertical, our focus turned from worshiping God and growing more like Christ together as a church body to meeting the needs of the world and fixing societal problems. And, while, of course, helping the poor or standing against abortion (as examples) aren’t wrong in and of themselves, they should never be the core focus of any church–or any Christian, for that matter.

Legitimizing (and Even Promoting) Worldly Entertainment–As a whole generation became obsessed with entertainment and much less enamored with the Word of God, this became a powerful way that Satan bore into the hearts of church-goers and put their eyes on the world. Much of this was done through the avenue of the church, where pastors were told that they would get more attenders if they’d think outside the box a bit.

I remember as a teen having a youth pastor that began to use Hollywood movies to entertain us. Movies I’d never watch as a more mature believer at this point in my life. Why weren’t the more mature believers protecting their teens? It’s a question I’ve always wondered. Now I can see that for what it was but back then it seemed fun and oh, so cool. And, while I doubt every youth pastor knows what he is doing when he points teens to entertainment rather than teaching them the Bible, the damage is substantial. These future church members leave youth group with little knowledge of scripture and an increased appetite for the world. Of course, some churches do try to do both. But that’s a bit like trying to put out a fire while feeding it. Again, scripture makes it clear you just can’t have both (James 4:4).

These changes within the conservative churches began decades ago. It took much longer than the two years it takes the ash borer to kill an ash tree. But the result is the same. Churches that look the same on the outside are spiritually fruitless on the inside. The worldliness has done it’s damage and, for those of us who desire a biblically sound church, the dearth of them is simply astounding.

And it just keeps growing worse and worse. A few weeks ago, I was absolutely shocked to see someone viewed as a “biblical pastor” post something that would encourage people that listening to Taylor Swift falls under that catch-all banner of Christian liberty. One has to wonder if this pastor had taken any time to read the lyrics of any of her songs or to watch any clips of her concerts? For no biblical pastor would ever point his people in her direction. Unless he’s been bitten by the “ash borer” of worldliness.

I find it quite interesting that to even talk about worldliness as a problem in the church is to submit yourself to severe censure, even among what I would consider sincere believers. Years ago, a few raised alarms about the “ash borer” that looked so small. They warned of its deadliness. But their alarms were met with scorn and ridicule. As the damage became more and more evident, those sounding the alarm grew more and more censured, until most just shut up. If they didn’t, they would be ridiculed, labeled, and often times asked to leave their churches. So most just grew silent. And, like the frog in the pot, the church at large became immersed in worldliness.

It’s hard to imagine what a biblical pastor coming from the 1800s or even the mid-1900s would say about their visit to a “biblical church” today. I even wonder what my grandfather, a pastor in the 70s and 80s, would have to say. For it’s hardly recognizable when compared to what church used to be.

What we are seeing is not unexpected if we understand the future of the world, according to the Word of God. The killing of biblical churches is no accident but, rather, a vital part of Satan’s scheme. There has to be few (maybe none?) left in order to make his final plan successful.

SO what to do? Jude, a book that talks about the church of the last days, gives us some guidance. We are to build ourselves up in the faith. We are to pray in the Spirit and keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of the Lord (for He will continue to shed His mercy on His own in the midst of all the turmoil and wickedness); And as we do these things we are to have compassion and seek to make a difference– saving some from the fires of false doctrine and worldliness, as God gives opportunity.

And then we have the blessed reminder that God is able to keep us from falling. He is able to present us faultless before His presence with exceeding joy! We are His and greater is He that is in us that He that is in the world! (I John 4:4)

So may we keep on keeping on, faithfully serving the Lord in the midst of it all. Running with endurance the race that is set before us (not quite the race we expected, is it?) and looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 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.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
(Jude 21-25)

The Tangled Mess

Leave a Comment / May 7, 2024

I was crocheting a blanket and the time had come to use a new color. I grabbed the end from the center of the bright yellow ball of yarn. Things went fine…for awhile. But soon I found that every time I’d try to pull the yarn it would inevitably get tangled with the other end. Somehow the two ends were both coming from inside the skein (usually one is wrapped around the outside) and it was taking a lot of the joy out of my relaxing hobby.

I finally cut the yarn end from the project and decided to roll the skein into a ball. That should make it much easier to work with. But rolling it into a ball was no easy task. It was the strangest thing. While I would occasionally be able to roll up a long piece of the yellow yarn, I would soon find myself foiled by that aggravating end over and over again. The two ends were so entwined with one another that even rolling it into a ball was a difficult task that took much time. I did contemplate just buying another skein but here was this perfectly fine yarn in front of me. How silly to purchase more! At this point, it was the principle! I worked on it for several hours but finally, late last night, I groaned with frustration.

“What’s wrong?” asked my husband. I held up my yarn and told him how frustrating this task was. Never one to back down from a challenge, he told me to let him try. I most gladly handed the whole tangled mess over to him.

In a few minutes, he, too, agreed that it was an impossible task. The yarn was so snarled that it hardly seemed worth it. He did work on it for a while, making the ball of yarn a bit bigger. But, finally, he gave it to me and asked if I thought this was good enough. You can see from the photo above that there is quite a bit of yarn left but…well, life is just too short for some things!

As I sat there rolling that yarn, I did a lot of thinking. The whole situation reminded me an awful lot of life and our attempts at creating something useful and beautiful from an unorganized, sinful mess. The end that kept getting in my way and causing all of the problem was like my sin. Just always there, tripping me up, making life harder. Once in awhile, I would grab one of my needles to help me with an especially difficult knot. This reminded me of the living Word of God that pierces between joint and marrow and is a discerner of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). What my own fingers found as an impossible task, the needle not only made possible but even rather easy.

After I had given up, I realized that the tangled skein of yarn is like my life without Christ. I can work and work and work at it on my own and, perhaps, even have a time of smooth sailing and even be able to make some positive life changes. But without Christ, it is all in naught and I will eventually be beaten by my sin. If not in life, then in death. Sin will win, if Christ isn’t called upon.

The yarn also reminded me of how lost I would be without the Bible, which was given as a gift by God to us, His people. For where else do we learn of Who Christ is? Of what sin is? Where do we find true comfort? Just as my fingers couldn’t undo many of those knots in the yarn, so, too, our human vain philosophies and theories can’t provide any help in the midst of the temptations and trials we face. I needed that needle and we need the Word of God.

Lastly, I was reminded of how much sin gets in my way. Oh, how those sins we wrongly call “minor” knot up our lives. Sins like complaining; self-pity; being offended; loving the world and the things of this world; striving for popularity or wealth or health more than we are striving to grow in Christ; and so many others. They all keep us from being who we have been called to be by God. Denying self and its lusts, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23) All too often, we want to indulge self rather than deny it and this has its consequences in our lives.

I can walk away from that bright yellow ball of yarn. But I can’t walk away from my life. Because I am human, I will always struggle with sin, with wanting to love the world, and with a life that is messy and tangled, at some level. But intentionally confessing my sin, turning from the world, and working, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to be more Christlike and holy each and every day will yield much fruit in my spiritual life.

The other day I was talking with someone about how hard it is to follow the truth of God’s Word–all of it, not just the easy, comforting parts. The Bible tells us things our flesh doesn’t like–such as asking us to not be a friend of the world, denying self, and calling us to be holy and separated as a people. It reminds us to expect suffering for our choice to live for Christ. And while submitting and obeying God’s Word may lead to a more difficult outward life (the ridicule and persecution is real)–our ball of yarn (our inward life) unwinds so much more smoothly and easily. God really does keep His promises and those who follow His truth–all of it and no matter the cost–will find that the blessings that come from that are worth the ridicule, the suffering, and the persecution. God truly does bless those who seek Him.

Who knew unraveling a ball of yarn could be so thought-provoking?

Far Better

1 Comment / April 30, 2024

Sometimes in life, our faith is challenged beyond our expectations. Tragedies happen and our hearts and minds can’t make sense of them. We want a reason. We want to understand.

This past weekend, our community experienced a tragedy which resulted in the death of a young man. But this was not just any young man. He was a loving husband, son, father, and friend. Most important of all, he was a vibrant believer and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of his sins and he lived a life that gave evidence of this belief. My son was his good friend and the two of them spent many hours discussing the things of the Lord. He will be so greatly missed by all who knew him.

When something like this occurs, we naturally ask why? Our faith is tested. Do we believe what we have always said we believe? Or don’t we? We have to face these questions, either way, whether we choose to walk in faith or we choose to walk in doubt. Which will we choose? If we choose to walk in faith, then we turn to our Bibles for strength and for comfort.

I have just finished studying the book of Philippians and the passage at the end of chapter one has taken on deeper meaning this past weekend–

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better (Philippians 1:21-23)

Paul tells us that to be with Christ is far better. We read these verses. We may even memorize them. But when death comes, we reflect upon them in a whole new manner. We can have confidence that, if a believer passes away, what they are experiencing is far better than anything they experienced on this earth. And, while this doesn’t take away the overwhelming grief and pain of death, it does bring a measure of comfort.

What about those who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior? Those who have lived only for self, never becoming a new creation in Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17) What they experience after death will not be far better. And, in fact, it will be far worse.

Oh, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior today, I pray you would turn to him before it’s too late. Death can come at any moment, calling our name. We dare not put off getting right with God. And the only way to do that is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself said–

 …I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

And Paul reminds us that there is nothing any of us can do to be saved–

 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We can do nothing–nothing at all–to merit salvation. Our righteous works are as filthy rags in God’s eyes (Isaiah 64:6). Only through Jesus Christ can we stand right before God. Jesus is the only way.

And, if we have truly put our faith and trust in Christ alone, then we are no longer spiritually dead but we have been made alive. We have passed from death to life. Jesus says this in John 5:24–

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

And because we are spiritually alive through Christ, we can be confident that we, too, will experience something far better when God calls us home to heaven.

Do you know Jesus? Without Him, you are dead in your sins and your future is hopeless and bleak. But Jesus Christ died for you and rose again, victorious over death! With Him, forgiveness and life is offered to you! Oh, won’t you turn to Him today?

While we can be confident that this young man is with the Lord, it is accompanied by such deep grief. May I ask you to pray specifically for his family, as the Lord lays them on your heart? We feel so helpless in these situations, and yet prayer is the best thing we can do. It is such an incredible privilege that all who know Christ are able to approach God’s throne with confidence and we are invited to do so in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Who Is Jesus According to the Bible?

2 Comments / April 25, 2024

How can one fully do justice to Jesus and Who He is, according to scripture, in one short blog post? I think we can agree that this is completely and utterly impossible. So what you will find below is an overview of sorts, with lots of scripture to verify.

Please take some time and look up the verses; study them, reading them in context. Don’t trust me or anyone else but learn to know who Jesus is for yourself from your Bible. As you familiarize and immerse yourself in the truths regarding Jesus from God’s Holy Word, you will find it easier and easier to discern between true and false religion. We can’t overestimate the importance of knowing Who Jesus is, according to scripture.

This is, of course, most critical for our own understanding of absolute truth. What the Bible tells us about Jesus (and whether or not we choose to believe it) means eternal life or eternal death for us all.

But what we learn about Jesus is also important information as we move forward into studying specific religions that use His name. For we will quickly discover that the Jesus these religions promote and worship is NOT the Jesus of the Bible.

I was sharing with someone just yesterday how eye-opening this has been for me already. It’s gloriously clear that these religions are not worshiping the same Jesus after even just a bit of study. I believe that most Christians accept that there are no differences simply because this is what they are being told. The entertainment industry we listen to and watch, the “Christian” books we read, the personalities we follow on social media, the popular preachers we listen to, and, ofttimes, even our own churches are telling us that these religions are like ours and we can unite in our worship of Christ.

But nothing could be further from the truth. I hope you will see this for yourself over the course of the next few weeks. These religions may use the name of our precious Savior but they are referring to a very different god.

Below I have in list form the claims that Jesus makes about Himself, as well as certain other things we can know about Him from other parts of scripture. If you believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Bible is true and is God’s inspired and inerrant Word, then I believe you will find this very helpful.

(I do want to thank my father-in-law, retired pastor, Jerry Allebach, and especially my brother, Pastor Dean Good, for their help in putting this together. Their help was such a blessing!)

Here is what the Bible says about Jesus (this list is certainly not exhaustive!)

JESUS IS FULLY GOD

Jesus claims to be God and this is confirmed over and over again in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

He is God (Isaiah 9:6; John 10:30; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 2:9-10)

Only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16; John 6:38-40; Galatians 4:4; I John 4:9)

He is part of the Trinity (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:1-4)

He is Eternal (Micah 5:2; John 1:1; 17:5, 24)

He is Creator (Genesis 1:26; John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2, 10)

JESUS CAME TO EARTH AS A MAN

Jesus became flesh. He was the only perfect man to ever live.

Conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)

Born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 1:26-38)

He was made flesh (John 1:14; Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:6-8; Hebrews 4:15)

He was without sin (I Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15)

He was Son of Man (Matthew 16:27; 18:11; Mark 9:31)

He was the Second Adam (I Corinthians 15:22; 15:45; Romans 5:12-21)

JESUS IS THE MESSIAH PROMISED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

God promised Israel a Messiah. Jesus IS that Messiah.

Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35)

He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1)

He would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 1:11; Matthew 2:14-15)

He would be David’s offspring (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Matthew 1:1-17)

He would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:6; Luke 4:28-29)

Jerusalem will rejoice as her Messiah comes riding on the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-9)

His death described (Psalm 22:16-18; John 19)

JESUS’S MINISTRY ON EARTH

His first coming was not to bring peace to the kingdoms of this earth but rather to the hearts of men (Matthew 10:34-35; Luke 12:51; John 14:27)

He came to save the people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)

He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)

He came to bear testimony of the truth (John 1:14, 17; 3:11-13)

His miracles proved his testimony (John 10:30-38)

His own (Israel) received Him not (John 1:11)

He spoke the truth, even if it was unpopular or confrontational (Matthew 16:6; 21:12-13; 22:16-18; 23:13-39)

The world hated Him and many of His followers left Him (John 15:18-19; John 6:64-66)

He loves and cares for His disciples; both those alive during His ministry on earth and those who would follow Him in the future (which includes us!) (Matthew 11:28-30; John 13:1, 34; 15:9, 12; Galatians 2:20; Revelation 1:5)

JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR

Jesus came to pay for our sins. He offers us complete redemption and offers us the only way to be reconciled with God and have eternal life with Him.

He offers the only way for us to be reconciled to God (John 14:6)

He is the only mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5)

He cleanses us from sin through His blood (Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:12; I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5)

He forgives sin (Matthew 9:1-8; 26:28; Acts 2:38; 10:43; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:9)

He is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 6:20; 8:1)

He alone gives us permanent right standing with God (Romans 3:21-24; 5:1)

He saves us by His grace through faith alone; there is nothing we can do to merit salvation (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)

He finished the work of redemption; it is not an ongoing process (John 19:30; Romans 6:23; I Peter 2:24)

He is our penal substitution (Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sins on the cross) (Col. 2:13-14; Titus 2:15, 1 Pet. 2:24)

He is our propitiation (satisfied the wrath of God that was due us) (Romans 3:23-26; I John 2:2)

 JESUS IS OUR KING

Jesus is not only our King but is the King over all things; At His name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. (Phil. 2:10-11)

He will return to earth to reign eternally over all things (Matthew 24-25; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 19-22)

He is King of kings and over all (Philippians 2: 10-11; I Timothy 6:14-16; 2 Peter 1:11; Hebrews 1:8; Revelation 17:14)

He reigns victorious over death and hell (I Corinthians 15:54-57; Revelation 1:18)

OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

When we believe that Christ has died for our sins and rose again in victory and lives today, we become a new creature in Christ, old things are passed away and, behold, all things are new (2 Corinthians 5:17). This life is described in great detail throughout scripture.

We have died with Christ and have risen with Christ (Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 3:1-4; Galatians 2:20)

We are loved by Christ and can never be separated from that love (Ephesians 3:19; Romans 8:35-39)

We will repent and obey Christ’s commands when we truly desire to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4)

Through Christ alone can we find peace, joy, and hope  (John 14:27, 15:11, 16:22; Romans 5:2-5; Ephesians 2:14-17; Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 1:20, 27, 3:15; Titus 3:7; I Thess. 1:3; I Peter 1:3, 8)

Jesus gives us a new, transformed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:3)

God has given us an anchor for our faith and a guide by which to grow as a believer, which is the Holy Bible (Psalm 19; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 40:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

We are victorious over sin and death (Romans 8:1-2; I Corinthians 15:55-57)

We are called to be holy as God is holy (I Peter 1:13-16)

We are to testify to God’s grace and goodness (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 10:2; Philemon 1:6; I Peter 3:15)

He gives us eternal life (John 3:14-16; John 10:28; Romans 5:21; Romans 6:23; Titus 3:7; I John 5:11)

THE I AM STATEMENTS OF JESUS

Jesus makes the followings statements about Himself in the Gospel of John. Each of these could be studied in great detail but, for now, I just want to familiarize you with these “I AM” statements–

I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51)

I am the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:5)

I am the Door (John 10:7, 9)

I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14)

I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

I am the True Vine (John 15:1, 5)

I hope you will find this very helpful as we move forward in our study of religions that use the name of Jesus. I may come back and add to this, as I learn more in my own personal study. I hope that you will be able to use this as a reference for yourself and, perhaps, even for friends or family who are steeped in false religion, so that they, too, can compare what the Bible has to say to what their religion says.

The next post will be: Who Is Jesus According to Catholicism? Not making any promises as far as when, at this point, although I have hope that it could be as soon as next week…

(Find the entire series at this link. )

Strength for What? (Life Lessons from Philippians)

1 Comment / April 23, 2024

I remember years ago seeing a photo on Instagram that showed someone working out at the gym with a verse from Philippians 4 written below it. I also remember being vaguely affronted about this. I didn’t think this was quite what that verse meant. But I never really went to the Bible to study the context and life continued on.

But this week, I find myself in Philippians, chapter four (and you do, too, if you are participating in the Growing4Life 2024 Bible Reading Challenge) and I am finding out that this specific verse does have some context we should consider.

The verse was Philippians 4:13. Let’s be reminded of what this says–

 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Before writing this specific verse, Paul fills us in a bit on what has happened in his life and how He has been learning to be content, no matter what state he is in. He is able to be content in difficult circumstances because Christ gives him what he needs. And he is able to be content in wonderful circumstances because Christ gives him what he needs. Whether the need be material or it be an attitude–such as patience or humility–Christ supplies it. This is why Paul concludes this section with “I can do all things through Christ“. It is Christ who enables us to be content and to do the good works He has planned for us (Ephesians 2:10), no matter our circumstances.

Lehman Strauss, in his commentary on Philippians, puts it like this–

This is no idle boast nor is it the voice of one telling us that he always gets his own way. Rather it is the testimony of a godly man to the power of the indwelling Christ.

This verse is not a self-centered life verse that will enable us to do what we want. This seems to be where so many end up when they pull this verse out of its context. Instead, we must realize that this is about being able to do all that Christ has for us to do.

Again, Lehman Strauss, puts it so well–

But what does Paul mean by “all things”? Not all things we might like to do, but all the things we ought to do. If you have never taken lessons in flying an airplane, do not get into the cockpit and take off. I doubt very much if you would have a right to expect the Lord to give you a happy landing. I refuse to jump into water that is over my head, simply because I cannot swim. But in those things we know are required of us, we must learn to tackle them in Christ’s strength. Whatever we need, we must turn to Christ for its supply, and He will be in us the Power to do and be. To the weak He is Strength; to the ignorant He is Wisdom; to those lacking courage He is their courage; to the proud He is their Humility. Paul could be wanting for food and shelter without bitterness or complaint, but only through Christ. On the other hand he could be abounding in an oversupply of this world’s goods and not be conceited or proud, but only through Christ. The ability of Christ knows no inability; why not trust Him?

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this self-centered “Christianity” that makes everything about US. No matter what subject we are discussing or what good work we are doing, we somehow almost always end up with “How will this affect me”? (Make me feel valued, give me self esteem, fulfill my dream, bring me glory or popularity).

One of the best things we can do for our Christian walk is to move from that kind of thinking and, instead, ask ourselves “How will this affect God”? (Will this bring Him praise and glory? Will it show His value? Will it esteem Him? Is this His will?)

God makes some really special promises to those who desire to live a life that is God-centered rather than self-centered. Philippians 4:13 is one of these promises. He will enable us to do what He desires us to do. He will enable us to live the way He wants us to live.

But this promise is not for the one who lives a self-centered life who treats God like a genie in the sky, believing He can be manipulated to give them their own way. This kind of life will only lead to heartache.

And, therein lies the beauty and uniqueness of the true and dedicated Christian life. When God is placed at the center, we are our happiest and most joyful selves. Serving God is what we were created to do. And, as Paul shows us in this chapter, this fills us with a contentment as no other thing can do. God has abundant promises and blessings for the one who seeks Him. These promises are throughout scripture and they are amazing and TRUE.

But these promises are only for those who want to live out the Christian life as God has laid down clearly in His Word. He desires we live a life of submission to His will and obedience to His commands. And, if we long to do this (although we will never do this perfectly), then we can be confident that God will give us the strength from day to day through Christ for all He has for us to do. It’s a beautiful promise and it will not go unfulfilled, for those that seek the Lord.

Who Is Jesus According to…? A Study of Religions (Before We Begin)

2 Comments / April 19, 2024

I’ve spent the last few weeks really studying who Jesus is in God’s Word and comparing this to a specific false religion that uses His name. As I’ve been studying, I realized that there are two key points that need to be shared before we can really get started on this series. The first one will be extremely helpful in ascertaining whether or not a religion using the name of “Jesus” is true or false. And the second point is beyond important as we continue on. Please don’t miss it.

FIRST KEY POINT:

It is critical to remember that, to God, there are only two religions: True Religion and False Religion. God has given us all we need to know to worship Him as He desires in His Holy Word. It is there we find true religion. Any religion that doesn’t submit to or abide by His Word is a false religion.

Now, I recognize that some may ask how is the Bible different from any other “Holy Book” and why is Christianity so special? Why is THIS the only (and exclusive) religion? While it is not the point of this post to delve too deeply into this question (which can be clearly answered, by the way), I would like to share the one thing that was rather an “Ah-Ha” moment for me personally regarding this specific question.

Did you know that Christianity is the ONLY religion where you don’t have to DO anything? There is nothing YOU can do to merit salvation. Heaven is a free gift, given by God because He loves us (John 3:16). It has nothing to do with works in any way (Ephesians 2:8-9).

All false religions, whether they use the name of Jesus or not, rely on good works at some level to merit eternal life. THIS is HOW Christianity is different. And THIS is why it’s the only true way.

God, in His amazing grace, reached down to sinful man and offered the free gift of salvation to those who seek Him. It’s an awe-inspiring and critical difference.

So this is how you know if a religion is true or false.

NOW, I would like to add here that there is a false religion that relies on a “decision to accept Christ” that has a heretical view of God’s Grace and true biblical faith. This, too, is a FALSE religion. To declare that one is saved simply because of a sentence that was said when moved emotionally and then yet to go on living the same sinful, worldly life is NOT true Christianity. We know this because the Bible tells us that such a change is wrought in the true child of God that they can’t help but be transformed in some way! We become a “new creature” as Paul puts it (2 Corinthians 5:17) As we are changed into the image of Christ, we all change at different rates and we must have grace for one another. But the Bible clearly shows us that if we aren’t changed at some level, then we aren’t saved. The difference is this: Our holy lives and good works aren’t the means of our salvation, they are the evidence of it.

I may actually feature this false religion that people view as “Christianity” later on in this series, as it seems that so many people have been deceived by this false teaching which has eternal consequences.

SECOND KEY POINT:

As I have been praying and thinking more about this upcoming series, I was struck by something rather profound. As we take some time to take a look at these religions that are using the name of our precious Savior in erroneous ways, it may be tempting for us to grow angry at those who are deceiving others or to be frustrated with family members or friends who just can’t see the truth.

It is critical to realize that it is the system that is false and, yes, even satanic. The people—no matter their role, whether leader or follower—well, they are, to put it simply, deceived.

They are our mission field. They are not our enemy.

According to scripture, our enemy is not flesh and blood. Our enemy is the devil. (Ephesians 6:11-12) He may use, manipulate, and deceive people. But the people are not our real enemy. They are simply deceived tools in the hands of our enemy.

How essential to keep this in mind as we continue on in this study. Our hearts should rightly be filled with righteous anger as we contemplate the deception that has robbed these lost souls of joy and peace and hope and we should weep for them.

It is my prayer that this series will be of great help to you in your conversations with those caught up in these false systems but find themselves seeking the Truth. And that, through the Holy Scriptures, you will be better equipped to reveal the errors that they have believed and point them to the light and life and freedom that can only be found in the true Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible.

Next week, we will lay the foundation for the rest of the series and answer the question: Who is Jesus, according to the Bible?

Beware and Press On (Life Lessons from Philippians)

1 Comment / April 16, 2024

Yesterday I was watching a video that was showing clips of several (very familiar) contemporary Christian music artists on the church stage of a well-known false teacher. On that stage they sang the false teacher’s praises and joined in the false worship.

I was reminded of the first few verses and the several last verses of Philippians 3, where Paul tells us to beware. He tells us in those first few verses to “watch out for” dogs (biblical usage: a man of impure mind; an impudent man), evil workers, and for those that would turn salvation into a works-based accomplishment.

Then in the last few verses of the same chapter he clearly states that there are many enemies of the cross, whose God is their belly (we will unpack this phrase next), who glory in the wrong (evil) things, and whose minds are on earthly things.

What does Paul mean “whose God is their belly”? If you look up the Greek word for “belly” (Strong’s G2836) we come across this biblical usage–

the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice

So I think we can safely say that those whose God is their belly value their own feelings and choices above what pleases God. In essence, they follow their hearts. Doesn’t this sound so familiar? This is the theme song of not only Disney but of much of modern day religion that is called Christianity (but IS NOT).

What does Paul say? He says to watch out for and he says he weeps over these people. In Romans he tells us to avoid them (Romans 16:17) Please note that he does not tell us to unify or to join hands with or to ignore or to tolerate. True unity of God’s family is centered around belief of the Gospel as presented in scripture and is only possible through a united love for and a submission to God’s Holy Word. There is no other unity.

It is important to note here that Paul tells us in verse 17 to be sure to follow the proper examples. It is so important that the Christian examples we set before us are godly, holy men and women who love the Lord and His Word. I fear, all too often, we are beguiled and dazzled by popularity and charisma and leave our guards down.

False teachers (as well as “false” musicians” and false “authors”) are not going to announce their arrival. And, in fact, the really effective ones are going to be “almost” right, causing their followers to veer just a bit off that narrow path they seem to be traveling on.

I say “seem to be” because I think what we are seeing is the evidence that many people say they are traveling on the narrow path but really are not. Secretly, they, too, are serving their “bellies”. It’s a temptation for us all, but we find out in the middle of chapter 3 that true believers, while tempted and perhaps even deceived for a time, will never give up on seeking God. And God is faithful. In fact, later on in his books to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds us of this–

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

How can we be sure we are seeking God and not our own desires? Let’s take a look at what Paul says in chapter 3–

–We recognize that our only merit to reconcile us to God is the blood of Christ shed for our sins. There is nothing I can do or be to be saved (v 9)

–We understand that all of the things we are tempted to value so highly (education, money, popularity) are but “dung” when compared to the excellency of knowing Christ. (v 8)

–We desire to know Him above all else and we are willing (or we want to be willing) to follow Him into discomfort and suffering (v 10)

–We PRESS ON toward the mark for the prize of our high calling, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth towards what lies before us (v 12-14)

–We choose godly examples who are of the same mind and on the same narrow path (v 16-17)

So, while Paul tells us to beware the many false teachers that are going to surround and do their best to invade the true Church, he also gives us much insight into how to avoid being deceived. May we beware and press on as we walk the narrow way.

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