God's Love and The Soul That Sins Shall Die

It's that time of year again when we celebrate the ol' red, white and pink--Valentine's Day.  The time of year when sweethearts try to find some way to display their love and affection for their significant other.  It is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate since I get to show those I love how much they mean to me, but without the kind of stress that comes with Christmas.

It's also that time of the year when the church returns to sermons on First Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) and John 3:16--a verse that even most of the unbelieving world out there can quote verbatim.

It is true that God is a loving God.  It is His very nature to love, for He IS love (1 John 4:16).  Maybe the reason the world can remember and quote John 3:16 so well is because it has been repeatedly quoted by the church to a lost and dying world in just the mere twenty-four words that it contains.  But the section of scripture that contains the Bible's most famous verse has much more to tell the world than that God loves them.  It also contains the hard truth that our God is also a God of wrath toward the soul that hasn't repented of sin and placed its faith in His son, Jesus Christ.  For that soul, judgment and eternal damnation await.  Let's look at John 3:16 in its entire context:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment:  the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. ~John 3:16-21

After having read that verse in context, I’m sure we can all see why the world is only willing to quote the first sentence.

Let’s look at an Old Testament passage that describes that very same principle, showing the urgency of God’s heart towards the disobedient and unbelieving:

Behold, all souls are Mine. The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine:  the soul who sins shall die.  But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.  Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn away from his way and live? 

Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.  Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’  O house of Israel, are My ways not just?  Is it not your ways that are not just?

Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God.  Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.  Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!  Why will you die, O house of Israel?   For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn and live. ~Ezekiel 18: 4, 21-23, 27-32

So, just what does God mean when He says “die?”  After all, we all know that those who accept Christ as Savior as well as those who reject Him will all die a physical death.  For those who may be unfamiliar with the biblical term “die” in relation to spiritual things, this certainly means a spiritual death. The phrase “to die in your sins” means to die in a state of unforgiveness by God.  Without belief in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, we remain in an unforgiven state by God; and instead of receiving eternal life with God after our physical death, we are punished in everlasting torment in a place called hell. To enter this eternal place of torment is what it means to die in your sins.

Likewise, when God says He wants us to turn and “live,” this, of course, means that we believe on Christ and His finished work on the cross, receiving by grace alone, through faith alone, forgiveness of sin, and empowerment by God’s Holy Spirit to obey His statutes and do what is just and right.  That is what God means in Ezekiel 18:31 to have a new heart and a new spirit!

What exactly is this place of torment, hell, like?  The Bible gives us several picturesque images to help us understand the seriousness and severity of what it means to not take God at His word, and to make the choice to spend eternity there.  It’s not a pleasant mental image, but one we must confront if we are to deal truthfully about this eternal option.  We see in Matthew, chapters 8, 22, and 25, that unbelievers are “thrown into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Jude 13 calls it “the gloom of utter darkness.”  Mark 9:48 gives us a graphic image in that hell is a place “where their [the wicked’s] worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”  Jude 7 speaks of hell as undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.  Revelation 14:11 gives us this picture: “And the smoke of their [the wicked’s] torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night.”  Daniel 12:2 says the wicked will experience everlasting shame and contempt.  It is interesting that the above scripture in John 3 states that the unbelieving love the darkness rather than the light.  So what is their just reward?  More darkness.  And yet it will be unfathomably more intense than our minds could ever imagine.  Matthew 25:46 relates with absolute clarity that this punishment will be ongoing, eternal.  Never ending.  Please think on this carefully.

Truly, the greatest love God has shown us is by giving us the truth of His Word.  In regards to John 3;16, yes, God does love us--so much that He came to earth as a man, dwelling on earth with sinful humans, though sinless Himself, to die a horrific death on the cross so that we may have eternal life.  This is truth the world needs to hear.  It’s just that the whole story is not just about what God has done for us because He loves us so much.   God’s love and grace must be presented in the light of His holiness, His intolerance of sin, and His impending judgment for those who do not believe on His son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins.  We must understand that our sin separates us from a holy God and that believing on the life, death, and resurrection of His son (which demands that we turn from our sin and live His way), is the only hope for salvation and rescue from eternal torment.  We can go from being an abomination to being acceptable because of what Christ has done on our behalf.  Now, instead of being cast into outer darkness, we can one day hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

And this is why we call the gospel the Good News.

If  you want to give a Valentine to those you love, one they  will never forget, one that will make a difference for eternity, then give them the gospel of Jesus Christ.  All of it.  Not just the parts that are easy to swallow.  Not just the parts that aren’t quite so awkward for them.  Time is short-- not one of us is guaranteed even the next fifteen minutes-- and the day is coming soon, sooner I’m sure than any of us realize, when we will come face to face with our Creator, and our eternal destiny will become an unchangeable reality.  That will be good news for some, and a horrific tragedy for others.

Transitioning from Valentine’s Day to Judgment Day is a pretty intense leap.  But honestly, come Judgment Day, February 14 won’t be on anyone’s mind.  I’m not suggesting you leave out all the festivities with family and friends during this holiday of love.  I am suggesting you gracefully confront those that you profess to love with truth about eternity and the righteous demands of a holy God.  Obviously, this will not always be easy or comfortable. Sharing the gospel in its entirety is certainly one of the most challenging tasks we face as Christians, but it is our call of duty.

Caring for the souls of your fellow man=True Love.  Tell it to someone this February 14.

But exhort one another every day, as along as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

~Hebrews 3:13, 14~



Correction To Last Post

As I was looking back to my last post entitled, "This and That While I'm Away," in order to check on a site reference, I noticed that somehow in the original draft, portions of a sentence were missing. I apologize for my sloppy proofreading skills, and I would like to take this opportunity to correct that error here.

In item #5, I was referring to my previous post on the Passion 2013 Conference.  My statement referring to the youth in the church should have read like this:  "If I were a young person growing up in the church today, I would feel more than a little cheated that the majority of what the local church has to offer me is more in the way of social activity than on helping me grow up in true Christian discipleship.  Elizabeth Prata wrote a great post on her End Times blog concerning the effects of this particular conference."

I hope this clears up any confusion on my thoughts in that paragraph.

This and That While I'm Away

It's been a long few weeks here in my little corner of the world, so I'm afraid that blogging hasn't been on my to-do list as much since my last post.  My dad has been in intensive care for the last week and a half due to heart and lung complications, so I've traveled up north to be with my folks and my sister. 

Consequently, I won't have an essay to offer my readers this time (and probably won't for just a little while), but I do want to pass on some of the blog articles and websites that I have found interesting as well as edifying during the times I've had to sit and read at the computer. I am an avid reader, and I can always come up with great book ideas for those living out their Christian faith, as well as some excellent and well-written articles found on the web that pertain to discernment, prophecy, and the current state of the Church.

Here are some things I have found recently that I hope you will enjoy taking the time to read:

1.  For those of you who are frustrated with the consistent attempts to decrease the amount of liberty we Americans should be able to enjoy according to our Consitution, here's a nice, little thought-provoking blog written by Denise at Surphside based on an article by Bill Flax who is a contributor on the Forbes website.  If you are currently homeschooling or just thinking about taking your family in that direction, you will find this article giving you something to think about.  The link she provides wasn't working due to an error on the Forbes site, so I'm providing a link to the article via another route here.  Hopefully one of those links will work for you, because the article is a good one.

2. It's absolutely amazing how many wonderful resources there are on the internet addressing the need for biblical discernment these days.  With the myriad of informative sites available, we really have no excuse for not being well informed.  The sad fact is, that even with all of the well-documented research that has been done to expose false teaching in the church today, the apostasy still cometh, and people just won't listen.  Not to be dismayed, though, for scripture has warned for a few thousand years we would be in this place that we are in right now. Israel didn't listen, and we don't do too well at it either, I'm afraid.  But we should be willing to see Israel's propensity for dullness and rebellion within ourselves, then take heed, listen up, and repent.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"

Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."  And He said, "Go, and say to this people:

"'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'

Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes;

lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with

their hearts, and turn and be healed."  ~Isaiah 6: 8-10~

So, having said all that, let me draw your attention to another short, but to-the-point blog article exposing the disturbing beliefs of wildly popular, megachurch pastor Andy Stanley (son of well-known pastor Charles Stanley). Stanley's exaltation of the United States President, calling Mr. Obama "Pastor-in-Chief", is  more than just a little troubling.  You can read more about it here, and if you are an Andy Stanley fan, please do.

3.  And that brings me to the next point:  It's true that we all have our favorite Bible preachers and teachers.  I can easily make a list of the people I learn the most from and enjoy listening to their sermons, reading their blogs, and buying their books.  But the scriptures tell me to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), examining the scriptures to see if their teachings are true.  If I find a favorite teacher/pastor's teaching does not line up with scripture, I need to reassess.  Biblical truth is just too important for me (or any of us) to be compromising on in order to hold on to a "favorite" teacher.  Determine where your loyalty lies, please. Denise at Surphside posted a quote by Doron Gladden that says, ‎"If the Biblical Jesus Christ were to rebuke your favorite theologian, favorite denomination, favorite politician, or favorite sin, would you forsake all and follow Him? Or would you cling to what you "feel" is right in the face of Truth and be as the rich young ruler who turned from Christ. Or the throngs of people who only wanted a Christ to vanquish their enemies, feed them unlimited fish and bread and not dare crush them and their sin?"

To offer you a great discernment blog that you'd do well to keep on your Favorites list is The Watchman's Bagpipes, as the author, Glenn Chatfield, has a well-stocked archive of prominent teachers, pastors, and specific teachings that can be linked to.  The Sola Sisters also have a bevy of information to help keep us abreast of the goings-on in the current state of the evangelical church today.  I hope you will keep an open mind about your favorite teachers and preachers and make good use of these websites.  They are truly a God-send for the day and age we live in.

4.  Here is an article written by Bible teacher Gary Gilley entitled "Building Up The Body."  Written in July of 2004, you would think that in the last nine years we would have wisened up by now, seeing the crooked path we've taken and thereby worked to get ourselves back onto the straight and narrow. But, alas, as you can read from his well-thought-out article, the Church is not much better off now than when he wrote this spot-on essay. This article explains biblically what the church's function should be as opposed to what it has become and why we seem to be sinking in the quicksand of spiritual immaturity. Gilley is a gifted author who has a tremendous grasp on why the precious Church is where she is and how she got there.  Anything written by him is well worth looking into.

5.  I posted earlier this month on the concerns with what was being taught during the Passion 2013 conference.  The point of that article was to remind us parents and youth ministry workers what our real responsibility is towards the youth of the church:  it's not entertaining them, but grounding them in biblical doctrine so that they can truly be growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It's amazing how many churches claim that their goals are all about "making disciples" (which is a biblical goal, after all!), but when one looks at how so many youth groups are all about the next fun activity planned for the week (and fun certainly does have its place), it makes one wonder who that goal is really aimed at.  If I were a young person growing up in the church today, onference.  She wrote:  "This conference does much to divide the church by capitalizing on a natural youthful zeal and diverts their attention from quiet submission in service to a local church. This co-opting of their zeal to solve a cultural or social ill is not biblical.  Youths haven't had time or seasoning to determine what their spiritual gifts even are, let along set them on fire to spend money and energy in using them in what are vain attempts to solve an unsolvable social issue. Young adults of aged 18 -25 (the demographic of the Passion conferences), have not served in church long enough to have become seasoned by the Holy Spirit. They may not even know what their spiritual gift is. Even if they have a mere few years of service under their belt and have settled on their gift in ministry, they have not learned self-control in diverse circumstances yet. Frankly, they are too young to be ambassadors for Christ - absent senior oversight." Please click on her name above to read the entire article.

I have four children of my own, ages 15-21, so this really hits close to home.  It is hard to change the tide and do things at home differently than you've done it before in regards to teaching our children, but my husband and I are really coming to understand just how important it is to spend time with the kids each week and give them a good foundation.  It is my prayer that the Lord will help us to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).

6.  Last, but certainly not least, I have left a great article for the end.  Most of us at one time or another wrangle with wanting to know God's will for our lives, and the pursuit of the unknown future leaves many in an anxious state for fear of "getting it wrong."  This is understandable, for most of us have not been taught biblically how to understand what the will of the Lord is for our lives.  Hence, most of us have been given all kinds of tips, tricks, and methods to figure out our own future.  No wonder so many Christians have lead lives of disappointment and confusion.  Here is a biblically based, sound commentary on the will of the Lord, written by Bob DeWaay. I came across this article at Sola Sisters, and it is entitled God's Will and Christian Liberty.  I hope you find this encouraging, enlightening, and liberating; especially since the Truth makes us free, and we certainly need to be free from all the mysticism that has engulfed the Church in discerning this all-important matter. Scripture tells us that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises" (2 Peter 1:3-4a).  We find everything we need to live life for God's glory in scripture!

As an aside, I have stated in previous posts about the importance of the scripture in the life of the believer.  However, Mr. DeWaay makes an excellent point about how one can submit to God's moral law, but not submit to the Gospel itself.  He says, "The most important message of God’s revealed will is His plan of Messianic salvation. Messiah is spoken of from Genesis to Revelation. No matter how diligently one works to follow God’s revealed moral law, such a person will be found in the most serious act of disobedience if he refuses to repent and believe the Gospel. The Bible says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard”(Hebrews 2:3).  Since works righteousness is the belief of all religions except Biblical Christianity, it is not surprising that many are willing to submit to the laws of God revealed in Scripture but not submit to the Gospel."  I agree with Mr. DeWaay wholeheartedly. It is highly important to make the distinction that we submit to God's word because we have already submitted to the Gospel itself and it's righteous and narrow demands.  We come to God His way, or no way (see John 14:6).

In addition, I highly recommend a book by Dave Swavely, entitled Decisions, Decisions: How (And How Not) To Make Them.  This excellent book is biblically based and grounded in scripture to help the believer understand how God views our decision-making process in relation to His will, and how we can line ourselves up with what the Bible has to say on the matter. An appropriate complement to the article by Bob DeWaay.

Well, that's certainly a lot of reading to leave you with!  I trust you will find all of the above articles helpful, informative, and encouraging.  I'll be back when I can, so until next time--happy reading!

Cat In The Valley

Posting on a lighter note from 21st Century Christianity.  It's so encouraging to be reminded that God not only enables us to live courageously, but He is also the restrainer of evil.  Enjoy!



Passion 2013 Conference

Loud music, flashing lights, and hyped-up entertainment are what every teen on the planet seems to live for.  Being surrounded by a mob of like-minded peers going to the latest celebrity gathering is something most teens look forward to. Unfortunately, this isn’t the secular world I’m referring to, it’s the evangelical church in America. It’s called Passion 2013; and there doesn’t seem to be anything quite like a Passion Conference to bring all of that with a big, motivating, adrenaline rush to the youth of today’s church.

 Taking place in January of each year in Atlanta, Georgia, this is a youth conference put on by Passion City Church. Big names such as John Piper, Beth Moore, rapper Lecrae, Chris Tomlin, Jesus Culture, and others make up the speaker/singer/rock band list. My point in this blog post is not to review this conference, for that has already been done by many who have attended, but to pass this information along to you, hoping to “get the word out” to pastors, youth ministry workers, and parents with kids involved in youth groups who are influenced by those associated with these conferences in any way. Even the indirect influence can be substantial.  With 60,000 youth in attendance this year, that vast number of individuals takes what they hear back to their homes, churches, and communities, so the effect is widespread.

Why do I feel like I need to inform you of the content of this particular conference?  Elizabeth Prata states in her blog regarding her first-hand research on this conference, “There was a star studded Christian lineup of speakers and singers at the conference.  Unfortunately, that did not guarantee that the Word was handled correctly.  Much was taught that was heretical.  What was not overtly heretical was implicitly denigrating of preaching, the bible, and church as an organization.”   This is just more clear evidence that most of today’s church youth culture is woefully imbalanced, being high on hype and inexcusably low on biblical doctrine.  Her three-part series examining the teaching of both musicians (Jesus Culture) and speakers (Lou Giglio and Judah Smith) was disturbing as it reveals so much of what our youth is being taught in the church today. You can and should read her series starting here.

Eastern mysticism is far more ingrained in the modern evangelical church than we would like to imagine.  And its presence at Passion 2013 was apparently evident.  Glenn Chatfield of The Watchman's Bagpipes says, “This event is aimed specifically at younger and more immature believers, who can be more easily led into much of the false teaching so rampant in the church today, including the contemplative prayer movement.  In the 2012 [Passion Conference] version, both John Piper and Beth Moore were speakers supporting not only contemplative [prayer], but also “Lectio Divina.” Now we will not only be having mysticism promoted, but some of the leaders are also into aberrational charismania-including claims of direct revelation from God!  Passion 2013 should be avoided by those who care about the truth.”

For those of you who are not yet familiar with contemplative spirituality, contemplative prayer, and/or Lectio Divina please take the time to learn about them by clicking on the highlighted text.  These dangerous activities or “disciplines” are something every believer needs to be aware of because of their insidious and aggressive movement throughout the church today.  Erin Benzinger has an excellent report on the Passion 2013 event at Do Not Be Surprised, and she states, “Contemplative prayer, which is little more than a “Christianized” version of Eastern meditation, often encourages such a practice, as one seeks to journey inward to discover the “divine spark” within oneself.  Yet, Scripture nowhere teaches this type of praise or prayer, but rather condemns the practices of pagan religions.” (For a more thorough treatment of contemplative spirituality (sometimes known as Spiritual Formation) and its effects on the contemporary church, see Gary Gilley’s excellent articles here.)

I won’t go into what was being taught at this conference since the links above will provide much better analysis than I can, but I will take time to comment on one part of the series by Elizabeth Prata.  She describes in Part 3 of her review of the conference the teachings of a pastor named Judah Smith.  I don’t know of Mr. Smith except by looking at the sources of information given by the above-mentioned websites to give credibility to their research.  But the description of his teachings at Passion 2013 is disturbing as well as distressing.  In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s tragic.  Elizabeth Prata quotes some of his sermon, and then in a nutshell she describes what he taught the youth:

--If you’ve ‘been around church forever’ you’re not a respected elder.  You’re outdated deadwood.

--Proper study is not to be desired or you risk being branded a “scholar.”

--Studying the bible and going to church means you don’t have a ‘real life.’

--It is cool to mock the brethren.  (End quote)

Not having heard Mr. Smith’s sermon, I’m not able to address his remarks specifically.  I can only address the basic substance of what he evidently spoke about.  Here’s the point I want to make:  We as parents, and those who are in a position of spiritual authority over today’s youth, have a tremendous responsibility towards them and are held accountable to God for the influence we wield over them.    What is our foremost responsibility towards our youth? To point them to the scriptures!  Mr. Smith has done a horrible injustice to the kids he preached to by disdaining spiritual authority and degrading the diligent study of the Word of God.  If Passion 2013’s goal is to preach Jesus, how can one do that by separating Him from the scriptures?  How do we point people to Christ?  Through His Word!  Jesus prayed to the Father for His own that God would “sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17, italics mine).  If Passion 2013’s goal is to worship Jesus, it must be done via the Bible.  Jesus claimed, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (John 4:23, italics mine).

I have already asserted in a previous post that John 1:1 states that Jesus and His Word are one, and we cannot possibly have Him and not His Word!  To degrade the scriptures is to degrade Christ Himself, and to imply that scholarly Bible study and respect for biblical authority is somehow “lame” should be an outrage to everyone who listened to his message. Mr. Smith seems to lack a fear of the Lord in his disrespectful attitude toward the Bible and spiritual authority.  Jesus Himself had strong words for those who would keep others from entering the kingdom (that’s the effect you get if you downgrade the importance of the Bible to those seeking genuine salvation).  In Matthew 23:13, He said, “But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.  For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” And the words of Romans 1:18 should be sobering to us all if we fail to teach the truths embodied in scripture: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (italics mine).

 This sort of scoffing is indicative of the end times to which the Bible alerts us and in which we now live.   Let’s take a look at the adjectives used to describe those who scoff in the last days:  lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power (2 Tim. 3:1-2, emphasis mine). This can be summed up in a small phrase:  disrespect for anyone other than self, including God!  Are we seeing the “biblical” message 60,000 kids went back to their homes and churches with?  While the Bible does tell us ahead of time that this is coming, that doesn’t in any way mean we are to passively sit back while apostasy runs rampant.  It’s not enough to say that something is wrong, we need to search the scriptures so that we can counteract it by proclaiming what is right and true.

I wonder what our future church leaders will be like if our kids today are allowed to continue down this road of entertainment, hype, “motivational speaking,” a dishonoring of authority, and shallow Bible study instead of having godly and mature Christian adults taking them aside and spending the time needed to teach them Biblical doctrine.  Elizabeth Prata hits the nail on the head when she wrote, “The youth of today will be the pastors of tomorrow.  Uncorrected, this trend will doom our faith to a dwindled few, unless we pray battle prayer, and contend for these kids, bringing them back to a knowledge of what TRUE passion for Christ really is” (source).

My plea to parents and ministry workers is this:  We as parents and those who are church elders are just as responsible before God as Mr. Smith is if we are not pointing our kids to the scriptures.  Kids learn what is modeled before them.  If they see us loving the Word of God enough to take the time to study it, obey it, and teach it, it is likely they will in time follow suit.  But, if they see us disdaining the Bible as a dusty, irrelevant, outdated book that in reality deserves our greatest effort to study and see us disregarding our church elders as old, crusty people we can’t possibly relate to and build a godly relationship with, they will most likely develop the same attitude.  When people are taught to respect the Word of God for all that it is, they will also learn to respect authority.  The two go together. The leaders of the church are reminded of their accountability before God in Hebrews 13:17, and parents are commanded to bring up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). We need to make sure we are being responsible with the charge that has been given to us.  Instead of being so ready to send our kids off to the next latest and greatest neat-o event, let’s pay very careful attention to the teachings of the people we set our kids in front of.  One day we will stand before God and give an account.

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

If you turn at My reproof, behold, I will pour out My spirit to you;

I will make My words known to you.

~Proverbs 1:22-23~

Cliff Notes

There’s no doubt that 2012 will be remembered for the politics that dominated the American scenery this year.  Not that the doings and undoings of government aren’t usually the topic of discussion and newspaper headlines, it’s just this year has been monumental.  As we stand today on the last day of the year, we find ourselves looming dangerously peering over what the media has appropriately called the “fiscal cliff,” in reference to the severe economic changes that lurk around the corner for every American beginning tomorrow, January 1, 2013. The United States congress, unable to strike a budget deal with its newly re-elected president, finds itself between a rock and a hard place, with neither side willing to budge much on vital financial issues.  While stocks plummet and families become anxious over how they will meet the new tax requirements imposed on them (I use the word “impose” lightly since the American people did re-elect this President knowing full well what was coming), hope is becoming a highly sought-after commodity.

And hope is the subject today.

Who of us can’t relate to needing hope?  If you have ever dealt with a fearful situation and not had a clue as to the outcome, you know what it means to need hope.  I personally can think of many times in my life when I have encountered situations that I couldn’t control and found myself hanging by a thread, barely able to  hang on, knowing full well that I didn’t have what it took to sustain myself.

The scriptures have so much to say about hope.  Indeed, hope is the basis of the gospel message.   My message to you today is to remind you (and myself) of the promises of God in scripture. While the promises of scripture are only for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone, we who are born again have more to hope for than our human minds can possibly comprehend.  None of knows what tomorrow may bring, but here are a few precious reminders of God’s plan and purpose for us as His children. We need to take the attitude of would-be King David in 1 Samuel 30 when the Amalekites had made a successful raid against David and all his men, setting the town on fire and taking all the women and children captive.  His men were about to stone him out of their fear and anger, and David, overwhelmed by the enormity of the loss and the revolt, “strengthened himself in the Lord His God” (vs. 6). This is how we have hope, by reassuring ourselves of the promises of God through the study of His Word, and that in turn becomes our strength.

What do the scriptures remind us about our God?  Colossians 1:15-17 paints a glorious picture of the Christ who died to save us:  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (emphasis mine).   This is a reminder that God is our sustainer. When we are standing on the precipice of a potentially disastrous situation, we know that as His children calling on their heavenly Father, He can sustain and protect and provide in ways we could never do for ourselves.  If He created and sustains the universe, He can and will hold all things together in our circumstances.   The apostle Paul, in his prayer for spiritual strength for the Ephesian church said, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us…,” because the Ephesians needed to be reminded of the incredible vastness of God’s love for them (Eph. 3:14-20). In another prayer of Paul’s, this time for the Phillippian church, he said, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).

God’s sustaining power on behalf of His people is a continuing theme throughout scripture.  It is in this theme that we do well to pay attention to the nation of Israel, not only because of her past, but because of God’s yet-to-be-fulfilled promises to her in the future.  But this theme of sustenance is equally applicable to us in the Church age today.  God is not fickle like man; He always completes that which He begins, and that is a truth we can bank our eternal future on.

A pastor once made an analogy between the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the nation of Israel. He said that the fact that the bush did not burn up is like Israel surviving all the attempts of her annihilation. Even the unbelieving world around us is well aware of the continual attacks on the Jewish people throughout history.  When one ponders her survival, it becomes clear that this tiny nation has a supernatural force watching out for her well-being.  The Bible tells us that God would make good on His promises to her, and the fact that she is still a thriving and established nation is a testament to His Word.  Now, it could be that the burning bush analogy is a bit of a theological stretch, but let’s not miss the point that God takes care of His own and He remains faithful even when His people are not (2 Timothy 2:13).

It is also an important point that we put our hope in the right place. Although we are to pray for what we need, our hope should not be in a certain outcome, for that can become idolatry.  But the point is that we put our hope in Christ regardless of the outcome (see Jesus’s model prayer in Matthew 26: 36-46).  This submission to God’s plan is the substance of our faith. As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, they responded to their executioner, King Nebucadnezzar, with these courageous words: “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king, but if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18, emphasis mine).  In the unimaginable anguish of Job, he himself declared his unconditional loyalty to his God by saying, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). Job had no inclination that his situation would one day turn out for the better (he didn’t have the Bible to tell him the end of the story like we do), yet his faith in God was unwavering in the midst of extreme suffering.

Whatever you may be facing today, put yourself in the only safe and secure place in existence:  God’s hands.  God has proven Himself faithful, and His word tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8); and that He will strengthen you, help you, and uphold you with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). No matter what the current “fiscal cliff,” or any other looming crisis, may mean for you personally or for our nation as a whole, we can rest assured that God’s plan for His people will not fail, for His Word testifies that His purposes cannot be thwarted and are as good as done. “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27).

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

~Psalm 46: 1-3~

The Snare of Pride

Several years ago, someone gave me an excellent article on how recognize the sin of pride in one’s life.  That article made such an impact on me, that I have kept it in my Bible ever since.  I read it at least once every year, and it never gets old.  Sadly, the reason for that is that the snare of pride is ever present for me, and I can’t ever seem to come away from reading that article without some sort of conviction and a need to repent.

To say that pride is destructive is a gross understatement.  The Bible has quite a bit to say about pride.  It is the cause of Satan’s fall from heaven (Ezek. 28: 14-15) as well as the source of the fall of man in the Garden (Genesis 3).  If left in unrepentance, it leads to destruction and disgrace (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18).  It creates distance between man and God (James 4:6; Psalm 138:6) and puts oneself in conflict with others (Proverbs 28:25). The proud are shunned by the righteous (Psalm 101:5), experience humiliation (Proverbs 29:23), and will be punished by God (Proverbs 16:5). Although this is not an exhaustive list of scriptures dealing with pride, those mentioned should cause us to pause and reflect on our spiritual character.  Proverbs 4:23 tells us, ”Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Pride is a serious issue with God, as it is a primary root of sin, and should be immediately dealt with in the life of every believer.

I have edited this article by Gary Stephens.  I don’t know anything about the author other than that he was (and maybe still is) someone in leadership with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Please prayerfully and carefully read through this article with the attitude of King David, who said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24).

 So buckle up and get ready for the ride.  Conversely, if you are not in the mood to be convicted, you may want to stop reading at this point and go do something else.

How to Recognize the Snare of Pride

By Gary Stephens

C. S. Lewis said of pride:  “There is no fault of which we are more unconscious in ourselves and probably conscious of in others, because pride by its very nature is deceitful.”

Pride makes us feel special and unique. This statement does not refer to the uniqueness of being created in the image of God; rather, it's the unique self-esteem which makes us feel more important than other members of the body of Christ.

Pride leads us to concentrate on our rights instead of our responsibilities. We're always looking at how our rights have been violated, instead of looking at how we can be responsible and accountable to God and people.

Pride produces hardness of heart. We become insensitive to the needs of others. The first sign of hardness of heart is when we begin to withhold love from others.

Pride produces a lack of forgiveness. "Why should I forgive them? They hurt me."

Pride produces self-pity. Self-pity is a bottomless pit; it's never satisfied. Usually we get into self-pity because we violate the scriptural injunction not to compare ourselves among ourselves. (2 Co 10:12)

Pride produces fear of man. We become more concerned with what people think than with what God thinks. There are usually two causes: 1) We haven't seen the greatness of God for the situation, and 2) We have our focus on ourselves rather than God.

Pride produces an unteachable spirit. How long does it take us to repent when conviction has been brought by the Spirit of God? If it takes a long time, there's some work the Holy Spirit needs to do in the area of pride.

Pride prefers selfish interests over others’ needs.

Pride will not admit mistakes. We blame others and excuse ourselves; and then we say, “You’re picking on me.  Why are you doing that?”

Pride leads to stinginess.  We are afraid there will not be enough left for ourselves.

Pride is sarcastic in humor.  We cut other people down with humor.  Sarcastic humor implies, “You’re not going to be elevated above me in any way; therefore, I’m going to cut you down so that I can look down on you.”  Listen, godly humor edifies; it builds up and it’s very creative.  Anything sarcastic is not from God, because God does not have a sarcastic heart.

Pride leads us to rely on our own wisdom and understanding. It brings about an inability to see clearly, to think things through, and to hear the word of the Lord. If pride has a place in our hearts, we'll misunderstand what God is saying.

Pride produces an independent or non-submissive spirit that leads us to adhere to the letter of the law, neglecting the spirit of the law.

Pride causes impatience with others, calling it a personality conflict. There is no such thing as a personality conflict in the body of Christ. It's not a question of who's right or who's wrong, but how I respond.

Pride responds with judgment, slander, and criticism.

Pride produces discontentment. Are we discontent with where God leads us and the people He has put us with? Are we always wanting to be somewhere else, doing something else? If God has led you where you are, get your heart in the situation until you are content with where He's led you; stop looking somewhere else! God does not authorize spiritual butterflies and bumblebees.

Pride needs to be begged to do something.  If you need to be begged to do something that’s within your gifts and abilities, ask yourself why.  Is it because you want to become the center of attention?

Pride makes excuses before it begins. If the Spirit of God is going to receive the glory in and through your life, don't make excuses that rob the Spirit of God from receiving any glory. Just shut up and do what you've been asked to do.

Pride produces insecurity and low self-image. The way we can become the center of attention is by concentrating on our insecurity and our low self-image.

Pride expects others to consult us, and is offended when we are not consulted.

Pride demands that others go through what you went through. If something was a requirement for you to get to a certain spiritual plateau, then it's got to be a requirement for everyone else.

Pride is envious or jealous. We don't rejoice with others' blessings, but rather concentrate on why we weren't blessed. Pride is at the heart of this selfishness.

Pride always wants to be strong. We don't want to receive from others or be vulnerable enough to need to receive.

Pride produces selected submission. You have no doubt heard it said, “I’ll submit to them because I feel they are spiritually mature; but I won’t submit to this person.”  You’d better learn to submit to each person under whose authority God puts you because He does it for a purpose.

Pride creates disloyalty and undermines authority. It is Absalom meeting the people when they come out from David; he hugs and kisses them and says, "Oh, poor David doesn't understand. Tell Absalom all about it." Have you ever been guilty of undermining authority because of pride? (Cheryl’s note--This is in reference to 2 Samuel 15.)

Pride is ungrateful. Nothing is ever quite good enough.

Pride is suspicious.  It is wondering what others are saying about you; suspecting what somebody may be thinking, when there hasn’t been any word communicated.  But somehow you think you know; therefore you act and make decisions based on what you think he’s thinking, which is usually totally in error.

Pride leads us to find unity anywhere other than in the cross of Jesus.  We look for unity in our culture, our gifts, our callings, in tongues and languages, in denominations, in our theology; we look for unity anywhere other than in the cross—but that’s where our true unity is.

Pride concentrates on what has not been done. "You know, I've never been invited to their home. They've never had me over for a special meal." Stop concentrating on yourself. Have you ever invited them for a meal? Have you invited them for thirty meals?

Pride insists, "I was right; I don't need to humble myself." Have you ever been so right you were wrong?

In identifying some of the manifestations of pride, we can recognize the areas in our lives where pride may be present. Then, through repentance and prayer, we can find victory. We can choose humility just as we choose pride.

The Bible says, “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).