The Will Of God

How can one know the "will of God" in their life? This question seems to be the million dollar question to a lot of Christians out there. This question plagued my life for years as I was waiting patiently, who am I kidding, impatiently for some kind of an unusual or dramatic revelation from God to hit me by which to know God's will or plan for my life. However, it was not until this past summer through a particular sermon my pastor preached titled "The Christian Service," when I finally grasped the whole concept of God's will in my life. During my pastor's sermon, he used many Biblical passage, however, there were two particular passages that brought me to a more clear definition of God's will--

Salvation+Sanctification(cleansing)+Good Service=God's Will

I Thessalonians 4:3-4, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; (4) that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor."

I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; (17) pray without ceasing; (18) in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Well, the more I see, hear, and read--most Christians have that same impression, as I did, of waiting for some cataclysmic situation from God to reveal His will to them. Now, God still reveals His will to some men and women in dramatic ways, but this should be looked at as the exception rather then the rule to most Christians.

Now, if you are waiting for a dramatic revelation about the "will of God," as I was, having that impression can ultimately lead to unfruitful service in our walk of faith . Sorry, I am not trying to sound negative or criticize anyone for thinking that way. What I am getting at is that having that very attitude of waiting for a "sign" from God for His will can cause us to be immobile and oversee our true purpose as Christians. What I mean by "immobile" is it can make us pause while waiting for something miraculous to happen from God; then all the while, missing out on the grander scheme of our service to God. God want us, as His children here on this earth, to live a right life, witness for Christ to others, and to serve Him with all our mind, body, and soul. If we are stuck waiting for a great revelation from God to render our service then we will be lagging behind in our service. Think about it, if you were an employer, would you want an employee who stands around waiting for you to give him/her direction in what to do or would you want an employee who is assertive and diligent in his/her work? Well, common sense tells us the obvious answer in that scenario. Therefore, would God expect anything less then assertiveness and diligent from us? Common sense tells us that one as well--John 15:8, "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."--Romans 12:11, "not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;"

Jesus' ultimate purpose when He came to earth was to "seek and to save those who are lost." (Luke 19:10). Now, when we come to Jesus as believers and receive His Holy Spirit it then becomes our inherited responsibility as Jesus' disciples to carry on His purpose of seeking and saving by introducing others to Him. Jesus in two verses opened the door into what our responsibility is as His followers--Matthew 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." and Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nation…(20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…" Yes, in these verses, Jesus was specifically taking to His twelve disciples, however, these verses are not limited to the twelve alone. Essentially, it was, and still is, a call to all who become followers (disciples) of Jesus to proclaim His name to the lost world.

If the "will of God" still seems unclear, as it can be difficult to understand, try looking at it like this--I am a father of three active boys, there are certain daily/weekly responsibilities that I aspect them to perform. My "will" as their father is that each one of them do their responsibilities and if they manage to accomplish them they are going according to my "will" as their father. If they do not accomplish their tasks they are essentially go against my "will." Now, taking that example in my life of my personal "will" for my children, the same would apply to us, believers in Christ, to our Heavenly Father. God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to be holy because He is Holy--I Peter 1:15-16, "but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior "because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY'" Therefore, in all behavior/conduct (attitude and actions) doing what is right, sustaining a Christ-like testimony, and witnessing to others is going according to God's will for us as His children, however, in contrast, doing anything less would be going against His will--Ephesians 6:6-7, "not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. (7) With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,"

Thankfully, we are not alone in doing the will of our Heavenly Father. God gives us His Spirit (Holy Spirit) as our aid in accomplishing His will--John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." But we should not fall into thinking that the Holy Spirit is just going to do everything for us. Like my own children, I cannot be around all the time to aid in their responsibilities at home--they have to show some personal motivation. Now, of course, I am not implying that God is not always around--He is omnipresent (always around). My point is that we have to show some personal motivation to accomplish our responsibilities--we need to pray faithfully for God's guidance in our life, faithfully read His Word, and faithfully seek out more of Christ in our life; then in doing so He will faithfully help guide us to accomplishing His will--Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus." God is not a "puppet master" pulling our strings to what He wants us to do. We all have "free will" to go either against Him or go with Him--the choice is ours, however, if we faithfully seek after Him, He will faithfully help direct us to Him--Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight."

We all have God-given abilities and talents each specific in their own way to us--we all have something to give in accomplishing God's ultimate will for this world, which is the salvation of the lost--I Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Though God knows and Scripture tells us that everyone will not come to know Him as Savior, however, it is still our duty, our job, our responsibility--God's desire (will)--for each one of us to bring forth the Light of His only Son, Jesus Christ, to our lost neighbors, to our lost community, to our lost workplace, and to the lost world through our Christian faith, attitude, and actions.

In summary, God's will for your life is the same as God's will for my life and to all Christians, which is to pray, read The Bible, and be as Christ like as possible. Then in doing so God will faithfully guide each of us to our more specific purpose in His plan--Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

All Christians, of course, are not called to be Ministers, Evangelists, or Missionaries--"Yes" those are special callings from God for His purpose. However, whether you are a nurse, a clerk, a janitor, a doctor, a lawyer, or whatever the job that does not limit us to being a good steward. No matter how big or small your specific role is or whether you're not even sure what your role is--never fret. Every child of God, essentially, has the same role in working for the same purpose and that is projecting the character of Jesus Christ in all things to those who do not know Him and His glorious salvation.

Simply put--God's will for each of us, who are His beloved children, is to be His good and faithful servants. God's will is not "rocket science," just simply look to Jesus Christ, live by His example, and be a good Christian--Paul the apostle so clearly brings out the details in the 12th chapter of Romans:

Romans 12:1-2, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:5-18, "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (6) Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; (7) if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; (8) or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (9) Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. (10) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; (11) not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; (12) rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, (13) contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (15) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (16) Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly Do not be wise in your own estimation. (17) Never pay back evil for evil to anyone Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

All Scripture references--NASB

The Book of Revelations: The Forgotten Message

Introduction

About a year ago, prompted by something I read, I took on the pursuit to do a personal study of the Book of Revelations. Well, throughout my study in Revelations, to my surprise, Revelations was turning out to be nothing my “Hollywood,” “Left Behind” influenced mind thought it was--a new theme, a new message, and a new purpose to Revelations started to transpire.

Really, it was all something exciting; as if I stumbled on to something that has never been seen before--but wait--what I was seeing was nothing new, but something old and really forgotten. What I stumbled on was the very thing that Hollywood, book writers, and modern day “end timers” have destroyed--the very purpose and meaning of the Book of Revelations.

So, in light of the recent popularity of “end times” these days by those who claim to somehow see symbolic prophesies in Revelations coming to a front today, I have decided to go back to my notes, organize them, and right a blog myself to unravel the forgotten message of what the Book of Revelations truly means and the purpose for it. Now, some who are reading this might already know what I am leading to, and I say “Great, glad you are in the minority with me.”

However, I am really writing this for those out there who, like me once, never bothered to dive into Revelations because of the “hard to understand” nature of the book, so we just accepted whatever said or heard that made the most sense. Furthermore, I am writing this to those who only see Revelations as a collections of puzzles to amuse themselves in their spare time to connect and discover the symbolic “mysteries” that lie within--sorry to burst your bubble, Revelations was never meant for that and there is little, if any, spiritual profit in doing such things.

Background of Revelations

As the name indicates, the Book of Revelations reveals things that would otherwise be unknown. Traditionally, the view has been held that the apostle John was that writer of this book because of certain geographic reasons and other writing style reasons. However, throughout the book nothing is made certain to indicate this view, as the writer only introduces himself as “John, a bond servant…” (Revelations 1:1)

This revelation was originated in God and came from Jesus Christ given to John sometime around the mid AD 90s. John then passed this revelation on to a group of churches in the western part of Asia Minor with purpose to shed light on things that would soon happen (Revelations 1:11).

By the late part of the first century, the churches in this region were already well established, based on the first missionary journeys recorded in Acts chapters 16-19--mid first century. In Revelations chapter 2-3, we see specific letters to these churches, which clues us in to what were the conditions during this time surrounding the region (Asia Minor) as a whole. These were trouble time for the church, as persecution was strong towards the Christians.

Really, from the beginning of the first century the church had experienced persecution, but mainly, from the Jews. However, as time went on the Roman government officials added to the persecution where thousands upon thousands of Christians were either imprisoned, tortured, killed, or became slaves because of their faith in Christ--John being an example as he was exiled to a prison on the Island of Patmos, just off the coast of Ephesus. The peek of all this hanis persecution came around the AD 60s under the Roman Emperor Nero and continued through the AD 90s during the time of the Roman Emperor Domitian--this is all key in understanding the purpose of Revelations.

Testing Times for the Christians

These were indeed testing times for all Christians--persecution was at its height and oppression towards the Christians increased. More and more people were turning against the Christians, as the government enforced Emperor worship. To make things worse, false teachers started to stir up trouble within the churches by suggesting Christians to go along with pagan religions, which practiced idol worship and other immoral sins. (Revelations 2:10, 13-14, 20; 6:9-11)

Many Christians, as a result of all of this were becoming discouraged and confused, and even some were renouncing their faith, as it seemed that the return of their King Jesus Christ was not coming as they expected to save them from such persecution. The real power seemed be in the hands of evil ones, the Emperor, and not Almighty God.

However, through John, Jesus reassured His persecuted followers that He was still very much in control, as He did not leave them with a false hope of a quick return, but rather, He prepared them for a greater endurance. He revealed to them through John the extent of more troubles to come and the eternal reward that awaited for those who stay firm for Him. Jesus’ message to them, and all of us who follow, was that in God’s time, He will certainly return to judge the evil doers, save His people, and bring all His people into His rest of eternal peace and joy. (Revelations 1:5; 12:10-11; 19:15-16; 21:1-4; 22:7)

The Conclusion--The Forgotten Message

There have been various ways people have tried to interpret the Book of Revelations--some interpret it to only future aspects, some interpret that is solely for those of the first century, and some interpret as a continuation through history from first century until the end of time. These are the most popular noted interpretations held, which I may say maybe considerable, but some interpretations I have heard are just pure silliness and imaginations gone wild.

There is no doubt that Revelations had a meaning to the Christians in the late first century, as it has meaning to all Christians since then and as it will have meaning to those in the end of all ages. The symbolic pictures in the book are taken mainly from life under Roman rule as John knew it, but the principles are for every Christian anytime and anywhere. In every era and nation, the Christians have been faced with persecution, anti-christs, and false prophets. Therefore, we must be careful not to limit this book to our own favorite interpretation or even try to strum up connections of modern-day events to these prophesies.

The Book of Revelation is not merely a book of symbolic prophesies for the “end times” to come nor should we bother or debate over it--our Lord Jesus told us to be concerned for today and not tomorrow. So, if all we see is “end times” prophesies we will overlook that the Book of Revelations was given to strengthen, to guide, and to encourage Christians who were, who are, and who will be going into the mist of suffering persecution for Christ, so that they may see the relevance of John’s revelation to their own experiences.

The True Message of Revelations is HOPE--from the first century to the present, Christians have triumphed over the forces of the anti-christ through Christ’s victory on the cross (Revelations 12:11). However, the ultimate victory will be when Jesus Christ returns to banish evil and save His people.

Now, after you have read this, I would like to encourage you to visit my dear friend JL McKinney's blog post "Rapture: Discussed Here" where he brings out a profound conclusion about the Second Coming of Christ in Jesus' own words--just click>>Here.

Beyond the Surface

Our inner being, the part of us that know one else can see. Often we can "pull the wool" over us and portray something to others that is really not true, hoping that others will not catch what is really going on inside. Well, I think Christians can be the guiltiest of all in pulling the wool due to the standard others expect from Christians or what others expect to see at our church. Oh, how easy it is to fool someone on the outside, but there is One we can never fool and that is God. I Samuel 16:7, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." I think this verse is clear on what God looks at and is concerned about. We can look whatever way we want, dress the way we want, or act the way we want, but it all does not matter to God, God is looking at how our heart, our inward intentions--the stuff that men cannot see. I was reading a book one time and it said something very true and very profound, "It's not what you do that make you what you are, it is what you are that makes you what you do." Romans 7:22-23, "For in my inner being I delight in God's law; (23) but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." Paul the apostle is clearly going beyond the outer surface of his exterior body and going inward to what really matters--Paul delights in God inwardly, but a battle is always waging between his old carnal spirit and his new glorious spirit in Christ. We all face this as Christians, Yes, it would be great if our old born-in carnal spirit would just go away when we accept Jesus Christ, but we are still only human and our sin nature is still there, but we can delight in the fact that our Savior Jesus can help us tame and control our carnal spirit--Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Looking on outward appearances, usually, brings along criticism. Remember the old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, we like to say we live by that, but so often, we do not. I have worked with the public for the past 12 years, which unfortunately has given me the bad habit of looking at outward appearances to measure ones persona. It is a hard habit to correct sometimes, but we all do it, it is just plan human nature--what more of a person can we see than their outward appearance. Though the old saying promotes that judging is wrong, The Bible makes is clear as well--Matthew 7:1-2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (2)For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I have noticed that somewhere along the way churches are paying more attention to an outward appearance than the inward being. This, of course, is not true in all cases, but it is true too often. The church I grew up in was a very "traditional style" church--still is. The music did not go beyond the piano or organ and the dress standard was set very high--wearing "Sunday's best" was the code no matter what day it was. I am not kidding you, if a woman showed up to a service with pants on another woman in the church would tell her "Next time wear a dress" and if a guy wore jeans a thousand stares would tell him "don't do it again." A friend of mine who is proud of his long hair and his "Santa Claus" beard told me a story of when he was visiting a church, the pastor and him were talking and the pastor told him point blank that the Lord would one day convict him to cut his hair and his beard. It is sad, but it seems that in some churches broken customs are seen as sin. When we restrict ourselves to religious customs, we are no better than the Jews during the time of Christ. Christian, whether you dress up or not for church what is your inward intention--to serve man or to serve God. If we get caught up on what we wear because of rules by men, it can damage our service to God. In addition, we have to remember that when we become critical of others, we can lose sight of the real joy of the Lord in our life--Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (24) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

The Hope Of The Christian

There are three essential virtues, within Christianity, on which we have our foundation in Jesus Christ built on. Two of them are faith and love and the third one is hope. In this blog I will be, specifically, dealing with hope, but first, seeing that all three inner relate to each other, what does Scripture say about the faith and love. I Corinthians 13:13 regards love as the greatest of the three virtues--“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” [NIV] Faith, as well, is very highly important, for it is our “core” foundation, without it salvation in Jesus Christ would not be possible--Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” [NIV] Though, faith is essential for salvation, it is hope that gives us security in that salvation--Titus 3:7, “So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” [NIV] I have heard many sermons about faith and many sermons about love, but, specifically, I have rarely heard a sermon about hope. Why is that? Well, what is the cornerstone of the Christian belief? It is faith--Ephesians 3:17, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” [NIV] To have hope in Christ one must have faith in Christ first. Well, I think it is obvious on why so much it talked about love: God is love (John 3:16) and love is the key word in the two greatest commandments--(1) love God with all your being (2) love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the cornerstone to our Christian obedience to God and fellowship to our fellow man; furthermore, love is the foundation to all God given laws--Galatians 5:14, “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, " YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." [NIV] However, hope is the cornerstone of Christian perseverance--Hebrew 6:11, “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” [NIV]

Hope and I mean real hope, which is only found in Jesus Christ, is not present until we deny our human selfish-pride and bring in our new life in Jesus Christ. Hope, as I see it, becomes the “glue” so to speak that holds all three virtues together. Colossians 1:4-5, tributes hope as the spring for our enduring faith and love in our new life--“Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saint (5) the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.” [NIV] True hope brings us true peace and true joy in our lives through our promised “Comforter,” the Holy Spirit--Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." [NIV] Hope brings us enduring strength and great rejoice through times of suffering and true hope in God will never disappoint us--Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” [NIV] Hope is the promise of eternal life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--Titus 3:6-7, “Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” [NIV] Moreover, the greatest encouragement that hope gives is the “blessed hope” of the glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13, “While we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” [NIV]

Often, I think where Christianity would be today if it was not for hope. Hope in Christ is what keeps us going, hope in Christ is our passion to witness, hope in Christ is our power to love, hope in Christ is the glory of Heaven, and hope in Christ gives us true freedom. The world has so much to offer in the way of hope, but it is a false hope that never will please, fulfill, or satisfy. This false hope is a constant let down that will keep us always wanting more, but we never truly getting what we want. What the world’s sense of hope will bring us? Nothing, but death--Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” [NIV] To the Christian, hope is not wishful thinking, as the world suggests; hope is trust in God’s word, which leads to everlasting life--Isaiah 49:23, “…Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed." [NIV]

Of course, our hope in Christ will fall under attack, by the one whose enduring pursuit has always been to destroy our love, faith, and hope. Satan will attack us in a way that is quite seductive, he will have us to think that our own self-passions, self-wants, and self-desires will be given to us by God, no matter what, as long as we have enough “faith.” Oh, brother and sister, we know better. Christ told us to deny our self-passions, self-wants, and self-desires, to take up our crosses and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) Satan truly has a false sense of hope; he keeps trying and trying to destroy the very hope that we have in Jesus Christ, to prevent our way of spreading Christ’s hope in a hopeless world. Satan knows, by far, his future and we know it as well, he has a “hopeless hope” and he wants it to become ours, but we unlike him, we have a “living hope”--I Peter 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) and into an INHERITANCE that can NEVER perish, spoil or fade—kept in HEAVEN for you.” [NIV]

“The children of God are filled with peace and joy, despite all their struggles and valleys, they are confident of the salvation that waits for them. They receive peace in the knowledge that, thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood and was crushed for their sins, the evil one can no longer accuse them before the Father. They have confidence that God will forgive them their sins because they trust in him, and confess their sins. They have confidence while they work and while they rest that the Son of Man will give them eternal life when he returns. They belong to God, and no one can snatch them out of his hand. They will never betray the Lord as Judas did. They love their Saviour, and he loves them. They produce much fruit. They are good and faithful servants who put what he has given them to good use. They keep themselves ready and waiting for his return.”

Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (3) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” [NIV]

Will it not be a great day when our hope turns to reality.

God Bless You

Hey Christian, Christmas Is Okay--If You Were Concerned

So, what is the story behind all this Christmas is pagan stuff and why are some Christian concluding that Christmas is sin against God?

The history of Christmas, as in the name Christmas, came from the Roman Church back in the 4th century A.D. during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. In Rome and throughout the Roman Empire their were much in the way of pagan rituals and festivals, which several festivals were held either on December 25th or sometime around the date. December 25th hosted two related festivals--natalis solis invicti, which was the Roman "birth of the unconquered sun," and the birthday of Mithras, which was the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman soldiers. The winter solstice was another celebration of the sun, which fell just a few days earlier. Seeing that pagans were already exalting deities with some parallels to the True Deity, church leaders decided to introduce a new festival (i.e. Christmas or “Christ’s Mass”) for Christians to observe the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The intention behind church leaders creating this new festival was so to avoid Christians from falling into the pagan practices and festivals that were popular at the time, as stated above. Christians first celebrated Christmas on December 25th in 336 A.D. soon after the Christian baptism of Emperor Constantine, who declared Christianity the empire's favored religion.

So where does the argument for those opposed to the Christmas tree and other Christmas traditions lay. Here is the famed Scripture passage that most “anti-Christmas” people use to justify their viewpoint that Christmas, namely the “Christmas tree,” is of pagan origin and therefore a sin against Almighty God for any Christian to partake in—

Jeremiah 10:1-4, “Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel (2) Thus says the LORD,‘Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; (3) For the customs of the peoples are delusion; because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. (4)They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.’” (NASB)

Now, to understand this passage in Jeremiah we must first understand the cultural background story behind it. If you go on in further in this passage you can clearly see that this pagan custom was a form of idol worship to the pagan god/s to represent, in a way, the One True Everlasting God. One of the most common examples of a tree idol was the Asherah, which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Asherah was a pagan goddess that was worshiped throughout the Mediterranean region. She was considered to be the goddess of the sea and the mother of Baal. She was always represented as a tree or pole, either planted or erected, then decorated. There are many warnings in the Old Testament about the Asherah tree--here are a couple of examples,

Exodus 34:12-14, “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. (13) But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim (14) for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (NASB)

Judges 6:25, “Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;” (NASB)

I believe these two examples along with Jeremiah 10 are clearly referring to idol worship, which they all relate to the pagan goddess Asherah. Therefore, to assume this has any reference to the Christmas tree is pure silliness and every bit taking the passage out of its contextual meaning. However, if those who set up a Christmas tree fall down and worship it as a god or goddess or if someone loves their Christmas tree more than God, then such a thing could be considered a form of spiritual idolatry, therefore, one could justifiably apply Jeremiah 10. Outside of these possible exceptions, I think it clear that Christians who put up a Christmas tree in their home are NOT worshiping them for idol worship purposes, nor do they love them more than their Savior Jesus Christ. They are simply using the Christmas tree as a fun custom or as reminder of the “reason for the season:” the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

It is unfortunate thing when well-meaning Christians call something sin that is not sin, and then try to enslave the minds of their fellow believers. As an old 4th century theologian stated, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of Him who made it.”

Now, I would like to encourage you to read an excellent testimonial by a dear friend of mine, J.L. McKinney. He used to believe that Christmas was indeed pagan and wrong for Christians to participate in. However, through much prayer and study in Scripture he no longer sees Christmas as an issue, but rather a joyous occasion—“A Letter To An Old Friend.” (Click the title to read the blog)

Deliverance: From Atheist to Believer

“I was an atheist at one time. And like most atheists, the issue of people believing in God bothered me greatly. What is it about atheists that we would spend so much time, attention, and energy refuting something that we don't believe even exists?! What causes us to do that? When I was an atheist, I attributed my intentions as caring for those poor, delusional people...to help them realize their hope was completely ill-founded. To be honest, I also had another motive. As I challenged those who believed in God, I was deeply curious to see if they could convince me otherwise. Part of my quest was to become free from the question of God. If I could conclusively prove to believers that they were wrong, then the issue is off the table, and I would be free to go about my life.

I didn't realize that the reason the topic of God weighed so heavily on my mind, was because God was pressing the issue. I have come to find out that God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. It was as if I couldn't escape thinking about the possibility of God. In fact, the day I chose to acknowledge God's existence, my prayer began with, "Ok, you win..." It might be that the underlying reason atheists are bothered by people believing in God is because God is actively pursuing them.

I am not the only one who has experienced this. Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist and philosophical author, wrote, ‘I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued.’ C.S. Lewis said he remembered, ‘...night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England.’

Lewis went on to write a book titled, "Surprised by Joy" as a result of knowing God. I too had no expectations other than rightfully admitting God's existence. Yet over the following several months, I became amazed by his love for me.”

By Marilyn Adamson

Truly a compelling story of rejection to acceptance, however, this is only a part of the whole article. Marilyn Adamson's theme throughout the whole article is answering the question, "Does God Exist?". Now, to a believer the answer to that question is simple, however, to an unbeliever that question is not so simple. Well, I am not sure about you, but as for me, to see a former atheist turned believer and then go on to answer the question "Does God Exist?," in itself, gives the answer. If you want to read the full article, simply, click on "By Marilyn Adamson" and your there.

Christian, Through The Eyes Of...

What is the first thing you think of when you hear, “Christian?” What word, picture, or phrase comes to you?

I am sure everyone has their own opinion or thought about Christians, whether it is positive, negative, or neutral. When you are on the outside looking in, your perception of Christians can be seen in all sort of different ways. What concerns me is when I hear others talk negative towards Christians. However, what really concerns me the most is when that negative perception came from the source itself, Christians misrepresenting Jesus Christ.

For example, you have the “Christians” protesting at funerals, claiming that unexpected death comes to those who do not serve God or you have the so-called “Servants of God” who bomb abortion clinics and say they are doing God's work, apparently both of these groups need to catch up to their Bible and read "love thy neighbor." These people as you can see are extremist, who take a verse or phase completely out of context to justify their hate-filled agenda. My opinion is that these so-called Christians are clearly darkening the light that Jesus Christ wants us to shine as Christians. With that said, I do not believe willful acts like the bombings and the protesting at funerals have anything to do with Jesus, but have everything to do with a distortion of satan to tarnish the name of Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. Think about it, what better way for satan to steer unbelievers away from Jesus, then to corrupt within the very faith he despises and oh, how well our adversary, in so many ways, is doing that today.

Personally, the name Christian has made a transition with me over the years. I grew up in a Christian home, attended a Christian school, and faithfully, my family attended a local Baptist church. Being directly involved with Christianity including the high standards the Baptist church taught about being a Christian was a lot to live up to. The Baptist church like I said, taught high standards for Christian living: girls were to dress proper--no pants and no exposed cleavage, only dresses with a covering top, everyday and all the time. For the guys--no long hair, no piercing, no tattoos (if you have one do not get another one), and dressy pants and a button up shirt at all times in the church. To break it all down, anything that is a style or a trend in the world, stay away from it, which included any and all music that has a beat.

Sadly, though, after graduating from high school my commitment and passion for Christian living started to fade. I found myself face to face with the outside world no longer under the “security blanket” of the church and school. Everything seemed to hit me at once and my conviction for Jesus Christ became dark. During the next eight years my life spiraled into a world of drugs and alcohol, and a slu of bad decisions; however, I did manage to find a great wife and have three healthy boys--not all bad. Well, it was not until a conversation with my neighbor, when I was twenty-seven, that I finally listened to the conviction of the Holy Spirit to get my life back on track with my Savior Jesus Christ.

It has been four years since that life changing day, now I am thirty, my life has once again found purpose and passion in every aspect of my life. As a result of coming back to the Lord: my family and I attend a great Vineyard church in the community, finally, after a year of praying and church "jumping," my prayer life is strong, the increasing desire to study The Bible has followed, my love for music has expanded, and a true joy to write encouraging words has became a new found passion. I am not bragging here, it is all just a true joy and I want to share it; moreover, it is not all glorious, I have my low times, but my new found hope in Christ keeps me going through the rough times--like the old hymn says, “To God be the glory, great things He has done.”

Growing up when I heard the name “Christian,” my first thought was a person with a high code of standards mixed with an abundance of life sacrifices, but now, my thoughts are not so dramatic. Through out all of my experiences over my life (the good, the bad, and the ugly) I see the world in a whole new light--the clouded eyes of my past of “religious codes” and bad choices has transformed to a clear new set. Now, when I hear “Christian,” I think of a regular everyday person, with a regular job, a regular family, and a regular life. There is no dress code, no particular look--none of that really has anything to do with a Christians relationship with Christ. A Christian is one who earnestly desires more of Christ in there life; lives by faith, hope, and love and lives to spread the Gospel to all who need it. That is Christian, through the eyes of me.

November 4th, Abortion, And The Christian

Now this is not my usual type of blog as I usually do not get into political or controversial issues, but due to this election time, I feel it is necessary to point out to some Christians that our vote breaks down to more than just economics, health care, taxes, or American jobs. I am not saying that those issues are not important, but as a Christian, I believe all of those issues should come second to moral issues such as abortion because Christ and His apostles taught us to think and act as moral people in all things and I have never read that Christ nor His apostles told us to worry about economic issues. Therefore, we as believers in Christ must ask a critical question, first, when it comes to our vote. Where does each candidate running for President stand on the moral issues (local and state elections included)?

Pro-Life, Pro-Abortion, or Pro-Choice

There are two main candidates running for President, which most of us will be voting for one of them on November 4th. One candidate has a history on the issue of abortion of being completely against it (pro-life) and the other has a history of being for abortion (pro-abortion). Well, you might say that I am incorrect about the one who is pro-abortion and correct me by saying that he is really pro-choice. Okay, but isn't pro-choice really saying pro-abortion--let us break down each terms and then you will see that there is no difference between the two. Pro-life, of course, is one who is completely against abortion, Pro-abortion is one who is for abortion, and Pro-choice is one who believes that the choice of keeping the baby or aborting the baby is completely up to the woman. Now, think about, if one states to being pro-abortion, they are obviously for the woman's right to choose abortion, but are they totally against the woman's right to choose to have the baby--of course not, they just want the right of abortion to be available. So, is that any different from being pro-choice? The rights for a woman to choose either to keep her baby or aborting her baby are both seen by those who are pro-choice and pro-abortion. With that said, there is no difference between being pro-abortion or pro-choice. If you are pro-choice, you are also pro-abortion. There is no "gray-area" with abortion--you are either against the option of abortion or you are for the option of abortion. I guess, pro-choice is just a more "user friendly" term to take on than the harsh term of pro-abortion.

The Abortion Debate

Now, there is much debate within the medical and scientific fields concerning when life truly begins; however, even that debate is be voided by a new hanis procedure called "partial-birth abortion." No matter the debate, there is one issue that the medical and scientific fields do agree on and that is when a sperm and an egg come together they form a living cell. Now, does that living cell have a heart, a set of lungs, or a brain, "No." But will it? "Yes"--sounds like the beginning of life. In addition, common sense tells us that life begins with that living cell or upon "conception" based on the vast amounts of contraceptives out there to prevent pregnancies--it seems pretty obvious that life begins the moment of conception.

The majority of pro-abortionists argue that the abortion issue is not solely based on when life begins, what it boils down to is the "Freedom of Choice." Now, knowing that this living cell is human, what about the fetus/baby's rights. Because it is not a "breathing" human outside of the womb that takes all rights away from it. Humanity has always put a high importance on life along with searching for new ways to prolong it. One cannot help to take notice at the world today and see all the medicine, technology, and "health pushes" that are out there to help sustain and prolong life. Is it so hard then to apply that same importance on life that most hold, so dear, to a fetus or baby?Freedom of choice is a great thing for many reasons, but if the voice of the pro-abortionist is that it is the woman's right to do as she pleases with her body and no one can force her to do anything she doesn't want to do. Why can't we apply that same freedom of choice for a fetus/baby? To give freedom of choice for one and not the other, to me, is a complete contradiction. Who gave anyone the right to make a forceful and deadly choice for the baby, especially taking into account, that the baby has, absolutely, no ability to voice a defense of any kind--true cause to help defend their life.

The Christian Position

I was reading several pro-choice/pro-abortion articles on the internet and one particular article said this about abortion in The Bible, "The word "abortion" does not appear in any translation of the bible!" Well, this article amongst the other pro-choice/pro-abortion articles site Genesis 2:7 as the conclusive verse of when life begins, with the "breath"--Genesis 2:7, "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Now, I grant that this verse says a lot about life, but have some forgotten that God created Adam not through the standards means by which God set up of birth through the womb. In addition, God Himself breathed life into Adam, if one recalls there were animals already around breathing oxygen. This verse not only states how God gave life specifically to Adam, but also tells us there is a specific quality found in humans and not in animals. This argument clearly does not hold up Biblically to base any justification concerning the right to abortion. Of course, there were other verses used in these articles, but most as I predicted, were horribly taken out of context and/or the writers of these articles used misleading terms and statements to back up their arguments. Oh yeah, the idea that our God given "Free Will" of choice some how justifies abortion--nice try. Clearly, that thinking contradicts so many Biblical principles including The Ten Commandments. Moreover, our God given "Free Will" is the choice to either serve God or serve man, which is clearly pictured by the two trees in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9-13).

Now, The Bible does not specifically dabble with the subject of abortion, maybe because abortion/legal abortion was not prevalent then or was so widely "taboo" it wasn't even a issue a back then--just my thought. However, The Bible does offer enough information to give us a sound Biblical position on the issue of abortion based on the sanctity of life. In The Old Testament book of Amos, the Ammon people were about to be judged by God for several transgressions (sins), which one of those sins was a form of abortion and God surely did not take it lightly--Amos 1:13, "Thus says the LORD, 'For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their borders."

There are also several verses in The Bible that state life or a life calling begins in the womb; plus, preciousness of children. Funny, I never once saw any of these verses below in any of the "Biblical pro-abortion" articles I read on the internet. And Why? To simply put it, "The proof is in the pudding."

Life In The Womb

Judges 13:7, "But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

Job 31:15, "Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?"

Psalms 139:13-16, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. (14) I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. (15) My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; (16) Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."

Isaiah 44:24, "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,'"

Isaiah 49:1 (Jesus prophecy), "Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me."

Luke 1:15, "For he (John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb."

Galatians 1:15, "But when God, who had set me (Paul the apostle) apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased"

Our Precious Children

Psalms 127:3, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward."

Proverbs 17:6, "Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers."

Luke 1:42, "And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

I believe it is apparent and casts no doubt on God's position about life, where life begins, and how precious children are, after all, The Bible is God's Holy Word (I Timothy 3:16). Therefore, our position should be no different and we should never be willing to entertain any debate on the issue of abortion or compromise any standard on the subject. Yes, there is death from diseases, death from famine, and death from war, but does this mean that God contradicts Himself for the love He has for humanity--not at all. We must remember that is was by one man's (Adam) sin (Romans 5:12) that caused the "domino effect" of sin throughout all of humanity and along with that sin the once perfect earth was cursed (Genesis 3). However, God did show His ultimate love to all of humanity by sending His only Son, Jesus--John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." God through His wisdom intelligently designed a system in which life for humanity can live on and thrive. Do you honestly think He intended it to be a place for death? Unfortunately, natural miscarriages do happen, but it is not our place or choice to make it unnatural.

Conclusion--November 4th

Dear Christian, when it comes to November 4th remember that our vote should not be based on "We Need Change" (all politicians say that), politics, or economics, but a moral vote for what is right morally. Yes, abortion is legal in this country; we all know that, but that should never give reason to "throw our hands up" and give up--perseverance and hope should always be our fuel. Remember, one man can influence abortion legislation that is a fact, especially, when I hear and see pictures of this horrific procedure "partial-birth abortion," which one of the main candidates for President supports. Therefore, are you going to vote for the man that has proven to have no conscience or issue in destroying God's greatest creation and a helpless one at that or are you going to vote for the man that has proven a firm stance on protecting God's helpless creation. I know none of them are perfect, neither are we; both have pasts, so do we--just please make the right choice.

We all have been in the womb, came from the womb--are you glad your mother chose to keep you? I am.Lastly, I did not write this to condemn anyone who has had an abortion or to anyone who participates in decisions for it. Really, all of us deserve to be condemned, we are all sinners, but fortunately Jesus Christ has given us all away to escape condemnation and that is through Him--Romans 8:1, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Furthermore, I do not advocate for or agree with the extremists that use slander and/or violence to promote their anti-abortion agenda. Sadly, most of these extremists call themselves "Christians" and if they truly are Christians, they need to "clear the fog" in their mind and eyes, read The Bible, and see that Jesus' message is that we do all things through love and compassion--not hate. Truly, our main agenda as Christians is to be a proper witness (attitude and actions) in spreading The Gospel and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ our Savior.

All Scripture quoted from the New American Standard Version (NASV)