Heaven On Earth?

It has been said that greed is good, but God's word says differently. God tells us to, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5; emphasis added). 

Furthermore, God tells us that while idols are nothing but mere objects, the worship of idols (idolatry) is demonic (1 Corinthians 10:19-21). So greed is idolatry, and idolatry is demonic. Wow! That's pretty intense! But it's God's honest truth!

Greed is definitely not good. It is a grievous sin. And sadly it is a sin of which probably most of us are guilty. I'm guilty. God's word tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12, Romans 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-9). And every person who trusts in Christ is a work in progress till (s)he stands before the Lord in heaven (Philippians 1:6, 3:12-14, 1 John 3:2).


In America, people have the right to be greedy. As a great American poet, Robert Frost, once said, "I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way." But if we are followers of Jesus Christ, we have a higher calling. "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20). 

We are supposed to be eagerly anticipating the heavenly country, of which we are told in Hebrews 11:13-16. America is not the heavenly country. Nor can it be. No earthly country will ever compare with that kingdom of perfection - ever. But Christians are called to be Christ's ambassadors, representing the heavenly country, in the midst of every earthly nation (2 Corinthians 5:20). And so we ought to be striving to live in accordance with the principles of the heavenly country; which are not politically correct concepts. They are biblically correct precepts.

Among those principles are selfless love and compassion; the polar opposite of greed and materialism. It is our Lord's desire that we should be for each other, and not each of us for ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). In this "dog eat dog" world, we are called to be His sheep, and His doves.

There's a lesson to be learned from the Christians described in Acts 2:44-46 & 4:32-37. They lived out the principles of the heavenly country like few have since; not because some despot forced them against their will, but because they had the heavenly country in their hearts. And so they acted from their hearts.

"And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity" (Acts 2:44-46).

"All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means 'Son of Encouragement'). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles." (Acts 4:32-37).

A Proverb

Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (NKJV). That can be a very encouraging Scripture. The thing of it is, though, it didn't really  work that way for Abel. Nor did it work that way for John the Baptizer, or the other prophets, or the apostles, or even Jesus Christ. So we might look at that and say, "Hey, what gives?" Well, here's what gives. The book of Proverbs is an example of wisdom literature. Which means it contains very basic, generalized advice on life. In other words, it is a big book of whopping generalizations. Gasp! It's true.

Referencing Proverbs 22:6, Christian writer, Kathy Howard, points this out exquisitely, in item number two of her article, 10 Bible Verses Everyone Gets Wrong.

Another example, which makes our point even more obvious, is Proverbs 26:4-5:

"Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes"(NKJV).

So here we have two consecutive verses, each one seeming to be a direct and glaring contradiction to the other. Well which is it, oh wise King Solomon? Please tell us! One must make a judgement call, on a case-by-case basis, whether or not to bother answering a fool.

But here is the big point that I really want to make. You can not use the book of Proverbs as an excuse to not have compassion on those who are fallen on hard times. You are not promised that if you follow Solomon's advice, you will never need help from anyone. Nor are you promised that no one will ever need any help from you. One of the worst things that a Christian can do is point to a proverb about wise and responsible living, and use it to blame and judge those who are living in hardship. When we, as Christians, do that, we are failing God. And it is shameful. Some time ago, I was telling a fellow Christian about a local ministry called Ruth's Harvest, which donates food items for school kids who otherwise would not have a lunch. The man's response was, "That's great. It's such a shame, though, that there are so many dead-beat parents". There may be some dead-beats out there, I'm sure there are. But not everyone who is poor got that way by being lazy or irresponsible. Many of them got that way just by living in a broken world that caters to the rich and the strong, ensuring that the rich will almost always get richer, and the poor will in most cases stay poor. 

And by the way, no one should have to put in 60-70 hours every week, or dish out tens and scores of thousands of dollars for college, just to be able to make ends meet. A person who refuses to do those things is not lazy or irresponsible. On the contrary, that person has more sense and than a lot of the greed-driven maniacs that populate the earth. And there is no shame in having to live with roommates or family members. What is a shame is that the cost of living is so high that many people have little  choice but to live with roommates or family.

But consider this commandment:

"If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you" (Leviticus 25:35, NKJV).

The so-called social gospel is not the whole gospel; but it is a part of the whole gospel. This is made clear in Galatians 2:9-10 where Paul describes James and Peter's acceptance of Paul as an apostle of Christ, and minister of His gospel. Verse 10 reads, "Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do" (NLT).

Respectable Members of Society?

Religious people often assume that being a Christian means, or involves, being a respectable member of society. Yet none of the prophets, none of the apostles, and not even Christ Himself, fit that bill. They were the sort of people who would preach real loud in the streets and deserts, and nobody would listen; on account of that everyone thought they were "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!". They were like that homeless-looking guy on the corner, outside your apartment building, holding a sign that says, "THE END IS NEAR."

Jesus was always quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures because He believed them to be divinely inspired. (And that's why I believe them too.) And the two Old Testament writers that Jesus quoted from most frequently were David and Isaiah. Isaiah spoke a great deal about the coming Messiah (for example, see Isaiah 11:1-10; Isaiah 53; and Isaiah 61:1-3). But quite shockingly, the prophet Isaiah also went around naked for three years because God told him to (Isaiah 20:2-3). Let that sink in. The man ran naked for three years. Because God told him to.  What would you think of your pastor if he started going around naked, and said that God told him to? You would most likely think he was crazy and, find a different church. But that's what the prophet Isaiah did. And many years later, the authorities placed him inside a hollow log and sawed him in two for preaching the word of God. Not a very dignified end.

And what about David, the psalmist and prophet? When one of his wives, Michal, objected to his undignified behavior, David said to her, "I will become even more undignified than this" (2 Samuel 6:12-23). Have you ever just wondered exactly what he meant by that? The only recorded undignified actions of his, after that day, are his a fair with Bathsheba, his attempt at covering it up, and then, much later, his uncalled-for tax/census of Israel. David suffered grievious consequences for those sins. But he also experienced God's forgiveness and found redemption, making him an enduring symbol of God's grace and mercy. And we all need God's grace and mercy. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness.

But those are the guys that Christ quoted  from the most - the man who went around naked for three years because God told him to, and the one who famously said, "I will become even more undignified than this".

And what about Jesus Christ? He left His throne in Glory to assume the modest life of a poor carpenter, and later, a wandering preacher with absolutely no earthly credentials. He disturbed the peace at least twice during His earthly ministry, by turning over tables and shouting, and chasing people with a whip. John tells us that He did so at the beginning of His earthly ministry, (John 2:13-17) Mathew, Mark, and Luke mention Him doing it toward the end. So clearing the Temple was probably something Jesus did every Passover during His three-year ministry. He was despised and rejected by the people. Stripped of His clothes, He died like a criminal, on a Roman cross, in front of all the public.

And the apostle went all over the world doing the same kind of things. Preaching with no earthly credentials to people who mocked, laughed at, despised, and rejected them. They were all martyrs for the faith. They were not respectable members of society.

Standing on the Promises, a Measure of Success

One of the myriad lessons to learn from the Bible is that God does not measure success the same way that mortals do.

Take, for example, the life of Jeremiah. He is remembered as "the Weeping Prophet". He served the Lord faithfully. He did exactly as God commanded him. He preached the Word so hard for so long; but no one listened. No one repented. Jeremiah was despised and rejected, even by his own family.

In the end, the disobedient people of Israel were handed over by God as captives to Babylon. Jeremiah was neither honored nor influential among his peers. But he was successful in doing just what God called him to do.

Jesus Christ succeeded too, by leaving His glorious throne to become a lowly, poor, human being. He was despised and rejected, and submitted Himself to death by crucifixion (Isaiah 53: 1-10, Philippians 2:5-8).

All the apostle, as well, faithfully served Christ, working hard to spread His gospel. And for their service, they all endured hunger, mockery, imprisonment, floggings, beatings, and stonings. All despised and rejected, only one of them, John the Revelator, survived to die of old age, a prisoner in a Roman rock-yard.

God does not promise a comfortable life to anyone; even if you serve Him faithfully, even if you work really, really hard. You are not promised good grades or a successful career. You are not promised monetary gain. You are not promised material wealth. You are not promised physical health. You are not promised that you will be respected or influential. In fact, if you follow the One who was despised and rejected, there's at least a pretty good chance that you'll be despised and rejected too. For no servant is greater than his master (John 13:16, 15:20).

So, what does God promise? I'll get to that in a moment.

The American Dream promises health and wealth and worldly success to anyone willing to work for it. But the American Dream can't keep that promise toward everyone who works hard because they're all competing against each other. Competition is the ongoing quest to defeat one's fellow human beings. That's not how the kingdom of God works, but that is how the world works. Therefore, someone has to be defeated, (according to the world's standards of success and defeat) even if they tried really, really hard, even (perhaps especially) if they faithfully serve the Lord. And in a competitive world it's difficult enough for everyone just to get job, let alone forge an actual career in a choice field. Some will succeed. Many will not; even though they do their best.

God does not validate the promises of the American Dream. But what He does promise is that He will be with you through all the joys and inevitable sorrows you encounter as you serve Him. He promises every spiritual blessing of spiritual comfort, joy, and peace in the midst of tribulation (Ephesians 1:3, Philippians 4:7, John 14:27, 1 Peter 1:6-9). And your reward for all your service will be in heaven (Romans 8:18). And that's what God calls "success".

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4).

Ordinary Rockstars

I am so thankful that one does not have to be a rockstar in order to be pleasing to God. And here I am using the term, "rockstar" in a figurative sense. I mean that one does not have to do anything extraordinarily spectacular to be pleasing to God. One may be a most ordinary person, living an ordinary life of ordinordinary days, going to an ordinary job, for ordinary wages. One may only have a small circle of ordinary people that they see, every ordinary day. And if that ordinary bloke lives that ordinary life by faith in the Son of God, such a person is just as likely as Billy Sunday, or Mac Powell, to be pleasing to God. We may even find, that the most ordinary of God's children are the biggest rockstars in His kingdom. As the Lord has told us, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Matthew 19:30).

The House of the Righteous

"In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble." (Proverbs 15:6).

  

"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3). 

  

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21).

The house of the righteous is not of this world. The house of the righteous is part of the kingdom of Christ, which is in Heaven. (John 18:36). Yes; the house, the reward, the treasure, and the heart of the righteous is in heaven. This is a concept that was not fully grasped in the times before Christ came into the world, when Solomon amassed his worldly wealth and then wrote about the house of the righteous. Nevertheless, it is an integral part of the gospel message.

Much of the Old Testament is concerned with showing the futility of worldy and human attempts at fullfilment. As the saints of those times awaited God's Messiah, who alone can bring salvation and fulfillment, God showed that the Law, a body of religeous rules and regulations could not bring about the fulfillment of His plan; which is salvation and new, everlasting life for those who trust in Him. Likewise, the waging of physical war can not bring about the salvation and peace that God desires for His people. And in the same way, worldly wealth does not make the righteous prosper.

Job's frenemies judged and condemned him in the time of his deep hardship because they thought worldly wealth and health was a sign of righteousness. The Pharisees believed the same garbage. And that is why they also condemned and oppressed the poor. Luke tells us,

"Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, 'You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.'" (Luke 16:14-15). 

Then verse 16 really drives home this point concerning the Old Testament.

 "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it".



Now in the gospel, we have hope of true and etenal wealth, which is spiritual, not carnal. It is heavenly, not earthly. Everything that is carnal and earthly is corruptible and passing away. But we "were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). And we are reminded in Scripture,

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:6-10).

No Perfection

Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie I, was a Christian, and publicly discouraged Rastafarians from worshipping him. He urged them instead to read and study the Bible, and trust in the crucified carpenter who is risen from the dead.

There is a Selassie quote that I really appreciate. In a 1968 Christmas interview with Dr. Oswald Hoffman, he said,

"It is quite true that there is no perfection in humanity. From time to time we make mistakes, we do commit sins. But even as we do that, deep in our hearts as Christains we know we have a chance of forgivness from the Almighty."

No Foolin'

I was raised to believe that it's a sin for a Christian to call a fellow believer a fool; because "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1). A fool is a person who doesn't know God. So if one has a saving faith in Jesus Christ than they are no fool, even if in some way or another they might act like one. A person may think or act foolishly and not be a fool.

Jesus Himself warned His followers not to call a brother a fool. He said, "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matthew 5:22).

The Good Legacy of Samson

Samson had some very obvious spiritual flaws and glaring moral failures. He preferred the company of pagan prostitutes like Delilah over the love of any faithful daughter of the one true God.

His sinful tendencies came with heavy consequences. He was betrayed by  Delilah. He became a prisoner of the Philistines. His eyes were plucked out. He died a violent death at a young age.

Yet the author of the book of Hebrews counts Samson in with the righteous heroes of faith:

"who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouthes of lions, quenched the violence of fire, out of weakness were made strong, became valient in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Hebrews 11:32-34).

By grace, through faith, Samson's legacy is something more, and better than his flaws and failures. His affairs - yeah, that happened. His capture, his humiliation, his death - yeah, that happened.

But his legacy is that he was a servant of the Most High God. And God took him, with all his weaknesses, and did powerful things through him.

This makes me glad because, like Samson, I am not perfect. I'm not going to be perfect in this life. And neither will you, or anyone else. We are going to be imperfect. We are going to have failures. It's going to happen.

But thank God that by grace He can give us a legacy that is greater than ourselves!

Ancient Rednecks

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it." (Acts 4:13-14).

It gives my heart a thrill of joy to know that Jesus Christ chose to use a couple of simple, uneducated commercial fishermen to spearhead the establishment of His Church in Jerusalem. Peter and John were basically two ancient Israeli rednecks. God's enemies, the Pharisees and Sadducees, must have been like "Man! These guys should just go back to their smelly fishnets!"

A formal education is not a bad thing. It's not necessarily a good thing either. It's just a thing - period. You can do good or evil with a formal education. You can do good or evil without one too. Having or not having a formal education has nothing whatsoever to do with following Christ. It doesn't make anyone a better or worse person, or Christian. The only thing that really matters is whether or not you've (as the above Scripture says) "been with Jesus".

Keith Green and Legalism

Keith Green is held in high regard by many Christian music listeners; and I, too, have been blessed by his songs, which have inspired so many people to love the Lord.

But the man struggled with over-zealousness, and what church people refer to as "legalism" (an excessive emphasis on following religious rules and regulations that often times aren't even from God but human beings).

In "The Keith Green Story - Your Love Broke Through", a documentary narrated by Toby "Mac" Mackeehan; Keith's widow, Melody, talks about the time Keith first became a Christian. "He even, you know, went back to Randy (Stonehill), who had initially invited us to the Bible study, and started telling Randy how 'Well you need to live your life like this. And the Bible says this."

In the same documentary, Randy Stonehill, similarly describes Keith's newfound zeal for the Lord, saying "It was a wonderful thing, and then some-often times, it could give you an Excedrin headache... He'd wanna say, 'Look man, you know; why don't you, you know, live what you believe?' And I'm going, 'I'm trying! I'm trying! It's not easy being human, you know. I'm glad it's better for you!"

Over the next several years, Keith went through many ups and downs in his journey with the Lord. In her book, "No Compromise - the Life Story of Keith Green; Melody Green relates a conversation that Keith had the year before he died in a plane crash. Christian singer, Annie Herring, said "I'm so grateful that God loves me. That's the first thing I knew about God, and it's gotten me through every bit of misery and every bit of joy."

To that, Keith replied, "Sometimes I'm not sure if God loves me. I know He's right. I know He's God. But as far as really feeling His love for me -  well, I don't know it like you do." 

In the year that followed, Melody describes how Keith began to lighten up and really embrace the kindness and love of the God, before he went to be with Him in heaven. It's a good lesson for many others to learn too.

Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

It is somewhat popular to think that Christians and Muslims invoke the same God. After all, even Arab Christians refer to God as "Allah" because that is the Arabic word for "God".

Yet, for most non-Arabs, the title, "Allah", is specifically associated with the Muslim god. Similarly, the ancient Canaanites bowed the knee to a false god whom they called Baal; which means "lord" or "master". That name was always used in reference to the false god of the Canaanites (1 Kings 18:16-40); and by the time of Christ, the Hebrews were referring to the devil as Baalzebub or Beelzebub, a derivative which means "lord of  flies" or "god of dung" (Luke 11:14-23). This is consistent with Scriptural teaching that false gods are demons (Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37, 1 Corinthians 10:19-21).

But there's much more to it than mere linguistics. The teachings of these two religions about God are so vastly at odds that they are just not about the same God. Suppose someone claims to be friends with, say, Phil Robertson. But their Phil Robertson works for Peta, is an atheist, and a communist from New York City; that person is clearly not talking about the controversial Duck Commander from Louisiana. Now the God who is revered by born-again Christians, and the one invoked by Muslims, are just as significantly different; more, even. 

The error of saying that Muslims and Christians worship the same God is most clearly evident in the drastically variant teachings, between the two religions, concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Islam denies the supremacy and deity of Jesus of Nazareth. It teaches that when He returns He will be a servant of Muhammad, and that He will abolish Christianity. It teaches that another one who is greater than both Jesus and Muhammad is yet to come.

Christianity affirms that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son of God; equal with the Father - that He is God. He is supreme over all creation. The entirety of the cosmos was created through Him, and for Him. And He will return in glory to judge every soul and every spirit, and establish His Kingdom on Earth (John 1:1-3; John 10:25-30; Colossians 1:13-20, Revelation 11:15).

Islam denies that Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross. Christianity affirms that He did die; and that His death was the payment for our sin. The Christian gospel is that salvation from sin and condemnation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ the Nazarene (Romans 5:1-2) because of His death on the cross for our sin (Colossians 1:13-14 & 19; 1 John 4:10). 

That means that you don't have to meet the requirements of the Law of Moses, or any similar system of religious regulations, in order to be reconciled with God - because in your fallen, sinful state of being, you can't meet God's perfect standard (Romans 3:23-24). But Christ paid your penalty - death (Romans 6:23) and rose to life again (which Islam also denies, of course) so that all who simply trust in Him will be reconciled to God and also be raised to everlasting life. And He, by His own power, will make His own righteousness grow in the hearts of His people. (Romans 3:20-21, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:13,1 John 3:2). And His righteousness is not a cold, dead, rigid body of rules and regulations; but an abundant, vibrant spiritual life that manifests itself through love (Matthew 35-40, John 10:10, Galatians 5:1-6, 1 John 4:8).

Islam, like many false teachers and heretical churches, puts forth "a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all." (Galatians 1:6) a gospel of law instead of grace; precisely the opposite of the Christian gospel (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

Islam, then, is a different gospel with a different Jesus ( 2 Corinthians 11:4). That is to say that it is a falsehood, which keeps people from knowing the truth. It keeps them from knowing the true God, and the sacrifice of love which He made to take away our sin and reconcile us to Himself.

And so God curses everyone who preaches any gospel other than the gospel of salvation from sin, and peace with God, by grace, through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. (Galatians 1:8-9).

Christians Do Not Have To Prove the Truth of God

Sometimes when I have presented biblical truth, atheists and other non Christians charge me that I must prove my position and that "quotes from the Bible prove nothing". This is often because I was not trying to "prove" the Bible. Christians do not have to prove the existence of God, or the validity of the the Bible. The proof of God's existence is everywhere, accessible and observable to everyone. The orderly laws which govern the universe (including the cells - organs - systems of the human body) are proof of God's existence and design.

The proof of humanity's fallen nature, and need for a Savior is also plain to see in the the deeds of all people. The fact that millions of unborn children are brutally murdered and unceremoniously discarded and many people think that's ok, is proof of human depravity. War, racism, rioting and all kinds of lovelessness and violence are proof of humanity's sinfulness, and need for a Savior.

In light of these things, the word of God, the Bible, speaks for itself and needs no proving. It will ring true to everyone who has been taught by God and is receptive to His truth. All human beings are created by, and in the image of God who is love. All human beings have become corrupt with sin. Jesus Christ the Son of God came and taught about the kingdom of God and warned us to repent so that we may enter into the kingdom and not be condemned. He gave His own life on the cross for our sin, and rose on the third day. Those who trust in Him will receive pardon for their sin, and be reconciled to the heavenly Father.

Three Things of Which the Wicked Are Ignorant

Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, accuse God of being a megalomaniac. And they argue that if the works of God were attributed to any human ruler, such a ruler would be deemed to be a cruel despot. But there are three things of which such atheists are ignorant.

First of all, a megalomaniac suffers from the delusion that he or she is great, and glorious, and grand. But God is not a mere human ruler. He is the Creator and Owner of the universe. God really is great, and glorious, and grand; worthy of all praise, all worship, all reverence, all love, and all obedience. And it really is an atrocity for any person to withhold any of those things from Him. 

And that brings me to the second thing of which the wicked are ignorant - the depravity of humanity. God's judgement and wrath are justified. Humanity is a fallen, corrupted creature; full of sin. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). It is our sinful nature which sets us against God. And it is our disobedience and enmity toward God that creates all conflict, all strife, and all sorrow. And there is no one righteous. 

Even the best of us is infected with the disease of sin (Romans 3:10-18, 3:26, Ecclesiastes 7:20). And there are even those who do evil (disobey God) in the name of God. If humanity were in harmony with God, there would be no wars, no thefts, no lying, no greed, no clashing of egos, no rape, no slavery, no racism, no domestic violence, no terrorism, no child abuse, no discord, no broken families, no adultery, no sexual immorality of any kind, no abortion, no blasphemy, no evil done in the name of God or anyone else. The lion would lie down with the lamb. Everyone would love God, and love each other (Matthew 22:37-40). Families would stick togther. Everyone would have enough food, and everything they need. There would be no death, and no sorrow, and no reason for the wrath of God to be poured out. 

Loving God would come naturally to everyone. No one would be hostile toward God our heavenly Father. No one would have been hostile toward Jesus the Christ. No one would be hostile toward those who trust and obey Jesus, because everyone would trust and obey Jesus. And that trust and obedience would just come naturally, without struggle. God is love; and the redeemed obey Him because they love Him. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

And this is the third thing of which the wicked are ignorant - the love of God. Even the best of us might grumble and complain when God disciplines them. And the wicked might curse God aloud for His righteous judgement. But the truth is that God is very merciful, and kind. 

When the Creator and Owner of the universe took on human form and lived in our world, in Israel, over two thousand years ago, He lived a meek, humble, lowly life. He lived as though He owned nothing, despite the fact that the universe and all life belongs to Him. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind; strength and agility to the cripple. He raised the dead to life. And He delivered the gospel (good news) of salvation which He would provide through His own death and resurrection.

Of the Heart of Humanity

Many are those who say that you should follow your heart. But God spoke through His prophet, saying, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Later, Jesus Christ elaborated by saying, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:18-19).

Of course the heart to which they refer is not the physical organ that pumps blood through your body, but your inward desires, thoughts, and feelings. It is closely related to the mind, which is something more than the physical brain inside your head. These things, the heart and mind to which we refer, are spiritual, non-physical components of the human being.

And human hearts are corrupt with sin because of the fall, when sin and death came into the world through the disobedience of Adam (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12). When sin (disobeying God) feels sooo right, that is because the heart is sooo wrong. Solomon wrote that "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12). 

Being a follower of Jesus Christ means surrendering our hearts and minds, our consciences, to our Heavenly Father through Him. His Holy Spirit, who speaks to us through the Scriptures, also comes to live within us. He leads and guides us. He teaches us and molds us into His perfect images as we place our trust in Him and obey Him. By this life-process of sanctification, we will become just like our Lord, Savior, and Friend, Jesus Christ.

In their song, "Blind", Third Day says:

"My heart I could not trust

'Cause it lies to me too much

And my mind just couldn't 

Understand it all

How could I have been 

So blind to not see You?

The more I look the more I find

You've led me to the truth"

Indeed, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked; enslaving us to sin. But Jesus Christ is the truth that sets us free, and the Way for us to live (John 8:31-34, John 14:6). His word, the Scriptures, are truth, proceeding from Him (John 17:17). We must yield to Him as our Compass. Don't follow your heart. Follow Jesus instead. And He will give you a new heart that is in harmony with Him.

All The Same

Though God has created each individual with their own unique characteristics, nevertheless we all share much in common. We are all created by God, in the image of God, for God. And just as we all need food, water, and air in to live; so we all need God. Even those who deny and hate God do not live without Him. They can't. No one can. That is because all life comes from God. He is the eternal first Cause and Source of life. As the Scripture says, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4). Speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, at the Areopagus in Athens, Greece; the apostle Paul said, 

"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Therefore, since we are to offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:26-28; emphasis added). 

So we see the diversity of humanity in the words "every nation", "on all the face of the earth". And we see that all the different people have been predetermined to live in their own times and dwellings. But we also see what binds us all together. We are all "one blood" made by God, to know Him personally. And He is near to each of us. It is in Him that each and every one of us lives and have our being. 

But we also have this in common; we are all fallen, and share a corrupted human nature which we have all inherited from our first ancestor, Adam (Romans 5:12). And this corrupted human nature has broken the perfect relationship that humanity enjoyed with God in the beginning. By this nature, human beings are in a state of rebellion against, enmity with, and estrangement from God. 

But God, in His love, has never stopped reaching out to us. He revealed Himself through His prophets, despite their being sinners like all the rest of us. Their history and writings are recorded in the Old Testament. And they foretold the coming of a Messiah, a Savior who would take our sins on Himself and make reconciliation with Him available to humanity (Genesis 3:14-15, 2 Samuel 7, Psalm 22, Psalm 89, Isaiah 11:1-10, Isaiah 49:1-13, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 61:1-3, Daniel 9:25-26, Micah 5:2; and more). 

And so, the Creator of the universe, the Creator and owner of every human being, became a human being Himself, and came into the world to reveal Himself  personally to humanity (John 1:1-14). The message of Jesus Christ is for all people everywhere. It is the gospel (good news) of God's love for a world that hates Him, and His offer of forgiveness and reconciliation to Him. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel appeared to some shepherds and said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11; emphasis added).  

For all our differences, we really are all the same. We are all made by God, in His image. We are all fallen sinners in need of salvation. And our Savior is God the Son, Jesus Christ. His salvation is available to everyone. All one has to do is accept it. 

Peace Is A Game, And I'm Not Playing.

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Jesus Christ; Matthew 10:34).

Churches sometimes try to go out of the way to please people and attract members. Their idea is to make the non-Christian world like them in hopes of peaceful relations in which everyone feels all nice and good. But those who faithfully walk with Jesus Christ are often met with hostility. And it only makes sense that it would be like that. The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah would be despised and rejected; so it stands to reason that whoever follows Him will be despised and rejected too (Isaiah 53:3). 

Faith in Jesus Christ reconciles sinners to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). And it produces peace among those who trust in Christ and follow His teachings (Ephesians 2). It is not, however, going to produce peace between the redeemed who have faith in Christ, and the unrepentant who do not. In fact, if one places his or her faith in Christ and follows Him, He guarantees that that person will be hated by the world, which is in discordance with God.

Jesus said to His disciples, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19). He said "Woe to you when everyone speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." (Luke 6: 26). And, conversely, He said, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12). 

He said, "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22). To be at peace with God is to be at odds with the world which hates God, and vice versa. Just as to be sensitive to the world is to be insensitive to God, and vice versa. As the Scripture says, "...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4).  

It's not that God, or His people hate the world. Indeed, God's word says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17). The problem is that the world hates God, and therefore hates anyone who is at peace with God. 

Jesus Christ is God the Son. He has existed from eternity past with the Father. The world hated Him because it is in rebellion against God. That is why they crucified Him. That is why the world loves sin, and even tries to distort God's word to justify whatever kind of wickedness in which they are living. That is why Cain murdered his brother, Abel (1 John 3:12). That is why people of the world think it should be o.k. to murder unborn children. And that is why the wicked continue to hate anyone who trusts in Christ and stands faithfully on His word. I think of Meriam Ibrihim and many other Christians down through the ages.

Jesus Christ did not come to bring peace to the world. Well, He did; but He didn't. He came to make reconciliation and peace with God available to all who believe in Him and repent (turn away from sin, and turn to God). And His word says to us, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." (1 John 3:13). Our business is to please God, not people (Galatians 1:10).

God Is Not A Drug

It has been said that religion, or belief in God, is an "opiate for the masses", a "drug to kill the pain" of living. When giving up cigarettes, I used to pray and ask God to be my nicotine. But He never did be my nicotine (yes, I know that's not proper grammar, it's ok). God is not a drug. A drug is something that a person is not designed to need, but on which the person develops a chemical or mental reliance. 

This developed dependence is a defect. It is contrary to the way that God made human beings to live. As such, it is a type of bondage. Anything that hinders us from living the life for which God made us; that hindrance is bondage. True freedom is the uninhibited ability to live the life for which our heavenly Father created us. That is why Jesus Christ said that whoever sins is a slave of sin, but that whoever is faithful to Him will be set free by the truth (John 8:31-36). Just as the Old Testament prophecy about Christ said;

"The Spirit of  the Lord God is upon Me,

Because the Lord has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

(Isaiah 61:1).

When Jesus first began to teach and to preach in the Galilean synagogues, He read this portion of Scripture aloud and told the congregation that the prophecy was just fulfilled as they listened (Luke 4:16-21). And as the Scriptures also say, "Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage."; (Galatians 5:1) "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17).

God is not a drug. To live as He created us in His image to live - by faith, loving and being loved by Him and each other - is not a bondage from which to be delivered. But His good and faithful presence in our lives, and His revelation of Himself to us through His word, is sustenance to our souls; just as food and drink is sustenance to our flesh. As Jesus, quoting from the Torah, said  "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" (Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). 

God is not a drug. He is our heavenly Father. He is the spiritual sustenance that is necessary to our souls. His love is not bondage, but freedom. God is love (1 John 4:8). And He made us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). This is the reason that we, as human beings even have a concept of love. It is built into the core of our being, by God who created us.

God is not a drug to which to say "No". It is in Him that all of us are able to live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). No one has ever lived or done anything without God. Many have used their God-given gifts to disobey Him by doing evil, but in due time He will pronounce His righteous judgment and carry it out against the wicked. In the meantime, He patiently waits, allowing time for sinners to repent and be reconciled to Him by grace, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. 

The Awesome Dinosaurs

The allegation has been made that dinosaurs and other fossils are "awkward" for creationist. But the truth is that dinosaur fossils, and fossils in general, attest to the reality of the Genesis Flood. 

For one thing, the shear number of large and small remains, encased and mineralized within the layers sedimentary rock all over the world is exactly what we would expect to find if the biblical account of a global Flood really happened. It is not, however, consistent with the uniformitarian assumptions on which the evolutionary view of geology is founded. 

Under the normal circumstance that we currently observe, an animal dies and its remains are eaten by scavengers and rot away; leaving no geological record of their existence. Only in the event of a great catastrophe do large numbers of both great and small animals become buried in sediments quickly enough for their remains to be preserved and mineralized; many of them being partly, some even mostly articulated.

Aside from that, within the fossils that are found; soft tissues, non-mineralized biological material is discovered. Dinosaur bones have been discovered having non-mineralized blood cells, vessels, nuclei, and skin tissues. Check it out: 

(https://answersingenesis.org/fossils/3-soft-tissue-in-fossils/). 

These findings show that the remains are not millions of years old. And so do all the instances in which radiometric dating methods are used on rocks of known ages and come up with wildly inflated "dates": 

(https://answersingenesis.org/geology/radiometric-dating/does-radiometric-dating-prove-the-earth-is-old/). 

Dinosaurs and fossils are no problem for Christians who take the historical narrative of Genesis as the divinely inspired truth. The difference between creationists and evolutionists is a matter of how we interpret the scientific data. Creationists can appreciate the great reptiles as a part of God's handiwork, which He created on the sixth day, along with all the other beasts, reptiles, and creeping things; as well as the first man and woman whom He made uniquely in His own image.

At that time, "in the beginning", there was no death, no suffering, no disease, and no carnivorism. The creatures with sharp teeth and claws would have used them for braking open such things as coconuts, and pineapples. But sin came into the world through one man, Adam; and death came as a result of sin. And everyone dies because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 5:12, 3:23, 6:23). 

And when human wickedness, and violence had reached a crescendo during Noah's lifetime, God sent a great Flood to destroy humanity from the face of the earth. But by God's grace, Noah and his family were saved. God warned Noah to build an Ark, which He instructed him to make approximately 500 feet long, 75 feet high, and 45 feet wide; having three levels, and rooms inside (Genesis 6). Large wooden ships with similar measurements are also detailed in other ancient historical texts (https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/the-large-ships-of-antiquity/).

So Noah followed God's instructions. The Flood came and the whole earth was covered (Genesis 7). And the turbulence of the earth caused the fountains of the great deep to break open, (Genesis 7:11) creating what we now refer to as tectonic plates. Massive amounts of sediment were moved from one place to another, swiftly burying beasts, reptiles, fish, and flying creatures; both great and small. The earth remained flooded for the length of a year, with the waters just beginning to recede about half way through the Flood year (Genesis 7:24-8:19). 

The face of the earth was dramatically changed. The receding Flood waters carved out many of the canyons that we observe today. And in the years following the Flood, tectonic activity broke the earth into continents, and caused mountains of sedimentary layers, with creatures buried in them during the Flood, to be pushed up into the clouds before they solidified and became the monuments that they are today. These monuments, laden with the remains of creatures, both great and small, including the great reptiles, stand to remind us of the judgement of a holy God, but also of His grace, by which He saved Noah and His family.

By that same grace, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came personally into our world and preached the gospel of His kingdom. His kingdom is at work in the world today through His followers, until it is is fully consummated by His return and His final judgement of the world which is in rebellion against His kingdom. He gave His human life on the cross to ransom many from sin (Matthew 20:28) and rose again so that by trusting in Him, we can be a part of His kingdom; reconciled to God who is love, and who created us in His own image for the purpose of love (2 Corinthians 5:12-21, 1 John 4:8, Genesis 1:26-27, Matthew 22:37-40). 

Prayer and Action

There is a miss-characterization of Christianity, promulgated by some atheists, that we substitute prayer for action. This misrepresentation is seen on the atheist monument that was erected in front of a Florida courthouse, which claims atheists believe an action should be taken instead of a prayer said. However, the Scriptures do not teach that prayer is a substitute for righteous action, nor do obedient and faithful Christians think that it is. In fact, James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, reprimanded the so-called "faith" of those who do not show their faith by taking righteous action in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (James 2:15-17).  

Prayer has a couple of purposes in the Christian life, but replacing righteous action is not one of them. We do know that our Creator God is the One from whom all blessings, power, and strength originate; and that without Him, no one can do anything. So prayer is a humble acknowledgement of our complete reliance on God for the strength of spirit and body to do what we need to do. Without God's providence, we would all just keel over dead in our tracks. Actually, we couldn't even do that, because we wouldn't even exist in the first place, had we not been created by God. 

And indeed, there are wicked people who use their God-given gifts to do evil, an act of defiance toward God. But their inevitable destination is everlasting ruin unless they repent and reconcile with our Maker (Luke 13:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:20). And God who is love, in His grace and mercy, patiently allows for everyone to have ample opportunity to seek after Him and find Him. He personally came into the world and taught us about His kingdom; and then He gave His human life on a Roman cross to pay for our sins so that we can be reconciled to Him. And everyone who, in their heart, has heard and learned from God will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation; knowing that we all need to turn from our sin and be reconciled to the heavenly Father by faith in His Son (John 6:45, Romans 3:23-24).

This, too, is why we pray; because we are talking to our heavenly Father. You see, righteousness has never been just about doing good deeds; it's about living in harmony with our good God who is love, (1 John 4:8) and who made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) for the purpose of love (Matthew 22:37-40). And a big part of having a relationship with anyone is to spend time talking to the person. And His Spirit speaks to us through His word, the Bible, as we prayerfully read and study it, and contemplate it in all its context. 

And through this holy conversation He teaches us. And as He teaches us, we learn to love the things that God loves; that which is good and right and pure and holy. And so we learn which actions are good and right for us to take. As the Scriptures say, "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:9-10). This is more than just an outward change in our behavior. It is an inward change of our hearts and minds as we become harmonized with our heavenly Father.