Columbus Improved my Chances of Knowing Christ

Columbus discovered what became the The New World, the Americas in 1492, landing on what we now believe is San Salvadore. He sought a new route to Asia going the opposite direction that others were going. In seeking a shortcut he mistook the western hemisphere for India. Columbus was so certain that the world is round that he staked his reputation on it and was able to convince King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain that he was right.

Columbus has been denigrated now by history revision. Modern peoples just can't stand the thought that Columbus battled pagans and introduced civilization to the uncivilized. However, Columbus was a man of noble character and was little different than any adventurer of that age except for one thing: He believed the Bible to be so true that he ignored science and experience! Whereas, the people believed that the earth is flat and a foolish adventurer would fall off the edge, Columbus believed that the earth is round and that the origin of a journey may be found by circumnavigating the world until the origin is again reached! What a novel idea... or was it?

Isaiah 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in..."

Columbus read the Bible. He believed what he read! He recognized that God knows what he's talking about because God created it all. God sits "upon the circle of the earth"!  It was revealed to Isaiah by God before 800 B.C. that the earth is circular, of course in all directions, making it a sphere. Isaiah knew that the world is round while everybody, but Columbus that is, still believed the earth to be flat 2300 years later. Is that  due to God's omnipotence or what! Columbus "got out of the box" and stepped out. He was right, but if he had been wrong, then he would have made the Spanish Court a bunch of idiots and God's word would have been erroneous! However, Columbus was right because God is truth.

As a result of Columbus believing God's Word the entire western hemisphere is "Christian". No, everyone in the Americas is not Christian, but Christ is taught in all the Americas and has been since Columbus infringed upon the life of the heathen. Because Columbus believed God, the heathen then had a chance to believe! Millions of souls have entered heaven because Columbus believed God's Word!

As for Columbus the man, he wasn't a follower of people; he was a disciple of Christ, Although an imperfect Christian, his heart was right. He had faith and faith is what saves. As a non-believer buries the Old Person and with baptism becomes a New Creature with a new life, the Old World was buried and the New World became the focal point of Christianity. Yes, Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands along with Catholic Europe were our forerunners, but America is where Christ was foremost in the hearts of our countryman. Because Columbus found a New Life for many in a New World, Europe drove their downtrodden and liberty seekers to our shores. Those seeking liberty were looking for a place to worship God without interference. That's"The Great Commission" and here's what it says:

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The eleven disciples carried the word to what was then to the far ends of the world. Some went east and some went to Africa, but Rome became the center of Christian life. Columbus was a Christian because faithful apostles carried the word to the center of the empire. Wales in Great Britain got the gospel in the time of Paul thanks to Roman military excursions. God used a crooked stick and persecution to spread the gospel, Thanks to the faithful apostles Columbus heard the word and believed what it said. He put belief in God into action!

Thanks to Columbus my own destiny was Christianity. I am a Christian because of what I was taught. I was taught about Christ because of my Christian heritage. My forebears were Christian because they brought their faith from Europe. My antecedents came to America because Columbus found the New World. Columbus found the New World because he had faith! Columbus had faith because of scripture. Like the world, my access to faith is a circle. "The Great Commission" followed the "circle of the earth" of which Isaiah spoke knowledgeably!

I am a New Person in Christ living in this New World. Isn't it ironic that just as God gives me a new land, since I now live in the Kingdom of God, that I got here through his sharing the truth of a New World! God knew what he was doing. All we have to do is believe!

Wasting Time Acting Christian

I often say that there ought to be "A Multiple Choice Bible". Why? Because people pick and choose what they want to believe. I'm not talking about difference in interpretation. I'm speaking of denying what scripture says as out-dated, mean-spirited and intolerant!

God is "love". He tells us that:

1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

The Greek has three different words for "love" whereas English has one which encompasses all three. Hence, when we say that we "love" that can mean different things. God's type of love is the Greek word "agape".  It's a spiritual and selfless love exhibited by the life of Jesus. Jesus was "born to die". He did it voluntarily so that we don't get what we deserve. "Grace" is the giving of that type of love! The closest that man can come to that type of love is the willingness to give a life for a loved one. God gave his own life for his loved ones! That's why John 3:16 is so imperative to understand God's love and grace:

 John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

When we're willing to die for a loved one, it's normally conditional. If our child is disobedient and deserves to suffer consequences of their actions, the good parent is less willing to pay the price for them. Jesus will do that anyhow! We're all bad children, but he still died for us all! A parent may be willing to give his life if the rebellious child "straightens up". Jesus died for the rebellious child with no requirement for that child to straighten up first! That's the difference between the love man has and the love Jesus has.

Knowing that God loves us, means God always seeks what's best for us! Why else would he care about our behaviors? Just as I don't want my children to use drugs because it leads to destruction, God doesn't want us to sin at all because sin leads to destruction. That's what John 3:16 says God will save us from! We deserved a harsh penalty, but he died so that we won't be punished. Instead of languishing in the eternal prison of hate called "Hell" we get a free room in a mansion in heaven... forever with one provision: We too are to love! Love God and love others!

Since God loves the world (his creation of man and woman) he tells us the truth whether we believe it or not!

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

All philosophers of all times dwelt on "what is truth"! Stop that right now! Truth is here. We know the truth. God's word is truth. Whatever God says is by definition of what truth is! The next question is "Where does a person find God's truth?" It's in the "Book of Truth" we call The Holy Bible!  When I wrote the name of this book I forgot to use the word "Holy". It's not only a collection of writings of Jews and Christians, but is a collection of HOLY writings:

2 Timothy 3:16a "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..."

2 Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Jesus quoted Holy Scripture. He knew it because he inspired it, being "The Word" who was with Moses, the judges, the righteous kings, the priests and the prophets from the beginning of time. The Old Testament is truth because Jesus gave the patriarchs the thought to place on paper. It's not their words, but  "The Word's" word! If we fail to believe scripture, God's commands, desires, history and praises, we are in effect saying "God is a liar for his word is not true!", although he plainly tells us that his word is truth! For those who don't believe all God's word he tells us this:

2 Thessalonians 2:10 "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

For those who don't accept God's truth, they will be eternally damned. That's one of God's truths! If a person denies the reality of a real hell where the rebellious are punished, they are calling God a liar! They are delusional living for the rewards of pleasure!

Pleasure is the earliest enemy of truth. "Eating of the fruit of the bad  tree" was more important to Eve and Adam than having eternal life by "eating of the good tree". Both Adam and Eve chose pleasure over truth, obedience and eternal life. They spiritually died! Just as they chose pleasure over truth each time a person today disbelieves God, we too are choosing pleasure over truth. "Pleasure" is the idol that all mankind worships before they believe in and accept God after seeking forgiveness. Our  minds are deluded into accepting what's false! The tactic we use is "Reason". Reason is the fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" whereas "truth" is the fruit of the "Tree of Life". That's because that "Tree of Life" is a metaphor for Jesus who IS TRUTH!

What are some of the flavors of the false fruit of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil":

1. God's word is not really truth.
2. The Creator God is a bad god.
3. The Bible is merely a book of history.
4. Jesus is only a good teacher or prophet.
5. The Bible contradicts itself.
6. Science is to be believed before God.
7. A loving God would never "send" us to hell. 
8. Hell doesn't exist because that punishment is too harsh.
9. Jesus wasn't born of a virgin.
10. Jesus' miracles were merely coincidences.
11. Bible stories are metaphors or mythological examples.
12. Jesus never died on the Cross. He was never resurrected.
13. God is dead.
14. The patriarchs never knew then what we know now regarding our psychological makeup.
15. God already died for our sins so we no longer are to obey the law..
16. No one worships idols today.
17. God meant for us to have fun. Pleasure is from God.
18. With salvation we don't change our lives.
19. God doesn't care who our mate is as long as it's for love.
20. Marriage isn't necessary for a sexual relationship.
21. Abortion is not murder. It's wrong to bring a child into the world unwanted.
22. Salvation is a snapshot in time where one believes or is baptized.
23. It's okay to hate if the person deserves it.
24. Holiness is only for a few who devote their lives to God.
25. Truth is relative.
26. We deserve heaven because we're "good".
27. We can live our life for pleasure then change before we die.
28. Satan is a fiction. There's no demons out there.
29. Tolerance is love. Obedience isn't necessary.
30. We must keep separate our Christian lives from our civil beliefs.
31. We'll let our children make up their own minds when they're adults.
32. Telling others about Jesus is intolerant or belligerent.
33. God's word is boring. Church is boring.
34. We can worship by ourselves. Church attendance isn't a high priority.
35. All religions believe in the same God.
36. We must be tolerant of other religions.

If we believe these lies, or any of them, we must ask ourselves "Am I playing Christian or am I a biblical Christian?" Most people, if they answer truthfully" will admit "I'm just playing Christian! I don't believe all God says and I don't take him seriously!"  Of course "Reason" keeps us from admitting "the truth" about ourselves!  However, if you're discerning enough to admit just a little truth, you'll realize that either you know that you're not a Christian or you're "play-acting" the role of a Christian. God will not be fooled!

Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"

Luke 16:15 "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

 God knows our every thought! We justify ourselves to our fellow men and women, but God knows where the desires of our hearts are! He knows what we pleasure. We may be good "actors" and fool our cohorts, but God will not be fooled. Our acting abilities are just not good enough to fool the God who created us all!

What should bad actors do? Bad actors should quit acting!  At times we all think we're good actors, but at other times we think "Who am I fooling?" Sometimes I feel like a bad Christian. I feel like I'm an actor in a play and that the audience believes me to be real when I'm a facade. What Satan wants me to do when I feel that way is to give up my acting career and let me be me. What does Jesus want me to do? He wants me to quit acting and obey truth. He wants to see a change in my heart which will be reflected in my thoughts and actions!  Being a Christian means change and change I must! I'm a bad actor and so are you. Bad actors go to hell just as those who disbelieve.

What bad actors come to mind in scripture?

Matthew 23:25 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."

Yes, we are at times all hypocrites, but if we seek and obey truth because we want to please God, then there is no need to put on an act. Even when we're imperfect, if we're sincere, God sees our hearts and has the grace to forgive. Each of us may have a "secret sin". It's not really a secret, but it's where we're vulnerable. God knows that sin and so does Satan. The devil uses it to deceive you further, but the Lord can forgive it if the sinner repents. We may have to pray often for forgiveness, but if we're praying for forgiveness, God is graceful.

Self-Righteous?

Have you ever been called "self-righteous"?  We need to be careful who we're being "righteous" for because if it's being done to glorify the self, then it's not righteous! "Self-righteousness" is an oxymoron.

Being "righteous" is living without sin. Can I do that? Can any of us do that? "No" for the simple reason that only God is "good" and by his standard we all fail.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."

Unfortunately, as hard as I try that means me... and you!

Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one..."

We usually focus on "there is none righteous", but never ask "Where is it written"? Here's where:

Psalm 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

Most people will say "I do good!" We think too highly of ourselves. The meek are the ones who'll be blessed if you remember!  If we break one of God's law we may as well have broken them all:

 James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

 This is why we can't save ourselves. We can never be "good" enough to "not sin". That's why we need Jesus. We can't save ourselves because we will always sin. God, overlooking our guiltiness, can save us if we're sincere, repent, believe, accept and have faith. Saving the undeserved is "grace". We get the reward of salvation although we're guilty and deserve death.

Therefore, the "self" can never be righteous. We can only pretend to be!  The folks Jesus called "vipers", the Pharisees, tried to gain favor with God by obeying all the law. They failed because they forgot what's important:  loving!  The Law is all about loving God and others. The Pharisees failed miserably because they had an unloving heart. They even hated Jesus, let alone others!

Telling a person that they're "self-righteous" is just like calling them a Pharisee or a snake. Before we judge someone that harshly and condemn them, one must ask the question: "Is the perceived self-righteous person doing good to gain God's favor or to please him?" If the person has not been born-again, it's obvious that  the person is trying to make it to heaven by "works", following The Law of doing "good". Since only God is good, then we go right back to original sin. The self-righteous person is trying to be like God, emulating the person's antecedents. We can never be righteous on our own, so self-righteousness is an impossibility. The "self-righteous person" is just playing games with God!

On the other hand, a born-again Christian is called to be holy.

1 Peter 1:16 "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

We're to copy God who is holy. It is commanded, not suggested, that we do all in our power to please God! Again, this verse says "Because it is written". Where was it written:

Leviticus 20:7 "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God."

It comes from The Old Testament. Being holy at that time meant following The Law. Jesus tells us that he came not to replace the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). How is the law fulfilled?

Galatians 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

It's impossible to love thy neighbor if you steal from him, lie to him, covet what he has, kill him or set a wrong example for him by not loving God. Hence, fulfilling The Law is  loving others through keeping God's Law! Some would throw The Law out the door in place of grace. However, because of God's grace, the born-again person endeavors to keep The Law, although still failing because we're mankind. Overlooking our failures is grace. God's love is manifested as grace.

Then, it's to be expected that a Christian be "sanctified" (Lev 20:7). We're to set ourselves apart from the world and be holy. Fortunately for us we're not on our own! Jesus left us, but God provided for the Holy Spirit to "comfort" us. That comfort he provides is that we have help. It's like running a race, according to Paul, but the Holy Spirit increases our adrenalin and minimizes adenosines in our muscles; so to speak. Although, we're to "work" on being "good", "goodness" cannot be achieved without faith. Faith is a work and it's a gift of God, so while we're able to work, we're able because God helps us!

James 2:20 "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

Since "works" are "doing good" and following The Law, then a Christian is to do good and follow The Law! In effect James is saying "So your born-again. Demonstrate it!", not "Act like it!" as some would say because we're not to "act", we're to "do".

I sin every day. You do as well! Does that mean that I just keep on sinning? Paul answered that as well. We're not to keep on sinning so that we'll love God because he forgives us more. We're to minimize sinning! I might think bad thoughts of someone during the course of the day. Does that mean that I can go ahead and lie because I'm saved anyhow?  Not on your life. One sin is not a ticket for the liberty of sinning. Because a saved person breaks a law, doesn't mean that they're free from the law. It just means that some self-control needs to be practiced by reading scripture and  praying. (Some of our demons required fasting with prayer.)

Never accuse a Christian who's trying hard to please Jesus of being "self-righteous". By doing so, the person doing the critique is judging harshly because that person who also may be a Christian is failing by the same measure!  It takes a "snake' for a Christian to call another Christian a "snake". That's not loving others and that's the commandment we're to keep!

Antichrists: They come before The Antichrist

We've all heard of THE ANTICHRIST. He embellishes all that diminishes Jesus, THE CHRIST. He's the leader of a lost world near the end of time. For those who've never heard that the world will be destroyed at the end of time, that destruction is called "The Apocalypse". The antichrist shall be the ruler at its destruction, but much will happen before then!

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

The "elect" are the Christians. We're all called to endure:

 Matthew 10:22 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Being a Christian is more than feeling guilty and going to the altar to repent. It's a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus! God puts a hedge around us to protect us from death just as he did with Job, but Satan is still allowed to deceive the Christian through temptation and lies to rob us of our souls. Those of us who have faith shall endure and be saved. Faith is not a snap-shot in time. It's a snap-shot of the believers state of mind at any time! We must walk in the faith (Romans 4:12).

Therefore false Christs shall arise in order to deceive Christians. Those christs will have their prophets. This implies that false churches will exist which will mislead even Christians!

 Revelation 3:14 "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Yes, the antichrist shall have a church! It shall be as the church which is likenwd unto the one at Laodicea. A "sort of" gospel will be preached. It won't be about the blood sacrifice of Jesus, but will be all about works. Those modern churches who question Biblical inerrancy, the inspired word of God, and preach "social justice" fit the description "luke-warm" quite well. I believe those members of the "National Council of Churches" are the Laodicean Church will shall be the tabernacle of the antichrist whose headship of the global church fits well into the organization of "The World Council of Churches", to which the national organizations belong.

The first question a Christian should ask oneself when joining a church is "Does it belong to the National Council of Churches?" If it does beware! You are a candidate to be deceived. (Many antichrists belong to and manage these organizations, but many local churches of that body have no understanding of the significance of their membership!) There are and will be preachers who, because they are deceived, will preach "another gospel". It's the gospel of the antichrist, even using Jesus's name, but spewing forth vile lies mixed in with half-truths and deceptions. There are many:

1 John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

Even in biblical times there already had arisen a false religion (gnosticism) which taught heresy. They believed that God did not come in the flesh because "material" is evil and that the creator God was bad because he created material. Therefore, God's Spirit died on the Cross and not the Son of Man. In other words, the crucifixion of Christ was an illusion. This became the heresy of Docetism where a phanstasm was crucified and not Jesus! Many versions of Christ's death on the cross have arisen: all the way from "it didn't happen" to that "he was only a spirit" to "he didn't die, but his body arose". All deny the vicarious death of Jesus on the Cross.

Many today believe in Jesus, the prophet and teacher. Few truly believe that Jesus is God and that he suffered death for all mankind!  Looking at one of the other monotheistic religions, Islam, Wikipedia says "Muslims believe Jesus was not crucified, but was raised bodily to heaven by God, a belief purported to be found in the Gospel of Basilides, of which, if it existed, no copies survive." Hence, Islam is denies gospel truth and Mohammed and the Ayatollahs are antichrists!  Liberal churches teach that Jesus was a "good man" and "teacher", but he was no God! Some teach that Jesus "is God", but a merciful God who will never punish the unbeliever! Rather than seeking heaven through faith, it is by works and those works are focused on "loving others". That's good, but "loving God" is minimized or neglected entirely. (social  justice). We must believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. That's a REQUIREMENT for salvation because without him dying in the flesh, his sacrifice was for naught:

2 John 1:7 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

Antichrists have a role in preparation for the apocalyptic government. Antichrists are to prepare the way for THE ANTICHRIST:

2 Thessalonians 2:3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (The antichrist); :4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

 1 John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."

It would be foolish to say that if the antichrist came today that most people would accept him! Things won't be "normal" and then suddenly minds change. It will come gradually! "There shall be a falling away first!"  Many have heard of "creeping socialism". This is "creeping heresy", the twin brother of the vile socialist ideology. A One World false religion will be accompanied by a Global Government of which the United Nations may be the instrument allowing that to happen!

Well, who are all these antichrists who exist right now?

1 John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

 Anyone who denies that which is labeled the "Trinity" is an antichrist. This includes cults such as Jehovah Witnesses and liberal protestant churches. It also includes people like Hitler, Stalin, Castro and even some American presidents who profess belief in Christ, but not the Christ of the Bible! Over the years some have even accused popes of being antichrists! Anyone who teaches false doctrine is an antichrist! What doctrine do you profess, reader?

After the way is prepared, people fall away and the time is right, then the antichrist shall appear:

Daniel 7:24 "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

At the time of the antichrist there will be an alignment of nations, a world government which will set the stage for the rise to power of the antichrist.  Church leaders will fall for his charm as the antichrist denies God! These religious leaders will do the bidding of the antichrist. He will use propaganda and the doing of good things to remold minds "he shall speak great words" to them. And for those who fail to be believers in his "goodness" (which I believe is a socialist government from the descriptions of each). Then comes force used to change minds:

Revelation 13:15 "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

The transition, with tyranny and death, has transformed "socialism" into "communism"!  The government that did "social good" now has to commit atrocities to gain acceptance! Why would people allow this? Just as in Germany and Russia, people were deceived until it was too late. It will happen to us too. It's just when!

Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

So you believe in the "wall of separation of church and state"? The antichrist laughs at you! He combines church and state and gains power by removing religion from the nations (as does socialism). He overcomes nations by defeating Christianity because that's the religion which stands between him and world power. (Those right-wing Christians the nation hates so much are what's standing between freedom and the dictatorship of the antichrist).

As ruler during the first years of his reign, he does good things: ends wars, conquers hunger, improves health, etc. then the man changes  things. The good guy, the Robin Hood of the world changes! His true colors are shown. He conquers what's left of the world by force.

We are to beware so that we're not deceived. The world right now hates those who tell truth! However, those immersed in God's Word know that things will get worse, not better! When things get better in the eyes of the world, then be extra cautious because the antichrist may already be here! How will we know? The leader will deny Christ's deity and the churches will still support him!

Most believe that the rapture will occur before that happens. I do too, but for those who remain and the new Christians made, it will be a time of persecution and beheadings. I strongly believe that Islam, through socialism, will declare a form of Sharia Law over the world and cause all to worship Mohammed. We'll see! Or will we?

The Truth Hurts!

Truth and pleasure are natural-born enemies! Let me explain:

Truth is out there. However, truth isn't a show-off. It resides in knowledge, but it reveals itself only when knowledge is wisely displayed. Yes, truth is hidden by ignorance, ignored by knowledge and manifested by wisdom!

Truth is conformity to what's real. The question is: "What's real?" There are many theories, deceptions and lies regarding reality; but truth can be hard to swallow. People accept falsehoods because truth isn't in agreement with their own world view! As with all mankind's limitations, failure to accept truth was the "spiritual death" suffered when Eve led Adam to eat of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". This tree was a metaphor for our two antecedents who followed the lies of the serpent Satan instead of truth, which was the fruit of "The Tree of Life"! They dishonored God by seeking to know what God knows rather than just accepting what God says as true.

Having "reason" after eating of the wrong tree is why we all fear truth. Rather than unquestioning acceptance of God's truth, mankind ever since questions his authority. We "rationalize" our own actions and behaviors by rejecting God's word and accepting lies. Lies are much easier to accept than is truth because lying is a friend of pleasure!

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. (i.e., Jesus is God. He professed that he is). God is truth. Jesus is truth. What Jesus said is God speaking truth. Jesus is The Word. Mankind hates Jesus because Jesus speaks truth!

John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

Truth is how Christians are set apart into righteousness (sanctified). John goes on to say that God's word is truth! What are Christians set apart from? What's not right (unrighteousness). However, sanctification doesn't come naturally. The sinner and the Christian must seek truth. Where is it to be found? In scripture!

Finding truth in scripture is called "discernment". Those who're discerning recognize with their mental faculties that what God says conforms to reality. When God says that he created the universe and everything in it, the discerning person recognizes that if an all-powerful God can create all from nothing, that same God can create a history for it. God in his omnipotence does not conform to mankind's limited knowledge. He doesn't have to create an embryo earth and watch it grow. He created a mature earth already grown; just as he created the grown man Adam!

Thinking as that sets apart (sanctifies) the discerning person from those who like Adam and Eve, rationalize science and make God conform to man rather than man to conform to Truth (God). Science can never save us, but God can! I choose God!

What is your gift as a Christian? God doesn't change us without giving us gifts. One of the gifts all Christians must have is "discernment". We all must believe God at all costs and obey what he says regardless of what science or our own desires lead us to believe. Let's take for example sex. Everything today propagates sex and leads us to believe that it's just a mechanical biological function that's benign. God tells us how wrong it is outside marriage. Those who rationalize accept the benign function of sex, but the discerning person recognizes how holy marriage and sex is in God's eyes. Likewise, discernment works in truth in all aspects of living.

When my son went to drug rehab I became a discerning parent. I was taught how the users mind works and how common drug use is among all groups in society. With that knowledge I had new wisdom. I became able to detect the druggy wherever I went. I recognized the symptoms in many whom I love and who had previously fooled me. I became discerning. However, it hurt to be so discerning! I just didn't want to know which friends were druggies and that the world is a drug induced society. I was happier without that knowledge! Bliss is closing one's eyes to what's unpleasant. I had lived in an Ozzy and Harriet world where wrong was non-existent. Now, as I became discerning, wrong was everywhere. Drug use is prevalent and I now see that!

More so than drugs, I now discern wrong all through society because God has given me the gift of discernment. I now know that someday the world will be destroyed by evil people who appear to be loving, caring and successful. I now know that homosexuality will increase until the end comes. I now know that people will accept even aberrant behaviors as mere lifestyle choices and that there will be massive wars. I see what pleasures in life are abhorrent to God and that most people participate in those behaviors. All this insight is not fun. Knowing the Truth hurts! As a consequence, what most consider to be pleasure, I don't. I see wrong where it indeed exists. It would be fun to be able to drink heavily, party, be promiscuous without guilt and the like; but as a Christian with discernment, I'm set apart. I can't do this stuff.

Furthermore, it pains me to see those whom I love do wrong and know that if they don't change, they're going to suffer eternal punishment. I fear for my children and grandchildren. It will get worse. Will they submit to God or follow the beast? As did Jeremiah, I'm telling those I love (and the world through this blog) that we face destruction, but the world fails to listen. I'm just a small Jeremiah with few listeners, but just imagine how unpleasant the truth known to Jeremiah hurt. He knew that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the Jews dispersed, but few listened. Noah knew that the world faced destruction, but few listened. Empathize with him! Those prophets were discerning righteous people who knew truth and that truth overcame pleasure. The truth they knew hurt their ability to have fun (pleasure), but their pleasure is in eternity.

Those who discern and practice truth have eternal life in heaven. Only God knows where those are who spurn truth for pleasure:

2 Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Accept Truth. Accept what is unseen. Recognize as possible those things beyond proof. Be discerning even if it hurts!

Influence of Music in the Church

Ask anyone: "Why did you change churches?" The answer is normally one of five things:

• I didn't like the music.
• The people weren't friendly.
• The pastor was boring.
• The service was too traditional.
• Too much emphasis was put on punishment.

Let's look at the first "complaint". It seems that the genre of music is the most important to people. I hear them say "I hate church hymns!" or "I prefer contemporary music."  Both of those may be true, but why do we have music in the church in the first place?

Psalm 68: 3 "...let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. 4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah (Jehovah), and rejoice before him."

 "Rejoicing before God" is merrymaking because of God. We are to "sing unto God" as we make merry in his glory. You can see here that singing praises is God-centered, not self-centered. This is validated by another act of early worship.

Exodus 29:18 "And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord."

So just as the ram offering was pleasant to the Lord so is the song offering when we sing!  And what are we to sing?

James 5:13 "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms."

Psalms are sacred hymns or poems. Yes, they were sometimes accompanied by music. A hymn is a poem set to music in praise of God.

It would appear that singing praises to God using an orderly, respectful poetic musical number is appropriate. Most traditional music fits this description and much of contemporary music does. "Contemporary" should not frighten the believer, but the genre is important!  Since we're praising God the music should be enjoyable to God. We have no way of knowing that!  Therefore, we must find another standard.

Deuteronomy 18:9 "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations."

Basically said, we should not copy pagans!   Any genre of music can contain paganism. "New Age" music by definition is pagan. However, mellow Christian music is much like the "New Age" genre.

The type of music which comes first to my  mind is "rock music". Don't equate "rock" with all contemporary music. "Rock" is just one aspect of contemporary. "Rock 'n Roll" music was coined in 1951 by DJ Allen Freed. The name means "back seat sex". Rock 'n Roll music originated primarily as protest music and many of the lyrics were rebellious and the beat to hammer the message home.

What's wrong with "Rock 'n Roll"? No sin can be acceptable to the Lord. There may be other genres of sinful music, but rock comes to mind first to many Christians. God is Holy and his purity cannot be defaced and God still be pleased!

1 Peter 1:16 "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

There are two thoughts here. We must be holy. That means that we should not pleasure in what the pagans have pleasure in. I'm not speaking of having fun, but pleasure associated with sins of the flesh. Unfortunately, rock music is associated with provocative behavior and sexual activity or at least suggestive behavior.

The second thought is that we are to be holy so that we're emulating God in whose image we're created. We are to be righteous. One might say "When I sing rock music in church, I'm not being provocative." That's reasonable, but is it the type of music God desires? I'm not the authority on what pleases God and what offends him. I only have my opinion, but I try to base it on scripture. Each of us need to do the same!

However, the main point to be considered is whether we enjoy the church music for our own selfish pleasure or to magnify God. It's the attitude we have toward the singing. Neither should we praise the singer. The intent of hymns is to praise God!

Music genres splits churches. That pains God! We each have our own preferences and we "demand" that it be what we enjoy! Traditional music, whether the younger generation likes it or not, was there first. Church music is being changed to please the young. It does get younger people to the church, but is it for the right reasons?  If we focus on the music above the sermon, then we're missing opportunities. I know many who attend church regularly, but know little about God.  People know all the lyrics to songs, but can't quote scripture!

Why pick on rock music? It's because of its negative influences in the world. Whether we agree or not, the battle within churches is between hymns and rock, not between hymns and contemporary. It's not for me to say that rock is wrong, but suggest that all examine our own attitudes toward music. Church leaders often believe that to increase church attendance we must make services entertaining. I disagree with that! If we're learning about Jesus we should be joyful! We're entertained all week. Church is for learning, praying, praise and salvation.

If you disagree, that's between you and God. I write this because music type is a major problem in modern churches. Please do a self-examination and make your own choices. Just do it with praise of God in mind. My self-evaluation is that although I prefer traditional hymns over southern gospel, contemporary or rock, that's what scripture leads me toward. However, I can tolerate other genres of music, excepting hard rock and rap music. I like to think that God and I have the same tastes, but that's pride! Maybe he's more tolerant than I am of praise music... but maybe he's not!

Lawful, but not Expedient

On becoming a Christian we have liberty! Before we were in bondage and now we are free!

In Moses time the Jews in slavery to the Egyptians were in bondage to them. Egypt was a "picture" of sin and freedom from Egypt was all about being free from bondage which is a picture of freedom from sin, and being so, is a type of salvation. With the escape from Egypt came liberty. The Hebrews were free to serve God or free to disobey. For them there was a consequence for disobedience. They would be cut off from God! That's why the event which led to freedom, the Passover, was only a picture of salvation. There were consequences for disobedience.

With the advent of Jesus' sacrifice for all mankind, salvation is available to all! With true salvation we're no longer bound to the "Law", but are truly free as long as we don't deny Jesus. That's called "grace" and with grace comes Christian "liberty". We're no longer bound by the law, but obey because we love Jesus!

"Liberty" means we are free to act and believe as we want! However, Christian liberty is slightly different! We are only free to "act", but our belief must be in Jesus. As long as we have belief in Jesus we have freedom to act. That means that we don't have all the does and don'ts of Mosaic Laws, but if we love Jesus we have a desire to keep God's Laws; The Ten Commandments or as The New Testament summarizes them: loving God and loving others! Hence, liberty is not open-ended. We are obliged to believe in order to be rewarded with freedom. Actually, for Christians, salvation is partial liberty.

There us a "Perfect Law of Liberty":

James 1:25 "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

In summary, "The Perfect Law of Liberty" says that  if we seek liberty, not only are we obliged to continue in it, but do it!  Do what? Be in the state of liberty? What's that?

2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

The Lord (Jesus) is the Spirit and liberty is residing in his Spirit. Belief leading to faith provides the Spirit and with that faith comes liberty. Consequently, being in a "State of Liberty"  is residing in the Spirit of the Lord, or being steadfast in the faith as Philippians 2:12 implores us to be.

Liberty, then, is being free from bondage from the law. We are no longer required to obey for salvation, but obey because we love the Lord! Obeying the Law is called "works". We're not saved by works, but through faith (Ephesians 2:8). So that we're not braggarts, we must realize that nothing we do in excess of faith saves us. The sinner's vain attempts to be "good" are futile unless belief, acceptance, sorrow and repentance is there. That's salvation by faith!

Below we can see that "works" or following the law, doesn't consummate salvation nor prolong its gestation.  We are free to follow the Law (Mosaic Law) or not to follow it! It does nothing for our security. However, we MUST still follow God's commands if we love him:

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Therefore, Christians will keep God's commands! What are they? Love God and love others. However, this "Greatest Commandment" and "One Like It"  are shorthand for The Ten Commandments. We show love for God by keeping his commandments to love him and others. We are to keep God's Law (The Commandments), but are free from Mosaic Law and all its trappings. We still have no other Gods, we still are to be truthful, we're still to be free from murderous thoughts and actions, but we no longer have to sacrifice, refrain from any type of activity on the Sabbath, eat kosher, be ceremonially clean, etc. The Hebrews were required to be lawful to be holy, but always came up short! To be Holy Christians must have saving faith and just be there! It's called "grace" and with grace comes faith and love!

1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."

"Expediency" is doing what's appropriate! We are freed from the law, but it may be appropriate to obey the law.   Is it lawful to hate? No! We're commanded to love. Christians never have the freedom to hate. Liberty doesn't cover hate of God nor hate of another.  Is it appropriate to rescue an ox from the pit on the Sabbath. According to Jesus, most certainly. We are in effect breaking the Sabbath by working to save the ox, but it would be cruel and unloving to allow the ox to die an unnecessary death.

Are we free to commit adultery? No! That's one of The Ten Commandments (coveting neighbor's wife). That's not only unlawful out of love (philio)  for others, but neither is it appropriate behavior for a disciple of Christ. Likewise, for murder! It's neither lawful nor expedient because we're to love others!

What then is lawful, but inappropriate? It's lawful to get intoxicated. That has nothing to do with loving God or others. We can drink all the booze we desire and get drunk. It won't send a person to hell (unless it's coupled with apostasy), but it's not expedient! Drunkenness is totally inappropriate and we're told to be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Since we can't think and worship God as he desires to be worshiped, when inebriated, drunkenness is lawful, but not expedient! The same goes for tattoos, yoga, horoscopes, stingy giving, uncleanliness, gluttony and the like. It 's lawful to eat non-kosher foods, and most of the time it is appropriate. However, in the older days it was not appropriate to eat unclean (non-kosher) foods because people who did often risked death. (God wanted the Jews to multiply, not die out!)

To show our love of Jesus, we must respect the will of Jesus. We no longer follow the law by sacrificing grain and animals to please God, but we are expected to sacrifice ourselves:

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

We are to be Holy by living holy! That's sacrificing ourselves. Denying ourselves the pleasures of the world AND magnifying and loving Jesus is "our reasonable service". We are TO DO that! That's the expedient work of the true Christian! If we're not sacrificing ourselves (our own desires) are we being holy? No! It's not acceptable to be unholy. We're expected to live holy lives and that is expedient!

What pleasures are we to put aside? Pleasures of this world. Priorities must be placed on what's holy. If we put anything above Jesus then we're not doing our reasonable service!

Let me ask a few questions:

1. Do you seek entertainment over worship. Which do you do more of?
2. Do you drink more than that one glass of wine that you claim that you only drink?
3. Do you forgive others. Do you ever tell another that you're sorry?
4. Are you provoking in your conversations or empathetic?
5. Do you belittle others and gossip?
6. Does your appearance reflect modesty or do you look as the pagans look?
7. Are you more concerned with getting things or helping others?
8. Do you pray for God's will or your own? Do you get answers you want or what's biblical?
9. Do you keep the commandments" All of them? Even in your heart?
10. Is the Bible paramount or do you disagree with some of it?
11. If you accept the Bible as God's word, why do you continue to disappoint the Lord?
12. Do you accept the philosophy of the world over God's truths?
13. Can people tell that you're a Christian by observing?
14. Is your music, movies and television ungodly or offensive to God? Is your entertainment prurient or pure?
15. How much time in a day do you allow for the Lord? Little? Some? More? Much?
16. You get the idea. Examine yourself. Are you doing your "reasonable service"? Are your actions expedient (appropriate if you love the Lord)?

Liberty must be edifying to the Lord. What we do must reflect well on Jesus!  The adage, "What Would Jesus Do?" is all about edifying Jesus. Does dancing like a slut edify Jesus? Does getting drunk? How about gossiping and believing the Bible is not always right? Does that edify Jesus? No it's not appropriate and consequently is not expedient! Look at the above list and other actions you do daily. WWJD? Are you edifying Jesus by your life? Only you can answer that!