The One and Only Gospel

The word "Gospel" means "Good News" and it refers to the message of what God did to save us and how we can receive that salvation. It is supposed to be a simple message that has defined Christianity from the beginning, but it seems that there is some disagreement among Christians about the Gospel that was being preached at the beginning of the Church. Some say that the Apostles led by Peter were preaching that a person is saved through having faith and doing works together, while the Apostle Peter and those who agreed with him were preaching that salvation comes through having faith alone. This theory gives the idea that Paul alone was spreading the Gospel, with the other Apostles only serving as a hindrance to him and his message, leaving a great divide between Jewish and Gentile believers. While it is true that the early Christians, including the Apostles, didn't always agree, it is not true that they were hopelessly divided over God's plan of salvation. When you look into the New Testament, instead of seeing contradicting messages, you see a unified truth, proclaiming that salvation comes by God's grace through personal faith in who He is and what He did to save sinners, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

In clearing this up, we need to begin with the one who is most often accused of preaching salvation by works, the Apostle Peter. In Acts 10:43, Peter has just told a group of Gentiles about the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, when he gives the following invitation, saying, "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43, NKJV). Now when this first group of Gentiles believed, they received the Holy Spirit in what has been called a Gentile Pentecost, which was evidenced by the speaking of tongues as in Acts 2. This Gentile Pentecost was a unique event to commemorate the first of the Gentiles coming to believe. It was at this point that Peter said, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Don't miss the sequence of events: Peter gave the invitation to believe for salvation, they believed and received the Holy Spirit, and then they were baptized afterwards. Peter said that this was the same way that the Jewish believers had also received the Holy Spirit and came to be baptized. It was through faith alone, with no works mentioned.

I would also like to point out the events of the next chapter in Acts, when Peter got back to Jerusalem and was surrounded by controversy from the Jewish believers because he had been with Gentiles (Acts 11:1-3). Peter first explained to them how God had sent him to the Gentiles to tell them how to be saved (Acts 11:4-14). Peter told them how they received the Holy Spirit and then said, "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17, NKJV) Their response is in agreement with Peter: "When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life'" (Acts 11:18, NKJV). Peter's emphasis was on belief for salvation and apparently that was the same message that the Jews had already received.

When Paul was preaching in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, his message was essentially the same as Peter's. Paul told of the coming of the Messiah, the death of Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus. Paul then said, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39, NKJV). When most of the Jews in the synagogue (though not all) rejected what Paul had to say, Paul turned to the Gentiles, but it does not say that his message to them was any different. It's interesting that you see this same pattern in every city that Paul went to. If the city had a synagogue, he started preaching there, then when he was inevitably rejected, he would turn to the Gentiles, but his message was always the same to both, namely that salvation comes by God's grace through personal faith.

Now it is clear that not all Jewish Christians believed in the message of salvation by grace through faith alone. In fact, Paul, Barnabas, and other like-minded Christians went to Jerusalem, "to the apostles and elders," over the disagreement, in order to try and resolve it (Acts 15:1-2). The majority of believers were overjoyed at the news of their success in reaching the Gentiles, but a minority of believers were critical (Acts 15:3-5). Not surprisingly, since he was the first to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles, Peter stood up to defend Paul and his Gospel. The Bible says, "And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: 'Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they'" (Acts 15:7-11, NKJV). I want to take special note of two things in what Peter said. First of all, Peter called the Law a "yoke" that none of the Jews had been able to bear, or in other words, none of them had been able to save themselves through the keeping of the Law. Secondly, Peter said that it is through "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" and nothing else that anyone is saved, whether Jew or Gentile.

With these passages in mind, I simply cannot believe that they preached a different Gospel. You see both Peter and Paul preaching salvation by grace through faith to both Jews and Gentiles. There's no reason to believe that the other Apostles were any different. Their's was a unified message of salvation by the grace of One Lord over one people of faith, whether Jew or Gentile, as the Bible says, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Ephesians 2:14-16, NKJV).

Today, there are many denominations and varieties of Churches, much more so than it was in the beginning when there was only a Jewish and a Gentile Church. In all our disagreements, whether worthy or unworthy of argument, it is imperative that we have one unified message, just like the early Church did. That message should be that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Savior, and our Lord, because He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died in our place, and rose again from the dead to save and change the lives of all who will place their faith in Him. That's the message of salvation by grace through faith. The grace is His part, while the faith is ours, and when both come together, salvation happens! When it comes to life and death, that's the only Good News!

Salvation from Separation

Our Church just experienced a shock last week that we are still reeling from. One of our members committed suicide. This individual was a good, Christian man and well-liked by all, but he took his own life in a moment of despair. As his pastor, the task fell to me to try and comfort his family and to preach his funeral. It has been one of the most difficult things that I have ever had to deal with as a pastor. I sought the Lord's guidance to know both what to say and what to do. For a time, I had no clear direction, but then God gave me the words to say from His Word. What He had me say is instructive and encouraging to us all.

First of all, some misconceptions of suicide had to be confronted; the main one being the idea that if someone commits the sin of suicide, they automatically go to Hell. The Bible never says anything of the sort. What Scripture actually says is that people go to Hell because they are separated from God. The Bible explains, saying, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2, NKJV). Therefore, all sinners are separated from God, and we don't have to hear that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) to know that it is a problem that we all face.

Separation is the punishment for sin and is a condition that God calls "death." Physical death illustrates it in that when a person has physically died, they are separated from all those who love them. Well, spiritual death is the separation of a person's spirit from the One who loves them far more than anyone ever could. Without being forgiven of their sins, a person is forced to live apart from God, and when their body dies, their spirit has to remain apart from God. In other words, if you can't be with God in Heaven, there's no other place to be but separated from Him in Hell. If left to our own devices, this would be the position that we would all find ourselves in, but God didn't leave us without a solution!

God loved us enough to do whatever was necessary to end the separation between us and Him! The Bible speaks of both the punishment for sin and the salvation from sin's punishment, saying that "...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV). God freely traded our old life of separation from Him for a new life of salvation with Him through Jesus Christ! That gift cost Jesus dearly, as the Bible reminds us, saying, "...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NKJV). Jesus was separated from God in death, so that we would not have to be separated from God in death. He took our place to end the separation once and for all, but there is a catch.

Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made, our separation from God can be ended, but only on one condition: we must believe to receive His gift. That's why the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, NKJV). Belief in Jesus is what provides salvation from that separation. Belief is the key to having a relationship with God that will never end! Thankfully, I know that the man who committed suicide had faith in Jesus Christ and is now in Heaven with Him because of it.

You see, once your separation from God has ended, no sin, not even the sin of taking your own life, can separate you from your Savior again! Think of the words that the Bible uses to describe what you receive when you believe, words like "everlasting life" and "eternal life." If you could suddenly do something to end this new life with God, it could not be called "everlasting" or "eternal." But there is an even stronger argument for believing that we cannot be separated from God again. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28, NKJV). To say that you could take yourself away from the Lord is to say that you are stronger than Him, and that is just not possible. It was Jesus that ended the separation between you and God, and it is Jesus who will keep you from being separated from Him ever again. That's why the Apostle Paul wrote these words, saying, "...I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39, NLT).

Even though this man committed suicide, he had faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith remained the key to his salvation. Knowing that made my task a little easier in comforting the family and in coming to grips with what happened. His eternal life was still secure, despite the wrong and tragic way that he died. Many of you will recognize that I'm talking about the eternal security of the believer; the concept that once you're saved, you are always saved; but I like to put it this way... In Jesus we have salvation from separation! Thank-you, Jesus!

Christmas and the Cross

Each Christmas season I am increasingly concerned over the fact that our culture is forgetting or ignoring what Christmas is all about. In this nation that was founded by Christians and that has always been a place where Christianity has flourished, Christmas has become X-Mas, a holiday without the Christ. American children hear more about Santa Claus and the latest toys at Walmart than they do about the One whose birth is the reason for the season. We all need to be reminded that if it were not for Jesus Christ there would be no Christmas!

This Christmas I hope that more people will hear the message of Christmas and the Cross. You may be asking what Christmas has to do with the Cross. Simply put, it has everything to do with it. There had to be an incarnation before there could be a crucifixion. Jesus had to be born before He could die for us. He had to become human before He could take our place. His birth was the beginning of a journey that would lead Him to the Cross. That is what we hear from the Bible in places like Hebrews 2, where God's Word says, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15, NKJV). The New Living Translation expounds upon these verses saying, "Because God's children are human beings-- made of flesh and blood-- the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."

A human birth was required for Jesus to be able to die on the Cross to save us. The Bible explains why, saying that "...when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7, NKJV). The Son of God became one of us so that we could become one of His! Without Jesus we are nothing more than slaves to sin, but with Jesus we are set free and adopted into God's family! Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34-36, NKJV). It's sin that enslaves us, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NKJV), and it's sin that kills us, "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a, NKJV), but "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NKJV)! The Bible also explains that God "...made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV).

Jesus was sent into the world to take our place and our punishment, as the Bible teaches, saying, "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10, NKJV). That word "propitiation" means "the satisfying price," and in this case refers to the price that Jesus paid for our sins, which was death. Jesus wasn't forced to pay that price; He was willing to take on the mission. The Bible says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV). He was willing to do whatever it took to save you and me, no matter how it changed Him and no matter what it cost Him! It required becoming human at Christmas and it required dying at the Cross, but Jesus did it for you and me! That's why Christmas and the Cross are inseparably linked, so that we might never forget what Christmas is truly all about.

So how do we put the Christ back in Christmas? Well, the Apostle Paul gave us a good example to follow, saying, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15, NKJV)! The greatest form of thanks that you can give is to simply believe in the Christ of Christmas and the Cross! Jesus said, "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" (John 3:16, NKJV). That's why the Bible later explains, saying, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV). That's the greatest Christmas gift of all, but if you choose not to believe, you will never receive it! Friend, please believe in the Christ of Christmas and the Cross. No Christmas could be merrier than the one with Christ in it!

May you and yours have a very merry Christmas this year!

The Perspective of a Changed Man

When I think of people in the Bible whose lives have been changed through having faith in Jesus Christ, one person comes to mind more often than any other. I think of the man who was once called Saul, when he was still an unbeliever, a persecutor, and an enemy of Christ, but who would later be called Paul, when he became a believer, a follower, and an ambassador for Christ. Paul's dramatic conversion that began on the road to Damascus is one of the most iconic stories in the New Testament. It is a story that gets our attention and tells us that God can indeed save and change the life of anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ, no matter who they are or what they have done. As we southern preachers say, the story of Paul's salvation will flat preach! And that is what Paul often did concerning his testimony; he talked about it, he preached about it, and he wrote about it. It would do us all good to hear what he had to say.

Toward the end of the book of Acts, in chapter 26, we find Paul standing before King Agrippa, having been given the opportunity to defend himself against his accusers. But even though he had already been unjustly imprisoned for over two years, Paul did not plead for his freedom, but instead he mainly preached about how his life had been changed by Jesus Christ. He told the king how he had been an unbeliever who actually fought against those who believed in Jesus, having been a part of not only imprisoning believers, but also executing believers (see Acts 26:9-11). But then he told the king how God chose to have mercy on him, though it took being knocked flat on his back and being temporarily blinded before he would listen to the voice of the Lord Jesus (see Acts 26:12-15). He finally told the king that God had given him a new purpose for his life, to tell the world that anyone can "receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith" in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:16-18). Paul's life was turned upside down when he began to follow Jesus Christ, but for the better. It's no wonder that he changed his name from Saul to Paul, because he was a totally different person from then on.

Up to that point, Paul had been a rising star in the religious establishment of Jerusalem. He had been considered a faithful Jew and a Pharisee of Pharisees. He had been trained by the great Jewish teacher, Gamaliel, and had quickly become a force to be reckoned with in teaching and enforcing the Law of Moses. He had been both respected and feared, but when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, he became an outcast and a traitor. All that he had worked so hard for all of his life went up in smoke that day on the road to Damascus. You might think that such a loss pained Paul to think about and gave him regrets about his choice, but you would be wrong. Paul's perspective was changed just as much as his life was changed. Paul wrote to the Philippians, saying, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:7-9, NKJV). The New Living Translation explains Paul's point quite well, saying, "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith." To Paul nothing from his old life could compare with his new life with Jesus. In fact, his old life without Jesus had simply been a waste of time full of things to be discarded in contrast to the rewards of knowing and having faith in Jesus Christ. Paul went on to say that his goal in life was to be "...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14, NKJV).

One of the main things that made Paul who he was and determined what God could do with him was that he never forgot or got over the change that God had made in his life. Toward the end of his ministry, Paul wrote once again about what God had done in his life. He told Timothy, his adopted son in the faith, that he thanked "...Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:12-15, NKJV). The New Living Translation puts that last verse a little stronger, saying, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' -- and I am the worst of them all." Paul looked back at his life before he came to know Jesus and said that the only way that he could have been saved was through the grace and the love of God that Jesus came to provide for all sinners, even the worst like him. Paul went on to explain, "However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life" (1 Timothy 1:16, NKJV). Paul said that his life was meant to stand as an example of what God can do with anyone who comes to have faith in Him, as the New Living Translation puts it, saying, "...God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life." Paul was saying, "If God can save and change somebody like me, He can save and change anyone!"

Paul's perspective was the perspective of a changed man, the perspective of someone whom Jesus Christ has changed from the inside out. Though the particular details of his story are unique, his experience is not. I too have experienced the change that God can make in someone who chooses to believe in and follow Jesus. About 10 and half years ago, I was still basically an atheist or an agnostic, alternating between someone who denied that there is a God and someone who wasn't sure that there was a God. I was a self-centered, sin-ridden man of this world, just one of the crowd. But all of that changed on the day that I gave my life to Jesus. I told Him that I believe what the Bible says about me and about Him, or in other words, that I was a sinner and that He died to save me from the punishment of my sins. Then I simply asked Him to save and change my life, surrendering it to Him to see what He could do with it instead. Just like Paul, I wasn't the same man anymore after that. In fact, I'm glad that my past is my past and that the old me is dead. Paul's life goal is now my own: "...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14, NKJV). That's the perspective of a changed man. Is that your perspective?

In Him

I was reading in the book of Colossians today and came across a passage that really struck me. Over and over again, in the space of just five verses, the Bible talks about who we are, what we have, and what we should be doing "in Him," or rather "in the life of Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord." For those who believe, it is "in Him" that we have eternal life, it is "in Him" that we have the adoption and inheritance of the children of God, and it is "in Him" that we can live the life that God intends us to live. The Bible says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:6-10, NKJV).

In verse 9 of that passage, the Bible made a strong statement concerning who Jesus is that none could deny. It said that "...in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." That means that, though Jesus was a man, He also was and is fully God. If he were just a man, he would be dead and we would not be able to rely upon Him in our lives today, but because He is God, He is alive and we can rely upon Him in our lives today!

That brings me great comfort, as I face the struggles of this life. I don't care who you are, whether you are a preacher or a ditch-digger, it's hard to live the Christian life in this world of sin, but thank God, I don't have to do it in my own. I have strength beyond myself "in Him." When I chose to believe in Jesus by faith and surrender my life to His will, I received Him into my life. When He began to live in me, that's when I began to truly live "in Him."

Living “in Him” is what the Bible was referring to when it said to “walk in Him.” If you walk around each day living the life of Jesus, the Bible promises that you will be “rooted and built up in Him.” In this case, the Bible uses the example of a tree to describe those who live in Jesus. Like a tree must dig deep into the soil to gather the nutrients that it needs to survive and grow, a Christian must dig deep into the life that Jesus gives to grow and survive. Also, just like a tree that is anchored in nutrient rich soil is built into a living tower that can withstand the storm, the lives of those who live in Jesus stand through the moral and social storms of this world.

Each of us are told to “walk in Him” being “established in the faith, as you have been taught,” which in turn should cause you to be “abounding… with thanksgiving.” You can’t live “in Him” without having faith in what the Bible teaches about Him. To be caught up in what this world thinks and teaches apart from God is to be “cheated” out of the kind of life that God intended you to have. When you hear, believe, and apply the Word of God to how you live your life, your faith in Jesus will be “established” as the very best thing that ever happened in your life. And that’s when you will be overwhelmingly grateful for the difference that His Word has made in your life, because it was God’s Word that told you the truth about Him and you now live “in Him.”

The last verse in that passage in Colossians (vs. 10) tells us that if we live “in Him” we are now “complete in Him.” That word “complete” is translated from a Greek word that also means “to be made full.” For many years I thirsted and hungered for something that I didn’t really understand or realize I was thirsting and hungering for. There was something missing in my life that left me unsatisfied and wanting more. Time and time again, I tried what this world has to offer to meet that need, but I always ended back where I began, still thirsty and hungry for whatever it was that was missing. But then I called upon Jesus to save and change my life. That’s when I found that He was what I was looking for all along. “In Him,” I finally found the strength I needed to defeat the things that ensnared me. “In Him,” I finally found the purpose for my life. “In Him,” I finally found what satisfies the deepest longing of my soul. “In Him,” I finally found a friend like no other. “In Him,” I finally found the One who gave His life for me. I could go on and on about what I have found “in Him,” but above all else I have to say that my life is now “complete in Him.”

What do you have “in Him?” With faith you have everything. Without faith you have nothing. Have faith “in Him” today!

The Right Perspective on Suffering

Yesterday, a man posed a question to me that is not easy to answer.  He basically asked, "Why does God allow His own to suffer?"  The man had been studying the book of Job and he couldn't understand why God would let Satan attack Job so severely.  My answer was that God makes our faith stronger through allowing it to be tested.  An untested faith is a vulnerable, weak faith, but a faith that is tested by trials is a faith that is tempered to withstand any attack that may come.

I gave that man the best illustration of this that I had ever heard.  One of my uncles once asked me, while we were in the mountains, which tree would be stronger, the one on the top of the mountain or the one in the valley.  It turns out that the one on the mountain top is stronger than the one in the valley.  The tree on the mountain top is accustomed to the strong winds that have threatened to topple it its whole life, that's why its roots go deep so that it can endure the winds.  But the tree in the valley is sheltered from the strong winds most of the time and its roots have no need to go deep, leaving it vulnerable and more likely to fall in a storm.  The Christian life is much the same as those trees.  God often allows us to go through difficult trials so that our faith will be strengthened for the road ahead.  Our family knows this from personal experience.  On June 23rd, 2001, our third child, Rebekak, was born, but to our shock, she was born with a life-threatening heart problem.  Despite of our prayers and all the effort of the doctors, Rebekah died after living only ten days.  But rather than destroying our faith, when we resisted the temptation to be angry at God, this trial strengthened our faith.  God gave us the kind of faith that we needed to follow Him through the challenges that He has put in our path since.  We could not have stepped out on faith and followed God to two different states away from our home in Georgia, if our faith had not been strengthened first.  We also could not have experienced the great victories that God has won through our lives without having our faith strengthened.  James must have also experienced this because he declared, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4, NKJV).

When I was telling all of this to that man, another thought struck me about why God would allow His faithful followers to suffer like Job did.  A big part of it could have been that God allowed Job to go through those things so that his story could encourage the millions that would later read about it in Scripture.  You never know how God can use your suffering for the good of others.  I have also learned this by experience.  About a month after Rebekah died, I was preaching at a Christian rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug addicts.  I had not planned on saying anything about my daughter that night, because the pain was still too great, but in the middle of my sermon, I found myself telling her story.  I told about the challenge that it was to our faith, I acknowledged the great temptation that we fought, and I described how God had brought us through it and was still bringing us through it.  Several of the men decided to put their faith and lives in the hands of Jesus that night.  One of them came to me afterwards and said that he had also lost a child.  He had been angry with God for years over it and had turned to alcohol and drugs to try and soothe the pain.  But that night he confessed that he had been wrong and he said that it was all because of Rebekah's story and how we responded to her death.  Do you see the point?  Because of our family's great suffering and our right perspective on it, another person will be in Heaven that might not have been otherwise!  There have been others since this man and I'm sure that there will be more.

I say again that you never know how God can use your suffering for the good of others, but don't forget that it is also for your good as well.  The Apostle Paul said it best:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, NKJV).  Paul also said, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NKJV).  We were never promised to be spared all trouble in this world, but we were promised that it would serve a good purpose and that we would be rewarded for faithfully enduring it.  So Christians, let's have the right perspective on suffering, an eternal perspective rather than a temporary one.

What Makes Good Friday So Good

Good Friday seems to be a bad name for the day that Jesus was crucified so long ago.  Think about it.  Terrible things happened on that day:  the innocent Son of God was falsely convicted, humiliated, beaten, scourged, and finally nailed to a wooden cross to die in agony.  It just doesn't sound like a good day from that perspective.  So what makes Good Friday so good?  Thankfully, the Bible gives us the answer.

First of all, Good Friday is good because of what all of us were spared!  The Bible says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (1 Peter 3:18a, NKJV).  In other words, the One who had not done anything wrong to be punished for, was punished for all the wrongs that we have done instead, so that we could be with a Holy God who cannot tolerate sin.  Such an act can only be understood as an act of love.  The Bible explains that "...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NKJV).  Jesus literally suffered and died in our place, taking the ultimate punishment for sin, which is death.  Good Friday is good not because of what Jesus suffered on that day, but rather because of the fact that Jesus suffered for us on that day, sparing us the punishment that we deserve for our sins!

Good Friday is also good because of the victory that was won on that day!  This might be confusing to some who have always thought of that day as a victory for Satan.  It is often described as a battle in which Satan and his forces succeed in killing the Son of God, which is then followed by a demonic victory party that abruptly ends when Jesus rises from the dead three days later.  The impression is given that the Resurrection of Jesus rather than the Crucifixion of Jesus was the victory that was won.  If this what really happened, then Good Friday should never be called good, but that it was not what the Bible says happened that day.  The Bible explains to believers, saying, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:13-15, NKJV).  The Bible also explains, saying, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15, NKJV).  Did you get the point?  Your forgiveness was provided at the cross, not at the tomb.  The victory over Satan was won at the cross, not at the tomb.  Good Friday is good because it was Jesus who won and Satan who lost on that day!

Finally, Good Friday is good because of what it led to!  Jesus personally warned His disciples ahead of time, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,  and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again" (Matthew 20:18-19, NKJV).  Jesus had to go through the crucifixion to get to the resurrection.  The Gospel requires both to be complete.  The word "Gospel" means "Good News" and that news would not have been near as good without the events of Good Friday.  The Apostle Paul explained the Good News, saying, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NKJV).   Before there could be an empty tomb, there had to be a bloody cross.  Good Friday is good because there would be no Good News of Jesus' Resurrection without the Good News of Jesus' Crucifixion!

So, why would anyone not think that Good Friday is good?  I can think of two possible reasons.  First of all, they may simply not understand what Jesus was doing for them.  They may think that day represents a tragic miscarriage of justice, resulting in the death of a good man.  That is true to a point, but the Bible tells us that He was so much more than just a good man and also that His death served a far greater purpose.  There is hope for those who miss the point of Good Friday for this reason, because they can learn from the Bible what Jesus did for them that day and choose to believe.

But that brings us to the second reason why someone would not think that Good Friday is good: they may have refused to believe in what the Bible says that Jesus did for them.  If this is the case, they will not only miss the point of Good Friday, they will miss out on the salvation that Jesus provided for them that day.  That's why Good Friday only becomes good to you when you believe, because the salvation that He died to give you can only be received through faith in Him.  That's why Good Friday is good to me and I hope it is to you too!

Have a Good Friday and a Happy Easter!

The Tongues Question

As a pastor, I get a lot of questions.  They are often very surprising, perplexing, and intimidating, but I welcome them all.  It's part of what I am called to do in weilding the Sword of the Spirit to help people understand what God has said to us all.  I do get some questions more than others and so I decided to post some of my answers.

This week, I got the tongue question.  It usually goes something like this:  "Brother Jonathan, what do you believe about speaking in tongues?"  Well, I told them and I am going to tell you, but you may not like what I have to say.  This is a controversial subject and some of the poeple that I know and love disagree with me about it, but my disagreeing with them doesn't get in the way of me loving them.  They have a right to be wrong.  I hope that you realize that I have the same right if you disagree with what I have to say.  So, here goes...

First of all, the word "tongues" is the same as the word "languages."  Speaking in tongues is literally speaking another human language, rather than speaking gibberish that no-one can understand.  The best explanation for speaking in tongues is found in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles.  When they stood and preached, everyone that was there heard them in their own native language.  In fact, several languages were mentioned.  No-one heard gibberish what-so-ever.  I believe that this passage is saying that they all spoke at the same time and were heard in all these different languages at the same time.  This was clearly a miracle of the Holy Spirit to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ.  This kind of miracle is only mentioned three more times in the New Testament and all in the book of Acts.  It wasn't something that happened often.

There are also very specific gifts concerning speaking and interpreting languages that the Holy Spirit blesses some believers with for the work of ministry (1 Corinthians 12:1-11, especially vs. 10).  These are gifts that people are given to make them much more capable to speak and interpret other languages for the point of reaching people who speak those languages with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have met people like that and have been amazed at how easy they pick up other languages.  This gift of tongues is used by missionaries everyday around the world to tell others about Jesus.

Strangely though, today there are many denominations who believe that speaking in tongues means speaking some unknown language.  They think that they have Biblical support for this in 1 Corinthians 14, where in the King James Version it talks about "unknown tongues," saying that it is okay to be spoken in Church as long as there is an "interpreter."  The problem is that the word "unknown" was added in by the translators.  That's why "unknown" is in italics in the KJV because it is not found in the Greek text.  Those translators meant well.  They added the word "unknown" because they thought that it would help explain the kind of languages that Paul was talking about, but it gave the impression that these languages were foreign to all of humanity rather than just foreign to that congregation.  What Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 14 is somebody exercising a Spiritual gift with foreign languages.  If that person is speaking in the Church without someone to interpret what they are saying, God is the only One who understands them and it is doing nothing for anyone else there.  It would be like someone getting up this Sunday morning and speaking Chinese to our congregation.  To us it would be gibberish and without someone to interpret, it would do nothing to help any of us.  Even with an interpreter, Paul said that it would better for someone to prophesy, or in other words, proclaim God's Word in a way that can be understood.

I do want to say that most of those people mean well.  They honestly think that by doing this stuff, they are going to cause more people to believe because of their "signs and wonders," but God wants people to have more faith in His Word than anything else.  I believe that most of this stuff is human-driven and fake, but I am afraid that some of it is spiritually-driven, but not by the Holy Spirit.  As Christians, we are told to "test the spirits" to see " whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1, NKJV).  That test is based upon our knowledge of what the Holy Spirit came to do.  Jesus explained, saying, "...when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...  He will glorify Me..." (John 16:13-14, NKJV).  When I have seen people doing this stuff (i.e. being slain in the spirit, speaking in tongues, etc.), they give glory and credit to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit then becomes the focus of their praise.  That's why they call these things "Manifestations of the Spirit," or in other words, occurrences through which the Holy Spirit reveals Himself.  But when it is truly the Holy Spirit at work, the focus is always on Jesus.  The Holy Spirit does not bring attention to Himself, but to Jesus.

The bottom line is, I don't believe that what most people call speaking in tongues is anything like what we see in Scripture.  I also believe that the Devil wants to use anything that he can to distract people from the Good News of Jesus Christ, even under the guise of spirit-filled praise and worship.  The Devil has this strategy:  If he can't stop the Gospel of Jesus Christ from being proclaimed, he will pollute what is being proclaimed.

If you disagree with me, please don't write me and try to change my mind.  It will be a futile effort.  As a country singer once said, "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!"  In fact, I believe that my answer is entirely based on God's story, the Holy Bible.  God bless you all!

12 Year Old Pro-Lifer

Hello all! I'm sorry that I have not written for awhile. Things have been a bit hectic.

I will be writing another article soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to share with you a link to a video that you must see. A twelve year old Canadian girl recently gave a speech in her school that spoke out against abortion. Despite much controversy and efforts to talk her out of it, the girl delivered one of the most eloquent speeches that I have ever heard on the subject of abortion.

It would do you good to click on this link and watch the video: http://www.nmatv.com/video/1318/Preteen-pro-life-speech-goes-viral

Her parents have something to be very proud of!

Drawing Near to God

I would like to tell you a dog story, but first I need to set the stage. We live within the city limits of a town that has a leash law. We also have no fence around our back yard. So that is why we keep our family dog on a chain. The chain is very long and allows her to get up on the back patio within easy reach of us when we are out there. Anytime we go out the back door, our dog is there to greet us with a wagging tail and a great happiness to see us. Invariably, she will flop on her back and look expectantly at us for a good belly rub, which she usually gets.

The other evening I was out on the back patio to grill some hamburgers and hotdogs. I lit the charcoal and began to wait for it to be ready to cook over. This particular circumstance is too much for our dog to handle. Not only does she know that I will be cooking something that smells very good to her, I am also standing within ten feet of her, while being completely unreachable. On this occasion, her response was to whine and stare at me, as if to beg for me to come a little closer. I could have ignored her, with the excuse that I was going to be cooking soon, but I knew that I could wash my hands before I actually started handling any food. That is why I came over and sat down on the edge of the patio where our dog could sit down next to me. I was greeted with a shower of affection, which included many many licks and many attempts by the dog to get completely into my lap. After a few minutes, she calmed down a bit and just sat there with me, while I looked at the stars that were beginning to appear in the sky.

It was at that moment that I began to think about my relationship with God in a way that I had not considered before. I thought of how much it bothered my dog to not be able to reach me, no matter how much she wanted to. I thought about how she longed for me to come within reach of her, and how that overrode everything else in her life. I thought about how excited my dog was when she was finally able to be in my presence and it gave me an idea. Though it may sound strange, I told God that I want to have the same kind of desire for being in His presence that my dog has for being in mine. I told Him that I want to be just as excited about being in His presence as my dog has about being in mine.

The Bible makes it clear that the main purpose that Jesus had in dying for us on the cross was so that by taking our punishment, the separation between us and God would be ended. Sin separates us completely from the holy God, but salvation ends that separation that we might be with Him forever more, both here on Earth and in Eternity. The Bible says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18, NKJV). The Bible further explains, saying, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight..." (Colossians 1:21-22, NKJV). Jesus did everything it takes to end that separation between you and God, but you have to believe in what He did for that separation to end.

Until we have faith in what Jesus Christ did for us, we are all like my dog that is chained in the backyard. Without having faith in Jesus, we are still chained away from God's presence, unable to reach Him no matter what we do to change that. But when you choose to believe in Jesus Christ, you can now come to God and God can now come to you! The Bible declares, "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..." (Hebrews 10:19-22a, NKJV). Through faith, you can be as close to God as you want to be, but the choice is yours to make. That's why the Bible says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8a, NKJV)!

I want to draw nearer to God this year and I believe that will only happen if I become as excited about being with Him as my dog is about being with me. I know that He is ready and waiting for me to simply desire and pursue being nearer to Him. That is when He will draw near to me. In fact, maybe today will be the day that He puts me on the leash and takes me for a walk. It may sound strange, but a dog can help you understand what it is to love being with your Master and Lord.

"Dear Lord, help me to draw nearer to You this year. Help me to remember that I should seek Your presence each and every day. I can't make it through life on my own. Thank-you for being with me. Amen."

2008 Tennessee Baptist Convention

As the pastor of a Church that is a cooperating member of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, I thought that I would give a report on the convention meeting that was held last week. Overall, it was a good meeting. The preaching was inspiring and the congregational worship that occurred throughout the meeting was excellent. There was very little controversy, but what little there was is worthy of note. Once again the point of contention centered upon the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp).

Since the original 1925 edition was written, the Baptist Faith and Message has been for the purpose of explaining what Southern Baptists generally believe that Scripture teaches. Over the years, Southern Baptists saw it necessary to revise this basic statement of faith, in order to clarify what we believe Scripture to be saying. The latest edition, that was adopted during the year 2000 Southern Baptist Convention, reflects a far more conservative, literal interpretation of Scripture than its predecessors. Despite this fact, the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) once again came under attack during this year's Tennessee Baptist Convention meeting, but it came with an unexpected twist.

During one of the last business sessions, questions arose as to why there were people being put into offices within the convention who had openly said, "No" to the question of whether or not they affirm the 2000 BF&M. I was thankful that someone asked the question, because it bothered me as well. I want to know what our leadership believes about the Bible and asking them about the 2000 BF&M provides the answers that I need in that regard. The questionnaire that is filled out by each potential nominee should be for the purpose of providing as much information as possible for determining who is selected. The one who raised this concern said that he "would feel better if there was some doctrinal accountability." That is the whole reason for asking whether or not the nominee affirms the 2000 BF&M, because we should want to know what they believe the Bible says and not just simply whether or not they believe the Bible! Apparently that doesn't matter in the current selection process, as illustrated by Earl Wilson, chairman of the Committee on Boards, who said that "...whatever answer they gave did not disqualify them from service." In other words, it does not matter what they believe if they are willing to serve, but I doubt that most Tennessee Baptists would agree with that statement.

It was at this point that the attack on the 2000 BF&M occurred from a new angle than I had heard before. When the concern was raised over the questionnaire answers, another messenger took the occasion to attack the one who raised the concern as well as the 2000 BF&M, saying that it is "too liberal" for him to support. He illustrated this statement, saying that, in comparison with the 1963 BF&M, the 2000 BF&M "...leaves out that Jesus Christ is the criteria by which we interpret Scripture." That statement is only partially correct. In reality, the 1963 BF&M says, "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ." Instead of leaving this statement out, as was said from the floor of the convention, the 2000 BF&M clarifies the meaning of that statement, by changing it to say, "All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation." This man neglected to mention the much more theologically conservative change that was made concerning Scripture between the 1963 and 2000 editions. For example, the 1963 BF&M says, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man." This statement was changed in the 2000 BF&M to say, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man." On the surface, the change appears to be insignificant, but by saying that the Bible "is God's revelation" rather than "the record of God's revelation," the 2000 BF&M is confronting the view that the Bible contains the Word of God rather than that it is entirely the Word of God. The 2000 BF&M also added a logical conclusion concerning Scripture, saying, "Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy."

To say that the 2000 BF&M is "liberal" is to not understand what being theologically liberal is. To be liberal theologically is to deny and undermine the authority of the entire Bible by questioning the accuracy and truthfulness of some of the Bible. To be conservative theologically is to affirm and defend the authority of the entire Bible through believing in the accuracy and truthfulness of the entire Bible. Under close examination of both documents, the 1963 BF&M is clearly the more liberal document overall, no matter what someone rants from the floor of the convention about the 2000 BF&M. If someone has a problem with the 2000 BF&M it is usually because they are liberal theologically, whether they will admit it or not. That should matter to us all and should make a difference in who we select to lead us in this convention!

1TIM6_12 Christian Gaming Tag

Many people my age, and especially computer geeks like me, love to play computer games. If done with moderation and without making moral compromises, this can be a very enjoyable and stress-relieving thing to do. There is just something about entering a fictional world where you are able to do amazing things that you never could do on your own in real life. For example, as a kid, I used to play war games in the woods around my parents' house with my friends. We would fight historical conflicts from the Middle Ages to World War II, as well as fictional conflicts from a war with the Soviet Union (that thankfully never really happened) to a war in that galaxy far, far away (that is Star Wars to those few who are not fans). The action of these pretend fights, whether using water guns, pine cones, or sticks, excited my heart as a boy, not to mention gave me quite a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises. I think that is why as an adult, I love to play those action games on the computer so much. I avoid the ones that have bad language and bloody violence, instead playing the ones that offer that kind of action that I filled my time with as a boy, except now I can avoid getting hurt (unless the structural integrity of my computer desk fails).

Through the availability of high speed internet where I live now, I have gotten into playing online multiplayer games such as Star Wars Battlefront II and especially Battlefield 2142. Playing these games is like getting together with my young friends all over again, except this time I am playing war games with people from all over the country and sometimes the world. While playing these games, I have seen that many people join online fighting clans and add that clan's label (a.k.a. tag) to their player name in the games. These people fight as a team, supporting one another and enjoying one another's company online. I have been asked many times to join this clan or that, but I simply do not have the time to get that involved. Recently, though, I was struck by an idea that the clans gave me. I had the idea to create a generic clan tag to identify Christian gamers, a tag that doesn't have to require clan membership or some such, but rather something that any Bible-believer could wear proudly to point to their faith in Jesus Christ.

The clan tag that I created and now play under is simply 1TIM6_12. This is a Bible reference to a challenge that the Apostle Paul gave, saying, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12, NKJV). I chose this verse because every true Christian has taken up "the good fight of faith." It is not always easy to have faith in God in this world of skepticism and sin. That is why Paul described the Christian life as a "fight," but he emphasized that "faith" is a "good fight."

It is worth having faith in God and His Word. Paul gave the greatest reason why the "fight of faith" is "good" when he mentioned "eternal life." The Bible explains that it is only through having faith in Jesus Christ that we can "lay hold on eternal life." The world says that there are many paths to assuring your eternal future, but Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NKJV). The only way to go Jesus' way and find truth and life is through having faith in Him. Faith is all about believing in what you cannot see and cannot completely prove, but trusting your life on it anyway. It is about taking God at His Word, as Jesus explained, saying, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24, NKJV). Trust me, when I began to have real faith in Jesus Christ my life was changed and I knew that I had taken hold of the kind of life that will never end, even if my body fails me!

Part of fighting "the good fight of faith" is confessing a "good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Paul emphasized this to remind us that, if you are a Christian, you should be telling others what Jesus Christ has done for you and what He can do for them. And so using the 1TIM6_12 tag when I play online serves to remind me that even there I can be a witness for Him with my behavior and my words. It reminds me to behave in a Christian way even when I am playing a game, but it also points others to the Word of God and my faith. My hope is that more Christians will begin to use this tag and that people will take notice and ask about it in the games. It could be another way that Christians can open a door to witness for Jesus Christ.

If you would like to use the 1TIM6_12 Christian gaming tag, you don't have to join a clan or anything; you simply have to be a Christian who wants to be a witness online. I would like to hear about it if you decide to start using it. Just simply leave a comment with this blog post or email me at preacherwitt@gmail.com. May God richly bless you offline and online, to be His child and His witness!

Must-Read Election Article!

The following article is a must-read for all Christians who are committed to voting based on Biblical values and morals: http://www.falwell.com/index.cfm?PID=17819

I want to warn you that the article does directly talk about what the presidential candidates have said and done concerning the issue of abortion. Frankly, I am glad to hear about the issues that the news media primarily ignores in favor of discussing economics and foreign policy. It is for that reason that the information in this article needs to be spread.

Remember, God is not going to judge our nation over our economics or foreign policy; God is going to judge our nation over our morals and values! That is why I am praying that you will vote your values and that your values will be God's!

I actually preached a sermon about this recently that you can download here: http://www.mcewenfbc.com/recordings/2008_09-24_Romans_13_1-7.mp3

Looking to the Maker

In Isaiah 22, we hear about one of the many times when the inhabitants of Jerusalem were being besieged by a terrible foe. But instead of hearing how God miraculously delivered them, we hear how God punished them with His absence. At this point, some might ask why God would do such a thing to His chosen people, but the answer is clearly given in the text. God did not carelessly abandon them, they carelessly abandoned God! They were caught looking to themselves for their own feeble ideas of salvation, rather than to the One True God and His greater solution.

That is why Isaiah declared, saying, "He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; You also saw the damage to the city of David, that it was great; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses you broke down to fortify the wall. You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago" (Isaiah 22:8-11, NKJV).

When they saw their enemies surrounding the city, the defenders of Jerusalem were stirred into action. First of all, they "looked to," or "depended on," the "armor of the House of the Forest." This "house" was one of Jerusalem's royal palaces and it was equipped with an armory. To envision this scene gets the blood pumping in every action lover, as we picture them running to the armory for a sword, spear, and shield, just like in the movies. At the same time, it is easy to picture others working to shore up the city walls that were taking damage from the enemy onslaught. They even ingeniously ensured that they had a source of water within the walls of the city.

You would think that they had acted bravely and wisely in the face of an overwhelming attack, but they actually behaved carelessly. Despite all of their preparations, they forgot the most important one of all. They did not "look to," or "depend on," the "Maker" of the water and the true founder of their nation. They did not bother depending upon God in the midst of their desperate fight, they depended upon themselves.

To make matters worse, Isaiah noted, saying, "And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, 'Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death,' says the Lord GOD of hosts" (Isaiah 22:12-14, NKJV). Instead of repenting and mourning over their sin, they had one last party! When faced with such reckless abandonment of His principles and His ways by His own people, God simply said that no solution would be provided for their trouble. And with that, the city was as good as taken. A city or a nation is only as resilient as it is dependant upon God. When Judah and Jerusalem abandoned God, God eventually stopped protecting and prospering both.

This makes me think of my own nation, the United States of America. Ours is a nation that was miraculously founded and has since been miraculously preserved. Our founding fathers recognized that the miracle that is the United States is solely one that has been done by God. For example, in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." They were depending upon the Maker, who created them to be independent of human tyranny, but dependant upon God's divine sovereignty!

That is why this country declared itself to be independent from the British Empire and then stood up to fight for its "unalienable rights" that God has given. The war that would begin after this declaration of independence was issued was also a miracle of divine providence. Against all odds, the Americans beat the greatest military force in the world at that time. George Washington was the general who lead the fight for the Americans and then later became the country's first president. It was President George Washington that would declare that Americans should have a special day each year to give thanks to God for what He had provided. He said, "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)).

With such a glorious beginning, one would think that we are still offering up that humble thanks to the One who founded our nation and has blessed our nation since, but sadly that is not the case. This country has reached a point where murder has become a legal choice and abomination has become a socially acceptable practice. The innocence of our children is being eroded away at earlier ages than ever before, while the examples being left for future generations are getting worse and worse. We have enemies around every corner of our borders and yet most want to keep on partying like nothing is wrong. Though there are countless millions of believers in this country, most of the population does not use His name for anything other than cursing. The time has come to look to our "Maker" and seek His forgiveness and His help!

Just like God gave Judah the opportunity to repent, He is still giving America the opportunity to turn from the way we are going to go His way. I cling to the hope of 2 Chronicles 7:14 for America and any other nation where God's people can be found, because in that verse God said, "...if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV). The alternative is to meet the same fate that Judah did at that point in its history, when God said, "Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death" (Isaiah 22:14, NKJV). My hope and prayer is that America will not reach that point of no return, when God says that there is no more solution for our salvation!

"LORD God, You are the Maker of the Heavens and the Earth. You are the One who has saw fit to give us this great nation and bless us with great prosperity. Please help us all to see how much we need to depend upon You. Please help us to be humble before You and to turn from our wicked ways. Please help us to stop the killing of the unborn, the tolerance of aberrant sexual behavior, and the neglect of Your Will. Most of all, LORD, please heal our land. In Jesus' name, Amen."

The Rapture and the Second Coming

I thought that I would take time to address some questions that I have received about when the Rapture of the Church will occur, as well as when the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will occur. One thing that helps in understanding more about what Scripture says about the timing of the Rapture and the timing of the Second Coming is to understand that they are two separate events. Most of the theologians that think they can narrow it down to a specific time frame also believe that the Rapture is a part of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I have had friends and professors that disagree with me over this, but that's okay. It's not a fundamental issue to divide over, but I think that it is an important issue for every Christian to decide upon, one way or another because it affects how you intepret much of the Bible's prophecy. Let me explain my position and why I believe it.

The Bible calls for two events to occur in the last days that cannot be one and the same. The Rapture cannot be a part of the Second Coming and the Second Coming cannot be a part of the Rapture. These are two separate events that occur and we must therefore be careful to separately explain their prophecies.

I believe that the Rapture is a pre-Tribulation event, or in other words, I believe that the Rapture will occur before the seven year Tribulation period, and also that the Rapture will usher in that time of judgment on this world. Jesus was referring to the Rapture rather than His Second Coming when He said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:36-42, NKJV). Jesus emphasized two things about the Rapture here: first, that it will come just before God's judgment on the world (like in "the days of Noah"), and second, that it will come unexpectedly.

To emphasize that last point, Jesus went on to give this illustration, saying, "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:43-44, NKJV). This provides the symbolism that is used in the rest of the New Testament concerning the Rapture, namely that Jesus will come like a thief in the night, like someone who slips in and takes what He wants without being seen. The Apostle Paul used this imagery with the Rapture, saying, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV). The Apostle Peter also used this same imagery with the initiation of God's judgment on the world, saying, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:9-10, NKJV). Though Peter clearly summed up the final result of that judgment, he also pointed to the fact that Jesus will usher in that judgment in an unexpected way. What will be a time of grace and glory for Christians, will usher in a time of death and destruction for the rest of humanity still on Earth.

On a more positive note, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur in a very public and expected way at the end of the seven year Tribulation period. That is what Jesus was referring to when He said, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:29-30, NKJV). The Apostle John excitedly praises the Lord with this event in mind, saying, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7, NKJV)! Clearly, Jesus will not be returning at this point like "a thief in the night," but rather as the rightful King who is returning to claim His Kingdom!

If Jesus was referring to His Second Coming when He said, "But of that day and hour no one knows..." (Matthew 24:36a, NKJV), then Jesus would have to visibly return before the Tribulation period, because once the Tribulation period began, His return could be predicted to the day seven years later. The same is true if Jesus was referring to a post-Tribulation Rapture, because it could easily be predicted once the Tribulation started. Jesus could have only been referring to the Rapture of the Church, which Scripture clearly teaches will happen before the seven year Tribulation period. The only good part to the Tribulation period is that it is a seven year countdown to when the Lord will visibly return to stay!

So when will the Rapture occur? Scripture simply tells us that it could happen at any time and that it will happen at an unexpected time. That is why we are also told to live a life that is clearly prepared for that moment. The Apostle Paul put it best, saying, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13, NKJV). I personally believe and hope that it will happen soon! That's why I have got to say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come!"

The Cross Tree

Hello everyone! I am sorry that I have not updated my blog lately. It has been extremely busy here at McEwen First Baptist Church, which is not a bad thing at all. God is at work!

I once was told that when you go on an extended vacation, you will work twice as hard when you get back than you did before you left. When we went on vacation for a couple of weeks in June, I discovered that to be true. It may even be a direct quote from the second book of Hezekiah or something (just kidding).

I thought that I would post one of my favorite pictures from our trip out West. This picture is obviously from the Grand Canyon. It was one of those pictures that I took on a whim as we passed by, because it was simply a breath-taking scene. I like to call it the Cross Tree.


To me the beauty of this tree is obvious. Its cross-like shape stands out in my mind, firing my imagination with thoughts of what Jesus Christ did for me and every human being on Earth. Just beyond this tree is a sheer drop of hundreds of feet into the canyon below. To go beyond this tree would mean certain death for anyone foolish enough to try it. In a way this tree is standing like a sentry, guarding those that pass that way from an ugly end. It is in this that the tree not only resembles the cross, it also illustrates what Jesus did on the cross.

Like those born blind, all humanity was wondering at the edge of a precipice, facing a fall and a death that none of us could avoid on our own, until Jesus came to open our eyes to the danger. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12, NKJV).

But Jesus did even more than that for us. You see, we deserved to wander off that precipice and die, because we have sinned against God. God does not have more than one punishment for sin, depending on the variety. God has one punishment for sin and that is death, as the Bible explains saying, "...the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a, NKJV). This is not simply physical death, but the personal separation that sin causes between God and humanity. If this separation does not end in life, it will become permanent in death, resulting in a person spending the rest of eternity separated from God in Hell. This is where the cross comes in. Though the Bible did say that "...the wages of sin is death," it goes on to say, "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV). That gift of never-ending life was provided through what Jesus did on the cross. The Bible says that "...Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8b, NKJV), which can be literally translated as "...Christ died in our place!" God made a statement with that cross, saying that because Jesus took your place, the punishment has been carried out and so you don't have to die!

Like the tree that stands guard at the edge of the Grand Canyon, the cross of Jesus Christ is standing there to say, "Stop here and live!" The Bible says that "...the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18, NKJV). Like those who foolishly pass the cross tree and fall to their death in the canyon, much of humanity foolishly ignores the cross of Jesus Christ and its message. But for those of us who have chosen to see the truth, the cross has become a beautiful symbol of never-ending life and salvation from death. That is why the cross tree is so beautiful to me, though some may never see it.

"LORD God, thank-you for the cross. Thank-you for the price that You paid for me, Lord Jesus. Your sacrifice on Calvary, has truly made the mighty cross a tree of life to me. Amen!!"

The Paradox of Election and Free Will

I recently had to articulate my position on the subjects of election and free will. Some who read what I had to say will try to place one theological label or another on me, but I do not fit into the two main sides on this issue. I am neither a Calvinist, nor an Arminianist. Like one of my professors said during my seminary days, I am a Calvimenianist. More importantly, I strive to be a Biblicist on any subject, grounding my beliefs solely on the Word of God rather than any man's opinion on it. I agree with some of what John Calvin had to say and I agree with some of what Jacob Arminius had to say concerning election and free will, but only in those areas of their arguments when they are both being Biblical.

For example, both Calvin and Arminius declared what Scripture declares, saying that all mankind is "totally depraved," being incapable of doing good by God's standard and having been judged guilty of sin before God. But while Calvin said that Jesus died for some people, Arminius simply repeated what Scripture says, saying that Jesus died for all people. But then Arminius also wrongly concluded that a person can fall from God's grace, losing their salvation. Calvin got it right, saying on the basis of Scripture that "saints will persevere," or in other words saying that Christians cannot fall from the grace that saved them. Both men came to these conclusions through the process of grappling with the subjects of election and free will. While both used Scripture to make their arguments, their conclusions on Scripture were not always Biblical. A person needs to have as Biblical a position as possible, but that is not an easy thing to discover when it comes to tackling the subjects of election and free will. The following position that I came to illustrates that fact.

When there seems to be a contradiction between two equally valid arguments, that contradiction is called a paradox. Because the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, no individual teaching within it should contradict another individual teaching within it. But when the subjects of election and free will come up in Scripture, Scripture seems to argue against itself, creating a paradox. On the one hand, Scripture teaches that God chooses those who are saved through election; while on the other hand, Scripture also teaches that everyone may freely choose to receive God’s salvation through faith.

In light of this apparent paradox, some have questioned the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture itself, saying that the individual writers clearly expressed differing theological opinions, rather than being guided by the Holy Spirit in producing a unified argument on the matter. But this theory is not reflected in Scripture, where this paradox is seen within the writings of individual authors. It would be highly unusual for a person to take time to argue against their own arguments, and yet this paradox is seen in the teachings of Jesus, the historical narratives of Luke, and the theological arguments of Paul.

For example, in one of the most beautiful and well known passages of the Bible, Jesus summarized both God’s provision of salvation, saying, “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” (John 3:16, NKJV). It is the word “whoever” that presents the greatest theological difficulty for those who believe that only a chosen few are offered salvation, because the meaning is inclusive and without limit. In other words, Jesus was saying that the salvation God freely provided can be received by anyone through believing in His Son, no matter who they are.

On the other hand, Jesus also stressed God’s sovereign control over who comes to Him for salvation, saying, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV). Along the same lines, Jesus later continued, saying, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44, NKJV). Though this highlights the necessary work that only God can do to bring a person to the Savior, it does not exclude anyone from God’s plan of salvation. There are two reasons why this is true. First of all, the Bible says that “all things” have been placed in the “hands” of Jesus by God the Father (see John 13:3), which most certainly includes all of mankind. Secondly, the Bible says that God is commanding “…all men everywhere to repent…” (Acts 17:30, NKJV), which is certainly a part of God’s method to “draw” people to Jesus Christ. But despite this attempt at an explanation, the paradox remains.

This paradox is also seen in the writings of Luke. Luke dutifully recorded the words of Peter, when he was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles for the first time, saying, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43, NKJV). Once again, that word “whoever” emerges to explain that God’s invitation to salvation is available to all who will believe in Jesus Christ. But then later on when another group of Gentiles responded to the Gospel in faith, Luke explained, saying, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, NASB). This gives the opposite impression that the word “whoever” gave. Instead of all being invited to be saved, it appears that only those who have an appointment may receive that gift. With this thought in mind, the paradox becomes more obvious than before.

One might hope to see light at the end of the theological tunnel when the Apostle Paul discusses this subject, but he also demonstrates this paradox between election and free will. Paul clearly presents the open invitation for all to receive God’s salvation through faith, saying, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16, NKJV). But then later Paul seems to narrow that invitation, saying, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30, ESV). For many, Paul’s statement in Romans 8:30 settles the matter in favor of the viewpoint that God only planned to call some people to salvation rather than all people. From this arises the logical conclusion that Jesus only died for those who will choose to believe and that God therefore planned for some to go to Heaven and the rest to go to Hell. But this extreme conclusion fails to factor in the rest of what Paul had to say about predestination and being “called.”

The best explanation that bridges the paradox of election and free will is found in the immediate context of Romans 8:30, and its impact on how that verse is interpreted. Romans 8:30 was only part of what Paul explained, saying, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30, NKJV). Notice that being "foreknown" is an integral part of being "predestined," which is in turn followed by being "called," by being “justified,” and finally by being “glorified.” The answer to the paradox is to be found in these words that Paul linked together.

God “predestined,” which literally means to "plan ahead of time," to conform all those that He “foreknew” to “the image of His Son.” God’s pre-determined plan is further explained by Paul in Ephesians, when he says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:4-6, NKJV). Remember that Paul already explained who God’s wonderful plan was made for, saying that “…those He foreknew, He also predestined.” Since the sovereign God knows all, there is no-one that He did not know in eternity past; therefore, God’s pre-determined plan is for all of humanity rather than a selected few.

Those “whom He predestined” have by necessity to be “called,” before God’s plan can be fulfilled in their lives. The Greek word that is translated as “called” (kaleo) can also be translated as “invited.” This helps in rightly determining what Paul is saying in this verse. God is not in the business of forcing His salvation plan upon anyone, whether they want it or not. Instead, God desires that everyone willingly choose His plan for their lives. That is why He has made such an effort to deliver that invitation for all to believe and be saved through Jesus Christ. If God did not want to save everyone, Paul would not have challenged Christians to be praying for the salvation of those around them, saying, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV). In His omniscient sovereignty, God knows who will reject and who will accept His plan for their lives, but in His great love and patience for all, God is still inviting everyone to receive His salvation.

Before a person can begin to have God’s pre-determined plan unfold in their lives, they must accept His invitation and be “justified.” Being “justified” is clearly not something that happens apart from what Jesus Christ did on the cross, nor apart from a conscious decision to have faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Paul explained God’s justifying work, saying that “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9, NKJV). But Paul also explained what a person must do before that justification can be applied to their life, saying that “…a man is justified by faith” (Romans 3:28, NKJV). Justification is not something that is applied to a person in eternity past, but rather when and only when a person chooses to believe, although that has always been a part of God’s plan for each and every person.

Paul concludes this chain of events surrounding a person’s salvation, by saying that those who are “justified” are also to be “glorified.” This is the hope and ultimate goal for every Christian, but one that will only be achieved when their final destination is reached in Heaven. Paul explained that “…we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2, NKJV). The Apostle John further described this hope, saying, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2, NKJV). To be “like Him” is to be glorified, as Jesus was glorified in His resurrection. But one must not miss the prerequisite event that leads up to being “glorified,” which is being “justified” through faith in Jesus Christ. Once again, it is clear that God has sovereignly put the decision in the hands of individuals.

In light of Paul’s complete argument in Romans 8:29-30, this paradox between election and free will becomes a little less hazy and divisive. God has not given Christians all of the answers that are needed to solve this theological brain-teaser; instead, God has given the answers that should prevent Christians from picking one Biblical side over another equally, Biblical side. The Bible itself presents Christians with the common ground that is needed in order to work together to exalt the sovereign God who has acted to save mankind, as well as to reach out to a sinful humanity who needs the opportunity to freely choose God’s salvation.