Tag: Follower

We love people to heaven, not to hell.

What do you think would happen if a person was hired to do a job, and after being hired, that person not only decided to do the job the way they wanted to, but told the boss that his ways are wrong, and the employee’s way was the right way because his ways make the other employees happy? What would you do if you were that boss? Some might say, I would evaluate the employee’s actions to see if it is time to bring my business into a new and updated age. And some might say, I would fire that employee for not upholding the mission and work ethic of my company.

There was this employee once who worked as a representative of a political group. He was very good at his job, very well respected by his peers, and very feared by those on the other side. He had a mission, and his work ethic was to complete that mission at all cost. But one day something happened and he switched sides. It was total shock to everyone. His peers thought he had lost his mind. Those who once were his adversaries refused to accept him because they did not trust him. He evaluated this dilemma, and decided that the reason he switched sides was not because of him, but because of platform that he stood on and believed in. He figured if he stuck as true as he could to the political group’s core beliefs and acted as closely to its ethical standards as humanly possible, his behavior and devotion would be all he needed to gain favor from the people in the platform that was once his enemy. Who is this employee? His name is the Apostle Paul.

It’s a hard thing to look at someone who used to represent a certain brand or team and then watch them leave for another. Don’t you always wonder what that person is thinking on the inside? Do they truly like it there? Are they giving it their best or too busy trying to get back home? In the book if Galatians we see, shortly after Paul’s conversion, Paul writes to the people of that area and is acutely aware of this very position. In the first several verses he writes all about God, convincing them that he is speaking to them about the Father’s business, and not his own. He gives the Father all the credit, taking NONE for himself. He pointed to God in all ways. When your job is to represent God, and you have spent your life in sin, which is all of us, the only thing we can do is point our friends and loved ones to the almighty Father. Trying to bring someone to ourselves makes us idolaters in the eyes of others, as well as God, because that means we are the center of our universe. Paul would have never been able to gain the trust of anyone had he done that. However, Paul accepted Christ, and because he did a change happened in his actions, and his platform. He was no longer on the platform of Rabbinical Law, He was on the platform of Christ.

Key Verse- Galatians 1:10  8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Scholar and Commentator John Trapp has an excellent note on this the tenth verse.

Men pleasers, that curry favour with all, and covet to be counted no meddlers. These lose a friend of God. Neither do they long hold in with those whom for present they do so much please.

In my opening, the employee took a job, and then made it all about himself and his ideas. He made it about doing what he thought was best to accomplish the job. The same thing has happened in this world. When we accept Christ into our heart, we are now workers for Christ. We are told, however, that a true conversion will bring about a change. We can no longer serve the world, which we were once a slave to. But we also cannot come into the fold of the redeemed and say to Christ that His platform is no good and that you have a better one. What you are now saying is that my God is totally insufficient and that you are the all knowing and the all powerful. We do not get to water down the gospel, we do not get to minimize sin so greatly as to tell people it is okay to live in it while serving God. That is not the Gospel at all. It may be your idea, but it is not that of God. Verse 11 in the ‘key verse’quote shows that Paul believed this too. He knew what he did, and he knew that people were not going to just blindly follow him in the name of Christ. He simply could not preach his own message, he had to Preach Christ, and he had to do it in such a manner that not only showed loved, but also showed truth. The truth being that sin is not accepted by God.

I have said here that I have seen people act this way. I have indeed seen people dismiss sin who say they believe in Christ, all manners of sin. I have seen people who leave Christ at home while they go to the home of a flat out sinner and socialize. They are not preaching the gospel and trying to win souls for Christ. They are partaking in the activity. So much so that they proclaim the lost worldly sinner a close friend. How is that being a peculiar people? It isn’t, it is being a friend of the worldly and God has already denied you because you are denying Him.Who did Christ surround himself with in His inner circle. Sinners yes, but sinners who upon hearing His call, left everything, and followed Christ. None of them continued in their worldly life. They traveled right by his side. But the truth is that churches are doing it as whole denominations. “We have to get these pews filled.” “We can’t preach anything that will lose members.” Women can come and sit in the holy sanctuary with mini-skirts on and cleavage all over the place and no one will even bother to address how that grieves the spirit. Like wise, men come to church with a hang over. I go to churches where people will wear suits for work, for weddings, for funerals, but when it comes to going to church its jeans and a t-shirt. Why shouldn’t they take the holiness of God seriously, the pastor is leading the way! God wants the best we have. I used to say that God doesn’t care what we wear as long as we are they. I have corrected that lie. I now say, God wants our best. You know why? Because He gave us the best He had. He gave His only begotten son. Why does the boss deserve the suit, but Christ doesn’t. Since when have we minimized going to church as just another activity that we have to do, so we might as well do it our way. I am afraid that there are a lot of church leaders who are going to find themselves fired when it comes time for the heavenly board meeting with the CEO.

I wonder who this world would compare Paul today? Today we compare Donald Trump to the most evil of all men. The liberals are painting a picture of evil, all the while not really believing in evil. What does that comparison mean? I take it that it actually means that you agree there is a hell, and there really is evil behavior, and that certain people like Hitler, Manson, Mussolini, and Donald Trump are going there because God will not take them into heaven. The word evil is used so that means people believe in evil. But what I am finding is that evil is only to a certain point and evil only offends a certain moral code. So there are a lot of people out there making up their own rules to life. They have the corner on morals, because they are the Supreme Being that can say what is moral and what is not. Again, I am afraid that there are many who will not see heaven right along with Hitler and they are going to be some pretty nice people.

John 14 is a wonderful chapter to read, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety. For now, I would like to draw you attention to a few verses from that chapter.

John 14  22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Many go right to love. Jesus said we are to love first. I agree, obviously. But I call your attention to the fact that the emotional love of humans is not at all the divine love of the Father. His truth will prevail because He loves us. He loves us so much, He allowed His only begotten son to be murdered by man in order that man might be saved. That translates to you loving the enemy, and your neighbor and all of man kind enough to tell them the truth. Living in your sin will result in eternal damnation according to God’s love for man! That is the truth. We cannot say of an unrepentant sinner, after his death, that we will pray for his soul. It is too late for his soul. The best you can pray for is that in the last minutes of his life he had a changed of mind and truly repented before almighty God. But we don’t want to pray for salvation because that means something or someone else is the keeper of the morals.

James 1- 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

2 Timothy 3  1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Luke 6 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Acts 5 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

John 8 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Matthew 22 37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Matthew 22 is pretty amazing to me. First even Jesus puts God first. Not His will, but thine. Jesus asked to be spared off the cross, but it was the Almighty’s will. And Jesus was obedient to His Father. Then Jesus tells them the truth; that they want to kill him because He spoke the truth. This should clear up all the lies told about how it is okay to let the drunk be drunk, the liar to be a liar, the thief to be a thief, the adulterer to be the adulterer, the homosexual to be the homosexual, and so on. People who wish not to witness the truth say they will bring the lost to the cross through behavior. Well behavior is evidence of the spirit in you. It may be helpful for a sinner to think you are a nice person, but a sinner needs to know what he is going to be saved from, and why. That means you actually need to speak about the sin in his life. Doesn’t matter if he is your brother or a stranger. We love people to heaven, not to hell. When Jesus sat with them He was teaching the gospel. He did not take part in their sin, nor did he allow them to feel comfortable in it. He told the truth, and free will allowed them to be saved like the Harlot, or allowed them to walk away like the rich man who refused to give up his possessions. He spoke and they listened. It is all about hearing the gospel and examining your life. But it is not about you making a decision for Christ and then telling Christ that you are going to do it your way. It is not about a church putting a cross on the facade of the building, bibles in the pews, and then saying we are going to teach things our way, and we are going to let people walk into the sanctuary and dishonor God. No Sir!!!! It is about you searching your soul for the power of the Holy Spirit and asking yourself in the courtroom of the unforgivable lie detector called the mirror, “Do I want to live for Christ, or do I want to die for me?

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

There is no Resting in Peace!

As I write this the recent events are that the ultimate champion and boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed, the greatest hockey player (arguably of course) Gordie Howe has passed and over 50 people were gunned down in the bar in Florida. In between these events, many individuals all over the planet, not famous, not nationally known or recognized, experienced a loss of their own. My mind started processing thoughts about death as the loss of Ali. I saw a nation, led by our self-proclaimed Christian President, as well as leaders from around the world, ask that the dead “rest in peace”. I am certain that there were those unknown and more common people across the planet that wished the same for their lost loved ones as well.

What is it that we really know about death? Nothing for sure other than one minute you are alive, and the next second you are not. So beyond that, it comes down to a matter of faith, the belief in something unknown and unseen. For that reason, let me take a second to explain why I believe in the unknown and unseen.

For many reasons I believe there really is a God. When I look around at life, I find it impossible to believe that some explosion created all of this. I have often marveled at the care my God put into creating the human body. The fact that we create hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. This is an acid that eats through anything. Yet God created the right mix, and the right balance that we might use this in the digestion of our food. The bible says that man was made from the earth and scientists have proven that the chemical make-up of man has no ingredient that is not found in the earth, not one microbe of us can disprove that we were initially created from the earth. Please, do not even get me started on the wonders of the female body. The delicate exchange of oxygen and food that enables a life to grow inside a life still amazes me. No scientist has ever created something new out of nothing. No one has ever snapped their fingers and said let there be a doo-hickie, and then bam, there is this thing never seen before. But my God created it all. No man has ever raised a man after being three days dead! But eye witnesses to this account tell me that Jesus did. And no other faith can boast about their God being gone from the grave. Their leaders did not defeat death and the grave. These are just a few, a very few reasons why I believe in God Jehovah. That is important because it is that belief that forms my understanding of death. I chose to believe the bible regarding death, which is truly not the end of life.

In the book of Revelation, the testimony of Jesus, told by Jesus through John, we find that after our physical death there will be a search. The book of life will be searched and if your name is not in it, you will be sent to hell.

Revelation 20 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So why wouldn’t our name be written in the book of life?

Romans 6 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So if sin is death and death keeps us from having our name in the book of life, what is sin?

James 4 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

1 John 3 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth (violates) also the law: for sin is the transgression (violation) of the law.

So if sin is the violation of God’s law, what is a violation?

Jesus testified in Revelation 21 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Jesus taught us in Mark 7 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Galations 5 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3 3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

How do you avoid hell and overcome sin so that our names are in the book of life?

Romans 10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Galations 2 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me

Why do I explain this to you? For as much as we all loved to watch Ali or Gordie perform in the ring or on the ice, and for as much as we love our friends and family who pass on (from the unknown everyday person to those in the national headlines as victims of crime), UNLESS they, in the last moments of their life, called on the name of Jesus and believe in God Jehovah as the one true God, THERE IS NO “resting in peace”.

As Christians we must learn that the earthly love we all want to live by is an unhealthy love because it is a love of satan, which is to say a love of lies. We must want to love people to life, not to death. Ali did not believe in God, he was a muslim. He is not resting at all. His soul will be tormented in the fires of hell forever. And if that thought disturbs you because you liked him so much here on earth, then please, stand in front of the mirror and challenge yourself against the scriptures I presented you. I am not sure of the spiritual condition of Mr. Howe, or any one of those people killed in the bar, or anyone who died. It is possible, and I pray that it is the truth, that as the last moments of life came to Ali he saw the errors of his ways and accepted Christ. It would be a shame that his testimony of such a change cannot be shared, but it would be glorious to God and just fantastic for his soul. I can only say that if they were not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, they are not in peace.

Understand that you as a Christian have a job to do. That job is not to love others to hell, but to love them to heaven.  It is our job, our very important job, to talk to as many people as possible about the love of Christ, the natural human nature of sinful man, and the need for Christ’s cleansing blood of salvation while they are still alive. We want to serve our God who served us while on this earth by not letting people die in sin. For those who say “but he is my brother” or “she is my sister, and if I try to talk about Christ they will stop loving me.” please let me remind you that Jesus’ own people murdered him for what he preached. I have no problem choosing God over my family! Some have walked away from me already. It is sad, but I am not going to lie just to maintain a relationship. I owe more to God than that. He was rejected by many. His own half-brothers and sisters did not come around until He was well into His ministry. Why is our relationship with our family more important than His? Why are our feelings more important than Christ’s? God is hurt everyday by those who curse Him, and even nicely deny him. That brings Him much sorrow. Are we more important that God?

We Christians need to get back to telling the truth, starting with more brave preachers. I know of only one who publicly came out and spoke of this matter. That does not mean he was the only one, it means I only know of one. That’s sad because hundreds and thousands should be making statements like this everyday. The murders in the bar in Florida are a tragedy, but the greater tragedy is that they were in the pit of sin in the first place! The greater tragedy is the thought that their lives were taken so suddenly that they did not get right with God before they died and they are now tormented in hell for all eternity. If I am wrong about hell, then I guess I am just wrong about hell. But if I am right about hell, then why can’t we agree that this is a bigger tragedy than just the earthly death?  A brother of mine told me, “Things are only going to get worse.” He is absolutely right, they certainly are, and the world will fall apart before God comes and puts it all back together in the perfect way for which it was intended. But that does not mean that we are to sit idly by and let wrong be wrong. When we are a saved Christian we become His agents, we become disciples. We take on the same charge that he gave to the original 12. We are to speak out against sin!

Mark 16 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 1 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We are indeed to let the light of Christ shine in us through our behavior that we might draw unbelievers to the cross. But that DOES NOT translate to helping people feel comfortable living in their sin. And if they reject you, take comfort that Christ was rejected to the cross, and you are under His care! We can start by being honest and stop lying just because people are dead. We need to speak the truth to them while they are alive, and if they reject Christ, we need to be just as truthful after their death. Maybe if we start telling the truth about dying in sin, people will start living for Christ! Those who do not have the spirit of Christ in their hearts when their hearts stop beating will not experience peace, but the torment of the fires of hell! That’s the truth!

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

Influence is a powerful thing!

When I read the book of Ruth, I truly wonder what it was that Naomi did to win Ruth over to the LORD. What did she say, how did she conduct herself? Her influence had to be powerful. It was enough to make one sinner sad and cry about her choice to stay living in sin, and powerful enough to bring another person straight to the cross. Influence is a powerful thing! Sometimes, it is all that a Christian has. How we use it can be good or bad. So when I read this story, I wonder about what she did that was so powerful, and that I want to be that influence in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi~ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

I believe Gandhi was talking about peace, but his words remind me that if I want to bring people to the cross, I have to model the behavior of the one who died on the cross. I have to be that person who can be the influence, not just by words, but by behavior. I believe that Ruth had to have the right combination of teaching and story telling with model behavior to have such an influence. She had to be the change she wanted to see in her daughters-in-law. Today’s Christians have to be the change we want to see in the world.

The behavior of Elimelech was no Godly model to follow, and neither was that of the sons. In fact, we see that their behavior was outside the will of God. These three men were as disobedient as could be. Not only did their behavior cause them to fall out of fellowship, but they broke their covenant with God. They paid the ultimate price for that. Elimelech was killed almost immediately upon entering into Moab, and the sons died ten years later. Some may say that their biggest offense was marrying someone outside the faith. While there were no laws against the marriages at the time, we all realize that we are not to marry non-believers. That would represent a relationship that is unequally yoked. I would suggest that they did not marry outside their faith, but rather married into the life of sin that they had come to love more than God. They turned their back on God and walked straight away from the chosen people. Again, we see these men died with no explanation. It must have been quick and with the understanding that since God was offended by the Moabites, He was not at all pleased with their behavior, Deuteronomy 23:3.

Deuteronomy 23:3 “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever,”

So here we are. Naomi’s husband- dead. The two sons- dead. All that is left are the two daughters-in-law and the mother, Naomi. Naomi has heard that God has delivered food to the land of His people back in Bethlehem-Judah, the land of bread and praise. Naomi makes the decision to return home to be with her people, God’s chosen people. Even though Naomi loved these two ladies, and even though she most likely would have loved their companionship, Naomi offers them an opportunity to leave her. This was important because following her into the house of God has to be a voluntary act. So she advises them to return back to their homes. She is now in the position to make her own choices and is making far better choices than the men in her life. She is making choices that show the fruit of her faith. She knows Orpah and Ruth are not Israelites, so if they make the decision to come to Christ, they must do so understanding that there is no obligation to do so. They need to have the free will to make the choice. This is a picture of our free will today. Christ does not make people follow Him. It is a decision that needs to be made freely and completely. But up until this moment, they do not share her faith. They are from a land of sin, a land and a people despised by her God for all their idol worshiping.

Orpah loved her mother-in-law and Naomi loved her. Noami kissed her good-bye and Orpah cried. Then Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye and returns to her people, the people of the land of great sin and idol worship. Such is the case for many today. We will see that there was something during the ten years that Naomi did to show her faith. And at this point, Orpah wants to go with Naomi, but turns back. Today we see many people who want to follow Jesus, and may even say that they believe they do follow Jesus, but they do not turn from their sin. It is always right there. Some find it so enjoyable that they just flat out refuse to follow God, and make up a ton of excuses why “Religion” isn’t for them. Some are lukewarm Christians. They proclaim Christ, yet they do not follow. They proclaim faith, but have no works generated by the spirit that is supposed to be in them. They think that is a decision for Christ, but fail to realize that Christ says this is not a decision for Him, but rather a decision for themselves. There is no middle ground, either you are a believer and enthused about that, or not. It was an “or not” for Orpah as she sadly and fatally chose to return to sin from where she came.

Charles Spurgeon~ The one would like to follow Jesus, but the price is too much to pay; so there is a kiss somewhat like that of Judas, and Orpah goes back to her people, and to her idols.

Matthew Henry~ Orpah was loth to part from her; yet she did not love her well enough to leave Moab for her sake. Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come short of salvation by him, because they will not forsake other things for him. They love him, yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better.

Jesus the Christ~ Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

But the wife of the oldest son, Ruth, she “clave” unto Naomi.

Key Verse~ Ruth 1:16-17 “16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

This word clave, דָּ֥בְקָה, gives us a picture that is more than ‘held onto’. It is more like, ‘joined’ or ‘become one’. Ruth was not hugging, she was clinging and squeezing onto for dear life, as if to never let go, as if they were conjoined twins needing surgically removed from one another. And then Ruth gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard. It is the speech that draws out the topical question of this article. What did Ruth do, and what did she say all those years? I think to myself, I want to be that kind of Christian. I want to act and speak in that kind of way. I want to represent God to such a degree that, after spending time with another, when parting with that person comes to pass they fall to the ground and clave onto me for dear life and say, “I want Christ as the head of my life! I want to serve your God! I want to have what you have!” I often say that when I die I want to be exhausted. I want to be totally used up. It was a lot that Naomi went through during her time in Moab, but she brought a lost sinner to the cross. All that for just one person and it was glorious. I think that even though God made clear how he felt towards the Moabites, he had mercy on Ruth when she fell to the ground and begged to be brought into the people of God. When I think about this I am overcome with joy and hope that I can obtain, with plenty of prayer and obedience and hard spirit filled work, the example that Naomi was to Ruth. What an example Naomi must have been. Never giving up on the God of Israel when her husband and sons did. Talking and teaching about all that God did for his children of Israel. And then being the determined follower to the point that she would just pick-up and return after the death of her loved ones.

Adam Clark~ A more perfect surrender was never made of friendly feelings to a friend: I will not leave thee – I will follow thee: I will lodge where thou lodgest – take the same fare with which thou meetest; thy people shall be my people – I most cheerfully abandon my own country, and determine to end my days in thine. I will also henceforth have no god but thy God, and be joined with thee in worship, as I am in affection and consanguinity. I will cleave unto thee even unto death; die where thou diest; and be buried, if possible, in the same grave. This was a most extraordinary attachment, and evidently without any secular motive.

I just had lunch with a good man the other day who spoke about a sermon he gave. He asked his church, what does their conduct say about the kind of Christian they are. I asked that of myself and was disappointed in my truthful answer. I am my own worst critic, much harder on myself than others are on me. But the truth is that, compared to whatever it was that Naomi did and said, I am falling short. I can improve every day, I want to improve every day. The worst thing I could for my relationship with God is be content with where I am at this moment. The worst thing I can do is come up with excuses to try to claim Christ and claim the world at the same time. Being a lukewarm Christian is like not being a Christian at all, in the eyes of Christ. The featured picture here is my thermostat. In life on earth, 68-75 degrees is a comfortable middle of the road temperature for me. My wonderful wife affectionately calls me her Polar Bear because I would love a life in the high mountains of Alaska! However, if this thermostat was a gauge for my salvation, I would be in serious trouble! I would hope that top needle would be buried to the far, far right! I don’t want to ever be happy with where I am in my walk in Christ. There is more to learn, there is more to do. May my run to Him always be a full-out sprint. Being a Christian is not boring and it is tons of fun. I want to feel alive and excited about being redeemed. I have a thirst for my LORD, the worse thing I believe that could ever happen to me is to feel like that thirst has been quenched. May I live my whole life on earth searching to quench that thirst, yet dying a thirsty and worn out old man!

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

 

If you can’t beat’em, join’em

So many times in my life I have used the circumstances of my situation and environment to justify what I knew to be a wrong behavior. To this very day I still do it, and I still hear others do it. It is weird but also amazing what you hear and observe when you admit to yourself that you do the same thing. I know a lot of people who conform, even pastors, yet they would never admit it because they know it’s wrong to do so, but even they have been socialized. I have used, and am willing to assert that you have used (if you stand in that mirror and are completely honest with yourself) some of these justifying statements.  Number one- “But everybody is doing it.” Number two, “If you can’t beat’em, join’em.” Number three, “That was then, this is now.” Number four, “Times change, people change.” Number five, “These things we have today weren’t even made in the times of Jesus.” I am certain that there are many variations of these phrases, but they all lead to the same principal. We make excuses galore to be content in our earthly disobedience.

There are many examples of disobedience in the Holy Bible. Everyone would be right in saying that most all of what we have today was not present in the times of Jesus. However, everyone would be incorrect to say that the relevance of the principles Jesus taught are not the same, and not applicable to our lives today. First remember that Christ created everything, and then that he knows everything. If you believe that then the stories that He spoke were spoken to you! Let’s take the story of Elimelech.

The example that Elimelech left for his sons is that it is okay to try to solve all your problems on your own and not take the word of God seriously. Elimelech lived and was raising a family during a time of famine. He heard there was plenty of food and life in Moab. So he decides to move his family. The issue here is that the bible mentions no instance of prayer, or divine guidance. He left God and God’s people to go to the pagan city filled with food, but also filled with sin. The Moabites worshiped hundreds of Gods. They sacrificed their own children to these Gods. He marched his family of faith into the den of vipers. Upon arriving into the land of sin, Elimelech dies.  In those times that meant the son’s, particularly the eldest, are now the head of the family. Do they exercise faith and obedience to God and return to their people, the chosen people of God? Nope

Key Verse

Ruth 1

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

They married women from Moab. Now, just in case we need some reminders about this type of activity, let’s look at the word of God and try to see if we can clearly get God’s take on this activity.

Deuteronomy 7

7 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

That seems pretty clear to me. Remember that this is the same God we serve today. God HATES SIN!!! I believe we have become a people who live according to our flawed definition of love. God’s love is righteous, and people will be held accountable. Here, these nations that God is calling for complete destruction of are nations who chose to live in sin, and not under His love.

Genesis 6

6 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

I can hear people now, wait Mike, I don’t understand what Genesis 6 has to do with this. Awesome, let me explain. Re-read it, but before you do, think about how this all came to be. Cain killed Able. Able’s heart was true, and God was well pleased with him. Cain was selfish, and thought more of himself than he did God. His heart was not true; and when God was displeased with the behavior, Cain became overwrought with envy, and hate. Instead of taking the correction and doing better next time, he lashed out and murdered his brother. God banished Cain from the family. He sent him out into the world to be on his own. As the story unfolds, we see descendants of Seth and Cain mixing, taking husbands and wives without regard to God’s desire to remain separated from the sinful world. This mixing was not about black and white like most people would like to suggest. This was about God’s people, and worldly people. The result was that there were so many offspring from these “unequally yoked” relationships that God was hurt. The whole earth became corrupt with sin. The Bible talks about how man was so wicked that he corrupted even the dirt of the earth. And so God needed to destroy all of it. I praise God for Noah, and that in spite of what society was telling him, in spite of how the people of his time were making fun of him and persecuting him, in spite of what everyone was doing, and, praise God, in spite of all the hardships of preaching an unwelcome word, giving warnings of a end of time revelation, Noah NEVER said, “If you can’t beat’em join’em!” No, he remained faithful to the end. All of that destruction, because the line of Seth mixed unequally with the line of Cain.

Even though the Israelites knew this story, we see the sons of Elimelech thinking and acting just like their dad. They took wives from the pagan group of idolaters, murderers, and all-together immoral people. Not only did they take wives, but they pitched their tents and squatted for ten years.

Charles Spurgeon commented,  “Which was about ten years too long. Probably they did not intend to remain so long when they went there, they only meant to be in Moab for a little while, just as Christian people, when they fall into worldly conformity, only purpose to do it once, “just for the sake of the girls, to bring them out a little.” But it happens to them as it is written here: “and they dwelled there about ten years.”

Adam Clark comments,

“The Targum very properly observes, that they transgressed the decree of the word of the Lord, and took to themselves strange women.”

For those who do not know, the Targum (pictured above, and no it is not the original) is a collection of commentaries from the first century. It is not the bible, but it is interpretations as Rabbis read Hebrew and taught and preached in Aramaic. So they needed to explain a lot. So Clark used the Targum to show that the boys were acting outside the will of God in their marriages here. Some believe that the wives converted to Judaism before they married, otherwise known as “proselyte”. Again, you cannot, if you want to be an obedient child of God, marry a non-believer. Many non-Christian religions today require conversion, if they do not outright forbid the marriage. Unfortunately, the Christian Church, with only a few denominations withstanding, don’t care who they marry. They will marry believers, non-believers, same gender marriages, all in the name of man’s own flawed definition of “Love”. A believer in the Christian faith should never even date a non-believer. What comes first is witnessing and bringing that person to the cross. Since Christ is the head of our home, the man and the woman should both be of Christ in order for Christ to be the head of the house. It is the number one reason for divorce. I do blame the American Church’s decline of this standard for the inflation of divorce, which has been high for a long time, not just recently. Even in the 50’s when Dr. J. Vernon McGee preached, he spoke of divorce rates of 50%. So I tend to agree with the likes of Clark and Spurgeon, and disagree with the likes of Coke and Gill on this. I do not believe they converted but that the men lived in the moment and turned their backs to God. The boys spent no energy even trying to be obedient.

In the first chapter of Ruth we saw the leader of the home make some bad choices that cost him, but also his lineage. The boys followed in the dad’s footsteps and they reaped the same consequence. Why did it happen ten years later; I have no idea. But it really doesn’t matter, does it? It was all according to God’s plan. And the story is told so that we can see that God is not weak, He is not confused. We are weak and we are confused. The bible is the living word of God and it is here for us to not only study, but to follow. It is our guide.

On the marriage Ellicott comments, “This seems to have been after the father’s death. The fault of settling on a heathen soil begun by the father is carried on by the sons in marrying heathen women, for such we cannot doubt they must have been in the first instance. The Targum (or ancient Chaldee paraphrase) says: “They transgressed against the decree of the Word of the Lord, and took to themselves strange wives.” This act was to incur a further risk of being involved in idolatry, as King Solomon found”

It is my belief that not a single one of us is perfect. We will ALL fall short. We will ALL violate God’s will for us; we will ALL be disobedient every day. That is not in question. What is in question is, “What are you going to do about it?” Are you going to make some changes in your life? Remember that when we become believers we should behave differently than the world. We are to be a peculiar people. Or, are you going to say well society says it’s okay, so it must be. No matter how hard it is, we never join them. No matter how many magazines say that the spaghetti strap and thong bikinis are good, no matter how many GQ magazines say that peanut shell speedos are the trend, no Christian should ever be exposing that much of their body. We are to be a modest people. In America sex sells! That’s the truth. No Christian should dress like they are selling their sexuality. I see people come to church dressed like that, let alone anywhere else in the world. Some say, well it makes me feel good to have all my flesh hanging out, or to go to church or even church functions, in front of children looking like an extra from Saturday Night Fever. And at the end of the day, our relationship with God is not about us feeling good. These boys, should there not have been any God Jehovah fearing women in Moab, should have lived a peculiar life and drawn people to God through their conduct. That didn’t happen. There is no reverence for God in selfish and idolatrous behavior. In a church house you should be screaming “PRAISE GOD”, not “LOOK AT ME”! We need churches who still preach the truth. And if people pick up and go to Moab, well, that’s between them and God. A friend of the world is an enemy of God. Again, I believe God is serious; I don’t think He is kidding. What are you conforming to? What behaviors are you making excuses for because they are just too enjoyable to give up? It is hard, but it is true. When does the God fearing hero stand up and say that enough is enough? When do we say, “I will NOT conform!” It all starts with that look in the mirror.

If you stand in the mirror, what will the reflection tell you about your relationship with God and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your home, straight from the cross to the Christian!

Are you ‘dependent on’ or ‘independent of’ your Shepherd?

I heard a Sermon the other day that really interested me, and stirred up my soul. The pastor was preaching on Psalm 23. This is a famous psalm in that even non-believers are familiar with it.

Psalm 23- 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Now the pastor preached about the whole psalm, but I am focused on one word, “Shepherd”. Why is the King of Kings, LORD of LORDS, Host of Hosts, the Great I AM, also referred to as The Good Shepherd? And why are we as individuals referred to as a sheep, and collectively as a “flock” of sheep. I wanted to tear this apart and break it down.

In order to understand, fully, the great Shepherd, we need to understand fully the sheep. Do you know that sheep have poor eye sight? They have excellent hearing, discerning the sounds distinct to their mother. Did you know that they do not have sharp teeth? In fact, they only have teeth on the bottom front for pinching vegetation, like grass, and 30 or so back teeth for grinding. There is certainly no defense mechanism in the teeth of sheep. Did you know that a sheep has no nails or claws to defend itself? Did you know that, if a sheep is not sheared and its fleece is allowed to grow, a sheep cannot get up if it falls down and could die? A sheep sounds like a pretty defenseless animal. If you are a sheep herder, and you have even a few sheep, and they are important enough to a farmer, that herder will employ the services of a sheep dog to protect the flock from foxes, wolves, and coyotes, as well as other predators. Why? Because a sheep is pretty defenseless!

So let’s look at the shepherd of a flock of sheep. What does a shepherd do for his sheep? He has to make sure he leads the sheep to pastures for food, to water for drink. Because of the big fleece a sheep produces, there is grooming involved to prevent disease in the sheep and in the flock. Sometimes they help bring new lambs into the world. They protect the flock from predators. They lead the flock from one area to another. And to a good shepherd, when one sheep goes astray, he goes and gets that sheep. Again, most shepherds do employ the service of a sheep dog to help with the herding. One interesting observation I have made is, as I looked into shepherding, I saw many photos of shepherds “driving” the flock from behind the flock. An interesting note as we continue.

When we read the bible we have to remember that a lot of the analogies written therein are about activities that the people knew of, were a way of life, and could relate to. Today, sheep herding is still going on, but probably not in the same way, and not as a way of life. There are many city folk who probably never saw a ewe or ram, let alone know how defenseless they are. That is why I chose to write about this. I think we forget the true meaning of biblical stories and how they identify God’s will for us in our present day.

Jesus Christ is our Shepherd. That means we are his sheep. Do you fully understand just how vulnerable you are to the great predator, who walks to and fro seeking out those who he may devour? Do you fully understand that you have no defense of your own? I often think that as we get saved, and grow in our faith that we get to thinking that, somehow, we no longer need the shepherd. When I go to church, and I go to many different churches, on a Wednesday night there are so many programs and activities going on independent of but at the same time of the Shepherd’s teaching, or as I would say, his leading/feeding the flock. I cannot help but wonder, every once in a while, do these people not need prayer? Is there no one for them to pray for? Since there is a Wednesday night bible study, I also wonder, do they already know the whole bible and all of God’s will that they do not need to be in with the shepherd? On Sunday, I see people out in the hallways talking casually to one another and some running in and out of offices tending to “business” matters of the church while the Shepherd feeds his flock. Do you not need to hear the sermon? Are you that secure? Is it because you are an officer or elder in the church that you no longer need a shepherd? According to what I understand, according to what this Psalm teaches, you are a sheep and you have no defense against the devil. Either you are a wondering sheep or you are of His flock. Which one is it?

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I think this verse; along with the soothing sound of the shepherd leading me to green pastures, sometimes gives us a misleading sense that we are not susceptible to sin. That somehow it is you who is doing the miracles and not the Holy Spirit; that it is you who wards off evil, and not the Holy Spirit. You alone are not the strength; you alone are not the power. You alone are not the safe sheep. You can do all things WITH Christ. The SHEPHERD leads you. You are a follower, and you are to be obedient to the leader. You cannot act divinely independent of Christ. If you recall, satan tried that once, it didn’t work out all that great for him and he was the most powerful and beautiful angel. You cannot fight satan without the blood of Christ. In fact, you don’t fight satan, you call on the Spirit, and it is the Spirit that fights satan, not you. Not any part of you.

Matthew 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

You are helpless. Being a follower of Christ, being obedient to His will, is totally and completely incumbent upon you humbling yourself as to understand that you are nothing. You cannot do anything on your own. You are totally dependent on your shepherd. The sinful world believes that believers in Christ think we are better than everyone else. Quite the opposite!! We true believers know and accept that what we really are is broken useless vessels without Christ. We are doomed, insufficient, incapable, deficient, and destined for hell.

Many people say, “I don’t have to go to Church to have a relationship with God.” You’re right, you don’t. But do you realize that as Christ is the shepherd of His flock, meaning all followers- the universal body/universal church of Christ, and, in the same regard, shepherds are anointed by God to be shepherds of the local churches. Look at what he told Peter. If you are at home, how do you enjoy the benefits of a flock? How do you benefit from being fed by the Shepherd Christ appointed to feed you?

John 21:15-17 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Now there are particular meanings to using ‘Lamb’ and then ‘Sheep’ twice. That is a lesson for another day. Here, for my purpose of writing, we need to focus on the fact that Christ sends to the sheep, shepherds. You cannot be your own Shepherd!! Even the shepherds need shepherds. I know that there are “Pastors to the Pastors” “Ministers to the Ministers”. We all need to be fed and groomed and led and protected. I made an observation earlier that the pictures of shepherds that I saw as I studied this showed shepherds “driving” the flock from the rear. Our Shepherd leads from the front of the flock. Following Him is a choice made from free will. How then can a man who made a choice to follow act independently of the leader? Is that true following? I don’t think it is; I think you are leading yourself in your own direction. We need Jesus Christ for our salvation. Stop standing in the halls during church service and go into the sanctuary (the green pasture) and be led by the shepherd anointed and appointed by the Good Shepherd. We are to be so humble as to admit that we are in need. You cannot be truly saved if you don’t think you need to be saved. How then can you claim a Shepherd if you think you are the shepherd? Let’s look more on this subject in the continuing verses regarding the lesson of being a shepherd in John 21.

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

We have a great Shepherd in Jesus Christ. None other can lead to the rest of the green pasture that he leads us to. No other shepherd can protect us from the predator satan. No other can deliver on the promise that Christ has made for and to us. Are you a true sheep in His flock? Have you humbly admitted that you are defenseless, that you can do nothing, and that you are nothing without the Shepherd? That is where it all starts my brethren.

If you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself, and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your house, straight from the cross to the Christian!