Monthly Archives: December 2023

I Am Resolved

Posted on by under Christian Living

          There is a song that we sing in our assemblies that speaks of being resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delight. Instead, the song says that I will hasten to Him. It is a song about being resolute in leaving the world’s charms behind and pressing on to be with the Lord. As we look out upon another year ending and a new one just beginning, what resolutions are we making for the New Year? What are we leaving behind in 2023, and what are we pressing on towards?

     In the Philippian letter, Paul writes, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, 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” (Phil. 3:13-14). We might look back at last year’s resolutions and see how we did. Perhaps our resolution only lasted a couple of weeks or a month. Maybe we were resolved to lose ten pounds last year, and now we are only fifteen pounds away from our goal. But, forgetting those things that are behind us, let us look forward to the opportunities in the New Year to be resolved to do better.

     In 2024 let us then be resolved to:

   · Lose the weight of sin in our lives (Heb. 12:1)

   · Exercise greater discernment between good and evil (Psalm 34:14)

   · Improve our spiritual health (1 Peter 1:13-16)

   · Help save the souls of those around us (Mat. 28:19-20)

   · Stop making excuses and abound in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)

  I am reminded of an old commercial that showed a man at his desk and each year the pile of papers grew higher. Each year he stated that this was the year he was going to hunker down and get something accomplished. Is 2024 the year that we will grow closer to the Lord? Or will 2024 be like every other year? The choice is ours. The next year is ready and waiting. Are we resolved no longer to linger?

When Did God Change His Mind About Homosexuality?

Posted on by under Culture, Current Events
Image by Annett_Klingner from Pixabay

            This week Francis, the Roman Catholic Pope, issued a new document which would allow his priests to bless same sex couples.  This was a reversal of a prior stance in which the Roman Catholic institution stated that they could not bless sin.  That prior stance earned Francis a bit of consternation on the part of those in the gay community.  Now, he says, “that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to ‘an exhaustive moral analysis’ to receive it” (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-approves-blessings-for-same-sex-couples-if-they-don-t-resemble-marriage/ar-AA1lGh6Y?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=3ffb240e83214dc9942ffd84c7a63569&ei=35).  So, what happened in between?  Did God change His mind?  Is homosexuality now something to be blessed?

            Let us turn to God’s word for our answer.  In the Old Testament, God’s opinion of homosexuality can be clearly seen.  In Genesis 19 God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their same sex practices.  In the Law of Moses, God states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22), and “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus20:13).  Homosexuality certainly did not have God’s blessing in the Old Testament.

            Homosexuality does not have God’s blessing in the New Testament either.  In Romans 1 beginning in verse 18, the Bible condemns ungodliness and unrighteousness and states that God’s wrath will be poured out on those who practice sexual immorality.  Included in this, is the sin of homosexuality.  “For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:26b-27).  Not only does God condemn homosexual activity in this passage, but He also condemns those who approve of such activities (Romans 1:32). 

            So, can we bless that which God condemns?  To give our blessing means that we approve of the activity.  God’s word says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, emphasis added).  How cruel would it be for us to know that someone is in a relationship or lifestyle that is going to someday condemn them for all eternity, and then turn around and give them our blessing as if everything is alright?  That passage above in 1 Corinthians goes on to say that some of them were guilty of these sins in the past, but they were sanctified by the blood of Christ. 

            However, to be able to enjoy that blessing of sanctification, they had to repent.  They had to change what they were doing.  They had to be obedient to God.  Jesus is the savior of all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).  God gives His mercy to those who are obedient.  We should welcome all people to come to Jesus and be saved, no matter what their current station in life is, but we cannot bless and embrace their sins.  We should not enable them by suggesting that they are safe in their sinful lifestyles.  We do not have the authority to change what God has said.  If we are to be God’s people, we cannot bless that which God hates and condemns.

The Lord and Me, We Have a Deal

Posted on by under Article, Doctrine
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

            Perhaps you have tried to share the gospel with someone or encouraged them to come to the worship service of the church, only to have them quote the title above as if they are separate from God’s requirements.  Don’t get me wrong, we can have a covenant relationship with the Lord, but that relationship can only be had according to His stipulations and requirements.  Let’s explore . . .

            In the Old Testament covenant that God made with the nation of Israel, God gave all of the stipulations and requirements to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  Moses then relayed the information to the children of Israel.  “So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the LORD has said we will do’” (Exodus 24:3 emphasis added).   Notice the ‘all’ that they said they would do.  The covenant was not negotiable.  The Lord set the stipulations and the people could either accept it or refuse it.  They couldn’t say that they had a special or different deal with the Lord.  Part of those stipulations were that they had to keep three specific feast days to the Lord (Exodus 23:14).  They couldn’t just decide to roll those three into one day for convenience.  The covenant was unilateral and non-negotiable.

            In the New Testament there is a new covenant.  Jeremiah prophesied that this new covenant was coming (Jer. 31:31-34).  The new covenant is the agreement that we can have with the Lord today, however, this deal is also based upon the commandments and stipulations of the Lord.  We can either accept the deal or deny it.  We do not get to negotiate our own deal individually.  Jesus basically says that if we follow Him, we can have the remission of our sins and live with Him forever (Mark 16:16; Mat. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38).  Notice especially in the Matthew passage that in order to be a disciple of Christ that one must be baptized and taught to observe all things that Jesus has commanded.

   Both the Hebrew and Greek words that are used for covenant in the Bible mean a contract or agreement of some kind.  So, we can have an agreement with God.  That agreement or covenant relationship can only be had, however, if we will accept all that God has told us to do.  God’s salvation is not a buffet where we get to pick and choose.  We must do all that He commands us to do!

By What Authority?

Posted on by under Article, Doctrine
Image by ha11ok from Pixabay

            In the religious world today, there is no shortage of worship styles and services, all of which differ in mode and operation.  It begs the question as to whether they are all approved of by God.  Some will say that the details of their worship to God do not matter, that anything is acceptable.  I wonder if those same folks would be okay with animal sacrifices being done in a voodoo ritual, or snake handling being done by some fringe group, however.  It would seem that we all would draw a line somewhere.

            The question then becomes where do you draw that line?  If we are all going to do something different in our worship to God, who determines if that is acceptable or not?  The root of the issue really boils down to authority.  Do we have the authority to make our own decisions when it comes to worshiping God?

            In the New Testament of the Bible the subject of authority comes up often.  In one such instance, the chief priests and elders are questioning Jesus in the temple and asking where His authority comes from to do what He was doing.  Jesus responded with a question of His own.  “But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” (Mat. 21:24-25 NKJV).  Notice that Jesus only gave two options for the source of authority.  Authority either comes from heaven or from men.

            Everything that is done in religion today is done by one of those two sources of authority.  Either what we do is done with the authority of God Almighty, or what we do is by our own authority.  God has a preference.  In rebuking the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus referred to them as hypocrites and stated, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7, Mat. 15:9).  Worship that is vain is useless.  God will not accept useless worship.  God wants to be worshipped as He has commanded.

            We need to have biblical authority for what we teach and practice.  Paul explained in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do in word or in deed needs to be done in the name of the Lord.  That doesn’t mean we do what we want and slap the name of Jesus on it.  That means that we do it according to His authority.  Let us examine our own selves to see that we are doing what the Lord wants when it comes to our worship of Him.  By what authority do you do these things?