This morning I started my day by listening to a sermon series by John MacArthur called the Sinfulness of Sin. This one was entitled "Who is a Murderer?". He was referencing Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:21-22. I was absolutely rocked. You can listen to the sermon here.
"You have heard that the ancients (another term for the rabbis) were told, 'you shall not commit murder' and 'whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother , 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."
Think about it. Every time you have been angry with someone, God says you deserve the death penalty. Even if you don't murder someone. Even if you never say an angry word to them at all. How many times have we all done that? In a day? You get into traffic and someone cuts you off. You mutter under your breath a nasty name. Congratulations, in God's eyes you are now a murderer. So much for getting off for good behaviour. So much for the proverbial monk on the mountain who seems so holy.
The Bible also says that if you have broken one command, you are guilty of them all. So not only are we ALL murderers, according to the Ten Commandments we are also adulterers, thieves, liars, greedy, blasphemers, haters of God, and revilers of parents. We are the very worst of humanity. What are we to do? We have no way of keeping God's perfect standard, for try as we might, we screw up all the time, and even when we want to do right, nine times out of ten we do wrong. We like to pretend that we're better than everyone else, and we point out their flaws to make ourselves feel better about the horrible, gnawing feeling that lies deep in our hearts, in the heart of every human.
You know that feeling, that when you turn out the lights you are not the picture of perfection you present to the world. You know your own darkness, and wonder how you can go on hiding it from everyone else. You hide that playboy magazine behind the dresser because you don't want your wife to find it. You hide the under-the-table payments you've been taking on the sly at work because you don't want your boss to find it. You empty the history and cookies folder on your internet browser, because you don't want your husband to know that for the millionth and one time, you've visited that online casino that he warned you never to visit again. And you may succeed in hiding all this from human eyes your whole life but you can never hide from God, who searches not only the external behaviour, but the heart of every man, woman and child.
Oh what to do? This thankfully, does not have to end here in this doom and gloom. For God in His infinite wisdom, grace, unending mercy and love has given us a way out. Since we cannot get to heaven on our own steam, and instead deserve the very hottest flames in hell for all of eternity, He has sent His Son Jesus to die for us. Picture Him there nailed to the cross - the sinless, innocent Lamb of God, who died to take away the sins of the world - though He himself never did anything wrong. He paid the price for us, even though we revile Him daily, and we were the ones who nailed Him to the cross. Romans 5: 6-11 reads as follows:
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
If you have never repented (that is turned completely from your sins to follow Jesus Christ and realised your own inability to save yourself), and this blog post is tugging on your heart, then friend, please do so now. You will get a whole new life, and those nagging feelings in your heart will be gone. Your past will be wiped away completely, for if you follow Jesus, for as far is the east is from the west, He has removed our transgression from us. And, whoever the Son sets free, will be free indeed.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I have been watching posts on Facebook for the last few weeks about a so-called "awakening" in our city supposedly authored by the Holy Spirit. My heart grieves over what I see. I say supposedly, because I am familiar with what goes on in these types of meetings, and I know the author of these meetings is definitely not the Holy Spirit.
How I could I be so bold as to say this? Easy, the behaviour of whatever supernatural force that is guiding these meetings acts nothing like the Spirit of God as described in the Bible. The so-called prophesying which takes place sounds nothing like actual biblical prophesy. If God is not a man that He should change His mind, and if He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; then why is "He" acting so out of character at these meetings to the point where there is a direct contradiction between what goes on and God's holy word.
A friend gave this explanation of the meetings as to how she knew they were from God. She said that people come out of those meetings completely "drunk in the Spirit". Since when did spiritual drunkeness become the standard for the whether or not something is of God? What happened to everything being in accordance to Scripture? We are to "test all things, hold fast to that which is good". The apostle John admonishes us also to test everything. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1Jn 4:1). Besides, if drunkeness is condemned in numerous places throughout the bible, why would God show himself by having His followers behave in ways he detests? Instead, the Bible states that we are to be sober minded and self-controlled.
During these meetings, chaos reigns. But isn't God a God of order? Sanctuaries lined with writhing bodies, passed out people and sardonic laughter are common elsewhere - in occult religions (forbidden by the bible). Also, the music with choruses sung over and over again, put people in a hyper-suggestible state which makes them prone to immediately accept whatever comes into their minds, regardless of whether it makes any sense. The rational mind is seen as an obstacle to what "God really wants to do". Yoga and other new age practices also try to bypass or destroy the rational mind in order to be able to accept some "higher spiritual truth." People are also warned against speaking out against anything unseemly taking place during a meeting, accusing them of "quenching the Spirit" if they do, and in some cases, threatening them with death. But the Bible says that if anyone, be it even an angel, preaches another gospel than our Lord Jesus Christ crucified, than he is to be accursed! Now if angels are a higher order of created beings than we are, what will our punishment be??
One final thing, there is a party-like atmosphere at most of these meetings, saying that God just wants to have fun with his people. Funny, but the only party that is mentioned in Scripture that God will throw for his poeple is the marriage supper of the Lamb! (which follows the millenial reign, which in turn follows the great tribulation which we have not even entered yet).
I was duped for years into believing meetings of these types were on the "cutting edge of what God wants to do". I was drawn in by the fun and the emotion of it all, but in the end, I was nearly destroyed by it. After a season of being heavily involved in the charismatic movement, I didn't want to read my Bible, pray, or go to church anymore. If the Holy Spirit is the one directing this movement, why would He want to cut me off from the three main ways we hear from God?
Beloved, God's holy word is with us for a reason. Use it as your trustworthy guide which will never steer you wrong. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teachng, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work". (2 Tim 3:16). "Let no one keep defruading you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from which the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God." (Col 2:18-19)
Finally, keep in mind what Paul said in his first letter to the Thessalonians:
"For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed - God is witness - nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (1 Thess 2:3-7)
How I could I be so bold as to say this? Easy, the behaviour of whatever supernatural force that is guiding these meetings acts nothing like the Spirit of God as described in the Bible. The so-called prophesying which takes place sounds nothing like actual biblical prophesy. If God is not a man that He should change His mind, and if He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; then why is "He" acting so out of character at these meetings to the point where there is a direct contradiction between what goes on and God's holy word.
A friend gave this explanation of the meetings as to how she knew they were from God. She said that people come out of those meetings completely "drunk in the Spirit". Since when did spiritual drunkeness become the standard for the whether or not something is of God? What happened to everything being in accordance to Scripture? We are to "test all things, hold fast to that which is good". The apostle John admonishes us also to test everything. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1Jn 4:1). Besides, if drunkeness is condemned in numerous places throughout the bible, why would God show himself by having His followers behave in ways he detests? Instead, the Bible states that we are to be sober minded and self-controlled.
During these meetings, chaos reigns. But isn't God a God of order? Sanctuaries lined with writhing bodies, passed out people and sardonic laughter are common elsewhere - in occult religions (forbidden by the bible). Also, the music with choruses sung over and over again, put people in a hyper-suggestible state which makes them prone to immediately accept whatever comes into their minds, regardless of whether it makes any sense. The rational mind is seen as an obstacle to what "God really wants to do". Yoga and other new age practices also try to bypass or destroy the rational mind in order to be able to accept some "higher spiritual truth." People are also warned against speaking out against anything unseemly taking place during a meeting, accusing them of "quenching the Spirit" if they do, and in some cases, threatening them with death. But the Bible says that if anyone, be it even an angel, preaches another gospel than our Lord Jesus Christ crucified, than he is to be accursed! Now if angels are a higher order of created beings than we are, what will our punishment be??
One final thing, there is a party-like atmosphere at most of these meetings, saying that God just wants to have fun with his people. Funny, but the only party that is mentioned in Scripture that God will throw for his poeple is the marriage supper of the Lamb! (which follows the millenial reign, which in turn follows the great tribulation which we have not even entered yet).
I was duped for years into believing meetings of these types were on the "cutting edge of what God wants to do". I was drawn in by the fun and the emotion of it all, but in the end, I was nearly destroyed by it. After a season of being heavily involved in the charismatic movement, I didn't want to read my Bible, pray, or go to church anymore. If the Holy Spirit is the one directing this movement, why would He want to cut me off from the three main ways we hear from God?
Beloved, God's holy word is with us for a reason. Use it as your trustworthy guide which will never steer you wrong. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teachng, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work". (2 Tim 3:16). "Let no one keep defruading you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from which the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God." (Col 2:18-19)
Finally, keep in mind what Paul said in his first letter to the Thessalonians:
"For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed - God is witness - nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (1 Thess 2:3-7)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Slaves vs. Kings - a call to humility
This afternoon as I was trying to catch a quick cat nap, a thought popped into my head, "Men everywhere act like kings and treat everyone else as slaves. But we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should think of ourselves as merely slaves, and treat everyone else as if they were kings." This theme is everywhere in Scripture, especially the new testament as taught by Jesus.
"But Jesus called them together and said,"You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whomever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came to not to be served but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:25-28 NLT).
But humility is so hard a call in today's selfish world. All around us are images and messages telling us to indulge ourselves for "we are worth it". A condo development in town is called, "Centerpoint: Where life revolves around you!" But what is the cost of these messages? What is the fruit of acting like the world revolves around you? Arrogance, selfishness, narcissism are the nasty fruit of following some very attractively wrapped deceptions.
They are even worse when coming from a christian, someone who is supposed to think of him or herself as a slave of righteousness. And we wonder why the Gospel message is often ignored. Have we looked in the mirror lately? Have we taken off our masks to see the ugly truth within? For God does not judge like man does. For man judges by the outside, but the Lord looks into the heart. What does He see in yours? Maybe this is why we repel more people then we attract.
None of us ever set out to act this way, most of us do sincerely wish to act in manner worthy of our calling in Christ. But past hurts, selfishness, and the evil within us, keep us from doing the good we desire. Paul talks about this in the book of Romans:
"I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind, I want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Rom 7:21-25).
How do you live out being in slave in Christ? How do you remember to think of others as more important then yourself? Where do you struggle with this?
"But Jesus called them together and said,"You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whomever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came to not to be served but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:25-28 NLT).
But humility is so hard a call in today's selfish world. All around us are images and messages telling us to indulge ourselves for "we are worth it". A condo development in town is called, "Centerpoint: Where life revolves around you!" But what is the cost of these messages? What is the fruit of acting like the world revolves around you? Arrogance, selfishness, narcissism are the nasty fruit of following some very attractively wrapped deceptions.
They are even worse when coming from a christian, someone who is supposed to think of him or herself as a slave of righteousness. And we wonder why the Gospel message is often ignored. Have we looked in the mirror lately? Have we taken off our masks to see the ugly truth within? For God does not judge like man does. For man judges by the outside, but the Lord looks into the heart. What does He see in yours? Maybe this is why we repel more people then we attract.
None of us ever set out to act this way, most of us do sincerely wish to act in manner worthy of our calling in Christ. But past hurts, selfishness, and the evil within us, keep us from doing the good we desire. Paul talks about this in the book of Romans:
"I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind, I want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Rom 7:21-25).
How do you live out being in slave in Christ? How do you remember to think of others as more important then yourself? Where do you struggle with this?
Monday, November 29, 2010
Riches that last...
As the Christmas season approaches, I am overwhelmed by the amount of commercials that try to convince us that we cannot possibly live without some certain product. Whether it be jewels for a certain someone, or latest toys or video games for our children, somehow our lives are not complete unless we go out and spend a ton of money this holiday season. It seems in order to have the "perfect" Christmas, we must spend an arm and a leg to do so.
But what happens a few days after Christmas? The pretty wrappers are thrown away, the kids invariably enjoyed playing with the boxes more than the expensive toys, and the brand new watch doesn't work and needs to be returned. The sweater Grandma sent is too small, and needs to be exchanged. And we are left feeling empty. Then the credit card bill comes in January, and we are left feeling ever more empty.
Is there a solution to this? In all our quest for the "perfect" Christmas have we missed the point entirely? Are there in fact, gifts that never wear out?
I believe there are. Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:19-21). Perhaps our definition of treasure is completely wrong. For what good is treasure if ultimately it will turn to dust? Treasure that turns to garbage is not worth chasing after. It's certainly not worth sacrificing our families and closest relationships for. What good is it for your children to grow up with bedrooms loaded with toys, only to end up with empty, bitter hearts? While you were out chasing everything you thought they wanted, they missed spending time with the only thing they ever really wanted - you.
Perhaps the true treasures of this life are actually in the relationships with family and friends. The Bible says that the only thing that continues on into the next life are relationships; not houses, cars, stereos and that cottage by the lake you've been dreaming of. My husband and I are not rich in the material sense, but I believe we are richer than most for we have love, hope, faith, and contentment. Most people in North America cannot say that. It seems that with all of our many blessings, instead of learning that we are blessed in order to be able to share, we have become all the more fat, selfish and demanding, complaining that our new expensive iphone is too slow. This, while up to a billion people in this world don't even know where their next meal is coming from!
We ignore, abuse and disrespect our parents and grandparents, who after living far longer than we have, have mountains of wisdom they would love to share. But we dismiss them because, my goodness, Mom can barely use email - how could she know anything about life these days? Because though times and technology change, human nature does not. We are all capable of extreme evil and desperately need to be reminded that we are not perfect, neither is anyone else, and that kindness, grace and mercy go a long way in making this life a little better for everyone.
We ignore our children and teenagers because they are too wrapped up in video games or facebook to care about anything else. Perhaps in judging the book by it's cover, maybe spend time with your kids and get to know the real them, not just your perceptions. You may find you have unearthed a hidden treasure or talent you knew nothing about before. There is a good reason why the Bible says that children are a reward. Do yourself a favour and find out why. The office can wait. So can your TV. Didn't you get that new PVR for Christmas, anyway?
I am not against generosity and showing gratitude. I am also aware that these tools can make life and connecting with other people a lot easier. But be careful that you are actually connecting with people, and not the shiny new toys that facilitate it.
But what happens a few days after Christmas? The pretty wrappers are thrown away, the kids invariably enjoyed playing with the boxes more than the expensive toys, and the brand new watch doesn't work and needs to be returned. The sweater Grandma sent is too small, and needs to be exchanged. And we are left feeling empty. Then the credit card bill comes in January, and we are left feeling ever more empty.
Is there a solution to this? In all our quest for the "perfect" Christmas have we missed the point entirely? Are there in fact, gifts that never wear out?
I believe there are. Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:19-21). Perhaps our definition of treasure is completely wrong. For what good is treasure if ultimately it will turn to dust? Treasure that turns to garbage is not worth chasing after. It's certainly not worth sacrificing our families and closest relationships for. What good is it for your children to grow up with bedrooms loaded with toys, only to end up with empty, bitter hearts? While you were out chasing everything you thought they wanted, they missed spending time with the only thing they ever really wanted - you.
Perhaps the true treasures of this life are actually in the relationships with family and friends. The Bible says that the only thing that continues on into the next life are relationships; not houses, cars, stereos and that cottage by the lake you've been dreaming of. My husband and I are not rich in the material sense, but I believe we are richer than most for we have love, hope, faith, and contentment. Most people in North America cannot say that. It seems that with all of our many blessings, instead of learning that we are blessed in order to be able to share, we have become all the more fat, selfish and demanding, complaining that our new expensive iphone is too slow. This, while up to a billion people in this world don't even know where their next meal is coming from!
We ignore, abuse and disrespect our parents and grandparents, who after living far longer than we have, have mountains of wisdom they would love to share. But we dismiss them because, my goodness, Mom can barely use email - how could she know anything about life these days? Because though times and technology change, human nature does not. We are all capable of extreme evil and desperately need to be reminded that we are not perfect, neither is anyone else, and that kindness, grace and mercy go a long way in making this life a little better for everyone.
We ignore our children and teenagers because they are too wrapped up in video games or facebook to care about anything else. Perhaps in judging the book by it's cover, maybe spend time with your kids and get to know the real them, not just your perceptions. You may find you have unearthed a hidden treasure or talent you knew nothing about before. There is a good reason why the Bible says that children are a reward. Do yourself a favour and find out why. The office can wait. So can your TV. Didn't you get that new PVR for Christmas, anyway?
I am not against generosity and showing gratitude. I am also aware that these tools can make life and connecting with other people a lot easier. But be careful that you are actually connecting with people, and not the shiny new toys that facilitate it.
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