I want to be very honest in this post. Recently, I’ve been thinking and meditating heavily on sin. It’s a daily battle, in an epic war. God is my general, Satan on the opposing side. I know who wins. But in war, there are casualties. I am trying my hardest to stay alive.

I need to know my enemy. What is sin? It is sometimes hard to recognize. Even obvious sin. I spent 5 months of my life in deep sin. I was convincing myself the lies I was told were truth. I knew nothing of truth. Now that I know truth, obvious sin is… Well… Obvious. Now I struggle with the every now and then falling for obvious sin because I leave myself open. I, as a Christian, have access to the dunamis power of God. But I have no experience in this. Do I simply ask? Or does the general, my infinite father, give when He sees fit, whether I ask or not? I’ve seen both cases in the bible. The hardest thing to remember to do amidst sin, is ask for power to resist it, from God.

And what of the sin that is not obvious? Is there such? And if not, am I just saying there is because I want an excuse? I am deeply challenged by this: If sex, violence and coarse joking are things we are not to do. How my Christians, can we be entertained by it in movies, tv, and video games? I am hypocritical in asking this yes, but there is sense and sincerity in my hypocrisy. I am most guilty in this enjoyment of watching and even commanding sin. I play violent video games that have sex jokes in them. I am satisfied with killing five british dudes with one clip, four times in a ten-minute span, it is exhilarating to me. But is it sin? I have not an answer. There is nothing I’ve heard to say it is not. However, I also find no conviction in it. At least, I think not. But how am I to trust me, the one who sins? I have heard it said, “God is silent when there is sin in your life.” If that’s true… That explains not why I cannot hear His voice on this matter. For He points me in the right direction, but here He has said nothing to me. Or has He? I do not know.

Right now I feel like I may fall in battle, however I know this feeling shall pass, for my general and savior Jesus, will not let me fall, so long as I have faith in Him, and believe.

(I wrote these two short opinion pieces about a year ago. They seem really appropriate today, so here they are ~ enjoy and ponder, and ponder how you will answer the call for genuine faith in God through Christ)

Don’t Forget Why You Came

The Rise of the Evangelical Ecumenacult in America

There are many fine interfaith organizations in our nation. They have been formed for specific purposes, and to meet specific needs. From food banks to urban renewal, these groups have formed as a way to pool the available resources, which are often limited, to better serve the community in which they exist.

So, a coalition will form, for instance, to reclaim a park from gangs and violence to make it a safe place for the neighborhood to enjoy. So a voodoo priestess will work beside a Catholic nun, to paint out the graffiti. A Jewish rabbi will bring members of the Synagogue to work beside a group of Buddhists to pick up all the trash. And the Nazarenes, Lutherans, Shamans and Methodists will all work beside Baptists, astrologers and Mormons to repair the playground equipment.

The entire neighborhood comes together and works to accomplish a project that benefits the neighborhood. This coalition then takes on another project. And then another. The neighborhood begins to flourish. Everyone recognizes that they can get so much more done when they work together.

They meet for a common prayer time to pray a special blessing over the area. “After all,” they say, “we’re really a lot more alike than we are different.” So they come together to affirm the various ways of interacting with the Eternal, because it makes the neighborhood work better. “After all, we’re really not all that diverse, are we?”

As a coalition, they show no preference for one way over another ~ that’s not their purpose. They uphold and encourage the varied religious institutions in their neighborhood. They agree that everyone should have the freedom to follow his or her individual faith in our nation ~ and in our neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to forget why we came together. We move from having days of working side by side, to days of common worship. We have ceremonies that place the God of the Bible on the same level as the Hindu pantheon of deities.

The Israelites followed this same pathway to destruction of the original Temple. They began with God. Other people worshiped gods who were not God, so they recognized the One, true God and the non-gods. Then they began to recognize that the non-gods were very important to these other people ~ so it became God and the lesser gods. This grew into the notion of God as a sort of Super-God over all the gods. This developed into a pantheon of deities who were all on pretty much even footing…

So they came together to affirm the various ways of interacting with the Eternal, because it made their neighborhoods work better. After all, they were really not all that diverse, were they?

Then God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the Temple and carry the Chosen People into captivity for a taste of what it is really like to be in a region run by a despot with too many gods.

I believe we are on the brink of seeing this same sort of object lesson play out in our own nation. There are many reasons for this, and one is ~ in my own opinion ~ the rise of the Evangelical Ecumenacult, which threatens to destroy the very reason we first called ourselves Evangelical. Does anyone remember back when we thought we had THE good news?

While I’m not calling for some sort of Christian jihad, I do think that one of the destructive markers of the Christian faith is the willingness to go along with others in this very fallen world. If we are all going to reclaim the park from the gangs, I would expect the Christians to be in the midst of those who are not Christians… But I would also expect them to remember that they came together to reclaim the park.

Then, if someone wants to talk about matters of faith, I would also expect the Christians to be ready to give a reason for their hope…

We must never forget why we came in the first place. This will also make it easier to remember in Whose Name we showed up.

Don’t Forget Why They Came

The Fall of the Evangelical Church in America

There are many denominations in our nation. They were formed out of specific movements or to meet specific needs. Sometimes stepping away from another group in favor of a different interpretation and application of Scripture; sometimes stepping into an area to better serve a specific segment of society.

At the core, each is looking for a way to better know God, and a way to better make Him known. Some view the sanctuary as a place for the faithful to gather for worship, discipleship, exhortation and encouragement. In this pursuit, they have, over the years, tended to become very exclusive. So, not wanting to be in the position of restricting others from the Good News, they open themselves to allow others in ~ after all, “How will they hear except someone tell them?”

This means that all kinds of people come in. And we do all we can to make them feel welcome. We don’t look down on them for their piercings and tattoos. We look past their shameful lives and welcome them into our church building. We aren’t going to be the ones to tell them they’re sinners; they know they’re not perfect. Besides, they might not stay around long enough to hear the Good News.

As we do this, we come to view the sanctuary as the world in a microcosm ~ only with a Christian theme. We make our meetings “safe places” for people who are far from God. We avoid saying anything divisive. We avoid speaking in absolutes. We never speak of decisions as being in the realm of ultimate things.

With great love, and in the Name of Jesus, we welcome them into our lives. We invite them to become involved in the life of the Church. We hold them dear to ourselves. We see them thrive in the organization and we rejoice with them with each new accomplishment. Eventually, we ordain them and let them teach us from our own pulpits.

Sadly, though they are treasured members of the congregation, we never managed to get them into the family of Jesus. And because we gave up our moral absolutes in order to make them feel welcome, those absolutes are no longer in place as we make our decisions about how to run God’s Church.

Now, I’ve condensed decades, generations ~ even centuries ~ into a few short paragraphs. But, this is how we have come to a place where John and Charles Wesley would never recognize ~ indeed they would likely renounce ~ the churches bearing the Methodist name. And I’m not here to pick on only the Methodist brand name. Look at how liberal the other old-line Protestant denominations have become. If Martin Luther were alive today, he’d roll over in his grave!

I’m not calling for any hate crimes. I’m not calling for any stonings. I’m simply pointing out a very sad truth: In an effort to be more loving, we have neglected to tell people the truth.

In that process, a once vibrant congregation became a social club. The ordinances became choices in an array of ways to experience God. The sanctuary became a venue. Repentance became optional. Salvation became a buzzword. And the cross became merely decorative.

People once came to our churches with a certain respect for them. People knew that they were coming into the presence of God; they expected to be confronted with the Truth. And we, in turn, respectfully gave up our theological reasoning.

Now I’m not calling for Christian exclusivity, or a bunker mentality. One of the distinctive markers of Christ’s presence in our lives is our willingness to get along with others in this very fallen world… But I would also expect us to remember that they came to us because we are followers and teachers of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They came to us because we have the Good News.

We must never forget why they came to our churches in the first place. This will also make it easier for us to remember Who they came looking for.

Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
Why should a living man complain,
a man, about the punishment of his sins?
Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the Lord!
Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven.

Lamentations 3:37-41

Well, I finally bit the bullet and coughed up the dough to be able to post media on this site. Psalm 51 is the sermon I preached two Sundays ago on finding real joy by dealing with sin. (Just occurred to me – never got around to naming this sermon – oh well!) I think people who found my last post interesting would be interested in this sermon.

The main gist of what I was saying is that a Christian who does not deal with their sin will find their spirituality fading and leaking away until all that is left is boredom and frustration. Those who deal with their sin will find their spirituality blossoming and growing like the escalating, climbing rays of a sunrise, which get brighter and brighter ’till noon-day.

The quote which I will tuck away in my back-pocked from my sermon notes is as follows:

“Sin and hell are the pitch-black canvass on which God in His providence strokes on His blazing orange, crimson-red, snow-white, and royal-blue – a masterpiece of such beauty that all of the Heavenly host stare in rapt attention and cry out unceasingly day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts!” If we try to blanch out sin and hell, we will find our faith fading to watercolours, then fading

Darkness covers the city

And we are playing with it

You whisper my name

Telling, I’m to blame.

Your words cut like a sharp knife

As if they were taking my life.

They are oh, so loud

I got lost in the crowd

Now I see your hands taking

Mine. I see them truly faking.

They are so proud

I am lost in the crowd.

I feel you coming closer

I see us growing older

We are so very bound

I am part of the crowd!

I feel your face next to mine

I feel you breathe it’s so fine

We were all too soused…

I belong to the crowd.

Now you kiss my trembling lips

And then you shout those killer hits:

My name, my name, my name

Tells me I’m to blame

And darkness turns into light

Our Sins are getting too bright

We all whisper a name.

We are all to blame.

I feel you getting colder

Hands get off of my shoulder

My eyes seem to shout:

Once, I was part of the crowd!

Once,

I was

Part of that

CROWD…

People are not prepared or able to rejoice in suffering unless they experience a massive biblical revolution of how they think and feel about the meaning of life.  Human nature and American culture make it impossible to rejoice in suffering.  This is a miracle in the human soul wrought by God through His Word. -John Piper

Right now, the last thing I want to do is be thankful. It’s hard to be thankful for a world crashing down. For darkness. For loneliness. But it’s thanksgiving. As if that’s not enough, God is always with me. He always was with me. He always will be with me. And that should be enough. I should be thankful for that.

And honestly I’m trying to be. But it’s difficult.

It’s difficult to see what good He has given me when all I see is the bad.  It’s hard to be thankful when you see so much brokenness. So many faults. The world is full of faults. My life is full of faults. Everyone I interact with is full of faults. I see brokenness. I live brokenness. I feel brokenness.

It’s easy (for me) to praise God for who He is. For His promises. For His Character. For Him. For His Love. For His Peace. For His help in times of need. For what He endured for me. For His nature. For His essence.

But my problem comes in at reality. It’s hard for me to see the hand of God working. For me to recognize His gifts. For me not to take things for granted. It’s especially hard because I can only see the negative. I can see everything that is not right. And know God’s character to be pure and holy. So that tension of His gifts in a tainted and imperfect world hurt me. They make me sad. And I’m sure they make God sad.

I want eyes to see the good. I want to live like a Christian, amidst my suffering. I follow Jesus Christ. And I want to be thankful for what He has given me. But first I have to see and accept it.

But I’m sure He’s given me more than I realize. More than I can see. More than I want to see. And I’m sure it makes Him very sad when I can’t recognize those things.

I want to rejoice in my suffering.

grrr. bothersome.

What are you thankful for? How do you see God working?

trying to be thankful,

coop

This week’s design is a part of the Crossover blog. The design comes from Ha Ha’s Shirt Shop. It’s called Sinner. It may seem like a simple design. But there is a lot to it if you get to thinking about it.

The truth is that we all where this shirt whether we own it or not. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some are proud of their sin and revel in it. Others realize that their sins will be what keeps them from entering heaven if they die without a payment for them. Being a sinner means that you rebel against God. It means that you transgress His Law and actively work against Him. This is hard to take for some because we all like to think that we’re good; or at least not as bad as the next guy. The truth is, even the most righteous thing that we could ever do would look like trash when compared to God.

It is only because of Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead that we can enter heaven. God has done it all for us. He made the way for us to be reconciled (before anything was ever created!), He came down to live perfectly, and He died on the cross in our place. He rose from the dead and now sits at God’s right hand. He even gives us the ability to repent and have faith in Him!

If you are living in your sins, please understand that while this may be enjoyable for a time (scripture says this), eventually, it will lead to your death. If you haven’t repented of your sins, please take some time over this long holiday weekend to give thanks to God for what He’s done and to repent of the sins that you’ve committed against Him.

This simple “Sinner” design may not seem like much but it does an amazing job of summing everything up…

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one

I have a secret to tell
but my heart has no lips to sing
I saw the devil last night
but lately I’m afraid
I’m the one that looked away
Oh god, I’ve been violated
with my own hand
I shoved the poison down
till who I was drowned
and all I cared for was lost
It’s the same sad place
the one that keeps me there
I want to get away
A weight, something, drags me back
Oh God, it was my own hand
writing down a secret
that I can not sing

Gimme dat Christian side hug!  Yes, that is what a Christian youth group from California demands.  The days of the so-called “front hug” are over with its sinful clothed crotch graze.  I’m sorry to inform you that your days of chastity belts and no sex before marriage are obliterated.  Sure, there are those who still preserve their innocence until matrimony, but the majority of us are mouth kissing, sex having, front hugging humans.  I mean, are these guys even for real?  I wouldn’t be surprised.  From a personal stand point, I find the “side hug” very offensive and preserved for those who you may feel awkward around and in that case, you shouldn’t be hugging in the first place.  I don’t know about others, but I’ve never once thought about the possibility of a clothed crotch graze when hugging my friends and family members.  For those of you who have, perhaps you should take a deeper look into why your mind is shifting below the belt when receiving or giving someone a freaking hug.  Before we know it, Christian youth groups are going to be calling for the “Christian greeting” where instead of hugs or hellos, it’s, “Have you asked Jesus into your heart yet?”  Oh wait, that already exists huh?  Okay, well, then how about the “Christian ultimatum” where if one doesn’t sign this paper stating that he/she will abstain from sex until marriage, then he/she cannot be one’s friend?  Oh, what’s that you say?  You’ve been given that ultimatum already?  Ok, well it seems that some Christians won’t stop stuffing their ideals of purity down our throats, so I resign.  Gimme dat sinful front hug!

Many, if not all, of you know about my love for coffee – all things Starbucks or Caribou in particular.  I love its smell.  I love grinding my own coffee beans and brewing fresh java to drink throughout the day.  I love trying new beans and new blends of coffee.

Well, then, imagine my surprise when I came across the following article on an uncommon coffee:

“Thanks to the coffee culture explosion, connoisseurs are now proactively seeking new twists on their beloved bean-based beverage.  Cappa-this, frappa-that, double mocca doodah – the permutations are endless….  [Nevertheless] Civet Coffee, also known as Kopi Luwak, is indeed the most astonishing… coffee we’ve ever tasted.

The primary reason for Civet Coffee’s distinctive taste is that it’s been partially fermented by passing through the digestive system of a Sumatran Civet Cat (paradoxurus hermaphroditis).  No, really!  Basically, this feral feline prowls Sumatran coffee plantations at night, choosing to eat only the finest, ripest cherries.  The stones (which eventually form coffee beans) are then collected by sifting through the Civet’s “number twos.”

Revered for its luscious chocolatey flavour Civet Coffee is totally safe …and delicious.  Plus there’s no discernable aftertaste. … Put the kettle on!”  (http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=1077)

That’s the straight p scoop on a rare coffee!

I laughed when I came across this article.  What will people come up with next?  How about you?  Would you consider drinking such a strange brew?  Does the thought of where it came from bother you somewhat?  I bet there are a few daredevils among us who would take a sip or drink a cup!

Palouse Falls Gorge ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

Jewish religious leaders in Jesus’ day were very concerned about coming in contact with things that would defile them and make them unable to go into the Temple and perform their religious duties.  However, Jesus said, “It’s not what a man touches or eats that defiles him, but what comes out of his heart and mouth” (Matthew 15:11-20).

Jesus also said, “A person speaks from what is in their heart.  A good person speaks good things and an evil person evil things.  People will give an account on the day of judgment for every evil and careless word spoken” (Matt. 12:34-37).

If drinking from a brew passed through and out of the intestines of a Civet Cat bothers us, how much more should those things come out of our mouths – instead of in them!  Among the list of all the evil sins that prevent people from entering the Kingdom of righteousness are things that come out of our own mouths: false testimony, slander, gossip, lies, outbursts of anger, and arrogant boasting.

It is no wonder that the book of Proverbs constantly warns us about what we say.  Keep your spiritual garment of righteousness clean by taking the caution of Scripture to heart, “Guard your mouth!”  Be as concerned with what comes out of it as what you put into it.  What you say to other people about other people is more serious than a cup of Civet Coffee!

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

“The Lord said, ‘I will hasten my work in its time’ (D&C 88:73). Surely anyone observing the recent growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is keenly aware of that hastening process. This should make us humbly grateful for the Lord’s omnipotent hand. Obstacles that seemed insurmountable have proven to be merely challenges for the faithful, for ‘with God nothing shall be impossible’ (Luke 1:37). “Inspiration has prepared the way from the beginning, when the Lord impressed the Prophet Joseph Smith to compose the twelfth article of faith: ‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.’ This inspired statement was surely written for our day. The Prophet knew that the gospel was ultimately to be taken to all nations regardless of their governmental differences. He knew that the ordinances of salvation and exaltation could bless the lives of people regardless of their politics. And he knew that people who were taught correct principles and who were loyal to their civil leaders and observing of their local laws would be most able to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson

Romans 8:37-39 (New International Version)

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

———-

Nothing can separate us from the Love of God – nothing that is from the outside. However our own sin and stubborn refusal to respond to His love can get in the way.

Isaiah 59:2 (New International Version) 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

So the choice really is ours…Love God and experience the fullness of His love in return or live in sin and experience the consequence of separation from God. It’s that simple – it really is!

He loves us!

I John 4:7-12 (New International Version)

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Did you read that last line? “If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” If this is true the inverse is also true – if we do not love one another – He is not in us and we are incomplete.

I choose obedience – I want to be complete, to experience full connection and walking in His love today. I want to be the most pure reflection of His love to everyone I come into contact with today! What about you? Are you connected or separated?

Consecutive Days Riding: 46                             Consecutive Days Blogging: 47

Today’s Mileage:  11                                        Total Trip Mileage: 397

Holidays and Holy Days on November 25:

Beginning of Hajj – Islamic pilgrimage rites at Mecca. One of the five pillars of Islamic  faith states that all Muslims should try to make at least one Hajj pilgrimage during their lifetime.

_______________________________________

Danger or the Divine?

As I ride the bike today I think back over my last few postings. They’ve been positive and upbeat. I’ve stood in admiration of the beauty along my path, the healing power of water, the treasures and memories we find as we walk along our daily beach.  I am clearly an optimistic person.  I turn terrible storms into nature mystical experiences, I see in the leaf clutter and bare trees of fall the renewing cycles of life knowing that what follows will be winter’s blankets and then spring time with bursts of color and new life.  I make a choice to be an optimist, to find hope in the process of death and decay, in the pain and suffering of family, friends and strangers.  I make a choice to see in these difficult and tragic situations, not roadblocks but challenges and hurdles that can be overcome, that can lead to growth.

I have at times plodded along only to look up and see an imposing peak in my way. Why does it have to be so difficult, I ask?  I’ve learned not to give up, not to swear at the peak in anger but to take a deep breath and start the climb. Attending to my footing, I glance up often enough to recognize the less treacherous way. I will make it to that peak, tired but stronger with a new perspective.  I choose to leave markers at points on the path (artwork, poems, and Blog postings) for other travelers.  These markers might provide encouragement for others on the path. At times I might even toss out a rope or reach down with an out stretched hand to help others take those last few steps. We might share a sip of water, a hug or a meal before we part again, each on a personal journey, holding the other in our prayers. These travelers may be a stranger in a chance encounter at a book store or church, a student who is part of your life for a semester, a client you helped through a difficult time, or a faceless visitor to your blog who leaves no comment but carries away seeds to plant on their journey.

A lonely journey at times!

But I digress; being an optimist is not an easy choice!  It’s not easy to find a silver lining in a story about a five year old murdered rape victim sold by her mother to the abuser or when you speak with PTSD veterans and hear of the horrors visited upon them and that they inflicted upon others.  It’s not easy when you watch as friends and family members drink themselves to a speedy death, trying to avoid their pain or when you sit with a pedophile, hear their story and still see him as a human being. There is no silver lining in these tragic lives.  The valuable lesson is in the consequences of our small, bad decisions that build into tragedies that destroy lives.

Step back and take a new perspective!

Yesterday I interacted with a friend, someone whose religious (Islamic), cultural (Southwest Asian) and urban background is strikingly different from my own.  Someone whose opinions I value.  His views carry as much truth as those who are suspicious of him for his skin color, his faith, his nation of origin and his foreign sounding name. The difference between us in this time and place is not about our roots but about his anger. We can dwell on the injustice and intolerance of others when we find ourselves in the minority.  We can make ourselves angry, or we can step back and see the larger process. Dichotomous thinking like “us versus them” only begets such thinking in others.  If you believe that everyone has taken sides “for or against” you, you leave these “others” no choice but to take sides.  If you prepare for battle, so will they!  The error is in the process that we follow and fail to recognize as a choice.  Whether Christian, Muslim or Jew, when we create an outlook of “us and them”, saved and unsaved, infidel and believer we have become part of the problem and not the solution.

Peaceful center or conflicting opposites?

As I stressed to my friend, this optimistic process approach is not an easy choice to embrace and live.  I have been told that I am naïve, that I am a dreamer, that I have no beliefs, that I have no principles.  I disagree!  Let me use the Chinese symbol of the Yin and Yang as an illustration.  Does the balance we all strive for reside in the center of the light or the center of the dark?  Should we fight over who is in the position of right and wrong, of light and dark?  For both positions stand in stark opposition and both positions spin and twirl. Does the point of balance not reside in the very center of the symbol, at that place where you stand still as the world revolves about you, a point of centeredness and clarity? I choose to look for that middle ground, that point at which I stop spinning, when I close my eyes and feel the solid center of the divine under my feet. I choose to do it with a smile as I walk through flower gardens, as I float in peaceful waters, as I plant seeds in my students and sons, as I reach out to offer comfort to those in pain.  What do you choose?

A special thanks to the photographers associated with Panramio for the beautiful scenes from along the roadside. The information on holy days and sacred holidays comes from www.interfaithcalendar.org.

As you serve God be diligent to know the difference between the word of God and the religious traditions of men. Jesus strongly con­demned all such traditions because they cause trans­gressions against God’s commandments and make His word of no effect. As shown in this study it is especially true in the teaching of baptism

Matthew 15:3 “Why do you also transgress the commandments of God because of your tradition?

6 “Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

7 Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Isaiah 29:13)

As with every other truth of God’s word, water baptism has become enclosed with men’s traditions that obscure and make void the truth. In the minds of multitudes men’s traditions have become far more sacred than Jesus’ simple words.

Jesus commanded to baptize those who became disciples and those who believe the gospel. Peter said those who repent and are baptized in Jeses’ name shall receive the promised the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20  “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

by: Ric Bender

“And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” Joshua 6:18

Joshua was promised by God Himself, to experience great victories. The very first campaign was a tremendous success as Jericho was given to Israel, just as God said “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 But something went terribly wrong; right on the heels of victory comes this terrible defeat. Joshua is crying to the LORD even thinking he did something wrong by not being content, wanting too much. He cries out and fasts and seeks the LORD. Yet the LORD reveals to him the reason of the defeat is an entirely different matter all together.

The defeat is indeed an issue of sin -“you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” The LORD even warned Joshua himself “Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed thing from among you.” Joshua 7:13,12

Leaders, let us realize. People, let us realize the victory has been promised but may be unrealized due to the sin we allow to remain. We must as Joshua was commanded of the LORD tell the people and follow the instruction ourselves – “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow”…. for “you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” Joshua 7:13

It is time to take this command to heart and by all means abstain from the accursed things. We cannot accept or tolerate this anymore in our lives. In the book of Hebrews we are commanded the same truth where the writer puts it this way. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 1:1,2

We can not, we must not, put this truth off another day – so by all means, let all of us take out the trash and leave it out.

It doesn’t say in the Bible that I can’t do that, so technically it’s not a sin. If I don’t go that far, it’s alright. For a good while, I found myself asking God, how far can I go? What exactly can I do? Many times we have this attitude in life where we want to know exactly how far we can go before we get in trouble. How close we can stand next to sin without sinning.

While some things aren’t necessarily sins, God always reminds me of our purpose. Our purpose to ultimately glorify Him in all that we do. A thought that I keep close to my heart is this, how much can I do for God because I love Him? I’m not saying we must not do these “things” because they can totally be alright to do, we just need to ask ourselves for what purpose are we doing these things? A pastor said this during a sermon,

“A heart that’s willing to stand next to sin, is willing to sin.”

At first, I thought that’s not necessarily true. It sort of depends on the situation. And I still think it kind of does. However when I examined my life and my situation, and saw myself trying to justify certain actions, this for sure was the case. We need to read His word, be in prayer, be focused on Him. And when we do this, we set our minds on things above and not of this world.

It’s not how much we can get away with, but how much we can do for Him. How much we can do for God to glorify His Name, and His Name ALONE.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.” -1 Corinthians 10: 31-33

“Your Word is completely pure, and Your
servant loves it.” Psalms 119:140

Do we love the holiness of the Word? The Word is
preached—to beat down sin, and advance holiness.
Do we love it for its spirituality and purity? Many
love the Preached Word only for its eloquence and
notion. They come to a sermon as to a performance
(Ezek. 33:31,32) or as to a garden to pick flowers;
but not to have their lusts subdued or their hearts
purified. These are like a foolish woman who paints
her face—but neglects her health!

Do we love the convictions of the Word? Do we
love the Word when it comes home to our conscience
and shoots its arrows of reproof at our sins? It is the
minister’s duty sometimes to reprove. He who can
speak smooth words in the pulpit—but does not know
how to reprove, is like a sword with a fine handle, but
without an edge! “Rebuke them sharply!” (Titus 2:15).
Dip the nail in oil—reprove in love—but strike the nail
home!

Now Christian, when the Word touches on your sin
and says, “You are the man!” do you love the reproof?
Can you bless God that “the sword of the Spirit” has
divided between you and your lusts? This is indeed a
sign of grace, and shows that you are a lover of the
Word.

A corrupt heart loves the comforts of the Word—but
not the reproofs: “You hate the one who reproves…
and despise him who tells the truth!” (Amos 5:10).
“Their eyes flash with fire!” Like venomous creatures
that at the least touch, spit poison! “When they heard
these things, they were enraged in their hearts and
gnashed their teeth at him!” (Acts 7:54). When
Stephen touched their sins, they were furious and
could not endure it.

How shall we know that we love the reproofs of the Word?

When we desire to sit under a heart-searching ministry.
Who cares for medicines that will not work? A godly man
does not choose to sit under a ministry that will not work
upon his conscience.

When we pray that the Word may meet with our sins. If
there is any traitorous lust in our heart—we would have
it found out, and executed. We do not want sin covered;
but cured! We can open our heart to the sword of the
Word and say, “Lord, smite this sin!”

When we are thankful for a reproof. “Let a righteous
man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it
is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.” (Psalm
141:5). David was glad for a reproof.

Suppose a man were in the mouth of a lion, and another
should shoot the lion and save the man; would he not be
thankful? So, when we are in the mouth of sin, as of a
lion, and the minister by a reproof shoots this sin to
death—shall we not be thankful?

A gracious soul rejoices, when the sharp lance of the Word
has pierced his abscess of sin! He wears a reproof like a jewel
on his ear: “Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.” (Proverbs 25:12).

To conclude, it is convincing preaching which must do the
soul good. A nipping reproof prepares for comfort—as a
nipping frost prepares for the sweet flowers of spring.

~ Thomas Watson, “The Godly Man’s
Picture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil

A lot of times I talk about the immorality of Christianity. Most of the time, Christians and even a few atheists jump to defend Christianity by talking about various good deeds particular Christians have done and continue to do. But I wasn’t talking about Christians being immoral; I was talking about Christianity being immoral. What can be more immoral then the vicarious redemption of sin?

The whole idea that I can go and murder someone or work on Saturday and have my sins forgiven vicariously by someone else is a license for crime. Christians often use the analogy of some small offense like a drunk driving charge (which for the record isn’t really a small offense) and they talk about how Judge God lets the offender off the hook because Jesus paid his or her fine. But that isn’t how the world works.

If someone went and murdered someone else and was found guilty, no one would be able to pay the fine of prison time except that person who was found guilty. There is an old expression, “If you do the crime, you will do the time.”

But that isn’t the worst part of the Christian redemption system. The way Jesus allegedly pays for your sins is through blood sacrifice. It is funny that when most Americans hear about some cult sacrificing an animal to the Gods they laugh and think such a ritual is absurd and yet 80% or more believe the same thing.

The whole Christian belief system centers around the idea of blood sacrifice. Back before Jesus allegedly came, the Abrahamic God wanted people to sacrifice goats to him so that he could forgive them for their sins. This is where the term scapegoat comes from. Everyone in the village puts all their sins on to the goat and kills the goat as a sacrifice to God. But God wanted more than just a goat.

Lambs were more desirable to God apparently, because he wanted the people to sacrifice an innocent lamb to show how much they care instead. Let me repeat that last part. God wanted people to sacrifice an Innocent Lamb.

Now of course there is no need to sacrifice an Innocent Lamb or any other lamb for that matter because Jesus is the “Lamb of God.” In other words, he is the innocent blood sacrifice that God needs for the redemption of sin.

Some people will say that not all Christians believe this and that I am generalizing. But the fact is that this whole blood sacrifice thing is a pretty central point the Christian belief system. I really don’t think one could seriously be considered a Christian if they don’t buy into the idea that the death of Jesus was a necessary sacrifice to God for their sins. That is pretty much the whole grounding of the religion. God forgives those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for payment of their sins.

In reality, there is no vicarious redemption for sin. God can’t forgive you for your wrongs. Only those who you have wronged can forgive you. Next time you lie to a friend or family member about something, instead of asking Jesus for forgiveness, try slaughtering an innocent lamb instead. Let me know if that works out for ya.

Check out my Daily Blog @ DangerousTalk.net and my atheist news blog @ Examiner.com

There may, possibly, be a person here who could say, “I have no sin,” but I could not.  Why, if I were to claim innocence either of nature or practice, the words would choke me.  Say I have no sin!  I should expect to turn black in the face and fall down dead, it would be so gross a falsehood.  To say I have no sin – why, there is no one part of my whole nature but what would protest against such an assertion!  I am shut up to come to God as a sinner.  I cannot help it.  And I would to God that everyone in this place felt shut up to it, too, for it is the intent and design of the law to shut the sinner up in order that he may be compelled to accept salvation on free grace terms through Jesus Christ.  You can never catch a fish in a net while there is one mesh through which he can escape but, when all round the meshes are so small that the fish cannot get out, then you have taken him.  When you are such a sinner that you cannot plead that you have no sin, nor yet that you have not sinned, but are quite shut up to be saved by grace, then you are in Christ’s net, and He will lift you out, and the Fisher of Men shall have cause to rejoice. – “Honest Dealing with God” (1 John 1:8-10), June 20, 1875

While we are on the topic of large churches, such as North Point, I figured I’d throw out a question while waiting on the laundry to finish up.

In class today, we were talking about how church for most people has become a place that one chooses because it best fits them, not because that church is what they need.  In a big city like Orlando, someone can basically visit churches with a shopping list of “must-haves” and find a church that meets all those requirements.  I don’t really have an issue with this, other than with people who “church hop” all over the place because they are too picky about everything.

My issue, which was shared by others in my class, is that when one church fits into the shopping cart of so many people that it grows and grows and grows, and even though this church has good preaching and good outreach and good worship, how can that church discipline its members? Now, if you don’t understand what that is, here is my brief definition:

Church discipline is needed when a member of that church, whether pastor or Easter attendee, falls into a state or season of desiring sin.  This discipline is to be administered by those in the church according to the Scriptures in Matthew 18:15-20.

I would hope that most believers think that the discipline of individual members of a church is necessary at times (due to our sinful state), but with a church so big, I imagine that there can be plenty of members living in a carnal manner, with no one there to really discipline them and bring them back into the fold.

I experienced this when I was in college and went to a church of about 3500.  I went in to church, sat with some friends, left, and went about my way until next Sunday.  There wasn’t really any effort by the church, other than programs that I had to motivate myself to join, to come alongside me and walk beside me, and I think this was because there were just so many people that went there that most just had their circle of friends and didn’t venture outside of that circle.

At smaller churches, this problem is eliminated.  but those smaller churches apparently aren’t reaching the lost quite as successfully as the big mega-churches are (or they at least aren’t as good at convincing believers to switch churches).  So where does accountability in mega-churches come in to play?  Can that church be such a community where each individual member in that church can be disciplined for their sin, if needed?

My initial answer to that question is no, but I would like to hear your answer as well.

Hey y’all-

A friend posted an interesting blog on the topic of sin.

Here is the link: http://robintaipei.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/sin-what-is-it/

The Chinese language doesn’t really have a great translation for the idea of sin, so he is trying to clear the air over here. Check it out…

Thoughts?

Uncle Jeff