Almost all of us have viewed on wall plaques, on signs, and heard preachers preach on the Bible verse, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) Most don't realize that this verse has MUCH more to it than just that phrase.
In fact, this verse really begins with, "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell."
My question is this: "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord?" Everytime we make a choice that goes against God's Word or one of His commandments, we are actually saying to God, "It really seems evil to me, Lord, what You are commanding me to do!" By saying that, we have just put ourselves above God Almighty! Also, at that point, we have just fallen into "Moral Relativism".
Moral Relativism is the belief system in the world today that says there are no absolutes of right or wrong - it is all relative to the situation. As Judges 21:25 says: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
The problem is that "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) Where there is a judgment, there is a "court of law". The Law we all will be judged by are the Ten Commandments of God. Many Christians are being taught by false teachers that God's Moral Law, the Ten Commandments, has been done away with. However, most of these same Christians believe in a judgment. It is illogical thinking that you can have one without the other!
Every decision we make this day, we will be faced with 2 choices: 1) Will we serve and glorify the One True God Almighty - Jesus Christ, or 2) Will we choose to serve the gods "in whose land we dwell?" Well, what ways do we serve "the gods in this land we dwell in?"
I Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." The foods we eat (and the amount of food we eat), does that reflect us as servants of God or servants of this world system? What about the way we dress - does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by not compromising with the styles that this world is offering to you? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by choosing to not go to movies that this world is pressuring you to go see? What about video games, the internet, etc. etc.? "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord" when God says it is wrong?
Lastly, what about the last commandment given to us by our God, Jesus Christ, to GO and make disciples of all nations...? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" because He has commanded that you leave your comfort zone to pass out gospel tracts or to speak with someone about the Lord Jesus Christ?
"If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
(Joshua 24:15)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Friday, November 23, 2012
Is Black Friday for Christians?
Last year I posted an article about Black Friday and how it is tied to coveting and being covetous. This year, I think it's important to make clear what exactly God has to say about our actions on this day of the year:
Thus says the Lord, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." (Hebrews 13:5) To me, it doesn't get much plainer than that. Coveting and practicing covetousness is a sin. In fact, it is one of the 10 Commandments of God. Again, if you don't know what sin is, God says in His Word in I John 3:4 - "Sin is lawlessness." Sin is breaking and being disobedient to one or more of His commandments.
Thus says the Lord, "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things (Covetousness!) the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 5:5,6) These are very strong verses as God actually says that you cannot be a Christian and take part in covetous practices. In fact, God says those that do, have no inheritance in the kingdom of God (because he/she is an idolater)!
Thus says the Lord, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15) As a Christian, I'm not sure how you can be out shopping on this Black Friday and not see that it is all about "the things in the world"! If that is true, are you not WILLINGLY practicing disobedience to God and His Word? Please think about that.
Thus says the Lord, "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." (Romans 12:2) I read that to mean we are to be different than the world, not joining them in their pagan practices, or even WANTING to take part with them.
As Christians, we are supposed to be a "new creation". We are called to be "law-keepers", not "law-breakers" when it comes to God's commands in His Word. This world needs us to be willing to STAND UP and BE DIFFERENT. We are to be LIGHT in this world of darkness. Light and Dark are not the same, but different! If you are choosing to be like the "darkness" around you, then you are only contributing to the darkness that is in this world.
Do you want to be different? Try obeying the one positive command in Hebrews 13:5 above:
"....be content with what you have." If every Christian would practice just that one commandment, just think of the changes that would come on this world.
Thus says the Lord, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." (Hebrews 13:5) To me, it doesn't get much plainer than that. Coveting and practicing covetousness is a sin. In fact, it is one of the 10 Commandments of God. Again, if you don't know what sin is, God says in His Word in I John 3:4 - "Sin is lawlessness." Sin is breaking and being disobedient to one or more of His commandments.
Thus says the Lord, "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things (Covetousness!) the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 5:5,6) These are very strong verses as God actually says that you cannot be a Christian and take part in covetous practices. In fact, God says those that do, have no inheritance in the kingdom of God (because he/she is an idolater)!
Thus says the Lord, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15) As a Christian, I'm not sure how you can be out shopping on this Black Friday and not see that it is all about "the things in the world"! If that is true, are you not WILLINGLY practicing disobedience to God and His Word? Please think about that.
Thus says the Lord, "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." (Romans 12:2) I read that to mean we are to be different than the world, not joining them in their pagan practices, or even WANTING to take part with them.
As Christians, we are supposed to be a "new creation". We are called to be "law-keepers", not "law-breakers" when it comes to God's commands in His Word. This world needs us to be willing to STAND UP and BE DIFFERENT. We are to be LIGHT in this world of darkness. Light and Dark are not the same, but different! If you are choosing to be like the "darkness" around you, then you are only contributing to the darkness that is in this world.
Do you want to be different? Try obeying the one positive command in Hebrews 13:5 above:
"....be content with what you have." If every Christian would practice just that one commandment, just think of the changes that would come on this world.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Man-made Laws versus God-made Laws
I found an interesting story in I Kings 12:26-33. Jeroboam had been made king over all Israel, even though Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and was the true heir to David's throne.
King Jeroboam was afraid that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, they would leave him and go back to Rehoboam. In verse 28, King Jeroboam had two golden calves made. Here we read that King Jeroboam told the people WHAT to worship. In verse 29 it says, "Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan." This verse says that Jeroboam told the people WHERE they were to worship. What I want to share with you today, though, is in verses 32 and 33 where King Jeroboam tells the people WHEN to worship.
Not only did Jeroboam dictate to the people WHAT they were to worship, and WHERE they were to worship, but he also dictated WHEN they were to worship! This was really fascinating to me. In verse 32 it says, "Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah..." Verse 33 says, "So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart."
The feast that Jeroboam was trying to copy was the Feast of Tabernacles, mentioned in Leviticus 23:34. The problem, though, is that God's Feast was to be celebrated on the 14th day of the 7th month - not the 15th day of the 8th month!! For some reason this made me think of the many ministers today that tell their congregations that the 7th-day Sabbath is now on the 1st day of the week! They are "devising in their own hearts" (like Jeroboam above) the day and time of our worship of God. Not only that, I also know of some who tell their people that "it doesn't really matter what day of the week you worship the Lord on - just so you worship Him!" Wow! Nowhere in the Bible are we told that it is ok "to do what is right in our own eyes"! (Judges 21:25)
I'm beginning to realize just how much Satan hates the number 7!! Many have said that the number 7 is God's holy number. If that's the case, then it doesn't surprise me that Satan has connived to move God's Sabbath Day to the first day of the week instead of the 7th day. The same seems true for the above passage when King Jeroboam moved the 7th month Feast of Tabernacles to the 8th month!
There's a saying that goes like this:
"God's Word says it - I believe it - That settles it!"
Is this true for you or are you "devising in your own heart - doing what seems right in your own eyes?" As I've written in earlier blogs, when God's kingdom is set up here on earth - there will not be two worship days. One will be done away with, and I'm very sure it won't be God's 7th day Sabbath!
King Jeroboam was afraid that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, they would leave him and go back to Rehoboam. In verse 28, King Jeroboam had two golden calves made. Here we read that King Jeroboam told the people WHAT to worship. In verse 29 it says, "Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan." This verse says that Jeroboam told the people WHERE they were to worship. What I want to share with you today, though, is in verses 32 and 33 where King Jeroboam tells the people WHEN to worship.
Not only did Jeroboam dictate to the people WHAT they were to worship, and WHERE they were to worship, but he also dictated WHEN they were to worship! This was really fascinating to me. In verse 32 it says, "Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah..." Verse 33 says, "So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart."
The feast that Jeroboam was trying to copy was the Feast of Tabernacles, mentioned in Leviticus 23:34. The problem, though, is that God's Feast was to be celebrated on the 14th day of the 7th month - not the 15th day of the 8th month!! For some reason this made me think of the many ministers today that tell their congregations that the 7th-day Sabbath is now on the 1st day of the week! They are "devising in their own hearts" (like Jeroboam above) the day and time of our worship of God. Not only that, I also know of some who tell their people that "it doesn't really matter what day of the week you worship the Lord on - just so you worship Him!" Wow! Nowhere in the Bible are we told that it is ok "to do what is right in our own eyes"! (Judges 21:25)
I'm beginning to realize just how much Satan hates the number 7!! Many have said that the number 7 is God's holy number. If that's the case, then it doesn't surprise me that Satan has connived to move God's Sabbath Day to the first day of the week instead of the 7th day. The same seems true for the above passage when King Jeroboam moved the 7th month Feast of Tabernacles to the 8th month!
There's a saying that goes like this:
"God's Word says it - I believe it - That settles it!"
Is this true for you or are you "devising in your own heart - doing what seems right in your own eyes?" As I've written in earlier blogs, when God's kingdom is set up here on earth - there will not be two worship days. One will be done away with, and I'm very sure it won't be God's 7th day Sabbath!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Sabbath Day - A Gift from God
It's interesting how many Christians believe that the Sabbath Day was only given at Mt. Sinai, and only to the Israelites. Most are familiar with Genesis 2:2, 3 that says "On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." However, this was BEFORE Mt. Sinai, BEFORE Moses, and BEFORE there were "Israelites".
Do you realize that when God created the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), Adam and Eve were there with Him! (If you remember, they were created on the 6th day of creation.) This 4th commandment of God was given to ALL mankind when it was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was a gift given to them so they would not have to work "24/7" and could rest and have a relationship with Him.
Exodus 16:4, 22-24, 27-28 is a passage where God reminded His people of this wonderful gift He had given them. God had just delivered the Israelites from being in slavery to the Egyptians. The Egyptians were hard task masters, expecting God's people to work 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. However, once God miraculously delivered them out of Egypt - He had to remind them about His gift of the Sabbath Day.
In verse 4, God says that He will rain down bread from heaven, "that I may test them whether they will walk in My law or not." What "law" was God referring to since we've been taught there was no law until Moses at Mt. Sinai? As you read further, you will see that God was referring to His law of the seventh day Sabbath.
Verses 22-24 state: "On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread...Then Moses said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.' So they laid it up till morning as Moses commanded. Then Moses said, 'Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you won't find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none. Verses 27-30 state: Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long do you refuse to keep (obey) My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day."
Every Saturday, which is the "seventh day Sabbath of the Lord your God", we have a choice either to obey our God by being thankful for this day of rest and opportunity to show our love to Him - or to go out and do our "own thing" such as shopping, eating at restaurants, etc. - stubbornly refusing to honor and glorify God by being disobedient to Him and His commandment.
As someone once said, "God gave me the gift of the Sabbath, and that's why I'm keeping it!"
Do you realize that when God created the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), Adam and Eve were there with Him! (If you remember, they were created on the 6th day of creation.) This 4th commandment of God was given to ALL mankind when it was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was a gift given to them so they would not have to work "24/7" and could rest and have a relationship with Him.
Exodus 16:4, 22-24, 27-28 is a passage where God reminded His people of this wonderful gift He had given them. God had just delivered the Israelites from being in slavery to the Egyptians. The Egyptians were hard task masters, expecting God's people to work 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. However, once God miraculously delivered them out of Egypt - He had to remind them about His gift of the Sabbath Day.
In verse 4, God says that He will rain down bread from heaven, "that I may test them whether they will walk in My law or not." What "law" was God referring to since we've been taught there was no law until Moses at Mt. Sinai? As you read further, you will see that God was referring to His law of the seventh day Sabbath.
Verses 22-24 state: "On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread...Then Moses said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.' So they laid it up till morning as Moses commanded. Then Moses said, 'Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you won't find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none. Verses 27-30 state: Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long do you refuse to keep (obey) My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day."
Every Saturday, which is the "seventh day Sabbath of the Lord your God", we have a choice either to obey our God by being thankful for this day of rest and opportunity to show our love to Him - or to go out and do our "own thing" such as shopping, eating at restaurants, etc. - stubbornly refusing to honor and glorify God by being disobedient to Him and His commandment.
As someone once said, "God gave me the gift of the Sabbath, and that's why I'm keeping it!"
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Link Between Secular Humanism and Christianity's Teaching of "Lawless Grace"
Before I begin this post, I want to make it clear that a person's salvation is not based on their good works or on obeying the Ten Commandments, etc. God's law (the Ten Commandments) was given to show us that we all are sinners - deserving of God's wrath and judgment because of our sin and rebellion against Him.
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
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