The Ecclesiastes Project

A Nation Abandoned by God

2009-11-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

A Sermon given by John MacArthur, copyright Grace to You Ministries

It is a real delight to be with you tonight. I want to thank Pastor Hurd(?) and Pastor Al for the opportunity to be here. Thank you, men, so much, this is a...this is a privilege and a...and a joy and a delight to me. I always love the opportunity to teach and preach the Word of God, but especially to meet and greet people who have listened to me on the radio through the years and come to me with all kinds of strange comments about...(applause)...thank you...come to me with strange comments about what they thought I looked like. (Laughter) This is it, better that you had never known. (More laughter).

It's a joy tonight to have my dear wife, Patricia, here. Honey, stand up and let them welcome you. (Applause) This...this is the best earthly gift has given to me by far and I have to take advantage of every moment I have with her in this world because there's no marriage in heaven, so I've got to take advantage of it while I'm here. And I'm delighted to be able to do that. God has blessed us with four children and by His grace they're in Christ and serving with us in our church and they married four who love the Lord and we have 14 grandchildren who are being raised in the things of the Lord. And it's exciting to see that happening. (Applause) We are very, very grateful to the Lord and His goodness in our family, and I say that only to say God has used Patricia in a remarkable way in the lives of our children, to nurture them in the things of Christ. What...what a great blessing to me.

It's not a small thing to have the opportunity such as I have tonight to try to put a little bit of perspective and focus on the issue of praying for our nation. There are so many things that could be said and probably should be said and I certainly don't intend to say them all, by any means. But trying to kind of funnel down our thinking a little bit so that our prayers can be direct is really helpful. I remember one of our kids, I used to go from room to room when the kids were little and pray with them. And one of my daughters, I got into the habit of just because she was sleepy, I think, saying, "And God bless the whole wide world. Amen." And I thought that was a little unspecific, I guess you could say. Needed a little more targeting in her prayers.

And if I can tonight, I want to try to target our prayers a little bit as to how we can direct our prayers in what, I believe, is the most needful way...not to the exclusion of any other things, but this, I think, has to be the primary focus. And it may take me a little while to get to that point, and you need to kind of stay with me and you'll see how this unfolds and hopefully it will be helpful. That certainly is my prayer.

One of the most tragic scenes in the Bible and yet one of the most familiar to us is the scene of the strongest man who ever lived, a man by the name of Samson, finding out he had no strength. Judges chapter 16 records this. "When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines saying, 'Come up once more, for he's told me all that is in his heart.' Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands and she made him sleep on her knees, called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him and his strength left him. And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson," and he woke from his sleep and said, 'I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.'" And here's the telling line written by God the Holy Spirit. "But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. So the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, brought him down to Gaza, bound him with bronze chains and he became a grinder in the prison." Sad. He didn't know that the Lord had departed from him. I can't imagine anything worse than being abandoned by God.

To the sons of Israel earlier in the book of Judges in chapter 10, God said this, "You have forsaken me, you have served other gods, therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your distress." This was God saying to Israel, "I'm done with you, abandoned by God.

Proverbs chapter 1 records a similar sentiment. "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out My hands and no one paid attention. You neglected all my counsel, you did not want my reproof, I will even laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind. When distress and anguish come on you, then they will call on Me but I will not answer. They will seek Me diligently, they will not find Me because they hated knowledge, did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would not accept My counsel, they spurned all My reproof, so they will eat of the fruit of their own way and be satisfied with their own devices." Again being abandoned by God, turned over to the inevitable consequences of sinful choices.

A haunting line is found tucked away in the little prophecy of Hosea chapter 4 and verse 17, and it refers to Israel by the name Ephraim and it says this, "Ephraim is joined to idols," so says God. The next line, "Leave him alone." Sounds out of character for God, doesn't it? "Ephraim is joined to idols, bring him back," might sound a little more like God. "Let him alone?"

People and nations, even the covenant nation Israel can come to a point where they are abandoned by God. Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 15 when He confronted the Pharisees and then described them to the disciples. He said this, "They're blind leaders of the blind. Let them alone." When God lets you go, it's serious. When Jesus pronounces over you abandonment, it's serious.

Now I'm going to say something, you're going to have to hold on to your seat a little bit. I'm convinced beyond doubt that in this same sense, God has abandoned America. I know that's a strong thing to say and I'm going to show you why I believe you can see that clearly in Scripture.

The Wrath of God

Open your Bibles to Romans 1...Romans 1. Don't be surprised, by the way, by that statement because while you're turning there, Acts 14:16 says this, this is from the Apostle Paul, "In the generations gone by," that's past history, "God permitted all the nations to go their own way." This is not the first nation God has abandoned, nor if Jesus tarries is it the last, or is it now the only. This is the cycle of history and it is this very cycle of history that Paul describes in Romans chapter 1. Here in Romans chapter 1, beginning in chapter 18 running to the end of the chapter, you have the most clear presentation of God abandoning a nation, what that looks like, what happens and why He does it. This is the most graphic and the most detailed and the most comprehensive discussion of what it means for a people, a society to be abandoned by God. And it perfectly describes the moral chaos in our own nation today.

It starts with very familiar words. Verse 18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven." Now let me stop you there for just a moment. We're talking about the wrath of God and I need to just let you know that in the Scripture and in reality there are five different manifestations of God's wrath. Okay? And you will recognize them. There is eternal wrath. That is that wrath which God unleashes on the unbelieving dead in hell...eternal wrath, suffering forever eternal punishment. That's eternal wrath.

There is also in the Bible eschatological wrath, that is the unfolding of divine wrath at the end of the age described in detail, for example, in Revelation 6 through 19, the pouring out of God's wrath in the breaking of seven seals, the blowing of seven trumpets, and the dumping of seven bowls of wrath...eschatological wrath, that wrath is yet to come as is eternal wrath for all society, yet right now there are many experiencing eternal wrath, all the unbelieving who have left this world are experiencing.

The third kind of wrath is what I guess you could call calamitous wrath. That is that wrath of God which produces calamity in the world and the most notable illustration of that is the Flood which drowned the entire world, only eight people were saved. Massive wrath on the part of God against sinful man. Fourthly, there is consequential wrath, that's sowing and reaping wrath. That's the natural end of patterns and choices of sin. Whatever a man sows, he...what?...he reaps...that's consequential wrath.

But there's one other kind of wrath that is usually overlooked. We all understand eternal wrath, eschatological wrath, calamitous wrath, we all understand the...in the calamity of the Flood or God destroying Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, etc., etc. Throughout history these calamities continue to even happen and they all fit in the category of God's judgment of sin.   But there's this other category of the wrath of abandonment, it is a form of God's wrath in which He lets go of a society and lets it catapult full speed without restraint in the direction of its own sinful desires and devices and choices. That's the wrath being described here. This is the cyclical reality of this wrath that has defined human history and will always until Jesus comes. As Paul said, in all the generations gone by, God permitted the nations to go their own way.

I don't believe we're waiting for God's wrath in this society. We haven't had a massive calamity such as the destruction of an entire city, we certainly don't want that to happen, pray that does not happen, but it could happen and God would be just in any calamity that He brought upon us. We have not entered into eschatological wrath that comes in the end times, we are experiencing, all of us do, consequential wrath of sin. But this massive concept of the wrath of abandonment I'm convinced is now at work in our society. We'd like to talk about the fact that America was founded on Christian principles and God was at the center of it, and all of that, whatever it might have been in our founding, it's no longer the way it is and I want to show you how you know that has happened.

Go down to verse 24. You see in verse 24 the first word "therefore," this means we're now going to see a description that connects to what has been said. If you go back to verse 18, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," and we could stop at that point. The wrath of God is revealed. And then it goes on to talk about the wrath of God and the reasons for the wrath of God. And then in verse 24 it then describes the wrath of God and here's the description.

"Therefore God gave them over, or God gave them up, in the lust of their hearts to impurity that their bodies might be dishonored among them, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever, amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. In the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman, burned in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do the things that are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, envy, full of...or evil full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, haters of God, insolent arrogant boastful inventors of evil, disobedient to parents without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful. And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, and not only do them, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."

Now let me break that down for you a little bit. Three times the verb "gave them over" is used...three times. The wrath of abandonment is when God gives a nation over. This verb, paradidomi, can have a judicial sense. It's used often in Greek literature in terms of law courts and criminal courts. It comes down to handing a prisoner over for punishment. It's even used in the case of Jesus being handed over for a crucifixion. Each of these uses of the verb in this text express the fact that the wrath of God has acted to hand over a society to sentence...to hand them over. As the historian Schiller(?) said, years ago, "The history of the world is the judgment of the world." There comes a time in a nation when God has had enough and He literally lets go and turns them over to the sentence that they have passed upon themselves by their incessant sinful choices. To see it another way, they are deprived of restraining grace. Now how do we know when this has happened?

Signs of Abandonment

Note the progression. Verse 24, "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity that their bodies might be dishonored among them." Impurity speaks of sexual sin. The first thing that happens in a nation when it is abandoned by God is a sexual revolution. Moral, sexual perversion, pornographic desire describes the general character of the culture. You can't even count how many million pornographic web sites there are. When a society is abandoned by God, it operates out of its own perverse sexual passion without restraint. You can go back to the 60's and the sexual revolution of the flower children, or Hugh Hefner in the Playboy world and it has gone like a flood since then. It is characterized by, as you look at verse 24, lust coming from inside as Jesus said, "What comes out of the heart of a man is what defiles him," leading to impurity, this means sexual impurity, and to the dishonoring of their bodies. The heart is wicked and the bodies demonstrate it. The body follows the heart. Lust conceives in the heart, James says, and brings forth sin and sin brings forth death.

The first thing you look for in a society you're trying to discern whether God has abandoned that society is whether or not that society has gone through a sexual revolution so that illicit sex, adultery, every form of immorality is accepted as normal in that society. And we're there.

The second step in the progression, verse 26, "God gave them over, not just to passions that are explicable because they're men and women, but to inexplicable degrading passions for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural." You know a society has been abandoned by God when it celebrates lesbian sex. God has given them over...gross affections, unnatural, unthinkable. So you follow a sexual revolution with a homosexual revolution, and homosexuality becomes normalized. Verse 27 adds the male part, "In the same way the men abandon the natural function of the women burned in their desire toward one another.."

And by the way, it is a burning that is just hard to comprehend. There was a man named Halpern(?) who was the coroner for the city of New York and he did, I think, 26 or 28 thousand autopsies in his day. He said we can look at a corpse that had been murdered and tell you whether a homosexual killed that person by the multiple wounds. He's not a Christian, he's a Jewish guy and he just said, "There's something about the passions of that kind of involvement that are not explicable."

But interestingly enough, the Holy Spirit puts the women first here and the men after. Why? The Holy Spirit refers first to the degradation of women because they're usually the last to be affected in the decay of morals because their hearts are so naturally inclined toward a husband and toward the responsibility of nurturing children.   But when they lead the parade, God has removed His restraint. And the amazing thing of it is this, verse 27, "The man abandoning the natural function of the women, burning in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." Right into this wrath of abandonment comes the wrath, the consequential wrath and even though it generates venereal disease and AIDS, they keep doing it. This is what step two looks like and we know this has come like a flood. But it's not the final step. The final step comes in verse 28, the middle of verse 28, "God gave them over to a depraved mind."

Conscience and the Depraved Mind

Now the version of the Bible you have, I'm reading the New American Standard, might have a different translation for depraved, so let me tell you what the word means...non-functional. It doesn't work, useless, can't think, can't reason, can't comprehend. And you look at this world and you say, "Rampant sexual immorality, out of control, destroying people willy-nilly even in the church, even in the leadership of the church.   Homosexuality, same thing, rampant, out of control, demanding to be accepted as normal and the society rushing to affirm that acceptance. Isn't there anybody in the system who would stand up and call this what it really is, a massive, moral disaster? Can't they see it? Can't they figure it out? No...no.

First Corinthians 1 says, "Man by wisdom knew not God." Human wisdom just on its own doesn't get there. Then you add that the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that do not believe and you've got a compounding blindness. And then you add the fact that they are blinded by virtue of the sweeping, dominating elements of their culture and you're just not going to get anybody to rise up and take that position and have people rally around it. You're going to have more people in leadership in the country outing themselves as homosexuals. If you think you've seen a lot of that, you haven't seen any of it yet as it becomes more and more accepted.

A depraved mind in the original language is one that's tested and found useless, therefore disqualified for its intended use. The reasoning faculty has been corrupted by the influences that surround it. MTV did a survey on morality. Boy, there's a...(laughter)...switch. And they took, you know, they took the Middle Ages idea of the seven deadly sins, you know, lust, greed, all those things, and they surveyed their audience about what they thought about that. And basically they thought all those things were virtues. Now they thought they were all virtues. Yeah. And when that happens and your entire sense of morality is warped, then your conscience is ill-informed and it doesn't function. So you have unconscionable behavior. And then you laugh at the Jerry Springer Show instead of falling on your face and weeping at the aberrations. A depraved mind, reasoning faculty so corrupt that it must be rejected as non-functioning. And as a result of that, what happens? God gave them over, verse 28, to a depraved mind. So as a result, they do the things that are not...what?...proper, fitting, sensible, reasonable.

What do they do? They're filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, envy, murder, deceit, malice. What's that? That's the nightly news. It's the local newspaper. Slanderers, haters of God, and on and on and on and on it goes. They're unconscionable. Conscience can only function...conscience is a sky light, okay? Conscience is a device that reacts to your moral code. If you're a Muslim, conscience tells you to blow up infidels because conscience is not a set of moral laws. It's not a set of moral rules. It's a mechanism, like pain. Pain is a mechanism God gave you that responds to your physical condition. It says to you something is wrong with your body. Pain is simply the device that tells you that. And it's a good thing, isn't it? It's a good thing cause it tells you've got a problem with your body you need to deal with.

That's what conscience is, it's a mechanism God gave you that accuses you or excuses you, Romans 2 says, but only functions if it is morally informed accurately. And if you have a culture that has developed an aberrant morality, then you have consciences that function off of that aberrant morality. And you get all the stuff, all the inexplicable behaviors. And that's why in verse 32 it says, "Although they know the ordinance of God, all they know...all they know inherently in them, Romans 2, what is right and what is wrong, they who practice such things are worthy of death. They know that. They do them anyway and they give hearty approval to those who practice them.

You know what that reminds me of? Bill Clinton's approval ratings went up in the middle of the Monica Lewinski affair. Why? Because a culture like this approves of somebody like that, perfect fit. That's our kind of guy.

So they are without reason, without conscience. This is what it means when God abandons a society. Sexual revolution, down one more step; homosexual revolution, down one more step; you can't ever get your way out of it because the mind, the cultural mind is gone...it's gone...it's gone. And I would put it this way, maybe simply, there's no surer indicator of a corrupted, wicked and abandoned society under God's wrath than when that society does not tolerate anger against sin. This society will not tolerate you standing up and displaying righteous indignation against sin. How long is it going to be before if you preach against it in your pulpit the government is going to come in and tell you, you can't do that? They've done it in Canada.

One night Larry King said to me, off the camera, he said...he said, "You know," he said, "I like you a lot but...he said...you're all...you're all caught up in the words of the Bible and you miss the message." So I said, "Well, what's a message with no words?" I don't think we miss the message. It was C.S. Lewis who said, "The last experience of the sinner is the horrible enslavement of the freedom he desired." So, Paul is unfolding for us this picture of what a society looks like when it's abandoned. It's not my description. Now you see why I said I think America is here going through the cycle of Romans 1.

Why does it happen? Let's go back to verse 18 and find out. Why does it happen? I'm going to give you the short version. Here's why it happens. Verse 18, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven in this form of abandonment against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that makes up this society." Verse 18, "Who suppress...what? There it is, that's it...they suppress the truth...they suppress the truth." That's why I wrote the book The Truth War, it's always about truth, always about truth, always. From the Garden, it started out as a war of truth, right? God says you eat the fruit, you'll die. Satan says, no you won't, you shall not surely die. There it is. Adam and Eve believed Satan. They thought God was lying to them. That started the truth war, it's going on today. It's always about the truth. Simple, this happens when you suppress the truth.

Truth and Reason

What truth? Real truth. As Francis Schaeffer used to say, the true truth...biblical truth. You suppress this, that's where you go. Take the Word of God out of the place of its supremacy and you suppress the truth. Deny that it's true, deny its veracity, deny its authenticity, deny its inerrancy, deny its inspiration, deny its sufficiency, deny its clarity...that's the latest one that nobody really knows what the Bible means anyway, it's a wonderful book, we believe God gave it to us but we have no idea what it means. That's convenient. I mean, you can divide my life, my life up into attacks on the Bible coming from every imaginable angle...the truth is always under assault. This nation has succumbed to that. There are even churches that have decentralized the truth cause they think it offends, it's divisive. It's all we've got, folks. It's all we have. God saves through the truth. You're begotten again, Peter says, by the Word of truth. You're sanctified by the word of truth. Jesus said, "Sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy word is truth," John 17:17. That's all we have.

Of course it's being assaulted by Satan. Of course the critics come along and say it's not inspired, it's not true, you can't believe it. Of course the mystics come along and say no, it's fine, but we have more revelation over here and more over there, and more over there. And the cults all develop out of extrabiblical revelation. And then there are others who come along and say, "Well, the Bible's fine, it's just not sophisticated. You need to add philosophy and other kinds of things to the Bible to fill it out." And now there are those who come and say, "Well, it lacks clarity." And that's an attack on the old perspicuity, the doctrine of perspicuity, that Scripture is clear, that God intended it to reveal not to hide. So the truth is diminished in its place, it's denied, it's rejected. It's amazing how people mock biblical truth today...amazing.

Oh, you can figure out a way to make it so smooth and soft, take out all the hard parts so it doesn't have the sting. But if you give the unadulterated, unexpurgated, pure Word of God, it will generate a negative reaction in many environments. You need to speak the truth in love, but all we've got is the truth. Suppress the truth.

Let me expand that a little bit. Give you four things to think about, four reasons for wrath that have to do with the suppressing of the truth. Number one, revelation. We've been given the truth. "Suppress the truth in unrighteousness because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them for since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, eternal power, divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse."

What is this? This is not even talking about the Scripture. This is talking about the fact that God has inlayed His truth into the fabric of man's being. He is not without a witness to the truth. Look at chapter 2 for a moment, drop down in to verse 14, "The Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these not having the Law are a Law to themselves in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness."

Part of being human like all the other parts of being human, be able to think and to make relationships, to speak and to act in the ways that humans act, those kinds of things are the familiar components of what it means to be human. But another one is, the Law of God written in the very fabric of man's nature so that he cannot plead ignorance. In fact, it says in verse 20 that he has enough of the Law in himself, enough of reason to be without excuse. You cannot plead ignorance, that which may be known of God. What is knowable regarding God. What man can know, what of the light that lights every man that comes into the world, John 1:9, is written in the heart. It is evident in them. Two ways, one, in reason...in reason.

Where does reason inevitably take you? Reason inevitably takes you to an ultimate cause. Reason is simply a cause and effect device. Reason is simply thinking our way through patterns of cause and effect. This leads to this, this leads to this, this leads to this, and that's how reason works. And eventually you get back to the first cause of the massive universal effect of creation, so reason is a device given by God to all human beings that leads them directly back to Him...directly back to Him.

Any thinking person knows that. You can't have an effect without a cause, right? I mean, how simple do we have to be? You ask me where this watch came from, if I say, well there's a bunch of tin floating in a box and pulled it out and it started to tick and this is it...is ridiculous. Well how can you explain the universe that way? It's an absurdity. Nobody times nothing equals everything? That's totally irrationality.

I'll give you a little thing to think about. There was a scientist by the name of Van Noiman(?) And Van Noiman invented, or conceived of an invention called the ultimate machine...the ultimate machine. Okay? Called the Van Noiman Machine, all engineers and scientists know about. The Van Noiman Machine, he said, this is the ultimate machine, it is self-perpetuating. It has the capacity within itself to sustain itself. Wow! Secondly, it is self-repairing. Anything that ever goes wrong with it, it can fix. It has within itself the ability to fix itself, to generate whatever new parts it needs to reassemble them so that it functions. And then thirdly, it reproduces itself. It multiplies itself. This would be like having a car that generated its own fuel, fixed itself, and when you came out in the morning there were three little cars sitting next to it. (Laughter) Okay? This is a Van Noiman Machine.

The complexity of this machine is staggering. And so it can't be built, it's way too complex. It becomes exponential, almost...almost to infinity to put something together like this, it can't be done. And yet that is exactly what every single organic cell in existence in the biological world does. It's a factory of perfect self-generating, self-repairing, self-reproducing machinery. Don't tell me that one time there was a pile of protoplasm and it decided to become this. My reason tells me there has to be a Creator. And do you know the whole world believed that until Darwin came along?

Jonah out on a boat, and the sailors, pagan sailors say to him, "Why is this going on?" He says, "It's my God, He's doing it cause He's punishing me. And so it's my God." And they say, "Well who's your God?" He didn't say, "Well, let's see, He's the Hebrew God, He's the God of the Hebrew people, that's who He is." He didn't say that. He said this, he said, "Well, He's the God who made the earth and the sea." Oh, that's a natural assumption...natural assumption. Go to Mars Hill, Paul's up there, they have a deal there for the unknown god. Paul says, "I want to tell you who this unknown God is." He doesn't say, "This is...this is the Christian God of New Testament." He says, "This is the God who created everything. This is the God in whom we live and move and have our being." Everybody got it. Only in the modern world do we not get it.

You go back to God, the massive first cause of everything. So that's in the fabric of being human. And you know, you have to work hard for a couple of hundred years to convince an entire society that that's nonsense and that what makes sense is nobody times nothing equals everything. And though it doesn't make sense, it works in a totally immoral culture because if there's no Creator, there's no judge. So reason is the first thing that shows you God. The second thing is morality which is built into the fabric of all of us and has again to be cultivated to the point where you've got a society of people whose reason doesn't need God, and whose sense of morality has been totally perverted.

Here we are. Here we are. Even though since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, divine nature clearly seen, clearly understood so that we're without excuse, this society has rejected God. That's our second point. Point one, revelation, God has revealed Himself to every person. Second, rejection, men have turned away from the truth. Verse 21, interesting, "Even though they knew God," that is humanity, that is society in any given period of time by God's creative design have the knowledge of moral law and reason that leads them back to a moral law-giver and a judge and a Creator, even though they know that innately, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks, but instead of doing what was reasonable and moral, they became empty in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.

And the bottom line is that they don't like the God their reason leads them to and they don't like the God that their innate sense of what is right and wrong leads them to and so they abandon that God and the lights go out. And then you come up with stuff like a rock is a rat is a dog is a boy. Life is random. Truth is relative. People are basically free to do whatever they want. It's all good. Everyone ought to be free to do whatever he wants. The goal of life is self-satisfaction. Live it up and don't let anybody tell you, you can't do anything.

So they didn't honor Him as God. They weren't thankful to Him for what He had given. And the lights went out. They became empty in their speculations, their thinking, their patterns, their ideologies, their foolish heart went black. Empty human ideas, now you can't know God, can't know the truth. But you think you're smart. Look at verse 22. "Professing to be wise...professing to be wise, they became fools." That's the third step. You go from revelation to rejection to rationalization. Men insist they're doing fine, never did better.

We're very advanced. Professing to be wise...reminds me of the guy lying in bed in the nut house, pounding his chest saying, "I'm Napoleon, I'm Napoleon, I'm Napoleon." And the guy in the next bed saying, "Well, I'm God, I'm God, I'm God." Just that kind of insanity. Or the lady who came to the psychiatrist's office with a duck on a string and said, "You've got to help my husband, he thinks he's a duck." This is no perception of reality. In fact, it says, "Professing to be wise, they became fools." The word is moraino from which we get moron, proud morons giving each other Ph,D.s. (Applause)

And finally, it comes down to...goes from revelation to rejection to rationalization to religion. Yeah, religion. That's right. Verse 23, "They exchanged the glory of an incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible men, birds, four-footed animals and crawling creatures." What religion is that? Oh, how about environmentalism where you worship...what?...the creation, not the Creator. Wow. Yeah, this is man at his...you say, "Isn't this man at his highest? He's worshiping?" No, this is man at his lowest. False religion is man in the pit. He's gone so far down, he's created the fantasy of false religion. Religion is not man at his highest, it is man at his lowest. The ultimate insanity is to worship any other than the true God, right?

And so we see what happens in a society when God turns them over and we see why He turns them over. And that was just a quick overview. So we look at our nation, our hearts are broken, the mind is depraved, they think they're smart, they're morons. They can't get to the truth, the mind is completely gone. They invent bizarre religions. They become religious. And today they like to talk about being spiritual, right? I'm very religious, I'm very spiritual.

What in the world does that mean? What does that mean? As if you can invent your own worship and your own religion. That's man at his lowest. That's all the way at the bottom, total complete rejection of the true God and the true faith. That's where we are. Now the question is...how do we pray?

Turn to Psalm 81...Psalm 81. And I want the Holy Spirit to give you direction here as we think about this. See if this doesn't sound familiar, verse 11, Psalm 81 verse 11, "But My people did not listen to My voice or My word. Israel did not obey Me." So verse 12, "I...what?...gave them up." Wow. If He would do that with Israel, a covenant people, what do you think is going on in America, we're not a covenant people? "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their own heart to walk in their own devices. I let them go, I let them go to the consequences of their choices." This is God, He's abandoned them.

But look at verse 13, and here's the heart of God that I think we have to grasp in America in this hour, here's God, His words, "O that My people would do...what?...?...yeah, there it is...that they would listen to Me, listen to Me. That Israel would walk in My ways." Right there, folks, is your mandate to pray. What do you have to pray for? You have to pray for the Word of the living God to be proclaimed across this nation. And if it's not being proclaimed in churches, it's not going to be proclaimed anywhere else.

This is not a time for weak men in weak ministries preaching weak messages. This is a time to call on God to raise up a generation of passionate faithful gracious loving preachers of the Word so that a nation can listen to God. That's the answer. Think God might react? He said...I love this, verse 14..."I would quickly.." you like that word? Isn't that a good word? I don't get the picture God's dragging His heels here. "I would quickly subdue their enemies, I would turn My hand against their adversaries and it would be so great that even the people who hate Me would pretend to obey Me." And then I love this, I love verse 16, "And I would feed you with the finest of the wheat and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." That's metaphoric, I would just drown you in blessing.

God only wants one thing out of a nation. Listen and believe this book. I really get grieved even when I hear evangelical people in the media and the public eye kind of equivocating about the clarity of the gospel. It's all we've got. Or about the clarity of what Scripture says. Your prayer and mine has to be that God would raise up faithful preachers and people who would proclaim His Word across this land. Pray for this generation of young men that God will call and shape and send, pray for pastors everywhere. Pray for lay people, for Christians to be bold.

There's only one solution and that's the truth...the truth by which God saves, by which God sanctifies, and if this nation will respond and listen to His truth, God will open the flood gates. We might be the greatest recovery story in history. But there's no other way than that people listen to Me and walk in My ways. It's not going to happen if there's a famine of the hearing of the Word of God. Pray that the Word, as Paul said, would have free course and that it would run with all its power across this land. With all its beauty and magnificence, all its power and grace, that people would hear and believe and be saved and be obedient, all that to the glory of God. I don't know what God's plan is, I just see here what His heart is. "O, that My people would listen to Me," that's the heart of God.

Our Father, we thank You for simplifying things, as You always do even in the midst of what is so profound. It all comes down to the truth again, the truth...the truth...the truth...the truth. Make us people of the truth. May we trust the truth, unleashing it in all its power, knowing that we...we have no..no other weapon but the sword and it is sharper than any other. So, Lord, we just plead with You that Your Word in all its saving and sanctifying and transforming power would explode across this nation, that the truth would replace the lies that abound everywhere, not for us but for Your own glory. This we ask in the name of our Christ. Amen.

Manhattan Declaration - Wish List for a Christian Utopia

2009-11-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Evangelical, Orthodox and Catholic leaders unveiled the "Manhattan Declaration" on Friday, November 20, insisting that the document is not a political ploy. Rather, it is a testament to their common Christian witness as they stand to uphold what they believe are the three most foundational issues in society – the sanctity of life, the historic understanding of marriage, and religious liberty.

In the works for around eight months, "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience" was drafted last summer by Dr. Timothy George, Dean and Professor of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; Chuck Colson, founder of The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview; and Dr. Robert George, director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. The declaration has been signed by more than 125 religious leaders who commit to defending fundamental truths about justice and the common good, no matter what, and who refuse to compromise their proclamation of the Gospel – particularly in the areas of human life, marriage and freedom of conscience and religion. (Excerpt from press release announcing the Manhattan Declaration)

Something Very Important is Missing

The Project Manager has read the Manhattan Declaration (MD), once to get the general thrust of the document, a second time with pen in hand, underlining key points and writing questions, and a third time with his Scriptures beside him; checking every questionable statement made. The PM takes his example from the Bereans every time he reads a "religious" or "Christian" document, taking nothing for granted and checking everything against the word of God. In the case of the MD, the Project Manager found a serious lack of the gospel, some questionable assertions and one that has no biblical basis whatsoever.

The thrust of the MD is that the writers and signatories want the secular world to agree with "Christians" that there should be a moral code, but the document reads like a wish list for a Christian utopia. The ideals of protecting the biblical definition of marriage and the sanctity of life are laudable, but impractical. The secular world has another code of conduct, one that we Christians cannot accept, but it is not our responsibility to agitate for, or attempt to force, change. Our responsibility is to preach the gospel of Christ crucified. The Project Manager explains the biblical foundation for this in great detail in the four-part series "Christ and Protest" (Part 1) (Part2) (Part3) (Part4).

Jesus and the Apostles also lived in a world that was in serious moral decline, in a nation that was ruled by a foreign, pagan power. Jesus was given opportunities to speak against the prevailing political culture, but each time He turned the point of the conversation to the real problem; sin (Luke 13:1-5). The MD never addresses the reason for the downfall of biblical marriage and the reason for the culture of death; the reason, again, is sin. Nowhere in the MD is a call for the world to call upon the name of Jesus as their Savior, that they may repent of their sins and be saved.

Frankly, that would be impossible in a document with such a disparate group of supporters. When one writes a document to express the beliefs of a large group of people with different opinions (in this case, "Christians"), by necessity one must leave out beliefs strongly held by one group and just as strongly dismissed by another. Since a large part of the signatories are Roman Catholics, the reason that the gospel is not included in the declaration is clear. Roman Catholics preach salvation through works (a seven-step program called the sacraments) and not in the atoning, substitutionary death on the cross by our Savior, Jesus Christ. There can be no compromise of the gospel, so the writers simply left it out in order to maintain "religious unity".

Servants Seeking to be Greater than the Master

The greatest problem that the Program Manager has with the MD, however, is the denial of Scripture that is necessary for the writers to make the claim that Christians should be at liberty to practice their faith without consequence from the world. This concept is in direct contradiction with what Jesus said regarding the practice of our faith. The authors and signers of the MD are looking for a free pass in the practice of their religious convictions, while maintaining a happy, friendly relationship with the world.

Quoting from the Manhattan Declaration:
Christians confess that God alone is the Lord of the conscience. Immunity from religious coercion is the cornerstone of an unrestrained conscience. No one should be compelled to embrace any religion against his will, nor should persons of faith be forbidden to worship God according to the dictates of conscience or to express freely and publicly their deeply held religious convictions. What is true for individuals applies to religious communities as well.

Allow the Project Manager to translate this. The writers are saying; "We want to practice our faith as we see fit, without suffering any worldly consequences". Do these people think that they can ask the world to like them and treat them nicely, perhaps because they are such nice, well-meaning people, and the world will listen? That mindset is completely against what the Lord Jesus Himself said in regard to what His diligent followers can expect the reaction of the world to be.

Jesus specifically tells His disciples that the world would hate us for following Him. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19). There isn't anything in that statement that indicates that the diligent followers of Jesus can expect favorable treatment from the world.

In fact, the fate of the diligent Christian is persecution. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me" (Matthew 5:11). Jesus speaking to the members of a worldly sect said, "the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute' " (Luke 11:49). Those who follow the Lord Jesus will be persecuted. Those who believe that they can follow the Lord and the world will treat them like everyone else are deluding themselves.

The Book of Acts is full of instances of persecution against the saints; two examples will suffice. Peter and the early church fathers had been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the temple, and were thrown into prison. This was not exactly the "freedom of religion" that the writers of the MD are claiming for themselves. After Peter and the others had been released from prison by an angel, they went straight to the temple and began to preach some more. This time the authorities had them beaten, and afterward the disciples went on their way, "rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer shame for (Jesus') name" (Acts 5:41).

Compare the attitude of the disciples to the "we should be able to express our faith without coercion" attitude expressed by the writers and signers of the MD. The early church was grateful to suffer, counting it as a sign of worthiness; the church today wants to avoid suffering at all cost, to the point of diluting the gospel, or even eliminating it completely.

In a second example of our heavenly Father expecting His children to suffer for His sake, the Lord was speaking of the apostle Paul: "...he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake' " (Acts 9:15-16). What does Jesus say about those who would think that they somehow should be exempt from suffering and persecution? "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master" (Matthew 10:24). What are the writers and signers of the MD asking? That they be exempt from suffering for their faith. They are attempting to put themselves above their master!

Conclusion

The Project Manager read the Manhattan Declaration with hopes of finding the gospel of Jesus Christ given prominence, as that is the only hope of salvation for a fallen world. Instead, he found a document devoid of the gospel, but full of pious-sounding, self-serving religious platitudes and a blatant disregard of the word of God. The authors and signatories of the MD are seeking to be accepted by the world, and in so doing are putting themselves above the Lord whom they claim to love and serve. For these reasons, the Ecclesiastes Project does not endorse the Manhattan Declaration, and the Project Manager will not put his name to that document. Please join the PM in prayer for the authors and all those who signed the MD, that they may come to love the Lord so much that they, too, will be grateful to be counted worthy to suffer for His sake.

A Tale of Two Attitudes

2009-11-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

The Project Manager frequently visits Christian message boards in order to see what people are saying about various topics. One of the biggest subjects, of course, is politics. What goes on in Washington, DC affects all of us. The subject of politics is of special concern to the PM because the Ecclesiastes Project was formed in part to inform others of the biblical perspective and the true Christian response to politics.

The area that concerns the PM more than any other is: do we respond to secular situations and people in a way that honors and glorifies God? Our current president is a polarizing person, some people love him, others are virulent in their opposition to the man and his policies. Whether we like him or not, however, is not the question. Scripture commands us to respect those in authority, because they are placed there by God, to do His will. But do we believe that, and do we act in accordance to Scripture, or in accordance to our flesh?

The following is an exchange that was on a Christian message board; let us read and then compare and contrast the attitudes expressed by the authors. The initial post was a prayer for our elected officials, reprinted here and edited for capitalization and to remove redundancies:

Heavenly Father, I raise up our president and his entire cabinet, and the Congress, before You today and ask that You bring about the circumstance that will cause them to hear Your full truth so that they can make an informed decision as to what they will do with Christ. I also pray that You use this administration to bring about Your will for both this country and the world at large. There is a crown to be had for not complaining, so I pray that You help us to remember that You are at work here, and that You help us to recognize that help.

Father, I pray that You bring this administration to the realization that You are in control, and help them to see their need for You. I pray that the current administration come to know You in spirit and in truth. We know that the man in office is the man of this hour and that You have ordained it to be so. May Your perfect will be done.

Father, I pray that You continue to restore the USA to Your perfect will, using our president as You see fit. I pray that You will cause each of our leaders to hear Your truth so that they can make an informed decision to come to know Christ on a personal basis. Father, I pray that You guide Obama in any decisions he makes today and this week in general. I continue to pray for all those in office and that You challenge each of them with Your truth.

The Project Manager as a rule does not comment on the prayers of others, and puts up this prayer for two reasons; to show a godly example of praying for our elected officials, and to contrast it with a comment that was posted as a response. The person who put up this prayer shows humility before God, love for unbelievers, respect for God's sovereignty, and a willingness to accept and follow God's will. Let us now read and explore the attitudes expressed by the person who replied to this prayer (the response is unedited):

You know folks, I can understand where ya'll are coming from in wanting to pray for Obama. But, just me, I can't. That would be like praying for Hitler or Stalin. What we need to remember is that God "raises up" certain individuals to do "His" work. Like Judas and Pharaoh. Yes, even Hitler whom we think is the ultimate destroyer. But was he? Didn't Stalin massacre almost twice as many people as Hitler did? But then Stalin was a Communist, a "darling of the liberals". Hitler was a Fascist - a so-called "right-winger" by todays press.

Just me, but I don't feel we should be praying for any of these "pure evil" men. Or nowadays, women too, like Nancy Pelosi. IMHO, if we are to pray for these evil people, it is to have God remove them. Destroy them! But then I doubt that will happen as God is using "certain" people in these last days to ensure that prophesy is fulfilled. Let us NOT go against Him.

What we should be praying for, is like in the "Lord's Prayer" where we are told to pray for "His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven". Pray for Obama, and his stinking "ilk"? Not this guy!! Sorry...

Goofus and Gallant

The attitudes expressed by the person who posted the prayer, and the other person, remind the Project Manager of the old Highlights Magazine feature; "Goofus and Gallant". Gallant was a polite, considerate person, while Goofus was a selfish knucklehead; the feature compared and contrasted their behavior and attitudes toward others. Let us examine the respondent's attitude and then do a compare/contrast of our own.

You know folks, I can understand where ya'll are coming from in wanting to pray for Obama You understand, but you don't approve, because you don't like the man. But, just me, I can't. That would be like praying for Hitler or Stalin The Project Manager supposes this means you only pray for people whom you like and agree with. The Lord does tell us, repeatedly, to "love your neighbor as yourself"; the PM always assumed that his neighbor was everyone, not just those whom he liked and approved.

What we need to remember is that God "raises up" certain individuals to do "His" work True, but why are you fighting the Lord over His choice? You say remember, but you act as if you forget that the Lord chooses those who serve in authority, not you. Like Judas and Pharaoh Yes, the Lord can and does use evil people for His purpose. Yes, even Hitler whom we think is the ultimate destroyer And God sovereignly used him as the conduit to bring about the formal recognition and borders for the nation of Israel. We may not see God's hand at work, but rest assured, He is there. But was he? Didn't Stalin massacre almost twice as many people as Hitler did? And God sovereignly used Stalin for His purposes as well. A man's degree of evil is not an indicator of how God will use a person. Or have you forgotten about the Apostle Paul (Acts 8:1-4)? But then Stalin was a Communist, a "darling of the liberals". Hitler was a fascist - a so-called "right-winger" by todays press HUH?! The PM has no idea where that came from, and isn't sure he wants to find out.

Just me, but I don't feel we should be praying for any of these "pure evil" men. Or nowadays, women too, like Nancy Pelosi You are judging according to the flesh, by your own standards (John 8:15); it is not your place to judge unbelievers. That job is reserved for God and God alone. IMHO, if we pray for these evil people, it is to have God remove them What happened to "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"? Destroy them! But then I doubt that will happen as God is using "certain" people in these last days to ensure that prophesy is fulfilled If it is His will, yes, God will destroy them. If the Lord wishes them to remain in power, then that is His will and it would be wise for you to not try to impose your will on the Creator.

Yes, the Project Manager knows full well that King David prayed for the destruction of his enemies and the enemies of Israel. Yet, even as he prayed against his enemies, David still prayed first that God's will be done, always put himself under God's will, and always accepted God's will, even if it meant hardship and suffering in his life. We all know that David was no stranger to government persecution, and he still managed to put the Lord's will ahead of his own. Are you better than King David, a man after God's own heart? Just asking.

Let us NOT go against Him No, let's just question His wisdom in choosing our leaders, His sovereignty over this nation and the earth, and His commitment to His children by introducing leadership that we disapprove of and might actually cause us to <gasp> suffer. What we should be praying for, is like in the "Lord's Prayer" where we are told to pray for "His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" There it is, a little late, but it's there! Of course, when you pray that God's will be done, you're actually supposed to mean it. You know, that God's will be done, as opposed to yours. Or did you just mention this because you suddenly remembered that you are supposedly a Christian and you want people to think that you are "religious" and truly want to serve the Lord? Again, just asking.

Pray for Obama, and his stinking "ilk"? Not this guy! Sorry... At this point the Project Manager would like to ask a practical question; with the character this person has shown in their commentary, are we supposed to believe that there is good fruit in them (Matthew 12:33-35)? Their attitude does not suggest anything but intolerance for the people that they dislike, their refusal to pray for those in authority speaks volumes as to their worldly and selfish nature, and their blatant, rebellious disdain of the word of God makes the question of whether they truly love the Lord a legitimate one to ask.

Double-Mindedness

This commentary, railing against the people whom God raised up to authority, coupled with a disregard for the word of God, yet interspersed with pious-sounding platitudes and lip-service to prayer, gives the Project Manager the distinct impression that this correspondent is a double-minded person, unstable in all their ways (James 1:8). The Lord has disdain for double-minded people; "Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart from Me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men" (Isaiah 29:13).

People who claim to serve God yet continue to live in the world are double-minded, and need to quickly decide whether to serve God or themselves, for "No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon" (Matthew 6:24). The Project Manager knows that this is in the context of loving money, but feels it applies equally well to anything that we may love ahead of our Lord, including ourselves and our accustomed lifestyle on earth.

Do you continue to try to serve God and yourself? Then you need to choose your master: "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" (1Kings 18:21). Baal could just as easily be any idol that we have created in our lives. Remember, an idol is anything that we give prominence in our lives, ahead of our sovereign Lord.

Still, there is hope for all that try to serve both God and themselves; "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8). The Lord promises us that if we truly repent of our sins and seek Him out, He will allow us to find Him! That is just one of the many loving, comforting promises that God makes to His children when they go astray. Please join the Project Manager in prayer for those double-minded people who are trying to serve both themselves and God, that they repent of that sin and devote their entire lives to their Savior.

H1N1 and You

2009-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Project Manager has been watching the news coverage of the H1N1 vaccine with a combination of amusement and interest. The PM is amused by the fear-mongering and scare tactics used by one side of the issue, and the near-compulsive denial and repetition of talking points by the other. The use, by both sides, of the old journalistic trick of taking an extreme example and making it the "norm" is fascinating to behold. One gets the impression that the H1N1 vaccine will either cure cancer, or kill you. It's likely that the H1N1 is not that much different from your standard flu shot.

The Project Manager has great interest in this topic because his work requires a great deal of interstate travel, as well as occasional forays outside the country. Should the rumors of forced vaccinations actually be true, he will be one of the first on the mandatory vaccination list. This poses an interesting philosophical question; should the PM take the shot?

The answer is a simple one if the PM looks at the issue purely from a secular point of view; no, he does not take the vaccine because being forced to do so is a violation of his constitutional and civil rights. However, the Project Manager knows that as a child of God (and thus a citizen of the kingdom of God) he forfeits his civil rights as an American citizen (Philippians 3:20) in order that he should serve his Lord and not himself.

When it comes to the PM's faith, the issue does not become more complicated. There are two questions that all diligent followers of Christ should ask when forced to comply with a government mandate:
1) Does this force me to sin against God?
2) Does this prohibit me from obeying any of God's commandments?

In the case of the H1N1 vaccine, the answer to both questions is "NO". Since there is no conflict between the word of God and taking the H1N1 shot, the PM cannot justify disobedience to the government by refusing to take it, and the PM will not allow any government policies or personal feelings about those policies to cause him to react in a sinful way.

The Project Manager sees this situation as a wonderful opportunity to practice his faith by placing all his hope, faith, and trust; not in the government or in doctors or a needle, but in the sovereign Creator. The PM knows the promises the Lord made to those who trust in Him: "O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee" (Psalm 84:12); "The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness" (Psalm 147:11); "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him" (Nahum 1:7).

Do not fear the results of taking the H1N1 vaccine, because your trust should be in the Lord. The Lord God is sovereign and already knows what will happen when the shot is administered; you should trust that the Lord will make good on His promise to preserve the faithful: "So the Lord God commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always, and for our survival" (Deuteronomy 6:24). Keep close to your heart the promise that "the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom" (2Timothy 4:18). This was written by a man, Paul, that was no stranger to government persecution.

David also was a man who knew government persecution well, yet he was able to tell those who place their trust in God that "no evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent" (Psalm 91:10). And what if there should be a bad reaction to the H1N1 shot? Well, again, the Lord is sovereign, and uses all things for the good of those who love Him, even if we don't recognize that in the moment.

So, the answer to the question "does the PM take the H1N1 shot?" is a resounding, confident "YES". The PM knows that this is a hard truth to accept, but he is secure in the promises of the Lord, secure in his position as a child of God, secure in the Lord's sovereignty, secure in his trust in the Lord God, and secure in the Lord's promise to make all things work out for the good of those who love Him. The PM prays that you share the same confidence in the Lord your God, and that if you too are facing the question of whether to accept the vaccine, you too will place your faith, hope, and trust in your Creator.

The Esau Principle

2009-11-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Project Manager has been observing for some time a trend in American politics; that people who would ordinarily be complacent about government are becoming involved, from rallies to fundraising, even to running for office. This is great as far as it goes, the citizenry should be informed as to what their representatives are doing; but civic-minded Christians must be careful not to over-emphasize their rights as American citizens.

Why does the PM say this? Because of something called the Esau principle; where the children of God can trade their birthright, their inheritance in the kingdom of God, for something far less in value. This principle was named after Esau, who traded his birthright for a bowl of soup. Today's Christians risk trading their place in God's kingdom for a far less valuable place in a worldly kingdom, without realizing that they are doing so.

The Project Manager wishes to call your attention to the Genesis account of Esau trading away his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34):
(29) And when Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished;
(30) and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore he was called Edom.
(31) But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright."
(32) And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die, so of what use then is the birthright to me?"
(33) And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
(34) Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

This incident happened hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth, so what relevance does it have for today? The Project Manager sees a connection between Esau's actions in Genesis 25:29-34 and what Christians in America are doing at this moment. Long ago, Esau gave up his earthly inheritance, his birthright, for a bowl of soup; American Christians in the here and now are at risk of giving up their heavenly inheritance for something that's worth not much more than that.

There is a common thought among American Christians that their birthright is to have political leadership that shares their morals and beliefs. They act as if they have a "duty" and a "right" to attempt to change government policies, and the moral direction of the country in general. This belief is preached from the pulpit in a multitude of churches and has found a willing and receptive audience - even more so in the current political climate. Like Esau, they see only from their worldly point of view, and are oblivious to the eternal consequences of their actions.

Denying God's Sovereignty

The people who accept that their birthright is to have leadership that meets with their approval, accept the thought that God could never appoint evil people to positions of authority. This leads to the belief that "evil" leaders are there in spite of God. This is false because it denies the the Lord's sovereignty over the earth. God is sovereignly in control of everything on the earth, including politics and politicians; the Lord puts into power those whom He pleases. "Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone" (1Chronicles 29:12).

When we believe that God could not appoint evil people to authority, we disregard that "Whatsoever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps" (Psalm 135:6), and we forget that God knows full well the character of those He chooses for authority, because He knows every detail of our lives before we do (Psalm 139:1-4). When we keep for ourselves the decision as to the morality of our leaders, we take on responsibility that is not ours. We ignore the fact that we do not know the mind of the Lord: " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts' "(Isaiah 55:8-9). We accept the Lord's will, regardless of how we think it will affect us; "Whether it be good, or whether it be bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God (Jeremiah 42:6).

Christians who believe it is their "birthright" to control certain aspects of their lives, such as politics, have fallen into the error of self-sovereignty; loving their lives more than they love the Lord. This has serious consequences, as Jesus explains; "He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37-38).

Jesus takes this point even further; "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:35-37). This is the heart of the matter: is having your choice of leader here in America worth losing your inheritance in the kingdom of God? Is any person on earth worth trading away your birthright as a child of God?

Trading the Inheritance for Soup

The diligent followers of Christ do not set their sights on earthly things because they are secure in the knowledge that their citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and know that they are children of God: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12), and "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). They know that God " 'will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty" (2Corinthians 6:18). As children of God, we share in the inheritance of the kingdom of God.

Just as Esau traded away his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup, American Christians risk trading their inheritance as children of God (citizenship in the kingdom of God) for something equally as worthless as soup; their citizenship in the worldly kingdom called America. Esau is held up as a warning to those who seek to keep their worldly lifestyle; "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; ...that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, thought he sought for it with tears" (Hebrews 12:15-17).

Do you recognize the significance of Hebrews 12:17? You can lose your blessing, your inheritance; and once you do you will be unable to get it back! You will be rejected by the Lord, and that means only one thing: your name will be blotted out from the book of life (Revelation 3:5) and you will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

This is the Esau Principle: you can lose your place in heaven simply by clinging to your lifestyle in America! Please do not underestimate the importance of this. The Project Manager cannot over-emphasize the Esau Principle, and asks that you join him in prayer for all those who are trading away their salvation for what amounts to a bowl of soup.

Don't Confuse Patriotism with Christianity

2009-11-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

Edited by permission from an article originally posted on ApostasyWatch.com. You can read the complete article here.

There are pastors in our churches today that use their pulpits to incite violence against the current president, his administration, and his political party. These preachers are the "conservative" versions of President Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Those who preach hate for America and those who preach hate for America's current government may be political opposites, but they are absolutely alike in one respect: they are religious liberals, who do not hold fast to the word of God.

God's word states that we are to "be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient" (Titus 3:1), and that all authority is ordained by God (Romans 13:1), though the Scriptures are silent as to the righteousness of those authorities. Those who complain against God's choice, who do not like the morality or the character of the people God ordained to lead this nation, are complaining against God Himself. Grumbling and complaining against God is self-sovereignty. Self-sovereignty is a form of idolatry, and is sin.

Those who speak against our current president are forgetting that God is sovereign (Psalm 47:8, Psalm 135:6) and that God alone sets up kings and rulers (Daniel 2:21). The Lord knew full well exactly what our current president stands for, politically, socially, and spiritually when He made His choice (Psalm 135:1-4).

Christians who protest the social and political climate in Washington forget that they are ambassadors of Christ (2Corinthians 5:20). Christians are to behave as if they were strangers in their own country, because they desire a better country; a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:13-16), and Christians risk forfeiting their inheritance in the kingdom of God by trading their birthright for citizenship in a lesser, earthly kingdom. Those who disapprove of government policies and advocate violence as a response to them are not the servants of God.

Nowhere in the Scriptures are the followers of Jesus instructed or encouraged to take up arms against (or for) any of the kingdoms of this world. Jesus rebuked Peter for resisting the authorities who came to arrest Him (Matthew 26:52). Jesus specifically stated that His kingdom was not of this world, therefore His servants would not fight to prevent Him from being persecuted and crucified by a worldly government: "...My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:36).

The Apostle Paul was a citizen of Rome, yet even though he was beaten and falsely accused by the Jewish establishment and falsely imprisoned by the Roman garrison, he never advocated violence against the worldly government. "And when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, 'Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?' And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, 'What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.' And the commander came to him and said, 'Are you a Roman?' And (Paul) said, 'Yes.' And the commander answered, 'I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.' And Paul said, 'But I was actually born a citizen.' "(Acts 22:25-28).

Paul's rights as a Roman citizen were violated, yet through all that he never suggested that the answer was to fight in the flesh against the Roman government. Neither did he imply that perhaps it was time for a change, or call for a revolt against the wicked leaders of that day. He did not suggest to his followers that they form a political action committee to protest his imprisonment. In fact, through all the persecution suffered by the apostles and the early church fathers we never see any hint of fighting against the human, worldly governments and kingdoms that were performing the persecution.

Patriotism does not equal Godliness

Too many Christian leaders have falsely equated patriotism with godliness. Patriotism is not something that is unique to the United States; it is common to every nation and culture. Patriotism appeals to man's fleshly sense of pride and sectarianism, and causes us Christians to feel no connection or responsibility to our Christian brethren in other parts of the world. Patriotism also, when mixed with Christianity, has the effect of making us believe that a person is Godly simply because they are patriotic.

The founding fathers were all great patriots, but not all of them were Godly men. Benjamin Franklin was a lifelong, avowed atheist; Thomas Paine was a radical deist who wrote a pamphlet (The Age of Reason) that listed what he felt were inconsistencies in the Bible. Thomas Jefferson believed in God, but did not accept Jesus as Lord. He also did not believe in the virgin birth and created his own version of the Bible by deleting all references to miracles. Other founding fathers were Christian, but allowed themselves to be carried by the emotions and rhetoric of the day.

Our founding fathers made the mistake of self-sovereignty; determining for themselves which portions of the word of God to obey, and which to ignore. They decided that their taxes were too high, ignoring Jesus' instruction to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Mark 12:17), and they determined that they were not properly represented in their government; so of course they had the "right" to rebel. Remember that they already had the right to the free exercise of religion, they had the right to assemble and to speak freely, also to own and carry firearms. They operated businesses and civic organizations, but somehow that was not good enough. There were many other issues, to be sure, but self-sovereignty - the belief that they knew better than God what was best for their lives - was the true driving force.

Today we see the same sort of carnal, worldly reasoning among many of our Christian leaders. Some have become quite adept at folding, spindling and mutilating the Scriptures to the point of interpreting something other than their true meaning. Romans chapter 13 is a perfect example: "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves" (Romans 13:1-2).

That seems fairly straightforward; all authority is ordained by God, who is sovereign over the affairs of men. If the diligent followers of Christ find themselves under the authority of a tyrannical government it is because God ordained it (or at least allowed it). Even in these cases we are admonished not to resist authority lest we bring judgment upon ourselves. This interpretation is entirely consistent with the actions of Jesus and all the apostles in their dealings with worldly kingdoms. However, some Christian leaders think they have found a "loophole".

Continuing in Romans chapter 13: "For rulers are not a cause for fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God for you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who bring wrath upon the one who practices evil" (Romans 13:3-4). To make sense of this, let us use the analogy of a traffic cop. Drivers always seem to slow down when they see the police, and why? Because they are breaking the law (speeding), and they are afraid of the penalty (a speeding ticket). If they are law-abiding citizens (obeying the speed limit), they would not have to fear seeing the blue lights in their rear-view mirror because the police are not after them.

Today's pulpit proponents of self-sovereignty see Romans 13:3-4 differently. They tell us that our obedience to authority is contingent upon the goodness of the authority. Who decides whether a government is good or evil? Why, we do, of course! With this simple stroke of human, worldly reasoning we rather than God become sovereign over our lives. Of course, this train of reasoning completely ignores the fact that God knows in advance the thoughts and deeds of men (Psalm 139:1-4), and conveniently forgets that the Scriptures are silent as to the righteousness of the leaders that God ordains. One only has to look in the book of Judges, or read about Pharoah (Exodus), Nebucchadnezzar (Daniel), Ahab (1Kings), Herod (Matthew, Luke, Acts) and Nero (Acts) to know that God can and does appoint evil men to authority.

Suffering for the Greater Good

Was it good that the apostle Paul was imprisoned on false charges? By our natural reasoning we would say no, but we do not know what God knows: " 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). We don't see God at work, yet He is there, using all that happens to advance His kingdom. Even when governments are doing that which we would call evil, God is using that for His own purpose. This also applies to all the hardship and persecution suffered by the saints. If we do what is righteous we have no reason to be afraid of authority, knowing that even if we suffer because of that authority, God's sovereign plan is being carried out.

Jesus tells us; "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20). Please do not misunderstand; nowhere has it been said that our submission to authority must be absolute. The whole counsel of God, as well as evidence from church history demands that we resist human authority under two conditions:
1) When any government compels Christians to commit immoral or sinful acts;
2) When any government prohibits Christians from carrying out the instructions of our Lord, such as proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When either of these elements are present we must obey God rather than man. At this time, however, our government has forced neither of these conditions upon us.

Still, there will be a time (perhaps in the very near future) when one or both of these conditions will be present. The threat of laws against "hate speech" is very real and may soon be implemented, for the purpose of stifling the proclamation of the gospel. Rest assured at that time you may continue to speak boldly, as God commands; just be prepared to accept whatever consequences may follow in the same way as what Paul, Peter, James, Stephen, and all the other persecuted saints endured. Remember also, that you cannot allow government persecution to cause you to react to that government in a sinful way.

Christian Liberty

We Christians must stand for greater liberty than that for which our human forefathers fought. Our Christian liberty is the true liberty that sustains us, regardless of our temporal circumstances: "Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2Corinthians 3:17). Paul and Silas understood true liberty when they were imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23-25). Beaten for casting a demon out of a fortune-teller, they were placed in chains and thrown into prison. Still, at midnight they were singing and praising God while the other prisoners listened. The Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of true liberty was there, sustaining them.

Peter also understood true liberty while he was imprisoned. Peter was imprisoned by Herod, with four squadrons of soldiers guarding him, under a death sentence. But the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of liberty, was with Peter. He was found asleep, chained between two guards as an angel came to deliver him. Though he was imprisoned and chained, Peter was still free: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

Jesus was the embodiment of true liberty. By giving up His life to do the will of the Father, he had true liberty. Though He was the Son of God, he never challenged any human kingdom or secular authority. Though He could have single-handedly destroyed His enemies, He submitted to the will of His Father. "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:52-53).

As Jesus stood before Pilate, He knew who wielded true power: "Pilate therefore said to Him, 'You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?' Jesus answered, 'You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin' " (John 19:10-11). Jesus proclaimed the sovereignty of God and His own willingness to submit to that heavenly authority, regardless of the personal cost. This is the liberty for which we should be willing to stand, suffer, and die if necessary. This is the freedom we are called to proclaim.

Human freedom is transitory and illusory. It is always based on the willingness of men to govern themselves, and to allow others to govern them. Unfortunately, the sinful condition of the human heart will not allow that situation to last very long. That is why the freedom we have enjoyed in America is such a rare thing in human history. But our human freedom is coming to an end.

It is obvious to the diligent followers of Christ that the sins of America have brought God's judgment down upon us. A great part of that judgment will be the loss of many of the human freedoms that we now enjoy and take for granted. We cannot and will not stop God's judgment with guns, petitions, laws, constitutional conventions, or third-party candidates. Neither will we delay the coming judgment through prayer, though we should steadfastly pray to the Father that His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God has ordained this judgment, and through it He will gauge the depth of His people's devotion to Him, and which people love their lives in this world.

American Christians will soon endure the same kind of persecution that so many of the saints underwent throughout history. This persecution will bring about a great separation between those who are willing to lay down their lives in this world, and those who are not. America, for better or worse, has always been one of the worldly kingdoms, and anyone who loves their life in this world more than Christ is not worthy of Him: "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:38-39).

Take to heart these words; do not be seduced by carnal reasoning and appeals to our fleshly notions of liberty, patriotism, and freedom. Stand fast in Christian freedom (in which you've been called) and do not become entangled in the snare of bondage to human kingdoms and governments. Do not sell your citizenship in the kingdom of God for a lesser life in an earthly kingdom that will be destroyed before the Lord Jesus returns to earth.

A final word of warning: "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever." (1John 2:15-17).

God and Evil Authority

2009-11-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

The Project Manager has seen, in conversations with other Christians, a common belief that God has empowered His children to rise up in protest against those whom the Lord has put in positions of authority and leadership. These Christians think that they are defending God and restoring Him as the pre-eminent authority in government. They also seem to share the belief that the Lord will only appoint good people to leadership; meanwhile forgetting that He is sovereign, and nothing is unknown to Him.

"Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps" (Psalm 135:6); "God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne" (Psalm 47:8); and "...it is He who changes the times and epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings..." (Daniel 2:21). God is sovereignly in control of all things that happen here on earth, including politics; and He makes no promises that the people He appoints will be "moral" or "good".

The Lord knows perfectly well who it is that He places as leaders: "The Lord knows the thoughts of man, for they are a mere breath" (Psalm 94:11); "O God, it is Thou who dost know my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from Thee" (Psalm 69:5). God is not surprised by anything that those He appoints might say or do: "O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I raise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all" (Psalm 139:1-4).

There are some Christians who believe that God could never appoint an evil person to a position of authority; the Project Manager contends that God knows exactly who He puts there. The PM cannot see God saying; "Oh, snap! I thought that this person was all right, but he turned out to be evil!" This idea is completely ridiculous, yet is common among Christians and is even preached from the pulpit. Those who believe that God could never appoint evil men to authority are ignoring Scripture; the book of Judges is a litany of evil leaders. Do the names Pharoah (Exodus), Nebucchadnezzar (Daniel), Ahab (1 Kings), Herod (Matthew, Luke, Acts) and Nero (Acts) ring any bells? They were all evil, yet God still used them to advance His kingdom.

Take a moment to think about this: We are all sinners, and all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If God were to appoint only the righteous to authority, who could He choose?

The idea that God is not in control of everything, that He created the universe but does not command it, is called Deism. Deism is a false theology that denies God's sovereignty. The idea that God somehow needs our help in governing (and choosing governors) is self-sovereignty, which is a form of idolatry. Idolatry in any form is SIN. Why does the Project Manager continually make this point? Because the PM loves all people, and grieves when observing those who claim to love the Lord practicing idolatry.

When those who profess to love and serve the Lord are actually engaged in loving and serving themselves, they forfeit their inheritance. When Christians protest the government, complaining against and grumbling against the Lord's choice of leader, they too forfeit their inheritance: "Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality" (Colossians 3:22-25).

The Project Manager looks at the big picture, viewing the idea of slaves obeying masters to be equal with employees obeying their bosses, or citizens obeying their government. "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (Romans 13:1). We are to "be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient" (Titus 3:1). Notice that the Scriptures are silent as to the character, "goodness", and "morality" of the authority! When Christians go against the authority established by God, they go against God. By going against God, they forfeit their inheritance, and will be told on Judgment Day; "Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23).

EXCEPTION: As Christians, our submission to government authority cannot be absolute. We are not bound to obey the government under two conditions:
1) When any government compels Christians to commit immoral or sinful acts;
2) When any government prohibits Christians from carrying out the instructions of our Lord, such as proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Even then, we Christians can never allow our zealousness for our Savior, or persecution by the governing authorities, to cause us to act in a sinful way!

The PM believes that the worst thing that can happen to Christians is to for them to live their lives believing that they are serving God, only to be told to go away at the final Judgment. Those who practice self-sovereignty, who go against the ordained authorities of God, who disobey the Word of God; they run the risk of losing their inheritance! Please join the Project Manager in earnest prayer for the repentance of all who, knowingly or unknowingly, have fallen into that sin.

The Proper Worship of God Part 6 - Worshiping in Vain

2009-11-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

We learned in the previous parts of this study on worship that proper worship is to be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), and that worship must also be by faith. Worship that is not from faith is vain worship, displeasing to the Father, and sinful (Romans 14:23). We will learn in this section what constitutes vain and sinful worship.

When we follow the rituals of men instead of the commandments of God, our worship becomes vain. Jesus tells us: "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mark 7:7). If our worship is vain, it is empty, hollow, and useless; worshiping in vain is as if we had not worshiped at all. When we worship according to the precepts of men God is dishonored and insulted; when we worship God the way He outlined in his word, then He is honored and glorified.

Remember that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Worshiping in truth means that we worship as God directs. Jesus makes this plain when He says "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Since the word of God is truth, we worship God in truth when we worship Him according to His word. The only way the Lord will accept our worship is to follow His directions in the Bible; any worship that is not authorized in the Scriptures is not in truth - it is vain.

What happens if we choose to disregard the Lord's commands regarding proper worship? "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you..." (Hosea 4:6). God warns us that we will be destroyed for our lack of knowledge, and most churchgoers today seem to be illiterate when it comes to what God speaks regarding worship. They don't know their Scriptures. When the church does not know God's will, false doctrines arise; "And they have turned their back to Me, and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it" (Jeremiah 32:33-34).

When people are ignorant of God's directions on how He is to be worshiped, they fall into idolatry. They become blind, lead by the blind, and fall into sin (Matthew 15:14). To avoid the sin of false doctrine and vain worship, we must first desire to know God's truth and then be willing to change our wrong ways to conform ourselves to the Lord's will. Jesus tells us: "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:31-32). Only the truth can set us free, otherwise we are still under the bondage of sin.

We must be sincere in our worship, but if we do not worship "in truth", the way God directs, then our worship is vain, sinful, and unacceptable to God. Also, if we worship "in truth" but not "in spirit", lacking the proper motive of giving reverential honor to God, then we are just practicing worldly rituals and again, our worship is vain, sinful, and displeasing to God. Scripture says of people that worship this way: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8). The only way that we can offer worship that is pleasing to God is to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Any other worship is vain, sinful, and will cause us to draw away from God.

The Proper Worship of God Part 5 - Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Worship

2009-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

We learned in the previous sections of this study that God requires us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) and that our worship must be a sign of our commitment to Him (Matthew 10:38). God has always been clear about how He is to be worshiped, but sinful man has not listened. Man continues to worship the Lord in worldly ways that are unacceptable to Him, at his peril. We are to "see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

God has always been clear as to how He is to be worshiped; acceptable and unacceptable ways of worship are spelled out in the Scriptures. The Old Testament account of Cain and Abel is but one example. Cain and Abel both worshiped God, but Abel did as God directed. Cain, in contrast, tried to worship God as he saw fit. Scripture tells us the outcome: "So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offerings; but for Cain and for his offerings He had no regard" (Genesis 4:3-5).

Why did the Lord have regard for Abel's offering, but reject Cain's sacrifice? "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts" (Hebrews 11:4). Notice the difference; Abel offered his sacrifice "by faith", whereas Cain did not. We know this because "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). Faith comes from the Word of God, and Abel offered his sacrifice by faith; according to the word of God. If we are to worship God by faith, we worship as the word of God directs.

Abel offered the firstborn of his flock "by faith", and it was accepted because his worship was according to the instructions of God. Cain, for his part, chose to ignore God's instructions and sacrificed instead to God an offering of the fruit of the ground. Cain chose to sacrifice to God in the way he saw fit. Cain did not offer his sacrifices according to the Lord's instructions, so God rejected Cain's worship because it was not "by faith".

From this example we learn that our worship must be "by faith"; that is, "by the word of God". We learn from Scripture that whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Therefore, if our worship is not by faith, if it is not according to God's word, then our worship is sin and will be rejected as Cain's was rejected. It is a very serious matter if God rejects our worship; we will be condemned if He does: "For as rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you" (1Samuel 15:23). To insure that our worship is acceptable to the Lord, we must humbly conform ourselves to His will.

To accept anything that teaches otherwise is to accept false doctrine. The diligent follower of Christ knows that to go against the word of God is to sin (Matthew 16:23), and obeying Him means doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, in the way God specifies, and for the reason God gives. If what we offer to God in worship is not according to His word, then our worship is vain and useless, displeases the Father and will be rejected.

The Proper Worship of God Part 4 - It's Not Entertainment

2009-10-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Scriptures tell us that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), but there is a false idea among today's Christians that the reason we worship is to "get something" out of the service. People want to "do their own thing" in church worship; with the thought that we go to worship, not to honor and please God, but to be entertained. The reason people cannot be satisfied with their worship experience is that they have failed to put their emphasis on the proper object of worship, their heavenly Father.

America has produced the most entertainment-oriented people in the world, and this thirst to be entertained has crept into our churches. Today's entertainment is designed to appeal to our emotions, rendering meaningless what the Bible has to say about worship. When the goal of the church attendees is to be entertained and they fail to focus on God's commands for worship, the productions they are offered are empty and unsatisfying.

This is the case with much of the "worship" in our churches today. When we have choirs to sing for us and musicians to play for us, we are not worshiping God; we are simply the audience at a concert. Let us avoid calling this worship; it is merely a show. Calling such spectacles "worship" is demeaning and disrespectful to our heavenly Father, because we have reduced our worship of God to the entertaining of ourselves.

Today's churchgoers have the roles reversed! We dare not become spectators, because when we worship properly, the person being entertained is God. When there are choirs, concerts, or dramas in the worship service, the performers receive the adulations, not God. People expect the Lord to conform His will to what seems right for them, but Scripture reminds us that "the way of a fool is right in his own eyes" (Proverbs 12:15). We want to please and entertain ourselves, forgetting that the proper emphasis in worship is to please the Father.

Our worship to God is holy and sacred (Psalm 29:2). To corrupt and pervert our worship with the idea that we should be entertained is blasphemous! The sacredness of true worship must not be sacrificed on the altar of entertainment. We are to "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). In worship, we must be the performers, not the spectators. Do we seek the favor of men? If so, then we are not the servants of Christ (Galatians 1:10). Our worship must be God-centered, not self-centered. When the goal of our worship is to please God and not ourselves, then and only then will our worship be meaningful and spiritually uplifting, as well as pleasing and acceptable to God.

Another fault of self-centered worship is that people fail to get the emotional high they are looking for. They begin to place blame on the performance, the performers, the preacher; anywhere but themselves. Worshiping for the sake of being entertained is idle worship; Jesus tells us "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship me..." (Matthew 15:8-9). Yet, people desire to have an mystic experience with little regard for the word of God.

Our worship to God requires great care on our part. Jesus tells us "I say to you, every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). Our worship also requires commitment. It is easy to worship a baby in a manger, because there no commitment is required from us. Worshiping Christ our crucified Savior is much harder; this worship requires that we give over our whole lives to Him crucified (Luke 9:23), and put Him first in our lives. We are told "he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38). Jesus must be first in our lives; this is the commitment that is required from us.

The Proper Worship of God Part 3 - Worshiping in Truth

2009-10-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Jesus tells those who would follow Him that "...an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" (John 4:23). We learned in Part 2 of this study of the proper worship of God that to worship God in spirit means that at worship time we are ready, attentive, focused, respectful, and alert. However, worshiping the Father in spirit is only part of the equation; we must also worship Him in truth.

Since God is truth, and His word is truth (Psalm 119:160), we must worship God according to His word. Jesus tells us that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Truth is not arbitrary, nor is it subjective. God does not have one truth for some people and another truth for others. Here we are told that everything we do in worship must have the Lord's divine approval, by worshiping Him in His truth.

The Lord specifies in the Bible the acceptable way that He is to be worshiped. Whatever is not specified in Scripture as acceptable worship to God is forbidden if we are to worship in truth; He is not to be worshiped according to the vain and evil imaginations of men. If we want to please God, we dare not substitute what we want for what God has commanded; remember, He is not obligated to accept our worship simply because we offer it.

Many Christians today think that it doesn't matter what we do or believe in our faith, so long as we are sincere and follow one's conscience. (Note: if it doesn't matter what you believe, then it really doesn't matter if you believe at all.) This absurd, self-centered philosophy exalts our conscience above the word of God, making our conscience our only guide; allowing man to become the only authority and eliminating the authority of God as written in the Bible. This is sinful thinking; Scripture tells us that "their land has ... been filled with idols, they worship the work of their hands, that which their fingers have made" (Isaiah 2:8). Those who adhere to this man-centered philosophy are denying the authority and sovereignty of God, telling Him that they wish to worship as they choose, and not how He commands. This is self-sovereignty and worship this way is nothing more than sinful idol worship (Exodus 20:3-5).

This attitude flies in the face of Scripture, and yet is prevalent in churches today. It may seem harmless to worship the way we want, but "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). God's word warns us that we can lose our souls by defying God and doing what we want, what seems right in our eyes. If we stop using the Word of God as our guide, we will replace the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures with creed books, confessionals, disciplines, and manuals, all telling us the worldly way to worship God.

Consider the consequence of worshiping in a worldly way and ignoring God's commands for our worship: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). What a terrifying experience it will be to stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, those who sincerely worshiped by whichever worldly way that felt good, only learning at God's truthful judgment that they were in error.

The self-centered philosophy of doing what seems right in our eyes has vastly altered the way people attempt to worship God. They rationalize that because they "love" God, He will accept their worship; but all their worship is in vain. Paul understood this; he told those who worshiped an unknown God that they worshiped in ignorance (Acts 17:23), as do the people today who offer unbiblical worship to God (Isaiah 44:18).

Many people never think to ask if the way they worship at their church is biblical, if they are worshiping God the way He wants. They simply believe that any kind of worship they give is acceptable to God, while ignoring His own instructions for worship the He finds acceptable. Scripture's response to this is clear; "But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:7-8). The Lord has always told man through the Scriptures how He is to be worshiped, and He alone has the right to determine what worship is holy and acceptable. We must not be unwise, but instead understand what is the will of the Lord (Ephesians 5:17). We are accountable for what we believe, and what we practice.

The Lord has specified in His word how we are to worship, and "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2Peter 1:3). God gave us in the New Testament all things we need to know that pertain to life and godliness, so that we can worship Him acceptably in spirit and truth. It is only by obeying His word that we are in His will and able to offer acceptable worship to Him.

The Proper Worship of God Part 2 - Worshiping in Spirit

2009-10-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

Our Heavenly Father commands and deserves proper worship from His children, and tells us how He wants us to worship Him. The diligent follower of Christ knows that God requires that He be worshiped in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Worshiping God "in spirit" means that we worship Him with reverence, attentiveness, and having the right purpose of honoring God, while understanding exactly what it is that we are doing.

We are told in Scripture that we need to worship the Lord with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28), and that our worship must glorify God. Glorifying God is an essential part of worship; "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Corinthians 6:20). King David, whom the Lord considered to be a man after His own heart (1Samuel 13:14) knew that worship is meant to glorify God; "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify thy name" (Psalm 86:9).

In order to worship God in the right spirit, we must take time before worship to make ready our hearts so that we will be in the proper frame of mind. The psalmist tells us that "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him" (Psalm 89:7). Our worship must show great reverence toward God. We should not put ourselves in a position of having to rush to worship, hurrying to not arrive late. Instead, we should plan to arrive early, so that we can be in the proper frame of mind; ready, attentive, focused, and alert.

When it comes to the Lord's supper; we are warned that "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord" (1Corinthians 11:27). Our worship of the Lord must be done in a manner worthy of Him; it must bring honor and glory to God and Christ.

What does Scripture say about unworthy worship? "For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (1Corinthians 11:29). We must control our thoughts during worship, and not allow our minds to wander. We should never put ourselves in the position of wishing the service was over, waiting impatiently for the spiritual meal to end so we can satisfy fleshly hunger. We rightly should be of the mindset that we are disappointed to see the worship service end.

As we show reverence and respect to God our Father, we cannot be indifferent, inattentive, and disrespectful, taking lightly that which is serious. Worship to God is holy, and our character in worship must also be holy: "like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'you shall be holy, for I am holy' " (1Peter 1:15-16). Slouching, playing, reading, daydreaming, squirming, whispering, passing notes, sleeping (!) all are disrespectful to God during worship.

Worship that is insincere and not from the heart is vain, useless, and unacceptable to God. Jesus speaks of people who worship this way; "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship me..." (Mark 5:6-7) Active participation in worship will tend to rid us of our inattentiveness and lack of interest.

Do not misunderstand; reverence is not sitting with hands clasped, brow furrowed in concentration, with a look of piety on your face. Reverence is willingly, earnestly, happily, joyously, gratefully obeying and worshiping the Lord. Reverential worship is offering thanks, adoration, love, prayer, and songs of praise to God, feeding hungrily on His word, and proclaiming Christ and His atoning sacrifice as we partake in the Lord's supper. That is the proper spirit of worship.

The Proper Worship of God Part 1 - the Purpose of Worship

2009-10-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

Worshiping God is one of the most important things that Christians do in their daily walk, yet is misunderstood to the point that blasphemous, self-aggrandizing entertainment spectacles put on by many churches are the only worship that people know. The Christian's worship is of the greatest importance, and this six-part series will teach the diligent follower of Christ the biblical definition of worship, the correct way to worship, and provide practical application for one's daily walk with the Lord.

The purpose of our worship is to exalt, glorify, honor, praise, and please God. Our worship must show our adoration and loyalty to God for His grace in providing for us the way to escape the bondage of sin, so that we can have the salvation He wants so much to give us. The nature of the worship that God demands from us is the prostration of our souls before Him, in humble and contrite submission. Scripture tells us that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:6,10). Our worship to God is a very humble and reverent action.

Jesus tell us; "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). He doesn't say that we can worship Him any way we want, but we must worship in spirit and in truth. The word "must", as defined by Webster's, expresses "an obligation, a requirement, a necessity, a certainty, and something that must be done." When "must" is used it means that the action to be taken is not optional, and here "must" expresses that the only acceptable way to worship God is in spirit and in truth.

God seeks true worshipers, and He identifies them as those who "worship Him in spirit and in truth". Worshiping God in spirit means that it must be done from the heart. Worshiping God in truth means that it must be done according to the way God specified in the Bible. Worshiping God in spirit and in truth is a serious matter which must not be taken lightly; if we have any regard for our souls, we will want to make sure that we are worshiping as God directed.

Since the Lord is the object of our worship, He and He alone has the right to determine how we are to worship Him. Scripture recognizes this: "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). We are not given the option of directing our own ways when it comes to our faith. God, not man, is the One we turn to for guidance and direction in our lives, and God deserves our very best in worship; worship that is prescribed by Him in the Bible.

Worship is a time in which we pay deep, sincere, and awesome respect, love, and fear to God. God is the one who holds our eternal destiny in His hands! Our salvation is a very serious matter and will not happen by accident; we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Our salvation depends on whether or not our worship is pleasing to God, and judgment day is too late to make any corrections!

Worship also should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, and contrast them to our own unworthiness and sin. God does not have to have our worship, but we have to worship Him to please Him. Prayer, communion, studying His word, singing, and giving to others all are designed by God to bring us closer to Him and cause us to think more like He thinks, thus becoming more like Him. When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

So, our worship not only glorifies and magnifies God, but it also is for our benefit; worship helps us develop a God-like, Christ-like character. We become like those we admire and worship, and when we worship God the way He commands, we begin to value what God values, and we gradually take on the characteristics of Christ. We can begin to take on the attitude that was in Christ (Philippians 2:5), but we must remember that we mere sinners cannot achieve His level. Still, we must try.

How do we take on the attitude of Christ? Scripture gives us the answer: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). We renew our minds as we study and meditate on God's word, and worship Him. When we worship God, we develop such good and acceptable traits as forgiveness, tenderness, justice, righteousness, purity, kindness, and love. When we set our minds on the things of God, and not on the things of earth (Colossians 3:2) we prepare for eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

How Much is Too Much?

2009-10-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Project Manager enjoys reading the many different Christian blogs, in order to get a feel for the issues that spark the most discussion. The PM enjoys getting different perspectives, even those with which he does not necessarily agree, and relishes a good discussion on a variety of topics.

One recent conversation that caused the Project Manager to sit up and take notice asked the question; "Can you be overly gospel-centered?" This topic is of great interest because of the implication that there can be too much reliance on the Word of God. The Project Manager believes that the idea of a follower of Christ relying too much on God's Word is like the idea that we rely too much on oxygen.

The following short paragraph is a reprint of a message, left in reply to a different message, on another blog. It is unedited, other than redacting the names of other participants in the conversation. Read it with the intent of spotting the faulty logic and liberal attitudes expressed, and then we will go over the paragraph line-by-line, exposing and correcting the sinful mindset contained within these few short sentences.

I agree that we can use "gospel-centered", or at least our perception of the lack of centeredness of others, as a new way to judge other believers. We create these new cliques, which can breed pride. "So-and-so" is better because 72.3% of their sermon is quoting the Bible directly. I actually think that's a symptom of a larger problem: Bible idolatry. Placing the text above He who the text is about, much how Islam does. -----, I'd have to agree with ----. You give your opinions quite frequently on your radio program. ---- has given his opinion that the pastor was "gospel-centered" enough, and reflected on the danger of us using this bar as a new way of creating ghettoes in our faith.

The Project Manager always appreciates the opportunity to correct wrong and sinful thinking, and this little paragraph gives an ample amount of both. Please join the PM in examining the harmful and sinful attitudes expressed by the author of those words.

I agree that we can use "gospel-centered", or at least our perception of the lack of centeredness of others, as a new way to judge other believers Using the Word of God as the measuring stick for the faith of believers is nothing new; it has been done since the Holy Spirit directed Moses and the other Old Testament writers to put God's communication down on paper for us mere men to see, read, and obey. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only reason that we have hope for our salvation, and is the only way that we sinners can re-establish the relation with our Heavenly Father (John 14:6) that was broken when Adam and Eve took and ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:22-24).

The gospel is the Word of God, and we who claim to be His children fear His Word, as a commitment to our Father (Deuteronomy 13:4). Jesus Himself gauged the commitment of those who claimed to be following God, but were not (Matthew 23:1-35).

...as a new way to judge other believers There is no "judging" here, only a concern that those who are in error recognize it and repent, before they stand in judgment and hear those terrible words; "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). The true follower of Christ has a heart for those who are on the broad road to destruction, and tries, through instruction and with the Gospel, to bring as many people through the narrow gate as possible. Also, the Project Manager is not unaware of the irony; you are judging the person whom you accuse of judging you.

We create these new cliques, which can breed pride Actually, it is the liberals in the church that create the "new" things, like new gospels, new revelations of God, new experiential worship, new ways to salvation, new definitions of faith, new "cliques". If you who wrote this feel that the gospel-believing Christian is prideful, then perhaps the issue lies within your own heart. You might consider prayerfully asking the Lord to reveal if you have pride issues yourself. The PM points out error in humility, knowing full well that without the Grace of God, and the discernment granted by the Holy Spirit, there would be no recognizing any error in doctrine or misuse of Scripture.

"So-and-so" is better because 72.3% of their sermon is quoting the Bible directly Now that's just silly; why would any diligent follower of Jesus listen to any pastor who gives sermons that are not based on an accurate interpretation of the Word of God? Also, it's not the quantity of the Scripture, but the quality (read: contextual accuracy and faithfulness to the Truth) that counts. What does Scripture say about those who would change the Word of God? "Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6).

I actually think that's a symptom of a larger problem: Bible idolatry. Placing the text above He who the text is about, much how Islam does FAIL: What we need to remember, and what this person appears to have forgotten, is that God is the Word (John 1:1-3), and the sum of His Word is Truth (Psalm 119:160). Believing that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God is not idolatry, but rather an acceptance by us that the Scriptures are God's Truth. At this point, the Project Manager would like to ask a practical question; how can worshiping the Creator (you know, obeying Him) be idolatry?!

One other comment: comparing the Bible-believing, Scripture-centered, Word of God-obeying Christian with radical Islamic fanatics is painting an extreme example as the norm, and you are then using it to make a (fallacious) point. If you have a problem with people who uphold the Word of God, the problem most certainly is yours, not theirs.

-----, I'd have to agree with ----. you give your opinion quite frequently on your radio program You make that sound like a bad thing; do you believe that only opinions you agree with should be aired? Just asking.
---- has given his opinion that the pastor was "gospel-centered" enough Enough?! Again, how much can one obey the Word of God before it becomes "too much"?

And reflected on the danger of us using this bar as a new way of creating ghettoes in our faith Using adherence to the Word of God as a measuring stick to determine a pastor's ability to shepherd the flock is a bad thing?! Only to the liberals who believe that they have a "new" and "better" way of interpreting Scriptures and worshiping their God.

Creating ghettoes?! Really?? So the diligent followers of Jesus who insist that His Word be preached honestly and truthfully, and not folded, spindled, and mutilated to fit the "doctrine du jour" are Nazis, persecuting those with whom they disagree?!

At this point, the PM points out a basic truth; namely, that when you are dealing with liberals, you will always know what they are doing by that with which they accuse you of doing. This person apparently believes that they have the right to persecute and silence those who preach the true word of God, as they have no problem telling the diligent followers of Christ that they are the persecutors.

Liberalism is evil, cannot stand the Truth, and will flee from the Light (John 3:19-21). The PM points out this egregious example of religiously liberal thinking to educate the diligent follower of Jesus that this sinful mindset is the prevailing wind in the sails of the vast majority of American churches. Scripture is very clear on what is in store for the unrepentant sinner, liberals included. The PM asks that you join him in prayer for the strength of all those who stand up against this rising storm of liberalism that threatens to overthrow the church, and also that you join him in prayer for the repentance of all who fall into the liberal mindset.

President Obama Promotes Gay Agenda - How Should We React?

2009-10-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

President Obama, in an Oct. 13 speech before America's largest homosexual political group, gave full support to the gay-rights agenda. Speaking before the Human Rights Campaign, the president stated: "My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians - whether in the office or on the battlefield. You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman. You will see a nation that's valuing and cherishing these families as we build a more perfect union - a union in which gay Americans are an important part. I am committed to these goals. And my administration will continue fighting to achieve them." You can read the complete article here.

The Project Manager is concerned; not just by the attack on the God-ordered family structure, but by the possibility of the diligent followers of Christ allowing their personal feelings about this issue (and this president) to cause them to react in a sinful way. Remember, we Christians should strive always after the Lord's righteousness, especially when the values we hold dear are under attack. The PM has searched the Scriptures to find biblical advice for handling this situation.

Still, we ask ourselves; is the president's agenda despicable? Yes. Disgusting? Yes. Destructive? Yes. Should we be dismayed? Yes. Distraught? Yes. Should we despair? No.

The first thing that committed Christians need to remember is that God is sovereignly in control of all things, and works all things for His glory, whether we see His handiwork or not. The second thing to remember is; this is not new. The Holy Spirit tell us in Ecclesiastes; "That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). To put it another way, all this has been tried before. And since the Creator is sovereign, He not only knew about it, but He will use this to His glory!

The third thing that we all need to keep in mind is that the Lord does not necessarily raise up leaders that will be a blessing to His people. Sometimes the Lord raises up leaders for His children that are meant to be a judgment, or even a curse. Always, however, "we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

So, how does the Lord use the political strengthening of the gay-rights agenda for His glory? The PM does not know, but is reminded of another leader that God raised up for his people that also used his authority and position to lead the children of God into immorality and adultery. The PM takes great comfort from the story of Isaiah and the prophets of Baal.

The Israeli king Ahab had led his people into idolatry in the form of Baal worship, and the Lord punished Israel by causing a drought for three and a half years. After that time, the Lord used Isaiah to perform one of the greatest miracles recorded in the Old Testament: the flames coming down from heaven to consume a water-logged sacrifice (1Kings 18:20-46).

How does this relate to the president's agenda? Well, the president is attempting to steer the nation away from God's righteousness into gross immorality and sin. The Lord, in His will, is allowing that to happen. Remember, nothing happens that the Lord does not know about, and nothing happens that God cannot use for His glory. Just as God used Ahab's wickedness and idolatry to bring about circumstances that He could use to bring His people back to Him, the Lord will somehow use the advancing of the gay agenda to once again miraculously cause His people to seek His face.

How? The PM does not know, but the PM is also reasonably certain that the children of God did not see His handiwork during the 3-1/2 year drought that preceeded Isaiah's calling to account the prophets of Baal. It is likely that we also will not see the Lords handiwork behind the scenes, but rest assured, He is there. The follower of Christ can take to heart that, from our perspective, things will get a lot worse before we actually see God at work. In the meantime, there are things that we can do.

We as Christians must remember that we cannot allow social or political conditions to cause us to sin in any way. It is tempting to resort to political activism in order to cause change, but that is a worldly mindset and is sinful. Read the 4-part series on "Christ and Protest " for the biblical perspective on activism. Still, there are actions we can take that will glorify God.

We can begin by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can also pray for our leaders as we are commanded to in 1Timothy 2:1-3 and 2Timothy 2:24-25. We can pray for repentance, not only ours, but for our nation and our elected officials (yes, even the president) as well. Finally, we can pray that "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). These are the actions that Christians can take that will allow us to seek God's face and strive after His righteousness.

Does God Hate?

2009-10-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

Universalists teach that God is so full of love that He simply cannot send anyone to eternal hellfire. They repeatedly say things like, "God loves us all so much that He will save us all"; or "He hates the sin, but loves the sinner"; or "God is love, and will not send anyone to hell." This is because universalists believe that sending people to hell is against His infinite love. They want God to forgive all, even those who openly reject Him, and die cursing Him.

The Project Manager admits that it is nice to think of God's love being so infinitely great that all will ultimately be saved. Hell is a terrible place and the PM does not want anyone to go there. But the PM knows that "love" is only a small part of the total nature of God, and frankly, it does not matter what the PM thinks; it only matters what the Father says.

Yes, Scriptures tell us that God is love (1 John 4:8), but the Bible also tells us that God punishes the sinner and hates all who do iniquity. God is not one-sided. He is not simply an infinitely loving God; He is also infinitely just. He must deal with sin and must punish the sinner. In the truth of God's word, we find that the Lord has provided one way by which we may be saved, by which we may escape the just punishment that we deserve. That single way is through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. For all who trust in Him, salvation will come. But to those who turn away, God's wrath will fall upon them: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him," (John 3:36).

Does God Hate Anyone?

Does God hate anyone? The answer is yes. Let us search God's own words: "The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity" (Psalm 5:5); "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates." (Psalm 11:5). "Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them." (Leviticus 20:23).

"There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19).
"All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels." (Hosea 9:15).

Are these verses hard to read? Do they make you feel uncomfortable? The Project Manager feels that if you hold to the belief that God is love (and only love), they should. God hates sin, but He does not punish sin; He punishes the sinner. Why does the Lord not destroy sin, and absolve the sinner? Because sin cannot be tied up and thrown into a fire. It cannot be put in a box or thrown into a prison cell. Sin is not a physical manifestation; sin is rebellion: rebellion in the sinner's heart against God. It is breaking God's Law. Sin occurs inside the hearts and minds of people. Therefore, God must punish the sinner. Why? Because He is both Holy and Just and the person who sins offends God. God's Holy and Just character will not allow Him to ignore the offense of sin.

God's Law is Perfect

When God said, "Let there be light," it happened. When He commanded that the oceans be, they came into existence. His word is powerful; what He says is never futile, empty, or without power. The Law is powerful, pure and perfect; it is a reflection of God's character. The Ten Commandments reflect God's holiness and justice. These commandments are not without punishments; a law without consequences is only an empty slogan, and that defies the very nature of the Creator.

To sin is to break God's Law and offend His character. To sin is to challenge His character and authority; it means the sinner disobeys God's Word. Remember, God does not lie, He does not say what He does not mean. God is Truth, His word is true, and He says that He will punish those who break His Law. However, In His mercy, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

There is no way we can appease God. That is why God became one of us (John 1:1,14; Hebrews 2:17), to take our place and become sin on our behalf (2Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, you have two options:

1. Trust Jesus, God in flesh, as your Savior. Put your faith in the sacrifice that He made on the cross, and in nothing that you do on earth.
2. Reject the cross and Jesus' sacrifice, trust in yourself, and let the penalty of the Law fall upon you.

Either God pays, or you do -- forever. Which will it be?

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," (Hebrews 10:26). If there is no sacrifice available for you, then God's wrath abides upon you because He hates sin and your sin is not removed (John 3:36). Trust Jesus alone or the wrath of God will abide upon you forever.

The sobering fact is that God is so holy and righteous that He hates the sinner (Psalm 5:5; Leviticus 20:23; Proverbs 6:16-19; Hosea 9:15). Some say that we should say that God only hates the sin but loves the sinner but that denies the total nature of God, and the above scriptures speak contrary to that. Still, it is true that He is love (1 John 4:8),so the best way to honor and serve the Lord is to accept the love of God found in Jesus, rather than to reject it and suffer His wrath.

Preserving my Light

2009-10-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I work in the middle of the night, and one of my most important tools is my trusty heavy-duty flashlight. I can't work without it, because one of the most critical things I do is inspect a coupling to make sure that it is secure. If the coupling fails, it could result in serious injury or death, not to me, but to innocent people. Yes, that is not an exaggeration, it is that important. I truly rely on that flashlight.

A few months ago my flashlight failed in the middle of my inspection, before I got to that coupling. No warning, just light one second, dark the next. Fortunately, I always keep plenty of spare batteries on hand, so it was a simple battery exchange...or so I thought. When I opened the flashlight, I found that one of the batteries had exploded, coating the whole inside with a creosote-like sticky mess. My trusty flashlight was ruined! What happened?!

I learned the answer later that day, when I was at the store replacing the flashlight. (By the way, I was able to borrow another light so I could finish my inspections.) This warning notice was on the battery package: "Do not mix alkaline and solid-cell batteries together, as premature failure or leakage may result". Hmm...there were two solid cell batteries and one alkaline in my flashlight. One exploded, and thus, the leakage that ruined my light.

This incident made me think about how easy it is for Christians to put out their spiritual light. We are walking hand-in-hand with the Lord, witnessing and proclaiming His Word, and then before we know it we are far from the Lord; not interested in His Word or delighting in His presence. We would rather use our time following worldly pursuits than in striving after the Father and seeking His righteousness and His kingdom. We mix our walk with worldly pursuits, like I mixed those alkaline and solid-cell batteries, with the same result. I'm speaking from experience here.

How do we get ourselves into this position? I'm sure no one that goes through this chose to grow apart from the Lord. I found my answer in God's word: "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with a worthless person, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

I believe that this Scripture applies to all relationships. That relationship could be with people, politics, sports, the internet, movies, music, magazines, news, whatever. In my case, the relationship specifically was with the television shows that I chose to enjoy.

I work hard, and at the end of the day I just want to "veg out" and relax. I know that's OK as long as I don't let myself get lazy. The problem was that I was vegging in front of the television, without knowing or caring about what exactly I was allowing to flow into my brain. I'm sure that I'm not breaking any new ground when I say there's not much good, wholesome, uplifting, praiseworthy, holy programming on television, especially in the mid-afternoon. I was associating with unbelievers by sampling their wares, and the more I allowed their garbage into my brain, the more I had in common with them and the less I wanted to strive after the Lord.

When I reached this conclusion, I prayed that the Lord forgive me for replacing Him with the television and other worldly pursuits, and in His mercy He gently rebuked me. The Almighty caused me to recall another Scripture: "For where your treasure is, there your heart be also " (Luke 12:34). I realized that yes, my treasure was in my entertainment, and not in my Lord. I also realized that treasure does not necessarily mean wealth, but is anything that we think is important.

Father, please forgive me for putting the ways of the world ahead of Your way. Please forgive me for giving more importance to worldly pursuits that I give to You. Thank you for Your gentle correction and rebuke, and thank you for Your mercy in allowing me to see this and learn from this experience. Please keep Your light shining through me, and please help me to always strive after You. May I always praise Your name. In Jesus' strong name, I pray. Amen.

Think Before You Speak

2009-10-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

reprinted from theTrumpet.com

A while back, I offended someone very close to me. I fell victim to saying something I wish I hadn't. I said the worst thing at the worst possible time. The real problem was that I didn't think before I spoke. I speedily apologized to this person and sorted out the mess that my words had gotten me into.

Do the words you speak have a direct impact on the lives of others? Read James 3:2-10. These scriptures trumpet a resounding YES! James tells us that the tongue is "unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Man can tame the beasts of the field but cannot tame his tongue. All it takes are one or two ill-placed words, and you have offended someone, started a rumor, gossiped or criticized, and eroded a portion of your character. You and I really need to be aware of just how serious the problem is. The bridling of our tongue takes effort - a conscious, daily, minute-by-minute effort - to think before we speak.

Speaking the right words at the right time can mean the difference between success and failure. The application of God's principles on this subject will greatly improve your ability to get along with others and help you develop further friendships.

How do Your Words Affect Others?

"A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul" (Proverbs 18:6-7). Ill-spoken words cause strife and contention between ourselves and others. Some of us may speak "like the piercings of a sword..." (Proverbs 12:18).

We must be aware of what we are saying and how we are saying it, lest unknowingly - or worse yet, knowingly - we offend others.

Examine how you use your tongue.

Just as we can hurt others with our words, so can we speak soothing and beneficial words that build, uplift, and strengthen those around us. The correct use of these words takes the wisdom of God: "...but the tongue of the wise is health" (Proverbs 12:18). A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones (Proverbs 15:4, 16:24) Soothing and beneficial words can actually be health to our bones. Think about that!

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver (Proverbs 25:11). These are the kinds of words we must be speaking: fitly spoken words.

Each day we come into contact with family, friends, teachers, employees or maybe local church members. What we say and how we say it affects not only them, but also us - either positively or negatively. And once spoken, we can't take our words back!

The son of King David, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1Kings 3:11-12), fully under stood the vital importance of being careful with words. He gave us specific, canonized instructions about what to say and what not to say, how to say it and when to say it.

A Time to Speak

King Solomon showed us that there is a time for everything. He instructed us that there is both "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7).

Should we just say the first thing that comes into our mind - or think about it first? "Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him" (Proverbs 29:20). "The heart of the wise studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things" (Proverbs 15:28). "Wherefore, my beloved brethen, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19).

Humanly it is tempting, especially when we are angry, to speak the first thought that comes into our minds. But don't! Wait! Stop for a few seconds, and think about what you should say. You may decide to say nothing and wait for a better opportunity to respond. Be sure of this: whatever you say must fit the occasion. Remember, God wants us to say words fitly spoken.

Fitly spoken words can provide us with true godly joy and delight - and at the same time, keep us out of trouble. "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! ...Whoso keepeth his mouth and tongue keepeth his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 15:23, 21:23).

Your words can also calm tensions. "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). By remaining calm and not raising your voice, you can avoid frivolous quarrels and friction.

Solomon stressed the importance of speaking the truth at all times. He said, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish (Proverbs 19:9). "The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. ...Lying lips are abomination to the [Eternal]: but they that deal truly are his delight" (Proverbs 12:19,22).

Telling the truth is vitally important to God. He made sure to write it in His own handwriting on the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16). Satan injects the temptation to deceive others, to twist the facts in favor of oneself. "Honesty is the best policy," even when it hurts. You will be known by those around you either for your honesty or dishonesty.

Be sure not to enter into rash or hasty promises that you know you will not be able to honor. Think before you promise to do something you may have to back out of, making yourself a liar and damaging your credibility.

Difficult People

Some individuals, it seems, are always talking, rarely allowing others the chance to contribute to a conversation.

King Solomon tells us that a person who spares his words is wise. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise (Proverbs 10:19). "He that hath knowledge spareth his words: an a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:27-28).

If you are the type who dominates conversations, be sure to stop and think before you speak. Ask yourself the question, "Is my comment going to be uplifting, helpful, and edifying?" If you are in doubt, don't speak, just listen. Become a better listener and thinker.

Most people who talk a lot are not good at listening to others because they are too preoccupied with thinking about what they are going to say next. They miss important details within the conversation and often interrupt, wanting to inject their own comments, often answering a matter before they even know the real issues. What does God think about this? "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him" (Proverbs 18:13).

Becoming a good listener goes a long way toward building true friendships, and you will find you'll learn a great deal more about others in the process.

We have all met boasters: those individuals who brag about themselves, their abilities, their families or their lofty (likely unattainable) future plans. Do you fit this description? We must all constantly examine ourselves, testing, proving, and overcoming. We should all think before "tooting our own horn" (James 3:5). "Boast not of thyselfof tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1), but rather [l]et another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips (Proverbs 27:2). How much more rewarding and satisfying it is to receive recognition from someone else's lips that our own self-serving words! You'll find that people will want to spend more time with you because your main topic of conversation is not yourself or your own interests and abilities. Others will be more likely to believe good words spoken about you by the lips of others than by your own lips.

Avoid Certain Topics

It is best to avoid certain topics of conversation. "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather the giving of thanks. (Ephesians 5:3-4). Do you appear pure at church services and then display improper conduct, humor or conversation in private? Verse 4, in the Moffat, reads: "No, nor indecent, silly, or scurrilous [vulgar, abrasive] talk - all that is improper."

A wise person will refrain from criticizing or putting down people or gossiping about them. "He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor: but a man of understanding hodeth his peace. A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter" (Proverbs 11:12-13). Gossiping can cause great harm; it serves no benefit. "A forward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends" (Proverbs 16:28, see also Proverbs 17:9 and 26:20-21). Through gossip, one can damage the reputation of another, often unjustly, and even separate the best of friends in the process.

Before repeating a matter, be sure it is truthful and will not harm the person you are talking about. Remember, think before you speak. If you know of something that could damage the reputation and credibility of another person, don't repeat it. If you cannot say something positive about another person, why say anything at all?

Encourage Others

"Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do (1Thessalonians 5:11).

We should be striving always to build up and encourage others. Display a genuine outflowing concern for the good and welfare of others. Help and encourage those around you to do their best, excelling in all areas of life. By esteeming others more highly than ourselves, we will be less inclined to point out their faults and personal shortcomings. When dealing with difficult people, be sure to set the standard and move the conversation to a higher plane than the "self".

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12). Here we are instructed to a valuable principle we all must apply in our daily speaking opportunities. Simply, we should treat other people the same way that we would like to be treated. People tend to treat us the same way we treat them. Being sincerely friendly, honest, unselfish and encouraging to others will motivate them to provide us with the same courtesy.

King David was very careful about how he spoke and what he spoke about. He said, "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me" (Psalm 39:1). David made sure he looked to God, as we all must, for the essential assistance in controlling the tongue. He asked God humbly for His help: "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips (Psalm141:3). "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14). Just as David did, we must ask God for wisdom to control our speech (James 1:5).

Ask God daily for this wisdom to say the right words at the right time, speaking fitly words that edify and uplift. God will give us this wisdom if we sincerely desire it and are striving to do those things which please Him (1John 3:22).

The individual who thinks before he or she speaks will receive the assured benefits and blessings God offers us. Look at some of these blessings, promised in Scripture: "He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend" (Proverbs 22:11). "Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right" (Proverbs 16:13). "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction" (Proverbs13:3). "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it" (1Peter 3:10-11).

If we are careful in what we say, we will enjoy true peace of mind, knowing that we have not offended others by careless or unkind remarks. We will be working toward the fulfillment of Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Our speech is important to God. Christ said that it is a direct reflection of what we spend our time thinking about (Matthew 12:34). Let's strive both individually and collectively to guard our mouths. When you do this, you will be one who speaks fitly spoken words. So make sure you think before you speak!

Christian Ducks

2009-10-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Project Manager was looking at Christian message boards recently, and came upon a disturbing post, which is reprinted below. The attitude and opinion expressed in this short posting seems to be very commonplace among the Christian community; the Project Manager has, since August 2008, come across many people who feel this way. The goal of the Ecclesiastes Project is to educate the followers of Christ as to why thinking like this is sinful.

Here is the posting, unedited, in its entirety (it's short):
I believe it is our duty to stand up to what is right even in the voting polls. Jesus did not come to earth to change Rome but to die, but Paul did use his Roman citizenship for his own means, demanding an audience with the leader of Rome. I believe as Christians we should make our voices know to our leaders through calls and letters, standing up for what is right. It is not that we can change the world. We know that the world will not change until God sets up His kingdom on earth, but we should not be silent when injustice goes on every day. We should not be silent when Israel is being given away one plot of land at a time. David said that he would wish his right hand to not work and his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth rather than forget Jerusalem. American Christians have stood silently by for too long as our freedoms have been taking away. Who knows what would have happened had we stormed Washington when prayers were taken out of schools? Christians first, of course. Our allegiance is to Christ first, but don't be a silent American, watching our Country destroy itself without speaking out.

The Project Manager is always grateful to the Lord when provided with a teaching moment. It's always interesting to see a person refer to Scripture when they use it to make a point, without referencing book, chapter, and verse. This makes the PM suspicious as to whether they really know their Scripture. We will start at the beginning and examine the sinful attitudes and lack of Scriptural knowledge expressed in this little paragraph.

I believe it is our duty to stand up to what is right even in the voting polls. Sorry, but no; it is our duty to follow the Lord and fear Him; and keep His commandments (obey Him), listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4). Also, standing up TO something means to oppose it; are you opposed to what's "right"? Jesus did not come to earth to change Rome - True - but to die Why was that necessary? Because the Lord's people persisted in sin (disobedience), and the only way for the Father to restore His relationship with His children was to sacrifice His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in (obeys) Him may live (John 3:16).

But Paul did use his Roman citizenship for his own means, demanding an audience with the leader of Rome. FAIL: Paul used his Roman citizenship to fulfill the promise that the Lord made to him; namely, that Paul would preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in Rome (Acts 23:11). God used the sinful people who attacked Paul in Jerusalem, and Paul's Roman citizenship, as the conduit for fulfilling that promise.

I believe as Christians we should make our voices know to our leaders through calls and letters Let's pray for them instead of complaining to them. We are commanded to honor and respect those whom God has put in leadership over us (1Peter 2:13-15). Standing up for what is right Let's instead accept the Lord's will instead of trying to impose our will on Him. Self-sovereignty (believing that I know better than the Lord what is best for me) is a form of idolatry, and idolatry in any form is sin. It is not that we can change the world True; but you were just saying that it was your "duty" to try to change the world. Which is it? You can't have it both ways.

We know that the world will not change until God sets up His kingdom on earth Then why be so adamant about changing the world before God sets up His Kingdom? Do you fear the Lord's return? Just asking. But we should not be silent when injustice goes on every day. What does Scripture say about injustice? "There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it is done according to the deeds of the righteous" (Ecclesiastes 6:14). There is injustice on the earth, and yes, the Lord knows about it. Also; consider Jesus' reaction to the injustice done against Him (John 18:1 - 19:42).

We should not be silent when Israel is being given away one plot of land at a time. The PM thought that you were talking about our "rights" as American citizens; why the sudden swerve in focus? Are you trying to seem "religious"? David said that he would wish his right hand not to work and his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth rather than forget Jerusalem. FAIL: this was taken out of context! The correct context of Psalm 137:5-6 is that David is personifying the Israeli people's feelings for their homeland during a Babylonian exile. David was never an exile in Babylon.

American Christians have stood silently by for too long as our freedoms have been taking away. There you are back on our "rights" as Americans; maybe the concern for Israel was just you trying to seem "religious" after all. Moving beyond that; as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and therefore we are "strangers and pilgrims" in our own country (Hebrews 11:13, 1Peter 2:11-12). As such, we give up our earthly "rights" in order to obey our Lord, and in obeying we secure our salvation in His Kingdom.

Who knows what would have happened had we stormed Washington when prayers were taken out of schools? This is it; this is the attitude that lands unthinking people on the wide road to hell. Christians are to "be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men" (Titus 3:1-2). If you don't like that people with whom you disagree are attacking your beliefs, you accept that God is in control of all things. Nothing happens on this earth that the Lord God did not already know about, and will use to His glory!

Espousing violence to forcibly cause change? That's the prevailing attitude of the anti-war and anti-capitalist protest groups and has been for the past forty years. They DO threaten violence in an attempt to make their cause prevail; they DO actually use violence in an attempt to make their cause prevail; and they firmly believe that they are on the right side of the issue! And now you, who call yourself a "Christian", are saying that we Christians should have used those same tactics ourselves?! The PM believes that when you think like your enemy, and you talk like your enemy, and you act like your enemy, then you are just like your enemy, regardless of your "moral" position. In other words, if it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, IT'S A DUCK! "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Luke 6:43-45).

Christians first, of course What about "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)? The PM believes that all Christians are to strive for that. Our allegiance is to Christ first But you just said your allegiance was to "Christians" first. Again, you can't have it both ways. But don't be a silent American Oh, so you want to petition the Lord's authorities that your will prevail upon them, and do not want to petition God that His will prevail upon you. In other words, practice idolatry. That is terrible advice for the diligent Christian. Watching our Country destroy itself without speaking out In other words, we want to keep our accustomed lifestyle, God; we don't want Your will to be done here on earth.

The Project Manager hopes that all who read this realize that whenever we as Christians attempt to assert our beliefs in the political arena, we enter into sin. Protesting, grumbling, complaining about the people whom the Lord has raised up to lead us is to complain against God Himself. When we try to take control of our own lives, we enter into self-determination. The Project Manager cannot emphasize enough that self-determination is a form of idolatry, and any form of idolatry is sin. Please join the Project Manager in prayer for the repentance of those who believe they are following Christ but still cling to that sinful mindset.

Christ and Protest Part 4 - God's Citizens

2009-10-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Adapted from The Peace Movements: Where does the Disciple Stand? by John Morris

We learned in the previous sections of this study that the act of protesting, and the mindset of the protester, are against the Word of God and are therefore, sinful. People who are discontented with God's provisions, who question His authority, and who dishonor those whom the Lord has placed in authority over them are practicing unrighteousness. They are sinning.

Because true Christians knows that to love God is to obey Him in all things, the true believers will not engage in politics or protest, but humbly and in faith follow their Creator. The true believers will accept what God has ordained and strive after the Lord by countering evil with obedience to the way of life lived by Jesus himself. The Christians will not protest, but will proclaim their faith. The Christians will not sign petitions, but will daily petition the Father in prayer. The Christians will not question authority, but will always be ready to have an answer for everyone that asks for the reason we have hope (1Peter 3:15).

Standing Apart

The true Christian's obedience to the Father will set them apart, especially in their attitude toward the government. Christians will "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21), "render...tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom...honor to whom honor" (Romans 13:7). Christians will be subject to rulers and authorities (Titus 3:1) and not malign anyone, but be gentle and uncontentious (Titus 3:2).

The true Christians know that they are citizens of the coming Kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20) and believe that there is no solution to man's problems on earth apart from the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Christians seek diligently to live according to the laws of the coming Kingdom of God, and as ambassadors of Jesus the Christians know that they are strangers and aliens in their own country (Hebrews 11:13, 1Peter 2:11-12).

Also, Christians are realistic in sinful man's inability to govern righteously. Man is powerless to change the world for the better, and the disciples of Jesus, who have been taught the will of God, must not interfere in God's work by presuming that they can do better than their fellow man.

A Question of Belief

There can only be one question for you, the true believer, to answer: "Am I prepared to believe the Word of God?" The call of Christ requires that we give up our old way of life (Luke 9:23) and our old way of thinking, and submit ourselves to Him in all things. Sinful man is completely unable to change himself for the better, or to seek righteousness on his own, but God is sovereign and His will prevails.

It is only by the sacrifice of Jesus that we have any chance at achieving the Lord's righteousness, but when we accept His gift, we accept the responsibility that goes with it. That responsibility is that we "deny (our)selves, take up (our) cross daily, and follow (Him)" (Luke 9:23). Remember, that the person who loses their life for Jesus' sake will find it (Luke 9:24), but that does not necessarily mean physically dying for Christ. The Scripture also means that the person who gives up living in the world, and strives to obey the Lord in all things, will receive Jesus' gift of salvation when He returns.

One important point that must not be forgotten is that we cannot be absolute in our submission to governmental authority. Christians have a duty to resist the government under two conditions:
1) When any government compels Christians to commit immoral or sinful acts;
2) When any government prohibits Christians from carrying out the instructions of our Lord, such as proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Even then, we must be very careful that we do not respond to the governmental authorities in a sinful way!

Again, the question is: "Am I prepared to believe the Word of God?" And by believing the Word of God, that means that you obey the Word of God. For when the time of judgment arrives, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Word of God (1Peter 4:17)? So, really, the question to seriously, prayerfully consider is: "What is more important, having my way here on earth and suffering in hell for all eternity, or submitting myself completely to my Lord Jesus, and spending eternity with Him?" You need to know the answer and have that answer locked into your heart, because in the coming days, be sure that you will be tested.

Christ and Protest Part 3 - The Apostle's Message

2009-10-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Adapted from The Peace Movements: Where does the Disciple Stand? by John Morris

We learned earlier that Jesus, when confronted with hot-topic issues of His day, did not have a knee-jerk reaction. Instead, He looked at the root cause of the problems, sin, and showed us that as believers, we are to follow the Lord's example in all things. It is the will of God that we submit for His sake to every human institution, including government (1Peter 2:12). Those who protest are claiming the right to make demands of worldly authorities; the followers of Jesus discount their earthly citizenship (Philippians 3:20) and they do not make demands upon their government. Resisting governmental authority opposes the ordinances of God (Romans 13:2), and protest, regardless of the cause, is an assertive act that is incompatible with discipleship.

It is clear that the Christian's behavior is to be modeled after Jesus, and not by the circumstances in which the believers find themselves. Christians should place themselves above reproach, and not allow another person's sin to cause them to sin. The believer should not retaliate to a non-believer's violence (Matthew 5:38-40), and Christians should not hold to resentment and anger, regardless of what their friends or enemies may do. A Christian should not allow their passion for any cause to become an excuse for disobedience to the Lord.

The Disciples' Duty

Scripture tells us that the duty of the disciple is to "seek peace, and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14, 1Peter 3:11); to "follow peace with all men" (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 14:19), as much as it is in your power to do so (Romans 12:18). Our responsibility is to be peacemakers in the home, at work, or among the people we meet. That responsibility does not give us license to pressure those whom the Lord has placed in authority over us.

Most, if not all, Christians would claim they have a "right" to protest, which is guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution. This is an example of worldly thinking. Citizens of the U.S. do have that right, but the Christian is under a higher authority. The Bible makes it clear that God (as our Creator) claims certain rights over us, including the right to our worship and obedience. Obedience to the Father means striving after His righteousness in all things.

The modern-day disciples must be extremely cautious in claiming for themselves the authority which Jesus exercised when rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees; or when He overturned the moneychanger's tables in the Temple. Jesus' actions, as the Son of God, were directed at abuses within the religious system and were in the context of Him cleaning His Father's house. He did not campaign for or against secular causes, and He followed His Father's will (John 5:19).

God is in Control

We may have assumed, in our worldly point of view, that the only way to right wrongs is by political or social means. We may even believe that good morals and intentions will ultimately conquer bad morals and intentions, but these are not Biblical teachings. There is a much more far-reaching principle revealed in the pages of Scripture: despite appearances, God is in control. Whether we see it or not, God is active in the affairs of men and nations; He sets up and removes kings (Ezekiel 28:1-10, Daniel 2:20-21).

The governments and rulers of men are appointed by God, for good or bad. God is working out His righteous and ultimate purpose using the materials at hand (sinful men). Nothing is out of or beyond the Lord's control, and those who oppose the Lord's choice for our leaders oppose the Lord. "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they will who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves" (Romans 13:1-2).

These words were written to believers in the capital city of the pagan Roman empire. The message is clear: the follower of Christ is not to seek to change the government. Protest, agitation and subversion are out of the question; to resist the government is to resist God. Regardless of whether we feel the government is good or bad, we are not to oppose God's sovereignty.

This point is made even more clear when we remember that the apostle Paul almost certainly was executed by the Roman emperor Nero. Paul lived and died believing that there is an overall plan to God's control of the nations, and we would do well to carry that belief with us as we navigate our way through an increasingly sinful world.

One important point that cannot be missed, however, is that we cannot have our obedience to the governmental authority be absolute. There are two instances where our faith as Christians demands that we resist the government:
1) When any government compels Christians to commit sinful or immoral acts;
2) When any government prohibits Christians from carrying out the instructions of our Lord, such as proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Even then, we cannot allow our passion for our Lord and Savior cause us to react to government and the governmental authorities in a sinful way.

Despite man's evil, and through man's evil, God will make the world so that man will clearly know that he is helpless and hopeless. Right now, sinful man expects that he can solve his problems through his own actions, but God says that man never can and never will; man's most sincere efforts are doomed to failure. We need to remember that we are not just citizens of this world, but also of the Kingdom of God, and Part 4 will show us how to respond to this world as citizens of the next.

Christ and Protest Part 2 - Government and Taxes

2009-10-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Adapted from The Peace Movements: Where does the Disciple Stand? by John Morris

We know the societal conditions in which we live today. The culture has coarsened, immorality is rampant, agitation and angst are on the rise, and fear and hatred are everywhere. The citizens hate the government, and the government seems not only to be incapable of providing solutions, but actually appears to be the cause of the problem. Is this any different than the conditions that existed when Jesus walked in Galilee? Actually, no.

Jesus lived in a country that was occupied by a pagan power, Rome. There were pagans walking the streets of the holy city, and the Romans were so despised that the Jews called them "dogs", and shunned anyone that worked for them. Some Jews had even formed a band of terrorists known as the Zealots and planned a violent insurrection, even though they were powerless to remove the occupiers from Israel. There were even occasional outbreaks of violence within the temple, which the Romans would suppress by any measures they deemed necessary.

What did Jesus do about these things? Was He an agitator? A revolutionary? A zealot? As the Son of the Most High God, did Jesus take any steps to free His people from the yoke of the Roman oppressors? The answer is: absolutely not! There is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate that Jesus was politically involved in any way, nor did He speak any word of resentment, threats, or instructions to His disciples that they must do anything other than obey the ruling government. One of Jesus' disciples was a former Zealot, but when he chose to follow Jesus he learned that the way of a political activist was against the Way of the Lord.

Jesus and the Government

Rather than use inflammatory language to heat up an already tense political conflict, Jesus seemed to ignore the whole situation. There is not one instance in the four Gospels where Jesus came into conflict with the Roman authorities, except at His trial before the Roman governor, when nothing but false accusations were brought against Him. Pilate rightly found Jesus innocent of the political charges against Him (John 18:38).

On the occasion where the political climate was brought to His attention and His opinion on the sensitive topic was requested, Jesus dealt instead with the root cause of the conflict and not its particular, local manifestation. In Luke 13:1-2 Jesus was reminded of a massacre of the Jews that had occurred in His home province. This was a clear invitation for Jesus to pronounce judgment against the Romans, but rather than comment on the motivations of the soldiers or their officers, Jesus instead focused on the sinful nature of the victims.

Jesus rightly assigned the blame for the massacre to sin, and not the government imposed on the people. He linked the massacre with another local tragedy, the collapse of a tower that killed eighteen Jewish workers. Jesus suggested to His audience that the two events were linked; they were the result of a sin; specifically, a society that sees violence as an acceptable medium (within limits) that individuals will use to further their agendas. Jesus also tells His listeners that certain inventions of man, while in the main are beneficial, can occasionally turn into objects that maim and kill (Luke 13:3-4). Remember that governments, too, are the invention of man.

Because Jesus was on earth to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and not the government of man, He ended the discussion with a call to repentance: "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5). Every person will physically die, regardless of the benificence or the opposition of their governing leaders; we will also die spiritually unless we repent and turn to the Father.

Jesus and Taxes

One of the hot-button topics today is taxation. People today take to the streets and crowd meeting rooms to protest how much taxation is too much, how much is wasted, whether our taxes go to causes that we find morally abhorrent, even whether taxation is legal. There was taxation in Jesus' time, and even then, taxes were a sore subject. Tax collectors were among the most despised people in Israel.

Jesus was once asked point-blank if taxation was legal, and if taxes should be paid (Luke 20:22). His answer made no reference to how taxes should be applied, or what amount should be collected. Instead, He spoke of the demands that God places on His subjects, and leaves no doubt as to the lawfulness of paying taxes: "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25).

Another time, Peter was accosted by a tax collector in Capernaum, who asked if Jesus intended to pay the local tax. Jesus took the opportunity to teach that His followers would be exempt from paying the sin penalty accrued by all mankind. Then He instructed Peter to go out and gather the tax amount, and pay the taxes for them both (Matthew 17:24-27).

We know that Jesus not only condoned the practice of taxation, but He payed his taxes without conditions or complaint. As His followers, we realize that paying taxes is an act of obedience to God (Romans 13:6-7). Still, taxes are one thing; a government that seems bent on destroying the Lord and all His followers is something else entirely. How Jesus handled that situation, and how His followers should approach those same conditions today, is discussed in Part 3.

Christ and Protest Part 1 - Protest and Protesters

2009-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Adapted from The Peace Movements: Where does the Disciple Stand? by John Morris

Protests and demonstrations are a ubiquitous part of the American culture. From tax tea parties to rallies for immigrant rights, to pro- and anti-gun counter-demonstrations, to the familiar sight of pro- and anti-abortion rallies on opposite sides of the street, we Americans are a vocal people and not the least bit afraid to make our opinions known and our voices heard. Some protest groups are against local issues, others are internationally known. Some groups take up specific causes (for instance, the environmental groups), while others have no specific focus, but instead protest the hot-button, topical issues (like the many groups that rally for "peace" in... wherever).

Protesters stand on a strong and unshakable foundation; they see their particular issue as more important than any other ideology. Even though the protesters themselves come from all walks of life, they are united in pursuing the common objective defined by the movement to which they belong. They may be united in a mutual cause, but the reasons they belong may be widely different. Some people protest for truly altruistic reasons, while others protest as an excuse to be contrarian, or as an opportunity to commit crimes under cover of the demonstration.

Right Motive, Wrong Cause

Regardless of motive or the cause represented, protests are unbiblical and inherently evil. Take, for example, two of the most contentious protest groups today: homosexual rights groups and the pro-abortionists. Although the causes they hold seem altruistic (everyone has a right to equal treatment; women have the right to self-determination), and in the current political climate the goals are actually something to aspire to, they are founded on evil.

Homosexual "rights" and terminating pregnancies go directly against the Word of God. In God's eyes, homosexuality is willful disobedience and sinful. Scripture tell us that "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire for one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper... (Romans 1:26-28). Of course, the pro-abortionists are in direct violation of the fifth commandment: "Thou shalt not murder." (Exodus 20:13).

These two protest groups are contentious not only in their willful disobedience to God, but they seem to strive after (and thrive on) deliberate confrontation with their opponents. Gay-rights and pro-abortion rallies are usually raucous and sometimes violent, with a lot of hatred thrown about by people on both sides of the issues.

Pro-lifers and those against the gay-rights agenda are, for the most part, people who call themselves Christians. They consider themselves to have the moral high ground on any moral issues. Yet, when they protest they look, sound, and act the same way as their opposite numbers. Any fruit of the spirit they may exhibit in their lives is not evident in the protest environment. When you look, sound, and act the same as your enemy, then you are just like them. Paul asks a pertinent question: "...what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? ... or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" (2Corinthians 6:14-15).

Grumbling and Discontent

While many Christians could say that they have never actively engaged in any form of protest, the general attitude of dissatisfaction in the world rubs off on everyone. Everyone has complained or grumbled at some time about their family, or their neighbors, or their jobs, or their pay, or the people they work with. The feeling is that we have the "right" to make our views known, and it infects us all. Grumbling and complaining about the conditions in which we find ourselves is a dangerous mindset, and the reason why the Lord God allowed His chosen people to wander in the desert for forty years (Numbers 14:26-35).

How should the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ react? Should we too take part in those causes which seem to reflect the ideals which we hold? Should we crusade when we feel passionately about an issue, when we consider it a matter of conscience or faith, even to the point of condoning violence to further our cause? How do we avoid getting caught up with fellow travellers in the movement, whom we would ordinarily consider to be undesireable?

The answers to these questions require careful, prayerful thought and a desire to follow Jesus in His example, which He set during the time He walked on the earth. Part 2 of this study will detail the social and political climate in which Jesus lived, and review how the Lord handled the question of protests.

A Daily Dose of Wisdom

2009-10-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Ecclesiastes Project was founded to provide a biblical response to the decaying political, societal, and spiritual conditions today. These conditions threaten the believers' ability to make righteous choices that are based on biblical principals, not earthly feelings or emotions. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for devout Christians to fight earthly impulses and keep from getting sidetracked as we walk with the Lord. Every day we are faced with situations that demand that we choose a response, and each bad choice we make increases the distance between us and our Lord God. We desperately need the Lord's wisdom to make the right choices, and not give in to the flesh and fall off the narrow path.

Our Heavenly Father tells us in James 1:5 that He will give His wisdom generously and without reproach to any who ask. We know that the Lord God was so pleased with Solomon's request for wisdom (over everything else) that He made Solomon the wisest man in the history of the world (1 Kings 3:5-14). Later the Holy Spirit directed Solomon to write down his God-given wisdom, and the result became the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

The Ecclesiastes Project believes that the only way to pursue God's righteousness in this world is to make decisions that are guided by the Lord's wisdom. We have that wisdom readily available to us in our Bibles, which the project manager hopes that all Christians take time to read every day. That wisdom is given generously, in manageable doses, in the book of Proverbs (among all the other books of the Bible).

The book of Proverbs is conveniently separated into thirty-one chapters, and while the prospect of reading an entire book of the Old Testament is daunting, reading one chapter a day is a manageable task. A person can read all of Proverbs in one month, twelve times a year, with a daily reading of just one chapter. Accordingly, the project manager issues the following challenge: in addition to your daily Scripture study, read one chapter of Proverbs a day, every day. Simply begin by reading Proverbs chapter 1 on the first day of each month, chapter 2 on the second, chapter 15 on the fifteenth, etc.

Many teachers believe that the key to learning (and to retaining what's learned) is through repetition. Reading a chapter of Proverbs a day, in addition to one's daily Scripture study, is a good, effective way of binding the Lord's wisdom into your heart, where it will be ready for use when a decision must be made. With the Lord's wisdom locked into our hearts and minds, we will be equipped to make the right choices that will glorify God and keep us on the narrow path of righteousness.