Simon

SimpleSimon is Moving!!

2009-10-01T12:18:00.004-04:00

Simple Simon Says... is moving! I have a new, improved template with better HTML, but since I'm staying with Blogger I cannot use the name "Simple Simon" for the new blog. Therefore, Simple Simon Says... will become (drum roll, please) The Ecclesiastes Project.

The Ecclesiastes Project was formed to provide encouragement and biblical insight to true followers of Christ who seek to give a Godly response to a world that is in moral, spiritual, and societal decline. The Project was also formed to determine the biblical response to politics and current events.

The Project is founded on four biblical truths. First, all is futility; nothing that man creates will endure. Second, the Lord will make all things new when He triumphantly returns. Third, God is sovereignly in control of all things, whether we see His handiwork or not. Fourth, Christians should strive always to glorify God, and should never allow political, societal, or religious discrimination or persecution to cause them to react in a sinful way.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on the new site!

Think Before You Speak

2009-05-25T10:53:00.025-04:00

May 20, 2009 | From theTrumpet.com
A while back, I offended someone very close to me. I fell victim to saying something I wished I hadn’t. I said the wrong 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 is 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 this 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 an 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 (1 Kings 3:11-12), fully understood 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 righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things” (Proverbs 15:28). “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, 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 speak 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 his 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 shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:9). “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: 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 for either 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: and 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 the 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 all must constantly examine ourselves, testing, proving and overcoming. We should all think before we begin “tooting our own horn” (James 3:5). “Boast not thyself of 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” (verse 2). How much more rewarding and satisfying it is to receive recognition from someone else’s lips than 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 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 Moffatt, reads: “No, nor indecent, silly, or scurrilous [vulgar, abusive] talk—all that is improper.”

A wise person will refrain from criticizing or putting down people and gossiping about them. “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth 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 froward 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 credibility and reputation 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 proceed 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” (1 Thessalonians 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 in an invaluable principle we all must apply in our daily speaking opportunities. Simply, we should treat other people the same way 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” (Psalm 141:3). “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 spoken words that edify and uplift. God will give us this wisdom if we sincerely desire it and are striving to do those things that please Him (1 John 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 those 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 openeth wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13:3). “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” (1 Peter 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 and how pleasant 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!

Preserving my light

2009-04-19T11:05:00.011-04:00

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.

Last week 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 know this particular scripture is used mainly in the context of marriage, but I believe that it 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 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.

WWJD: Who Would Jesus Dis?

2009-04-12T11:36:00.016-04:00

Lately I have been reading and hearing in Christian discussion forums comments that are, shall we say, unflattering to our elected officials. Actually, most of them consist entirely of name-calling and ad-hominem attacks. I get that we as Christians have opinions, the same as the secular world, and if you read my post "Paradigm Shift" you know that I at one time had strong political opinions myself. Still, as Christians there are some things we need to remember.

First, name-calling and ad-hominem attacks don't change people's opinions or win converts over to our cause. That type of political discussion goes directly agains the Lord's commandment that we not bear false witness against our neighbors (Ex 20:16). We might believe what we're saying is true, but, how do we know? If we have only conjecture and no proof, then the righteous thing to do is keep our mouths shut.

Second, we have been accusing our political and moral enemies of engaging in exactly that type of behavior (name-calling, ad-hominem attacks) for years. Setting aside the hypocrasy of that, if we behave the same way that we accuse our enemies of acting, then we are just like them. No different, no matter what we claim our motives or moral position to be.

I recall Scripture telling us that we are not to act like the rest of the world. Oh, yeah: "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 know that we set ourselves apart from the rest of the world by being obedient to Jesus, so let's remember that we need to be obedient to Him in all things, including the political arena.

And if you think that "joking" about our elected leaders is no big deal (and besides, everybody does it, right?), let me remind you what Scriptures has to say about that:

"1Let 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.

2Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who oppose will receive condemnation upon themselves.

3For rulers are not a cause of fear of 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;

4for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword of God for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil." (Rom 13:1-4).

Yes, going against the Word of God is practicing evil! We Christians, by definition, are striving to be obedient to the Father. We know that we are not immune to temptation, and we also know that resisting that tempting in the face of worldly pressure is extremely difficult. Still, we must, for it is in persevering that we succeed in our daily walk with the Lord. It's hard to keep quiet when our friends, co-workers, neighbors are talking politics, but while we can and must give our opinions regarding our faith and our religious beliefs, and we should provide good scriptural counsel regarding government policies, we must stay out of any discussion that criticizes the people whom the Lord has placed in positions of authority over us.

Criticizing our leaders is criticizing the Lord's choice, and that is directly questioning God's sovereignty over us. Self-sovereignty, placing ourselves in control of our own lives, is a form of idolatry and, again, is going directly against the Lord's commandment: "I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex 20:2-3). When it comes to political discussion (or any kind of discussion), keep the Lord's commandments... and keep quiet!

The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday

2009-04-04T12:01:00.006-04:00

From the March 2008 Trumpet Print Edition »
Jesus said He would be in the grave three days and three nights. But Good Friday to Easter Sunday would make the Messiah out to be liar. What is the truth about Christ’s resurrection?

How do you know if Jesus Christ was the Messiah?

In Jesus’s day, the Pharisees asked Him for proof that He really was the Messiah, and this was His response: “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).

That was it—Jesus Christ only offered one sign: that, like Jonah (see Jonah 1:17), He would remain in the grave for three days and three nights.

Ever since, mankind has struggled with second-grade math, trying to squeeze three days and three nights into a barely 36-hour period between Friday evening and Sunday morning.

There were no eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection, and there is only one historical record: the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ’s proof of His messiahship was singular: not some spectacular miracle He would perform, or proofs that only the disciples were privy to, or even the fact of His resurrection. The only proof was the length of time He would be in the ground.

On this point, there can be no contention—they are the words of Christ Himself. Why, then, would anyone believe He died on Good Friday in the evening and rose on Sunday morning? Do other portions of the Bible reveal exactly when He died and was resurrected? And what does the truth about Christ’s resurrection mean for your observance of Easter?

Seventy-Two Hours

There is no real dispute as to the meaning of Christ’s words in Matthew 12. Certainly He knew how long a day was and how long a night was (12 hours each): “Are there not twelve hours in the day? … But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth,” He said in John 11:9-10.

Hebrew scholars agree that the expression “three days and three nights” in Jonah 1:17 refers to a 72-hour period. The division of the day and night was clearly established in the very first book of the Bible: “… and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. … And the evening and the morning were the second day. … And the evening and the morning were the third day” (Genesis 1:4-13). Notice it: God even spells out how long three days and nights would take: three periods of light, and three periods of darkness.

Four other scriptures confirm the period of time Christ was in the grave: Read Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Matthew 27:63 and John 2:19-21. All confirm the duration. If we reject that singular proof, we reject the sign that Christ Himself gave of His being the Messiah.

When Did Christ Die?

Realizing that the common belief has no connection to the scriptural record, can we ascertain which day Christ died—and which day He was resurrected? Absolutely yes!

One reason so many believe Christ died on Friday is actually quite sensible. The Bible explicitly says the day of the crucifixion was called “the preparation” (e.g. Luke 23:54). This means the next day was a sabbath. Everyone knows the Jews keep a Saturday Sabbath, so they naturally assume this “preparation” day was a Friday.

But the Apostle John was even more specific. The Jews intended to break Christ’s legs, which would have violated the prophecy that a “bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36; Psalm 34:20). Why would the Jews do this? Because “it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day)” (John 19:31).

Note that. That expression “high day” does not denote the weekly Sabbath; rather, it was one of the annual holy days listed in Leviticus 23—specifically, the first day of Unleavened Bread. If His legs were broken, Christ would die in time to be buried before the holy day arrived. But, the Scriptures show, He was already dead when the soldiers arrived.

Matthew 26 makes this timing clear: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (verses 1-2). Jesus Christ died on Passover—the same day that the Passover lamb was killed throughout biblical history! The Passover was the day before, and therefore the preparation day for, the first annual holy day.

These annual holy days can fall on any day of the week, not necessarily on Saturday. In 2002, 2003 and 2006, for example, the Passover was on Wednesday—just as it was in 31 a.d., the year of Christ’s death (as the Hebrew calendar shows). The first annual holy day was on Thursday. Rather than dying on “Good Friday,” Christ died on Wednesday, the Passover, just as the Jewish people had typified with the slaughter of a lamb for thousands of years before.

So when was He resurrected?

Knowing that this was exactly a 72-hour period, we should immediately realize that Christ’s resurrection took place at the same time of day or night as His burial.

The preparation day would end at sunset (a day ends at sunset according to the Bible; see Leviticus 23:32), and law required that the dead be buried prior to the Sabbath. Christ “cried with a loud voice” at “about the ninth hour”—an expression referring to the ninth hour after dawn—or around 3 o’clock in the afternoon (Matthew 27:46). We know then, from the scriptural record, that Christ died in the late afternoon on Wednesday (verse 50), was buried before sunset, and was resurrected on the Sabbath—Saturday—at the same time. That is the fulfillment of the only sign Christ gave: the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

The Apostle Paul agreed that Christ fulfilled the Scriptures—and specifically that sign: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Misunderstood Scripture

A few other, related scriptures have been commonly misunderstood—most notably Mark 16:9. We read clearly that Mary Magdalene came to anoint Christ on “the first day of the week … at the rising of the sun” (verse 2). She found that the stone of His sepulcher was rolled away (verse 4). Verse 9 confirms that He had already been resurrected: “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week ….” Notice carefully though: It doesn’t say He “did rise” or “rose on the first day.” It says He was risen. He had done so, as the Scriptures so clearly show, on late Saturday afternoon.

That expression—was risen—is the sole basis for the idea that Christ was resurrected on Sunday morning—yet it says nothing of the sort! Instead, it simply confirms that Christ had already been resurrected and emerged from the tomb by the time Mary arrived.

So you have a choice: You can believe the common tradition, the minister down the street and most of your neighbors—or you can believe the only sign Jesus gave, the historical record found in your Bible, and an elementary mathematical calculation.

As for Easter and its traditional Sunday “sunrise service,” there is no biblical basis for its observance. The Catholic Encyclopedia frankly admits that “the apostolic fathers do not mention it” (article “Easter”).

That’s right: The word Easter is never even mentioned in the Bible. Although “Easter” is found once in the King James translation, scholars agree that the Greek word translated “Easter” (pascha) in Acts 12:4 should be translated “Passover.” In his commentary, Adam Clarke says about this word, “Perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd, translation than that in our text.”

The Sabbath: Only for the Old Testament?

2009-02-07T10:42:00.004-05:00

From the November 1998 Trumpet Print Edition »
Using the New Testament alone, can you prove that the Sabbath is still in effect today?

We live in a country that celebrates religious freedom. Visit many cities, any college town especially, and you will most likely find several different buildings used for worship—a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, and numerous Christian churches. Of course these religions are vastly different. The most obvious way they differ is the actual day of the week their buildings are used for worship. The Muslims worship on Friday, the Jews on Saturday and the Christians on Sunday. But still, the majority of Sunday church-goers really haven’t proved why they worship on Sunday.

Ask any member of the Christian faith why he or she attends worship services on Sunday, and you’ll receive a variety of answers. The Bible says to go to Church on Sunday, one might respond. But you, being the astute Bible student, point out that there are a significant number of passages in this Book that command observance on the seventh day of the week. Now, watch the responses. Some will reason that the seventh day of the week is Sunday—assuming that it has been that way since the Bible was canonized. But probably a more convincing argument and, by far, the most popular is:the Sabbath was only for the Old Testament.

Point out any contradiction to their theology with the Ten Commandments, and they will quickly retort that that was under the Old Covenant. The general rule they follow is, if it’s in the Old Testament, it’s out of the equation. They reason that because they are Christian, and follow Christ, and He came about in the NEW Testament, that makes anything before His birth irrelevant to the Christian faith.

Is the seventh-day Sabbath just for the Old Testament? Does the Sabbath stand a chance if we only use the latter half of our Bible? Let’s tie one hand behind our backs and prove the Sabbath using only the New Testament!

We’ll do this by dividing the New Testament into three parts: the time of Christ—seeing whether or not He kept the Sabbath, the time after Christ—just in case some argue that certain things were nailed to the cross, or that a possible Sunday resurrection might have changed things, and the time we live in right now—seeing if we are still required to keep it “in the ’90s.”

A sincere Christian usually looks heavily toward Christ as the example in everything, hence the common Bible-belt phrase:What would Jesus do? That is a good question. But a better might be, What DID Jesus do? Did Christ keep the Sabbath? If so, that should certainly prick someone’s conscience.

“And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught” (Mark 1:21). So one has to admit, Christ kept the Sabbath. But was this just a one-time event? He did come to preach the gospel, and maybe this was His only chance to preach it to the Jews in Capernaum.

Notice:”And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read” (Luke 4:16). Here is Jesus Christ of Nazareth back where He grew up, where He was trained, where He learned about the Sabbath as a child. This is where the custom developed.

It’s easily provable that Christ kept the Sabbath and, in fact, that it was His custom to do so. But notice, even further clinching it, Mark 2:28:”Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” Christians believe that Christ existed, as spirit, before His physical birth. Therefore, He was part of the creation of the Sabbath. In fact, since God created all things through Him (Ephesians 3:9), Jesus Christ actually created the Sabbath!

What about the time after Christ? He came, kept the Sabbath, was crucified and resurrected. Did Christ do away with the Sabbath? Was it “nailed to the cross”? Many believe He was resurrected on a Sunday, and that is precedent enough for the church to change its day of worship. How do we answer these arguments? We must go to our second division of the New Testament. Did the Church after Christ keep the Sabbath?

The most prominent figure in the New Testament, simply due to the quantity he wrote, is Paul. Surely, within his 14 epistles plus the book of Acts—written by Luke, but mostly about Paul—we can find something about which day he worshiped.

First, there are many who believe we should observe Sunday because of references to the first day of the week in this part of the New Testament. Let’s consider the “first day of the week” argument.

There are eight New Testament passages that contain the phrase “first day of the week,” the word day not even being in the original Greek any of those times. Acts 20:7 is probably the verse most refer to: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” Yes, Paul preached, and the disciples broke bread—meaning they ate a meal on the first day of the week. And remember, in the Bible, the day begins at sunset (Leviticus 23:32). Here the disciples are eating a meal at night, since there were “many lights in the upper chamber” (verse 8), and Paul spoke “until midnight” (verse 7). If this was the first day of the week, it had to have been Saturday night, for if it were Sunday night, it would already be the second day to Luke, the writer of these verses. Concluding his stay in Troas (verse 6), Paul was departing “on the morrow,” or on the next morning. He was merely meeting with the disciples to have one last meal and speak to them one last time before leaving the next day.

The other seven passages that refer to the first day of the week, if they even allude to God’s people coming together at all, do not give any evidence whatsoever of Sunday being a day of worship. In fact, others realize that these eight passages give no precedent for a day change—the Catholic Church among them: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day we never sanctify” (Cardinal Gibbons, Faith of Our Fathers).

Now let’s prove which day Paul actually kept. “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures” (Acts 17:1-2).

Here Paul is keeping the Sabbath. And he kept it with the Jews, meaning that this was the seventh day of the week, as the Jews have always observed. Understand, this wasn’t a one-time deal. He did it “three sabbath days.” And he didn’t do it simply because he was in town for three weeks, and it was convenient. Luke wrote, “as his manner was.” The word for “manner” is the same Greek word Luke used when he wrote “custom” in Luke 4:16. So just as it was Christ’s custom to keep the Sabbath day,it was Paul’s—years after Christ had been resurrected!

There is also an account in Acts 13 where Paul preaches to both the Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue—on the Sabbath, which proves that it wasn’t just for the Jews. In fact, the Jews were offended by Paul’s message, and “the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath” (verse 42). If Paul kept Sunday as well, why didn’t he just tell the believing Gentiles to come the next day (Sunday) where he’d preach at the Christian Church? The fact is, Paul was a Christian who, like the rest of the New Testament Church, observed the Sabbath. “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God” (verse 44).

Yes, this is all very convincing, one might argue. But it’s the ’90s! Could God and the resurrected Jesus Christ expect us to observe the Sabbath in this fast-paced, hustle-bustle society? The way to answer this is by looking at prophecy to see if people in the future will be keeping this day.

Matthew 24 is referred to by most Bible scholars as the “Olivet prophecy,” where Christ privately discussed with His disciples the time just prior to His return. Notice, concerning the end time, Christ says to these very elect, “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (verses 20-21). God is offering His very elect protection from this Great Tribulation. And he tells them to be concerned about two things when they travel: the winter and the Sabbath.

Now, if the skeptics can see that winter is still in existence in the end time, why do they believe the Sabbath wouldn’t be? Even if some doubt that we actually live in the “end time,” they cannot dispute that these verses refer to the time right before Christ returns. So, even if that time is far off, we know that the Sabbath will continue to be in effect until that point! And those who escape will be concerned as to how they keep it.

We have seen that Christ kept the Sabbath while on earth. The New Testament Church after Him did as well. We have also seen that the Sabbath is to be in effect up until the return of Jesus Christ.

The Sabbath is not only for the Old Testament, but is still in living effect today! Those who once closed their minds to the Old Testament can now go back to this half of the Bible and see why and how to observe the Sabbath. They can go back to Genesis and see how God put His presence in this day, thus making it holy (Genesis 2:1-3). They can see that the depth and meaning of this weekly observance goes far beyond merely entering a building.

The Sabbath means resting from the labor of the week and remembering the Creator. But, more importantly, it typifies a time of rest from this hectic world, of which Satan is now deceiver and god (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4). The 6,000 years Satan has had man in his grasp are a type of the six-day work week, since 1000 years is as one day to God (2 Peter 3:8). When Christ returns to stop mankind from erasing himself from the face of the planet (Matthew 24:21-22), He will rule this earth for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4-6)—the seventh day of God’s 7,000-year plan. It will truly be a rest from the great deceiver, who at that time will be restrained in a bottomless pit (verses 1-3). And it will be a time when the Sabbath will be kept (Isaiah 66:23)—a time when its true meaning couldn’t be any more evident!

On top of the ample proof we have seen from the New Testament alone, there is enough vision attached with it to clinch the argument that we must observe this day. It was one of the Ten Commandments delivered thousands of years ago at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:8-11) and commanded to be kept forever (Exodus 31:13). Our very salvation depends on this commandment! •

That greaseful, queasy feeling

2009-01-30T09:55:00.008-05:00

Yes, I admit it. I listened to the Eagles a lot when I was a kid. The "peaceful, easy feeling" they sang about is a far cry from the peaceful, easy feeling that I get whenever I lay a problem or an issue into the Lord's hands. You know, the calm assurance from the Holy Spirit that I'm doing the righteous thing.

This last week, I've been feeling the exact opposite of that calm assurance; a "greaseful, queasy feeling". It's a strong yet vague and undefined feeling that somewhere, somehow, something in my life has gone terribly wrong; almost like a feeling of impending doom. The best way I can describe it is that it's like driving along a familiar road in a thick, heavy fog: there's a bit of an uneasy feeling that you're lost, because even though you know the road like the back of your hand, everything looks different in the fog. You can't even tell where you are or which direction you're going.

One thing that I know for certain: this feeling does not come from the Lord. Whenever our Heavenly Father chastens and rebukes His children, He is very specific in both what we did wrong, and why it was wrong. There is no guesswork involved, no wondering what exactly the problem is. The Lord tells us the problem and gives us the solution.

The evil one, however, likes to sow the seeds of fear, worry, and discontent by giving us vague, uneasy feelings. These feelings are designed to shake our trust in the Creator. We are meant to start wondering "what if?" and "what now?"; we are meant to move our trust from our Heavenly Father onto ourselves. We do this whenever we start to worry about things that we cannot control. This is trying to take back our lives from our Father's care.

The timing of these feelings is another clue that this is not from the Holy Spirit. I began getting that vague worry less than one week after I made a commitment to trust the Lord in a major area of my life. Now that commitment is being tested. There was a time when I would have given in, and tried to pry from the Lord's grasp the issue I had entrusted to Him. Not this time...I've made that mistake before, and by the Lord's mercy, I've learned from it.

I'm not perfect, or anywhere close. I still stumble and fall flat on my face far too often to say with any confidence that I'm someone to emulate. Still, I trust in the Lord, and while I have the capacity to choose the master whom I will serve, God willing I will choose to serve my Creator and Savior. Please pray for me and all people whose faith is being tested, that we may stand firm in our faith and thus glorify God.

Paradigm shift

2009-01-25T07:58:00.012-05:00

I used to be a political junkie; every day I would immerse myself in political punditry, and I would bore my beautiful bride to tears with my opinions. If you've been a reader of this blog from the beginning, you know. If you're new to this site, read my post titled "Christian Civics" to learn why I changed. The Lord in His mercy gave me a new, biblical way of looking at politics, particularly the administration of Pres. Obama.

Since Pres. Obama's inauguration this week, I have seen and heard a lot of Christian hand-wringing about how the world is changing for the worse. There's been even more angst about how their lives and lifestyles will be negatively affected. The people who feel this way are looking at this from a secular point of view. In other words, they are seeing this exactly wrong.

Prepare to have your paradigm shifted! I like Pres.Obama, but not for reasons that secularists might think. I support the 44th president because scripture tells us to do so. I pray for the president because that's the holy thing to do. I respect the office that he holds. I believe that the Almighty Creator raised Obama up for this place in this time.

But that's not why I like this president. I like him because I see the world from a biblical perspective. I believe that the time of Jesus' triumphant return is sooner than we think (or expect) and I know that there are two things that all people can do to hasten the Lord's arrival.

Let me explain. There are two groups of people in the world; believers and non-believers (sheep and goats), and each group has a distinct role in the triumphant return of the Lord. Christians have their responsibility: to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world so that everyone on earth hears the Good News. We need to take this responsibility very seriously because this must happen for Jesus to return.

The non-believers have an important part in this, too. The other requirement for Jesus' triumphant return in glory is that the world has to fill up it's cup of iniquity. How? By sinning themselves sick, of course. And that's why I like Pres. Obama. I believe he will lead this world down the dark path to darkness and depravity faster than any one person in history. In other words, he will help the U.S. and the world fill up our cup of iniquity faster than anyone could think possible.

From our perspective here on earth, the faster Christians spread the Gospel, the faster the non-believers fill the world's cup, the faster Lord Jesus returns, right? That's the overriding hope of the church and all Christians, right? And our Heavenly Father is sovereign and put Pres. Obama in this place at this time, right? So we should rejoice that he will speed up the iniquity express to full throttle, right?

So... I like Pres. Obama because I long for the day of Jesus' triumphant return in glory, and I believe that Obama will cause the world to fulfill it's duties much faster than I could have imagined. I believe that will also make it possible for Jesus to return much faster than I could have imagined.

Remember, this life on earth is temporary. We will be here only 70-80 years or so, and our spiritual lives really begin after we leave this world behind. I truly don't care about what happens here on earth, because I know that my seventy years on this planet are nothing compared to all of eternity. I can make it through this life without fear or worry because I know what's waiting for me in eternity, and I trust in the Lord. I pray that you can, too.

A Biblical perspective on what is "rightfully mine"

2009-01-23T15:21:00.009-05:00

I remember my conversion like it was yesterday...I was sitting with my then-girlfriend (now my beautiful bride) in her apartment. She prayed for me, I prayed for me, and then I felt a rush of the Holy Spirit into my heart. The power of the Holy Spirit filled me with a new realization of my needs, and I spent a good five minutes repeating over and over, "I trust in the Lord".

Fast forward to today (well, this week, anyway). I received a letter in the mail from a lawyer that promised a quick resolution to a lawsuit that I started years ago. This is something that I wanted for a long time, so my initial reaction was to jump at the chance.

Then I started thinking about the ways that the other person (the person I sued) had given me a hard time and a lot of grief over the years. Now they wanted me to agree to a quick resolution? I think not!! I now have some power over them, and I can make life hard for them, too. Besides, a quick end to this lawsuit might result in me losing a fairly large amount of money that is rightfully mine. Not the most Christian of motives to doing what's right, hmmm?

So. I began earnest prayer to my Heavenly Father to guide me in what should I do. I know that I should not be motivated by revenge or greed, because righteous acts done by righteous people with unrighteous motives are still unrighteous. I want do do what is good and holy, and I want to stay in the will of the Father, so I sought His guidance.

My first thought was that I should turn to the Book of Proverbs, and I began reading through looking for verses to speak truth to me. Then the thought came into my mind: "Matthew 18:23-35". Please allow me to refresh your memory.

23"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ^[a]ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25"But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred ^[b]denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'

29"So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

30"But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

34"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Footnotes:

Matthew 18:24 A talent was worth more than fifteen years' wages of a laborer
Matthew 18:28 The denarius was a day's wages

God of course is the ruler, the person I'm suing is the servant who owes the small amount, and I'm the other guy. The money that I hope to recover, while I think it's a lot, is really nothing compared to all that I owe my Father in heaven. Think about it...I owe everything to the Lord, right down to the roof over my head, the bread on my plate, the clothes on my back, even the air in my lungs. I also owe my eternity to my Savior, and no amount of earthly wealth can ever repay that debt!!

Then there is the forgiveness angle. Granted, I began this lawsuit before I was saved, but I'm a Christian now. I know that the holy thing to do is forgive the other person, and by extension, forgive their debt. Lastly, there is the matter of trust. Do I trust in the legal system, or do I place my trust in a just and righteous God who sees all, knows all, and knows what I want and need before I even do? When I think about it, it's a no-brainer.

So, I'm going to send in the paperwork to resolve the lawsuit and I'm not going to expect any kind of return. Instead, I will trust my Heavenly Father because I know that He will do what is just. I seem to recall that the first five minutes of my reborn life I spoke of nothing but my trust in the Lord. What a wonderful blessing, to have the opportunity to put that trust into action!

Then, just to make sure that I didn't start regretting my decision to "let go and let God", He gave me one more verse to ponder: Luke 9:25

25"For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and ^(A)loses or forfeits himself?

Learning to stand firm

2009-01-17T18:28:00.006-05:00

The evil one has a stronghold in several areas of my life (like all of us), and he throws temptations in front of me at times when I'm most likely to fall into them. For me, that's early in the morning, when I'm hungry and still trying to wake up. In the past I have called on the Lord to take the temptation away from me (which He normally did).

Today was different. Today I was tempted fairly hard, and after I prayed for relief, the temptation became stronger and harder to resist. I prayed again for the temptation to be taken away, and this time I received an answer that I was not expecting. The Holy Spirit impressed on me that as Christians who are new in the faith need to progress from milk to meat, so it is with temptation. I need to move from running away to standing firm and resisting.

Every time that I had been tempted before, I had prayed for the temptation to be taken from me. In other words, I ran away from the problem. I ran to the Lord, but I still ran. Again today I ran to the Lord, but today He wanted me to call upon Him not to take away the tempting, but to call upon His strength to resist the temptation and stand firm against the evil one. In His mercy, my Heavenly Father reminded me that if we resist the devil, he will flee. The Lord also reminded me that while I cannot resist the evil one in my own strength, I certainly can when I call upon the Holy Spirit to strengthen me.

After the temptation had passed, as I was praising the Lord for His wisdom and His mercy, I reflected on the realization that it is more important than ever for us to stand firm in the Lord. The time is coming, and soon, that Christians everywhere will need to stand up for what is holy and righteous, and we will not be able to run. We must rely on the Lord's strength to be good witnesses for Him, in deeds and words.

The evil one is growing stronger in this world. That's okay... in the Book of Revelation, the Lord told us that would happen. Remember as you see evil grow that the Lord God is sovereign and that it is all part of His plan to return to earth in triumph. That doesn't mean that we sit back and wait, however. Our part is to be in the will of the Father and to stand firm for His Righteousness, until the day of His return.

Heavenly Father, help us to remain as firm in our faith as the foundation that it is built upon. You promised us that if we resist the devil, he will flee. Thank you for the comfort of that promise, and help us to always rely on Your strength instead of our own. When we try to resist evil on our own, we fail miserably. Help us to remain holy, and bless our efforts to seek Your face and Your righteousness. In Jesus' strong name , I pray.

Denying God's Sovereignty

2009-01-17T17:16:00.005-05:00

Last week I was driving my truck to Charlotte, NC and griping (as usual) about the traffic, traffic lights, and Chevy drivers. I was alone in the truck, so I griped just for my own entertainment. After I complained about one particularly long red light, the Lord rebuked me. He showed me that complaining (even if only to myself) about what I see as inconveniences is really a form of selfishness. The Lord showed me that whenever I gripe and complain, it is as if I'm telling God that I want preferential treatment.

Normally I'm happy to receive a chastising from my Heavenly Father, but this time I tried to argue with Him. Would you believe that silly me tried to justify my griping?! I actually tried to defend my complaining even after the Lord told me it was wrong!! How pathetic! That's when, in His mercy, the Holy Spirit taught me that my complaining was also a not-so-subtle way of telling the Lord that I did not accept His sovereignty over my life; that I wanted to run my life in my way, and in my time. What a shocking and humbling lesson!

The Holy Spirit told me that when I committed my life to the Lord, that meant ALL of my life, the bad and the good. He showed me that as long as I think I'm controlling certain areas of my life, He cannot change me in those areas. Of course, the areas that need changing the most are the areas that I hold onto the hardest.

I pray often that the Father teach me to accept His will in all things. I did not realize that even as I was asking the Lord to make His will known, I was actually going against His will by trying to impose my will on Him. The Lord rightly rebuked me for my selfishness in not wanting to accept His sovereignty over my life.

The Lord knows everything that is in my thoughts and in my heart, so of course He knows how I feel about petty annoyances. He puts those inconveniences in front of me in order to grow in me good fruits: patience, humility, graciousness, love for others. The Lord also does this because He knows that I need to be constantly reminded that He IS sovereign and in total control of all things. In His mercy, the Lord not only rebuked and chastised me, but He taught me how something that I thought was minor and harmless (after all, I was only complaining to myself, wasn't I?) was actually a horrific example of selfishness, self-righteousness and ultimately, unrighteousness.

I am so grateful that the Creator took the time teach this to me. This shows me that He loves me, because those whom He loves, He chastens and rebukes. I also see this as my Heavenly Father blessing my efforts to seek His face and His righteousness. So, now I'm even more determined to strive after Him and to be holy as He is holy. I know that I'll never get there without His help, but praise God, He gave me exactly the help I needed that day!

Welcome to Version 2.0

2008-11-13T15:59:00.012-05:00

To those of you who read the original version, please accept my apologies for a very poor effort at putting forth God's word. My intentions were good but my mindset was all wrong, and the old blog showed my misplaced focus. The good Lord, in His mercy, reminded me that I need to remove the plank from my own eye before worrying about the speck in my brother's eye; and since the old blog was mostly about pointing out the failings of others (especially the ones whose political views I opposed), I have to admit that I was wrong.

Apart from being overly political, the tone was self-righteously snarky, and that was completely against the message I want to communicate. I want Simple Simon's tone to be one of patience and instruction, as well as tough love (sometimes). We all occasionally need an encouraging word or a strong hand to pull us up when we're down, and the old-style blog just was not going to accomplish that.

Also, the Almighty Father has used recent events to show me that which is most important in life... and it ain't what Uncle Sam is doing! What is most important is following Jesus, and bringing His Gospel to as many people as we possibly can. So... I'm re-dedicating this blog to bringing the Gospel to those who need to hear it, and to encouraging those followers who might be struggling to stay on the narrow path. These times are hard, and getting harder, and we need all the encouragement and help we can get. Please pray for me that I can faithfully serve the Lord in the task He has given me.

Christian Civics

2008-11-13T12:16:00.001-05:00

Election season is over, the presidential and local elections are finished and the winners declared. Normally, the election season is my favorite time of the political year, but this time (for the first time) I sat out the elections. I did not cast a ballot in a local election, and I did not vote in the presidential election, either.

Why?? A good citizen takes advantage of his right to vote, the elections provide the average person a chance to be heard, and we all have the right to self-determination. At least, that's what I learned in civics class. Oops, I just gave away my age...schools haven't taught civics in years. But there is something much more important than deciding the next school board trustee or the next leader of the free world, and that is deciding to put your faith, hope, and trust in our loving Creator.

How so? Well, we use our elections to choose our worldly leaders; our worldly government. But we are called to be apart from this world, and to not place our hopes in the things of this world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 not to lay up treasures in this world, and that where our treasure is, there our heart is also. Treasure does not mean just wealth or possessions; treasure is anything that we consider to be of highest importance. This includes our nation, national sovereignty, national security, and especially our accustomed lifestyle.

I believe that treasure also includes government, which is an imperfect form of self-determination created by man in order to deal with man-made problems. When the Lord created the earth, it was a perfect paradise, and government was not necessary because humans were to live by God's laws. Adam and Eve caused the need for man-made laws (and a government to enforce those laws) when they disobeyed their heavenly Father and chose to follow the serpent instead of Him, and allowed sin into their lives. Simply put, man's answer to sin is government. God's answer to sin is Jesus.

Jesus calls upon His followers to put away their trust in things of the earth (Matt 6:25-34) and to seek first the kingdom of God. Uncle Sam calls upon his citizens to put their trust in him. We are to place our faith in God to protect us (which of course He will; He promised); presidential candidates want us to put our faith in the U.S. military - a function of government that the president leads - for our protection. We place our hope in our heavenly Father for our salvation; politicians have the audacity to ask us to place our hope in them. Politicians are mere men (or women) and by their sinful nature, evil. One may be perceived to be more or less evil than the other, but evil is evil. There are no degrees of evil, so even if we hold our noses and support what seems like the lesser of two evils, we are still supporting evil!

God has already determined the fate of the earth. He knew the outcome of the November elections before they were held. Nothing will happen that our Creator has not already decreed; and no vote that I might cast will change any of that. If I vote, then I am telling my heavenly Father that I want to take on my own future and determine my own outcome; by voting, I am misplacing my faith, hope and trust in myself, other men, and Uncle Sam.

Heavenly Father, please help me today, and every day, to stay out of Your way so that You can live through me and so that You can change me into the man You created me to be. Please forgive my stubbornness in wanting to live my life on my terms instead of Yours. Help me to focus on You as my Savior, and to place my faith, hope, and trust in You who are always trustworthy, and not in a person or political system. In Jesus' blessed named I pray, Amen.

Front-Page News

2008-11-13T11:33:00.009-05:00

When I was a lot younger I received this advice from an older friend: "Live as if everything you do today will be on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper." The intent was to keep me from embarrassing myself, but this advice applies equally well to our Walk.

How? Well, everything we think, say and do IS written down and kept until the day of Judgement. Proverbs 15:3 tells us that "the eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good." Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 (verses 4,6,18) that the Father sees what we do in secret. We know from Revelation 20:12 that all deeds are recorded in the Book of life, and we are judged by what is written. We have no secrets from the Lord and we will have to stand before our Heavenly Father and confess all our sins in front of Him. Talk about being front-page news! Every sinful thought and deed will be exposed and we cannot deny them.

The penalty for those sins is eternal damnation and being thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where we will suffer forever. I think about the consequences of my sinful thoughts and actions and I can't bear the knowledge that I deliberately chose to do the very thing that my Father hates! God, in His righteousness, could end my life this very second and drop-kick me right into that fiery lake.

However, our merciful Father gave us a chance to avoid our rightful punishment when He sent His only son, Jesus, to suffer and die for us. Jesus by his suffering and death on the cross redeemed the sin debt that we owe our Father, and we can receive His mercy; provided we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and repent of our sins. We still can't do this in our own strength or by the virtue of our own desires. We can do nothing apart from God; but we can do all spiritual things through Him.

Of course, once we accept Jesus as our Savior we still have to allow the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our hearts. The Holy Spirit will then begin to change our hearts (and nature) from sinful to seeking God's righteousness. This change, should we accept it and act on it, will allow us to move ever-closer to our Father, and as we walk toward Him and His righteousness, we will live our lives in a way that we will not be embarrassed for everyone else to see, and by doing so, we will give glory to God. And that is front-page news!

A Chapter a Day...

2008-11-13T11:01:00.002-05:00

Spiritual and political conditions in this world are making it harder and harder for devout Christians to fight our human impulses and stay on the Lord's Way. Every day we are faced with many choices that impact our walk, and every bad decision we make increases the distance between us and our Creator. We desperately need the Lord's wisdom to make the right choices and keep ourselves from giving in to the flesh and falling 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 from 1 Kings 3:5-14 that the Lord so loved Solomon's request for wisdom (over everything else) that He made Solomon the wisest man in all of history. Later the Holy Spirit directed Solomon to write down his God-given wisdom, and the result (of course) is the book of Proverbs.

Reading an entire book of the Bible is a challenging task, but the book of Proverbs is conveniently divided into thirty-one chapters. You can read all of Proverbs in one month, twelve times in a year, if you read just one chapter a day. All you need to do is read the chapter that matches the date; read Chapter 1 on the 1st, Chapter 12 on the 12th, etc. This will insure a steady, daily, uninterrupted flow of the Lord's wisdom into your mind and heart.

Many teachers believe that the best way to learn, and retain what you learn, is through repetition. I challenge you to read one chapter of Proverbs daily, in addition to your regular Scripture study; you will be amazed at the spiritual benefit that a daily dose of God's wisdom will provide!

In Memory of Maxie

2008-11-13T10:32:00.001-05:00

My Beautiful Bride's cat, Maxie, died yesterday after suffering complications from anemia caused by flea bites. Maxie looked to be a very healthy cat until the very end, when she became lethargic and stopped doing the normal kitty things that she did. We didn't realize that she was sick until it was too late to save her. We are heartbroken, because she was a beautiful and sweet cat, and in our grief, I got to thinking about just how Maxie's death parallels our own existence.

To use an offbeat analogy, we can look at fleas as a physical sign of sin. Fleas covered the beautiful Miss Maxie the same as sin covers us, and since Maxie was a black cat, the fleas were not visible without a careful examination. Our own sins are not visible to us unless we examine ourselves daily by praying that the Lord reveal our transgressions to us, and seeking forgiveness and repentance.

Maxie's fleas were too many to count, just like our sins (!), and the flea collar and flea dip that we used did nothing to kill the fleas. They were even crawling under the flea collar. The steps that we take on our own to stop sinning also do nothing, and our sins still abound no matter how many good works or Hail Marys we put out. Trying on our own to achieve righteousness is just putting band-aids on bullet holes; they look good on the outside but do nothing to promote actual healing. The fleas killed Maxie by draining her blood, and sin eventually kills us spiritually by draining from us all desire to be with and follow the Lord.

The only way to keep sin from dominating our lives is to not rely on ourselves but to commit and submit ourselves to our Heavenly Father, allowing Him to live through us, and repenting of our sins. James 4:7 gives us the model for killing fleas in our spiritual lives; Deut. 13:4 gives us the prescription for keeping spiritual fleas from coming back.

If I had checked Maxie for fleas and combed them out daily, and given her weekly flea baths; she would not have lost her life. It's not too late for us, yet. We can examine ourselves and seek repentance TODAY and every day, and spend quality time with the Lord in prayer and submission to His will. We don't have to die from flea bites, but we will if we allow the fleas to thrive on us.

Who do you trust?

2008-11-12T16:41:00.001-05:00

Recently I watched as a young toddler ran from her play to her mother, asking for a snack. The little girl's mother smiled, reached into her purse and pulled out a plastic bag, from which she took out some apple wedges. The little girl grabbed the apples, popped them into her mouth, thanked and hugged her mother, and ran off to play. I sat there and reflected on that scene, and I believe there is a lesson here for all of us if we care to examine it further.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3 that we are to become like children if we are to enter the kingdom of heaven. Did He mean for us to be childish in our prayers and devotions? In a word, no. I believe that He tells us that we are to approach our heavenly Father with the same attitude of gratefulness and trust of that little girl. How so? For starters, she trusted her mother completely. She asked without reservation, took without question, ate without fear, gave thanks without prompting, loved without embarrassment, and went on her way without care.

Exodus 16:1-21 and Exodus 17:1-6 tell how the Lord's people, after He delivered them from Egypt, did not trust Him to provide for them. Instead, they grumbled and complained, even after the Lord gave them what they asked for. Our heavenly Father, in His love, took care of their basic needs anyway. Later, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31-34 that He will provide for our basic needs also if we first seek His kingdom and His righteousness. He asks us to trust Him to do what He says He will do.

We as adults trust other people as implicitly as that girl trusted her mother. We trust other drivers to stop at red lights, we trust that the food on the salad bar is fresh and not crawling with bacteria, we trust the cashier to not keep duplicates of our credit card numbers, and we trust the person standing on the train platform next to us not to push us onto the tracks in front of the train.

We trust our government to protect us and even to provide us with the basic necessities of life, like food, housing, and health care. We even trust Washington to give us jobs and protection from our own bad investments. In fact, we as a nation seem to demand this from Uncle Sam.

Do we trust our Savior the same? I think that Jesus wants EXACTLY that same trust and devotion from us to Him, but how often do we tell Him that we cannot accept His wonderful gift because it would be hard, or mess up our lives, or we're busy, or embarrassed, or ______ (put in your own feeble excuse here)?

I know from experience that a young child will believe his parents without question, until he gains worldly knowledge. I think that Jesus wants that same trust from us, because His Word is perfect and sufficient, but when we gain "worldly" knowledge, we stop trusting Him much the same as our children stop believing us. If you have teenagers, you know exactly what I mean. We think we know everything and don't need advice or direction from our heavenly Father, much the same way that teenagers think they can get along without guidance from their parents.

The challenge that I'm offering to you is this: Put away the misplaced trust of your adulthood and run to Jesus with the same abandonment, love, joy, and trust with which toddlers run to their parents.

Will you trust Jesus? Will you trust Him even in hardship and trials? Will you trust Him even when the world around you seems to be falling completely apart? Will you TRUST Jesus to do ALL that He said He would?