The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into Hell [lit., Hades];
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.

When I Say God

Speaking to God I say, "You are God and there is no other god." But what does that mean, "You are God."? What am I saying when I say God referring to the God of the Bible? I am saying He is exactly as the Bible says He is--His attributes, His acts, His promises are exactly like the Bible says they are! He is eternal (Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.), self-existent and self-sufficient (Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “ I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’” ; Psalms 50:12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.) [Strongs, in his theology, says "God exists by the necessity of his own being. It is his nature to be. Hence the existence of God is not a contingent but a necessary existence. It is grounded, not in his volition, but in his nature.], merciful, kind and loving (Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, . . . ” [NKJV], Psalms 103:17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children.), just (Exodus 34:7 ". . . by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation." [NKJV]), faithful (1Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  [NASB]). He is all of these things and very much more, infinitely so. There is no understanding God. He is too big to understand with our finite minds, yet He has giving us an understanding of Himself so that we can have a very real personal relationship with Him, that we may know Him as Jeremiah 9:23 speaks of. It is God's pleasure to reveal Himself to us--but the thing unrevealed are for Him alone, Deuteronomy 29:29.

Time Changer

I watched the movie Time Changer for the second time this evening (7/3/10). Kip Doan and his wife introduced it to me a few years ago when we lived in Bob Robert's triplex on Pearl St. in Independence, MO. It is a very good movie and well worth any Christian's time. It is also very convicting regarding how we live our lives. We must be 100% of God or we are perverted compromisers against Him and His commands. That is what this movie will convey to anyone who is honest and wishes to be open to the Lord and honest with his own life. I wrote some quotes from the movie which are rehearsed during the closing acknowledgments. Here they are. Rejoice, and weep.

“Satan is not against good morals. He is opposed to Jesus Christ. A man can have good morals his entire life, yet you and I know he will go to hell when he dies”
(Dr. Norris Anderson)

“The ultimate issue in Christianity is the authority of Christ, and the devil is attacking this authority by convincing us to teach morals alone. Look at our families. they are weakening. . . . and our young people are becoming more disrespectful. Now I believe that this is a direct result of eliminating the authority of Jesus Christ from His commands.”
(Dr. Norris Anderson)

“In these last few days I have come to realize how wrong I was in thinking that we could reform society through the teachings of the Lord without the Lord of the teachings.”
(Dr. Russell Carlisle)

“It says in the Bible that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If people don’t hold reverence for the Lord, what can we expect?”
(Michelle Bain, regarding the prevalence of evil in modern society)

“Satan’s goal is to remove the name of Christ from His commands, and when we do this people are deceived intro thinking that if they live a good life they will receive God’s approval and attain Heaven.”
(Dr. Norris Anderson)

“The truth is is that all of us will live forever. And we will either spend eternity in the presence of our Lord or in a place of darkness the Bible calls the lake of fire. If you have not, please give your life to Jesus Christ right now. Your eternity will depend on it.”
(Dr. Russell Carlisle)

The Law of Sin in the Believer

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

"A law is taken either properly for a directive rule, or improperly for an operative effective principle, which seems to have the force of a law. In its first sense, it is a moral rule which directs and commands, and sundry ways moves and regulates, the mind and the will as to the things which it requires or forbids. This is evidently the general nature and work of a law. Some things it commands, some things it forbids, with rewards and penalties, which move and impel men to do the one and avoid the other. Hence, in a secondary sense, an inward principle that moves and inclines constantly unto any actions is called a law. The principle that is in the nature of every thing, moving and carrying it towards its own end and rest, is called the law of nature. In this respect, every inward principle that inclineth and urgeth unto operations or actings suitable to itself is a law. " John Owen

So long as this "law of sin" is in the believer he can not ever expect to be free from the malady or be slack in his warfare against it. To refuse to see sin as it is, to acknowledge its nature, power and presence in us (that is, our flesh) we shall be made all the more victims of its destructive force in our lives, and our light shall wane and eventually all but go out. To war against an enemy one must first understand the nature and reasonings of the enemy. The same is true of spiritual battle, only of infinitely greater consequences. Understand the effectual, working power of sin in you and fight it with at least the same intensity as you would the murderous intruder in your home. Bar every door, lock every latch and window to keep him out. But if he gets in--if sin makes its plea for your obedience--KILL IT!

Natural Desires and Sin

Sin shall ever be with us as long as we are in this body. There is nothing we can do about it. I don’t mean there is nothing we can do about sin lived out or unchecked. We can do something about that, though we cannot free ourselves completely from it. I refer to the thing sin, sin itself--that principle of wickedness which is in us and demands our allegiance. For all our lifetime it shall move in us and upon us, forcing its desires upon our minds and wills. It creates in us desire that is not what we want as Christians. We cannot get away from it. No matter where we go or what we do, we will be severely pressed upon by sin and its longings to be fulfilled in us.

It will make us remember our past sins and desires--one of its best weapons. It will tell how pleasurable it was and that it is OK to do it again. It will make us forget the guilt we felt and the sorrow it caused. It will make one forget the fact of death and judgment and the abyss and heaven and the face of God and His judgment seat. It moves directly to our passions and lets us know how pleasurable it would be to fulfill its temptations. Not everything it wants us to do is wrong by itself. But how deceiving! Everything it wants us to do is wrong, for the least it wants is for us to wrongly fulfill legitimate desires. And it is the wrongly part that makes it sin in every case. Sin can never be legitimate, for wrongly fulfilled desires can never be legitimate.

The Scriptures tell us how we are to fulfill our natural desires. We are first to do all things to the glory of God, not simply for self fulfillment. When we do not directly concern ourselves with God in all things we are in sin by that very fact. We are also to fulfill our desires in accordance to how God made us and how He told us we are to do this or that. God’s word tells us what is sin and what is not. We must go with it in every case.

True Life Will Come

People today are filled with frivolity. I suppose they have been in every age. Even Christians determine their non-working paths by what sort of entertainment they may engage themselves. Everything seems to be more important than it is. Sports, recreation, vacations, or what have you wastes so much of our time and talents. When we could be in the Scriptures two or three hours we would rather do nothing of eternal worth. When we could pray we choose conversation with other frail, helpless human beings rather than with the One who has no weaknesses and can strengthen us and meet our needs. We don't seek Him and His strength as we should. We don't seem to have a real sense of the essential nature of our spiritual lives. We flit about as a bird on the wing. We fly high but never come to earth. We dream and desire but never acquire the subject of our searching--pleasure, or blessings. Why? We seek it where we can not find it. We seek it in our activities, even distinctly Christian activities. We seek it in our frivolous attitudes. We need to seek it in Christ and the Father through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. Were we more disciplined we would be more pleased, blessed and content. We would also do more for Christ and His kingdom.

This discipline is the discipline of seeking Him. Spend time with Him in His word and in prayer. Read sermons and other biblical works as well as serve Him by serving others. Meditate, write, debate doctrine, etc. This should take up a good portion of our lives. This will enable us to know God better and to have a heart for what He has a heart. Only when we spend time with God, in His presence and things (Lk. 2:49) will we find real fulfillment in life. Frivolity will depart and true life will come.

The Power of God's Word--Changed Lives

I am here to say the word of God has no power unless it is couched in life, fleshed out in living. Of what value to me is His word unless it creates change in my life or someone else's. Is it not a catalyst that creates a difference in that which it touches while itself remains the same? And unless it takes me to more change, or reality and sobriety, why should I count it of worth? Or why should anyone else consider its claims by my lips if he doesn’t see its power in my life--a life different than theirs? It is almost only as it is lived out by its proclaimers that it finds power in the life of the one to whom it is proclaimed. I say almost because the Word has power in itself without any external witness unto it. Unfortunately, it is often only the characters within its pages that are the real testimony of its power to others--the prophets, apostles, specified individuals and, of course, the Lord Himself. This is because so few of us who profess Christ really live in Him, through Him and as Him. Though not exactly God’s plan, the power of their testimony is sufficient to lead others to faith in Christ and eternal life. Even so, let us not allow the pages of Scripture to be the only life testimony to others. We must be so ourselves.

Why Art Thou Cast Down

Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (NKJV)

Three times the psalmist asked himself why he was cast down, or discouraged or disquieted within himself. Three times he admonished himself to hope in God, for God shall surly raise him up and give him cause to praise and thank Him again. Three times he says this, twice in one psalm and once in the following. Three times the seraphim declared God to be holy(Is. 6). Three times the LORD called on the people of all the earth to hear the hear His word, saying, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD" (Jeremiah 22:29). Three times it is said God gave up or over those who will not repent of their sin and accept His truth (Rm. 1:24, 26, 28), meaning He would leave them to their own devices from then on. He would not visit them again or give them another opportunity to repent and be saved. They would be lost forever, having no more hope for redemption. They had made up their minds and He confirmed them in it. They cannot even want to repent now, for God will never again move on them with His Spirit.

But what I wanted to bring out by mentioning the times God said something three times is that when He does so He is demanding our attention to the fullest. He always means business, but at these times He is intensely trying to get our attention. We must hear and heed what He says, especially at these times. So here, in these Psalms, regarding this repetition of the psalmist, let us give heed. Though we should be cast down and depressed and disquieted within ourselves, God will yet make a way for us and we shall praise Him. There shall never be a time when He will not bring us back up from the doldrums of despair--even the worst sort. We shall ever praise Him for His goodness to us.

In praise we both glorify Him by telling of His goodness and greatness to others and even to ourselves and Him, and we give thanks to Him for His goodness to us. The same word (‏יָדָה‎ yadah) is translated both ways (praise and thanks) in the Psalms (here and Ps. 107, for instance). We never praise Him but what we give thanks, and we never give thanks to Him but what we praise. The two thoughts are ever together. We may be only intending the one, but the other is ever there. To praise God is to proclaim His worth. When we thank Him we declare His worth, for His kindness to us causes us to speak of what He did for us with a heart of rejoicing and gladness and appreciation.

We may be in the doldrums now, but we need not despair. We shall yet praise Him for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to us. Do not complain, but declare His praise!

A Response to a Friend--Morality Not Up For Grabs

One of my friends (not just on facebook) posted a sample of the type of conversations he has with some of his wife's liberal friends. They, of course, love everything ungodly (possibly an overstatement) and try to defend their positions with illogical and irrational arguments--the only type of arguments that one can argue against truth and Biblical godliness. I commented on his post and now share my comments with you.

When one wants something he/she can find a way to justify it and, or get it. But neither the wanting or getting is justifiable in all cases. Morality is one of those cases. Morality IS and cannot be changed, whether or not one likes it. If society creates morality, which is a main feature in such arguments as you presented, then where is my voice? I am a part of society. And what right does the rest of society have to foist upon me their wishes? Is that not the very thing these people who want to redefine everything they don't like complaining about? They seem to think it is OK for them to foist their views on others--even if, as in the case of same-sex marriage (via the voting booth), the strong majority doesn't want it. If such large percentages of people in society don't want same-sex marriage, and if society (not a Deity) determines morality, then why do the critics continue on? Have they not gotten what they want, a society-based morality? And why do they want a society-based morality? Is it not so they can change it at their whim? A God-determined morality is set eternally, or until the Deity changes. For the God of the Bible (the only God there is or ever has been or every will be) to change is an impossibility for His nature is eternal and immutable. We had best thank Him for that. "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). For there to be a variability in God, as there is in us, would not be a good thing. Were there, the wicked would have been cut off at the start of their wickedness instead of His waiting for a day of judgment with a view to their repentance by which they will receive forgiveness and justification and regeneration by the very God they despise, but Who loves them to such a degree and in such a way as to give His own Son, Jesus Christ, in torment and death that they might have this forgiveness and justification and regeneration. The One they hate is the One who wants them for His own children. Could and should they understand this they might have a very different attitude toward Him---and a very different eternal destiny as a result.

More could be said, but enough has been--for now.

Grace

Grace is the unwarranted favor of God bestowed freely, without expectation of return. Grace, though, is sometimes the descriptive used to denote the gift or enabling given. In other words, grace is itself the gift given. For example, someone might say he had grace to get through a particularly tough day. What is meant by that is he was strengthened by the Lord to meet the trials of the day. God graciously gave the strength and so it is referred to as grace itself. In this venue, grace is sometimes the discipline to live the Christian life. Discipline, I say, must be worked at. It does not come automatically, as its definition, self-control, determines. Control is something one enacts in and for himself. It must be exercised. And it is this grace that more than not makes life worth living and our Christian life useful.

One caution, though, must be made. This self-control which we call discipline must not be enacted by self-strength, as if we possessed such ability. No. It is the act of God in us, an act of grace. He enables us to be disciplined and use, or act-out, that enabling. This thought is proclaimed in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (NASB). And the apostle Paul, recognizing this grace of God bestowed on him, said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1Corinthians 15:1, NASB). The entirety of the Christian life must be lived in full dependence on the Lord.