The Executive Order You Need to Obey

Today is Thanksgiving. It is an official holiday where our government decrees that we as a nation are to give God thanks. Did you know that the word "holiday" comes from the old English words "holy day?" I read that George Washington made the first executive order by proclaiming day of Thanksgiving day on October 3, 1789. 

Exactly seventy-four years later, Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order proclaiming the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise." Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, made an executive order making Thanksgiving a permanent national holy day. Ever since, the president of United States of America has affirmed and upheld this holy day of Thanksgiving.

That's right, the United States of America's government established, affirms, and promotes a national holy day where we as a nation are to set aside a holy day to give thanks to God. But doesn't this go against the First Amendment, the establishment of religion? Not at all. The government should acknowledge and give thanks to the One True Trinitarian God who revealed Himself in the Bible. The separation of Church and State does not meant the separation of State and God.

It makes no sense to give thanks to the universe or mother nature, or anything else. The Bible is clear that there are no gods but the One True God who has revealed Himself through Scripture. In His Holy Word, God demands that we give thanks. Here are a few examples:

Enter his gates with Thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4

I will give the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High. Psalm 7:17

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

That our nation is in crisis, there can be no doubt. Our whole world is changing rapidly, and I don't think it is for the better. Many people are hurting today. Even here in the United States, I see more and more people on the roadside with signs that say "Homeless and Hungry." I won’t even talk about all that’s happening around the election or the latest news about COVID-19.

What's going wrong? The answer is found in Romans 1:18-23 where it says it is because God is not honored, and people do not give Him thanks. Read for yourself:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Emphasis mine)

The rest of Romans 1 tells us what happens when we fail to honor God as God or give thanks to Him. If the rest of chapter one isn't a description of what is happening in our country and in our world, I don't know what is. 

Today, we have a choice as a nation. We can obey this executive order and give God thanks, or we can continue on in our foolish ways. I want to encourage you to take this day to seriously, honor Him, and give Him thanks. 

Will The Real God Please Stand Up?

To Tell The Truth

I remember a television show when I was growing up called To Tell the Truth. In the show, celebrity panelists are presented with three contestants who have something about them that is not obvious. The panelists have to question the contestants to determine who is telling the truth and who are lying. Two of the contestants can lie all they want, but the real person must always tell the truth. After questioning the contestants, the panelists have to vote on who they think is telling the truth. At the end of the show, we have the moment of truth. The announcer asks, “Will the real Person, please stand up?” and the real person reveals himself.

As I interact with other Christians through reading their blogs, checking out their social media, or dialoguing with them in one form or another, I am amazed how different their understanding of God is from the God I read about in the pages of Scripture. At times, I get discouraged because I feel like the God many Christians believe in is so different than the one I see revealed in the Bible. I wonder how many Christians would vote for God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture if they were a panelists on To Tell the Truth.

Contrast of Gods

To illustrate my point, first I list just a few common beliefs about God that most American Christians believe. Next, I show that God says the complete opposite in the Bible. I try to make it this stark so people can see the contrast.

The American God

God loves everyone.

The God of the Bible

God hates the wicked.

Though God has a general love for the “world” and He loves His lost sheep (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10), He hates those who defy Him in thought, word, and deed.

Example Verse: 

You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. Psalm 5:4–5

The American God

God changed His mind. Certain behaviors that were once considered sinful are now deemed holy in the eyes of God.

The God of the Bible

God does not change nor do His standards of righteousness. 

Example verses: 

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 3:19

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

The American God

Everyone is going to heaven.

The God of the Bible

Jesus Christ was clear in many of His parables that there is coming a day of judgment where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12) 

Example verse:

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:41+42

The American God

If you are sincere, you will go to heaven. 

The God of the Bible

Sincerity will not save you. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that is manifested through Spirit-empowered obedience that will save us. This is not to say that Christians do not sometimes fall into sin. (1 John 2:1) We do. But when we do, we know that the Father is not pleased and will chastise us until we leave our sinful ways. (Hebrews 13)

Example verse:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

There are many more examples, but these will suffice to make my point. You may not like what the Bible says, but you cannot deny that it says what it says. 

Two Views of Scripture

If I had to diagnose the difference, I have to say it comes down to people’s understanding of the Bible. It comes down to two views. The first view is that the Bible is the only self-attesting book that reveals the self-existing triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This view takes what God says of Himself in the Bible. God claims the Bible is infallible; that is it cannot err. God reveals in the Bible that He is the foundation for science, reason, and morals. He claims that His written word is True and is the Standard of Truth. 

The second view is expressed in many different ways but can essentially be traced back to an authority other than Scripture. The authority is ultimately a person, whoever they are, who decides for himself what the Bible means.

The first view assumes God has one intended meaning in the Bible, and He is the one who has the right to determine what it means. This view uses all the literary tools available to us to get at God’s intended meaning. If those who hold to the first view encounter anything in the Bible that contradicts what they think, believe, feel, or experience, they know they must change and not the Bible.

Those who hold to the second view use another standard to determine whether what the Bible says is true or not. This takes many forms. For example, some assume that miracles are impossible, so they either dismiss the miracles in the Scripture or try to explain them away. Another example is those who want to live life according to their own standards. They don’t like that the Bible says their lifestyle is sinful. Hence, they twist the Scripture until they are satisfied that the Bible doesn’t mean what it obviously says and that Christians for thousands of years were mistaken in thinking that behavior is sinful. 

The Final Authority

I can give thousands of examples, but they all boil down to one common difference from the first view. What is that difference? That Man is the final authority of truth over the Scripture. The first view does not deny that people have to use their minds. This view fully engages the mind but also considers that our minds can’t always be trusted. Romans 1:28 talks about how God “gave them up to a debased mind.” Romans 1:21 says people become “futile in their thinking”, and “their foolish hearts” become “darkened.” It is not until people, by the power of the Holy Spirit, submit themselves to God through Jesus Christ that they can be “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” (Romans 12:2) 

And we can’t trust our hearts as Jeremiah says in 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Which God would you vote for if you were one of the panelists on, To Tell the Truth where different “Gods” were the contestants? Would you vote for the god that makes you feel good about yourself, or would you vote for the God who has revealed Himself in the Scripture?

The Lie Detector Test

If you were on such a panel, there is only one way you could know whether the “God” you were questioning was telling the truth or not? You would have to open your Bible and verify his answer. If it did not match up with the whole of Scripture, you would know who is lying and telling the truth.

It is time to read the Bible. Take time to examine everything you think, believe, and feel in light of the Scripture. Familiarize yourself with the entire word and not just the popular parts posted in memes on social media. And if you find anything contrary to what you think, believe, and feel or is contrary to what someone else is saying or doing, you must go with Scripture and not with man.

The real God has stood up! He has revealed Himself in the Bible. If you worship Him, you won’t just win on a tv show; you will have life for all eternity! Follow any other god and you will lose.

Time for a Real Change

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7”

You may not like this verse. You may not believe it. You may ignore it. Truth is truth and doesn't change just because the majority of people think it is not so. 

I have seen the truth of this verse in my life. I thought I could do sinful things and that I was "covered" from the consequences because I would confess my sin and because I was already saved.

But God has built His character into the universe, especially in the realm of humanity.

We were created by God, as was all of creation. Because we were created by God, His Law permeates all of creation. 

The Bible is not talking about "god" in some generic way. When the Bible speaks about God, it is testifying to the One God who exists in three Persons; Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Revelation 4:8”

And He is Holy. Not only is He holy, but He is also praised as being holy three times, which means He is the Ultimate Holy One.

And as the Holy One, He stands forever against sin.

Are you mocking God by living or doing things that He says are wrong? To do so is to make fun of God. It says that you know better than He does. You can think that all you want, but that won't change who God is and what He requires us.

The Bible defines sin as "the transgression of God's Law." ( 1 John 3:4). Whether you want to talk about the summary of the Law as loving God or loving your neighbor or you want to talk about the revelation of His Law in the 10 Commandments or if you wish to speak about the application of that Law all throughout the Scriptures, the Law is the Law from the beginning to the end and all the ways it is expressed in the Bible.

The truth is we all have broken God's Law, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) 

And God says, "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) Death in this context means separation from God. The ultimate death, we are told, is eternal separation from God. 

As it says in Isaiah 59:2, "your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God."

What's to be done? The good news of the Bible is that God has made a Way for sinners to be made right with Him. This Way is Jesus Christ. God the Father gave Jesus His Son to die in your place as a substitute. The wages of sin are indeed, death. The question is, who will die this death?

Jesus Christ has already died as God's substitutionary sacrifice. In whose place did He die? He died for all who trust in Him for salvation. Is that you? That is up to you. You have the responsibility to turn from your sin and trust in Jesus. 

What does that mean? It means to stop living in denial about the seriousness of your sin. Don't let others tell you that your sin is not sin. Don't let society deceive you into believing that you are a "good person." Don't let the media lull you into complacency. Don't let your lifestyle's comfort and convenience stop you from running from your sin into the arms of Jesus Christ. 

Leaving your sin can and will be difficult. But what does that matter when you are given the promise of eternal life in Christ?

To come to Christ means to leave your sin. It means to put your sinful heart into His hands and to leave your sinful life. It means to trust that His substitutionary sacrifice is all that you need to have your sins forgiven.

And when you have faith in Christ, God promises that He will forgive you, not only of your sinful heart, but all sin that you have committed in thought, word, and deed.

God also promises that He will fill you with the Holy Spirit. This means that God will empower your heart, soul, mind, and body. He will dwell in and through you to help you do the things He requires of you. The Spirit of God will continue to cleanse you from all sin on a daily bases. In Jesus Christ, you are made right with God, and through the Spirit of Christ, you are made holy in God's eyes.

Will it be difficult to stop living the sinful lifestyle you are living now? Of course, it will be. But God promises blessing on all who walk in His ways. (Psalm 1) This does not mean that God will make you wealthy or famous or prosper you according to the world's standard. It does mean that He will give you a new heart, a new outlook on life, a new purpose, and a new mission. 

If you don't turn away from your sin, the original verse I started with will hold true, "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." It may not happen today. It may not happen next week or next year. In fact, you may think you are living your best life, but someday it will all come crashing down. And when it does, I hope my words will come to your mind. I pray you will see the destruction of your life, peace, comfort, and blessing of God.

It will be a blessing because God loves you so much that He would strip you naked in this life to clothe you with His best garments for all of eternity. 

Why wait for everything to come crashing down? Leave your sin and turn to Christ today. You know what is in your life that He is not pleased with. He is pressing you at this moment on that very thing. Shut out every other voice but God's voice and listen, and after listening, do what He says. 

First, acknowledge your sinfulness. Next, trust in Jesus Christ. By faith, hold on to the truth that God, in Christ, completely forgives you. Last, be filled with the Holy Spirit and make whatever changes you need to make in your life to get right with Him.

I am here if you want or need someone to help you walk through this process. Otherwise, heed these words. However you respond, it will make all the difference in your life.

Amen

Are You a Dangerous Christian, or are You Just "Nice"?

Modern Christianity has produced a new phenomenon: the nice Christian. A nice Christian bears little resemblance to the dangerous Christians we read about in the Bible and throughout history. The nice Christian is just that; nice.

John Wesley told Christians not to be "nice." Why did he say this? The Latin roots of the word "nice" mean "ignorant" or "silly." Modern Christianity has become nice in the truest sense of the word. I'll spare you my rant on all the ways. Instead, I will write about the dangerous Christian.

The world, the government, and the minions of Satan hate dangerous Christians. These are believers who fear nothing but God. Jesus tells dangerous Christians that the world will hate them because they hated Him first. (John 15:18-27). Dangerous Christians are told to "love not the world." (1 John 2:15-17). Why would they, they are not citizens of this world. (Philippians 3:20)

This is why governments all throughout history hate these Christians. Nice Christians line up to show just how obedient and subservient they are. They salute the flag, send their children to public schools to pledge allegiance to the state, and stand whenever the National Anthem is played. Dangerous Christians dare to remove the American flag from their sanctuaries and do not sing patriotic songs, refusing to acknowledge that Caesar has any place in God's worship. They refuse to incorporate their church and become a state 501(c)3 state corporation.

Dangerous Christians are the bane of ungodly governments. They refuse to pay homage to the gods of the state. (Exodus 20:5) They would rather face perishing by fire (Daniel 3) than bow down. The Caesars hated these Christians as did tyrants all throughout history. They hate them because this kind of Christianity has brought down every major government in the past. When given the choice of obeying God or ungodly government, these Christians always obey God. (Acts 5:29)

The problem with dangerous Christians is they have already died. (Galatians 2:20). They fear no one and nothing, only God. It's difficult to intimidate someone who believes that killing them only ushers them into the presence of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:8) In fact, these Christians believe that dying for Christ increases their reward in the afterlife. (Matthew 5:10) No, they don't get 72 virgins. They receive Jesus Himself! And for them, there is no greater reward.

Compared to the love of dangerous Christians, the love of nice Christians is pathetic. Nice Christians never speak difficult words, don't offend anyone, and do not want to impose their religion on anyone. Not so with dangerous Christians. They speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), follow the lead of their Savior by offending the crowd (John 6:60-62), and continually impose the gospel's message on this lost world. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Dangerous Christians will give you the shirt off their backs if you are in need (1 John 3:17), yet command that food be withheld from a slacker (2 Thessalonians 3:9-11)

Dangerous Christians defend the innocent and vulnerable with fierceness and tenacity that makes nice Christians uncomfortable. (Psalm 82:3) Nowadays, nice Christians wear masks to protect the irresponsible, while saying nothing about the hundreds of ways people jeopardize their health daily, let alone anything about their eternal soul.

Dangerous Christians stand outside of the abortion clinics that, by the way, remained open during the pandemic's height as an "essential service." Instead of chastising others on Facebook for not wearing a mask, they begged and pleaded with mothers to spare their unborn children. They are so dangerous that governments have to pass special laws limiting the protesting of dangerous Christians so women can have guilt-free access to slaughter their baby in their womb.

Dangerous Christians know the corruption of the human heart and so are suspicious of profit-driven media. (1 John 4:1-3) They wage war against lies, arguments, and opinions that are anti-God and anti-Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:1-6) The media and its disciples can't stand the difficult, penetrating, and insistent questions of dangerous Christians.

These Christians love science, but they don't trust the scientist (Jeremiah 17:5), especially when they have motivations to please those who sign their paychecks. There is nothing more annoying than a Christian asking difficult questions of power or profit-driven science.

Dangerous Christians are not perfect. They make mistakes. Many of them are former adulterers, fornicators, haters, blasphemers, thieves, and alcoholics. (1 Corinthians 6:11) There is plenty to criticize in their lives even now, but no one is faster to admit that than these Christians themselves. They know what a miserable lot they are apart from Jesus Christ. Tell them how hypocritical they are, and they will heartily admit it. Though, they dare to say they are saints and believe they are as holy as Jesus Christ Himself. They indeed are an odd bunch.

Who are these dangerous Christians? They are the ones who call the world to repentance, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the orphan, and provide for the widow, all for Christ's sake. They have only one ultimate cause, and that is the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 25:35-40) While they work for social change, they know that the world can not change unless the root cause of sin is rooted out by the power of the Holy Spirit. These Christians are intolerant of all other religions and are zealous for the One True God, who has revealed Himself in Scripture. They are people of one Book, one faith, and One God.

If you don't know any Christian like the dangerous Christian I've described, you are probably friends with a nice Christian or perhaps are a nice Christian yourself. If you'd like to join the motley crew of dangerous Christians, put down your phone and computer right now and ask God to make you one. Call upon the Holy Spirit to transform you into someone the world, the flesh, and the devil would consider a dangerous Christian.

A Pastoral Prayer 7/22/2020

Heavenly Father, I come before You in humble prayer and adoration. To You alone belongs honor and praise and fear and worship.

And yet, I live among people who honor the military over Your holiness, who praise politicians over Jesus Christ, who fear COVID-19 more than You, and who worship the unholy trinity of money, sex, and power over the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Just as Your judgment has fallen upon all nations of the past who forsook You and Your holy Law, Your divine judgment has fallen upon my country. You have sent the fear of a deadly pestilence. Instead of repenting and crying out to You, we turn to unholy and ungodly leaders to save us. I know this furthers Your anger towards us, and it is well deserved.

We seek cleansing through the washing of hands, the wearing of masks, and by distancing ourselves from our neighbor rather than through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. We trust more in what experts say more than what Your word says. We turn to humanistic solutions rather than to the means of grace You have given us. We seek to force, shame, and manipulation to control others rather than practice self-governance.

Even those who are called by Your name have fallen prey to fear. Your holy Bride has prostituted herself to the state by becoming a corporation rather than the Body of Christ. Even Your shepherds have bent their knee to the god of this world. Your shepherds shut the doors of Your Church without a fight. Now they defy Your standards of worship by demanding people cover their faces in fear, by forbidding them to greet one another with a holy kiss or by extending their right hand of fellowship. Your pastors forbid the signing of psalms, hymns, and songs of the Spirit. We have broken covenant with You by banning baptism. We have withheld bread and wine and fed Your people individually wrapped pellets and watered down grape juice. Our sermons comfort and coddle rather than call Your people to repentance for wrapping ourselves in our flags rather than Christ's righteousness.

Forgive us for our hypocrisy of trying to protect those who might get sick while turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the silent screams of millions of innocent babies who have been sacrificed on the altar of ease and convenience.

Forgive us for our militaristic society that honors soldiers over missionaries that weeps at the national anthem over Amazing Grace, that evangelizes our youth to thinking that dying for their country is the same as dying for the sake of the gospel, that love is ministered through might rather than the preaching of the gospel and feeding the hungry.

LORD, pour out Your Spirit upon our broken, sinful, and rebellious world. Pour out the Spirit of repentance first upon Your Church. Pour out the Spirit of Truth and write Your Law upon our hearts so that Your justice will prevail rather than the arbitrary and anemic humanistic justice of disobedient rebels who fear no one, including You.

My country is burning out.

I pray You would wake up the remnant from their sleep and from their sin. I pray for a mighty move of Your Spirit.

And finally, I pray for the wisdom of how I can preach and proclaim Your message in love.

I confess I often react out of my flesh and pride more than out of love. But You know my heart and my passion for truth. I pray for more brothers and sisters to come alongside me, who will pray and proclaim Your message.

In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

COVID-19 AND PRIVILEGE

I translated this commentary I found on the Facebook feed of a friend of mine in Mexico. It really hit me as I read it and saw the picture of the poor Mexican family crammed in a shack. As I traveled throughout Mexico, I saw countless shabby shanties in the country and neighborhoods filled with cinderblock "houses" strewn around the cities. More than you can imagine.

One thought that harasses me as contemplate this article is how racist the virus is, perhaps how racist we all are. I stay at home with my wife in a beautiful apartment in West Hartford, Connecticut debating with others on our computers while millions, perhaps billions of poor people crowd in tiny rooms, many in sweltering climates south of the border, living in fear of the virus, of hunger, of the marauding military, bullying people to stay home.

I honestly don't know what to think as I, and most of my friends, read this in the comfort of our quarantine.

I don’t have the link. If anyone has it, please let me know so I can point to it. Here's the article.

****

Stay at Home

That’s the premise, the slogan.

Stay at home, says the sports star hugging his wife while his children run around the 1200 square foot home. Stay at home, says the politician, while he chooses which of his properties he will spend the quarantine on.

People don't understand how serious the virus is, says someone else, as they unload the crate of fruit and vegetables he bought online and paid for with his card at his door. And what about those who stocked their groceries in the big stores to get through the quarantine.

But on the fringes are the invisible neighborhoods, the 12x12 "houses", made of sheet metal and cardboard, where the cold is COLD and the heat unbearable. What about those houses filled with families where what they earned yesterday is today's food, where, if you didn't earn yesterday, there is no food today, where the safety measures are mandated but are impossible to comply? They are afraid of the virus too but don’t have the ability to protect themselves!

They just try to live, to be safe, and survive day by day.

The virus doesn't make us equal. The virus highlights, even more, the intolerance, the apathy with which the privileged sector of this society looks at those who have less.

-Stay at home to take care of us all: those who can’t are accused and questioned.

Outside the virus, inside the hunger on the faces of their children filled with disappointment, uncertainty, hopelessness.

Do we really take care of each other?

And what about the refugees outside countries waiting for asylum?

No, we're not in the same boat. We are in the same sea...
some on a luxury yacht, some in a fancy boat, while others have only life jackets or can only try to swim to survive!

I wonder if, in the end, we will learn anything new and actually do something positive to change what is happening in the world beyond the virus.

Quédate En Casa
Es la premisa, el eslogan.
Quédate en casa, dice el futbolista, abrazado a su esposa mientras sus hijos corren por los 400 metros cuadrados de su hogar.
Quédate en casa, dice el político, mientras elige en cuál de sus propiedades pasará la cuarentena.
La gente no entiende, dice alguien más, mientras descargan en su puerta el cajón de fruta y verdura que compró online y pagó con su tarjeta.
Y qué decir de aquellos que surtieron sus despensas en las grandes tiendas para pasar la cuarentena.
Pero al margen, los barrios invisibles las "casas" 4x4, de chapa y cartón, donde el frío es FRÍO y el calor abraza y marea.
Esas casas llenas de familias, donde lo que ganaste ayer, es la comida de hoy.
Donde, si no ganaste ayer, no hay comida hoy.
Donde se conocen las medidas sanitarias, pero es imposible cumplirlas.
¡Tienen miedo, pero sin medios!
Sólo se intenta vivir, resistir, sobrevivir día a día.

El virus no nos hace iguales.
El virus pone en evidencia, aún más, la intolerancia, la apatía con que el sector privilegiado de esta sociedad mira a los que menos tienen.

-Quédate en tu casa, para cuidarnos entre todos: Se los acusa e interpela.

Afuera el virus, adentro el hambre...las caras de sus hijos, la decepción, la incertidumbre, la desesperanza.

¿Realmente nos cuidamos entre todos?

Y los refugiados fuera de países esperando asilo?

No, no estamos en el mismo barco,
Estamos en el mismo mar...
Unos en yate, otros en lancha, otros en salvavidas y otros nadando con ¡todas sus fuerzas! .

Me pregunto si al final tendremos un aprendizaje y haremos algo positivo para cambiar lo que se está haciendo mal en el mundo.

Driving into a Rainbow

I had an interesting phenomenon happen yesterday afternoon. As I was listening to a debate on YouTube between Dr. Kaiser, Ken Ham, Hugh Ross, and Jason Lisle on Genesis discussing Noah, I drove into a rainbow. I’ve seen many rainbows in my life, but I’ve never had the experience of driving into one. I was able to get a picture of it to remember it by.

Rainbows mean many things to many people. For me, it reminds me of the covenant God made with Noah in Genesis 9:8-17. In this unconditional covenant, God promised He would never again send a worldwide flood to destroy the earth because of sin. When I saw this rainbow, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and His grace not only to me but to all humanity.

I remembered how this covenant led up to the New Covenant God made with us through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. It reminded me of how the Second Person of the Trinity became a man and died as a substitutionary sacrifice for all who have faith in Jesus. I was reminded of my own sin and how God has forgiven and removed my sin from me and that, in Christ, I am declared holy.

It was a beautiful experience and one for which I am very grateful.

Christians: Where’s Our Passion?

If Bible-believing Christians proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ and advanced the kingdom of God with the same passion, intensity, and determination as BLM and the LGBTQIA+ crowd, I wonder what would happen in our world and in our nation. Perhaps we really don’t believe as deeply in our message as they do in theirs. Just saying.

The Origen of Systemic Racism

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒:

𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑠 17:26, "𝐺𝑜𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ." 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 "𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑" 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 "ἔθνος" (𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑠). 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 "𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑐," 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 "𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒," "𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒," 𝑜𝑟 "𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠. 𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐴𝑑𝑎𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐸𝑣𝑒. 𝐴𝑠 𝑎 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛, 𝐼 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑜𝑑'𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒. 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑'𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑤.

I have been thinking a lot about racism. As a Bible-believing Christian, I have no problem with the toppling of idols and graven images or exposing the racist hypocrisy of many of our ancestors and founding "fathers." The United States was built upon the ungodly domination, subjugation, and extermination of a nation that pre-existed long before my Pilgrim ancestors arrived on the scene, not to mention slavery. And paintings of Jesus? Well, I never liked them, especially white Jesus, that hippy type looking dude with long hair and a beard who looks more like the guy on a Zig Zag blunt wrap package than anyone else.

However, I'm still waiting for modern social iconoclasts to focus on one of the biggest racists idols in history. This guy is responsible for more racist attitudes than anyone else I know. Of course, the man I am referring to is Charles Darwin, you know, that guy who coined the phrase "survival of the fittest"?

I was thoroughly indoctrinated by his racist view in my biology class in high school. I remember looking at the amoeba-to-man illustration in the text, wondering where I, as a white-boy, fit into the scheme of things. I wasn't taught that all human beings, regardless of the color of their skin, were made in the image of God. No, I was taught that human beings of various races are just one step in a long line of evolutionary transition. It wasn't said, but implicitly, my classmates and I were being indoctrinated with the racist belief that white people were further along in the evolutionary process than black and brown-skinned people.

Along with evolution, I was taught the "scientific" principle of the "survival of the fittest." It was more than just the process of natural selection. Natural selection made sense and is a scientific fact. We can observe it and repeat it. What we cannot observe and repeat are the supposed evolutionary leaps that happened over millions of years. It wasn't until I studied logic that I saw the inherent flaw of evolution. We start with a single-cell creature that, through natural selection, end up a human being. Going from simplicity to complexity, using the means of atrophy is absurdity.

I was taught that biologically some entities are further along on the evolutionary process than others and, as such, dominate the lower developed entities because of a superiority of intellect and adaptability. In other words, those who hold power deserve to be on top because of their superior biological evolution. It's all about "survival of the fittest." And if you are superior, you must not only grab the power, you must consciously and intentionally dominate and subjugate anything inferior. If you lose control, it is your own fault. Perhaps you weren't as "fit" as you thought you were. Wealthy white Europeans loved Darwin. He gave them a "scientific" justification for imperialism and Manifest Destiny.

So, I'm waiting for the Darwin god to fall. I'm waiting for those heinous symbols of racism, the Darwin fish with legs, to be ripped off of car bumpers and thrown into the gutter. I'm waiting for those fighting against systemic racism to direct their furor against our governmental socialist indoctrination centers that disseminate this inherent racist propaganda to innocent, vulnerable, and unsuspecting children. And I'm hoping and praying those fighting against racism will submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the Law of God and fight for the only way racism, and all sin for that matter, can and will be overthrown. "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

(A Very) Thin Blue Line

God helps us if the only thing that keeps the USA from sinking into chaos is a Thin Blue Line. I am not taking a crack at the police here. A nation that does not fear God and cannot practice self-governance is as close to collapse as you can get and the police can't stop it. The only thing that holds us from total destruction is the mercy of God. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit writing His Law upon our hearts will transform this world. The transformation must come from within and that can only come through faith in Christ and establishing the law of liberty (James 2:12).

A Reminder to the Remnant

Working to change individual and corporate sin without first addressing the root problem of original sin is like trying to purify the ocean by pouring fresh water into it. This is why the work and mission of the Church are absolutely vital. It is only through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ that the human heart is transformed from being “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9) to being “a pure heart” (Psalm 51:1). This is why the work of the Church 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 for our nation to be changed. It is through worship and the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:17) that hearts will be transformed.

The Kingdom of God is not an abstract concept. His Kingdom comes and His will is done as individuals and then nations submit themselves to the Kingship of Jesus our Lord. Calling individuals and nations to this is the essential work of the Church.

June 2nd: A Meditation on Loss, Divorce, Restoration, and Forgiveness

June 2nd used to be my favorite day of the year. Since getting divorced, this day brings feelings of sadness and regret. You see, it was on this day that I was first married back in 1984 and remained married for over thirty-one and a half years.

Don't get me wrong, I am happily married to Kelly. She is a beautiful, kind, loving, and supportive wife. She stood by me through the darkest days of my life, and I will forever be grateful to God for restoring me and giving me such a wonderful wife. She is God's blessing to me now, and I thank Him for her.

However, it isn't right to ignore the reality of a marriage that lasted over thirty-one years. It was a union that blessed me with four beautiful children and two lovely grandsons, a marriage that saw me through more than twenty-eight years of ministry, a marriage that was blessed. Because I was happy, the pain of its demise almost destroyed me. Those who know the harsh reality of the pain of loss, be it divorce, death, or whatever, know what I am talking about and will not judge me for the foolish things I did to escape this pain. "He who is without sin…"

Everything fell apart during what I see now as The Perfect Storm. And, just like the movie, three colossal forces collided with devastating effects. The first was our children were growing and leaving home. We dedicated our lives to them. They were all homeschooled from kindergarten through high school. As each of them grew and left home, it left a hole in me the size of the Grand Canyon.

The next storm developed when we brought my Aunt down from Vermont and ultimately moved her into the renovated garage attached to our home. While the rest of my family wanted to put her in a nursing home, we decided to take her in. My Aunt begged me to help her, and so we did. I am proud of how my family stepped up and sacrificed so that my Aunt could enjoy the remaining years of her life surrounded by loved ones.

The last storm came as an accusation that we stole from my Aunt. The Probate Court is a corrupt system run by incompetent elected officials who can destroy lives indiscriminately. I could write a book, and perhaps someday I will, about the ordeal we went through. It would have been better to be accused of a crime than be dragged through the Probate system. At least in criminal court, you benefit from being presumed innocent, having an appointed impartial judge, and having a trial by a jury of your peers. Of course, we weren’t accused of a crime because none was committed. Instead, we were dragged through the ridiculous and corrupt buffoonery of a Probate court, a kangaroo court that made a decision against us based on conjecture, prejudice, and hearsay. Worst of all, the judge ignored my Aunt's wishes and denied her rights. My Aunt stood by our side during that terrible time and was deeply grieved by the false accusations of misguided relatives.

I didn't do so well during the Storm. I made foolish decisions to medicate the pain. I take responsibility for my actions and repent for the bad choices I made. He sought me out and found me as He talks about in Luke 15 in the parable of the 100th sheep.

For those of you who know and love me, I want you to know I am doing well and know that my life is right with Him. He is restoring to me the years the locusts have eaten. I have asked and received forgiveness from those I hurt. In His infinite kindness and steadfast love, my ex-wife and I have forgiven one another and remain friends to this day. She even continues to work for me at the YellowJacket Expert and does an excellent job for which I pay her well.

So, instead of grieving this day, I will celebrate the past blessing God gave me and the new ones He is bestowing upon me now. I choose to give thanks for the thirty-one and a half successful years and leave the rest in His loving hands. To God be the Glory.

Why Christians Don’t Think Biblically

I wonder how many Christians believe the Bible to the most important book ever written, yet haven't taken the time to read it, either in part or in whole, and also do not make the Bible part of their daily study. Is it any wonder most Christians do not think Biblically?

Non-Essential Business or The Church Victorious?

I just learned that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker proclaimed Illinois churches will be closed for a year, or longer. How impressive, church and governmental leaders have accomplished in a few weeks of COVID-19, what the Caesars, Communists, Fascists, Tyrants, and haters of Christianity have been trying to do for millennia - shut down the Church.

How quickly church leaders have acquiesced and even admitted, through passivity, the verdict of the State of just how irrelevant they really are. In direct violation of the Scripture’s command to not neglect meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), pastors have shown just how “non-essential” the American Church is by closing their doors for who knows how long. We can go to Walmart, Cosco, Homedepot, but heaven (or should I say "hell") forbid people to gather for worship.

“But we fear COVID-19”, you say. Can anyone point me to a Bible verse that proclaims that we are supposed to live in fear of anything? Where does it say that God will protect us except against COVID-19? Even more, where does it say that we should fear anything but God?

I would argue that it is times of crisis like this that the Church, Christians, and especially pastors are the most relevant to society. I poked fun at pastors by rewriting the mandate given in James 5:14

𝐼𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘? 𝐿𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡, 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑.

The actual verse says,

𝐼𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘? 𝐿𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑.

It is a command for elders to be present with a sick person to pray for them in person, even touching them to anoint them with oil. I wonder how many people lay ill or dying alone during this crisis that needs or needed this kind of pastor and this kind of prayer.

Are you a non-essential pastor? Are you an irrelevant Christian? Does it matter to you whether your Church is closed or not? You have to answer that question for yourself.

There is no service, no group, or no individual more essential than the Body of Christ. Tell me, what is of greater importance than:

Salvation
Prayer
Anointing with Oil
Baptism
Communion
Corporate Worship
The Preaching of the Word
The Teaching of God’s Word
Marrying People in the Lord
Burying People in the Lord?

We are coming to a time when Christians may have to decide what we really believe. Are we vital or “non-essential”? Each one must decide for him or her self.

I am not pastoring a church at this time in my life. I know that if I were or if God called me back into pastoral ministry, I would defy any governmental mandates commanding me not to do what God has called the Church to do. I wouldn’t command you to come. That’s between you and God, but I would be prepared to lead worship, preach the word, pray, and administer the sacraments.

If the government continues to mandate the closing of churches, would you stand and say like Peter in Acts 5:29, “𝑊𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑛.”? There may come a time, no, there will come a time when Christians will, once again, be put to the test. If you cannot answer that question with a resounding “yes and amen”, then you have just become part of a non-essential business.

Sword, Famine, and Pestilence

The way I see it, we have three main fears circulating in the United States and throughout the entire world right now; the fear of tyranny, the fear of a collapsed economy, and the fear of COVID-19. For many people, these fears overlap one another.

Generally speaking, I think the heart of most disagreements lies in emphasis. Those who fear tyranny are more likely to downplay the seriousness of the virus. Those who fear the illness support more government control and are willing to put off economic worries, at least for now. And those who’s businesses are going under or are feeling real hunger pains are ready to take more health risks to stay alive. Who is right? I think each of these concerns has validity.

What bothers me is how Christians are responding to this present crisis. I’m writing this as a Christian to Christians. If you do not share my faith, you might as well stop reading. It will have little value to you unless you are curious about the present-day failure of modern Christians and the Church. If you are a Christian, I implore you to set your pride aside and heed what follows.

Whether it’s tyranny, the destruction of the economy, or COVID-19, it all adds up to one thing - God is trying to get our attention. When you read the Bible, you discover time after time, God acting in and through disasters. In fact, God even says He is the Author of calamity. He says in Isaiah 45:7:

𝐼 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠; 𝐼 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙-𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦; 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.

You can’t read the Bible long before you see, there is more behind disasters and difficulties than just random natural acts. God uses things to call sinful people back to Him.

Jeremiah 14:12 speaks specifically about God using tyranny, a collapsed economy, and COVID-19. He said to His people:

𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒.”

The sword is tyranny. Famine is the sign of economic collapse, and pestilence is a fatal epidemic disease such as COVID-19. The context is about Christians in the Old Testament who paid lip service to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They participated in the sins of the culture with no fear of God or His retribution.

If this verse isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is. I implore my brothers and sisters in Christ to take these words seriously. Let’s stop arguing and use our time and energy for something far more profitable - prayer and preaching the gospel. The world is in crisis, and we are fighting about who is right and who is wrong? About whether Donald Trump is the Messiah or the Devil? Whether we should wear a mask or not?

A while ago, I put out a plea for Christians to pray. I even made a simple outline on how to pray during this time. I don’t know why, but I got more responses about memes on tyranny than on my call to prayer. I admit, I get distracted too, but isn’t it time we put our pride away and get serious? It doesn’t matter if a call to prayer comes from someone you don’t like or someone you disagree with. Let’s put away our differences and unite in Christ. Let’s call our nation and our world to Jesus Christ. Let’s use our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to proclaim the only Way that will save this lost and dying world. That Way is faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His Law.

We Are All Homeschoolers Now

April 24, 2020

I have been ranting against unprecedented government intrusion into our lives for some time now. I just realized this morning that there is an unexpected blessing that is happening because of this epidemic. We now have a nation, perhaps even a whole world, of homeschoolers!

We homeschooled our four children right from the start and saw them through to high school graduation. Those who know little about homeschooling think that the kids are only taught by mom and dad. This simply isn’t true. Most homeschoolers utilize a variety of means to educate their children. Homeschoolers use online courses, tutors, and even participate in cooperative learning events for teaching academic disciplines. Much like what is happening right now for students who used to go to school.

Wise homeschooling parents think beyond the “desk”. Besides reading, writing, and arithmetic, homeschoolers utilize every opportunity to not only educate but prepare children for life. Something as simple as going to the grocery store becomes a lesson in economics and nutrition. Car repair can be a class in auto mechanics. And what better chemistry lab is there than baking? I hope parents stuck at home with the family utilize the wisdom of the homeschool world.

How ironic homeschooling is now the mandated form of education over nationalized public education!

Jesus is The Truth

The main difference between Biblical Christianity and every other religion and philosophy is we do not believe truth is a concept, Form, proposition, algorithm, syllogism, or formula. Truth isn’t something proved through semantics, logic or mathematics. Truth IS the Person of Jesus Christ. In His own words, “I am... the Truth…” (John 14:6)

The Ultimate Precaution

There’s something affecting humanity that is far deadlier than COVID-19 and yet so few pay it any mind. I think people fear the coronavirus because they ultimately fear death. It’s interesting to me to see how few people fear sin. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) What if we feared sin as much as the coronavirus? Sin has caused more death and destruction and devastation than any virus the world has ever seen, yet so many of us are as comfortable with sin as we are with an old familiar pair of bluejeans.

Look at all the precautions people are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Governments have closed much of the world. People wear masks and keep at least 6 feet apart. We are even willing to tank the economy and all the devastation that will cause in order to flatten the curve.

Imagine if we took sin as seriously as we are taking COVID-19? Imagine if we feared God more than we feared sickness and death? Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Please don’t misread me. Take precautions against real threats. Yet, I’m amazed and saddened by a world that puts so much energy into battling a virus while giving so little attention to sin and God.

There’s no cure for COVID-19, but there is a cure for sin. The cure is faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning blood that was poured out when He died on the cross. Take precautions against coronavirus, but shouldn't we take the greater precaution of where we will spend eternity? In Christ, we do not need to fear death or disease or destruction. Take the ultimate precaution by trusting in Jesus Christ today.

A Call to Prayer

April 10, 2020

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

If God’s own People aren’t willing to do this, then what hope is there for our State, our Nation, or our World.

Wake Up Believers and Pray!

A Call to Prayer

God is calling His people to pray. Whether you are worried about COVID-19, the economy, the expansion of government, how you’re going to pay the rent, or for the safety of your friends and family, the best thing we can do is pray. Prayer is not just something we can do to pass the time. It is the work that Christians are called to do especially during times of crisis.

I invite you to join me in prayer for all that is happening in our world right now. You can pray at any time, but I am inviting you to pray particularly when you wake up in the middle of the night or during a time when you are quiet and free from distraction.

For those of you who like some help in how to pray, I came up with a way to have Christ-centered prayer. Each letter in the name of C.H.R.I.S.T. stands for an important aspect of prayer. Whether you use this Christ-centered guideline or something else, the most important thing is that you pray.

Here is a brief explanation of each letter with one supporting Bible verse. I plan on expanding and explaining each aspect of prayer on my blog on the www.the100thsheepministries.com website. Check there in the next coming days if you want a deeper explanation of each letter.

C - Confession
Start with confessing your own personal sins. (1 John 1:9)
Continue with confessing our corporate sins as a nation. There are plenty of sins we can confess such as the sin of pornography, sex trafficking, child abuse, racism, greed, etc. The list is long. (Nehemiah 1:4-11)

H - Hallejuja (Praise)
Take time to worship God and realize who He is and how great He is. (Psalm 103:1)

R - Requests
It’s important to ask God for what you want and what you need. (Philippians 4:6)

I - Intersession
Take time to intercede for our world, for our nation, for our government, doctors, for the sick, for friends and family, for God to have mercy on us, for God to move on those who don’t know Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the work of prayer.(1 Timothy 2:1-2)

S - Scripture
Take some time and meditate on a verse or passage of Scripture. (Joshua 1:8)

T - Thanksgiving
Finally, take time to give God thanks for the many blessings He has given you. It is vitally important that you have a grateful heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Please share this with fellow believers and ask them to share it as well. Together we can and will make a difference. Our prayers will turn things around.

The Illusion of Control

March 17, 2020

I've been thinking a lot about “control.” Too often I believe I have control but soon realize that this is just an illusion. In the end, what real control do we really have? Perhaps we have some micro-control, but even then, our bodies can get sick enough where we have little to no say in what happens.

I suppose the only control we have is in our "will", in how we respond to what is happening around us or to us. Even that is difficult because our emotions can batter our intent to stay steady. In the end, my hope is in the God revealed through Scripture and ultimately through Jesus Christ.

The Bible reveals that God is in control, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21) And peace comes as our minds stay fixed on Him, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:3+4)

Quite frankly, I’m conflicted about coming back into the US during this time. Frightened herds begging for government control is, and always has been, a recipe for disaster. Governmental control once gained is not easily relinquished once the crisis is over. The virus is just starting to manifest in Mexico along with the accompanying panicky fear. Who knows what it will be like down here if either or both take hold?

In the end, I will do what I can to fight the spread of both crises by praying, staying vigilant, and being there for friends and family alike.