First of all, let me apologize that I haven’t been posting much lately. Especially this week, my life has been pretty busy and finding the time to sit down and write hasn’t been easy. Hopefully that will change in the near future and you can start seeing more posts from me on your dashboard!

Anyway, over the past 24 hours, my mind has been circling the concept of perfecting holiness (see II Corinthians 7:1). And in case you’re wondering why it is necessary for us to perfect holiness, remember the words spoken to us in Hebrews 12:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Holiness needs to be perfected in each of our lives because holiness and intimacy with God go hand in hand; and it is only when we have that type of  intimate walk with God that we will be able to be all He’s calling us to be.

You see, Paul recognized that holiness is too great a thing to be completely attained over night: that is why he used the work “perfect” in a continuing sense. Though the blood of Jesus covers our sins completely and totally when we repent and are saved, it is His desire that we forsake sin and seek to live a life free from any trace of it whatsoever.

But despite this, we each no doubt have areas in our life that could use some attention. Whether it be something that is flat out sinful (idolatry, a short temper, hate…) or perhaps an area that we could just stand to be more Godly in, such as spending more time in prayer and/or Bible study, we all have room for improvement. This is true regardless of who you are, how long you’ve been saved, or what church you attend. This truth serves to remind the proud of their need to draw closer to God, and to remind those who would otherwise be disheartened that even longtime Christians must continue fighting sin and keeping their hearts free from it.

As you have read these words, maybe your mind has drifted to an area in your life you know needs attention. I know mine has. If so, let me challenge you to spend the next few minutes thinking and praying about how you can perfect holiness in this aspect of your life. Whether it means erasing a few things from your calendar, or erasing a few things from your life, let’s work together to ensure that, when Christ comes, we are thoroughly prepared.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

                                 -John 15:11

In today’s world, many individuals seem only to care about making Christianity more “fun.” Whether it means compromising doctrines, or even straying from the very root of Christianity itself, nothing appears to be more valuable to them than a little enjoyment.  And while I am by no means trying to be a killjoy, we must remember that we have each been called to take up our cross and follow Christ (Luke 14:27). To put it simply, serving God won’t always be “fun.”

But on the other hand, there are those who make the Christian life about nothing more than rules and regulations. True, there are obvious dos and don’ts that Christians must abide by, but we must be careful we don’t become so consumed with going through the proper motions that we forget God does desire walking with Him to be a joyous experience.

It seems so easy to fall into spiritual ruts and make things like prayer and Bible study more of a chore than anything else. Sometimes I’ll catch myself just praying the words that I think I should say, or reading the Bible only because it’s the right thing to do. In those times I remind myself that these exercises are meant to be a time of fellowship between me and my heavenly Father, not just an empty motion.

Perhaps you’ve been feeling the same way. You are doing everything right on the outside: praying, reading the Scriptures, going to church…but the joy you had before has been lost along the way. If this is you, let’s stop now and pray the prayer of David together:

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

                             -Psalm 51:12

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

                        -Isaiah 57:15

 

I don’t know about you, but it always baffles my mind to spend even a few minutes trying to wrap my brain around the concept of eternity. The thought of living forever in heaven is one thing, but it nearly gives me a headache trying to comprehend the fact that God never had a beginning! As the song by Phillips Craig & Dean says, “…before time began, You were on Your throne; You were God alone. And right now, in the good times and bad, You are on Your throne; You are God alone.”

I suppose one of the reasons we struggle in comprehending eternity is our distorted view of time. Somebody’s running late and we say, “Wow. It’s taking them forever!” Here on earth, words like always, never and forever usually aren’t synonyms for eternity; they just indicate a long (or semi-long) period of time. It could mean a few years, or even a few minutes – but when God says it, He uses it in its full meaning. When He says He’ll never leave us nor forsake us, He means just that. When He says we will spend forever with Him in heaven, He isn’t exaggerating.

In a life where everything has a time frame, the thought of a God Who is apart from time completely amazes me. But even more than that, it reminds me of the importance of making sure I end up in the right place at the end of this life. Once we get to our eternal home, there will be no more do-overs. We’ll be stuck there forever. No, not a million years. That’s like a drop in a bucket the ocean in contrast with eternity! Whether for everlasting joy (heaven), or everlasting sorrow (hell), eternity will one day come knocking on your door. Perhaps before you finish reading this post! Are your bags packed?

“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob...”

                               -Judges 11:1-3

“Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?”

“And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.”

                                                                -Judges 8:33

Over and over again in the Old Testament, we see that the Israelites faithfulness to God was always dependant on whether or not they had a Godly ruler. If their king or judge was a God-fearing person, then so were they. But as soon as that person died, they would revert back to their sinful, idolatrous lifestyle.

That was the case in the days of Gideon. While he was alive, he kept the Israelites in line, urging the people to serve the Lord. But as it says in today’s passage, they left God “as soon as Gideon was dead.”  This gives us the impression that they never really had it in their heart to begin with! Whether their spiritual experience was just that shallow, or if perhaps they never even had one, we may never know. But one thing we can be sure of is that we must have our own personal relationship with God. 

Think of the Israelites as having been a cold-blooded animal. Such an animal has no way whereby to maintain it’s body temperature, and is thus dependant on heat from the outside world to survive. If found in a warm environment, it is lively and vigorous; if otherwise, it is lazy and despondent.  But on the other hand, a warm-blooded creature has the same body temperature regardless of its surroundings. Whether in a tropical rainforest, or in a snowy blizzard, it doesn’t change.

Cold-blooded animals are paralleled by so called Christians of the 21st century who “serve God” only when surrounded by other Christians. But as soon as their surroundings change, so do they. When around the Godly, they are “Godly”; but when around the sinful, they are sinful. They laugh at jokes they would scorn in Christian company, and maybe even tell a dirty joke or two themself. The music they listen to, the books they read, the television shows they watch – everything changes based on who their with.

A true Christian, however, is not affected in the slightest by his or her surroundings. When around the Godly, they are Godly; when around the sinful, they are….Godly. Whether in church, or in the supermarket, their identity remains unchanged. This is the same mind that was in Christ Himself, Who preached the truth when people flocked to Him by the thousands, and when His best friends on earth forsook Him and went their own way.

I know that I usually don’t say this much about a single verse, but I feel such a need to share this with you. I think it’s a message that we all need to be reminded of. Your relationship with God should be just that: your relationship with God. Not your parent’s; not your pastor’s; and not your friend’s. It has to be a genuine, life-changing experience.

 

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

                                             -II Corinthians 5:17

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If you're reading this post, then you probably already understand the importance of studying God's Word. But in my own personal walk with God, there have been many times where He has opened my eyes to see the value of having the Scriptures in a clearer light. That is, I thought I knew the value of God's Word a couple years ago; but now, I esteem the words of His mouth more than my necessary food (Job 23:12). They are more to be desired than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10). Why? Because all of those things are temporal. All of our earthly treasures will one day melt with a fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:10), but the word of our God shall stand for ever (Isaiah 40:8). To put it in the words of Christ Himself, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matt. 24:35)

As the photo above illustrates, even the most beautiful things in life will fade. Our life, as well as anything we might gain during it, is only a vapor. It appears for a while, and then vanishes away (James 4:14). Why then spend the few years we have on this earth seeking after things that won't last any longer than we do, when we could instead be laying up for ourselves treasure in heaven, "where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth"? (Luke 12:33) The only thing on this earth that will last is the Word of the Lord. That is why it is so necessary to memorize and study it. We live a temporal life, surrounded by temporal things and temporal treasures; but through the Bible, God has made a way for us to have something eternal to carry with us along the way.


*Photo © 2010 - Dakota L.

“And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.”

“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.”

                                 -Joshua 9:3-6, 14

I know this passage is significantly longer than most texts that I use, but it carries a vital message which I’d like to share with you, so please bear with me.

You see, as the Israelites began making their way into the promised land, the inhabitants of Canaan and the surrounding territory became exceedingly fearful for their own safety. And who could blame them? Rumors of a people whose God could part seas and bring plagues upon those who opposed them were not taken lightly by the Gibeonites, and so they devised a plan whereby to ensure their survival: they would fool God’s people into making a covenant of peace with them. In order to do so, they put on old, worn clothes,  put moldy bread in their sacks, and everything else necessary to give them the appearance of weary travelers.

Being deceived by the Gibeonite’s disguises, the Israelites did indeed make the desired covenant, probably never expecting to see this caravan again. But as it turned out, these people were anything but weary travelers from a far country; they pretty much lived next door. Now, because of their oath, they were unable to fulfill the commandment of God and destroy all the inhabitants of the land. Naturally, this caused problems in the days ahead.

Moving on to verse 14, however, we find that the whole reason this deception was successful in the first place was because nobody in the Israelite camp prayed about this crucial decision. It seemed right at the moment, so they acted on impulse. But on the other hand, if they had sought God’s direction they would have seen it was not His will for any kind of agreement to be reached between the two nations. Now I’m not saying He would’ve showed them the big picture of what was going on, but at the very least they would been able to avoid making a very costly mistake.

Do you see what God is trying to teach us here? Every decision we make, big or small, should be brought before God in prayer to ensure we don’t make the wrong choice. Now does this mean we made a wrong turn somewhere along the line if things suddenly start going wrong in our life? Not necessarily. Sometimes God purposefully leads us down a more painful path in order to teach us something useful. But rest assured, taking things into our own hands is never the way to go.

What choices has life presented you with today? A new job opportunity? A decision between colleges? Whether or not to touch on a sensitive topic in one of your blog posts? Whatever it is, God has an opinion, and we would all do well to make sure we get His input first.

Do you remember at the end of my last post in this series, when I said that scientists must ignore their own laws in order to make evolution work? Well say hello to example #2.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, it states that “In a system, a process that occurs will tend to increase the total entropy of the universe.” Or in other words, things gradually deteriorate over time. A house left untended will naturally become rundown, and a neglected yard eventually becomes unsuitable. It’s just common sense. Actually, the entire universe is (very) slowly becoming more and more unstable itself. If the Lord were not soon returning, our entire planet would be destroyed in no more than 5.5 billion years by the gradual expansion of the sun. Obviously though, that’s not something Christians should even be concerned about.

Now how on earth could a universe of perfect order be produced by a giant explosion 13+ billion years ago? Think about it. Scientists theorize that everything in existence today – the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and even your backyard – was all compressed into an extremely dense speck no larger than the period at the end of this sentence. Then suddenly, it exploded! A force more powerful than any atomic bomb then produced a universe of perfect order. Birds singing, beautiful waterfalls and glades – no, these things are not the Creation of an intelligent Designer; that’s stupid. It is much more rational (and scientific) to believe that a giant explosion formed it all. In fact, it is so rational that people have even decided to teach it in public schools as if it were already proven. Do you see a problem here? I know I do.

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, everything tends toward disorder. That is, until you begin examining the most important issue of all time: where we came from. Then, scientists say that chaos produced harmony, discord produced peace, and a random explosion produced, not only the entire universe, but even me and you. Who knew that one of the most popular ideas ever suggested by science would be so unscientific?

When everything is studied in its full light, it is apparent that we have only one of two options to choose from. Either God created us, or He didn’t. If He didn’t, then everything we see must have been the production of a big bang and random chance. Without a doubt, only “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...” (Psalm 14:1)