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God and the Coronavirus
Here is a controversial question for you: Did God send the Coronavirus? The short answer is yes. I will give you two reasons why.
First, God is sovereign. He is in control of every molecule in this universe. If it was not His will that the virus come, it would not have come. So, whether He sent it or allowed it (to me, it’s semantics), He is the reason it is here. (See my blog: God Is Ultimately Responsible for All Suffering.)
Second, God did send plagues in the Old Testament. Exodus 8-12 records nine plagues the Lord sent through the land of Egypt when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. Exodus 32 records God sending a plague among the Israelites after they worshiped the Golden Calf. In Numbers 16, the Lord sent a plague among the people in response to their rebellion against Moses and Aaron. It only stopped after Aaron put incense from the altar into a censer and went and stood in the midst of the congregation. Even then, over 14,000 people had died.
One particular plague I want to draw your attention to is Numbers 21. It is arguable if this could be called a plague, but the effects are the same. Because the people spoke against God and against Moses, God sent fiery serpents among them to bite them. Every, or nearly every, person who was bit, died. When the people repented, the Lord told Moses how to stop the plague. He was to create a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Whenever a person was bitten, if they looked at the bronze serpent, they would be healed and live.
Jesus referred to this incident in John 3. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Why did He refer to this incident in speaking of Himself?
Just as there were likely some in the Wilderness who were bitten and who did not look to the bronze serpent to be healed, there are many now who are under sins judgment and who will not look to Jesus Christ to be saved. Looking at the Bronze Serpent was the only remedy God provided as a cure for the bite of the fiery serpents. By looking at the Bronze Serpent, they would live and not die. There was no salve, no magic incantation that would help them. Only looking at the Bronze Serpent would save them.
Similarly, looking to Jesus Christ is the only Remedy God provided as a cure for the sting of sin. By looking to Jesus Christ, we would live eternally and not perish. There are no good works nor good nature that will help us. Only looking to Jesus Christ will save us.
Did God send (or allow) the Plague? Yes. Why? It is hard to say. No one here knows fully the mind of God. But He may have done it for the same reasons He did it to the Egyptians and the Israelites—disobedience and rebellion. He may have sent it as punishment and as a warning. Our world is becoming so full of people rebelling against the command and the Person of God. Therefore, He sent a plague among us to call us to repentance before it is too late. Leviticus 26:21 says, “Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven time more plagues, according to your sins.”
One thing the Coronavirus has done is to cause people to reach out to God. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Could a worldwide revival be on the way? Possibly. Or sadly, we may miss the warning God has sent us and do as we did after 9/11, go back to our sinful ways once the crisis passes.
Reach out to God while it is not too late. Recognize we are facing eternal death because of sin and only Jesus Christ is the cure. Trust that when He died 2000+ years ago on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins. All we have to do is believe that He was Who He said He was and that He did what He said He came to do—to give His life as a ransom for many.
Look to Jesus and receive the only Remedy God has provided us to escape eternal death and receive eternal life.
Five Reasons the Rapture and the Second Coming Are Two Different Events–Part 3
3. He will come as a “thief in the night”.
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour[a] your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.—Matthew 24:40-44
Have you ever heard a strange noise in the middle of the night and wondered what it was? Did you imagination start to run wild wondering if it was a burglar only to find out it was just the wind? Perhaps, you have been home when someone tried (or succeeded) in breaking into your home. Were you prepared? Did you know they were coming? Rarely, if ever, do thieve announce their intent to break in. They do not send a postcard saying, “Tonight, I will break in at three o’clock in the morning. Be sure to leave your valuables out where I can find them.” No, thieves usually take their victims by surprise. It’s what gives them an upper hand.
Jesus said when He comes to get us, it will be like a ‘thief in the night’. In verses 40-41, Jesus spoke of how two men would be working in the field: one will be taken and the other left or how two women would be working at the mill, one would be taken and the other left. This speaks of the suddenness of the Rapture. In fact, the term Paul uses for caught up or snatched away gives the connotation of sudden speed and force. The word, rape, comes from the Greed word used because of the amount of force often associated with it. Why like a thief in the night? Jesus is not going to announce when He is coming so people can play and ignore Him until the last minute when a time of worldwide prayer vigils start right before He returns. Using terminology from the news, why would God ‘telegraph’ what He is going to do to the devil and his team (not that they can be any resistance)?
The preceding verses speak of life going on as usual when suddenly everything changes. The verses say one will be taken and one left. Just like in the Rapture. Not everyone will go. There will be those who rejected Christ who will be left behind. There will be those who are religious who will be left behind. There will be those who thought they were saved but were not that will be left behind. This is why Peter exhorted the Believers to “make [their] calling and election sure’ (2 Peter 1:10). Those who are going to go are those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ, and Him alone, for their salvation (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Some have thought these verses referred to the culling that happens in Matthew 25. However, this seems to point to a different event because Matthew 25 speaks of everyone being taken and separated into sheep and goats in Christ’s presence. He speaks of how the angels will gather all people from under heaven and bring them to Him. He then will separate the wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:30), the true believers from the pretenders. The Matthew 24:40-41 passage, however, gives the impression that one is taken (caught up) while the other is left behind.
It happened suddenly and without warning. Like the five foolish virgins, the ones left behind who were not prepared. They thought they had enough time to get ready. This is why Jesus said ‘watch (pay attention, be alert) because we do not know the time of His return. People often put off turning to Jesus until tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come. Tomorrow may be too late. Look at the tragedies on the news. Tomorrow did not come for them. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Repent of your evil ways, put your faith in the work of Jesus Christ, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins—knowing that He will do it because the debt has already been paid on behalf of those who will believe.
Five Reasons the Rapture and the Second Coming are Two Different Events–Part 1
There are many who believe that the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event. In both events, the Lord returns and, as many point out, there is only one Second Coming, not a Second and Third Coming. Just as the early Jews confused the Suffering Servant Messiah with the Conquering King Messiah (two different ministries), many confuse the Rapture and the Second Coming.
Luke 4:16-22 recounts when Jesus went into the Temple to read and teach the daily passage as was the custom for Rabbis. The attendant handed Him the scroll and He began reading from Isaiah the prophecy concerning the Messiah—how He would preach the Gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives… However, Jesus stops in mid-sentence when He read: “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He stopped in mid-sentence because the rest of the sentence had to do with His ministry in the Second Coming. Just as the Jews did not understand that the Messiah would have two Advents, Christians do not understand that there are two “comings.”
The Rapture is not called a coming because Jesus does not return to the earth. We go to Him; He does not come to us as He does in Revelation 19. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul writes:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
From this passage, we can see that Christ descends from Heaven but does not actually enter the earth. We, on the other hand, rise to meet Him in the air above the clouds. Some have referred to this as the Secret Coming because we do not see Him when He returns in the Rapture. There will be nothing secret about it, though, as hundreds of thousands, even millions of people suddenly disappear from the earth in the blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51).
There are five additional reasons why the Rapture and the Second Coming are two distinct events.
First, we are not appointed for judgment.
It is believed that the Rapture will usher in the Tribulation period, a time also known as Jacob’s troubles. It is called this because it is a time when God will deal specifically with His chosen people, the Jews. At this point the church age will have ended and God will direct His attention back to Israel. In Romans 11 the Apostle Paul says that a partial hardening has come upon Israel so it is harder for them to believe. He has given then a spirit of stupor in which they will see and not see, hear and not understand. He did this because they rejected the Messiah He sent to them. But once the Rapture takes place, He will remove the hardness and lift the stupor so they will mourn over Him whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).
During this period, God will not only deal with newly repentant Jews but with an unbelieving and unrepentant Gentile world. As He did in Egypt, God will pour our judgment upon the nations (Revelation 4-9). He will turn the waters to blood, rain down hail mixed with blood, release demons upon the earth, turn off the water, and turn up the heat. One verse said it will be so bad that men will seek death and it will elude them (Revelation 9:6). God’s church, Christ’s Bride, will not be here to endure these things. She will be caught up with the Bridegroom. The Church will be with Christ (John 14:3) where her members will be judged and rewarded for the things done for Christ and His glory. Jesus did not appoint His Bride for judgment but for salvation. Revelation 3:10, Jesus said to the Church: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
Judgment is the reward for sin—disobedience and rebellion against God. Because of sin, mankind is judged guilty and condemned along with the devil and his angels (John 3:17-18, Matthew 25:41). Romans 6:23 tells us that what man earns for his rebellion is death, but God gives us the gift of salvation (eternal life) through His Son, Jesus. We (Believers) are not to face any of the judgment of God because Jesus Christ bore all the judgment and wrath for us. He was punished as though He personally committed every sin so those who put their trust in Him will be treated as though they never sinned. This is the true believers in Christ will miss the Tribulation because we would be enduring a judgment Jesus already did.
Who is God? Part III
One of the oldest questions ever asked since the creation of the universe must have been, “Who is God?” From the dawn of civilization, people have posited the fact that this creation must have a Creator. They understood that all this did not come from nothing. According to the Bible, this Creator made Himself known to His creation in the Garden of Eden. But because of man rebellion in the Garden, he has been separated, cut off even, from his Creator. Yet, God did not leave Himself without a testimony. Through over 40 writers on three continents over thirty-five hundred years, God gave His people a personal testimony of Who He is. Over the last two posts, we have discovered some of God’s self-witness: some of who God says He is. In this post, we will look at four more attributes of God—Creator, Judge, Love, and Triune.
Creator. He is the Maker, the Creator of all things, both the heavens and the earth, things seen and unseen. Genesis 1:1 tell us that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Its companion passage, John 1:1-3 says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” Colossians 1:16-17 adds, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Psalm 24:1-2 reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” When Job questioned God as why he was suffering, God asked him:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)
Romans 1 accuses mankind in that we know God is the Creator but we (evil mankind) suppress that truth and come up with lies to explain creation so that they do not have to acknowledge Someone to whom they will one day give an account. Men would rather believe a lie and exchange the glory of God for foolishness. Believing and professing themselves to be wise they become foolish and futile in their thinking. They attempt to explain away God and creation with nonsense and even compel others to believe it.
Judge. As the creation, we must give an account to the Creator for what we have done with the resources (life, talent, treasure) He has given us. God will judge us based on those works. The Bible teaches that only that which is done for Christ will last. All the righteousness and works of the wicked are as filthy rags before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). God must punish sin or His justice is perverted. A Stalin or a Hitler or a Bin Laden should not inherit the same heaven as a Paul or a Timothy or a Billy Graham. If ‘good’ people went to heaven, the heaven would become polluted like earth. God will judge the wicked. They will suffer eternally because eternally is how long they’ll live.
The question has been asked, why would a loving God send people to Hell? The reason there is a hell in the first place is to punish the devil and his angels because of their rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-15). The reason people will go to hell is because, since they share in the devil’s rebellion—rejection of God’s authority, they will share in his punishment.
God will judge us, His Saints, as righteous, not based on any work that we have done, but based on the work Christ did on the cross. Isaiah 1 says, “Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” 1 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we may become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Love. Many know the phrase, God is love. Love is just one attribute of God. Yes, He loves us. It does not mean that He has some warm, fuzzy feeling for us but that He chose to act in our best interest whether we deserved it or not. His loves us unconditionally and He demonstrated it for us sacrificially. Unconditional love does not mean that God loves us just the way we are and we do not have to change. On the contrary, God loves us the way we are and because of His love for us, we will change for we are called to be confirmed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Conformation means change. He loves us just the way we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He knows the plans He has for us. He knows what He made us to be. We are a love gift to His Son and God does not give junk gifts. Yes, He loves us. He saved us from ourselves and from a fate we rightly deserve. But love does not mean that God overlooks sin. It is not his will that any should perish but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth. He made it possible for people to do that through His greatest demonstration of love—His Son, whom He sent to be punished for our sins so we can be rewarded with His righteousness.
Trinity. Of all of God’s attributes or characteristics, that of being three Persons in one is the most difficult to understand or explain. Three persons in one? Do Christians worship three Gods? No. Christianity is a monotheistic faith. We worship one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” God is one in essence but manifests Himself in three different persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of them were present at creation (Genesis1:1-2, John 1:1-2). Each were present at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). We are to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (not names). One God—three individual manifestations.
How can God be one in three? I believe the grandest illustration is man. In Psalm 8:5, the Psalmist writes, “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” The term angels, is Elohim, God. So the verse could also be interpreted, “You have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” In Genesis 1:26, God said, Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness…” There are many ways we are made like God. We have the power of choice. We have emotions. We can think. We are self-aware. We know the difference between good and evil. But another way we are made like God, I believe, is our makeup. We are made triune beings—not to the extent of God, but we are soul and spirit that live in flesh. Paul alluded to this in Romans 7:
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being (spirit), 23 but I see in my members (flesh) another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
We believe in the Trinity even if we do not understand it. We pray to the Father through the Spirit (or in the Spirit) in the name of Jesus. We recognize that salvation is being reconciled to the Father through the Son and later indwelt by the Spirit. Jesus said in John 15, my Father and I will make our home in you. How will they do this? They will do it through the Holy Spirit.
This is just a short study on who God is. As someone pointed out, even throughout eternity, we will never fully understand God—mainly because we are the creation and He is the Creator—our minds will only understand so much and yet our God is so great!
Who is God? Part 1
One of the oldest questions ever asked since the creation of the universe must have been, “Who is God?” From the dawn of civilization, people have posited the fact that this creation must have a Creator. They understood that all this did not come from nothing. According to the Bible, this Creator made Himself known to His creation in the Garden of Eden. But because of man’s rebellion in the Garden, he has been separated, cut off even, from his Creator. Yet, God did not leave Himself without a testimony. Through over 40 writers on three continents over thirty-five hundred years, God gave His people a personal testimony of Who He is. Over the next few entries, I hope to share some of God’s self-witness, His personal testimony, if you will. This is by no means an exhaustive list but some of the more necessary attributes of God.
Eternal. God has always been and will always be. Try wrapping your mind around that. Aristotle said He is the uncaused Cause. He has no beginning. He has no end. He is self-existent. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:2).” God could not be created because there would be something greater than Him. God’s power of being is within Himself. This is why He identified Himself to Moses as, I AM. He is. He is being. He is life. From Him comes all life. There never was a time when God was not and there never will be a time when God will not be. He is eternal. Because He breathed into us the breath of life, there will never be a time when we will not be either.
Holy. God is consecrated unto purity. God is set apart from His creation. He is the utter otherness, wholly different. He is absolutely pure and sinless. Habakkuk 1:13 starts, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong…” “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16).” There is none lik
e Him.
Immutable. When I ask people what this means, most of the replies I get involve God not being quiet or us not being able to ‘mute’ Him. Perhaps this speaks more of the effects of society on us with mute buttons on cell phones and remote controls rather than a vocabulary issue. Immutable comes from the Latin prefix “im” meaning not and “muta” meaning change. Immutable means God does not change like the wind. He is not like man who can be swayed with persuasive arguments or eloquent pleading or emotional leanings. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed (Malachi 3:6).” There are times in the Bible when God seems to allow Himself to be “persuaded” when all along He knew what He was going to do. Abraham with Christ regarding Sodom, Moses and God regarding the Golden Calf, Jesus and Bartimaeus, etc. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. That’s the blessing. Who wants to serve a God who is fickle–who is for your today and against you tomorrow? Who wants to approach a God whose mood you cannot predict?
Righteous. God is not fair but He is just. Fair means everyone gets what they deserve. If He was fair, we would all be burning in Hell right now. But, He is just. He is just because He treats us, not based on what we deserve, but based on His great love for us. In His justice, He will balance the scales. We live in a world where justice seems to be perverted. The righteous are mocked and mistreated and the unrighteous seem to get away with murder, literally. The scales will be balanced. We will be rewarded or punished based on what we did with the gifts and the life He gave us. The righteous will rewarded based upon how well we fulfilled the mission He gave us more so that how praised we were before people or how well known we were. I’m convinced that a person who is on their knees, in some room where no one sees them, praying for revival, praying for their nation, praying for their church, praying for the persecuted, praying for their national and spiritual leaders will get more accolades from God than someone who is on the TV leading ‘hundreds to the Lord’. Jesus praised the woman who gave two mites ($.01) more than the Pharisees who were praised for their great giving (Luke 21:1-4). I believe this will be the case because sometimes what we do is for show. Sometimes the work we do is with the wrong motive or the wrong heart. God’s judgment will be just because it will not be based upon what He sees but will be based upon God’s perfect standards and He revelation of our motivations.
No one’s mission field is too small or gift is too small or calling is too small. If you are called to be a parent, then raise your child the best you can in the fear and admonition of the Lord and your reward will be a great as that of any preacher. Martin Luther King, Jr. is reported to have said, ““If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” Let the same be said of us of our work for Christ.
Not only will His judgments be fair but His rewards will be fair. Romans 8:18 says that “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” In the end, the scales will be balanced and we will see that it was worth it all.
Apologetics 101
The word, apologetics, sounds a lot like apologize. Though they both have the root word “defense” in common, they mean two entirely different things. Apologetics is the act of defending ones doctrine or beliefs. It comes from 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” The word, defense, is translated from the Greek words, pros apologia, which means an answer for or a defense of.
Let’s look in depth.
Answer for. There are times when someone may inquire as to what you believe and why you believe it. Why are you a Christian? Why do you believe that Jesus is God? How do you know Jesus was raised from the dead? What do you think your religion is the right one when there are so many? If God is so loving, why did He create Hell? People who want to know more about our faith may ask these questions or questions like them. We need to be prepared always to have answers for their questions. Jesus was asked many times about religion and His doctrine (John 4:1-26, John 14:5, Matthew 19:1-10, 16-26), yet He never shied away from honest questions and neither should His disciples.
Defense of. Jesus had said earlier that the devil was the ruler of this world (system). C. S. Lewis once said that Christians live in enemy-occupied territory. Because the world system is ruled by the devil and occupied by sinful humans, Christians will face persecution (John 16:33). Part of this persecution is the need to defend our faith against skeptics and mockers. Instead of dealing with inquirers, we are dealing with inquisitors. How do you know Jesus is the only way? What makes your religion the correct religion and makes everyone else’s religion false? How do you know there is a God? Why should I believe the Bible when it was written by a bunch of shepherds thousands of years ago? What difference can Jesus who lived two thousand years ago make in my life today? These are all questions that unbelievers and deniers of the faith will ask, not for information but in an attempt to expose us as frauds. Whether standing before mockers or kings, Christians should be able to give a coherent defense of what they believe and why they believe it. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:41-42, “Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord— Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.” Later he writes, in verse 46, “I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.”
Argue with. Some in the faith believe that the word, apologia, not only means to defend or give answer to, but also to argue with. It does not. At least, not in the colloquial sense of “to argue” meaning to contend, combat, or strive against, as in a verbal tug-of-war. Christians are not called to argue with anyone to prove a point. You can present an argument, a logical statement of position, without arguing. The idea of defending the faith is so people can enter into the Kingdom because they can see that our faith is not an illogical, blind faith, but one of reason and evidence. You will never argue anyone into the Kingdom. At best, you will turn them off. At worst, you will fortify an enemy of the Cross.
The importance of studying.
God has called and commissioned us to be His witnesses. Part of being a witness is to be able to give an answer to questions that people have about a faith we claim to be so dear to us. In some regards, giving an answer or a defense is giving a testimony. People may be able to argue with facts but they cannot argue with a testimony (unless it is a false one). If you know Christ personally, if you have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, no one can argue with that—unless your life does not reflect it—then it is a false testimony. But if the testimony is real, what argument can a person give against it?
How do we present a cohesive answer or defense of our faith? Any lawyer will tell you that the key to a good defense (or prosecution) is preparation—knowing the ins and outs of the case and the law pertaining to the case. Similarly, a Christian is able to adequately defend him- or herself or to give an answer only by knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word. We should prepare ourselves to give an answer or to defend what we believe, lest we either put Christ to shame or prove ourselves to be false witnesses of Christ.
This type of studying is often called, self-feeding, as compared to being fed. Being fed by others is easier, but studying God’s Word for yourself not only allows you to study what you want at your own pace, but it also allows you to get from the Word the interpretation and application the Spirit gives and not someone else’s. Then you truly own what you’ve learned because you got it directly from the Source (John 16:13-14, 1 Corinthians 2:11-16).
In conclusion, I believe the Apostle Paul said it best: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV).”
Learning to Live with Prosperity
Have You Learned to Live with Prosperity?
‘…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:11b-13
Many of us believe that if we were to win a million dollars, we’d be set for life (even though a million dollars isn’t what it used to be). We would pay off our debts and live off the interest. However, history has taught us that that would not likely be the case. Statistics show that most lottery winners are broke and/or in bankruptcy within 5 years after receiving a lump sum payment. This is likely due to the fact that once we receive the money, all reasoning go out the window. We think our money to be as endless as the sea. Instead of paying off our debts, we buy newer and bigger houses, new luxury cars, take trips, and maybe payoff a debt or two or give some to charity.
I believe this is one reason why God doesn’t bless many of us with wealth. He knows we do not know how to handle it. What would look like a blessing to some could turn out to be a curse to others. Many athletes, entertainment icons, and corporate moguls end up filing bankruptcy shortly after their source of funds dry up because they had not learned the most important principle of money management—to live within their means. Most of them, like us, are usually living either from paycheck to paycheck or living today on tomorrow’s paycheck. When those funds are exhausted, they find that there are still expenses due. Large houses require staff. Luxury vehicles often require expensive maintenance. Entourages need to be paid. Standards of living need to be maintained.
This is likely why I have not been granted much wealth. God knows that I would not have been a good steward of it. {I know better now.} Instead of using it to become debt free so I can be used unencumbered for the Gospel ministry, I would likely have used it to acquire more stuff. Jesus reiterates this truth. If we show ourselves to be faithful in what little we have been given, we show that we would be faithful in the much He would give us.
So how do we learn to live in prosperity? I believe the answer is two-fold. First, we need to ask God to change us so that we will not use His gifts foolishly but wisely. Second, we need to develop an action plan that we will commit to should we be blessed in such a way. We must commit to give at least the first 10 percent to our local church or to the Christian ministry that feeds our spirits. Next, we must to commit to putting a percentage into a savings or investment account. Set money aside for our children’s education. Finally, we list all our bills that we are going to pay off and commit to paying them off. Enjoy the remainder, if any.
Would we be faithful in using any windfall that God blesses us with wisely or foolishly? Are we wisely using the blessings we are currently given? If we take an honest assessment of ourselves, I believe we will understand why we do not have more than we do. But it does not have to stay that way. God does not hate the wealthy but He will not curse us with wealth if it will lead to our destruction. But if we will commit ourselves to Him, I believe it would be His good pleasure to bless us so we can be a blessing.
I believe this saying sums it up: “It’s not what you do with the million if fortune should ere be your lot, but what are you doing at present with the dollar and quarter you got.”
GOD’S GRACE
It is through the writings of the Apostle Paul that we best come to understand the doctrine of Grace. Through Paul’s teachings, we understand that Grace comes by faith, and that the faith that brings Grace comes from God and not from ourselves. We do not work for Grace. If we did then it is not Grace but it is something we earned and therefore not a gift. Paul would open each of his letters to the various churches and to his friends, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon with a blessing of grace and peace. How did Paul come to understand the doctrine of grace? He experienced it.
Saul, Paul’s Jewish name, was a man of two worlds. He was a Jew whose father was likely a Roman because Paul claimed Roman citizenship many times in his writings. He was not only a Jew but a member of the ruling body known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the keepers and teachers of the Jewish Law. As a Pharisee, Paul was zealous for the Jewish faith. He was zealous to the point that he was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). He was a persecutor of the church leading men and women to prison and death (Acts 8:3, 22:4). He not only persecuted the church but likely blasphemed Jesus as a heretic and as well as those who followed him (1Timothy 1:13). Though he was such a man, God spared him and used him in a great and powerful way.
God, through His infinite love and great mercy, decided to extend his generosity to Saul by visiting him one day on his was to Damascus. When going to Damascus to arrest the Christians there to bring them back to Jerusalem to be tried and imprisoned (or worse), he was intercepted by Jesus who appeared in a light brighter than the sun. He spoke with a loud voice that knocked Paul off his beast (Acts 9). Through this powerful voice, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul responded, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice came back, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” From that day on, Paul was on fire for Jesus and for spreading the Gospel. Why? Because he realized that he had been spared the wrath of God. He realized that he was fighting against the very God he was trying to defend. He realized that his actions warranted death but God had mercy on him. As a result, he could write, “ that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…(Ephesians 3:17b-19)”
God’s Grace to us is powered by His love for us. He loved us enough to create us and to desire fellowship with us (Genesis 1:27-28). He loved us enough to tabernacle with us when we were lost in the wilderness of sin (Exodus 40:34, 1 Kings 8:10-13). He loved us enough to tabernacle in us through His Spirit because of the blood of His Son (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:1-4). He loves us enough to allow us to one day tabernacle with Him in the Eternal City (Revelation 21:3). It was God’s Grace that elevated a murderous persecutor and blasphemer like Paul to the role of Apostle, planter of numerous churches, and writer of nearly one half of the New Testament. It was also God’s Grace that elevated a lowly rebel like me to the heights of a saint, a priest, and a king (Revelation 5:10).
Have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Paul, Moses, Abraham, all can tell you that it doesn’t matter what type of background you have. It doesn’t matter what sins or wrongs you have committed. It doesn’t matter how bad you have been or you think you have been. He offers you mercy instead of wrath. He offers you adoption instead of separation. He offers you love. He offers you faith. By trusting in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary, you, too, can experience the same grace Paul experienced—the same grace every believer has experienced (and continue to experience). God offers grace that leads to eternal life rather than justice that leads to death. Which will you choose?
Being a Disciple
It is said that a wise person is a lifelong learner. If there is an area that this is true, it is in the Christian life. We are to be lifelong learners of the Word. We should always be prepared to hear what our Heavenly Father has to say to us. How does He speak to us? Primarily, He speaks to us through His Word—the Holy Bible.
For many the Holy Bible is a book gathering dust on a shelf. What a treasure God has given us that we often neglect! God is living and His Word is living that is one reason why every time we read it, we get something new from it. When we approach God’s Word, we should come with the attitude that we are about to have an encounter with our Father, the living God.
When we open us the pages of that Book, God speaks to us. As we read and meditate on what we read, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding. As Jesus said, “[The Spirit] will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).” Once we have an understanding of the Word, we are to put it into practice. This is living righteously.
As we learn and apply the Word of God, our minds begin to change. This is because our minds are being renewed according to knowledge (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10).A change of heart leads to a change of mind. A change of mind leads to a change of behavior.
The problem with self-help and motivational media is that they seek to change only the mind, thus changing the behavior. However, unless there is a heart change, any behavioral change is temporary at best. Now, this is not say that some self-help media do intend to change the heart leading to behavioral change, but only God can change the heart. Once the heart is changed, the behavior changes.
When we study the word and allows the Holy Spirit to put the Word in our hearts, it then become a part of us, inseparable. When this happens, we cannot help but to do it.
Reception is hearing the Word, reading the Word—what does it say.
Comprehension is understanding the Word—what does it mean.
Application is doing the Word—how do I live it.
The Great Falling Away: The Apostasy of the Church
One of the lessons we can learn from the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation is that the church has cycles (or a cycle). Much like any organization, there is growth, a plateau, then a decline. After the decline there can be a rebound, another incline, or death. The church will not die. History has taught us that and Jesus has promised it. Yet, the church does have a cycle that it seems to follow.
In the beginning, when the people first come to Christ, they are on fire for Him. They worship in spirit and truth. They serve. They give generously. Then the fire starts to cool. Worldly cares seep in. People don’t read their Bibles like they once did. People don’t pray like they once did. People don’t attend church like they once did. Preachers don’t preach like they used to. Preachers and teachers don’t prepare like they used to. As Jesus said, they will have left their first love. Eventually, in the life of the believer, as in the life of the church itself, worship goes from relationship to ritual.
It is no longer about Christ. It becomes more about the process than the Person. People just go through the motions. The come; they read; they pray; they give; they leave but no real change has taken place. They had no real encounter with the Savior. They received no fuel to carry them throughout the week. Like a charcoal removed from the fire, they all soon grow cold. Now, they no longer have a faith, they have a religion.
I believe every church started out on fire for God. I believe this is true of the Catholics, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Baptist. But over time, their love for the Lord has started to grow cold. Their devotion, our devotion, is moving from relationship to ritual. Once we move in this direction, it won’t be long before the church is compromising with the world—embracing ecumenism in the name of peace.
In several of Paul’s letters, he speaks of the falling away or the apostasy of the church. In 1 Timothy he wrote that people would ‘depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons’. In 2 Timothy he wrote that the time is coming when people would no longer tolerate sound doctrine but will acquire for themselves teachers that teach things that appease the flesh. In 2 Thessalonians he wrote that the falling away would precede the Rapture of the Church.
What is the ‘falling away’ that Paul refers to? As one preacher once said, I don’t believe that it is some mass exodus from the church and that Jesus has to come back or there would be no Church for Him to come back for. Instead, I believe the falling away is encompassed in the words of Paul.
First, there would be a drop in church attendance. It is no secret that church attendance is on the decline. Many churches have more empty pews now than they had in the past. This is likely due to several factors. Parents stopped teaching their children the fear of the Lord. When these children grew up, church was not on their radar. Another reason is that people are too busy with the cares of the world. Many people work on Sunday because businesses are open 7 days a week. People also use Sunday as a day of rest and Saturday (the Biblical day of rest) as pleasure day. Society frowns on church and religion. It is mocked in the media. It is satire on television. It is outlawed in schools and public buildings. Of course, the biggest reason is sin. Sin draws people from God not to Him. And since sin is so prevalent and even welcomed in today’s society, church attendance suffers.
Second, people will depart from the faith. It is not that they stopped attending church. It’s just that they attend churches that don’t preach sin and repentance, hellfire and brimstone. Instead, these churches preach a social gospel—an I’m-OK-you’re-OK gospel. In this gospel, people don’t sin, they err. Yet, even without Christ, they can still live their best life yet. Regardless as to whether they are a Christian or not, everyday can still be a Friday. Others preach a prosperity gospel—a name-it-and-claim-it, call-it-and-haul-it gospel. Preachers in this gospel say all you have to do is lay your hands on it and claim it in the name of Jesus. God told Joshua that anyplace your feet trod I will give to you. Therefore, if you want a piece of land, walk its distance and claim God’s promise in the name of Jesus. If you want God’s best for your life, all you have to do is plant this faith seed and God will send you a harvest. As I said in my first book, God cannot be bribed!
Finally, mainstream religions will depart from the fundamentals of the faith. Pastors (and deacons) are committing all sorts of immoral acts and the churches (congregations) are not holding them accountable. Instead, they are standing by their pastor or priest. There are Christian denominations that actually question the infallibility (without error) of God’s Word. There are Christian faiths that actually question the deity of Christ—who actually do not believe that Christ was God. Now there are Christian denominations that are ordaining homosexual ministers—people who are living in open defiance to God’s command. First of all, God called homosexuality a sin, not me. (Lev. 20:13, Romans 1:26-27) Second, God, through Paul, told Christians to avoid people who ‘have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). Third, Paul said that all homosexuals will have their part in the Lake of Fire (1 Cor. 6:9). Not only are they ordaining homosexuals, some are even performing civil unions for them!
In these last days, the apostasy is only going to grow. This is why it will be easier for the antichrist to come into power. What “Christians” are left behind will be so ignorant of the Word that they won’t recognize him until it is too late. On the other hand, the Bible encourages us to stay read up and prayed up. We are to work out our own soul salvation. We are to make our call and election sure. In other words, we are to stay on the straight and narrow and not to stray from God Word. We are to read it, learn it, and hide it in our hearts. We are to cling to it and stick with it no matter what the world or the church does. God’s Word is the only thing that will last. Jesus is not coming back for a congregation. He is coming back for a Bride who has made herself ready and who has remained faithful to Him.
Cyber-Discipleship 