Saturday, September 26, 2009

Praying Wrong

Hey Brian,
A question - When you tell someone that you prayed for God's help for something and he answered your prayer but you're not sure why he answered the way he did - and that person tells you that you prayed wrong, what do you say? She says you need to be careful how you pray and that you make sure to say exactly what you want down to the smallest detail. I just wondered how you felt about "praying wrong".


Thanks for asking the question. The person that you talked to was making prayer harder than it is supposed to be. Jeremiah 29:12 says: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Who added, ", but only if you make sure to say exactly what you want down to the smallest detail."?

The Bible tells us so much about prayer.
Matthew 6:5 Jesus said, "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'' Notice that Jesus tells us not to go "on babbling", but just talk open and honest to your Heavenly Father, Abba, as you would your own dad. You don't have to get every detail, because He knows what you need before you ask Him. He knows, but wants you to pray for your benefit of talking to him about it ... some call it "venting". We need to talk for our good. God loves to hear from His Kids and isn't looking at the words as much as your intent. Sure, our Heavenly Father doesn't want a hurried "Half-hearted" effort, a ritual obligation out of obligation without sincere meaning, or self-centered lists of personal non-essentials based on covetousness, pleasure or greed; no parents would enjoy such a conversation. Prayer time is "devotion time" with our Creator Father in heart to heart talk ... as intimate and as safe as it gets. James 4: 2-4 "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?" God is not a Genie in the sky to grant selfish and worldly wishes, which the false "prosperity gospel" thinks. Our prayers must be aligned with His perfect love, will, way and word. Remember that God searches the heart. But our all-seeing & all-knowing God even sees the details that you & I do not see, and as the perfect Father, who loves His child is going to answer - either yes, no or wait. You are not sure why He answered your specific prayer for help in the manner that He did, but rest assured that it was answered according to His purpose for you and that shall be revealed, but it wasn't because you lacked saying exactly what you want down to the smallest detail.

Secondly, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within of heart. in John 14:15 Jesus tells us, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." The Holy Spirit counsels and guides the Christian, even in our prayers. Romans 8:26-28 tells us, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." So, when you & I don't come up with, or forget, what you need and desire in your prayers to God, the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, intercedes for us and expresses those missed prayer requests. Nothing is missed. Is that awesome or what?!

One thing is for sure, and that is that you have a unique, personal relationship with your Heavenly Father. The Creator of Heaven & Earth not only knows and loves you, his daughter or son, who is worth so much that He sent His Son to die for your Sins that you may have eternal life in Heaven with Him, but knows even every hair on your head. In Matthew 10:29-30 Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." That's how important you are to God! Don't worry about how exact the details of your prayers are. God is pleased that you are praying ... many don't as much as they should. Deuteronomy 4:7What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?”

I wrote a couple Blog messages titled "The Garden of Prayer" & "God Answers Prayer" that may be helpful to you also. If you like to read them, just go to my Blog site @ http://briantodd.blogspot.com/ and scroll down the right side to the "Labels" column and click on the label "Prayer".

I hope that this explanation of Prayer helped you understand clearer that there isn't a special and rigid formula that God required in Prayer between you and him. Child of God, God loves you! That’s the best detail of all. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In Christ, Brian

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Ideological Subversion

1 Samuel 15:19 "Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?"

I spent some time on "You-tube" yesterday evening, watching an ex-Russian KGB propaganda agent Yuri Bezmenov explain in a 1984 interview about the Communist plan and process for "ideological subversion" of Americans through psychological warfare, and now I understand their strategy to change the thinking of my generation, and our future generations, through (1) Demoralization – the elimination of sound, foundational & godly moral standards that we firmly stand on and replace them with socialistic relativism taught at every level, (2) Destabilization – collapsed the essential elements of the economy, foreign relations, & defense systems to develop insecurity and doubt in society, (3) Crisis – eliminate peace by creating frantic fear in the culture via sensationalizing scary news, real or not. Hole in the ozone layer, Global-warming, Terrorism, H1N1 & HIV virus, Crime, unemployment, national debt, etc., then (4) Normalization - change of power, structure and economy away from the people by government intervention and total control, now accepted by a society in psychological chaos. I see the impact of godless Marxist ideology in our society today. Their goal is to create a godless society that is unable to come to a sensible conclusion in interests of defending themselves, their family, their community & their country. But, I strive to be what Bezmenov said the Socialists feared most ... godly, motivated, confident in Christ, peaceful & healthy-minded, Spirit-led, physically & spiritually fit individuals, grounded in the Word of God; who, with God’s help, are thinking & alert to reality, and freed from the bondage of fear by the truth.

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Part of any game plan is to be aware of, be prepared for, and anticipate the opposition’s moves in order to defend, nullify the affect and counter. This pertains also to the world system that opposes God and his perfect standards. It is this world, along with our own sinful flesh fears and desires, plus Satan (the Father of lies) - who wants to fill you & I with "ideological subversion", to turn our hearts away from the Lord and die. In John 10:9-11 Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

I had read a sad statistic that nearly 80% of Christian young people lose their faith upon leaving the home, largely due to the atheist’s lies of "macro-evolutionary” philosophy, which teaches our children that they evolved from nothing by random chance and were not created by God. We are not the product of some Cosmic accident. We have been created, with a purpose, by God. The secular humanists and atheistic "intellectuals" agenda to remove knowledge of God and reverence of the Creator is eroding the Christian values of adults and children , causing most to abandon the true belief in God, who they are accountable to, for the godless religion of liberalism, with no standard of "right" or "wrong". To believe the lie that God doesn’t exist is not peace! I choose the "Truth" in the God of the Bible and tell the world about Him and His love. True peace is found only in Him.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Fear not! The Prince of Peace is in control.

In Christ, Brian

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Cherokee Wolf Story


One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Does this Cherokee story remind you of this scripture passage?

Galatians 5: 16-25:"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." NKJ

Walk in the Spirit of God and do not feed the sinful lust of the flesh, but hunger and thirst for “righteousness”. Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

In Christ, Brian

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Freedom of Religion 2

Isaiah 5:20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

The Rutherford Institute is asking the Supreme Court to hear a case in which a Bible reading was banned from school. The Institute is representing Donna Busch who was invited to read the Bible to her son’s class in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The school had a week where the child in the kindergarten class could read their favorite book—and his favorite book was the Bible, and she wanted to read a few passages from the Psalms. It wasn’t anything about Jesus or whatever. It was one of those Psalms that talks about God, but it’s not overtly religious. Mrs. Busch went to the school on the scheduled day, but ran into a problem upon arriving. The principal said she couldn’t bring the Bible in the school. But [the principal] said they could go ahead and read from another book, but you couldn’t read from the Bible. That kind of hostility toward religion should never be found in an American public school. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees Freedom of Religion; not freedom from religion. The case was lost in lower courts, so The Rutherford Institute is asking the Supreme Court to take the case.

We need to realize that we live in a day in this nation that is hostile to Christianity because secular humanist have taken positions in government (local, state, and nationally) for the express purpose to legally usurp American's Constitutional Religious Rights. Don’t buy the propaganda that the godless (non-religious) want to get along and co-exist peacefully. There is a pure hatred of God and the people of faith in this country. Not just a desire for separation of Church & State, they want God eliminated, Christianity silenced and are aggressively pursuing their goal, despite the blatant disregard of the founding of this country and it’s Constitution. America is a morally declining nation for this reason. How could we expect God to bless an America that does not give Him honor, respect, glory and praise due (Revelation 7:12), but turns its back on their Creator, attacks Believers and Followers of Jesus Christ, bans the Holy Bible, and promotes self-centered immorality? If there is a Creator than they know that they are accountable to Him for their thoughts, words and deeds based in God’s standards. That is unacceptable, so they put themselves into positions of legal power and make God illegal. This unbelief (darkness) is the root cause of the attack on Christianity today. They are accentually saying, “God, and anyone who believes in you, get out!” If we, Christians, do not stop electing secular humanists into positions and offices of power, and don’t start stopping this frontal attack on the Freedom of Religion in America now, we are going to loss that freedom; and God’s forbid that the Almighty give this nation what it deserves for its unbelief and unfaithful stand against this attack today by the Children of God. What we need is repentance and revival. Stand firm and speak out for Christ.

I’d like to write you the Supreme Court decision in the case of Zorach vs. Clauson 1952.
The First Amendment does not say that in every respect there shall be a separation of Church and State. Rather, it studiously defines the manner, the specific ways, in which there shall be no concert or union or dependency one on the other. That is common sense of the matter. Otherwise the state and religion would be aliens to each other – hostile, suspicious, and even unfriendly. A fastidious atheist and agnostic could even object to the supplication with which the Court opens each session: God save the United States and this Honorable Court.
We are a religious people and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. When the state encourages religious instruction or cooperates with religious authorities by adjusting the schedule of public events to sectarian needs, it follows the best traditions. For it then respects the religious mature of our people and accommodates the public service to their spiritual needs. To hold that it may not would be to find in the Constitution a requirement that the government show a callous indifference to religious groups. That would be preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe.
We find no constitutional requirement makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and throw its weight against the efforts to widen the scope of religious influence. The government must remain neutral when it comes to competition between sects. We can not read the Bill of Rights such a philosophy of hostility to religion – Justice William O. Douglas. So why is there? Christians are making a positive impact in the lives of Americans and the World, bringing the love of God and the truth of Christ to a culture that is starving for meaning and purpose. Jesus is the answer; tell everyone!

Psalm 94:16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?


In Christ, Brian

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Build-a-god


Exodus 20:1-7 And God spoke all these words: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ”You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."

I remember many years ago, taking my goddaughter to a cute little shop in a shopping mall to get a special Teddy Bear for one of her friend’s birthday party. It was a unique store, where you actually would “build-a-bear”. She picked the specific style of plush doll from a variety of empty bear models. Then a store assistant would stuff the toy through a tube from a giant machine with filler that was swirling around in a big glass vacuum tank. They then would take us back to an area where she could choose from another vast variety of items to place inside the self-designed Teddy Bear. There were hearts, charms and even a little box that you could record a message that the recipient of this custom toy of your own creation could play and enjoy. It was quite an experience and I see that this store is still there and delighting many new customers daily. This is a great concept for Teddy Bears for kids, but not for our concept God. Yet that is exactly what many people do. Instead of seeking, learning and knowing the Sovereign Creator of Heaven and the Earth, in a personal relationship, they “Build-A-god” with attributes that they approve in life to fit their expectations; thereby having counterfeit God ... a stuffed toy. A woman recently told me that she was having a hard time finding a church that she liked because they focused too much on things like sanctity of life, protecting the unborn, purity, chastity, and biblical morality. She said that she thinks of God as “love” and these other issues are not important to her. Why?

We have a tendency to selfishly focus on ourselves by our standards and the temporal desires of life; aka the flesh. We enjoy our lusts and covet the sensual pleasures, along with admiration of others. But 1John 2:15-17 tells us: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” We are tempted by the lie of freedom outside of God to believe what we want or do what we want, and object to the moral standards of God that set boundaries contrary. So we create in our mind a god (we build-a-god), who lives by our worldly and fleshly standards, thereby putting us on the throne as king and dethroning the true God. But that god, that we build, doesn’t really exist.

Galatians 5:13For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. We have this battle of the flesh against the Spirit of God that says “We determine what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ in our lives.” It’s my life and I’ll do what I want with it. ”I don’t need God to tell me what to do and what not to do.” “I am in control of my life.” Galatians 5:16-21 explains: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Why? No Fruit. The truth is not in them and they have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who changes our heart. This is emphasized further in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." Born again, born anew, and born from above. God is our heavenly Father. Additionally, Ephesians 5:1-5 tells us; “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” As you can see, there are serious and eternal consequences involved also. Many in this nation and world have not heard this godly truth; and how can anyone know or believe what they have not heard?
The pursuit of happiness is found in the pursuit of holiness, and what we all truly long for in life is found in “walking with the Spirit of God”. Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." When we obey the true God of the Bible and follow Christ as true disciples, we truly grow to maturity as children of God and receive the “best” in life, both, today and eternally.

1Timothy 1:4-11 says: “Teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” Good news! There is a God and it is not me ... or you. Tell others not to build-a-God, but to discover their One, True Almighty Maker, who loves them. This life is good and Heaven is even better! Find life and living in Christ.
Psalm 62:5 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. (In Him & from Him) “confident” hope, now & forever, in His word & laws, in His unfailing love, and we wait (our Refuge, our redemption, and our shield)."

Obey the Lord, your God. In Christ, Brian

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Sola fide – By Faith Alone


Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

In human law, the law is fulfilled by works, even though there is no heart in them. You don’t have to like the laws, just obey them. If you do the crime; you do the time. Sentence is given and you pay your debt to society. Many take the human law model and transfer it to God’s law (Commandments, precepts, statutes, and teachings of the Bible). This misconception leads to the biggest misunderstanding of the gospel message; that we can earn our way to Heaven. Father of the Reformation Martin Luther explains in his commentary on the book of Romans that God judges according to what is at the bottom of the heart, and for this reason, His law makes its demands on the inmost heart and can not be satisfied with works, but rather punishes works that are done otherwise than from the bottom of the heart, as hypocrisy and lies. Meaning, if there is no willing pleasure in the good, then the inmost heart is not set on the law of God, then there is surely sin. For even though you keep the law outwardly, with works, from fear of punishment or love of reward, nevertheless, you do all this without willingness, under compulsion; and you would rather do otherwise, if the law were not there. The conclusion is that at the bottom of your heart you hate the law. To be sure, the outward work is not far behind. God’s law is spiritual and can not be satisfied by works, unless all that you do is done from the bottom of the heart. Where that spirit is not in the heart, there sin remains, and displeasure with the law, and enmity toward it though God’s law is good and just and holy. How shall a work please God, if it proceeds from a reluctant and resisting heart?

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Luther goes on to say, But such a heart is given only by God’s Spirit, so that he acquires a desire and love for the law of God in his heart, and henceforth does nothing out of fear and compulsion, but everything out of a willing heart. This pleasure and love for God’s law is put into the heart by the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith does not come, save only through God’s Word or Gospel, which preaches Christ; that He is God’s Son sent incarnate (fully God & fully man) to die an atoning death to pay the penalty for our individual sin, and risen again for our sakes. Hence it comes that faith alone makes righteous and fulfills the law. Thus good works comes out of faith. Not to be saved, but because we are saved by Jesus.

James 2:14-18 & 22 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”

The Great Reformer clarifies that Sin, in the Scriptures, means not only the outward works of the body, but the inmost heart – body and soul. And the Scriptures look especially into the heart and have regard to the root and source of all sin, which is unbelief in the inmost heart. Hence, Jesus calls unbelief the only sin. It is a human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it. Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that we can stake our life on it. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace. Through faith a man becomes sinless and comes to take pleasure in God’s commandments. Thus “the flesh” is a man who lives and works inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the flesh’s profit and of this temporal life. The “spirit” is the man who lives and works, inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the Holy Spirit and the future life to come in Heaven.

Psalm 119:97 &103-105 “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

Sola fide – By Faith Alone
In Christ, Brian

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Where is the Justice?

Psalm 37:1-13Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.”

I was once asked, “Why does evil exist and many evildoers prosper in this world, while Believers in God, Christ and the Holy Spirit may struggle and even suffer? Where is the justice? A great question and which of us has never asked that ourselves. Evil (Sin) exists because “Good” exists. What?! Evil gets it’s identity from “Good”, because “evil” is, by definition, the absence of “Good”. Who defines what “Good” is? God, the sovereign Creator of Heaven & Earth, and this is communicated through His Holy Word. The Holy Scriptures of the Bible gives us the standards, from our Lord, to live by for fulfillment and satisfying contentment, Spirit-filled love, joy and peace. Romans 7:7-14 explains this: “What shall we say then? Is God’s law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Therefore, following God’s standard is “good” and “right”, benefits us in every way, while being faithful and pleasing to the Lord. But following another standard than God’s is “evil” and “wrong”. Sin is missing the “mark” that God desires and sets for us (in His commands, laws, statues, teachings, and covenants found in the Bible), and willfully hitting a different mark. President Abraham Lincoln said: “In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for this Book, we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.” - September 5, 1864

We see no justice ... yet. Why? 2 Peter 3:9 tells us: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” A Day of Reckoning is coming, when everyone shall stand in front of Jesus (read Daniel 7:9-14 & Revelation 20:10-15), but God gives all of us the chance to choose repentance (to turn from our Sin against Him); God gives us choices to make in accepting or rejecting forgiveness and the free gift of “Eternal Life” in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Sadly, many choose to reject God and His offer. We live with the consequences of our eternal choice and decision, either for and against God’s offer. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment.” It is us who choose eternity in Hell or Heaven, not God. By grace alone, He provides the choice, as expiation for our Sin, but we make the choice to accept or reject it. We choose our destiny. It really gets down to belief or unbelief. He is God of our life or we are the god of our life and He is not. Christians should feel compassion for non-Christians and their eternal destiny on the wide road to Perdition. These are the two paths that the Lord is explaining to us in Matthew 7:13-14. This is reality and this is truth. Our family, our friends, our neighbors, acquaintances and all in our sphere of influence need to hear this truth for this life on Earth and the next in either Hell or Heaven. Do not buy into the lie that everyone is going to Heaven or that our actions, based on our decisions, do not have consequences. The gospel is not to scare or threaten, but to forgive and save - John 3:17-18.

John 3:31-36He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." So as the Psalm 37 says, “Do not fret or be envious”, justice comes in the end. But, now, speak the truth in love. Changed hearts and lives is the goal.

In Christ, Brian