The Claustrophobia of Christianity

"The walls are closing in..." It seems that every week the culture takes another step or two into our spiritual "personal space".  With increasing frequency, new movies are being released that are blatantly demonic in both nature and content with no attempt at all being made to disguise or sanitize the worldviews held by the propagators of the smut being marketed to us.  There's a movie that's just been released called Annabelle, and there's no way around the unavoidable conclusion that this movie is Satanic in nature. This is just one example in a long line of films that are steeped in darkness.   Perverse movies are the order of the day—and I'm not even talking about pornography, which is as anti-Christ as The Last Temptation of Christ or This is the End, but Friends With Benefits and Sex Tape and Zach and Miri Make a Porno are (quite successful) attempts at mainstreaming lasciviousness, fornication, and out-of-control lust. The normalizing of such practices is where the greatest damage upon the youth is being done, as an entire generation is being raised to accept all of these non-Biblical behaviors as not only normal but also worthy of praise and endorsement.  The irresponsibility and godlessness of their behavior will have multi-generational ramifications for centuries to come should Jesus Christ delay His coming.

With all that said, Bible-believing Christians really shouldn't be surprised by what is taking place before our eyes.  Most—not some—MOST Americans are almost completely secular in their ideology and worldview, despite numerous polls that indicate that a majority of Americans are indeed Christian. Sadly, some classify their "Christianity" valid if they're regular church attendees and give their tithes and offerings and keep the commandments.  Almost nothing could be further from the truth.  Most America-loving citizens would be lost for all eternity if Christ came right now.  This group has within it noble veterans and center-Right voters who know and can recite the Constitution and Federalist Papers, who love it and are willing to defend it with their lives; these are they who believe in American exceptionalism, who love Washington, Goldwater, and Reagan and swear by Fox News while Old Glory whips in the wind just outside their window—but they are LOST because they have loved country more than God and want a Judeo-Christian foundation more than they want Jesus Christ Himself to be the foundation.  These would marshal the whole Army and beloved Marine Corps to keep Christ from setting up His rule from Jerusalem, for His reign necessarily means the end of godless America, which is a cesspool of wickedness, totally contrary to all that Christ's Kingdom is about. Another group, one that currently holds sway in the nation now, means well in everything they do.  They dress themselves up as the Party of the downtrodden, the Party of the people, who want all the evils Martin Luther King spoke of expunged from the tapestry of American society forever.  These are they who idolize Lincoln, and Wilson, Roosevelt, Clinton, and Obama, who want full, equal rights for all and believe that government should be able to act without impediment according to contemporary issues, not bound by antiquated 17th century philosophies and bigoted religiosity.  At the core of this group is another group, ferociously humanistic, atheistic, and Socialist.  If Christ were to come now to set up His Kingdom they would no doubt fight Him because His views would be "too narrow-minded".

The Church surely might be feeling a little claustrophobic as we are left with less and less space in which to freely move.  Television shows like Black Jesus, Mr. Pickles, Modern Family and Preachers of L.A. aren't so much entertainment options as they are vicious blows against the jaw of every Bible-believing Christian in this perishing nation.  The patriot would say, "God bless America", but really, how can a holy God bless a nation bathing in the innocent blood of the unborn?  How can He legitimately bless a country drunk with its own pride, which places more faith in its fighter jets and nuclear submarines than it does in the Creator of the universe?  The well-meaning, socially conscious Liberal looks at America's problems and says, "We can make America better, we can fix all of the issues if we work together, putting aside our differences".  They greatly err because for them Truth is an obstacle to unity.  To them, Truth is relative, pliable, and is able to take whatever shape the molders desire. Truth for them can be cast aside, for there are as many versions of Truth as there are people in the world.  To them, it takes great audacity for anyone to present Truth as that which is immutable and not subject to human (or divine) altering.

It is from these two basic American groups that the attacks against the Church of Jesus Christ are launched, and they have both become more forward.  This lawless society reminds me of a child who tests the limits of parental parameters to see just how much he can get away with. This culture is doing the exact same thing to Truth.  The culture, I believe, KNOWS that its deeds are evil, but, as all despots and adulterers do, they redefine their wicked acts as "logical alternatives" to soothe their own consciences that convict them.  After conscience is silenced by searing they can proceed full throttle on the road of sin, ferociously attacking anyone who'd dare have the unmitigated gall to decry their actions as evil and worthy of the righteous judgment of God.  This is the hour in which we live and we might as well brace ourselves because the comfortable lives that we've always known in America is about to abruptly end and we will be one with Christians living under repressive regimes in both faith as well as in suffering.

I do believe that the increased level of scorn levied against Biblical Christianity is not only allowed by God but also SENT by Him, for the hour of the purging and refining of His people in America is upon us.  The Church needs it, because can you believe that some people actually think "Preachers of L.A." and "Fix My Choir" and "Sunday Best" are true representations of Biblical Christianity?  These programs lull millions of saved and unsaved alike into a false sense of security because viewers begin to see that there's NO real difference between the believer and the unbeliever, therefore what is there that would draw the unbeliever to the Gospel if the transforming power of the Gospel is not seen in those who preach it and sing about it?  Biblical Christianity is full of joy and love and peace, tempered with great sobriety and purpose and duty.  Where is the seriousness of the Faith in these godless shows?  There is none...

This is not necessarily about television shows, although media is used by the enemies if God to mock Him, to blaspheme His Name, and to ultimately bring Him down to our level in order to elevate man above Him.  The Republicans and Democrats of this nation, as political entities, hate God and by their works they deny Him.  The Republicans are forsaking the Judeo-Christian principles Sean Hannity and others so ardently pontificate about as fast as they can for political expediency; they know they could very well become a completely irrelevant party if they don't cross lines previously regarded as "uncrossable".  They, in droves, are embracing the basic tenets of homosexual marriage even as their Party's higher-ups spend themselves and their massive fortunes on buxom mistresses, and in the sadism of homosexual adulterous trysts.  They are spineless, aimless, and have no creed but their own patriotism.  The Democratic Party is no position to defend the Name of Christ either, for they are the undisputed champions of advancing homosexual rights and godless, humanistic public education and the total religious sanitation of the entire land.  They, like none other, are the nobility of a dark empire fueled by lobbyists' dollars of the industry of infanticide, they endorse Planned Parenthood, an organization started by one of the most racist eugenicists in American history; it is a party that is feminizing the military and excels at emasculating the American male.  They want Israel to fade into nonexistence as they wouldn't even acknowledge Israel at one of their own Party's Convention.  This is a Party that hates God with an obvious passion.  There are other groups of course, who operate in economic, religious, social, and educational spheres of influence—they all are enemies of God because they reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and together, because they love the things of this world, be they money, power, pleasure, or prestige, align themselves and their resources against Jesus Christ and all that He stands for.  This may sound harsh, but Christians need to understand that this nation is not our home, and we are a small minority here who truly walk in the light as Christ is in the light and the attachment we have to this society needs to be broken sooner, rather than later.  

The walls of relative peace and liberty we have operated in are collapsing in on us.  The nation has long since shown where her allegiances truly lie, and they find our loyalties abhorrent.  We are the bigoted, closed-minded, holier-than-thou Bible-thumpers in the eyes of this nation and world and they will tolerate us as long as we stay with in our own little corner.  Eventually, even that won't be enough as right now in the city of Houston, the mayor has demanded—via subpoena—the sermons of five city pastors for "violating" an ordinance by speaking God's Truth about homosexuality.  Yes, our space is tightening and the culture's tactic is to back us into a corner, to exert so much pressure and discomfort on us that we will keep silent and hide our light "under a bushel", but I tell you, on the authority of the written Word of God, that that will only embolden the true Body of Christ!  Yes, let them back us into a corner—but let us know we have our backs to the wall with the Lord Jesus Christ standing before us and He has all power to protect us and to perfectly execute His will through whatever He permits to happen to us.  We must stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that alone. God sent Jesus Christ into this world to save sinners; whosoever will believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Golgotha will have their sin washed away by the grace of God alone through faith alone and will thenceforth be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live the holy, sanctified life God requires for entry into Heaven, escaping the wrath of eternal hell.  Christians, we have nothing to fear.  Let us demolish the walls they build around us...!

Why I Love Israel

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalms 122:6).

Right now, the sovereign State of Israel is under extreme duress.  Once again, the children of Israel must face yet another barrage of rockets from their southwestern neighbors and also, again, the resolve and fighting mettle of Israeli men and women is put to the test.  What other nation on earth could possibly endure the combination of the constant threat of annihilation and of worldwide disdain regardless of its course of action?  Truly, no matter what Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF do to protect the men, women, and children of the only democracy in the Middle East, the collective likes of CNN, MSNBC, Al-Jazeera, NPR, etc. will only cast the Israelis as cruel occupiers and baby-killers.  Nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

My intent here is not to analyze the causes of the newest conflict between the cowardly thugs on the Mediterranean—Hamas, and the most powerful nation in the region—Israel, but to just briefly share with the world why I love Israel so, and why I believe with all my heart, like the Spartans of old they shall absolutely triumph over all of their enemies, though they are as the sand of the sea. 

I am a Christian.  I love Israel because God loves her, and because He exhorts all who would love Him to love the people He took as His bride millennia ago.  The very existence of Israel proves that every promise He makes to me He will will without equivocation keep.  His written Word says that no power exists that can destroy His chosen-for-all-time people.  The fact that Israel exists shows I can believe every word of the Scriptures He gave through His people.  Israel is a testament to the greatness and power of God.

I love Israel for two words: "Never." "Again."  I love Israel because they will not subject themselves to genocide easily ever again, and she is willing to match their enemies' every bullet, bomb, and missile to prove that they will be victim to no regime's "Final Solution" ever again.  Going to war against an enemy who uses his own countrymen as shields is not easy, what with all the rules and restraints imposed by the Geneva Convention, but Israel refuses to allow the cowards to hide, refuses to let them employ the same, dastardly tactics that will let them continue to kill Israelis.  I love Israel because her leadership is not shrinking back from its charge, its primary responsibilty of enforcing its borders to protect its people.  I don't think it matters who they face, for the response must be the same—force, when provoked.  A certain Western constitutional republic and Chief Executive thereof could learn a thing or two from this bright tower of courage and valor.

Lastly, I love Israel because she can never be destroyed.  Those things that are eternal are worthy of love.  Israel, according the Scriptures, shall never again go out of existence, and like Truth, she will endure and valiantly triumph over those who have hated her without cause.  Of course, I do not hold up Israel as a perfect, sinless nation, for the reason she is even in this predicament is because Jacob's children have perpetually been stiff-necked and rebellious, even to the point of rejecting her long-awaited Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.  But I choose to let the Lord deal with that, for His Word says that He will gather His people to Himself and they all will be saved, after having been poured upon with the spirit of supplication when Christ returns to fight for them in their darkest hour.  I realize that even Israelis may not subscribe to my belief about them in this matter concerning Messiah, but again, I trust God to work that out according to His Word and His good pleasure.

For me, I love Israel...

Christians Aren't Angry Enough

"For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me" (Psalms 69:9).

This is more of a rant than an organized post.  You probably could also classify this as the random musings of an angry lover of God.  Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?  "An angry lover of God"?  Yes, I have to admit that that does sound odd, but on a deeper level it's very spot-on.  I love God, and daily I am striving to love Him more than I did the previous day and as the Scriptures say, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Mk. 12:30) and to love my neighbor as I love myself (Mk. 12:31).  Loving God and others is one of the primary reasons why we as Christians need the Holy Spirit; loving God as He deserves and commands is totally impossible without His Spirit empowering us to do it.  And for a moment just think about how hard it is to just like certain people, much more to love them, especially when we are treated unjustly, with hate and scorn and disdain—our flesh wants to lash back with similar sentiments—again, loving our enemies and those the world calls "unlovable" is precisely why we must have the Holy Spirit. 

I've gone on about love because it would be through love Christ said the world would be able to identify His followers as truly belonging to Him (Jn. 13:35), not holiness, righteous service, or acceptable worship, all of which are necessities for Christians.  Since our lives are, more than anything, to be governed by love, one might see love and anger as qualities that cannot coexist in the lives of Christians.  I can understand that.  For those who may not be particularly knowledgeable in the Scriptures and who may have heard the world's "version" of Jesus Christ and his message of universal love, peace, and harmony, I can understand why they'd be confused.  Yet the Jesus Christ of the Bible is one who loves in a way that is totally foreign to this world and also hates in a way this world cannot hate.  Yes, that's right.

Christ is able to effortlessly love those who hate Him; He showed His love on a cruel, rugged cross drenched in His blood, and He also showed His perfect hate for that which He took upon Himself—sin—at the very same rough, bloody cross.  Jesus showed He was very serious about sin by His death, submitting to the Father's will in that His death was man's only hope of freedom from the iron grip of sin.  When one considers what Christ went through; He was perfectly innocent, full of grace and Truth, love and virtue and this world did its best to totally destroy Him, and ever since then, has been trying to eradicate His memory from the history books and hearts of mankind.

In the world's attempts to destroy Jesus Christ, it has become much more forward about its intentions. At one time in the United States Judeo-Christian principles were highly esteemed, even by the ungodly.  But now, as the thin veneer of civility and morality is peeled back, the world is becoming all the more obvious in its hatred of Jesus Christ.  As the world, from virtually every sector, aligns itself with all that is blatantly antichristian its derision of Christ's Name becomes nastier.  I recently read a CNN article about the rapture of the Church and how Jesus would never endorse the doctrine of the rapture.  This article painted the Lord Jesus Christ as an uber-tolerant lover of any and every thing about man, who doesn't need or even want him to change, who'll take the elect as quick as he would the devout Catholic, the pious Muslim, the tormented pedophile, as quickly as He would the homosexual couple in love.

Of course, the idea that sinful man doesn't have to repent to have fellowship with God is a fallacy (Mt. 3:1-12; Lk. 13:1-5; I Jn. 1:6-9; 2:4), and all of those lies are attacks on Truth, and when Truth is attacked, that should make Christians quite irate. In America, we have grown accustomed to our peaceful, idyllic liberties, but it's high time we got angry about how blasphemous this society has become concerning Jesus Christ.

Hollywood constantly churns out movie after movie like Dogma, This Is the End, Bruce Almighty, Antichrist, The Da Vinci Code, and literally scores more, showing the world where that godless industry stands. And where it has stood has never been in question, but now,  like so many other sectors of this society the masks are merely coming off and they are showing Christians that they will no longer tolerate what we hold dear, that which has been so profound a blessing on this nation.

Christians, we have to awaken out of the malaise our comfortable living has induced and we have to get angry! But in our anger, we must go beyond the simple peaceful protest; we have to go beyond tweeting about it, posting our feelings on Facebook and Google+ and complaining to our friends. This is really about channeling that righteous indignation into more meaningful action, and that which will honor and glorify the Name of Jesus Christ and will endure the scrutiny of His examination at the judgment.

In our actions, we have to share the glorious Gospel, testifying by speech and conduct that Christ is worthy of esteem and praise and honor and worship because of the great love He has loved ALL people with and how He has offered Himself as the escape from the wrath to come (to those who receive Him by faith). We show our hatred for sin by sharing the cure for it; we hate the slavery to sin by declaring the freedom through Christ,  a free gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9). We do not channel our anger into hate for people. We do not use our anger to inflict harm on others. On the contrary, we wreak havoc on the kingdom of darkness with love and Truth for the lost but nothing but hatred for Satan and his infernal kingdom.

We have to divest ourselves from the entertainment system's blasphemy of our Lord. We can no longer watch their movies or listen to their music. I know that may seem hard, even impossible to some, especially since just about all of us have been raised almost from infancy on the industry's cartoons, movies, sitcoms, and songs, the snippets of which still float around in our minds still as fresh as day we first heard and watched it.

We have to use the talents and gifts and abilities to fight the Satanic propaganda and provide godly alternatives for ourselves and our children. Some of us are gifted in writing, speaking and teaching, singing, organizing, motivating and encouraging,  and all of these gifts can be used to defend Jesus Christ.

We should not accept the blasphemy of Jesus Christ lying down, but rather by focusing our anger toward Spirit-led Bible study, and effectual fervent prayer according to the will of God.

So much more could be written about this. We must stop looking for our elected officials to stand up for us, especially as they show that they do not love or know Jesus Christ, whether their name is Danny Davis, Nancy Pelosi  Mitt Romney, John McCain, Al Sharpton, or Barack Obama. No matter how much they offer lip service to our Lord, it is the blood-bought Church of the Living God that must defend the Lord of Lords, free speech rights or not.

Of course, we shouldn't be surprised by the world hating Jesus Christ because it does not know Him. We should also not be surprised when the world ramps up its attacks on Christ, in fact we should only expect it. But we absolutely don't have to stand by and do nothing.

Church, You May as Well Fight!

The Lord Jesus Christ had the exemplary perspective on death in that He saw it as the door to His Heavenly reward, but a portal that could only be opened by His Heavenly Father.  This is crucial a perspective to hold as the Christian's proper view of death; death is but a door that only God can open or close.  Jehovah alone, is a God who opens and no one can close, and He closes, and no one can open (Dan. 4:35; Rev. 3:7).  When we look at death in this manner, properly looking at God possessing all power and wisdom and perfect will, all fear of death evaporates.  We must understand that we cannot die without the Father's consent, even as we cannot even take our next breath apart from His will.  No matter how this world rages, and persecs, and threatens, it is completely devoid of power to end the life of any child of God.  Now, when we are armed with this thinking we are loosed of death's grip and free to pursue God's will wholeheartedly.  The fear of death holds back billions of people.  This should not be so for the saints of God for we can encourage ourselves from the records in Scripture of those who kept this state of mind, especially our Lord, John the Baptist, Apostles Peter, Paul, and James—they held nothing back in God's service, and the Father, at the appointed time, opened the door (of death) which led to His glorious Presence.

Now that death is appropriately perceived, we must properly look at the Christian walk as one of combat, and that to the death.  (Now, one might see the importance of the proper view of death in relation to fighting a war, for the soldier fearing death cannot be as effective as one not afraid of death.). The Church of Jesus Christ faces a foe devoid of love, mercy, or compassion.  Not only that, he also knows that he cannot win and that his doom is sure.  How many times have we heard that the most dangerous enemy is the one with nothing to lose?  A wounded animal, backed into a corner, will angrily and desperately fight to stave off its own end.  Well, Biblically speaking, Satan is that wounded animal, slithering about with a crushed and bleeding head (Gen. 3:15); he is a lion defanged, declawed, armed with but a loud, frightening roar (I Pet. 5:8).  Satan knows his brief time of rebellion is nearly done and that the fires of hell grow ever hungrier to consume him for all eternity (Is. 14:12-15; Jn. 16:11; Lk. 10:18; Rev. 20:10).  

Satan has formidable weapons which he uses to further his lost cause.  He also doesn't sleep, he doesn't tire, and he has an entire kingdom of evil spirits at his beck and call, furious at man for being able to inherit their former bright and glorious abode and probably equally as enraged at their dark lord for having led them down the path to everlasting destruction.

My basic premise is that we may as well fight as we are already in a fierce conflict with spiritual beings fueled by pure sin, hate, and rage, and actually, we have been in this fight from the second we drew our first breath.  Make no mistake about it—Jesus Christ is a Warrior and He takes no prisoners (Is. 63:1-6; Dan. 7:13-14; Jo. 3:14-17; Zec. 12:9-14; Rev. 19:11-16).  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Satan is also a warrior, albeit an inferior one, and wants to win (Rev. 12:7-12; 20:7-9).  He cannot win, therefore theft, murder, and destruction (Jn. 10:10) constitute his goals and objectives.  Christ fought with extremely effective weapons in His Humiliation, and He will also fight with spiritual weapons at the battle ground of Megiddo against Satan's "superman", Antichrist, and his vile ecumenical leader, the False Prophet.  The Scripture clearly says that in Israel's darkest of hour the King of Kings will fight with the great sword that proceeds out of His mouth, sharp enough, mighty enough to annihilate the last Caesar's army in one fiery instant.  Now obviously, that sword is not an actual blade of steel or brass, but one made of material far more substantial—the spiritual iron of the Word of the Living God.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the Christian walk frequently, and he did so at times using military terms.  And in one of the most often quoted and referenced passages in Scripture in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, Paul very deliberately and explicitly lists the armor and weaponry of the Christian soldier.  The Way (of Christ) is hotly contested and opposed by this world at every opportunity.  Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence; and He followed with "the violent take it by force" (Matt. 11:12).  There are babes in Christ as well as mature in Christ, yet regardless of maturity level we all share a common immutable faith—both also share a common war.  Entering the Kingdom of Heaven is done through conflict, through war, through being merciless against the principalities and powers of the darkness of this world using the weapons which have been dutifully forged in the searing heat of the foundries of God's armory.

 Upon salvation, each believer is given at least one gift by the Spirit of Truth for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). Unfortunately, too many Christians dwell far too long on the gifts of tongues, preaching and teaching, healing, and prophecy; so many want apostleship and pastorates, and the titles of "Evangelist" and "minister" and don't dwell nearly long enough on the Christian's armor and weapons of war.  Not every saint can teach; not every believer has been given to pastoral ministry, but every Christian has the exact same components of God's armor, and Paul urges the Ephesians and all saints to put the armor on!  We must know these artifacts well because every second of our lives we will be fighting—not speaking in tongues, and each day of our lives will be spent exchanging powerful blows with the army of darkness—not working daily miracles of healing.  Every year we live here will be spent fighting without quarter on the front line of the most ferocious combat imaginable. 

 Even while you read this, Satan and his army of demons are on the attack, and his weapons are ubiquitous in our society.  He uses the morally neutral medium of radio, television, and the web to pump into our ears, and subsequently, our minds, the sewage of vulgar music, pornography, and ungodly entertainers' mindless, foolish behavior.  He takes our ability to think critically and spiritually by the Pied Piper-like musings of entertainment which also feed the flames of sin and our innate appetites for debauchery.  These are just some of his more subtle, but shockingly, more effective weapons against us because he knows that if he can get our minds off of the things of God, he can make us ineffective on the battlefield.

As I conclude, God has constructed the specific elements of His armor for us to counter very deliberate, predictable volleys of Satan.  Satan isn't going to stop attacking until he finally begins his eternity-long prison sentence in the lake of fire, and if we interpret Scripture properly, he will only intensify his warfare against the Church on an almost unimaginable level.  Additionally, he will actually be given power to overcome the saints who are saved during the 70th Week (Dan. 7:21, 25; Rev. 12:17; 13:7) but we should understand that while Satan will certainly win battles here or there, his overall campaign is miserably lost, and those Brothers and Sisters he is allowed to kill finally and forever triumph by the blood of Jesus Christ and the word of their testimony (Rev. 12:11).  

The weapons they will fight with will not be different from the weapons we currently fight with.  We read to the very end of Scripture that Christians are fighting one who constantly fights them but even more, the Church is on the offensive!  We are not to be in a defensive position!  Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church (Mt. 16:18; Acts 19:20).  What is interesting about that is that gates don't attack—gates only are used as defensive tools!  It is the Church that is on the attack as it advances the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The world attacked Jesus because He was on the attack and from the sinful nature the world reacted with envy, persecution, and murder (Mt. 27:18; Mk. 14:55-65; Jn. 10:31-39; 15:24-25; Acts 2:23).

The Lord Jesus could have prevented any assault on Him.  Christ could have silenced every scornful tongue with His almighty power.  He had Divine right to prohibit unbelief of His words.  Instead of a ministry of 33 years, He could have made it 33 days, or even 33 hours—He could have, by His irresistible authority forced all mankind to receive the Gospel.  However, in submission to the will of the Father (and, having no fear of death,) strapped on the armor and went out into the muck and mire of the battlefield's trenches, blocking endless flurries of fiery darts with His shield while pulling sinners from the No Man's Land of the fray.  Therein is our task.  As believers in Christ, we must armor up—we're already on the battlefield—and pull people who have been wounded and battered and enslaved by the devil to the safety of the fortress of Jesus Christ.  This is all about the souls of people.  We're already in the war—we may as well fight, and fight to win!

The Armor of God, head to feet, briefly (Eph. 6:10-18):

1.) The Helmet of Salvation
Upon salvation, the mind is renewed; the believer now is able to think God's thoughts; the knowledge of salvation helps to govern the believer's thinking.

2.) The Breastplate of Righteousness
Since Satan primarily uses guilt and accusation and condemnation against the saints, a righteous life protects the most vital organ—the heart—from the devil.

3.) The Belt of Truth
The belt of a soldier doesn't just hold up his pants, it also serves as an important instrument in holding all the elements of the armor together; the Roman soldier of Paul's day had his sword and dagger attached to the belt; the breastplate was often connected to the belt for stability; a water skin and food rations could be tied to it as well as writing tools and medicinal supplies; without Truth, the believer's armor cannot hold together.  God's Word is Truth.

4.) The Sandals
The feet of the Christian soldier are swift totake the Gospel to the lost; the Gospel is the good news of peace, peace between God and sinful man made possible by Jesus Christ alone, which is the Gospel. The steps of the believer are governed by this aim alone.

5.) The Shield of Faith
Roman soldiers' shields were large, able to almost cover the entire body; the larger a believer's faith, the larger his protection from Satanic deception and dupery; when on one accord, the collective faith of the Church is a powerful defence as Roman soldiers would connect their shields to fend off aerial attacks by arrows and spears.

6.) The Sword of the Spirit
The Word of God is the only offensive weapon for the believer; the Word alone is able to effect damage on the kingdom of darkness; the Word of God is the only weapon the believer needs and when properly used it cannot be defended against; Roman troops used spears more than swords to keep the enemy at a distance, therefore the use of the sword is for close combat, the Church must closely engage Satan in battle.

7.) Prayer (Not part of the Armor)
Prayer is communication with God, primarily used to hear from Him concerning His will, rather than a means to get desired things; prayer keeps the believer before the Presence of God, helps to keep the believer from sin; through prayer, the Christian soldier is renewed, refreshed, repaired.

Jesus Christ's Stance on Gay Marriage

Not long ago I saw a cable news panel discussion between various pundits debating both the Constitutional legality and moral basis for homosexual marriage in the United States.  The panel consisted of three participants, one of which was a Bible-believing Christian, the others being staunch proponents of gay marriage, which, of course, is their right to be so.  The endorsers of gay marriage even now, see the issue as one between two loving, consenting adults.  The Christian panelist based his argument solely on the Holy Bible's prohibition against the practice.  

The discussion unfolded, and I saw the other two panelists' glee as they defended their position using the philosophy of this world's "Jesus"; this world desires a "Jesus" who loathes to judge anyone, who wants us all to just love another and most importantly, accept everyone, including everyone's version of Truth.  Their "Jesus" tailors Truth to the times and amends it as is needed.  Truth lies at the core of the argument because if Truth is subjective, then, of course, there's nothing wrong with gay marriage--or anything, for that matter.  The secular panelists accused the Christian of intolerance and bigotry, and even worse, of twisting the message of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Christian's Biblical views were maligned and excoriated.  The secular panelists said that the Christian's views were erroneously based on Old Testament Law.  They also insisted that that code had been nullified by Christ's message of universal love, tolerance, and acceptance.  The debate was no more than about fourteen minutes, but I was impressed by the Christian's firm stance on what Scripture says about the issue.

In the days that followed, I thought about this extremely hot topic in mainstream America.  The media report almost weekly how state after state is eliminating all respective bans on gay marriage which allow hundreds of same-sex couples to be legally married.  Okay, one might say.  What could possibly be wrong?  What's the big deal?  Again, once the foundations are thrown out, a well-meaning public servant has no ground to prohibit same-sex couples from becoming married.  The result of such attacks on the very first institution God established is the incursion of His judgment. 

Again, the central matter is Truth.  For the Christian, the Bible is the sum total of Truth.  As far as the world is concerned, Truth is relative and has as many versions as there are people in the world.  I have noticed that many, even clergy, (and specifically the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Evangelical Lutherans to name a few) are now asserting that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said nothing directly against homosexuality, much less gay marriage.  I disagree because Christ said everything He needed to say about homosexuality, drunkenness, adultery, hypocrisy, and a myriad of other sins in His unapologetic support of the Law.  He did not endorse the Law as the means through which sinful man could be saved, but He did present the Law as the lens through which the holiness of God can be properly viewed and the principles in that same Law in every moral sense is just as binding today as it was thousands of years ago when Moses first received it.

I didn't want to write so much as far as an introduction. However, as I thought about the flow of Biblical logic a Christian would have to follow to properly defend Christ's actual position on this matter, the Word of Truth shows that it contains all that the Christian needs to stand upon about this issue. I drafted an outline of how one could systematically and effectively defend Biblical marriage as God's unalterable standard and I saw that no Old Testament has to be directly quoted.  (The world fiercely eschews Leviticus and Deuteronomy and view those books as the pinnacle of religious intolerance.)  I found that the New Testament is just as resolute on this matter as the Old Testament, and that the Jesus Christ of the Bible would never endorse gay marriage at anytime or for any reason.

I must say that just because I support Scripture's definition of marriage that does not mean that I want them stoned to death as was required under the ceremonial Law of the Pentateuch. I would not support anyone who would have them excluded from the society.  I am not desiring the imprisonment of homosexuals or their blacklisting.  As they have the freedom to choose their lifestyle, so do I.  They have every right to choose to stand against Scripture and I have every right to stand with Scripture.

The most important truth of this post is that the Jesus of the Bible totally and eternally saves from sin when one repents and receives Him as Lord and Savior (Jn. 3:16; 5:24; 8:21-24; Lk. 13:2-5; Acts 4:12; I Cor. 6:9-11).  I join the Apostles, saints, and Heavenly angels in that any adulterer, fornicator, idolater, thief, child molester, swindler, murderer, or hypocrite can be cleansed completely by Christ's blood through faith (Heb. 9:15; 10:12; I Jn. 1:7).  I'm glad that I have no pressure to try to win an argument; I am not trying to trump anyone's philosophy, but solely satisfied with declaring to the world that God's way is the best way and that Christians don't have to retreat from the debate!  The Christian has the Word of the Living God, which is able to demolish every worldly argument, philosophy, and position (Lk. 21:15; II Cor. 10:4-5).  All a Christian needs to do is just present the Word and let God respond in His perfect way to either the reception of His Word, or to its rejection.  Souls are at stake, not notches on our belts for having won insignificant arguments.

Obviously, anything man does is flawed (except for Holy Scripture which the Holy Spirit inspired and commissioned a select few to write).  This outline is by no means the only way to defend Scripture's definition of marriage and prohibition of homosexuality but just a possibility.  I can accept and welcome flaws being identified and pointed out and shared as comments.

I.  The Bible Is Truth

     A.  The Old Testament is Holy Scripture

          1.  verified as sacred, binding Scripture by Jesus Christ

               a.  Matthew 5:17-20

                    1.  the Law is holy and is sacred Scripture and morally binding

                    2.  the Law cannot be nullified or destroyed

                    3.  every commandment of the moral Law is to be obeyed

               b.  Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4

                    1.  the Law verified by Jesus Christ as the very words of God that man 

                    shall live by, align all conduct to

               c.  Mark 12:24-27

                   1.  marriage associated with what Moses has written

                        a.  Christ affirms Moses' authorship of Genesis which explicitly

                             defines God's design for marriage, doom of Sodom and 

                             Gomorrah

               d.  Luke 24:25-27

                   1.  Christ explicitly defines what Scripture is

                        a.  Moses

                             1.  The Book of Genesis

                                  a.  marriage, doom of Sodom and Gomorrah

                             2.  The Book of Exodus through the Book of Deuteronomy

                                  a.  prohibitions against Sodomy, examples of judgment

                        b.  The Prophets

                             1.  all Scripture, in this case, in addition to the Pentateuch

               e.  John 17:17

                   1.  The entire canon of Scripture is Truth

                        a.  Truth is immutable

                        b.  Truth is, at all times, binding and universally authoritative

                        c.  Truth is objective, never subjective or relative

          2.  verified by the Apostle Paul

               a.  Romans 7:12

                    1.  the Law is holy

               b.  Romans 7:14

                    1.  the Law is spiritual, therefore eternal in essence and application

               c.  Romans 7:16

                    1.  the Law is good!

               d.  Romans 7:22

                    1.  the Christian delights in the Law

                         a.  Psalm 19

                         b.  Psalm 119:1; those who walk in the Law are blessed

                         c.  Psalm 119:97; the man and woman of God loves the Law

                         d.  Psalm 119:142; the Law equals Truth

II.  The Doom of Sodom and Gomorrah in the New Testament

     A.  Jude 5-8

          1.  The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is clearly defined, gives the context of 

               judgment

               a.  destroyed for sodomy

     B.  II Peter 2:6-8

          1.  destroyed for their continual wickedness, made an example of by God

          2.  God is longsuffering, even as He was with Sodom and Gomorrah

     C.  Revelation 11:8

          1.  the adherents of the ways of Sodom naturally attack the people of God;

               Sodom (and Egypt) equated with evil

     D.  Matthew 11:23

          1.  Sodom's evil compared with Capernaum's evil

     E.  Romans 1:18-32

          1.  homosexuality, along with uncontrollable, burning lasciviousness by a

               society is a sign of the judgment of God, having been given over to that    

               which shall destroy it

III.  Hope for Homosexuals and All Sinners

     A.  I Corinthians 6:9-11

          1.  sinners washed

          2.  sinners sanctified

          3.  sinners justified

              a.  the homosexual is transformed, saved for all eternity, filled with the

                   the Spirit of Truth
                  1.  over time, the appetites and desires for sin decreases over time, taken away as the Holy
                       Spirit asserts more and more influence by the new nature over the natural nature (the 
                       flesh).  Theologically, this process is called Sanctification; the new nature is fed by:
                            a.  daily Spirit-led study of and meditation on the Word of Truth
                            b.  daily Spirit-led, intense prayer
                            c.  daily Spirit-led, Biblical worship of the God of Scripture with other believers
                            d.  daily obedience to the will of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Word of Truth
                            e.  daily confession of sin and daily repentance

                            

Will You be Christian When it All Falls Apart?

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).

First, let me just say that I love the United States of America.  I will not, however, be one to assert that America has, at any time in her short history, ever been perfect, for she has not been. Nevertheless, this nation has been at times referred to as an "experiment".  That description was never truer than right after the Revolutionary War as the rest of the world--in it's entirety--was under some despotic monarch's, chief's, or emperor's iron-fisted rule.  A constitutional republic was an aberration on the world scene.  Since America's founding, her distinctive structure has permitted individuals--free men and women--to enjoy the fruits of their own labor, to enjoy open and free discussion and access to virtually any and all forms of information, and the uninhibited practice of an their religion.  Of course, there is some idealism in some of the aforementioned statements, but generally, they are very accurate.  The standard of living, which in all of human history has been unmatched, is rapidly eroding (along with our morality), and the thin veil of stability and order is now quite tattered and moth-eaten and all of our comfortable living is fast coming to an end.

That order and stability which we, especially my generation (of the forty-somethings), have become so accustomed to is running out of steam.  The economic engines of manufacturing, technological innovations, science and engineering which have served as the West's driving force for prosperity are grinding to a halt and the effects are seen right outside our windows.  The streets of America are quickly filling with the homeless.  Unemployment lines grow ever longer (and that I know personally).  Inflation continues to drive food and fuel prices higher and higher which force the lower class into an even lower class and which compel our seniors to choose between life-saving medicines versus heat in their homes during harsh winters.  The corruption and incompetence of each Presidential Administration from Barack Obama's all the way back to Jimmy Carter's are collectively hammering the nails into America's coffin.  And as more and more of the population becomes dependent on the government in the forms of food stamps, section 8 housing, and government jobs, what we are presented with is the perfect storm that can force the entire nation over the cliff into complete and utter anarchy.

The day of the dollar's collapse is very near and the great global uncertainty surrounding the dollar is the proof.  Even now, almost every industrialized nation's leaders are urging the creation of a new global reserve currency.  They are readying their abandonment of the once rock-solid dollar as America implodes.  The question is, what shall American Christians do when this volatile mixture of flammable, toxic variables finally erupts in the most fierce economic conflagration the world has ever seen, one in which the world will demand a new "Caesar" to "make everything alright" again.  Don't say it can't happen.  The Germans wanted relief so badly that they gave way to Adolph Hitler.  The Chinese bought the propaganda of Mao Zedong and Red China was born. The Bolsheviks sold their dream of a Socialist paradise so well that it gave rise to the fearsome Soviet Union.  

Needless to say, hundreds of millions of people died under these governments alone.  And some of the most hunted, persecuted people have been Bible-believing Christians.

That brings us to the real possibility that here, in the United States of America, Christians may be killed, simply for being Christian!  This is already happening in communist North Korea, and under the theocratic tyranny of Iran's Ayatollahs.  The slaughter of Christians in Sudan is astonishing; in Indonesia and New Guinea thousands of Christians' blood stains the ground.  Christians are always targeted for extermination because Bible-believing Christians don't fit into the godless societies created by tyrants for they have but one King, Jesus Christ.  The Holy Bible, which unapologetically pronounces judgment on every society, culture, and government which does not adhere to the commands of God is unaccaptable to this world's philosophy.  This generates and stimulates great enmity against God's Word and those who cling to it.  This is true in history and is true because the Scripture says that the entire world lies under the control of Satan (I Jn. 5:19) and all of its entertainment, academia, religions and politics.  The society which abandons God cannot endure His Word, therefore seeks to expunge it from the public square, as is happening daily in America.

So, what will we do, who call on the Name of Jesus Christ?  It's very easy to be Christian in America right now (generally speaking).  And what I mean is that, there aren't any Christians being burned at the stake, or shot publicly by firing squads, or sent to re-education camps right now.  Yes, we can proudly tote our Bibles around as we ride public transportation and read them in the break rooms of our respective jobs; we have no qualms about "putting on our Sunday best" to go worship, and we have no problem having "Jesus is my co-pilot" bumper stickers on our cars.

But will we be so quick to do all of those things when laws are enacted that virtually outlaw our faith?  When our stomachs are empty because we're not allowed to work to earn money to buy food for ourselves and our families, will we still be steadfast in our faithfulness to Jesus Christ? When the church buildings are charred and burned and smoldering because Christians are made the scapegoats for society's calamity, will we still meet to worship God as His Word commands?  When our loved ones are threatened and arrested because of our Christian activity, how strong will our resolve remain?  I realize that my words may paint a picture that is unimaginable to most, but the possibility is real, I assure you.  If we're honest, we have become addicted to the comforts God has blessed this nation with.  And actually, we have come to expect them and even think it's an outrage when our comforts and conveniences aren't readily available.  If we have to wait "too long" in the check-out line at the grocery store we quickly see the extent of our "Christianity."  If we're cut off in traffic, we see how quickly the old man reasserts himself with all of his obscene gestures and epithets.  How much more if our backs are against the wall, when a good, hot meal is just a denial of Christ away?

Even now, Christians around the world are experiencing loss of life and limb--literally.  They are losing their tongues for confessing Christ; they are having eyes gouged out for viewing the Holy Scriptures; they are forced to watch the torture of their loved ones and children for confessing Jesus Christ--and they, filled and strengthened by the Holy Spirit are remaining true to Christ's Name (Mk. 13:9, 11) like the Apostles and faithful of old (Heb. 11:36-40) and securing for themselves a magnificent welcome into the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 25:34-40; Acts 7:54-60; Rev. 14:13).

When it all falls apart, and this massive empire of pleasure and decadence and comfort and convenience crashes, will we be found as faithful in the times of want as we were in the times of plenty?

Prepare.  Now.

Are You a "To-the-Death" Christian?

"Ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin" (Heb. 12:4).

"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20)...

The life of the American Christian is not one devoid of its share of trials, travails, and challenges and yet is sprinkled with laughter and triumphs.  The Word of Truth explicitly teaches believers in Jesus Christ that trouble will not only come (Job 5:7; Jam. 1:2-4; I Pet. 3:12-16), but that they should even expect trouble and to also be conformed to the image of Christ by the trouble.  We frequently face ridicule and derision by this world. Our Lord and faith are scorned in the marketplace of ideas and ferociously mocked by the godless entertainment system of this society.  Like other Americans, Christians are paying bills--some mightily struggling; like our fellow countrymen, illness and death touch us and our loved ones; like just about anyone else, we attend graduations, baby christenings, court hearings and funerals.  But, there is far more to the Christian walk than going to Heaven when our time time here on earth is done.

     There is a CNN article I read online that continued to follow the plight of a lovely Sudanese Christian woman, betrothed to an American Cristian man.  (I have embedded in this post video of the ordeal.)  Meriam Yehya Ibrahim is, even now, languishing in a Khartoum prison for the specific crime of "apostasy."  According to Shariah law the children of Muslim men are required to adopt and practice the religion of their fathers.  The charge of apostasy has been levied because Meriam refuses to adhere to the tenets of Islam and is a devout follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The practices of the Ayatollahs, clerics, Ummahs, and sheiks of the Islamic nations have long grieved and angered me, as they continue to use the heavy mallet of Sharia to rule as dictators and despots crushing free will, and all of the inalienable rights we enjoy free exercise of (that we often take for granted) in the United States.

     Beautiful Meriam stares death in the face right now at the hands of men absent of pity, bankrupt of mercy, and who possess not an iota of compassion.  Even while I write this post in the peaceful comfort of my home, sitting on a plush, comfortable bed Sister Meriam is in prison with her 20-month old son Martin as well as another infant, a girl.  Her husband Daniel who is also a Christian says of his beloved that she'll see this ordeal to the end, even her own death.  This is particularly difficult when we consider what brutalities could be done to her babies in an attempt to force her to renounce Christ and embrace Islam.  I'm sure that every motherly instinct within her screams for compliance with her captors' demands for the sake of her children but she has bravely chosen to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ's power to protect her and her children and that His perfect will would be done in this terrible situation.  Sister Meriam stands as a pillar of Christian virtue, persecution, and most importantly faith, just as the Patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs have stood throughout human history.

     This brings me to reconsider my own personal trials and challenges.  In comparison to Sis. Meriam, what I am going through is nothing. Even now, I am shamed by my faithlessness, prayerlessness, disobedience, and lack of perseverance at times.  I know that I shouldn't be comparing my burdens to another Christian's (Gal. 6:4-5), for all events are ordered and presided over by the Lord Jesus and He expertly knows what to allow and that which to prohibit in our individual lives before Him.  However, Meriam's persecution has made me recommit to intercessory prayer for the saints being persecuted across the globe and to not allow any situation I encounter to overwhelm me or to make me take my eyes off of my Lord and King.

     I had to ask myself after reading the article, would I faithfully and unhesitatingly cling to Jesus Christ if my life could be forfeit?  Like the innumerable heroes of the faith, I had to ask myself, surrounded by countless comforts if I was a "to-the-death Christian."  I had to look deep down within and honestly examine myself to see if I would stand tall for my Lord.  As it stands now, it's hard for me to confidently say that I would do the same as Sis. Meriam.  However, i thank God that my perseverance is totally dependent on the Holy Spirit who would ensure that I would say what He would have me say and do that which He would have me do in that hour (Mk. 13:11) just as He is doing for my dear sister Meriam.  Let us all prepare now for the day when we will have to with distinction bear witness to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     PRAY FOR SISTER MERIAM AND DANIEL!