Feel Good Movies, God, and Me

A young man born into wealthy circumstances has no appreciation for what he has. He wastefully spends money on parties, extravagant trips, and any desire or pleasure he wants. His grandfather decides to teach him some life lessons. At first the young man rejects the effort but over time, often against his own will, he begins to see reality, changes his behavior and his life, and falls in love with the right young girl and all ends well. So ended the “feel good” movie we watched just the other night.

This reminds me of the Bible story of the prodigal (wasteful, reckless) son in Luke 15. He demanded his inheritance, left home and wasted the money on “riotous” living. He reached a point where the money ran out and the “friends” all left. He took a job feeding swine. It got to the point that he was so hungry he was willing to eat the swine’s food. Then the Scriptures tell us starting in verse 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.” When he returned home his father met him on the road, kissed him, welcomed him home and made a feast.

Jesus uses this story to paint a picture of our loving God and His willingness to receive us back after we have travelled down a reckless road. His desire is for us to return home. His desire is to welcome us back. His desire is to provide us a place in His home where there is no more pain, hardship or death.

When I watch these “feel good” movies, I often find myself thinking that this makes for a good movie, but in real life these people usually don’t get back on the right road where everything turns out rosy. Just think of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Madonna and others. We all know people in our own lives that are ruined by the lure of worldliness.

So while God is waiting on that road for us to return home, we often resist the efforts He provides through the lives of others to teach us, admonish us, and mold us into what the He wants us to be. We prefer to sit in the swine pit and never “come to our senses.” Or, we think that one day the right occasion will come along and we’ll change. We’re waiting on that “movie moment” when everything suddenly and magically turns around for us. Instead, like the prodigal son, it takes determination of our will – a decision – to cease following the world’s ways and finally start walking down the path toward God.

Luke 15:7 “…there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Are you in the swine pit of life? Do you want a different way? Can we help you come home to God? Let us know how we can help.

Letting Go

For a Christian, death can be a joyous time if your loved one shares faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Letting go of someone so they can be with the Lord is actually not so hard when you consider that going home is what the Christian’s life is all about.

The hardest part of letting go is the loss of the unique things that made our loved ones who they were. Shortly before my dad died I recall going from the hospital with mom over to their house to get some items either she or he needed. When I walked into the house it suddenly occurred to me that dad would never again be in that house. His spot on the couch in the corner of the den would forever be empty of his presence. Never again would we walk into their house at Thanksgiving and see dad standing at the stove stirring the Thanksgiving gravy while mom put the finishing touches on the other things. He always called me first thing in the morning on my birthday. I don’t remember a year when he didn't…until that first year he was gone.

It is those things about a person that you miss; those characteristics and actions that were uniquely theirs and that we came to depend on in our lives.

Nan’s dad was unique in his own way. He was “Grandpa Moody” to most of the family. He had a distinctive way of communicating. Instead of answering in the affirmative by saying “Yes,” Arthur always said, “True.” When you left his presence and said goodbye, he always responded, “Bye for now.” If anyone ever complained in his presence about another person, he was quick to provide a positive comment regarding them. Everything about life had a spiritual application. All the grand kids know “God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light’” as he turned the light switch on in a dark room. You could depend upon Arthur’s strong will, yet behind that strong will was a man who cared deeply for others and who could quickly become emotional when touched by their struggles.

Arthur touched as many as 6 generations of God’s people with his godly life – from Florida to Alaska, Washington State to New York. Even his great grandchildren are influenced by him through their parents, his grandchildren who sat on his knee learning godliness and they watched his unwavering service to the Lord.

Letting Arthur go is easy, and at the same time hard.  Easy because we have confidence in his eternal destiny. Hard because the unique man who touched our lives is forever gone from this life. But because of his confidence in the Lord of a life after this one, I’m certain he is telling us all, “Bye for now.”

W. Arthur Moody, November 24, 1918 to April 22, 2013

Choices for Our Children

Hannah is an Old Testament Bible character who struggled daily because she had no child. In deep sorrow she went to the Lord in prayer and made a vow. She said if You “will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life…” 1 Samuel 1:11. The Lord blessed her with the birth of Samuel.  When Hannah took young Samuel to Eli the priest she said, “Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” Verse 28.

Would you consider directing the life of your son this way? Perhaps deciding when your son is born that he will be a preacher of the gospel. From the moment of his birth you tell everyone, “My son will be a gospel preacher.”  As he grows you continually remind him of the plan you have for him. You read the Bible to him every day.  You have him spend time with godly men being taught the word of God.  In His teenage years you make arrangements for him to work in a church under the guidance of godly elders and evangelists who are committed to holiness. Finally the day comes when he is ready and he begins preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many would say a parent should never decide such a thing for their child. “You can’t force religion on your child! This kind of decision has to be made by the child without the influence of a parent,” they say.  Yet many parents decide their child is going to excel in school and work diligently to place them in the best schools with the best teachers.  Or parents begin at an early age instructing their child in a sport, working with them every day, purchasing the services of a trainer, placing them on select teams and filling their extra time with the sport.

Why is raising a child to be a preacher of the gospel something to be avoided? Hannah is certainly commended for her choice for Samuel and Samuel was a great leader of God’s people.

What we need today are parents who simply decide that their children are going to grow up to be holy and righteous.  I don’t mean hoping that they will be holy and righteous but determining from the first day that they will be holy and righteous young men and women.  That’s what Timothy’s mother and grandmother did. Paul said to Timothy, “…from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

If your child grows up to be holy and righteous, you’ll have to be holy and righteous.  You’ll need to be spending time with spiritual activities such as worship services, both scheduled and “extra-curricular,” Bible studies, sing praises to God, etc.  You’ll be selective in who your children are friends with. You’ll be careful about what they watch on TV and how much time they spend on the computer playing games or FaceBooking.  Sports, band, arts, and academics will not be the major focus of their life but will take second place to spiritual activities.

Someone might object saying that our children have to prepare themselves for a career.  Yes, our children need to make good grades and prepare themselves for life, but that is still secondary to their spiritual life.  Our responsibility before God is to raise spiritual children (Ephesians 6:4). By not making their spiritual life our number one priority, we neglect our God-given responsibility as parents.

Hannah is a great example. We may not dedicate our child’s life to God by determining he will be a preacher of the gospel, but we had better dedicate their life to the Lord and raise them accordingly. Oh, they may be an insurance salesman, a school teacher, a mechanic or enter some other line of work, but primarily they will be a holy and righteous servant of the Lord who places the Lord first, and secondarily whatever else they are in life.

Need help raising your children this way?  Please contact us if you feel we can help.

Should You Invest In Gold?

Invest in Gold! While driving to work and going out for lunch each day I usually listen to the radio. That totals about 40 minutes of my time each day in four driving segments. I get in roughly 15 minutes of listening to and from work and about 5 minutes to and from lunch.


Though I have not actually made a scientific study of it, I believe that more than 90 percent of the time I hear at least one commercial per drive segment exhorting me to buy gold. I can almost recite the commercials from memory.  Have you ever wondered...if this is such a great time own gold, why are so many companies selling gold? Just something to think about.


It is argued that gold has lasting value. One commercial says that gold will still have its value when the world no longer uses dollars, euros or the yen.  It is true that gold has greater value than currencies that come and go over many years. Yet gold prices fluctuate, sometimes wildly. There was a time when gold was so common that silver was considered to have little value. (1 Kings 10:21)


What Investment Should You Make?  Proverbs 23:23 says, "Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding."  In Jesus' prayer in John 17:17 He said, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your [God's] word is truth."  (Emphasis mine-BH)  So we are encouraged by Solomon to "buy the truth" and Jesus says God's word is truth.


The Psalmist David wrote about the words of God in Psalm 19:10 where he said, "More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold."  Making an investment in the word of God has a far greater value than an investment in gold.


How Do I Invest?  Buying the truth is an investment of time.  Paul told Timothy, "Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." (1 Timothy 4:13)  The Psalmist said of the righteous man, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2)  So we must take the time to read God's word and then meditate on it, thinking carefully about what it is saying.


Investing in God's word requires change. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Being conformed to the world carries the idea of being molded or shaped by the world - letting those around us or those on TV dictate our values, our language, and our dress.  In contrast, those investing in God's word will be "transformed."  The word that is translated transformed is based in the idea of metamorphosis. Just like a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly, we are changed by the word of God into something very different from the world's view of how people should act and think.  Peter calls it "partaking of the divine nature" in 2 Peter 1:4.  That means that we are less and less like the people around us and more and more like God Himself.  All because of our investment in His word.


Good Investments Are Costly.  Get rich schemes are just that...schemes.  When it comes to God's word, one does not make a minimal one-time investment and receive a huge payout.  It is continual investment over a lifetime.  "Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life" Jesus said in Revelation 2:10.  Take time to read 2 Peter 1:5-11 and note the diligence necessary for this investment to provide a return.


Ready To Invest?  We are willing to help you make your investment in God's word.  We'll get together with you and read God's word together.  The beginning of a New Year is right around the corner.  Won't you start your investment now?  Contact us via FaceBook message or by using the email address on this blog.  My wife and I would love to read and grow with you.  May God bless your investment of time in His word.

Do You Have An Exit Strategy?

We hear a lot about exit strategies. When the war starting going long in Iraq, President Bush was accused of not having an exit strategy. I received an email the other day from a company wanting to invest in my business. Their email asked, "Do you have an exit strategy?" I suppose they would like to develop one for me and get me out of the business.

Exit Strategies Are Important. They are important in war because without one, a nation becomes bogged down in a conflict that has no end. The expense of war is high and a nation soon tires of increasing body counts. In one's career, an exit strategy means knowing when it is the right time to move on, either to a nice retirement, or to start another venture that hopefully will be as profitable as the last.

In either case, having an exit strategy means that one's eye is set on an achievable goal and a plan is in place that will reasonably assure success.

How About You? Do you have an exit strategy? I mean, do you have an exit strategy from this life - your physical life? What plans are you making for eternal life? Are you "even more diligent to make your call and election sure?" (2 Peter 1:10).

Without an exit strategy that looks toward eternal life, we become bogged down in this life. We begin to chase wealth, bigger houses, a huge retirement and more toys. Rather than adding to our physical possessions, we need to follow the advice of the Apostle Peter.

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10). You see, focusing on the spiritual virtues in our life prepares us for an entrance into the everlasting kingdom.

Is Your Exit Strategy Developed? Are you actively working toward it or has your life been diverted by less important matters? Perhaps you would like to study the Scriptures with me and begin work on your exit strategy. I'd be happy to help. Please contact me.

What's In Your Wallet?

Capital One has these somewhat funny commercials that always end with, "What's in your wallet?" They hope that the Capital One Rewards card is in your wallet and, if not, the commercials extolling their rewards program are an attempt to entice you to apply.

As I thought about the Viking guy asking "What's in your wallet?", it occurred to me that many preachers are basically saying the same thing. Only they want what's in your wallet and entice you to send it to them by offering various earthly rewards.

Earthly Rewards? They speak of sowing "faith seeds" that will sprout into a rich harvest for the sower. They tell stories of how they once were in the depths of poverty but they kept on planting their faith seeds (giving money to a preacher) and now they wear a Rollex and drive "holy beemers," as one preacher referred to all the BMWs in the studio parking lot. They remind me of the guy who sells the DVD that tells you how to make millions on eBay. Of course, he is making his millions selling DVDs on TV. These preachers are paying for their BMWs and mansions by convincing simple people that they should sow "seeds" of money to their ministry.

God's Warning. God warns us about such people. Peter wrote about the false teachers who "speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage." (2 Peter 2:18,19). Earlier in the chapter Peter said of those false prophets, "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Peter 2:3). The NKJV reads "...they exploit you..."

These preachers want to know, "What's in your wallet?" They'll pray on TV and say that "Someone watching is having financial trouble; it is even causing problems in their marriage. God wants you to sow your seed of faith and be free of those financial problems and fix your marriage." When did Jesus use such tactics? Do you recall Jesus ever taking any money from his followers? Did He ever promise personal enrichment in trade for financial contributions to His ministry?

The apostle Paul, while trying to solicit funds to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem, did refer to sowing and reaping. He said to the Corinthians, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

Notice the difference in Paul's appeal and the appeal of modern day preachers. Paul was soliciting funds for others, not himself (cfm. 2 Corinthians 9:1). The giver would "reap" but the result of the reaping was not to purchase a BMW but to "have an abundance for every good work." Paul didn't even touch the money. Each church was to select a member to bear the gift to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:3) so that there would be no question about the handling of the money (2 Corinthians 8:18-21). Paul was not about enriching himself or enriching those who gave. His effort was to bring glory to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).

What's in your wallet? There are preachers who want to know and they want to have it. According to Peter, their continual interest in your wallet and their rich lifestyle is proof that they are not from God. You'll do well to avoid them and search out those who are more concerned about your spiritual well-being than those who give you empty promises of health and wealth in swap for what money you have.

If you would like to learn about God's solutions for your life, I would love to help. I have no ministry for you to give to and do not want any money. Your honest heart, open to the word of God, is what I want. Contact me when you are ready.

God's Higher Love

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
– Isaiah 55:8-9

Have you ever felt out of your league? Have you been around someone who was so much smarter, so much wealthier, or so much more powerful than you were that you felt intimidated and uncomfortable? Doesn’t it seem that this is how this passage portrays God? It doesn’t matter how wise we are, or think we are – God is wiser beyond comprehension. It doesn’t matter how powerful we are – God is more powerful still. Everywhere we look, and in all things, God is greater than us.

Do you feel intimidated by God? Do you feel like He is watching you at all times, just waiting for you to make a mistake? Do you feel like He just simply refuses to be pleased with how you live your life, no matter how hard you try to please Him? Perhaps God, to you, is like an overly strict father from whose gaze you cannot wait to hide yourself because you know that He is just waiting to see something wrong and punish you to the fullest extent of His power. If that is the case, then perhaps you have read these verses, or ones like them, without reading the verses surrounding them.

Verses 6-7 say this: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Notice the things that God is trying to emphasize to His people in this passage. Nearness. Reconciliation. Compassion. Pardon. This is not a passage describing God as a distant God – one so remote that He cannot relate to us. Rather, we see God describing Himself as a God who, despite His awesomeness, and yes, distance from a sinful human race, desires very much to be near to men and women who He sees in sin.

So how are we to read and understand verses 8-9, and all of that talk about God’s thoughts and ways being so much higher and better than ours? We are to interpret them in terms of God’s capacity to love, forgive, and show grace to us. One of the main reasons many people view God like a strict, even abusive, parent is that they anticipate that His reaction to their mistakes will be the same as a typical human-being. Lawsuits, vengeance, justice, grudges, and hatred are just a few of many typical ways in which people quickly respond to one another after being wronged. Rarely does a person severely injured in a car accident or in surgery stop to think that an honest mistake might have been the cause. Almost never does the typical person actually completely forgive one who intentionally wronged them, and let them get away “scot-free.” It is not natural to us to instantaneously think in terms of forgiveness and mercy; rather, we more often tend to think in terms of making sure no wrong against us goes unpunished.

But God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He looked at the race of people He created, and saw our disgusting sins, inexcusable atrocities, and all-out assault on goodness and desired to “abundantly pardon” every miserable one of us. In exchange for that pardon He might have asked more than we could give – He certainly had the right to. If the just penalty for mistreating men is sometimes 25+ years of a person’s life, or at times even the person’s life itself, how much greater is our debt to God after wronging Him so badly? And yet, after offending Him so much, He requires so relatively little. He simply says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord.” God only asks that we change ourselves completely from how we were living in sin, and seek and serve Him. It requires our total dedication, but that is so much less than He could have asked us to pay! We can celebrate with the psalmist David when he said, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).

Just because God is so willing to pardon us does not mean that we can take His offer lightly and just assume that He will pardon us without us having to make an effort to change our lives. Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.” There comes a point after which one may wish to seek Him, and He will not be found by that person. God’s offer will not last forever. Hebrews 9:27 says, “…it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” (See also Luke 16:19-31 and 2 Corinthians 5:10) Let us make sure we take advantage of the grace God has given to us while we still have the time.

--Joel Holt

FaceBook and Christians

My son laughed at the idea that his mom and dad were on FaceBook. Why, I'm not sure. It isn't like we're backwards from a technology standpoint. I actually feel fairly certain that I'm above average when it comes to the use of technology, both in business and in my personal life.

FaceBook has been an interesting experience. I've enjoyed the way I'm being connected to old friends long forgotten. I have been able to catch up with people last seen over 30 years ago. That has proved fun though it also points out just how many years have gone by. Most of them have raised their children and are even grandparents. I still remember them as they were at 19 and 20 years old.

FaceBook has also been revealing in some other ways. Mostly, this occurs in the status comments where people post how they feel or tell about what they are doing. Some are fun to read. Some are encouraging. Some are innocent. But others are troubling.

Whining. Some Christians, who are supposed to be full of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) such as love, joy, and peace, post Facebook status messages complaining about life and its troubles. Some seem to never be able to post positive things. "John is having a bad day." "Karen's friends don't want to spend any time with her." Some complain out loud about nearly everything. Where is the joy of being a Christian? When did we lose the concept of thinking on good things? (Philippians 4:8) These complainers will likely not join us in heaven because they likely blame God for their troubles - not on Facebook mind you, but in their inner hearts.

Disappointing. It has always been discouraging to me to hear about Christians who involve themselves in activities that are questionable, if not sinful, for Christians to be involved in. For example, several have posted on Facebook about movies they've seen, talking about how good the movie was, yet it is rated R. Simply from the previews it is obvious Christians have no business seeing the movie. Others will post a status and use language that is inappropriate for Christians to utter or write. Others post pictures of themselves immodestly dressed so not only am I discouraged by knowing they dress immodestly, I see them dressed immodestly.

Poor Selection Of Friends. Paul warns us about the company we keep. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 he said, "Do not be deceived; Evil company corrupts good habits." Looking at the Facebook pages of some Christians I know, it is obvious that they use poor judgement in their selection of friends. The comments their friends make on their page include inappropriate slang, outright cursing, references to drinking and drugs, etc. Paul indicated that we cannot go out of the world in our effort to avoid sin but he also tells us we must select our company carefully, lest we be corrupted by them. It is obvious that some Christians may have been "deceived" and need to rethink who their Facebook "friends" are and delete them...from Facebook and from their personal lives!

Time Wasting. Sometimes we talk about how hard it is to take the gospel to others. We comment about how our area is a "hard area" and "people are just not interested in hearing the gospel." Sometimes we talk about "how busy we are." It is apparent that many Christians on Facebook are consumed with Facebook and have no time for finding those to study with because they are spending far too much time on Facebook. They have multiple farms, they send hugs, kisses, and presents of all types to all their friends, they take quiz after quiz and score higher and higher on several Facebook games. Christians are to be "redeeming the time" in reference to those outside the body of Christ. (Colossians 4:5) Could Satan be using Facebook to make you an ineffective Christian while you sit for hours at your computer involved in all Facebook has to offer?

No doubt there are good things about Facebook. But for all its good, it must be kept in perspective. It has revealed some things to me that I wish I didn't know about some Christians. I hope they'll repent. The world has a very strong grip on too many Christians these days and I am afraid they have been overcome while feeling they are "okay" with the Lord. The Bible warns again and again, "Be not deceived."

July 27, 2009 Followup: A blog reader suggested this audio link. I think it is worthwhile.

Torchlights To The Cherokees

One place that is near and dear to my heart is called Audubon Acres, located in Chattanooga, TN at the end of Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd. Many of you may think that I like this sanctuary because of my bird watching hobby. Actually, this place is special for another reason -- its history.

Audubon Acres is the old home place of a man named Robert Sparks Walker. He was born and raised in the log cabin that still stands on the property. His family moved into this cabin after purchasing the land it sat on. The cabin was abandoned by the Cherokee Indians when they were removed from Tennessee during what is now known as the Trail of Tears. Recently I was on the property and stepped into the visitors center. Their bookstore had a book by written by Mr. Walker called Torchlights to the Cherokees. The book chronicles the history of the Brainerd Mission, whose purpose it was to teach the Cherokees Christianity.

As a side note for you Chattanooga area readers, the areas known as Brainerd and East Brainerd take their names from this mission. There is a cemetery located to the right of Eastgate toward the creek, the only portion of the Mission site that is left.

Chapter two records some interesting information that I felt was applicable to our day. Mr. Walker discusses the founding of the Chickamauga Mission (later renamed Brainerd to avoid confusion with the town of Chickamauga) and its purpose to bring Christianity to the natives. Until the mission had been formed there was very little opportunity to influence the Cherokees with the gospel. The following paragraph from the book explains why.

"The natural criterion by which one judges the efficacy of any religion is its visible effects on the character and behavior of its adherents. Many of the Indian's most brutal, selfish and thievish white neighbors claimed to be Christians. It was natural that the Cherokees should judge the value of this new religion by the character of the people who were steadily encroaching upon their property and many of whom had introduced whiskey into their tribes. To them, Christianity was something that they might do well to avoid."

Then he tells of an Indian Chief who would not permit any literature to be distributed among his tribe until he had first read it and approved of it. Mr. Walker continues, "After listening earnestly to a portion of St. Matthew, the old chief dryly, but seriously remarked, "Well, it seems to be a good book, but it is strange that the white people are not better for having had it so long!"

What about our day? What sort of influence do we have on the world due to the influence the Word has on us? How do people view the religion of Christ based upon what they see in my life? Has God's word had a profound impact on me so that my character speaks positively about God and His word?

Fewer and fewer Christians look different from the world. We dress like the world, talk like the world, and there are even those among us who compromise with the world and even attempt to justify the behavior of the world.

For example, women professing to be Christians wear clothing that reveals their cleavage and showing from under their narrow tops are their bra straps. I hear Christians talking about seeing movies that are rated R. The language and certain scenes in those movies are not content that Christians should either see or approve of. Some young men get up and lead in worship yet in their seats it appears they would rather be anywhere than at worship. The language of Christians is getting worse and worse with more use of euphemisms, speech not becoming a child of God, and even text message abbreviations that take the Lord's name in vain.

In His sermon on the mountain Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16).

Just as the Cherokees were not influenced by the Christians among them who did not exhibit the character of Christ, so we cannot influence our generation if we are flavorless salt or if we hide our light in shame, afraid to be recognized as different. Christians who conform to the world and cannot be distinguished from it bring no glory to God.

We need to take a long look at our lives and be certain that we are truly what Jesus wants us to be. It is highly unlikely that we will be what Jesus wants us to be and still be like the people of this world. It will probably be the case that "they think it strange that" you are different and start "speaking evil of you." (1 Peter 4:4). Examine your clothes, your language, what you watch on TV or movies, your interest in the worship of the Lord, your work habits, your attitude, your charity toward others, your willingness to take the gospel to others, how much you think about heaven, your study habits in regard to the word, etc.

Let's make it our aim that if our history is written 100 years from now that it will not be said of us that we failed to influence our peers because our religion had no "visible effects on [our] character and behavior" as Mr. Walker wrote.

'Foul' Speech

From the way the woman was yelling, one might have guessed that the man being yelled at had just insulted her child. The woman accused the man of being ignorant, blind, a poor excuse for a human being, and a myriad of other accusations too numerous to list. The tirade continued, off and on, for about an hour, and when the man would not apologize for what had happened, the woman stormed out of the building muttering her disgust. What had the man done to deserve such treatment? Well, among other things, he had failed to call a few fouls, he had called a few fouls that “should not have been called,” and had “been the reason the [insert sports team here] had lost the basketball game.” Who was the woman? Unfortunately, she was a Christian whose child was on the losing team.

It is alarming how that in some Christian’s minds sporting events have become acceptable venues for all kinds of ungodly behavior. Is it true that we are to “put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from our mouth” in every area of our life except in the sporting arena (Col. 3:8)? Does taking our seat in the bleachers relieve us of our responsibility to, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification…so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29)? Surely we are to maintain our “tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” even when we attend sporting events (1 Tim. 2:2).

Not only do some Christians forget their godly behavior when they attend the games, they also excuse themselves from righteousness whenever the topic of sports comes up. How can two Christians be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” when they refuse to speak to each other for a week (or longer) after the annual in-state rivalry football game (Eph. 4:3)? If two Christians cannot sit together and discuss something as eternally irrelevant as a sports rivalry without becoming irritated or angry at each other, have they really learned what it means to be “slow to anger” (James 1:19)? Are they not allowing a mere game to divide two people who should be one in the Lord (John 17:21)?

We can hear the objections now. “Sports officials aren’t bothered by the comments of the fans – they expect to hear those things.” Obviously officials do expect to hear insults during games, but does the fact that one is prepared to hear insulting speech make it acceptable for a Christian to use it? “I may look worked up, but I know deep down it’s just a game.” Christians need to know the difference between enthusiasm and a lack of self-control. It is one thing to cheer loudly, and even to express disapproval of a call in a respectful way, but it is something completely different for Christians to say degrading things and leave the impression to all standing around that they cannot control their tempers. “I was just kidding; don’t think I really meant what I said or did.” It is one thing to give a good-natured ribbing to a rival fan, and it is another to push them to the point of anger. It is one thing for Christians to fake disgust when someone teases them about their team; it is another to allow something so trivial to actually arouse their anger or even to destroy their relationships with others.

A teenager yelling from the bleachers at the high school basketball game had no idea how embarrassed he was about to be. After very angrily yelling some insults at the referee, and making his disgust known to everyone around him, he looked two rows behind him, and to his horror, saw a fellow Christian listening to every word he said. (That man would go on to become an elder in a few years later.) Seeing the man sobered the young man’s attitude quickly, and he spent the rest of the game cheering on his team in a much more civil manner. You see, the reason we have come down so hard on Christians behaving this way is because the author of this article knows first hand how easy it is to forget godliness when it comes to sports – I was that embarrassed teenager. Christian living requires that we make no exceptions when it comes to godly behavior. We cannot be a Christian “most of the time.” It is a full time job, even at sporting events, to “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)

Public Opinion and a Christian's Work

A recent Gallup poll indicated that for the first time in 15 years a majority of Americans, 51%, considered themselves pro-life. Fearing an anomaly, Gallup conducted two additional polls and came up with the same results. Also, two corresponding FOX News polls revealed that 49% of Americans considered themselves pro-life, while 43% considered themselves pro-choice. So, the facts are in for this year – more Americans object to abortion than are for it.

From a Christian’s perspective that’s good, so far as it goes. It turns out that last year the same Gallup poll revealed that 50% of Americans considered themselves pro-choice, while 44% considered themselves to be pro-life.

I would like to think that the change is due to the fact that large numbers of people have looked into the issue and have come to the conclusion that life begins at conception, and that abortion is murder. Even better would be if large numbers of people began caring what God’s word teaches about abortion. Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” God obviously felt that Jeremiah was “somebody” before he reached the third trimester. (see also Isaiah 49:1) John the Baptist is called a “baby” in Luke 1:44 prior to his birth while Jesus is called the same thing after He was born, Luke 2:16. Obviously, then, the Bible teaches that a fetus, though undeveloped and unborn, is a child – a person. So, to kill an unborn fetus is to kill a person according to the Scriptures, and therefore it is murder (Romans 1:28-32).

But while it would be wonderful to think that those might be the reasons the majority opinion has shifted on this issue, my gut tells me otherwise. Crowds are easily swayed, and often the majority opinion is determined by how big a push certain propaganda (good or bad) gets. When public opinion on an issue like this changes so drastically in just a year, it smacks of people who make up their minds about moral issues the way divas choose clothes – whatever is in style that season is what gets picked.

This fickleness is not new. Some of the same people who worshiped Jesus as he entered Jerusalem to die (Matthew 21:1-11) mocked Him and demanded His execution a week later (Matthew 27:20-25). The difference? They were stirred up by different people, and got caught up in the moment both times. Exodus 23:2 says, “You shall not follow the masses in doing evil.” Doing wrong because it is the majority opinion does not justify the wrong, but in a similar way, rejoicing because the right choice has been picked by a majority does not necessarily mean that righteousness on an issue is prevailing. Truth is sometimes “in season” and sometimes “out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Fortunately, on this issue, it may be somewhat more “in season” than it has been in the past, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change for the worse in another year’s time.

The main point Christians need to see in this is that we don’t need to take relief in the fact that the majority is now on “our side.” The majority of people were on “Jesus side” too, early in His ministry,” and He lamented that they were like “sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Just because people are following the right way on an issue does not mean they always fully understand why they have made that choice. Our job is to educate them about the true reason to believe killing unborn babies is wrong – because God’s word says it is – and then to bring them knowledge of the rest of God’s truths. As Paul told Timothy (2 Timothy 4:2), we are to continue preaching the word when it is “in season” – not take the opportunity to rest because most people are accepting it (or accepting parts of it).

God’s success does not depend on entire nations believing or disbelieving His word – it depends on individuals believing and doing what is right, sometimes in spite of the nation they live in. We need to fight the good fight now more than ever, and if it is the case that public opinion has partially torn down a barrier to some people accepting the truth, then we need to take full advantage by bringing them the rest of the saving plan of God.

--Joel Holt

Proposition 8: The Musical

Bill O'Reilly showed a clip of a 3 minute video called "Prop 8: The Musical." The video pits a group of anti-Prop 8 actors against a group of actors dressed up like fundamentalist Christians. Of course, those depicting the Christians are made out to be haters and even say "It is time to spread some hate" with Proposition 8.

Jack Black (I've never heard of him) portrays Jesus who miraculously appears on the scene between the Christians and the supporters of the gay and lesbian community. The "preacher" bows down before Jesus and asks, "Jesus, doesn't the Bible say these people are an abomination?" Jesus replies, "Yeah, but it says the exact same thing about this shrimp cocktail." As he holds up a loaded shrimp cocktail the preacher and his followers lick their lips saying, "Yum!" Jesus continues, "The Bible says a lot of interesting things" and he talks about men selling their daughters into slavery. The preacher replies smugly, "Well, we ignore those verses." To which Jesus says, "Well friend, it seems to me you pick and choose. Well please choose love instead of hate."

There are several problems with the logic used in the arguments this video makes. I seriously doubt that Jack Black and his ilk really care, but here are the difficulties.

Picking and Choosing. If Christians are guilty of being inconsistent in the application of God's word, such guilt does not change the word of God. If it is an abomination to eat shellfish and we choose to eat it anyway, the dismissal of God's word regarding shellfish doesn't argue that homosexuality is therefore okay.

Jesus (not the impostor Jack Black) accused the Pharisees of His day of inconsistently applies God's word. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Matthew 23:23 Jesus didn't excuse the Pharisee's omission of the weightier matters of the law because they ignored them. He said they should have done both. If the Bible teaches that homosexuality is an abomination (admitted in the video) as well as eating shellfish, then both are wrong. Ignoring either teaching does not justify ignoring the other.

The writers of the video are simply encouraging more picking and choosing rather than submitting to the word of God. The real Jesus said, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." John 12:48.

Ignorance of Sound Teaching. The video reveals the ignorance of Biblical teaching on the part of the writers and producers. Unfortunately this ignorance is shared by many people who call themselves Christians. Without going into a lot of explanation, there is a fundamental teaching in the Scriptures regarding the Old Testament law. That law, which forbade homosexuality and the eating of shellfish, is no longer God's law for man.

In a lengthy discussion that begins in Hebrews 7, the writer of Hebrews argues that the Old Testament law (referred to as the first) was replaced by the New Testament (referred to as the second). He concludes in Hebrews 10:9 that Jesus "takes away the first that He may establish the second." Paul says in Galatians 3:19 that the Old Testament law "was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made" and tells us that the Seed was Jesus. Once Jesus came the old law ended and the law of Christ was established (Galatians 6:2).

So we must determine what the New Testament teaches about homosexuality and shellfish to know what we as Christians can do today.

Teaching Concerning Homosexuality and Shellfish. Here are the New Testament passages regarding shellfish and homosexuality.

Shellfish.

In a discussion about what is proper to eat Paul says, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving." 2 Timothy 4:4. The proper conclusion is that anyone may eat shellfish based on the teachings of the apostle Paul, who said, "If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 14:37).

Homosexuality.

The New Testament teaching regarding homosexuality is also clear and easy to understand. Consider these passages.

"Do 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." 1 Corinthians 6:9,10.

"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1: 26-32

"For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly." 2 Peter 2: 4-6

Homosexual and lesbian behavior is said by God to be unrighteous, vile, unnatural, shameful and ungodly. But those involved in such are not alone. Those committing adultery and fornication are in the same condition. So are those who murder and those who steal. As well as those who are disobedient to parents.

Inconsistency. Those who demean Christians with such material as "the musical" are inconsistent. The fake Jesus is clearly a mockery of the real Jesus and is an expression of intolerance toward Him. The fake Jesus accuses Christians of being unloving while the real Jesus says "If you love Me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. There is no expression of love for Jesus to be found in the video.

Legislation. Christians may try to force the Lord's ways on others through legislation but until they win the hearts of those in sin over to Christ, no battle has really been won. The homosexual and lesbian community may eventually and probably will secure the legislation they want. A legal victory may temporarily cause them feel justified in their behavior, but the final verdict is Christ's.

Jesus has spoken. His word is clear. All who are in sin must believe in Him (John 3:16), turn away from their sinful behavior in repentance (Luke 13:3), confess His Lordship over their lives (Romans 10:9,10), and be baptized in water to allow his blood to cleanse them of their sin (Acts 2:38; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4). When one follows those teachings and lives faithfully to the Lord, it can be said of them, "...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." 1 Corinthians 6:11.

Spreading The Wealth Around

A couple of weeks ago Senator Barak Obama fueled national discussion when he told Joe the plumber he wants to "spread the wealth around." Regardless of your political views on whether or not the government needs to be taking from your pocketbook and distributing your wealth to others, the Lord has plenty to say about the subject.

Paying Taxes. Taxation is nothing new. We are not the first generation to deal with taxation. In Jesus' day taxation was a burning issue. In Mark 12 some men came to Jesus with a controversial question: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" they asked (14). The story continued with Jesus saying, "'Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.' So they brought it. And He said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'"

In Romans 13 the apostle Paul addressed taxation. "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." (7). What is the message from both Jesus and Paul? Pay your taxes. No one wants to be taxed and no one wants to be over taxed. But what if the government does? Jesus and His apostle instruct us to pay our taxes.

Spreading The Wealth Around. Whether or not the government takes our money through taxes or leaves us with all our wealth, Jesus says we are to spread the wealth around. Consider these passages.

"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." Ephesians 4:28

"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

Christians have the responsibility to share their blessings with others who have need. Note that these are commands - obligations the Lord expects that we will fulfill. We cannot hoard our blessings or spend all of our bounty on our own selves. As the Lord blesses us, those blessings should flow through us to others. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man was condemned because he did not share his wealth with a poor man who sat right on his doorstep.

Observations.

Many have argued that rather than the government taking Americans' wealth and distributing it, Americans should be allowed to decide for themselves how their wealth will be distributed. There is probably merit to that sentiment but it cannot be simply a slogan for Christians. We must follow-through with action and share the wealth as the Lord intends.

Some argue that when the government takes wealth from Americans, it discourages a sharing attitude by those whose wealth is taken. That may be true with people in general, it cannot be true of Christians. We cannot dismiss helping those around us because we feel that our government's tax policy is flawed or unfair. Those two commands quoted above were given to the same generation of people who were asking Jesus about whether or not to pay taxes.

The "institutional" concept of wealth sharing violates God's intent whether it is our government collecting the funds or the churches. Churches are charged with helping needy Christians (1 Corinthians 16:1,2) but the commands to help the world's needy are given to individuals (Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:28). By placing an "institution" between the giver and the recipient, whether that institution is a government or a church, a disconnect occurs. People develop the "I gave at the office" mentality and real care and concern for our fellowman is diminished. Christians must not allow increased taxation to be our excuse for not fulfilling our responsibilities to others and we must not place the church in a role it has not been given.

Bottom-line. Spreading our wealth around is pleasing to the Lord. Regardless of how much of our wealth the government decides to tax, we must still be sharing people.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Remember that song with the catchy tune, "Don't worry, be happy"? There is a lot of truth in those words and we can use that encouragement today.

Economic Crisis. The stock market dropped 777 points today, its largest single-day point drop in history. How did you fare? Is your 401k still performing well? Has your bank been sold or taken over by the federal government?

Political Crisis. Regardless of who you lean toward in this election, McCain or Obama, you would have to agree that the political situation in this country seems to be at its worst. Terrible blame-game tactics, do-nothing attitudes and jealousy abound. It is enough to make you want Jerry Brown to be running again!

Moral Crisis. The values of our countrymen seem to be at an all-time low. The sexual revolution has caught up with us and is destroying lives all around us. Dishonesty abounds, lack of respect for others is evident on every hand, a decent work ethic is lacking in so many, etc. The crimes being committed against fellow human beings now make Charles Manson seem like a small-time killer. How could it get any worse, we might think.

Keeping Our Perspective. A friend recently wrote me about the situation of some Christians in another country. He said, "police are putting pressure on religion generally, especially those who do not completely yield to the government...local police who had been somewhat tolerant of the brethren are now insisting that the churches stop assembling for at least a month. The brethren have instead asked the police to come to the assemblies to verify their purpose. Unfortunately, the police are so fearful of their superiors that they are reluctant to attend." In this same country the government has eliminated many of the jobs those Christians had and they cannot now find employment. Our brethren are being saddled with burdens their non-Christian friends do not have to bear.

So how is your 401k? Has the name changed on your bank yet? Which presidential candidate do you believe will persecute Christians? Do you fear the elimination of your job or your life simply because you are a Christian?

Don't Worry, Be Happy. My friend goes on to write, "In the midst of all these struggles, good is being accomplished." He tells of young men who are studying diligently so that they can spread the gospel to their countrymen. One recent convert to Christ is one who previously would have persecuted our brothers and sisters there, or would have had little compassion on them. How can these Christians be busy in the Lord's kingdom when so many terrible things are happening all around?

Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:25-33).

Our concern should be for those things that pertain to the kingdom of God and His righteousness. That does not include the Wall Street bail-out plan. That does not include who will be our next President and what will happen if our favorite isn't elected. It doesn't include sitting around worrying about how bad the world has gotten.

If we will busy ourselves with the kingdom of God, He will take care of all the rest. That is His promise to us. Will we "seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness" or will we just go on worrying? Do we truly believe His promises?


NOTE: Some readers know the country where this persecution is taking place. Please do not comment on this blog and mention that country by name or anyone involved there. You could jeopardize our brethren and their work. Thanks!