"The devil who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Revelation 20:10
Osama Bin Laden has been the main front page news story this past week, and I'm sure will be for the next little while. I have to admit, I hadn't given much thought to Osama for quite some time. I figured he was already dead, or living a miserable life on the run, hopping from cave to cave in some remote god forsaken part of the world. As we all know now, he was alive and well and not hopping from cave to cave. Now that the world's most wanted terrorist has been dealt with, it is important that we remember that the worst of all terrorists is still alive and well, and lurking about seeking whom he might devour. There is a terrorist behind all terrorists and he is still busy at his work. His day of judgment will come, and all of creation will truly rejoice, but that time has not yet come, so we must always be wary and alert concerning his workings. The Bible gives many names to this terrorist, all of which describe areas of his character, these names ought to be enough to stir us all to walk in vigilance. This we know, the Bible calls this terrorist our enemy, he hates our God, and therefore hates us. When you add to enemy, the other names describing him you realize he makes Bin Laden look like a girl scout. These names include.....murderer, destroyer, thief, adversary, wicked, corrupt, accuser, ruler of darkness, prince of demons, evil one, serpent, tempter.....I think you get the point! We ought always to be awake, for this terrorist enemy of ours is still doing his murderous work from the spiritual realm. The end of our enemy will joyously come at the coming of Jesus, but he is still out and about today, and we can't rely on Navy Seals for help. The battle is ours, and the victory is assured. We must be a people of prayer, an army on our knees, walking in the authority of the name of Jesus, and the certainty of triumph in His cross.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
I Need Understanding
Luke 24:45 "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the scriptures."
On a number of occasions, Jesus had clearly taught His apostles about His death, burial, and resurrection. Obviously, the apostles did not understand what He was saying. It is easy for us, these many years later, to wonder how in the world they could have missed the fulfillment of the Lord's words as they unfolded right before their eyes. I believe though, that if we were in the apostles shoes (or sandals), we would not have caught all that Jesus said either. It is no wonder that after the resurrection that Jesus spent time in the word with His apostles. It was important that they have a clear understanding and comprehension of the scriptures. Jesus knew that things would not get easier for them, and that He would not be physically with them. The understanding and teaching of the word would become paramount. In these unstable last days it is of utmost importance that we wait upon our Lord's Holy Spirit to open His word to our hearts, that we might clearly discern the events of the day. Let's not miss what the Lord is doing!
On a number of occasions, Jesus had clearly taught His apostles about His death, burial, and resurrection. Obviously, the apostles did not understand what He was saying. It is easy for us, these many years later, to wonder how in the world they could have missed the fulfillment of the Lord's words as they unfolded right before their eyes. I believe though, that if we were in the apostles shoes (or sandals), we would not have caught all that Jesus said either. It is no wonder that after the resurrection that Jesus spent time in the word with His apostles. It was important that they have a clear understanding and comprehension of the scriptures. Jesus knew that things would not get easier for them, and that He would not be physically with them. The understanding and teaching of the word would become paramount. In these unstable last days it is of utmost importance that we wait upon our Lord's Holy Spirit to open His word to our hearts, that we might clearly discern the events of the day. Let's not miss what the Lord is doing!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Catching Up?
Psalm 119:160 "The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever."
The NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing and the field is now down to the "sweet sixteen". One of the interesting stories of the tournament is the team from BYU. The Cougars have been ranked as one of the best teams in the nation, and they are still in the tournament in spite of the fact that one of their best players was kicked off of the team the last week of the season. He was kicked off the team because he had broken the schools honor code. Though it was never released how he had broken the code, word got out that it had to do with his sexual relationship with his girl friend. BYU is a Mormon school, and we are worlds apart from them as far as Biblical truth, but I have to give them props for sticking to their rules. I'm sure it must have been tempting to hide this, or put off any discipline until after the season, but they didn't. All of this made for a good deal of conversation on sports talk radio. As I was listening the other morning one of the commentators who was stirred by "unjust" way the school handled this, decided to give advise to churches and religious people on how to reach young people. He said if we are ever going to reach young people we need to catch up with the times. Now this isn't word for word, but he went on to say that the world is evolving at light speed, that morals and what is right and wrong are evolving. Then he compared religious people to some grouchy old man behind the counter at a local hardware store with a dial up phone yelling at little kids to get off of his lawn. What this sports guy said is really pretty main-stream, and I'm sure most off his listeners were nodding in agreement. The idea of sticking to Biblical morals truly is out of step with society. The belief in absolute truth and absolute morals is thought to be really out of touch and almost backward. The world tells us, things change, you need to catch up with the times, open your eyes, get out a little more. You religious folks are stuck in the past, we have cell phones now, color televisions, micro waves, and computers. Don't you see, abstinence is like the dial up phone and eight tracks, you need to catch up, it's time to evolve, and stop judging. I know we don't stand on the popular side of this discussion, but we old backward Bible believers have to stick to the truth that God has revealed to us in His word. Society will always change and follow it's whims, but the word of God does not evolve and change with the times. His truth was true six thousand years ago and is true today. His truth and righteousness are established from eternity to eternity. Our job is not to change truth, or water it down to make it more palatable to the taste of modern man. Our job is to know His truth, live His truth, and to share His truth as clearly as we can. Rest assured in these dark and unstable days, the best way to reach young people will be to present to them the unchanging true gospel of Jesus.
The NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing and the field is now down to the "sweet sixteen". One of the interesting stories of the tournament is the team from BYU. The Cougars have been ranked as one of the best teams in the nation, and they are still in the tournament in spite of the fact that one of their best players was kicked off of the team the last week of the season. He was kicked off the team because he had broken the schools honor code. Though it was never released how he had broken the code, word got out that it had to do with his sexual relationship with his girl friend. BYU is a Mormon school, and we are worlds apart from them as far as Biblical truth, but I have to give them props for sticking to their rules. I'm sure it must have been tempting to hide this, or put off any discipline until after the season, but they didn't. All of this made for a good deal of conversation on sports talk radio. As I was listening the other morning one of the commentators who was stirred by "unjust" way the school handled this, decided to give advise to churches and religious people on how to reach young people. He said if we are ever going to reach young people we need to catch up with the times. Now this isn't word for word, but he went on to say that the world is evolving at light speed, that morals and what is right and wrong are evolving. Then he compared religious people to some grouchy old man behind the counter at a local hardware store with a dial up phone yelling at little kids to get off of his lawn. What this sports guy said is really pretty main-stream, and I'm sure most off his listeners were nodding in agreement. The idea of sticking to Biblical morals truly is out of step with society. The belief in absolute truth and absolute morals is thought to be really out of touch and almost backward. The world tells us, things change, you need to catch up with the times, open your eyes, get out a little more. You religious folks are stuck in the past, we have cell phones now, color televisions, micro waves, and computers. Don't you see, abstinence is like the dial up phone and eight tracks, you need to catch up, it's time to evolve, and stop judging. I know we don't stand on the popular side of this discussion, but we old backward Bible believers have to stick to the truth that God has revealed to us in His word. Society will always change and follow it's whims, but the word of God does not evolve and change with the times. His truth was true six thousand years ago and is true today. His truth and righteousness are established from eternity to eternity. Our job is not to change truth, or water it down to make it more palatable to the taste of modern man. Our job is to know His truth, live His truth, and to share His truth as clearly as we can. Rest assured in these dark and unstable days, the best way to reach young people will be to present to them the unchanging true gospel of Jesus.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Heed the Warnings
Luke 17:26-27 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all"
It took Noah over one hundred years to build the ark. The moment he began to build the ark, it became a testimony and warning of a coming judgment of God. Anyone who paid any attention at all over those one hundred years would have seen the progression of the construction, and as it drew nearer to completion, they could have concluded that the judgment it pointed to must be drawing near. Sadly for the people of that day, they ignored the warning, and kept living as if there were no sentence hanging over them. This past week most of us saw the unbelievable devastation of the earth quake and tsunami in Japan. Not long after the quake a tsunami warning was given for the U.S. western coast. We were told to prepare for the wave to reach here around 8:30 in the morning. I'm enough inland so I didn't worry at all, but I was amazed to hear reports of people actually going down to the coast to check things out. One reporter on the radio was shocked to see joggers, bikers, and even a family with an infant in a stroller. The warning was given yet somehow people did not heed, perhaps they were thinking nothing could ever happen to them. My thoughts immediately turned toward the days of Noah, and the warning that Jesus gave us in the above verses. Jesus warns us that in the last days signs and warnings of His return will abound, yet people will live as if nothing is happening! We are living in dynamic times, and many Biblical prophesies are being fulfilled before our eyes, yet so many are taking no notice, so many are ignoring the warnings. How about us? It seems to me the ark is almost complete, but I wonder, are we living like it?
It took Noah over one hundred years to build the ark. The moment he began to build the ark, it became a testimony and warning of a coming judgment of God. Anyone who paid any attention at all over those one hundred years would have seen the progression of the construction, and as it drew nearer to completion, they could have concluded that the judgment it pointed to must be drawing near. Sadly for the people of that day, they ignored the warning, and kept living as if there were no sentence hanging over them. This past week most of us saw the unbelievable devastation of the earth quake and tsunami in Japan. Not long after the quake a tsunami warning was given for the U.S. western coast. We were told to prepare for the wave to reach here around 8:30 in the morning. I'm enough inland so I didn't worry at all, but I was amazed to hear reports of people actually going down to the coast to check things out. One reporter on the radio was shocked to see joggers, bikers, and even a family with an infant in a stroller. The warning was given yet somehow people did not heed, perhaps they were thinking nothing could ever happen to them. My thoughts immediately turned toward the days of Noah, and the warning that Jesus gave us in the above verses. Jesus warns us that in the last days signs and warnings of His return will abound, yet people will live as if nothing is happening! We are living in dynamic times, and many Biblical prophesies are being fulfilled before our eyes, yet so many are taking no notice, so many are ignoring the warnings. How about us? It seems to me the ark is almost complete, but I wonder, are we living like it?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Happy Lent
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent used to be a big deal to me, since I grew up in the Catholic Church, attending a Catholic school. On Ash Wednesday the day would begin with mass, and we would all have a black cross of ash smudged on our foreheads. The nuns in our school would have us fill out cards listing all the things we would give up for the forty days of Lent. We would also list all the extra devotions we would do in preparation for Easter Week. In my younger years my family took the season pretty seriously. We usually gave up all sweets (except on St. Patrick's day), we would also attend the stations of the cross on Fridays and say the rosary every night. I really don't have any problem with the practice of giving things up for Lent, as long as ones heart is right, in the giving up of things. As a youngster my heart wasn't exactly right, my primary motivation was scoring bunches of spiritual points with God, and my parents, and the nuns. Jesus warns us about fasting with wrong intent. He tells us that God is in that secret place, that is our hearts, He knows our unseen motives and intents. It is easy for us to look upon our fasting in a prideful or competitive way as the Pharisees did. If pride is involved it can lead to comparisons with others, expecting that the more I give up, the more spiritual I am, and the more God owes me. The right motive in fasting or giving things up for a season, is not the giving up, but setting our focus. Our tendency is to be too flesh centered or self focused. The fast is to get my focus off of me and my flesh, and set it upon the Lord and the spiritual. If I give up television or the computer, or newspaper, or meal, I do so that I might take that time that was for physical activity and fill it with something spiritual, like prayer, worship, or the word. Again, the focus is not the giving up of something, but in setting my heart to focus on the Lord. I remember another problem I had with Lent as a youngster, those forty days were the only days I gave up anything for the Lord. I would put in my time at Lent, and bingo, I was done for the year! It is not about spiritually gutting it up for forty days. We ought to have a Lenten type lifestyle throughout the year, looking to always live more and more unto the Lord, and less and less unto ourselves. There is no need for you to run out and put ashes on your forehead today, just let the beginning of this season remind you of the great grace we celebrate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And let that great grace stir your heart to live all the more for our precious Lord.
Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent used to be a big deal to me, since I grew up in the Catholic Church, attending a Catholic school. On Ash Wednesday the day would begin with mass, and we would all have a black cross of ash smudged on our foreheads. The nuns in our school would have us fill out cards listing all the things we would give up for the forty days of Lent. We would also list all the extra devotions we would do in preparation for Easter Week. In my younger years my family took the season pretty seriously. We usually gave up all sweets (except on St. Patrick's day), we would also attend the stations of the cross on Fridays and say the rosary every night. I really don't have any problem with the practice of giving things up for Lent, as long as ones heart is right, in the giving up of things. As a youngster my heart wasn't exactly right, my primary motivation was scoring bunches of spiritual points with God, and my parents, and the nuns. Jesus warns us about fasting with wrong intent. He tells us that God is in that secret place, that is our hearts, He knows our unseen motives and intents. It is easy for us to look upon our fasting in a prideful or competitive way as the Pharisees did. If pride is involved it can lead to comparisons with others, expecting that the more I give up, the more spiritual I am, and the more God owes me. The right motive in fasting or giving things up for a season, is not the giving up, but setting our focus. Our tendency is to be too flesh centered or self focused. The fast is to get my focus off of me and my flesh, and set it upon the Lord and the spiritual. If I give up television or the computer, or newspaper, or meal, I do so that I might take that time that was for physical activity and fill it with something spiritual, like prayer, worship, or the word. Again, the focus is not the giving up of something, but in setting my heart to focus on the Lord. I remember another problem I had with Lent as a youngster, those forty days were the only days I gave up anything for the Lord. I would put in my time at Lent, and bingo, I was done for the year! It is not about spiritually gutting it up for forty days. We ought to have a Lenten type lifestyle throughout the year, looking to always live more and more unto the Lord, and less and less unto ourselves. There is no need for you to run out and put ashes on your forehead today, just let the beginning of this season remind you of the great grace we celebrate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And let that great grace stir your heart to live all the more for our precious Lord.
Friday, February 18, 2011
My Big Mouth
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Proverbs 15:4
The students in my classroom where cracking up, but my gaze was fixed on the young man's face. The laughing was contagious, it had begun as an instant burst, there was no hint of it being a courtesy laugh, the students were giving a unanimous belly laugh. The comment that brought the hysterics was quick, witty, comical, and cutting. The comment also came from the mouth of the teacher.... me. I have to admit that at first I took joy in the response to my rapid fire humor. It came forth with hardly a thought or filter and the laughter tickled my ego. All was well until I caught the look on the face of the young man to whom the comment was directed. He was trying to hold a smile, while shaking his head. He knew he was the brunt of my humor and the brunt of his friend's laughter. He was putting up a decent front, but his eyes gave up what had really happened, I had broken his spirit. When I saw his eyes I felt a familiar ache in my stomach, and as swiftly as the sharp funny words flew, my heart sank. The Lord's conviction hit me like a hammer and I was as broken as my student. As I looked at him trying to hide the hurt, I swore in my heart I would never again bring that kind of brokenness so that I would seem clever. I tried to divert the attention from the student by making some wise cracks and putting myself down. But even after the laughter died down, there seemed to be a heaviness about his countenance. I grabbed him when class was over to assure him I cared about him, and told him I was sorry for my harsh tongue. He assured me it was no big deal. I hope it really was no big deal to him, and that it wasn't something he carried with him. I do know this, I have carried it with me, as a healthy reminder of the power of the tongue. I haven't mastered my mouth yet, but this I know, it is much better to use it to bring life rather than brokenness. May we all be guarded.
The students in my classroom where cracking up, but my gaze was fixed on the young man's face. The laughing was contagious, it had begun as an instant burst, there was no hint of it being a courtesy laugh, the students were giving a unanimous belly laugh. The comment that brought the hysterics was quick, witty, comical, and cutting. The comment also came from the mouth of the teacher.... me. I have to admit that at first I took joy in the response to my rapid fire humor. It came forth with hardly a thought or filter and the laughter tickled my ego. All was well until I caught the look on the face of the young man to whom the comment was directed. He was trying to hold a smile, while shaking his head. He knew he was the brunt of my humor and the brunt of his friend's laughter. He was putting up a decent front, but his eyes gave up what had really happened, I had broken his spirit. When I saw his eyes I felt a familiar ache in my stomach, and as swiftly as the sharp funny words flew, my heart sank. The Lord's conviction hit me like a hammer and I was as broken as my student. As I looked at him trying to hide the hurt, I swore in my heart I would never again bring that kind of brokenness so that I would seem clever. I tried to divert the attention from the student by making some wise cracks and putting myself down. But even after the laughter died down, there seemed to be a heaviness about his countenance. I grabbed him when class was over to assure him I cared about him, and told him I was sorry for my harsh tongue. He assured me it was no big deal. I hope it really was no big deal to him, and that it wasn't something he carried with him. I do know this, I have carried it with me, as a healthy reminder of the power of the tongue. I haven't mastered my mouth yet, but this I know, it is much better to use it to bring life rather than brokenness. May we all be guarded.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Whole Lot Of Shaking
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Hebrews 12:28
Today the streets of Cairo Egypt are packed with thousands upon thousands of people demanding a change of government in their country. For the past week we have seen on the news, the demonstrations that have turned violent. There has been rioting, looting, vehicles burning, and government offices set ablaze. Many of the police force have left, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the police stations have now been burned. The military has been called into the chaos to establish some order. With the number of people packed into Cairo today we can only pray that things remain peaceful. Many feel the events in Egypt were actually triggered by demonstrations in Tunisia, which eventually lead to the toppling of that government. There have also been demonstrations in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan, leading to a good deal of global anxiety over the instability in the region. A major concern in Egypt, is the question of who will fill the power void in the Egyptian government if Hosni Mubarak is removed. One group taking advantage of the situation and seemingly poised for a power grab, is the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood. This would not be good for the people of Egypt or for the region, pray that this does not happen. As we see these things quickly unfold, and listen to the experts try to guess what the future might hold, it is easy get uneasy. These are days we need to remember who is in control. We serve a God enthroned in heaven, who is sovereign over the affairs of nations and men. His hand has been working in history past, and is still working today, bringing all things together in Jesus Christ. The Lord is returning and the events we see now are not random, they are a continuation of birth pangs, leading to the final redemption of this world. We are not to be caught up in the confusion and anxiety of these days, instead our best witness will be seen in our peace and stability, as we trust in our soon coming King. There is now, and will continue to be, a whole lot of shaking going on, but ours is a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
Today the streets of Cairo Egypt are packed with thousands upon thousands of people demanding a change of government in their country. For the past week we have seen on the news, the demonstrations that have turned violent. There has been rioting, looting, vehicles burning, and government offices set ablaze. Many of the police force have left, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the police stations have now been burned. The military has been called into the chaos to establish some order. With the number of people packed into Cairo today we can only pray that things remain peaceful. Many feel the events in Egypt were actually triggered by demonstrations in Tunisia, which eventually lead to the toppling of that government. There have also been demonstrations in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan, leading to a good deal of global anxiety over the instability in the region. A major concern in Egypt, is the question of who will fill the power void in the Egyptian government if Hosni Mubarak is removed. One group taking advantage of the situation and seemingly poised for a power grab, is the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood. This would not be good for the people of Egypt or for the region, pray that this does not happen. As we see these things quickly unfold, and listen to the experts try to guess what the future might hold, it is easy get uneasy. These are days we need to remember who is in control. We serve a God enthroned in heaven, who is sovereign over the affairs of nations and men. His hand has been working in history past, and is still working today, bringing all things together in Jesus Christ. The Lord is returning and the events we see now are not random, they are a continuation of birth pangs, leading to the final redemption of this world. We are not to be caught up in the confusion and anxiety of these days, instead our best witness will be seen in our peace and stability, as we trust in our soon coming King. There is now, and will continue to be, a whole lot of shaking going on, but ours is a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
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