Meditation Moments
A Weekly Study/Devotional from CBC
The 4 P's, Pt. 4
June 28, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
June 28, 2024 The 4 P’s (A Purpose, a Plan, a Provider, and Paradise) Pt. 4, A Paradise This month we’ve been exploring God’s “Plan for Man” using 4 P’s: His purpose, then His plan, which showcased His provision, and finally in this installment, His all-in-all end goal, paradise! Almost every historical religion (except now for Atheism/Humanism/Secularism) has taught a concept of a conscious paradise, a final abode for the eternal human spirit and soul. The Norsemen had their Valhalla, Buddhists have their Nirvana, Hindus have the Moksha (the liberation from the endless chain of deaths and rebirths) and Christians, Jews, and Muslims have their own versions of “Heaven” or “Paradise”. Biblical Christianity presents man as an eternal physical being with only two possible end states: Heaven (a.k.a. Paradise) and Hell/The Lake of Fire, with no intermediary, second-chance, abodes (such as the Catholic doctrines of Purgatory and Limbo). In Luke 18 Jesus gave humanity the only glimpse into the afterlife. An unbelieving (lost) rich man died, and immediately opened his eyes in a place of torment and anguished regret. A believing (saved) beggar died and was escorted by holy angels into a place Jesus called Paradise, where (in contrast) he was comforted. Their final eternal destinations were not mitigated by any second chances, by any post-life efforts of loved ones or supposed church authorities. In the state they died, they will spend their eternity. And if you want the Big Picture presented in a “nutshell” version, it is this: God’s Purpose was revealed in a Divine Plan, which involved the Provision of a Savior, to the end that fallen humanity might be redeemed back to a relationship and fellowship with the Trinity God, in a place called “Heaven” or “Paradise”. And so, the Bible speaks much about how to gain Heaven and avoid Hell, for the Lord is, …not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). God’s purpose, plan, and Provision (Jesus the Substitutionary Sacrifice for man’s sin), will climax, …in bringing many sons (and daughters of course) unto glory… (Hebrews 2:10). In Jesus’ Revelation to humanity, He describes redeemed mankind’s final glorious abode: a recreated planet Earth. These new creations were prophesied by the Jewish prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before Jesus came. The prophet wrote, For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind (Isaiah 65:17). Peter referred back to this prophecy, …we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness in (2 Peter 3:13). And John was given a glimpse into the future of the God’s redeemed. He wrote, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away… (Revelation 21:1). Yes, friends, God’s entire purpose, plan, and provision is to redeem mankind and provide a Paradise for you and me. But He doesn’t force anyone into His plan. IF Heaven is to be our eternal home, it doesn’t happen by chance, or by pre-determination, or by being “good”, or by religious works. It happens on purpose when we REPENT, 1) we must ADMIT that we are LOST sinners, estranged from God, and in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23), and 2) we must BELIEVE (have absolute faith in the fact that…) the Savior was and is Jesus Christ, Emmanuel (God with us), the Incarnated Eternal Son, and that He came and took our place on that Cross so that we might have eternal life with Him (John 3:16), and finally 3) we appropriate God’s salvation ONLY by grace, not of works, but by CALLING OUT or CONFESSION. Just as the publican in the parable and just as the dying thief on a cross, we must cry out, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” When from convicted hearts we cry out to God in contrition and faith, we become born-again, citizens of God’s Kingdom, which will one day be manifested in an eternal New Heaven and New Earth. So, is God’s abode your guaranteed destination? It takes more than, “Well, I hope so”. It takes a change of mind and heart from self-reliance to Christ-reliance (this admission of sin and need is called repentance). It takes absolute faith (belief) in Christ’s death/burial/and resurrection alone (and not any religious works). And then we appropriate God’s forgiveness and the new birth by calling out to him! For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). God bless and consider!
The 4 P's, Pt. 3
June 21, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
The 4 P’s (A Purpose, a Plan, a Provider, and Paradise) Pt. 3, A Provider Ingratitude. Is there anything more offensive than an unthankful spirit? Parents work hard and sacrifice for their children’s needs, and often, even for their wants. Employees sometimes go the extra-mile for an employer, personally sacrificing for the company’s benefit. Members of our Armed Forces sacrifice their bodies, and even their lives, to provide national security and freedom. And many times, the response from those who benefit is a “ho hum”, big-deal attitude-of-ingratitude. We can so easily take our life-provisions for granted and forget the sacrifices that others have made so that we can enjoy great blessings. And this is especially so in our country of great plenty! Ingratitude is a very offensive attitude. Of course, our Creator is THE Great Provider. All things necessary for life emanate from Him. James puts it like this, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). And our Creator cares not only for His human creation but for all of His creatures. Psalm 147:9 reads, He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. In Psalm 104:21 we read, The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. And in Matthew 6:26 Jesus explains, Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. But God’s provisions for us move far beyond the physical. Most important of all, God has also provided for us spiritually! And, tragically, this is where the vast majority of humanity shows the least amount of gratitude! If we know anything about the Bible, it is this: God gave Himself to rescue us spiritually! Our sin separates us from God; we are estranged enemies. Isaiah 59:2 reads, But your iniquities have separatedbetween you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Consequently, driven by His great love for humanity, the Second Person of our Trinity God voluntarily incarnated Himself, lived a perfect life, and then died a substitutionary death. He shed his Precious Blood for us (1 Peter 1:19)! But not only did He die for us physically, but he also suffered spiritually by becoming sin for us. The Scriptures declare that the sins of the whole world were placed upon Jesus during those three dark hours, when the Father turned His face from His own Son, and Jesus the Son suffered the infinite judgment of The Father. What Jesus endured for us spiritually is beyond our comprehension and ability to endure, but it was FAR more than just the physical torture of the crucifixion. So… if a person valiantly gave his own life to save your life, or your spouse’s life, or your child’s life… would you be grateful? Of course, you would! You would be very grateful! Your heart would overflow with gratitude. So, what would you think of a person who did NOT show gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice? I think I can answer for you. You would be aghast at that person’s ingratitude, pride, and arrogance. Well, let’s transfer this over to God the Father. When a human being says to God, “Hey God, I do appreciate what you’ve done for me, but I really don’t want your strings in my life. I want to live the way I want, I want to believe the things I want to believe, and after all, I’m a pretty good guy/gal. I mean, I haven’t robbed banks, I’ve not murdered, and I haven’t abused children. So, I know you’ll take that into account. Boy, I’m a lot better guy than my neighbor! That guy… he’s a heathen! So, all this repentance stuff, and humbling myself before you, and crying out for your salvation… well, I don’t think I need all that. After all, I know how to spell ‘J E S U S’. I know who He is. And I live in a Christian nation. I’m a Christian.” That person is expressing the greatest ingratitude, the greatest arrogance, and the greatest pride imaginable. And to that attitude God replies, He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people (Heb. 10:28-30). Friends, God has provided us the greatest gift; He offers us absolute forgiveness… FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR OWN FREE-WILL REBELLION! He gave His own precious Son to make it possible. What deadly ingratitude we show when we rebuff the wooing of the Holy Spirit and say to God, “No thanks. I’ve got this.” If that is our choice then we need to back up and read Hebrews 10:26, 27, For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Don’t be a spiritual ingrate. The cost is unrecoverable! God bless and consider!
The 4 P's, Pt. 2
June 14, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
June 14, 2024 The 4 P’s (A Purpose, a Plan, a Provider, and Paradise) Pt. 2, A Plan Our Creator, Jehovah God—the ONLY Deity—is the ultimate planner and provider. In our last installment, we spoke of God’s purpose in the Creation, especially in the creation of human beings, the only spiritual beings made in God’s tripartite image and likeness. In short, God is busy …bringing many sons unto glory(Hebrews 2:10) to the end that He might fellowship with us and receive our worship. He is worthy! And so, to accomplish His purpose, God had a plan… a wonderful plan! We read about the literal creation part of His plan in Genesis. God created space, the material universe, and life (including the first man and woman), in six, literal, 24-hour days. We say God created by “fiat”, i.e., a formal authorization or decree. Our Trinity God literally “spoke” the universe (and all it contains) into existence. We read the phrase, Let there be… several times in the Genesis account, and the Psalmist proclaims, For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast (Psalm 33:9). And then on the seventh day, He rested as an example for mankind. But there is an important part of God’s plan (a critical part in fact) that we often don’t think about or consider. I am speaking of God’s plan to redeem (buy back) a human race that was not yet existing or estranged! Our omniscient Creator pre-knew of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and fall in the Garden. And since God’s System requires that the penalty for rebellion and sin is death, then God’s justness necessitated a pre-planned solution for the sin-dilemma! We know this SOLUTION to be the marvelous Incarnation and the sacrificial death of the Eternal God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ sin-atoning sacrifice had to be in effect before SIN, or else the Just Nature of God would have required Him to judge humanity on the spot. And so, in the Counsel of the Pre-Creation Trinity, the Son of God became the, …Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). And Peter writes concerning Jesus the Messiah, Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you… (1 Peter 1:20). What a Purpose! And then, what a Plan! Our Creator has an overall plan for the race, and then an individual plan for every human being. Therefore, what a tragedy it is to refuse God’s Redemption Plan! But that is what men and women effectively demand, when in pride they REFUSE God’s redemption, when they, as Paul foretold in Hebrews 10:29, account the blood of Jesus an unholy thing, and do despite, i.e., they INSULT, the wooing Holy Spirit. Jesus was clear and frank. His precious blood can cleanse every sin… except for one! There is one sin that Christ’s blood will not assuage: the sin of unbelief. When men and women continually rebuff the wooing, convicting, pleading Holy Spirit, and then die in that state of prideful rebellion, there is no more remedy for sin, but only, …a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:27). Solomon concurred in Proverbs 29:1, He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. What a horrific tragedy it will be to miss out on God’s glorious Plan. Jesus, His born-again children (his Bride), and the Holy Spirit all cry out, “Come!” Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. God bless and consider!
The 4 P's, Pt. 1
June 7, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
June 7, 2024 Four P’s (A Purpose, a Plan, a Provider, and Paradise) Part 1, A Purpose I’ve heard it said, “Everything starts with a plan!” And that’s good advice. We need a plan for every project we undertake and for life itself! The adage goes, “If you aim at nothing, that’s probably what you will hit!” But of course, there had to be a project before the plan. Instead of the word project, I’ll substitute the word purpose; there first had to be a PURPOSE. Your plan hopefully accomplishes your purpose. For example, if your purpose is to retire early with lots of cash, then your plan will likely be heavy on investments… all the while hoping for a bull market! If your purpose is to be healthy, then the plan, to the best of your ability, is to stay physically fit, eat right, and avoid putting chemicals into your body that will kill you. So, if we should be purpose-driven planners, would it surprise you to recognize that God also has a plan, and that it is, of course, purpose-driven? Paul explains in Ephesians 3 that God had and has an eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord... (Ephesians 3:11). The scope of God’s overarching purpose is beyond us, however, He reveals at least parts. Moses wrote, The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29). A big part of God’s purpose in the Creation was human-centric. Humans and angels were God’s only created spiritual beings. But of the two, only humans were and are made in God’s Tripartite image and likeness. Furthermore, only men can be redeemed from their fall into sin! To that purpose, God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Eternal Son, now a God-Man forever. And just as Paul wrote there in Ephesians 3:11, all of God’s purpose and plan is encapsulated in the God-Man, Christ Jesus our Lord. And through Jesus, God is bringing many sons (and daughters) unto glory (Hebrews 2:10). This speaks of His Savior-centric redemption plan. And then another part of God’s purpose is to live amongst His redeemed humanity upon a New Earth forever and forever. Throughout the Bible we see God’s plan unfold, and it gives us hints about His wonderful purpose, perhaps the chief two being fellowship with and worship from His Creation. So, our omniscient, omnipotent Creator has a purpose. The obvious question then is, “Do you?” “Do I?” Sadly, many people are living purposeless lives. They don’t know where they came from, why they are here on this ball of rock, or where they are going when they die. Science, so-called, has fed us a fantastic fable called the Big Bang and molecules-to-man evolution. This fable reduces human beings to chance accidents in a purposeless Universe, which itself somehow just happened! This fantastic fable called Evolution puts us on the same level as a mosquito, a flea, or an algal slick on a stagnant pond. We are all just chance accidents in an accidental universe. This secular, atheistic worldview (a.k.a., Naturalism) eliminates “purpose” in life. IF there is no God—and therefore no Divine Plan to give our lives reference and purpose—THEN we are just random accidents, living meaningless and purposeless lives, running on a hamster wheel called “life”, dying, and donating our carcass to fertilizing the soil. Now, isn’t that encouraging? Doesn’t that make you want to get up and go to work every morning? Friends, our consciences, and the God-given logic that programs our brains tell us that there must be more to life than the rat race, dying like a dog, and thereby going out of existence. God has built spiritual sentience—an awareness of Him—into every human soul (mind). God clearly teaches this in Romans 1:19-20. Romans 1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed itunto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… This spiritual sentience is like a homing signal. It leads us to our Creator. It guides us to find our purpose, which is a relationship, and then loving fellowship with, our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Christianity isn’t a religion; it’s a relationship! Only an eternal relationship with our Creator, Jesus Christ, can give us purpose and meaning in life. God bless and conside
Keeping It Real, Pt. 5
May 31, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
May 31, 2024 Keeping It Real Part 5, A Clear Conscience Toward God This month’s theme has been “Keeping it Real”, i.e., seeing ourselves as we really are. We have talked about self-deception, God’s view of reality, how to honestly see ourselves, admitting the truth and telling the truth in love, and now in our last installment, the end goal of “Keeping It Real”, a clear conscience toward God. It is a fact of life: we ALL answer to authorities. As children, we answer to parents. As adults, we answer to bosses, civil authorities, and governmental authorities. And ultimately every soul will one day answer to the Ultimate Authority, God, our Creator. When we stop and seriously consider the ominous truth of Hebrews 9:27—it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment—the priceless value of a good conscience toward God becomes obvious. And we know that a good conscience comes from obeying what we KNOW God asks of us. And so, what DOES God ask of each human being? First, God pleads with every human being to be redeemed, saved, or born-again. These are all Biblical terms that refer to being Divinely reconciled back to God. Every soul needs this Divine reconciliation because all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). But God is not willing that any should perish (2Peter 3:9), i.e., be eternally separated from Him in that spiritual prison called The Lake of Fire. Therefore, He sent the Second Person of the Godhead, the Son, to be incarnated in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, a perfect God-Man, to die in our stead. The precious shed blood of Christ has made all sin forgivable but is only made efficacious individually when we cry out to God in contrition, repentance, and faith IN that wonderful Gospel (good news) of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. We appropriate Christ’s forgiveness by crying out for it in faith! It’s a heart thing! Yes, Jesus made every human being “savable”, but we must appropriate His wonderful gift of forgiveness by asking for it! Paul writes in Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Consequently, God issues many invitations to spiritual salvation in the Bible but one of the most beautiful was delivered through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 1:18 reads, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. So first, God pleads with every human being to be saved or born-again. Second, God expects His redeemed children (the saved) to live “separated lives” for Him! But, separated from what? We are to be separated from the vain philosophies and wicked lifestyles of this lost and dying world! That “faith-applied” blood of Christ redeems and reconciles us back to God positionally. But since we ARE eternally saved, God expects us to practically “work out” our salvation (Philippians 2:12). This does not mean works can earn salvation or can keep our salvation (Ephesians 2:8, 9), rather we are to out-work it, i.e., use it, because we ARE saved (Ephesians 2:10). And God teaches in Romans 12:1, 2 that this separated life is our reasonable service. At the moment of salvation, we become soldiers of the cross. And as good soldiers, we are not to become traitorously entangled again with the enemy (the Devil) and the pollutions of this Fallen World system (2Peter 2:20). And so, will we end well, i.e., with a good conscience toward God? Friends, it’s more than just possible; it’s readily achievable for every born-again, Holy Spirit-empowered, child of God. Paul said by inspiration that he lived in good conscience before God (Acts 23:1). Will we stand before Christ and hear, Well done thou good and faithful servant (Mat 25:21, 23)? OR, as God-rejecting, proud Naturalists will we instead hear, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:23). The choice is ours! Jesus paid the price for our salvation; he did all the work. It behooves us to accept His sacrifice by faith, and then with a heart of thanksgiving, live our lives for Him as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). God bless and consider!
Keeping It Real, Pt. 4
May 24, 2024 • Dr. John Waterloo
May 24, 2024 Keeping It Real Part, 4, Discernment Have you ever been lied to? Most of us have probably been deceived by a lie, and we know the anger, hurt, and distrust that deception creates. And if asked, I doubt anyone would say they enjoy being lied to. But one of the greatest ironies in life is that humanity is lied to constantly, to some degree, by governments, by politicians, by advertisers, by salespeople, by scammers, and certainly by Satan! Regarding the Devil, Jesus said, When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44). And sometimes we not only expect and tolerate the lies, but we seek and enjoy the lies! The Apostle Paul wrote that this “self-deception” would be #1 on the public menu in the last days, a time that has now come, when men and women reject sound doctrine because of their itching ears (2Timothy 4:3). What a picturesque description of people who heap to themselves one false teacher after another, to the end that they might have their consciences soothed and their false notions celebrated. We like to be told we are “okay” by experts in mental health, ethics, and religion. We subjectively compare ourselves among ourselves to achieve some standard of normalcy or goodness. We convince ourselves that we are “good people” because (most certainly) our “good” outweighs our “bad”, and since we have not murdered, abused children, or robbed banks, then surely God smiles down upon us and whatever there is out there beyond our last breath—be it Heaven, or Paradise, or Moksha, or Nirvana, or Valhalla—it will be swinging on the front porch on a warm spring day with a glass of lemonade from there on out! And yes, we even lie to ourselves, and then believe our self-conceived ideas! And we do so because they are accepted culturally, politically, or by religion! How ultimately ironic it is that 1) we are taught to be a skeptic and to survive as a skeptic, but 2) we so willingly seek out and swallow The Chief Lie! The chief lie is this: we are “good” people, that everyone has “good” inside, and that if people were just educated more, or had access to basic resources, or were taught love and compassion, then we could all co-exist, sit around the campfire, eat s’mores and sing Kum Ba Yah. Well, a modicum of skepticism IS good; we call that discernment. As the Hebrews author proclaims in v5:13, we need our senses trained by practice (experience) to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble versus what is evil and base. In short, we need to be able to recognize a lie, and thereby, avoid self-deception. But that training only comes by the enlightenment from the indwelling Holy Spirit as we learn God’s Truth from God’s Word. And in His Word, God’s Word declares, …there is none that doeth good (Psalm 14:1, 3; 53:1, 3; Romans 3:12). If we are left to our fallen natures, we have no hope, because we are without God (Ephesians 2:12). So, let me ask the obvious question: who and what do you believe? Sadly, those who willingly choose to believe The Lie will one day even argue their own goodness before the Creator. Jesus will reply as recorded in Matthew 7:23, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying. Don’t be deceived! Be discerning! God bless and consider!
Keeping It Real, Pt. 3
May 17, 2024
May 17, 2024 Keeping It Real Part 3, Seeing Ourselves I’m one of those who hates clutter, disorganization, and things unkempt and unclean. But having kids and dogs in a very old and leaky house has made me a lot less finicky on the clutter and disorganization part! But I still don’t like to be dirty, and yet, I’ve worked lots of dirty jobs in my life. I’ve done farm work, including feeding and caring for livestock, building fence, and working ground. I’ve also worked in the oil patch. So, I know what it means to get dirty. And I mean REALLY dirty! But I know the cure for dirt and grease, and I rarely missed a hot shower and lots of Dial soap, if I could help it. I enjoy feeling clean and not being an offense to those who must be around me. Now, I doubt that many people enjoy being dirty and smelly. Most of our populace goes to great lengths to look and smell good. But do we ever think about the mental and spiritual side of “cleanliness”? We try to keep the dirt out of our ears, our deodorant fresh, and the dandruff brushed from our shoulders, but what about our mind, that soulish part of man that God calls “the heart”? Is it filthy and full of corruption? Are we proud, selfish, intolerant, judgmental, lustful, angry, hateful, and covetous? Are we adulterers or even murderers? Wow, that was quite a list of unsavory conditions, wasn’t it? And while we might admit to being a bit selfish now and then, or losing our temper now and then, few of us would admit to the other conditions on that list! Certainly, we are not vile murderers! But Jesus said that if a man lusts, he HAS committed adultery in his heart. And if a man hates, he HAS murdered in his heart. Are we suddenly realizing that our “hearts” might not be as righteous and clean as we first thought? Our problem is this: it is very difficult to objectively judge our mental and spiritual cleanliness. This is because we are totally depraved sinners—YES, God says we are all sinners (Romans 3:23)—and as such we are blind to our own spiritual condition. God through the prophet Jeremiah testified, Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? God says we can’t know the extent of the depravity of our own hearts (minds). If we want to know the real condition of our hearts, we need an unbiased outsider who can see inside us and judge objectively. David knew this well and that’s why he called out to the LORD, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23, 24). So, the real issue is not that we can’t know. God has provided a mirror for our soul, called The Word of God. Holy Scripture will reveal our true mental/spiritual condition. The Hebrews author wrote, Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The real issue then is, “Do we WANT to know?” Like David, God’s born-again children should want to know. We don’t want to be smelly and offensive to our Heavenly Father or to those around us who need God’s saving grace. God’s children are to be vessels of honour (2Timothy 2:20). Are we? God bless and consider!
Keeping It Real, Pt. 2
May 10, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
May 10, 2024 Keeping It Real Part 2, God’s Reality Our world is convulsing, it is being torn apart, because of differing worldviews. These worldviews separate us into groups that are at odds, even at the most fundamental levels. One person’s “reality” varies so much from another person’s “reality” that they find it difficult, or even impossible, to live together on the same planet. So, what’s the answer? A pervasive philosophy that has come about since the League of Nations[1] in 1920 is that this world’s complex problems can be addressed and even solved by cooperation (i.e., the Village, as in, “It Takes a Village”[2]), discussion, understanding, compromise, programs, education, benevolence, or by simple empathy. We might simplify this overall philosophy by saying, “Walk a mile in my shoes!” Many people truly believe that if we can just get into another person’s mindset and trudge down his/her earthly pathway, so that we can feel their pain, understand their ideas, and know what makes them happy, then somehow, this it would fundamentally change our world; it would make our planet a more sensitive and caring place, and in the end, solve many of our world’s ideological conflicts. It’s the utopian ideal portrayed in the famous “I’d like to buy the world a Coke”[3] commercial as if a common love of a beverage can erase age-old hatreds and animosities. But this philosophy is fundamentally flawed! It is ultimately naïve. It is as naïve as Chamberlain believing that giving the Sudetenland[4] to Hitler guaranteed peace in Europe. Now, it is true that if I “walk a mile in your shoes”, i.e., if I experience what it’s like to live with hunger, or deal with a disease, or cope with prejudice, THEN it certainly will make me more empathetic, understanding, and a lot less judgmental. And I can, with great empathy, and even with genuine love, feed or cloth or heal a person, who holds to a radically different worldview. This response is what Jesus Christ taught and lived out. But moving from personal love and benevolence to embracing a worldview is an irrational jump. Jesus loved and still loves messed up people; He felt empathy for them. He healed their illnesses, He fed the hungry, he renewed their broken bodies, he exorcised their demons… but He never approved of or accommodated their often-sinful philosophies. On the contrary, He commanded, Go and sin no more (John 8:11). A simple act of love and humanity doesn’t resolve worldview conflicts, anymore than it kept Jesus from being crucified! If it is incumbent upon us to compromise our belief set to accommodate everyone else’s belief set, then everyone ends up believing everything, which reduces to nothing. The real issue in our world is a fundamental disagreement on what is Real, Absolute, and Unchanging. I will call these PRINCIPLES capital-T TRUTH. If everyone insists that their truth is The Truth, then there is no hope for unity and cooperation. And then there are some who insist that there is No Truth at all. The bottom line is that without Universal Truth, a Truth that exists outside of and rises above the Human Experience or the Human Intellect, there can be no Reality; it all boils down to my conviction vs. your conviction, my preference vs. your preference. From these illogical irrationalities, we come up with oxy-moronic terms like “relative truth” and “alternative truth”. Until this World accepts our Creator’s Truth as THE STANDARD, and His Written Word as THE PRINCIPLES by which all other ideas are judged, then we have no hope. Friends, God’s Word is Truth (John 17:17); it is Reality. And Jesus the Christ was the Author and the Embodiment of Truth. He proclaimed, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Until we accept that, we will continue to hate, fight, war, and kill. Mankind has not discovered the way, and he will never discover the way, because there IS no other Way than the Savior! God bless and consider! [1] A predecessor to the United Nations. It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. https://en.http://wikipedia.org/wiki/league_of_nations [2] It Takes a Village. 1996. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Simon and Schuster, New York, NY. The book emphasizes the shared responsibility that society has for successfully raising children. https://en.http://wikipedia.org/wiki/it_takes_a_village [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ihttp://wikipedia.org/wiki/ihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/i https://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vm2elhvssm [4] Pre-WWII German-speaking Czechoslovakia
Keeping It Real, Pt. 1
May 3, 2024
May 3, 2024 Keeping It Real Part 1, The Real Danger of Self-deception Has someone ever made a fool of you, and I mean on purpose? Has someone ever played a harsh practical joke on you, or have they gossiped about one of your failures, or have you been taken advantage of? If you have been played like a fool, lured along, and taken advantage of, you know how much it can hurt, how it embarrasses you, and how it can even damage your sense of trust. In these painful, yet instructive life experiences, we learn both the definition of and the damaging nature of hypocrisy, i.e., of people acting out roles, faking, pretending, being insincere, or just going through the motions. There was a group of politico-religious leaders in Jesus’ day called the Pharisees and according to Jesus, they were the very definition of hypocrites. They were proud and arrogant, hyper-religious (legalistic) law-keepers. They loved their positions and the respect that their positions commanded. Yet Jesus looked through their pious façade and saw a decrepit situation. Jesus explained their real condition using the shocking analogy of a cemetery and its graves. In Matthew 23:27 we read, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. A cemetery is usually well-kept, mowed, trimmed, and decorated, and it is marked out with beautiful monuments. In ancient Israel, the tombs would even be white-washed—i.e., painted—to make them appear clean and attractive. But we all know what’s inside a grave! Jesus said these hypocritical religious leaders were like white-washed tombs. Outwardly they appeared clean, beautiful, upstanding, and righteous. But inside God saw blackened, putrefied hearts, and arrogant and even hateful motives. Their unmasked nature became obvious for all to see when, in jealousy, they devised a plan to crucify the Lord of Glory. These men KNEW that Jesus was from God; Nicodemus, himself a Pharisee, admitted as much when he came to Jesus by night (John 3:2). Yet, these “leaders” were willing to kill an innocent man, even their own Messiah, rather than risk losing their place (their jobs and positions as leaders) and their nation (their national pseudo-sovereignty) (John 11:48). Yes, hypocrisy is a vile, odious, and offensive condition. We don’t like hypocrites; we don’t want to be around hypocrites. It’s something we can easily see in others, and we are repulsed. But, let me ask a sobering question. Don’t hypocrites KNOW they are being hypocritical? Don’t they know that they are being two-faced, deceitful, deceptive, odious, and vile? The answer is “Some do!” Our world is full of hypocrites-on-purpose. Their goal is to deceive the simple, the unknowing, and the innocent, and usually rake in the money! I’m speaking here of con men and con women, shysters, crooks, snake oil salesmen, and thieves. Yes, some people are hypocrites… on purpose! But is it a surprise to you that there are those among the general law-abiding populace, who DO NOT recognize their own hypocrisy? It shouldn’t be a surprise because every one of us can become hypocritical and remain hypocritical IF we are self-deceived. Israel’s ancient prophet Jeremiah was inspired to write this truth about the human heart: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9)? Even though most people would bristle to hear it, God says that by nature (i.e., by birth), ALL OF US are deceitful and deceived sinners and one of the consequences of this inherent sin nature is spiritual blindness. We so clearly see the faults of others. We see the mote (i.e., that tiny bit of sawdust) in our brother's eye, but we are often oblivious to the beam (i.e., the 2x4) sticking out of our eye! And here is how it’s played out in life… We despise those who gossip about us, but then we readily turn around and gossip ourselves. We despise those who lie about us, but then we turn about and lie about others. We despise those who steal from us, but given the chance, we can and do steal from others (maybe not literally but through infidelity, cheating, and other forms of deception). God says through Jeremiah that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to understand the depth of depravity affecting our OWN hearts! We are like skunks who cannot smell our own stench! Consequently, we must use the mirror of God’s Word to reveal to us our true condition. Paul confessed in Romans 7:7, …I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Not one of us can be THE standard of righteous living. Jesus is The Standard for righteousness and holy living. Consequently, it’s not wise to compare ourselves among ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:12) because we can always find someone in worse shape morally, giving us the excuse to think, “See, I’m not so bad!” So, friends, may it not be said of us, “There is no fool like an old fool!” Let’s keep it real! Let’s do some introspection with the Word of God and the life of Jesus as our mirror. Let’s ask God to reveal to us those areas of our life, those behaviors, those thoughts, that are hypocritical, to the end that we might repent (i.e., turn from them), and enjoy both the forgiveness of God and a changed life that blesses others. God bless and consider!
Good and Evil, Pt. 4
April 26, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
April 26, 2024 Good and Evil Part 4, The Deadline This month we’ve been musing about the “mysteries” of good and evil, a topic that has caused countless generations to puzzle and question. We started with Part 1, The Dilemma. One of the hardest things for the natural (i.e., non-spiritual) man to rationalize is the very real presence of evil in this World system! In Part 2, The Desire, we discovered that mankind’s desire was his downfall. Eve exercised her free will, she rebelled against her Creator, Adam followed, and we’ve been living in a mess ever since! But God also had a desire, a desire to rescue humanity from their foolish choice and the consequence of rebellion. Eve’s desire brought disaster, but God’s desire brought deliverance through the sacrifice of His own Perfect Son, Jesus the God-Man. In Part 3, The Doubt, we talked about the common question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” But we discovered that this question is flawed on both ends! Until we see the end of the matter (1 Corinthians 4:5) we can’t judge what is bad and what is good. And second, there are no “good” people. Jesus said, …there is none good but one, that is, God (Mark 10:18). Paul seconded that motion when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote, …there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:12). And now we will close this month’s study of Good and Evil with Pt. 4, The Deadline. As much as humanity wants to question God, argue about good and evil, and in so doing absolve themselves of their own guiltiness, there comes an eventual reality check, a reckoning, a deadline. I’ll call it the Personal Deadline: the death of our physical body. The Hebrews author warned, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment… (Hebrews 9:27). When our soul and spirit leave our body at death, our eternal destiny is fixed. And the Bible is plain; there are no second chances, regardless of what “religion” tells us! Solomon taught this austere reality in poetic form in Ecclesiastes 11:3, …if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. In the Luke 18 account of the unnamed rich man and the beggar Lazarus, we discover that at the instant of death, each person was transported directly to their eternal destiny. There were no purgatories or limbos; there was no chance for a pardon, or for penance, or for indulgences. No matter what some religious authority tells us, God says that the unrepentant rich man was instantly in torment in that place the Bible calls Hades or Hell (a holding cell for the final prison called the Lake of Fire). And the repentant beggar Lazarus was instantly enjoying comfort and joy, in a place that Jesus called Paradise. Forgiven Lazarus will come back with Christ to this Earth, He will enjoy ruling and reigning with Christ in the literal 1000-year Kingdom, he will witness the re-creation of this sin-cursed Universe, and then enjoy living on a New Earth forevermore. The big question of life then, is not the mystery of Good and Evil, where they came from, or why our consciences innately know about them… but how God judges as either good or evil! Yes, at that moment, at the last beat of our hearts, we will either inherit God’s goodness (grace) or God’s judgment. Receiving His grace has absolutely nothing to do with what we can DO in life, how “good” we have been, or how many “good leaves” we have turned over. We can’t do enough good to pay for our sins! We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. We are spiritually dead because of our sins and dead people can’t do anything! Penance isn’t possible. We can’t purchase indulgences from religious organizations. If we could somehow earn or buy Heaven, then Christ didn’t need to die in our place! Friends, we can only access God’s grace by accepting God’s FREE GIFT of forgiveness. Again, it has to be free because it’s not possible to earn it. But it’s not cheap! It cost God dearly! The Son of God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Perfect God-Man. Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed Himself as a perfect sacrifice. He died in our place, the Just for the unjust. And so, the real question is somewhat like that asked by Pilate some 2000 years ago: What shall I do with Jesus (Mat 27:22)? We appropriate God’s forgiveness as did the praying publican and the thief on the cross by crying out to God in contrition and repentance asking for his forgiveness and grace (For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved – Romans 10:13). THEN God will apply the precious blood of Christ to our sin-debt, washing us as white as snow. God pleads with humanity through His prophet Isaiah,Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). If we have cried out to God in repentance and faith for His forgiveness, then He will apply Jesus’ righteousness to our account and our sin debt will read, “Paid in Full!” The Lord is, …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Friends, a deadline awaits us all and it always comes unannounced and often suddenly. At that last heartbeat, we’ll be accounted righteous THROUGH Christ or we will remain as guilty sinners separated eternally from God because of our unwillingness to repent and believe, and consequently, we will pay for our sins eternally. Don’t put it off. Take advantage of God’s goodness and grace TODAY! God bless and consider!
Good and Evil, Pt. 3
April 19, 2024
April 19, 2024 Good and Evil Part 3, The Doubt Why do bad things happen to good people? We talked about this just a bit in this month’s introductory lesson. This is a question that often generates doubt: doubt of God’s concern for his children, doubt of God’s ability to protect and bless his children, and sometimes even doubt of God’s existence altogether. We’ve all heard the emotional challenge, “If God is loving and all-powerful, then why_____?”, and you can fill in that blank. Unbelievers always struggle with this question, often using it as a justification why they choose NOT to believe. And even some believers struggle with it, causing them to abandon worship and service to the Savior. But… God gives us the answer to this question in His Bible! First, everything that natural men (as opposed to spiritual men) label as “bad”, whether it be in the form of disability, disease, injustice, conflict, geologic and meteorological chaos, and finally, death, is a consequence of mankind’s free will choice to sin, to rebel against God. God gave His perfect human creation free will. Our original parents exercised that free will and chose to rebel against their Creator. And with that choice came horrible consequences: an entropic world, entropic bodies, corrupted consciences, people who give themselves over to wickedness (e.g., Cain), and finally death. WE are the cause of “bad”; it is what WE inherited. WE chose it! Second, let’s define the two objects in that question: “bad things” and “good people”. Again, only our Creator, who is working all things for the good of his redeemed children, has the authority to label an event or a condition as “bad” or “good”. What appears, to the natural man, as “bad”, e.g., the congenital blindness of the man described in John 9, might actually have been the best thing that could have ever happened to this man. This man’s congenital blindness brought him into a redeemed relationship with the Messiah. Could it be that God knew, that apart from this man’s blindness, he would never have been born again? I believe this man, who is now in Heaven with Jesus Christ, is still praising God for the GRACE that allowed him to be born blind so that he might come to repentance, belief, and eternal life. Next, let’s ask, who are the “good” people? Again, the natural (i.e., the non-spiritual) man categorizes every person as “good”, if they haven’t robbed banks, abused children, or committed murder. But again, only God is qualified to define “good”, and He says, “There is none good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3; Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12). So actually, the question itself is fallacious on both accounts. We can’t judge what is bad or good in the scope of the spiritual and eternal, and there are NO good people. We are all sinners; we all live with the debilitating consequences of sin! Third, God is Sovereign, and this means His hands are not tied by man’s choice to rebel and the hard consequences we have earned. God taught Jeremiah that we are like the potter’s clay; He can mold us and remold us as He wishes, and it will always be for our ultimate spiritual good and His glory. God can and will use those things that we consider “bad”—our consequences—for our ultimate good. And for born-again believers, He will use the tests of life to mature us and make us into the image of His Dear Son (Romans 8:29). So… “Thank you Father for loving us and even using the mess we have made to bring us to repentance and to mature us in the faith!” God bless and consider!
Good and Evil, Pt. 2
April 12, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
Good and Evil Part 2, The Desire “Why?” It seems that human beings start asking this one-word question almost before we can say “da da” (oh, I’m sorry… “ma ma”). “Why?”, is a good question because we learn when we ask it. But “Why?”, can also be a dangerous question when it is directed, in a questioning manner, to someone in authority, for example, GOD! After the creation, God made just one rule, just one law for his first man and woman. We can’t even imagine a world with just one law. Our planet is so inundated with laws, regulations, codes, and statutes that it’s often easier to say what we can’t do rather than what we can! But truly, the first couple had just one rule. God said, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:16, 17). Think of it! Every other element of the creation was Adam and Eve’s to enjoy. Just one tree—ONE TREE—was off-limits. Do you think they wondered, “Why?” I’m sure they did! And so, what happened? Eve’s desire got the better of her. With the fallen angel Lucifer cheerleading, and twisting, and deceiving, Eve’s desire to know “Why?”, overpowered her senses and her respect for God and God’s Law, and she violated that one rule! She ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God tells us exactly what Eve was thinking and feeling. Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. As Paul Harvey used to say, “Now we know the rest of the story!” Adam and Eve’s desire caused them to question, and then disobey God’s Law, and it got them and us into an awful fix. But God also has a desire. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, desired to fulfill The Trinity’s plan for the redemption, (i.e., the buy-back, the rescue) of mankind, so that He might bring many sons unto glory by his own suffering (Hebrews 2:10). In Hebrews 10 we read the prophetic declaration of the Son of God: Lo I come… to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7, 9). On the evening[1] of the Passover, Jesus declared to His disciples, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:15, 16). We call Christ’s sacrifice His “passion”, and the week leading up to the crucifixion “passion week”. Jesus’ loving passion—His desire—was to pay mankind’s sin debt and make it possible for all men and women to be purchased back, to be redeemed. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:14-17). Adam and Eve’s desire brought disaster. But Jesus’ desire brought deliverance! Praise God, we have been made redeemable through the blood payment of the Substitutionary Sacrifice, the Perfect Lamb of God. So, what is your desire? Do you desire to be made free from the curse of sin? God is, …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). You CAN apply the cleansing blood of Christ’s sacrifice. You CAN become a forgiven child of the King, by repenting (i.e., changing your mind about how to be accepted by God), and in faith (belief), crying out for His loving, forgiving grace! It’s NOT of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9). For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). God bless and consider! [1] The Jew’s day started at sundown, with evening, and then morning. See the Creation account in Genesis 1 and also Psalm 55:17.
Good and Evil, Pt. 1
April 5, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
Good and Evil Part 1, The Dilemma One of the hardest things to rationalize, especially for those who are only marginally acquainted with God, is the very real presence of evil in our World. Evil reared its ugly head even from the beginning when a jealous, angry Cain murdered his brother Abel. In every generation, evil and wickedness have been perpetrated by potentates, by dictators, by lawless marauders, and even by so-called religious organizations and churches. The English historian and Parliament member, John Dalberg-Acton (Lord Acton)[1] was spot on when he said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.”[2] He also said, “Despotic power is always accompanied by corruption of morality.”[3] The very real presence and inescapable tendency for evil causes many people to doubt or even deny the existence of an all-powerful, loving Creator God. The question that always comes, usually during times of pain, duress, or grief is, “If there IS a God, why would He allow wickedness and evil?”, or “If God is all powerful, why did he let this injustice occur?”, or “If God loves me, why did he let me get this disease?” The question can take ten-thousand forms but the common denominator is always, “Why evil?”, and God almost always bears the brunt of humanity’s anger and accusations. In the course of recent human history some have thought of evil as a disease, that could be cured by education, good jobs, good pay, and civil rights. In other words, people were just being wicked because they were disenfranchised, or discriminated against, or hungry, or oppressed. Then, when the liberal experiments fail (and they always will, because they treat symptoms and not the disease), the opposing side simply says, “Lock evil away!”, but this tack ultimately fails as well. There can never be enough prisons! Although liberals still search for a “cure” and conservatives build more prisons, the remedy for evil is not political reform, social reform, or even religion. Ironically, despotic “religion” has perpetrated as much evil as any Nero, Kahn, Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, or Mao. Neither is the remedy found in more and tougher laws because you can’t legislate a moral conscience. All of these proposed solutions treat only the symptoms, and never effectively! The efficacious antibiotic for the plague of evil that has infected every human soul is a Divinely empowered spiritual rebirth, the changing of man’s very nature. And that’s what we’ll talk about next week. So, stay tuned! There is a Great Light at the end of what seems to be a very dark tunnel. God bless and consider! [1] https://en.http://wikipedia.org/wiki/john_dalberg-acton,_1st_Baron_Acton [2] https://acton.org/research/lord-acton-quote-archive [3] https://acton.org/research/lord-acton-quote-archive
There Are None So... Pt. 5
March 29, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
March 29, 2024 There Are None So… Part 5, Frustrated We have spent the month looking at the theme, “There are none so…”. For example, there are none so blind as those who will not see, or none so deaf as those who will not hear. These self-imposed disabilities were first alluded to by God’s prophet Jeremiah as he warned the nation of Judah of their impending judgment and correction. [1] But like her sister Samaria (the 10 Northern Jewish tribes), Judah knowingly and willingly stiffened her national neck and she refused to see, hear, or respect her glorious God who deserved her thanks, her adoration, her service, and her praise. Consequently, as God warned, she was given over to the harsh nation Chaldea (Babylon) and her king Nebuchadnezzar, for 70 years of captivity. Ironically, what seemed to be the death of this nation, was the only way the nation could be saved from its own wickedness and self-inflicted wounds. This then segues us into our last thought for the month: There are none so frustrated, as those who will not follow. This installment is addressed to born-again Christians [2], i.e., those who have a personal, eternal, saving relationship with the Creator through repentance [3] and then absolute faith in (and ONLY in) the blood-sacrifice of the God-Man, Jesus the Christ. The Nation of Israel was and still is God’s chosen nation. This doesn’t mean that God loves Israel and hates everyone else. Rather it means that God sovereignly CHOSE Abraham and his lineage through the promised seed Isaac [4], to be His voice, His example, and His beacon to the other nations and peoples of this world. Sadly, Israel repeatedly rebelled and failed her spiritual mission. God used Babylon in 586 B.C., to chasten His people, and then Rome in 70 A.D. to finally scatter the nation and dissolve its national status. In a national sense, because Israel would not follow God (in love-motivated obedience and obeisance), she became frustrated; she came to political and national ruin. It is only by God’s grace and sovereign plan that this nation of scattered, dry, lifeless, and disjointed “bones” (Ezekiel 37:1-15) has miraculously risen, bone-joined-to-bone. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1948. Israel is again a national entity. [5] Well, in the same way that Israel became frustrated nationally because they would not follow their gracious Creator, Savior, and King, born-again Christians—the spiritual offspring of God—will become frustrated spiritually when they refuse to follow Christ and inculcate His “mind” (way of thinking, or worldview) and His lifestyle. Men and women who have tasted the glorious salvation given to them freely by God’s grace when they repented, believed, and cried out for salvation, and then have turned from following Christ, to follow and embrace this wicked World’s way of thinking and living, are going to live miserable, unfulfilled, and frustrated spiritual lives. Oh, worldly Christians might appear successful, happy, and on top of the “world” (pun intended), but they have no joy, no peace, no contentment, and no power. They, like the worldlings around them, are building their lives upon the sand, and as Jesus warned, their physical and carnal investments will disappear at the next big blow or flood. Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Praise God we can’t lose our salvation, but we can lose everything else, including our families! There are none so frustrated, as those who will not follow. God bless and consider! [1] Jeremiah cried out to his nation Judah, Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: 22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence… (Jeremiah 5:20-22). [2] John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [3] The word “repent” literally means to turn from going one direction, to the exact opposite direction. In regard to salvation (the spiritual rebirth of our sin-deadened spirits) repentance involves 1) recognizing our sin (agreeing with God that we are sinners and as such separated from Him eternally), 2) having contrition because of their sin, 3) and then gladly and willfully turning from our sinful ways. [4] Isaac, not Ishmael (the seed of the Egyptian bondmaid Hagar), was the promised seed, the lineage through which God would build his nation Israel, and eventually bring forth the Messiah, the Savior of the World. Paul in Galatians 4:21-31 uses the two sons of Abraham as an allegory of bondage vs. spiritual liberty. Gal. 4:21-31 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it isnow. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. [5] Israel stands again as a physical nation, but not as a spiritual nation. God has not yet put his Spirit within them (see Ezekiel 37:14). This day will come, again through Tribulation and grace, and as Paul prophesied, And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob… Romans 11:26.
There Are None So... Pt. 4
March 22, 2024 • Central Baptist Church
March 22, 2024 There Are None So… Part 4, Sad This month we are playing off the theme of “There are none so…”. For example, “There are none so blind as those who will not see!” “There are none so deaf as those who will not hear!” And last week, “There are none so confused as those who will not think.” This week, we’ll consider, “There are none so sad… as those who will not RESPOND.” We all know the adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. It might be best if the horse drank, or even critical that the horse drinks, but regardless of what is healthy or even life-sustaining, it’s the half-ton animal that must make up its mind to do so. We apply this parable to all kinds of human behavior and misbehavior. Regarding the adolescent diet, “You can lead a child to broccoli, but you can’t make him eat!” Regarding the teenage student, you can legally force a boy to attend school. Still, you can’t make him learn!” And regarding our human society, “You can convince a man of his evil, but you can’t make him repent. This is because repentance is an act of the human “heart” and “will”. True repentance convinces us of our sin, repudiates it, turns FROM it, and then turns TO God for forgiveness and empowerment! True repentance is pictured by the repentant publican (in Jesus’ parable of the Praying Pharisee and Publican) who in deep contrition cried out, God be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13). Consequently, many know they ought to eat their broccoli, to study their math, or to seek the forgiveness of God for their sinfulness… but sadly, they will not respond because of their stubborn will and pride. They don’t want to, and they often have the attitude, “And no one can make me; not even God!” Our world has always been messed up, but it seems that today everyone competes to see just how messed up they can be! Of course, everyone has their definition of “messed up”! Everyone does what is right in their own eyes. So, we need an Ultimate Standard. And the only objective standard that exists is the standard that our Creator—Jehovah God—has provided in His written revelation to humanity: the Bible. God’s definition of “messed up” is the only one that counts because by it He will ultimately judge every soul that has rejected His grace! The problem, according to God’s standard, is not that you are just a little messed up and I’m a lot messed up. No, God says we are ALL totally messed up. And because we are messed up, we are separated and alienated from Him. And worse yet, in and of ourselves, we don’t have a fix! We can’t pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. God says, …all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and that the wages or payment for this sin nature is death (Romans 6:23a)! We see the consequence of sin manifested all around us in physical death. But the most terrifying consequence of sin is unseen to the natural eye! It is spiritual death! And so, what will you and I do about it? We can respond wisely like that proverbial publican who in deep anguish of soul, smote his breast, and cried out, God be merciful to me a sinner. Or we can, like the proud Pharisee, stiffen our necks in religious self-righteousness and feel content NOT to respond. But I want to ask just one question: How good do you have to be to EARN your way to Heaven? God’s answer is, “You can’t earn my forgiveness… by works OR religion!” Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8, 9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, and in Titus 3:5 we read, Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. How ultimately sad—and dangerous—it is to recognize our dire spiritual need, and yet not respond. God bless and consider!