Juvenile Detention: A youth in bondage

Allow me to start this blog with full disclosure. I do not have children. I have been around children my whole life and have spent many years in children’s ministry but I myself do not have children. I thought it necessary to put that out there before we start.

Juvenile Detention: A youth in bondage

“If you ever feel it incumbent upon you not to prejudice a piece of ground by sowing good seed in it, you may rest assured that the weeds will not imitate your impartiality, but they will take possession of the land in a very sad and shocking manner. Where the plough does not go, and the seed is not sown, the weeds are quite sure to multiply; and if children are left untutored and untrained, all sorts of evils will spring up in their hearts and lives.” Charles H. Spurgeon

         In my time in children’s ministry there are several things I have learned. One is that children are amazing. They are capable of loving in a way that adults, in my opinion, will never be able to. I don’t know what it is but they have huge hearts. Consequently these hearts are constantly soaking up the world around them. Here are some statistics that might just surprise you:

95% of adolescent boys masturbate. 10 years ago the number for girls was at 60% but Today it's closer to 80%.

The average age a person is exposed to pornography is 9yrs old.

93% of youth have an “online presence”. 80% of children with email receive sexually suggestive spam weekly.

1 of every 2 secular songs played on the radio have a reference to sex, sexuality, or “hooking up”. Literally every other song.

2 of 3 TV shows include sexual content or references. (Not including mild nudity or provocatively dressed people)

90% of students (6^th-12^th grade) admit to casually swearing. 70% of those said their parents swear regularly.

Possibly the worst statistic is that 70% of youth drop out of church after 5^th grade.

         The bottom line is that the world has greatly influenced and affected the youth not only in it but also in the church. So what is the American church’s answer to this? Myriad of games, retreats, and hipster youth pastors. Don’t believe me? Google “youth ministry” and you’ll find a plethora of websites dedicated to helping ministries “connect” and “relate” to their youth but almost nothing about conforming them to Christ. You’ll find articles that quote, I’ll try and type this without throwing up, the “great contemporary theologian Bono”. You’ll find sermons your youth ministry can use such as “the Gospel according to The Walking Dead” and even how to throw a “Duck Dynasty” youth party. You will find almost anything BUT scripture based help. My question is this; why are we presenting a gospel that is wrapped in a worldly paper, stuffed in a worldly box, and watered down to be palatable to a worldly youth? I completely understand wanting to "connect" and "relate" but we don't do it by looking, acting, and thinking like the world. We are sinners in desperate need of a savior who have a savior who desperately wants to save us. That's something we can connect on and relate to. I also absolutely understand that we cannot keep youth from this world or it’s temptations but we CAN present a clear difference.

         The numbers of church dropouts for youth ministry is staggering. 70% of youth drop out of church, 70%. In a study on youths who drop out of the church Ed Stetzer said

“There is no easy way to say it, but it must be said. Parents and churches are not passing on a robust Christian faith and an accompanying commitment to the church. We can take some solace in the fact that many do eventually return. But, Christian parents and churches need to ask the hard question, ‘what is it about our faith commitment that does not find root in the lives of our children?’”

This thinking is flawed. Youth are not leaving the church because they fail to inherit a “robust Christian faith and an accompanying commitment to the church”. They leave because they’re rejecting this soft watered down message that we are trying to pass off as the gospel. Youth have an incredible way of seeing a lie even if it is sprinkled with the truth. If you want to know what it is about our “faith commitment that does not find root in the lives of our children” It’s simple. Our lives do not reflect a regenerated heart. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”(Matthew 15:19) If this is what your youth sees coming from you then they know your faith is superficial. They don’t want your counterfeit conversion, they don’t want your artificial acts, and they certainly don’t want your feelings based self-centered gospel. They want the truth. They want the true gospel and we are all too apprehensive to give it in the full. We think the full gospel is harsh and accusatory. We don't want to "tear down" our youth so we neglect to pierce their hearts with the word of God. We make the gospel to be something weak and self-centered when the gospel should be powerful and effective because it is God's message of salvation. Scripture says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God's power to us who are being saved."(1 Corinthians 1:18) Through the gospel The Holy Spirit will tear through their self-righteous sinful hearts EXACTLY the way He did yours and mine. The Gospel pierces the hearts of God's people but that’s NOT what they’re getting.

         Youth ministry today is void of theology and nary do you even hear a mention of sin or obedience. Ask someone who attends or serves your church’s youth ministry what God wants for them and obedience will probably be the last thing they’ll say. We do our youth a great disservice by neglecting the foundational teachings of scripture. A church that withholds the gospel from its youth is culpable of their enslavement to sin. For too long we have tried to entertain our youth. It’s time we teach them. When choosing youth ministry leaders, qualifications need to go far beyond how many pairs of “skinny jeans” one owns. It shouldn’t be about “can this person relate”. It should be about putting people with our youth that can present a clear example of the gospel through their lives as well as their words. We need people who are more than just their “buddy”. We need mentors and leaders with life experience. We would never make a 14 yr old a children's pastor so why do we so often have youth ministers who are barely out of their teens? I don't think age is THE problem but I think it's something to look at. Regardless of age, though, we need people that are going to love. Sometimes that love is tough. We need to teach youth to read their bibles and show them true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to disciple their parents. Most importantly we need to stop all of this sissified self-help preaching.

        The reason I'm being a bit harsh on this subject is not to "judge" the intentions of today's youth ministries. Anyone who is truly in Christ wants to bring all people closer to him. I'm telling you by and large these tactics we are using are not working. The numbers don't lie. It's not working. It's not bringing them closer to Christ and conforming them to His image. We're creating christianettes who want sermonettes and are all too eager to live a life focused on themselves and what Jesus Clause can bring them. I think it's time we love these kids enough to give them what we needed and what they need. I'm not at all advocating that we stand behind our youth, point them towards the cross, push, and yell "Go! Go!". I'm saying we need to stand at the cross, look deep into their hearts, and say "Come.. Come".  Our whole life's ministry needs to be about Christ and making him Lord; not famous, not popular, and not palatable. We MUST make Christ Lord. I pray that this blog draws you closer to Christ and puts a burden on your heart for tomorrow's church, because that is exactly what our youth are. They will be teaching and leading our children and grandchildren to the glory of themselves or to the glory of God. It's up to us...

 

"Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believer in speech, in conduct, in love, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

Five Indictments on the American Christian: Two - Believe like the world

            “I believe in God. I believe I am a ‘good person’. I believe God wants me to have the best.” ~ The Majority of Americans

            In most prayer today you could substitute “I ask” with “I wish”. The American Christian believes that God is like our genie. If you don’t believe me listen to some prayers. Most prayers sounds like a wish list. I’ve very rarely heard a prayer where someone asked God to break them, humble them, or make them more conformed to the image of Christ. As Christians I know we are not called to be perfect but we ARE called to be exemplary. It would seem, however, the only parts of our life the American Church desires to be exemplary are our finances, health, and relationships. If we are the Church of Christ we should seek for our obedience, witness, and love to prosper over ALL things. Our focus should be His kingdom come but it’s more like my kingdom now. I like to call this the “Wonderful life mindset”. The American Christian believes God has a wonderful plan for their lives. By “wonderful” they mean a plan full of success, flourishing relationships, and joy. I have some news that might be a surprise to you. God does indeed have a wonderful plan for your life and sometimes that plan involves denying you the desires of your heart. Sometimes that plan involves you being completely and totally broken before Him. How is that wonderful? Any situation, even unto death itself, that helps to bring you onto your knees and into the presence of our Lord IS wonderful.

            I have heard many sermons on how God is “a God of Joy” and how we should be more joyful. Often that’s taken and spoken to mean we should seek the things that bring us Joy. The world believes EXACTLY the same thing. It is extremely frustrating to hear a Christian excuse something they know they shouldn’t do, in the name of finding joy, by saying “you only live once”. No, you don’t only live once. If you believe you only “live once” you will spend your whole existence here on earth seeking your own kingdom and NOT the kingdom of almighty God. If we want to be joyful like our God who IS joyful or have more joy in life then there IS a very important step we must take. It’s a step I have NEVER heard mentioned in any sermons on joy. It’s the only step. If we truly wish to have more joy then we ought to truly seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. In Acts 16:25 we find an imprisoned Paul and Silas “praying and singing hymns to God”. To praise God in the worst of circumstances… To worship Him when He has led you to a place where you are imprisoned for His ultimate purpose and glory. To know that “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”(2 Corinthians 4:8-9) should bring us GREAT joy!

            Finally, the American Church believes the gospel is “Jesus loves you”. The world believes the same thing. I have read and heard of countless studies on how our youth, 5^th graders and up, are rejecting the gospel and leaving the Church in huge numbers. Well.. the gospel IS offensive and many will reject the gospel but they AREN’T GETTING the gospel. People don’t know the gospel. Just ask them. I dare you to ask the 5 most “spiritual” people you know and ask them “If I were an unbeliever and you were giving me the gospel what would you say?”. After you get a stutter and stammer you might be surprised by what you hear. Many many times after asking this question the end result I got was the person saying something to the effect of “well I just know I need Jesus and he loves me”. Is it a fact that “Jesus loves you” is part of the Gospel? Yes, in fact it’s the whole reason FOR the gospel. Yes "I need Jesus", above all others I need Him, but the gospel is WE need Jesus. The problem is that just about everyone believes they are worthy of His love. So telling someone Jesus loves him or her is not a shock. That’s why if you’ve ever tried to witness with the “Jesus love you” line people give you a “so what” look. That’s why, not only our youth but, most people today reject the gospel. No one is offended by being told they’re loved UNLESS they believe they are not worthy of love. And we are SO not worthy of God’s love. If you truly examine the condition of the human heart, not just our action but our motives and intentions, you will see that we are absolutely wretched. “As it is written:

‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ ”

No one, no, not one is worthy of his love. No one, no, not one can do anything to earn his love. No one, no, not one could stand innocent before a righteous and just God and say, “I am good enough”. BUT because of the blood of His son we are saved. That… is the gospel. That IS good news. Believe it.

Five Indictments on the American Christian: One - Talk like the world

      Joey, a wretch before God and only saved from His wrath by the cross of Jesus Christ, as one who escapes through fire. To the saints in America, who are called by God to be set apart, transformed and conformed to the image of Christ. First and foremost let me say that my motive for writing this blog series is my love for the church of Jesus Christ and the burden He has put on me. Brothers and Sisters I want to be clear that as I write this I do so with a burdened heart and trembling hands. My hope is that it would edify, encourage, and inspire you to be more Christ like in your walk. I write this not because I want to correct man's behavior but to correlate him with God's word.

Five Indictments on the American Christian.

ONE

Talk like the world:

         “Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.” Colossians 3:2-8

      What we say has such an impact on who we are and how we witness. It’s interesting that the people who say “I witness by how I live” often do not really live any differently than the world does. The American Christians thinks that the gospel is “Be a good person” when in fact the gospel is this: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We deserve nothing more than His just and righteous wrath and yet while we were still sinners Christ died for us as an expiation”. I’m not saying you can’t “Live the Gospel” but how do we do that? Well I can tell you how we don’t do it. We don’t “Live the Gospel” by sounding like the world.

         More than seeing how you act people hear how you talk. So why do we talk like the world? Why use the “filthy language” that scripture says we are to put to death? I know, trust me I do, that there are stressful situations that make you react with a curse word. But why is that our reflex? Why is our first reaction to call out a curse word and not the name of our Lord Jesus? And some do call out his name but only do so AS a curse word. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying instead of cursing we should say, “His grace is enough”. Our instinct should be the word of God not the words of this world. We must be so submerged in his words that our reactions are in and of Him. “No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building someone up in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 If you claim you live the gospel then know that using the worlds language doesn’t build up those who need the gospel.

         Paul goes on to say “Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.” 4:29 I have been guilty of and heard others say, “Sometimes we just have to reach people on their level and with their language”. This is a lie! The reality is we do not have to use the methods of this world to reach its people. If the only way people could be reached was on “their level” then wouldn't the media report the news this way? Why do we not see the media using filthy language? They don’t do it because there is an expectation of professionalism and class. How much more so among the elect?! How much more should the children of God be set apart in the way we speak?! Brothers and Sisters I am not calling you to be boring in speech. I am calling for us to do what God has said “You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine.” Leviticus 20:26 The word of God is to be our standard for life NOT the conventionalism of this world.

         By know you may be thinking, “This whole blog could have been summed up by a simple FB post saying ‘Christians need to stop using bad words.’” That’s not the point though. The point isn’t to stop being sinful. The point is to start being holy. I know some may be upset but I plea with you just as Paul did. “My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  James 1:19-22 It's time that the Church in America starts doing. Talk is cheap.

Ghost Hunters: Knowing Him better

‎ Ghost Hunters: Knowing Him better

         The Holy Spirit is the most neglected and blasphemed person of the Holy Trinity. Neglected because some ignore his call and blasphemed because some claim the glory of heaven and yet live like hell. We know little about him and what we do know is often wrong.

         Scripture says he conforms us to the image of God.

“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

         Jesus said, “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him.”

         The Church…. well… The Church doesn’t really know what to make of him. There are so many out there who turn the Holy Spirit into a joke and the church, I should say some churches, point to him as the reason for ridiculous behavior. How many of us have been to a church where people start behaving erratically, fall down, speak babbling nonsense, or other things that are just plain silly? Now I know I’m going to have some people who not only disagree with me but who may even be angry with what I’m saying but the truth is there are no scriptural references for these things.

         Nowhere in scripture do you find “tongues” meaning “babbling nonsense that only you understand”. Some might point to Acts 2:4 as proof of their “special prayer language” so lets look at the text. “Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.” If you notice the scripture says “other languages” not “uniquely special languages that are completely different from everyone else”. IN FACT, if you continue reading on to Acts 2:5,6 it says, “There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” The context is clearly that they heard them speaking in the language that was from their nation.

       Further on the tongues issue the gift of tongues (other languages), much like any other gift God gives, aren't for the speaker’s benefit. They are for the benefit of preaching the gospel to people and building up the church that speak other languages. In addition… well here I’ll let Paul finish my argument: "Even inanimate things that produce sounds — whether flute or harp — if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? In fact, if the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle? In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, and all have meaning. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. So also you since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:7-12

As far as the other things go, again, there is just no scriptural evidence to back up their validity.

         It’s also incredible how we just neglect the Holy Spirit. He constantly prompts us to do good. To do the will of God and yet we tell him “No”. We’re too tired to serve or poor to give or some other excuse we use. Brothers and Sisters this should not be. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and helper. When he prompts us we must say, “Yes my Lord and my God”.

         I also say He is blasphemed. The reason for that is because we, Christians, take on the name “Christian” and yet still sin. We claim he is in us and still commit horrible atrocity and live lives as though he were weak and cannot change us? That’s blasphemy if I’ve ever heard it. “Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” 1 John 1:5-6

         So… why the blog? Am I just ranting or trying to show off my hermeneutical abilities? No, the Holy Spirit is God. Just as the Father is God. Just as our precious Lord Jesus is God. He feels pain when we feel pain. He feels sadness when we feel sadness. He mourns when we mourn. God knows every part of our lives and loves us enough to join in them. Why oh why do we not treat the Holy Spirit like he’s there? It is my prayer that you would read this and draw closer to him. He is so worthy and lovely.

 “In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groaning. And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

Jingle Spells: Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

      Ho Ho Ho Merry “Day of the infant god of light”? Yup, December 25th was once celebrated as a pagan holiday. Many customs, cultures and festivities were observed in honor of the birth of their god and we all have “that” Christian friend who is all to eager to point this out. They may even try and use scripture to point out how wrong we are for celebrating Christmas. Here's one you might here them say. "I can't believe any real christian celebrates christmas. It's a pagan holiday. It says in Jeremiah 10:3-4 'For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.' Christmas trees are pagan!" Usually they'll leave out Jeremiah 10:5 which says "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak;" The context here is not a modern day Christmas tree. The context is worship of idols. By their blithe indifference to the essence of the scripture they do it a great disservice.

         So then here’s the question. Should Christians celebrate Christmas knowing it was a originally a pagan holiday? The early church saw people pagans celebrate December 25^th in honor of their god and decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus as a rival to the pagan rituals.(I think we know which won out in the long run) I think it’s a wonderful idea to keep that tradition. There have been many pagan temples as well as pagans themselves that have been converted and sanctified to Christian service. A date set aside for celebration of the savior’s birth should be no different.

         If you think about it though it honestly doesn’t matter if we celebrate on December 25^th or not. For some people it's no big deal but to others it's necessary to their faith that they don't celebrate. Here's an argument Paul made that's similar about food sacrificed to idols. 

         “ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols; We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one.’ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone posses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do eat, and no better if we do.”

1 Corinthians 8:4-8

      Again, I know the context is food sacrificed to idols but I think the same logic applies to days sacrificed to idols. But, just incase you're not convinced here's another one to think about.

"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.

Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:5-8

     Paul finishes up this point in Romans beautifully by saying "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat." and "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another."(Romans 14:10,13) 
      Now there's the real point. Let's stop judging one another and have unity that whether its December 25th or not the point is that Jesus is lord and the gift of salvation is worth more than gold. We should be spending time giving grace, mercy and love because that's what the Christmas gift is really about. I also believe it's time we actually are one as jesus wanted us to be one.
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one" John 17:20-22
By the way MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Trick or Transgression: Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

            Halloween is a very sensitive subject for Christians. Some feel it to be a day celebrating evil and/or satan. Others believe it to be a day of silliness and pretend. Although I happen to be in the latter group I can definitely see the other side's point of view. I want something to be perfectly clear before I go any further. Worship of satan, demons and/or evil is wrong and no Christian should ever partake in such activities.

            Clearly if you research the history of October 31^st you’ll find a history of evil and pagan activity, but what does Halloween mean today? Are there some people who worship satan on this day? Absolutely. Lets not kid ourselves though and believe this to be specific to one day. Satanism and paganism are a part of modern day as they were in Jesus’ day. If you want a crystal clear biblical understanding on this issue I suggest you read 1Corinthians 10:14-31.

            I’ve heard people say Halloween “Is the Devil’s day” or a “Pagan day that belongs to darkness and evil.” Well I couldn’t disagree more with those thoughts. First, I am a little offended for anyone to say that a day my King signs his name to is a day of evil/darkness or the devil’s day. My God is the creator of all things, days and nights. God is always in control and every day is His. Second, have people used October 31^st as a day to worship evil or do horrendous things? Yes. How is that different from any other day?

            I think the problem is that in some Christian’s minds October 31 is a day designated as a day of evil just like December 25 is designated as a day of giving (in remembrance of the precious gift given to man). You might be shocked to know this, but December 25 was once a pagan holiday celebrating the birth of a pagan god. The early church decided they would not let any false god overshadow their God. So, the early church started to celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day as a rival. Almost to say my God is greater AND He is. Maybe it's time we start letting it be known that in the midst of all the costumes, ghouls, and goblins OUR God is greater.

            So is it okay to celebrate Halloween? I’ll answer that question with a question. What Christian do you know that “celebrates” Halloween? Of course we shouldn’t “celebrate” Halloween. That’s just silly. I think one of the problems is that people confuse the words celebrate and participate. We should absolutely participate and expose the grace and love of God to a world that has not heard or is imprudent. As a Christian I participate so that when asked “Aren’t you a Christian? Why do you celebrate Halloween?” I can give an answer for the hope that I have, 1 Peter 3:15. In my opinion Halloween is silly and pretend. My God is very real and can use anyone and anything to reach a people in need of a savior.

            This is a day when people come knocking on your door. We can and should use this as an opportunity to let the light of God shine through us even if it’s for a moment OR we can turn our lights off. What if there is an unbeliever who wants to trust in God but a Christian’s life seems so boring. If they knock on your door and full of joy you give them a kitkat and say “God bless you have a great night,” it might plant the seed God was waiting for. Is that a pretty far fetched scenario? Well, what’s your story? I met someone who was a Christian, the coolest Christian I ever met, and it changed my view of God’s people. Here I am 6 years later loving the Lord and fighting for His cause.

            We have a huge opportunity to take a “holiday” meant for evil and use it for the glory of God. If you believe Halloween is a day full of evil, then make a change. Be the light in a dark night. Instead of being a house whose lights are off, let's be a house whose light truly shines. 

Mormons... what are they?

In the last couple of days there’s been a lot of talk about Mormons. In a recent article in USA Today Cindy Packard, an LDS Church spokeswoman said about the “I am Mormon” campaign “These are real people. There are no scripts, no fake stories, no wardrobes, just real people talking about their lives.” So what do they believe then? Mormons claim to believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior so are they Christians or are they a cult? What do Mormons really believe?

            If you have ever spoken with a Mormon then you know they believe in Jesus. What you may not know is that the Jesus they believe in is not the Jesus of the bible. In fact, Mormons believe Jesus to be the “spirit brother” of Satan. Of course they try to resolve the issue by saying “If we are all God’s children, then we are siblings to every child of God. It no more demeans Jesus to be Satan’s spirit brother than it does for any of us to be related to evil people who have lived here on the earth." a

            In addition to this, Mormons believe Jesus to have been created by God. This is in direct contrast to John’s description of Jesus as the self-existent creator of all things. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  John 1:3  So from all this we can gather that the Jesus Mormons put their faith in is far different from the Savior we trust in. “’I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.’” Isaiah 43:11 We do not simply believe in a man named Jesus. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

            Jesus, in the Mormon belief system, is not God but a god. We, according to Mormon teaching, can also become gods. “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:20b This again is in stark contrast to the teaching of the bible. “’You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.’” Isaiah 43:10

            So, are Mormons Christians? Well, a Christian is someone who is not just a follower of Jesus Christ, but the real Jesus Christ. It is of immense importance that we believe the true gospel and not “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. Scripture is crystal clear on that. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Galations 1:8

            Are Mormons a cult? Well, I guess that depends on what definition of the word cult you go by. That is definitely something that can be debated. However, the nature and authenticity of God cannot be. “Virtually every heresy begins with the misconception of the nature of God.” ~ Hank Hanegraaff

a: mormonchurch.com b: Doctrine and Covenants is "Revelation" given to Joseph Smith

What is truth?

"What is truth?" Pontius Pilate
         This question has been asked and stated in many ways. What is truth? Can we even know truth? There is no absolute truth.That last one is my favorite. It is an absolute statement denying the validity of its own accusation.  It is a popular one though. So, is there absolute truth?
         The simple answer is yes. The word absolute means: Free from imperfection; complete; perfect. The word Truth means: the true or actual state of a matter; conformity with fact or reality. So by definition there is absolute truth. If you read this blog completely then you have completely read it. If you never read it then you have not read it. That is absolutely true.
         People who claim they believe there is no truth are being dishonest. They live their whole life depending on truth and yet want to deny its validity. If there was no truth then nothing could be proven.  Our whole legal and financial system would collapse. No one lives as if they believed there is no truth. So to say you believe there is no truth is not just a problem of self contradiction. It's a problem of logical dishonesty.
         Some say there is truth. However, it is relative to culture or individuals and is not unequivocal. This again is fallacious. It is dishonest for any person to claim they actually believe this. If anyone was to claim they truly believed this they would then, if being consistent to their belief, think that the murder of an infant child is not always wrong. After all, if truth is relative then that which is wrong for you is not necessarily wrong for someone else. Again, No one lives their life as if they truly believed this.
         Pontius Pilate asked the very question “What is truth?”. The truth of the matter is not that he didn't find his answer because his answer found him. In John 18:38 Pilate asks Jesus this question and it doesn’t matter if you have the King James version, NIV, Message or the Amplified Bible in all versions one thing rings true. Pilate met his answer but did not receive him. Not only was Pilate asking “what is truth?” but he was asking the one who is the personification of truth itself. He stood face to face with the creator of the universe, the one who gives truth its validity and he chose not to receive it. 
        What is truth? To ask this question is to ask what is God? To say there is no absolute truth is to say there is no God. I know those are some huge accusations but I don’t make them lightly or without substance. It is very clear from reading scripture that Jesus came in truth, for truth and is in fact the truth. "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6 My prayer is that we would not miss it. Because if you miss the answer you're really missing the person. #ThinkAboutIt
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matthew 24:35

Born this way?

There is a lot of discussion today about homosexuals being born gay. What does the bible say about that? Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 speak clearly that engaging in homosexual acts is a sin. The question at hand though isn't whether it's a sin or not, it's "Are people born gay?".
To say that it's "not natural" is a reason people can not be born this way is false. Blindness is not natural and yet people are born blind. I think to fully comprehend how God sees it we have to stand back and see what sin is to Him. Sin is an action. Sin is not a feeling, attraction or emotion, but an action(James 1:15). The bible never says "do not be attracted to your neighbors wife" it says "do not covet". A man being attracted to another man is no more a sin than said man being attracted to a woman. It's about the action. I fully understand how completely radical that statement is but it's wholly logical from a biblical perspective.
With that being said I think it's pretty clear, from a biblical world view, you can not be born gay. This would mean you are born in a homosexual act. That's not logical in any world view. That is if we are to understand that homosexuality is an act not an emotion.
Some people might argue that it IS the emotion and attraction. I can understand that theory, however, if we are being completely consistent that would mean an adult who has ever been attracted to someone younger than 18 is by that definition a pedophile. That changes things quite dramatically doesn't it? Especially for all those women who watched the Twilight movies and were attracted to the actors...
So where do we go from here? THAT is the question whose answer has REAL substance.
How did Jesus treat the woman at the well? How did he treat the tax collector? How does he treat us? It's really easy to see the "big sin" in other people's lives, but what about those "struggles" in ours? Once we've accepted Christ do we all the sudden stop sinning? Do we "go and sin no more"? We should, but do we? I think the answer to "where do we go from here?" starts with us collectively as The church putting our stones down. In other words stop pointing our fingers at people and screaming "SINNER" cause if we look at our hand there's 3 fingers pointed right back at us.
So, are they "born this way? No, but it shouldn't matter. If we want to be "Christ like", and I mean as radical as Jesus, then we have to not let what we know about people affect the way we treat them. Jesus doesn't and we shouldn't.
#ThinkAboutIt

Is the "ban on school prayer" a bad thing?

            In 1962 the “Supreme” Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require students to recite a standard prayer. This ruling to most people is known as the “BAN ON SCHOOL PRAYER!!”  People believe if you have no prayer in schools you have no God in schools. They also believe this is the reason for the rapid decline of morals in America.

            There is no ban on prayer in school. To say that anyone can ban prayer in school is to say they can prevent our interaction with God himself. 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us there is only one mediator between God and man and his name is Jesus. Romans 8:38-39 tells us that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. No one can keep us from prayer anywhere, anytime and for any reason. Prayer is more than just the utterance of systematic words that are more monotonous than inspired. Prayer is the beautiful act of worship, faith and fellowship between man and God.

            I think its important for us to understand that the kind of prayer that goes on in schools now is the kind of prayer God wanted all along. Think about it. The only people praying in school today are people who want to pray. They are people who want to connect with God. Not just because they are told to but instead because they recognize their need for him anywhere, everywhere and at all times.

            No one can keep God out of schools either. He is, after all, omnipresent. Psalm 139:7 “Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Matthew 28:20 Says he is “With you always”. I don’t care how many “supreme” court rulings we have saying God is not allowed somewhere. He is THE Supreme Sovereign whose power is not dependent on man.

            As far as our moral decline is concerned the problem is with the lack prayer at home. We need to teach our family to pray. Not how to pray, because Jesus already did that, but TO pray. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2Chronicles 7:14

            In the end I think the “Ban on prayer in school” has the same effect on our world that everything else does. It serves as an example of how God works out all things for his glory. As always I sincerely encourage everyone to look at the facts. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. There is no power or authority greater than Him.

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday & Sad Saturday?

I've always wondered what the disciples did on the day between Jesus' crucifixion and his resurrection. I would like to believe they were still preaching the gospel, healing the sick and telling people about the resurrection of Jesus that was to come.

The scriptures don't really tell us what happened but I suspect that's because they did nothing. They probably sat around, cried and wondered what they would do now. Maybe some were consoling Mary. Maybe some were burying Judas. We don't really know what they did.

We do know that the next day our Savior was resurrected. We know Jesus showed the whole world (again) that he has all power and dominion, even over death! We know the next day must have been the most amazing day of their lives.

Here's what I know. I know there have been times in my life where I sat around, cried and wondered what I would do. I know I have had moments where I had to bury things I thought were legit and good but turned out to be self serving. I know I've had times where I wasn't sure of God's plan.

There is, however, good news! God's plan is not dependant on, controlled by or based on our faith, hope or our will. Some people will say if you don't have faith for something God won't move in it. I say its not about the size of your faith in God but about the size of God in your faith. 

The fact of the matter is that God has a perfect plan and purpose for you. It doesn't matter if you doubt or worry because God doesn't doubt or worry. He can do what he wants when he wants and thank goodness he wants to use you in an amazingly powerful way.

In times of worry, in times of concern and in times of doubt we must all remember this truth. The one who died for us didn't stop there. He came back. He is risen. Glory and honor be his forever amen.

When you know where you stand do you know where you sit?

Mark 4:35-41 Tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. Something really stuck out to me when reading it recently. Its so easy to gloss over these little nuggets of awesome. Every once and a while you catch them though. I think this story gives an example of the kinds of Christians that make up the church.
One type is "The crowd". These people go to church, hear a message and sing their hallelujahs and then go home. Sure they look authentic enough. They definatly play the part well. In the end, however, they're just "Happy Plastic People" as Casting Crowns would say. The sad thing about them is that even though they see Jesus and hear him they get left behind. Jesus has places to go and things to do. Its up to you to follow OR be part of the crowd.
The second type are the "other boat" followers. These follow Jesus to the places he's going and do the things he wants them to do which is awesome. But, they are at a distance from God. Maybe they withhold their true thoughts, feelings and fears or maybe they just don't trust Jesus with everything. God not only knows your desires but the intentions of every thought. Which scares the flip out of me. Maybe that's why I'm not where I want to be yet. Maybe I need to realize God doesn't just love the exterior me. God loves the messed up and broken deep dark secret me. Not because of what I do or who I am but simply because he loves me.
The final group are the people who are on Jesus' boat. Do they have a perfect and peaceful existence? Uh... no! They are the first to see the storm. They are the ones who freaked out woke up Jesus and said "Help us lord we're gonna die!!" Or something like that. What I think is best about this group is they actually see the miracle. In this case its him calming the storm. They also get to interact with him. They call and he answers. The people on the other boat got the blessing of a calmed storm too but they didn't get the privilege of SEEING Jesus stand up and tell the winds to shut their face because his children have somewhere to go and something to do. According to his will, through his authority and for his glory amen!
Now all three know Jesus as their savior but only the ones on his boat will SEE power, glory and grace personified. What you have to ask yourself is which are you and which do you wish to be. #ThinkAboutIt