A House Divided

Jun1

Question:  How important is having unity in the Christian community?

Answer:  Unity can be very important as long as you’re united for the right reasons.

Jesus says in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (NKJV)  This teaching can be applied in a variety of situations from whole communities to churches, families, and even marriages.  Combine this knowledge with what is revealed about Satan, the thief in John 10:10,  “The thief does not come except to steal. and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may it more abundantly.”  Satan knows that one of the most effective ways of destroying something is attacking it from the inside out.  Therefore, an important goal for every group is to stay united in living your lives to please Jesus.  God, through the teachings of His Holy Word, should be the referee and final decision maker in settling disagreements and divisions whenever they arise.

How many times over the years have you heard of church congregations splitting apart when some members disagree with their new pastor?  As a result, hurt feelings and bitterness can last for years.  Obviously, if the church leaders are teaching that the Bible is not true or saying that Jesus is not our only way into Heaven, they are wrong.  You should leave such a church and find one that teaches that the Bible is, indeed, true.  Otherwise, when your Bible-believing, Bible teaching church is having some disagreements within the congregation, pray for God’s Holy Spirit to bring unity to that body of believers.  You will have trouble taking the Gospel out to the world and making new disciples, as Jesus commanded in Matthew chapter 28, if the current disciples are spending most of their time fighting with each other!  As a church, repent of your sins and forgive each other.  Then, your church can be united in showing God’s love in a variety of ways to the local communities and beyond. 

Also, be aware that if Satan will try to destroy the unity of a church congregation by attacking from within, he will also try to destroy a marriage or a family the same way.  Far too often, we hear of marriages and families breaking apart as a result of various disagreements, or sinful temptations such as adultery, pornography, greed, and deceit.  Seeing how often this happens, we need to be better prepared spiritually.  Dedicate your marriage, family, and yourself to the Lord.  Pray for God’s Holy Spirit to protect you, your spouse, and your family from the temptations of Satan.  Pray for you all to be united in believing in and living by His Word.

Remember that God has provided us with the Bible as a manual for living life His way.  So, study His Word, the Holy Bible, and follow its teachings to help keep you from being in a house divided by Satan.  Instead, you will be in a house united by Jesus!

Beware! You’re being watched!

May5

Question:  How do I get over my resentment of church people after witnessing hypocritical behavior by some of them?

Answer:  Unfortunately, many people have blamed the entire church body for bad behavior they’ve seen or experienced from some in the church. Some have even used this reason to explain why they don’t want to attend church. But they need to know that like everybody else, when members of the church do wrong or treat people wrong, they sin against God.  And, like everyone else, they will answer to God for their actions if they don’t ask forgiveness for and repent of their sins. Those Believers who have truly grown in their relationship with God already know this.

But you need to understand that your own relationship with God should not be based on the actions of humans.  Your relationship with God must be based on your acceptance of the actions of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ!  Jesus is the only one God sent to die on the cross and take the punishment we deserved for our sins.  We can be thankful for His sacrificial death and resurrection.  Only by accepting Jesus as our Savior, asking Him to forgive our sins and repenting from our sins, are we saved from eternal damnation. Then, we can look forward to going to heaven.  And we make the first steps needed to develop godly feelings towards other people.

Because God’s Holy Spirit will then be guiding you and helping you to have the correct feelings towards others — whether they are doing the right things or doing the wrong things.  You’ll learn to hate the sins and not the sinner.  You’ll learn that you are to pray for people who are doing wrong instead of resenting them.  Pray that they repent and do right.  Love them because God loves them and wants them to live their lives for Him.

How many ways to Heaven? Jesus says, just one!

Apr1

Question:  Are there many different ways to Heaven?

Answer:  No.  Jesus says there is just one way to Heaven and that’s through Him!  In John 14:6,  it reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” (NKJV) Believers know that Jesus does not lie.  Therefore, we can be assured that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus, as our Lord and Savior!  Jesus does not say that there is any other way.  In fact, many other scriptures in the Holy Bible confirm this.  For example, in Acts 4:12, the Apostle Peter says of Jesus, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  John the Baptist says in John 3:36,  “He who believes in the Son (Jesus) has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Also, in 1 John 5:10-13, the Bible gives another summary on the only way to God in Heaven.  It says, “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.  And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

These scriptures are the words of God.  Believers know that they are true.  Sadly, even some Christians will try to deny God’s Word.  They do not want to admit to others that not every person will go to Heaven even if they are doing so-called “good deeds” or saying they believe in some type of  “god.”   This “One way to God” teaching sounds mean, divisive, and unfair to them.  What these people forget is that God is a loving God.  Remember that John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God’s offer of salvation is given to all people groups.

God wants us to realize that we are all sinners in need of a Savior.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to take the punishment for our sins — although Jesus remained sinless.  He wants us to ask His forgiveness for our sins and repent.   He wants us to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and be saved.  However, He has also given us free-will.  It’s up to each able-minded individual to decide to accept or reject Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior.   Those who harden their own hearts and refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior have condemned themselves to eternal separation from a holy God.  In other words, they choose Hell over Heaven!  Still, they are making this choice for themselves.

Believers must continue to pray for all those who reject Jesus Christ and the teachings of God’s Holy Word, and who believe that there are multiple ways to Heaven.  Pray that they realize that God’s words are true.  Pray that they accept that when Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me,” He meant it!  He IS the one and only way!

(Reposted from my January 24, 2014 Blog)

Stop Playing the Blame Game!

Mar3

Question:  How do I get my child to stop blaming others for his bad behavior and take responsibility for his actions?

Answer:  Many times, children first learn how to avoid taking responsibility for their actions from their parents.  For example, they may hear their parents blaming the rainy weather as being the reason they couldn’t get to church that Sunday.  However, the children see these same parents going to their jobs, driving to shop at the mall, or getting to their favorite game at the local sports arena all during rainy weather.   Plus, through the media, children can see popular television stars, musicians, politicians, and athletes  regularly blaming others when they are caught doing the wrong thing  or getting into legal trouble.  These famous figures fail to take personal responsibility for their actions.  Sometimes, after behaving this way, they become even more popular.  What lessons do you expect children to learn from witnessing these adults playing the blame game?

As Christians, we should care about the words we say to others.  Proverbs 8:8 says that all the words of our mouths are to be with righteousness…  With nothing crooked or perverse in them.  Exodus 20:16 says that we should not bear false witness.  In other words, we should not lie.  Blaming other things for our bad behavior when we know in our hearts it’s really our own fault is wrong.  We are not being truthful.  We are telling a lie.

Therefore, teach your children that it is a sin to lie.  Let them know that in your household, you will strive to do what is pleasing to God.  We do not please God when we do what His Holy Word says is sin.  Teach your children that we are to pray to the Lord for forgiveness of all of our sins…including when we sin by playing the blame game.  God hears our prayers, and He will forgive us our sins. Be their best role-model by accepting responsiblity for your actions!

Does love really mean not calling sin…sin?

Feb2

Question: Shouldn’t Christians just show love to others and stop trying to shame them about their sins?

Answer:  That depends on what you mean by “showing love.”  Consider this:  a good and loving parent teaches their child right from wrong and lets that child know that doing wrong (sinning) will lead to negative consequences.  For example, the loving parent will teach their child not to play with matches. They will tell him what could happen if he started a fire that caused himself or others to be seriously burned.  The parent would let the child know that his disobedience could even lead to the entire house burning to the ground.  If that child still goes and plays with the matches, the parent will tell the child, again, why this was wrong and punish the child to discourage him from doing it again.  Likely, that child will feel ashamed when being called out for doing wrong.

But, better that parent tell that child what he was doing was wrong than keeping the child ignorant of the dangers of his actions… actions that could possibly lead to catastrophic results!  That parent telling the child his behavior was wrong was actually showing love to that child. For it would not be very loving to let that child remain unaware of his dangerous behavior and the potentially deadly consequences.

Likewise, God wants Believers to tell  the world His Gospel. In fact, Jesus left us with the Great Commission to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” ( Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)  Of utmost importance in what His Holy Word teaches is the deadly consequences of our sin.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Since Romans 3:23 says that we “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” we all need our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Therefore,  it would not be very loving to keep people ignorant of the dangers of their sinful behavior.  Letting people know what sin is and the consequences of their sin is actually a loving thing to do. Just always let them know in ways that are compassionate and caring – remembering that we were all lost in sin until we accepted Jesus as our Savior.  Thank God for His saving grace!

Do you really know what you believe?

Jan4

Question:  Why do so many Christians have trouble explaining how the Bible relates to today’s social issues?

Answer:  Simply put, many Christians are not regularly studying God’s Word.  In 2nd Timothy 2:15, the Bible says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (KJV)   When we stay in God’s word and pray for Him to give us understanding as we study, we can trust God to make His truth known to us.  In fact, by continuing on in 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, the Word says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  (NKJV)  Therefore, it’s vital that Christians study God’s word in order to know what they believe and be able to explain their beliefs to others.

Another problem many Christians face is that in our society today, Christians listen to people in the media as well as in their communities tell them what they had better think about various issues.  If the Christian dares to stand up for an opposing view, they may face ridicule, be called a “hater,” or even lose their job.  For example, a politician who says he is “pro-life” might be falsely accused of being against women’s rights.  A student who writes a term paper about how this country was founded on Christian principles might be falsely accused of not embracing religious diversity. Or, a different student might be falsely accused of not loving this country because they write about how the country was not always following Christian principles: for example having years of legalizing the sins of slavery and racial segregation.

Many Christians would rather say little, speak in vague terms, or remain quiet in order to be accepted by the group.  Sometimes, these Christians start to try to rationalize that it is okay to embrace the anti-Bible beliefs of the popular culture so that they can appear tolerant of all beliefs.  As a result, when this Christian tries to explain their beliefs, their explanation might sound confusing.  In fact, you can’t embrace both God’s teachings and Satan’s without being confused.  We are only to embrace the teachings in God’s Word — while always showing God’s love to others!

The bottom line is that as Christians, we need to be sure that we really know what we believe.  Therefore, we must study God’s word to know how He wants us to live our lives.  Make time, regularly to read the Bible at home and participate in good Bible studies under godly pastors and teachers.  Pray that you get the correct understanding from your studies.  As a result, you should be much better equipped to explain your Christian beliefs and stands on various issues to others.

Don’t have a Jesus-free Christmas!

Nov29

Question:  In the hustle and bustle of the season, how can I make sure I’m keeping Christ in Christmas?

Answer:  Even dedicated Christians can sometimes find themselves consumed with every tradition of the holiday season except what’s most important.  They can forget that Jesus really is the reason for the season!  Christians know that this is the time of the year we choose to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should make the time and make the effort to keep Christ in our Christmas!  But, if we know this, then why don’t we do it?

Unfortunately, some Christians can get as consumed with creating the picture-perfect Christmas experience as the world does. They fill themselves with anxiety trying to get the best super sales on the most popular gifts.  Adults get worked up over seeing their peers gifting themselves with the latest “must-have” gadgets and new technology.  They wear themselves out trying to keep up with the trends of the crowd. They forget to  pause, reflect, and be thankful for the greatest gift – Jesus Christ.

Likewise, many Christian families find themselves in turmoil during this season.  Married couples fight over which in-laws they are going to spend Christmas Day with.  Parents argue over how much money they are going to spend to make sure their children have this year’s hottest toys. They fill the family calendar with so many seasonal activities that they find themselves exhausted.  Yet, they fail to make time for the most important things – reading, meditating on, and discussing God’s Word.

Most importantly, during this season of spending extra time with family and friends, too many Christians fail to include in their discussions talk of their walk with the Lord.  They tend not to share with their family and friends how God has brought them faithfully through this year.  They are willing to talk about everything else but Jesus.  It doesn’t have to be this way.

Don’t have a Jesus-free Christmas!  See that you and your family are keeping Christ in Christmas. There are many ways you can do this.  For example, plan to take your family to a church Christmas program that tells the story of Christ’s birth.  While decorating the tree, play or sing Christmas hymns that give praise to our Lord.  Make sure to share with your family and friends how God has blessed you this year.  And, always make sure your family knows the story of the birth of our Savior.  Luke 2: 1-20 spells out in detail how Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  This Bible passage may be one you’d even want to read aloud together.  Listen to a reading of this account by clicking here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCKpwaRxIww&feature=youtube_gdata .

And, have a very Merry CHRISTmas!

Being thankful for Not getting what you wanted!

Nov10

Question:  Should we give thanks for unanswered prayers?

Answer:  Yes! Give thanks to God because He always answers our prayers.  Remember, His answer may be yes, no, or not yet, but He always answers.  We are reminded of this in 1 John 5:14-15, ” Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (NKJV)  Note that what we pray for must still go along with God’s will for our lives.  God’s will and our desires may not match.  That said, God very much wants us to continue to pray to Him for the things we feel we want or need.  We usually enthusiastically give God thanks when He answers our prayers with a “yes.”  Of course, when we do this, we are doing the right thing.  However, it’s very important to remind ourselves to give thanks even when God’s answer is “no.”  Believers know that while we may think we know what is best for us, God truly knows what’s best for us in every situation of our lives.  We must also know that our ways are not necessarily His ways, and our preferred timing for things to happen, is not always His timing for things to happen.

Here are two examples of God knowing what’s best for us better than we do.  Consider the twenty-something young lady who has a strong  desire to get married and even has her eyes set on the exact young man she considers her perfect match.  He’s handsome, successful in his career, and regularly attends church.  She prays to God to bless her to get married to this fine young man.  After the two have dated for a while, the young man seems to lose interest in her and goes off to eventually marry someone else.  Our young lady is crushed, and she doesn’t understand why God didn’t answer her prayer with a “yes.”   Twenty years later, we find our young lady happily married to a wonderful man she first met in her thirties.  She is surprised to learn that the young man she prayed to marry decades earlier is now on his third divorce.  According to his ex-wives, he had been a terrible husband.  Our lady is now very happy God answered “no” to her earlier prayer.

A different example:   a middle-aged man prays to God to get a new career position that he thinks is just right for him.  He’d be working for a great company and making a much larger salary than he’s making in his current position — something especially important as he starts to get closer to retirement age.   However, this man watches in disbelief as someone else gets that prized position.  He can’t understand what he had done so wrong that God would not reward him with the job of his heart’s desire.  Later, it turns out the person taking his dream job lasts less than a year.  The company down-sized and that position got eliminated.  That person is now unemployed.  Our middle-aged man is happy he still has his job.  He’s also very happy that God answered his earlier prayer with a “no.”

If we are being really honest with ourselves,  most of us can probably recall times in our lives when we were very upset when God said “no” to us.  Likewise, as in these two examples, we can look back at one or more of these “no’s” and be thankful.  We now shudder at the thought of how things would be if God’s answer had been “yes.”  As believers, we know that we will never understand in this lifetime, why God answers us in the ways He does.  Also, God knows, understands, and cares when we are hurt and disappointed when He doesn’t answer all of our prayers with a “yes.”  He wants us to trust that He knows what is best and take comfort in this knowledge.  We must pray to have stronger faith and trust in God.  Then, we will be spiritually equipped for those times when we need to be thankful for NOT getting what we wanted!

Be careful who you listen to for the truth!

Oct18

Question:  One of my college religion professors told us that we should not interpret the Bible as being literally given by God. Is he right?

Answer:  No. Your professor is wrong! That’s another reason why we should read God’s  Holy Word for ourselves, so we can learn the truth. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (NKJV)

Therefore, your professor can be added to a list of people you must be careful of, when you listen to them, if you are a Believer.  The Apostle John warns Christians not to believe everything they are told about matters pertaining to their faith. For there will be many claiming they are speaking moral truths, but in reality, they are lying!  (Read 1 John 4:1-6)  If they are telling you things that agree with what the Bible says, they are speaking the truth.  But if they say other things that go against what the Bible says, they are not speaking God’s truth.

Sadly, instead of using this standard as their moral guide, too many people tend to blindly believe people simply based on the person’s likeability or popularity.  That’s why you can find even Believers turning their back on God’s teachings to support the sinful teachings of their favorite celebrities and politicians. These famous people may be intelligent, beautiful, talented, and rich.  So people admire and want to support them.  And, in the case of the politicians, people may like the promises they make to them and just ignore it when those same politicians are clearly supporting sin.  Jesus warns us about these “false teachers.”  (See Matthew 7:15-19)  Don’t be fooled into listening to their sinful teachings.

The Bible also tells us that people may prefer to listen to those who simply tell them what they want to hear.  For example, 2 Timothy 4: 3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  In other words, they don’t want to listen to God.

So, Believers, be careful who you listen to for the truth. Know whether or not you are hearing the truth according to God’s Holy Word. Study the Bible for yourself and pray that God’s Holy Spirit will help you discern the difference between when you are hearing the truth and when you are hearing a lie.

Only follow God’s truth!

Are your conversations pleasing to God?

Sep13

Question: Why do some Believers speak to people in ways that would not please God?

Answer: Some Believers don’t realize that all their conversations are important to God! Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NKJV) If you are speaking rudely to people, cursing, or telling lies about others, are you being “salt and light” for the Lord? No!

As you study God’s word, you’ll find many other scriptures where Believers can learn about the importance of our words. For example, Proverbs 15:4 says, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul tells the people to, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:6)

Christians must remember that when we treat people harshly with our words — spoken or written — we reflect a bad example of God’s love to others. After people witness such evil language from us, how then can we expect to come back and try to tell them about the love of Jesus Christ? How do we also witness to them, as we are supposed to do, about their need to be saved from their sins? Since they aren’t witnessing that type love from us, they may rightly see us as hypocrites!

Also, Believers need to remember that people — especially our young people — are watching them and listening to them even though they might not admit it. What are they to think if they witness a Christian always speaking angrily or negatively? They are certainly not seeing this as you reflecting the joy of the Lord!

Obviously, we aren’t always going to be happy about every situation we have to deal with. There will be times when we are going to be upset and disappointed. But even during these difficult times, we must remember to pray. Pray for God to give us the patience, wisdom, peace, and guidance we need so that our conversations continue to reflect our faith and hope in the Lord.

Again, it helps for Believers to reflect on God’s Holy Word. For example, Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Also, in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he tells them: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification (building up), that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)

So, Believers, remember that God cares about all of our conversations! Make sure as we communicate with others, we speak as if Jesus Christ is right beside us listening…because He is!