The Boredom Epidemic

Photo credit: Sheknows.com

"What is there to live for?" "I don't have anything." "My life is empty." These are words too often said today. It seems as though each year, more and more people suffer from depression to the point that most people I encounter at work are on some form of psychiatric medication. What happened? Why have we gone into an age of depression and psychiatric problems? I believe there are more than one factor to all of this, but with the upcoming generation, I am starting to see a pattern.

We live in a world of "me". Why didn't people hardly suffer with depression, even a hundred years ago? In our schools, kids are coddled and told they can do anything and be anything. They are taught that they are something special. Self-esteem is the center of persons well-being and if your self-esteem isn't high, something must be wrong. Someone is given a trophy for participation, but when he gets fired from work for not doing their job, it must be the boss's or company's fault. We are raising a generation of entitled snowflakes who are taught that they can have anything and that the world owes them something, when in fact, the opposite is the truth. 

Another factor I see in the pandemic of depression is over-stimulation. With TV, video games, sports, instant gratification, and pressure for teenagers (and even preteens) to experience it all while in school, they are bored by time graduation comes. With our youth group, it seems that the kids are pressured to be involved in everything at school, even on Sundays. And "college is the best years of your life, live it up." By time these people reach 20, they have lived the life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. All of the pleasures of this life, they try to cram in their short time as a teenager as if there is no life after high school. Then when they reach adulthood, boredom sets in. What else is there to look forward to? Why look forward to sex when married when you can have it now and experience sexual exposure by simply watching commercials on TV. 

With a generation of bored, coddled snowflakes, it's no wonder things like depression, anxiety, and ADHD are rampant. As Christians, we have everything to look forward to. We know we have a home in Heaven and rewards for the work we do here. We should never be bored with the amount of work God has for us. We should never grow weary with a satisfying relationship with God. We are told throughout the Bible how much we are loved by God, even to death on the cross. But we should not let that lead us to believing God will give us everything or an easy, stress-free life. God promises us joy and peace when we are content in him and follow in his will, but he does not promise that we will always feel good about ourselves or that he will always be vocal in our lives. That is when we need to wait on the Lord, pray, and trust in him. God will give us peace and satisfaction when we look to him. God has blessed each of us, we just need to look to him and what he has given us. 

Setting the Standard

Comparatively, I have not worked all that many different jobs. I currently work as a paramedic on a county ambulance service as well as an investigator for the medical examiner. Prior to that, I was a greenskeeper for a golf course. Before that, I was in sales and marketing and before that I was a full time stay at home son. But what I have found that each have in common are some form of standard. Whether it is a dress code, a code of conduct, a protocol for treatments for ailments, and so on. As I think more on it, we all have some form of standard that we live up to. Unfortunately though, too many Christians do not follow spiritual standards.

Standards in our spiritual lives have multiple purposes. They set us apart from the non-Christians. If we don't really follow moral standards, how are we any different in our conduct than someone who is not a Christian? In addition, standards bring us to be more like Christ. Romans 12:2 says "..be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." There's a quote that I like that goes something like "you may be the only Bible someone will ever read". We should be that light and the testimony reflecting Christ.

A third purpose of living up and establishing biblical standards is for protection. In addition to the jobs I work, I am also a volunteer firefighter. In the fire service, we have a governing organization called the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). This agency essentially writes out all of the regulations for fire departments. They cover anything from tactics for scene size up and fire attack, to how we wear and upkeep our gear. We have a strict guideline to follow as to how we wear our gear, including grooming standards. Do they develop these guidelines just to try to control us? Of course not! The whole purpose of these regulations is to protect us and bystanders on a scene.

In addition to personal standards the NFPA sets, there are standards for conducting ourselves on scene. On fire scenes, we set a boundary around the scene. It may not always be a physical barrier, but there is a line we don't allow bystanders to cross and the key is to place the barrier far enough away from the scene to protect the bystanders. We don't set the barriers right in the dangerous area, we set it far enough back so that, if someone does happen to cross it, they have that cushion to avoid injury or death. But somehow, we seem to think we don't need these barriers in our spiritual life. We inch our way closer and closer to sin, seeing how close we can get without falling in. But we should be setting standards for ourselves that set a barrier so that, if we cross that barrier, we don't fall into sin.

I want to revisit the standards for our fire department. Even though the NFPA set standards for us, they do not police us to make sure we follow them. Each department and individual has a choice of whether we follow them. One standard that we have is that if we wear an SCBA, we are not to have facial hair aside from a mustache. But there are many departments in my area that allow for full beards. My point is, these standards are designed to protect us, but we ultimately have the choice of whether we will follow them. We have a choice of whether we follow biblical standards and set personal standards for ourselves. But if we don't, we have only ourselves to blame when we fall into the fire.

Determining Your Faith

A few years ago, we had a Creationist come and speak to our youth group. He was quite insightful and I personally enjoyed listening to him. One of the things I remember that he had said was that the  majority of the young people who leave the church is because of a poor foundation in their faith. This had convicted me when it comes to our youth group and it became my personal mission to give them a good foundation to stand on. Since then, we have taken our youth a few times to the Creation Museum in Kentucky and the recent Ark Encounter as a means to hopefully bring them to a good understanding of Genesis as a foundation, in addition to taking them deep into the old testament.

I believe the young people in our youth group are beginning to have a stronger foundation. But I have come to another conclusion of why youth leave the church and that is because they do not adopt the Christian faith as their own. It is all too common for young people to grow up in a Christian home, read their Bible, go to church, and pray because that is what their family does. But when they leave home, is that belief system still standing or have they abandoned it, no longer under their parent's roof?

Since I was about twelve, I have been playing guitar. Mind you, I have not really learned to actually play until I was about 17 or 18. Throughout my learning and playing experience, I have had varying music genre tastes and in each genre, instrument preference changes. As I became a more experienced guitarist, it had become my dream to own a real Gibson Les Paul, and even more, with EMG active pickups. Well, within the last year, I had finally bought one and switched to the pickups I had so badly wanted and couldn't be happier with it.

I have shown a few people this guitar, some guitarist and some not. The guitarists naturally are interested in it while the non-guitarists think it's neat but don't really see the value in it. For both, they may see the price tag and know that it is monetarily valuable. They may recognise that it is an effective, pristine sounding instrument and know that it has value. But the difference between the value to them and the value to me is that this is my guitar that I own (not to mention being my dream guitar). I take exceptional care of my guitars, but my Gibson is the only one that I keep in the case, not placing it on a guitar stand. I handle it gently and when done playing, I polish the body, polish the chrome, clean and oil the strings, and clean the neck and fretboard to keep it in great condition.

This is a great guitar and it is one thing to own it and another thing to be able to play it. And what I have noticed is that this guitar is much like our faith. A Christian can see the value in their salvation and realise that they have a relationship and connection to God. But all too many people don't recognise the personal value it has to them. They may see the price tag of Jesus' death, they may see the amazing things God does, but they do not own it and use it to it's potential. My Gibson is a very effective guitar in itself, but is laid to waste if left in the case and not played. Someone who has accepted Christ, but placed their beliefs and faith in a case to not be used, it is wasted. If someone does not accept their faith as their own, but rather the religion of their parents, they may abandon their faith altogether.

We must make the decision to accept Christ and adopt the faith as our own. Not because that's what our parents do, not because it's what our pastor preaches, but because we realise the value of our relationship with our savior and the amazing things God can do through us. But we must decide to take our faith our of the case and make it our own. In the words of Joshua, "Chose you this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." He decided that he will serve God, making his beliefs his own. Joshua is the example we should follow and determine our faith.

The Spiritual Dojo

In today's culture, "growing" seems to be a hot topic. Whether it's in business, through self help books, or physically in a gym, the idea of growing seems to be on the rise. Unfortunately, too many Christians and churches don't have the same passion for growth. We want to be "better" Christians but don't know where to start or don't want to do what it takes. When I talk about growing, I don't mean larger church attendance or becoming busier for God. I am talking about personal growth.

I have many hobbies but one of my favorites is combat sports. I train in jiu jitsu, judo, MMA, and kickboxing. A lesson that is learned early on is that there are three elements to each to be successful: defense, offense, and endurance. It is essential to train hard and regularly to prepare for a fight. If the work isn't put in and steps aren't taken to improve, the fight will be lost or that belt won't be earned.

In martial arts, defense is so important. In fact, my jiu jitsu coach reminds us that it is a white belt's job to survive. There is an emphasis in defending against attacks. In boxing, we are taught first to keep our guard and defend against blows. Defense is extremely important, but in a fight or tournament, defense alone won't win the match; there must also be a good offense and attack. And in addition, neither will be possible if you are gassed in the first minute or two. There must be endurance to push through the match.

Our spiritual growth is much the same. We are to grow to be more like Christ, but in our growth, we need to learn to fight the devil. If we cannot defend against Satan's temptations, we will never become more like Christ. If we don't learn to attack Satan, he will continue to attack us forcefully. And if we don't have the endurance, Satan will continue to attack until we wear down and break. If you have ever been in a fight, you know that if you just stand there in defense, the attacker will continue to hit harder until he breaks you, but if you fight back on the offense, he realises that you know how to fight and that is exactly how we should grow. Second Peter, chapter one gives step by step, what it takes to grow and the first thing it mentions is that all the steps must be done in diligence. If we aren't persistent in our spiritual training and don't spend every day in the spiritual dojo, we won't grow to the capacity we need to fight Satan.

This all sounds good, but we still can't grow without the decision to grow. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says "when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." It takes a conscious decision to put away being a spiritual child and growing into a spiritual man. We ought to strive to grow more and more into mature Christians, ready to fight the evils the come to us.

The Reality of Death

Photo: American Psychology Association

In my profession as a paramedic and a county medical examiner investigator, I experience almost every week, the effects of death. I witness each individual's method of coping and mourning. I've seen some people calm and understanding, and I've seen others hysteric as if the world was ending and for them, it might possibly be. Working this type of profession brings a person to consider and think about death in a way that most people don't think. We see the inevitability of death, even in young people and yes, even infants.

I think the only time most people really think about death is in the event of a death of a loved one, or around this time of year: Halloween. It seems to me that when Halloween comes around, people fall into the mainstream Halloween theme of ghost, zombies, grave yards, and of course, death. But it appears that most people use death in Halloween as a cliche theme rather than a reality. Because of that, I feel that I should point people to the right belief about death.

In my profession, it is easy to say that death is a natural process and I hear this often. In some sense, that is true. It is only a part of the life cycle that we are accustomed to. The definition of "natural" is summed up as created by God. Even though death came into the world by God's allowance, it was not the original plan when God created to world. Genesis chapter one is the account of the creation by God and we see in verse 31 that "..God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very Good". When God first created the world, it was perfect without suffering or death. But in Genesis 3, we see how Satan went into the garden, deceived Eve, leading to Adam's disobedience resulting in sin entering the world, and with sin comes death as the punishment. So God allowed death into the world as a punishment for sin, but it was not the original, natural plan God had.

I want to point out 2 sides of death that we can observe and the first is in the perspective of the unsaved person. Because death is the penalty for sin, we are all born into the sentence of death*. For the person who refuses God's gift of salvation, death is terrifying. Lately, I have been studying the beliefs of other world religions and cults and it is amazing, the different beliefs of life after death. Whether it is reincarnation, becoming a trapped spirit, we don't exist in the first place, purgatory, or even no life after death, there is no hope in these religions for after death. Some religions, such as wicca, do not talk about life after death and avoid discussing it, leaving each person to their own belief. Some religions, such as Shinto, choose not to even address the afterlife in their religion. Other religions, such as Norse and Germanic mythology (which is coming back into belief by some), go the other way and believe in a triumphing afterlife, becoming a god.

In America, the prominent humanist belief seems to be no life after death. From a young age, children are taught that we evolve from single celled organisms and, by chance, form into a human with no personal God being involved in our existence. If we evolve by accident and have no purpose on this world other than to exist and have no personal God (or even God at all) to interact in our lives, then death means we just turn into compost in the ground. If there is no God, there cannot be a hopeful afterlife. It's no wonder some people see death as the worst tragedy. If your loved one dies and has no immortal soul, you will never see or interact with that person ever again.

The Bible tells us that there are 2 options for the afterlife. Hebrew 9:27 tells us "..it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgement". Once an unsaved person (has not accepted Christ) dies, the only thing to look forward to is God's judgement where all of his sins are displayed before him (Revelation 20:12-13). After the judgement, he is thrown into the lake of fire to eternal torment (Revelation 20:15). There is no purgatory (NEVER mentioned once in the Bible, or any concept of it), only judgement and hell. So from a Biblical perspective, death is worse that any other religion's belief about the afterlife and the reason is because there is a personal God that will judge us and hold us accountable for what we do here on Earth, which most people reject. If we are accountable for our actions, then we aren't at liberty to just participate in every sin we wish. That is why man-made religions do not have a belief that we are accountable to a god that will judge us.

The other side of death that we see is also the second option for the afterlife. In John 3:16, we are told "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." If we go a little further in John to 5:24, we see Jesus say, "verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believe on him who sent me [God], hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto light." For the Christian, we have hope in death. We know that upon death, we will see the face of Jesus and live with him for eternity.

As Christians, we need to have a right perspective about death. I do not discount the emotions tied to loss and mourning. Losing a loved one here on earth, not having the opportunity to interact with them anymore in this life, is sorrowful. But we also need to maintain the reality that we will see them again in Heaven, if they are saved. At a funeral for a Christian, we should be rejoicing that the deceased person is now in the presence of God with no more sorrow, no pain, no suffering, no sickness. How can we mad at God or be sorrowful that the deceased person is in the presence of God? We also need to use that time to remember the reason death exists. For me, each death I see is a constant reminder of the sinner that I am and need I have for a savior. But this is comforting as well, knowing that even though I am a sinner deserving of hell, God loves me enough to have died, taking our sins so that I can spend eternity with him.

I do not mean for this post to scare anyone, or maybe I do. If you are not a Christian, this should scare you. Read through Revelation and you will see the terrible things that will happen to non-Christians. Only doom follows death for the unbeliever and maybe this will open your eyes to your need for the savior. God is not an unloving God to allow someone to enter hell, but cannot allow sin to coexist with him in his presence, for he is a just God and will punish sin. He wishes for each person to repent and accept him. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise...; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". (2 Peter 3:0) For the Christian, I hope you are encouraged that there is hope after death that does not compare to anything we can have or experience here in this world. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).


*Some people ask if, since we are born into sin and as a sinner, does this mean when an infant dies, he will go to hell? My answer is "no". Jesus tells us that we are to accept him, repenting of our sins and turning to him. Infants and small children cannot yet understand this and upon death, God accepts them. We are shown in the Bible that Jesus has a special compassion toward children and will not condemn them to hell when they do not yet understand their sin and need for a savior because of their young age. 

The Dangers of Evolution

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  

Matthew 7:17-18

But there were false prophets also amoung the people, even as there shall be false teachers amoung you who privaly bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 Peter 2:1

Image: http://timewgod.tumblr.com/post/40768878943/a-battle-of-worldviews

I think one of the biggest lies that is fed to people in our country is the theory of evolution. I don't want to so much talk about the inconsistencies, flaws, and unbiblical basis of it, but rather, want to show how it has changed our country and what may come as a result. But to talk about those, I do have to explain some things about evolution.

I want to first point out that the theory of evolution is merely a "theory". When Charles Darwin wrote Origin of Species and Survival of the Fittest, he wrote it as a proposed theory, but did not claim it as fact and entertained the fact that it is flawed. He stated "Often a cold shudder has run through me and have asked myself whether I may have devoted myself to a fantasy". Since evolution is a theory, it cannot be disproved, but the evidences support creation over evolution, despite what is published. Creation is supported continually by what is found in the earth and we do not need to derive a theory as how something "might" have happened because it is consistent with special creation. When evolution observes the evidence, they have to develop a theory to explain it and oftentimes changes because the theory is flawed. Creationists and evolutionists have the same evidences to observe, but when the two have to explain the evidences, creationism is consistent. We have the same evidence to look at, but the question is what lens you are looking at through; Creation or evolution? This is our defining foundation to our beliefs. Whether you believe creation or evolution determines the rest of your beliefs. The major difference in these foundations is God's word vs. man's opinion.

Another issue with evolution is the lack of science. Scientists, and every other person who supports evolution, claim that evolution is scientific and that creationism does not follow science. However, it seems to be the opposite. To prove a scientific fact, the scientific process must be followed and when the hypothesis is not proven, a new hypothesis must be formed. With evolution, sometimes the hypothesis is disproved but still published as fact, or sometimes is disproved and every other following hypothesis is disproved. Simply put, the formation of the earth and origin of life cannot be observed. We cannot observe the past and hence, cannot classify the formation of life (or evolution of life) as science since the scientific process cannot be followed to test the hypothesis.

Creationism follows historical science. This is where we have written accounts of what happened by people who did observe it and use their observations to support our hypothesis. And when the evidences support our hypotheses based on historical accounts, it can be proved and considered fact. We cannot "prove" the Bible since it is not observable science, but when we look at the accounts in the Bible and the records, the findings support the text 100%, yet is considered "unscientific". Just because creationism isn't consistent with the modern idea of science, doesn't mean it is anti-science. The fact is that evolution is not scientific, but is claimed as a fact and if anything contradicts it, is considered unscientific. What we have is a flawed definition of science.

I don't want to talk about tall the flaws of evolution, or refute and debate, but rather explain what the belief leads to.

The general idea of evolution is that all life evolved from a simple, single-celled organism from a primordial soup and has "evolved" to survive. Darwin's theory of evolution does not deal with problem of the origin of life but rather on the evolving of the species, so the origin of life has been an accumulation of assumptions and ideas of people throughout the years. That is all that evolution is: assumptions.

There are multiple theories on the origin (and they continue to change), but one is the big bang theory. With this theory, out of pure chance, a "bang" happened and the universe spawned from it. And as time went along, over billions of years, single celled organism evolved into a life form which turned into some sort of sea creature who grew legs to crawl on land and over time evolved into apes, then humans. The exact formation is vague and inconsistent because there is no evidence, so it is constantly changing. The premise of this theory is that we all came from a singled-cell organism by accident, and this belief is dangerous.

Socialism and communism use evolution and atheism as it's religious and scientific basis. Out of these beliefs, we are just parts of the machine (society) and only exist to benefit the collective. Humanism also follows this foundation and claims that we just exist with no purpose or meaning. When we die, that's it. What does this all mean? If we are only here to add to society then die, or not have any meaning on earth, then why are we here? What is the purpose of living and what is keeping us from just offing ourselves? Do you see the problem?

You see, when we view human life as meaningless, it leads to a meaningless life. People go through life with the belief that they don't matter and won't make a difference. When life gets too hard to bear and we don't have a purpose here anyways, why not just commit suicide and end the suffering early. That's a large reason why we have such high depression and suicide rates. When you remove God from the picture and we evolved as an accident, what meaning does that have? As Christians, we know that we are created by God for a special purpose here on earth and when we die, will receive rewards for what we do, not to mention dwelling with our Creator for eternity! That gives us meaning, but without it, there is no purpose, we are not special, and there's no reason to thrive to do better because what will it matter?

If we are just a part of the society machine, what happens if we break and can no longer contribute to society? Just like any other machine, you throw away the broken part and replace it. When people can no longer contribute to society, they lose their purpose and there is no reason to keep them around. That is the basis for euthanasia. Modern day abortion was started by Margaret Sanger who lived during the Nazi regime. Her belief was that black people are inferior and cannot contribute to society, so if we kill the babies before they are born, that is less pollution. And speaking of which, that is why Hitler killed as many as he did. He saw them as an inferior "race" who couldn't contribute to the collective, so he killed them to better society. Abortion has evil roots and now the reasoning for abortion has changed. If we originated as a conglomeration of molecules that came together by chance, then when we are in the womb, when do we transition from a simple molecule into human life? If we are an organism that happened by chance and not created and designed by a Creator, then what is so wrong about killing an infant? If we start as an animal and evolve into a human, what is the difference between killing a fetus and killing a deer? Why not harvest human stem cells if it benefits the collective? If we are no more that advanced animals, why not have sex with whomever we want? And if sex is just a normal, polygamous act between mammals, what is wrong with pornography? If we don't have a purpose on earth, what's wrong with murder and suicide?

These are just a few examples of what happens to a world who believes that we are an accident without a special Creator. Chaos develops because our view of ourselves is meaningless. This is by no means, a comprehensive study of the effects of evolution on our world, but rather a taste in the hopes that you might research for yourself, the effect of evolution. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee...". We are also told in Ephesians, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto great works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. (2:10)" How great is it to know that we are not an accident, each created by a loving God who wants to have a relationship with us? How great is it to know that God knew us before we were even conceived? God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made which makes abortion murder, no matter the trimester. And how great is it to know that we are not only created by God, but that God has a specific purpose for each person and wants us to fulfill that purpose? When we begin to believe evolution, we believe that we were not specially created by God, that there is no God, and that we don't have a reason to exist.

Some Christians believe that God created the earth then used evolution to develop it. But for evolution to take place means that there is a flaw in the life and it needs to change to survive. If that is the case, then God made mistakes in his creation. And if he made mistakes, he would not be God. The Bible is clear in Genesis that God created everything as it is intended to be in six literal days. It's when we start to rewrite the Bible that we get into trouble. Proverbs 30:5-6 says "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Add thou not unto unto his words; lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar." We are, likewise, told in Revelation "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of the book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book. (20:18-19)" You see, one cannot simply believe the Bible and evolution. You cannot be a God fearing Christian and tolerate the evil absurdities that this theory brings. 

Victory In Jesus!

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time and not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Fort the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestations of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willing, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn amoung many brethern. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justifed, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how she he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, Yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For i am persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor angel, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:18-39

This last week I was on a missions trip to the island of Dominica. I have never been on a missions trip prior to this and had expectations of what the trip would entail, but it was much different than I expected. If you have never been on a missions trip, I highly encourage you to go on one. When someone would mention "missions trip", I had the notion that it involved going to a deprived country to help others less fortunate than us and spreading the gospel. And though some of that may be true for most trips, I had a much different experience than I expected. I feel that though we were a blessing to them, they were much more of a blessing to us. The people we worked with are on fire for God and are passionate and genuine about serving and living for God.

We were in a more Christian-friendly country so we didn't have to worry about being persecuted for spreading God's Word. But there are countless countries where church services are held underground and in homes. In China, many church services are held throughout the day so people can gradually trickle in as to not arouse suspicion. Those of us who live in a country where Christianity is legal are fortunate.

When we were in Dominica, we saw a video of a teenage girl who attended a prayer meeting in a Hindu country and was beaten by a mob and eventually lit on fire to burn alive. This is a sobering fact that as we sit here in our comfortable environment, taking for granted that we can get up and go to church when we want and preach in the street without being set on fire; others are being tortured, crucified, persecuted, and dying for Christ. This has led me to believe, after a lot of thinking, that those who are persecuted are more committed to serving God than those who have the luxury of never having it cross our minds. They could easily hide their faith and avoid the persecution, but instead, proudly bear Christ's name. I feel that we have grown complacent here in America. Those who experience what it really means to love God are the ones who not only grow closer to God, but understand the rewards of suffering for Christ and will receive those rewards.

I see our country starting to lean that way. We are fortunate to attend church without worrying about law enforcement cutting in, but Christianity is attacked harder in America now than it ever has before. Christianity has been labelled a hate religion and is the only religion that cannot be "tolerated". The government is starting to regulate churches and in many states, outlaw certain things that can't be preached. If a Christian speaks the truth out of love or attempts to lead a lost soul to Christ, they are rejected, ridiculed, and even dying. Yes, people are being killed and imprisoned in America for being a Christian or trying to live out Christian beliefs. So the question now lies, if you have to face severe persecution for your faith, will you, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and like that teenage girl, stand firm?

I want to now call you think. Our souls were created for eternity, not this earth. When we die, our souls are taken from our bodies and continue to live for all eternity. This body and life are temporal and will pass away. Everyone will die at some point unless Christ comes to take us up in the near future. So the question for you Christian is this: Would you rather be persecuted and die for Christ to reap the Heavenly and eternal rewards, or would you live for yourself to extend your life and livelihood but for a short time longer, only to find the rewards that you could have had? I am not taking persecution lightly by any means. To live for Christ and to be persecuted is not an easy thing, nor something to be taken lightly. We can all say that we are willing to die for Christ, but if put to the test, how many of us would pass?

I feel that it is easy to imagine the extremes, such as death, and say that we will endure through the persecution, but let me ask you something. Would you be willing, right now, to live for God if it means persecution? I do not mean torture or physical death. I mean ridicule from your friends or coworkers. I mean the rejection from your family. I mean the hard decision to throw out a friend because they are taking you down a sinful path. I believe this is one of the hardest persecutions people face in America. When compared to what many of our brothers and sisters in Christ face, ridicule doesn't seem that bad. But take heart, God gives hope.

We are only here for a season and "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." I love this passage because it gives hope that the sufferings here on earth are only for a short time. God will give us the strength to face persecution if we ask and if we endure to the end, we will received the rewards that cannot be compared to what we gain in this life.

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." When we read through Romans 8:18-30, we see the future glory in Christ when we reach Heaven. But when we go into verses 31-39, we see the ultimate final victory in Christ. We may suffer and may be persecuted, but God is still with us. God allowed his Son to die and are we any better? Jesus said that people will hate us because they hated God first and He set the ultimate example for us. Are we any better than our Savior? We are each appointed to die and I ask, who will you die for? Who will you suffer for? Who will you live for? Yes, we may suffer on this earth, but when we reach Heaven and look upon His glorious face, we would gladly come back to suffer ten times worse for the glory of God. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and nothing less." When you face persecution, remember the One for whom you live. If you do not face some form of persecution, you should maybe be asking yourself who you are really living for.

This may seem like a depressing thought, but as I said before, our bodies were only created to inhabit this earth temporarily, but our souls are created for eternity. When we think of the short time here compared to eternity with Christ, our suffering is but a small stepping stone to the glorious place we will enjoy in eternity. I leave with one question: When death comes and you face Jesus Himself, will you be able to say "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Will you hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" That will be worth it all, when we have victory in Jesus.

They Know Not What They Do

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 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: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Romans 1:18-32

Photo: From My Utmost For His Highest

I thoroughly enjoy reading through Romans. It starts with the fact that we are sinners and why we are sinners. Then it goes into how our sins result in death and ultimately Hell. But the good news comes when it shows how Christ came and died for us and is now our way into Heaven and it tells us how to be saved. After that, it shows who we are as Christians (our new identity) and how we grow as Christians. When someone accepts Christ and is new to Christianity or is not well educated, I recommend starting with Romans because it is, in poor man's terms, a summation of Christianity. I love reading through this book and as I read each book, I seem to always come back and read through this book.

One of the last times I read through Romans, the above passage really stood out to me. Not that I hadn't understood it before. I've even used this passage prior in speaking with people about these issues, but it wasn't until recently that I was led to really study it, and it's amazing how well it sums up our world today. I know it's a long passage, especially to use in a blog, but it is by no means dry and it all comes together to bring a powerful message. I want to, as short as I can, break this passage down and really evaluate it with you.

The chapter starts with Paul's introduction. He tells the Romans that he is not ashamed of Christ and how the Christians are separate from the Gentiles (unbelievers), then goes right into this passage. This first chapter starts off with how man is a sinful race. Verses 18-20 talk about how God has revealed himself both through creation and by placing awareness of himself in the human heart.

Nowadays, this is evidently disregarded. With the school systems and science trying to use evidence, that is not there, to back evolution to avoid admitting that there is an ultimate creator of the universe. But these verses show us that God has shown himself to us through the "invisible things" that scientists try to explain without a supernatural creator. They try to deny that there is a God, yet every nation, village, and group of people have the knowledge of God ingrained into them. Even the most remote village has some form of a god with the desire to worship.

We see this also in verse 21 where it says the people knew God but didn't acknowledge him. I am led to believe that the anti-God agenda today is nothing new and that they had a similar issue when this was written. More amazingly, we go into verses 22 and 23 where man proclaimed himself to be wise without God's wisdom and changed God's creation and revelation into something of their own interpretation. Man took God's creation and began to worship it. Is this not happening today? No, we don't bow to carved out idols (at least mostly, in America), but do we worship "science" as being the last say and ultimate decision of what is truth? We have taken the natural laws and amazing phenomena that God created and designed and "worship" it as the ultimate creator through evolution and Mother Earth. They have to go as far as to say we were created from the creation, but deny that the creation was created. This is the definition of the perversion of Gods image. 

Verses 22 and 23 dive into what I really took from this passage. After we saw that the people rejected God, started worshipping the creation rather than the Creator, and refused to acknowledge him, God let them live as they wanted. When God allows a person to live as he wants, that's a very dangerous place to be. God essentially says "you want it your way, have it your way". But when that happens, God removes his protection and perverts their minds. We are shown that God gave them over to unclean minds. It doesn't say that he gave them unclean minds but that he let them take their minds where they wanted to and in this case, to do with their bodies that God did not intend.

I love how in the middle of those verses, explaining that God gave them over to uncleanness, he magnifies God by recognizing him as creator. But he does this right before going into the heavy stuff. When he starts out the next verse, he says that because the people turned from God and wanted things their way, God let their minds draw to the most vile things, and in this verse, we see is referring to homosexuality. When people say that they are gay, it is one of 2 things: either they turned from God and God gave them over to it as we see here. Or two, his family or himself has a curse of "vile affections" that he is born with (but that will be covered in another post).

In addition to turning them over to their own affections, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. Reprobate comes from the Greek word adokimos which literally translates into unapproved, rejected, or worthless. Christians have the holy spirit guiding us and guiding our minds and even non-Christians have a sense of right and wrong. But when God gives them over to a reprobate mind, they no longer have a sense of right or wrong, what is morally right or perverted. We know this because it says that they were given to reprobate mind to do those things which were not convenient. It follows by saying they are filled with all unrighteousness and lists the sins and type of people that are the fruit of that curse.

This passage, and chapter, ends with saying that people have the knowledge of God ingrained in them and even having the knowledge of God, chose to follow this path, they are condemned to death. They are condemned to death by two reasons. One, because we are told in Romans 6:23 that "The wages of sin is death". But in this case, there is something else. Each of us is born with sin, but also a conviction and opportunity to accept Christ. However, when someone is given over to their own ways as described in this passage they can no longer see right from wrong, they can no longer understand that they require a savior, and ultimately won't understand that they need to accept Christ which we know, results in eternity in Hell.

But it gets even worse. When you have someone who is deep into their sin, turns from God, and their mind turned over to them, they take pleasure in their vile ways. They no longer care if they hurt people, they don't see anything wrong with homosexuality or abortion. Unwed sex is just something you do.

I am convinced that the problems we have in our world today are not new. As Solomon said, "there is nothing new under the sun". Our country started as a godly nation and has degraded. I think that is why so many people think that our country is the worst off spiritually and believe Christ will come soon. I don't doubt that Christ's return is imminent, but just because our country has now fallen to sin, doesn't mean we are the only nation, nor that other nations have been in sin much longer than us.

So why are we to be surprised that our country is where it is? Why should we be surprised when people live blatantly in sin without any recollection? It is heartbreaking, but we should not be shocked when people follow a path that leads to a destination that Paul already described. When you encounter someone that has no problem with sin, remember this passage. There's a chance that no matter what you say to them, they will never be able to understand the truth. Take heart, though! I do not want to discourage you from spreading God's word and witnessing to people. But I also don't want you to become frustrated when you pour your heart out to someone and try your hardest to show them they need Christ and they don't see it. It is unsettling, but God reveals this to us and give encouragement to those who follow him.

The Pharasees of Today

Photo: Scene from movie The Passion of the Christ

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Matthew 23:1-8


Throughout the gospels, Jesus spoke several times about the Pharisees and quite frankly, didn't have much good to say about them. As we read through and see the descriptions of the Pharisees, we picture someone of high status that is corrupt, as we would see on the movie The Passion of the Christ. When we hear of people so hypocritical as the Pharisees, we tend to look down on them. We see them as a villain of a movie or time period that could never exist in our world today. Even non-believers condemn hypocrites.


But I want to think about something that brings the teachings about the Pharisees to practical light. Jesus primarily taught people to not be like the Pharisees, not because they were wicked people by the world's standards, but because they lost sight of what God's word is and what it means to have a relationship with God. Yes, they knew the Bible quite well, even prided themselves on having the Bible practically memorized, but they were lacking something.


As we see in the above passage, they knew the Bible, they knew what God commanded, but did not act. These were the leaders who taught the people as we see they sat in Moses' seat as the religious leaders of that time. They would be like today's pastors and were highly regarded by the people, I imagine. But as we see, they did not follow God's law, they took the offerings for themselves, they indulged on their own pleasures without regard to God's word, even though they knew it well, and even paid to have Christ crucified.


Do we not have this problem today? I think what we need to take from this is that the religious leaders aren't the only people who can become the "Pharisees" of today. What the Pharisees were guilty of is the same thing that all too many people are guilty of. How many people study the Bible, memorize verses, read Christian books, read through the entire Bible, attend church faithfully, tithe every week, and know the right verse for each issue? But how many people really act on it?


I know this because I have found that I have been guilty of this. I faithfully read my Bible, memorize scripture, and study the Bible deeply, and see what God wants each of us to do, yet seem to keep it to myself. God calls each of us to spread His word and to live in a way that honors Him. And I believe that the more we know, the more responsibility we have. God calls us to grow and mature as Christians, but that cannot happen without us being willing to live out His word and be the light in this world. He wants us to live a life that reflects Him and grow our relationship with Him. And I'm sure most of us realize this and have even known these truths from a young age, but how many of us act on it? I know some denominations don't even encourage to live out a righteous life and separate ourselves from the world. Some denominations allow a sinful life, as long as you continue to learn the Bible and confess every so often. But my question is how can someone study God's word and see that it is OK to live out a sinful life and still expect rewards from God?


We need to strive to be less like the Pharisees and more like the disciples who lived for Christ and, for some, even died in His name. We have two examples in the Gospels: one of a hypocrite and one of a faithful, dedicated follower of Christ. I encourage each Christian to strive to be more like the disciples and more importantly, like Christ so that in the end, you may hear "well done, good and faithful servant".

Why Churches Should Continue to Have Services Christmas Day

To be quite honest, I'm not much a celebrator of holidays and this includes Christmas. So naturally, I wouldn't really post much about holidays, but I feel that this year, it would be warranted as Christmas Day lands on a Sunday. I have seen some churches debate over whether or not to have services on that Sunday and have heard people talking about how they think church should be cancelled to celebrate Christmas. But I want to encourage churches to continue with their services and this is why:


1. The Origin of Christmas
This may be abrasive to some people (a lot actually), but the idea of Christmas is a Catholic holiday and doesn't have a Christian origin. It is widely believed amoung many theologians that Jesus was really born sometime in either late fall or early spring. That is up to debate as to which one but truth is, we don't know what day he was born on. But the point is, Jesus was not born on December 25th. So why do we celebrate it on this date? It goes back to ancient Rome. The Romans had a holiday called Saturnalia. The purpose of this holiday was to have a week of lawlessness. All courts and law enforcement closed down and people were allowed to do what they wanted with no punishment by law. On the 25th (the last day of the holiday), the Romans would arrest the person who, during that week, was selected as lawgiver that was against the Roman government. After arresting this person, they would execute him.


During the week of this holiday, there would be rituals involving sex, drug use, drinking, human sacrifice, rape, dancing naked, everything you would picture in a pagan ritual. When Christianity started to take over in Rome, those who participated in Saturnalia wouldn't convert unless they could keep a part of their previous belief. This happened a lot throughout history (including the Vikings and the Irish) when the Catholic missionaries would try to convert pagans. The pagans would convert, but the Catholics would allow them to keep a part of their pagan beliefs and tie it into the Christian beliefs. In this case, they kept Saturnalia. As time passed, eventually Christianity adopted the date of the holiday and made it Christmas. So why would we cancel church, a time to worship Christ, over a holiday with a pagan origin?


2. Faith Based on the Bible
One point I want to bring up shortly is that our Christian faith is based on the forgiveness of our LORD and on the Bible. We do not base our faith around holidays and do not compromise with the worldly idea of holidays. To cancel a church service is telling God that our pleasure of having the "day off" and having the day to ourselves and our families is more important than fellowshipping with fellow Christians and preaching his word. We should not sacrifice this opportunity to open the doors of the church. I have a strong conviction about this. I also believe that it is each individual's choice on whether he/she will attend the church service on Christmas and that is a personal choice. But I also believe that those who are committed and want to attend the service should be allowed to be continuing with a service. That may be the only time some people will ever step foot in a church.


3. Being an Example
I feel this point coincides with my last point. We are commanded to be separate and set apart from this world and to be a godly example in Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and Galatians 2:20. When we take advice from unsaved on spiritual matters or follow their lead, it is saying that as Christians, we are no different. When we continue to open our churches on Christmas day when everyone else is staying home, it says that we are different, it says that we are dedicated, and moreover, it says that we have an awesome God that is worth skipping Christmas morning tradition to serve God and show him that we love him.


As I conclude, I do want to express that I am not against Christmas. Even though I'm not much of a celebrator doesn't mean that I'm 100% against it. Within the Christian circle, we have used this date to look upon our LORD and remember His coming and sacrifice for us and His love for us. It's a day that can redirect our attention to our saviour. But we do need to remember that it is still just a holiday and is not the basis for our faith and is certainly not the source of our salvation or happiness. I encourage each church to keep your doors open on Christmas day. I encourage you to not follow the rest of the world. Finally, I encourage you to show God that you love him by placing him above a national holiday.

What Are the Ten Commandments

I think that there are many things in the Bible that, nowadays, are questioned and the validity is overlooked. This is more so with the Old Testament than the New Testament. I hear people say "That is the 'old', this is the 'new'." I will not go so much into the validity of the Old Testament right now but I want to talk about something that is often questioned.

Most people are aware and know of the Ten Commandments. It is a staple for many societies and honor systems. I have found that peoples' beliefs in the Ten Commandments are one of two directions. Some people use it as a good guideline and something to live by to make society function better. Some people hold religiously to it, while others think it's "a good idea" and praise those who follow them, but don't follow them themselves. Then there are those who believe that the Ten Commandments are obsolete, no longer needed, and even offensive. So the question arises, "how important are the Ten Commandments and are they still valid?"

I want to answer this question in a couple different ways. I think before we look at and examine each commandment, we need to look at the reason and purpose for them. The Ten Commandments are not the only commandments that are given to us, but are rather the foundational commandments. It's sad how some people will try to religiously follow the Ten Commandments, but disregard any other command in the Bible. These were commandments given to govern the people as a godly nation, but God's commandments do not end there.

The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus chapter 20 and are separated into 2 parts: the first 5 are spiritual commandments on serving and loving God, and the last 5 refer as to how we should treat others. But all of them are a reflection of our love for God. The Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites through Moses after they were freed from bondage in Egypt. And even though they were given to specifically Israel, it applies to everyone and are still valid today.

Hebrews 13:8 says, " Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." And Malachi 3:6, Jesus says, " For I am the Lord, I change not..." We know that God was the same in eternity past before the world was created, as he is now and will always be. What we are told in the New Testament, or even nowadays, is nothing new. Everything we learn in the Bible has always existed before time. Therefore, we cannot say that the Ten Commandments are no longer valid. Remember as we go through these commandments, that they have always existed and are a reflection of who God is, revealed to the Israelites at the proper time and are continuous standards.

1. "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." This is one of the most important of the Ten Commandments! If the first five commandments (particularly this one) are not followed, the rest definitely will not be followed. This is the foundational command for our love for Christ. A god is defined as anything that we worship more than the true God. When we read this, we think of when this was written and think of idols made of gold that the people bowed downto. But today, this can mean your job, your family, or anything else that we put ahead of God. We oftentimes think that our country does not have issue with idols that we bow or pray to, but it's amazing how some "Christian" denominations cling to their "idols" to use in worship.

2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." This is quite similar to the first commandment, but is more specific. We are told in this verse to not uphold anything higher than God and to not make anything our god. Back in that time, people were more inclined to worship man-made idols or "gods". We, in America, don't have that so much, but we do have things that we oftentimes will put ahead of God. We make money that is quite often placed over God. Friends are close second. We can easily let our friends influence to do things that we shouldn't (or not do things we should) that God clearly says not to. Peer pressure is a strong influencer in our lives. 

We are told in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." This is speaking specifically about money, but is applicable to any possessions or other things that we make our god. If we decide to please our friends rather than speak up for what is right, we are serving them rather than God. This is what the second commandment is speaking about.


3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." I believe that this is one of the most broken commandments. How often do we hear this taking place? "Oh my God", "GD", "Jesus Christ!". This is what taking God's name in vain is, using it in an unholy matter. In Isaiah 57:15, we see " For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy...". We often disregard what it means for God's name to be holy. God, and his name, are the most powerful, most reverenced in the whole universe and time. For us to take something as God's name and place a negative connotation to it, is called blaspheme. We are told that anyone who uses God's name in this manner will not be found guiltless.

4. "Remember the Sabbathh day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." I think that this command is not taken as it should be. Most people enjoy having a weekend off to relax and not do anything, but don't realise how deep it is. When God created the earth, he did so in six days then had a seventh day for rest. But let me ask, did God really need a break from the "hard work" of creating the universe? No, I don't believe so.

In Genesis, in regard to the seventh day (the Sabbath), we are told "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." God made this day holy, not because he needed rest, but to glory in his creation and enjoy it. God created the sabbath as a day just for us to look at God's glory. It is the day devoted to nothing but praising God and focusing on him, enjoying his glory and magnificence. When we disregard this, we are taking away from God what he deserves. He wants us to recognise his sovereignty and omnipotence through recognising the sabbath. That is why it is so important.

5. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Amoung youth, this is probably the most disregarded commandment, but oh how important it is! I would classify this also under one of the spiritual commands because the following it is a direct recognition of God's authority and the authority he placesover us. There are multiple verses on just honouring our parents (Prov 1:8, Col 3:20, Eph 6:1-2). Most things we do here on earth are a representation of a Christian's relationship with God. God is our spiritual father and honouring him shows a reverence and submission to him. Our Relationship with our earthly parents is a reflection of our relationship with God. Our parents were placed as authority over us and when someone disregards this and dishonours his parents, he is actually dishonouring God. God is serious about it when he says in Exodus 21:17 "he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death."

6. "Thou shalt not kill." These next few commandments I will expound on because there is more to them than just what they say. We can all agree that murder is a sin. It seems like something that actually physically harms another person (murder, rape, etc.), is considered a haneous crime. But it is more than just because it hurts society. God creates every life, as we see in Genesis. He crafts each one of us individually for a purpose. When we decide to take someones life, we are stealing from God, destroying his own creation that he intends to use. But murder goes beyond that. In Matthew 5, verses 21-22, we are told "Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, [idiot], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Killing is more than the physical act. Anything we do outwardly is a reflection in our heart, it is a side effect. When we have hate, resentment or the desire to have someone harmed, it is the same as having actually committed the act. (This also applies to abortion, killing of an innocent baby. Jeremiah 1:5)

7. " Thou shalt not commit adultery." As with killing, adultery is also an act of the heart. Matthew 5:27-28 is clear when it says "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Not only does the Bible tell us that adultery is a heart issue, it give boundaries. Matthew 19:9, Hebrews 7:2,-3 Luke 16:18, and Matthew 5:32 are just a few examples that give boundaries. This is a very controversial issue because we live in such a sex-crazed world. But the Bible is clear on sex.

Sex is an act to seal a covenant. In the Bible, when a covenant was made, blood was shed to seal the covenant and make each party accountable. This is seen when Christ said "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Christ's blood sealed a covenant that if any call to Christ, they will not be turned away. The same is for sex. When two people are married and have sex, there is bloodshed with the first time which seals the covenant and makes the two people accountable to keep to their vows. When we commit adultery, we taking lightly what God takes seriously.

8. "Thou shalt not steal." This commandment can actually be a summary of many commandments. When we murder, we steal someone's life. When we commit adultery, we steal the purity of someone's wife/husband (if you are not married, that person will be someone's future spouse and adultery is stealing that intimacy from that couple). Stealing is an outward sign that we are not content with what God has given us. God provides us what we need if we are faithful and stealing is not only a sign that we don't trust God, but is a dishonour to those we are stealing from. If we steal, we are committing testimony suicide. If we try to, later on, witness to that person, our credibility and testimony are ruined. We are called to reflect who Christ is and doing this dishonour is not a reflection of Christ.

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." This could also be called slander or gossip. False witness would be spreading rumours about someone that is not true. The only reason for doing this is out of spite for the other person, which is covered under murder, wishing emotional harm on someone. We are called, as Christians, to lift other up and speak positively of people. Not doing so is a disobedience of our Lord and disregard for his wishes. As it is with stealing, We ruin our testimony when we do this, probably even more so. That is also how you lose people's trust and respect. More can be said on this and will be covered in a future post.

10. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." This commandment can relate back to not stealing, but this is more of the heart issue. To covet someone's property is to want it enough to be willing to steal it. This is a sign of discontentment with what God has given us. In most cases, people covet things because they are not happy and believe that it will make them happy. But happiness does not lie in possessions, or even social status or hobbies, but in having a relationship with God and being in his will. That is how "poor" people in other countries can be fully content because they know they are in God's will and that he will provide. There are countless verses that tell us that God will provide.

I like how this commandment is at the end because it is a whole summary. We covet things because we thing we deserve them. Too many people have an "entitled" mindset that they deserve things. But we are told that all we deserve is hell. We are all born sinners and we deserve hell; God does not owe us anything. But God provides us a way out of hell through his Son. "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 3:16-17)

These are the foundational commandments for God's other commandments that he gives us. These are a start, but we must dig deeper into the Bible to find exactly what God asks of us, because the Ten Commandments are far from being all God asks.

Ultimately, these commandments are a result of a single commandment. When Jesus was asked what the the greatest commandment is, He replied "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." Each commandment is a heart decision. If we love God, we will do as he asks. This is revealed in John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Sin is any form of not showing our love for God. That is why God considers stealing to be equally as sinful as murder and lying to be equal to rape. Sins are not placed on a scale. The ultimate sin is to not love God. If we break this one commandment, we are guilty of breaking all of them.

The second most important command is "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." If we love others, we will not mistreat them. Half of the Ten Commandments refer to how we treat others. Again, if we don't love others, we will not follow these commandments. But if we don't love God as we should, we won't love others as we should; this command comes second. We are to "love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

To Be Patriotic

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

A hot topic in our country, though dying, is the idea of patriotism. Though many don't understand what it really means, people claim to be patriotic with going to parades, flying the flag, celebrating Independence Day. In fact, being patriotic has become a controversial issue. The past 2 presidencies have drawn the patriotism from our country. With liberals trying to ban the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, controversy in the wars we are involved in, and people no longer caring about the direction our country is headed, we are in deep trouble.

This post may rub some people the wrong way, but I want to propose an idea that our country is no longer patriotic, that people no longer know what patriotism is, and that some "patriotic" things we have been doing should really be brought to an end. In fact, I may catch a lot of guff for this, but I feel that it needs sharing.

I want to first say that our country is no longer patriotic. Let me ask a question. What does it mean to be patriotic? Dictionary.com defines it as "devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty." Though this is accurate, what does it mean? What does patriotism look like? Is it simply flying an American flag and saying that you are in favor of our military? I believe that patriotism goes beyond this. It goes beyond the military, flags, bald eagles, and other cliches.

Patriotism in the 1770's looked a lot different that what we have today. George Washington, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Nathan Hale understood what it really meant. These men put their lives on the line for our country. We have many men who put their lives on the line today, but what's the difference? Most people don't realise that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was the riskiest thing those men ever did. By signing their name, they became wanted for treason to the crown of England. But what drove these people to such patriotism? What was their drive and motivation?

Our country was once great and was actually founded by people who wanted the liberty to worship God without being regulated by the government. Many textbooks nowadays won't tell you that, but it is the truth. And in the 1770's, when those men were willing to give up their lives for their country, it was because of the love of their God. They were defending the right to worship God the way he deserves to be worshipped. There is nothing wrong with the love of your country, but why do you love it and why are you patriotic? Is it simply because we live here or because of tradition? Or is it because we are willing to defend our freedom to worship God without persecution?

This is where we have to draw that fine line. The line between being "patriotic", and sticking to our moral standards. Being patriotic does not being enslaved to a country, but the willingness to defend our rights. And when the time comes to choose to remain "patriotic" or doing what's right, we must choose. Do we support gay marriage because we are told "it's the right thing to do" and that everyone needs "equal rights" (even though Christians don't have equal rights)? Do we turn our heads away from abortion and ignore it because "women have the right to do what they want to their bodies?" Do we vote for a certain candidate because the press states he is patriotic?

Patriotism may include petitioning against a bill that promotes sinful behaviour (i.e. abortion). It may include boycotting a certain business or organisation because they are starting a "progressive revolution" that is sinful. It may include writing to your congressman when a bill is being voted on to legalise a certain drug. Yes, it will be looked down on by most people, but what is true patriotism? If it is a love for a country, why would we just sit around and watch our country burn to the ground? Why would we watch others fall into sin? It cannot be denied that our country is in trouble and the reason is because of a lack of love for God. When we start to remove the name of Jesus from moral teachings, who says killing unborn babies is wrong, who says gay marriage is sinful? What's true for you may not be true for me, right? We can't offend anyone and must be tolerant, right? Do you see where this is going? The Bible tells us that a country that turns from God will surely fall. Look at the story of Noah and the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Israel rebelling. Every nation that turned from God, suffered for it and was judged heavily. Joshua 23:12-13 is clear when it says "Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you." God warns of judgment on the nation that turns from him. And we see that Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death." Even more severely, we are told in Amos 9:8, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth..."

Our country was founded on the basis of worshipping God and living for him. Now that our country has decided to turn from God, we are seeing the fruits of it. We are never out of a war, millions of unborn babies are slaughtered, people are wrongfully imprisoned while criminals walk free, suicide rates are astronomical, and the number abandoned children are even higher. And we are considered anti-patriotic if we speak against this?

True patriotism is doing what's right for our country and the right thing to do is instill godly leadership. This may be controversial, but many of the things we do that are "patriotic" are not really patriotic. One of the biggest signs of "patriotism" in our country is kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. But let me ask something. Do those kindergarten kids really understand what the words of the pledge mean? We expect kids to pledge themselves to a country that is so deep in sin, judgment is inevitable. We are not longer "one nation, under God". Our country is so deep in sin and people wonder why our country is becoming a living disaster.

Indivisible? Far from it! Since the civil war, this is the most divided our country has been. Republican verses Democrat. Liberal verses conservative. We are at war with ourselves as a country and as Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided cannot stand".This is evident with how far our country has fallen. And is there really liberty for all? Every religion is "tolerated" except Christianity. Bibles and praying are no longer allowed in schools. What about justice for all? Hard working people have their money taken to be given to those who are too lazy to work. Rapists and pedophiles walk the street while a police officer is tried for defending himself. Our country is no longer what it once was and it's unpatriotic to speak up against what is happening in our country (again, losing that liberty).

True patriotism is standing up for what is really best for our country. We need revival in our country and it all starts with us. SO many people are caught up in voting for the "right president" this election season, but the reality is that the president cannot do anything to turn our country around. Yes, a godly president may keep sinful bills from being passed, but he cannot bring our country back to God. There is a separation of church and state for a reason. It is the Government's job to lead the country judiciously, legislatively, and executively, but it is the churches job to lead the country spiritually. Law after law can be passed requiring people to "act morally" but until the peoples' hearts change and desire to follow God, we will continue to go downhill. Drugs, murder, and theft are illegal but it's not stopping anyone. It's in the hearts of the people.

We as Christians and the church are to blame for not outreaching like we should. A president cannot change the moral status of our country but you can. I can. It starts with witnessing to your neighbor, family, friends, coworkers, and colleagues. It starts with one person at a time. There are so many people that are hurting and looking for something more and it only takes a smile, a kind word, an invitation to dinner, to maybe change that persons life. This is what we are called to do: raise up our country spiritually. Don't get me wrong, I am not against our military or against our country. I am against the immoral direction we are headed.

Yes, our country can be great again, but it starts with us. It starts with praying for our country, witnessing, and spreading Gods word. It may be hard, but in 1774, when those men signed the Declaration of Independence, they were committing the worst crime according to England. We have our dependence because of godly men who stood up for what is right. Can we at least work up the courage to spread the gospel to those we know to maybe make a small difference in our country? This is true patriotism!