When I first heard the report I decided to verify that information and soon learned that what was being said about this person was true. I also read some comments from fellow believers (or commenters) which ranged from the angry to the sad to even agreeing that this man’s decision was the right one for him. Personally, I wasn’t angry…just sad that this man has given up the fight.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12 NIV).

In this verse, Paul admonishes Christians to take hold of eternal life. Since we know that we don’t have eternal life until we’re actually with the Lord, Paul’s words are directing us to apprehend what is coming our way. Instead of living for this life, which is perishing, we’re to live our lives with one purpose: to seek Him and His righteousness, laying aside those sins which so easily beset us.

I have no doubt that what this person is going through is an especially difficult challenge for him. I’m not called to understand his particular sin nature or bent, but I am called to encourage him to repent, take up his cross, and to deny himself.  By himself it is impossible for him to overcome, but by the power of the Holy Spirit he can live the victorious life.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV).

This man’s sin isn’t any worse than any other type of sin, especially if you look at the list just mentioned. I know for some people it is all the more reprehensible to them, but God doesn’t distinguish from the person who is drawn to the bottle from the one who is drawn to someone of their own gender.

My favorite part of the text is the And such were some of you statement. Clearly, many people in Paul’s time were much like a lot of Christians today: possessing a past life that is, indeed, in the past.

When a Christian is afflicted by sin or has an unnatural bent toward a particular desire, his only course of action is to rely upon the strength of God. In Ephesians 6:10-20, we’re told to put on the whole armor of God.

In verse 12 of that passage we understand exactly who it is that we are battling:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Satan wants to sift us and is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy (ref. John 10:10). With that sort of warning it should remind us that our battles in this life are truly spiritual, one that has consequences for our eternal destiny.

In addition to putting on the armor of God, we’re instructed how to walk:

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,  redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV).

Finally, steadfastness is the hallmark of the Christian. This doesn’t mean the believer won’t slip and fall, rather that he is ultimately to stand firm in what he believes. Deciding that God made you a certain way when scripture clearly demonstrates that this isn’t true makes someone a liar. And I must tell you that God cannot lie!

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:14-18 NASB)

I believe that we’re on the very last leg of the final days before the return of Jesus Christ. Scoffers are everywhere, sinful lifestyles are being exalted and Christians are finding it difficult, even deadly, to proclaim their faith.

Apart from God, none of us can stand. But, thanks be to God for His indescribable gift — Jesus — who is our Redeemer, Lord, Savior and the Shepherd of our souls.

If you meet a backslider this week, please be sure to lift him or her up in prayer as you urge them to return to the faith. In 2 Timothy 2:14 we learn that Demas left Paul’s ministry to return to the world, but in Philemon 1:24 his name is once again mentioned among the saints.

Perhaps someone you know has a heart like Demas, a modern day prodigal who returns to the Lord.

Pictured: The Return of the Prodigal Son — Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (Lucca, 1708-1787) who was an Italian rococo painter.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world — James 1:27 (Darby)

This is the second time I have used this verse as the basis for a WordJourney article, a habit I don’t usually make. But, given that it is critical for Christians to fully grasp what their role in this world is, I think it needs to be repeated. Frequently too.

Distressing News, But Glad That I Was Moved

Yesterday, while perusing my copy of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), I came across an article that truly distressed me. And you know what? I’m glad that it did.

In, “Older Borrowers, Out in the Cold,” the WSJ highlighted the travails of several senior citizens, each of whom lives in California, the state where the real estate crunch is at its worst. In the Golden State many homeowners are still facing foreclosure with tens of thousands having already lost their homes.

Yes, I am aware that some borrowers made foolish choices and purchased homes they clearly could not afford, but I also know that mortgage fraud has been uncovered across that state, indeed throughout the entire country. Especially notable is mortgage fraud that targets senior citizens who are often the most vulnerable to being ripped off.

Approved For Loans They Could Not Afford To Repay

In each case presented by the WSJ, senior borrowers were approved for loans, often with documentation that was forged or changed by the mortgage lender. In order to qualify for certain loans, lenders would misstate income levels or claim that borrowers had jobs when they were actually retired.

As a result of submitting false paperwork that was approved for new loans, homeowners soon found out that they owed much more on their homes than they had thought and, in many cases, weren’t able to meet their higher monthly payments. Soon, lenders began to foreclosure, forcing seniors to find other housing, losing one of their few worldly assets in the process.

Couple Befriended By Someone Through Church

One particularly distressing account featured an elderly couple who eventually lost their home because of someone they met at church. It turns out that this person was a friend of the couple’s pastor who directed the lender, Melissa Villegas, to them. The couple, John and Vernice Green, had thought that they had agreed to a reverse mortgage when, in fact, they were saddled with an adjustable rate loan that cost more than their original loan.

When their interest rate jumped from 6.25% to 11.4%, which increased their m0nthly payments by more than $1300 a month, the Greens defaulted on their loan. We later learn that Mrs. Green was cognitively impaired and couldn’t read the loan paperwork while Mr. Green was busy trying to take care of her, despite having two amputated feet. Neither one had finished school.

Home and Lives Lost

The Greens soon lost their home and Mr. Green was subsequently hospitalized, dying in February 2008.  Months later, an advocate for California seniors was able to get the loan rate reduced to 7% interest, but Mrs. Green died a few days later of kidney failure.

I don’t know the entire details of the Green case, but I was reminded of the following verse when I heard that they were robbed by someone within the church body:

They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment — Mark 12:40 (GWT)

According to the WSJ article, the pastor of the Greens’ church defended Ms. Villegas as a friend stating that “…the people who know the truth are me, Melissa and God…” While I’m not here to pass judgment on this pastor, his involvement in the matter is curious to say the least.

Looking Out For Widows

The verse in James I initially referenced speaks of both orphans and widows. Yes, I am familiar with the Biblical application of who a “real” widow is and what sort of help this person should receive from the church, but I can’t help think that we Christians can do our part by looking out for our elderly neighbors regardless of whether they attend our churches or not.

The most vulnerable among us are easy targets by the enemy of our souls whether they are young, old or incapacitated. I like to think that we Christians possess the fortitude to intercede on behalf of the afflicted, in prayer as well as in deed.

Photo Credit: Carol Garbiano

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance — 2 Peter 3.9 (NKJV)

Calling Good Bad And Bad Good

The days in which we are living can seem surreal as good is called bad and bad is called good, making it difficult, almost impossible for people to stand upon the truth without being constantly challenged with the following statements:

• There are many paths to God.
• Why shouldn’t two loving people of the same gender marry?
• Mankind evolved from apes and we’re still evolving.
• It is my body and I can do what I want with it.
• There are no absolutes.
• Sin is only doing something that is wrong for you.
• Where is God? Nothing ever changes, He is a figment of your imagination, you are stupid….

Godly parents, seeking to raise their children on a strong foundation know that general society offers no support. A few generations ago only a few kooky fringe types would dare challenge Judeo-Christian principles, but today those challenges are accepted as normal — even widely embraced!

For some reason I’ve been hearing the last (bulleted) point a lot lately — where is God? Not from Christians (though we wait for His return) but from scoffers who attack moral absolutes.

Where Is God?

In 2 Peter 3:4 the apostle Peter addressed this very subject, taking into consideration the following question that unbelievers are asking:

“Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Peter answered that question by first stating the underlying point: they are willingly forgetting. He goes on to say that God’s earlier judgment (via water during the time of Noah) has already been executed while a latter judgment (via fire at the end of the age) is still in reserve. We’re living in the time between two judgments, but we’re to be mindful of the first one as it assuredly points to the one yet to come.

Much More Patient Than Us

In my younger days I sometimes found myself being impatient, urging God to bring His judgment upon this world (right now!) so that we could live in perfect peace with Him. Certainly, I yearn for his return, but I also know that many of my loved ones still don’t know the Lord. I may not be the witness that they need to hear from, but I know that God sends others to shine the light in their lives.

We’re also witnessing some incredible movements of the Holy Spirit throughout the world these days with previously unreached people groups responding to the gospel. These new believers, in turn, are spreading the Word to areas where no western missionary could possibly visit, breaking down barriers that have existed for centuries.

In verse 8 believers are reminded of God’s patience and how he views the passage of time: “…do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Clearly, what seems like forever to us is but a moment in time for God who isn’t bound by time. Thankfully, when God hears our prayers, He separates our unwise and misplaced requests while accepting the yearning that we have for Him.

Verse 9, as mentioned at the start, brings it all home: God does not want anyone to die without receiving Him. Yes, many will reject His way but others will repent.

In the New King James Version I’m glad that the word “longsuffering” is retained from the KJV.  Though the word means “patience” its usage offers a much more accurate description of what God willingly is going through — a long period of suffering with mankind. My, what a wonderful love He has for us!

His Return, Be Steadfast

The remainder of the chapter quickly shifts to the return of Jesus Christ and the admonition for believers to remain steadfast lest we be led away with the error of the wicked. Instead, as outlined in verse 18, we’re to “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”

Certainly, these are trying times for those who love God and are groaning under the weight of sin. But, His work in this world isn’t done as there are still those who must be brought into His kingdom, something we are to look for and hasten (v.12).

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality (Romans 12:9-13, RSV).

I must admit that I have difficulty memorizing scripture. I don’t typically botch up the verse completely as I am almost always able to retain its meaning, but I’ll sometimes substitute a word or leave a portion of a sentence out. Sometimes I’ll even forget where in the Bible a verse once committed to memory is located; I admire people who can rattle off verse after verse, even citing entire chapters!

As a young believer, I remember trying to recite the above scripture and having a difficult time committing it to memory. What helped was to memorize the verse with someone else and that person was a young woman by the name of Linda. Linda and I were part of the same high school graduating class, meeting each other when we were part of the same group of zealous young Christians who desired to memorize scripture and share the Good News with everyone. After much effort the verses stuck and some thirty years later they still come back to mind.

I’m not sure why we chose the five verses mentioned in Romans 12, maybe because memorizing the entire chapter was daunting. Still, these particular verses provide excellent instructions for how the Christian should live, advice we’d all do well applying to our own walk.

To this day there are several points in these memory verses which I try to recall as I go about my life:

Genuine love — Oh, how much I fall short in this area! It is easy to love those who love you, but even the heathen do that. Instead, hating evil means just that: hating the sin, not the sinner while clinging to what we know is right and good. We can’t expect those who walk in darkness to shine a light, right?

Affection and honor — Our sexed up world has no idea what the former means and it seems that the latter has fallen out of favor. Still, genuinely caring for our brethren and striving to be honorable in all matters are two attributes worthy of practicing.

Be zealous — We American Christians are cooling off.  Many Christians today are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — and at risk of being tossed out of God’s mouth.  I still see a lot of youngsters on fire for the Lord, but that is something us “mature” believers can be too. Let’s leave our comfort zones and take some God-inspired risks!

Rejoice! — No matter what we we’re going through, we’re to have a thankful heart to God. These “momentary light afflictions” will soon pass and our burdens can be eased by regularly approaching the throne of grace with our praise, prayers, and petitions.

Help others — The last verse has always stuck out in my mind. Though it is good to help sinners when so afflicted, Paul is telling the church to help other believers. I certainly am a supporter of missionary work, but I never want to see my brothers and sisters neglected. Oftentimes this means that I can do something personally to lift their burden and being hospitable is a good start!

God, through Jesus Christ, has given us all that we need to live godly lives. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can do as the young church did: turn the world upside down and carry His Message to the uttermost. But first, let us practice loving each other a clear demonstration to this world that the redeeming power of Jesus Christ is real.

Photo Credit: Sophie

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24, 25).

It is easy for us to look at the faults and shortcomings of others, while dismissing or making light of our sins. Yes, even the word “sin” is rarely used anymore, rather it has been supplanted by various psycho babble terms designed to free people from personal responsibility.

Yesterday, I witnessed along with countless other viewers, an incident that took place on the streets of Hartford, CT. A 78 year-old man was crossing the road, was hit by a car, and tossed to the pavement. The driver of the car kept going, but that wasn’t the worst of it.

As CNN reported, bystanders and other drivers did nothing. Ten cars went past the man lying in the street, who by now was critically injured. Perhaps worse were the people who were walking by and did nothing. Finally, the police did arrive and took the man to the hospital.

This incident serves to remind me of two stories in the Bible:

The first story being the account of the Samaritan (Luke 10) who stopped to help the man robbed and left for dead. A priest, then a Levite passed by, but it wasn’t until the third person arrived, a no good Samaritan (in the eyes of the Jewish people of that day), who came to the man’s aid and paid for his recovery.

The second story is from today’s scripture, where the apostle Paul recognized his sinfulness and cried out to God. Immediately, he understood the position that he was in and glorified God.

Here is my take on two very different stories — the first one shed light on a man who wasn’t caught up in religious pretense and helped his neighbor. The second one shed light on the heart of a man who realized he could do nothing apart from God. In both situations you had men who were humble before God, just the kind of person God uses.

I was tempted to emphasize the “lack of moral conviction” the people of Hartford displayed yesterday, but that is only a piece of the puzzle. Truly, had these people cared, someone would have come to this man’s aid immediately.

Instead, we have the hearts of people revealed — no one recognized their own sinfulness, thereby their hard hearts made them incapable to help a fellow man when he was struck down. I believe that when God is forsaken, we’re capable of scraping the bottom when an opportunity to do good arises.

However, when God is exalted in our lives through true repentance, wonderful things can be done. I only wish that more people had the heart of Paul and the action of the Samaritan, when this man’s moment of need became evident.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

This singular verse in Ephesians, which is repeated elsewhere in the Bible (Acts 15:40, Galatians 1:3, Philemon 1:3, etc.), sums up how God wants to touch mankind — he offers his grace (unmerited favor) and peace to all who put their trust in Him.

When comparing religions, it is soon evident that the God whom Christians follow is not like other gods. In Hinduism, there are some 330 million gods for worshipers to call on, many of whom are vindictive, spiteful, and just plain mean. Hundreds of millions of people in India are enslaved to these gods whom many Christians consider to be demons in disguise.

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, with more than one billion followers, most of whom live in what is called the 10-40 window. If possible, adherents are expected to make pilgrimage at least once to Mecca and keep a code of rules and regulations to appease Allah. One of the pillars of this religion is praying five times daily, facing Mecca. Clearly, how well you perform your faith in this life determines where you will spend eternity. To fully understand Islam, followers are expected to learn Arabic.

Followers of Buddhism have varying beliefs depending on the sect. Some consider Buddhism a religion, while others call it a way of life. Your speech, action, and livelihood play an important part in your life, but as far as life after death, the teachings of Buddha are silent.

For the follower of Jesus Christ, we know that our God isn’t fickle, mean, or vengeful. True, vengeance does belong to our God, but it isn’t something that is held over our heads 24/7/365, particularly when we have entrusted our lives to Him. Our God wants to fellowship with us and His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection were space-time events which connected sinful man to a holy God. God always takes the initiative — we are to respond and to consent to Him. Christians have translated the Bible into thousand of tongues — demonstrating how our God comes to people where they are at.

God wants everyone to taste His peace and to live with Him forever. We can’t follow an impossible set of rules and there is nothing on earth that we can do to win His favor. Out of love we serve Him, knowing moment-by-moment that Jesus broke the power of death and we shall live forevermore.

Photo courtesy of Manu M.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Religion. This word has sparked more controversy than most any other word that I know. People killing others in the name of their God, imposing their beliefs on nonbelievers, saying one thing but doing another. No wonder some people are skeptical, even outright hostile to a belief in a higher power.

Although understanding doctrine and proclaiming God’s word is important, I believe the best evidence of religion is borne out through the deeds of believers. Walking the talk or teaching others through your actions is the best way to demonstrate one’s faith.

James was inspired to write about religion and mentioned a pair of qualifiers to those who would consider themselves to be religious — helping the most afflicted people in society who happen to be orphans and widows. I find it interesting that he mentioned the afflicted before he said the second part — keeping oneself unspotted from the world. To me, it seems that if you are doing the first part then doing the second part comes naturally which is staying pure before God.

One way that I see so many Christians demonstrating their faith today is by helping children in other lands, specifically through the annual Samaritan’s Purse shoe box campaign. Better known as Operation Christmas Child, this appeal brings nearly 8 million shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal goods and a Bible tract to children who are desperately poor. Oftentimes, this is the only gift of substance that these children receive throughout the year.

I realize that stuffing a shoe box full of goodies can be done by anyone, therefore I am not saying that if you participate in this campaign that you are a Christian. What I do believe is that ongoing acts such as these is one way for you to proclaim God’s love and demonstrate to the world what true religion is all about — helping others and following God.

Let the religious folks bask in their piety; I prefer to demonstrate God’s love tangibly and effectively.