Washed, Sanctified, Justified

“The  opposite of homosexuality isn’t heterosexuality. It’s holiness.” Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, wrote these words in his book entitled Leaving Homosexuality.¹ This is a hot topic nowadays as so many homosexual activists are touting that they should have certain rights that others in heterosexual relationships have. There have been six different states who have legalized “gay” marriages and the trend seems to be catching steam. Businesses such as Home Depot are openly pushing an agenda to accept homosexuality as a norm. Even the President of the United States, Barack Obama, has pushed for acceptance of homosexuality.

Chambers, who just received World Magazine’s Daniel of the Year award, was a former homosexual. He is charged by his critics on a regular basis as they say that he is denying what comes naturally to him. Interestingly, Chambers agrees with his critics. But read what he says: “For Christians, every day we’re called to a life of Biblical self-denial. We take up our cross and follow Christ, and we deny what comes naturally. Those who reject the concept of self-denial haven’t reaped the joys that come with it.”

 

His perspective is correct. For Chambers, his journey began 20 years ago this past September in a Florida chapter of Exodus International (EI). EI is one of the largest organizations in America that ministers to the homosexual community. Chambers first sought help there and is now serving as the President of EI. Sitting in his office with his staff, a staff of about nine people, they read cards with handwritten prayer requests sent to the ministry. These cards come from a newsletter EI sends to its mailing list. On one card, a set of parents asked for prayer for their daughter to overcome homosexuality. Another offered the same request for a son. A third card came from a man asking for prayer as he and his wife raise their newborn child. “I’ve struggled with my sexuality all my life,” he wrote. “Pray that I’ll set a good example of holiness and sexual purity for my daughter.”

 

Chambers admits that EI does not exist to “fix” people. Rather, EI exists to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “What’s our mission? It’s not to fix people. It’s to point them to Jesus. He’s the one who changes people’s hearts and lives.” Chambers further says, “I chose to look at gay pornography, to go to gay bars, and to have sexual relations with other men.” He eventually stopped indulging, but only because he pursued inward change through the Lord Jesus Christ and holiness in every part of his life—not just his sexuality. In his estimation, any temptation for any sin can be resisted when one is seeking and pursuing the Lord Jesus.

 

So how should we in the Christian community respond to those living in homosexual lifestyles? We are to treat those living in this lifestyle as we would anyone else living in a sinful lifestyle. Read what Paul the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Or 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 effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God.” The words that Paul used in these verses applies to everyone. All of us have been unrighteous in some form or fashion. But the good news, just as it is with Chambers, is that the Lord Jesus Christ can wash anyone of us clean, He can sanctify and make us holy in Himself, and He is the One who can justify or declare us to be righteous. Can a homosexual change? Yes, just as any other unrighteous person can through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

¹http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18908

Amusing Ourselves to Death

In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman asserts that America will not be destroyed from without but from within. He considers George Orwell’s book, 1984, and Aldous Huxley’s book, Brave New World. Postman wrote, “Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think….In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared what we love will ruin us.”¹ 

It wasn’t but just a few short weeks ago that I witnessed two young ladies texting on their cell phones. I asked them if they were texting each other as opposed to just speaking out loud. “No, we’re texting our other friends.” Interestingly enough, one of them actually told me about one of their teachers at their high school that actually writes his notes on the marker board in “text language.” It is a totally different language than what you are reading right now in this article.

 

I witnessed another phenomenon. The phenomenon of “gaming” is what I mean. This idea that our children need Xboxes and iPads and Droids and Wiis is beyond anything that I ever saw as a kid. They have all their toys and games that they can carry in their pockets. Do you remember the days when all you had to play with was a stick and an empty bottle? I do! My mother told us over and over again that arcade games were just a waste of money. Now you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home if you have game boxes and other things. Kids are getting fat because they don’t exercise enough due to sitting and playing games on their TVs in their bedrooms.

 

Then there’s the sporting events. That’s right! You read me correctly! People are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to go and watch a bunch of sweaty, smelly men throwing a “pigskin” around. Then there’s baseball. We know of people who say they can’t sit in a church service for one hour but they can sit on metal seats at a stadium for a good solid nine innings or even more if it goes into overtime. And what about Nascar? Does anybody realize that Nascar is a bunch of people driving in a big circle? Granted they’re driving 200+ miles per hour, but it’s still a big circle! What about hockey? Well, because it’s my favorite sport there’s nothing wrong with spending a bunch of money and time to watch a game! (I hope you understand that I am joking about hockey!)

 

Let’s face it, friends, we truly are amusing ourselves to death. Whether it’s watching TV, movies, playing games, being involved in sports or anything else, we are a society that seems to love what we have and do rather than keeping our priorities straight.

 

Read what the Lord Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Our ruin is that we love other things rather than loving God. People are falling apart because we don’t love them as we love ourselves. The society in which we live is becoming more and more dangerous as we love other things rather than loving God and people.

 

So what can we do about it? First, we can get those things that distract us from the Lord out of our lives. It doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun or be amused at times, it just means that we are ridding ourselves of distraction. Second, we can encourage each other to love and good works (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25). Let’s stop amusing ourselves to death and let’s start loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind.

¹ Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Viking, 1985, vii-viii.

"Help! I Need Somebody! Help! Not Just Anybody! Heeeeeeelp!"

We know them as The Beatles. Paul, John, Ringo and George, the English rock band stars that were active throughout the 1960s and on of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music.¹ Now I have to admit, I have always enjoyed listening to The Beatles. They had a sound that revolutionized the music industry. One of the more fascinating tidbits about The Beatles is that they were actually the opening act in England for Roy Orbison, another one of my favorite musicians.

 

One of my favorite songs from John Lennon and Paul McCartney is “Help!”. I believe that the words are quite telling of how people really do need help. Read some of the lyrics from the song:

Help, I need somebody.

Help, not just anybody.

Help, you know I need someone, help.

When I was younger, so much younger than today,

I never needed anybody’s help in any way.

But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured,

Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I’m feeling down

And I do appreciate you being round.

Help me, get my feet back on the ground,

Won’t you please, please help me.

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,

My independence seems to vanish in the haze.

But every now and then I feel so insecure,

I know that I just need you like I’ve never done before.

Did you catch it? Here’s a couple of guys who wrote this song and they are crying out for help. Granted, it makes for a catchy tune and I would suspect that neither of them would attest to needing anybody’s help. After all, as John Lennon put it, “We’re more famous than Jesus Christ!”

 

But this is the tragedy of it all. The Beatles are one of the most famous musical groups to ever grace the world and they truly did need help. No, they didn’t really need the help of a manager or producer. I believe they would have figured things out on their own as far as the music industry is concerned. The true help they needed was from the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that Lennon was mocking, for that matter, all of The Beatles.

And this is the cry of the world! “Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody! Help! You know I need somebody! Heeeeeeelp!”

 

There was another fellow that was seeking the same kind of help. His name was Nicodemus. You remember him from John 3:1-21. He was seeking to know who the Lord Jesus was and the Lord revealed Himself to Nicodemus. We find later in the Gospel of John that it was this same Nicodemus that helped Joseph of Arimathea tend to the body of the Lord after He died on the Cross (John 19:39). Nicodemus needed “somebody” and it wasn’t just “anybody” that he needed. He needed the Savior of the world—the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, all of us need the exact same Helper!

 

As we come into the Christmas season, let’s remember that there are many who crying, “Help!” And as we remember those who are crying for help, let’s remember that we have the responsibility to tell them to Whom they should turn to for help. Our responsibility is to tell them, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

 

¹ Unterberger, Richie (2009a). "Biography of The Beatles". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 September 2009.

Sitcom Heaven!

World Magazine is reporting in its November 5, 2011 issue that there is a “comedy revival”¹ that is taking place in America. It is taking place through the sitcom craze that is suddenly hot again. Now remember that “reality” TV has been the hottest thing since sliced bread. It all started with Fox Television with the series Cops. It has aired since 1989 and it has had a huge following since it first started. Right after Cops we had America’s Most Wanted that aired on Fox Television for over two decades. Now we have America’s Got Talent and American Idol. Reality TV has been huge.

 

But the reality of the crises that we are facing here in America today are taking its toll on us. The seriousness of people losing jobs concerns everybody—even those who are still working because they have seen co-workers laid off. The reality of the economic issues that we are facing is equally disturbing. For those who have invested heavily in the stock market or in mutual funds they are seeing their retirement go up and down, up and down. For the most part, because of the world economy, we just don’t know what’s going to happen next. Then we have wars and rumors of wars. We used to have enemies that we simply knew as enemies. Now we’re not sure if our next door neighbors are actually friends or terrorists. The wars for which America is involved are slowing down and even coming to a supposed “end”, but the casualties are still rising and uncertainty in those regions is growing.

 

So comes the comedy—the sitcoms. Now that everything has become too real, we need a little entertainment to take our minds off of the reality of what’s happening around us. An interesting idea about these modern-day sitcoms is that they are geared toward families once again. No, it is not the “Leave It to Beaver” or the “Ozzie & Harriet” types of families that we are seeing. Rather, we are seeing the “new” families. The Modern Family is a huge hit on ABC but the families they portray are not how the Bible speaks of how the family ought to be. There is a homosexual couple who has an adopted daughter. Another couple shows how a man and a woman just seem to get along life’s journey but without much order. Again, these families are not portrayed in the Bible and they are not as they should be.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” God’s view of “family” begins in Genesis 1:26, 27 when He desires to create man in His image—both male and female. In Genesis 2:21-25 He describes how the man is alone and that He desires for him to have a helper. God creates a helper for Adam and Adam names her Eve. God charged the new couple to “be fruitful and to multiply” in order that they may subdue the earth. He blessed them with the ability to have children. Moreover, see how the family was structured: one man, one woman, to bear children. Even the New Testament (cf. Ephesians 5-6) describes that an intact family consists of one man, one woman and their children. Over and over again we see how God has established the family.

 

But is the sitcom really something in which we should participate? Is reality TV something in which we should participate? The reality of these shows—both sitcoms and reality TV—will eventually guide your thinking if you’re not cautious. What humors us most may hinder us most. Let’s study God’s Word to learn how to deal with the daily issues that we face.²

1 World Magazine, November 5, 2011, Comedy Revival, www.worldmag.com/articles/18769.

2 We will be sharing other Scriptures in the coming weeks of how the family is to operate. Be looking for the upcoming issues of A Note From the Pastor.

To Whom Shall We Turn?

True Bible study is needed in the church today. There are fewer and fewer people in the church today that spend very much time in prayer and study of the Word of God. However, statistics show that those who read and study the Bible are more likely:

• To give generously to the church.
• To be active in a small group or Sunday School class.
• To share their faith more often.
• To spend greater time in prayer.
• To attend worship services regularly.
• To be involved in local ministries and international missions.¹

Isn’t that interesting? Could these statistics be the reason for so many who have fallen away from the study and reading of the Bible? Could these be the reasons why so many people have fallen away from the church in America? After all, the “preacher” keeps asking us to “give, give, give” when it comes to tithing. Our time is filled with so many different events (such as sports, birthdays, holidays, hunting, etc.) that to add just one more thing to our schedules like small group or Sunday School class puts such a strain on us. Not everyone is going to welcome the Gospel of the Lord Jesus so it’s better not to be disappointed by a rejection so we just don’t share the Gospel. Prayer is a good thing—when we’re getting our own way, but when the Lord says ‘no’ to our petitions it’s just aggravating. As long as we regularly attend ‘a’ worship service (not necessarily every week, but perhaps 2-3 times a month) then we’re doing pretty well; that’s enough to get us by until the next time we think we need to make an appearance. Local ministries and international missions sounds great, but as long as we’re giving a cent here and there we’re involved, right?

The fact of the matter is that the above paragraph is how so many people think when it comes to facing the truth of where they are. And the sad thing is that people don’t seem to be convicted about any of their thinking. When we read and study the Bible on a regular basis it causes us to think and many of us are just plain tired of thinking. That’s why we watch a bunch of television; it takes our minds off of what’s going on in our lives. Or that’s why we lean heavily on entertainment because it helps us to have a break from the ‘real world.’

 

The sad reality is that too many people in the modern church today just don’t think that God and His Word, the Bible, are all that important in the scheme of things. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the church is wanting in today’s culture and society. It has become a behemoth that needs to be eradicated in the minds of humanists and secularists around the world. The ideas of the Christian church are passé and should just be set aside altogether. But to whom shall we turn? Turning to ourselves only means a bigger mess than what we have today. To whom shall we go? With this great turning away, we say with Peter the disciple, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God (John 68, 69).

1 Rainer, Thom S., Initials. "From My Perspective." Facts & Trends, Fall2011, lifeway.com (accessed October 18, 2011), 4-5.

Elijah's Challenge

The challenge was great. There were 450 prophets against one. It is the story of Elijah—you know, when he challenged the prophets of Baal. Now these prophets had some major backing. What I mean is that these prophets belonged to Jezebel who was King Ahab’s wife. She was a pretty rough woman with which to contend, but Elijah threw no low punches. He went right to the heart of the matter.


Elijah challenged the 450 prophets to call on their gods and he would call on his God and the one who answered by fire would be the one that was to be worshiped. The prophets set up their altar and began to call on the names of their gods. They called...they wailed...they began to cut themselves and bleed...and all the while Elijah the prophet sat there and watched all of this take place. Then, after a while, Elijah began to mock these prophets. After all, they had been going through their exercise for quite a long time. He began to hurl insults at them: “Hey! Why don’t you cry out a little louder! Maybe Baal is still in bed!” or “Hey! If you cut yourselves some more maybe he’ll respond to you better!” Can you see it? He’s up on Mount Carmel making fun of these guys.

And then it was Elijah’s turn. He built an altar and placed a bunch of wood on the altar of the Lord. He dug a trench around the altar and had the people fill up the trench with water. Then he told them to pour a bunch of water over the sacrificial bull. But he didn’t stop there! He had them pour even more water over the altar to the point that the bull and the wood was soaking wet. Wait! Elijah had them do it even a third time to ensure that it would not spark and catch on fire if he was trying to start it himself.

Read what Elijah then said: LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that YOU have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37). A simple request with a simple recognition of who the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel is. What was God’s response? He came down in fire and consumed all of the water, the bull, the wood and the stones that were placed around the altar of the Lord (18:38, 39).

It’s an amazing story, isn’t it? It never ceases to amaze us to read stories like this from the Scriptures. But something gets in the way of realizing that the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel is the same LORD God of us today. For some reason we forget this to be our reality. What is it? For what reasons do we forget? Perhaps what we ought to do is read these stories and make those simple requests of the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel and give Him the recognition for who He is—who He has always been. As Elijah, what we ought to do is to seek to give Him the glory in everything. After all, He is the One who has made it possible for us to do anything for Him in the first place. The last time I checked I didn’t just happen to have the ability I have apart from His gifting or His blessing or His provision or His righteous choosing to bless and have compassion and mercy. Let’s be thankful to Him for the great things that He has done...is doing...and intends to do in the future.

Love, Love, Love

“What the world needs now is love!” You remember the old song that has those words, don’t you? The song was written by Hal David and composed by Burt Bacharach. It was first recorded by Jackie DeShannon and was released on April 15, 1965. The song itself has been recorded by over one hundred different recording artists. Read some of the lyrics of the song:

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord we don’t need another mountain,

There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,

There are oceans and rivers enough to cross

Enough to last until the end of time.

Lord, we don’t need another meadow

There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow,

There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine,

Oh listen, Lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

No not just for some, oh but just for every, everyone.

Interesting song! David and Bacharach wanted to get the message out that it is love that is truly needed in our world today.

The Bible tells us of a love that surpasses every other kind of love. Read how the Lord Jesus Christ said it in John 3:16-18:

For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. (HCSB)

What our world needs is the love of God through the Lord Jesus Christ! David and Bacharach missed what has already been given to everyone in the world.

We Have the Technology - So Study!

In Williamsburg, Iowa, Kinze Manufacturing has invented a new tractor system for farmers. What used to take hours for one person to plow a field may only involve a few hours of programming the system and to watch the tractor and the farm implements do the job on their own. The way the system works is that the tractor will plow rows and make turns in a field with the help of GPS (Global Positioning System), sensors, and a computer programmed to stop the tractor if it encounters a fence, pickup truck or animal. Representatives from the company have not yet set the sale price or the date of release for this product.


The World Magazine article went on to say: “Farmers have been using GPS guidance to reduce overlap and to work at night for years, but it has required a driver in the cab. If cost and safety hurdles are cleared for autonomous tractor systems, they could enable farmers to take advantage of good weather days by doing 24-hour planting—or to automatically run a grain cart alongside a combine during harvest.1

Isn’t that just amazing? Man has achieved so much in the last 150 years as far as modern-day technology. The United States of America has led the world in technological advances and much of the world has benefited from all of the various inventions and patents. If it wasn’t for these inventions men, women, boys and girls would not be wearing clothes that fit properly nor would they be able to keep in touch at the touch of a button on a cell phone, nor would they be able to be fully protected in a car accident. Years ago people only dreamed of some of these things; but now these things have come to fruition.

The issues that we face today are not that we don’t have enough technology. On the contrary, we have plenty of technology that has crippled many people. For instance, the invention of the television may have been a marvelous thing, but now it has crippled communication amongst various families who watch on average five to six hours of television a day. Another example is the internet. The internet was created originally for the State Department and for our Armed Forces but it quickly developed into a world wide web in which anyone from anywhere could be “online.” With this online capability people have been so engrossed that many of them have forgotten how to have a “face-to-face” conversation with someone else because of the anonymity of the internet and the various chat rooms. What about food technology? We have huge freezers full of food while many around the world are starving for just a morsel.

But what is even more distressing is the fact that we have all sorts of modern ways to study the Bible, yet, unfortunately speaking, many do not delve into using these tools. There are websites from where you can read the Bible in just about any known language. There are Bible study tools online and even that one can purchase for their computers, yet, for whatever reason, they are hardly ever used. One can download books on a computer notebook or iPad, but what is downloaded more than books? Movies, music and such things that are merely distractions like computer games.

And what of the Bible itself? We have Bibles that have study notes in them. We have Bibles that you can read that are large print or regular print or small print. You can buy a Bible that has the Greek and Hebrew texts along with the translation of both language. You have Bible studies and videos and Christian music. And yet we find that there are very few people relatively speaking that spend much time in the study of the Bible. When life serves up a bowl of lemons, to whom do people generally turn? Believe it or not, many still turn to the Church for answers. And what do most churches do? They generally turn the away to some other organization that can help them.

The fact of the matter is this: If you have access to the technology of our day that allows you to study the Bible and to learn how to really live life to its fullest, what’s holding you back? God’s Word says very clearly in 2 Timothy 2:15:

Study to show yourselves approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly teaching the word of truth.

We have all of the tools that we’ll ever need to know the Lord Jesus through His Word. Why not stop, pray and pick up your Bible and read it out loud for a while. You’ll be amazed how God still speaks even in a world that is full of devices and distractions.

1 World Magazine, Auto Farm, September 24, 2011, Vol. 26, Num. 19, pp. 63.

“Tangled in Red Tape”1 is the title of an article in World Magazine.1 The article itself is talking about how small businesses are concerned about the uncertainty in today’s market. Because of the many different policies and regulations that are coming out of Washington, D.C., job growth in the United States is at an all time low while jobless rates are at an all time high. Over 46,000,000 people are considered to be at the poverty level while over 26% of America is now unemployed. The “nanny” state mentality has grown even more ferociously as ever before. People are expecting that the government should be aiding and taking care of them as well as all of their problems—whether they be financial, job, family, housing and the list continues to grow.

But what of the Church? Unfortunately with the turning of the tides so goes the Church. As society appears to be going down in a ball of flames, many people within the Church begin to wonder if everything else is going down in flames—including the Church! However, we all need to be reminded from time to time that the Church does not belong to society or to us. Rather, the Church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice that I said ‘the Lord Jesus Christ.’ In reality, because the Church does not belong to society or to us and because Jesus is Lord, the Church still remains as a beacon to a lost and dying world. Society can not and should not be the gauge by which the Church operates nor should we be the standard by which we gauge the Church’s existence. Instead, the Church ought to do what the Head desires for the Body to do.

Let me give you a for instance: the brain in my head is telling my fingers what keys to press on the keyboard to my computer. By the brain in my head telling my fingers which keys to press I am typing this article. The same holds true for the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church: whatever it is that He says we as His Body ought to do. So the question arises, what are we to do?

First, we need to believe God and His Word. Proverbs 30:5 says, Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. The Scriptures attest to the fact that every word is true and faithful (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21). We can rely on what it is God says because what He has said is always trustworthy, faithful, pure, noble, lovely and true.

Second, we need to believe that God is truly in control of all things—whether good or bad. Lamentations 3:37-38 says, Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed? Wow! The Scriptures teach us that God is in control woe and well-being. It is from Him that all things can be and it is by Him that we can go through them whether they are woes or well-beings (cf. Job 1:21, 22).

Third, we need to believe God for His provision. Philippians 4:19 says, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. What a wonderful truth this is. The Apostle Paul was encouraging the Philippians to continue to give so that the advance of the Gospel might continue. And he was also praising God for their faithfulness in their giving. Beloved, God has always been faithful to us and there has never been a time when He has not been faithful. Even in the midst of tough financial times, He still wants us to believe that He will meet our every need and He still wants us to be like He is (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 1 Peter 1:16).

Finally, we need to believe God for His protection. Psalm 34:7 says, The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. There is nobody in whom we place our trust for protection except for the Lord Himself. The psalmist knew that his relationship to the Lord was of utmost importance. That meant that he was being diligent no doubt in reading and studying God’s Word (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). He no doubt was about the business of doing all that he could to seek God’s face and will. Beloved, God is our Protector from the enemy. We know that our chief enemy is the Great Dragon himself—the devil. But let’s not forget that he is merely a created being who in the end faces the wrath and eternal punishment of the Almighty. He may be the god of this world, but we serve the God of the universe! The devil is here for a time, but our God has been since before time and will continue into eternity!

When your faith is waning, ask the Lord Jesus to help your unbelief. The amazing thing about a prayer like this is that He always answers it by helping us.

1 World Magazine, September 24, 2011, Vol. 26, Num. 19, pp. 34-37.

Ruler of the Storms

World Magazine reported on Hurricane Irene’s many victims in a recent article called Calm amidst the Storm (September 24, 2011, Vol. 26, No. 19). Of it’s many victims, forty-six people were killed and in thirteen states millions were left without power. Homes were damaged—some beyond repair—and early cost estimates of damage ranges $7 to as high as $10 billion. With these high costs, this is estimated to be one of the most costly disasters in the nation’s history. The article stated that wind damage alone could cost more than $1 billion.


And who showed up to help those affected by Irene? Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. They were removing downed trees and all of this was done for free. Over 13,500 meals were prepared by Virginia’s Southern Baptists and “flood recovery teams spent the week enduring a heat wave in sealed protection suits while tearing out water-soaked insulation and unloading buckets of mud and silt from area homes.” All this was done by Southern Baptists.

But what of the government? The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) budget is almost about to run out due to the tornados in the Midwest and Southern states. FEMA has over $400 billion in claims that are still pending from before Hurricane Irene. New Jersey Governor Christ Christie said, “Our people are suffering now. And they need support now.” Perhaps FEMA should take a few lessons from Southern Baptists!

But more importantly than the material damage to these victims is the fact that many of them were facing a different kind of storm prior to Irene. Many people in the United States today are without the Lord Jesus Christ. Many wander from here to there looking for love in all the wrong places and when inner storms arise they have no where to turn. The swirling winds of thoughts flood their minds causing all sorts of disasters within themselves. They are searching for answers and to whom shall they go? Many of them turn inward or go to someone who they think will help them to get past the emotional scars that they are developing within themselves. Brokenhearted they attempt to resolve the issues by themselves knowing that very few are concerned about others in this me, me, me culture.

But there is One who does care. He is the same One who confronted the disciples on a boat that as they were sailing across the Sea of Galilee. This One was calmly asleep—unaffected by the storm. The disciples on the other hand were feverishly trying to keep the boat afloat. With every wave of fear raging against them one of the woke up the Lord Jesus and said that they were perishing and it did not seem to the disciples that the Lord even cared. Then, when all hope seemed lost, the Lord Jesus simply said, Peace be still! At that very moment, the winds died and Sea was calm like crystal (Mark 4:35-41).

Then a question was asked by the Lord Jesus to His disciples, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? Beloved, this is the issue facing every believer today: a lack of faith. Rather than trusting that they would reach the other side, even in the midst of a storm, the disciples were fearful. With Hurricane Irene people are fearful wondering how they are going to survive such devastation and those who were ravaged in the tornados are still wondering the same thing. People are fearful of financial ruin because of the stock market. People are fearful of the next beg stimulus package that the President is trying to usher through Congress. People are fearful that their futures are falling apart before their very eyes while looking to everything and everyone to solve their problems. But it is He to whom we should turn. It is He who said, Peace be still! It is He who is the answer to all of life’s problems.

And when we turn to the Lord Jesus with this type of faith it is not a Pollyannaish whim. It is exactly what He wants us to do in the midst of the storms of life. When we turn to Him by faith we come to understand that this world is just our temporary home. We will are not here but for a few generations. The Lord Jesus wants us to realize that our home is beyond this world, that our home which He is preparing for us (cf. John 14:1-3) is beyond anything that we can see.

The writer put it this way concerning those who are listed in the great chapter of faith: But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:16). Turn to the Lord Jesus by faith; seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

Trusting in Chariots or in the Lord Jesus

September 11, 2001 -- a day that will live in infamy in the hearts and minds of every American. It was a horrifying picture of two commercial airliners flying into the buildings. At first glance it seemed that perhaps the pilot of the first plane veered off course or perhaps one of his gauges was wrong. Witnesses on the streets surrounding the Towers were shocked to see the first plane hit the World Trade Center.

Then, after a few horrifying minutes, a second commercial airplane hit the second Tower. At this point people began to realize that the United States of America was under attack by a foreign enemy. President George W. Bush was visiting an elementary school in Florida when he received the news of the attack by then Chief of Staff, Andrew Card. The President maintained as best as he could a sense of calmness when he received the news as not to startle the children or other adults present in the classroom with him. As he was scurried off to the White House's jumbo plane, Air Force One (which becomes Air Force One when the President is aboard), President Bush wanted to immediately return to Washington, D.C. to inform the nation from the Oval Office that our Country was under attack. Under advisement, Air Force One remained airborne for the safety of the President.

Then, when it seemed that the firemen and rescue men were starting to make way, one of the Towers collapsed: one floor on top of another until the entire Tower came tumbling down. The second Tower minutes later came tumbling down as did the first. News of other commercial airliners being taken hostage were being reported. One of them flew into the Pentagon while another was lost in Pennsylvania after brave Americans tried to take over the plane from its hostage takers.

It was finished. The attack that was plotted against the United States was through. Rejoicing in other parts of the world by the attackers, Al Qaeda, was taking place. Anguish and turmoil on American soil was ever present all over the Country. President Bush declared war against terrorism and any country that was harboring terrorists. As for the war on terror, it still ever rages from every corner of the world.

But to whom shall we turn in tragedies such as this? To whom shall we go? The Psalmist wrote these poignant words:

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings and find your burnt offering acceptable! May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel! We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright. Save, O LORD; may the King answer us in the day we call. (Psalm 20:1-9)

The point is this: You can trust in all of the man made solutions that arise from incidents like this or you can trust in the God who is the Sovereign over all things — including the tragedies that all of face in this world.

So, one must ask themselves: Will I trust in what I can do and what others like me can do? Or, will I boast in the name of the LORD, our God and trust Him to see me through? It is without a shadow of doubt in my mind that I not only will but must turn to the Sovereign. It is in Him that I find peace in the midst of tragedy.Many people will turn to the government for help in times like 9/11. However, there are many who will turn to the Lord for His saving of them — especially in times of tragedy like 9/11.