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Tag: Jesus Christ

  • Do You Practice What You Preach?

    [For the second time in a very short period of time I find myself breaking one of my primary rules for a fixed length BLOG and making a long post (about 2.6 times longer than my average).  I realize that your time is a precious commodity and that time spent on one resource (on the Internet) is time lost to another resource.  However, I believe the hypocrisy in our political, social, and religious conversations these days is spiraling out of control and wanted to share my thoughts on it.  For continuity's sake I am putting this discourse into one post rather than breaking it apart.]

    For all of my life and for all of history that I have learned, there has been one complaint that is constantly brought up: You Christians are hypocrites. And I’ll be bold enough to answer this criticism on behalf of all Christians everywhere: Yes, we are. And if you are a Christian who is screaming at your screen right now: I am not a hypocrite! then I guess I’ll just speak for myself and remind everyone that not only am I the biggest hypocrite here, I am also still chief amongst sinners.

    We are all human and we all live in a sinful world. And all of us (the entirety of humanity) are bound to slip at points and not exactly practice what we preach. And when we don’t practice what we preach, well that is pretty hypocritical.

    But all of that is mostly an academic argument. The real heart of the matter is why the criticism is brought up in the first place. And that (usually) is: You Christians want to force your morals on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to force your God on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to tell me what to do. Which is a really interesting lie from Satan that actually surprises me that so many people believe.

    There are three words in my vocabulary that I have been told I am never allowed to use (except when referring to Nancy Pelosi). Those words are stupid, idiotic, and moron. And I understand those are harsh and hurtful words, however they sometimes spill out of my mouth when frustrated by the inexplicable lunacy we see in the world around us. However, I’ve freely admitted that Christians are indeed hypocritical at times. What I’d ask of any rational thinking person is that they would honestly evaluate their own arguments and consider what really occurs.

    For example, Christians just want to force their morals/values on everyone else. But do you even know what Christian morals or values are? You may think that you do because you feel that they are anything that tells you, you can’t do what you please. But let me tell you what Christian morals and values really are:

    (1) To have no other god before the Lord God in Heaven. Christians worship God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The triune God of all of creation. There is no way that I or any other Christian can force you to worship God. Not even with torture or under duress. Worship just cannot be forced on anyone. It is an act of free will. So no, Christians do not force this on anyone. Rather they invite people to participate in the worship of the one true God. The world, on the other hand, insists that Christians worship at their alter and honor their gods. The world constantly and consistently forces their worship of child sacrifices through abortions, immorality through transgenderism and LBGTQIA+ agendas, and insisting that Christians cater to them in business and grant them marriages in God’s houses of worship, and to even grant them Holy Communion under the practices of the Christian faith. The world demands that Christian honor their religions, without showing the same respect and courtesy to Christianity.

    (2) To make no graven images of worship. Christians are to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Not bowing down to some golden idol made by kings. And when the governments set up graven images and command the people to bow down and worship, Christians should not, and I will not, bow down and worship them. Even when threatened with being thrown into the fiery furnace. Christians do not hail Cesar (or Hitler, or the President, or even the Pope) as a god. And obviously Christians cannot force you to you to not make graven images nor to not bow down and worship them. Rather it is the world that wants to tear down and eradicate the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the world that wants to close the doors of Christian churches. It is the world that has hated Christians throughout all of history and has sought to end it. And it is the world that creates the graven images of worship that they then demand Christians bow down to.

    (3) To not take the name of the Lord God in vain. Christians are physically and emotionally pained when around someone who vehemently, needlessly, and with scorn exclaims the name of Jesus Christ. And this is a particularly puzzling thing since Jesus Christ is our God. So why does the world delight in exclaiming the name of the Christian God as an explicative? Christians do not force this on anyone, rather it is the world that insists on causing pain and anguish by repeatedly invoking the name of Jesus Christ inappropriately in their conversation. If we really wanted a kinder, gentler world, I would think that the world would be a little more sensitive and respectful in their conversations.

    (4) To remember the sabbath and to keep it holy. Christians want to work six days a week and on the seventh day, to rest and worship God. This may vary between various groups and practices with some debate on whether Saturday or Sunday (on the Gregorian calendar) is the proper day of worship, but Christians want to keep one day a week holy, meeting in their synagogues, temples, or churches to worship as they see fit. I know of no law of man in any free world country that would compel you to keep the sabbath holy. And indeed, Christians cannot, and do not force this on anyone. If anything, I would say that it is the world that has succeeded in making the Sabbath an un-holy day (or just another day of the week).

    (5) To honor their fathers and mothers. Christians believe in a nuclear family consisting of a father and a mother. That they have the inalienable God given right, duty, and responsibility to raise up their children in the way they should go. And that those children should honor their fathers and mothers so that their days may be long upon the Earth. Is it Christians that force other’s children to honor their parents? Of course not. Christians suggest that the world would be a much better place if we had children that honored their fathers and mothers, but Christians have enough responsibility raising their own children let alone everyone else’s. So why is it then that the world is not content to raise their own children but insists on moral and ethical indoctrination of children within the public school system? It is the world that wants to take a place of learning and turn it into a place of socialization and indoctrination. Why do our public-school systems believe it is OK to usurp parents’ responsibilities and thrust a state sponsored set of morals and values upon them? And while the world believes it is Christians that want to force their morals and values on everyone else, the world goes blindly by as public schools promote Heather Has Two Mommies or the support by teachers of transgenderism in the classroom. Forcing their morals and their values on Christian students.

    (6) To not commit murder. Christians are fiercely pro-life. Christians know life is a gift from God and that death is the wages of sin. Christians know God is the author of life and that all life comes from him and is for His honor and His glory. Christians also know that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price of His own life so that we may have eternal life with Him. Not taking the life of another human through deliberate means contrary to God’s law (murder) is respect for the precious gift of life and the creator that sustains it. It is the world that does not see life as precious. And why should they? If everything is just an accident of natural forces within the universe and all of humanity just happened to crawl out of the primoradial ooze by chance, then who cares if a person lives or dies? There is no meaning to it all, and no greater consequences to our actions here on earth. So, it is easy for the world to sacrifice little unborn children in abortion factories. It is easy for the world to champion euthanasia. It is easy for the world to pull the life support plug on those hanging by a thread. And it is easy for the world to adopt a cavalier attitude towards the suicide and murder rates within our cities and towns and not rush to defend the innocent. This is all because the world does not respect nor cherish life.

    (7) To not commit adultery. Christians believe in the sanctity of a Biblical marriage between a man (biological male at birth) and a woman (biological female at birth). Or at least they should. Christians believe that marriage is ordained by God and is a depiction of his perfect plan in the world. God is a trinity – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. Humans are a trinity – a Body, a Soul (our mind, will, emotions), and a Spirit (that part of us that connects with God and that He sustains). Our families are a trinity – a Father, a Mother, and Children. Our Churches are a trinity – Jesus Christ (the head of the Church), a Pastor (Priest, Rabbi), and the body (congregation). Even the US Government is a trinity – the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. This balanced design is seen throughout our world and Christians know that a breakdown in this balance (such as the act of adultery in a marriage) has disastrous consequences long term. It strains (or often destroys) the marriage. It perpetuates discord and distrust in the lives of children, often for several generations. And it betrays a commitment and a trust that Jesus Christ has set an example of through His love for us. The world takes great pleasure in sexual promiscuity. And it is easy to understand why as lust has a very powerful pull in our lives. So, while Christians do not sanction the act of adultery as it destroys the trinity of the marriage, they still recognize (and at times succumb to themselves) the dangerous alluring temptations of adulterous relationships. It is for this reason that Christians believe they need to be on their constant guard such that they are able to stand against the temptations of evil. The world delights in tearing this guard down. The world delights in the sensual, the sexual, and the temptations that destroy families. And all the while the world is flaunting these temptations and putting their own morality (or lack thereof) on display for all to see, they are demanding that Christians stop forcing Christian morals on them. One might honestly ask, who is forcing whose morals on whom?

    (8) To not steal. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them goes beyond just respecting others property and others’ rights. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them from others is trusting in God. It is trusting God to provide for their needs (without having to steal from others). It is trusting God bless them and keep them (without having to take the blessings of others). And it is trusting God with a jealous heart in that God has provided for them as He has seen fit and not as they see fit in their own eyes. Seemingly, for the world, taking that which is not theirs has become a standard of excellence. Our news is filled with stories of rioting and looting across our entire country. The world believes it is “owed” something as people demand reparations and seek compensation for perceived injustices. And it is the world that constantly strives to ignore the crime of theft, to the point where the State of California will hardly prosecute thieves anymore.

    (9) To not bear false witness. For Christians, not bearing witness to the truth, should remind them of the betrayal of their Lord and Savior to be crucified on a cross. Christians believe in honesty and integrity in their witness because it depicts the honesty and integrity of God’s own words to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when He told them that if they were to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that they would surely die. And the lie that Satan then whispered into Eve’s ear that they would not die but would become as gods. And Christians should love all even as God loves all. To bear false witness against another and cause them harm, is the same betrayal shown by Satan at the beginning of time. More and more it would seem that the world is no longer with Christians when it comes to truthful testimony in court. Especially in politics. Today we simply need to turn on our cable network news, visit a news WEB site on the internet, consult a social media application on our cell phone, or tune into talk radio. The world is full of those that bear false witness against others and have no problem with it whatsoever when it is to their benefit.

    (10) To not covet their neighbors’ possessions. Christians believe that they should be content with what God has given them and that their desires should not be for the things of this world, but rather for the things of God. For Christians, not coveting or lusting after the possessions of others is to keep from replacing God in their lives with the things of this world. It is to keep their hearts and minds free to be filled by God and not the desires for the possessions of others. And as with all other Christian morals/values, Christians cannot force this upon the rest of the world. It is something that must be accomplished individually and personally. Today, the world is trying to force socialism and communism upon all of us. The world tries to force a level playing field to the detriment of all. And the world is immensely jealous of the “haves” and the “have nots” believing that it is a blight on society that they must fix. It is the world that is trying to play out it’s lust and covet-ness on everyone (including Christians).

    And on all of these hang the entire law. These 10 morals/values that Christians hold to (or at least should strive to make a reality in their own lives) define an outcome that places God first, others second, and themselves last. And Christians see the world this way (or should see the world this way) because God sees the world this way. Christians can consider every other person better than themselves because Jesus Christ, being God, did not consider Himself better than God and gave Himself up for all of creation. God humbled Himself before us, the creation, and we should do the same for others around us.

    And I don’t really believe that people are stupid, or idiotic. At least I don’t believe that about the majority of people. I believe that people are not honest. They are not honest with themselves, and they are certainly not honest with others. If they were, they would recognize their own hypocrisies and understand that they do not Practice What They Preach. Think about it.

  • Do You Count The Cost?

    There is a house just a couple of miles up the road from where my wife and I live. It is a house that has sat almost fully built for several years. Here is that house on Google Maps: 87-2182 Farrington Hwy – Google Maps. A closer image: Farrington Hwy – Google Maps.

    This home has been in a perpetual state of “almost completed” for probably close to a decade now. I have no idea what the actual story is with this house, but one rumor is that the builder ran into difficulties with zoning laws. If you look at the structure carefully you can see that it appears to be divided into at least four equal units, that might be individual apartments. And the rumor has it that the zoning in that area does not allow for multi-unit dwellings. Regardless of the reason, the house has remained just as it can be seen in the Google Maps image for several years.

    And the real kicker about this house is that it is directly across the road from Nanakuli beach. That would be this beach here. The real estate estimate on this property is $1.5 million. That is a fairly large sum of money to simply leave sitting in a partially developed property.

    Jesus Christ, while conversing with one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath, taught the people saying:

    28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Luke 14:28-30.

    It is somewhat incredible that Jesus Christ taught this very same truth more than 2000 years ago, and yet we are still falling into the same trap today as a people. The words of Holy Scripture are just as relevant now as they were 2000+ years ago. And this teaching is not just for those of us who own homes or are thinking about buying/building a home. The house/structure is simply the example. The truth in the teaching is to count the cost. In everything we do. We should count the costs in life.

    This is also true for governments and nations. We as a people need to count the costs.

    Today, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. The claims are that this legislation will result in new spending of $437 billion while raising an expected $737 billion and lowering the US National deficit by some $300 billion. Which is a net gain of some $600 billion ($737 billion raised – $437 billion spent = $300 billion + $300 billion in deficit reduction = $600 billion). Sounds fantastic, right? But have we really and truly counted the cost? Or have we begun to build the house without any hope of ever finishing it?

    If we look at just one provision of this legislation, the increase in IRS Agents by some 87,000 in new hires, we begin to gain some insight into just how well our government counted the cost.

    The addition of 87,000 new IRS Agents is key to the legislation. After all, if the majority of the $737 billion expected to be raised is going to come from taxes, you will need those Agents to process all that new revenue. But is it even feasible to hire 87,000 new IRS employees within 5 years? Most, if not all, government Agencies are currently struggling to meet their hiring goals for 2022. For most Agencies, to include DoD recruitment, those goals do little to increase the size of the Agency. They are geared toward simply keeping up with natural attrition (retirements, workers who leave for better job offers, etc.). To actually gain 87,000 new employees over five years would mean hiring goals of 17,400 new employees per year. Which is bound to put a strain on a system built to hire some 2,500 – 5,000 new employees per year. Part of the “cost” is what happens to the system as a result of an influx of 87,000 new employees.

    But let’s say that somehow the IRS magically manages to hire 87,000 new employees. What will those new employees cost? This is where the math becomes interesting.

    Obviously, there is the Direct Cost of their salaries. These new hires are expected to be 4-year degreed individuals with a financial background and who will be expected to go through basic firearms training. This roughly equates to a GS09 on the General Schedule. However, the base schedule is augmented by locality pay and sometimes COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment). These new hires will probably be scattered across the US, but the IRS has a large presence in both Washington D.C. and Atlanta Georgia. If we assume a GS09 Step 05 with an averaged locality pay we might assume $70,000 (rounded) per employee per year.

    But wait, what about Overhead Cost? Overhead Costs are things like healthcare, retirement, vacation, holidays, sick leave, etc. And those are very real costs that are paid with very real dollars by the Agency (in this case the IRS). Those costs are generally computed by businesses at 2/3 of the total salary. Which they calculate at 1.66 * $70,000 (salary) = $116,000 (rounded) per employee per year.

    But there is even more. We have to figure in General and Administrative Costs. Things like Human Resource (HR) personnel for all of those new employees, the facilities costs (where is the IRS going to get 87,000 new desks from?) and even parking spaces for the influx of new commuters. They include Information Technology (IT) support (plus all the new equipment for those employees) and even legal support to handle employee complaints and disputes. Most businesses compute these total costs at about double the employee loaded cost (Direct Cost + Overhead Cost). In this case $116,000 * 2 = $232,000 per employee per year.

    At this point our Inflation Reduction Act is costing us $232,000 * 87,000 = $20,184,000,000.00 ($20 billion) per year. Which is arguably only about 1/4 of the total $437 billion the legislation aims to spend over 5 years. But consider this, the $737 billion the legislation intends to raise, comes out of the American economy. Which is yours and my pockets. It’s not $737 billion being squandered or hoarded by corporations and the super-rich today. It is money that will affect everyone either directly or indirectly. And that toll + the $100 billion in spending on new hires may just mean that the house never gets built.

    There is one other cost I’d like you to consider today. And that is the cost of your eternity. There is a very real Heaven, and there is a very real Hell. And every bit of humanity will spend all of eternity in one or the other. Fortunately for humanity, the cost of Heaven has been paid by the Son of God, Jesus Christ some 2,000 plus years ago on a Cross on Mount Calvary. The only thing for you to do is to Consider That Cost.

  • Are You “Woke”?

    There is a prevailing movement alive today, that (supposedly) started a few short years ago, and purports to be ‘alert to racial prejudice and discrimination’ (see this Wikipedia article). This movement is the WOKE movement and in reality, it is just another “ME” movement.

    A “ME” movement is how I like to refer to movements that are all about the individual “me’s” in the group and have nothing to do with God. They always divide the people and are what Satan is using to drive people further and further away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in America today.

    It is amazing to me that the idea that people had somehow gone to sleep and suddenly become oblivious to racism, inequality, gender bias, or sexism and now need to “wake up” (become woke) has even been accepted by our society. I am not exactly sure what drugs these people are taking to cause them to go to sleep and turn a blind eye to racism but if I were them, I’d seriously consider getting this condition looked at before it started to affect my health and mental well-being.

    I guess I was ‘woke‘ before ‘woke‘ even became a thing because I have been aware of prejudice and racial inequality most of my life. And I’m not exactly sure how stupid these people really are, but if they think that racism and prejudice just suddenly sprang up while they were asleep, then this sickness is much worse than I imagined. Racism, prejudice, slavery, and all sorts of human atrocities have been around since the beginning of human history. Long, long before any of us were ever born.

    And I get it. These people are spreading the idea that we should all be ‘woke‘ and thus aware of prejudice and racism around us so that we can all do something about it and make the world a better place. But I have a question … “How’s that working out for you?” Because I do not believe that your movement has changed one heart or saved one life. And the reason it has not is because the movement is not about focusing people’s attention on God, but rather on themselves. In other words “It’s all about ME”. Thus they are a ME movement.

    And we can tell that these movements are ME movements because they are very, very selective. This is more than evident in the ‘woke‘ movement Black Lives Matter. This movement will almost always violently react to any other “Lives Matter” suggestion. And yes, there are extremists in the group that really believe only Black Lives matter (and no other lives). But even the non-extremist supporters will argue that if we were to have another “Lives Matter” movement that it would detract from Black Lives Matter and thus dilute the really important message of the day.

    These ME movements are so selective that they even refuse to acknowledge or recognize racism, prejudice, or injustice within their own groups. Thus they do not even recognize their own prejudice against not only other people groups, but even against their own, and then blame these incidents on others.

    The idea that I could be responsible for your prejudice or racism, or you for mine, is completely insane and defies all logic and reason. These groups refuse to take personal responsibility for their own actions and believe that they have no recourse or obligation to change their own circumstances but rather rely on the notion that others must conform to their desires and their way of thinking (which is happening more and more by-the-way). Thus they are ME movements which end up dividing people and creating segregated cultures and counter cultures that are driving us down a path that some believe will end in the destruction of America (or at the very least American Values as established by our founding fathers).

    I have another idea for people. Instead of another “woke” movement why don’t we try an “ALIVE” movement? I tend to believe that the more “ALIVE” people we have, the more awareness of racism and prejudice there will be. I also tend to believe that the more “ALIVE” people we have, the more changed lives we will have which will lead to a change in our cultures and a change in our country.

    So how do you join the “ALIVE” movement? Well, I believe you’ve taken the first step with your curiosity and interest. The mere fact that you are seeking to be “ALIVE” is a good thing. Your desire to be a part of the “ALIVE” movement is the start to a changed life and a new opportunity to be part of the solution.

    The next step to being a part of the “ALIVE” movement is to first recognize that you are dead to begin with. Don’t be too surprised at this. After all, one cannot become part of the “ALIVE” movement unless one is first dead. If you are already “ALIVE“, then you have no need to join a movement you are already a part of.

    In order to recognize you are dead, I recommend you look at Romans 6:13, Ephesians 2:1, and Colossians 2:13. You should come to the realization that all people (you and I and everyone else) are immersed in sin and that our sin has Spiritually killed us and rendered us dead in sin.

    But that leaves us with a problem. If we are already dead, and we recognize that we are dead, how can we be a part of the “ALIVE” movement? Well fortunately there is something that can be done to cure Spiritual death. To understand the cure, I recommend you check out Romans 6:23. You should come to the realization that there is indeed a price (a wage) that can be paid for sin. Death. Death will pay the price for sin in our lives. The astute seeker will now recognize a conundrum. How can I, being dead in my sin, pay the price of death for that sin?

    Well, that is the next step to being a part of the “ALIVE” movement. Do you see the word “but” in Romans 6:23? You can replace that with “however“. And the “however” is that there is a gift from God that will indeed provide us life, making us part of the “ALIVE” movement. So the next step is to recognize that there is a gift from God and that it is available to you and to me.

    The last step to being a part of the “ALIVE” movement is to accept that gift. For that part I recommend you look at John 3:16. You should recognize that accepting God’s gift of eternal life is to believe on the name of Jesus Christ. To believe that He is indeed the Son of God, that He died on the cross for your sins and for mine, that three days later He rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb He was laid in of His own accord. And that today He sits at the right hand of God the Father and intercedes for you and for me. If you believe, really and truly believe. Believe with all your Heart, and all your Mind, and all your Soul. And it is OK to ask for help with your unbelief (Mark 9:24). Then He will make you “ALIVE” (Colossians 2:13) by forgiving you of your sins and making you a part of His family. A new family. One that will last for all of eternity.

    And if you followed those steps to be a part of the “ALIVE” movement, I believe you can forget about the “Woke” movement at this point. Because now you have a new focus and a new purpose in life. That of following Jesus Christ our Lord. And that will make all the difference.

  • Is Jesus Christ God?

    The other day I was watching this video on YouTube:

    It is an hour and forty-one minutes long, however there are some very interesting questions asked with some perspectives given from both a Jewish point of view, and from the point of view of a Gentile.

    A gentile is easy to define as they are the group of people on Earth that are not of a Jewish linage. A Jew is a person of the linage of Abraham (the definition given defines the roots of the ancient kingdom of Judah, but we will go with the linage of Abraham here). A distinct characteristic of the Jewish people is that they were directly established by God, and are identified as the people of God, and the nation has the sole purpose to carry out the plan of God. (One may argue that all people fit that last criteria, and from a holistic perspective that would be correct, however God specifically identified the Jewish Nation as the Nation whereby the world would be cursed, or the world would be blessed).

    So the point of the discussion is views based on the perspective of God’s people, versus everyone else (at least as these two individuals represent those groups and express their own personal views). And if you are unaware, Dennis Prager is the Jew here, and Jack Hibbs is the gentile.

    There were many interesting aspects of the discussion, however there is one point I’d like to pick up specifically. During the questions and answers, the question was asked: “Is Jesus Christ the Messiah?” A very important point to a Jew, since the Messiah, was promised to the Jewish people, by God, as a savior or deliverer. And if Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah, then the Jewish Nation would expect the Kingdom of God to be established here on Earth today.

    The way Dennis Prager answered this question however, is quite interesting (and very eye opening). Dennis answered the question by saying (and I paraphrase) ‘The question to most Jews is not whether Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but whether or not he is God.’

    This is an extremely important distinction. To the Jew, the people of God, God is to be revered above all else. And the entity of God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, or simply “I AM”, is crucial to the Jew above all else. Even the name of God is to be reverenced (I am somewhat amused by people that run around and constantly try and “correct” everyone else on the correct name and pronunciation of the name of God. We should all be mindful of the fact that God did not hire any of us to protect his name – he is perfectly capable of that on his own and trying to correct someone on the pronunciation of the name of God is not being very respectful of the name of God). Asking, stating, or implying that Jesus Christ is God is the highest order of blasphemy and of the gravest of sins.

    So, is Jesus Christ indeed God? Probably the most important question one can ask (and discover an answer for) in a lifetime. So much hangs on this question it is a defining point between Heaven and Hell. It establishes eternity in its answer and separates all of human history in its asking.

    Is Jesus Christ God? Well first of all he said that he was. In John 14:8-9 Jesus clearly stated that if you had seen him, you had seen the Father. In this exchange the reference is clearly to God the Father. Jesus was saying that he and God the Father were equal, one in the same, if you had seen one you’ve seen the other. This line of reasoning extended to his claim to be the Son of God as well. In the Jewish culture the son represented the father. Indeed, in many parables if the son were acting on behalf of the father, it was if the father were carrying out the act himself. In John 10:30 He stated that he and the Father were one. And in John 8:58 He directly used a significant title of God.

    Secondly, God recognized Him as His own Son. In the Gospels are recordings of a voice from Heaven identifying Jesus Christ as His Son. In Matthew 17:5 a bright cloud appears and a voice from Heaven identifies Jesus Christ as His Son. In a Jewish context this would have equated Jesus Christ to God. And how would a voice be heard from Heaven more than 2,000 years ago? There were no special effects crews standing on the banks of the Jordan river. And yet hundreds of people heard a voice from the Heavens. The people of the time recognized this as the voice of God.

    Thirdly, those that followed him, the apostles and disciples recognized him as God. In John 1:1-3 John was referring to Jesus as “The Word” (meaning The Word of God) and clearly states that He was with God and was God. These are the claims that lead to Jeus’s crucifixion and were what set the religious leaders of the day against Him. And this claim is also what sent the vast majority of the apostles and disciples to their own exile and deaths. The only thing they needed to do to avoid torture and persecution was to deny the claim of Jesus Christ to be God. And yet these individuals were willing to be put to death rather than deny Christ.

    Lastly, Jesus Christ did what no other could do, he raised himself from the dead. In John 2:18-20 Jesus said, “I will raise it up“. Jesus Christ said that He and God were acting as one, in accord, in raising Him from the dead. And if Jesus Christ is not God, then God has allowed an imposters reputation to stand, and spread, all of the world, for more than two centuries.

    If there is still any doubt in your heart as to whether Jesus Christ is God, then I have this suggestion to both you and Dennis Prager, Ask Him. Just ask God to show you if Jesus Christ is indeed His Son and part of the Godhead. And sincerely, earnestly, honestly, and expecting an answer. And I believe that is one question God is guaranteed to answer.

  • Have You Heard The Voice?

    Have you seen the NBC show The Voice? If you have, you are (kind of) one up on me because I have not watched even one episode (at least not a complete episode). What I have watched however are quite a few YouTube compilations of the “best” auditions (at least in the opinion of those posting the YouTube videos).

    One I recently watched is this one:

    One of the interesting things about this particular compilation is all of the acts are groups. I believe they are all trios except for one. I had to Google this to be sure, but I believe the very first group up, A Girl Named Tom, (anyone else convinced that has to be a twist on A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash?) were the winners of the American competition of The Voice in 2021 and were the first trio to win. Kelley Clarkson, who seems to have quite a few winning teams on the show as a coach, practically begged the group to pick her as she pointed out she was the first to say she wanted them.

    There is something completely captivating about a harmony. When voices come together in a harmony smoothly and perfectly on pitch, it immediately gets your attention. I just love harmonies and every so often when a particular set of voices join together to create a harmony that is so breathtaking, you just know there will never be a repeat of that sound again ever in human history.

    Here are couple of my all-time favorites:

    What is especially captivating about the Gaither video (besides the fact that I just love the song) is the way they build by adding and subtracting parts and different voices throughout the song. Who just doesn’t appreciate a good harmony?

    A voice is a powerful thing. And when several voices come together in perfect harmony they are amplified and even more powerful. Voices can convey many different feelings and evoke many different emotions within us. They can touch lives, tear down lives, bring hope, or bring sorrow.

    I don’t know about you, but my parents had a simple little saying they taught us when I was a child. You have probably heard it. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me“. The idea was that when someone said something we did not like, when an insult was shouted at us, or an angry challenge was directed our way, that we should just ignore it and walk away. And while I understand the message that was trying to be conveyed, there is nothing further from the truth of “words will never hurt me“. The Holy Scriptures teach that words are really powerful and that we should be careful as to how we use them. And while I do believe that we are all individually responsible for how we receive words and what we do with them, that does not negate the fact the voice is a powerful thing and we had better use it responsibly.

    When people do not use their voice in a way that glorifies God and the Lord Jesus Christ, I recognize that I can either allow that to rule my circumstances or I can take my hurt and pain and leave it at the foot of The Cross.

    And I realize that there are people out there that will just insist that I cannot possibly know the pain they feel or the depths of despair they sink to whenever they hear a discouraging voice. I know that there are those people that want to believe that they, and they alone have felt the extreme depths of pain and despair and no one else understands what they are going through. All because of something someone said. All because of a voice out of harmony with their own.

    And I’ll admit, whenever I hear this sentiment expressed by my friends, I am in disbelief and wonderment as to whether or not they have heard The Voice.

    And I’m not talking about the NBC TV show here. I am talking about The Voice. The only Voice that matters. The Voice that is all powerful, in perfect harmony, and immediately demands your attention.

    I am, of course, referring to The Voice of God. The Voice that was heard in Mark 1:11. Interesting isn’t it that 2,000 years ago, when people did not have Internet, or recording studios, or amplifiers, or any of the modern wonders you and I know that will enhance the voice, a large group of people, gathered together on the banks of a river (the Jordon River) all heard a Voice coming from Heaven.

    That’s The Voice I’m interested in knowing whether or not you have heard. Have you heard The Voice from Heaven? I’ve had people tell me that God has spoken to them but let me tell you what I look for in identifying The Voice from Heaven.

    The very first thing in identifying The Voice is that it immediately takes you to The Son. That is the person of Jesus Christ. If The Voice doesn’t foremost and immediately take you to the person of Jesus Christ, then I am immediately skeptical of the voice you heard. The second thing I look for in identifying The Voice is where the preeminence is placed. If The Voice doesn’t immediately take you to The Son and immediately shower The Son with LOVE (note that The Voice doesn’t just take you to The Son but takes you to the Beloved Son), then I am immediately skeptical of the voice you have heard. And the third thing I use in identifying The Voice is in knowing where the pleasure lies. If you tell me about the voice and your displeasure all in one sentence, I am immediately lost because I don’t think you are listening to The Voice of God.

    There is ONE VOICE the world needs to hear today. The Voice that leads us to The Son, Jesus Christ, shows us His Love and reinforces that we are here for His Pleasure and not He for ours.

    How about it? Have you heard The Voice? If not, I pray that you would today, and that you would respond to Jesus Christ. Because I believe that once you do, all other voices will be heard in a different light.

  • So, You Want to Be Free?

    Remember when Queen told us this (and yes, this is the official music video – just so you know what they wanted to break free from):

    The song, released on April 2nd, 1984 (missing April Fool’s Day by one day, in a rather ironic twist) tells us they want to break free as if they are being held prisoner against their will or are somehow enslaved. The subtle undertones of the music video imply that there is a social or cultural slavery going on (even if not found in the words of the song). And this cultural slavery is keeping them down, oppressing them somehow, and they just need to break free of the chains that bind them so that they may finally be happy.

    What about these freedom fighters in Canada? Do truck drivers who believe they are being oppressed by their government deserve to be free? At what point do laws, mandates, and government leaders actually become oppressors, eventually prompting people to want to break free?

    Remember the riots in Seattle, Washington just two years ago? We were told these people were free to protest and express their views. Even though the looting and rioting certainly seemed threatening to the freedoms of peaceful business owners and families living in the area.

    And we should not forget that we are told that freedom is not free:

    The world exists today, full of people, who have never experienced a day of slavery in their lives, and yet they constantly enslave themselves. They enslave themselves to the culture, to others around them, to perceived threats to their way of life, to governments, to employers, to drugs and other addictions, and even to religions. Most of all though, the world is full of people enslaved to lies that they do not recognize as lies, or even where those lies come from. And all of us just want to be free.

    The real irony of it all is that one person’s freedom is another person’s slavery. There is always a master and a slave. After all, that is how one becomes enslaved in the first place, by being ruled by the master. If drugs are your master, then drugs will rule your life and rob you of your freedoms. And far be it for me to be judgmental here. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn the world (John 3:17), and I have no place passing out condemnation either. I am still chief amongst sinners here and I need the Salvation of the Lord more than anyone else. But that does not change the Truth. Truth still stands and there is still light and dark in the world, and we all need to be aware of that. Sometimes we all feel a little condemned by the Truth and that causes us to embrace the chains that enslave us. No matter what those chains are.

    We all want to be free of something. To the point even of arguing who is the greater of the oppressed. Consider the Black Lives Matter movement. Does God consider the worth of one life over another? Of course, He does not. When people argue that black lives should receive a special pass because they have somehow experienced a greater degree of discrimination or oppression, they are simply putting themselves at the forefront. It becomes all about them. And when life become all about you … it is not all about God. The sheer craziness of these movement is that they enslave themselves. Christians are oppressed all over the world and all the time. Yet there is no Christian Lives Matter movement (and I sincerely hope there never will be). Why? Simply because Christians are not enslaved to their oppressors. And they do not bring any attention to their oppressors because to do so would be to take away from their freedom.

    You may be an African American today supporting Black Lives Matter. You may be a supporter of abortion (and the, so called, rights thereof). You may be an anarchist decrying the government. You may even be a Christian (or just a theist) and just feel like the whole world is against you. You believe (perhaps without recognizing it) that you are enslaved by the world. You are oppressed. It is discrimination, or threats to your perceived rights, or the government, or others that are taking away your freedoms and keeping you down. And so, we all reach a breaking point where we just want to break free (pun intended). But in doing so we put ourselves at the center of attention, and we (by necessity) put down everyone else. After all, Black Lives Matter could never ever allow ‘White Lives Matter’, or “Asian Lives Matter’, or ‘Jewish Lives Matter’, or ‘Hispanic Lives Matter’, or …. Because to do so would detract from them and would dilute the attention that they believe they so richly deserve (because they are enslaved and no one else – or at the very least, they are enslaved with the heaviest chains).

    So why is it that we all feel enslaved by something, even if it is just a tiny little annoyance? Why is it we all feel the weight of the chains to the point we want to cry out that we just want to be free?

    I believe the answer to this lies in the understanding of just who it is that enslaves us and who it is that sets us free. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 tells us that Satan has taken us captive at his will. But John 8:35-36 tells us that Jesus is the one who can set us free.

    And when Jesus sets us free, we are told that we are free indeed. Meaning we are truly and completely free. And when Christ has made us free, we need not be oppressed by the bondage in this world (Galatians 5:1). We can put off the yoke of bondage that is keeping us down (whatever that is) and be free indeed.

    Freedom is a person. And that person is Jesus Christ. And freedom is free. It is His free gift to you. But my freedom does not serve myself. My freedom is nothing more than a vessel to serve Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:10-11 tells us that in Christ there is no bond nor free, no Greek or Jew. But rather Christ is all in all.

    When your freedom is all about the Glory of God and uplifting Jesus Christ for all the world to see, then you are truly, and completely free. Do you want to be free today? You need look no further than the person of Jesus Christ.

  • Is America At War?

    Why was Jesus Christ crucified on the cross? And yes, I know, because He is the Son of God and He gave up His life at the will of the Father in order to pay for the sins of the world that you and I might be saved. But what reason was put forth at His sham of a trial? And yes, He threatened the power base of the religious rulers of the day. But what was the crime he was charged with? Essentially it was heresy, was it not? His claim before the religious rulers of the day to be the Son of God and the fulfillment of the prophecies of the magi that came before Herod seeking “he that is born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-3). Notice that all of Jerusalem was troubled along with Herod. It was troubling times. And this is born out in the written charge that was placed over his head on the cross:

    37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews. (Matthew 27:37)

    So essentially Jesus was crucified for his speech. His teachings. What he claimed. You might even come to believe he was charged with civil unrest and inciting riots if you study hard enough. He wasn’t charged with performing miracles. That would not have been looked upon very favorably by the masses. What He was charged with was performing those miracles on the sabbath. Heresy. And then His answers to the religious rulers when questioned about it. If you boil it all down, Jesus was charged with walking around the country and talking to people.

    And I want us to ponder that. Consider the fact that Jesus was doing nothing but exercising free speech. He was talking about ideas. Ideas we know some of the people scoffed at and ridiculed while others embraced and sought to learn more. But Jesus never forced anyone to accept His ideas. Or even to listen. He just exercised free speech. It was the religious rulers that practiced censorship. It was the religious rulers that demanded their ideas be listened to above all else.

    And why is that? Well I have a theory about that. We know that the word of God produces results and will not return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11). And if you consider that Satan is also aware of that fact, then it is not that big a leap to believe that Satan will do everything in his power to diminish free speech. In other words, Satan desires to control all speech. He doesn’t want the Word of the Lord to be spoken. He knows that would produce fruit for God. So he does everything in his power to censor, to quell, and to control speech. Satan wants his message to be on the tongues of men, not God’s message.

    And it is not like we have not seen free speech controlled throughout the world and throughout all of history. It is always a battle for the message and the control of ideas. It is always a fight over free speech. Who can put forth an idea and who cannot. Countries like China and Iran go to great lengths, even putting people to death, to control speech. But here in the United States of America, we cherish the First Amendment to our Constitution. Prohibiting Government from interfering in our right and ability to free speech in any way, shape or form. But what happens when we do it to ourselves? What happens when we the people begin to limit and control the free speech of others? When I try and control your speech and you try and control mine, then we are at odds. Because I no longer agree to hear your ideas and you no longer agree to hear mine. And that is when the Nation dies. It can no longer thrive and flourish because it is under the control of tyranny and oppression.

    And that is happening within the United States of America today. Those in control, and those in power, are using their positions of power and control to censor and direct the message of free speech. Just like the religious rulers did with Jesus. And trust me, they are out to crucify.

    Companies (monopolies I might say) like Apple, Google, Twitter, and Amazon (along with others like Simon & Schuster, and FaceBook) are using their positions of power and control to ensure that only their versions of truth are presented and all others are heresy. Where is this happening you ask? Well for one example they are using it to control the narrative of Parler, a company dependent upon their infrastructure for business. In other instances they are blocking posts, tweets, and blogs of those they do not agree with. The war against Parler may be found in numerous news articles here.

    And meanwhile our Government leaders, such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, are engaged in an all out war, essentially over free speech and the exchange of ideas. Ms. Pelosi is even seeking a second impeachment of President Donald Trump (story here). Why? Because she doesn’t like a few tweets. Nancy Pelosi is the most vile, heartless, vengeful, hateful, and controlling Speaker of the House to ever sit in the chair. And I am careful with my words. Any reasonable person would realize that Donald Trump has barely 10 days left in office and would turn their attention to the affairs of the next administration. But Nancy Pelosi does not have the grace for that. She is driven to put the final stake through Donald Trump’s heart because of her sheer hatred and her vengeful drives. And that is both heartless and vile.

    So is the United States of America at War? I believe so. We are not engaged in a physical civil war with guns and bullets and swords, but we are engaged in a war over free speech, the arena of ideas, and who is to control the thoughts of others. And that is because of the age old war of Satan trying to control the Word of God. Think about it.

  • Which Side Are You On?

    Yesterday I passed along my thoughts on the two different cultures manifesting themselves in America today. I said that I didn’t have a question, only an observation, but that was not entirely accurate.

    I do have a question. The point of the observations, naturally, was to cause you to consider which culture you fit into and whether it is the right choice or not. In other words Which Side Are You On?

    The second phrase of the opening sentence of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities (see yesterday’s post) reads:

    it was the age of wisdom,
    it was the age of foolishness,

    A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter I. The Period

    And if that doesn’t describe today’s America, I don’t know what does. One side of the culture screams about the foolish tweets from President Donald Trump and then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi makes the totally nonsensical statement:

    “a wall, in my view, is an immorality” and “the least effective way to protect the border and the most costly.”

    Fox News Story

    A view not exactly shared by the rest of her party.

    But it is crazy, right? One view is shared and the opposing culture hears it as total foolishness but yet the agreeing culture hears it as great wisdom.

    One can certainly understand the pain, anguish, and shear lunacy Charles Dickens was attempting to describe in his book A Tale of Two Cities.

    But what if I were to tell you I believe this division has happened much earlier in history? Consider the words of John:

    37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

    John 18:37-39

    Pilate was completely frustrated with the foolishness of the day. On the one hand he could find no fault with Jesus but on the other there were cries from the people for his crucifixion. In his frustration he asks “What is truth?“

    It is this very same struggle for truth that is plaguing all of us today. It is the confusion on one side of the culture when #BlackLivesMatter calls out for the destruction of (so called) racially offensive language, monuments, and the erasure of American history itself. And the other side of the culture is confused because these exact same people align themselves with Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and the mayor of New York City Bill de Balsio. If these people were actually intellectually honest with themselves and us they would be calling for the abolishment of the Democrat party itself rather than aligning themselves with it.

    It was the Democrat party that championed slavery and racism. It was the Republican party that freed them. It was the Democrat party that voted for Jim Crow laws and segregation. It was the Republican party that fought for inclusion and the idea that ALL people are created equal. It is Democrat party members that held positions within the KKK while the Republican party did not. It is the Democrat party that continues to this day to enact laws and policies that disadvantage more people of color while the Republican party has established a record of providing more jobs and opportunity to all of Americans. If #BlackLivesMatter is really so incensed with being reminded of the history of slavery in America, then they should be for the complete abolishment of the Democrat part as well.

    There are so many that have fought to bring the light of truth to this history. Alfonzo Rachel for one. Dinesh D’souza for another. People of color who would certainly have no agenda for furthering “white supremacy“. And there are so many others that continue to educate, inform, and offer alternate points of view. But our culture is divided. And people ask what it is divided over. The answer is quite simple and is very plain. We are divided over the TRUTH.

    This is why I am passionate about the state of our country today. Not only for the very survival of America, but for the souls of so many people who are lost without TRUTH.

    For you see, there is another interesting phrase in Charles Dickens opening to a Tale of Two Cities. As he sums up his setting he notes:

    “… we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way …”

    A Tale of Two Cities – Chapter I. The Period

    And as another champion of American History, Rush Limbaugh, would say – “for those of you in Rio LInda” Charles Dickens reference to those “going direct the other way” means Hell. And that is the real crux of the problem with Which Side Are You On? Because one side leads to Eternal Life and the other side leads to Eternal Damnation.

    As for me, I chose the side of TRUTH. Because there is only one person in all of history that could (and can) credibly claim:

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

    John 14:6

    And that is the person of Jesus Christ. And I believe the TRUTH because only He, the creator of all the universe, can establish TRUTH. The only thing that remains (for both the survival of American history and people’s souls) is to determine which “truth“ you will believe. Which side are YOU on?

  • A Tale Of Two Cultures

    In 1859 Charles Dickens wrote the historical novel A Tale of Two Cities. A story centered around London England and Paris France before/during the French Revolution. It has been referred to as the best selling novel of all time (and certainly must be in the top 10, assuming it is even taught in schools these days) and it opens with the iconic line:

    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

    You can find an online copy of the work here (at Project Gutenberg).

    Today I do not have a question, but rather an observation of how little things change and what great opportunities we (as a society, as a Nation, and even as a World) have before us to learn Truth and to apply lessons from history in order to help make all of our lives better.

    One might consider the similarities between the events of 1789 in France and what is occurring in the USA today in 2020 (231 years apart) in that both are predicated by social and political unrest that affected (and affects) everyone in the land. In other words, it was a National, social and political upheaval. Oh sure, there were pockets of events, within cities, small towns, and even neighborhoods, but the prevailing mood was not just contained in small areas. It was felt Nationally and was seen around the world.

    And before you get too far down the path trying to pick the analogy apart, let me just point out that it is not all that original of an idea. This story from the Daily Signal references a tweet from Senator Lindsey Graham with the same observation.

    And No, I did not know of Senator Graham’s tweet when I started authoring this post, but I generally like to do a little due diligence before I post something. And even with Senator Graham’s tweet, I decided to go ahead with the conversation because I believe it is relevant.

    And yes, I also realize there are those that are simply going to dismiss the analogy because it is Senator Graham‘s tweet. Because those of you who hold such wisdom have been elected to (what is arguably) the most significant legislative body in the world today. Right? Perhaps you might want to rethink your ability to assimilate and interpret data.

    And whether you agree with the analogy or not, there are a couple of very interesting comparisons. You might say that today is “The best of times”. In all of human history we, as a people, have more than has ever been had before. Which is pretty funny when you consider that the #BlackLivesMatter revolution is being fought out of air conditioned homes, run off an abundance of fine food (and I don’t care if we’re talking McDonalds hamburgers here, compared to what the French were eating during their revolution, that is pretty fine dining), enjoying the benefits of social media, and traveling around in air conditioned autos with Dolby stereo systems in them. The French revolutionaries had it much harder I assure you. You might also say that today is “The worst of times” in that there is more political and social upheaval in the country than any of us has known within our lifetimes. Another interesting comparison is that both periods tried (and are trying) to remove perceived ills from the world. When the French tore down the Monarchy, they ended up with a Dictator (in Napoleon) before they got to the desired democracy. Let’s certainly hope that history doesn’t repeat itself there.

    But the comparisons of the French Revolution and the state of social and political upheaval in the USA today are not what I want draw your attention to. They are merely illustrative of how history repeats itself and how we can learn valuable lessons if we only open our eyes and our minds and seek wisdom.

    What is a little closer to home is the sheer lunacy that is occurring with the #BlackLivesMatter movement ripping down statues of Christopher Columbus, Frederick Douglas, and our founding fathers (stories here, here, here, and here – search for ‘statues torn down’ if you want to read more). The argument for all of this wanton destruction and terror is that they depict ‘white supremacy’. We cannot know the pain that a black person feels when they walk past one of these statues or memorials.

    Well guess what? You cannot possibly know the pain that I feel when I visit a WW-II memorial, or an American Civil War battlefield where #WhiteLIvesMatter fought and died just so #BlackLivesMatter could have the privilege today to tear down all the memorials because they are too painful to walk by. But I don’t want to tear any of them down. Rather the contrary. I want my children’s, children’s, children to see them and to understand that freedom isn’t free. It is bought and paid for with a price.

    What my friends over at #BlackLivesMatter might want to consider is the consequences of their actions (and I mean for their children’s children). Take another group, #JewishLivesMatter. Do you think the Jewish people want to erase all remnants of WW-II and the holocaust? Quite the opposite. They build memorials and museums all over the world to remind people of what they went through. Why? Because they don’t want people to deny that it ever happened. They don’t want history swept under the rug. And if you think that #JewishLivesMatter are being a little too paranoid, consider these kooks here, and here, and the fact that it is a prevalent enough theory to warrant a Wikipedia article (here).

    And the sheer irony of the matter will be, that one day, when slavery has been erroneously erased from American History, it will be #BlackLivesMatter that will have been the cause and will have brought down the consequences upon themselves.

    So before the protesting continues, before more statues and memorials are torn down, before we rewrite any more of history than has already been rewritten, perhaps #BlackLivesMatter might want to take a page out of #JewishLivesMatter playbook and consider:

    Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

    Deuteronomy 4:9

  • How Do I Know If You Trust Jesus?

    The other day in my last blog post I talked about people at the George Floyd protests carrying No Justice No Peace signs (as those found here) and I mentioned how ridiculous I find that slogan. I also mentioned these people don’t know peace and that peace dependent upon justice is worthless peace. But I left it at that because my previous post was a comparison of the circumstance of George Floyd and those of Jesus Christ and why I found it both ironic and sad that people would jump to champion the cause of George Floyd, but not so many jump to champion the cause of Jesus Christ.

    Today I’d like to expound on those comments a little because I don’t want to just make a blanket statement without others understanding that I actually have thought about it, prayed about, studied it, and drawn some conclusions about it that I believe are in line with the Holy Scriptures. That and I really do think it is something for all of us (especially me) to consider.

    But the way I’d like to explain those comments is by answering a question that anyone might ask of me. So I’d like to propose that a question one might ask of me is how do I know if you (or the person asking the question) really and truly trusts Jesus Christ? I could have titled today’s post “Do You Have Trust Issues?” but perhaps if I explain it from my perspective it will ring a little truer.

    So lets start out with the answer before I get to the logic and explanation. The answer is simple. By observing your level of PEACE with life. However, allow me to explain that by trust I don’t mean the way you trust your bank to keep your money safe. I mean a faith that is unwavering and unshaken. A faith that cannot be moved. The trust I am talking about takes all of your heart, and all of your mind, and all of your soul, and all your strength (Mark 12:30). The trust I am talking about takes place on God’s terms and not on man’s (or our) terms. And likewise, when I say peace I am not talking about the human definition of mutual harmony between countries, friends, and neighbors. The peace I am talking about is inexplicable. We are told it passes all of our understanding. It is literally incomprehensible peace. And it is peace that comes from God (John 16:33). Your level of TRUST in God (the person of Jesus Christ) is directly proportional to the level of PEACE you experience within your life.

    So how do I know this? Well first of all allow me to debunk the myth that peace is somehow tied to justice. If I am to assume that those who brandish this slogan mean that we cannot have peace without justice, then clearly they are wrong. Justice is indicative of a moral or righteous code of conduct. And there are injustices all over the world each and every day. How about the injustice of abortion? Something that bothers me greatly. But my peace is not dependent upon it. By point of reference, those that brandish the slogan are usually talking about what they would define as justice not what would necessarily be just within the eyes of God. If by their slogan they mean we cannot have peace without first having their brand of justice, then I submit to you it is a lost cause and we will never have peace. As long as justice is arbitrary and defined by the whims of man then peace will be elusive. We are told that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19) and that we are not to be given over to wrath. So clearly my peace isn’t (or shouldn’t be) tied to whatever justice I find or experience here on earth.

    On the other hand if if those that brandish this slogan mean that they will not allow peace without justice, then once again I would submit to you there will be no peace here on earth. How can there be when we’ve tied it to some warped sense of justice? I am almost positive that those that brandish the slogan would have a problem when I tell them that I find those that call for the destruction of Israel, unjust. I am sure they would have a real problem with my views on abortion and how I find that practice unjust. I’m sure they would have a problem when I point out the unjustness of a cake decorator in Colorado (story here) being taken to court for not making an LBGTQ cake because it is contrary to his faith while at the same time they are calling for the tearing down of crosses (an example here) all over America. So whose justice are we talking about before we make peace not war? Certainly not what I (and hundreds of thousands of others) find to be just. Are we to go without peace for the sake of others? Or have these fools mistakenly tied peace to justice because it furthers their world view? (Just to be clear, I’m going with the latter).

    So peace is not dependent upon justice, but what is it dependent upon? I would submit to you that peace is dependent upon trust. So how do I know this? Well I believe it is born out in Holy Scripture. Take Psalm 18:2 for example. What is your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, your very salvation, if not your peace? Is He not your place of refuge? Where all your needs are met? Where you find tranquility and where you are safe from all terrors? Is He not your PEACE?

    And how do you obtain that PEACE? Through TRUST of course. You observe this almost everywhere in life. Missionaries exhibit this behavior every day of their lives. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Missionary friends in seemingly impossible circumstances. And yet totally at peace. They look at you and say “God WILL provide.” And they know this because they trust Him.

    I don’t lose my peace because God is my VENGEANCE, God is my FORTRESS, God is my SALVATION, God is my ROCK, God is my EVERYTHING and I TRUST Him. And when my trust wanes, and worry creeps into my life, and it seems like terror is closing in, I cry out to Him to help me in my unbelief (Mark 9:24).

    So how do I know if you trust Jesus? I look at the level of peace you exhibit in your life. The more peace, the more trust. And the more trust, the more peace there will be. Try it yourself and see if I’m right.