Updated on July 12, 2022
God Is Not The Unjust Judge And You Are Not The Widow
In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus gives a short parable about a widow who keeps coming before an unjust judge, badgering him until he finally gives her justice. Then Jesus explains that God is nothing like the unjust judge, and will grant justice speedily to all who call on him. He ends the parable with an interesting question,
“But when I, the Son of Man, return, will I find people who have faith?”
Luke prefaces the story with an introductory line telling folks the parable is about praying, and not giving up. A common explanation for the parable is that Believers should keep praying until they get the answer. But what sometimes gets communicated, or understood, is the notion that you need to act like the widow, and pester God until He gives you what you want. It seems people are more focused on the actions of the widow and the godless judge, rather than God’s promise to grant justice speedily.
Why Do So Many Christians Identify With The Widow In This Parable?
The question is worth considering. Here is a woman without a husband or power, and desperate for someone to avenge her loss. She’s begging a godless judge for help, badgering him until he relents to the pressure. Does that in any way resemble the life of Jesus, who we are to imitate? Does the godless judge sound anything like your Heavenly Father? Does the Christian life, as defined by the New Testament writers, in any way present an image of a defeated, or helpless Believer begging for help? With so much evidence to the contrary, why would anyone want to identify with a poor widow who is groveling for justice? Admire her boldness. Appreciate her patience and persistence. But by the Glorious Grace of God, don’t see yourself in her position!
Even if you are a widow, there are numerous promises in the Bible that God will provide for you. He promises to be a Father to the fatherless, to place the lonely in families, and be a defender of widows (Psalm 68:4-6). He gives justice to widows and protects their property (Deuteronomy 10:17-18, Proverbs 15:25). As wonderful as those promises are under the Old Covenant, the New Covenant promises are so much better. As a Born Again Believer, you are a New Creation, part of the Body of Christ, where there is neither slave or free, male or female, or even widows. You are a child of God through faith in Jesus, and all the promises belong to you (Galatians 3:24-29). Your race, nationality, sex, or even marital status, no longer matters. You live from the inside out. God, who is the righteous judge, is IN you, and when the Creator of the Universe is in the house, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, if you believe. (Matthew 19:26, Mark 11:22-25, Luke 1:37, John 14:18-21, Romans 8:9-14, 1 John 3:21-24, 4:4-6)
God Is Not Unjust.
In the past, I have heard this parable taught as justification for bombarding Heaven, and beating down the Pearly Gates, with the same request until you get what you want from God. This is the wrong message to take from this parable. This is a contrast between the UNJUST judge, and God, whose foundation is righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:13-18). Nothing about God could be considered unjust. He is Love. His Love in you removes all fear, including the fear of failure, or even any fear of unanswered prayer. He hears the prayers of the righteous, and always answers. All His promises are yes and amen in Christ, and Jesus never changes. And assuming this parable did apply to the prayers of Believers, it ends with Jesus promising quick justice. So it makes no sense to build a doctrine that teaches people that they must badger God to get results. (Psalm 34:4-7, 34:15-18, 86:4-7, 91:14-16, 145:16-20, Matthew 7:7-11, John 14:13-14, 16:23-27, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Hebrews 13:6-8, James 1:13-18, 1 John 4:7-19)
God’s many promises to answer prayer, and the many verses demonstrating His faithfulness, and the integrity of His Word, are far too numerous to list here. As a child of God, you are assured that God knows what you need before you even ask (Isaiah 65:24, Matthew 6:5-8). He is waiting on you to believe and ask. It is your faith that connects you to everything that already belongs to you in the Kingdom of God. Faith comes from continually hearing the Word, and it works by love. God wants you to receive every promise He has provided, but He cannot force you to take anything. Every promise, including Salvation, is received or taken by faith. That is why it is impossible to please God without faith. (Matthew 6:31-34, Luke 12:29-34, Romans 10:17, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 1:2-3, 3:14-21, Hebrews 11:6)
God’s Grace is more than enough for any situation. But to remove any doubts about prayer, Jesus makes it clear that, if you believe, you will have whatever you ask for in prayer (Matthew 21:18-22). And in Mark, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:22-25). And also Luke, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Luke 11:9-13). Finally, John adds a little more depth, if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:1-8). Your Father wants you to bear fruit. And if prayer is treated like a lottery, with impossible odds against you ever receiving, God gets no glory. But if you are confidently entering God’s throne room, getting the answers that you need, God is glorified, and your joy is complete. (John 15:9-12, Hebrews 4:12-16, 11:1-6)
Should you always pray? Absolutely. Should you not faint? Absolutely. Keep praising God and building your faith, or confidence in God’s Word. Let patience keep you strong while expecting God to do what He promises. Don’t succumb to doubt and unbelief. As James warns, a doubtful person should not expect anything (James 1:2-8). And control your words (Psalm 34:10-15, 17:1-6, 139:1-6, Matthew 12:33-37, 15:15-20, James 1:25-27). Nothing undermines prayer and your faith faster than an uncontrolled tongue (James 3:2-12). Know that God’s Word can be trusted. Don’t be like the Sadducees who, did not know the Scriptures, or the power of God (Matthew 22:29, Mark 12:24). Develop a confidence, and a peace, that when you ask anything according to God’s will (which is His Word), God will hear and answer (John 14:12-14, 1 John 3:21-24, 5:13-15).
Be An Imitator Of Jesus.
Christians enjoy God’s rich Blessing, one Gracious Blessing after another. God’s unfailing love and faithfulness has been poured out on you through Jesus (John 1:16-17). Even when you think you are vulnerable, God’s Grace is more than enough for the victory. Because even when you are weak, you are STRONG because God’s Favor is working in you (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). You are God’s child. Everything belongs to you (Galatians 4:3-7).
You should be wearing the whole armor of God, strengthened by God’s mighty power so you can resist the devil and stand firm against his attacks. The armor includes the belt of Truth, the shoes of Peace, the breastplate of Righteousness, the helmet of Salvation, and most importantly, the shield of Faith. This defensive package comes from being firmly grounded in God’s Word. The Word of God is also a very powerful offensive weapon, the Sword of the Spirit. None of this protective equipment works without putting it on, keeping it on, and maintaining it. The sword is useless if you never practice or learn how to use it. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Those that believe in Jesus enjoy both spiritual and temporal justice now. The prince of this world, the adversary, has been cast down. Jesus has abundantly pardoned you. He is the mediator of a New Covenant, and your High Priest. You are royalty, a joint-heir of Jesus and his anointing. You are an ambassador of Christ, enjoying diplomatic immunity as a representative of the Kingdom of God in the fallen world. You are Blessed, or empowered to prosper, when people mistreat you, because you are in the Kingdom, and God has your back. You can confidently cast all your care on Jesus, because he is the righteous judge that cares for you. Nothing will ever separate you from God’s Love, because Believers are the Body of Christ, with Jesus as the Head. (Psalm 72:1-7, 96:10-13, Isaiah 35:3-7, 42:1-4, Isaiah 55, Matthew 5:1-12, 28:18-20, Luke 10:17-20, John 12:28-33, 16:33, Romans 8:14-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians 1:18-23, 5:25-30, Colossians 1:11-14, 1:15-20, 2:13-15, 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:16-18, Hebrews 12:22-24, 1 Peter 5:7)
Look to Jesus as your example and imitate him. Religious tradition, or even your own experiences, make poor teachers. Jesus walked without fear. His prayers got results. He only spoke God’s Words, and walked in Love. Many times he was confronted with angry mobs that wanted to kill him, and he simply walked away. Often he was tested and falsely accused, but nobody could find a charge against him. The devil sent storms to try and sink him, and even a naked possessed man came at him, but none of those things moved him. Whether it was leprosy, lack, fever, blindness, demonic attacks, or even death, Jesus had the answer. He was victorious in everything he did. He knew his Heavenly Father intimately, and was obedient in everything. That is the ideal, and should be the goal of every Believer. (Ephesians 5:1-2, 3 John 1:11)
How Would You Feel If Your Child Treated You This Way?
You love your child and he loves you. Your child trusts you and knows from experience, that you are a loving parent. He has also observed that you keep your word and never lie.
So one day he comes to you and says, “Give me a bike.”
You love your child, have the means, so you say, “Its yours!”
In the child’s mind, even though he doesn’t physically possess the bike, because of your word and integrity, it already belongs to him. He begins to imagine what color it is, the style, and all the places he will go. He tells his friends about his new bike and dreams about it at night. That bike is so real on the inside, he could almost ride it right now. Every day he thanks you for his bike until he is riding it around the neighborhood. And even then, he still tells you, and his friends, how much he loves you. The relationship grows stronger between you and your child through a shared love and trust of each other.
Now imagine a similar situation where instead of being thankful, and trusting your word, the child comes back to you every day saying, “Where’s my bike?’ “Why don’t I have a bike.” “I need a bike!” “Did you even hear me?” “Please, please give me a bike.” “You don’t love me!”
After a week of badgering, you learn several things about your child. He doesn’t trust you, or your word. He is very impatient. He doesn’t appreciate your love. And he probably is not, and will not be grateful, if/when the bike arrives.
This is the danger of reading the Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge, and going out and doing likewise. If the takeaway from this parable is that you have to beg God, you have proven by your very actions that you don’t trust in His Love, or His Word. Begging is rooted in fear, and that is the opposite of faith. Faith is a confidence, rooted and grounded in an intimate knowledge of God’s Word, which is His will, and Love, who He is. Faith has no fear, and has absolutely no need for begging. As Jesus explained in another place:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! — Matthew 7:7-11 <NIV>
You need to have “how much more” kind of faith in your Heavenly Father. Pray with confidence, trusting that God will do what He promises in His Word. Thank Him for the answer, praise Him for His goodness and love, spend time in fellowship with Him and His Word, but there is absolutely no reason to beg or badger God. If you know God’s will, which is His Word, you can approach God’s throne with confidence. Don’t worry about anything. Make the Kingdom of God your priority and you will lack nothing (Matthew 6:25-30, Luke 12:27-32).
Why Did Jesus Wonder Out Loud If He Would Find Faith When He returns?
At the end of the parable, Jesus asks a strange question about finding faith when he comes back. It almost seems out of place within the context of the parable, unless you consider the preceding chapter. At the end of Luke 17, Jesus provides an explanation of the events surrounding the 2nd Advent, or the return of Jesus to the Earth. The question links back to that discussion.
The Children of Israel will endure a refining, seven years of judgment, for their rejection of Jesus, and the Age of Grace. This period is known as Jacob’s Trouble, Daniel’s 70th Week, or the Tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:25-31, Jeremiah 30:4-9, Daniel 12:1-3, Matthew 24:15-31, Luke 21:12-22). This time will bring them to complete repentance, and fulfill the prophecies concerning God’s people. When Jesus returns, the nations that have persecuted Israel will be judged, along with their spiritual rulers.
Note the similarity of the widow’s cry, to the cry of the Tribulation martyrs in Revelation – “How long before you judge the people for what they have done? When will you avenge us?” (Revelation 6:9-11) And remember, the Church is already in Heaven by Revelation 4, they must be removed from the Earth to allow the antichrist to start his flood of deception, and the Tribulation to commence. (Luke 21:34-36, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8) After the departure of the Church, God’s focus will turn back to His chosen people. They will take the place of the Church in preaching to the Jews, and the Nations (the remaining Gentiles on the Earth). This will be their chance to recognize the one they pierced, their Savior and King (Zechariah 12:10, John 19:35-37, Revelation 1:4-8). Note also that Jesus was addressing a Jewish audience, obviously many of his disciples would later become part of the Church. Now with that in mind, let’s look back at the parable.
Aside from Luke’s introductory words, telling the reader that this parable is about praying and not fainting (or giving up), there is not much more mentioned about prayer. This was a cry for justice. Or as the widow says in the KJV translation, “Avenge me of mine adversary.” Who is the adversary that has been behind all the attacks on God’s people all these years? What does Jesus promise? God will send Justice quickly.
God gave the Children of Israel the Law of Moses, and set them apart for the Blessing, and His personal care. They were His special treasure (Psalm 135:4). He had warned them though, what would happen if they turned away from Him and His Word. Among the many things that would bring on the curse was denying justice to widows (Deuteronomy 27:19).
It is worth noting that the widow was turning to the world for justice, and not God. God had promised to be a Father to the fatherless, and a judge of the widows (Psalm 68:5). God promises glorious justice to his people (Psalm 94). He warns against putting confidence in powerful people, but instead happy are those that trust God, who gives justice to the oppressed (Psalm 146:3-10).
In Isaiah 1, the writer tells of a nation that has become sinful, and has forsaken justice for its people, refusing to help the poor and widows. But there is hope for those that repent. In the end, Jerusalem will be known as the home of Justice and Faith.
And in Isaiah 9:1-7, it was promised that a child would be born, a great light to shine in the darkness. The government will be on his shoulders. He will be a Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. His reign will be forever, marked by fairness and justice. God had sent justice speedily. He was right there in the flesh, speaking this parable to them. But they had no faith in God, or His Word. They had exchanged God’s Word for religion, with its numerous traditions and rules. They did not recognize Love, because they really did not know God. They were expecting the Glorious King of the 2nd Advent, and completely missed the Suffering Savior of the First Advent. As Jesus said, quoting Isaiah, that they would close their eyes, ears, and hearts, and not allow God to heal them. But many prophets had seen it from a distance, and wondered. (Isaiah 6:9-10, Matthew 13:14-17, Acts 28:25-27, 1 Peter 1:8-12)
Far too many people among the Children of Israel, and especially among the religious leaders, did not have faith in Jesus. They had the Son of God in their presence, healing, teaching, supplying every need, performing miracles, and fulfilling Messianic prophecies, and yet they would not believe that he was the promised Messiah.
Jesus’ last two weeks were filled with strong words for the religious leaders, several parables exposing their wrong motives, and explanations about the coming judgment. In Matthew for instance, the entire 23rd chapter is devoted to a harsh rebuke of them, calling them blind guides, hypocrites, and accusing them of devouring widow’s houses and making long prayers for show (Matthew 23:13-15, see also Mark 12:38-40, Luke 20:45-47). The latter chapters of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are filled with parables like the Vineyard Owner, the Wedding Banquet, and others that were strong rebukes of the religious leaders’ behavior towards the people, and their refusal to believe in Jesus. And still, Jesus loves them so much, crying for his people because of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and their unwillingness to receive him (Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44).
While God’s attention has turned briefly away from Israel, He still loves them and will fulfill every Promise and keep every Covenant. (Genesis 15, Genesis 17:1-8, Deuteronomy 4:25-31, Psalm 105:8-11, Daniel 12:1-4 – and many, many others)
Know Justice, Know Peace – New Creation Realities
When people speak of justice, they are referring to fairness, rewards for good, and punishment for bad behavior. Under the Law of Sin and Death, judgment often came swiftly. Sometimes it was delayed for mercy’s sake, as when it applied to groups or nations, or because of intercession. But judgment was certain to come. The Law was to set the Children of Israel apart, so they would be a beacon of hope in a very dark world. But with over 2700 commands in the Law of Moses*, and hundreds of man-made traditions added by the religious leaders, it became a burden for the people. The Law was to last until Jesus fulfilled it. (Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 16:16-17, 24:44-49)
Where there is a cry for justice, there must be a law. Christ freed Believers from the Law of Sin and Death. You live under Grace. You know the Truth, and it has made you free. The Law says that as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the Law. And if you offend in one point, you are guilty of all. But Grace says that there is NOW NO condemnation (judgment) for those in Christ Jesus. The Law comes with a curse for failing to do everything in the Book of the Law. Grace declares those Blessed whose sins are forgiven. The Law was given to Israel exclusively, and was meant to lead people to Jesus, it was a tutor until the Messiah arrived. Grace is a free gift, it cannot be earned, so nobody can boast. (John 8:31-32, Romans 7:4-8, 8:1-4, 9:30-33, 10:1-4, 12:2, Galatians 2:19-21, 3:10-11, 3:24-29, Ephesians 2:8-9, James 2:10)
You are justified (made righteous, or in right standing) through faith, and have Peace with God through Jesus. Justification was never possible by observing the Law. The Old Covenant was set aside, and a New Covenant was instituted with much better promises, including a sinless, eternal mediator, and an end to animal sacrifices that merely covered sin. The Blood of Jesus placed on the Heavenly Mercy Seat sealed the New Covenant forever. You have the perfect High Priest who meets every need. Since you have been justified by the precious Blood of Jesus, how much more are you saved from God’s wrath through him. You are redeemed from the curse, and free to enjoy God’s Love and Blessing in your life. (Romans 3:21-28, 5:1-2, 5:9-11, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, Hebrews 7:22-28, 9:11-15)
And even if someone harms you in some way, steals from you, sues you, or in some way you experience injustice, God will make it right. As a Believer, you no longer have to worry about justice, or revenge. Let God be God. His Grace is sufficient. Obey the Law of Love and be at peace. Conquer evil by doing good. Vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:17-21). He will make everything work out to your benefit, and His glory, if you trust Him.
God Is Not The Unjust Judge And You Are Not The Widow
Christians are called Believers because they actively place their faith in Jesus Christ (the Word). Not just a mental agreement with God’s Word, but an absolute confidence in God and His Word in your spirit. This can only come from spending time in prayer and in the Word. Faith comes from the inside out. First you believe in your spirit, then you renew your mind and body to get them in agreement with your spirit. As described above, and throughout Scripture, the Christian is loaded for bear. You have the Creator of the Universe dwelling inside you. You have the armor of God and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word. You have the Name of Jesus – a name above all names. You have abundant access to the Favor, Wisdom, Love, Joy, and Peace of God. You are not some poor destitute widow begging for justice. And neither is God an unjust judge that needs to be knocked around to get Him to listen. He is your Heavenly Father, who IS LOVE. Pray confidently and boldly, expecting God to do what He says He will.
The widow did what she had to do under the circumstances to get justice. But you are absolutely not the widow, and not, “under the circumstances.” You have world overcoming faith in a God that is definitely NOT an unjust judge.
Final Thoughts
It is wonderful how much revelation can come from just 8 verses in the Bible. Like an onion, you remove a layer, only to reveal another. The same goes for God’s Word. There is an inexhaustible amount of revelation in every verse. God’s Word is Spirit, Life, Light, and Truth. It is unlike any other book ever written. God’s Word is as true and relevant now, as it was 2,000 years ago, and as it will be at the return of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation.
The world is entering some exciting times. More than ever it is necessary to stay in the Word, pray often, listen to the Holy Spirit, and never give up. Jesus is coming. Will you be ready?
If Jesus comes for his Church today, will he find faith in YOU?
* In the Old Testament there are the Ten Commandments given Moses, and over 2700 specific commands listed. These laws can be divided into categories such as – Priesthood (628), Health (436), Tabernacle (329), Obedience (306), Vows (113), Conquest (107), Sex (96), Justice (60), Business (14) etc. The sheer magnitude of the commands, should lead most people to the logical conclusion that mankind needs a Savior.
Updated on November 4, 2022
Do You Believe In Love?
The film Mirror Mirror
If you missed the movie, here is the video of the closing scene. It really is a catchy little tune.
You are probably wondering where the heck I am going with this blog post. Stay with me, and I promise that I will connect all the dots.
In my career, I have watched hundreds of films. Many of these have featured romance, or love, as part of the story. Unfortunately, far too often the love that is celebrated in entertainment is not the type of love you want to believe in. Let me explain.
At its core, romantic love is selfish. It is conditional, based on what it can get in return. It does not like commitment, and will move on when it gets tough, or if the grass appears greener somewhere else. In a culture where relationships are built on romantic love, its no surprise that failure is far too common. And its not that difficult to imagine why so many people simply avoid commitment, knowing that most of their physical and emotional needs can be satisfied without the responsibility of a relationship. But as a very wise man once said, there can be no love without commitment, and no commitment without love.
And it should be no surprise that life does in fact imitate art. Try finding a romantic comedy that does not include lies, or deception, a problem far too common in real life. There should be no deception in love. Truth and love should be partners in any relationship.
Is There A Love That Is Worthy Of Your Faith?
There is nothing wrong with romance and attraction. But that type of love, and those types of feelings, will not be the firm foundation you need to build a committed relationship. You need a love that is spiritual, eternal, and cannot fail. This is not a feeling, but a supernatural force that can change you into a reflection of Love Himself, who is Truth.
In the New Testament, a type of love is described using the Greek word Agape. This has been translated many different ways – love, charity, goodwill, and mercy, among many others. But none of those words truly do it justice. Agape is the God-kind of love. In fact, John comes out and proclaims that God IS Love (1 John 4:16). Knowing this fact, if we can define love, we can catch a glimpse of the nature of God. Paul provides some assistance in this area.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 <NIV>
From this passage we see that love is so much more than a temporary attraction, or butterflies in your stomach. This is just a few verses from the Bible. If you take your time, and rightly divide Scripture, you will see that the entire Bible is one long love letter, a revelation of God, who IS Love. But this passage barely scratches the surface. Note the following verse.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16 <NLT>
In the beginning, God created everything. When the angels rebelled, the world that existed before was destroyed. God wanted family, because Love craves fellowship. And Love is a creative force. In Genesis 1:2, you see Love in action – speaking the world back into order, releasing His Light and recreating the plants and the animals. And then He created man in His very image, crowning them with God’s Glory, and giving them dominion over the Earth. But Satan, who had been deposed earlier, came into the Garden and deceived Eve, causing these first humans to sin and be cut off from their Creator. This broke God’s heart. But He already had a plan to restore man. The entire Bible is the story of this restoration project, working through the authority given to man. Even the fallen angels are created beings, so God has to take responsibility for their actions, and provide justice for all.
With that in mind, John 3:16 makes so much more sense. God SO LOVED His creation, that He gave HIMSELF to pay the penalty for all sin. You almost stagger at the thought of such love. When a crime is committed, someone must pay the penalty. When you rebel against the Creator, that price is beyond human capacity. There was no sacrifice, no gift, and no service, that man could offer that would satisfy Eternal justice. Jesus willingly paid that price and suffered once for all sin – past, present, and future. All reconciliation with the Creator requires now is for man to accept Jesus as Savior, as full payment for all sin. To show how merciful God really is, He still gives you the choice. Its a free gift. And He will protect your choice all the way to Hell, all the time desiring that you choose LIFE, that you choose HIM!
We know God is Love. And we know that He has provided a way for you to be reconciled to Him by believing in His Son Jesus. But are there any other benefits of this relationship?
God is Light. There is no darkness in Him. A relationship with God through Jesus allows you to escape the darkness that is in the world and enjoy the light. The Light is Good! The Light frees you from Satan’s control, and allows you to walk confidently in life and not stumble. And even if you stumble, the Light of life can cleanse you. (Genesis 1:1-4; Psalm 18:28, 27:1; John 1:1-10, 8:12, 12:35-36; 2 Corinthians 4:1-7; Ephesians 5:1-14; 1 John 1)
God is Peace. A relationship with God through Jesus, does bring Peace, reconciliation, and fellowship. But don’t reduce this to just an absence of conflict. Think of the Jewish word Shalom – nothing missing and nothing broken. Consider the Peace that comes from not worrying about your needs, or about keeping up with your neighbors, or taking offense. Its a calmness, a confidence, and a rest that comes from knowing Love. The Lord is the GOOD SHEPHERD that abundantly supplies all your needs. Being free from the agitations, strife, and worries of life, gives you more time to spend with your Heavenly Father, to minister love to others, and to accomplish the GOOD plan He has for your life! (Deuteronomy 28:1-13; Psalm 23, 29:11, 119:161-168; Isaiah 26:1-4, 53:4-5; Matthew 6:19-34; John 14:22-31, 16:33; Romans 8:6; Philippians 4:7)
God is Joy. Joy is a spiritual force that gives muscle to your faith. It is your strength! It allows you to praise God when unbelievers are having a pity party. The enemy will attempt to steal your joy with persecution, bad reports, or temptation. But none of that works because it cannot penetrate the wall of joy. The devil can only tempt you with earthly, common things. Joy is a spiritual force, beyond his capacity to engage. Joy is built upon a solid knowledge of the Word, and God’s Word CANNOT fail. Joy sends the enemy into confusion, because there is no joy in him. Joy, Love, and Peace work together, taking you through any adversity. You can pray with confidence in the name of Jesus, joyfully knowing that you will receive what you ask. (Nehemiah 8:9-12; Psalm 16; Isaiah 35; John 15, 16:17-33, 17; Romans 14:17-18; 15:1-13; James 1:1-7)
God is Truth. You are quick to trust an attorney, counselor, friend, or doctor, but why not trust the Creator of the Universe? He is Truth. He can’t lie. Every Word from His mouth has a divine purpose and cannot fail. His Words are Spirit and Life! If God says something, that settles it. You can take it to the bank, and His bank will never fail, and His check will never bounce. The world cries out for truth, and someone they can trust because there is no truth in Satan, the father of lies who rules the world by deception. All you need to do is open the Word, and spend time with your Creator. You can know Truth, and it will make you free! (Joshua 21:45; Psalm 89:33-35, 119:160; Proverbs 3:1-6; Isaiah 26:1-4, 55; Matthew 7:24-29; Luke 6:46-49; John 8:12-58, 14:1-31, 17:1-26; Ephesians 4; Hebrews 4, 6:13-20; 1 Peter 1:13-25)
Seeing a few more sides of Love makes a much more compelling picture. And it makes it more obvious why failure is not an option. Simply put, God cannot fail. His plan was to spiritually recreate all those that accepted the free gift of salvation so they could have fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are made in God’s image, designed to be an imitator of Jesus Christ, Love personified. You are to bear spiritual fruit. That is not possible without a heart (spiritual) transplant.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. — Galatians 5:16-26 <NIV>
Why do you suppose that “there is no law against” the fruit of the spirit? Because those attributes describe God. The Believer has been given freedom through Jesus. The Law exists to reveal sin and lead people to realize they need a Savior. For Believers, that decision has been made. The sinful nature was crucified with Jesus on the cross. You have freedom to enjoy God’s fruit, and as Jesus did, share the Blessing with others. You can be confident in God’s promises and provision in your own life, so you can turn your attention to the needs of others.
Now let’s go back to the topic of relationships for a moment. Imagine two people who have crucified their sinful nature. They are enjoying and producing much spiritual fruit. You can see how much more powerful and committed a relationship between these two would be compared to anything the world could ever produce, or even Hollywood imitate. But there is one last piece of the relationship puzzle to consider.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” — Genesis 2:18 <NLT>
You can see the importance of marriage in God’s statement. He knows the hearts and minds of everyone, and wants to be involved in every relationship. If you read the Bible, you will note that God rarely played a direct role in matchmaking. This verse makes it so clear how much He wants to be involved. You can see His concern for Adam, and that He knows exactly what type of woman would be perfect for him. But would you expect anything else from Love?
People do everything humanly possible to find a relationship, but ignore their Heavenly Father in one of the most important decisions of their life. And only when things go catawampus, will there be a few frantic prayers offered, or even worse, God will get blamed for what went wrong.
God knows what is Good. He knows what you need and like in a partner. He knows what the future holds for everyone. Wouldn’t Love Himself be able to guide you in such a critical life decision?
And even if you are already in a committed relationship, God can make it so much better. Let Love come in and free you from strife and wipe out all unforgiveness. God forgets your sin, why would you hang on to those past offenses, especially from someone you love? When you step out of love, admit it, quit it, and forget it. See God as your source instead of your spouse. That takes the pressure off of both of you, and sets you free from fear, doubt, worry, and the resentment game. Love will bring Peace, Joy, and Truth to your home. Love will make you a better parent, child, friend, employer, employee, husband, and wife. Love is most important in any relationship.
Everything starts with faith in God. Trusting in Jesus and what he did for you on the cross. And finally, believe in Love. Not romantic feelings, but Love Himself!
Do you believe in Love? — He believes in you!
Click on these links for my posts on Christian Dating – Bible Advice, Jesus And Women
Updated on January 29, 2013
Spiritual, But Not Religious
I am fascinated by people who proclaim themselves spiritual, but not religious. I first started seeing this in the dating/singles world and then later with celebrities as a technique to distance themselves from the sometimes awkward subject of religion. Much like the independent or moderate tags come up when it comes to politics, the term spiritual sounds to some as more worldly, or dare I say transcendent.
The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. — Psalm 10:4 <NLT>
What is meant when someone says they are spiritual?
If you reject the God found in the Bible, you can find all sorts of spiritual movements. From ancient religions, to the occult, mysticism, new age, and even the worship of nature of all things. Charlatans are plenteous, duping the gullible with some new, higher way of thinking, and a brand new cult. They all share the same source – a rebellious and perverted angel determined to drag as many down with him as possible.
Entertainment is saturated with stories, movies, and shows that glorify the supernatural and the occult. People are drawn to stories of superheroes and those with higher powers. Life after death and eternal life are themes that are readily prevalent in every culture and religion.
People experience trauma – death, divorce, sickness or failure, and try to find meaning in philosophy, meditation, psychology or other carnal creations. Many of these while not necessarily evil, may miss the root of the problem which is often spiritual, not mental.
It would seem obvious that on some basic level, people know that there is a spiritual world. And only a fool would dare suggest that there are not forces, both good and evil in the world.
What some may call their conscience, or that “voice in my head” is sometimes the spirit world making contact. The source, if not discerned properly, might lead to deadly consequences if you blindly follow it. And sometimes, it just might be the Holy Spirit sent to keep you from harm.
For example, I was on a drunken fraternity trip in college when from deep inside, I had a very strong notion that it was time to leave, NOW! In an instant, even though I had been partying all day at the lake, I was completely sober and knew in my spirit that it was time to go. I am never one to ever be afraid – part of that is my Christian upbringing, the other part is my 6’5″ frame. So fear was not present. It was just a rather firm suggestion that it was time to go home. I found enough sober drivers to get everyone back on the road and home safely before dawn. The plan had been to stay overnight in a very remote area of a state park. This was in the fall when tourists and families were few and far between, and law enforcement was rarely seen.
I got home and jumped in bed, thinking nothing spectacular about the evening’s events. After church on Sunday, my Mother called. In the middle of the night the Holy Spirit had asked her to pray for my safety. She had no natural knowledge of my trip, or what might be happening to me, so she prayed, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, God’s perfect will. After several minutes, she had peace in her spirit that all was well and went back to sleep. Now that it was Sunday, she was curious as to what had transpired. Remember, this was before mobile phones and text messages. There was no way to contact me that night where we were.
As she shared her experience that night, again this was before I had told her anything about the trip, the events that evening took on a whole new dimension. There had been several rough looking men hanging around the area throughout the day, and more came after sunset. Some of them had even joined us around the fire. They may have viewed so many inebriated, and in some cases, very wealthy frat boys as easy targets. That might not even have been the real danger. Again, I did not sense a threat on any natural level. But God knew there was danger. And he knew my Mother would intercede on my behalf – there may have been others praying for all I know. Because of my Mother’s obedience, and faith in a loving God, 12 young men woke up safely in their beds on Sunday. God gets all the glory!
I have had experiences with darker forces as well. They usually come as sometimes dangerous, sinful, or self-destructive suggestions. For a mature Believer, these imaginations and temptations should be easily cast aside. But I have caught myself yielding to anger, strife, and stepping out of love on more than one occasion. But I repent, and God always forgives me because that is what Love does. And I praise Him for it. Each time this happens, I learn a little more how to master the love walk, growing closer to my Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus.
Evolution cannot explain love. I’m talking about Agape – or the God kind of love as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. The meaning of love has been twisted so much that it is hard to fully understand the term on God’s level. The God kind of love is sacrificial, forgiving, joy, peace, abundance and everything good. Human love is at its core, selfish and falls far short of the ideal.
Love is a spiritual force. Can you imagine a man or woman without God offering unconditional love? It simply is not possible.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:16-17 <NLT>
What does it mean to be religious?
Within the various political “ism” movements out there, religion is often seen as an impediment to the overall goals of the group. To academia and the intellectuals among us, religion is dated, and is pushed into the same category as fairy tales, legends, and fantasy. They probably agree with Marx that it is an opiate of the masses. A view still held by most who have rejected God regardless of their political views.
You may find this shocking, but in some ways I agree with this concept. But don’t stop reading just yet until you hear me all the way. I have always defined religion as all the vain attempts man has made to reach God, or whatever they define as a higher power, and even if they see themselves as a deity.
Religion is man-made ceremonies, dogma, rules, traditions, and all the extra-biblical nonsense you find even sometimes in Christian denominations. During his time on Earth, Jesus made clear his disappointment in religion. He railed against the religious leaders of his time for their refusals to show mercy and enforcing all their man-made religious traditions and rules. The majority of these pushed people further away from their Creator, and made fellowship with their Heavenly Father much more difficult, if not impossible. (Matthew 12, 16:5-12, 20:1-16, 23; Mark 7:1-23, 12, 14:53-65; Luke 7:36-50, 11:37-53; 14:1-6, 18:9-14; John 5, 8:1-11, 9 and many other instances)
I went through a period of philosophical reflection in my life. I looked at all religions and my own faith to make sure I KNEW what I believed. I had ample evidence in my early years of the reality and truth of God’s love. Through the witness of my parents and the miraculous interventions in my life, it was hard to deny. But I had to know the Truth.
None of the religions made any sense whatsoever and relied far too much on works, or had too much uncertainty. I don’t believe the Creator of the universe would be so vague. It came down to either there is a God as portrayed by the Bible – remember, Jesus very clearly stated that if you have seen him, you have seen the Father (John 14), or this was one big giant cosmic accident. I find it hard for anyone with even a hint of intelligence, to believe all of creation just sort of happened one day, and then somehow evolved into even more complexity. There is too much evidence of a master designer, including LOVE itself. It would have required much more faith to believe in a big bang, than a loving Creator.
If you closely examine the life of Jesus, no other human has ever exhibited the life of love better and more thoroughly than he. If God IS love, as scripture maintains, He would act in love – healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry and giving himself for mankind. Which is exactly what Jesus did.
LOVE would do everything possible to reconnect with His lost children. LOVE would crave fellowship with His family. LOVE could not lie, or deceive you in anyway. LOVE would not force you to believe and would give you free will to choose light or darkness. LOVE would be Spirit, Life, Truth and The Way – the ONLY WAY to the Father. LOVE would be eternal. LOVE would forgive and forget. LOVE would make a way, where there is no way, for a fallen, sinful world, to be recreated as righteousness into the LOVE family. There is nothing in this fallen world that compares to the spiritual force of LOVE who IS GOD.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” — John 13:34-35 <NLT>
LOVE is not religion. It is relationship.
In John 8:12 – Jesus says that he is the light of the world. Whoever follows him will walk in light, not in darkness. That clearly implies that if you do not follow Jesus, you are in darkness. Obviously, he means spiritual darkness, as he says that you walk in the light of life. It is interesting to note that he said this immediately after he was challenged over a woman caught in adultery. The religious leaders and the mob were quite eager to stone the woman. The thought of mercy and forgiveness, or even a realization of their own sin, never entered their minds. They did not really know the true nature of God.
Jesus points out the hypocrisy of their actions. They were always ready to judge someone else, but unwilling to judge themselves where sin was concerned. They did not even know they needed a Savior, and were unwilling to even consider the possibility that the God they claimed to love was in their midst. They were blinded by the evil one and operating in spiritual darkness. But God still loved and died for them.
Within Christianity, you rarely see mobs ready to stone a sinner. But you do see people quick to judge others of even the slightest misstep. Often, its not even sins that get the faithful riled up, but man-made rules and traditions. Maybe its the way they dress, length of hair, how much make-up, whatever the case, there is no LOVE present. Even in Christian churches, you can find envy, strife, unbelief, fear, hypocrisy etc. I suspect this has caused more people to withdraw from Christianity than anything else. This might also explain people distancing themselves from a religious label, and their fear of admitting a faith of any kind. Most likely, they experienced a church not overflowing with LOVE. And if you remove LOVE completely from Christianity, all your left with is religion.
I can remember times in my youth that if the church doors were open, my family had to be there. Every event, service, project required our presence. You can give yourself to every good work, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give your tithes and offerings, attend every covered dish supper, but without LOVE, its all in vain, leading to lots of frustration. Paul says if you do all these things without LOVE, you gain nothing!
The same goes for the people more focused on the spiritual. Paul says that all the prophecies, faith and spiritual knowledge are nothing without LOVE. And if you are experimenting with the spiritual world without God, you are headed for disaster. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. If you open the door, he will gladly come in and settle down. Stay in the light, and don’t experiment with darkness.
If LOVE (who IS GOD) is the foundation, everything works for your and the world’s benefit. Faith is empowered, spiritual gifts and knowledge can have the most impact, soul winning becomes effective, joy and peace flow freely, there is an overflowing supply to meet all needs, and LOVE flows abundantly throughout the world. Jesus says it this way:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. — John 15:5, 9-14 <NIV>
It is this relationship with God, through Jesus, that the LOVE flows. You love God, He loves you, together you love the world. With that empowerment, comes everything necessary to change the world. Its not a religion, its a relationship – both with God and people. God’s LOVE makes it much easier to forgive, serve and love not only yourself, but the whole world. LOVE connects you to the Glory of God, the anointing that removes burdens and destroys the yokes of slavery to sin (Isaiah 10:27). The limits and boundaries of this world are removed because all things are possible if you believe. The Holy Spirit dwells in you to comfort and guide you. Where spiritual darkness once reigned, Light now shines without limit. You become a child of your Heavenly Father, a king, and an ambassador for Christ. You live in daily fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. There is no religion, belief, cult, or spiritual force of this world that even comes close.
Read these words of Jesus right before he goes to the cross for you. These are not the words of just a “good man” or a guru starting a new religion. This is the Son of God telling you about the new relationship that is now available between God and man through him.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. — John 14:6, 11-17 <NIV>
Updated on March 2, 2013
Though He Slay Me, I Will Hope In Him
I recently was having a discussion on a Christian message board about healing. It was very revealing how angry and passionate people were to prove that God does NOT heal. In fact, one of the arguments against healing was by someone that posted Job 13:15.
God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him. — Job 13:15 <NLT>
Now why would anyone want to make their religious stand on these words of Job? And why, as it is translated by the NLT, would you love God if you thought He was likely to strike you down at any given moment? What kind of fellowship could you have with someone who might kill you for any old reason? It boggles the mind the poison that the enemy sows and religious tradition perpetuates!
Let me back up, before I move forward. Paul tells us that the Word is inspired by God, and is useful to teach and correct you when you are wrong (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible shows us the good, bad and the ugly, so we can learn from it all. There are times, such as the words of Jesus, you need to listen and obey very carefully. And there are times when lies and sins are recorded so you can learn from the mistakes of others, and not suffer their fate. Consider David’s adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah recorded in 2 Samuel. Should you take these verses as your guide and go out and do likewise? Absolutely not! You should learn from the consequences of David’s sin the dangers of adultery and murder.
The Bible can be a Blessing, or a curse. You can take the scriptures and twist them around to justify any type of sinful behavior. Or, you can rightly divide the Word, and it will be a tremendous Blessing. The Word is Spirit, Truth and Life! And Christians have been given the Holy Spirit to lead them into all Truth (John 14:17). The world is in darkness. And even Christians can live in darkness if they allow the world, experience, or tradition, to influence their beliefs. This should NOT be the case. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Let that light shine in your heart, and renew your mind with the Word of God!
There is no doubt that God has the power to kill. BUT, God is LOVE. God’s Son Jesus, came to give LIFE, in abundance, to the full, until it overflows. It is Satan who kills, destroys and steals (John 10:10). So, is there a contradiction? No. God gave man authority over the earth. And He gives you a choice.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! — Deuteronomy 30:19 <NLT>
Note that God gives you the choice as witnessed by both Heaven and the Earth, and then tells you to choose life! Now why would He encourage you to choose life, if it was not in your ability to receive it?
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. — Proverbs 18:21 <NLT>
Remember the children of Israel who said that they would die in the wilderness? That is exactly what happened to them. And when people talk death, failure, and sickness, they invite Satan into their life to do what he does – steal, kill and destroy. And if you talk against healing, prosperity, or any promise/prophecy of God, you cannot receive and enjoy them. Psychologists call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. But God put the principle on the books long ago – what you sow, you reap.
Now, I want to return to Job. Only the Grace of God prevented Satan from stealing Job’s life. God had prospered Job IMMENSELY, to the point that he was the wealthiest man in the East – add up the value of all his property, and add to that the cost of the servants and land needed to sustain such a massive estate in current dollars. God had super-abundantly, above all that he could ask or think, BLESSED Job. Satan complained that God had placed a hedge of protection around Job, which was part of God’s Blessing on his life. Read Job 1 & 2 carefully to see the exchange between God and Satan.
And here is where it gets tricky for some folks. What brought that hedge of protection down? Did God take it down? Satan? Or Job?
It was fear, worry, and unbelief (Job 3:25-26, see also Ecclesiastes 10:8, 1 John 4:18). Job was constantly sacrificing for his kids to the point that it was being done in fear, not faith. He brought down the hedge, and allowed Satan to run roughshod over him. It was only the mercy of God that prevented Satan from taking his life (Job 2:6).
Even Job’s wife, sounding like some religious leaders today, told him to “renounce God and die” (Job 2:9). After a couple chapters of foolish talk, unbelief and ignorance, Job has a flash of wisdom (6:23-24) – Deliver me from the enemy’s hand… teach me to hold my tongue. Job starts to realize that his words have something to do with his situation. Eventually, God calls Job’s comforters’ words “folly” (Job 42:8).
In Job 42:10, it shows that God turned the captivity of Job. Who had him captive, since it was obviously not God?
Job prays for his friends and is not only personally restored, but receives twice what he had before. God is abundance, life, health and overflowing goodness. It was the enemy, working by the authorization of Job, that brought the suffering into his life. And ignorance, unfortunately, is not a defense.
You don’t build a theology off of foolish talk, or unbelief. You learn from Job and apply the lessons of his life. You take the wisdom you learn from the Word, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and avoid, or overcome all satanic attacks. That is exactly what Jesus did in the wilderness. He used the Word to overcome Satan’s temptation. This is reinforced in Ephesians where we are to put on (and not remove) the Armor of God that includes: the Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Helmet of Salvation, the Gospel of Peace and the shield of faith to stop ALL the fiery darts of the enemy. The only offensive weapon listed – the Sword, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). How do you use the Sword? By speaking God’s Word. How do you avoid trouble? By guarding your mouth. Store up God’s Word in your heart, so that no idle or careless words come out. Because as Jesus said, out of the abundance stored in your heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45, Psalm 141:3, Proverbs 21:23 & James 3).
If you continually talk unbelief, fear, doubt etc, you will harvest that in abundance. I am fascinated by churches/preachers that continually teach people to not expect anything – that healing, prosperity, and spiritual gifts (all God’s promises) are not for this generation. And to nobody’s surprise, most people who listen to this get nothing but sickness, failure and death. When sickness does come, they run to the doctor or hospital doing everything the world (and even the underworld) suggests to get well. They toss frantic prayers around without any faith to back them up. And then, based on this experience, decide that God does not heal anymore. Do you see the folly in that?
Looking at the faith success or failure of someone else, will not build your faith. Even your own faith challenges may need to be forgotten. Dig into the Word and build your faith on Jesus. You need to see, and most importantly, hear it in God’s Word. That is how faith comes.
One of the reasons Jesus discouraged people from telling others about his miracles was that the people needed to believe in Him, not in the miraculous. Wonders attract the curious, but the Word (Jesus) is the Rock that everything is built on, a sure and secure foundation (Matthew 7:24-27).
If God is willing to heal EVEN ONE person, He is willing to heal all, because he does not play favorites (Acts 10:34). God has been healing folks for thousands of years. That continues today to those that reach out in faith. In fact, the leper healed by Jesus (Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-14) asked if Jesus was willing to make him clean. Jesus answered his question: “I am willing.” That should settle that question in your heart for all of eternity.
GOD BLESS YOU!!
Updated on March 18, 2014
Lend Me Your Ear – Jesus Restores the Ear of Malchus
My latest project involves the story of Jesus healing the chopped off ear of Malchus, a servant of the High Priest. During the arrest of Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword and swung wildly at Malchus who was part of the mob that had come for Jesus. Although the Bible does not say this specifically, I doubt Peter was aiming for the guy’s ear.
In the confusing confrontation between soldiers, servants and armed disciples, who no doubt were afraid for their lives, this incident could have exploded into a bloodbath. But since it involved Jesus, everything was contained. He was in complete control of all the events that evening.
He ordered his disciples to put away their swords. They were completely unnecessary. Jesus could have ordered thousands of angels to defend him, or simply walked away from the mob like he had done so many times before. Instead, he would willingly go with the mob and endure the mock trial, the beatings, the cross, and the worst of it all, spiritual death – separation from his Heavenly Father. That was his mission.
As the disciples fled in fear, Jesus faced the mob alone. Malchus, clutching the bloody stump where his right ear had been, was crying in agony. Cuts and injuries I have sustained around the head seem to produce and overabundance of blood, so I would assume his clothes were a bloody mess. The pain of the injury, and seeing so much of his own blood, might have been a little shocking to a household servant not accustomed to violence.
The Bible says that Jesus touched the ear and it was restored. In the midst of his arrest, and facing the terror of the cross, Jesus still responded in love. He saw a man hurting inside and out. Someone who was just doing his job who got caught at the wrong place and at the wrong time. We don’t even know if Malchus knew anything about Jesus. He was simply being an obedient servant.
The Gospels record no words spoken by Jesus. But I suspect that Jesus whispered something like “be made whole” into the man’s good ear before touching him. This was just enough to spark the man’s faith to receive his restoration. Faith comes from hearing the Word. And if Malchus did not believe, as happened occasionally during the ministry of Jesus, there might not have been a miracle. Imagine if Malchus had wallowed in self-pity or anger, he may have lost his chance for healing. Jesus would never force anyone to be healed against their will.
I know I am heading into speculation, but this story has always fascinated me. I put myself in his shoes back at home with the rest of the servants and the family of the High Priest. Malchus had as evidence clothing stained with his own blood. He may have even had the old ear if it had been completely severed and not reattached – the Bible is not clear in this regard. Needless to say that this was an undeniable miracle.
The Bible does not say anything else about Malchus. In John, we hear about another servant, a relative of Malchus, accusing Peter of being a disciple of Jesus. Its possible he had heard, or possibly seen Peter’s attack and Jesus healing Malchus.
I want to believe that Malchus became a follower of Jesus. There is no Biblical evidence for this, but I can’t imagine anyone going through such an ordeal and not be at least curious about the person that had done such a wonderful thing for him. I imagine him hanging around the trial and possibly at the crucifixion. I see him sneaking off into the night and meeting with the disciples to learn more about his Savior. I can imagine him as an old man telling his grandchildren how Jesus gave him a perfect new ear!
Everything Jesus did or said had a purpose. And I believe it was no coincidence that Malchus met Jesus that day. Jesus wants a relationship with everyone. Jesus is still saying, “lend me your ears.” He is saying come to me and be healed and made whole – spirit, mind, and body.
Hear the Good News and receive the gift of Salvation that Jesus earned for you.
Here are a few verses to meditate on regarding this subject.
Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5 <NIV>
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 <NLT>
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 <NLT>
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:21-22 <NLT>
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 <NLT>
He (Jesus) personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds. 1 Peter 2:24 <NLT>
Study the Word and Lend Jesus Your Ears.
God Bless You!
Updated on August 22, 2013
George Carlin On Religion – A Response
I often comment on popular culture with an eye towards Christian issues. That is exactly the case with today’s post. The following quote has been making the rounds on social media lately and I felt the need to share my thoughts.
Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man — living in the sky — who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time!
But He loves you. – George Carlin
George Carlin was a comedian who had a knack for cutting through the BS. He died in 2008 and left a legacy, as many comics do, of pushing the limits of decency. But this is not an attack on him. He lived life and made choices like we all do.
Let’s start with his initial premise – that religion has convinced people that there is an invisible being. In some ways I agree with this statement. Religion, as properly defined, is all the man made nonsense that has been cooked up through the centuries in a vain attempt to impress some deity. Without a doubt, this is fatally flawed. And you don’t have to go too far back to see man creating all sorts of odd cults, denominations and belief systems, including the very absurd idea that man is himself a god.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1 <NLT>
There is a reason that people have continually looked for something greater than themselves. To put it simply, there is something greater. One cannot rationally examine creation and not see the handiwork of a master designer. From the smallest organism to the heavenly bodies, everything has been designed to work perfectly within their prescribed place. And you want educated people to accept that this was all just some big cosmic accident? That would take a whole lot of faith.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. Genesis 1:26 <NLT>
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Genesis 2:7 <NLT>
God is love. Love creates. From the very beginning, God’s plan was to have children for fellowship and to love. He created them in His image. God is Spirit and Life, so He created eternal spirits, gave them a body and gave them the ability to choose whether or not they would love Him. If you force someone to love you, it will never be sincere. God wanted His new creation to love Him because they wanted to love Him.
In the Garden of Eden, the Glory of God surrounded Adam and Eve. They lived in perfect fellowship with their Heavenly Father and Creator. They had daily access to all the wisdom in the universe and all their needs were abundantly met. Had sin not entered the picture, they would have lived forever in this perfect relationship and accomplished impossible things.
Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God, pure and righteous before Him. God is perfect in every way. But with perfection comes judgment. That is why when they sinned, God had to treat them differently in order to protect them. Sin cannot live in God’s presence.
From that first sin, all humanity was cut off spiritually from God’s love. It doesn’t matter how good you think you might be, you are still far from perfection – but it is not your fault. That is what makes God so wonderful. He knows that there is nothing you can do to change your spiritual nature – it is simply who you are. That is why He sent Jesus to pay the price for all humanity. Your acceptance of Jesus as your Savior, allows you to be spiritually reborn and reconnected to God’s most wonderful presence and love. You become part of the eternal family with all the benefits inherited immediately.
With the Glory of God gone, Adam and Eve were left naked and ashamed. Fear gripped them because they were without the wisdom of God and were for the first time totally reliant on their senses. They had been alive spiritually, but when God’s life departed, they were now spiritually dead, easily influenced by Satan who had taken ownership of the earth after their disobedience.
God did not curse the earth. The earth became cursed because of sin. God never stopped loving them. On the contrary, He led them out of the Garden because there was a chance they could have lived forever in a spiritually dead state. God had put in place a plan to reconnect with his children and defeat Satan once and for all. But it would take some time to bring all the pieces together at the perfect time. Remember, God gave man dominion over the earth. After the fall, this did not change. So God, who will never break a promise or His Word, had to work through fallen man to orchestrate the perfect redemption plan.
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” Romans 7:7 <NIV>
One of the first steps was to teach man what sin was. Through Moses, God provided the 10 Commandments, as well as other rules and practices designed to set them apart from the fallen world and give them a glimpse of His Salvation plan. The sacrifice of animals would cover their sins, but the sacrifice of Jesus would remove them completely.
The 10 Commandments were meant to teach people what sin was and lead them to understand their need for a Savior. In Christ, we have freedom and one simple law to obey – love the Lord with all your heart and love others as you love yourself. When you love you do not lie, cheat, steal, destroy or kill. As a new creation in Christ, you leave Satan’s dominion behind and enter God’s Kingdom.
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. Psalm 143:2 <NIV>
Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? Job 4:17 <NIV>
How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? Job 25:4 <NIV>
Is it any surprise that almost every primitive culture has some form of sacrificial rites to appease a deity? What would lead so many different groups to seek some form of redemption? What would make people from all over the earth sense the need for someone or something to be sacrificed to atone for their sin?
Man, if he is honest with himself, knows there is something missing inside. Just like a fish out of water, man is lifeless without the presence of God bringing life to his spirit. He cannot really live until Love (God) comes into his life.
But how is this possible? What will bring this completeness to man? How can sinful, spiritually dead man be made righteous?
First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Romans 10:8-10 <NIV>
The sacrifices under the Old Covenant were a start, but they merely covered the sin. They did not remove the sinful nature. Man needed a spiritual rebirth. For this to happen, someone had to pay the price for sin so man could be set free from punishment that was due. Not just a physical death was needed, or else any person would do, but a sinless, perfect person was needed that could die both physically, and experience the spiritual punishment for everyone.
This is the beauty of Christianity. God sent Himself, Jesus, to take on the punishment for all mankind. He would die spiritually and then physically, so that man could through faith in Jesus, be reborn spiritually. This was the only legal way for God to restore man to his rightful place as a child of God.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 <NLT>
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 <NLT>
Hell is the city jail, where those that do not know Jesus will be held until the final judgement. And the Lake of Fire is the eternal prison for those that have refused the free gift of Salvation. Both were made for Satan and his rebellious angels and neither were intended for man. Heaven and Earth were made for man. But when man spiritually died, he became worthy of eternal separation from God.
No man has to go to Hell. He has a choice. He can choose Jesus and Eternal Life, or refuse the free gift of Salvation and spend eternity in a horrible place of misery. God will protect his right of choice and defend that right all the way to Hell.
The good news is that God gave you a choice. Nobody has to go to Hell unless they choose to go. Salvation is as simple as believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Only a God that is LOVE, would make this so simple that nobody can accuse Him of being unjust.
Choose Jesus and LIVE!!
Updated on February 5, 2012
Christmas Is Just Presents?
Every so often I stumble across an article that really saddens me. In a story about the decline in celebrating Kwanzaa, there appeared the following quote.
“My mother, she was very hard on trying to make us celebrate Kwanzaa. She felt that it was more important than Christmas,” Howard student NAME REDACTED told The Root. “Kwanzaa has more definition of life — Christmas is just presents.“
I hid the student’s name because my intent is not to ridicule. Frankly, I’m ambivalent about Kwanzaa. I have no cultural ties to Africa or the holiday. And I’m in no way harmed by anyone participating in a personal, family or community organized Kwanzaa celebration.
I would however have concerns about a school forcing all students to participate in Kwanzaa activities because of the subtle Marxist message and the fact that most faith-based celebrations are banned from public schools. If you exclude Christianity, atheism, humanism, relativism and all the rest of the “isms” need to go as well.
The real reason for this post was the comment made by the student, mainly, that Christmas was just presents. In a sad way, there is some truth in that statement. The forces of darkness have been undermining the message of Christmas for over 2,000 years. Government has chased all mention of Christmas from schools and the PC Nazis have almost made it a crime to even say “Merry Christmas”. Watch any “holiday” special during the Christmas season and you would find yourself wondering what exactly we celebrate on December 25th.
On Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Although the actual birth most likely occurred in September, interestingly, conception may have happened in late December. There is no doubt that Jesus was a historical figure, even the most rabid atheists would not deny his historical existence. But why do we celebrate this otherwise insignificant birth in the dusty town of Bethlehem? We need to take a trip back to the very beginning to see the full story.
The pinnacle of all of God’s creation was man and woman, Adam and Eve. Love creates and God is love. Love also needs fellowship. And when God created mankind in His own image and gave them dominion over the Earth, He wanted to experience and share life with them as any loving parent would with their children as they spread the garden to the entire universe.
He wanted their love in return, but could not force them to love Him. They had a choice to trust Him and enjoy that close relationship, or disobey. Unfortunately, they chose poorly. The moment of disobedience, they spiritually died. The life that flowed from God to them was cut off. The glory that clothed them was gone and they were left naked and afraid. And even worse, they gave Satan freedom to control the Earth and as a result, all mankind from then on had to fight to survive in a now very hostile place, reeling from the curse instead of enjoying God’s Blessing.
God had a plan to reconnect and reestablish fellowship with His children. It was a brilliantly simple plan. He would send Himself, Jesus, the Son of God into the world as a man. He would be created by God’s Word placed in the womb of a virgin. He would be like Adam before the fall, perfect and without sin. He would obey and fulfill all the requirements of the Old Covenant and never sin. At the appropriate time, he would willingly die on the cross taking on all sin, sickness, poverty and death of every man that has, or will ever live. For three days he would suffer the punishment for all mankind in Hell. Once justice had been served, God would lift him up, set him at His right hand with all power and authority.
Since no man could ever pay the penalty for sin on his own, God made a way for all people to be righteous by simply believing in Jesus. The moment you believe in your heart and confess the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit recreates your spirit and you are declared righteous and have all the privileges of a child of God. Every promise is yours. Every Blessing is yours. And the wisdom and fellowship with the Creator of the universe is restored. But it is still your choice. God cannot force you to accept His free gift of salvation.
John sums up very nicely the message of Christmas in John 3:16. God loves you so much that He gave Himself, love, to you. This is what separates Christianity from all the man-made religions. They all require work and sacrifice to obtain whatever reward is offered. Contrast that with the message of Christ. He has done it all for you. All you do is believe. God has done all the work for you. Christianity is about relationship and fellowship. You simply believe that Jesus died for you and you are spiritually reborn back into God’s family. No wonder the angels were so excited to announce the Good News to the shepherds.
Is Christmas just presents? A million times no. Christmas is the time we celebrate the greatest gift ever given to humanity – love. And I can’t imagine any holiday would have more “life” in it than the one celebrating the Creator of life and its Savior.
Updated on October 18, 2022
My Favorite 80s Music Cover Songs
What is it about 80s music that makes that decade so memorable? I’m no music expert, but I definitely have an opinion. The 80s marked the launch of MTV (Music Television), which in its early years actually played music videos. Because of the expansion of cable throughout the country, it was now possible to not only hear music that was unavailable to the majority of Americans, but to see a visual interpretation of the song.
Prior to the 80s, radio was a filter, and the major labels conspired with stations to control which songs were played and how often. As more FM stations emerged during the decade, competition forced specialization, giving DJs more freedom to explore different genres and play songs that otherwise might never be heard outside of college stations.
And finally, modern technology gave artists far more creative latitude both in the music itself, and with the emerging visual medium. This, combined with modern communications, meant that a little band in Dublin could be seen by a kid in Texas. The 80s was the first music decade to really benefit from so much exposure.
And of course I graduated from high school and college in the 80s, so I have plenty of fond memories of the music from that decade. The musical options were limited in the 70s IMO. But in the 80s, you had an explosion of new choices from rap to punk to alternative and on and on. And for the first time, you had easy access to hundreds of artists from all over the world.
While I explored all types of music, the punk/alternative/goth coming out of Great Britain emerged as my favorites. You will notice this with my selections.
What makes a good music cover?
- Don’t reinvent the wheel, unless you can make it better
- If you can’t improve it, do it in a unique fashion
- Make me like the song even more, if possible
- It needs to be at minimum as good as the original
- At the very least, make the video entertaining
With that in mind, here are a handful of my favorite 80s cover songs in no particular order.
It’s My Life (Talk Talk – No Doubt) – In 1984, an English group named Talk Talk released the song It’s My Life, reaching Number 1 on the US Dance charts. I love this remake by No Doubt. Gwen Stefani’s voice and screen presence in the video make this one of my favorites.
Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush – Placebo) – In 1985, Kate Bush released the song Running Up That Hill. It was a truly unique song made even better by her amazing voice. This remake by Placebo blew me away. This is how you do a cover. My only complaint is the video could be much stronger.
Cruel Summer (Bananarama – Ace Of Base) – In 1983 this English group hit it big with this song which is generally considered among the top 50 songs of the 80s. Ace Of Base does a really good job with the cover and the video.
Cruel To Be Kind (Nick Lowe – Letters To Cleo) – The song was actually released in 1979 making it not technically an 80s hit, but the video survived into the 80s on MTV. This cover by Letters To Cleo can be found on the “10 Things I Hate About You” soundtrack along with a cover of Cheap Trick’s I want You To Want Me. During the closing credits you can see the band performing on the rooftop of the school. The video is from the movie and features the band playing at the school dance – What did you expect? Its a teen film.
La Isla Bonita (Madonna – Alizée) – I was never a big Madonna fan, but there is no doubt that she had numerous hits in the 80s. Her song La Isla Bonita (The Beautiful Island) was an exception. Released in 1987, it reached #4 on the charts. If you have read my blog at all, you know I have an interest in foreign music. One day I stumbled across this cover by French artist Alizée that I really enjoyed. This is my random foreign artist on the list.
Just Like Heaven (The Cure – Katie Melua) – In the film Just Like Heaven starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, the score included a cover of The Cure’s song of the same name as the film. If you know anything about The Cure, their music is a little dark and edgy – exactly why I like them. This version performed by Katie Melua is the perfect cover of one of my favorite Cure songs. Again, this is an example of a good cover.
Blue Monday (New Order – Orgy) – How can you have a blog about the 80s and not talk about New Order? Their music filled the dance clubs throughout the decade. Blue Monday made it to Number 5 on the US Charts and is still one of the favorite club songs from that decade. There have been several attempts at covering this song, but this version by Orgy is my favorite.
Come On Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Save Ferris) – If you watched MTV in 1982 for any amount of time, you would see the Come On Eileen video. It hit number 1 in the US and UK and was voted #3 on the world’s best one-hit wonders list. Save Ferris does as admirable job with the cover and a video that projects the same energy as the original.
Take On Me (A-ha – Reel Big Fish) – In 1985 a Norwegian group hit it big both with this song and video. It hit #1 just about everywhere. The original video combined live action with pencil-sketch animation. Even though the song is fun, I always believed the unique nature of the video made this the hit that it was. It has been copied and parodied all over the place, including an episode of Family Guy. I still have no idea what all the lyrics are to this song.
Lovesong (The Cure – 311) – Coming out in 1989, Lovesong is still one of my favorite songs by The Cure. This version and video by 311 is a very nice homage to the original and a great way to end this blog. Although I may be back with more.
For more 80s music fun:
My Top 5 Favorite Songs From The 1980s
I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Leave them as comments below!
Updated on November 22, 2011
Ode To Blog Spam
Thank God that filters exist to weed out all the random blog spam.
What is blog spam you ask? It is the process where random comments are placed on blogs to create backlinks to another site. This is a necessary evil to get your blog to rank as high as possible in the search engines. A cottage industry exists that often outsources the work overseas whereby non-native readers post random comments with links to sites. There are also automated spam programs that create random sentences that do the same thing.
Going through my spam folder reveals some most unusual comments. (These are all unedited and appear as they were written by the respective authors)
First up, my personal blog:
On my Resume page, which is in fact a summary of my work history:
Your own shots are attractive,and do a excellent expression,extremely improbable projects! – There are no pictures and I’m not sure exactly what the rest of the comment means.
( obviously the girl does not know ) – Creepy.
On my post about the Civil War battle known as Gaine’s Mill:
Anyway regarding the Gadhafi comments… I agree. NATO is an evil organization that serves no purpose. “Money” and “Oil” are their main objective. – I did not know the Libyan dictator or NATO was involved in the war.
Another Civil War blog post – Beaver Dam Creek:
What was this proctor I saw at Best Purchase? I was at Best Buy looking a estimator and I interpreted this monitor, I cogitate it was gateway and it had a few pushes unofficially of it lighting up, It looked excellent. – OK?
I’m a huge victoria silvstedt fan – I don’t think Hugh Hefner was picking Playmates during the Civil War, but whatever. I guess the keyword Beaver triggered the comment?
On my About page:
I’d like to ditto Samantha in saying, “Join Right through Life Club!” – Your guess is as good as mine.
And from some of my Christian sites:
On a page about Christmas:
I am baffled by the data in this article I found it to be not just incredibly fascinating however it also made me think. It is hard now a days to locate related information to ones search, so I’m pleased that I found this blog – Christmas can be confusing.
From a post on King Jehoshaphat:
Jonice Inc can supply Dunk High Heel ShoesNike Dunk High HeelsNike Black High heelsNike brown high heelsNike high heel shoesnike discount high heel shoesDunk High Heel Shoesdunk white high heedunk high heel for sale and so on – Nike shoes were big back in the day.
On a post about the birth of Jesus:
Sometimes I really wonder about free sex… Hmmm. – Yep, thank you spam filter.
On a Boris Kitty story:
His “affair”is a pain in your heart foreverAffair eventsAlthough the pieces of your heart,Although you love him, he does not value you,Although you pay so much, but did not return, – Sounds pretty sad.
On a page about Palm Sunday:
I�m hungry!! mmmm hen Think it�s great!!! With a lil Texas hot sauce? – Now, I’m hungry.
advertising – Posted by someone calling themselves dented bumper – at least they were honest.
Imagine getting several hundred of those a day to weed through. Like I said, thank you comment spam filter for saving me.
I appreciate every real comment and approve most anything that is relevant. But the spam-bots and spammers sure do make a mess of blogging for the rest of us.
Updated on January 10, 2013
Where Was God During 9/11?
It seems every time there is a national tragedy or terrorist attack or seemingly any random act of violence, the question comes up, “Where is God?”
Let me be perfectly clear on this point, God is love. There is no evil or darkness in Him whatsoever. Jesus makes it very clear that it is Satan that comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Once you understand that basic truth, it gets easier to understand this fallen world and the grace that God gives believers to overcome all the power of the evil one.
Another important point is God gave man dominion of the earth. Man sinned and gave Satan authority over this planet. Jesus came to win it back on the cross. Satan can still have a great deal of influence, but he has to work through men. God does the same, but in a very different way. He will not impose His will on anyone. He will not overrule man’s freewill because that would contradict His Word. To the man or woman that welcomes Jesus into their lives, all the promises of God, including protection and guidance, are available by simply believing and trusting God’s Word.
There are literally hundreds of specific promises of protection from evil in the Bible. Among my favorites, is Psalm 91. For Believers, God will provide warnings and promptings to keep you safe. But you must be ready to hear an act on these instructions. I have heard testimonies of people that did not go to the World Trade Center that day for these reasons.
I am sure God was dealing with many people in the days leading up to the attack to intercede in prayer for people who might be involved in the attack. Since I was not directly involved, I will give you a specific case when I was facing harm.
My mother interceded for me one Saturday night when I was oblivious to the danger I faced during a drunken fraternity trip to a dangerous place. That night about 12 young men were supernaturally protected by at least one woman’s love of her son and obedience to the Holy Spirit’s request for her faithful prayer. That experience changed my life and forever changed my faith in a miracle working and promise keeping God.
She had no advance knowledge of my trip and no human reason to be concerned for my safety. The Holy Spirit prompted her to pray for my protection and for all those who were with me. She was obedient and then went to sleep, safe in the knowledge that God’s hedge of protection was around me. It was not until Sunday afternoon when we finally spoke on the phone did she and I both know all that happened the night before.
On 9/11, I have no doubt that God and His angels were working to save and preserve everyone that would listen. But for those Christians that missed out on God’s protection and perished, by scripture I know that every Christian was immediately with Jesus, very much alive and safe.
In the midst of any great calamity, it is not uncommon for even stubborn nonbelievers to cry out to Jesus. Like the thief on the cross that repented before his death, they also were immediately at Jesus’ side, preserved for eternity to be reunited with Christian friends and family later. It is God’s will that not even one is lost for eternity.
And for those of us left behind, mourning friends, family, and for our country, He is still here. He provides comfort for those that are hurting, assurance for those that have lost loved ones, and promises of protection for those that trust Him.
Read this passage often. This is God’s promise to protect YOU.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91 NLT
Updated on August 19, 2011
Moi C’est – Camélia Jordana
For today’s “Finnish Friday,” we travel back to France for an adorable video from Camélia Jordana. She is less than a month shy of 19 and I just fell in love with Moi C’est (It’s Me or This Is Me) from my very first viewing.
The song seems to be about the struggle to understand each other in a relationship. Or at least that is my interpretation of the lyrics.
I enjoy the music and vocals, but the video is what really makes this song work. The various little scenes are adorable and each time you watch the video something else jumps out.
Anywho, hope you enjoy it!
Updated on August 19, 2011
Missä Muruseni On – Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Vartianen’s Missä Muruseni On, is the Finnish Friday video of the day. When I first started doing this, Jenni was one of the first artists I stumbled upon. And she has been a favorite ever since.
I always enjoyed Finnish music on my trips to Finland and thought it might be fun to see what the music scene was like today.
There are a few of her videos including Ihmisten edessä that are wonderful. But I really enjoy this one the best. The Finnish language is so beautiful and I only wish I could roll my Rs like she can.
The title means Where My Sweetheart Is. And as you can imagine, its a love song asking the wind to blow to where her sweetheart is and tell him that she loves him and is waiting for him. Very simple but powerful music and scenery.
You can see a full translation here
Hope you enjoy!
Updated on January 31, 2013
Jesus Heals A Bent Over Woman – Luke 13
This last week I was working on some content for Luke 13. This is the story of Jesus healing the woman that was bowed by Satan. If you are not familiar with the miracle, you can read the entire story here: Woman, Thou Art Loosed from Thine Infirmity! Or learn more about the subject here: Healing The Woman Bowed By Satan.
The story starts with Jesus teaching in the synagogue one Sabbath day. He encounters a woman that has been bent over for 18 years. We learn later that there was a spirit of infirmity – a spiritual root behind the physical ailment. This is not uncommon since Satan is the ultimate source of all sin, sickness, death and evil in the world.
Jesus tells her that she is, “Free from that infirmity!” And then he places his hands on her and she is immediately made straight.
Then of course the people erupt in praise to God for this tremendous miracle that they had just witnessed. But not everybody was happy. The religious leader was a little irritated that Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath. You see, they had rules that you weren’t supposed to work on that day and he considered healing to be work.
Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy by telling the ruler that he routinely fed and watered his animals on the Sabbath, but was against showing mercy to God’s children. This of course shamed the ruler. We don’t hear anything else from him, so hopefully he got the message. God is love. He wants His kids healthy, happy and whole so they can be His body and messenger on this planet.
I think it is wonderful that Jesus didn’t care about religion, religious tradition or other man-made nonsense. All he cared about was getting this woman healed. He could have waited another day and they could not have said a word. But Jesus said, “This is a daughter of Abraham. She shouldn’t have to wait one more day!”
We shouldn’t have to wait either. Jesus came to set us free, redeeming us from the entire curse: sin, sickness, poverty and death. Praise God!
A Harrison Tangent: As I was searching for sites that had good content on this miracle story, I came across one that suggested an object lesson for kids. The idea was to get a shiny fresh apple and cut a hole in one side and let it sit out and oxidize overnight (turning an ugly brown color). This was to demonstrate to kids that God sees how rotten we are inside (my interpretation of how many children would understand the message).
Now this might be a good idea if you were teaching unbelieving children (although that is certainly debatable). This is exactly the WRONG message for Believers. When we are Born Again, it is a spiritual rebirth that cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness. God sees us as His perfect children after we accept Jesus into our life. That spiritual rebirth is forever. If we sin, we break off fellowship with God. But we simply repent and fellowship is restored.
To a youngster or new Believer, this is potentially a stumbling block to understanding righteousness, or right-standing with God. Our perfection or righteousness is based solely on what Jesus has done for us. We are righteous by faith. THAT is what we need to focus on and not what we were before. The old self is crucified with Jesus. We are now a NEW creation with the Holy Spirt living inside. How could God dwell in you if you were rotten inside?
My intent is not to criticize. I’m sure whoever wrote the lesson meant well. But young minds are very impressionable and an image of a rotten apple may lead to a life filled with unworthiness, low self-esteem, or an unhealthy fear of God. We need to show and tell people how much God loves them and what a great gift Salvation can be!
And just so you know I’m not just rambling, here are a few verses to meditate on regarding this subject.
What joy it is that my rebellion is forgiven and my sin removed from sight. The Lord has cleared my record of sin! All my guilt is gone! (Psalm 32:1-2)
God forgives all my sins and heals my diseases. He surrounds me with love. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! He has removed my rebellious acts as far away as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:3-4, 12)
(God speaking to you) No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. Even if you were stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
That was Old Testament prophets looking forward to true redemption. The sacrifices under the old covenant merely covered their sins and did not remove the sinful nature – they were still spiritually dead people.
But notice the language change after resurrection:
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 <NLT>)
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:5-11 <NLT>)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2 <NLT>)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 20-21)
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15 <NLT>)
He (Jesus) personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds. (1 Peter 2:24 <NLT>)
Study the Word and make sure no bad apples ruin your day.
God Bless You!
Updated on August 19, 2011
Ehkä ensi elämässä – Johanna Kurkela
Today, we travel back to Finland for “Finnish Friday.” This is a beautiful song and video.
From my very first music video way back in the day, I have always enjoyed videos that tell a story. Even if you don’t speak a single word of Finnish, you can appreciate the song and understand the emotions from this one.
The title of the song can be translated as “Maybe Next Time” or “In Another Life” might be even better. The song goes on to hope for a time they can be together again and embrace. Its basically a plea for a peaceful future together – at least that is how I understand it.
Finland is a gorgeous country with an interesting history. And although we only see a little scenery, it is still spectacular.
The medieval-inspired set, music and costumes only add to the videos impact. And of course the artist, Ms Kurkela, does a wonderful job both on screen and with the vocals. No big special effects, just a simple song and video that is stunning.
I hope you enjoy!
Updated on August 19, 2011
Love Machine – Melissa Mars
For today’s “Finnish Friday,” we cross the Maginot Line into France for the music of Melissa Mars.
The lovely brunette has already built a pretty nice resume from film to music to musicals. American readers might remember catching a glimpse of her in the movie From Paris With Love as the prostitute picked up by John Travolta’s character Charlie Wax.
In France, she is also known for her role as Aloysia Weber, an early love of Mozart, in the very popular rock opera based on his life. The videos I have seen from Mozart l’opéra rock are wonderful. I hope at some point in the future we can see it here in the states.
You can visit her site here. It is available in English. She has more background info as well as her latest video Et Je Veux Danser.
Before the above, she was making music including one of my favorite videos, Love Machine, seen below in both French and then English. I actually prefer the French version. You can click on the link under her name in the first paragraph above and see several more of her videos, interviews and musical performances.
How do you describe Love Machine? How about a post-apocalyptic search for love? That sounds about right.
The chorus of the English version says, “Love me now or let me die.” I know this song is most likely focused on romantic love, but I like looking for deeper meanings in lyrics. Mankind is spiritually dead without God’s love. But with God’s love in your heart, you experience eternal life now while on earth, and for eternity. Something to think about.
I hope you enjoy the videos!
Updated on July 23, 2011
Norway Terror Attack
Norway Terror Attack
The facts aren’t all in yet, but a quick search of Google shows that the worldwide media is gleefully reporting the “Conservative, Christian, Right-wing Radical” meme. At least one German paper acknowleged in the opening sentence of one of their reports that the motive is not known. That was nice.
When we see attacks like this we automatically assume that they have an islamic root. The reasons are quite obvious. Most terrorist attacks for that last 25 years have been done in the name of islam. It is a simple fact. There have been over 17,000 attacks just since 9/11. This does not mean that all Muslims are terrorists. But there is plenty of evidence that the majority of attacks have been launched by Muslims in the name of Islam.
Now, like the Oklahoma City bombing before, we are faced with an attack that on the suface appears to be from a native Norwegian with unknown motives. But sometimes, things aren’t always as they seem. In the OKC case, there was ample evidence of islamic involvement that has been swept under the rug for decades. President Clinton instead used the attack as an opportunity to blame Conservative talk radio.
We should never assume anything until all the facts are investigated. It is just as bad to automatically assume it was inspired by Islam as it is to assume that it was motivated by Christianity – a humorous conclusion I will debunk later in this blog. Let’s remember the Giffords case where the media automatically blamed the TEA Party and Sarah Palin when the perp turned out to be a leftist lunatic.
But take a look at a few of the comments I culled from the Interweb:
A Christian — another prime example of why one can’t be normal and be one. If one didn’t realize this guy was from Norway he would sound like a recent graduate of the tea parties boot camp.
Perhaps NOW Homeland Security will start taking the threat of Tea Party terrorism seriously.
Yep, those darn Christians and TEA Partiers should be locked up before they go all Timothy McVeigh on the world. Geez.
But let’s focus on the Christian terrorist theme – an oxymoron for the ages. Can someone cite the verse in the New Testament where Jesus commands his followers to go on a murdering spree?
I don’t care what this nut’s Facebook page might say, the man is not a Christian. To be a Christian means to imitate Christ. We do that by living a life with one simple commandment – Love God with all our heart, and love others as ourselves. Obviously, this man failed in this area. He may have received Christ at some point in his life. He may have been a member of a church. But he was greatly under the influence of the evil one. The Holy Spirit would NEVER direct someone to murder children or set off explosives in hopes of murder and mayhem.
And that my friends is the crux of the problem. There is good and evil in this world. A spiritual battle is raging behind the scenes and those that willingly follow the wishes of Satan can be easily swayed to do all sorts of evil from murder to rape to slaughtering millions by famine or mass executions. If you are spiritually dead, whether you admit it or not, Satan controls you. There is no middle ground, and no lawful neutral alignment. But even if you are born again, you have to continually renew your mind with the Word of God and resist the devil’s temptations.
In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. — Matthew 7:17-20 HCSB
And here come the updates:
Somebody altered the accused person’s Facebook page and added Christian and Conservative to his profile.
Norway suspect member of a Nazi Forum
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Updated on August 22, 2013
Mette’s Christmas Miracle
by harrison
The Story Behind Mette’s Christmas Miracle
“God will provide everything we need.” — Mette
Background – Mette’s Christmas Miracle is the story of a small flock of sparrows that faced starvation during a Christmas blizzard. One of the birds, Mette, proves that God will always honor the faith of those that trust Him.
Summary – A small flock of sparrows lives near a small farming village in Norway. It was right before Christmas when a brutal storm covered the countryside and made it impossible for the birds to leave the safety of their tree to search for food. One of the younger sparrows named Mette challenges the other birds on their faith in God. He had always provided for them, why would this time be any different?
Most of the flock admires her childlike faith, but they do not believe God will do anything for them. Mette ignores their unbelief and prays a simple prayer, knowing that God always answers.
Christmas Eve arrives and conditions are worse than ever. The flock is hopeless, even going so far as to claim that God has more important things to do than care for sparrows. Only Mette holds tightly to her faith, trusting God completely and thanking her Creator for providing for the flock.
On Christmas morning, the birds wake up to clear skies and a bounty of food miraculously provided by the villagers. But this was no accident. This was God honoring the faith of one little sparrow.
Did You Know? – Mette (MEHT teh), the main character, was named for a Norwegian client of mine. In researching the etymology and meaning, the name is related to Margaret and means pearl. Pearls are formed as a reaction to irritants that enter an oyster’s shell. The oyster protects itself by covering this irritant with a substance called nacre. As more and more irritants are successfully covered, a beautiful and precious pearl is formed.
In a similar fashion, faith comes by hearing God’s Word, and your confidence grows by using it successfully. In time, you will truly see that just as God’s Word proclaims, nothing is impossible if you believe! Faith is precious and if it is valued and practiced, you can move mountains if you believe in your heart, and speak it boldly with your mouth. (Matthew 17:20, Mark 11:22-25, Luke 1:37, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:1, 2 Peter 1)
My Mother made every Christmas an adventure at the Woodard home. Her innovative decorating and love of God led her to study how Christmas was celebrated throughout the world. As an adult, I came across a book on Christmas customs in her collection. It was there I read about a Norwegian practice of placing food out for the birds at Christmas by decorating barns and fences with sheaves of oats. This had spread throughout the Scandinavian nations and continued into the present day. This started me thinking. How did the tradition start? And there you have the seed of this story.
As I was working on this story, I was reminded of the teaching of Jesus who said, “…not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” (Matthew 10:29) We have a loving Creator that you ignore at your own peril. He is more concerned with your needs than even you are. And He wants to be involved in even your most basic needs. Start building that relationship today and enjoy all of His GOOD promises!
Biblical Theme – I usually go to God’s Word for inspiration for each story. Here is the verse selected for Mette’s Christmas Miracle.
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:19 <NLT>
There are no shortage of excellent verses on faith, or the value of strong faith. I found this verse to be more relevant to the theme of the story which is more about trusting God to supply everything you need.
Hope You Enjoy the story. Merry Christmas!
Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net