WHEN HUMAN REASONING REAPS HEINOUS IDOLATRY

"No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Mat. 11:27).

 

Who is God? What is God like? These are among the most dangerous questions people can contemplate when their full intention is to answer from their own mental capacity, ability, imagination, and reasoning. To begin with, God is infinite and man is finite. Then there is the matter of humanity's innate sinfulness. The human mind being finite and sinful, therefore, possesses absolutely no ability in and of itself to accurately describe or define God. Decades ago A. W. Tozer said rightly, "A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no true likeness of the true God."

 

Yet, is this not exactly what many contemporary professing Christians have habitually done in an attempt to have God and church the way they want both? To justify one hour services or less, they propose that God is well satisfied with their church tradition. To rationalize lack of personal evangelism and witness, they explain that God knows these are not their talents and gifts. To feel good about sleeping in on the Lord's day, they suggest that God sympathizes with their need for rest on their only day off from work. Skipping Sunday evening services and Wednesday prayer meetings are simply a matter of God knowing his or her need for "family time." To perpetuate an ever-growing addiction to "social" drinking, some professing Christians arrogantly tout, "Well, Jesus turned water into wine!" Adulterous affairs are often passed off as justifiable because, as the offender explains, "God wants me to be happy." To console their grieving heart over the death of relative who never showed any real concern for God while alive, a person will insist that "God is a God of love and wouldn't send his or her loved one to hell." Every era of time has had its share of professing Christians who are experts at fashioning for themselves a god that is not the true God, thereby, shamefully proving themselves to be idolaters.

So, then, how do we correct this hideous idolatrous thinking and behavior? Moreover, how can we come to know our incomprehensible God? First, we must make sure we are truly Christian by having genuinely repented of our sins and trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Second, we must give up all silly, sinful notions of having God and church the way you want them. Third, we must go to the source, the Bible. Jesus said, "No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Mat. 11:27). In the scriptures, we find that God has revealed himself through his written word and the living word, Jesus Christ. Study the whole Bible and, especially, the person and work of Christ. You'll discover God's attributes, God's character, and God's will. This is the way God has chosen specifically to reveal himself to his true children.

Tozer also said, "Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear." Determine to know God and love God as he truly is and not as your imagination says he is or as your sinful desires want him to be.

TRUE CHRISTIAN OR FALSE CONVERT

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (Heb. 2:1).
 

Picture an empty boat on a lake drifting in every direction but going nowhere in particular. Okay, at some point in your life, you prayed a sinner's prayer, received baptism, and placed your membership in a ...local church. Question, and be honest: Does your life within your church and outside your church indicated that you are steadily drifting away from Jesus or surely growing closer to Jesus? (Heb. 2:1-4).

Many professing Christians are trusting their prayer, baptism, and church membership to get them to heaven while, by all indications, their lives reflect an overpowering motivation to please themselves and to have life as close to the way they want it as possible. In truth, they are and have been drifting away from spiritual things because they've never really been committed to following hard after Christ and to paying careful attention to biblical truth. The only difference between this person and someone who cares nothing for Christ is he or she attends church from time to time.

True saving faith results in a resolute determination to grow steadily in spiritual maturity. The Christian will deliberately practice the biblical spiritual disciplines, wholeheartedly practice purity and holiness, and bravely practice the presence of God in the moments of life.

So, are you steadily drifting away from Jesus or surely growing closer to Jesus? The honest answer indicates the true condition of your heart and the truthfulness of your profession of faith in Christ.

Easter Promises Especially for You

"But now, this is what the Lord says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. . . . Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you; I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. . . . I will bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. . . . Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made’" (Isaiah 43:1, 4-5, 7, NKJV).

Life can be so superficial. We can live in hurry and flurry, and we do, without spending precious moments considering the value of this life we’ve been given. Friend, stop today and consider how good Easter really is for you. Realize that, unmistakably, you are part of God’s dream for his creation. There is a place prepared for you where you will fit in perfectly. You have a lively future, a living hope.

In the passage above, God prophetically announced himself to be Israel’s redeemer, their rescuer–the one who would bring them out of the shame and oppression of a hard life of slavery. As their forefathers in Egypt, they would live as unnamed, unknown, unloved servants of toil and labor at the hand of a hard task-master in Babylon. However, they should not lose heart. Though their sinful rejection of the fatherhood of the God who created them would have to be paid, deliverance was coming.

As much as God had created Adam to be the father of the human race, he had created Israel to father a peculiar people to be his very own. "For I have redeemed you" is a snapshot into the future, a forth-telling of the time when God would, indeed bring his people out of exile in Babylon back to their beloved Jerusalem.

Yet their return to their homeland was to be a sign of the ultimate redemption that would take place at a later time. God himself would send his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem his people out of their bondage in sin and into the precious salvation of present and eternal fellowship with him.

The religious leaders of Israel in the first century led Israel to reject Jesus as their long-awaited, prophesied, and promised Messiah Redeemer. But did that stop God’s plan? No. To the cross Jesus went, battered, bruised, scarred, and crucified. Let the anthem of John ring out through the ages: "For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Did Israel’s rejection of Christ disqualify all of the nation for salvation? Hardly. Paul explained: "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! . . . For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Romans 10:11-12, 15). As a result of Jesus willingly giving his life on the cross, all who trust in him, Jew and Gentile, will be saved.

Here are a few Easter promises especially for you:

You are known by God. God’s message through Isaiah was: "I have summoned you by name." Friend, you are not some anonymous person trudging your way through this world. You may feel like no one knows you or cares for you, but that simply is not true. There is not one moment of your life that has not been lived out under the watchful eyes of your creator God. Put it down in big print and believe it–God knows your name. Jesus said, "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7). In addition, if belong to Christ by faith, God has numbered you among those who are his special possession for all eternity: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). Put it down in big print and believe it–God knows you.

You are precious in God's sight. God’s message through Isaiah was: "Since you are precious . . . in my sight." What value do you really place on your own life. Do you feel like your life matters? God does. You are of infinite worth to the One who made you. As a matter of fact, if you did not matter, you wouldn’t be alive. The very fact that you live, breathe, and move means you matter more than you could ever know. So, then, do you treat your life as precious? You should. None of us has the right to treat our bodies haphazardly and hurtfully. Our existence is fragile and for only a time; therefore, we should take good care of ourselves as a sign that we understand our life is not our own, but was given to us by God. Paul said, "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:9-10). Put it down in big print and believe it–God believes you are precious.

You are honored by God. God’s message through Isaiah was: "Since you are . . . honored in my sight." Think of your life–past, as well as, present. Have you always done what was right in God’s sight? Have you always honored God with your thoughts, words, and actions? How many times have you chosen to please yourself, instead of pleasing God? The fact that God cares for any of us who have turned our backs on him is mindboggling. Yet God has and God does care. That’s what the message of the Bible is: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’" (Hebrews 10:16-17). That covenant was cut on Calvary and sealed at the resurrection. Put it down in big print and believe it–God has honored you.

You are loved by God. God’s message through Isaiah was: "because I love you." The very fact that we live and breath is proof that God loves us. The fact that we are a part of a family is proof that God loves us. We have food, shelter, and clothes to prove that God loves us. However, the greatest proof of God’s love for us is the Cross of Christ. His death paved the way for all people to be forgiven and restored, yet only those who believe and trust by receiving Christ as Lord are forgiven and restored. Hear the message: "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). Yet, Christ's death is not where the story ends. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead. He truly is alive. Imagine this: the God who made you died for you, and now lives again to empower you to live the life you were created to live, and one day will return to get you, and take you to be with him for all eternity. Put it down in big print and believe it–God loves you.

The apostle John recorded one of the greatest promises Jesus ever spoke: "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!" (Revelation 1:18). Easter is God's promise to you that he knows you, you are precious to him, he honors you, and he loves you. The death and resurrection of Jesus gives you forgiveness from your past, power for your present, and hope for your future. Trusting Christ as Lord, you have new life, and that life is worth living. So go discover the life God planned for you, and do just that--live it to the fullest!

Lift Up Your Head and Be Thankful

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap” (Luke 21:34).

Just days before Jesus was arrested and, subsequently, murdered on the cross his disciples questioned him on how they would be able to recognize when life as they knew it on earth was about to end. The scenario Jesus outlined for certain events that would preclude the end of time included: world-wide religious confusion; national wars and revolutions; natural disasters including earthquakes, famines and pestilences; persecution and betrayal of Christians by family, friend, and foe; targeting of Israel for destruction by other nations; and even cosmic disturbances that shake the heavenly bodies (Luke 21:5-26).

Taking a simple stroll through the state of world affairs with eyes wide-open is alarming and disconcerting. One website that encourages religious tolerance provides information on forty organized religions and faith groups in the world–every group from Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism to the Church of Satan. Christianity, the largest group, consist of some 1500 denominations and para-church ministries along with thousands of independent churches and organizations. One frightening bit of counsel on the site’s homepage encourages visitors to “find a faith group that matches your beliefs.” The straight-forward suggestion is that all religions are equal; moreover, what each and every person believes about life, God, and the after-life are equally accurate, so people should just hook up with a church that believes what they believe. This mindset is not only dangerous, but it clearly explains the presence of world-wide religious confusion.

At present the American military is fighting in Iraq and Afganistan. The Foreign Policy website cites thirty-three conflicts on-going around the world including civil wars and insurgencies. Not counting all-out wars, cities all over the world including in the Unites States, have long been riddled with too many instances of assault and murder. Considering reality and what is reported daily on news stations, is it stretching things at all to say we are a planet at war?

Death tolls are expected to reach into the thousands after the 8.9 strength earthquake that hit Japan on Friday. It is the fifth strongest of eleven quakes recorded in the last 110 years that register at least 8.6 on the Richter Scale, and it happened right on the heals of the quake that struck New Zealand at the end of last month. Four million buildings in Tokyo alone had no electricity shortly after the disaster hit. Thousands of homes and automobiles were destroyed in a matter of hours.

Add to this kind of horror the untold numbers of people suffering from starvation, disease, and AIDS in our world. Tack on the increasing incidents of religious persecution; specifically, the numbers of Christians being arrested, detained, and killed. We cannot help but feel a cautionary check in our heads and hearts when we measure the world’s news against Jesus’ prophetic statements in the Bible, especially in Luke’s gospel. Jesus warned, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

Jesus wanted his first-century disciples and his twenty-first century followers to be prepared for what will befall this planet as the time draws nearer to him bringing history to its glorious culmination. So our Lord said, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. . . . Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34, 36).

Dissipation is excess amusement, entertainment, self-indulgence, partying, recreation, and self-gratification. Jesus sternly warns people not to let their lives be taken over by these things. A life full of these excesses cannot be centered in Jesus Christ. Drunkenness is being intoxicated to the point that our mental faculties and physical actions are diminished. Alcohol and drugs will certainly put people in this condition. So also will sex, power, and greed. Anxiety is worry, tension, and panic that sets in when we are unrealistically, overly concerned about past, present, or future events. This kind of angst creeps in and steals our ability to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our hearts committed to him and his will, and our hope securely centered in his promise of eternal life.

Christian, you have much to make you “lift up your head” toward heaven. Because you have received Christ as Lord and Savior, do not allow anything to steal your attention from Christ. Serve him to the bitter end. Jesus died on the cross in your place to pay your penalty for your sins, and three days later he rose from the dead. Today, he sits at the right hand of the throne of God, the Father. One day soon, in an instant, whether you are dead or still alive, he himself will come for you. All who truly belong to Jesus through faith will be sucked off of this planet as in a vacuum–raptured, caught up with him in the air–where we will be with him forever.

There you will be, safely tucked away, during the great tribulation when those who have rejected God's great gift of salvation are left on this earth to suffer the worst atrocities, horror, and evil every known because God is pouring out his wrath upon the earth. Be thankful. You’ll be safe with Christ when he destroys the armies that descend on Jerusalem at the Battle of Armageddon, when he throws the Antichrist and False Prophet into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, and when he collects those saved during the tribulation and destroys the unsaved. Be thankful. You’ll see Jesus throw Satan in the abyss and lock him up for a thousand years. During the 1000-year millennial reign, you’ll be with Christ. Be thankful. When Satan is let out of the abyss for one last rampage of self-indulgence, you’ll see Jesus throw him into hell where he will stay forever. Be thankful.

When Jesus somehow hides his heavenly army and family of believers in another dimension of time and space, you will be there to see him do as John Phillips described, “detonate the earth” (Exploring Proverbs. Volume 1. New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1995, page 466). Heaven and earth as we know it will be destroyed in a great cataclysmic fire. And after the smoke clears, somewhere on the banks of eternity Jesus will appear sitting on a great white throne. The unsaved, wicked, and evil dead will be raised, judged, sentenced, and damned to hell for all eternity.
 

Finally, a new heaven and new earth will be come into view and the great words of Revelation 21:3-5 will become reality: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” Mark it down in big bold letters–we, who are truly saved by faith in Christ, will be there with him forever and ever. So, my Christian friend, don't let any earthly amusement, addiction, or anxiety steal your obedience to Jesus Christ. Lift up your head to heaven and be thankful.

A Personal Letter From God to Us

"Tell me so that I may believe in him" (John 9:36).

One day Jesus was walking with his disciples. They ran across a man who had been blind since birth. After teaching them that God's life and power is to be displayed in all people regardless of physical limitations, Jesus "spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes." He then told the man to "go" and "wash (his eyes) in th Pool of Siloam." When the man obeyed Jesus, suddenly he could see. The Pharisees harassed the man and even barred him from ever setting foot in the Jewish assembly again. When Jesus heard what happened, he went to find the man. Here's how the exchange went from John 9:35-38:

Jesus asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

Isn't it so common how we want to have the facts explained to us before we will believe anything. Certainly, this is an incentive for us who have believed in Christ to share him with those who haven't. Yet, there is something more that is intriguing about the man's request: "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Is it possible that Christians today need to hear Jesus tell them some things so that they will believe him in the everyday moments and circumstances of life? Sure, the Bible is available to be read; however, how many people in the church really honestly read God's promises in the Bible as God's love letter to them?

In a book entitled Pastors at Greater Risk by H. B. London Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, the authors interviewed some pastor's wives on the subject of living under the constant pressure of feeling like they have to please everybody and not let anyone down. One of the wives said her strategy was taking the promises of God and reading them like a love letter from him to her. This prompted me to add to her material and try to imagine a letter God might write to me. I share it with you because the letter is not just to me, but to all of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Read and enjoy.

A Personal Letter from God to Us: (Christian, write your name in the blank)

Dear ___________________,

Nothing is impossible for Me. I’m able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine. In Me all things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities. All things were created by Me and I am before all things. And in Me all things hold together, even you. Mine is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor. I am exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from Me and in My hands are strength and power to exalt. Trust Me. Nothing on Earth is My equal. It is not by your might. It is not by your power, but by My Spirit.

I know when you sit down and when you rise. I perceive your thoughts from afar. I’m familiar with all your ways. Before a word is on your tongue, I know it completely. You cannot flee from My presence. If you go up to the heavens, I am there. If you make your bed in the depths, I am there. If you rise on the wings of the dawn, if you settle on the far side of the sea, even there My right hand will guide you. My right hand will hold you fast. Even darkness is as light to Me. I stretch out the heavens like a canopy and spread them out like a tent to dwell in.

I measure the waters of the earth in the hollow of My hand and with the breath of My hand, I mark out the heavens. I’m the creator, the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. I’m the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I’m immortal and I dwell in unapproachable light. Yet, I tell you, approach My throne of grace with confidence so that you might receive mercy and grace to help you in your times of need.

Remember that you live in a fallen world. When the world persecutes you because of Me, I will bless you. At times, your sin and the sins of others will bring pain and suffering into your life. Even though it breaks my heart, wrong choices by you and others may cause you to lose your family and friends, but remember, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Always keep this in mind: I am the Master of restoration; whatever you lose, I can restore if all are willing. I will work all things for your good if you will love Me and pursue My calling on your life.

So, call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. I will have mercy on you according to My unfailing love. I will blot out all your transgressions according to my great compassion. I will wash away all your iniquity and cleanse you from your sin. I will teach you wisdom in the inmost place. I will create in you a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within you. I will restore the joy of your salvation. I will sustain you, and I will make you strong.

Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear– for you belong to Me. Look at the birds of the air, and know that I feed them. Look at the lilies of the field, and realize that I dress them in splendor. You are more valuable to me than the birds and flowers I’ve made. Your life is more important than food, and your body is more important than clothes. Whatever you do, do it for My glory. Lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands so that your daily life wins the respect of others. Chase after Me with all of your being, desire My kingdom, live according to My righteousness, and I will take care of your every need. Do not worry about tomorrow today. Remember, I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I’m telling you the truth, if you keep My word, you will never see death. I’ve prepared a place for you. One day soon I will come get you and bring you to where I am because I want you to be with Me in eternity. Until then, I promise to be with you and in you.

Love,

God