He never made it a priority to learn how to play. His family would ask him to do things for them and he would. His friends would ask him to play golf and he would. His employer would ask him to stay late and he would. His favorite TV show would be on and he would watch it. His favorite sports team would play and he would follow it. He never put aside any of those things or any number of others and he never spent any time to learn how to play that guitar. He always said he would get to it later, but he never did.

Sometimes Christians do the same thing with God, choosing to do other things, planning on doing what God has said later. Things just get in the way.

Putting God first is something that is talked about, but which is rarely understood or practiced. Christians say that God comes first in their lives, but does what we practice reveal this to be true? How often do we actually study our bibles, go to a bible study, a sing, a prayer meeting, or ANYTHING that has to do with God? Then how much time do we substitute watching TV, going to the movies, reading another book, going to a sporting event or working extra hours? We may say God comes first, but our lives may not reflect it. How often have parents allowed their kids to regularly miss worship services so that they could participate in some extracurricular activities, and then wondered why those children later grew up without any dedication to God or to godly things? Why would we wonder?

In Matthew 6: 33 Jesus said, but you must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and then all these other things shall be added to you. The people then were concerned about the necessities: clothing, food, and daily life. Who isn’t? But they were more concerned about those things than with serving God. Jesus told them not to put those things in first place in their lives. If they would serve God, they would have the things they truly needed. Do we believe that any better now than they did then?

~

Again, the kingdom of Heaven is compared to treasure being hidden in the field, which finding, a man hid; and for the joy of it, he goes and sells all things, as many as he has, and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of Heaven is compared to a man, a merchant seeking excellent pearls; who finding one very precious pearl, going away has sold all things, as many as he had, and bought it.

(Matthew 13: 44 – 46)

(The preceding is the edited first portion of a lesson by friend and brother Steven Poyner.)

I wonder. Do you suppose the Savior of mankind, the Holy Son of God either sometimes did not mean what he said, or occasionally did not say what he meant? Did He at any time fail to state things clearly or concisely?

Now I know that there are a good number of folks who believe they are following God and who say they don’t have to worry about the outcome. Some believe that the power of God is on display through them. But more importantly, they believe they are altogether safe and heaven is just waiting for them to come on up. They have a view that once they have been saved they cannot fall, or that they are predestined, never having to worry about any consequences, and just need to wait to dance in through the pearly gates. This is what they have been taught and it is what they believe. Unfortunately, they are utterly clueless as to what God’s Word teaches. They simply could not find what they practice within a thousand yards of a Bible.

But, that was also the prevailing view of most of the folks who were listening that day on that hillside in Judea. You see they were the descendants of Abraham. The Law of Moses was the business of the priests and lawyers; and they already knew what the outcome would be in the long run. It was literally cast in stone; or so they figured. It was what they had heard and had been taught since they had been pups.

There is just not much difference when you examine what the Jews of that day believed against what the mainstream in this day trusts. About the only major difference is that the people Jesus spoke to that day were not quite as good pretenders as the likes of which we might have to deal with today. Some of them knew exactly what it meant to cast out a demon, and what it was to both see and recognize those mighty works that violated physical law. That was a time of miracles. You can read in the NT about some of their contemporaries who could and did do some of those powerful things. However, nothing at all like that is going on today. This is not that time. It appears that some could cast out demons and heal.

Today we might observe a person overcome with emotion and spouting gibberish and somebody then says a sign or a miracle is playing out. Then some shaman, with one hand moving after the poor soul’s wallet, smacks them on the forehead with the other and knocks the daylights out of them. The evil is supposedly dispatched and they wind up being told they just received the Holy Ghost. What they got was something less than a headache. And all of this is done in Jesus’ name. How pitiable and shallow.

And what did Jesus actually say about all of that?

With my simple way of seeing things, hadn’t He stated that if that was your belief and what you thought served God, that God had developed a plan especially for you?

~

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work lawlessness! (Matt. 7:21)

Therefore everyone who hears these Words from Me, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain came down, and the rivers came up, and the winds blew, and fell against that house; but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and who does not do them, he shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the rivers came up, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.

And it happened, when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His doctrine. For He taught with authority and not as the scribes.

(Matthew 7:22 -29)

In some cases with churches it is similar. Everybody is schooled, but it seems sometimes that nobody has learned anything. The product is not the lesson (if there is one) or in the lesson, but it is the teacher or the program. There may be no application. It reminds me of what Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter that certain folks were ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth. Although the critics and commentators have argued for hundreds of years about whether or not Paul was addressing Christians inside or outsiders – I couldn’t care less. As my Mom used to say, “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

Then again, following Paul’s thoughts, we could bring a good case that some of both the teachers and the very well studied folks aren’t interested at all in the gospel, are clueless to the truth, or to what needs to be told to everyone in order to be saved. Because it’s about them and not about God. The audience may even nod their heads when something is mentioned; they heard it, but they have not assimilated the information or they have not bothered to find out if it is right, or means a thing. If they had, they would probably leave the building. For most it never got behind the eyebrows or in between the ears in the first place. And false teaching does more damage than good anyway. Chances are more than some of these folks just don’t care enough to bother to even read the scriptures. There are souls headed in the wrong direction.

In other better places there are bundles of studies also going on endlessly, and just a few folks (the evangelist, maybe a teacher, perhaps a member or two – there is always a core) doing anything to practice what they have been studying. There are souls needing care there too; and opportunities abound.

For the greater percentage, the rest may not know what to do or how to get it done, never having been tasked with taking the Word of God out of its covers and actually putting it to work by instructing others. Some may fear the failure that will result and don’t want to subject themselves to that sort of intimidation and humiliation. More than a few simply do nothing, as that is the easiest thing done. When there is no expectation, there will be no results. I was at a get together where folks chose to go through a neighborhood and talk to whoever might listen and drop off tracts where they could. After discussing it for awhile, they couldn’t decide on where to start. The visiting preacher finally asked, “Has anyone ever gone to the house next door?” You can figure out the answer to that one. Again, opportunities seem to lie all around.

I too have accomplished little when I assess my activities, but then it is not for want of trying. It seems when I look back that most of the activities and attempts didn’t seem to do much. But then it ain’t about me – as my wife reminds me from time to time. If you have learned the truth of the Word and have worked to get the details right, then you should know that you have the answer in how to obtain life. The question then is this: have you ever put what you have learned to work to try to show The Way to others? Did you teach your children, your friends, did you offer support to someone who really was delivering the goods, or to someone who is making a good attempt at it? Teaching them to observe whatever I have instructed you.

Have you ever tried stepping into the daylight and putting the goods news out there, to get roundly rejected, or to find some soul that actually might listen? The point is that we can get the study part just right, and memorize scripture by the book full; and if we never open our mouths we haven’t accomplished a thing. We can miss opportunity after opportunity.

Try something. Talk to someone. Practice what you preach. Make a point of leaving a card, tract or note somewhere. You might say that’s a waste of time; and it will just get swept out with the trash. And you may be right. But then I know people who picked up one of those tracts, read the lesson, called the preacher, and now they are the preacher. What there is no value in doing is in doing nothing. And doing nothing will accomplish the same result as will be had by the folks who teach it wrong, or who simply don’t care.

You can discuss the plan of salvation and the salvation offered in Christ with friends or strangers, and one day, perhaps to your surprise and joy someone might actually listen. Then you have done part of your duty and put your studies to the test. So what if no one listens most of the time, we’re tasked with the delivery, not the acceptance. And think how well versed on the gospel you will be after awhile. But, if a person does respond you’ll know you got it right and perhaps you may have helped to save a soul from death. And it will feel good too. Some teacher somewhere will have accomplished his or her duty also, though they may never learn about it.

The only thing we’re sure to run out of here is time. And nobody is getting out of here alive; so we need to get busy. We’re not likely to run out of words or opportunities before then. So make your calling and election sure, and be ready to give answer for the hope that is in you. Prepare to do something with the truth; the results may well surprise you in the end. And God will be pleased.

~

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. From such people turn away.  For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

(John 14: 6)

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than having two feet, to be cast into Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into Hell fire where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

For everyone will be seasoned with fire; and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.

(Mark 9: 41 – 50)

Paul in Galatians six, in the middle of a call for the Christians there to continue in good works, unleashed a warning and defined a universal truth. You will not receive anything contrary to what you pursue; worldly practices will lead to corruption while spiritual pursuits will lead to everlasting life. How he introduced this application is interesting, as it seems at first to have little to do with works of any kind.

He warns not to allow ourselves to be tricked, that God will not be ridiculed; and that as we live and do, so will we be rewarded. His intent is that both they and then we should know that this is applied without exception (as I believe are all things that God has given us).

What we may think is good, whether done by either good intentions or for other motives, where out our own design, rather than through an interest in doing as we have been commanded, does not carry the sanction of heaven. Fleshly works won’t make the cut. We can do nothing of our own volition or out of our own understanding to gain salvation for ourselves. No work without faith guiding it can amount to any good before God. James wrote, Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. But it seems even with that not just any works will do. It appears that the performance of good works is not a matter so much for our choosing, as it is a matter of discerning and then doing what God would have us to do. God has ruled as to what constitutes a fleshly pursuit or a spiritual practice. One of the most controversial of scriptures supplementing this point is found in Ephesians chapter two, verse four through ten. While much has been stated about the apostle’s intent there, the last sentence in the paragraph has been altogether ignored by commentators and scholars alike.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Paul here and elsewhere states that works of the Law or of some imposed notion of what constitutes godly works, cannot act to save anyone. Things don’t and can’t save of themselves. We can’t save ourselves without following Christ, no matter what we may do. Yet work must clearly be done. And God will suffice to do his work by and through our faith. Those good (and dare we say faithful) works we are to be about are those identified and chosen by God, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. In this instance, it seems God made the choices, not us. For me at least, that removes many obstacles imposed by others, not the least of which is the caveat some would mistakenly apply by calling immersion a work. While I choose to serve God, I do not apparently have license to choose the mode or particulars of that service. The Son of God and his Apostles have left record of all that in detail sufficient to my salvation.

We must lead people to Jesus, not preachers’ personalities or denominations. In a world where some preachers are looked upon like rock stars, we must not forget that life is all about Jesus, not us. We are Christians…nothing more and nothing else.

In the past few years people have done things for me that I could not even have imagined.  They have cleaned my house, they have put up my garden produce, they have brought meals, they have taken me to the doctor over and over and over, putting about 120 miles on their cars each time.  They have shopped for me and then conveniently forgotten how much I owe them.  They have walked up to me and in the midst of a hug slipped a hundred dollar bill in my pocket to help pay for surgeries, medicines and medically necessary trips that were not covered at any percentage by insurance because they were too “experimental.”  Many, many more have told me that they get down on their knees and pray for me every day, and many of those knees are frail and aching.

What do you say to people like that?  What can you do for people like that?  “Thank you,” seems so lame. 

And what can we do for God and Christ?  Most of us understand that nothing will repay the debt we owe Them.  That is what grace means–you receive mercy you don’t deserve and cannot repay.  Then why do we still act like our “service” is indeed plentiful payment for our salvation?  Why do we question our trials as if God is letting us down “after all we’ve done?”

Just think for a moment about the absurdity of this:God had the power to create the complexities of this vast universe; Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist, Col 1:15-17; and so, dear Father and Jesus, because of all that, I will try real hard not to sin today.That is my idea of service?

God deserves all of me, not just a few little commandments I try to keep. He deserves my service everyday, not just on Sundays.  He deserves my heart, not just my outward posture.  When I give myself to God there should be nothing leftover for me or anyone else.

And He deserves this even when things in my life are not particularly good.  God is the Creator, He is the Almighty, He is the Ruler of the Universe.  That is why He deserves my service, not because He has been good to me.  We truly do not stand in awe of God if we think otherwise.  Today, think about the power of God and what it should mean in your service to Him.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders… over many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.  The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry,”Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. Selected verses from Psalm 29.

e-mail from 6/12/09

Of course, God does not approve of this low value we have placed on marriage. Vows should and must be made in marriage. Those words are not something you say to “get married.” Those words are more than promises or high ideals. A vow is even more than a commitment. A marriage is also more than a contract. Marriage is a covenant that is not to be broken (Matthew 19:6). When we break the marriage covenant and get a divorce, we have…

• Lied to the one we married
• Lied to all those in attendance at the wedding
• Lied to God
• Been unfaithful to God (Malachi 2)
• Been treacherous toward the one we have divorced (Malachi 2)

Marriage is important to God and we need to keep our vows. If you are not going to keep your vows, live alone and stay celibate. God made marriage to be one man and one woman joined together for life.

The eight year old twins are really stepping up and helping out with the sextuplets and with the household chores. This is not something to be praised but to be saddened over. The eight year old twins are sacrificing their childhood. They must become “parents” to the younger six because Jon and Kate are not together. Since one parent needs help, rather than play and enjoy a child’s life, the older children are forced to step up and act like parents. This is not praiseworthy but shameful. There can be future resentment when these two get older, when they look back and realize they could not be kids like they wanted because mommy and daddy could not get along.

“If you can be friends and get along, whether you are married or not married, and they can see the relationship is important and we are coming together for them, then it is really benefiting them (the children) in the long run.” No, in fact this is more confusing to the children. If you can be friends, civil, and come together for your children, then be together for your children. If you can pull this off for a few hours a day, then pull it off a few more hours a day, and then go to your separate rooms after the children are asleep. To think that you can provide the same stable, loving environment, married or not, is a terrible deception. The children will not see it like this at all. The children will not see the relationship is important when the parents are not under the same roof.

“None of this is their (the children’s) fault.” No child understands this nor feels this way. Parents can tell their children until they are blue in the face that it is not their fault. But children always project divorce upon themselves. Children cannot help but think if they had been a little more obedient or acted a little bit differently that their parents would still be together. They cannot help but think of all the times that they caused problems or stress through their actions and think that their parents might still be together if they had only been better. Children will go through this emotional anguish even when told it is not their fault. This is certainly be true in the Jon and Kate situation with 8 children. Because there are so many of them, they will think that they caused their parents to get a divorce.

We must get away from thinking that children are going to thrive and flourish under a divorce. They will be okay because children are resilient. Sure they will survive this. But is that what we really want for our children? Do we want them just to survive the pain that we as parents inflict on one another? We want to give them the very best in life and meet their emotional needs. Yes, the children will be okay. But that is not the goal of parenting. Otherwise we could lock children in their room with food and water and declare successful parenting simply because the children “survived.”  The scriptures tell us that the goal of parenting is to teach, train, nurture, discipline, love, and build up our children. Divorce does not do this for our children.

The reason I am bothering to write about this is because I am child of divorced parents. My parents divorced while I was in elementary school, the same general age frame of the older twins of the television show, give or take a year. I was very disturbed to hear the words Jon and Kate said about their marriage problems and its impact on the children. So I am going to address (perhaps each week after each episode) the false garbage and deception that is often spewed by parents who are considering divorce. So I am going to say things that divorced parents, separated parents, and parents considering divorce do not want to hear. They don’t want to be told the bad news about what the decision of divorce will do to their children. I expect plenty of hate mail and strong disagreements from this series of posts. But I am going to try to speak from the perspective of a child who went through his parents’ divorce.

“We will come together for our kids.” This was stated in the context that both Jon and Kate were at their children’s birthday party. But this is utterly meaningless. Children want their parents together permanently and being together for a couple hours is no consolation with the knowledge that daddy is not coming home. Even one of the children said that in the show. It is amazing to me how often psychologists and others feed the garbage that it is better for parents to be apart and civil than together and fighting. This is not true. Children often do not see the problems in the marriage and wise adults can often keep many of those problems out of the children’s sight. Even married couples have arguments but are able to conceal those disputes from their children on most occasions. To truly “come together for the kids” would mean that Jon and Kate would decide to endure the marriage until the children left the home. Put up a facade and do your best together because the children need both parents together. Sleep in different bedrooms if you have to. Yes, maybe it would be fake, but so is being together for two hours at a birthday party. But the children need the security that comes from a marriage that stays together for the children, even with all of its problems.

“As long as our kids are safe and happy, that is really all that matters.” This statement suggests that they can be emotionally safe and happy with divorced parents. But divorce is damaging to children. Unfortunately, parents are too selfish to realize the immense pain and damage that divorce inflicts on children.

Children cope with divorce. It is not in their best interests and they do not thrive under such a situation. I will be interested to see what other justifications are given to soothe their guilty consciences.

  Unfortunately, this group has rich and powerful friends in local, state and federal government here in the U.S.A.  If successful, they will destroy the moral fabric of America which begins with the family and God.  That is the true foundation of America, not our “financial institutions,” as they say on the news everyday.  These “anti-Christian” groups have been emboldened by the results of the last election.  The only victories Christians can claim out of 2008 elections are the “Gay Marriage” bans.  This has angered the “anti-Christian” fascists who are seeking to overturn propositions 2(FL) & 8(CA) by any means possible.  During the resulting public firestorm, Lawlor and McDonald admitted the bill was unconstitutional and blamed it on the State.  Enjoy your freedom of religion while you’ve got it because unless we as a nation put the hammer down and stand up against nonsense like this, we will wake up one day and it will all be gone.  We are marching down the historical path of the Weimar Republic.  I encourage everyone to study the Weimar Republic and take a long hard look at our current situation.  The similarities are frightening for the future of our country.  The Weimar Republic also had a growing “anti-Christian” movement and one morning, people woke up and they had taken over the government under the banner of “national socialism” during a time of economic hardship by promising change. (sound familiar?)  It makes me very glad that I have God in my life. but fearful of the times ahead.  Are you mentally prepared for the possibility of religious persecution… torture… or worse?