Are We Better Off Without God?

Look at our society. Are we better off without God? Murder, rape, incest, pornography, suicide, mass shootings are on the rise. And we think we're better off? Yes, some of these things happened decades ago, before prayer and God were kicked out of school and government, but not on this scale. People believed in decency, honor, and respect. Children were taught to respect their elders even if they disagreed with them. Most of the people of my generation were taught to love and fear their parents. I certainly did and I am a well-balanced, happy adult. Did my parents make mistakes? Of course they did. There is no such thing as a perfect parent and very few people have had idyllic childhoods, but we learned manners, respect, and dignity. We were taught to do everything with all of our might. We were taught to always do and give our best. We were taught to admit when we were wrong, apologize, and keep our moral standards high—at least until the "hippie" generation came along. Those are the parents now who listened to Dr. Spock say that spanking a child, or any form of corporal punishment, would inhibit our children's personalities and make them evil.

Nonsense! Now, I believe in spanking WITH LOVE, and discipline. Discipline teaches. When my children were small and spanking was in order, I made sure they first understood why they were getting a spanking. They needed to acknowledge that what they had done was wrong and why it was wrong. If they didn't understand, we had a conversation to help them understand. This was done patiently. Secondly, they were assured that we loved them. When the tears and crying stopped, we would call the child to us, give them a hug, ask them again if they knew why they received a spanking. If the answer was because they were bad, we had another conversation. It was not that the child was bad; it was the action or behavior that was bad.

Our children are well-adjusted adults (well, our daughter went through some things outside the home that have caused her problems in her adult life, but she is getting a handle on them.) Both of our children tell us we have been great parents and we have a great relationship with them. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 31:28 says, "Her children arise up and call her blessed, and her husband also, and he praises her." This passage, from verses 10 through the end of the chapter, are describing a virtuous woman. Thanks to God and His Word, I am living proof that this is so.

A loving parent will discipline and encourage the children. A wise parent will seek to train the child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We were created to have fellowship with Him, and there is no better, happier life than one lived in love and service to God. He is love. But He can also be grieved. He can get angry. He is to be revered, loved, and feared. We should be just as afraid, if not more so, to incur God's anger as that of our parents, especially since today parents seem to let their offspring get by with anything

Are You Deceiving Yourself?

Sunday I posted an article about lying to ourselves about what is right and what is wrong. This article follows that one.

Malachi chapter 3 deals with our worship, our relationship with our Heavenly Father. I fear that the majority of us have lost our zeal for, and fear of God. Many preachers today just want us to feel good. They don't talk about God's character. They don't mention sin. If your little child continually reaches his hand toward the hot stove, even though you keep telling him it will hurt, do you at last, slap his hand or are you afraid of hurting him? Which will hurt worse, the slap on the hand or the burn he would get from touching the stove? Love teaches and disciplines. Our government, and thus our society, no longer believes in discipline.

The Bible tells us that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The problem is, we have for so long, heard that God is a God of love, with no mention of the other facets of His character, that we treat Him as a celestial teddy bear.

God is also a God of wrath. He destroyed the entire earth by flood because of its wickedness, saving only Noah and his family because they were the only people on the entire planet that loved God. Teddy bears don't get angry.

God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because they were filled with homosexuals. Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

Gen 18:18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Gen 18:19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Gen 18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Gen 18:21  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Gen 18:22  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Gen 18:23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Abraham was worried about his nephew, Lot and his family, who lived in Sodom. Abraham pleaded with God several times, respectfully and humbly, if God would destroy the cities if there were certain numbers of righteous people in the cities. God, after each number mentioned, told Abraham He would not destroy the cities if that number of righteous people resided there.  The last number Abraham mentioned was ten. There were not even ten righteous people living in those two cities. Only Lot and his daughters were spared. His wife looked back as they fled, and was turned to a pillar of salt.

So the question is: Are we allowing ourselves to be deceived by our own wishes to have our feelings pumped up during church, and be told we are good and God is good, and the world is wonderful and there is no sin? Wake up, people! Why are children being molested, kidnapped, bullied, and killed? For some it is God protecting them against worse things to come. For others it is to deliver them from evil before they have a chance to be turned the wrong way.

Romans 3:10 says, "There is none good, no not one."

Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isa 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Isa 53:8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Isa 53:9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Isa 53:12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

This passage, of course, is talking about Jesus. This is one of the many prophecies of what would happen to Him.  If we are good then Jesus went through all of that torment and death for nothing. He died for our sins. WE ARE NOT GOOD!!! We are evil and need a savior. Jesus has taken the penalty for our cruelty, evilness, everything bad that we have ever done, and it was poured on him at the cross. He shed His precious blood for OUR sins. We need to stop kidding ourselves, stop lying to ourselves that we are good. We need to acknowledge our sin on a daily basis, because whether we want to see it or not, we sin every day. There isn't a day that goes by that we haven't had an evil thought, or told a lie, or said something about someone, or done something we regret.  We all are guilty before God. We can kill our conscience and tell ourselves we are good, but in the end, we will stand before God to be judged. God hates our worship and praise if our hearts are not right with Him, or if we are just going through the motions. Joh_4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

It Isn't Sin

I saw a post on Facebook the other day that proclaimed homosexuality isn't sin. Now I don't hate anyone. Life is often difficult and bad things happen to people that may influence and impact us for the rest of our lives. But joy and peace don't come from lying to ourselves. No matter how many times you tell yourself the moon is made of green cheese, you may convince yourself but that doesn't change the reality that it is actually a massive orb that reflects the light of the sun. We can tell ourselves a million+ times that the only facet of God's nature is love (like Joel Osteen), but that doesn't change God's character.

Jesus Christ died on a cruel cross, after being tormented beyond any normal human being's ability to withstand. He did it for our sins. He did it to set us free from the bondage of sin. You can kill your conscience and lie to yourself all you want, but it does not erase the fact that God destroyed two huge cities specifically because of homosexuality. See Genesis chapters 18 and 19. God is just and holy. He wants His people to be holy.

Friend, please admit your sin, ask God for forgiveness, and turn from it. I know it isn't easy when you care about someone, but hell is a terrible place of torment, and I don't want you to go there. God promises to give you the strength you need to change. Only His Holy Spirit can change you. It will be a daily battle, but the end result, living in God's grace and mercy is beyond anything comparable here on this earth. And there is no escape from hell. I'm praying for you.

The Heart of Worship

One of the songs I enjoy listening to says, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship; and it's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the times I've hurt You; and it's all about You, Jesus."

Does it seem odd to anyone besides me that all of the gadgets we've created to simplify our lives have actually made life more complicated, more busy? Instead of mailing letters or calling, we text. Instead of going to the library, we get on the internet. Instead of cooking, we open a container or a can. Much of our food now is microwaveable. I wonder if the electronic, computer-age generation even knows what an oven is or what it is for. (Okay, I'm giving my age group away). We rush around doing who-knows-what. What is the purpose? Where are you going? Why are you going?

Have we, as Christians, sacrificed true worship, heart-wrenching, soul-searching worship, for a good feeling and a prayer on the fly as we race through the day? When the day is over, do you feel a sense of accomplishment? How much time do we really give God? How much of ourselves do we really give Him?

Malachi 1:7-14 gives a description of what the priests in his day were using as worship: diseased animals, spoiled bread. They gave God the worst they had and expected Him to be pleased with it. God was not happy. He was not pleased. He was, in fact, angry. Would you give your best friend the worst you could find? Would you dump garbage on the doorstep of your parents? Yet, we give God our garbage as a worship offering. We give Him the remnant of our day. We turn to Him only when we have a problem. We want His blessings while we treat Him as if He means nothing to us. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us organize our time (time God has given us) so that we may devote more time to our Heavenly Father, the One who provides our every need, who blesses us with every spiritual blessing (inspite of ourselves), and protects, guides, and comforts us. Let us return to our LORD GOD, with a true heart of worship, not just warm, fuzzy feelings that go away as soon as we leave the church.

Don't Hold the Child!

I don't know how many parents are out there who feel this way, but I have recently come in contact with someone who has 5-month-old baby. The father says the baby should never be picked up just to be held. The baby holds its own bottle. I don't know if burping is allowed, but it is necessary in order for the baby to get rid of the gas that builds up so it doesn't have a tummy ache. When babies don't feel good they are fussy. After all, they can't tell you how they feel.

This father gets upset if he finds a babysitter holding his baby. He thinks the baby will be spoiled and he doesn't want that.

What he doesn't seem to know or understand, is that if a baby never gets picked up and cuddled, that baby will grow up to be cold-hearted and angry. He or she will feel unloved and unwanted all their lives. If the parents decide to play with the child or hug and cuddle it once it becomes a toddler or older, it may repair some of the damage, or the child will feel that it is being manipulated and will be either sullen, or appear to acquiesce on the outside while seething on the inside. Be careful. If this is how you treat your child, you may be raising a murderer or other violent criminal.

Babies should not be picked up every time they cry. A mother learns to tell when her baby is crying because it has a need, or just because it wants attention. It does not harm a baby to be allowed to cry itself to sleep when it is just being stubborn, or is using crying as a way of getting attention. However, the parent needs to think about how much time he or she spends interacting with the child. Even infants need to be played with (gently).

Remember, babies are little people, with the same needs and wants as adults (emotionally), but they are unable to express those things in words. It is up to the adults in the baby's life to learn to listen to the differences in the child's cries to discern what the need is. If you don't play with the child, he or she will be fussy, whiny, and temperamental (which he/she may be anyway, but at least it won't be the fault of the caretaker or parent).

When you aren't sure what to do, consult a pediatrician or an older person who has raised children. Children don't get spoiled because they are loved; they are spoiled when they are coddled and catered to.

When Your World Is Falling Apart

      All of us, at some point in our lives suffer loss, grief, disappointment, agony, ill health. Most of us bewail our sad experience and wonder why God has done this to us, or, as Christians wonder why He allows such miserable things to happen.

      When our children go astray and ruin their lives, our hearts are broken. Some parents refuse to accept that their offspring could do whatever it is that they have done. Some parents break all ties with their children. Others try to keep the communication lines open and pray for them earnestly and continually, trusting that at some point, God will restore them to a right relationship with Himself.

When our health fails and we just want to die, our soul often despairs because our bodies remain in agony. We wonder why the Lord has left us to live in such a state. Sometimes we feel as if no one cares. We become lonely and depressed.

      Sometimes a storm, such as a hurricane, tornado, or sink hole, destroys everything we have. Some people have suffered these calamities more than once. Anger and bitterness are normal reactions when calamity steals everything from us, or a loved one is brutally taken from us.

      Friend, God has not left you alone. If you don't know Him, it is possible He has allowed this into your life so that you would come to the realization that you cannot handle everything on your own. You would realize that you do NEED GOD. He cares for you as no one else ever could. He wants to comfort and strengthen you. He wants to give you His peace but He cannot, out of His good nature, override your determination to shut Him out.

      Sometimes God allows things (sometimes horrible, unspeakably painful things) into our lives so that the rest of the world, who don't know Him, can see how He helps you through those most difficult circumstances, so that they, too, may want to know their Creator.

      Satan goes to God every day, according to scripture, to tattle on we, God's children. (As if God didn't know and see everything.) Read the book of Job. In one day he loses everything, as he was the wealthiest man in the world at the time. All ten of his children die; all of his cattle and crops are gone; his wealth is plundered; and his wife wants him to curse God and die. After all that he is stricken will a very painful illness. Three of his "friends" come to him and for many days, accuse him of offending God and suffering the consequences for his unconfessed actions.

      Job gets depressed and grows weary of his "friends" trying to get him to confess to something he hasn't done.

      Yet, in the end, God heals him and gives him twice as much wealth as he had before and gives him ten more children. God also heals his body. Why did God allow all of this calamity? To deepen Job's love and resolve for his Creator, to show Satan that Job's love was deeper and greater than Satan's desire to destroy, and to show Job's friends that they were not as righteous as they thought they were. All of it worked to strengthen Job's character and solidify his faith in God.

      Two of my favorite verses in the Bible are: Romans 8:28—"For we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, and are the called according to His purpose;" and Psalm 34:7—"The angel of the Lord encamps round about those that fear Him."

      No matter what you are going through, though it may be the hardest thing you have ever done, trust God no matter how dark the day, no matter how bleak the circumstances or the horizon ahead. He loves you and only wants your best. God bless.

LOVE'S CONFIDENCE!

"His sisters sent unto Him saying, Lord, behold he whom Thou lovest is sick."-- John_11:3

THE LAPSE of years made it possible for the Apostle to draw aside the veil which curtained the happy friendship and fellowship of Christ in the home at Bethany. It was the one green oasis in the rugged wilderness through which He passed to the Cross!

There were diversities in that home, Martha, practical, energetic, and thoughtful for all that could affect the comfort of those she loved and served; Mary, gifted with spiritual insight and tender sympathy; Lazarus, probably a man of few words, quiet and unobtrusive, but Jesus loved each one (Joh_11:5).

The sisters never doubted that Christ would speed at all hazards to save Lazarus after the breathless messenger had brought the tidings of his sickness. Anything less than infinite Love would have rushed instantly to the relief of those troubled hearts; Divine Love alone could hold back the impetuosity of the Saviour's tender heart until the Angel of Pain had finished her work. He wanted to teach His disciples never-to-be-forgotten lessons, and also He was eager for the spiritual growth of the faith of the sisters.

This chapter might be more truly known as "The Raising of Martha," for our Lord enabled her, matter-of-fact and practical as she was, to realize that He was the Resurrection and the Life. He insisted that her faith was an essential condition in the raising of her brother to life. The emphasis is on the word "thou" (Joh_11:40). Our Lord always needs the co-operating faith of some true heart to be with Him when He works a miracle, and He chose the least likely of the two sisters to supply the pivot on which He could rest the lever of His Divine help. As she withdrew her objection to the removal of the stone, her faith suddenly became capable of claiming the greatest of Christ's miracles.

He calls to us also to help our brethren. In many cases those who have received life from Christ are still bound about with grave-clothes, old habits and evil associations cling to them and impede their progress, and He bids us "Loose him and let him go." He asks for our co-operation in the emancipation of those who have been held fast in the power of the Evil One.

This was copied from my daily devotions on my e-sword program (free download), devotions by Charles Spurgeon.