Buy the Boat

Life Is Short - Buy the Boat

Recently, while traveling south on I-5, entering the Fife Washington area, I saw the brightly lit advertisement of the boatyard. The digital reader board is large, well-positioned and colorfully. It speaks to the enormous profits the business earns selling boats to those whose goal in life is to enjoy the few short years they have on this planet.

 

Life is short.

That is an undeniable truth. No one would argue it. The secular and spiritual will admit equally and freely is point. No debate here. It is one of the very few areas that all but a few on the very fringe would stipulate to. Whether one dies at a very young age or a very old age, in the scheme of history, our little slot here is short.

 

The difference is what to do with the information 

 

The secularist would say, “buy the boat.”

“Seriously, why not. Life might be short enough you never even have to pay it off.” A good number of those who buy the boat will sell it, at a loss I might add, in a year or two. They will then buy some other toy or feel-good item because, after all, “life is short.”

 

The Bible describes this mentality when Jesus gave the parable[1] of a rich man with this philosophy, Luke 12:19 (KJV)

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

 

The spiritual man would say, “Prepare to meet thy God.”[2]

Armed with exactly the same truth, that life on this planet is very short, the one who is spiritual seeks to know the Lord. The Bible is filled with verses declaring the brevity of life and the appropriate response to it.

·       “Our life is a vapor”[3]

·       “Teach us to number our days”[4]

·       “Seek ye first”[5]

·       “Treasures in heaven”[6]

 

So there it is. We agree, “life is short.” The question, and the fundamental disagreement all boils down to this – what will we do with that truth?

·       Will we, like an animal, live for the moment or

·       Will we, as the self aware being we are, prepare for a higher purpose?

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[1] Apostle Paul spoke directly to the secular philosophy we he wrote under the inspiration of God, 1 Corinthians 15:32 (KJV)

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

[2] Amos 4:12 (KJV)

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

[3] James 4:14 (KJV)

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

[4] Psalms 90:12 (KJV)

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

[5] Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

[6] Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Making Marriage Bible Based

 Making Marriage Bible Based

At the time of this writing more than 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. This, shockingly, includes those marriages of Christian couples.

Some of the reasons for that could be:

Because the term Christian is so loosely used in the United States. 

Just because a couple got married in a church (and likely had some sort of pre-marriage counseling) does not mean that the couple is actually Christian. 

Some churches require that one or both or the wedding couple be members of the church performing the wedding. 

Church membership is also no true promise of genuine faith. Baptist Churches attempt to filter those who are not saved from church membership through profession of faith and baptism. Still some get into membership who are not truly saved.

Christian couples are so conformed to this world that they behave more like those of the world than like the Christians of the Bible

There’s no reason to be overly judgmental of this point. The fact is, everyone who gets saved is conformed to the world. The Christian process of sanctification is one of being renewed into the image of Christ. We are all on differing stages of that process.

In every case where a Christian seeks a divorce, there is but one root cause

At the heart of every divorce one or both parties has allowed their emotions to overrule the will and the Word of God.

There is no other reason.

We have our contributing factors:

• Incompatibility
• Financial pressures
• Family pressures even
• moral failure

None of those provides a biblical excuse for divorce.

Even in the case of moral failure, some argue that this gives permission for divorce. It does not, however, require divorce.

In every case divorce happens because, as Jesus put it, the hardness of the heart.

Emotions overwhelm and overrule the clear and plain teaching of the Bible.

By the time most couples come to the place where they want a divorce, emotions have so overwhelmed them that 

• No passage of Scripture
• No models of relationship rebuilding
• No counselor
• No pastor
• No parent, relative or friend

Can talk them out of the divorce

Most couples meet and marry over emotional issues

• They find themselves attracted to each other
• They find that they enjoy each other’s company
• They find that they have things in common (sometimes that is a Christian faith)

They “fall in love” and agree to be married all based on emotional stimuli.

If the Christian couple is not aware of this, and early on develop a relationship that is more Biblically founded, when emotions fail, emotions will tear the marriage apart.

How to build a Biblically based relationship

1. Become a Biblically based Christian

This means that as individuals you spend personal, quiet time, reading the Bible, studying what it means and then - MOST IMPORTANTLY obeying the Bible.  

2. Begin quickly to do Biblically based activities

This includes reading the Bible together, studying a book of the Bible together, attending church together, discussing what the message of the Bible meant to one another together

3. Practice Biblically based household

Where the husband leads the family, the wife supports her husband, the children are taught to obey and they are brought up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord

4. Understand the Biblical place of the church and the pastor in your life

The church is a body to which you are committed for a lifetime. 

The pastor has been placed over you by God to watch for your souls. You are to obey him. He is not a lord over your life, but he IS placed to stand in the gap and help you to make wise choices in this world.

Good Friday Ironically Based on Doctrine of the Sadducees

 While preparing for an Easter message, out of Acts 12:4, I discovered something interesting. The Good Friday position has its basis in a doctrine of the Sadducees. (Who didn't believe in a resurrection at all.)

From Phil Sawilowsky,

"The 3 feast all ran together as the feast of 1st fruits took place on the “morrow after Sabbath” Lev. 23:11. So it would depend on your view of what day he died. If a Wednesday or Thursday- must have a double Sabbath- rabbis take the Pharisee view that what ever day the PO falls on, it is a Sabbath thus require 2 Sabbaths in the same week.

Sadducee’s viewed only one Sabbath in a week which requires a Friday death.

Either way the 3 feasts are during the same week in Christ’s time and even today."

What would Jesus Do?

 What would Jesus do?

 

Recently I posted a response to an appeal to vote in favor of two public school levy increases. I simply commented that I would not voluntarily give the public school system any more of my money.

 

A supporter of the school system, a retired teacher and coach responded back to me, “What would Jesus do, Pastor?”

 

The following is the interaction between us.[1]

 

M.E.M.

Good question. I find that those who ask the question have an opinion generally associated with

assumptions attached to their political leanings. I’ve read the book that made the question popular, (In His Steps by Charles Sheldon). I was hugely impressed until my pastor pointed out that nowhere in the book are people encouraged to actually read the Bible and see what Jesus would do. 

I do not know what Jesus would do. But I do know what Jesus did do. I also know what Jesus taught. Jesus did pay a temple tax to avoid offense. Jesus taught us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s. Jesus taught us that we wrestle against principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Our government gives us the ability to wrestle with those in high places through our vote. Our children belong to God and not to the government, and therefore I will cast my vote in favor of financial management. If the levy passes, I will then pay the tax so as to avoid offense.

 

J.H.

 The children belong to us, and each of us must do everything in our power to give them the best-possible educational experience. I have a hunch that Christ would agree. Luke 18:15-17

 

M.E.M.

Hunches are the problem. Is the "us" the children belong to the community or the parents? Jesus taught the parents to bring their children up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Does the public school system do that? Aren't they, in fact, forbidden to do that? Luke 18:16-17 instructs us to bring children to the Lord. I am all for that. Less money for public schools so parents have more options to teach THEIR children about Jesus.

 

J.H.

Education for ALL is an essential component of nurturing. It is wrong to deny the best-possible education to every child simply because they are not following your particular path to the Lord.

 

M.E.M.

You are assuming that the best possible education is to be had in the public school system, provided they get more of our tax dollars. I make no such assumption.

 

 

 

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[1] M.E.M. is me. J.H. is the man who responded. The conversation is ongoing I hope. I enjoy fair dialog and believe it to be beneficial.

The Christian Who Sins Willfully

 The Christian Who Sins Willfully

 

Over the years of my ministry, I have found that there are times when Christians willfully choose to sin. They may not call it sin, but that is what it is. 

 

An illustration would be when a Christian chooses to divorce.

Before the divorce, before the choice to divorce, they probably hesitated and fought the impulse for some time. 

•            It might be because they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. 

•            It may be because they know that it’ll cause themselves great pain. 

•            It may be that they understand the Bible teaches against divorce.

 

But it doesn’t matter. Once they come to the position of divorce, their emotions override Bible teaching. The Bible, in fact, becomes irrelevant to the issue. They have made a choice. 

•            No pastor. 

•            No counselor. 

•            No good friend. 

Nothing in the Bible is going to change their mind. 

 

There are other areas where Christians will make the same willful choice to sin. Their feelings, their emotions, their heart overrides the Word of God that particular area.

Dress standards

Gods Word clearly has something to say. So many Christians refuse to hear it. 

 

Worldly practices 

•            Alcohol 

•            Tobacco and these days 

•            Tattoos

 

Types of employment

 

Where we live 

 

Where we attend church

 

Whether our pastor has any say in our lives

Most would agree that the pastor leads the church. But too many believe he is to have no influence in their life choices. They see it almost as a “him against me” sort of thing. They do not recognize that with his call comes not only the ability to study and preach the Bible but also to discern things about life - their life. 

 

They may not believe the Bible speaks to their situation. They may believe that their choice is theirs to make, and the Bible has nothing to say about it. They will likely become upset with anyone who tries to use the Bible to teach against their decision. They will accuse the person who shows them what the Bible says as using it as a whipping stick against them. Sense they do not have any passages of Bible to support their choice, they assume that any passages that are opposed to their choice must be taken out of context. 

 

As Christians we have to avoid, we have to take care not to allow our heart, our emotions to become so strongly attached to a thing that we refuse to see what the Bible says about that thing. 

 

God said that He’s given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.[1] The Bible therefore will have some answer, some instruction for every choice we make we are going to make. It’s just a matter if we are open to hear, and see, and learn what the Bible says. We must come to the place that we believe God. He leads us through the Bible, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and through the authority of the pastor. 

 

Otherwise, the Bible is just a good book

 

 

 

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[1] 2 Peter 1:3 (KJV)

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 

Some Things Should Not Be Celebrated

 Some Things Should Not Be Celebrated

 

Matthew 24:35-39 (KJV)

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

Jesus said that, in the last days, just as they were in the days of Noah, unspiritual and unlearned/wicked men, would celebrate in the face of God’s judgment.

 

I fear we turn things that are meant to make us solemn and introspective into celebrations precisely so that we do not have to face the message God intends for them to give.

 

The Memorial of Our Lord’s Supper

It happens we are about to partake in the observance of the Lord’s Supper today. I was thinking of those churches that observe it weekly. Often I have seen them call it a celebration. consider that night Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. It was anything but a celebration. Jesus knew what was about to happen. The apostles were confused, and troubled. Who would betray Jesus? One would deny Jesus. Two of them would fail Jesus when He had asked them to watch and pray. All of them would flee Jesus when the soldier came for Him.

The resurrection is something to celebrate. What comes before is something to remember.

 

The Death of the Unsaved

I received word today that my best childhood friend has passed away. He was the same age as me give or take a few months. We had not had contact for many many years, but I followed his career enough to know, as well as any man can know, that he was not saved. The announcement gave the time of his “celebration of life.” I do not like that term to be used for either lost or saved. I believe we need to face the fact. This man or this women has died. They have gone the way of all men. They have a soul that is now locked into eternity; either with Christ or in hell. We must face it. All of us will die one day. The funeral service is God’s way of reminding us again and again to make our salvation sure.

 

The Disobedience of the wayward Christian

What is it in man that, even those who profess to know Christ as Saviour, we are so prone to live “Not Thy will but mine be done.” O, we will claim to be Christians, claim to believe the Bible and even claim to obey the Bible - as long as it doesn’t interfere with what we want to do. And then the crazy part, they want to rest of us to rejoice with them when they have found a way to get out of the way of God.

 

I for one do not plan to celebrate those things God means to teach us hard lessons. 

 

 

 

Imagine D-Day

I've been thinking about D-day. 

Imagine being 18 years old, waking up and putting on your pants that morning. 

There would be no sleeping in, no calling in sick. 

You know that you could very likely die. (I think 10,000 did at Omaha alone.) 

How many bullet holes will pierce that shirt you are buttoning? 

There is a pit in your stomach. You do not want to die. You do not want to go. But there is no way back. No time to read one more letter. No time to write one more I love you. 

Now imagine how often a man of God might feel just the same.

Question, “How Would a Baptist Handle the Holocaust?”

 Question, “How Would a Baptist Handle the Holocaust?”

 

The question is a huge one. I was not there then, and do not specifically know how Baptists in Germany at the time answered it. I imagine that there were several different ideas floating around, just as they do in our day.

 

The issue is complicated by the fact that their government, and ours, have always been two different styles.

Ours is the only one that is “of the people, by the people.” And I think that’s a problem.

 

Historically Baptists (More properly, the Anabaptists but I believe a segment of Baptists are derived from them.) were not political. Their focus was to try to live, "a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty.” They just wanted to be left alone to obey the Word of God and tell people what it said. Germany is one of those places where that became a real problem. Martin Luther was aware of the Baptists because they had helped him when the Pope excommunicated him and tried to execute him. Once Luther had authority, he at first tried to let them be. But they kept evangelizing people out of his state authorized church. So, then he told them they were free to leave Germany, but that they could not stay and evangelize in his country. The trouble was, if they left then there would be no one to witness to those the Baptists were convinced were deceived by a false religion. Finally, Luther began a program of persecution of the Baptists.[1]

 

I believe a Baptist, following the Bible, would not have joined the Nazi’s, nor would he have joined a resistance program. A Baptist in Germany, following the conviction of historic Baptists, would have merely obeyed the Bible, worshiped the Lord, and preached that people need to get saved out. I assume that would have meant not joining the Nazi’s and being persecuted because of it. I also assume that would have meant trying to minister to those who were being persecuted and getting persecuted for that too.

 

The Baptists in America before the war for independence were opposed to the war. They believed that a government opposed to their doctrines but across the pond (as we say) was better than a government that would inevitably be opposed to their doctrines, but right at their back door.[2] They just wanted to be left alone to live, "a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty.” Once the war became inevitable, Baptist preachers made a concentrated effort to win the ear of those leading in the effort for independence. They succeeded. It has provided us with about 250 years of relative "quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty.” I think that day is about over. I also think the way to respond is not to become aggressively political or rebellious but to become more Christian. 

·       More prayer. 

·       More searching of and living in obedience to the Bible. 

·       More caring for the souls of men and trying to see them be saved.

 

By the way, that is what Jesus did, didn’t He?

·       He did not preach against the Romans

·       He did not resist the Temple taxes

·       He did not lead His disciples to fight

He just ministered to people and preached the truth.

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[1] (The Battle for the Church, David HJ Gay)

[2] (Joanne Freeman, Open Yale Course, https://oyc.yale.edu/NODE/141)

Russia's Final Doom

 The war in Ukraine, and the world response to it, is a matter of deep concern for serious Christians. One of the things said to be happening as a result, is a strengthening of NATO. Bible students understand that anything that smacks of a one world program is not of God. I see Bible prophecy as portraying a conflict between the revived Roman Empire (which could be easily represented as NATO and including the US - a system that will be under the hand of the Antichrist) and Gog and Magog (the Bear in the north - the communist countries and including Persia). Some sort of peace treaty is made between them, beginning the seven year Tribulation. In the middle of the seven years, The bear breaks the treaty and attacks Israel. God destroys the Bear and leaves Antichrist free to terrorize the world until, in the end of the seven years, Christ comes to destroy him and his one world system. I cannot say that this is going to happen today or tomorrow. Only God knows the day and the hour. I can say that Bible believers should be in a heightened state of watching and praying as never before. This is no time to be in spiritual stupor or to be self absorbed in worldly interests. Focus your life interests on the things that matter to God!