SUFFERING AND THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

UNIVERSAL SUFFERING:

Suffering, in varying degrees, is universal to all people.  Studying through 1 Peter, we find there is much said about suffering as a Christian.  Suffering is not, by any stretch of the imagination, unique to the Christ follower, however, suffering for Christ is.  Suffering for Christ is not some deeper level of suffering than what is experienced by the unbeliever, but suffering for Christ produces benefits to the believer that no other suffering can accomplish.  The Apostle Peter addressed this type of suffering in his first letter to the Jewish believers who were driven out of Jerusalem due to their faith in Christ.  In 1 Peter 3:14-17, we see the Apostle telling us that if we suffer for our faith, we will be blessed by God and that it is far better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  Peter is dealing with a type of suffering that I like to refer to as consequential suffering.  Consequential suffering is a direct result of personal action.  There is a suffering that a person experiences due to the actions of others or events beyond that person's control, this type of suffering I refer to as nonconsequential suffering.  All human suffering falls into one of these two categories and recognizing the type of suffering allows us to have a proper response as believers. 

NONCONSEQUENTIAL SUFFERING:

     Nonconsequential suffering is sometimes very difficult to accept and understand.  Nonnconsequential suffering may be the result of the evil behavior of other people or it may be the result of illness or natural disaster.  The bottom line is, nonconsequential suffering is unexpected and largely undeserved.  While Peter does not deal with this type of suffering, we do see nonconsequential suffering dealt with in scripture.  Jesus, Himself, dealt with nonconsequential suffering when, in Luke 13, He related an event in which 18 people died when a tower in Siloam fell.  Jesus asked the question, "Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?"  The implication here is that the 18 who died were no more or less deserving of being crushed by the tower than anyone else living in Jerusalem.  Nonconsequential suffering is a direct result of a fallen world.  Disease, natural disaster, crime, and other indirect causes of suffering are all natural by products of a world destroyed by sin and ruled by Satan.  

     Recently, a local husband and father of 5 lost his wife and 3 of his children in an instant, when the vehicle the family was riding in was struck by a drunk driver who crossed the center line.  This man did nothing wrong, yet his entire life has been ripped apart due to the sinful actions of another.  When a dear friend was diagnosed with incurable cancer, she had done nothing to cause the type of cancer she contracted.  My friend loved the Lord and had a passion for missions and youth, yet she suffered and died young.  Less than a month ago, thousands died in Nepal and surrounding nations due to an earthquake. These things tempt us to cry foul or question God's goodness.  
     The only way to accept nonconsequential suffering in our world is to understand that the world has been ravaged by sin and people who suffer through no fault of their own, do so because we live in a broken world that is in rebellion against the Creator.  As long as the world remains in a fallen state, there will be nonconsequential suffering on a grand scale.  No one is immune and no one is inherently safe. As believers, we have a higher perception of the causes of nonconsequential suffering and knowledge of the temporal nature of this world gives us assurance that God will put everything right at the end of all things.  As believers, we should have a deeper understanding of the results of sin and can lay blame for suffering where it belongs, at the feet of Satan

     The ideal Christian response to nonconsequential suffering has never been demonstrated better than by the great hymn writer, Horatio Spafford.  Spafford was a wealthy lawyer in 19th century Chicago when his son died unexpectedly.  Shortly after, the great Chicago fire destroyed nearly all Spafford's real estate holdings.  Spafford then sent his wife and 4 daughters on a ship to England only to learn that the ship was sunk and his 4 daughters perished at sea.   As Spafford sailed to England to join his wife, he asked the captain of the ship to alert him when they sailed over the spot where his daughters were drowned. Spafford stood at the rail as his shipped sailed over the watery graves of his beloved girls and he penned the words to the beautiful hymn It Is Well With My Soul.  Even in the face of horrific tragedy, Spafford recognized the love and goodness of God and honored his Lord.  Only through faith in an almighty God can we face disaster and know that there is a higher purpose. Only by understanding and trusting in the omniscience of God, can we face suffering and sing, "It is well with my soul."

CONSEQUENTIAL SUFFERING:

    Consequential suffering, being the direct result of personal behavior is divided into two sub categories.  Suffering we experience for doing good and suffering we experience for doing evil.  Again, recognizing the type, or in this case the sub-type,  of suffering is essential to having the proper response in the midst of suffering.  For instance, if you smoke two packs of cigarettes per day and develop lung cancer, you really cannot bemoan how unfair life is or accuse God of being cruel.    How we deal with consequential suffering speaks to our level of spiritual maturity.  
     1 Peter 3:14-17 - But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,  but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,  having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

Suffering for doing evil:

     When we suffer for doing evil, we are simply reaping the consequences of bad behavior. The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.  Forgiveness makes us right with God, it does not remove the consequences of our actions.  If a person is sexually promiscuous and contracts the AIDES virus, God's forgiveness removes the stain of sin but not the disease that resulted from the sin.  If you go to prison for committing a crime, you can be absolved of the spiritual penalty through forgiveness from God, but the legal penalty remains.  What should our attitude be toward consequences for doing evil: Repentance, contrition and even restitution, if applicable. 
 Luke 19:8 reveals the proper attitude toward evil behavior:  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  Never should a believer expect to be delivered from the natural consequences of sin, nor should a believer cry foul when his own sinful behavior results in suffering. God may, in His infinite grace, deliver a person from the natural consequential suffering brought on by sinful behavior, but He is certainly under no obligation to do so.  One of the thieves crucified with Christ said it best when rebuking his fellow thief, ""Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds..."  That thief was obviously forgiven by Christ, who declared, "today you shall be with me in paradise", however, that thief suffered the full natural consequences of his sinful behavior. Christ saved the man from hell, not the cross.

Suffering for doing good:

     Of all suffering that can be endured, this is the most difficult. When we experience nonconsequential suffering, we recognize that these are things that happen to people all over the world.  There is an acceptance that disasters happen.  People get sick and though we do not expect it to happen to us, we understand that it is always a possibility.  When we suffer for doing evil, we understand that our bad behavior has consequences. Like the thief on the cross, once we reflect on our circumstances, we come to an acceptance that we have reaped what we have sown.  When we suffer for doing good, we can truly have a crisis of faith, if we are not careful.  

     When we do good, we expect good things to happen.  Most of society is built on a system in which good behavior is rewarded.  In school, we may have been given a gold star, civic organizations recognize members of accomplishment, employers reward good attendance and production.  As believers, we expect a certain level of blessing for obedience and service. This may not be reality.

   It is very important that we never fall into the trap of believing God owes us something.  God owes us eternal damnation but has provided salvation, grace, and blessing through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our obedience and service should be born out of our gratitude.  When we begin to conquer sin in our lives, we must refrain from any sense of entitlement.  

     Fundamentally, we live in a fallen world.  The Bible tells us that Satan is the god of this world. When we live under the authority of Christ, we are living in direct opposition to the world around us.  Unbelievers will not understand our convictions and may mock us for our perceived prudishness or narrow mindedness.  Right now, in Iraq, christian families are being brutalized and murdered because of their testimony for Christ.  The above passage that tells us "have no fear of them" applies to the believers who are perishing at the sword of Isis. These faithful Iraqi Christians recognize that Isis can only kill the body, Isis cannot harm the soul that belongs to Jesus.  

    Most American believers will never come close to experiencing the suffering that our brothers and sisters throughout the world are facing.  Nonetheless, suffering is relative to the environment.  The real lesson is accepting the fact that we will, at times, suffer for doing good. These times are when we must fully place our trust in God and take Him at His word.  "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to them who are called according to His purpose."  "Abide in me and I will abide in you."  "If you suffer for righteousness, you will be blessed."

   Tragically, many professing believers fall away when life gets tough.  The true test of faith is remaining faithful to God and His promises when life gets difficult.  Suffering for doing good is contrary to our view of how life should work, but God promises us that we will face opposition because of our faith and He promises to be with us in that opposition and He promises us blessings for enduring righteous suffering.  No one has ever suffered more for righteousness than Jesus Christ our Lord.  He does not ask us to endure anything that He has not already endured for us.  In fact, most of us will not endure a fraction of the suffering He endured on our behalf.

  God told Joshua to be strong and courageous.  We too must be strong and courageous when following Christ.  We will suffer for doing good, and God will be faithful to carry us through that suffering, even if it is carrying us into His very presence through martyrdom.  

Be of good cheer, be strong and courageous, fight the good fight, love those that hate you and bless those who curse you.  In doing these things you will store up treasure in heaven and provide a mighty testimony to your faith in Jesus Christ!

OVERCOMING THE ROARING LION

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  This is a very important verse for believers, as it reminds us who our real enemy truly is.  Our enemy is not our political opponents, our enemy is not those who oppose our religious freedom, our enemy is not a flesh and blood person(unless we are on a literal battlefield), our enemy is the spiritual force  governing all things godless, namely Satan.

We see this truth played out in the opening verses of Job, when the angels presented themselves before God, Satan was also there.  God asked Satan, "where have you come from?"  Satan replied, "From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it."  Satan was roaming the earth in Job's day and he was obviously doing the same in Peter's day, and today, we have no evidence to suggest anything has changed.  We are left with the conclusion: Satan is roaming the earth in our day, seeking whom he may devour.

The Greek word for devour could be translated as swallow up.  Satan is not satisfied with just distracting us into sin, he wants to completely absorb our entire lives so we are debilitated from serving God.  Satan wants our lives to be swallowed up by anything that distracts us or hinders us from serving Christ.  These things may be blatant sin or these things may be pursuits which are not inherently sinful.  An obsession with sports could swallow us up.  An fascination with video games or fishing or auto repair, or anything at all could easily lead to something swallowing us up.  

This goes beyond mere temptation to sin.  If you are a believer, Satan has lost your soul, but he would love to consume your life with distractions and problems, hindering your spiritual growth.   Not to say we should abstain from fun or enjoy things such as sports or fishing, however, we need to have healthy balance and be aware of  what becomes our life's focus in place of Jesus Christ.  God does not want to be part of our lives, He wants to be our lives.  We need to get rid of anything distracting us from God.  

As modern people, we are bombarded with distractions such as social media and  unlimited entertainment choices.  We must be aware Satan will use anything at his disposal to crush our spiritual life.  This is not about walling ourselves off from culture and society, it is about being sober minded and watchful.  It is about keeping a check on our hearts, it is about being accountable, it is about seeking first the kingdom of God, it is about recognizing the Biblical truth: "anything not done in faith is sin."  

God loves you, Satan hates you.  That is the truth. Our focus should be on pleasing the one who loved us enough to give His Son to us as a sacrifice for our sins.  The influence of the church in western society is pitiful and dwindling by the day.  Could this be the result of  believers being swallowed up by distractions and sin?  Satanic does not necessarily mean black robes and altars, it can take the form of anything detracting from our spiritual growth.  

Be sober minded, be watchful, do not be swallowed up.   

Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!

ISIS IN AMERICA - KILLING AMERICANS FOR ALLAH

This weekend, Elton Simpson, an American convert to Islam, in a cowardly attack, shot an unarmed security guard before being gunned down by a single, hero police officer.  Simpson, along with his Muslim roommate, Nadir Soofi, opened fire at a free speech event in Texas.  I fear that Simpson and Soofi are the beginning of domestic attacks by Islamacists in America.  Those close to Simpson describe him as "quiet and devout", and expressed surprise that he would be involved in a terrorist attack.  Simpson tweeted “May Allah accept us as mujahideen",  just before the the attack.  Apparently, this attack was meant as a form of worship to Simpson's Satanic master, aka Allah.  

Sadly, this outrageous event is being downplayed and not referred to as a terrorist attack.  Some suggesting that Simpson simply "snapped."  Had Simpson acted alone, and not paid tribute to his god, perhaps, his action could be written off as an isolated crime committed by a mentally deranged individual, but the fact is that this was an Islamic attack on American freedom.  Simpson and Soofi were following the Koran, they were exercising Jihad and fully expected to be welcomed into their twisted version of paradise.  

If U. S. authorities refuse to treat this as an intentional terrorist attack, those who were involved in the planning and funding of this heinous crime will be free to continue planning and funding attacks across the country.  The current administration seems bent on strengthening the hands of those who hate freedom by buddying up with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, while blatantly hindering our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.  Such behavior sends a message to terrorists around the world that America is not serious about stamping out Islamic violence.  

The Federal Government, through the IRS, and other agencies, are busy investigating conservative Christian groups, who are actually helping people, while mosques all over the country are radicalizing home grown terrorists.  It seems that our efforts in law enforcement should be aimed at those who are killing people rather than those who speak out against a globalist agenda.  American culture is at war with the God of the Bible while those who worship at the feet of Allah are heralded as misunderstood lovers of peace.  Christians and Jews do not blow themselves up in public places in order to kill innocent people, Islamics do.  Christians and Jews do not hijack planes and crash them into buildings, Islamics do.  Christians and Jews do not raise money to fund terrorists, Islamics do.  Conservative Christian groups come under heavy scrutiny by the U. S. government, Islamics don't.  

I love the USA and would gladly fight to the death to defend it.  Sadly, we may not have the luxury of fighting for our country, as it seems those with a globalist agenda are giving it away to those who hate freedom.  Hopefully, this attack in Texas will be a wake up call to those who are in charge of protecting our freedom and keeping us safe.  I fear it will take a few more "isolated incidents" by nice young men who "snapped" before Homeland Security realizes that we have been infiltrated by murderous lunatics who have no problem dying in order to kill, murderous lunatics who express worship to Allah by shedding innocent blood.

What can the church do?  We need to accurately express the truth of Scripture in a loving way so we do not continue to lose our youth to the lies of Islam.  We need to love those around us, outside of our comfort zone.  We need to engage our Muslim friends and associates conversations about the person and work of Jesus Christ.  We need to pray for the souls of those around us.  We can make a difference.  We are not called to violence, we are not called to rebel against our government, these things are expressly forbidden in the Bible.  We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities..., the weapons of our warfare are prayer, blessing and love.  We may not be able to change the world, but we can certainly make positive changes in our little corner of it, wherever that may be.  Pray for opportunities to witness Christ to a Muslim, pray for our president that he may submit to the will of Jesus, pray for our law enforcement personnel that they may remain safe in their duties, pray for our troops as they defend freedom around the globe and pray for the church that we might be the salt and light we have been called to be.  Muslims hate you, but Jesus loves Muslims and wants them to be saved.  Jesus told us to love our enemies and right now, there is no question that our enemies are living amongst us.

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO THE BALTIMORE PROTESTS

   
I just finished reading an excellent book called Moral Dilemmas by the late Kerby Anderson.  The last chapter dealt with the topic of civil disobedience as it applies to the believer.  As I read through that chapter, I saw much wisdom in Mr. Anderson's handling of the topic.  Upon finishing the book Sunday morning, I discovered that there had been a riot in Baltimore MD the previous night.  I began to ponder the situations and tensions that led to Saturday night's disturbance in the light of the Word of God. 

The riot Saturday night in Baltimore was undoubtedly fed by racial tension and strife.   Black protesters erupted into violence and mayhem, with much of the angst directed toward the police.  One reporter detailed how a group of young, angry black men surrounded a car occupied by a white family and began pounding on the car and screaming at the occupants.  As the driver of the car attempted to flee, the car was driven, in reverse, into a one way alley and trapped.  At this point, the car doors were pulled open and the attackers began reaching into the vehicle, to the abject terror of it's occupants.  The way this event was reported, there was no doubt that the journalist, who was an eyewitness to the event, believed it was racially motivated.  

The death of Freddie Gray, last Sunday, which while Gray was in police custody, sparked a protest that quickly escalated into to violence.  Police cars and private businesses were destroyed and one protester threw a garbage can full of fire at Police officers who had been dispatched to quell the uprising.

Though time and space, in this forum, would not allow for an in depth analysis into the root cause of this violent outbreak, (that topic could fill volumes of academic tomes) what is evident is social, economic and spiritual conditions in the inner city are deplorable and the blame for those conditions  can be spread around in numerous directions.  Bad social policy which has eroded the family structure in the poorest demographics, spineless politicians who have discovered a way to ensure reelection by creating fear and distrust, and community leaders who are more interested in power and wealth than actually lifting people of poverty and setting them on a path towards success.  Worst of all is the church's failure to integrate and welcome those who look differently into fellowship.  It has been estimated that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America.  This is by choice.  People choose to worship with those who look the same and have the same socio-economic situation.  If the rich worship with the rich, it allows the rich to continue to look at the poor as unworthy.  We have an unofficial caste system in the American church where we view some as "untouchable".  Likewise, if the poor separate into their own congregations, it reinforces stereotypes such as "1 percenters" which leads to distrust and resentment.  

Clearly, social engineering has led to the marginalization of certain segments of society, that this social engineering is the direct result of liberal policies that are emotion driven, rather than fact based.  In fact, listening to NPR this week, I heard about a university study in California that is attempting to change voters minds on Gay Marriage.   When the canvassers realized that dealing with fact and logic had little or no effect in changing the minds of voters, they resorted to emotional appeals, even using the word "manipulation" in the report.  Emotions are powerful and can easily cloud good sense and judgment.  As a society, we have been conditioned to "follow your heart" and "do what you feel is right."  The only problem with this tactic is that the Bible tells us that the "heart is desperately wicked above all things" and that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to destruction".  Obviously, our hearts and emotions cannot be trusted, however,  a reliance on God and the truth of scripture must dictate our thoughts and behavior.

Can the church make a difference, and is social disobedience ever the answer?  Obviously, rioting, such as occurred in Baltimore this weekend, is never acceptable.  Is there a time and place for demonstrations, for protests and for disobeying the law?  God's word clearly tells us to obey the government authority that is over us, as it is ultimately established by God Himself, for our good.  The Bible also demonstrates that when the law of man directly violates God's Law, the Law of God is to be obeyed, as evidenced in the story of Daniel and the lions den, for instance. 

There needs to be clear guidelines and establishment of pure motives when engaging in civil disobedience.  Scenes like the one that took place in Baltimore escalated out of control because the objective of justice and change was overcome by repressed anger and resentment and a desire to destroy and steal.  There is no train of logic on earth that could possibly justify the destruction of a privately owned business in a protest against police procedures.  When arson and looting enter the equation, the goal is no longer one of affecting social change, it is simply a matter of taking advantage of a situation to satisfy base human desires.  How can stealing a television lead to better relations between the police and the private citizenry?  This behavior cannot be tolerated nor excused, however,  understanding the conditions that lead to this behavior is necessary to bring real change.

The first thing we must understand is that man is fallen.  People do not naturally behave well.   If man were basically good, we would have no need of a justice system as everyone would mostly behave properly and treat each other well.  This is certainly not the case. The role of the church to shine the light of God on people, one life at at time, so each person can see for themselves how fallen they are.  We cannot legislate morality, but we have an obligation to make laws that protect people from the sin of others.  We also have an obligation to share the truth with people that they may have the opportunity to repent and embrace Christ.

It is not the obligation or job of the local church to evangelize the lost or meet the needs of a desperate society, it is the obligation and job of each member of the church to exercise his or her God given gift, that the work of evangelism, discipleship and provision is not neglected.  Not all of us are called to the inner city, not all of us are gifted or equipped for evangelism, not all of us are called to give over and above what is outlined in scripture, but some of us are.  If each of us is operating in our gifting, we function properly and the work is done.  When the giver does not give, the missionary cannot go, when the administrator does not administrate, the organization fails to manifest and work is ineffectual or non existent.  Each of us has a specific role to fulfill and a specific place in the body of Christ, each of us relies on the other to do it's part.  It is time we stop worrying about our personal wants and comforts and focus on what God has for us to do.  

The problems that led to Baltimore and did not manifest overnight, nor can they be fixed in a day, but the focus of the believer in Christ must be on fulfilling his role in the church and in society so change can begin and that change must begin today.  NPR demonstrated that facts and logic will lead people to a more conservative and godly view of issues, we have that as a great advantage.  We know that the Spirit of God transforms lives through the blood of Christ and we know that people without hope behave desperately.  We have fact, logic and hope to offer.  We have the hope of Christ and the truth of His word.  Find your place in the Body, turn off your TV, put down your video game controller, get rid of the sin that hinders your relationship with God and get busy.  I promise you will find fulfillment and peace like you never have before.  

CALLED TO MAKE DISCIPLES

  A few months ago, I have embarked on a new endeavor.   I am in the final stages of producing a discipleship study guide based on the J. Oswald Sanders Commitment to Spiritual Growth book series.  You can read the Genesis of this program by clicking here .  

As the study is progressing, myself and three other men have committed to studying through a series of books and study guide.  I am aware that this is not the discipleship program of discipleship programs, but it is, nevertheless a program designed to strengthen believers in their faith and spur them on to spiritual reproduction.

Jesus told us to "go and make disciples..."  and often times we simply send people to church and leave them to figure it out for themselves.  By looking at the shape of the Western church, it is painfully obvious that this method is not working.  

My prayer is to develop a discipleship ministry that provides a variety of programs to local churches and individuals for group study.  These programs will be designed as long term(6 months or more)studies and meant to develop leadership from within each group, to spawn other groups which should multiply, rather than add, new believers to the kingdom of God.  

I feel that I have been called to this avenue of ministry and plan on dedicating the rest of my life to developing disciple makers.  

I,  also plan on spending the next year developing a variety of discipleship programs.  I am hoping to assemble a team of committed believers to partner with me in developing programs for men, women, youth and marriage. 

The point of all this is the importance of obeying Christ and serving in the capacity to which you are called.  I encourage anyone who happens to read this to pray diligently and seek God's plan for your life.   If you are a newer believer or have been a believer for a while but feel stagnant in your walk with the Lord, get with a more mature believer or join a discipleship group. Study through Romans 12 and see where you fit into God's plan and then develop your gift.  

If you are a seasoned believer, you need to be sharing, not only your faith, but your life with others.  Undoubtedly, you know someone who is struggling in their walk, or a new believer that needs guidance.  We are all called to make disciples and we are all called to model our faith that others may see the hope we have.

People will learn far more by watching you live before God than they will from great sermons in church or books on christian living.  Share your life, share your faith, share your resources and watch God transform the world around you!

SOLEMN WITNESS - CONCERT REVIEW

I just had the extreme pleasure of seeing the Christian rock band Solemn Witness debut their new CD Christian Strong.  If you get a chance to see Solemn Witness, DO NOT miss them.  Right now, they are exclusively in East Tennessee, but I believe this is only a temporary geographical restriction.  

    Keyboardist Terry Vargo would give Ray Manzarek a run for his money. Vargo's mastery of the keys is nothing short of phenomenal.  Guitarist Jonathan Vargo is a young virtuoso playing with a distinct Southern Rock sound with a sprinkling of Allman Brothers. Young Vargo's interaction with the audience was a welcome surprise.   Drummer Marshall Sherles sounded as if he had four arms, not to mention his song writing skills demonstrated on  Never Surrender, which reached number 1 on Righteous Rock Radio.  Bassist Cary Clark, with his fret-less bass held the rhythm section flawlessly.  Clark's laid back style gave the illusion of effortlessness, when in fact, his playing was pure craftsmanship.  Front man John Silva's power vocals complimented the superb musicianship  displayed by the band.  Silva's vocal range is impressive and will undoubtedly be a  force to be reckoned with in years to come.  Silva owned the stage in a refreshingly humble manner as he connected with his audience through inspirational stories and anecdotes between songs.  

Also debuted was the bands first music video for title track Christian Strong.  Though an indy production, Solemn Witness' first music video is a winner.  It is not yet available on YouTube, but once it is, I will provide a link in this post.  

Make sure you check out the band on their website click here for Solemn Witness  

Aside from masterful musicianship, the Christ centered message emanating from each original song was inspiring and uplifting.  Placed neatly in the middle of their performance, Solemn Witness added worship stand by's that helped set the tone for adoration of the Savior.  Overall, a perfect mix of well crafted and finely executed music with a message of hope and love all bringing glory to Jesus Christ.  The new CD will be in my rotation for sure and I will be looking forward to seeing much more of Solemn Witness.

THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD - WHO INSPIRES OUR ENTERTAINMENT?

 If you are a believer in Christ, there is no doubt you believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God.  You understand  the Bible was written by men as they were moved by the Spirit of God and the result is the infallible Word of God.  The Bible tells us Satan is the god of this world, and we agree, but do we ever stop to imagine the ramifications of such a statement?  What exactly does it mean to say Satan is the god of this world?  How far does such an idea reach?  What power or influence over our culture does Satan have if such a thing is true?


     As stated above, we believe and accept  men wrote the Bible, inspired by a force outside themselves.  These men were empowered, by God Himself, to write a book designed to influence His people to live in honor of Him.  If godly men were influenced by God to write His word, why would it be a stretch to believe  unregenerate men would be inspired by a force outside themselves to create something which influences people to live in opposition to God?  After all, did not Jesus, Himself, say, "if you are not for me, you are against me."?  Is it possible  the bulk of our entertainment, movies, music, video games, books and so on, are inspired by an evil force bent on the destruction of society?  

Most movies and television shows depict and promote sinful behavior.  People living together, people sleeping together, homosexual relationships, drunkenness, drug use, lying, cheating stealing, murder, revenge, the list goes on and on.  Popular music is no better, with most themes dealing with elicit sex.  A constant barrage of entertainment depicting behavior the Bible calls sin will undoubtedly influence society into believing  sin is normal behavior.  God's word specifically directs us to avoid the very behavior we are consistently exposed to, day in and day out. 
 1 Peter 4:3  For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 

It would be very difficult to name a sitcom, television drama, or movie which does not normalize a sin named in the list above.  It would be next to impossible to buy a top 40 music CD whose musical themes do not make at least one of the sins listed in the above verse seem trivial, normal or even noble.   

Are we to believe  every script and song writer is purposely out to corrupt society?  This would be very foolish thinking, indeed, but one cannot deny almost all our entertainment contains sinful influences.  Because such behavior is so pervasive in our entertainment culture, to speak out against sins like promiscuity or drunkenness invites derision and accusations of intolerance.  The only logical conclusion is the god of this world is inspiring his people to write according to his will, in order to influence society.  

As a believer, you have the Spirit of God and are able to discern the spirits, if you are willing to submit to God's will in your life.  It will not take long to identify the evil messages that saturate all levels of our entertainment.  When we talk about evil, we think of dark conjurings of demonic spirits or maybe a black mass.  This is part of the great deception brought about by the Satanic inspiration of popular culture. Sins like those listed above are evil and practicing those sins is evil behavior.  This is a very unpopular message, after all, how could an expression of love between to consenting adults be considered evil just because they are not married, right?  Wrong, dead wrong.  God is the definer of evil, not society and certainly not Satan.  

Romans 1:29-32  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,   slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,  foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.    This passage in Romans is clear, evil takes many forms and those who practice them deserve spiritual death.  One of Satan's number one goals is, arguably, to destroy mankind.  For this reason, Satan will continue to inspire entertainment writers, because these are the scribes of society's influence.  

The next time you turn on the radio and hear a singer tout an extramarital affair or explicit encounter, the next time you turn on your favorite sitcom or television show and see a couple, not married, engaged in sexual activity, the next time you go to the theater and watch a movie that blatantly normalizes that which the Bible calls sin and evil, consider who inspired the creation of such entertainment.  

Entertainment is the number one influencing factor of modern society.  What is our entertainment influencing us towards?  We cannot deny the corrupting nature of modern pop culture, what we can deny is the opportunity for pop culture to influence the church by recognizing the sinfulness of pop culture is inspired by Satan himself.  We are called to a more excellent way.  

Philippians_4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. We cannot think about these things if we are immersed in the evil inspirations of Satan.  

As believers, we need to be choosy when it comes to our entertainment and what we allow to influence us.  When does entertainment become sin?  When it dishonors God and influences our thoughts and behaviors away from God.  To be in the world and not of the world is a difficult charge to follow, but it is a charge that is meant to protect us from the destructive forces of sin.  

Now, go live as Christ... and give the devil hell!

JOHN KERRY INVOKES THE NAME OF ALLAH (SATAN)

                                                     

A number of months ago, I wrote a post detailing the fact that Islam is really veiled Satanism and Allah bears far more resemblance to the Father of Lies than the Father of Lights.  click here to read Islam is Satanism Today, John Kerry stated that the United States will broker a nuclear deal with Iran if "Allah wills it."  Words cannot describe the absolute disgust I feel for what John Kerry proclaimed.  ALLAH IS NOT GOD.  This fact cannot be more reiterated.  Radical Islam, of which Iran's leadership has proven time and again to be part of, does not compromise, does not share, and does not negotiate in good faith. It is considered a virtue to lie to infidels. 

John Kerry shows his absolute inability to handle negotiations with a rogue nation. Instead of taking a hard line, pro American position, Kerry has licked the boots of his enemies.  By invoking the name of Allah, Kerry has turned his back on the American people, not to mention the direct slap in the face this remark is to Israel.  

Evidence of the fact that Allah is not the God of the Bible was demonstrated by the Islamic government of Malaysia, last year.  In a misguided effort to cater to Islamic principles, many Bible translators in Islamic lands choose to translate God's name as Allah.  Police raided the Bible Society of Malaysia and confiscated Bibles because the Bibles used the name Allah to refer to God.  Islam agrees that Allah is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and certainly not the Father of Jesus Christ.  Why a Bible Society would choose to translate the name of God - YHWH - as Allah is beyond my ability to understand.  

John Kerry has unwittingly deferred to the will of Satan amidst
 negotiations with one of the most evil regimes on the face of the planet. Gee, I wonder how that will turn out?  I am very sure that Allah's will for Iran is for Iran to gain nuclear weapons because Iran has already promised to destroy Israel.  Allah hates YHWH and His people Israel. Allah hates Christians and his followers refer to America as The Great Satan.  How's that for the pot calling the kettle black!  

The amazing thing is, these events are leading up to a scenario which will be very conducive for the prophesied war of Gog and Magog, in which Iran and Russia attack Israel, to take place.  As abhorrent as the current administrations's behavior toward Israel may be, this behavior seems to be part of God's overall plan for the ultimate redemption of Israel.  We truly are living in scary, dangerous and exciting times!

Shame on John Kerry for invoking the name of Allah and prayers for America's protection as it's leadership unwittingly(I hope) defers to Satan.  

AMERICA ABANDONS ISRAEL AND ALL REASON IN DEALING WITH IRAN

  
                                       
  A number of months ago, I wrote a blog entitled Will America Abandon Israel...click here to read  In my post, I discussed the administration's proposed deal with Iran concerning it's nuclear program.  Today, the President proposed a deal for Iran that is far worse than anything ever proposed before. This proposal may. answer my question, as Iran gets everything.  The deal allows Iran to work on it's nuclear program in fortified underground facilities, lifts financial sanctions(allowing Iran to fund it's nuclear weapon program), and protects Iran's nuclear programs from inspections.  Basically, the Obama administration is doing everything to ensure Iran develops a nuclear weapon.  I have to wonder, is this retaliation for Netanyahu's election victory?

     This week, Iran's leader, the Ayatollah Kahmenei called for "death to America."  As a reward, the President is paving the way for Iran to make good on it's threat.  This would be laughable if the consequences were not so horrifying.  

The President has made no secret of his disdain for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Rumors continue to swirl around the administrations efforts to unseat Netanyahu in the last election.  Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign for reelection was having difficulty gaining traction until the Prime Minister shifted to a strong nationalist message in the final days leading up to the election.  Netanyahu's strong nationalist message resonated with voters and, what appeared to be a close race going into election day, turned out to be a landslide victory.  This is evidence that the people of Israel view Iran and the Hezbollah backed government of the Palestinians as a very real threat.  

     My fear is that the current administration is attempting to punish Israel for going against it's desire to unseat Netanyahu.  By allowing Iran to gain nuclear capabilities, Israel is forced into a situation in which it will either be threatened with destruction or have to stand alone against Iran in a pre-emptive strike.  Iran has emphatically stated it's intentions of destroying Israel.  Iranian backed Hezbollah has declared it's desire to drive Israel into the sea.  With nuclear capability, it will only be a matter of time before Iran sells it's weaponry to other Islamic fundamentalist groups.  In an attempt to punish Israel, the President is endangering the lives of everyone on the planet.

What happens when a nuclear weapon is placed into the hands of people whose ideology leads them to blowing themselves up on buses and in cafes and crashing airplanes into buildings?  During the Cold War, mutually assured destruction guaranteed peace between the United States and the Soviet Union because neither side wanted to die.  Iran is run by mad men who believe that dying for their faith, which includes dying to kill Christians and Jews, is the only sure way to heaven.  There is no deterrent of mutually assured destruction with this cabal of lunatics.  Iran's leadership, Hezbollah, and other Iranian funded terrorist organizations will leap at the opportunity to die for Allah with a nuclear bomb strapped to their fannies.  

My prayer for America is a strong nationalist leader will rise up and run for president.  The two party system is a farce, both major political parties have been overrun by globalists.  Globalists will continue to drive the world to an Anti-Christ friendly scenario.  If America does not return to the values that this country was founded on and if we do not practice a foreign policy that utilizes common sense, identifies evil and responds accordingly, all will be lost.  America cannot continue to sing God Bless America while we purposely rebel against His commands.  By turning against Israel, America becomes the enemy of God.  

WHO ARE THE SPIRITS OF 1 PETER 3:19?

  This week, at mid week Bible study, I will be teaching on the last few verses of 1Peter chapter 3.  One verse we will be looking at is verse 19, which causes quite a bit of debate as to what the verse is talking about.  1Peter 3:18 -20  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,  in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,  because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 

The message preceding this passage has to do with the believer suffering for the sake of righteousness and how we are to deal with undeserved suffering in our lives.  Verse 18 speaks of Christ suffering unto death that we might be made righteous, but verse 19 seems to take a left turn from the main theme of the passage and mentions Jesus making a proclamation to spirits in prison.  This verse is completely off topic from the rest of the chapter and can be quite confusing.  I am taking the time to write about it here to help others understand this verse and the context in which it is written.  I will be presenting many views on the identification of the spirits in verse 19 and then showing why or why not these identifications are valid.  I am presenting my conclusions based on my understanding of scripture and years of study on this topic.  You may not agree with my conclusions, but I ask that you check it out for yourself.  As I will be presenting, the identification of these spirits is tied in with Genesis chapter 6 and the identification and origins of the Nephilim. Below is the text I have written for tomorrow's lesson.

vv. 19-20 – I want to look at the next 2 verses together as verse 20 gives context to v. 19. This is a very controversial passage of scripture and all depends on how you interpret Gen. 6.

Option 1: Jesus is preaching to the saints in Abraham's Bosom who died prior to His coming and proclaiming their salvation. Those who hold to this view often link it to Ephesians 4:8. Eph 4:8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."

The idea is that when He died, Christ went into paradise and proclaimed the good news to those who looked to His coming and then led them to heaven with Him at the resurrection.

I do not believe V. 19 is referring to OT saints because v. 20 specifically mentions those who did not obey at the time of the flood.

Also, interesting to note, the Greek word for spirit is never used in relation to mankind, except in Hebrews where it speaks of the spirit of man, but not of man as a spirit.

Option 2: Christ is proclaiming His victory to the wicked souls who perished in the flood. This does not hold up to scrutiny because A). the Greek word for spirit never refers to man and B). Those who perished in the flood will stand before Christ in judgment at the Great White Throne.

Option 3: Christ went to the souls who had perished at the flood and offered them an opportunity to repent and receive Him. This directly contradicts the story Jesus told of Lazarus and the rich man. The Bible says it is appointed unto man, once to die and then judgment. This option would viloate clear Biblical teaching.

Option 4: This is referring to those who died in the flood and that the Spirit of Christ preached to them through Moses before they perished. This interpretation is flawed on many levels. Once again, spirit never refers to man anywhere else. Contextually, this idea does is not supported by the text. Clearly, Peter is saying that Christ went, in the Spirit, to the spirits that were in prison.

Option 5: Peter is referring to the fathers of the Nephilim found in Genesis 6. These fathers of the Nephilim are angels who mated with human women and were locked away awaiting judgment. This is the only view that holds up under scrutiny and is attested to by numerous other passages and the teachings of Jewish antiquity.  

In Genesis 6 we read: Gen 6:1-4 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,

the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

Every where else in the Old Testament we see the terms “sons of God” it refers to angels.

Deu_32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Job_1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

Job_2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.

Job_38:7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Peter, himself, revisits this theme in his second epistle.

II Peter 2:4-5 - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

We know that Satan and his angels are free right now. If Satan and his angels are loose on the earth right now, who are these angels Peter is talking about?

Jesus' brother Jude also refers to theses angels held in chains. Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.

Jude, Christ's half brother, quotes directly from the book of Enoch which details the mating of angels and humans being the direct cause of the Noah's flood.

Josephus refers to the Nephilim as the offspring of angels and human women.

Vine's expository renders spirit in v. 19 as unclean spirit or demon.

Babylonian Talmud refers to Nephilim as fallen angels.

The above is certainly not an exhaustive study on this topic, but I believe it presents a very good case for the true identity of the spirits in verse 19. 

If you are of the camp that believes that the son's of God is a reference to the descendants of Seth and the daughters of men are the descendants of Cain, I have a few questions for you.  Why would their offspring be called Nephilim, meaning giant fallen ones?  Why would the union of Seth and Cain create giants?  Were the daughters of Seth unattractive?  Why did the sons of Cain not marry the daughters of Seth?  Who are these angels spoken of in 2 Peter and Jude?  

 Again, you may not agree with my conclusions but I implore you to search the matter out for yourself.  I welcome questions and comments.  May God bless you on your discovery of scriptural truth!