Merry Christmas

I've got to say that I sincerely envy those of you who have the discipline that it takes to sit down and write a blog entry everyday. Or perhaps it's simply a matter of time rather than discipline. Regardless, I don't have enough of either...

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty in the world to write about, and I have no shortage of opinions on most everything that is happening - but how does a person "nutshell" all of the goofy stuff that occurs in a 24 hour period in such a way that anyone would actually want to sit down and read when there are so many other, more productive, and arguably, interesting, things to do with your time...

That's why I'm taking this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, at the risk of offending someone, even though according to the US Gov't., Christians outnumber non-Christians by a 3 to 1 margin, and now, according to H. R. 847 (December 11, 2007) The US House of Representatives has resolved that it:

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas

and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity 

in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States 

and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

Taking into consideration that one of the Republican front-runner for the nomination for President refers to himself as a Christian when his own church history denies his assertions, probably doesn't say much for the statistics listed within the House Bill.

When we consider that, of the 85% of Americans who profess to be Christian, only 2% share their faith with others on a regular basis, when Jesus Himself commanded those who would follow Him to do so... perhaps it's necessary that our government makes an official statement for Christianity...  After all, it is almost all but taboo to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in public during the months of November and December in America for fear of inciting a lawsuit from some non-believer whose feelings have been hurt.

Maybe we should just wait to see whether this one is overturned or simply declared unconstitutional altogether...

No matter what, God is still on the throne, He does not need our approval, nor does He need some sort of US Gov't. nod in order to advance His will upon "His"tory...  It's already been written, and we are fulfilling the prophecies according to The Book.  

God Bless...  Until next time,

-The Sower...

A Christmas e-Card

In case you haven't received an e-Card yet, here you go...  Many people want to know what the "REAL MEANING" of Christmas is, though few can remember as far back as the Peanuts/Charlie Brown Christmas Special "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!"

You know, back before you were labeled a terrorist for wishing someone Merry Christmas in America...

God Bless you and yours this Christmas, and into the New Year to come!

The BIG Question...

What is Christmas all about???

Some people say it's about getting together with friends and family, some say it's about having a great meal and exchanging gifts in between Holiday Bowl football games...  And your average "Christian" would probably reply with something along the lines of - well it's when we all remember baby Jesus being born in a manger...

Is that it???  Is Christmas Day simply a day to remember a child being born?  And if so, to what end?  What is the significance?  The reason?  The RESULT???

And an even deeper question than that...  Who was He, what did He come to do, and why?

Watch this video, and you'll have a better understanding - perhaps for the first time...

What's YOUR resolution?

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? 

Of course not! 

Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?  For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.  And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.  Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.  For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life.  We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again.  Death no longer has any power over him.  He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God.  So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.  And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.  Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin.  Instead, you are free by God's grace.

So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? 

Of course not! 

Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? 

You can choose sin, which leads to death, 

or 

you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.

 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you.  Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.

I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand.  Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness.  Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.

In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren't concerned with doing what was right.  And what was the result?  

It was not good  -  since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.  But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God.

  

Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.  

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans, Chapter 6 (emphasis added)

Good and Merry

So this is the time of year that, more and more over the past few years, certain people have decided, seemingly out of the blue, that they are going to be offended at the very mention of the term "Christmas."

It's interesting to me though, that while I was growing up in the 70's and 80's, not all that long ago really - nobody really seemed to give a second thought to the idea that there was anything else to the 25th day of the month of December, which came the same day each year...

Lately, according to the ACLU and other Godless organizations such as the Freedom from Religion organization, the words "Merry Christmas" are offensive to people, and therefore should not be included in advertising and general public conversation, and on, and on, and on...

Here's where the irony kicks in for me - I don't believe in aliens, however, the fact that most people living in Roswell New Mexico believe in them, doesn't drive me to the point of suing people who do, or attempting to pass legislation that says they can't dress like space creatures and hand out their literature trying to convince others that they're right...

Just because there's no scientific proof for alien life, and the Bible basically tells us that Earth is the only place that Jesus was sent, and that we humans are the only beings that He died to save, doesn't mean that we cannot get along...  It doesn't mean that I think they're out of their minds or stupid, it simply means that they've been lied to, and they've believed the lie...

So...  I've decided this year...  that I am offended...  You see, the Bible says that there is none that is "good" except one, and that is God.  There is no one who does "good" - no not one...  Therefore, when someone tells me "Good" Morning, or "Good" Luck, or "Good" Day - I'm going to take offense, I mean, if none of us is "good" then what do any of us actually know about the concept of a "GOOD" morning, or day, etc...?

Even though I've never really met anyone who was sincerely offended at the mention of the word "Christmas" in their presence - that is unless they were supposed to be offended because of the people they were around, or the place where they worked.  There must be something to it if it's all that anyone can talk about this time of year, and if every store you go into is pandering to those who would apparently prefer the word "Holidays" rather than Christmas...

What do you think?  Is there anything that offends you?

Just so's you know...

I do in fact, have a sense of humor - just in case you've read my previous entries and thought to yourself, "boy, does this guy ever crack a joke???"

That's why I thought I would share a funny moment from just the other day.  I've been away from my wife, Rachel, and children, Jonathan and Hannah for the past 2 weeks while performing Annual Training with my Navy Reserve Unit.  So my main point of contact with them has been through iChat on our Apple Computers...

Though, the story I'm going to share wasn't one that I actually was blessed to witness on camera, the visual imagery that it will convey should stop you from wishing you were there...

So anyway, Rachel had just completed an afternoon feeding with Hannah while Jonathan played quietly at her feet.  With Hannah full of food and well contented, it was time for a pat on the back to release the trapped gases.  (Mom's and men who are secure in their masculinity know that I'm talking about burping the baby...)

In no time at all, our 3-month old bundle of joy turned into a geyser, redecorating the whole front of my wife's outfit.  Needless to say, wild horses could not have held back the hysterical laughter that tore out of the insides of my son Jonathan...

After a short grace period, Rachel told him that he needed to settle down - one thing to understand about my son is that when he finds something funny, you almost have to pinch him to get him to stop laughing...  So after another handful of seconds, my wife began taking it personally, almost as if he was laughing at her misfortune, rather than the eruption of gastric fluids that you just don't expect to see come bolting out of a little 10 pound beauty such as his little sister is...

Rachel told Jonathan that if he couldn't stop laughing, he would have to go to his room and settle down  before he could come back out...  Now, you'd think that a 4-year old would simply hear the suggestion of having to go to his room and stop the laughter immediately...

But not my boy...

He agreed - he should go to his room, this was just too funny to stop anytime soon...

If you've ever heard a story that just tickled your funny bone so much that it brought a tear to your eye, that was the feeling I was having at that moment.  Whatever I lack in the department of humor, that kid has in spades...  That's for sure.

I hope you laughed at least half as hard as I did...

God Bless you - until next time...

-Benjamin, The Sower

John 3:30-34

Mad at God?

What you are about to read comes from a website that I counsel teens and young adults on. At HELPinChrist.com, myself and other Christians help people who are having problems, believers or not, get through their challenging times of life using scripture... Preaching the Law to the proud, and giving grace to the humble, is always our primary goal...

I wanted to share a recent submission with you to illustrate the types of challenges that are brought to us quite often actually...

The names are not important, but the outcome is...

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>my_challenge = I'm mad at God is the simpliest answer to that question. When I was younger I had so much faith, but now I can't seem to even walk into a church. Part of the problem is people at my church don't understand how I could be mad at God, and just want the little girl back who loved God so much. How do I get my faith back? How do I trust GOd with my life again after he let me down? How do I get over my fear of walking into church again and starting a new relationship with God?

>how_can_HELPinChrist.com_help = I don't know what you can do. I guess the reason for the email is a need someone who does not know me to help my with my feelings about God. I tried to join an online group, but I could not find one in my age. I just nedd someone to talk over my problems with God, who will not tell me that other people have worst problems and that I should get over mine and trust God again. I dono't know if you can help me, but it is worth the try. Thanks for listening, even if you can't help.

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First of all, I'm sorry for the delay in responding to your submission - normally, I try to get back to people who write in within a day or so of their initial contact, however, your message, quite honestly, left me more than a little perplexed.

The reason is that yours is not the first message I've received that has made mention of someone being mad at God, and sadly, it's not the first to include that He'd seemingly "let you down."

This challenge led me to search the scriptures to try to understand what it is that you're going through, to see if what you're describing is anything that scripture describes as being normal, or even possible for a follower of Christ.

And I just couldn't find it... The things you've described... The challenges and the problems, just aren't there... The Book of Hebrews tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. So either He is a liar, or it could be that you have some more explaining to do... You see, many people think that they're Christians and on their way to heaven, when in fact, they have an incorrect, un-Biblical understanding of just what Christianity is, and what it means to be a "follower of Christ."

I'm not saying that you aren't a follower of Christ, it's just that I don't find anywhere in the Bible where someone who professed belief in God as their hope of salvation, EVER claimed to be mad at God... Quite on the contrary, I've only been able to find where people over and over again recognized THEIR OWN responsibility for the problems they were having in their lives. Therefore, I'm not going to tell you to "get over it" because other people have it worse than you, so you should "trust God again." Instead, I'm going to suggest that you determine conslusively, whether you ever truly trusted God in the first place...

The Book of Ecclesiasties says that there is a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to mourn, etc... It makes no mention of "a time to be mad" let alone a time to be mad at God... Again, I'm not judging you, I think I would rather encourage you to think about your relationship with God and consider how you could be mad at the One who gave His life as a sacrifice for your sins so that you could have life everlasting with Him in heaven? In Corinthians, Paul tells us to "examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith" and to "make sure that our calling and election are true" and that is what I want to encourage you to do...

For the moment, don't worry about why you can't stand to walk into a church, but consider your motives for becoming a Christian... Consider the method by which you took up the title of Christian, and please get back to me with a reply to those questions...

I realize that what I've written is probably a lot to digest - I know it would be for me, so take a day or two - or a week or two if necessary... But do this first - listen to or watch the message "Hell's Best Kept Secret"

Perhaps the answer to the questions you're asking will be found there.

When you're done with that, read Romans 6, and when you're ready, get back to me so we can see about sorting things out.

I look forward to hearing back from you...

-Benjamin, The Sower

John 3:30-34

Get some "Sowin' Goin'"

A couple of years back, I was living in the midst of the "self-help" craze that was (and still is) gripping America and Americans who were, and still are desiring to be "self-made" millionaires.

I won't name the name of the speaker I heard because that's not important to this, my initial entry in the new blog endeavor I'm working on, and you are quite graciously reading.

However, in one of his more popular seminars, the topic he was speaking on was essentially amassing personal wealth and happiness.  Now this man, in the eyes of the world, certainly had proven through much practice and practical application of timeless truths, that what he was selling was valuable information for the person who would apply it to their own lives.

And he was quite familiar with scripture...  In fact, his father had been a minister and brought him up in a home that proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior.  What is interesting to note here is that the fact that the family considered themselves to be Christian "believers" did not necessarily mean that they understood everything they professed to believe in...

And here's the point I've been working toward...  As it was referenced by Todd Friel on Way of the Master Radio (40m 45s) earlier today, hermeneutics - [herman - oo - ticks]  (def. The art and science of interpreting scripture.) is very important when attempting to determine what the writers of Biblical Scripture were trying to convey.  Without it, more often than not, makes for a doozy of a message when a speaker or teacher is using the Bible in order to make a point or teach a lesson.

If you've clicked on the link above and listened to the sound clip I've referenced, you'll begin to see where I'm going with this, starting... now...

The speaker who was teaching me the seven steps to wealth and happiness began talking about a "story" in the Bible.  He remarked that the bottom line to achieving success in this life is that you need to "get some 'sowin' goin'"  Isn't that pithy?  I mean, it rhymes AND it makes a statement...  And if you are familiar with scripture, or have paused for more than 30 seconds while channel surfing on a Sunday Morning during the hours of televangelism, you might have caught the term "SOW" in there...

Well, he was referring to the Parable of the Sower found in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible.  And he was suggesting to the group of us that was listening, that, if we wanted to have everything we ever wanted to have, we needed to "sow the seeds."  Again, if you are familiar with the message of many of America's churches today, that sounds like a very well-known message being preached by some of the most famous names in modern-day Christendom.

To digress back to the importance of proper and accurate hermeneutical practice, it is important to note that The Parable of the Sower was not a parable that dealt with man's ability or inability to "Reap a healthy harvest."  Jesus was speaking in reference to God's Kingdom...  Many times throughout the Bible, the Word of God is referred to as the "seed" and in this particular parable, those who are sent by God (anyone who is "in Christ") to "sow" that seed are the "sowers."  Had the speaker just read 10 more verses, he'd have found that out for himself...

Christ was not teaching His followers how to reap great rewards here on Earth, he was stressing the importance of preparing the heart of the hearer for the planting of the seed which is the Word of God.  So many times, we hear of people who remark that they've "tried Christianity" but that it "just didn't work for me" and what is discovered through the course of the conversation is that the soil of their heart was never plowed up by the preaching of the Law. 

Therefore, after they were given assurance of their salvation and their place in heaven by the preacher or evangelist on the other side of the TV screen, when they went back to their lives outside of the pretty music and the warm and fuzzy "Jesus just wants to be your cuddly-wuddly divine boyfriend in the sky" type of message - there has been no conversion of their heart...

Either, "the birds came and devoured" the seed that was sown, or "the thorns sprang up and choked them."  Their friends, family, lifestyle, job, etc... reality of who they really are, all came back to them, and without doing what the Bible REALLY says they should do - they fall back into the life of sin they were already living in before they heard the message they believed saved them into everlasting life - and now they've been told that if God saved them, they could never be "un"saved...

They go on living their lives of sin, believing God one day saved them, therefore, they are bound for heaven even though there is no true evidence of any genuine repentance in their lives.

So I agree, we do in fact, need to get some "Sowin' Goin'" - however, NOT for the reasons that the speaker gave...  Rather, because the Word of God is being corrupted in order to sell a product that is not going to reward its hearers with everlasting life, but rather, everlasting torment.

If we, as God's mouthpiece, are telling people that they need to strive for a "better life" rather than reconciliation with Him for the sins that we've all committed against His holy Law, then we are doing the same disservice that the Pharisees were doing when Jesus rebuked them in the Gospel of Luke when He said, "woe to you who keep God's words"

Let us get some "Sowin' Goin'" and share God's Word with people the way it was intended to be shared, truthfully, accurately, in love...  Sure, it WILL sting, but a trip to the dentist's office isn't supposed to be fun, neither is looking at yourself the way God looks at you...  

My goal in putting together this blog is definitely NOT in the pursuit of personal glorification, neither is my intention to simply post aimless ramblings.  I honestly do not know what it is that I should write, however, perhaps someday, someone might trip over some of these thoughts as they are wandering through cyberspace, and find themselves challenged, or even encouraged to sit down and take an account of their lives.  The type of person they've been, the things they've thought about or said, and consider those things in the light of God's Law...

And then ask themselves, "If I were to die today, am I absolutely positive that I would be going to heaven?"  And does the answer to that question concern me - or bring me comfort?

In my particular case, that question caused me to look at myself in the mirror of God's Moral Law, to see that I was, in fact, the filthiest wretch I knew...  And if I were to die that night, I would, at that point in time, have gone straight to hell.  Because no matter what I thought of myself, or called myself, I was not a Christian.  When I was honest with myself I concluded that I was one of the people Christ was referring to in Matthew Chapter 7, when He said that He would say to those who would come to Him in the Day of Judgment, claiming to be His, "depart from me, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness."

My desire is that no one I know, or should ever meet again, should ever hear those words without first hearing His Word spoken to them the way He Himself shared it with those who would humble themselves and hear His Words...

May God Bless you and keep you - until next time...

-The Sower

If you don't know Hell's Best Kept Secret yet, CLICK HERE...

Questions, questions, questions...

What's going to happen when I die?  

Invariably, whenever I am involved in a conversation with someone where important issues are brought up, the dialogue steers toward eternity... Whether there's a heaven or a hell the way the Bible says there is - and ultimately, the question of whether they believe they are good enough to get into heaven...

The Bible says a couple of things that are worth noting in order to begin to answer "the big question." First off, we are told that, "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27) So, according to God, and His Word, reincarnation is out... We also see that, "...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) If the wages of a day of work is a paycheck, then the answer to the question "why do we die" becomes an easy one... We die because we've sinned...

Perhaps now you're asking yourself the question, "well, I've heard the word 'sin' used a million times, mostly flipped about by televangelists and those weirdos yelling on street corners, but what IS sin?" Well, once again, the Bible gives us the answer... "sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4) And the law the Bible is referring to is God's Law, the Ten Commandments.

Now, if you're honest with yourself, you'll have to admit, as I have, that you've lied, stolen, and used God or Jesus' name as a swear word, or in a fashion unbecoming of your Creator - but do you realize that Jesus said that if you hate your brother, or even call someone a fool, that you're in danger of being condemned to hell? (Matthew 5:22)

And most people think that the command "thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14) refers only to people who are married meaning that they're not supposed to have an extra-marital affair - but check out what Jesus said... (Matthew 5:27-28) You see, God is not merely concerned with what we do with our hands or our mouth, in fact, the Bible says that God requires truth in our inward parts... (Psalms 51:6) In the Day of Judgment, God is going to look at our hearts and our minds, and without holiness, and righteousness written thereon, He will turn His back on us as though He never knew us... (Matthew 7:23)

But that's not the end of the story - in fact, there IS Good News! You've been told before that "there's 'good news' and there's 'bad news'" and then you've been asked which you'd like first... And, like most everyone, you most likely requested the bad news first - well that was it... You, like me, are a sinner in need of a Savior - like a criminal walking into a court of law, you have a fine to pay, and believe me, you cannot afford to pay it.

Then what's this "Good News" already? You're asking, and here it is... 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, God Himself came to Earth in the form of a man - the Bible says that he "became flesh" (John 1:14) and lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:25) a performed many miracles and wonders to establish His deity. Over 700 years before Jesus' birth, the Prophet Isaiah wrote about what He would go through for those who would believe in Him...

"...There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins—that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.

But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief..."             Isaiah 53:2-10

So you can see, perhaps for the first time, that Jesus went to the cross, to bear the punishment (pay the fine, if you will) for the sins you committed against God. The Bible says that God showed His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, He sent Christ to die for us. (Romans 5:8) God knew you were going to break His laws, and His judgment, as powerful as it is, cannot be appeased by our own 'good works.' We need to have a 'fine payer' a representative in that heavenly courtroom. And that is what Christ has done for us - He stepped forward and offered Himself up as a ransom (1 Timothy 2:6) for those who would believe.

You've read or heard no doubt that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Please note that "He gave His only Son" for those "who believe[s] in Him" and not for the WHOLE world... Therefore, everyone is not going to heaven - remember up above? The soul that sins, it shall die... (Ezekiel 18:20)

So how do we get this "eternal life"? Do we just "believe" and poof, we're Christians bound for heaven when we die? Well, it would be fun if it were that easy - a LOT more people would be bound for glory, and a lot fewer headed for hell. Jesus' first words of public ministry were "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 4:17)

Now, a lot of people claim that they are "OK" with God - they grew up in church, maybe they were even baptized at some point - but the question is, "is God 'OK' with you?" If you were to drop dead right now, before even reaching the end of this writing, and the next thing you know, you're on your knees before The One who made you - would He be 'OK' with you, or say He never knew you?

Have you repented (realized your sins against the Creator God - and turned away from them) forsaking your sins, and turned toward Christ in faith for the forgiveness of your sins? I put it that way because many people believe that because they haven't killed anyone, or because they go to church, or give money to charities, that their good will outweigh their bad (Ephesians 2:8-9) they are therefore, trusting in their own goodness, and not Christ's sacrifice to make the payment I referred to above...

If you've never done that - repented of your sins, and put your faith in Christ, I want to encourage you to do that right now, right where you are... Contrary to what many people might tell you, it is a GOOD thing to question your faith if you're not 100% sure that you'd go to Heaven if God were to take you right now... (2 Corinthians 13:5) You cannot do anything to save yourself, Christ has already done everything necessary - and He calls you to repent of your sins and trust in Him alone.

The Bible says that when you cry out to Him for mercy, He will save you - you will begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and He will fill you with it... (Matthew 5:6) Whereas you once loved the darkness and hated the light, He will cause you to step out into the light and shun the darkness... (Isaiah 5:20)

If you believe that God is preparing your heart, then do not let another day go by without making your calling and election sure. (2 Peter 1:10) For today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) and even if its not your last day, it is undoubtedly the most important.

May God Richly Bless the prayers of your heart - I hope to see you heaven one day.

Sincerely,

-Benjamin