Month: April 2016

Why are these statements, “You can’t mix religion and politics,” and “You can’t talk about religion and politics” false?  What does God’s Word have to say about it?

Religion as defined by Merriam-Webster is “the belief in a god or in a group of gods; an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.”   Scripture takes care of that definition. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).  Religion may be defined by the world as many gods, but the Truth is, there is only one God, and Jehovah is His name.   There is only one way to God and that is through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

With that being established, let’s restate by saying, “You can’t mix God and politics.”   Once again, politics is defined by Merriam-Webster as “activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government; the work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government.”  Since politics and government are synonymous, let’s take our statement one step farther and say, “You can’t mix God and government.”

Who created government?  Once again, let’s have God’s Word answer this question:

Jesus answered [Pilate], “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11)

There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1b)

Truth is, if you do not speak of government in the context of Jehovah, then you have bypassed the Originator of government and the very One Who is over all government.   Even corrupt, sinful governments can and are used by God to accomplish His plan.

Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. (Jeremiah 25:8-9)

Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you [God] anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (Acts 4:27-28)

Furthermore, to leave God, the originator of government out of any political discussion is to always arrive at the wrong conclusion.  Hence, you better talk about religion and politics, but always from a biblical viewpoint.

Lastly, one day, religion and politics will be joined together at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.  (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp[g] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16)

No matter the issue, the correct question to ask is always, “What does God’s Word say about it?”

For further insight into today’s political and religious scene, I strongly encourage you to listen to the following message by Dr. Adrian Rogers:  The Leadership Crisis in America

Have you ever said or heard someone exclaim, “You can’t mix religion and politics”?  Or, “You can’t talk about religion and politics!”  Are those statements the ABSOLUTE TRUTH?

In response to these statements and hundreds of others  we must ask, “Where do you find that in Scripture?”

We are masters at speaking from our human viewpoint which has a fleshly, sin-cursed, short-sighted, temporal, non-omniscient foundation (Jeremiah 17:9).  Yet, we are so prone to believe what we see, assume, think and/or hear from humanistic viewpoint.  How sad that we will believe and restate trite sayings that have no biblical background.  And, quite frankly, we live as though we are the most intelligent person alive because we listen to ourselves more than anyone else.  Just track your thinking today and see how much you listen to yourself rather than preach the truth to yourself.

So, what does God’s Word say about our human viewpoint?  Should we really trust  in our fleshly thinking?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; . . . Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5, 7).

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12).

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Rom. 8:2, 6).

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth [human viewpoint] (Colossians 3:2).

Human viewpoint and divine viewpoint are polar opposites.  They do not mix.  The two statements mentioned in the first paragraph are not true as we will see in tomorrow’s blog post as we shed the light of God’s Truth upon them.  In meantime, fill you mind with Scripture that sets you free and leads you in the right paths (Psalms 23; 119).  Better yet, you search the Scriptures and see if those statements are true or false.  See you tomorrow.

For years I have asked folks, “How have you seen God at work in your life this week?”  I’ll answer my own question today . . . through answered prayer!!  These past few days, I’ve watched God provide grace, give wisdom, supply an abundance of peace, give safety, move in a way that was beyond anyone’s expectation, humble hearts, give courage, strengthen the weak, give comfort to the hurting and do many more God-sized things, all according to His character and might!

This post today is brief and to the point—-folks, you must pray.  You must be a person of prayer.  You must fight your battles on your knees.  You must live in an attitude of prayer.  You must respond to God’s promptings to pray.  You must pray when you don’t feel like praying.  You do not pray to have a relationship with God, your Heavenly Father; you pray because you do have a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father.  And, it has all been made possible through the blood and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-25).

I invite you to live in Jeremiah 33:3 all week.  Call on God, seek His face, watch His hand, and see how He reveals His character to you!  It is the place of waiting, rest, and relationship.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not (Jeremiah 33:3).

Strike up the band!  Spread the news!  The backyard patio project is complete!  What seemed like a task I could handle became an overwhelming situation that finally was beyond my skills. As my friend Andy Bonikowsky says, “God likes to surprise us” (Jeremiah 33:3), and He did so by providing what was needed financially, physically and skillfully. Last night, my wife and I were able to enjoy our fire pit, the warmth, s’mores and the stars!  Wow!  How great is our God!

Before Andrew and Alli, our son-in-law and daughter, joined us, Denise and I sat by the fire and read several passages concerning marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4 and 1 Peter 3:1-2).  I read a portion, then she read a section.  We concluded our time in prayer thanking God for the gift of the patio and the gift of marriage as well as asking Him to help us “keep the home-fires burnin’.”

You see, we have been on a fast-track of late in reference to ministry and life in general.  How easy it is to get so caught up in your daily routines that you forget each other.  You miss just holding each other in your arms for an extended time.  You only give each other a peck kiss instead of a long, passionate “I loooovveee you” kiss!  You only speak in passing, and then in broken, perhaps interrupted sentences.  Your cell phone gets more attention than your spouse.  Prayer time together gets push aside and marriage operates in the flesh instead of the Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26).  It only takes one day for marriage to start getting cold.

Men, may I remind you that you are responsible to “keep the home-fires burnin’.”  You are the leader.  Yes, your wife can contribute, but you are the one to keep things “stirred up” in the right way!   So, how about tonight?  Build a fire in the backyard and rekindle the embers of your marriage!  If you can’t build are real fire out back, then build one in your wife’s heart!  Need some help?  Look at the previous paragraph.   Stir up the fire, guys!  Those s’mores and her kisses will be tasty and hot!

Oh my!  It is April Fool’s!  The one day that the prank comes out in all of us, huh?

April Fools’ Day (sometimes called All Fools’ Day) is celebrated every year on April 1^st by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shouting April Fool. Some newspapers, magazines, and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in small letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country.  Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1392) contains the first recorded association between April 1^st and foolishness.   (Wikipedia)

Here’s two ideas just for fun:

God’s Word has much to say about All Fools Day, especially to one who lives as a fool.  Read the following and see.  Are you are fool?  And, this no joke or prank.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”  (Psalm 14:1; 53:1)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life.  (Proverbs 7:21-23)

A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. (Proverbs 10:1)

Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. (Proverbs 10:18)

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. (Proverbs 12:15)

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20).

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them. (Proverbs 14:3)

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15)

Do any of these characteristics describe you?  Do you need to turn from going your own way and trust in God?  Do you live following your foolish heart or do you live and make decisions believing God with all of your heart?

Something you need to also consider is found in a portion of a sermon from Bob Deffinbaugh. “Satan is the prince of fools. As I think through the characteristics of a fool, I am reminded that no one is better described than Satan himself. He chose to rebel against God and to assert his will over God’s (Isa. 14:1215).He delights in sin, and he actively seeks to lead others in his evil way. He sets himself about the task of hindering others and bringing about their destruction (I Pet. 5:8).He is a deceiver (I Tim. 2:14; Rev. 20:3), a sinner (I John 3:8), a liar and a murderer (John 8:44).He accuses the saints before God and slanders them (Rev. 12:10).He is arrogant and proud (Ezek. 28:17; I Tim. 3:6). He is a troublemaker and a nuisance. Because of this, he should be avoided, but we should not attempt to rebuke him (Jude 8-9). Satan is the prince of fools, the essence of folly.”

God’s Word has much more to say about a fool or being foolish, but the absolute fool is everyone who rejects Christ as Savior and Lord (Luke 12:13-21).  How wonderful to know that God has provided complete salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, for every man.  How equally tragic for anyone to reject the cross work and resurrection of Christ and go to hell with their sins forgiven.  That is the absolute fool.

If you have never surrendered to Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please do so today.  Reject the prince of fools, Satan, and his deception and lies, and turn completely to Christ, Who is absolute Truth and Light.  (John 8:12; 10:7-30; 14:1-6; Romans 10:9-13).

You may play some pranks on some people on this April Fool’s Day, but be wise when it comes to the seriousness of eternity.  It’s the difference between an eternal day of joy or an eternal day of agony.

For more information about surrendering to the claims of Christ, please listen to this gospel presentation:  Five Questions Video