This week’s question is one that I think many people are often confused about: “The Bible states that when one truly repents to the Lord and asks for forgiveness, your sins are then “cast into the sea of forgetfulness.” How is it then that we will all be judged by Jesus for our sins if the sins are cast into the sea of forgetfulness? Also, if God remembers our sins no more, why are there still sometimes consequences for what we’ve done such as with David and Bathsheba when God allowed their child to die because of that sin, even though David repented?”

Great questions.  Let’s take them one at a time, in order:

• To my great surprise, the phrase you quoted about “the sea of forgetfulness” is NOT found in the Bible (at least in any translation I have access to).  I’ve even said it myself, so this was a real shocker – not sure how that particular phrase came to be so accepted and used by preachers!

• Of course, the concept you’re referring to, that God forgets our sins when we repent and ask forgiveness is found throughout Scripture, and is certainly plainly spoken in Hebrews 8:12 and Hebrews 10:17.  Thanks to the blood of Jesus, when we repent, God forgives AND forgets!

• The confusion in part arises from your idea that “we will all be judged by Jesus for our sins”.  As a believer, you will NOT be judged by Jesus for your sins!  Your sins were already judged at the Cross, and Jesus took that judgment upon Himself by giving His life in your place! (insert “Hallelujah” here). (see John 12:31-33 and 1Tim. 5:24-25, where Paul explains that some people send their sins ahead to judgment [by confessing], while others follow along behind them [if unconfessed, our sins will condemn us at the final judgment].

• Let me explain that a little further: as believers, our sins are already judged – we were found guilty, but Jesus took place and served our sentence of death at the Cross, so that we can be forgiven and free!  The judgment where WE will appear is called the “Judgment Seat of Christ” (see Romans 14:10; 2Cor. 5:10).  This is NOT the same as the “Great White Throne Judgement” seen in Revelation 20:11-15.  Instead, the judgment seat of Christ is the word “bema” in Greek, which refers to the platform in the Olympic games where the winners stand to receive their medals!  So the purpose of our judgment as believers is for the administration of rewards for the work we did here on earth, as shown in 1Cor. 3:10-15.  (The Bible speaks of various rewards, or ‘crowns’ that we can receive for our efforts in the Kingdom of God).  That’s a HUGE difference than being judged for our sins!

• Now, your final question about consequences for our sins is a whole different topic.  Please keep in mind everything above in regards to judgment for our sins, because it’s all true in Scripture.  But consequences falls into a different category that we know as “sowing & reaping”.  Just because God forgives your sin does not mean that there are no consequences for your sin.  For example, if one of your children borrows your car and wrecks it, you would certainly forgive them for the accident, even if it was caused by them texting while driving or drinking alcohol, or whatever.  But the fact that you forgive them doesn’t change the fact that the accident caused damage – perhaps to your car, to another vehicle, or to someone’s property.  And that damage will have to be repaired, not because you’re judging them for borrowing your car, but because it’s a consequence of their actions.  Put another way, a believer could fall into the sin of adultery and then repent and get forgiveness from the Lord.  But if their adultery caused a pregnancy and a child to be born, there would obviously be consequences of their sin that they might have to deal with for a lifetime – even though God forgave them the moment they asked.

Great questions!  Hope the answers helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

A non-CLC reader asks, “In Matthew 27:52, it says “and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.” Does the Bible give any more information on these saints who arose?  Where did they go? Did they continue living? Where were there spiritual bodies before they arose? Also, after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, does the Bible say anything else about him?”

Wow….so many questions, and all so good!  Let’s try to answer them, one at a time:

1.  Yes, the full description is giving in the verse you quoted AND the next verse (Matthew 27:52-53).

2.  So, according to v. 53, they went into the city of Jerusalem where they appeared to many people.

3.  No further information is given anywhere else in the Bible, so we are left with 2 possible conclusions: (a) either they continued living until they died (again), or (my best guess, since Hebrews 9:27 says we’re all destined to die once), (b) they remained in Jerusalem until they ascended into heaven with Christ at the end of his earthly appearance.

4.  Before they arose, their spirits would have been in Abraham’s bosom, awaiting the resurrection, just like all of the righteous dead from Old Testament times.  (Some have speculated that these saints in particular may have been martyrs from Old Testament times, or possibly even saints who had seen Jesus, but died before him, such as Joseph, John the Baptist and others – but that is strictly conjecture since the Scripture doesn’t give us any clues as to their identity)

5.  Yes, in John 12:9-11 we read of Lazarus being at a supper with Jesus, and he (Lazarus) actually became the ‘attraction’ that brought many people to that dinner, as people had heard of his resurrection of the dead, and because of his testimony, many were believing on Christ – so much so that the leading priests plotted to kill him, too!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “My next question is found in John 8 when they were trying to stone the woman for committing adultery.  When Jesus bent and wrote on the ground, what exactly did He write?  I know he told them that “he that is without sin let him cast the first stone, but is there anywhere in scripture that tells us what He wrote on the ground?”

Great question.  Fun question, because the quick answer is “NO, the Bible never tells us what He wrote on the ground that day”.  I say fun, because that lack of information hasn’t kept preachers & scholars from speculating ever since as to what He might have written.  For instance, some people think He merely wrote the 10 Commandments, and that the mob became convicted of their own sins as they read.  My favorite speculation is that he may have written the names of each person in the crowd, with a list of their sins beside their name!  I’ll guarantee if that’s what He did, I wouldn’t have waited around for my name, I’d have left as soon as I saw the pattern – no sense being embarrassed publicly!

Aren’t you glad that you’ve been forgiven through the blood of Jesus?  Thank God, His Word says our sins He will remember no more! (Heb. 8:10-12)

Hope that helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “We got into a philosophical discussion with some friends the other night and wanted your opinion. The discussion centered around the existence of Heaven and Hell. Knowing that God is a loving and giving God, many questioned how so many horrid, painful, and devastating events happen in our world. The question then became, “Is the world in which we live really “Hell,” and the task set before us, a testing ground to get into Heaven?” Are these trials and tribulations placed in our path to challenge and build our faith? Are there really coincidences in life, or are these events merely parts of the ultimate plan for our lives?”

Excellent question – and one that many people have asked.  Let me try to shed a little light:

• First of all, on the assumption that your friends were serious & not speaking in hyperbole, NO, I assure you that the world we live in is NOT hell – not by a long shot.  The Bible clearly speaks of hell as a place of everlasting torment, where the fire is not quenched and yet where no one dies (Mark 9:43-48; Luke16:22-24)

• Secondly, and most assuredly, there is NO “testing ground” to get into Heaven, because there is NOTHING that we can do to ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’ entrance there.  What determines who gets into heaven has nothing to do with our performance; it’s solely based on what Jesus has done for us.  It’s ONLY because of His shed blood that we can enter heaven, and ONLY because we place our whole trust on Him, not on any works of our own.  (I know; I’ve heard all the jokes about Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates offering various ‘tests’ to see if souls can enter heaven – but those are just misguided jokes, with no basis in reality. Scripture could not be clearer on this subject – see 1Corinthians 15:21-22 or Ephesians 2:8-9 or Galatians 2:16)  There is NO salvation except through Jesus Christ! (Acts 4:12)

• The third question is a bit more difficult, in that many believers will disagree as to the source of “trials & tribulations”.  Some Christians would see them as God’s way of building our faith, while others would argue that only Satan would send trials & tribulations in our path.  There are Scriptures that seem to support either view.  Personally, my opinion is that there are 3 possible sources of trials for the believer: sometimes God allows; sometimes the devil sends; and sometimes life happens – keep in mind we do live in a fallen world, and some things, in my humble opinion, are just the result of sin that entered the world thru Adam & Eve.  What I can say with assurance is that regardless of the source, it is God’s plan that our trials would strengthen our faith! (see 1Peter 1:6-7 or James 1:2-4)

• The final question is also debatable, so I will give you my opinion again: while some would argue that everything happens for a reason, I’m not sure that Scripture backs that up.  Again, I’m convinced that some things happen simply because we live in an imperfect, fallen world.  However, for the believer, that’s NOT discouraging, because the truth of Romans 8:28 trumps it all!  It may have originated with the enemy, or it might be an ugly coincidence of our fallen world, but my God promises to make it work together ultimately for my good!  (By the way, the ‘good’ He has in mind is that we would become more like Jesus – see Romans 8:29)  For more on how God can take even the worst of situations and turn it around, look at Genesis 45:3-8 and Genesis 50:14-21.

Whew….heavy stuff.  I hope this helps a bit.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “My next question is found in Hebrews 10:26-29.  This kind of confuses me because scripture says that we have all sinned and fallen short. Also, 1John 1:9 says that if we repent for our sins He is just and able to forgive us. I thought as long as we had breath left in our body we can ask for forgiveness.  Also, before salvation, most of us did deliberately sin even though we knew that we were in danger of damnation. Once we became born again, we saw how it was only God’s mercy and compassion that gave us a chance or chances to repent.  Is this scripture telling us that sometimes a person may lose his chance of forgiveness even while still alive?”

Great question – again, I say ‘great’ not only because I’m sure others have asked the same question, but also because it’s a question that I can clearly answer from Scripture, instead of giving my opinion only. (That’s also much safer for you, since none of us is infallible, and our opinions aren’t always worth much!)

The simplest and clearest answer is that this passage was written to believers, not to the world in general – so it certainly doesn’t apply at all to anything that you did prior to coming to faith in Christ.  In addition, the wording in verse 26 (especially in the original Greek writing) clearly does not refer to an act of sin, but to the continual practice of sin.  So the writer charges us that, after coming to faith in Christ, we go right on practicing sin as a lifestyle, giving no regard for what Jesus did for us, how the Gospel set us free, what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, or how God’s grace to us is so amazing – if we ignore or “despise” (disregard) all of that, then there is no more sacrifice for our sins.

In other words, if we disregard all that God has done for us (with full knowledge), then He has no other plan to save us.  He’s not going to send another Savior; God has no “plan B” – so if we reject all that He’s already done to save us, then we forsake our own mercy, and the only thing we have to look forward to is judgment.

This passage should NOT cause any believer to worry or fear the coming judgment – unless we are deliberately rejecting all that God has done for us in order to eagerly pursue a sinful lifestyle.  The answer to your last question is “NO”, we don’t lose our chance of forgiveness while still alive (except for that lone exception of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which essentially is for a Spirit-filled believer to renounce his experience and declare that it’s of the devil).

I hope this helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

This week’s question is, “In Genesis 4:1, does scripture specifically say that Cain was Adam and Eve’s first child and Able was their second child?  I know they had more children because Cain must have taken one of his sisters to be his wife.”

Interesting question; one I’ve never been asked before.  I went to several translations and commentaries, including the Amplified Bible, which offers the strongest indication by saying “next” in regards to Abel’s birth.  However, the rather obvious answer is that the Bible does NOT specifically say that Cain was their first child. I suppose one could argue that they could have had a daughter first – although Eve’s exclamation about Cain’s birth certainly seems to me like a strong indicator that he was her firstborn.

I did discover one thing in my research that I didn’t know: some scholars believe that Cain and Abel were twins, and that children in those early days of man’s history were usually born in pairs. It’s an interesting idea to say the least, and one that I can’t refute with Scripture.

And I do agree with my questioner that Cain must have married his own sister – I just can’t see any other possibility in the Biblical record.

Hope that helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Today’s question comes all the way from the Philippines. One of our missionary friends there writes, “Why is church attendance in America and Canada going down and what can a local church do, scripturally, to turn that trend around?”

Wow….such a big & important question.  I’m tempted to say, “I don’t know, but when you find out, please tell me!”, but that would be shirking my responsibility to the faithful readers of this blog.  So I’ll venture out where angels fear to trod, and give my honest opinions on this important subject.  Keep in mind that I’m no church-growth expert; I’m just a pastor who loves the local church!

First, the WHY question: why is church attendance going down in America & Canada? (By the way, it IS, and according to George Barna’s research, American’s who attend church on an average week are now in the minority!) I’m sure there are many different reasons, including:

• the fact that most Americans do not find The Church relevant to their daily lives. (I dealt with that in the recent message, “We Value Relevance”)

• the pace of life today. I recently read that most American’s have a daily one-hour commute to work, one-way, which means adding an additional two hours onto the normal work day.  Many folks feel they just don’t have time for church in their schedule.

• the magnitude of ‘entertainment’ options. Years ago, people went to Church because it was an opportunity to socialize with friends & hear good (?) music and Bible teaching.  Today, we are inundated with entertainment choices at our fingertips, without leaving the comfort of our home – not to mention that we can watch great Christian music & preaching 24/7 on our TV sets!

• fulfillment of Bible prophecy.(I figure you expect this from a pastor, but it’s true!) Scripture warns us of a time when “the love of many will grow cold”(Matthew 24:12), while in reality, we need to be gathering together with even more consistency as we near the coming of the Lord. (Hebrews 10:25)

I’m sure that’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a start.  Now let’s look at the “WHAT can we do about it” question:

• Keep church services relevant! We may not have the funds to compete with Hollywood or local entertainment options, but there is NO EXCUSE to ever make the Bible appear boring!  As I pointed out in the message mentioned above (“We Value Relevance”), this book is more up-do-date than tomorrow’s news!  God’s Word gives us practical wisdom for dealing with everyday life: marriage, finances, relationships, work, raising children, etc. – so there’s NO reason we can’t make our weekend services speak to where people live!  It’s time The Church addressed the questions people are asking about sex, pornography, abortion, homosexuality, and more – because Scripture doesn’t shy away from any of those topics!

• Bring God’s Presence as priority #1! When the Holy Spirit shows up in our services, anything can happen, and lives are changed! if our people know that they can find answers to their needs and that the supernatural, miracle-working Presence of God will be present in our services, I think they’ll show up – and bring others with them!

• Take care of the stuff that we can take care of! Probably every pastor wishes he had a new, state-of-the-art facility in which to hold services.  Almost none of us will have that privilege.  But there’s no reason we can’t present what we do have as well as possible.  The building can be clean and neat.  It can smell nice.  It can have proper signage, so our guests know how to navigate the halls.  It doesn’t cost much to paint a wall, to keep things looking fresh.  Shame on us if the building that houses our Gospel message is neglected, unkempt and smelly!

• Strive for excellence in all that we do! We may not have Hollywood’s stars, but we can use gifted people, and we can rehearse regularly and hone our skills and use our abilities for the glory of God – rather than just allowing ‘anything is good enough’ for Church!  (Read Malachi 1:6-14 to see how God feels about that)

• PRAY, pray, pray! Pray to the Lord of the Harvest, to draw people to His house.  And pray for the real problem (which isn’t a lack of prospects, but a lack of workers! – Matthew 9:37-38)

By the way, there are numerous churches bucking those trends, all around the country.  For instance, Hillsong of NYC has reached 3,000 in attendance after just 7 months of existence! Newspring Church led by Pastor Perry Noble broke all attendance records a few weeks ago during the summer! Elevation Church led by Steven Furtick is experiencing unbelievable growth in just 6 years!  Even here at CLC, we had the highest summer attendances in our 21-year history, and we’re seeing new families joining us each week – because we refuse to give in to the trend!

What would YOU add to either list – reasons why people aren’t attending or actions churches can take to reverse this?

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A reader writes,“Pastor, I have been trying to figure the answer to this question out so many times, but I just can’t seem to do so.  I’ve read it over and over but I still can’t seem to understand why God sought to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24.  What did Moses do to make God so angry that He wanted to kill him?  Am I missing something?”

Great question (great because it gives me a chance to talk about something I enjoy talking about!)

Perhaps the only thing you’re missing is the context, which is almost always a very important key to understanding Scripture.  In other words, verse 24 by itself doesn’t explain why God wanted to kill Moses, only that He sought to do so.  But by reading the next two verses, especially in the Amplified Bible, it become much clearer.

The reason God was so upset with Moses was that he had failed to keep the covenant God made with Israel, by circumcising his firstborn son.  (By the way, circumcision is NOT the subject I enjoy talking about, since it involves pain in a delicate place!) So even though Moses was God’s chosen man to lead Israel out of bondage, God cannot and will not overlook his own disobedience or negligence!  (According to the Amplified, the reason Moses failed to circumcise his son was because his wife, who was not from a Hebrew heritage, was opposed to the practice.) But verse 24 basically is telling us all: No Excuses!

The part I like to talk about is the New Testament counterpart of circumcision, which is water baptism (see Col 2:11-12, again in the Amplified). I know some will disagree with me, since in the USA it seems that most Christians have tried to back away from a ‘works mentality’ so much in order to embrace “salvation by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone”, that, in my humble opinion, they have often neglected a very important act of obedience to God’s Word, namely, water baptism by immersion in the name of the Lord!

Before anyone writes me a critical email, I assure you that I do not believe that baptism in and of itself saves us.  I do believe Ephesians 2:8-9 and Rom. 10:9-10 with all my heart.  But I also believe Mark 16:15-16 and Acts 2:38 and Acts 8:12-16 and Acts 10:46-48!  The New Testament record is quite clear that the NORM in the first-century church whenever people turned to the Lord was for them to demonstrate their faith by being immersed in water in obedience to God’s command, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit!  (How we have drifted so far from that practice to where many Christians today have never been water-baptized is a mystery to me!)

Now that we recognize the symbol (circumcision of OT = baptism of NT), the Exodus 4:24 passage takes on new significance.  If God sought to kill you because you failed to do something, would you decide it was pretty serious?

I’ll climb down off my soapbox now, but not before asking: have YOU been baptized by immersion since coming to faith in Christ?

If not, I urge you to find a Bible-believing church this weekend, and ask them to baptize you in obedience to Christ.

(One of the pastors I’ve admired from afar, Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, has baptized 2,158 people in recent weeks – take a look here, and celebrate!)

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner is back, and she writes, “My question is in regards to Jeremiah 29:11 which is an inspiration to me as well as a lot of people. Well, I took a lot of comfort in this scripture until I was reading an article which says that a lot of people get this scripture confused.  The author said that most people take this scripture out of context. He said that God was talking to Israel when He said this. So my next and very important question to you is how do we know when to apply scripture to our life and keep it in the right context.  For instance, I hear a lot of preachers take one or two verses out of the Bible and apply it to what they are preaching on that particular day.  I’m not a preacher but I do the same thing myself when I am trying to prove a point or when I am trying to comfort myself about something that maybe does not pertain to what I am going through. A lot of times if we read the whole chapter and not just a couple of verses, it’s not pertaining to our situation at all.  Or is it alright if we take what we read in that chapter and apply it to our life whatever the situation may be?”

Wow….GREAT question!  I think this is truly an IMPORTANT question, because it affects everyone reading this post.  Let me try to sort it out for you:

While it is no doubt true that Jeremiah 29:11 in context is God speaking to Israel – specifically, about the fact that they were about to be taken captive into Babylon, but that HE was watching over them, and in spite of the fact that their circumstances looked bleak, HE had good plans for their future.  No question that this is the correct interpretation & context of that passage.

However, I would strongly disagree with the idea that just because a verse was not originally written specifically to me that I cannot apply it to my life!  There are numerous examples in Scripture where a ‘word’ was spoken in prophecy to someone and it had a literal fulfillment for that person or group – but it also had a prophetic or figurative or some would say spiritual fulfillment for another person or group at another time.  For instance, Isaiah 28:11-12 if you study it in context, is a message to Israel that God will cause them to be ruled by foreigners whose language will sound like ‘stammering lips’ or ‘another tongue’ to the Israeli’s.  Yet, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit applied that passage to Christians in Corinth who spoke in tongues – see ICor. 14:21-25.  And I believe I’m on solid footing to apply that passage today to any believer who prays in tongues and finds that it IS a “rest and a refreshing”!

I do understand the danger of taking Scripture out of context and trying to make it mean something it doesn’t.  (You’ve probably heard of the guy who tried to get guidance by just opening his Bible at random & ‘claiming’ the verse he read there, until one day he read Matthew 27:5, then opened to Luke 10:37, and finally opened John 13:27!) No, the Bible isn’t teaching us to commit suicide – and taking verses out of context can be just that dangerous.

But at the same time, there are principles in God’s Word that DO apply to all generations and everywhere in the world – even though the verse may have been written 4,000 years ago to someone in the Middle East!  So my recommendation is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read (after all – He is the author – 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:20-21), illuminating various verses and passages that you can apply to your situation today.  That’s exactly what Romans 15:1-4 is saying about all of God’s Word!

Hope this helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our next generation leaders at CLC writes, “Pastor, my question is… in Romans 14:11 when it says every knee shall bow, does it mean believers or does it mean when people see God, believer or not, every knee shall bow?”

Good question.  Actually, it’s a GREAT question, because it’s one that can be answered by the Scripture itself, without any conjecture on my part.

I say that because actually in Romans 14:11, Paul is quoting the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah – chapter 45, verses 22-23, to be exact.  Romans 14:11 clearly begins by saying “as the Scriptures say”, showing that Paul intentionally was quoting from Isaiah’s prophecy.  In fact, he quoted that same passage again in Philippians 2:9-11.

The answer to your question was probably apparent as you read the other two references, as In Isaiah, he began the prophecy by stating that He was speaking to “all the ends of the earth”, and in Philippians Paul said that every knee would bow – “those in heaven”, “on earth” and even “under the earth”. So the correct answer to your question is that someday EVERY knee will bow to the Lord Jesus Christ – not just believers – but EVERY knee of EVERY person on earth!

I especially like the fact that in Isaiah’s prophecy it was clearly JEHOVAH God who was speaking, that every knee would bow to HIM, yet in Philippians it’s just as clear that every knee will bow to Jesus, proving once again that the God of the Old Testament IS the God of the New Testament as well – and we are privileged to serve that One True God!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite new CLCers writes, “can a believer lose his/her salvation? if so, does that mean the conversion wasn’t genuine, i.e. the person wasn’t really saved to begin with?”

Ahhh, good question.  Actually, this is one of the primary questions contained in the teaching of unconditional eternal security, otherwise known as “once saved, always saved”. I’ve addressed that issue several times through the years, and consistently, each time I answer I always begin by saying, “I hope I’m wrong on this issue”.

I mean it. If I’m wrong in my understanding of what Scripture teaches on this subject, then there will be more people in heaven than I’m expecting, and that’s a good thing!  (Of course, if I’m right in my understanding of Scripture, then there will be a lot of people tragically surprised to NOT be in heaven…..don’t think I’d want to take my chances with this one.)

Having said that, back to your original question – I personally believe that a believer can lose his salvation, if he/she chooses to walk away from the Lord, instead of continuing in the faith.  I base that opinion on numerous Scriptures including 1Cor 10:1-12; 1Cor 9:24-27; 2Pet 2:20-22; 2Pet 1:4-10; Matt 25:1-13; Jude 3-4; Rev 2:4-5; 1Tim 4:1-2; and Heb 10:19-39)

Let me also say just as quickly that I do NOT believe in what some have called “eternal insecurity”! In other words, just because I think it’s possible for someone to lose their salvation doesn’t mean that I live in fear or insecurity every day, as though my eternal salvation depended on my good works.  I rest secure knowing that John 10:27-29 IS true, and that NO ONE, including my enemy, can snatch me out of the Father’s hand!  He is able to keep me from falling (Jude 1:24) and I have an incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven for me, while I am being kept by the power of God (1Pet. 1:3-5)!

As to the second part of your question, which is the common statement made by those who do subscribe to ‘unconditional eternal security’, namely, that a person who walks away from the Lord was never saved in the first place – well, personally, I find no evidence in Scripture to support that idea.  In my humble opinion, that’s just a man-made ‘answer’ to attempt to explain why/how someone who at one time professed to be a Christian could walk away from the Lord and perhaps even commit heinous acts of crime.  Again, I think it’s possible for someone to truly be saved and have a genuine experience with the Lord, but due to their own choices in life, later walk away from that salvation and deny the Lord who bought them. (see 2Pet. 2:1-3)

Someone quicker-witted than me has said, “I believe in ‘once saved, always saved’, as long as you stay saved”! I guess that pretty well sums up my understanding of the New Testament as well.

Remember – I hope I’m wrong.

I also hope this helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite front-row singers wrote in response to this post, “Awesome post! Such a huge question!  So what about the common rapture scripture that talks about the dead in Christ rising first? If the righteous go immediately to heaven (to be absent from the body…), is that the earthly body catching up with the spirit man?”

Thanks….I’m glad someone is reading & finding this Ask the Pastor feature helpful!  And I love it when folks answer their own questions!

YES, that’s exactly my understanding of what happens in 1Thess. 4:13-18.  In fact, note that verse 14 indicates that God will bring these “dead saints” back with Him, but then later in verse 16 tells us that the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.  My understanding is that their spirit has been with Jesus in heaven from the moment of their death, but their earthly body will be reunited with their spirit when Christ returns.

So you answered your own question – thanks for the help!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A longtime, faithful CLCer writes, “Please explain what the Grace Covenant teaching is. I know what Jesus did on the cross for us. I was told that you do not have to confess your sins because of what Jesus did on the cross, but it clearly states in 1 Jn 1:9, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Confused!!!!”

Interesting question.  I suppose ALL of us should be confused as to why any born-again believer would teach a doctrine that so clearly contradicts Scripture – so if that’s why you’re confused, let me help you easily by saying I John 1:9 is still in effect, and it IS part of our covenant under grace, too!  So if anyone ‘tells’ you that you don’t have to obey a clear instruction from Scripture (and a wonderful promise, I might add!), then you can simply quote Acts 4:19 and Acts 5:29 to them!

Back to your first question as to the “Grace Covenant”, you might be interested to know that those words never appear together in Scripture! So, while I understand the meaning behind the term, the truth is that the New Testament never refers to the covenant relationship that all of us as believers enjoy today as a “grace covenant”.

Nonetheless, all of us who have received Christ do live in covenant relationship with Him, and we are all recipients of His AMAZING, incredibly-wonderful grace, which is generally defined as “unmerited or undeserved favor”.  I get chill-bumps just thinking about it! In other words, we did nothing to earn it or deserve it; it’s a free gift from God to us made possible by the death of Jesus Christ!  Those of us who once were lost, bound in our own sinful habits, headed straight for eternity in hell, are instead now forgiven & free, walking in His marvelous favor and on our way to an eternal reward with Him in heaven — all because of what Jesus did for us at the Cross almost 2,o0o years ago! (see Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:8-9; Eph. 1:3-8; Eph. 2:1-7)

That ‘covenant’ also means, as the late Dottie Rambo put it in one of her songs, “He sees me through the Blood”; i.e., when God looks at us today, He doesn’t see us as hopelessly messed-up in our own failings and weaknesses; He sees us as the “righteousness of God in Christ”, made blameless in His sight — again, all because of the blood of Jesus!  (Rom. 3:21-22; Col. 1:21-22)

That is the Grace Covenant, as I understand it in Scripture.

The problem that sometimes occurs is when people go beyond the words of Scripture and start adding their own interpretation to it (or diss the Bible altogether), as in the situation you described, when someone told you we no longer have to confess our sins to God.  That concept/teaching is found NO WHERE in Scripture, either in the first covenant or the new covenant!

In fact, some false teachers have gone so far as to embrace an age-old heresy known as “universalism”, that has ALWAYS been rejected by The Church. Universalism basically says that, in the end, God loves everyone so much He just cannot send anyone to hell, and so everyone is saved (some just don’t know it yet). That teaching resurrects every once in a while, and has gained some steam in recent months with the publication of a book called, “Love Wins” – but I repeat, that teaching has NEVER been accepted by the New Testament body of believers as Biblical truth.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you see my point.  I hope this helped.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Another faithful CLCer asks, “1 John 5:16-17 says: ‘If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.’ So, Pastor Jerry, my question is: Is this verse referring to blaspheming the Holy Spirit? If not, what sin are they referring to that leads to death?”

Great question.  Tough question!

Sometimes (often times?) the simplest answer is the best answer.  In that regard, someone has suggested that the sin that leads to death is the one not repented of.  It’s hard to argue with that wisdom.

However, while it’s simple, I’m not sure it fits the verse, since we couldn’t know by “seeing” whether or not a fellow believer was going to repent of his/her act of sin.

Honestly, the ONLY sin that seems to fit that bill is the one you mention, ‘blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”.  As I scanned various commentaries and scholars, while there were other ideas mentioned (a sin that leads to physical death, for instance, or a sin that brings God’s judgment such as Ananias & Sapphira in Acts 5), the only logical conclusion (to me) is blaspheming the Holy Spirit, as Jesus said in Matthew 12.

Let me quickly add (lest I get a ton of questions from people who think they may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit – which I’ve found is one of Satan’s favorite lies), that in my humble opinion, the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is extremely rare.  For as Jesus described it, in context, blaspheming the Holy Spirit would be attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan.  Furthermore, because of the many believers I’ve met who, prior to being filled with the Holy Spirit, had thought or even declared that it was “of the devil”, I’m convinced that in order to truly blaspheme the Holy Spirit as Jesus described, one would first have to have known better; i.e., only someone who had once been filled with the Spirit but later renounced their experience and attributed it to the work of Satan could be guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. (I find support for that concept in Hebrews 6 – it’s those who have “shared in the Holy Spirit” – other translations say ‘tasted’ – who cannot be restored)

That’s where I am on this admittedly difficult passage.  If one of my readers has insight, by all means, share with us in the comments below-

Hope that helps a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “Let me start off by saying: That I love this church and my walk with Christ has grown tremendously since I started going here. I have never attended a service here where I wasn’t able to extract something from the message and apply it to my life. That being said my question is this: Why doesn’t CLC have a singles ministry? I know there is a singles lifegroup that I am a part of and enjoy dearly, but there are other issues that singles, divorced, and widowed individuals go through that need as much attention as those issues that face the family unit. I believe that the enemy’s attack on families begins with the attack on singlehood; singles are not taught to treasure this season and nurture their relationship with God and then they get married and long for this period of their life back again. Singles are often times made to feel that something is wrong with them and even worse, they are made to feel like a disease that needs to be cured. The feelings of inadequacy is not cured in marriage , it’s only exaggerated even more. Family ministry is a big part of CLC, but is there an urgency to minister to this population? Thanks for your time and all you do to make this a wonderful church home!!!”

Hmmmm…..interesting question.  While I completely agree with your description of the attack on singles and the need to counteract it effectively, I’m not totally sure I understand what you’re asking, but I’ll give it my best shot:

Every church operates by some sort of philosophy or strategy (even a lack of strategy is a strategy!) At CLC, one of our guiding core values is the importance of relationships, and the fact that we grow best in relationship with others.  For that reason, we try to incorporate small groups into virtually every area of ministry – as opposed to having people just come to listen to a lecture by Bro. or Sis. Wonderful.  We’d much rather they connect with others, interact together over a particular area of interest, and build friendships for life!  I’m NOT opposed to large gatherings or great conferences (we have sponsored some in the past, and will likely do so again) – but that’s not where we choose to focus our efforts.  We believe people grow best in relationship, so we try to create environments (small groups) where they are most likely to make those connections and build those relationships.  As you said, we have a great single’s small group with a passionate leader, not to mention other groups with a tighter focus on single parents or divorce recovery, etc.

So if the question is why we don’t have a single’s “ministry” in the sense of large gatherings on a weekly or monthly basis, I would say that if you look around, we don’t have a married’s ministry or a men’s ministry or a women’s ministry either.  All of those important segments of the congregation also meet in small groups, for the same reasons I listed in the paragraph above.  Probably the closest thing to a traditional ‘ministry’ would be Heart 2 Heart, but even there, the real focus of the ministry is the break-out times with a small group of ladies who apply the teachings, connect with each other, and hopefully build great friendships that extend far beyond the midweek gathering.

As pastor of CLC, I certainly value single adults.  We may not always do the best job of making sure each message has application to the challenges that singles face today, but I can assure you that it’s not for lack of effort.  I haven’t run the numbers on our database, but my eyeballs tell me that perhaps a majority of CLCers would be in the ‘singles’ category: widowed, divorced or never-married.  So singles are a HUGE part of our family, and certainly we feel an urgency to minister to the needs you describe so well in your question.

What I say to you I say to all: if you have specific requests or suggestions to enhance our efforts to effectively minister, by all means, share them with us!  We’ve never offended to get ideas from the congregation, and some of our best ideas have come from people who saw a need and a way for us to fill it.

I hope that helped.  If I missed the point of your question entirely, please let me know, and I’ll try again.

Now what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “A friend of my deceased son recently told me about a dream in which he came to her and said that he was “now” in Heaven, even though he has been deceased for 18 months.  I remember lessons about purgatory and wonder what your feelings are about death and resurrection.  Is there a transition period for unfinished business, or do you believe that souls go to Heaven at the time of death?”

Great question, and I appreciate you asking, because I know many people have similar questions and ideas about the “after life”, so I’m happy to address this, in order:

1.  Probably a good starting place is for us to understand that dreams and other subjective experiences, while they may be comforting or troubling, are certainly not infallible and do not represent authoritative truth.  ONLY God’s Word can be the final authority on any subject.  So while I cannot deny your friend’s experience, neither can I draw any definite conclusions from her dream.  I think it’s important for you, and for anyone reading this to begin with that starting place – that God’s Word is THE final authority and anything that contradicts it must be rejected.  In the words of Scripture (Romans 3:4), “Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true”

2.  So with that starting point, I can tell you that the word purgatory or even the concept of a purgatory is NOT found anywhere in Scripture.  It seems to have been a doctrine introduced by the Roman Catholic church perhaps a thousand or more years after Christ’s death and the writing of the New Testament. So if I am to base my beliefs on Scripture alone, there unequivocally I can say that there is NO transition period for unfinished business.

3.  What was true before Christ (and perhaps is still true for unbelievers today) is that after death, the souls of men waited in a place of rest until their final judgment.  This was the Jewish teaching about Hades – with one ‘compartment’ sometimes referred to as “Abraham’s bosom”, where the righteous dead would wait their reward, while another ‘compartment’ was where the unrighteous awaited their judgment.

4.  However, after His death, Scripture says that Christ led a “crowd of captives” (Ephesians 4:8), and this is no doubt a reference to those righteous dead, whom Jesus led away to heaven, to enjoy their eternal reward.  Since that time, Scripture seems very clear that a believer who dies goes IMMEDIATELY into the Presence of the Lord in heaven  (see 2Cor. 5:1-8) – when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord! Based on that truth of Scripture, I certainly believe that all believers go to heaven immediately upon their death!

I hope this not only clears up those questions, but that it also brings some comfort to your heart.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes in response to this previous post, “Pastor, I have a situation like this, and cannot approach the person because she is unapproachable.  She stopped speaking to me because of something that I still don’t understand.  But all the damage was done by her. She told a multitude of lies and really tried to damage my reputation at work; oh, by the way, I got her the job.  I pray for myself and her, but through this post and several others I guess I might still be holding on to some unforgiveness.  My question is how do you reconcile with a person who is unapproachable?”

What a great question…..one that I suspect many readers have asked in the past or perhaps could ask even today.   Let me try to offer a little help:

First, don’t beat yourself up about this situation!  The enemy is the accuser of the brethren, so you don’t need to do his work for him by thinking negatively of yourself for not being able to reconcile this situation.

Remember (as I said in the previous post), Romans 12:18 is part of the Bible for a reason – and it begins with “IF”!  In other words, there are those situations where others just will not allow you to live with them in peace.  Obviously, I don’t know the situation that you describe – but if you are honest before God that you have done everything possible to reconcile, and the other person still refuses, then you have only 2 options that I know:

• pray for the other individual.  As you pray, confess aloud that you forgive them for the hurt they’ve caused, and that you release them from any responsibility in the matter.  Ask God to bless them.  (In my personal experience, you may have to say those words thru gritted teeth for a while – but if you’ll continue to do so regularly, eventually your emotions will catch up to your will, and you will find that you have released them and that you truly want God to bless them.)

• Simply let go.  By that I mean accept the fact that they are irreconcilable UNLESS God changes their heart.  Remain open to the possibility of Him doing that, but release the hurt in the meantime.

I sincerely hope this helps.  This kind of conflicts bring great pain to all of us – but God is able to be your healer, as well as the great Reconciler!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our CLCers, who now lives in CA (hey, once a CLCer; always a CLCer!) writes, “When the Bible refers to The Angel of the Lord, is it speaking of Jesus?”

Great question for serious Bible students!

In brief, I think you’d be safe to say ‘YES’, when you read about “The” angel of the Lord (as opposed to “an” angel of the Lord), the Scripture is likely referring to a pre-Bethlehem manifestation of Jesus.  Since Scripture is clear that Jesus existed from the beginning as God (it was only his fleshly body that was created in the womb of the Virgin Mary), there are actually several accounts in the Old Testament of what scholars refer to as a “theophany” – a physical manifestation of God in human form.

Here are a few references to THE angel of the Lord, to show you what I mean: Genesis 16:7-13; Genesis 22:11-18; Exodus 3:1-15; Judges 2:1-5; Judges 6:11-16.  Did you notice how those verses specified that it was “the” angel of the Lord that appeared, but then later in the passage referred to “the Lord” speaking to people?  That alone makes it rather obvious to me that ‘the angel’ refers to a physical manifestation of God in human form, so it’s probably ok to say, ‘Jesus’.

I’m sure a more scholarly approach would yield other noteworthy incidents and possibly some exceptions to the ‘rule’ I’ve used above, but I hope this helps.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A great mom/wife at CLC writes, “The devotion I am reading this year has recently been talking about how through the death and resurrection of Jesus, how we are made righteous and how God no longer remembers our sins when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. My question is then when we stand before God for what will be judged?”

Very good question….probably one that many others are also asking.  And actually, I think the Scripture is pretty clear in this regard.  While there are several different “judgements” listed in Scripture, there are only two that have to do with all individuals: (1) the so-called, ‘Great White Throne’ judgment found in Revelation 20:11-15 and (2) the ‘Judgment Seat of Christ’ which is mentioned in 2Cor 5:10 & Rom 14:10.

I agree with your devotional that because of what Jesus did for us, if we have trusted Him for our salvation, we will not appear at the Great White Throne judgment, since that’s a judgment that determines whether a person spends eternity in heaven or in hell.  Instead, as believers, we will all appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is for the administration of rewards.

In other words, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it’s no longer a question of whether we’re going to heaven – that was determined when we received Christ by faith – BUT we will be judged for our works here on earth.  As I understand Scripture, there are at least 5 different ‘crowns’ that we can receive at this judgment, based on how well we served here on earth.  For instance, there’s a crown of soul-winning for those who led others to Christ.  There’s a crown of faithfulness for those who endured temptation.  There’s even a crown for pastors who serve well (I’m going for that one!)

Paul gives us a warning in 1Cor. 3:10-15 that is sobering, to say the least.  I’m sure none of us wants to get into heaven but have no lasting fruit to show for our efforts here on earth.  That’s why I’m striving to build people with integrity and godly character – I’m sure there may be ‘shortcuts’ to growing a congregation – but like most pastors I know, I’m much more interested in building a ministry that will stand the tests of time and eternity!

I hope that helps.  Now what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our faithful CLC greeters asks, “What is the difference between the Spirit and Soul?  Hebrews 4:12 tells me there is a difference.  Please explain 1 Corinthians 14:14 also.”

Ohhh, good questions.  Hard questions, too – especially the first one.  I do realize that there are teachers & pastors who wax eloquent about the difference between soul and spirit….but frankly, I’ve never quite understood how they could be so definitive.  My understanding of Hebrews 4:12, “piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” (emphasis mine) is making the point that the soul and spirit are so intertwined that it is noteworthy that God’s Word can even divide them! If that’s true, then my feeble understanding probably won’t cut quite so sharp!

Nonetheless, you asked, so I’ll take a stab at it: I think the soul is the essence of life itself – as God breathed into man in the beginning and he became a living soul.  (The body was already formed, but there was no life until the breath of God came in).  The spirit, on the other hand, is the distinctive part of us that makes us who we are – our innermost being.

I will admit there are those who teach almost the exact opposite – that the spirit is our ‘life’ (which according to Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 returns to God when we die), and our soul is the center of our will & emotions.  (Now you see why I think ONLY the Word of God can truly divide them!)

I’m a lot more confident of the second question regarding 1Cor. 14:14.  There Paul is simply making the point that when we pray in “tongues” (what we often call our “prayer language” at CLC), we do not understand what we are saying intellectually.  In other words, praying in the Spirit is a supernatural experience – as you pray in a language you don’t know by “bypassing” your brain and communicating directly to God from your spirit.  While some have scoffed at the idea; personally, I find it to be one of my greatest helps in my walk with the Lord.  My mind often limits me – because of my doubts, my fears, my rationalization, even my natural biases – all of that individually or collectively works against my prayers and often limits my effectiveness.  But when I pray in the Spirit, the ‘lid’ is removed, and my spirit is free to speak to God unhindered!

If you have never received your prayer language, I would encourage you to ask the Lord in faith – and then receive! Our prayer team is available at every CLC service to minister the baptism of the Holy Spirit to those who want to receive.  The benefits far exceed just what I’ve written here, and it’s God’s promise for each of us! (Acts 2:38-39)

Hope this helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our newest CLCers wrote me to ask, “Do you believe the rapture will take place in our lifetime and, if so, will you give a sermon(s) on this important end-time event?”

Great question, and one that I’m sure many believers would like to have the answer to, so here goes:

I don’t know.  Maybe.

Sorry – I’m writing this on my day off, and I just wanted to have a little fun.  Here’s a more serious reply:

1.  I really don’t know.  I say that not only because Jesus said no one knows the day or hour (Matt. 24:36), but also because my own understanding of Scriptures is conflicted on this subject.  On the one hand, I certainly see the “signs of the times” all around us – as we discussed in the message, “Time is Short!” on April 17 (watch it online here), and those indicators would certainly make it appear that the rapture could easily happen in my lifetime.

However, my heart for missions has also led me to emphasize such passages as Matthew 24:14 and Acts 3:19-21, and knowing how many unreached people groups there still are in our world makes me think the rapture is still years away, since the Gospel has not yet been preached to every ethnic group (the meaning of ‘nations’ in Matthew 24:14) on earth.

So the honest truth is that I’m no longer sure.  For most of my ministry, I believed and taught a “pre-trib” rapture view (made popular by the ‘Left Behind’ fiction series); in more recent years, largely because of my involvement with various missions groups whose focus is on the as-yet unfulfilled Great Commission, I’ve started to wonder if perhaps a “post-trib” view was more accurate.

I am convinced of this: the ‘end-times hype’ that I’ve witnessed at various times through the last 35 years of ministry is often a tool of the enemy to distract us from the mission at hand (reaching lost people with the Gospel) and cause us to focus on ourselves (“am I ready?” at best & “do I have ‘survival’ supplies?” at worst) which is why I don’t major on End-times prophecy as some preachers do.  In my humble opinion, we should take care of the task Jesus gave us (which is why ‘Reaching Nations’ is a core value at CLC, and one dime of every dollar you give us goes to missions) instead of trying to figure out the Mark of the Beast.

I do feel ‘safe’ to make this statement: we need to be ready to go through Tribulation if need be, even while we hope & pray, “even so, come quickly Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20)

2.  As to a sermon series at CLC on this important topic – it just might happen.  We’ll certainly give it prayerful consideration.

ONE THING I feel absolutely CERTAIN about: the Rapture will NOT happen tomorrow, on May 21, as the false teacher Harold Camping has said.  Honestly, I can’t believe that Christians would fall for such hype – reminds me of “88 Reasons Jesus is Coming in 1988″ (I lived through that one, too).  Makes me want to ask, “what part of ‘no one knows the day or hour’ do you not understand?” Sheesh.

Hope that helped a bit – although I’m sure it probably didn’t satisfy.

Now what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A reader recently asked, “I would like to know if you believe in the concept of reconciliation. Mainly if you believe it can really take place between two people who used to be friends but have had a rift in that relationship?”

Excellent question – and one probably almost all of us have had to grapple with at some point in our lives.

First, I must believe in the concept of reconciliation, and so must you and every other believer – for the whole Bible is the story of reconciliation, as God was not content to allow mankind to remain separated from His love.  Our mission on earth as believers is referred to as the “ministry of reconciliation” and our Gospel as the “message of reconciliation” (2Corinthians 5:18-21).  So, “YES”, I believe in the concept of reconciliation, because Jesus made it possible for me to be reconciled with God.

Secondly, I must also believe that reconciliation is possible between two people who were friends but had a rift in their relationship – because Scripture makes it clear that it is possible (Matthew 5:23-24 – I can’t imagine Jesus instructing us to do something that is not possible!).

Now, just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s easy.  As Proverbs 18:19 clearly says, restoring a friendship can be very difficult.  And according to Romans 12:18, there may be those situations where you’ve tried everything possible to restore the relationship and the other party remains unwilling.  But in my experience, if both parties truly want to be reconciled, and each is willing to swallow their pride and do what’s necessary to make things right, it IS possible for them to be reconciled.  In fact, I know that it is, because I’ve seen it done in my own life.

If you’re reading this, and even now there are people you’ve become estranged from because of some offense, I would urge you to take the initiative, make the approach, swallow your pride, forgive and ask forgiveness, and make things right (the Bible word is ‘restitution’) – you’ll be so glad you did! (I think James 5:19-20 applies here)

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite new CLCers writes, “Even though I’ve been at CLC for more than a year now, I feel like I’m still at the beginning of spiritual journey and still have a thirst and hunger for the true gospel. I think you and Chris are awesome at giving it to us straight. So here’s the question: a couple of weeks ago, we had a guest speaker. He talked about not skipping the process.He used Jesus as an example, stating that Jesus, because He’s Jesus, could have used his power to perform miracles at any time but chose not to. I thought that Jesus couldn’t perform any miracles prior to going into the wilderness because it was there that He acquired the power of the Spirit. Once He had the power, he was able to perform miracles. My interpretation (based on the speaker) was that Jesus’ dying for us was His way of not skipping the process. Is the correct interpretation: just as we have to go through many “processes”, Jesus did too?”

Great question, although to be honest, the most difficult questions for me to answer are those concerning what someone else said, since it’s difficult if not impossible for me to know exactly what they meant.  But I’ll take a stab at this one – just keep in mind, it’s MY interpretation, not necessarily that speaker’s.

According to 1Tim. 3:16, Jesus was God manifest in flesh.  In other words, the God of the Old Testament, who created the universe, appeared in a human body as Jesus Christ.  So, since He is God, certainly He could have worked miracles at any time He chose, including during the temptations in the wilderness.  Jesus clearly knew who He was even at the age of 12 (Luke 2:42, 49), and my understanding of Scripture is that He had all the rights and powers as God even prior to Bethlehem (Phil. 2:6-8), so He would not have needed to “acquire” the power of the Spirit in the wilderness or at baptism or anywhere else: He was the Holy Spirit embodied!

However, He did choose to submit Himself to the “process” in many ways, rather than taking a ‘shortcut’ as Satan tried to tempt Him to do.  You can see that in numerous places – Luke 2:51-52, Hebrews 5:7-8, John 11:41-43, John 5:19, Matthew 26:39, to list a few – culminating, of course, with His death on the Cross on our behalf.  That was his ‘process’ that He had to go through in order to save us!

So to answer your final question, ‘yes’, I think Jesus went through many “processes”, just as we do.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes,  “A colleague asked me recently, “Why do people ask others to pray for them when facing tribulation?  Are our own prayers not ‘good enough’ to get through to God?”  I was initially stumped and thought that’s a good question, but then Matthew 18:19-20 came to my mind and I shared that with her – but I don’t think she was ‘satisfied’ with that response.  Did I give her a correct answer?”

Sure works for me!

If you want more ammunition, it certainly seems Scripture is filled with examples of people asking other believers to pray for them, from Pharaoh (Exodus 8:28) to Job’s friends (Job 42:7-9) to Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:24), to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:19) and even JESUS (Matthew 26:38-40).

Obviously, all it takes is one person praying in faith – but the Bible encourages us about the power of unity, and the passage you shared with your colleague says it as well as it can be said.  Personally, I thank God for every person who prays for me – I need all of them!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

One of our newer CLCers writes, “Pastor Jerry, I got an interesting call from a previous co-worker of mine explaining to me why he decided to become a Muslim. It seemed like he was explaining to me his process and trying to persuade me to take the steps he took like reading the Quran. I WILL NOT do that. I don’t want to be anything other than Christian. I would like to help bring him back to Christ but I don’t want him to be influencing me at the same time. What is the best way to handle this situation?”

Great question!  I’m glad you’re determined to walk with the Lord always, and keeping that decision uppermost in your heart will help as you continue to reach out to your friend.

I would suggest that you prayerfully engage him in conversation with lots of questions.  For instance, the Koran denies that Jesus truly died for our sins and rose again.  Ask him how he could believe that, in the face of all the Biblical and historical evidence for the crucifixion and Resurrection.  (A great resource to prepare you for this discussion would be “The Case for the Resurrection” by Lee Strobel, or perhaps another book he wrote called, “The Case for Christ”.  I think I’d suggest you read them yourself to prepare for the discussion and then give him the books if he’ll promise to read them.  Perhaps you could even go through them together in your own ‘book club’!)

My experience is that most people in this country who choose another religion over Christianity do so without really examining the facts, but instead because of something they’ve heard someone else say.  Trust me, the facts speak for themselves, and if you can get him to truly investigate the teachings of Christ, he will no doubt come to the same conclusion as the first-century Bereans in Acts 17:10-12!

Hope that helps.  NOW, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

PS – don’t forget our Good Friday Seder celebration tonight.  More importantly, INVITE someone to be your guest THIS Saturday at 6pm or Sunday at 8, 9:30 or 11:30 as we proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the Resurrection!

One of my favorite CLCers (who now lives in Atlanta – but, hey, once a CLCer, always a CLCer!) writes,  “I have a question that I would like your insight on.  It’s regarding pride.  As a Christian, if you sin, ask God for forgiveness, receive his forgiveness/know you are forgiven but don’t forgive yourself, is that pride or would it be described as something else? If it is pride, please explain how.  And I guess the first thing to know is the Bible’s definition of pride versus the world’s definition of pride and this may be the root of my confusion.”

Hmmm, good question – and one that I’ve never been asked before.  Let’s try to answer, starting with the last question.  I would say that Scripture defines pride as “refusing to depend on God and be subject to Him; attributing to self the honor due only to Him.” As such pride is the very root and essence of sin, since it prompted Lucifer’s fall from heaven in the beginning (Isa. 14:12-14)

Unless you’re wondering about the use of ‘pride’ in a positive sense, such as, “I’m so proud of the hard work you put in to earn an ‘A’ on that report card” (which is NOT the same as pride in Scripture), I don’t think there’s a huge difference between the world’s concept – although, for the most part our culture would view pride as a good thing, and humility as being an undesirable quality – just the opposite of Scripture.

With that understanding of pride, then, I would say in response to your first question, “YES, I can see how a Christian leader or minister might say that not forgiving yourself after asking & receiving God’s forgiveness could be a form of pride – since in effect, you are placing yourself and your thoughts above God and His thoughts on the subject.  (Let me quickly add that I’m not aware of any Scripture that would draw that conclusion – I’m just saying I’ve heard that logic used by other preachers, and I can see their point.)

If I can go a little further out on this limb and try to discern the real question behind the question, I would say the issue probably isn’t ‘pride’ at all; the issue is truly receiving God’s forgiveness so that you can forgive yourself.  While many of us may say we have accepted God’s forgiveness, my experience has been that when we don’t forgive ourselves, it’s usually because we just can’t quite accept the fact that God has truly forgiven us.  Grace is a simple concept, but difficult for us humans to embrace!  Let me close with a fresh reminder of the truth found in Romans 8:31-39.

I hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “Were there dinosaurs in the Bible? We have been taught in school about their existence. I Googled the question and was led to Job 40:15 where it references Behemoth and the description seems to be “dinosaur like”. Are there other animals or proof that dinosaurs ever existed?”

Since I’ve been out of town at two different conferences this week, I asked our ‘resident theologian’, Dr. James Garrett, to handle this one for me, and here is his reply:

This is an interesting question because it reveals some differences in language and language development. The term “dinosaur” is a relatively recent word derived from the Greek words “deino” meaning “fearfully great or terrible” and “saur/sauros” meaning “lizard (or generalized reptile).” So, we will not see the word “dinosaur” itself contained in most Bibles. We do, however, see three particular words that DO give us insight into the modern term “dinosaur.” Interestingly, these words are “behemoth,” “leviathan,” and “dragon.” Based on our current knowledge, “behemoth” probably refers to a hippopotamus and this reference probably excludes “behemoth” from being a dinosaur (although that CAN be argues as well.) “Leviathan” probably refers to some type of water monster and is often thought of as a crocodile (from Egyptian Nile River resources.) The thought of a crocodile will certainly reference a dinosaur because some scientists even think of the crocodile as being a modern day dinosaur. The word often translated as “dragon” also is usually in reference to a serpent or sea serpent, and again, will qualify as a dinosaur.

The bottom line is this: dinosaurs DID exist in the Bible, even though the name of such is NOT reflected. They were part of God’s original six-days creation and DID co-exist with humankind. There have been recent archaeological findings in Texas (and other areas) where dinosaur foot prints and human foot prints are seen together in the same strata. This is a good indication of their co-existence. And, as mentioned previously, there are some animals alive today that indicate to us that all dinosaurs did not die out in the flood or otherwise; again, I reference the crocodile as well as certain lizard and lizard-like creatures.

The deeper truth is this: God’s Word has been faithfully transmitted to the 21^st century, even if the language has changed since its original transmission. Dinosaurs did exist and their existence is recognition of God’s creation process as well as the truth of Noah and the flood. Although dinosaurs are highly referenced in scientific circles regarding the evolutionary processes, that does not negate their reality nor their Biblical existence.

I hope this helps. It is short but keep in mind, large tomes have been written regarding dinosaurs and the Bible.

Thanks, Pastor Jim – I also hope that helped.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the pastor?

THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE – one of our new CLCers writes, “I understand the stand you took on the tithing message a few messages back. I remember reading in the old testament years ago, (I’m sorry I should have looked it up before making this statement and asking this question) it said something about when we don’t pay the full tithe we owe now 20%, if that is the case being encouraged to pay a portion would that be setting people up to rob God in a way that they will never be able to repay especially in a way that they are not even aware of that they are robbing Him? I was just wondering, I do pay my tithes, no it has not always been that way however I did know better. So what do we do about all the tithes and offerings that we have already robbed God of? Is it just a matter of repentance and no longer doing it because we now have knowledge of it? I don’t have a steady job, but when I get something in my hand I put my tithes aside this was when I didn’t have a church home, during the time I was recuperating and searching.”

Good question.  I suspect the passage you have in mind is Leviticus 27:30-32.  When I was quite young in ministry, my pastor taught the same thing that you describe – that if we failed to pay our tithes, when we tried to ‘catch-up’, we owed an additional 20% penalty.

However, I don’t believe that’s what the passage means at all.  Here’s Leviticus 27:30-32 in another translation that I believes makes it clearer.  My understanding is that “redeeming” the tithe didn’t mean we were ‘behind’; it means (remember that Israel was an agrarian society – their tithes were not in dollars & cents as today; their tithes were crops and flocks) that if someone didn’t want to give their crops or their animal to the Lord, they could give the monetary value of the crops or animals instead – but they had to add an additional 20% to that value.

In other words, if an Israeli owed a lamb as his tithe to the Lord (meaning his flock of sheep had 10 baby lambs), but he didn’t want to give up the lamb, and that lamb was worth $100, then he could give $120 to the priest instead.  He was ‘redeeming’ (buying back) the tithe (the lamb).

Not only does that make more sense in the passage cited above, but it also makes perfectly good sense when we understand the principle of tithing, period.  The Lord’s tithe is NOT just 10%; it’s the first tenth.  By honoring Him with the FIRST tenth (called “firstfruits” in Proverbs 3:9 and elsewhere), He promises His blessing on the other 90%.  So if tithing is the first tenth of my income, how could I ‘get behind’?  (it would no longer be ‘first’, unless I gave it first!)

So I don’t believe a person who fails to tithe and then decides to do so owes a 20% penalty.  I do believe repentance and obedience moving forward is the answer.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our newest attenders writes, “I am considering membership, but the requirement to tithe is a stumbling block for me. It feels like bondage to be required to follow an Old Testament order, and just this one out of many. I thought that we are free from the law, as New Testament Christians. I thought the Lord loves a cheerful giver. Giving under compulsion is rarely cheerful.

I do feel that members of a church should support that church through regular giving, but that the amount given is between the individual believer and God. Certainly, if you love God, no one has to require you to give, you will do it out of love.

Other than this, I feel at home at CLC and have already established some wonderful relationships. But if I do not agree with this aspect of CLC’s practices, do I belong here? I am conflicted. Please help.”

Great question! And I’m so glad to know that you have felt at home at CLC and have already begun building relationships here with our wonderful family of CLCers.
This type of question is probably best answered in person, but since there are probably lots of others with similar questions, I’ll try to at least begin answering your concerns, in order:

1.  It would definitely be ‘bondage’ if we required anyone to follow an Old Testament order, for we are indeed free from the Law, and living under Grace.  However, tithing is NOT just a part of the Law; it actually began 400 years before the Law in Genesis 14, and it was born out of a heart of gratitude for God’s blessings.  It was practiced by others who loved God as well (Gen. 28), long before it was incorporated in the laws that God gave thru Moses.  And of course, Jesus Himself said that tithing is something we “ought” to do in Matthew 23:23.  (Personally, if I didn’t have any other verse in the Bible to encourage tithing, the fact that Jesus said I ought to tithe would cause me to tithe!)

2.  The book of Hebrews describes tithing as an ongoing practice, many years after the Law had ended and the Church came into existence.  All of the history of the early church also indicates that tithing was their practice.

3.  Another often overlooked fact is that while we are ‘free’ from the Old Testament Law, the teachings of Grace actually require a ‘deeper’ obedience than just outward compliance.  If you read Matthew 5:17-48 carefully, you’ll see what I mean.  The Law only said, “don’t murder”, but Grace says, “if you have hatred in your heart, you’ve already murdered”, etc., etc.  So for us to think that Old Testament believers gave 10% of their income to the Lord faithfully, but that we would do less than that in the New Testament just doesn’t make sense.  After all, “to whom much is given, much shall be required”, Jesus said, so it would seem that tithing is just the starting point for a New Testament believer who has received so much because of the Grace of God!

4.  Taking that Law analogy a step further, if a Christian murdered someone today, would we say, “well, that’s ok, since murder was under the Law”?  Just because something was included in the Law doesn’t in and of itself make it invalid for today.  In fact, if you notice Malachi 3 (which is the primary passage that many use regarding the tithe) – just the placement itself would make it seem quite strange that tithing would be done away with – since Malachi was written at the END of the Old Testament, just before the New Testament age of grace would begin (after 400 years of ‘silence’, when there was no word from God).  Yet Malachi 3 opens with prophecy concerning the coming Messiah, and chapter 4 closes with prophecy concerning the last days – and right between those two prophecies is a detailed passage about tithing.  That doesn’t make sense if it would soon be ending – why would God take the time to include it in that last book of the Old Testament if it would be done away with shortly?

Now, regarding the rest of your comments, I couldn’t agree more – God does love a cheerful giver, and personally, I’m thankful to give my tithes to the Lord each week, and I believe millions of believers around the world agree with me.  (I love Genesis 47:23-25, where the Egyptians faced starvation during the famine, so Joseph required them to give 20% of their income to Pharaoh, and the people thanked him!  I guess it really does depend on one’s perspective, how they feel about giving God 10%, considering all He’s done for us)

I also agree that the amount we give in offerings (which Scripture would indicate is anything given freely after the tithe) is strictly between the believer and God – and we would never make it a requirement that anyone give offerings to missions or to a building program, or for any other reason at CLC.

I hope this helps explain our position regarding the Lord’s tithe.

As to whether you belong at CLC, only God can answer that question, since HE is the one who ‘plants’ believers in the church where they can flourish and grow (Psalm 92:13).  I know that we want you here, and we want you to be able to use your gifts to minister here.  As a pastor, I feel certain we have members and regular attenders who do not tithe, probably because they’re afraid they won’t be able to cover their own expenses if they put the Lord first with their finances, which is why we often issue a “90-day tithe challenge” in which we encourage people to “try it” (we got that idea from Malachi 3:10, where God says, “let me prove it to you”).  We say, try tithing 10% of your income faithfully for 90 days, and at the end of that time, if you honestly don’t see that God has blessed you as a result, just notify our office, and we’ll cheerfully refund 100% of the monies you gave during that time.

I hope you’ll believe me when I say, “it’s really not about the money”.  I’ve lived long enough to see that tithing really is a trust issue.  And if any believer will trust the Lord with their finances, they soon see that God’s plan works, and His blessing is worth far more than the 10% they give.  I would encourage you to try that as well, with a money-back guarantee, so you really can’t lose.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “Pastor, I have a question.  It seems that Moses not only saw God face to face but ate with him also.  I was reading in Exodus 24:9-11, and I guess  never paid attention before.  I was wondering if someone switched Bibles on me or something.  But it shows that Moses, Aaron and 70 elders went up the mountain and saw God standing on something that looked like sapphire.  So these men saw God and ate with him.  Then later Moses  must have went up for more intimate time in which at that time folks just had a buck wild party.  How could they have gotten so out of control when some of them had just seen God?  Were the elders also with Joshua when he was waiting for Moses?”

Love the question!  And “buck wild party” is probably the best way to describe what happened that day!  Here’s my take on how that could be:

• the elders and people of Israel were H-U-M-A-N!

• OK…I do understand your question – it is mind-boggling to think that people could see God and eat a meal with Him and a few days later, give in to all sorts of fleshly abandon….until I think about how weak I can be at times, and of all the people I’ve known through the years who could be in the Presence of God on Sunday morning, and falling for the devil’s trap by Monday!

• The correct answer is that EACH of us needs to beware (1Cor 10:11-13); our flesh is just as prone to sin as theirs was (Matt. 26:41); and we are just as capable of being deceived (2Pet. 3:17) – in fact, we often deceive ourselves (1Cor 3:18; 1John 1:8-10)

• Regarding your final question, the elders don’t seem to be mentioned when Moses returned from the mountain, so I’m guessing they were part of the ‘buck-wild’ crowd!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite CLCers wrote about the “Growing in Generosity” message from Feb. 6, and asked, “Does the Biblical principle of firstfruits/tithing mean that we should be tithing a 10th of our pre-tax income? Is there a Biblical mandate that the complete 10% tithe is to go to our local church?  Are parachurch organizations and missions, etc., a legitimate giving of our tithe?”

Great questions, especially because I know from past experience that many others are asking the same thing.  Let’s take them one at a time:

• Since the concept of gross versus net was unknown in an agrarian culture, such as existed in Israel in Bible times, the Bible is somewhat silent on that particular issue.  I say ‘somewhat’ because it is certainly true that in addition to their tithes, the people of Israel did also pay taxes – so the principle would certainly indicate that they tithed off their gross (pre-tax) income.

• The logical answer to that question is that our taxes are actually paying for services that we receive from our government – services like police protection, fire protection, unemployment benefits, etc., etc.  If we give 10% of our income after those taxes are paid, it would seem to me that we aren’t giving God the first-fruits, since the government received their share first.  At least that’s how I see it.

• For sure, if one tithes off their net income, they would need to tithe on any income-tax refund, whereas if one tithes off the gross income, there is no need to tithe on the tax refund, since it’s just that – a refund – on monies that were already tithed on earlier.  Personally, I practice tithing on my gross income, and I did so before I became a pastor.

• For the second question, I think the Scripture does give us an answer, in more than one place.  The clearest indication is found in Malachi 3:10, where various translations say, “all the tithes” or “the whole tithe” should be brought into the storehouse.  While the ‘storehouse’ is not specified there, every scholar I’ve ever read seemed to agree that the storehouse would be equivalent today to the local church where one is fed spiritually, since the purpose as stated in Malachi 3:10 is “that there is food in my house”.

• There are other verses that indicate part of the purpose of tithing is to support the ministry (Numbers 18:21) and that failure to do so was considered ‘neglecting’ the house of God (Nehemiah 13:10-11) – so again, it would seem that a believer should give the full 10% of their income to the local church where they receive.

• I am NOT saying that all of the tithes belong to me, as the pastor of our local church.  At CLC, we use the tithes of God’s people to support ALL of the ministry we do, from the salaries of our entire staff, to the buildings and grounds, etc.  In addition, like many missions-minded churches, we choose to tithe a full 10% of everything that we receive (undesignated gifts) to missions, since we’re convinced that God will bless a congregation that tithes outside it’s four-walls, just as He blesses an individual for giving to their local church.  So, you can be certain that one dime of every dollar you tithe to CLC actually does support para-church ministries and missions efforts that we partner with.

• However, I don’t find any support in Scripture for the idea that we can choose where to give our tithes – dividing it between various para-church ministries or media ministries or benevolent causes that we might favor.  The tithe isn’t mine to control; it belongs to the Lord (Lev. 27:30), and He has already given instruction that it is to be brought to “the storehouse” (Mal. 3:10).

• Let me quickly add that I do honor para-church ministries and organizations that serve the body of Christ or seek to help evangelize the lost – and they are worthy of our support.  At CLC, we partner with a number of those ministries every month.  But that support comes in the way of a free-will offering, not a part of the Lord’s tithe.  I also will honestly say that if believers around the world would truly give a tenth of their income to the local church, there would be no problem supporting all the ministries that currently exist and more besides – our problem is not a lack of money; our problem is a lack of obedience.

Sorry for such a long answer; it’s time I climb down off my soapbox now – but I hope this helped with your questions.

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

Some long-time CLCers wrote, “we were reading in Exodus 4:24 where it talks about God all of a sudden wanting to kill Moses..I’m confused..first He has all of these plans for Moses then out of the blue He tries to kill him..Did I miss something? Is it possible to explain this..?”

Great question!  It’s a strange passage of Scripture, but I think there is a great explanation for what initially appears to be downright weird.  In fact, it’s a great example of how important context is when we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.

Notice verses 25-26 in the Amplified Bible, and it immediately becomes clearer.  It seems that Moses had failed to circumcise his son, even though God had plainly told His people the necessity of circumcision, in order to enter into a covenant-relationship with Him, and Moses knew this. (Genesis 17:9-14; Exodus 12:47-49)

I’d say if God comes after you, intending to kill you, it’s pretty serious.  And obeying His word is a serious matter – far more serious than most American Christians realize.

Keep in mind that in the New Testament, the ‘sign’ of our covenant with the Lord, indeed our ‘circumcision’, is water baptism (see Col. 2:11-12).  So, while the Lord won’t threaten to kill you if you’ve not yet been baptized in water after coming to faith in Christ, it IS the ‘next step’ of obedience that every child of God should take.  If you’re reading this and you have never been water-baptized as your own choice since coming to faith in Christ (I’m not talking about a baptism that your parents may have chosen for you in childhood), then I would URGE you to contact your campus pastor TODAY and schedule your baptism!  You won’t regret it!

Before I step off my soapbox, since we’re talking about your parents or family members, I should probably also remind you of what the Amplified Bible said about Moses’ failure to obey – I don’t think I’d let my parents, my wife, or any other family member keep me from doing what God has said!

Hope all of that helped.  Now, what would you like to ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLC volunteer writes, “does the Bible speak of masturbation as a sin; directly or indirectly (understood)? If so, would you direct me to where it is?”

Excellent question!  Excellent because it’s a real issue that many churches avoid, but that Christians (both male & female) do deal with.  I will admit that it’s also a controversial subject and certainly not all pastors or leaders will agree with me – but here are my thoughts, since you asked me:

• I can’t direct you to a Scripture that speaks of masturbation directly, because there aren’t any.

• For that reason, we are left to deductive reasoning from Scriptural principles – and that’s partially why the controversy: all of us reason differently. But from my viewpoint, the Bible is quite clear about sexual lust (Proverbs 6:24-25; Matt. 5:27-28; 1Thess. 4:4-5; 1Thess. 4:2-4) – and since the act of masturbation is almost always accompanied by sexual fantasies or lustful thoughts, it would stand to reason that masturbation is sinful.

• I would only add 2 caveats to that, based on teaching I’ve heard from noted therapists and authors, Dr. Doug Weiss and Dr. James Dobson: (a) (from Dr. Weiss) if one is truly able to separate the physical act from the mental fantasizing in order to achieve physical release, then perhaps it would be acceptable on rare occasions; and (b) (from Dr. Dobson), if you’re the parent of a young man, don’t freak out about it. While masturbation certainly can become a habit that enslaves men, leading them into deeper involvement in pornography, etc. – most young teen boys will experiment with masturbation as part of their growing-up process, and as parents, if we make too big a deal about it, we can actually reinforce their behavior and make matters worse.  I’m certainly not minimizing sin; I’m just saying (as Dr. Dobson did) that we don’t want to compound the problem by a harsh reaction to our children.

That may be more information than you wanted, but I hope it helps answer the question.

Now, what would You like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite CLCers writes, “I believe that we will receive new bodies in heaven . . . so that if you have no legs, you will have legs in heaven, etc.  But what does the Bible say about your mind . . . my mother is getting older and is forgetting things and people.  My question is will she remember things and people in heaven?  Will she get a new mind?  Some people will say “what does it matter?  The important thing is that she is in heaven.”  Well, I am not so sure that is enough especially when you are witnessing to unbelievers and Alzheimer’s is something many older people are facing.  Appreciate your insight.”

Great question.  Not sure I have a whole lot of insight, but I do think Scripture addresses this in more than one place – I suggest you read these verses: 1John 3:2 (how was Jesus’ mind after his resurrection?); 1Corinthians 13:11-12 (does God have any memory loss?); Revelation 21:1-5 (just don’t see how Alzheimer’s could exist in that description). There are other verses, but I think this is enough to make the point.  Hope it helps-

Now, what would You like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLC asks, “Where are the wicked awaiting their final punishment? Could they be souls here waiting?”

Excellent question.  The Bible does not go into great detail on this subject, but definitely gives us enough information that I can say “no” to your second question without hesitation.  There is no such thing as the wicked dead waiting here on earth – that may work for vampire novels, but not in Scripture!

As best as I can understand, the wicked dead either rest in the grave until the final resurrection and judgment, OR (as Luke 16 might indicate, depending on whether you think it’s just a parable, or reality) they go immediately to hell.  Personally, I’m inclined to think that they rest in the grave until the final resurrection, at which time they will be judged and sentenced to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:5, 11-15)

This is admittedly a controversial subject, with different scholars offering different opinions…..and while I’m no scholar, that’s what I think on this issue.  Hope it helped-

Now, what would You like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite CLCers writes, “I have a quick and simple (or maybe not so simple) question for you. How can we know what we’re asking for from GOD is in his will? As I’m learning about increasing faith we are told to pray and petition with belief but how do we know our requests are of HIS will?”

You’re right about one thing: the question may have been quick, but it’s NOT simple.  Nonetheless, you ask a very good question, so I’ll give it my best shot, albeit concise:

1.  God’s WILL is revealed in His WORD, both in direct statements or commands, such as 1 Thess. 4:3 where we see all sexual sin is off-limits, and through principles, such as Psalm 15:4, where we see that righteous people keep their word, even when it hurts.  So, using those ‘negative’ examples, we don’t need to waste our prayers asking God to bless an extra-marital affair or to excuse us for breaking a promise.  Or to use a ‘positive’ example, we can and should pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) or to be healed of our sickness (Isaiah 53:5) or for others to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9).  To be honest, that’s the ‘easy’ part – when we know God’s Word on a given subject, we just pray accordingly.

2.  The more difficult part of your question is when we don’t have a clear statement or principle from Scripture.  For instance, if you’re considering a new job or a transfer to a new location – since the Bible doesn’t address that directly, how do we pray according to God’s will?  Let me give a few guidelines from my own experience:

• look for underlying Biblical principles.  For instance, a new job might offer more money, but how will it affect my family?  Is there a healthy church nearby for us to be planted?  God’s Word is clear that money is not the only criteria for my happiness & success – and if I lose my family, I’ve LOST.  So even though a job offer may not be directly mentioned in Scripture, there are underlying issues that can help guide our prayers.

• examine your heart motives.  Why am I asking for this particular prayer?  Sometimes even good things can be desired for the wrong reason.  Scripture speaks about our motive in prayer in James 4:1-3.

• if you’ve passed those two tests, go for it, in faith!  I’m convinced that sometimes (oftentimes?) we believers agonize over things needlessly – with thoughts that are more fear-based than faith-based, “I just want God’s will” or “I don’t want to do anything God wouldn’t want”. Read Phil. 2:13 (our memory verse this week, if you accepted the challenge to memorize Scripture with me) and then answer this question: if what you’re asking for is not forbidden in Scripture, and it would be a good thing for you or your family, where do you think the desire for it came from? If we are submitted to Christ, HE is the one who puts godly desires in our heart!  Psalm 37:4 is your promise!

Wow….big subject that could go on and on….hope that helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Another FIRST, as I was asked a question recently that I’ve never been asked before:  “How should the issue of cousin marriage be addressed? If two people who are cousins really love each other, is it right for parents to permit them to marry?”

My initial thought was, “is somebody pulling my leg, knowing I’m from Arkansas?” But on the assumption that this is a legitimate question, I’m going to proceed, since just because I’ve never been asked it doesn’t mean there’s not an answer….so here goes:

• Scripture is silent on this issue (at best, since the early marriages in Genesis were often between relatives, of necessity). So there is no direct Bible reference to help us.

• The only principle that comes to mind is Romans 13:1, which obviously means that we are to be in compliance with the laws of our nation.  So, based on that principle, I would say that IF the marriage is legal in the state of residence, then it would be acceptable to God.

• Of course, just because something is acceptable doesn’t always mean it is advisable (1Cor 6:12), and in a perfect scenario, our parents are given to us by God to help guide our decisions in life, since they’ve been further down the road than we have.  Therefore, IF the parents are godly and they genuinely have serious concerns about their child’s choice, whether it was because of them being cousins or any other reservation (incompatible spiritually or culturally, etc.), then they should follow their heart and express their concerns to their child.

I hope this helps a bit……if you weren’t pulling my leg.  If this was an Arkansas joke, I bet I know more of them than you do, and I’ll be glad to share sometime!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

This is a FIRST – two different CLCers wrote me this week with questions about the same passage of Scripture: (a) “in my daily reading I read Genesis 6:1-4, and I have two questions about these verses. First, God states he was going to limit the life expectancy to 120 years but then as you read about Noah and his children and their children they all live far longer than 120 years. Seems odd to put it in the Bible and then set a contradiction (if I understand it right). Second question is giants are mentioned here. It seems out of context.” and (b) “In Genesis 6:4, Forgive my ignorance but I don’t understand this verse. It has always been my understanding that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God?. Also, exactly what are “Nephilim? Can you help me understand this a little better?”

Well, I’ll try – all excellent questions.  In order:

1.  The 120 years mentioned here doesn’t necessarily refer to life expectancy – at least as I understand it.  Instead, God is saying that He won’t always deal with (or ‘strive’) man about his sin.  He is patient, and He does speak to us repeatedly, but there is a limit to His patience and eventually He will bring judgment (in this case, 120 years).  Some have even imagined that this verse was a description of how long God waited before bringing the judgment of the Flood.

2.  The fact that giants are mentioned here is not out of context.  Actually, this description of giants introduces and illustrates the broader subject of the depth of man’s depravity, which eventually caused God to bring the judgment of the Flood.

3.  The Nephilim is another term for ‘giants’, and in particular for these giants who were birthed as a result of the union of ‘the sons of God’ and the “daughters of men”, described in verses 2 and 4.

4.  Jesus is the only begotten son of God.  However, the term, “sons of God” is used in Scripture to describe those of us who have been born-again, and, especially in the Old Testament, to describe angels.  (For an example, see Job 1:6 and 2:1)

5.  However, this is where the long-standing debate comes: some scholars believe that Genesis 6 is describing angels (or demons) having sexual relations with human beings, and producing a race of giants who became men of renown.  The historical Jewish interpretation of those verses, however, is that the sons of God in these verses refer to the descendants of Seth (who marked the first in a line of ‘righteous’ people according to Gen. 4:26) who foolishly chose to intermarry with pagan women, in a ‘light mixed with darkness’ kind of relationship.

There are challenges with either view, but Jesus’ clear teaching that angels do not marry (Matthew 22:30) has always made it difficult for me to believe the former view, and I’ve subscribed to the Jewish interpretation.  However, in my preparation to answer your questions, I looked at another scholar whose opinion is interesting to say the least, and it offers us a third alternative: he thinks that Genesis 6 refers to mortal men of renown (perhaps rulers or other leaders) who were demon-possessed, and that their relations with women produced a race of giants.

A lot for us to think about – hope it helps a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

A CLC member writes, “Is there such thing as a ghost?” I asked this question because my son is away at school and he mentioned to me that they have ghosts in his dorm. He said that certain items flew off their shelf; they hear someone screaming in the room and someone is running down the hall late at night. I told him that he must be dreaming and there is no such thing as a ghost, except the Holy Ghost. He told me that he sleeps with his Bible every night next to his bed.”

Good answer, mom – both about the existence of ghosts with a little ‘g’, and the Ghost with a capital ‘G’!

To be more specific, there is nothing in Scripture that would indicate the existence of ghosts, at least in the normal definition of that word.  Instead, the Bible teaches that at death, our spirit returns to God to who gave it (Ecc. 12:6-7), while our soul goes to what the Jews called “Abraham’s bosom”, to await the resurrection.  (Since the Resurrection of Christ, now the righteous dead are taken immediately into the Presence of the Lord, while the wicked still must await their final punishment – see Luke 16:22-23, 2Cor 5:4-8, and Phil. 1:20-25)

As to the ‘manifestations’ that your son is reporting from his dorm, while I can say without hesitation that they are not caused by ghosts, I’m not saying that he and his dorm mates are imagining things.  It is quite possible that there are natural explanations for the things they’re seeing and hearing.  It’s also quite possible that there are supernatural explanations; i.e., demonic activity that is causing your son to be frightened.  Demons are real, and they can and do manifest here on earth.

Regardless, sleeping with his Bible isn’t really the answer – having Jesus in his heart is!

As believers, we have authority over ALL the power of the enemy – and that includes frightening demonic manifestations – see Luke 10:19-20.

Hope that helps (your son, especially).  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite CLCers writes, “I am reading through Job right now and I’m stuck on job 1:8.  It’s confusing to me that God would present Job to the devil for testing. Satan didn’t bring him up and ask permission. God brought him up as being righteous, almost as if He were boasting about one of His children. Satan challenged Him and He then allowed the testing of Job to take place.

I always had this image that God allowed for trials to take place in people’s lives for their sanctification, but I never thought God would actually mention us to Satan, as in… “have u considered this servant of mine?” I’m really confused. If you could shed some light on this for me, I’d appreciate it.”

Wow……great question.  Not sure I can answer it fully, but one thing I know: it wasn’t that God ‘almost’ boasted about one of His children; like any earthly parent, He was flat-out bragging about His son!

My late pastor, F.R. Reed, used to preach a wonderful sermon he called “Consideration from the Devil”, and it was his contention that whenever a believer goes through difficult tests from the evil one, it was for this same reason: that God was so pleased/proud of us that He boasted of us to the devil.  (It was great sermon fodder, although I’m not sure of all of the theological ramifications)

Back to the question at hand – in my humble opinion, God indeed can and does ‘boast’ of us to the enemy.  However, keep in mind that He does so knowing that Satan is always limited in his response toward us, as the story of Job illustrates (1:12; 2:6) – see also 1Cor. 10:13 and Revelation 2:10.

Let me close with this thought: we are only tested when God wants to show us off, just as a good teacher who takes no pleasure when students fail their test, but instead love for students to experience the thrill from seeing how much they’ve grown/learned and how good they’re doing in school.  We can be assured that God only talks to the enemy about us when He has good things to say!

Hope that helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

How fitting that the last question of the year comes from one of my favorite CLCers (even though she moved away) and it pertains to the holiday we just celebrated.  She writes, “Was Christ’s birthday celebrated after Jesus was born and still on the earth? Or did the celebration of Christmas start after Christ’s resurrection?”

Excellent question!  Here’s what my research tells me:

• most definitely the celebration of Christmas did NOT happen until after the resurrection – in fact, probably not until about 300  years after!

• as the linked article clearly states, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that December 25 is the actual birthday of Jesus, and it seems almost certain that the date was chosen to coincide with a Roman celebration of the Sun-god at that same time.  (Unfortunately, part of the Roman ‘strategy’ of ‘evangelism’ was really just a form of syncretism, in which they incorporated heathen practices into the Church’s observances, to make it ‘easier’ for the new converts to be assimilated.

• Numerous scholars believe that Jesus was actually conceived during the Festival of Lights (late November-early December) – remember He is the Light of the World! That would mean He was born during the Feast of Tabernacles! (After all, He is Emmanuel, “God with us”!) You can read one such article here.

• Of course, the bottom line for all of this is that while we do not know the exact day of His birth, we do celebrate His coming to the earth as our Savior – and, as believers, we can celebrate that truth of Christmas 365 days a year!

Hope that helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

PS – hope to see you tonight at 6pm for a great celebration of 2010!

My #1 questioner writes, “I’m in the habit of asking God to help, bless, heal or comfort any individual who is going through a trial or hardship, whether I know them or not. Sometimes I hear about someone on radio or TV who have a child missing or someone who is sick. A couple of times I’ve asked God to help or heal certain individuals I don’t even know, only to find out later that they had already transitioned even before I prayed for them. For reasons that I can’t explain, this makes me feel horrible. It makes me feel horrible to know that I had prayed for someone who was already gone. I don’t know if this is normal for me to feel this way but now I hesitate to pray for someone unless I know that they are still alive. Yet, this also does not seem right. I know that it sounds like I am kind of confused, but do you have any suggestions for me?”

I’ll try.  I’ll admit that this is not a question I’ve ever been asked before.  But I have also had the same experience of praying for a need that I heard about, only to later learn that the individual had already died even before I prayed.  I’m personally not aware of any Scripture that directly addresses this situation, but let me give you my pastoral counsel:

I understand the awkwardness of what you describe (I’ve felt that myself in those similar instances), but I suspect the enemy is at work, using this somehow to make you feel ‘horrible’.  Think about it: you did a good thing. You acted in sincerity and compassion, offering prayer for someone you didn’t even know.  How could that be bad? The fact that the individual passed away prior to your prayer, without your knowledge, does not negate the fact that you acted in Christian love and concern from your heart.

So my strong suggestion is that you ‘shake it off’ (like Paul did in Acts 28:1-5).  Don’t allow the enemy (or your own thoughts) to torment you, when you acted in love and compassion.  And whatever you do, don’t stop praying!  As a pastor, I wish that all of us believers were more sensitive to the needs around us, and that all of us would learn to take things to the Lord in prayer, ala 1Peter 5:7.

Hope that helps!

NOW, what would YOU like the Ask the Pastor?

One of our newer CLCers writes, “Your comments today reminded me of our deceased son’s favorite passage 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.   He felt so strongly about this passage, that he had it tattooed on his arm, and as an athlete, viewed it in a literal and biblical sense.  What is your perception of this passage with respect to our lives?”

I’m not sure I totally understand the question, but I’ll give it my best shot:

• there’s no question this passage is true, literally and spiritually, so I can understand why an athlete would be drawn to it.  All the Bible commentators are in agreement that Paul was referring to the Olympic games in this passage, when he wrote of the need for discipline and training in order to win the prize.

• From a spiritual standpoint, it’s just as true – even though many of us as believers seem to ignore it – to truly win the ‘prize’ of becoming all that God has called us to be and do, as believers, we must discipline our flesh and subject it to the will of the Spirit.

• I’ll try not to get on my soapbox, but in many ways, it seems the American church has become a shallow imitation of the first-century Church.  Far too many of us have settled for a quick prayer to escape hell, and then just doing our religious ‘duty’ by attending church occasionally, but not living out or walking out the principles of Scripture in our daily lives.  The truth is, Jesus is calling us to be His disciples, and the root of that word includes discipline.  Scripture does describe such believers as carnal (that’s the King James Word, at leat, but 1Cor 3:1-4 spells out what it means)

• There is certainly some controversy about what Paul meant in referring to the possibility of being a ‘castaway” (KJV) or ‘disqualified’ (NLT) in 1Cor 9:27.  Some say that he only was referring to the loss of reward, while the individual would still be saved for eternity, as he clearly teaches in 1Cor 3:12-15.  However, others see an even greater concern, that the lack of discipline could lead to such fleshly failure that we lose our very salvation.  (That’s a far more complex subject that I’ll leave for another day)

I hope that helps a bit.  For sure, it’s a wonderful passage of Scripture that we all would do well to be reminded of regularly.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our newest CLCers writes, “My question is in regard to daily confession of sin. Every time I pray, I acknowledge & confess for sin that occured since the previous prayer time. I consider 1st John 1:9 & Psalm 51:1-4 in mind during this time. Yesterday, however, while I was praying, the thought came to mind, ‘If Christ’s death covered all 3 tenses (past, present & future) of my sin, why am I confessing sin on a prayer time by prayer time basis?’”

Good question.  I’m not sure if it was deliberate or not, but this question also goes to the heart of some very controversial teaching that has resurfaced in the body of Christ of late, so this gives me a chance to address both:

• in regards to your specific question, it IS a fact that Jesus died for EVERY sin that you’ve ever committed in the past, are committing right now, or will commit in the future.  ALL of your sins are covered by His death at the Cross.  However, as I understand Scripture, that does NOT mean that you don’t need to repent and turn from your sin, in order to appropriate the benefits of His sacrificial death in your own life.

• I do not mean by that statement that you or I need to live in some sort of guilt-ridden, fearful, eternally-insecure-of-our-salvation condition. There is no condemnation for us as believers (Romans 8:1) and we have (present tense) eternal life (1John 5:13).

• While I don’t recommend a ritual, prayer-by-rote approach to confessing sin every time you pray, I do believe Scripture would teach us to examine our hearts (1Cor 11:28; 2Cor 13:5) and certainly there will be times of acknowledging & confessing our sin (1John 1:8-10)

I hope that helps your sincere question.  Now let me address the dangerous teaching that has resurfaced:

• in this modern version of an old error known as universalism, some are now teaching that “since Jesus died for all our sins: past, present & future, we have already been forgiven at the Cross, and there is no need for repentance or confession, which would only cause us to feel guilt or condemnation.”

• This hyper-grace message basically teaches that everyone is already saved, some just don’t know it yet (that’s my tongue-in-cheek definition, but it’s not far off) – and would remove all need for the Great Commission or missionaries to go to unreached people groups, etc. (since Jesus already covered the sins of the whole world).

• The proponents of this teaching would have us believe that in the New Testament age of Grace, there is no need for us to do anything except enjoy God’s free gift – but that certainly flies in the face of New Testament teachings and even the warnings that Jesus gave to the churches of Asia in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3

I think I’ll climb down off my soapbox before I fall and hurt myself – but I hope this has helped bring some clarity.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

An ex-CLCer who has moved out of state writes, “if Adam and Eve where the first man and woman and they had two boys, where did they get their wives????  Is there Bible proof or just theory of where they came from?”

That’s a question I get often – probably because people have been asking it since the Bible was written!

The ONLY logical, sensible, plausible explanation that would fit with the whole of Scripture is that Cain & Abel married their own (unnamed) sisters.

I realize that sounds ‘ewwwww’ at best, or like incest at worst – but think about it: if God created man & woman and told them to be fruitful & multiply (which He did – Gen 1:27-28), then there would be no other possibility but that initially marriage would happen between close relatives. 

There is NO indication in Scripture that God created any other humans in addition to Adam & Eve; in fact, if He had, then there would now be a line of people or a mixture of people who had not sinned in Adam and who would not need redemption through Christ – so I can say without hesitation, it’s just not possible.

So back to your question – there is no Biblical proof in the sense that the Bible tells us specifically where they got their wives, but the ‘theory’ is ironclad, in my humble opinion, since any other explanation would contradict the clear Biblical truth that each of us is born under the condemnation of Adam’s sin, and that each of us needs a Savior (see Rom. 5:18-19).

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A first-time questioner writes, “I have a question regarding Psalm 137 – I don’t remember reading during David’s time as King that the Israelites were in captivity to Babylon.  Can you clarify?  It does not seem to fit.  Are there a few psalms that were not written by King David?”

Great question.  I must have read that Psalm a few dozen times over the years, and I never even thought about the point you make (that Israel’s captivity in Babylon didn’t happen until after David’s lifetime). Here’s what I’ve learned as a result of your question:

• First: yes, there are several psalms not written by King David.  Some scholars attribute less than half of the Psalms to David (73 of 150).  Probably the most surprising thing I learned is that among the other writers credited with at least one Psalm are Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Asaph.  Adam?  Abraham?  Moses?  Amazing!
  

• Psalm 137 is definitely one of those not written by David.  It was most definitely written after his lifetime, during the Babylonian captivity (or soon thereafter).  Some scholars said it was perhaps the last of the Psalms, coming so late in Jewish history as it does.

• Finally, some scholars, and the Septuagint, say that Psalm 137 is one of the Lamentations written by the prophet Jeremiah!  Whoever the author was, he seemed to have personally experienced the captivity, and expresses his emotion concerning their enemies.

Hope that clears it up for you.  Thanks for asking the question, since I learned something new in the process!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

This weekly feature of my blog is never staged. By that I mean that the questions answered here each Friday are actually submitted by readers, rather than me setting up some doctrinal ‘straw men’ to knock down.

Unfortunately, I’ve answered all the questions submitted to me over the past few weeks and there was no fresh question for this Friday.  Sooooooooooo, I decided to ask my own question for you:

Take a look at this object we found on the ancient streets of Jerusalem this week -

what do you think it is?

Would you think this is:

A.  a piece of chewing gum

B.  an ancient Israeli unit of measure

C. a stone from David’s era

D. an article from first-century Jerusalem, during Roman rule

(scroll down for the correct answer)

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If you answered “A”, you are correct!  Marvella Williams found it on the ancient streets of Jerusalem and brought it to our resident ‘expert’ in all things Hebraic, Pastor Jim Garrett, who initially thought, “this looks to be authentic”.  But as he held it in his hand, the heat from his fingers began to melt the chewing gum!

Oh well, I told Marvella she could still probably sell it on Ebay!

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “My next question is found In Matthew 26:26-29.  I don’t understand verse 29.  What did Jesus mean when He said that He would not drink  henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom?  Did Jesus mean that this was the last time He would drink wine until His disciples made it to heaven.  It seems like the sentence speaks for itself, however, Jesus did appear to His disciples after He was crucified, and it seems that He did eat and drink with them.  Can you enlighten me on this verse?”

Hmmmm….I dunno, but I’ll try.  For sure, it’s a good question, and one I’ve never been asked before.  Here’s what my study indicates:

• When He said that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the Kingdom, that appears to be literally true.  While He ate and drank with the disciples several times after His resurrection, the Scripture never mentions wine as being a part of those meals. (see John 21:9-13; Luke 24:41-43; Acts 10:41)

• The more difficult part is the “drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom”.  Some scholars believe He was referring to a heavenly banquet, as we spend eternity with Him.  Others think perhaps it was a figurative or prophetic reference to what happened a few weeks later on the Day of Pentecost, as Peter explained in Acts 2:13-18.

This is one time that I don’t have a strong opinion, so I guess we’ll have to wait until heaven and ask this question of the Lord ourselves…..although something tells me it probably won’t matter to us then.

Anyone else have some light to shed on this subject for us?

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Finally.  FINALLY!  I’ve been waiting for this a long time……someone finally threw me a softball question!  It went like this: “Who took care of Adam while he was a kid?  Was he ever a baby in the Garden of Eden?”

The answer, as Genesis 2 clearly shows, is that God created Adam as a full-grown adult, capable of handling adult responsibilities.  He next created Eve from Adam’s rib, but she, too, was clearly an adult woman (Gen. 2:18-25)

So without any hesitation I can answer: “no one took care of Adam, because he was a man” – although, as we’ve said so many times from CLC’s pulpit, it wasn’t good when he was alone – so I guess the (ahem) truly correct answer to your question is that EVE took care of him!

Glad I could clear that up.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “I’m kind of confused about Luke 21 – it speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem, but some parts of the chapter seem to be speaking about the last days.  Maybe I would understand better if I knew the meaning of ‘generation’ in the Bible.   In verse 16 He says that they shall be betrayed by both parents and brethren and some of them shall be put to death.  In verse 18 He says that “But there shall not a hair of your head perish.”  In verse 32 He states that “this generation shall not pass until all is fulfilled.  I’m very confused – was Jesus talking about the present or the future?”

Sorry for your confusion – rest assured, you’re not alone!  I’m hoping I can shed some light for you and others:

Perhaps the biggest help I can provide is to describe the nature of Biblical prophecy.  Almost always, when people in Scripture prophesied, their declarations actually had multiple meanings: (1) usually the first was a very literal message to the people they were addressing – a direct word about their circumstances or near future; (2) secondly, on a deeper level, there was a message for another people, in a future setting; and (3) sometimes, there could even be multiple layers with that future interpretation, having a ‘spiritual’ (for lack of a better term) application as well.  Let me give you one example from Isaiah 28:11-12.  This prophecy was for Isaiah’s day, in that God’s people were going to be taken captive by the Assyrians & Babylonians, who spoke a different language that they wouldn’t understand.  It also applies to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, since it’s the rest that Jesus promised to give us; and it’s quoted in 1Corinthians 14:21-25 regarding the gift of tongues in public settings.

So with that basic understanding of the nature of prophecy, the truth is that Luke 21 speaks to both past and present. When Jesus gave the words regarding Jerusalem being surrounded and destroyed, that had a literal interpretation less than 40 years later, when the Roman General Titus fulfilled that prophecy.  But it also has application to the fact that Jerusalem from that point was ‘trodden down’ by Gentiles until 1967, when Israel regained control of the city of Jerusalem.  AND it will have a future fulfillment in the last days prior to the Second Coming of Christ!  Similarly, the verses that you cited also were fulfilled in the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem, but they will also come to pass again, during the last days.

As to the meaning of the word ‘generation’, I must tell you that many different prophecy buffs have interpreted that word in different ways, to try to prove some theory they have about the coming of the Lord, in an effort to get close to setting a date for His return.  Since I’m convinced that Matthew 24:36 is true, I refuse to speculate on when Jesus may come, and instead focus on two things: (a) that we should heed His warning to make sure we’re ready, whenever it occurs (Luke 21:34-36), and (b) that we’re doing what we’re called to do – namely, reach out to all peoples with the Gospel, since He cannot return until every people group has heard (Matthew 24:14).  How’s that for a shameless plug for our Missions Emphasis month at CLC – each week in November? (It’s also why Chris & I are in Egypt, training pastors, even as you read this post – we know that the heartbeat of God is for the unreached peoples of the earth, and we want to do our part in helping to reach them!)

I hope this helps a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “Within the last month, I have had two friends lose relatives to suicide. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t there an inference that those who take their own lives are going to spend eternity in hell? One of my friends is really struggling with the death of her mother and I think a lot of her struggle has to do with the above inference. How can I offer comfort to her during this? What are your thoughts?”

Wow.  My first thoughts are, I’m so sorry for the pain that your friends are experiencing.  That’s perhaps the most cruel aspect of suicide: the aftermath for those loved ones left behind.  I add my prayer for comfort and God’s peace to your own for your friends.

As to your question about the ‘inference’ that suicide means someone is lost for eternity – there is definitely that assumption in much of Christiandom.  However, I’m not sure that such a statement can be supported by Scripture.  There are several references in the Bible to people who took their own lives, perhaps most notably Judas Iscariot in his remorse for having betrayed Jesus – but in all of those references there is NO blanket statement that suicide results in eternal damnation.

That inference can only be made from man’s logic, asserting that suicide is akin to murder, since you are taking a life, and that since there would be no opportunity to repent or seek forgiveness after death, then it must be a sin that would consign us to hell.  And while that makes logical sense, it’s simply not stated in Scripture.

To the contrary, we can certainly make a case that anyone who commits suicide has temporarily taken leave of their senses; i.e., they are not in their right mind, and therefore, God will be merciful to them.  The real issue then becomes, did this individual receive Jesus as Lord & Savior prior to the act of suicide? That’s the sin that will cause anyone to spend eternity separated from God: the sin of rejecting His Son.

Probably the only real comfort you can offer your friends (besides your care & your presence, which means more than we ever realize), is that our God is a merciful God.  None of us really knows the outcome of their loved one’s death, so we must leave that in God’s hands and trust Him who does all things well.

I hope that helps a little…..painful subject.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite new CLCers wrote, “I already have a couple of questions from our first study of marriage in the Bible: (1) If Jacob was so disturbed at learning he had married Leah, what does it mean/say about the fact that he went on to father four children with her? (2) In Genesis 4:19, there is a man who had two wives.  Great emphasis is placed on the fact that he had two wives. Why?”

Good thinking and great questions!  Here’s my read on both:

1.  It obviously was not a marriage based on love & mutual attraction, as we practice today.  I say ‘obvious’ because of Leah’s heartbreaking expressions in naming her sons, as seen in Genesis 29:32-34.  As to why we still was willing to have sexual relations with her, in spite of not truly loving her…..well, do I really need to explain that, or don’t we see it every day in America?

2.  The reason Scripture was so pointed in describing Lamech’s polygamy is to let us know this was NOT the norm.  My understanding of Scripture would be that he was actually the first to break from God’s clearly accepted standard for marriage between one man and one woman.  I find it ironic that 6,000 years later, we’re still debating that fact, especially in light of Genesis 2:24 (the very first marriage) and Matthew 19:4-5 (from the lips of Jesus Himself).

I’ve said before that polygamy is wrong because Jesus said no man can serve two masters – but, seriously, Lamech is just the first of many who decide to do what they want to do, instead of what God has clearly prescribed in His Word.  Unfortunately, as most eventually learn, His commandments are not grievous, but are actually intended to enhance our lives.  Obedience to the Word is for my good!

Hope that helps a bit.  And I hope all of you will plan to be here THIS SUNDAY when we’ll take a close-up look at one of the more famous marriages in the Bible: Abraham and Sarah.  I’m excited about sharing with you, “When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned”.

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

One of our newer attenders writes, “how does one learn what are our gifts & how to manage the expectation that God has of them (considering the investment of talent & gifts that God has invested)?”

Great questions!  Purposeful questions!  Life-important questions!

I’m serious: I don’t know if there’s anything much more important to our fulfillment in life than these questions, since Scripture is so clear that God has given specific gifts to each of us, both when we were born (gifts of grace listed in Romans 12:6-8) and when we were born-again (gifts of the Spirit listed in 1Cor. 12:1-11).  As to how we learn what gift(s) we’ve received, there are at least two common ways:

• through life-experience and observation – in other words, after looking at the lists above, which of those gifts seem to be operative in your life.  Having a trusted friend who knows you well and who will be honest with you can also be helpful to this exercise.  If the gift is there, there will be fruit!

• through a ‘test’ or inventory designed to uncover your gifts – we use one such tool in our Membership Class at CLC, since we believe that all of us will be most fulfilled in ministry when we serve in the area of our gifting, rather than just recruiting people to serve the Church’s need.  Here’s an online version from my friend, Dr. Buddy Bell, although a simple Google search will give you many options.

As to how to manage the expectation that God has for His investment in us, I’d say the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:11-30 is the classic answer, straight from the lips of Jesus.  Regardless of how many or which gifts He has invested in us, He is expecting a return.  In fact, the two servants who used what they had been given to produce a ‘profit’ for the kingdom were both given identical commendations, although their gifts & productivity were very different.  But the servant who did nothing, for fear of loss….he was rejected.  Someone has said, the talents we have received is God’s gift to us; what we do with those talents is our gift to Him!

Maybe Peter’s advice in 1Peter 4:10-11 is the best answer to managing those expectations.

Hope that helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

This week’s question is in regards to Luke 6:46-49. “In verse 46 its says, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord? I’m curious as to why Jesus said ‘Lord’ twice. Is he making a connection to the amount of times we call on Him? or is there something else to it?”

Interesting.  I’ve never been asked that, or thought about it before.  But since you asked, here goes:

• According to the Jewish rabbi’s, the ‘doubling’ of a name, shows affection, such as in Genesis 22:11.

• the word, “Lord” in Greek (kurios) can mean “sir, master, owner, husband, or, in a theological sense, Lord“.  It seems in this instance, Jesus referred to people who called Him Lord, but really didn’t have that relationship with Him

• The clear emphasis of the passage (don’t ever forget the importance of context) is that obedience is the key – not hearing the Word, not paying lip service, no outward expression can ever take the place of doing what He says!

• I couldn’t find any indication in my research that the double mention of “Lord” had any real significance – it seems to just have been a way of emphasizing His point.

Hope this helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “Pastor, I have a question regarding our conscience vs. the Holy Spirit.  I was reading a passage in a book that said that whenever we hear that nagging voice that warns us or stops us from doing something that is not right, it is our conscience, or as this author put it, the Holy Spirit.  This particular Christian was trying to explain this to an unbeliever, but I always thought that The Holy Spirit was reserved for Christians or people who repented.  I’ve had a conscience all of my life, but never would I have put these two in the same category before I got saved. I know that scripture teaches us that gifts come without repentance, but would this gift fall under that category.  I guess I always thought the Holy Spirit was in a category of its own.  Can you explain this to me?”

Wow, that’s a new series of questions I’ve not been asked before.  Let me try to sort it out, in order:

1.  From my understanding of Scripture, I definitely agree that they are two different entities.  Everyone is born with a conscience, which in the Bible seems to indicate an inborn sense of right and wrong.  John 8:7-11 would be a great example of this, as verse 9 makes it clear that it was their conscience, not the Holy Spirit, that convicted them.  Let me quickly add that our conscience was perverted by the Fall (as can be seen in John 16:2 and Acts 26:9) and that it can be corrupted (Titus 1:15) and even put to death (1Timothy 4:2).  I said all of that to say that we could never depend on our conscience alone for guidance!

2.  You are correct that the Holy Spirit is only given to believers (Acts 2:38, Acts 5:32, Acts 19:1-6), but the verse you referenced about gifts is Romans 11:29, and it certainly does not refer to our conscience, which all of us have, saved or unsaved.  But as I said above, the conscience is not reliable because of many other factors.

3.  The Holy Spirit does guide us (John 16:13; Romans 8:14), sometimes by convicting us of wrong conduct or thoughts or attitudes – but I don’t necessarily like the term ‘nagging’ – His conviction is always sharp and precise, so that we know exactly what we need to do – never condemning or heavy and vague.  It’s the enemy who tries to weigh us down with feelings or thoughts of condemnation or heavy, yet unspecified feelings of failure and guilt.  Those feelings and thoughts are NOT from God, and must be rejected (Romans 8:1).

Thank God for the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

Hope that helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

This week’s question involves the story of Lot and his 2 daughters: “After God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot and his two daughters dwelt in the cave, Lot’s two daughters got Lot drunk with wine and went in to him so that they could preserve Lot’s seed.  Did God count this as sin against the daughters? I know that this kind of thing was permissible during those times, but if it was permissible, why did the daughters have to get Lot drunk with wine in order to go in to him. This makes me think it was not permissible, or that there was some type of shame involved. Please enlighten.”

Interesting question…..although I’ve never heard anyone say that “this kind of thing was permissible during those times”, and I’m not sure there’s any Scripture to confirm that.

The passage in mind is Genesis 19:30-38 and just reading it makes it obvious (as you point out) that the daughters had to get him so drunk he was totally unaware of what was happening – so I must conclude that there was sin and shame involved then, just as it would be now.  Of course, this took place before the Law of Moses, but incest is clearly forbidden in Leviticus 18, and it was punishable by death (see Leviticus 20).

Even here in Lot’s case, the two sons that resulted from incest became the forefather’s of two people groups that were a continual problem to the nation of Israel.  It’s actually an interesting study to look at all the problems that Israel encountered from the Moabites and the Ammonites.

Perhaps the real lesson of the story is that we must never get impatient with God and take matters into our own hands – Lot’s daughter’s mistakenly thought they would never have a chance to marry and have children without going to such drastic means.  How many times do we give up on God’s promises or compromise our convictions because of poor thinking?

Hope this helped a bit.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Here’s this week’s question: “Pastor, I would like to get a better understanding about the rewards we are going to get when we get to heaven.  I know that our rewards are going to be based on how much good we did while on earth (I think), but some people say that if we don’t win souls or make some type of difference, we won’t get any rewards and we will just be in heaven but we won’t have the same happiness others have who did a lot for God’s people. Is this true?  I even had a disagreement with someone who said that people are going to be almost fighting for those rewards.  This does not sound like the place that I’ve always heard about. I thought when we make it there we would not have any more cares or worries.  I don’t want to have to struggle over rewards. Please enlighten me on this.”

GREAT questions.  Let’s look at them in order:

• Our rewards will be based on what we did here on earth, according to 1Cor. 3:10-15

• The Bible doesn’t address the question directly, but I don’t personally think the rewards we receive will have anything to do with our ‘happiness’ in heaven – after all, it’s a place of everlasting joy!  (see Revelation 21:3-4)

• That description of heaven in Rev. 21 certainly precludes the idea that there would be any ‘fighting’ or competing over ‘rewards’

• While this is probably not an exhaustive list by any means, the ‘rewards’ that we will receive in heaven will probably include these 5 ‘crowns’ described in Scripture:

1. imperishable crown – given for ‘self-mastery’ or self-discipline (1Cor. 9:24-27)
2. crown of joy - given for winning others to the Lord (1Thess 2:19-20)
3. crown of righteousness - given to those who look forward to His appearing (2Tim. 4:7-8)
4. crown of life – given to those who endure tests & temptations (James 1:12)
5. crown of glory & honor – given to those who have shepherded His flock (1Peter 5:1-4)  (There are days in the pastorate that I think deserve this crown!)

Finally, I really think the last thing on our minds in heaven will be struggling over these rewards, since as I understand Revelation 4 (which is when we’re caught up to heaven as you see in v.1), the first thing we’ll do after seeing the One who sits on the throne is remove our crowns and place them at HIS feet, since HE is the only One Worthy!  (I get goose-bumps just thinking about it!)

Hope that helps a bit.  Now, let me ask you a question: have you invited anyone to the Grand Opening of our Lisle campus this Sunday.  There’s still time, if you go here now!

Finally, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My most regular questioner writes, “I have questions regarding Melchizedek…..Who and/or what was Melchizedek? I hear he was a great priest….I also hear that it’s not so much a name as it is a title or designation of honor. Well, that still leaves me confused.  I also heard that he was never born and didn’t have parents.  Please explain this to me.  Melchizedek’s name is always used as an example in the pulpit, also I know that Abraham paid tithes to him, but was he a human being?  I’ve even heard some people say he was Christ in the form of a man. HELP!!!!”

Great questions, all.  And I should admit upfront that there are many different opinions as to his identity.  But since this is my blog, I’ll tell you how I see it:

• by looking at Genesis 14:17-19, (the historical reference to him), plus Psalm 110:4 (a Messianic prophecy about Jesus), plus Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20 (all referring back to the prophecy of Psa. 110) and then Hebrews 7:9-20 (which explain the significance of that prophecy as it relates to Jesus, and his eternal priesthood), you have read everything we know about Melchizedek, except for what I consider the most pertinent information (and the answer to your questions)

• that info (and the ONLY other time he is mentioned in Scripture) is found in Hebrews 7:1-3.  There we learn:

1. He is the “king of justice and the king of peace“
2. There is “no record” of his mother or father, or of any genealogy as far as his ancestral line, which causes the writer of Scripture to say, “no beginning or end to his life”.  To me, that would really leave no option but to say that Melchizedek (like our recent question about The Angel who wrestled with Jacob) was a “theophany” (an appearance of God in the form of man; i.e., a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus!)
3. Having said that, I should in all honesty say that some people disagree, and their explanation is that “he lost his birth certificate” (I guess I’m being a little sarcastic, because, in my humble opinion, the significance of him not having any ancestry is that his priesthood is eternal, which wouldn’t be true if he were just a human being)

So, to answer your questions, he was definitely a priest to whom Abraham paid tithes, and he was NOT born so he had no parents, but rather he was Jesus in human form prior to Bethlehem.  Since he never died, his priesthood lasts forever, unlike the priesthood of Aaron in the Old Testament!

I hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My most faithful questioner asks, “I have a question regarding Genesis 32:24.  Who was this angel who wrestled with Jacob and what was the reason? The scriptures reads like this was something common and happened to people all of the time, but I think that I would have been horrified to try and wrestle with an angel. And obviously Jacob knew it was an angel because he would not let the angel go until the angel blessed him. And how was he able to overpower an angel?  Am I missing something here?”

All great questions – let me try to answer them, in order:

1.  The angel who wrestled with Jacob was, in my understanding (and with the agreement of Bible scholars) what we call a “theophany“.  By that, I simply mean that God Himself appeared to Jacob in the form of a man, or an angel.  (Notice that in most Bible translations, the word ‘angel’ in this story is capitalized, ‘Angel’, to designate that this was no ordinary man, but God Himself).  Probably plainer still, this angel was Jesus, God-in-a-human-body, prior to Bethlehem.

For further proof of this, notice the wording in Hosea 12:3-5, which recounts the story from Genesis 32, and tells us that Jacob met God there, “face to face“.

2.  As to the reason Jacob wrestled with the angel, the Bible doesn’t exactly say – but it’s quite obvious that this was a meaningful encounter with the Lord that changed Jacob’s life.  From that day forward, he walked differently, literally, but he also was a different man – no longer the conniving, scheming, cheater that he once was.  Personally, I love the way Eugene Peterson put it in his Message paraphrase of Hosea 12:

In the womb, that heel, Jacob, got the best of his brother.
When he grew up, he tried to get the best of God.
But God would not be bested.
God bested him.
Brought to his knees,
Jacob wept and prayed.
God found him at Bethel.
That’s where he spoke with him.
God is God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
God-Revealed, God-Known.

3.  Not sure if this was a question, but I think it’s safe to say that this was NOT an everyday occurrence.  Initially, Jacob probably thought he was wrestling a man, a stranger who came to harm him – before later realizing that it was the Angel of God.  At least, that’s my opinion.

4.  Your next question is very insightful, and I think a lot of us miss it when reading the story: how could Jacob overcome an angel? Remember, one angel killed 185,000 men in one night (2Kings 19:35) and one angel will be strong enough to bind the devil and throw him into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3).  So the only conclusion I can draw is that the Angel allowed Jacob to prevail – much like a father might ‘wrestle’ with his young son and ‘let’ the boy win.

As I see it, God initiated this encounter with Jacob and then allowed Jacob to prevail, so HE could bless the ‘changed’ Jacob as HE wanted – just as HE loves us, reaches out to us, encourages us to trust Him, and then rewards us when we do believe!  What a wonderful God He is!!!

5.  I’m sure you probably are – seems like there’s always more in God’s Word that we haven’t discovered yet!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our young minister’s in training asks, “I’m reading John MacArthur’s Twelve Ordinary Men and my question is in regards to the title of Apostle.  Jesus gave the twelve disciples this title and Paul also held it.  My questions are: were they the only thirteen with the title of apostle in that time?  Do you think that it is a title that has been just thrown around in the church?  Is it a title that should be used at all?  It seems like a very prestigious title, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Thanks for your time and insight, pastor.”

Good question.  I’ve not read that book, so I have no idea if my thoughts will agree with the author’s or not.  But here’s my best shot, in order:

1.  In my understanding of the Scripture, there were definitely other apostles besides the 13 you mention.  For instance, Acts 15:22 certainly implies that Barsabas and Silas were among the apostles and Romans 16:7 names Andronicus and Junias as well.  My view of Ephesians 4:11-13 is that the ministerial gift-office of “apostle” also continues even to this present day.

2.  That’s my understanding of the title “apostle” in Scripture.  Assuming that your second question has to do with local churches in America, I’m afraid that my opinion is similar to yours.  Personally, it’s almost a joke to me how so many have assumed/acquired the title without “doing the stuff” (meaning they don’t have the necessary fruit of an apostle in their life).

3.  As to whether the title should be used today, I have mixed-emotions.  From a Biblical standpoint, there’s no reason why the title can’t or shouldn’t be used.  However, and this is just my personal opinion, it seems that so many have taken the title without having the fruit that it is now ‘tainted’ in my mind.  For instance, part of the ministry of an apostle seems to be ‘fathering’ other pastors and congregations.  Some have even suggested that I am an apostle because of the work we’ve done in fathering other pastors, here at CLC and abroad.  I have received numerous prophetic words in the past that I am called to that role.  But I have specifically resisted the title, because in my mind, to take it to myself seems presumptuous and egotistical.

However, having said that, I’m not ready to throw out the title completely, and I definitely recognize other men of God who fit that role AND have the fruit to prove it.  (My pastor, Bishop Joseph Garlington, would be one such example).  Most of the men that I know personally who qualify for the title have taken a similar stance and don’t want the title – so it’s easier to refer to them as “having an apostolic ministry” or “serving in an apostolic role”.  As I have stated publicly at CLC in the past, I would much rather “do the stuff and not have the title” as to “have the title and not do the stuff”!

I hope this helps – although I recognize many will disagree – these are strictly my own opinions.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLC writes, “Pastor, what are your thoughts about this date that many theologians are saying is the day God will destroy the earth. I know there have been dates passed about before, but this one seems like it may have some merit. Here is a summary of what I’ve read and keep hearing: ” In 2 Peter 3:8, God reminds us that one day is as 1,000 years. Therefore, with the correct understanding that the seven days referred to in Genesis 7:4 can be understood as 7,000 years, we learn that when God told Noah there were seven days to escape worldwide destruction, He was also telling the world there would be exactly 7,000 years (one day is as 1,000 years) to escape the wrath of God that would come when He destroys the world on Judgment Day. Because Holy Infinite God is all-knowing, He knows the end from the beginning. He knew how sinful the world would become. Seven thousand years after 4990 B.C. (the year of the Flood) is the year 2011 A.D. (our calendar). 4990 + 2011 – 1 = 7,000 [One year must be subtracted in going from an Old Testament B.C. calendar date to a New Testament A.D. calendar date because the calendar does not have a year zero.] Thus Holy God is showing us by the words of 2 Peter 3:8 that He wants us to know that exactly 7,000 years after He destroyed the world with water in Noah’s day, He plans to destroy the entire world forever. Because the year 2011 A.D. is exactly 7,000 years after 4990 B.C. when the flood began, the Bible has given us absolute proof that the year 2011 is the end of the world during the Day of Judgment, which will come on the last day of the Day of Judgment. Amazingly, May 21, 2011 is the 17th day of the 2nd month of the Biblical calendar of our day. Remember, the flood waters also began on the 17th day of the 2nd month, in the year 4990 B.C. ” I just want to know what your thoughts are.”

Wow!  Sounds like someone you’ve heard has it all figured out.  Unfortunately, I don’t think I agree with a single point, and since you asked for my thoughts, here goes, in order:

1.  Most importantly, when it comes to interpreting prophecy about end-times, always keep in mind what Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:35-36.  That understanding is repeated in several other passages (Matt. 25:13; Mark 13:31-33; Acts 1:6-8) – and I think it’s pretty clear: timing is the Father’s business, not ours.  I personally understand that to mean that NO ONE ever has or ever will be able to successfully predict when Jesus will return or when the world will be destroyed, etc.  (And for good reason, in my humble opinion, because it’s much more important for us to stay focused on our “assignment” of reaching the whole world with the gospel, rather than trying to figure out the mystery of when it will happen!)

2.  I do not see 2Pet 3:8 as a ‘mathematical formula’ to help us determine dates; I think Peter is reminding us that God transcends time as we know it; i.e., to Him, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day, since HE is eternal and has never been bound by time as we are.  (Again, that’s my humble opinion about that verse-)

3.  I also don’t see any reason to interpret Gen. 7:4 as being a ‘prophetic’ message to the world about a future Judgment Day.  In fact, the first rule of hermeneutics (the principles of interpreting Scripture) is that the Bible should be interpreted literally unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.  In this case, it sure seems simple to me that God is telling Noah that the rain will begin in 7 days, period.

4.  I’m also a little concerned about the liberal use of the word, “exactly” in the paragraphs you quote – since I’m not aware of any exact dates that theologians agree on regarding ancient events like the Flood.  In fact, I’ve even seen estimates for the birth of Christ occurring in 4 B.C., putting His death at Calvary in 29 A.D., rather than 33 A.D. as so many have assumed.  My point is simply that I don’t think we really know exactly what year Noah’s flood took place, so to try to extrapolate from that and come up with an “exact” date for the Judgment Day seems rather impossible.

5.  Finally, and I mean no offense here, but I suspect the articles you’re quoting from have been written by one or more of the many preachers who, in my opinion, are “majoring on the minors“.  I understand why that happens, because this kind of speculation is sexier and feeds our curiosity about the future, etc. (it’s an easy way to attract interest).  But I honestly see this and similar speculations as drawing our focus and attention away from where it really should be; namely on doing our part to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave us all in Mark 16:15.  One thing I think ALL theologians do agree on is that we are living in the last days, and according to Acts 3:20-21, Jesus must remain in heaven until we have finished that task and God will then restore all things.

I do hope this helped a bit.  Forgive me if I came across harshly toward ‘prophecy preachers’ – I’ve just lived long enough to see so many of their past predictions about end-times fail, and I’m not convinced that God ever intended for us to focus on the timing instead of the need for us to be ready and help others get ready for eternity.

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Ever heard that expression?  More importantly, ever wonder what it means?  Well, according to this source, it seems we’re really not quite sure.a

But I am sure about one thing regarding Q’s (and A’s) – that is, there won’t be any in this blog on Friday as scheduled, unless somebody submits a question before then.  Seems I’ve answered all the stuff you were curious about in previous posts, so I’m just waiting now for some more ‘inquiring minds’ who want to know!

How about it?  Is there something YOU would like to Ask the Pastor?  If so, please leave a comment below, and then check Friday’s posting.

One of my favorite CLCers texted me in Alaska to ask, “Pastor, is gambling biblically wrong?”

Since I’m on vacation, I texted back a brief, “yes” – but that’s really not the full answer.  See, gambling is another one of several practices that preachers (and some Christians) have condemned in a kneejerk reaction, without full Biblical support.  So here’s the LONGER version:

The truth is, as best I can tell, gambling is virtually unmentioned in the Bible, except for the prophecy that the soldiers would gamble for Jesus’ garment (Psalm 22:18) and it’s fulfillment (Matt 27:35, Luke 23:34 or John 19:24), unless you count The Message translation of Proverbs 22:26-27.

For those to be the ONLY references to gambling definitely puts the practice in a negative light, but it’s hardly a commandment against.  As I see it, gambling is just one of many different activities that Scripture does not clearly forbid or clearly approve – they are what my pastor used to call “questionables”.

Apostle Paul offers guidelines to help us decide which of those questionable activities are acceptable for us.  Actually, his guidelines can be stated as 8 questions to help us decide whether or not to indulge in a given activity. If we can’t say ‘yes’, we should refrain:

1.  Am I fully persuaded that it is right? Paul says (Rom 14:5, 14, 23) that whatever we do in these areas, we must be persuaded it is acceptable before God. If there is doubt, Paul says there is sin.

2. Can I do it as unto the Lord? Whatever we do, Paul says we must do as unto the Lord (Rom 14:6–8). To do something as unto the Lord is to do it as serving him.

3.  Can I do it without being a stumbling block to my brother or sister in Christ? Much of Romans 14 (vv. 13, 15, 20–21) concerns watching out for other’s walk with the Lord. We may be able to indulge, but he or she may not have faith to see that the activity is morally indifferent. If he or she sees us participate, he or she may be offended. As much as possible, we must avoid giving offense in these areas. This, however, does not mean one must always refrain (Rom. 14:22). If you believe you can indulge, have that faith before God. In other words, don’t flaunt your liberty before others..

4. Does it bring peace? In Rom 14:19 Paul instructs us to do what brings peace.

5. Does it edify my brother? Some activities may not create strife with another Christian, but they may not edify him either. Choose those activities which both bring peace and edify (Rom. 14:19 again).

6. Is it profitable? In 1 Cor 6:12 Paul reminds us that morally indifferent practices are all lawful, but they may not all be profitable (beneficial). They may be unprofitable for us or for our brother. For example, no law prohibits playing cards, but if my card playing causes a brother to stumble, it is unprofitable for me to indulge. If the act is unprofitable, I must refuse to do it.

7. Does it enslave me? (1 Cor 6:12). Many activities, wholesome and valuable in themselves, become unprofitable if they master us more than Christ does.

8. Does it bring glory to God? Paul discusses Christian liberty in 1 Corinthians 10, and in verse 31 he sums up his discussion by saying that whatever we do in these areas should bring glory to God. How do we know if our actions bring God glory? I’d say at the least that if you answer any of the other 7 questions negatively in regard to a particular activity, you can be sure you’ll not bring God glory if you indulge.

Add to that the truth that you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than you do of winning the Lotto, plus the clear NT teaching that the love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim. 6:10), and I think you can make the right choice for each opportunity to gamble.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A reader writes, “God’s Name- Should We Use It?  For many years now, people have been showing gross disrespect for the Almighty God in NOT using his matchless holy name, JEHOVAH being the English form of the Divine name.- Exodus 6:3, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:4   Jesus set the finest example in using his Father’s name. John 17:6, 26 clearly showed that Christ made God’s name, Jehovah known; of course, using the Hebrew and Greek forms of God’s name. The name JEHOVAH, is the MOST important name in the entire universe, since God, Jehovah, is the MOST HIGH in the universe, the Creator. (Psalms 83:18) How would we like it if our friends and others refuse to use our names; instead, they use expressions like man, woman, boy, or girl to address us? Certainly we would not like that. We appreciate our names as labels identifying who we are as distinct from other individuals. Similarly, how does God feel when his name is not used to address Him, in prayer or otherwise? God appreciates it when his name is used respectfully, rather than replacing his name with titles such as “God” or “Lord”. * God’s name identifies Him from all the other false gods in existence, and from everyone and everything else. Furthermore, God’s name has a MEANING behind it, far more important than any meaning behind any human name. REALLY, how can someone dare not use the name of the HIGHEST being there is in the universe, when God wants his name to be made known as Christ did!  So will we follow Jesus’ example and use God’s name, Jehovah; also making that name known to others? (John 17:6, 26) It is up to each one of us to answer that question. * I do not mean to suggest that it is wrong to say “God” or “Lord,” at times, just the same way it is not wrong to say “man” or “woman” if appropriate. However, we should not avoid the use of God’s personal name, a name that God greatly appreciates, just as we do not avoid using a friend’s name, which is far less important than God’s name, Jehovah. Therefore, the name, “Jehovah” should be used far more than “God” or “Lord”.  May we show deep respect for God by using his name, JEHOVAH.  Any thoughts on this?”

I have several thoughts on this.  First, it may be the first time a question in this blog is longer than the answer!  Secondly, it appears to me that you aren’t really asking a question, but rather trying to ‘hijack’ my blog to express your own opinion.  However, just in case I’m mistaken and your interest represents a sincere desire to walk in truth, I’ll give you my thoughts:

1.  Why settle on “Jehovah” as THE name?  After all (in case you’re not aware), the Hebrew texts certainly didn’t include any vowels, and probably the best any scholar can do with God’s name is “YHWH”.  The vowels added are strictly man’s attempt to make sense of the Hebrew.  And even IF Jehovah or Yahweh is the correct name, that would ONLY apply to English speakers, since God’s Name would have a different translation in Spanish or Swahili or French or, well, you get my point.  So while your intent may be well-intentioned, it is simply NOT possible for us to choose one name and require all believers to use it exclusively.

2.  More importantly, the Scripture does recommend one name to us – and it’s not Jehovah – notice Philippians 2:9-11 and Acts 4:12, as both are quite clear that one name is Jesus!

3.  Finally, I think it’s sad that so many believers seem to be drawn toward ‘fringe’ beliefs or ‘non-issue issues’ instead of majoring on the settled truths of Scripture.  I guess I’ll take my place with the man who said,  “it’s NOT the passages in Scripture I don’t understand that bother me, it’s the ones I do understand!” For sure, it’s better to be doers than hearers only!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of our Shorewood CLCers writes, “Could you please explain 1 Peter 3:18-20. I have heard that Jesus went to the bowels of the earth or some say Hell after his crucifixion. Did Jesus really go to hell to preach to the unsaved??? If not then why did he go to preach to the spirits in prison? Will those who heard be saved? Can you explain this confusing verse please?”

Great questions, from an admittedly difficult passage.  Here’s my understanding:

First, when it comes to any difficult or confusing verse in Scripture, always remember: “context, context, context”!  I’ve heard a lot of strange ideas from this passage, but in my humble opinion, the key to understanding it is found in the passage itself.

After consulting several translations, I chose the NKJV above because it seems to clarify best.  Notice that verse 18 says Jesus was made alive by “the Spirit” (obviously referring to the Holy Spirit). Then verse 19 gives us a major key to understanding the passage – “by whom” – i.e., it was by the Holy Spirit that he preached to imprisoned spirits. Verse 20 then gives us the time frame this preaching took place: in Noah’s day, while the ark was being built!

So, in putting all of that together, I don’t see this passage saying ANYTHING about what happened to Jesus after He died or as being a reference to Him preaching in hell.  Rather, I see this passage teaching us that while the ark was under construction, Noah was warning the people about God’s judgment, and the Spirit of Christ was working through him to try to reach those people.  I think the “imprisoned” reference is a figurative, poetic way to say that God had assigned this period of time that He would deal with them through the Holy Spirit.  Genesis 6:3 tells us that God would not always strive with man by His Spirit – but that man would have a limited time to respond to Him (generally, 120 years). 2Pet. 2:5 and Hebrews 11:7 both speak of the important role that Noah played in warning people of the coming judgment.

Now, IF this passage is about Jesus going into hell after his death (as Acts 2:31 and Rev. 1:18 and Eph 4:7-9 indicate) I can tell you for certain that He did NOT preach to people in hell to give them a “second chance” after death, for that would violate Hebrews 9:27 as well as numerous other verses.  The Jewish understanding of “hades” prior to the Resurrection of Christ is that it was the place of departed spirits and was divided in two compartments, one for the wicked and one for the righteous, which they called, “Abraham’s bosom”.

If Jesus went to hell after his death, during the three days His body was in the grave, it would have been only to visit the righteous dead and announce to them the good news of His death, and then take them with Him at His resurrection.

Everyone in the Old Testament looked “ahead” to the death of Christ in order to be saved; everyone in the New Covenant looks “back” to the death of Christ in order to be saved.  The passages I have cited above certainly ‘fit’ with that interpretation.  But it is not possible that He preached to someone after their death and they were able to be saved.

I think sometimes the problem is with us preachers who take poetic license in a sermon and describe Jesus going to hell and demanding of Satan, “give me the keys”.  It’s dramatic, and it’ll preach, but I’m not really sure we can prove that encounter ever happened in Scripture.

What I DO know is that Jesus IS victorious over death, hell and the grave – and that all those who put their trust in Him will have everlasting life!

Hope that helps!  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My #1 questioner writes, “I have a question about 1Tim 4:1-5.  This question may be an individual’s choice, but I get kind of confused when I hear so many Christians announce that they do not eat meat of any kind – when vv. 3-4 indicate we can eat meat. Pastor can you explain this to me?  Is this something that has changed since our food is so polluted now or shall we eat anything we choose as long as we pray and give thanksgiving for everything we eat? Also, I don’t want to offend anybody but even vegetarians are at risk because of the chemicals and sprays. Pregnant women are forbidden to eat fish because of the mercury and Organic food is good but sometimes a large household with kids can’t afford all organic foods. Can you shed a little light on this for me?”

Well, I can try.  It’s a good question, since as you point out, some believers seem to have strong opinions about their diet.  First, I’m guessing that you refer to the KJV of the text rather than the NLT quoted above.  So from a Bible interpretation view, the passage obviously refers to any foods we eat, not just meat.

I think the real issue is whether people are making their dietary choices because of a supposed commandment in Scripture (such as this passage) OR if they’re making choices based on their own preferences (whether those are health concerns or taste preferences).

If someone chooses to abstain from ANY foods because of their health concerns or personal preferences, that’s fine – probably all of us should be a little more diligent in regards to eating right.  But for anyone to abstain from any food because they think the Bible forbids it – well, based on the text you cited and others, they are just sadly mistaken.  According to 1Tim. 4:1-5, Rom. 14:20-22, Heb. 9:8-12, and Rom. 14:17, we simply are not under the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament law any longer.

Having said that, I will say that my understanding of the Old Testament restrictions is that they were given by God for the health of His people.  Personally, I don’t think pork or shrimp is the best choice of foods for me to enjoy maximum health – but I don’t personally make that a “law” for myself or anyone else (in fact, I ate ham this week at a church luncheon where it was the only meat offered).

Finally, in spite of everything I’ve said above, if someone has a weak conscience and cannot eat in faith, then by all means, obey Romans 14:2-3, 23.

Hope this helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor? Please submit your question below – although I’m taking a 2-week vacation, I will answer your questions again on July 16.

I would only add or clarify that

My #1 questioner writes: “I have a question about fear.  I know that it is not a good thing to fear and we all know about the book of Job when he said that the very thing he feared came upon him.  Also, we have to be very careful about what we speak because this could cause negative things to happen.  My question is, I have always been taught that we can go to God and talk to Him about anything.  Sometimes I have certain things that frighten me and that I refuse to let myself dwell on because I don’t want the things that happened to Job happen to me.  But when I am in my prayer room I speak these things that frighten me to God(my daddy)and I tell Him these things. Would this be the same as speaking negative things out of my mouth even though I am telling them to God? “

Good question about a much-needed subject.

First, you are right that fear has a way of drawing negativity to us and becoming a “self-fulfilled prophecy”.  That’s because fear is the opposite of faith. So just as faith attracts blessing from God, fear attracts the attention of the enemy by creating an open door into our life.

However, it is my personal opinion that you CAN say anything to God, since he invited us to do so in 1 Peter 5:7.  By telling Him of your fears in prayer, you can receive His assurance and reaffirm your trust in Him (Psalm 56:3).  My only caution is to make sure that once you ‘cast your fear upon Him’ that you leave it there. In other words, don’t give your fears to God in prayer and then pick them up again when you quit praying!  Leave your fears in His hands.

Hope this helped.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

A faithful CLCer writes, “In the New Testament Apostle Paul talks about being of the “Tribe of Benjamin.” What was so special about the Tribe of Benjamin as opposed to the other eleven tribes?”

Interesting question….and one I’ve never been asked before (love that; makes me think!)

There are a few things about Benjamin that make him (and his descendants) special:

• he was the last son born to Rachel, whom Jacob especially loved, so he became a favorite son (Genesis 35:16-18; Genesis 42:38)
• Jacob prophesied of their ferocity & courage in battle (Genesis 49:27)
• Moses gave them a special benediction (Deuteronomy 32:12)
• his descendants were known for their ability & marksmanship (Judges 3:15; 20:16; 1Chronicles 8:40; 1Chronicles 12:2)
• Benjamin (along with Judah) remained loyal to David’s family when the 10 tribes revolted. (1Kings 12:21; 2Chronicles 11:1)
• finally, the city of Jerusalem lies within the territory assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (Jeremiah 6:1)

The erection of the Temple on Benjamitic ground is explained in several ways in Jewish tradition. Some said that Benjamin was privileged to have the Shekinah dwell in his territory because all the other tribes (that is, fathers of the tribes) had taken part in the selling of Joseph. For God said: “If they—the Israelites—build me a Temple in some other place and seek my mercy, I can show them as little mercy as they showed their brother Joseph.” Another tradition gave this reason: Because Benjamin did not bow down before Esau as did his brothers and his father (Gen. 33:3-7), nor before Joseph (Gen. 42:6), his territory was reserved for the worship of God.

As I read Paul’s description of himself again (Romans 11:1; Philippians 3:5), I’d say he was proud of his heritage – and my guess is that it had to do with all of those facts above, but probably especially the last two listed.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Surprisingly, for the first time in this blog (at least in my memory), we have a question about dinosaurs.  Specifically, a reader asks: “Were there ever really dinosaurs?  If so, were they before or after Adam and Eve? We’ve been seeing dinosaurs on movies and people always mention them, but I’ve never read about dinosaurs anywhere in scripture. I hope this question does not sound too corny but whenever I ask someone, they don’t know the answer either.”

That’s not a corny question at all – it’s VERY often asked and can become a point of concern for some even coming to faith in Christ.

Having said that, let me quickly add that I do not consider myself an expert in this area – it’s not one that I have studied extensively or majored in at all.  BUT, there are a number of born-again scientists who have done their research, and I can recommend that you read their writings: Henry Morris is one that I especially recommend.

Meanwhile, here is an article addressing your question online and here’s another good one, while this is a good website for all such questions.

Finally, let me just say that I believe dinosaurs were a part of God’s creation in the Genesis account, so they would have lived during the lifetime of Adam and Eve (and other characters in Genesis) – most likely perishing in the Flood.

Hope that helps!

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

Last week’s topic of predestination isn’t quite finished, as my favorite questioner writes, “I do have a better understanding of what takes place when we think that someone’s life was already predestinated.  I’m glad you gave an example of Judas and Pharaoh when you said that God pretty much saw that they would choose to make bad choices in life.  Some of us still makes bad choices in life, and God forgives us and we get more grace to go on, but I guess it all boils down to God looking at the heart of each individual.  Maybe he saw something in Esau, Judas, and Pharaoh’s heart that helped  Him to make His decision, because I know that I’ve made bad choices in my life many times. It’s still kind of confusing, but your answers helped to clear some of the dust.”

I’m probably walking where angels fear to trod, since this whole doctrine of predestination has been debated in Christian circles for hundreds of years, and certainly won’t be resolved by my blog

Nonetheless, I want to try to clear up the confusion about God seeing individuals will make bad choices, so He predestines it to be so.  I don’t really believe that is accurate, and I’m sorry if my previous answers left that impression. There is a difference in foreknowledge and predestination.  God knows the end from the beginning, so He does know the choices that any of us will eventually make – but that does not mean He wills it to be so.

In the example I used of Judas – it is true that God had ordained that one of Messiah’s close followers would betray Him, but it certainly is not to be implied that Judas had to be the one.  My understanding of Scripture is that Judas had a free will to choose, and if he had chosen differently, then another of Jesus’ disciples would have been the one to betray the Lord.

As simply as I can say it, God does predestine certain events – but He always gives individuals a free choice.  It is predestined that He will have a Church, a Bride – but it’s left to each of us to choose whether we will receive Him into our lives and be a part of that Church.

Hope that helps!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Looks like last week’s answer raised as many questions as it solved: “I’m sort of confused after reading Romans 9:10-20. Some people believe that whatever we do in life is predestinated, whether it is for good or bad, but I was taught that God gives us all a choice, to choose good or evil.  In Romans, it says that God has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and Esau’s destiny was planned even before he was born. So did he even have a choice? I guess this also goes into the part about when God hardens people’s heart. Help!”

Frankly, I’m not surprised that last week’s Q&A brought some confusion.  The teachings of predestination versus free will have been debated among Christians for the past 1500 years or more, and there’s a reason for that – namely, that there are verses in Scripture that can certainly be interpreted to lend support to each view.

Our job, admittedly sometimes difficult, is to consider the ‘whole’ of Scripture and let Scripture interpret Scripture, rather than basing a doctrine or conclusion on one isolated passage of Scripture.

Probably the biggest key to the Romans 9 passage, according to all the scholars I consulted, is that the quote in verse about loving Jacob and hating Esau is actually a reference to Malachi 1:1-3, which is clearly written about nations and not individuals! God loves all individuals, but HE has blessed some nations and brought judgement on other nations – in this case, the Edomites, who descended from Esau.

In fact, I think you’d be pretty safe (in my view) of saying that verses which seem to support predestination are speaking in terms of groups, such as a nation (as here) or the Church collectively; whereas verses that support the idea of free will or free choice have to do with individuals.  In other words, it IS predestined that God will have a Church – His Bride, who will spend all eternity enjoying His fellowship in heaven.  But whether you or I or anyone else will be a part of that Church is determined by our choice to receive Jesus into our lives.  Another example would be that it was predestined (and prophesied here and here) that Messiah would be betrayed by one of his own disciples; but Judas still had a free will to choose, and if he had chosen differently, someone else would have been the betrayer.

As to the issue of God ‘hardening’ someone’s heart (such as what is written about Pharaoh), the truth of Scripture seems to be that God “allows” a person’s heart to be hardened because of the choices they make.  As someone else said, “the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay”.

I’ll be the first to admit that this whole subject of predestination can be difficult and confusing, but I hope this has helped a bit.  Whew!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner asks, “When Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac into thinking that Jacob was his firstborn, how come God was not against this thing?  I understand that Esau sold his birthright for food, which was dumb, however, that did not make it right for Rebekah and Jacob to outright lie and pretend that Jacob was the firstborn.  I know that God had a plan in motion regarding Jacob, but I just don’t understand how Rebekah and Jacob were not held accountable for their lies.  Also, when Cain killed his brother Abel, God punished him for that.  I know that Jacob didn’t kill Esau, but he did steal his birthright.”

Interesting questions, all.

I think the best answer to this question (which is not directly addressed in Scripture, as best as I can tell) is: “what makes you think God was not against their lies and deception, or that they were not held accountable for their lies?”

I do know that Jacob certainly paid for his deceiving ways – when his father-in-law cheated him, not once, but numerous times – giving him the ‘wrong’ daughter as his wife, changing his wages ten times, etc.  So I’m just not sure that any of us could say that they didn’t pay for their wrongs, or that God accepted their lying.

I also know that God is entirely capable of fulfilling His plan without our interference.  In my understanding of Scripture, since God had determined before they were even born that Esau would serve his younger brother, HE would have orchestrated events to bring that to pass even without the conniving and scheming and deception implemented by Rebekah and Jacob.  (Read Romans 9:10-20 for an interesting New Testament commentary on that OT story.)  I should probably add that if that passage in Romans ‘bothers’ you, keep in mind that Hebrews 12:16 makes it clear that Esau was both immoral and godless.

The bottom-line, I think, is that we can’t always know how God rewards or judges someone for their actions – even David struggled in Psalm 73 with the thought that the wicked could get by with anything and still prosper, while he was trying to please God for seemingly no advantage – until verse 17 when he went into God’s house and finally understood the destiny of the wicked.  It’s a valuable lesson for all of us – that while it may sometimes “appear” that someone is getting by with evil, or that God isn’t judging them for their wrongs, the truth is that HE is a righteous judge, and we can trust Him to do what is right ultimately.

I hope that helps.  Now, what would you like to Ask the Pastor?

Last Friday’s post got piqued some interest on the subject of tithing – here’s today’s question: “A lot of people feel that tithing was something that was done in the Old Testament and we don’t really have to tithe anymore. Can you give me some scriptures in the New Testament that shows that we are still obligated to pay tithes?”

Such a great question.  Like you, I’ve heard all those comments, and I know good people who’ve bought in to that error, and thus miss out on God’s promised blessings.  Here are a few New Testament Scriptures regarding tithing:

• Matthew 23:23 – notice that our Lord Jesus Himself said about tithing, we “ought” to do.  That’s a strong word – tithing is something we are morally obligated (ought) to do!
• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – here is the New Testament pattern (Paul was teaching all the churches to do this) – their giving was to be done “in proportion” to what they had received.  That means they were to give a set percentage of their income.  What would that percentage be?  Obviously, the entire Old Testament had prescribed 10%, so there was no need for Paul to repeat that information again – they already knew that!
• Hebrews 7:7-15 – please note that Paul speaks of tithing in the present tense (‘we pay tithes’) which means tithing was still being practiced in the New Testament Church and his argument is that Melchizidek never died, so he’s still receiving tithes.  (Since Melchizidek is a type of Jesus, you could say that Jesus is receiving our tithes!)

Matthew 5:17-22, 27-48 addresses that whole argument better than anything.  Whoever says that we are not under the law anymore obviously doesn’t understand – Jesus didn’t come to destroy or contradict the law; He came to fulfill it!

Would any Christian today commit murder and then say, “well, I’m not under the law anymore, so it’s ok for me to kill someone.” NO!  Would any believer commit adultery and then say when confronted, “I’m not under the law, so I don’t have to live by that commandment anymore” - Of course not.

In fact, as you notice in those verses from the Sermon on the Mount, while the law of Moses had imposed several requirements on God’s people, Jesus emphatically added more – instead of “don’t kill”, in the New Testament, it’s “don’t hate”; instead of “don’t commit adultery”, in the New Testament, it’s “don’t look with lust”; in other words, in this New Testament time of grace (remember grace and truth came by Jesus Christ – John 1:17), Christians do more than the minimal requirements of the Law.

When people tell me that they’re not under the Law and don’t have to tithe, I say, “oh, so you give more than 10% out of love for what God has done by His grace”!

The real issue behind those objections and arguments is a lack of trust in God’s Word and/or a stronghold of mammon.  I don’t have time in this post to develop that further, but the truth is, we don’t tithe to the Lord because we have to, we tithe our income to the Lord because we want to honor Him for what He’s done for us! (Prov. 3:9-10; Exodus 13)

Hope that helps.  Now, what would you like to Ask the Pastor?

Another faithful reader asks, “should a person give their whole first check as a firstfruits offering? Is that the only first fruit offering to give or would a portion of it be sufficient?”

Let me state up front that this blog represents my personal opinion.  I know my answer to this question will not agree with some of the “Brother & Sister Wonderful’s” on television.  I’ve heard their teaching and seen some of their polished appeals for you to send them the entire first check of the year or the entire first check of a new job.  However, I do NOT find that concept in Scripture, at least as I understand God’s Word.

As I read the various references in the Old Testament to “firstfruits”, they clearly speak of the beginning of one’s harvest (since theirs was an agrarian culture and they didn’t receive a paycheck for their labor as we do). By reading those various references to firstfruits, I have come to the conclusion that “firstfruits” in Scripture is synonymous with “tithes”, since the principle is identical: when we give the Lord the first portion of our harvest, He promises His blessing on all the rest of it! (See Proverbs 3:9-10 – and keep in mind that our Proverbs series continues this Sunday, and interestingly enough, our topic is “Master Your Money”!)

That’s another reason we don’t tithe on the ‘leftovers’, after we pay other bills, but on the ‘first’ tenth of our income, to invoke God’s blessing on all the rest.  After all, Scripture is quite clear that it’s ALL His! (Psalm 24:1)

So, my understanding of bringing your firstfruits to the Lord is identical to bringing your tithes to the Lord.  I do not see anything in Scripture that would require me to give God the entire first check of the year or the entire first check from a new job.  I am sure that God blesses us whenever we bring an offering over and above our tithes, so if you or someone you know testifies about the blessing they received by giving their first check to the Lord, I have no problem with it – I just don’t see that as a requirement in Scripture.

I suppose CLC could bring in additional income if I would teach that everyone should bring their first check to the church, and perhaps that is why some ministers do so.  But I didn’t enter the ministry to enrich myself or to fatten the bank account of CLC.  My role is to teach God’s Word, and that’s what I try to do through this blog as well.

Hope that helps.  Now, what would you like to Ask the Pastor?

Last week’s question prompted a follow-up from one of my favorite “ex-CLCers”, now living in Atlanta.  (A friend told me last week that there’s no such thing as an ‘ex-CLCer’; he says ‘once a CLCer, always a CLCer at heart’!  I hope so.)

At any rate, here’s the question: “I wonder if you have any suggestions about staying focused during meditation – that is when my mind seems to wonder the most.  Often times it could be a song in my head, and one of praise & worship, but I can never seem to get my mind completely blank to just focus on being completely in the presence of God.”

Excellent question…..at least because it gives me a chance to clarify something that I think many may be confused about: e.g., the subject of Biblical mediation.

You see, meditation in the Bible is NOT at all the kind of meditation practiced in yoga or in some Eastern religions, where the goal is to “get my mind completely blank” as you’ve stated.  Instead, meditation in the Bible comes from the same root connotation as a cow chewing its cud.  I’ll try not to be too graphic here, but the cow, unlike us, has four stomachs to aid in the process of digestion.  Healthy cows regularly regurgitate what they’ve already eaten (and partially digested in one stomach compartment) and chew on it some more (“chewing their cud” we call it), which enables them to get the full benefit of what they’ve eaten.

That’s the picture of Bible meditation!  The goal is not to get our mind completely blank; the goal is to reflect upon different aspects of the verses we’ve already read, to ensure that we’re getting the full truth and maximum benefit of what God is saying to us – so we ruminate and reflect and consider additional aspects of truth we’ve already received.  I like what Rick Warren says, “if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate“! He also writes, “Worry is focused thinking on something negative. Meditation is doing the same thing, only focusing on God’s Word instead of your problem.”

I especially like the Amplified Bible in Mark 4:24, because that’s the real principle behind meditation.  Of course, Joshua 1:8 is another ‘classic’ about meditation, and introduces another interesting aspect about Biblical meditation: it involved one’s mouth, for the Jewish people would regularly ‘mutter’ the verses, repeating them over and over to themselves, as they reflected on the truths of Scripture.

As to additional suggestions about avoiding distracting thoughts during meditation, other than the tip last week about having pen & paper nearby, I don’t know…….but I suspect your mind will be so active in Biblical meditation that it won’t be much of a problem.  One tactic I’ve sometimes used is to emphasize each word individually in a verse – making it stand out as the most important part – which can bring about much fuller meaning than the ‘traditional’ way we read it.  Obviously, there are different methods to help you meditate on Scripture, but that’ll have to wait for another day.

Hope this helped!  Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite ‘questioners’ asks, “I would like to ask you a question about prayer.  Sometimes I wonder if God honors or hears prayer when the person’s mind is on something else.  It’s not intentional, but a lot of times when I’m in my prayer room, my mind strays and I begin to think of something else other than my conversation with God.  When I realize my mind is straying, I hurry up and snap out of it, but I really feel guilty when this happens.  Is this something that all Christians go through and/or does God honor these type of prayers and/or when this happens should I repent and keep praying or should I stop and start when I think I can give my full attention to God?”

Good question, for several reasons.  It’s a good question because I’m sure your experience is not unique; probably every Christian sometimes struggles with wandering thoughts during prayer.  It’s an important question because every Christian I know wants their prayers to be effective, and sometimes questions whether they’re “doing it right”. And it’s an especially important question because it raises another issue about guilt and fear that needs to be addressed.

So here goes, in order:

1.  As I already said, I think every Christian sometimes struggles with wandering thoughts in prayer.  At least, I do, and I’ve had several conversations through the years with others who have the same struggle.  While I don’t mean to minimize this, I also don’t want to make it a bigger concern. I do not believe you need to repent for this and wait to pray at another time when you are more focused – I think it’s just part of being human.

2.  I’ve actually heard several experienced intercessors (including my wife) who deliberately keep pen and paper nearby when praying, and when a random thought of something they need to do crosses their mind, they stop praying and write it down, so they can move on in prayer instead of continuing to battle with that distraction.  They say there’s something about writing it down that frees their mind to concentrate on the task at hand.

3.  Does God hear our prayers when we’re distracted?  While the Scripture doesn’t address this directly, it is my opinion that He does! After all, He’s a good God.  He’s a loving heavenly Father who knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11).  In fact, He already knows what we need before we ask Him.  (Matthew 6:7-8) Why would He then not hear and answer our prayers, just because we’re human and got distracted in our asking?

4.  Perhaps the most important issue to me is the underlying tone of fear and guilt that I hear in your question.  While it’s true that many people do not walk in the fear of the Lord, which Proverbs 9:10 tells us is the beginning of wisdom (had to get in another shameless plug for our new sermon series at CLC) – it’s also true that the ‘fear’ Scripture is talking about is a healthy reverence for God, not a knee-knocking, nervous fear that I’m somehow displeasing Him.  That kind of fear is the opposite of faith, and it keeps us from walking in the grace of the Lord!

As a pastor, I see and hear this way too much – where the enemy keeps some believers from enjoying their walk with the Lord, because they’re always struggling with thoughts that they’re somehow displeasing the Lord, and it can become an obsession that “I just don’t want to be out of God’s will” or “I just want to do what God wants”. Does any good father want his children to be in terror or even nervousness about pleasing him?  I think not.

And our heavenly Father also wants us to walk in His favor and blessing.  His grace is what saves us, not our works.  And after we’re saved by trusting Jesus, it’s still His unmerited, undeserved favor that enables us to walk in the blessing of the Lord, not our perfection in always saying our prayers exactly the right way, or keeping our thoughts focused each time we enter our prayer closet.  Say it to yourself: He’s a good God! He wants to bless me!  He delights in answering my prayer, even more than any earthly father enjoys blessing and giving to his children.

I’ve got to get down off my soapbox now, but I hope this helped.  If so, leave me a comment below.  Or if you need further clarification, please ask your question below.

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

My favorite ‘questioner’ is back after several weeks’ absence: “Is there a difference in ‘having fear’ as opposed to ‘being afraid’ of or about something? I know that the bible teaches us that God have not given us the spirit of fear, so therefore, my understanding is that it may be sinful to fear. (or is it)? Or is this one of those faults we have to pray for deliverance about? It seems that  Abraham was afraid to leave his country and everything that was familiar to him when God told him to leave. In Genesis 12 he was also afraid of the Egyptians, which is why he told Sarah to lie and say she was his sister. Yet, God did not hold this against him. So, is there a difference in having fear as opposed to being afraid of something or someone?”

Interesting questions.  Important questions!  Let me address them in this order:

1.  You are definitely correct in thinking it can be sinful to fear – read Revelation 21:8 where, at least in the KJV, ‘fearful’ people lead the list of those who will NOT go to heaven!

2.  However, let me quickly add that the reason fear can be sinful is not just that (like all sin) it causes us to ‘miss the mark’ of what God wants for our lives, but specifically because fear has torment (see 1John 4:18) and especially (at least in my thinking) because fear paralyzes us; i.e., it keeps us from obeying God’s Word.  Just in my years of ministry, I’ve known people who were afraid to tithe (in fact, I think that’s the #1 reason that some believers do not tithe – fear that they won’t be able to pay their bills if they do); I’ve known others who were afraid to receive the Holy Spirit (fearing that they’d ‘lose control’, etc.); I’ve seen still others who were afraid to be fully obedient to God’s call upon their lives (fearing He would require them to do something they didn’t want to do). In each case, fear kept them from receiving God&#