Dr. David M. Berman

When dealing with the question of evil, it must be understood that evil is not only shown in actions, but also, it is a state of being. We are all tainted by it. We tend to look at evil actions as the work of a particular person rather than the work of evil’s leader; Satan, and the power of sin as a force that contaminates us. Jesus rebuked the self-righteous religious leaders in the following passage:

John 8:42-44 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (Underscore mine).

Here Jesus is making it clear where evil comes from and that it is based in murder, and it is the opposite of all that is true. Do not misunderstand me, each person who commits evil actions is personally responsible however the theological point I want to make clear is that evil has a source, and that source is Satan. That being said, there is a reoccurring question I have been asked for decades; “Why does God allow evil is he is so powerful?” This question is both understandable, and reasonable. Why would a loving God, who is all powerful, and all-knowing allow suffering which clearly comes from evil’s source; Satan himself? I will get to that but for now let us continue to see what the Scripture teaches about evil.

The bible declares to us that in the Garden of Eden Satan tempted Eve:

Genesis 3:4-7 “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

Here we see that the temptation was primarily for mankind to question the truth (God himself) and become “as gods knowing good and evil.” Herein lays the real conflict. The idea of being a god is very appealing to the human condition. We may not walk around saying “I am a god” but we are challenged everyday with the question “Who is your God, you or Jesus?” Every single day we get to make that choice from the stand point of what we are submitted to, and who we ultimately listen to. If honest, we may realize that at times we act as though we are “as gods.”

This is the problem that most people simply do not understand because they look at things from a human perspective. One may look at a person they know who is not a Christian and see great things. In fact there are many wonderful people (by human standards) that are not Christians. People who care for others, give money and time to help those in need, and are generally great people to be around. Some would say: “Where is the evil in them?” This is a reasonable question however the question bears witness to a person’s lack of spiritual understanding. Let me explain it in the following example:

Imagine you have a glass of water that seems to be of the highest purity. If you look at that water and only see its clarity, and you drink it not knowing that 99% of it is truly pure but 1% of it has been tainted by a deadly poison, it will kill you. The 1% has tainted the 99% and it will have the same ultimate effect as if you had drunk 100% poison. We must understand that God is 100% pure. There is no unrighteousness in Him at all. The mistake is made when people think that they are mostly good, so God will accept them. Mostly good is still tainted, and tainted separates us from God who is pure. He will not have impurity infect His kingdom for eternity. Being infected with any amount of evil has the same eternal effect on the soul as the glass of water slightly tainted has on the body.

If this is true, and it is, what can we do to live in perfection? Can we be perfect and purge all possible sins and evil from ourselves? We can’t, and so it is Christ who did it for those who have accepted his atoning work on the cross, which paid for our sinful state. It is by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior that is applied to us for righteousness.

Evil is constantly lurking and seeking a weakness. Evil is not simply a chosen action but rather it is also a spiritual force, and a state of being that all of us are born with. Theologically, evil is the spiritual power that opposes the power of God. The skeptic might ask; “If God is so powerful, how can any evil oppose Him?” Again this is a great question and I will get to answering it soon.

The apostle Paul said:

Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”

Paul clearly states sin “easily besets us.” Sin is part of the spiritual force of evil, and its power is constantly competing for our affections. It gnaws at us. It seeks to ruin us, and it asks us to be “as gods.” The study of evil is difficult for most to understand because wickedness seems to be increasing by the day, and we all cry out for it to stop.

Romans 8:22-23 “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

The truth is that all of creation has been affected by the spiritual force of iniquity. Sin abounds and increases, and at the same time there is another force at work in the spiritual realm. It is the opposition to malevolence. Evil’s opposing force is truth and Christ is the source of all that is true.

Now let me answer a few of these pressing questions:

1) Why did God allow Satan to rebel, and why did God not simply destroy Satan before he tempted Eve?

The answer to this question is that God is a relational being. He is not simply a manufacturer of mechanical or organic products. He did not create Man as a robot with absolute programming of total obedience. If man was created without any choice or free will, then it would be impossible for there to be true relationship. In order for there to be relationship, Man had to be able to choose God, or the opposite of God. Satan is the opposite of God. Since God has given Mankind free will, the choices that each individual makes are not in a vacuum. The choices we make many times have an effect on those around us. If for example, a man chooses to drink too much and becomes addicted to alcohol, that choice does not only affect him, but also his family. What did his family do wrong? Maybe nothing, however they are still affected by the sin that the man commits. If a person chooses to rob a bank, the money he steals is lost by someone else who may have done nothing wrong concerning how they earned their money that was stolen from them. They are simply affected by the choice of the robber. No one is an island unto themselves. Sin perpetuates throughout the human race. That is not God’s fault but rather it is the consequence of Man’s actions, reactions, and rebellion against what is right.

People love to blame God for everything when the truth is that is us who perpetuate sin. It is us who have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom 2:23).  I am not saying that every bad thing we deal with is a direct result of our particular behavior, but rather it is a result of the force of sin’s perpetuation in the human condition. Sin brings dis-order and dis-order results in sickness, disease, pain, and on and on. There simply can’t be relationship without choice, and due to Mankind’s ever increasing propensity toward sinful choices, thinking, and behavior, evil grows. Stop blaming God for what humans have done. Every sin I commit is my fault. Every wrong thought, action, and reaction comes out of my sinful nature I was born with (Rom 7:15). Since Eve, then Adam chose to receive the lie about being “as gods,” they chose to follow evil and this set all Mankind under the curse.

2) Why would a loving God, who is all powerful, and all-knowing allow suffering which clearly comes from evil’s source; Satan himself?

“Why does God allow suffering?” is a question with an answer that will shock many. The answer I give you is sure to repel you at first. I trust you will contemplate what I am saying. Why does God allow evil? He allows it because of His Grace and Mercy. You say “How can God be showing mercy by allowing evil to continue?”…It is His grace and Mercy that allows evil and here is why; If God destroyed all evil He would have to destroy every person who is tainted by it, and so He would have to destroy all human beings. He would have to destroy me, and he would have to destroy you! You see, you and I were born in the state of sin. We were born sinners:

Ephesians 2:3 “Among whom also we all had our behavior in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

You see all of us were born tainted by evil. This next verse confirms what I am saying:

Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)”

God’s mercy allows us even though we are tainted by evil at birth.

Romans 5:7-8 “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Here we see that Christ died for our sins before we repented, and before we received him as Savior and Lord. Are you not glad that God did not kill you when you were an unbeliever? Do you want him to destroy evil now if that means your loved ones who are not yet Christians? You see, the reason God allows evil is because he gives men and women a choice, and time to decide. If we did not have a choice we would not have a relationship with God, but rather we would be organic pre-programed robots. If God was not exceeding in mercy and grace, we would have all been destroyed already. If you are reading this and you have not accepted Jesus personally as your Savior, you will in the end have the same fate as your Satan your leader, unless you turn from him and turn to Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us”

God is rich in mercy, and that mercy allows the continuation of evil and its consequences here on earth until the appointed time when God will end evil forever. There is coming a time when the wrath of God will be poured out on this world and Satan and his followers shall be cast into Hell fire forever.

2 Peter 3:9-10 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (Underscore mine)

I do not like evil. I hate evil, and yet at the same time I understand that I am also tainted by it in my born human condition. The Apostle Paul said, when speaking in the present tense, the following passage:

Romans 7:23-24 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Evil exists, pain exists, evil people exist, I do not like it any more than you do, but God allows it to a certain extent due to the reason I gave. This is hard for us to understand in this life however there will eventually be an end to it:

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

May God grace us all with the hope of his promise deep in our hearts as we endure this present world, and may we look with faith toward the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Dr. David M. Berman

A “Preacher”…the term alone makes me shake with fear. When I think of the implications of being a man who is called a preacher, and charged with such a sacred responsibility, I tremble. On November 2 of 1991 I was ordained into the ministry. I went on from that time to establish many music teams, and to plant two churches (One assisting another Pastor, and one I planted by myself). Since that time I have won almost 1000 people to Christ that I know of and I have been on hundreds of radio stations, and well as TV. My ministry has also taken me to Mexico where I have both led ministry teams for children’s ministry, and preached and trained pastors in theology. After 20 years of ordained ministry, I thought I would take a moment to look back and give my perspective so that Christians may have a glimpse into what it is like to be a Preacher.

Many Christian people have no idea what it is like or what a minister battles with. The average Christian thinks it is a glorious position to be a Pastor. After all, Pastors only work “one day a week” (Any pastors wife would testify otherwise), and are respected members of their community (Pastors are no longer respected in America, certainly not in New England where I serve as Senior Pastor). There is a sense in the hearts of many Christians that their Pastor must be impervious to discouragement and therefore they can say anything about him, and do anything mean to him without being concerned since after all “it’s his calling.” Some things never change. In fact Moses felt quite discouraged in his ministry:

Numbers 11:10-15 “Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. 

There is an interesting set of emotions that comes out of Moses in this passage. Let’s look closer at what he is saying. First he is weary of the complaining of the people God has called him to shepherd. He turns his attention to God and quite strongly speaks to God these words; “Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?” Moses expresses his discontentment in having to be the Pastor of a rebellious people. He refers to his ministry not as a joy but rather as a “burden.” The Hebrew word used here for burden means “taxing, to pay a tribute.” He refers to his ministry as a “tax”. That ought to express what he was feeling clearly. Moses goes on to speak strong words in saying “Have I conceived all this people?” It seems clear to me that Moses is fed up with being a Pastor so much that he is basically saying to God “hey this was not my idea, and I did not make these rebellious people, they are your responsibility.” Thankfully God is gracious and does not exact judgment on Moses for such disrespectful words. Moses says. “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.” Then after all this Moses comes to a place that every Pastor understands. Every minister has these same emotions, these same feelings of failure, and these same feelings of regret for not being what they hoped they could be. Look at what Moses says after his harsh words about the people, and his complaint to God; “kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” The great Prophet Moses, The Pastor of the rebellious Jews for 40 years in the wilderness, comes to the place way before the end of those 40 years where he says “kill me.” Moses is saying if I have found any favor. If you think well of me at all Lord, kill me. The end of this statement is very telling when he says “let me not see my wretchedness.” Many commentators say that Moses was simply tired of the people and so he wanted to die rather than continue to hear their complaining. I do not see it that way at all. Although Moses was clearly tired of their complaining, and the burden of leading them, his last statement is not about them at all. His last statement is about himself when he says “my wretchedness.” I think it is clear that Moses was battling with his emotions and also what he perceived as his failure. You see on one hand he seems to be blaming the people, then God. Then at the end of his statement he expresses the real emotion of his weary pastoral heart is asking to be taken from this life because he is sick not only of the people but himself.  In fact, what he is actually saying is this; show me that I have found favor by taking my life so I may not see my own wretchedness any longer. Every Pastor feels this to some degree at some point in his ministry, every Senior Pastor especially.

Moses had a conflict. His conflict was that he knew he was called, the people were rebellious, his emotions brought him to a place of actually getting upset at God, and at the same time he saw his own failures and wretchedness. This mix of emotions, duty, calling, and experiences shows through in the above passage. What we learn from this is that the scripture is always true and the following passage is no exception:

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.”

The struggles that Pastors have are not new. The life of a Preacher is a constant battle between his sinful flesh, and his call to ministry. He feels his duty to serve and yet his never ending feelings of not doing it well enough. He knows his passion to succeed and his feelings of failure. At every turn there is a problem to solve, a need to meet, someone who is convinced they know more than him, people who he has taught from a baby Christian who suddenly do not trust his teaching since they now feel their abilities are greater than their teacher, and often even betrayal by trusted people. This takes its toll on a man, even a great man like Moses. Over these twenty years I have seen much. Much that I have seen pains me. Many have come and gone who have felt it their right to stab at me and hurl fiery darts insinuating such insulting things that I find it hard to even repeat them.

What every minister must understand is that they are not alone. The great Apostle Paul experienced this as he states in this passage:

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”

Demas is a man that Paul earlier mentioned in a positive light: Colossians 4:14 “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” Now Paul says that Demas has forsaken him. Do you think that Paul did not feel hurt personally? Paul did not say Demas had forsaken the Lord. Paul said it in a personal way, “Demas hath forsaken me.” This is often how a preacher feels when he gives his time, emotion, and energy only to have the person he has sown into forsake him. I must confess I have often felt the way Paul did.

After reading thus far you may be thinking “get over it” no one is forcing you to be in this position, if you don’t like it do something else.” That is a fair enough point to the average position, but is fails to understand a minister. A Preacher has no choice. He must continue to obey the call:

1 Corinthians 9:16 “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

Paul makes it clear when he uses the most extreme term “woe unto me.” The term “woe unto” speaks of exceedingly painful grief. This is the call of a Preacher. A preacher with a true call must preach the gospel or woe unto him.

Am I writing this because I want to complain? Am I just emotionally spewing out pain? It is my desire to gain sympathy? The answer to these questions is NO. The reason I am writing this is twofold. 1) I hope young ministers read this and understand that even seasoned Preachers struggle as they do. I hope as they read this they understand that what really matters is being faithful to the one who called them. 2) I also hope that all church members will gain some understanding and hold up their Pastor in prayer and in actions that speak loyalty to him.

I am happy to end this article by saying that although over the first twenty years of my ministry, I have suffered the emotional scars left by certain experiences; I have also met some of the most wonderful believers. I have also experienced some of the most loving people and gestures of kindness. Thankfully, I can testify also as Paul did in the following passage:

Romans 16:3-4 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.”

Paul speaks of these “who have for my life laid down their own necks.” What a way to put it! Their loyalty to him speaks volumes. I am so grateful to testify that I have people in my life like that. I titled this article “Confessions of a Preacher” because I believe it is important that Christian people understand that Preachers are ordinary people with extraordinary responsibilities and callings. We are no better than anyone else. We have the same struggles, emotions, dreams, and passions as everyone else, and yet “woe unto” us who are called if we do not preach the gospel.

Yes Moses struggled, yes Moses had emotions, but thankfully, and what should be an encouragement to all Preachers is this; Moses is mentioned in the following way in the New Testament:

Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

“By faith Moses” What great words, and what encouraging words for every Pastor! So to my fellow ministers I say Preach on, don’t give up, and to Christians I say Just because people have always resisted Preachers, it does not mean it is the right thing to do. Examine yourself, and ask yourself this; Am I a blessing or a curse to the one God has placed over me in spiritual authority? The honest answer to that question may just change your life.

By God’s grace I shall continue.

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Amen!

Ah…”truth” That most disturbing word, the declaration that makes the left recoil as though it was made up of four letters. Truth is that thing that threatens illogical foolery and so it is mocked, and twisted, and met with its opposing force of lies or worse yet; relativism. Relativism is a mindset that makes truth subjective to one’s personal feelings at the time. Relativism is this illogical world view that makes truth subject to feelings rather than what it is; objective.

Jesus said:

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”

Now there is a statement that would have made modern relativists take notice and stand against what Jesus dared to say; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The fact is that it is not just modern day relativists who think in these terms. Consider what Pilate said to Jesus after Jesus told of his mission to proclaim the truth;

John 18:38 “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all”

What is truth? This is an excellent question. It is at least better than the supposition now in the minds of most Americans that all is relative and there is no truth at all. Truth is the foundation of life and it is a set of laws. God created the Heavens and the Earth. We have observable laws such as gravity. If you are one who thinks that gravity is something that is only my truth, try jumping out of the window with your relativistic view of truth and experience what happens. In the same way the Creator made natural laws, he also made spiritual ones. This however is the problem with relativism. It seeks to make the individual the creator of his/her own set of spiritual laws. This mindset only produces selfishness as the person becomes more deceived of his/her own importance of subjective feelings. This leads ultimately to a person believing in their own intellect and emotional feelings as they believe they alone are the adjudicators of what their “truth” is. A relativist is one who stands on nothing, stands for nothing (accept what they personally feel at a given time), and is motivated by short term thinking influenced by circular reasoning. It is not logic that dictates the relativist; it is corrupt emotion and deception that clouds the real reason for relativism. The reason, whether known by the relativist or not, is unbridled pantheistic licentiousness. It ultimately is the desire of an individual to be as a god. In the original temptation in the garden Satan tempted with the following words:

Genesis 3:4-5 “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”

Notice the temptation is to disobey God who told them truth. God said death would enter mankind, Satan said that God was not speaking the truth. Satan then says in his deception that the restriction placed on them by God was due to God not wanting them to be “as gods.” He tells them that if they listen to him they will be gods. Therein lays the constant temptation placed before all men and women. Will God be God or will we attempt to be our own god?

The reason people in modern day America do not like truth is because we have been sold a lie from the Devil by way of his prophets. The devils prophets are all those who preach against truth. They reject God’s Word, and seek to destroy the true prophets of God. Anyone who dares to stand for objective truth must be ready to be persecuted for it. Most American Christians worship their jobs, friendships, social positions, and desire to be accepted much more than they do Truth. True mature Christians worship He who is truth itself. Jesus said “I am the way” (the only road) “the truth” (emphatically absolute)“ the life (literally life itself). Jesus was clear here that he was not simply a person who spoke truth but rather he is truth. This is why so many in the world hate the Jesus of the Bible. They often like the Jesus they make up in their minds, but they hate the true Christ. Jesus is an absolutist. Why do people hate true Christians? It is simple really. Jesus explains it in the following passages:

John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”

We see from this that God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn it. Why? Because the world was condemned already! Jesus came to save us from the consequences of our sinful nature that desires to be a god. We tend to think we have the right to decide what is right or wrong based on our own intellect and human feelings. Jesus came to save us from that disposition and bring us to the understanding that He is truth, He is God, and He decides what is right and wrong. By His grace we are saved as we in our sinful state accept His grace (unmerited favor) by faith (trust) and are saved from the wrath to come. It does not mean we are perfect in ourselves since only God is perfect. It does however mean that we are saved from the wrath of God because we received Jesus as our Savior and he has provided His righteousness to all those who have been born again.

John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”

He goes on here to express the truth of the difference between the believers who are now saved, and the condemned that are on their way to Hell because they reject the truth (Jesus is the truth). It is not that any preacher is condemning a person who rejects Christ. I as a preacher simply explain that Jesus said without Christ a person is condemned already because they have ”not believed on the only begotten Son of God.”

John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”

Jesus tells us why here when he says “men love darkness rather than light.” This is the problem with a relativist; Relativists do not believe there is a difference between darkness and light. They do not believe there is wrong or right. Why? Jesus says because their “deeds were evil.” The truth is that the reason people are relativistic is because they do not want to place their deeds under the inspection of God’s truth.

John 3:20 “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”

People who continue in this mindset hate the light of Christ and therefore they refuse to come to it because they do not wish to be reproved for their actions.

John 3:21 “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God”

The believer comes to the light because he/she knows the light (Jesus) has forgiven their sins. Again, it is not that any Christian is perfect in themselves. It is that God has made them perfect legally before God through the blood of Jesus by paying the price for their sins. Jesus paid the price for all mankind’s sins however in order to receive the benefits all must receive Christ personally as their Savior and Lord. Because the believer believes in He who is the truth, the believer walks in it. It is not perfection that the believer does in his/her own power. Sin is not simply an action of disobedience pertaining to a single evil deed. It is much more than that. Sin is a condition that every person is born into. It is the disposition that believers and unbelievers alike are tainted by. The difference between the believer and the unbeliever is a matter of spiritual legal standing, not a matter of personal perfection one over the other. The believer simply has been pardoned of the eternal penalty of sin by the act of Christ on the cross. It is the imputation of the perfection of Christ that changes the believer into a position of innocent spiritual legal standing. It is the unbeliever who is sadly left in the mire of his own sinful legal position due to his incredulous rejection of this pardon.

When Pilate asked the question “what is truth,” he was asking a profound question. At least he asked it. He, like so many, could not see the truth standing in front of him. In our culture we see tangible evidence of the negative results of our turn from objective truth to subjective relativism.

1. We have turned from family accountability and support to government support without accountability
2. We have moved toward an “anything goes” mindset and called it freedom when what that mindset really brings is an imprisoned heart.
3. We have turned from the financial principles of hard work, buy what you can afford, pull your own weight, and reward for risk to government bailouts, an entitlement way of thinking, and intense unsustainable government spending.
4. We have gone from a country that believed in free speech to a nation that has to walk on egg shells worrying about offending some group.
5. We have gone from a nation bound together by a set of absolute Judeo-Christian principles to a nation splintered by the insanity of multi culturist thinking.
6. We have left local control and have gone to the centralized power of Washington’s corruption.
7. We have gone from a nation that lauded the Constitution to a nation that spits on it.
8. We have gone from a nation that respected the Bible to a nation that mocks God and His Word.
9. We have gone from a nation that realized the importance of marriage to a nation that seeks to impose the vile works of homosexuality by forcing its acceptance through judicial activism.
10. We have gone from “mom, apple pie, and Chevrolet” to “transgender step mom” used to be a male, Chinese apples, and Chevrolet made in Mexico.
11. We have gone from a nation of on fire churches with Holy Ghost Bible preachers to a milk toast, emergent, tickle ears, fear of persecution churches in name only (thankfully some Churches are still faithful).

What does all this have to do with truth? Everything! Jesus gave us the foundation for blessings and we have squandered it with our self proclamations of greatness, human will, and intellect. Jesus said this:

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”

Since our nation has turned its back on He who is the truth, since we have long since abandoned the principles found in the Scripture pertaining to life and godliness, since we no longer seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we are losing the “other things.” Truth is Christ and Christ is truth. He is the foundation of blessing. Without Him, we have what we see, a nation broken spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Wake up and smell the truth. The only way to live in true liberty is to return to our Constitutional, Judeo-Christian roots.

By: Pastor Brian Cook

It seems very odd to me that someone who claims to be a Christian would ever choose to attack the Body of Christ. As I consider this thought, I have concluded that if one makes a claim to be a Christian and they claim to be part of the Body of Christ and yet they choose to attack other Christians or the Church which make up His Body, through strife and sowing division, there are really only 2 possibilities to consider about that person’s spiritual condition.

#1: That person is a self-destructive, carnal Christian and their behavior towards the Church (the Body of Christ) can be likened to a person who intentionally cuts themselves or chooses to harm themselves in order to spite others. At best that person is double-minded and at worst they are in danger of being cut off from the Body of Christ all together.

Or…

#2: That person is not an authentic Christian; no, instead they are a cancer, a gangrene, a disease which seeks to destroy the Body by attaching itself to the Body in order to kill it from within.

 That is what I think, but what does God think about the person who I have just described?

Proverbs 6:16 -19 says:  These six things does the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

What does God think about someone sowing discord among believers? He hates it. He hates it. I ask you, is the sign of a true Christian doing what God hates without any remorse or is the sign of a true Christian trying to please God in the things that you do?

Now, I do understand that we all commit sin against ourselves and against others from time to time and need constant forgiveness, but I find it difficult to believe that a true Christian will choose to continue to wallow in sin as pig wallows in the sty without any conviction of the Holy Spirit or without any discipline from Our Father. The Bible says God chastens those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6). If someone continues to live a life of sin without receiving any discipline from God then that person would be wise to examine their relationship with the Father to determine if they really are in the faith and whether they are a child of God at all. 

Jesus said “If God were your Father, all of you would love me” (John 8:42a). How can anyone say that they love Christ, but yet hate His Body? These two ideas are completely and totally at odds with one another. I can’t even imagine attacking a brother or sister in Christ because to do so would be the same as attacking myself or even worse, the same as attacking Christ! True Christians seek to be unified as the Body of Christ, not divided. The mere notion of sowing seeds of discord within the Church is utter foolishness to me! Christians are to love one another as Christ has loved us.

How ridiculous it is to even imagine Jesus Christ attacking and harming His own disciples! What’s more, how ridiculous it is to imagine Jesus’ followers attacking and harming Him, yet this is exactly what people do when they sow seeds of discord in the Church. It is an attack on Christ Himself and a very serious sin. God hates it! Causing disunity within the Body of Christ is not doing the works of our Father but it is doing the works of Satan.

Jesus prayed these words for His Church: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus’ prayer was that the Christians would be unified not divided. To cause strife or division through our actions, words or attitudes is working in total opposition to Jesus and His prayer. This is not the sign of a true Christian.

Romans 16:17 Now I plead to you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which all of you have learned; and avoid them.

To willingly choose to expose yourself to a division-maker is a very dangerous thing. Not one of us would willingly expose ourselves to any deadly disease, yet if we continue in choose to be around someone who is sinning against Christ and His Body then we are in danger of catching their diseased spirit. If we eat the bad fruit they produce then we will become just as spiritually sick as they are. 

We must exhort the division-maker to repent of what they have done, to receive the forgiveness of Christ and to go and sin no more. Their refusal  to do so only adds to the evidence that they probably fall under the second possibility mentioned above and that they are not a true Christian at all no matter what they say. Their actions say different.

Guard the unity of the faith at all costs, Brothers and Sisters! Do not allow envy, strife and murder to ever enter into your hearts. If one has offended you, seek them out in humility, love and grace seeking to be restored back into to unity with them (Matthew 18). This is what true Christians do.

Romans 7:15 “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

This perhaps is the most intriguing passage of Scripture given concerning the dilemma of the human condition. Humans are a funny creation. Humans throughout history have been driven by ideals, ideals that become the most important provision of self worth. How many times have we gone to battle over a personal ideal that we see lacking in another? The list would go on for miles. Ours is a condition that seldom focuses on personal faults, but quite regularly converges on the areas in others lives that do not meet our ideals.

If there is one word that could be used to describe human motivation it would be “passion.” Passions in themselves are not always bad however the problem with passion in general is its ability to overcome our ideals. Sometimes our zeal is for our standards. That is helpful and yet, too many times our passions in areas of the carnal nature supersede the good fervor of our principles. In this we find that humans are a walking contradiction that know one thing and do another, that feel conviction but give into their desires, that believe something in the depths of their being and yet oft fail to accomplish dominance over their carnal passions. What an agony it can be to be human. What a pathetic problem we have, and so few will actually admit it.

The great Apostle Paul makes a statement that all can read, recorded in the eternal Word of God with reference to his own desperate war with sin. In order to truly understand the magnitude on the above passage, we must understand a few things;

1.) Paul is an incredibly intellectually brilliant man. He was a Pharisee who was of the tribe of Benjamin. He describes himself as a “Hebrew of thee Hebrews.”

Philippians 3:4 ”Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:”

Of all men of his day, he could stand with any in his ability to debate, reason, and to do so with perfect confidence in his personal abilities.

Philippians 3:5 “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee”

He makes his case in this passage about just how righteous he was in the eyes of men. Paul knew what it was to watch every behavior as to be approved of by the religious of his day. Paul also knew what it was to sit at the feet of great teachers and glean intellectual power from their teaching.

2.) Paul was a man who loved God so much that he would give his entire life up including dying a martyr’s death for the gospel. He suffered for the kingdom like few others;

2 Corinthians 11:25-27 “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

3.) Paul was a man with a passion for the lost.

Ephesians 3:1 “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles”

Describing himself here as a “prisoner” for the gentiles, he makes it known where his heart is.

When we truly contemplate who Paul was, his intellect, what he gave up, how he suffered, and how he did all in his power to win the lost, we must come to a conclusion; there are few men in the history of God’s people who come close to this man in righteous living, and in pleasing our Lord. Yet we are left with a passage of Scripture that should make us take pause, contemplate, and conclude a truth. A truth so profound, that in one way it leaves us tortured and in another it leaves us sensing a freedom that can’t be adequately spoken in words. Here we have a man who throughout his Christian life served in a greater capacity that most men ever have. A man who God chose to write the bulk of the New Testament letters, a man who is a giant among men in ministry, and yet a flawed man who describes himself in this way;

Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

The word used her for “wretched” in this context means miserable sinful man. It denotes a man who is come to the conclusion that with all his knowledge, good works, and service to God, he still recognizes that the passions of his human condition precludes him from always living up to his ideals.

What does all of this mean? It means that we may have great ideals and still not reach them. Hypocrisy is not really what so many think it is. Hypocrisy is not having ideals, and then not living up to them. Hypocrisy is condemning others for the sins that we also commit. Herein lies the problem with the Pharisees. It was not that they raised a moral standard as that which we all strive to reach. It was rather that they assumed they had reached it and others did not when they clearly had not.

Paul, in his humility, makes a shocking admission of his own continued struggle with the human passions. He says;

Romans 7:23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

This is no passing statement, nor is it a light admission. Paul expresses that his mind is still at times brought into “Captivity” (Greek – led away captive), expressing that the law of sin causes him to not always be able to control himself.

The things we want to do are not always the things we do. Conversely, the things we don’t want to do are often the things that we do. This is a dilemma that has plagued man since the fall of Adam. Satan knows this. He knows it so well that he uses it. Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). Satan knows that condemnation hinders the believer, discourages the believer, and can bring a believer to a place of being ineffective for the cause of Christ.

We have to ask ourselves this: “If a great man like the Apostle Paul can come to the understanding and confession of his own captivity to his passions, should we not come to the same conclusion about ourselves?” The answer can only be yes. The fact is that we live, breath, serve, and love as imperfect people who walk in contradictions. On the one hand we have our God given ideals, and on the other hand we find that “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” – Romans 7:15

Paul sums up this by simply resting in a fact that every believer must try to come to;

Romans 7:24-25 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Paul’s conclusion?…The facts is that our flesh will at times overcome our ideals but our rest is not in our human abilities to overcome passions, our rest is in the answer to Paul’s question; “Who shall save me from this body of death?” Paul’s answer?…”I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the only answer. Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, His taking our place, his granting our pardon paid for with his blood, is the only hope we have. So we will press on, we will continue to fight for the expansion of the Kingdom of God, we will go forward in our personal walk, but we will always be reminded as long as we live here that Christ paid the price totally…even for our contradictions.

The Tea Party movement is truly a powerful force. When this movement is compared to others such as the one under Ross Perot, it is clear that the Tea Party movement is much stronger. Both the Republican and Democrat establishments have been forced to acknowledge that the Tea Party has motivated, empowered, and given voice to Conservatives in this country. Primary election surprises have sent shockwaves and the shakeup continues……so what?

Does it really matter in the long run? Some may feel that the goal is to stop Obama and the liberals from continuing down the path to destruction of the Constitutional principles we were founded on. Others feel this is the start of real reform and restoration of The Constitution as supreme law of the land. I have been giving this movement a lot of thought in relation to our history as a nation and the cultural slide to entitlement, the destruction of the family, and the enslavement to government dependence.

Our history has experienced times of spiritual decline which were followed by great awakenings. The “First Great Awakening” happened in the 1730’s and 40’s. A renewal swept through the churches in the colonies and brought with it an intense fervor for the Bible which influenced every part of society. This awakening was so powerful that there is no doubt that its long term effects contributed to the fervor to fight for liberty with the cry of the American Revolution being “No king but King Jesus!” There was even a song written by the well known and notable New-England composer William Billings, called Independence. Here are the Lyrics:

“The states, O Lord, with songs of praise shall in Thy strength rejoice,
And blest with Thy salvation raise to Heav’n their cheerful voice.
To the King they shall sing Hallelujah.
Thy goodness and Thy tender care have all our fears destroy’d,
A covenant of peace Thou mad’st with us confirmed by Thy word,
A covenant Thou mad’st with us and seal’d it with Thy blood.
To the King they shall sing Hallelujah.
And all the continent shall sing: down with this earthly King,
No King but God.
To the King they shall sing Hallelujah.
And the continent shall sing: God is our rightful King, Hallelujah.
And the continent shall sing: God is our gracious King, Hallelujah.
They shall sing to the King, Hallelujah.
God is the King, Amen,
The Lord is His name, Amen.”

This song along with powerful sermons preached from the pulpits of awakened Churches moved the culture as the flames of liberty were held under the authority of “God given rights.”

The Declaration of Independence makes this clear as it states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (emphasis mine).

The first great awakening was a spiritual awakening that led to a political realty. Due to a move in the hearts of the people to spiritual fervor, the result was a change manifested in the political realm.

The “Second Great Awakening” took place in the early 19^th century. This movement influenced every church denomination including the more liturgical type churches (Anglican etc). Upstate NY was called “the Burned Over District” due to the numerous revival meetings that happened there. Church attendance soared and this powerful move motivated the culture and brought a realization that God is watching us. This spawned the Holiness movement. The second great awakening spawned a powerful abolitionist movement which led to continued tension over the slavery issue.  It can be credibly argued that the second great awakening had a part in leading to the civil war in which the slaves were freed. It is also a fact that during the second great awakening many slaves became powerful Christians and the black church was birthed in America. Again spiritual awakening led to political reality.

Is the Tea Party movement the Third Great Awakening? This is an important historical question that we must look in the light of history. Is this movement a result of spiritual revival or political and economic anger? Is it that the Tea Party people realize that our nation has fallen away from God’s Word, or is it that they think that we are fine as a culture and the problem is only the politicians?

Let me be abundantly clear concerning my personal position. I am in total support of the major goals of the Tea Party movement. Their desire for small constitutionally limited government, low taxes, power back to the states and the people (Tenth Amendment), and all the principles of liberty as found in our original American documents I totally support. Having said that, I fear the movement has missed the most important part of reform that led to the establishment of these sacred principles: “endowed by our Creator.” If we attempt to return to the Constitution without returning to the Lord God almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, we will only have a short term influence on things. Without revival in the Church bringing us back to respect for the Bible, the Tea Party movement will at best become another political party that loses its way as corruption and human pride take over. What we need is a revival back to the first great awakening, a fervor that motivates to fight for liberty and establish once again a nation under God.

Hear these words and contemplate them:

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.” – Samuel Adams, 1779 (emphasis mine).

“They tell us Sir, that we are weak — unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature has placed in our power.” — Patrick Henry (emphasis mine).

“Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Beside, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of Nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.” — Patrick Henry (emphasis mine).

These are but a few quotes of the many that make it clear that if we are to return to our foundation, that return must include God! I exhort all of you who identify with the Tea Party movement, do not forsake the Creator by which this great land was established! I beseech you by the mercies of God that you refuse to believe in a secular awakening. Let this not simply be a move of anger but rather a move of repentance toward God. If this movement is to have a lasting result to the restoration of liberty, it cannot be simply motivated by the economy, jobs, disgust over political corruption, or the national debt. If we are to seriously make a lasting change and return to the principles of liberty, the emphasis must not be politics and economics alone clothed in secular wisdom. If we truly desire a revival of the Constitution the cry must once again be “No king but King Jesus!!!!” May the Lord use this article to His glory!

I have often found myself reading in the Old Testament and seeing great parallels between the Children of Israel and The New Testament American believers. This is a burden that has been on me for over 20 years and at times I feel like a voice that many refuse to hear. I have often wondered why American Christians have become so weak, uncommitted, and full of rebellion. After all, this is the country that is responsible for sending thousands of missionaries all around the world to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the country that backed up the sending of those missionaries with literally billions of dollars over the last hundred or more years. Great missionary movements were birthed in the hearts of Americans and they put their money where their mouths were. Jesus made a profound statement in the following passage;

Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Here we see that Jesus makes a direct connection to one’s finances as a barometer to test where their true love is found. Jesus knew that a man or woman will put his/her money where their heart is fixed. For many years the hearts of the vast majority of true believers was in the kingdom of God and they desired to see its expansion. So they gave, and gave. In fact the percentage of those Christians who tithed during the Great depression was vastly higher than the percentage during the height of the economic boom in 2006. It is reported that of people who say that they read their bible, pray, and attend Church services every week, only 12% actually tithe. If we take Jesus at His Word, and that we must, then 88% of people who go to church, pray, and read their bibles, simply do not have their hearts in the church since their treasure is somewhere else. Again, based on the words of Christ, there can be no other conclusion!

Now I know some Christians have conveniently convinced themselves that they “don’t have to tithe.” They say; “that’s the Law, and we are not under the law.” That mind set completely misses the point and the purposes of God. Are we really to believe that just because we are not condemned by the law, we should not care at all about anything in the law? Would that same Christian say; “I am not under the law so I think I will go steal some money?” Would that Christian apply that thinking and be ok with their spouse committing adultery and then using as their defense; “I am not under the law?” We are saved by grace but we do not throw away the principles of the Old Covenant. First of all, the tithe was a principle long before the Law of Moses (Gen 14:20, Gen 28:22). Also, let’s not forget what Jesus said about the tithe in the following passage;

Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their lack of proper judgment, mercy, and faith. He then makes it clear that they should continue to tithe by saying; “and not to leave the other undone.”

Secondly, do we honestly believe that God would not have us be ones who desire to support the Church that He established and gave authority to? Are we really to believe that we, who have experienced the indwelling Holy Spirit, have tasted of that which our Old Covenant fathers prophesied of, and have had the privilege of sharing with others, are somehow to be less inclined to give than the Old Testament Saints? I think not! If anything, as ones who are members of the New Covenant, our desire should be to be bigger givers. In the days of Malachi the prophet we see parallels to the heart attitudes that prevail in most American Churches today:

1. First we see the following attitude of an unthankful heart;

Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob”

The people of God in Malachi’s day did not fully understand and appreciate the love that God had shown them and so Malachi reveals their hearts by saying “yet you say, wherewith hast thou loved us?”

2. They gave polluted bread offerings;

Malachi 1:7 “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible”

The idea here being that they grudgingly gave bread offerings and that is what made the offerings polluted. They did not give of a cheerful heart with thanksgiving.

3. They gave lame and blind Lamb offerings;

Malachi 1:8 “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts”

They gave to God what they never would have given to their natural governor. This showed that they had a form of religion for religion’s sake and yet their hearts were far from God as evidenced by their contemptible offerings.

4. They liked to act as though they were committed to the house of the Lord by vowing to give their best, but when it came time to give they did not bring the best they had, but rather the worse;

Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen”

5. Their ministers also were contemptible in their actions;

Malachi 2:1-2 “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart”

6. Divorce was rampant, and the marrying of believers to unbelievers as well;

Malachi 2:11 “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god”

Malachi 2:14 “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant”

7. They robbed God of what belonged to Him and would not even acknowledge what they were doing;

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings”

The problems that God outlines in the book of Malachi are summed up in;

1. Neglect by the ministers of God in doing proper service to the Lord according to His commands. The Priests had become defiled.
2. The general lack of concern for God’s Word and intense lack of commitment by the people of God.
3. The breaking of the marriage covenant, and the mixing of believers and non believers in marriage. This was and is still forbidden.

There can be no doubt that the American modern Church looks is pictured in many ways by this description. The American church has become about;

1. Comfort.
2. Ear tickling.
3. What’s in it for me?
4. What do I get?

People in the American church can’t be bothered to get up on Sunday and go to church. They can’t be troubled to miss a football game on TV. They can’t be expected to make the gathering of believers a priority since they may have a better offer than being in then gathering of the believers. Most American Christians see Church as making them the center of attention. When a preacher dares to call them out on their complacency, they answer with excuses, self justification, or they leave due to their obstinate, stiff necked and rebellious hearts. When I received Jesus as my Savior and learned the bible, no one had to beg me to go to church. We need the heart of David on this matter:

Psalms 122:1-9 <<A Song of degrees of David.>> “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good”

How much more should we who have the indwelling Spirit of God desire to gather together to worship and hear the Word of the Lord preached?

Truly there are parallels between the days of Malachi and these days in America. If the American church is to revive it will not be through slick marketing, emergent heretical mystical teaching, attempts by preachers to please everyone, or fad church growth books. Revival will only come through repentance by the people of God as they turn from this present day slumber to the fire that started the New Testament in Acts Chapter two. The only way to stop these parallels is if there is a restoration of the true desire to receive the power of the Holy Ghost, and to preach it and live it. Consider these telling passages of Scripture’s warning;

1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”

2 Timothy 3:1-4 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”

Wake up American Church. Shake the dust, clean out the webs of deception, and ask yourself where your heart is? God is calling all or us to come back again to our first love;

Revelation 2:4-5 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”

If you have an ear you will hear what the Spirit is saying to you now. I trust you will hear and obey for the glory of God.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Dr. David M. Berman

There can only be one reason for the back sliding Christian to do so; deception. When I say this it may sound unsympathetic to the person’s personal struggle; however that is far from the truth. Since I am also human with all of the propensities toward the flesh that every human being has, I completely understand the temptations of life. At times I have given in to temptations. I do not speak as though I have arrived at some spiritual plain high above others. At the same time, the truth is the truth and it applies to all of us; deception is the cause of backsliding.

Life is a contradiction in believers in that on one hand there is the great power and witness of the gospel in the heart of the believer. On the other hand there are great disappointments in this world which tempt us to question our faith, and passions emanating from our fallen flesh nature that tempt us to follow after them. The apostle Paul knows this all too well as he describes in the seventh chapter of the book of Romans. He says that he finds there are two forces working in him; the power of the Spirit which has given him his new nature in Christ, and the power of his human flesh with all its propensities to sin. Paul’s conclusion…”thanks be to God.” Paul knew that the only answer for his own wretchedness was the cross that Jesus endured for his sin, and thus he was freed from the penalty of sin by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Consider the following passage;

James 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.”

We see here that it is the deception of our human condition that is plagued with lust. Lust is defined as any human desire that is contrary to the will of God. We then see in the above passage the next steps to bringing death and stealing life. The problem with believers is the propensity to double mindedness. James also said;

James 1:8 “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

When we think about what is being said here we see a clear teaching of how deception takes place with its various steps. In order for deception to take place, one first must be a willing recipient of it. A choice is always at the center of the opening for deception. Truthfully, we can only be deceived if we open ourselves up to it at some level. In other words; being deceived is also a choice. Once a person makes that choice and begins to give their heart to the deception; it only increases its hold on the soul. The problem for believers is that we often let our guard down during times when we feel “On the mountain top.” When things seem to be going well in life.

Here is the question; How do we stay on our guard against the methods of the enemy and at the same time enter into Jesus’ rest? We do this by abiding in Christ. In the Kingdom of God, there is no contradiction between fighting the good warfare in the Holy Ghost and walking in divine rest. In fact, for the believer, the only way to really do warfare is to rest (trust) in Jesus. It is the human condition that gets all wrought up and stressed out at every problem. We must fight by and in the Holy Ghost. Consider this;

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2 Corinthians 10:4 “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)”

It is clear from these passages that we can both enter into the rest of Christ and fight the war at the same time. It is also clear from the Word of God that we must do both because we live in a fallen world. This fallen world grabs at us and offers us happiness that always turns out to be death in the long run. Look at the original temptation that Eve was tempted with;

Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

There were two things that Adam and Eve did right after they fell from relationship with God. The first thing they did was make coverings for themselves. This speaks of self justification. The second thing they did was that they decided to hide from God. These two things are what the backslidden Christian often does; justify the sin, and then hides from God by removing him/herself from fellowship and pastoral care. The world we live in now is getting worse. The Bible says;

2 Timothy 3:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. “

“Perilous” means as difficult and dangerous as to cause a reduction in one’s strength.

V2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Selfishness!

V3 “Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,”

Selfishness again!

V4 “Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”V5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

These characteristics are increasing in our culture and they are not only increasing in the world, they are increasing in the churches where there are less and less people who are loyal, committed, submissive to Gods men (Hebrews 13:17) and sold out for God’s purposes.

V6 “For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts,”

We are seeing this as well. There is an increase in heretical teachings leading many astray

V7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

So many “Christians” seem to be moved in this way to a point. Although they may know the truth in a way, their understanding is shallow. They read “Christian” pop culture type books, and listen to soothsayer preachers, but are unwilling to come to the truth that they must take up their cross.

V8 “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Many end up like those mentioned above. Kicking against God’s anointed leaders, maligning them, instigating others to rebel against them, Reprobate (seared), resisting both the truth and God’s men who bring it.

V9 “But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”

These attitudes are folly. The end result is nothing but destruction and despair. Most of us can relate to this process since most of us have either came close to, or have been backslidden. Here are a few examples of great men in the Bible who backslid;

1. Peter backslid for a short time after Jesus was taken and denied Christ three times.
2. Demas, who is mentioned honorably along with Luke in Colossians 4:14, later has his backslidden state spoken of by the Apostle Paul;

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”

Remember this; backsliding may look good, may feel right at the time, may promise happiness, but its end is death. I leave you with this;

Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”