The Birth of Jesus Christ: Savior of the World

Luke 2:1-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration when^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,^[b] who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.^[c]

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”^[d]

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Footnotes:

Luke 2:2 Or This was the registration before
Luke 2:5 That is, one legally pledged to be married
Luke 2:7 Or guest room
Luke 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men

Glorious Christmas Nights: A Timeless Hope

My wife and I went to see the Christmas musical, “Glorious Christmas Nights: A Timeless Hope” which was performed at West End Assembly of God in Richmond, VA under the direction of Reverend Bob Laughlin. This year, the play centered around a man by the name of Samuel, who experienced life’s trials which ultimately left him by himself at the end. He lost his wife and lost his job when the Miller & Rhodes finally closed their doors. But it was through the hope that his grandmother taught him when he was a small child, that all you can ever depend on in life is your hope and faith in Jesus Christ.

The themed Scripture was taken from Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

Act 1

Perspective: This story was told from the perspective of 1993 Richmond, remembering the past and looking, with hope, towards the future, through the eyes of four generations of middle-class Richmond women. Each woman remembered Richmond as a child or as a teenager. Two generations of men and many others tell their stories as well.[1]

Synopsis: Four generations of women who were continuing a family tradition, have attended the closing performance of the Christmas 1993 run of the Nutcracker at the Carpenter Center. As the street clears of patrons, our ladies remain, waiting for the father/son to bring the car around. The younger girl comments on the suddenly evident deterioration of once vibrant Downtown Richmond. Then the journey begins of the ladies remembering back through the decades of happier times for the city, a journey of a cast of characters from the past to the present, each struggling to find hope beyond their circumstances.[2]

Act 2

The 2nd Act began without an intermission and started with Scene 7. This scene began with the shepherds outside of Bethlehem, tending their flock at night. The Angel of the Lord came and announced that Jesus was going to be born. As the scene changed to the night of Christ’s birth, a live camel was brought onto the stage along with the kings, bringing Him gifts. This was a moving scene, with angels being suspended in the air by wires.

The last scene was the Second Coming with the Reverend Bob Laughlin singing the Midnight Cry. Then came in other men vocalists such as Allen Brown, Tony Robinson, and James Opher. What a stellar performance these men gave as well as the rest of the cast. Jesus appeared above and a multitude of Angels were suspended as well. It was a sight to see!

This was a night to remember for years to come. It is a reminder that whatever our circumstance, God will never leave us nor forsake us (cf. Deuteronomy 31:6). The cast had us laughing one minute, and towards the end of the play, Samuel (James Opher), in his own hopelessness, tears came to my eyes with me knowing that there are people in our society today, have no hope because no one had ever loved them enough to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Samuel finally found hope in Christ, which led into the Midnight Cry.

As of the writing of this review, the musical play performed their last show December 15th, 2019. The gospel message is always presented in the Glorious Christmas Nights series. I look forward to going again next year to see what West End Assembly of God will be presenting. I have been to many church performances but West End Assembly of God is about the best I have experienced in musical theater.

We give this show the highest review ever and award it 5 Stars out of 5.

References:

Photo Credit: Rev. Joseph Lee, Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc., Photo was taken by permission of Rev. Bob Laughlin, West End Assembly of God.

West End Assembly of God Website: https://gcn.weag.org/cast-crew/

[1] West End Assembly of God Website: https://gcn.weag.org/cast-crew/

[2] West End Assembly of God Website: https://gcn.weag.org/cast-crew/

Do You Have Spiritual Leprosy?

We all have leprosy in our spirits.

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem and He passed between Samaria and Galilee. When He entered a village, there were ten men with a serious skin disease who met Him. They had leprosy. People who are stricken with leprosy have to statin to talk because it also affects the vocal cords. They stood at a distance and raised their voices saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus saw and heard them and said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed.

Only one out of the ten saw that he was healed and he immediately returned to Jesus, fell down at His feet, thanking Him, and praising God! He gave all the glory to God! He was praising God with a very loud voice. The man was a Samaritan who was a foreigner and was not Jewish. His faith healed him and Jesus told him to get up and go on his way.

But what happened to the other nine? Were they not thankful for their healing? They did not return to Christ Jesus to give thanks and glory to God for their healing! How many people are healed, blessed with miracles, who then go on their own way and never give thanks to God who granted their blessing?

Thankfulness is important to God. Thankfulness is a decision.

Thankfulness is a decision based on realty.

When you are thankfully living, you will see it. 17:14
You will say it. 17:15
You will show it. 17:16. He fell at Jesus feet.
You will share it. 17:19

Luke 17:11-19
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

References:

Brian Autry, Sermon, Grove Ave. Baptist Church, 2019.

Photo Credit: WebMD.com

Racial Hatred is a Growing Cancer of the Soul

Racial hatred is a growing cancer of the soul and it affects all races. We continue to see hateful comments against the President as well as comments about law enforcement officers being racists. Because of deep-seated sin, people of all walks and all races can have hatred in their hearts. Not all people are racists. The same goes for those who are in authority.

Not every law enforcement officer is a racist. Hatred is deep in the heart and unfortunately, it’s found in all races. If we want to change the world, we need to start with one person at a time. The first person to start with is ourselves, the man or woman in the mirror. I have found that through the selfless love of Jesus Christ, He can transform hearts and change the thinking of evil men and women. The evil that pervades our nation is authored by Satan himself.

God gave us two commandments; to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. The 2nd is to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Cf. Matthew 22:37-39) Even if that neighbor is a different race or religion, we are to love them as well as pray for them. There are many law enforcement officers who love God and love their neighbor. But there are some that are lost without a savior, without hope, and without salvation, just like there are some civilians who are lost without hope and without salvation.

We are to pray for our enemies, even if they are racists. We are to pray for our President, even if you do not like him. God can change hearts. God can transform and change the way a man or woman thinks, but only if you let Him. If you have hate in your heart, then you truly do not love God. If you have hate, there is no room in your heart for love. Hate is a sin and it will consume your entire being like a cancer. It will destroy you and everything beautiful about you.

Back a few years ago, I had the occasion to meet a very beautiful young lady in my job at a local hospital. I was the retirement planning specialist for a national company and my assignment was to enroll new employees as well as existing employees in the hospital’s retirement plan. When I met with this beautiful young lady, I thought, “What a very nice person.” Then she started to tell me about her husband bringing home a black man and she then started spewing the “N” word from her lips. My spirit cringed. I was appalled to hear such derogatory language coming from her lips. It was almost like she was demon possessed, with all the vulgar language that was vomited from her inner most soul. Unfortunately, there are people today that are as racist as this woman was 20 years ago.

I have seen and heard the same type of language coming from almost every race talking about another person of a different race. And while we are talking about races being against one another, let’s not forget political parties and their hatred for one another. It is like brother against brother and sister against sister. I have seen opposite sides willing to assault one another over politics because of differences of opinion. Folks, this is pure hatred and it is deep rooted the inner soul stemming from a sinful nature and allowing the evil one to control the life of the racist.

The Bible is very clear. If we truly love God, if we truly love Jesus, our Lord and Savior; then we will also love our neighbor, even if our neighbor is Black, White, Indian, Muslim, Hindu, or what other religion. You will never win hearts with hate filled insults to those who think differently than you do.

If you want to change the world for the gospel of Jesus Christ, then it must start with you! Don N. Howell, Jr. wrote, “Biblical leadership is taking the initiative to influence people to grow in holiness and to passionately promote the extension of God’s kingdom in the world.”[1] The way to influence people is to first love them with genuine love. Love that is not induced by what they can do for you, but genuine love for your fellow man or woman. Care about people. If you feel that their way of thinking is of a sinful nature, then have the heart of a teacher. Try to have an intelligent conversation with them and educate them. Pour into their lives like Jesus would want you to do. That is what “Loving Your Neighbor” means.

Why not allow Him to change your heart today? Pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, Please forgive me. I am a sinner and I have wronged others. I ask you to come into my heart, live in me, change my heart and way of thinking. I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died to save me from my evilness. I want to serve you the remainder of my life. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Once you pray that prayer and mean it, Jesus will forgive you. He will come into your life and send His Holy Spirit to minister to you. Once you do this, get involved in a Bible believing church. You need to be with other Believers so that you will learn what God says in His Word. I pray that you will make this decision to follow Him today!

References:

Photo Credit: CBN News

[1] Don N. Howell, Jr., Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership (Wipf & Stock Publishers: Eugene, OR, 2003) 3.

Help in Times of Trouble

Have you ever heard the saying, “Bad things happen to good people?” That statement is very true especially in today’s society. We live in a fallen world where brother hates brother and sister hates sister. Children no longer respect their parents and rebels against them. We live in a world where there is violence against one another.

Bad things happen to good people! I remember when I was a Freshman at Campbell University, my Uncle was murdered by a young man with a sawed-off shotgun. It was devastating to my family. A young man went into my Uncle’s store, robbed him, and then shot him to death.

Most recently, I have a friend whose son went into the hospital for an outpatient surgery only to be malpracticed on by the anesthesiologist. That malpractice severely injured him and now he suffers from a lifelong disability.

We live in a world where thugs are shooting up malls, going into workplaces and killing their co-workers, people attacking others for wearing red hats, and political opponents encouraging the public to harass and assault their rivals and anyone who would support them. Our world seems to be going crazy and crimes as well as bad things are happening to Christians.

Why does God allow for young people and loved ones to die? That is surely a mystery, but in that process, these tragedies can bring people close to God, to draw near to Him in these times of trouble.

There is hope for the Christian who is persecuted because of Christ Jesus. Jesus said that the world would hate us because of Him. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). As we walk through life, we will be faced with trials and tribulations. But there is hope in Christ Jesus.

The following are some Scriptures that will help comfort you in your time of trouble.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:1-2

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 15:4-6

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3

“The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” – Psalm 34:19

“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands, I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction and my bones grow weak.” – Psalm 31:1-10

“Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” – Psalm 31:23-24

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:1-7

Bad things seem to happen to good people. When these things happen, God wants you to draw near to Him. We live in a fallen world where promises are broken, doctor’s malpractice, and people are without Christ! But God is still in the midst. Jesus’ own people rejected Him and had Him crucified! But He rose from the dead after three days. Following Christ is not easy but Jesus said that He will never leave us or forsake us! (Hebrews 13:5)

I pray that the Lord Jesus will send His Holy Spirit to minister to those who are going through trials and tribulations. I pray that they will be lifted and that they will be protected from the evil one. Cast all your troubles on Him and He will see you through! (1 Peter 5:7)

Here is one last consideration. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

References:

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Press Release

October 9, 2019. Richmond, Virginia. Marketplace Evangelism Ministries is excited to announce the acquisition of The Lantern & Shield Times LLC. The Lantern & Shield Times has been converted into a ministry media outlet for Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc. The platform name has been changed to Marketplace Evangelism Today which will be our distribution channel for Christian News, Devotions, and other areas of interest pertaining to the Christian Faith.

Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc. is a non-profit ministry under the covering of the Independent Assemblies of God International. Our goal is to engage the gospel of Jesus Christ in the marketplace and community, discipling new Christians, and teaching others how to share their faith in Christ without fear.

The new website is www.MarketplaceEvangelismToday.com. If you are interested in learning more about our ministry, please visit www.MarketplaceEvangelismMinistries.org.

Are You in Danger of Going to Hell?

In my Bible study this morning, I was reading in Genesis about Noah and how God punished the world because of men and women sinning against God. They were living vile lives and had fallen away. But Noah was a righteous man and God saved him and his family in the ark. God flooded the entire earth and killed every living creature. The only ones spared were those on the ark including male and female of every living creature.

After the flood waters receded, God promised that He would never flood the earth again! God made a covenant with Noah. In Genesis 8, verses 20-22, Noah had built an alter and he took some of every living creature and offered God a burnt offering. God smelled the aroma and it was pleasing to God. God said in His heart, “I will never curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Even as God has promised this, men and women, with their evil hearts have turned from God. Just look at our society today. Hearts have turned from the way of God and hearts burn for desire of same sex relationships and marriages. Men and women are living together as if they are married but without the marriage commitment. If things don’t work out, they leave and go into another relationship into the arms of another. In dating relationships, sex is expected without regard to any Christian values. We are living in a sexual “Sodom and Gomorrah,” where everything goes and society as a whole, doesn’t even blink an eye or even realize that this sin nature is an abomination to God.

Pornography can be found on any cable, satellite, or on the internet. It is just a click away. The United States is the largest producer of porn in the world. Girls and women are sold into sexual slavery right here in the US. People who pay for this pornography in fact are the ones who are supporting this sex industry. Many people who proclaim to be followers of Jesus are in fact addicted to it. It’s literally everywhere.

God sent His Son, Jesus to save the world. Jesus died a bloody and painful death for us all and still today, people reject Him. Their hearts are burning with desire of what this world and the evil one has to offer.

I wonder how God will deal with us before the return, the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Could Global Warming be God’s punishment for a sinning world who seems to be out of control and attempting to lead the entire unsaved world to hell?

Thanks to my Father who art in Heaven, I have Jesus in my life. As a matter of fact, my entire family is saved. But what about you and your family? Are you saved? Do you know the Living Christ who lives in the hearts of every born again Christian? If you want to know Him, here are some Scriptures to read and understand. Read them, and then if you believe, then pray to ask Jesus into your heart.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Romans 10: 9-11” because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

2 Corinthians 5:15 “and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

If you proclaim to know Christ, and if you are addicted to porn, you need to seek help and repent from your sin.

Jesus stands at your hearts door and knocks. If you want to really experience a “true” relationship with Jesus, then consider inviting Jesus Christ into your heart and life and ask God to change your heart and transform you to be Christ-like in all that you do. Believe with your heart and mind. Ask forgiveness of your wrongdoing and sins, and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Transformation means that you are a changed person for Christ.

Photo Credit: Pexels.com

Do You Pray?

Just curious, How many minutes do you pray a day? According to several surveys taken from North American Christian Pastors, the average pastor prays only 7 minutes a day. Another survey states that pastors pray less than 15 minutes a day. And the most generous survey stated that pastors prayed 37 minutes a day. (Paraphrased from Dave Earley’s Book, “Prayer:The Timeless Secret of High Impact Leaders,” 2008, p. 1).

Dave Earley wrote, “Prayer allows God to do more in days, hours, minutes, or even seconds than we could accomplish without Him, in months, or even years, of work.” (Prayer, p. 5). If this is true and I know for fact that it is, why is it that the average pastor spends less than 22 minutes a day praying for the needs of his ministry, his congregation, and his own family? And if this is the norm, I can only imagine how long professing Christians pray each day? If we truly knew, the answer to that question, it would be shocking!

The American Church is under attack and is in a spiritual warfare with the evil one. Every Christian Believer must be on their knees and praying for our nation, state, community, church, church leadership, the sick, those in need, our own families, and the list could go on. If we want to see our nation turn back to God, we must be praying. If we want to see God working in our community and our nation, we must be praying and doing it in a serious manner.

What has happened to the Wednesday Night prayer meetings at churches around the nation? And what has happened where churches no longer have a Sunday night service? Have we become so complacent with the status quo that we no longer need to worship God as well as learn & study His Word? Prayer is as important as eating food to survive. It is the the medium that will sustain us in our walk and communication with Christ Jesus! Lack of communication with our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus means that our relationship with our Lord is not where it should be.

I implore each of you that if you would earnestly seek our Father through Christ Jesus in prayer, your lives will change. Your problems will get resolved. You will experience the Living Christ in ways that you cannot even imagine! Jesus wants to hear from each of you. Won’t you place your trust in Him and pray and communicate with our loving Father? As Dave Earley said, prayer can save you an enormous amount of time. I truly believe that our God is still in the healing business. God is still in the doing business. He is still doing miracles. Praying to Him will pave the way for answers to prayer in ways that we may never understand. Just have faith and trust like a child. Pray and start to watch for answers!

References: Dave Earley, “Prayer:The Timeless Secret of High Impact Leaders” (Chattanooga, TN: Living Ink Books, 2008), 1-5.

The Bachelorette: Reflections of Living a Christ-Like Life

This article is about professing Christians entering into the public eye through ABC’s The Bachelorette. Before discussing the ramifications of what happened on the show, I will attempt to establish the Biblical responsibilities of being a Disciple-maker to teach new converts the way of Christ in order to avoid these types of blunders.

Discipleship is one of the most important things to be involved with in Christian ministry. By being a teacher and leader of the gospel of Christ, this sometimes involves focusing on lifestyles of professed Believers, not judging them, but bringing to their attention how to live a Christian lifestyle as opposed to allowing them to continue in a lifestyle that is unholy. A new Christian may not know nor understand sin in their life. They may only be what we call a “Baby Christian,” but has never grown into a “Mature Christian.” If a person accepts Jesus as one’s Savior but then never really studies the Word of God, they will have stunted growth in their faith walk with Christ.

If we read 1 Peter 2:2-3, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” New Believers are like infants and they need to be fed spiritually. They do not automatically know how to live the Christian lifestyle. Peter uses this imagery of new birth as mentioned in 1 Peter 1:23, “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” New Believers are “born again.” They are “babies” in Christ. In order for their faith to grow in understanding on how to live a life of Christ, they must be spiritually fed. As Peter writes, as a newborn baby drinks the milk of his or her mother, a new Christian should have the same yearning for spiritual food.

Mature Christians should be teachers of God’s Word to these new converts by discipling them with teaching that is pure and nourishing based on God’s Word. Look in Hebrews 5:12-14, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Again, although milk is nourishing for infants, the author of Hebrews desires that his readers become mature Christians in which solid food is more appropriate. The maturity needed to grasp Christ’s priestly ministry consist of a spiritual discernment which comes from consistent obedience to God’s will.

Paul wrote in Philippians 1:9-11, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Paul is telling the Philippians through his prayer for them that the Christian faith which is knowledge and discernment, comes to expression through Christian love and behavior that is pure and blameless. It is important to note that through discipleship, the teaching of a new convert is important so that they will grow into mature Christians and not stay as infants on spiritual milk.

As I mentioned in the second paragraph, Discipleship is very important in helping a new convert in their daily walk with Christ. It is important to help them grow spiritually and to pour into them the gospel and ways of God. It is my hope that this article will bring to light what Christians should be doing when they profess Christ in public and then act in a different manner in the public arena.

As most of America watched most recently was the journey of Hannah B on ABC’s “The Bachelorette.” Hannah was looking for a husband. She was a professed Christian on the show and was immediately attracted to a man who also proclaimed to be a Christian by the name of Luke P. What they had in common was that they both professed Christ as their Savior. I do not think they realized that their lives would be so scrutinized by their actions on the show or how the show portrayed each of them. Their lives were under a constant microscope through the social media platform as well as the viewing television public. Choices made as well as actions on both parts lead to an ugly public break-up. Both had admitted that when they came on the show, neither were virgins. Luke admitted that after his conversion to follow Jesus, that he chose to remain celibate until marriage. It appears that the show made Luke out to be a “bad” Christian with camera shots of Luke’s anger and clenched fists.

In contrast to Luke, Hannah’s profession of faith was tainted with nude bungee jumping with a man, having sex four times with Peter in a windmill, spending the night with Peter in the “Fantasy Suite,” spending the night with Jed in the “Fantasy Suite,” and admission to Luke that she had sex twice with one of the other men (Peter), and that “Jesus still loves me.” These are just a few of the things that Hannah admitted to on the live show. She never had sex with Tyler, one of the three remaining contestants on the show.

Hannah ended up picking Jed, which he in turn proposed to her and she said “yes.” She later found out that Jed had slept with his former girlfriend the night before he came on the show. Hannah later broke off the engagement and gave back the engagement ring to Jed. On the live show, Jed was interviewed with Hannah and was shamed in his action of coming on the show and having a girlfriend.

Now do not get me wrong, this article is not meant to “shame” Hannah or Luke, but is written with hopes of bring to light how this generation views Christianity but does not follow God’s way of life. Unfortunately, the American Church has not done a very good job in discipling new Believers and are not feeding their congregants with solid spiritual food. As pastors, ministers, and disciple-makers, we must get back to basics and teach and preach the solid Word of God and not a politically correct watered down version of it. I truly believe that the reason that many young adults today are falling away from the Church is because the sound teaching is no longer being preached and taught from the American pulpit. That in itself is another story.

Recently on Twitter, I saw a Tweet about Hannah and Jed from the show and she shamed Jed in his multiple hookups with women prior to coming on the show. The problem I see here is that although she is judging Jed in his own sin, her sin is not addressed and her lifestyle does not match up with that of a Follower of Christ. The relationship with Jed, although at one point was intimate, was a throw away relationship when it came to light of Jed’s sin. It is hard to understand that if there is a true love relationship, forgiveness is not granted, therefore breaking up with the man she said that she loved and she had given herself to him.

Before the engagement, she had had carnal knowledge (sex) with Peter four times in a windmill. Having sex before marriage and in a dating relationship is called fornication and is as bad as adultery. As for a true love relationship, a true born again Christian would save himself or herself for marriage. Certainly, our society today may not live up to this because Christian leaders do not teach young people about sex, purity, and the righteous way to live holy lives based on the gospel of Christ.

A true Christian does not brag about how many times one has sex with a person or uses phrases like “Jesus still loves me” after admitting to committing fornication (sex before marriage) or adultery. This poses a flawed theology of the professing Believer. Jesus does love everyone and He wants a true relationship with all who come to Him. But don’t think that being promiscuous and willfully committing a sexual sin doesn’t mean that God will honor that behavior. On the contrary, that behavior causes a separation in our walk with God.

God’s grace is not cheap! Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by living a life in “willful sin.” If you love God and you call yourself a Christian, one would not want to brag about sin, but strive to please God through holy living, living a life of Christ, according to His guidelines, through His grace, love, and mercy.

Speaking the truth about how Jesus taught us to walk and live as a Christian Believer should not offend those who proclaim to be Followers of Christ. After all, Discipleship is teaching others how to walk and live the Christian life. As a minister of the gospel of Christ and a Disciple-maker, I will question those who willfully sin and attempt to disciple those so that they will fully understand the consequences of their actions.

Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” But this Scripture does not give us a pass or an excuse to continue sinning. We are to strive to live holy lives pleasing to the Lord. We are not to willfully sin and be proud of it. The Bible is very clear in Hebrews 10:26-27, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”

If you are a new Christian, but have fallen back into sin, you can come back into a full relationship with Jesus by confessing your sin and asking Jesus to forgive you. Living the life of Christ can be difficult since our human bodies are designed in carnality, but through the Holy Spirit, He will lead and guide you as you study God’s Word. It is time to grow up into the man or woman God has called you to be, and that is through being spiritually fed with solid spiritual food as opposed to spiritual milk.

I will close with this one last piece of advice coming from Ephesians 4:17-32, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Photo Credit: PEXELS, Hassan Ouajbir

Causing Little Ones to Sin

Today’s Devotional is taken from Mark 9:42-48

In our world today, people have an aversion to talking about Hell and sin. It is very offensive and distasteful. People would rather talk about Heaven and forgiveness. It is important to understand that when we ignore sin and the consequence of Hell, we are robbing the power of the Gospel of Christ.

Please look at Mark 9:42-48, “⁴²“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

Verse 42 is not just about children, but about those in the faith that have been led astray to sin. A child is used as an illustration for the followers of Christ. Those who follow Jesus are little, small, and vulnerable. To lead someone who is a follower of Christ to sin, it would be better if a millstone were tied around their neck and they were thrown into the Atlantic than the consequences of them going to Hell. This is a warning about causing others to sin. Jesus loves us so much. We are all little ones in the sight of God. Therefore, if you are the cause of a Christian to sin, fall from their faith, mess up their relationship with Christ, then it would be better if a millstone were tied around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. Doing this calls for the most severe punishment, going to Hell. If your life is the cause of another’s life’s shipwreck, then you will be held responsible for your actions.

Verse 43 is directed for us. If we are doing something in our lives with sin, then we will be held accountable for what we do. Although Christ died for you, if you have asked Him to forgive you, you should not want to continue to sin. But if you intentionally sin, read what Jesus said about that in Verses 43-45, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.” Your hands and feet need to be under the control of Jesus so that you will not do things that are not pleasing to God. Your feet should be under the control of Jesus so that you will not be tempted to go somewhere where you shouldn’t go.

In verses 47-48, “⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” If you are looking at things that you shouldn’t look at, then you need to stop. If your computer is tempting you to look at pornography on line, it would be better for you to smash your computer. Jesus said that you would be better to tear your eye out that to go to Hell. Understand this, if you are still playing with sin and not growing in Christ, then you have a spiritual problem which you better get eradicated as opposed to going to Hell for sin.

Although, the exaggeration of the millstone, gouging your eye out, cutting off your hands and feet are used to make a point. Jesus is talking about the costly and radical renunciations of sinful habits. He has identified the fallen heart as the origin of all defiling sins as mentioned in Mark 7:20-23, “²⁰And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

In verse 48, Jesus’ images of the undying worm and unquenchable fire teach the unending torment awaiting those who die under God’s wrath, and thus the eternal significance of each’s individual response to God’s holy law and His Gospel. Mark 9:48, “‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

Playing fast and free with sin in your life can affect others and potentially cause them to sin. Your indifference to sin can cause others to stumble and fall away from faith. If you feel that you can come to Christ and He set you free; that you can just do what you want or continue sinning, you are greatly mistaken. What defiles a man or woman comes from inside of that man or woman. Each of us are tempted by our own evil desires. It is only through Christ and total commitment to Him that we can fight these desires. Total and true commitment leads to a transformation of the heart and a change in our lifestyles and actions. If one was involved in sexual sin prior to coming to Christ, it is not good to go to an R rated movie where you are watching sexual situations on screen or over the internet. This temptation can open yourself up to sin. Your eyes may take a second, third, or fourth look at the pornography you are watching in this R rated movie. You were bought with a price; therefore, you do not belong to yourself. You belong to Jesus, therefore glorify God with your body. You must do this in a way that is radical, because without holiness, no one will see the Lord. We must work out a strategy to eradicate sin. The only way to do that is to trust God and refrain from participating in opportunities to sin. If one was an alcoholic before coming to Christ, it would be best not to frequent bars. Taking that one drink can cause you to fall backwards.

When do we need to take action? The Bible says that we need to act now but in contrast, Satan says that we can do it tomorrow. We must humble ourselves and we must turn all our focus on Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive us, change our hearts, and live our lives in a way that is holy and acceptable to Christ.

References:

Alistair Begg, Truth for Life, Sermon “Sin is Serious, Hell is Real.”

The Reformation Bible

Photo Credit: Trinity Kubassek; Pexels.com