Our Unchanging God

Spring has sprung

Fall has fell

Winter’s over

And it’s hot as…..   all get-out!

Every year the seasons come and go. Our lives are like this too.

Our circumstances seem to change from day to day. We may be rich one day and poor the next. We may be well one day and extremely unhealthy the next. We might go from being on top of the world to being friendless soon after. Our life’s graph might look like the Stock report.

Because of life’s yoyo effect, our feelings may go up and down too.

There is not much in this world you can count on, but you can always count on the Lord. As a Christian, there will be days where there is no sunshine. No matter, God’s grace is steadfast. With him “there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1.17) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13.7)

We often look for solidity out of things that are made of cardboard. We become disappointed and disillusioned when our “glory” fades away. However, we can never be disappointed over something in which we have not placed confidence.

As we behold Christ, we learn of his consistent faithfulness. Things may look bleak but his promises are sure. Life may appear to have dealt us a lemon but “we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8.28) God’s love and grace are constant while all else may waver. God’s holiness remains. His promises are as certain now as they were two thousand years ago. You can trust them. You can trust Him.

Years ago, after a hospital visit, I was ready to go home. While walking down the hospital hallway, though, I noticed a large, white object appearing about half-mast in one of the rooms. When I turned back to see what it was, I saw a young lady with her leg in a cast which was elevated to about forty degrees. I felt compelled to stop and talk to her. Within only a short time of sharing the gospel with her, she began to weep. I could see the Holy Spirit was convincing her of her lost condition. I led her to Jesus, prayed with her, gave her some further guidance and left.

Leaving the hospital that day, I was filled with joy and exclaimed to the Lord, “God, you are so good!”

Immediately I felt a twinge of conviction. The thought crossed my mind, “Why don’t you praise God like that when days are difficult and you are seeing no visible results of blessing?” It was as if God were saying to me. “I am always good.”

You know what? He really is. We just don’t always see it as clearly as we do on other days. May the Lord help us to praise him and proclaim his goodness every day of our lives.

Here is the chorus of a song I wrote that day.

My God is the same
when the sun is shining,
As in the darkest night.
He’s the same when things
are going wrong,
As when they’re going right.

He’s the same today as yesterday

And evermore shall be.

And though my God has never changed,

He sure is changing me.

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; 

Therefore you are not consumed, 

O sons of Jacob. 

Yet from the days of your fathers 

You have gone away from My ordinances 

And have not kept them. 

Return to Me, and I will return to you," 

Says the LORD of hosts.”  (Malachi 3.6-7)

He never changes but we all need Him to change us.

God's Gift of Gender

Human beings were made in the image of God. This is so deep that I don’t know how to describe it. The animals were not made in his image. In fact, all of the animals, plants, and all of the galaxies were completed before man was created on the sixth day of creation. God had furnished the home before mankind ever moved in.

Being created in the image of God included the creation of gender. The Bible says:

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1.26-28)

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

And Adam said: 

“This is now bone of my bones
 And flesh of my flesh;
 She shall be called Woman,
 Because she was taken out of Man."

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  (Genesis 2.21-25)

“Male and female He created them.”

We live in troublesome times. In Europe and the United States we are not only seeing massive gender confusion but our society is encouraging it.

Little children, while young, have often been inquisitive and even puzzled about their own sexual identity. In days past, parents, teachers and the community would continue to affirm the child’s God given DNA to help reinforce the body parts on their bodies. Eventually, in most cases, boys would clearly understand that they were destined to become men and the girls would realize that they were actually young ladies.

Some never overcome the false identification they arrived at when young. Sometimes someone would take advantage of them sexually, further confusing the matter. Because of this, many perplexed individuals go through life not knowing who they are, not even their sexual identity. This causes many people to live in homosexual and lesbian lifestyles. Added to this is the measure of pleasure they would receive, even into adulthood, to encourage them to continue to identify more as someone of the opposite sex. Although there is a great deal of heartache that goes with that kind of living, many become entrapped in this way of life built upon a lie.

Now, we are suddenly in the next phase of depravity where, when a child is gender confused, parents, teachers and others often feel drawn or compelled to affirm the child’s confusion.

Today, if a young man or woman wants to be called something besides “him” or “her” they can choose their own identity pronoun. Schools are forced to comply. I heard that one kid chose “your majesty” as their own special pronoun. The school and others followed suit and conceded to it.

It doesn’t help the matter when high profile people such as Bruce, AKA “Caitlyn” Jenner, a well known, once masculine athlete, decide to have a “sex change” operation.

Our military, under the direction of former President Obama, will now spend $130,000 or more to provide that same surgery and hormone therapy to any soldier who so chooses, even if that individual has to be on inactive duty for two whole years while things are “leveling out”.

Don’t fall for the lies. If you have the body parts and the DNA of a boy/man, accept this as a gift from God. If you have the body parts and DNA of a girl/woman, you too should accept your gender as a blessing from God. We should conduct ourselves in a manner fit for our God given gender.

It’s easy for any of us to pervert God’s gift of sex. This perversion takes on many forms. We may be clearly heterosexual, which is good, but if we take on partners outside of marriage, we have still missed God’s plan of sexuality that he intended for us. If we become victims of pornography, we have done the same in our hearts.

God made us male and female. He knew what he was doing. His plan for sex was and still is between a man and woman for life within the bounds of the marriage covenant.

What is a Cult?

What is a cult? How would you know one if you saw one?

The word “cult” comes from a Latin word cultus which meant “worship.” But a cult is more than just a group that worships. Some dictionary definitions of the word “cult” include:

• A system of religious belief, esp. one not recognized as an established religion, or the people who worship according to such a system of belief:[i]
  
• A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also :  its body of adherents[ii]
  
• A religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.[iii]

Some of the common misconceptions of a cult one might hear are a religious group which is: small, regarded by others as strange or sinister, excessive, misplaced, and – a splinter group. But just because a group is small, it does not make them necessarily wrong. Just because they are considered “strange,” it doesn’t make them a cult. That which is true is often considered strange by the people of this world. If a faction splinters off of another, this doesn’t mean they are outside the realm of orthodoxy. Even though many of these characteristics are often common in many cults, I think we would be wise to consider a more biblical definition of a cult.

True Christianity is a cloth that is woven with many groups and denominations. Even though some may claim they are the one true, mother church and that all other groups are not legitimate, this is not so.

The existence of many different groups, some of which believe a little differently, does not qualify any of them as a cult. Most denominations have statements of faith which define their doctrine. You will notice a common core belief system from most of them too, though they may differ on the non-essentials.

I have been a member of Baptist churches ever since Jesus saved me from my sin. Most Christians recognize Baptists as true Christians. However, when a team of us went up from Texas to a northern American state to do some ministry up there, I found out that many people of the groups there regarded Baptists as a cult.

In Poland, where I went several years ago, the Baptist churches had felt the need to put “Christian Baptist Church” on their signs so that they would not be regarded by others as a cult but as Christian. They had suffered some persecution from some. Many Poles believed that Christians should all belong to their one group.

What I’m saying is that it is easy to place the label “cult” upon any group that does not believe exactly like us. This is wrong because when we use only the worldly definition of what constitutes a cult, it is possible for any group of Christians to label any other group of Christians as a cult. This causes even more division among the people of God.

A false definition of a cult, however, does not negate the true definition. So let’s look at the true definition. A cult is a group of people who profess Christianity but whose practices and beliefs are in direct disagreement with the core beliefs of Christianity. These core beliefs include reliance upon the bible as God’s word; God as Creator and giver of the moral law; belief in the unity of God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit); recognition of the sinful nature of mankind; belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; salvation by grace through faith in Jesus; heaven and hell as the final destiny of all humanity; and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

John, the Apostle of Jesus, wrote:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.[iv]

Here are some biblical characteristics of a cult or a false group: All cults have most, if not all of these ways about them.

1. Teaches doctrine which is foreign to scripture, especially in the area of Jesus Christ and Salvation. Most often, in cult teachings, they deny the Godhood of Jesus Christ. 
2. Requires unquestioned devotion to a human, fallible leader. This leader is often accountable to no one else. 
3. Isolates its members from all other groups. The bible teaches us that we are to be separated, but not isolated from the rest of the world.
4. Extra-biblical revelation. The cult will add books, writings and teachings from within to be regarded as equal to or superior to the bible.
5. Adheres to prophecies which are proven to be false.
6. Often the group, in obedience to its leader, teaches and believes that there is no salvation apart from itself.

Just because it may be popular to label a group as “a cult” does not make them one. There are many legitimate groups of Christians who may be outside the mainstream but which do not resemble any of the characteristics of cultism. And just because someone is a member or connected to a cult group does not necessarily mean they are unsaved. They may just be confused. We trust that God will truly lead them to the light and bring them out.

Finally: If you know someone who is in a cult, they are not irredeemable. Pray for their salvation and for their enlightenment to the truth, and if God provides you the opportunity, share the gospel of Jesus with them. God may use it to draw them unto himself.

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[i]     dictionary.cambridge.org

[ii]    merriam-webster.com

[iii]    dictionary.com

[iv]    2John: 7-11

How Important is Knowledge?

You don’t have to know much about electricity to enjoy it. You just turn on the lights.

You don’t have to know anything about aeronautics to fly. Just get on board and the pilot will get you to your destination.

You don’t have to know the number of the stars to sit out under a clear sky and enjoy the beauty of the night as you look at the majesty and glory of God's celestial creation.

You don’t have to understand all the intricacies of the respiratory system of the human body. Just breathe.

I do not know how someone with a wonderful family could be well fed, well clothed, well housed, healthy and smart, yet have a heart in turmoil and a feeling of discontent. But I’ve seen it.

At the same time, I don’t understand how another individual may be persecuted, hungry and hurting but still experience the peace of God which passes all understanding. I've seen this too.

You don’t have to be able to answer all the deep truths of scripture to enjoy the grace of our loving God. Just trust in his goodness and receive the salvation provided to you through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.

There’s a lot I don’t know, but then I don’t have to because my Father knows everything. Even the smartest among us can’t figure everything out for herself (see what I did there?). We can, however, trust in the infinite wisdom of an omniscient[1] God.

Knowledge is important; however, the most important thing is not WHAT we know but WHO we know. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote: “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”[2]

This is also probably why Major Daniel Whittle wrote this hymn long ago:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,

Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

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[1] Means: All knowing

[2] 2 Timothy 1.12