Is the Honeymoon Over?

Photo by PHUOC LE on Unsplash

For those men who are married: Do you remember when you first met that girl who is now your wife? The courting, putting your best foot forward, making an impression, cleaning up right before a date, the aftershave, maybe buying flowers or chocolate; these were things we all did at the time. You thought of her all day and dreamed of her at night. Her scent remained in your mind. No one else could hold a candle to her in your mind. Every lock of her hair, the beauty of her eyes, the sweetness of her voice, the touch of her hand; these stayed with you even when she was away. 

But you could hardly bear to be away from her. I remember when I was engaged to the girl who is now my wife of thirty-seven years. One time a buddy came to spend some time with me for a couple of days. I thought of some excuse as to why I needed to go by and see her because I so missed being with her. He tagged along but I'm sure it was obvious who garnered my attention the most.

Ladies, do you recall how that young man swept you off of your feet? Remember the comfort you felt when he spoke your name? You felt secure in his arms. You felt hopeful when he would talk about plans he had in mind that not only included you but made you the foremost person in his life. Many of you would have been willing to move anywhere with him. You conceded to change your very name so that you and he could have the same designation. It would be an honor to bear his children who would then have that very name.

Fast forward. What has it been now? Five, ten, twenty, forty years now? How are you feeling about her now? How are you feeling about him now? Sure, you love him or her, but do you love them the same as you did then? Are you still excited? Are you still enamored? Do you still almost swoon at the presence of the one you so adore?

Now, you can't wait to get home and ........  watch television. Conversation is in short snippets, sometimes hollered through the house. You have your preferences for time spent, she has hers. You have your friends, he has his. What happened?

These are all good points for recognizing the need of restoring love in our marriage but I'm not really on this subject for the sake of marriage – not this time. 

I want to talk to you, Christian. 

Jesus' beloved disciple, John was now old. Having already endured much persecution, he was now in exile on a island called Patmos. The resurrected Jesus appeared to him to give him the Revelation or Apocalypse. Before he showed John about future things, he would address the present. The present need was the churches. He had the writing of this revelation taken to seven churches in Asia, each of which Jesus personally addressed.

The first church Jesus addressed was the church at Ephesus (the same church Paul wrote to in his letter, Ephesians.) Jesus commended the church for their diligent labor, and for their unwillingness to endure evil among them. He commended their perseverance, patience and endurance.

But then Jesus told them; "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works," (Revelation 2.4-5). 

Listen Christian, do you remember when Jesus was always in the center of all your thoughts? Do you recall the joy of serving him? It wasn't out of obligation, but out of love. It wasn't just of duty and was without drudgery. 

I remember being saved at the age of seventeen. My old thoughts were almost totally replaced by the new excitement of having my sins forgiven, having the assurance of heaven and the continual presence of the Spirit of Christ in my heart. Some times I almost had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. Seriously. 

Later, I became a pastor. There were so many things that are expected of pastors that they can overshadow what our glorious Savior wants from our lives. Not always did I, nor do I now, have that same first love that I had as a teenager, but when I think about how much Jesus loves me, I can't help but love him back (see 1 John 4.19).

Jesus said "repent." But how can we repent of the lack of love? We must go back to the days when we first fell in love with the Savior. Paul, I believe, wrote: "But recall the former days." (Hebrews 10.32) Remember the joy, peace and love you felt in knowing Christ Jesus had entered your life and made you a new creation. This will restore that first love in your heart.

Just as a couple in marriage need to be brought back to the excitement, joy, and love they experienced in the early days of their relationship; so we too need to be brought back to the time of our coming to know the glorious, wonderful, precious, kind, compassionate, gracious and perfect Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Andre Crouch wrote:

Take me back, take me back dear Lord

To the place where I first received you.

Take me back, take me back dear Lord 

Where I first believed.

I feel that I'm so far from you Lord

But still I hear you calling me

Those simple things that I once knew,

The memories are drawing me. 

I must confess, Lord I've been blessed

But yet my soul's not satisfied.

Renew my faith, restore my joy

And dry my weeping eyes.

I tried so hard,

To make it all alone.

I need your help

Just to make it home.

Take me back, take me back dear Lord

To the place where I first received you.

Take me back, take me back dear Lord 

Where I first believed.

The Human Heart - Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

This is part two of a series on the amazing human body that God created for us. For the first installation, see here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made. John 1.3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You wouldn’t want me doing surgery on your heart, but I am going to attempt to give my basic understanding of how the heart operates – kind of.

It’s been said that the heart is one of the strongest muscles in your body. A muscle that works hard for you even as you are sleeping.

The heart, which consists of cardiac muscle, is said to be the hardest working muscle in the body. The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a 70-year span. This is a great example of dynamic strength as well as strength endurance.[i]

My grandson asked me why the heart keeps on beating the way it does. I had to tell him, “If it doesn’t, we die.”

Inundated with carbon dioxide, our used blue blood, which

Diagram from http://www.newhealthadvisor.coml

has cycled through our body, enters the heart through the large Superior Vena Cava (from the upper body) and Inferior Vena Cava (from the lower body) veins, into the Right Atrium of the heart. 

Then the blood passes through a valve, into the Right Ventricle before passing through another valve, through the Left and Right Pulmonary Arteries into each lung. Once the blood flows through the lungs, picking up needed oxygen, it is ready to return to the heart through the Pulmonary Veins into the Left Atrium. Traveling though another valve, the blood enters the Left Ventricle. Then through another valve it makes its finale by traveling through the vast Aorta.

From the Aorta, the oxygenated blood travels through the branches of hundreds of vessels, 60,000 miles of them, into the whole of the body, giving oxygen and nutrition to every organ, limb and extremity of the body. Because of the faithfulness of the heart, the brain, bones, muscles, skin and vital organs are supplied with the needed blood.

Of all the things that strike me about the heart, the valves are some of the most interesting. When I saw the diagram of the heart for the first time in many years, I thought about plumbing, not just the plumbing in humans but the plumbing done by humans.

You may recognize that the valves of the heart are basically check valves. When properly functioning, they compel the blood to flow forward but never backward.

The Romans may have been the first to implement this concept in their plumbing systems:

Diagram from http://www.reefaquarium.com

There is … evidence of the use of angular valves, mixing valves and also check valves for avoiding back flow.[ii]

We humans make most of our best inventions by imitating what God shows us in nature. The making of the check valve does just that.

 God’s ways are mighty and awesome. When we delve into the heart that God made for each one of us, we see amazing design, structure and intelligence. God, our creator did a glorious thing when he made our hearts. Let us now turn to him as our Savior and Lord – the Lord Jesus Christ.[iii]

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[i]    https://www.pumpone.com/blog/57

[ii]   http://www.valvias.com/history.php

[iii] “Without him (Jesus) was not any thing made that was made” (John 1.3) – The Bible

What Does it Mean to be "Crucified with Christ?"

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.   I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2.19-20)

Being crucified with Christ, we can see from the context, has something to do with being dead to the “law” (the commands of God).

The Apostle Paul had already stated in verse 19 that he was dead to the law. This had not always been true. At one time he had been very alive to the law, for it had meant everything to him. (See Philippians 1.6; Acts 22.3; Acts 23.1; Acts 26.5) At one point he thought himself to have been blameless concerning the law of God. Then, he realized that he had fallen short, saying, “And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” (Romans 7.9-10). That very thing he thought was his life ended up being the instrument of his death.

It is not that there was (or is) anything at fault with the law of God, but it is in our own sinful weakness which makes us all come short of obeying it.

So now, in the Galatians verses at the top of the page, Paul is saying, having found Christ who truly brings life, that he is now “dead to the law.”

"Crucified with Christ," I believe, is a term of legality. When Jesus went to the cross and died, we (believers) died with him. Just as sure as Jesus died with our sins upon him (2 Corinthians 5.21), he truly paid the penalty of our sins through his death. In God’s eyes, judicially, we died with him. Having died with Christ, what have believers died to? We have died to the law and its demands. We no longer look to ourselves and our own obedience to make us right with God because we look to the righteous Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, we are now dead to the law.

Though there are many things in Galatians 2.20 we may not yet comprehend, we should clearly see this. Verse 19 is talking about giving up living by the law to be right with God. Verse 21 talks about abandoning any notion of being right with God through keeping the law, and verse 20 must be along the same subject too.

As a Christian, I have been crucified with Christ, meaning that I am dead to the law. I have been raised with Christ which means I am alive in him.

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