So You Hate Religion…

“Religion: I hate it. In fact I literally resent it” – Jeff Bethke

These words in Jeff Bethke’s YouTube video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” conclude the four-minute poem that has gone viral.  Christians across the nation are applauding this video and reposting it on Facebook and Twitter.  The video is very well done and Mr. Bethke has a wonderful way of bringing in his audience and captivating them with his words and style of speaking.

However captivating and well done the video is, I feel that there is a need to bring out many statements of Mr. Bethke’s that are not founded on the Word of Christ.

Before we begin, I will state that Mr. Bethke’s apparent purpose for his video is well received.  He attacks the Hypocrites in the church in many different ways.  He attacks those that say they have Jesus, yet their lives would prove otherwise.  A great quote of the video is; “There is a problem if people only know you are a Christian by your Facebook.” Jesus had to deal with the group called the Pharisees (Matthew 23), and He attacked this very problem as well.  To this purpose I will say, we need more of this!

Unfortunately, he goes above and beyond this main purpose and in so doing, leaves the Word of God behind in his video (as we are going to see in the following quotes).

• “Jesus came to abolish religion.” As we look at the Scriptures, we do see that Jesus abolished something; He abolished the “Enmity” (barrier wall – read Ephesians 2:14-15).  Before Jesus died for our sins, there was a division between the Jews and the Gentiles.  When Jesus died, this “wall of hatred” was abolished.  Jesus never “abolished religion.”  In fact, in Matthew 5:17 Jesus said; “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Nowhere in this verse or in Ephesians do we see that Jesus came to abolish religion.  (Remember the word “fulfill” it will be useful later).

• “Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools.  Don’t you see, so much better than following some rules?”  When talking about the Pharisees and another group, the Sadducees, Jesus did not hate their religion!  What He hated was their legalism, pride, and unfaithfulness (Matthew 23; Luke 18:9-14).  Many in the religious world believe that when Jesus came, He got rid of “rules”.  How do we explain then John 14:15? “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  Could it be that we have rules that we have to obey?  If we love Jesus, then we will want to obey these rules.

• “Religion is a man made invention…the infection.”  Really?  It is a fact that there is “false religion”, but did man “invent” religion? And is religion truly an “infection”?  I invite you to search the New Testament.  Search it and find where religion is a bad thing.  You will not find it.  In fact the word “Religion” is used to show how religion can be “Pure” (James 1:27).  “Infection”?  Search the Scriptures again and what will you find?  Sin is the infection, not religion.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23)

• “Religion says DO.  Jesus says DONE.”  In this section of the video, Mr. Bethke does make a valid point; we are not saved by our own merit.  True!  However true it is that we cannot save ourselves and we need Jesus to do it for us, does not mean that we are free from DOING.  James makes it very clear that if we have faith, then we must prove them by our works (2:14-20).

• “Religion: I hate it. In fact I literally resent it.  Cause when Jesus said ‘it is finished’ I believe He meant it.”  Look at John 19:30; “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”  I told you earlier to remember the word, “Fulfill”.  Here in John 19 we see the fulfillment of the Law, not the crushing of religion.  In John 19 we see the fulfillment of the Prophets, not the abolishing of religion.  He became the Perfect Lamb that crushed sin once and for all.  He became our Savior who saved us from the death that we so deserved.  He did not crush religion, He fulfilled it!

May I just say, maybe I should give the man the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe Mr. Bethke has his definition of religion wrong.  Maybe Mr. Bethke is truly just trying to expose the Hypocrites in the church.  This post is not a personal attack on Mr. Bethke.  This post is rather a response to what has been said, whether he meant it or not.

Do you really hate religion?  Do you just hate the hypocrisy of some?  If so, say so!  Just please refrain from stating things (or reposting things) that you do not truly believe.

Failed Emissions

“Third times the charm”…or so they say.  As I sat in the emissions testing facility for the third time, I was hoping that this familiar saying was going to come to fruition.  It did not.  I had accomplished the recommended remedies each time for my vehicle all in hopes that my only source of transportation would finally pass the required tests.

FAILED AGAIN.

Failure can do a great many things to a person. In a moment’s time, all sorts of emotions came to my head.  I wanted to give up, I wanted to blame someone there at the testing facility, and I wanted to run for State office and change these outrageous rules.

However frustrated I become with the system and my vehicle, the fact of the matter remains: I MUST PASS.  If I want to be able to drive my vehicle in the State of Colorado, I must comply.

Well Praise the Lord!  The fourth test proved to be successful and gave the appropriate numbers in order to allow me to register my vehicle again.

Now consider this, in life we fail.  If you are like me, you fail quite a bit.  We fail in not being the individual we need to be for God.  We fail in not treating others with love, as we should.  We fail in not spending enough time with God in reading His Word and talking to Him in prayer.  We fail in not spending enough time with our children and spouses.  We fail all of the time.

Much like the failure of the emissions test, when you fail in life you may want to give up, blame someone else, or change the rules.

We must remember that failure is by no means an excuse to give up. Paul says: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; 
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, 
that you may be able to bear it”  1 Corinthians 10:12-13. When we give up, we are saying we cannot accomplish the task that is before us.  If we are trying to accomplish a task that we know the Lord has commanded us (such as treating others with love) and we fail, we need to know that we did not fail because the task was too hard.  Rather we failed because we messed up. When we fail, we need to get up and work on it.

Likewise, we must never allow failure to cause us to blame another. Paul again says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.  Every one of us (this includes you) has failed.  When you fail, it is not because someone else made you fail.  It is because you are human and humans fail.  When we fail, we need to get up and work on it.

Finally, we must realize that our failures do not give us sufficient reasons to go and change God’s rules.  Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” John 14:15.  In trying to obey Jesus, we may fail.  Do not think that this means that the commandment is by some means outrageous.  No, it means you have failed.  Now get up, and work on it.

When we consider the parallel of our personal failures with the failures of our vehicles at the Emissions Testing facilities; we can see how no matter how frustrating failure is, we must comply!  Jesus also said: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” John 15:10.

When you fail, get up, and work on it! Go and comply!

Overemphasizing “I” in GIVE

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

This familiar Bible passage is one that rings in our ears this time of year.  As the hustle and bustle of the holidays are officially upon us, one is reminded that even though many may have a wish list of items they would wish to receive, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Yet as we go about spending as if we were a teenager with a credit card, buying everyone that we know the grandest gift possible, are we truly acknowledging the truth that “it is more blessed to give”…or are we racking up bills to please “Me?”  Have we put the “I” in GIVE?

The Christmas tradition of giving presents is one that we all cherish.  It is one that we all look forward to with excitement.  I personally have already done a good bit of Christmas shopping and still have a good deal more to do.  I am in no way saying that giving gifts is a bad concept.  And I am in no way saying that giving large extravagant gifts is bad either.

What I am questioning are the motives.  “Why am I spending this amount of money on So-and-so?” “Why do I think that I need to give this individual this or that?”

We all know individuals who go out of their way to make sure that the gift that they give is more extravagant, and more expensive than anyone else’s.  The purpose is usually to make the giver feel loved or proud.  Now I ask you, is this ideology of giving in the best interest of the recipient, or the giver?

Jesus had words about this type of giving.  In Luke 18 we see the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.  In this parable, Jesus shows how this man would toot his own horn when it came to all of the good deeds that he would do.  Jesus says in verse 14 “…everyone who exalts himself will be humbled…”

It may be more blessed to give, but am I exalting myself in my giving?  Am I overemphasizing the “I” in GIVE?

This Christmas season, show those that you love how much you love them.  Show them that you know them with your gift selection.  Have fun while going out and shopping for those on your list.  Yet remember, if you are overemphasizing the “I” in GIVE, then it is time to change your motive.

Forgetting to be Thankful

In a multi media, multi job, multi errand world…I tend to be a bit forgetful.  I still accomplish a lot, entertainment is always there with the Internet so readily available to find anything I want from social networking, music, news, sports.  The work that I need to complete before weeks end gets accomplished without issue.  The plethora of odds and ends such as grocery shopping, picking up suits at the cleaners, filling the vehicle up with fluids, helping my wife with the endless job of diaper changing, all get done without a hitch.

Where my forgetfulness takes over is with showing how thankful I am to the Lord for all the ways that He showers me with blessings.  Yes, I find time to pray.  I pray about a lot of things, and I pray many times a day.  Yet, it seems to be the case that the majority of my praying consists of; “Lord, be with me today,” “Protect my family,” “Help me accomplish the goals set before me.”  Obviously there is nothing wrong with these and similar prayers; we are even commanded to “let your requests be made known to God”  (Phil 4:6).

However, if this is the only way that I pray, I am not doing the verse justice.  In fact, if I were to read the entire verse thoroughly I would come across an interesting word; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (emphasis added).

I need to remind myself to listen to Paul when he writes, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).  In the context of showing thankfulness, I need to look at Paul and the way that he did this on every single occasion that he could.  When I read his epistles, I read such words as “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Phil 1:3). As I look further into the New Testament, I see verses such as, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18, emphases added).

In every circumstance, in every day, all the time, I need to be thanking my Lord for what He has done for me.  I need to make the time, I need to be thoughtful and observant for all that He has done, and I need to express my thanks to my God above.

I encourage every one of you to take time out of your busy day and thank the Lord for all that He has done for you.  Do not just do it this upcoming Thursday, do it every day.

A Few Things I am Thankful for:

• The salvation that the Lord has given me by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our perfect Lamb
• My beautiful wife that encourages me on a daily bases and makes me a better man
• My two beautiful children that make me smile and laugh everyday
• The family that I was born into that has showed me what being a family is all about
• The family that I married into that has accepted me as part of their own
• The readily accessible Word of God
• The friends that I have that make life that much better
• The Miller Street church of Christ who has been patient with me, given me a job to provide for my family, and who I get to worship the Lord with
• The Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver that taught me how to study and preach the Bible
• Our troops that protect our freedom and allow me to be at ease for the welfare of my family
• The United States that allows us to worship God out in the open
• My squeaky old van that gets us where we need to go safely
• Apple Computers
• Radios that I can listen to talk radio and country music with
• Pizza, Steak, Bacon, Popcorn, Coffee (not necessarily in that order)
• Sports (Especially America’s pastime, Baseball)
• Internet, which gives us the ability to converse and keep up with friends and family around the world

Of course this list could go for miles…

Go and be thankful too!

Parental Responsibility: Not Wanted?

When I think of my two children, I cannot even begin to comprehend or explain the awe I have for what God has done for me!  Why has God blessed me this way?  Why has He given my wife and I the ability to raise these wonderful kids and watch them grow and mature?  I know this is the way that all parents feel about their children; it is a sense of awe and pride.

Yet we know that having our children is not just a blessing, it is a great responsibility.  The Lord explicitly commands me as a father to teach my children about the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  He explicitly commands me to train up my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).  We know from reading the Bible, that being a parent is more than just fun and games, it is a God given responsibility…

Yet some do not want it!

“A boy for me, and a girl for you…Praise the Lord we’re through!”

My wife and I find ourselves in the situation that most of the world can only dream about.  We have our boy, and we have our girl!  What more could we ask for?  Most couples’ goal is to have just one of each.  When a couple is not so fortunate after the second child, usually the “best out of three” takes place.  Meaning, they will give it one more shot, if they do not get the gender they are trying for, then it is done…the mommy is off to get her tubes tied or the daddy is off to get “fixed.”

Yet, oh joy! We have our boy and girl! This means we are done! Or does it?

The world has convinced families that if you only have a few kids, then you can have more fun.  If you only have a small family, then you can have more in the way of enjoyment.

The general consensus about children is that although they are wonderful and fun, they are also burdensome.  We see this in several ways.

First, lets look at the birthrate of America.  Back in the forties and fifties, the average family had four children or more.  Today in 2011, the number of children the average family has is around 2.  A liberal count would be 2.1 children per married couple.  Yet some say it is a lower 1.86 children per married couple.  The numbers keep going down.

Second, have you noticed the ways in which we talk about couples with big families?  As some of you know, I came from a large family.  I am the oldest of nine children.  Let me tell you, you would not believe the comments I heard and the looks I saw.

My parents were looked at as irresponsible.  They would hear things like, “don’t you know where those come from?” “You guys didn’t have a TV, did you?” “You must have gone through many cold winters together!”

And the looks…walking through a parking lot or into a restaurant was always interesting.  Most people would be nice and smile; yet we would also get those that would just scowl and stare at us…yes, even in the church!  For whatever reason, our big family intimidated several individuals at the different churches that we would attend or visit.

It all comes down to one philosophy that has plagued the world and the church; Children are burdensome. On top of that, as I mentioned above, the world has convinced many that if you have a small family, then you can have more in the area of enjoyment.  There will be more money, you will be able to do more activities and trips with your kids, they will wear nicer clothes, you will drive a better car, etc. And your kids will thank you for this!

As we go through the Scriptures we see an entirely different philosophy from the Lord.  As early as the first chapter of the Bible we see that a main purpose of marriage is to have children! Genesis 1:28 says, “God blessed them (Adam and Eve); and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.”  Could it be the case that the Lord from the beginning did not look at children as burdens?

Continuing on in our reading of the Scriptures, we see the Patriarchs.  We see how those that had many children were extremely blessed and ecstatic at what the Lord had done for them.  And we see how those that did not have children were sad.  There are the accounts of Abram and Sarai, and Jacob with his two wives, Leah and Rachel.  Sarai and Rachel could not have children for a longtime.  Both of these women went through pain and sadness because of it.  Whereas Leah had seven children and she considered herself very blessed!

Then we get to Psalm 127.  The Psalmist says in 127:3-5: “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”

This sentiment about children seems a bit different then the world’s thoughts on them today.  Instead of children being a burden, children are considered great blessings!  Notice how David says, they are a gift and a reward.  The last time I looked, gifts and rewards were items that we sought after and were happy to get!

According to this Psalm, when we limit ourselves to 1.86 children we are telling the Lord; “Thank you, but please do not give me a blessing, I do not want to be blessed anymore!”  What the Lord considers a blessing is a burden to us.  Should it be this way?

Notice as well, that having children is also a matter of prudence.  The more you have, the greater your effectiveness will be on this earth.  Having many children is equated to having a quiver full of arrows.  Having children should be looked at as help to you through this life.  If you bring up your 1.86 children in the ways of the Lord by training them up in the correct manner, then you will have 1.86 children that will be able to help in spreading the gospel for the Lord.  However, if you bring up your multiple children in the ways of the Lord, then you will have many helpers in spreading the gospel for the Lord!

Now I am not saying that every Christian couple should have a family the size of the Duggars.  I am not even saying that every Christian couple should have nine children like my parents did.  In fact, I know that there are some couples that can only have one or two children for health reasons. What I am saying is that we need to look at our children in a different light.

We need to look at them as more important than money, clothes, cars, trips, fun, etc.  We need to see that they are Blessing from the Lord!  No, you may not receive all of the items mentioned above, but those items are not what are important in the eyes of the Lord.

I am going to use my parents as examples once again.  We never had much money when I was growing up.  It was never to the point we where homeless, without a car, or had no food to eat.  The Lord always provided. However, there were nine of us kids. So the money that dad made working hard for us was never enough to live in luxury.

What the world might look at as a miserable lifestyle, my parents looked at as a wonderful life and made the best of everything they had.

It is interesting to look back now at the hard money times and think about how my parents could have stopped having kids after my sister and I were born. Sure, the money issues would be better, but it would not have been the same.

I look at those that have two or three children that have all in the area of material goods that they could ever want, and many times they are not happy.  Those that have devoted their life to getting what the world wants has lost out on a blessing that the Lord wants to give them.

Let us not give up the Blessings that the Lord is so eager to give us!

Parental Responsibility: Given Away?

When I think of my two children, I cannot even begin to comprehend or explain the awe I have for what God has done for me!  Why has God blessed me this way?  Why has He given my wife and I the ability to raise these wonderful kids and watch them grow and mature?  I know this is the way that all parents feel about their children; it is a sense of awe and pride.

Yet we know that having our children is not just a blessing, it is a great responsibility.  The Lord explicitly commands me as a father to teach my children about the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  He explicitly commands me to train up my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).  We know from reading the Bible, that being a parent is more than just fun and games, it is a God given responsibility…

But are we giving it away? 

Now, it is not my intention to throw parents under the bus in this post, I believe that parents truly wants what’s best for their children.  Similarly, it is not my intention to throw youth ministers under the bus either; they too want what’s best for the kids.

Many of my friends who I attended Bear Valley with are Youth Ministers, and I know many parents that send their kids to Youth Groups.  All of these individuals have the children’s best interests in mind.  There is no doubt in my mind that they love God and love the souls of these kids greatly.

However, these intentions do not negate facts of life.  The fact of the matter is that children are leaving the church in hoards.  Depending on the statistics that you look at, numbers as high as 85% of our children are leaving the church by the time they go to college!

Numbers this high or anywhere near this height should scare us greatly. “What are we doing wrong?” should be a question that is screaming in our ears! Despite the great intentions and the hard work that is going into these kids, something is failing.

If we think about all the effort put towards the children in the church today, many projects come to mind: mission trips, movie nights, game nights, devotionals, hiking trips, summer camps, rallies, service projects, and the list goes on and on.  We put more money and time into our youth activities, than we do with most of our projects.

Psalm 127:1 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…”

Could it be possible that we are building, building, building, but not building in the way the Lord wants us to build?  Could it be possible that when we are building our Youth Ministries, we are forgetting about our God given responsibility of parenting?

As stated above, the Lord has explicitly commanded us as parents to teach our children about the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  Tie that to Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it,” and what do you get?  Instructions for parents to raise and teach their children.  Isn’t this what we are doing by putting our kids in a youth group?  Unfortunately, I do not think so.

My observation has been that we in the church do everything but have the parents teach their children.  With all of the activities listed above, we are pulling the family apart, rather than bringing them together.  This is where our “building” is in the wrong, and this is where we are giving up our parental responsibility.

When we decide to give over the teaching and the edifying of our children to a youth minister, is this not giving up a responsibility?  When we send them off to multiple functions a week, are we not giving up much needed family time?  When your child wants to hang out with the youth minister and his family more than with you, is there not something wrong?  When your child will ask advice from the youth minister but not from you, are we not allowing someone else to be the parent?  We are losing kids by the bucket loads and parents are not parenting, I believe that there is a correlation.

In the very last verse of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:6), we see that in order to avoid a “curse” the hearts of the children must be restored to their fathers, and vise versa.  We must ask ourselves if our efforts are restoring the family, or driving a wedge?

I mentioned above that I know MANY Youth Ministers.  If you are one, please do not take this as an attack on you or even your job.  I am not calling for the firing of Youth Ministers in the Brotherhood.  What I am calling for is for the parents to get more involved.  Get to know their kids more, teach more, and take their responsibilities seriously!  I am calling for the Youth Ministers in our churches to strengthen the families.  You can do this by promoting more family events rather than exclusively youth events, teach the parents how to parent, and never be a wedge between the two parties.

So the question is, are you giving up your responsibility?  Are you one that is participating in helping parents giving up in this as well?  I pray that each congregation reevaluates how they are training up their children, and makes the appropriate changes.

The souls of our children are at risk. So let us do what we can to save them. Let us not give away our responsibility!

Parental Responsibility: Taken Away?

When I think of my two children, I cannot even begin to comprehend or explain the awe I have for what God has done for me!  Why has God blessed me this way?  Why has He given my wife and I the ability to raise these wonderful kids and watch them grow and mature?  I know this is the way that all parents feel about their children; it is a sense of awe and pride.

Yet we know that having our children is not just a blessing, it is a great responsibility.  The Lord explicitly commands me as a father to teach my children about the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  He explicitly commands me to train up my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).  We know from reading the Bible that being a parent is more than just fun and games, it is a God given responsibility…

Yet some are trying to take it away

There are those that do not want you to partake in these God given responsibilities.  And there are those who are doing everything in their power to ensure that your parental responsibility is taken away from you.  No, this is not a conspiracy theory, this is fact.

For those who have never heard of it, I would like to introduce you to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).  CRC is a United Nations Treaty that is sweeping the world at mega speed.  The advertised purpose of this treaty is to “Protect” the child.  Unfortunately, it fails at protection yet succeeds in many other areas.

What does this treaty do?

• Parents cannot make their young children go to church. The parents can only “encourage them.” If little Suzy wanted to sleep in, instead of going to morning worship, you could not stop her.
• The government would have the ability to override every decisions that the parents have made.  You want to Homeschool your kid or send him to a Christian school? The government may decide that this is not the best option for your son.
• The child would have a legal right to “leisure.” If little Johnny did not want to take out the trash or make his bed, he would not have to.
• Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC. Do you want to be the one that teaches your kids about the birds and the bees?  Tough luck.
• Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children. Do you want to be able to follow Proverbs 23:13-14 and discipline your child the way the Lord told you to? Well, that would be considered abuse.

They say it is to protect, but in reality it is to take control of our children and not allow us to raise them in the way that we have been commanded by the Lord.

Consider a few facts.  Every single nation in the world has signed this treaty except for two, Somalia and the United States.  Would it not appear that our country is under a bit of pressure to sign this treaty?  Would it not appear that it would be in the best interest of the politicians in office to buy into this treaty so as not to look even more like a sore thumb to the world?  Of course it would.

Also consider that in order to pass a U.N. Treaty, the Senate has to accept it with a 2/3 majority.  Essentially, we need 34 Senators to vote NO if this were to come up for a vote.  As of right now, we have 37.  Yes, that is enough to stop the treaty for a time, yet it is not enough for us to feel too secure.  All that needs to happen is for 2012 to be a bad election year and lose a measly 4 of those Senators.

What can I do about it?

The obvious answer to this is pray that our nation never accepts this treaty.  Ask God to help our leaders make the right decisions about this matter.  And ask the Lord for more men and women to be put into office that will uphold the rights of the family.  Philippians 4:6 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The Lord allows us to come to Him with our petitions and concerns, lets use this avenue!

Yet, there is another action that we can take.  We should support an amendment to the constitution that would uphold and protect the parent’s rights.  If there were such an amendment, then a treaty such as CRC would never legally be accepted here in the United States.

That is where the Parental Rights Amendment comes in.  Several individuals such as Michael Farris (Founder of HSLDA) and Jim DeMint (Senator from South Carolina) have drafted together an amendment that would protect the rights of the parents.

The Proposed Amendment is as follows:

SECTION 1

 The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.

SECTION 2

 Neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.

SECTION 3

No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

This amendment would ensure that we as parents will have the right to raise and protect our children. It is indeed very important for future generations that this amendment is accepted.

This is not just something that will happen overnight. It will take work and time.  In order to add an amendment to the Constitution, many events have to take place. The amendment has to make it through a committee, has to have 2/3 majority in the Senate and the House, then must have approval by 3/4 of the states!  It is a daunting task that is before us, yet it is one that with prayer and hard work can be done!

So get involved!  Spread the word about CRC and the Parental Rights Amendment.  Sign the petition to get this amendment going.  Write and call your elected officials and tell them your concerns over CRC and your desire for a Parental Rights Amendment.

For more information go to parentalrights.org

Here is a video promoting the Parental Rights Amendment as well:

REAL love wins

“There are a growing number of us who have been acutely aware that Jesus’ story has been hijacked by a number of other stories, stories Jesus isn’t interested in telling, because they have nothing to do with what He came to do.  The plot has been lost, and it’s time we reclaim it.”

So opens the book “Love Wins” by Rob Bell.  This best selling author has turned heads with his previous books, and his video ministry, yet nothing like he has with his newest book.  Before the book even came out 2 weeks ago, the Internet community went abuzz.  I am not usually one to buy a book hot off the press, much less write about it.  However, when I see a man like this getting into the lives of Christians (even those I know), I figured that I should read it.  Read it I have, and disappointed I am.

I am not going to give you a full book report on this book for times sake, yet I just want to touch on a few areas in which Mr. Bell is leading people astray.

First, is the idea of the book, “Love Wins.” If you were to say this statement, I would immediately say, yes.  Jesus loved us, gave up His place in heaven for a time, lived for us, died for us, rose for us, and has offered us salvation! Yes, the love of Jesus wins! Yet, that is not the message that Mr. Bell is trying to spread in his book.  The message that he has for us is that the love of Jesus will in the end win over everyone.  No matter who you are, what you believe, the love of Jesus will win.  He admits that some may have to go to “a” hell in order to turn to that love, yet all can and will be won by the love of Jesus.

Second, is his idea of how we get to this love of Jesus.  In my Bible, I read that “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life” Matthew 7:14.  The previous verse goes into detail on how the gate is wide that leads to destruction.  According to this scripture, it would be evident that there is not very many ways to receive Spiritual life.

It would appear that Mr. Bell has blotted this out of his Bible.  Instead of agreeing with Jesus, he goes against Him.  Instead of saying that the way to Him is small and narrow, Bell says: “It is after all, a wide stream we are swimming in.” Two paragraphs later he writes: “The Christian faith is big enough, wide enough, and generous enough to handle that vast a range of perspectives.”

According to the book, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians are all the same, because “love wins.”

However, my Bible says something completely different.  My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ says in the Bible that I read, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments” John 14:6.  My Jesus also says in the Bible that I read, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” John 15:10.  How can we say we love Jesus if we do not show Him that we do through our obedience?  Does Mr. Bell’s Bible say something different?  I should think not, it would appear that he has blotted it out (ignored it).

He calls this blotting out of the Bible “Unlearning.” In fact, he says in his book, “My wife, Kristen, and I often talk about raising our kids in such a way that they have as little as possible to unlearn later on in life.” If unlearning the ways of the Lord is what kids have to do, then why do we have Deuteronomy 6?

Verses 4-9 say: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Funny, I don’t see anything in here about “Unlearning,” in fact I see just the opposite.

I could go on and on about this book, but you would not want to read this article based on the length.  However, you should know that Mr. Bell has also laced this book with false teachings on heaven, hell, creation (he calls it the “Genesis poem”), and much more.

We already referenced Matthew 7 where Jesus states that the way is narrow that leads to life.  I find it interesting that our Lord saw fit to say directly after that in verse 15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

My wish is not to have to put this name on anyone, yet if the Lord has said it, then we must.  Beware of Rob Bell.  He is a man that has a great following.  Roughly 7,500 people attend his church on a given week, and nearly 100,000 people download his sermon on the Internet every week.  He has a message, and it’s a message of heresy.  A message that will and does lead people to destruction.

So when asked if love wins?  We can say, “yes it does.”  However it is the REAL love that wins.  The love of Jesus that causes us to obey Him.

Unequally Yoked

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9

A quick overview of this passage would convince any Christian that he or she is different from the world.  We are no longer a part of the sinful world, but rather part of God.  We BELONG to God.  Knowing this should convince all of us to live in the way God wants us to.  Yet, we still face the question…

Should a Christian marry a non-Christian?

This is a question that has puzzled many.  Unfortunately, this is a question that many have asked too late in their life.  Several good Christian women and men have married the one that they believed to be their best friend and companion only to be going different directions in their spiritual life.  Is this the way God planned it?  Is this what God wanted? Or does He want something better for us?

There is a passage of scripture that has been somewhat controversial among the brotherhood.  In 2 Corinthians 6:14 we read: “Do not be bound together (lit. unequally yoked) with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

The discussion that comes from this passage is whether or not Paul has the marriage of a believer and a non-believer in mind.  Some will say that there is no way that Paul has marriage in mind as he is writing this, but rather this is strictly in reference to things such as a business partner.  Others will say that this would include the business partner as well as the marriage bond.

The first view can make sense on the surface based on the fact that Paul never makes the distinction of marriage in this verse.  Those that buy into this view argue that Paul cannot be condemning the act of marrying outside of the faith because once you are in that marriage bond, you cannot break it.  In fact, the only thing that allows someone to divorce is if the spouse commits adultery (Matthew 5:32).  Furthermore, they point out that Paul commands the Christian women to stay with her unbelieving husband in 1 Corinthians 7:12.  Valid this argument may appear; however I believe that there is some consideration needed.

Consider exactly what a marriage is.  A marriage should be the closest bond and friendship that anyone should have outside of our relationship with our Savior.  Thinking on that, when Paul tells us to “not be bound together with unbelievers,” would the marriage bond not be the highest form of this?

Consider the fact that Paul addresses the Christian widows in a very interesting way.  He says: “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to who she wishes, only in the Lord” 1 Corinthians 7:39.  Paul in this instance is commanding those he is addressing to marry only those that are also Christians.  The question we should ask is why would Paul require this of the widows, but not everyone else?

Consider what one of the “Early church Fathers” had to say in regards to this.  No, the early church fathers are not inspired and of course can be wrong.  However, it is interesting to see what men that lived closer to the time of the writing of the Bible, had to say in regards to such matters.  Jerome in “The letters of St. Jerome,” actually takes the passage about widows and draws a parallel with our passage in 2 Corinthians. Notice what he says: “When the apostle adds the words ‘only in the Lord,’ he excludes heathen marriages of which he had spoken in another place thus: ‘be ye not unequally yoked…’” (Letter CXXIII.5).

Consider the state of the Christian that chooses to marry a non-believer.  Jesus told us that we must seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).  If a young Christian decides to marry outside of Christ, is that young person truly seeking the kingdom of God?  No, they are seeking their own wants and desires.  We opened up this topic with a passage from 1 Peter 2, in verse 11, Peter goes on to say: “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”  Would not choosing a physical mate that was outside of Christ be giving in to our “fleshly lusts?”

Consider what the term “unequally yoked” is truly saying.  When you put two animals in a yoke, you are binding them together.  Now if you were to put a large strong ox on one side and a small wild donkey on the other side, what would happen?  There would be constant friction.  The ox would of course be the stronger of the two and would be pulling his wait and probably be pulling the donkey right along with him.  However, the donkey would want to do his own thing and would cause havoc for the ox.  The two would not be the same height, therefore causing pain and discomfort for both as well.  No one should ever expect the two of them to ever be productive in their work.  The same is true for the believer and unbeliever.  Sure this would fit with a business partnership, but how much more for a lifelong partnership?

The question still must be answered on what to do if someone makes the mistake of marrying out of Christ.  Those that would oppose the view that this can be talking about marriage, point out that once you’re in a marriage bond, there is no getting out.  Therefore they conclude that Paul cannot be talking about marriage.  Yes, if someone gets married to either a believer or not, they are bound for life, there is no getting out.  However, I disagree with their conclusion.

God is God, not a puppeteer.  So when He gives a command, He does not force us to obey.  We have every ability to disobey.  Of course if we do so, there will be consequences.  If I decide that I am going to drink and drive, there are consequences.  The same would be true with our choice on marriage.  As soon as I commit my life to someone, I am bound for life.  Unfortunately, if I make the wrong decision, then I have to suffer the consequences.  The consequence will be that if I repent and turn my life to the Lord and have Him as my number one priority, I will not have a supportive spouse.  In fact, I will have a spouse that will tug and pull the opposite direction from which God wishes me to go.

There is forgiveness of our sins, and I would be required to repent of my decision-making.  More than likely this would not have been the only area in my life that was lacking in God.  I would need to turn my life back to the Lord and show it in all aspects of my life.

And of course, God gives hope.  In 1 Peter 3:1, wives of unbelieving husbands are given such hope.  Peter says: “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.”

The biggest problem I have with the thought that 2 Corinthians 6 would not also be in reference to marriage is the fact that we are not helping our young people see the need and urgency of choosing a godly mate.  We have made excuses about this verse and have said that God does not condemn this sort of marriage.  He is a God that wants His children to have the best possible life and we are not helping our young people find that if we are making excuses for them.  We need to be teaching our young people that they should only marry someone that shares with them in their love for God.  They need to find someone that will help them get to heaven.  They should not do the “conversion dating” where they find the person they want to marry and try to convert him or her.  This has worked for some (some of my friends and relatives in fact), yet it has many obstacles and can turn out very badly.  The non-believer may never convert, therefore cutting off the relationship and breaking both hearts.  Also, the non-believer may never convert, yet the couple still gets married and the Christian gives in to his or her “fleshly lust.” Or, I have even seen where the non-believer converts only to get the other to marry him or her, only to walk away from God a few years later.  It is just too risky to encourage a young Christian to do.

I believe that we can say definitively that “unequally yoked” can include the marriage bond.  For more reading on this topic check out an article by Wayne Jackson here.

“Discussing” Abortion with a Planned Parenthood Employee

I am not one that enjoys confrontation.  Events such as debates or heated discussions have never been my thing.  Yet, when you are a Christian, events like these are inevitable.  If you look at the life of Jesus, He was constantly in a debate or discussion with individuals that disagreed with Him or even opposed Him.   Look at Paul.  He even lived a life that was full of discussions and debates with those that opposed him.  I am coming to the realization that if I am to be the Christian that I need to be, then there needs to be a little bit of discussion/debate in my life.  Not that I need to go out and find someone to argue with just for debate sake.  I am in no way suggesting that a Christian should go out and pick fights.  However, I have been noticing that the lack of debates in my life is not based on the fact that I am not an argumentative individual.  No, my lack of debates or heated discussions is because I am not talking to enough people.  I am not allowing myself to get into situations where I will be talking to those that disagree with me.  There are few that like confrontation, so many will just stay as far away from it as possible (this was me).  Again, look at the life of Jesus.  Jesus was one that had love, compassion, and kindness.  Yet, Jesus was also One that did not let false teaching go on unnoticed.  When He saw something that needed to be addressed, He did it.  The question is how do I as a “non-confrontational” guy go about doing this?

First, you must keep your eyes open; you just never know what you will see.  Something happened last week that will change my life forever.  If you go to the airport, chances are that you will see groups of passionate young adults trying to rally support for a liberal cause such as “Green Peace.”  In my case, it was Planned Parenthood.

Second, take what you see and turn it into an opportunity.  With my situation, I walked right up to the young man asking the question and listened to his question.  “Are you a supporter of Planned Parenthood?” he asked.  To which I replied, “no.”

Third, be persistent.  The idea here is not to make someone mad, but to help him or her see the light.  When I said “no” to his question, our conversation was finished in his mind.  Yet it was far from finished.  I continued to ask questions; to try and understand why they were helping this terrible organization.  All the while he and a girl standing with him were getting enraged.  I continued on with my questions and talking even when they told me they would not discuss this.  It came to the point where the girl shoved the boy away and essentially told him that she would “talk to this lovely person” (she was not happy).

Fourth, listen!  We went back and forth on our beliefs for a while, and then I allowed her to just talk.  And she did.  And she did some more.  Even on the things that I disagreed with, I let her talk.  By doing this I allowed her to get things off her chest that frustrated her about people like me, and I also learned some things.  I learned that she is not sure what she believes on abortion.  I found out that she is searching for a church.  I found out that she is floundering in her faith.  Listening can do wondrous things.

Fifth, be gentle.  I found out after talking to her that she had a man come and scream at her for 45 minutes last week.  Obviously, that man did no good.  Was he right in his beliefs? Yes.  Did his actions prove it? No.  Proverbs 15:1 says: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We as Christians have the truth.  The question is, how will anyone listen to that truth if we do not give it in a gentile way?  The short end to the long story is this girl that I spoke to actually gave me her email address and is allowing me to send her information about abortion that I have, as well as information about our congregation!  Than you Lord!  Will you please pray for this lost soul?  You just never know what will come out of this!

This account was not given for the purpose of saying: “Look what I have done.”  Rather, it was a new experience for me and it may have worked!  Again, I am not saying that we as Christians need to go and pick fights.  Instead, we need to look for those precious souls that the Lord loves and help direct them to Him.  I pray that this example encourages you to get out there and “Debate” for the Lord!

Modesty: A Guy’s Perspective. Part 2

When we think of modesty, our minds automatically focus on women and the problems that they have and need to change. However, I believe that there is more to this issue than just the women.  The fact of the matter is that Christian women would not be dressing in ways that are showing off their bodies if men (even Christian men) were not giving them the approval that they need to do so.

In my last post I encouraged the women to ask their husbands or fathers for advice about how to dress.  I encouraged them to do this because of the fact that men do see things differently then women do.  We tend to be a bit more sexually minded then women.  Therefore, we will be able to help our women understand how to dress in a way that protects the eyes of our brothers in Christ, as well as protect our women.  However, if Christian women are indeed going to be asking their head (husband or father), they are going to need a man that gives an honest answer.  The problem is found when husbands and fathers do not stand up to the truth, therefore allowing, and even encouraging their women to wear articles of clothing that might be too suggestive. This, of course, happens when a man wants his wife to wear clothes that are too tight in her everyday attire.  It also happens when a father encourages his daughter to wear and allow others to wear clothes that are way too revealing in his daughter’s wedding.

Shallow it may be, but true is the fact that men can feel a sense of accomplishment and pride if they are seen in public with a woman that the world will view as “sexy.” You will see in the world men encouraging their women to dress as scantly as possible.  Now, of course this is an exaggerated illustration, yet is one that we as the leaders of our household need to be checking ourselves in.  How many times have I allowed my wife to wear something that was too tight or showed too much skin, just because I thought she looked great in it?  How many times have I put my wife out in front of me as a parade to be seen by the world?  How many times have I caused a brother of mine to stumble for my own pride?  It is sad and it happens, Christian men allow their women to wear clothing that would not be pleasing to God because it looks “classy” and “beautiful.” It would appear that many husbands have decided to forgo their God given job of protecting their wives.

Let’s remind ourselves exactly what Paul told us in regards to the way a husband should treat his wive. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body” (Ephesians 5:25-30). Men, are we loving our wives like Christ loved us?  If we are not protecting her, can we really claim a yes to this question?

This topic cannot stop here, for there is another aspect we must discuss.  What about the single men?  Up to this point, I have addressed the family unit, now I want to talk to the men that may think that they have no responsibility in this…you do!

As you are already aware, I tend to speak in generalities.  Therefore the examples that I give obviously do not reflect the actions of every Christian individual.  However, it has been brought to my attention that many times when a young man says the right things about modesty, his actions do not always agree.  For example; a young Christian man may say when asked, “I believe a young woman should dress in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.”  Yet, given the option of who to hang around, it will usually be the girls that dress in a flirtatious manner.

As I stated in my last post, the women have a responsibility to make sure that they do not cause a brother in Christ to stumble, but at the same time they may be a bit ignorant to what trips up a brother and what doesn’t.  So young men, when you indeed give the immodestly dressed girl all of the attention, how do you think she is going to dress?  Of course she will dress in the way that gives her the attention, and in the process she may cause you to stumble.

I believe that we as Christian men (young and old, single and married) have the ability to help the women of our congregation dress in a way that is indeed modest and pleasing to the Lord.  I am not suggesting that each man should have his wife and daughters dress in the manner that the muslims do by covering every square inch of their body.  In fact, a woman can still make herself beautiful, well kept, and stylish all the while not showing off her body to the rest of the world.

Men, I pray that you take this idea to heart and run with it yourself!  When your wife tries on clothes and asks for your approval, what are you going to do?  You need to ask yourself questions, you need to be honest with yourself.  Ask the question, “will I appreciate other men seeing what I am seeing right now?”  I have heard the phrase, “she is dressing for me.”  That is all well and good, but who is going to see what is meant for you and only you?  Above all, we need honest men.  Men who are willing to help their wives.  Let’s see if we as the leaders of the church can help protect our women from the world of lust, all the while helping our brethren out that we could cause to stumble.

Modesty: A Guy’s Perspective. Part 1

The topic that I am about to discuss is one that the world understands, yet many in the church claim ignorance.  If a woman that is not a Christian walks into a grocery store wearing a shirt that is too tight and too low, as well as pants that are too tight.  No, she is not wearing supper high shorts or even a spaghetti strap tank-top, just clothing that is too tight and starting to show the slightest amount of cleavage.  What happens?  As soon as she passes by a man, he turns around to watch her walk by.  Now in the world, both parties (the man and woman) are pleased with this.  The man had the pleasure of being able to make out in his mind what the woman looks like beneath her clothing. All the while the woman had the pleasure of knowing that someone enjoyed getting that pleasure from her.  The world gets the fact that when women wear clothes too tightly or show too much skin it is a turn on and a pleasure to the men walking by.

Now lets think about the Christian woman.  Let’s go through the exact same scenario.  A Christian woman walks into a grocery store wearing clothes that are too tight and a little too low. No, she is not wearing supper high shorts or even a spaghetti strap tank-top, just clothing that is too tight and starting to show the slightest amount of cleavage. What happens? As soon as she walks by, the men will turn around and watch her walk away.  The men might talk to each other about the sight that they just saw. In this situation, one party is happy, the men are thrilled.  However, if the Christian woman notices that men have been looking at her and teasing each other about her, she feels violated.  She tells herself that men are just disgusting animals (which I would not disagree with). She thinks to herself, “What is wrong with them? I am not wearing a spaghetti strap tank-top or even shorts or a skirt that would be showing off my legs!” Unfortunately, it is my observation that many good intentioned Christian women are for whatever reason, ignorant about this topic.

Now I want all of my Christian sisters to know that it is not my intention to use this term “Ignorant” in a demeaning way. In fact, my next post will be aimed to the fathers and husbands of the Christian women and my tone will not be as kind.  You are all my sisters in Christ, and this post is not meant to upset anyone but rather to encourage and give you the perspective of a Christian brother.

Jesus says, “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5:28.  Paul makes it very clear in 1 Corinthians 8 that we should not cause a brother to stumble. He says in verse 13, “…if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” Sisters, if a Christian brother can commit adultery in his heart with you just by looking at you and if you cause it by dressing in a way that a man will see as sexually appealing, are you not causing him to stumble? Paul was concerned about eating meat, do you not think that causing one to commit adultery is even more serious?

I have heard the argument, “They shouldn’t be looking at me in that way!” This is very true, and if the brother is one that is righteous and follows the ways of God, he will not be looking at you in that way.  However, why put that temptation before him?

Here is the dilemma that I see from talking to my wife and other sisters in Christ: Women often do not know what is ok, and what is too suggestive.  Sure, you all know that certain things such as bikinis and shorts that almost expose the ladies underwear is not acceptable. However, there are some articles of clothing that women are indeed surprised to find are suggestive.  Do you realize that to a man, clothes that don’t show any skin yet are tight, can show a man exactly what you look like under those clothes (and yes, they think about it). So how do you get around this?  ASK!  Wives, ask your husbands. Young girls, ask your father or brothers.

A sister in Christ that went to school with me at Bear Valley did something while we were all freshmen that has left me impressed until this day.  The sister that I speak of was one that was not raised in the church, yet after being baptized had a passion for serving the Lord. While she was here, she determined in her heart that she would never cause a brother to stumble. So what did she do? She went to the mall and took pictures of ladies dressed in different attire (it was not attire that was obviously raunchy, yet attire that many women in the church might wear). She then proceeded to ask her husband, and all of the single guys what they thought of each bit of clothing.  She asked us to be honest, and we were.  She was shocked to find that clothes that are totally accepted by the world and even Christian women are often times looked upon as sexually suggestive to men.  She took notes for every picture she had and then had a woman’s class and shared with all the women (married and single) what the men thought of each picture.  It was a huge blessing to see the change that took place, even at a Preachers School!

I believe that this sister did a great deal of good for the kingdom that day.  I pray that more good intentioned sisters in the church follow her lead.  I realize that men can be irritating. We are very sexually driven people, yet I pray that each one of you can be honest with yourself and ask the questions like: “Is this shirt to tight? Am I showing a bit to much skin? Do these pants hug my body and show it off too much?”  If you ask these questions, you will indeed be helping your brothers in Christ out!

One last word (and I will be hammering this in my next post to the men).  This whole idea of encouraging my sisters in Christ to dress in a modest way is not just to protect the eyes of men, but also to protect my sisters!  This world has turned into one that uses women and their bodies to do so many terrible things. This should not be the case and I, along with my brothers in Christ, should fight to make sure that the church family is a place that our women are safe!