Category: Uncategorized

There has been a slow change to Christianity over the decades since the 50s.  Much of this is due to the initiation of humanistic philosophies, introduced by the acceptance of Eastern Religious thought, into society, higher educational facilities, and the church compiled with a lack of proper discipleship in the church.  One of the more recent implementations of this is seen in the humanistic views of enneagrams being taught and accepted into mainstream Christianity.  Enneagrams are the study of personality traits as a model of the human psyche so that one can better understand themselves and their motivations and how they interact with others.  These personality behaviors are based on a model of 9 persona (types) that all people fit into. 

These Nine Personality Types: 

The Reformer – The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionist
The Helper – The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive
The Achiever – The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious
The Individualist -The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental
The Investigator – The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated
The Loyalist – The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious
The Enthusiast – The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered
The Challenger – The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational
The Peacemaker – The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent

Seminaries have moved away from teaching Biblical Counselling that is based on scripture and have moved into humanistic psychologies which emphasize personal worth of the individual, the centrality of human values, and the dynamic nature of human beings.  This means that Christian Counselling has by and large succumbed to self-help strategies that promote the idea that “at the heart we are all good people”.  If you look at these 9 Personality types.  None of these are bad or evil traits.  All of these traits are good characteristics that when out of balance becomes bad.  Therefore, if a Christian starts with this assumption, then they have already begun from an improper foundation.  They have left the truth of scripture.  Instead they have believed a lie.

This lie seeks to influence in a deception that basically we are all good and caring beings who just have different ways of living life.  The false teachers are spreading a lie.  This lie being told to Christians, is that they should seek to learn their personality type and isolate scripture that only addresses their personality.  In focusing on the scriptures that apply to their personality types they can then overcome their shortcomings and be set free from bondage and become a good enough person to God.

Since all these personality types are actually positive types there is not need to address sin, or repentance. Instead you are a good person and only need to know what scriptures are needed to make you a better person. In being better you can become one with God and the universe. This is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. It is a state of complete bliss, liberation from the limitations and cares and desires of the physical world, and the end of the cycle of rebirth and suffering. This is referred to as Nirvana. Nirvana comes from “Moksha” from Jain literature and literally means liberation or salvation of soul. In order to achieve Karma.

The Eight Aspects of Karma are: of knowing, of seeing, of attachment, and concerning age, name, caste, feeling and obstacles.

There are four levels of Nirvana

Therefore, reaching of Nirvana (Karma) is breaking the Karmic cycles and liberating the soul from those temporal binds. This relieves us of such restrictions as age, sexual identity, marriage, family contructs, political influences, religious beliefs, patriotisms, ethnicities, right and wrong, ultimate truth, etc…

On the surface the lie seems to be ok, acceptable.  After all what is wrong with someone learning how to identify who they are and how to become a better person?  Surly we all want to live in harmony and not live in a world filled with hate and violence.  See, that is a nice lie rolled up into a lie we can discuss later.  But you can see how appealing the lie is.  Furthermore, for you to not accept the lie then that makes you an enemy of humanity and selfish.  You become the very evil of society because you do not accept the lie that they are telling you. You are hated because you are a hater, and if you are a hater as a bible-believing Christian, then Christians are haters and thereby hypocrites who do not even live by what they preach about loving one another. We already have Christians who are paralyzed by this false teaching and therefore refrain from church discipline or warning others about how the sins they live in is killing them. This is only the beginning of the trouble.

The problem is that we have a generation of young evangelical Christians who have been brought up into this humanistic theology at home, school, and in the church.  Now we have a whole generation that does not know what the truth of scripture is.  They see Christianity as a means of a moralistic mechanism that is practiced by a “good person”, or one seeking to be a “good person” instead of a means of restoring a lost relationship with God.  With this view one has to be good enough for God to accept you.  Others see the church as something therapeutic that is there to help them with psychological issues, marriage counselling, and the sort.  Others see Christianity more of as a philosophy that has its own way of reaching enlightenment.  By and large many Christians can no longer identify the core beliefs that make one a Christian.  They are victims of improper discipleship. This leaves them susceptible to the lies of the whore Babylon and the One World Religion that has come into the world. 

This humanistic approach to Christianity is contrary to scripture.  What part?  Glad you asked… the whole part is contrary to scripture.  A Christian who teaches these things is a false teacher.  If you are one who claims the title of being a Christian, then I would hope that this would be an obvious declaration to you.  However, I am not ignorant.  I know that there are many out there who claim to be Christians, but they have no idea what that means.  For example, one might believe that a person is saved by “faith” and that would be a correct statement.  So then that person says that they are a Christian because they believe in Jesus.  But if we ask them, are all religions equal then they would say, “yes, as long as they have faith”.  You see this is a humanistic view that is not supported by scriptural belief in Jesus Christ as the One True God. This then is a denial of, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Jesus said that he is the Alpha and the Omega, he is the beginning and the end.  Creation began with Jesus’ creating it. Creation will end with Jesus destroying it.  He is the only one who has that authority. (Matthew 28:18-20)  Because all power and authority has been given to him, we are to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and we are to make disciples in his name and teach then everything that he commanded.  Surely as a good disciple you know everything that he commanded us to teach others, or at least you are in a good Sunday school and in regular church attendance so that you may learn everything he wants you to know.  Second Timothy chapter three and verse sixteen tells us, “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Listen very carefully to what Jesus says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: they word is truth.  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through thy truth.” (John 17:17-23) This is part of a prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciple just before he was sacrificed to make atonement for sin. Sanctification comes through knowledge of the truth.  The word of God, the scriptures contained in the cannon of the Holy Bible is the truth of Jesus Christ. We are sanctified through Jesus Christ.  He is the only way that we receive sanctification.  Why do we need sanctification?

We need sanctification because we are not good at heart.  Maybe, in the original creation, we were good at heart.  However, sin entered man through Adam.  Since then we have not grown better over time and self-improvement techniques.  Instead we have grown worse.  “As it is written there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) Humanism says that you are basically good or righteous, or that you can be if you try hard enough and focus on your goodness.  God says that will not work, because a lemon tree cannot produce grapes. 

Within the first 1500 years of man’s existence the scriptures tell us, “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” (Genesis 6:6) Why was this?  Because God say how wicked men had become.  He saw that everything that man imagined, and desired in his heart, was evil.  Man was depraved at his core. Man did not just make an error in the garden, he continued in error and like a rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, all of man was rotten.  We have an old saying, “the blind leading the blind”.  This means that both parties are doomed to fail because if the guide cannot see, there is no hope for those who are led by him.  Why then would Christians who have the light allow themselves to be let astray by the false teachings of humanism? You see this is the blind leading the blind.

Man is now inherently evil in his heart; even a “good man”.  Noah who built the ark and warning his neighbors of the impending judgement of God shamed himself, after being delivered from destruction by God, through getting drunk and passing out naked.  Abraham a man who God called his friend and the father of Israel lied to protect himself from harm instead of trusting God. Lot committed incest.  King David who is known for being “a man after God’s own heart” committed adultery and murder.  The bible is full of “good men” who had were not good men.  It is the mercies of God, who is good who saved them from themselves.  Not their own will to overcome imperfection.  The Apostle Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Jesus himself said that there is none good but God. (Matthew 19:17) Mankind is gone astray and everyone is self-seeking, even the humanistic philosophers.  

The 12 steps to AA and recovery are originally based in scripture. In Alcoholics Anonymous the first step to recovery begins with admitting to oneself that they are powerless over their addiction and their lives had become unmanageable. Romans 7:18 says, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” That means that although I would want to do good, I have no idea how to do good, because in my heart I am not good. Christian do you remember the day that you finally saw that you are not the good person you thought that you were?  Do you remember when you realized that no matter how good you wanted to be, you could not look in the mirror for all the terrible things you did to yourself, to others, and to God?

That was the first step in actually becoming better.  You realized that you could not do it.  This is not humanistic.  This is a revelation brought to you by being confronted with the truth in scripture.  Sin is real. Sin leads to more sin.  Sin leads to destruction of homes, family relationships, loss of friendships, jobs.  It causes illnesses and eventually leads to death. “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) This is truth.  We know it is. We know by previous examples in our own lives the end result of sin.  We can use that truth to cling onto the rest of this statement, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  This is the way to eternal life. 

God had given us this gift of eternal life through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ paid for our sin debt.  The debt of death.  He did this with his own death.  His death is a substitute for our death penalty.  It would be like being convicted of a crime and then being sentenced to death.  Then while you were on death row the guard suddenly opens the cell and say you are free to go.  When you ask why, he takes you to the observation window of the lethal injection chamber.  To our astonishment you see your big brother strapped to the table with needles in his veins, then he looks at you and says I am paying your debt because I love you.  This is the same thing Jesus did for you.  He literally died in place of you.  That made you a free man.  Free from the penalty of your sin.

Then Jesus rose from the grave.  Well, he is God, you say.  I would then agree, he is God.  Thant in itself should move you, God himself died for you.  But that is not all he did.  He rose from the grave.  He actually defeated death. Now, this gives you the ability to have eternal life through his resurrection.  So what about today?  Sin has been paid for, all sin.  Death has been defeated, now there is no fear of death for the believer.  Now Jesus had all authority in heaven, because he is God.  He has all authority on earth, because he is the creator.  He has all authority over the grave, because he vanquished death. There is something else that Jesus is still doing for you today. He is interceding for you before God the Father.  Jesus is praying for you. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Romans 8:34 is such an awesome verse!  Who is going to condemn those who believe in Jesus?  Listen Jesus has set us free from the Law and Sin, and Death.  He is the one who is judge of all creation.  He has the authority to condemn, but why would he?  He himself knows the penalty has been paid.  By believing in him and him alone, you are a recipient of this free gift.  So no, he will not condemn you.  Paul says, instead of condemning you he is praying for you.  He is on your side.  He is earnestly paying attention to you for success.  Now in scripture are there ways that we can become a better person, a better servant to God and to one another? Yes there is.  But for the believer, you don’t need to identify your personality type to become a better person so that God will love you more.  He already loves you enough that he died for you.  He already loves you enough that he gives you the free give of this atonement.  So we study the Word and grown in knowledge not of ourselves, but of the God who saves us.  Why, because we want to know him better, not ourselves.  We want to understand his love for us.  We want to learn how to show that love to others, because we want them to know about his love.  This is why we “sanctify” our selves.  We set ourselves apart to be a useful servant in what he desires.  What does he desire?  “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-10) God desires for everyone to repent, believing on Jesus and be saved from condemnation.  He is patiently waiting for anyone who will believe.   

What is your part in this? “How then shall they call on him whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14) This is what we should be doing.  Instead of us being influenced by the humanistic One Word Religion, we should be influencing them with the truth of Jesus Christ by “preaching”.  This is not talking about a preacher like we understand the preaching in the pulpit today.  It is meaning that we should be declaring the truth of Jesus Christ in the scripture.  Who cares about who we used to be?  We are to tell who we are in Christ now.  We are forgiven, we are free, we are in life, all because of the gift of grace demonstrated in Jesus Christ. Chris is our righteousness.  We are justified before God because of Jesus Christ, not our own effort.  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Go and teach them, not the other way around….

Well here we are, a little over 40 days until Election Day.  Everyone in the United States knows that no matter who wins, the US will never be the same.  Marxist and Communist are in positions of power and influence and openly run for high offices in a land where once the very mention of communist affiliation brought the possibility of imprisonment.  Our youth has been successfully programmed away from the Lord God and the higher moral convictions of the Christian faith that founded this once great country.  Now as atheism had taken over, we have lost our innocence from our youth, way too soon.  History has been re-written and heroes of our republic have been removed and replaced with Marxist icons.  We here stupid remarks form the “educated” college elites like, “History is written by the victors”.  This is a quote once made by Winston Churchill which is essentially vade ad victor spolia, to the victor go the spoils.   In using this quote, they mean to say that the ones who have lost in the great struggles of society have been cheated their voice and should have recompenses made of it. This is their war cry to tear apart society. Yet their very atheistic views concerning “survival of the fittest” demand that no such recompense be made.  But that is another matter we can discuss another time.

Our moral compass has been misled by the strong magnetism of the atheist and their misleading and often untruthful sciences. We replaced the truth of God with the unproven theories, and speculations of mere men.  We have stopped trusting in the truth of God for the known lies of men. In doing so we have lost our identity.  We who are created in the very image of God and crowned above anything else in creation have succumbed to a lie that we are no more important then the animals that serve us for food, or entertainment.  We have replaced the natural love of our children for the unnatural love of an animal.  Many cherish their pets above their own children.  In many public places in Europe and the US it is more tolerable to bring your pet to diner in a fine restaurant than it is to bring your children. You may think it funny when you see those commercials that depict this very thing on the television, but what you fail to see it the truth of what it shows.  You also fail to see that you are being taught what this world system wants you to be. 

With this new ideal of the lack of uniqueness of man, we have opened the door to the atheistic views of “survival of the fittest”.  We no longer need to show compassion to anyone.  Rather we can live to satisfy our own selfish desires.  Since there is no God then there is no moral law giver. With no moral law there is no one who can judge me.  If no one can judge me then no one can hold me accountable.  If no one can hold me accountable, then no one can punish or reward me.  I am the only one who can reward me.  I am free to seek my reward at the expense of anyone around me because I answer to no one. 

This is the society we have fallen to.  No longer a society of care or concern for one another but one that is only concerned with what I can get out of others, and who can pay my way to fill my gluttony.  It used to be that when we went down the highway and saw a vehicle disabled, that we would stop to render aid.  Now we dare not even slow the car down for fear that we may get shot.  Greed and violence has filled our culture to the point of brokenness.  How far has sin taken our country, that we cannot even have an election without widespread mayhem.  So, with all of this you may be asking what can we pray for concerning this election? 

I think we may consider the words of the psalmist in Psalm 85 as a place to start. Bring us back, O God our savior, and stop being displeased with us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will your anger never cease? Make us strong again, and we, your people, will praise you. Show us your constant love, O Lord, and give us your saving help. (Psalm 85:4-7)

We can cry out to God with all our hearts and plead with him in our distress. We can cry out to the Lord to bring us back to the culture that sought after his face.  Bring us back to being the ones who listened to the counsel of his Word. We can beg his anger to be withheld.  We can pray for peace between us, the United States, and with Him, the one who first established our nation when it fled tyranny.  We can seek his mercies to keep us from returning to a different tyranny.   

We must start with a prayer of repentance.  Today there is no one who takes responsibility for their own actions. There is no one who recognizes that God is the one who establishes the rulers of the land, and who gives them wisdom to rule. (Daniel 2:21) We must fall on our faces before God.  I mean, lay to the prone and in great urgency, beg the Lord on behalf of ourselves, our neighbors, our churches, and our government in repentance.  We must seek the forgiveness of the Lord for the idolatrous worship of the creation over the Creator.  We have loved money, power, influence, sexual immorality, and ourselves more than we have loved Christ.  I am speaking to the church.  We would expect such behavior from the unsaved, but not from those who profess the name of Jesus Christ.  We must be the first on our knees, and to lay prostrate. 

We must plead as the psalmist, “Bring us back,  O God our savior”. Jesus in the garden prayed in anguish to the Father, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) We must pray and seek the will of the Lord.  We can pray for this election and the events that may come from it.  We can pray for the will of God to be accomplished in this election.  We can also pray for our acceptance of his will.  We must understand that he is in charge and his will, is what will be accomplished.  We must be in acceptance of that will. 

Looking again at Psalm 85 we can look forward in hope.  It says, “ I am listening to what the Lord God is saying; he promises peace to us, his own people, if we do not go back to our foolish ways. Surely he is ready to save those who honor him, and his saving presence will remain in our land.” (Psalm 85:8-9) Isn’t it amazing!  The Lord has an answer for us.  We must listen to the Lord God!  We, his own people, in Christ Jesus, are to be separate from the world.  Not returning to the things that we were once delivered from.

The Apostle John writes a warning from God to us, “Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5) We then should remember from where we have fallen, who we left behind, and turn away from those behaviors which led us astray.  We are to return to the first works.  The first works are those that have supreme importance. 

The first commandment is to love the Lord your God above everything else. In Matthew 10:37 Jesus explains how deep our love for him should be.  He said that if we love our closest family members more than we love him, then we are not worthy of him.  That is the kind of love that the Lord desires from us. Then we are to love one another.  We are to love one another in truth. We are to love one another sacrificially just like Jesus loved us. That means that we love genuinely.  Genuine enough to counsel one another and yes… warn one another when we see that another is falling into sin.  This is not a hypocritical judgement, but something that we are mandated to do in scripture.  We are also commanded to love one another by praying for one another, encouraging one another, providing for one another. That is to freely give to one another the things that are needed with no expectancy of return.  So, one of the first works is “love”.  We need to return to an active love of God and of one another.  Supporting one another with more than just words; making real sacrifices for the kingdom of God and one another.   

Love of God is our supreme motivation and our first work.  I know you are wondering, “why have you gotten so far off topic?”  Well I needed to make sure that we are starting from the right place when we pray.  Prayer is also one of the first works.  I we look in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit was given to the church, they were in earnest prayer. Looking through the gospels we see that Jesus was in constant prayer.  When the early church made any decision on church business, or mission, or even in correspondences they prayed. This is a first work; pray.  Many believers today in America do not pray on a daily basis, much less in continuously. Remember when you first got saved?  Remember how you could not read enough scripture, or talk to God enough? Don’t you miss that time with God? We should return to consistent, unending prayer and fellowship.

What are we to pray for?  Well, before we can pray for others, we need to first address our own standing with God.  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Wow! God seems clear that those who are called by his name are to repent, then he will heal their land.  So, when we pray for these elections and our country we first, need to humble ourselves.  Humble ourselves? Yes, we must not enter the throne room of God with an attitude that we are better then those we are praying for.  What condemnation we would bring upon ourselves to walk in such arrogance before the Lord who judges the very hearts of men.  He already knows the hearts of those you are praying for,  he does not need you to tell him their shortcomings.  He is aware of their stumbling blocks and yours. Love is your first work. We do not need to pray bad things to happen to those who are hijacking our country, we need to pray for a change of heart.

We then come humbly in the knowledge that it is Jesus Christ who has made it possible for us to enter his throne room.  We seek his face because he is the one who establishes kings and countries.  He is the on who has authority over the enemy.  It is his kingdom that we seek and represent here on earth.  Still we should stand for righteousness. Righteousness is what we pray for, for righteous men to be enthroned here in this office of the President, and at all levels of the government and in the bureaucracy of the United States before God.   That wicked men and women will be removed from places of power and influence in our government, educational systems, and businesses.  This includes all the way down to our municipal entities. 

We pray for repentance of those who are leading this anti-God social agendas and that their salvation will bring a great testimony to all the nations, just as Saul’s salvation did in the early church.  We can pray for men and women of righteousness who seek the goodness of the Lord will be raised up and put in places of power and influence in this country. We can pray for judges that uphold the scriptural foundations of our laws and constitution. We can pray for lawmakers of moral courage and of good conscience will be elected. We can pray for a populace that will suffer whatever is needed to bring forward the righteousness of God in this country. You see we are a very unique populace of citizens here in the United States, we can actually vote away our own freedoms, by electing the wrong people into places of power and influence because we desired a handout instead of honest work before God. So we must pray for those who vote and for those who chose to not vote, because we are all responsible to God on who is elected into our government at all levels. To say that a Christian is to not be involved in such matters is a great lie sold to us by the enemy.  Where God has blessed us to have the opportunity to be an ambassador of His Kingdom we will surely be held accountable.  We can pray for this cup to pass, and for us to accept his will.  We can pray for righteous and blessed things to come from this election.  We can look forward to peace.  What?

Remember Psalm 85? In verse eight he promises us peace.  Repentance of his people and of a nation defers wrath and brings peace with God.  He is ready to save those who honor him. (v.9)  Verse 10 says, “Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace.” God will actually look down hear; look down from heaven, show us mercy, and heal our land.  More than that he will make the nations that fear him to prosper. 

We don’t need to be in fear when we pray.  We can have confidence in the Lord.  He is God and therefore in control.  He can hear us and wants to come to our aid.  Let us pray that his will be done in love and in caring for one another.  Let us pray for the repentance of our fellow citizens, and their return to God as a nation. 

Noel! Come See What God Has Done!

I was listening to Lauren Daigle sing Noel.  Her voice is so powerful and inspiring that it began to fill my heart with excitement and my mind with wonder.  Her strong vocals cry out, “Noel! Come see what God has done!”  Wow!  I began to ponder on what the shepherds must have felt like when they saw the angels after Christ was born. Here is the scripture that relays that account.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. –Luke 2:7-11

Now this word, “Noel” has a Latin root ‘natalis’, which means ‘birth’.  The French word ‘nouvelles’ means ‘news’.  Then we have the English, ‘nowel’, meaning “shout of joy”.  Historically a noel was a joyous herald of a new born baby.  It is now almost unique to Christmas and the Christmas Carol and associated with this scripture reference in Luke.

This song, Noel, and the verses strongly associated with it brings some great thoughts to my mind’s eye.  When I most often here of this in a sermon much is made of the fear that the shepherds felt.  This is quite understandable.  God is holy and is not to be toyed with.  In ancient times, angels were not perceived like they are now days.  These shepherds were not looking at little fat babies flying around with stubby feathered wings, looking down from white, cotton soft clouds, playing miniature harps.  In ancient times angels were seen as enforcers of God’s will on man.  When an angel appeared, someone was going to receive the judgement of God.  They were seen as battle hardened soldiers of the Most High and carried his full authority in the matter they were sent to deal with.  They represented God directly.  However, I want to take a different look today.  What about the herald?

Imagine the excitement that the angels had in being able to announce the arrival of the messiah.  The possibly billions of angels that could have been selected to give this message, and God chose them.  All of creation moaned and desired deliverance from the bondage of sin and death that was brought into it through the fall of just one man.  Now, through the birth of just one man, that very deliverance was now made possible.  There was no more waiting.  God’s plan from before the beginning of time was starting to unfold before their very eyes, and they were the ones who were to announce to the world, a savior is born.  God had now entered the stage!

So now back to Lauren Daigle and Noel.  “Noel, Come see what God has done!”  This is an amazing event, probably the most amazing event in the history of mankind.  God himself became flesh and now dwelt among men.  Israel’s king was now preparing for his kingdom. God had just directly intervened in the fate of man.  The love of God so compelled him that he could no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the love of his life destroy itself.  This wasn’t the first time God intervened.

I can see Adam and Eve proclaiming, “Noel, Come see what God has done!”  When God shewn mercy and covered their sin with the skins of the first sacrifice. I can see Noah stepping out of the ark and calling to his children, “Noel, Come see what God has done!”  He has saved man from total destruction and turned away from his anger. I can see the angels talking to one another, “Noel, Come see what God has done!”  When God shewn mercy at the Tower of Babble and confused the languages instead of condemning man for their rebellion.  Then I can see Moses looking on the destruction of the Egyptian army at the Red Sea and telling the children of Israel, “Noel, Come see what God has done!”

Time and time again God has delivered us from destruction.  I can think how my own heart declares to all who will listen, “Noel, Come see what God has done!”  See how he took this broken vessel and remade it into a new vase.  Those of us who have heard others declare this message, “Noel, Come see what God has done!” now have our own message of hope and redemption to share.  We can declare to others the love and healing given through the mercies of his love. “Noel, Come see what God has done!”

What God has done is to provide for us, a way to return to fellowship with him.  The one who created the universe, thought enough of you to give you the gift of eternal life.  Although this gift is free to all who accept it, was not free to God.  God had to make a sacrifice that we could not make.  He had to sacrifice his only son.  This one we call Jesus who is Christ.  His birth heralded an event that had never been seen before, nor would it ever repeat.  God himself became man, born for the sole purpose of physically dying to make a way for us to live spiritually in the presence of God.  “Noel, Come see what God has done!”

Conversation with a Pantheist

Not so long ago, I was asked to officiate a wedding for a young couple at the behest of a relative.  I was told that the mother of one of the couple was religious and was seeking a minister that would assist.  The couple was not active in church and came from different religious backgrounds, so the mother’s church had refused the ceremony.  I decided I would at least meet the couple to see if I could be of assistance, and at a minimum see where there faith actually rested.  I met them at a little sandwich shop, and we began our meeting.  The couple started of very eager to meet and was excited about their plans.  We took some time discussing how they met, and what led up to the marriage.  Then we went through a series of questions concerning the role of the husband and the wife, and what marriage would mean to each of them.  As we discussed this, a liberal trend emerged on these views.  They were not traditional Christian views, so I decided to turn the conversation to the spiritual. 

In this discussion I discovered that they were not Christian at all.  They did not even feel the need to have God mentioned in their service at all, and wanted no forms of prayer to God (as the creator of the universe).  They explained they did not believe in God, but that the universe itself was God, and that Karma controlled everything. They believed that when you die, you would, then become one with the universe. I discussed with them different scriptures showing that God did exist and that Jesus is the creator of all creation, to include the universe. (Genesis chapters 1 and 2; John 1:1-3).  They flatly rejected the scripture.  I asked them why they wanted a minister of the Lord God to perform their wedding.  They said they wanted one because they needed to please the mother.  I told them I could not solemnize a marriage before God, when he was not invited to the wedding. 

Pantheism comes from two Greek words meaning “all” (Pan) is “God” (theos). Pantheism is a belief that God and the universe are one and the same, or God consists of everything and everyone. That is the culmination of everything in the universe is God. It is a type of philosophy; rather than a religion.  (Mander, William. “Pantheism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 7 July 2016, plato.stanford.edu/entries/pantheism/.). It is a redefinition of what we perceive as God. Judaism and Christianity are monotheist in their view of God, meaning one God, but separate from creation.  The “old gods” like the Mesopotamians, Greeks, and Romans gods are polytheistic, meaning multiple gods and some are separate from creation and some are not.

Pantheism reports that God is a persona not a person.  This view of God infers that the Universe is God, and God is the Universe.  There is no separate consciousness that separates the two. This means that God didn’t make the earth or define laws of nature or physics or anything else. God simply exists in everything. It is important to understand that this philosophy does not believe that every animal, plant, or river has its own soul. God and the universe are not created and infinite.  The universe (God) has always existed and will always exist. The belief that God and the universe is one is a modern belief that fosters a philosophy that at face says we should tolerate all religions because all paths lead to God.  However; believers of this theology are not tolerant of strict dogma and rituals. Pantheist believe everyone should have their own path to realization of their oneness with God and the universe.  This is most probably because they do not believe in an afterlife.  We must be sure not to group Pantheist in with Deism. 

Deist believe that God has his own consciousness and took an active role in the creation of the universe. Once God created the universe, he just left it to be. God is impersonal in the life of his creation. Believers of this religious philosophy support scientific inquiry, and the Big Bang theory.  (Beyer, Catherine. “Pantheism Explained.” Learn Religions, Apr. 17, 2019, learnreligions.com/pantheism-95680.) The New Age movement, some Native American, WICCA, and eastern religions subscribe, in part or all, to Pantheistic thoughts including some forms of Hinduism, Unity Christian Science and Scientology.

It is easy to see why Christianity rejects such a philosophy of the universe (God). Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  There are some pretty clear distinctions brought up here.  First, there is a definite point where time was created and in that point we find the “beginning”.  “In the beginning”, means at the start of time, the following is then mentioned that God created.  This means that the universe was clearly created and that it was not in existence in eternity past this point where time begins.  The second is a separation of God from the creation.  The term used here in the Hebrew is Elohim.  This term means “strong one, mighty leader, supreme Deity”. Once again, this separation clearly shows there is a difference from God and his creation. If we look at Nehemiah 9:6 we will also see that the distinction of God and his creation is manifested. 

“Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipppeth thee.” (Nehemiah 9:6)

Nehemiah is very careful to distinguish God as being unique from anything else there is. Nehemiah gives God credit for creation of heaven, the heavens, and everything that is in them, and the earth, including the seas.  Nehemiah also proclaims that God is rightly worshipped as the creator and sustainer of all creation, to include the angels.  God declares himself in Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.”  This is a clear indicator that God is separate from his creation. 

God asks Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7) This passage shows that God even tells us that he was present prior to the creation.  It also tells us that he planned out the creation.  Me measured, and established the foundations.  God made one intelligent decision after another in the forming of the building blocks of the creation. The Spirit of wisdom is recorded in Proverbs 8:22-30 as saying, “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;”. Jesus himself claimed to be God and in the presence of the Father from before the foundations were created. 

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5)

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)

The Genesis record of creation shows a God that was intimately involved in his creation.  It also shows that he took pride in his creation.  He looked and saw that it was good at each stage.  This means that he had measurable benchmarks, like any good project manager would have.(Proverbs 3:19)  He established these benchmarks and noted when each one was met to standard. God not only created, but he actively sustains his creation. (Job 12:10; 38:8-11; Hebrews 1:2; 1 Corinthians 8:6).  King David wrote beautifully describing the faithful care of God over his creation, “He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.  They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.  By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habituation, which sing among the branches.  He watereth the hills from his chambers:  the eath is satisfied with the fruit of thy works….” (Psalm 104:10-13)  The psalm goes in even more detail concerning the love and care of the Lord God over his creation. 

What is so silly about man, is that we probably the smartest of all God’s creations, certainly the most capable (Genesis 11:6), and yet we cannot figure out what the animals seem to reveal themselves.  God tells us to look at the rest of creation and see that he made it.   “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?” (Job 12:7-9)  Jesus said that a sparrow does not fall to the ground without our heavenly father knowing about it. (Matthew 10:29)  With this level of care we see demonstrated every day, how can we not be in awe of God?  The scriptures tell us over and over that nature declares God (Psalm 19:1-4; 97:6), and the even the earth, moon, and stars declare the glory of God (Psalm 96:11-13; 148:1-6; 148:7-10; Isaiah 55:12).   Perhaps the Pantheist is misinterpreting this message that he whole universe is declaring concerning God and his relationship to his creation. In missing this message, they miss the next part.  Jesus is the creator of whom we are speaking.  John the Apostle explains to us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5).  Perhaps we are seeing this very truth played out in the heart of the pantheist.  The light is shining in the darkness, but in their arrogance, they cannot comprehend it. Take a look at John 3:16-20 and see what it says about what condemns a man.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:16-20)

You see Jesus, the creator of the universe and all creation became a living, mortal man and dwelt among us.  While here scripture tells us he was tempted in every way that a man can be tempted in, yet he remained sinless.  He was able to do this because he was also the Son of God, thus making him, God.  He was condemned for our transgressions committed against him through the fall of Adam, and subsequently all sin thereafter.  The penalty for sin is death.  Being convicted in our place, he (Jesus) was sentenced to death.  This death payed the penalty for our sin.  So we would not have to die for our own sin, nor the sin inherited from Adam.  Jesus then becomes the only way that we are forgiven.  If we reject Jesus, or God (Jesus), then we reject this gift that he chose to give us.  That means the sin was forgiven, but the rejection of Jesus becomes the manner in which someone is condemned. Those who reject Jesus do so because the Word of God points our sin, and establishes the authority of Jesus as God.  It points to Jesus as the redeemer, and the judge.  Those who reject Jesus, reject the authority of God in an effort to avoid the necessity to face the truth.  They prefer to live in sin, and reject the idea of someone being able to tell them if what they do is right or wrong.  This is rebellion against God, and they make themselves an enemy of God.  This scripture says that if you chose to be an enemy of God then that is your choice.  You will then be treated as an enemy because you have rejected Jesus. 

But there is hope, even for those who have rejected Jesus and are still breathing.  You can repent and turn from your sin.  He is waiting for you to come and accept his Word.  He paid the price for all sin, including rejection.  Because in actuality, all have sinned against God.  None of us can measure up to God’s righteousness. None of us are right with God in ourselves.  We are made right with God through the righteousness of Christ, who gave himself for us, for you.  If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the grave in order to justify the forgiveness of your sin, then you will be saved.  The neat thing is that he did this while we were enemies with him.  He knew that we hated him and his authority, yet he loved us anyway.  He loved us enough to come down here, become his own creation, and suffer death for us, so we could see his love and accept him as the loving God he truly is.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.  Scripture tell us that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.  That is awesome to know that God accepts everyone.