In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul emphatically stated – one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).  The word Paul used that is translated forgetting means to lose out of mind.  Someone has said, “people bury the past, but they walk away remembering where the grave is.”  That is not the idea Paul is conveying here.  He is talking about an act of the will where we totally put out of our mind certain things of the past (when you lose something, it is gone).  What things?  What things of the past would Paul urge us to put out of our mind in order to effectively reach forward to all the hopes and potential of the future?

The Victimized Past – All of us have past experiences that have left us feeling victimized.  Someone betrayed our trust and hurt us deeply.  Someone attacked our character and bruised our ego.  Someone spread a vicious lie about us and damaged our reputation.  Someone rejected us and shattered our self-esteem.  We may have suffered significant loss as the result of a missed opportunity.  Many of us know the devastation of a lost job and secure income.  Whatever it was, we suffered a painful assault as the result of something we neither orchestrated not felt any control over.  We were victimized.  Paul would say to us that we need not allow these things to paralyze our self-worth and willingness to trust again or try again.  Neither should we allow those experiences to give us a martyr complex, where we resign ourselves to a suffering state for the sake of another’s favored gain.  Too many people dwell in a victimized past.

The Villainous Past – Many of us wallow in the shame & guilt of past faults and failures.  We messed up, took a wrong turn, made bad choices, and now we are living with the consequences of those failures.  We offended someone, slandered someone, took advantage of someone or cheated someone out of something important to them because we wanted it for our own selfish satisfaction.  Many have suffered marriage failure, job failure, or financial failure.  Others were immoral, unethical, criminal or in some other way delinquent in their actions and behaviors, and now are paralyzed in the regret of choices that have left their life deficit & disqualified from the way things could have otherwise been.  Paul would remind us that genuine confession & repentance produces the abundant grace of God’s total and complete forgiveness.  Since God remembers our sin no longer (Isaiah 43:25), Paul shouts that we should put it out of our heads as well.  Too many people dwell in their villainous past.

The Victorious Past – Noting this kind of past might be a surprise to some, but many people make the successes of the present dependent on the successes of the past.  They assume that since something work so well and paid off so generously in the past, it is guaranteed to do so now or in the future.  They tend to reject change and innovation in favor of tried, tested and proven means of former effectiveness.  As history proves, that is not always a predictable track.  While certainly not discouraging their celebration, Paul would caution us about placing too much confidence in the victories of our past.  We cannot gloat and become complacent in the securities of our past triumphs.  Especially in the spiritual realm, we cannot trust the faith maturity of yesteryear to sustain us without continued growth in our spiritual vitality in the present and beyond.  We must diligently strive to see consistent growth in our personal walk with God.  Too many people bask in the glory of past victory.

For some, the victimized assaults or villainous escapades of the past occurred many, many years ago.  For all those years, these have remained encumbered by bitterness, resentment, anger and deep-seated hurt & regret.  It has left them feeling unworthy, undeserving and useless to God and His Kingdom.  It does not have to be just the defeats of Satan in our present life that disables us from God’s service.  It is often the past defeats that keep us paralyzed in the trenches of uselessness.  Either way, Satan still has the victory.  Paul says it is time to put the past behind and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).  The problem with the “good old days” is that not everything about them was “good!”  What we have now is in many ways better and what God has awaiting us is the very best.  Don’t you think it is high time to get past your past?

Pastor Rick Smith

While there is no Bible verse that states specifically this popular saying, the Apostle Paul assured the Corinthian believers, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it” (I Corinthians 10:13). What a relief to know this promise is in place! Without it, most of us would have died in defeat years ago. Life is hard and sometimes we are faced with the most overwhelming circumstances that threaten our health, our finances, our careers, our marriages and other relationships & experiences of life. Without some ray of hope & survival, we would simply crumble under the pressure. In this passage lies a truth that all of us can hold on to no matter what situation we are called upon to face in life.

One reason for this hope is that no matter what we are challenged with, it is common. We are not alone. There are others in the world who have faced the exact same circumstances that we are facing, and many have survived. Because they survived, we can survive too. What does it take to survive? How can my situation turn into a shining testimony of this Biblical victory? Paul helps us understand three important elements that are involved.

The substance of temptation – The Greek word Paul uses can refer to temptation or a test. No matter what the circumstances are, we always have a choice in the matter. It is not the situation that determines whether it is a temptation or a test, it is our reaction to it. If we allow the situation to overtake us, it becomes a temptation to which we give into and sin. If we remain strong & obedient, it becomes a test in which our faithfulness is proven real & genuine.

The source of temptation – For the believer, Satan is a source of temptation; God is the source for testing. But, Paul preferences this promise with this warning: “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12). Man’s pride is a sure set-up for temptation & failure. We must be careful about becoming over-confident with our faith and spiritual growth & maturity. No matter how good and morally strong we are, there is not a single sin any of us are not fully capable of committing. Unless we abide every moment in an intimate, dependent relationship with God, we may certainly become vulnerable to the most deplorable acts of rebellion and unfaithfulness.

The surety of temptation – A surety bond is a guarantee issued and warranted by an insuring agent. In this case, the agent is God – God is faithful. God is the one making the promise and backing the guarantee. God is always dependable & reliable, and never fails to uphold His promises. In this passage, there are three provisions: (1) Limited Warranty – “who will not allow you to be tempted (or tested) beyond what you are able.” God made you and saved you. He knows you like no other. He knows all your capabilities and strengths, as well as your vulnerabilities and weaknesses. He knows what you are able to endure and what will cause you snap under the pressure. (2) Exclusive Warranty – ” but with the temptation (or test) will provide the way of escape also.” No other policy has this guarantee and no other agent has the power & resources to provide it than God. No matter what we face in life, there is always a way out or a way through – guaranteed! (3) Satisfaction Guaranteed – “you (will) be able to endure it.” You will survive. You will make it through. Your life may be affected in some way, but your character, faith and perseverance will be greatly improved. You will satisfied and happy with the ultimate results.

The way of escape needs a bit more qualification. Jesus affirmed to us, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Having a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way to having this faithful promise operational in our life. Once that relationship has been established, we have to keep the policy paid up. We have to make a personal investment in that relationship on a daily basis to keep it vibrant and effective in our life. Jesus promised, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you…your joy (will) be made full” (John 15:7,11). If you make a daily habit of walking & talking with Jesus, and being a passionate student of His Word, the Bible, your joy will be full, no matter what life throws at you – Satisfaction guaranteed.

Pastor Rick Smith

In the letter Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, he challenged them with this statement –do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:17).  Two thoughts emerge from this verse.  First, God’s will is something you and I can know and understand; and secondly, not knowing and understanding God’s will is a dangerous and foolish thing.  Therefore, one of the main priorities in every believer’s life should be to know and follow the will of God.  How do we do that?  Paul gives four principles that help us in our understanding of God’s will.

First, God’s will is a revelation that is always awaiting our personal discovery.  Paul says,(God) made known to us the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9).  We often think of a mystery as being something that cannot be known at all, or at the very least, a complex enigma that must be unraveled and deciphered.  Even then, doubts may still remain as to whether we have accurately solved the puzzle.  Not so with God’s will!  It may not at any point be fully known (mystery), but coming to know and understand God’s will is guaranteed to be a successful process.  We discover God’s will in two simple ways – we read and we ask.  God’s will always coincides with and never contradicts the commands, precepts and principles taught in His Word, the Bible.  If we want to know the will of God for our life, we must spend a portion of each day being a passionate student of God’s Word.  As we do so, we pray and ask God to speak to us through His Word and reveal to us His will for our life.  He promises – Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7).

Secondly, God’s will incorporates purpose, motivation and specific plans for our life.  Paul referred to it as – (God) works all things after the counsel of His will (1:11).  If we go for counseling, we are consulting with a professional helper to assist us in some challenge or personal issue in life.  The counselor will share insights into our problem and engage us in an action plan to effectively deal with and overcome its challenge.  When we go to God and His Word for counsel, His Holy Spirit opens our minds to principles and insights that reveal the issues surrounding our life and guides us in the process of discovering God’s plan and purpose for dealing with those issues.  Those plans will always be specific and unique to what God is seeking to accomplish in our personal life.  Therefore, God’s plan of action for me may be different than His plan of action for you, but His plans for both of us will always remain consistent with His holy and righteous character, and the truth of His Word.

Thirdly, God’s will always engages the believer in obedient action.  It is not enough to know and understand God’s will, plan and purpose for our life.  Once God reveals to us His will, we have to make a personal decision to follow it.  We have to be willing to say, “Yes, Lord.  That is what I will do.”  And then, do so!  Paul identified himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God (1:1).  Paul sought to know God’s will, plan and purpose for his life and God revealed it to him.  God called Paul to preach the Gospel to the Gentile nations of the ancient world.  Once Paul understood that, he willingly surrendered his life to that cause.  Everything that defined Paul and his ministry was a living testimony of his obedience to God’s call on his life.  So it is with you and me.

Finally, God’s will brings pleasure and glory to God.  Twice in this letter, Paul refers to the kind intention of (God’s) will (1:5,9).  That phrase can be rendered, “good pleasure.”  It pleases God to see us know and follow His will for our life.  It brings glory and honor to His Name when we succeed in life by being obedient to His will.  That good pleasure is not only the experience of God, it is also our experience.  I am confident in saying that none of us will ever know true joy, happiness and fulfillment in life apart from being actively engaged in God’s will, plan and purpose.  On the other hand, when we neglect, ignore or violate God’s will, we are bitter, negative and feel empty and aimless in life.

What is your testimony?  Can you honestly say, “I know what God has called and gifted me to do, and I am obediently engaged in God’s will, plan and purpose for every area of my life.”  If not, God wants you to have that confidence today.  Will you start today on the awesome journey of discovering the mystery of God’s will for you?

Pastor Rick Smith

People in the ancient Middle East, Greece, Egypt and Rome showed respect and grief for their deceased loved ones by placing lachrymatories in their burial containers. A lachrymatory was a small bottle used for capturing tears. People would weep into handkerchiefs then squeeze their tears into these small glass or ceramic bottles. The bottle was then sealed and carefully preserved, so that it could be placed in the coffin or burial chamber with their loved one. It was just such a bottle that David had in mind when he wrote, “Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book?” (Psalm 56:8). David’s expression shows the deep, intimate relationship of love God has with each of us personally.

In this Psalm, David affirms, first of all, God’s constant awareness and attention to our life experiences – Thou hast taken account of my wanderings. The word wanderings, comes from a root word meaning to flee or be driven away. The heading to this Psalm tells us it was written when the Philistines seized David at Gath. Although victorious, David’s military campaigns often found him running for cover, and Saul’s relentless pursuit of David to take his life drove him into caves for seclusion and protection. As fearful and lonely as these times must have been for David, he was never alone. God took account, or God measured and numbered each occasion. The wanderings of our life are items in God’s vast book of inventory.

The old saying, “big boys don’t cry,” certainly didn’t apply to David. I Samuel 16:18 describes David as a mighty man of valor (and) a warrior. For a person who single-handedly fought off lions, bears and nine-foot giants, it is hard to imagine David huddled in the corner of some cold, dark cave crying. But not only was David a man of steel, he was also a very passionate and sensitive man. Like all of us, these threatening times in life shook him to the core and paralyzed his faith in fear, trembling and weeping. The intimate truth David affirms for us in this Psalm is that God wipes every tear, captures them into His bottle, and preserves them in His divine memory as a reference for each fear, hurt and suffering experience we go through.

Think for moment about what that means. When you held your sick child in the middle of the night, weeping as you prayed for the frightening fever to break, God captured every tear. When you stood by the casket of your best friend, life’s companion, precious parent or grandparent, God wiped each teardrop with His compassionate finger. When the words and actions of someone you loved broke your heart and you cried yourself to sleep in those darkest, loneliest moments; when you were gripped with so much fear that your whole body just collapsed in weeping; when guilt, shame, humiliation and rejection caused you to sob in isolation; when you were treated unfairly and harshly by those you served and respected; when you lost while others won; when you didn’t think you could go another moment and trembling was all the motion you could muster, God saw every heartache and lovingly brushed every tear, whisking it away into His bottle. When no one else could understand the depths to which you were hurting, your tears were the special language of your heart and soul that God compassionately understood.

While David doesn’t say it here, we learn through the life of Jesus, our heavenly Father incarnate in His only Son, that when His friend Lazarus had died, Jesus wept (John 11:35). The suffering grief of the family members moved the heart of Jesus with such compassion, that with them, He cried. With sympathy and understanding, He shared their tears. Can you wrap your heart around that reality? When the next challenge in life comes that causes you to break down and weep in fear, pain, anxiety, betrayal, rejection or loneliness, can you imagine God’s arms of love compassionately embracing you into His bosom, and feeling His warm tears mingling with yours as He is moved by your hurt? There in His bottle is the special mixture of both your tears and His, preserving forever those intimate moments in life when you know with faithful confidence that He is there with you and He understands.

The lyrics to a popular Gordon Jenson song seem fitting to conclude our thoughts: “God sees the tears of a broken-hearted soul; He sees your tears and hears them when they fall. God weeps along with man, and He takes him by the hand; tears are a language God understands.”

Pastor Rick Smith

Moreland First Baptist Church

Pastor Rick Smith

The Apostle Paul was helping the believers at Ephesus to understand the practical ways to put on the new self (4:24) in their day-to-day lives.  Among his directives is a command about our language – Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth (4:29).  The Greek word Paul used that is translated unwholesome, means rotten & putrid – the components of a potty mouth.  Many Christians pride themselves with how morally they live, how honest they are, how much they attend church and how good they are to their family, but it is their mouth that undermines their personal integrity & spiritual witness.

I am often amazed at the number of Christian people who post Scripture passages and inspirational messages on social media like Facebook one moment, only to turn around the next and post something with offensive profanity, or make a personal comment in another friend’s post which includes profanity.  It is like there is a disconnect between what is godly and what is acceptable behavior & language in these person’s expressions.

The language of the American culture is saturated with profanities.  Hollywood learned years ago that a movie will have little chance for any kind of profit at the box office unless there is enough profanity in the script to earn it at least a PG-13 rating; or, an R rating is even better.  What a sad commentary for our state of mind!  Unfortunately, many Christians see nothing wrong with the use of profanity in giving emphasis to the expression of their thoughts & opinions.  Like it or not, it is hard to justify the dualistic nature of a man who is seen to utter words of praise & worship on Sunday, only to lose his temper over issues in the workplace on Monday and let sling from his mouth a string of profanities that would cause even the proverbial sailor to blush!  Whatever such a Christian gained on Sunday, he just flushed down the sewer on Monday; and, it is the Monday language that defines his character, not the Sunday.

I will be branded as arrogant & judgmental, but there is absolutely no value in the use of such language as the “D-word,” the “S-word,” or the “F-word.”  They serve no purpose whatsoever.  Many great movies have been ruined because of their inclusion.  To use them is a manifestation of immaturity, insecurity, and ignorance.  If you think that is judgmental, listen to what Jesus said – the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart (Matthew 12:34).  If your mouth speaks rotten & putrid words, it is giving expression to the rotten & putrid contents of your heart.  Perverted words are the language of fools (Proverbs 19:1).  Your comfort in using them manifests your comfort with the evil & wicked nature of your old self (Ephesians 4:22).  You are revealing more about your true character than you realize!

Much too prevalent in our culture is the “GD-word,” taking God’s name in vain.  It is a direct Biblical violation of the Ten Commandments – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain (Exodus 20:7).  Persons who use this blasphemous expression never insert Buddha’s name, or Mohammad’s name or Allah’s name; it is always God’s name.  If they are insistent on using this expression as one of their favorite expletives, then perhaps it would be best to follow one of the God speaks billboard signs:  “If you must curse, use your own name!”

Let’s not isolate just the “cussers,” Paul prohibited other verbal expressions – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander but put away from you, along with all malice (4:31).  This verse refers to negative-talking people; people who are critical, judgmental, gossipers, slanderers, always seeing the worst and rarely acknowledging the best; people who gloom & doom their way through life and whose constant expression is that of bitterness, anger, resentment and despair.  They have few intimate relationships because their mouth alienates them from family & friends – no one wants to be around a negative, critical, pessimistic person.  This too, is the manifestation of an evil heart – He who has a crooked mind finds no good, and he who is perverted in his language falls into evil (Proverbs 17:20).  Paul said, put them all aside:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth (Colossians 3:8).  Some Christians would never be heard to utter a word of profanity, but their constant criticism and negative talk destroys their godly character just as quickly.

If your personal reputation and spiritual witness mean little to you as they relate to your day-to-day language, then consider this consequence – every careless (useless) word that men shall speak, they shall render account for in the day of judgment.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37).  Paul declares that the best language from our lips is a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear (4:29).  Paul is urging Christians to convert their potty mouth to a grace mouth.

James addresses this dichotomy of the tongue – with (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men who have made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be this way (James 3:9-10).  Indeed, it ought not to be this way!  No ungodly language should ever come forth from a true believer’s mouth.  If this is a problem for any believer, the prayer of his or her heart should be – Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer!” (Psalm 19:14).  Does the potty need a cleaning up?

Pastor Rick Smith

(Revised & Reposted from October, 2010)

Paranormal activity is nothing new. Jesus confronted it often in His earthly ministry. Mark reported in his Gospel that as Jesus entered the synagogue in Capernaum to teach, “there was…a man with an unclean spirit” (Mark 1:23). In this encounter, we see that there is a supernatural (or paranormal) world that can be tapped into from this side of reality. Paul referenced this unseen realm in his letter to the church at Ephesus: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The heavenly places Paul mentioned refers to the paranormal world.

But what are the spiritual forces in that world? Modern enthusiasts deceptively believe that these are human souls (ghosts) that inhabit earthly dwellings. The Bible makes it clear, however, that this is not possible. Since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the human souls of those who are Christians advance immediately into the presence of God in heaven at the point of physical death. Paul explained that when believers are “absent from the body, (we are) at home with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8). That is where we remain until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We are not wandering around in the paranormal world inhabiting places we once dwelt. Even if we could, why would a Christian want to leave the beauty and perfection of heaven and stay in some dusty earthly house!

What about those who die and are not believers in Christ? Scripture teaches that these human souls are kept in Hades, the holding place of the evil dead. Jesus explained this difference when he taught about a certain rich man and a poor man in Luke 16:19-26. In this account, “the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (heaven)…the rich man…(to) Hades” (Luke 16:22-23). Jesus further explained that those in Hades cannot leave: “there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over…may not be able” (Luke 16:26). So again, the human souls of dead non-Christians are being held in Hades and cannot leave there until the final Great White Throne Judgment described in the book of Revelation where they will be permanently sentenced to the eternal Lake of Fire (Hell). They cannot wander around in the paranormal world to places where they once dwelt. They are imprisoned in Hades awaiting trial and final sentencing.

So if ghost hunters are encountering spiritual forces in earthly dwelling places today, who exactly are they encountering? It is Biblically clear – they are encountering the same spiritual forces that Jesus encountered at Capernaum – unclean spirits! What are unclean spirits? Pure and simple, they are Satan’s demons! Paranormal activity is demonic activity. The ghost hunters of cable television would challenge, “Oh no! We have safe, friendly and often beneficial encounters in our investigations.” Of course they do. Paul declared, “no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14). Note that the demon-possessed man Jesus encountered at Capernaum was in the synagogue (in the church). He often appeared to be a good, Christian person just like all the other church members. Satan and his demons will take on various forms of goodness & innocence so that their activity always appears to be safe and fun. But make no mistake – their purpose is evil and deadly! If you play with the fire of hell, eventually you WILL be burned by it! Some will become demon possessed, while others will come under demonic oppression and develop demonic strongholds in their life.

Peter warned us: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). He does it deceptively, in disguise, appearing like people and looking legitimate rather than evil. He fascinates you with, and entices you into his activity; then he pounces on you and devours you! Your only defense is to “resist the devil” (James 5:7). Turn your back on paranormal activity, run as fast as you can away from it and never look back. Then, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 5:7). Rather than searching for ghosts, God will give you the desire to search His Word for truth, strength, wisdom and insight. Rather than searching for dead wandering spirits, God will give you a desire to search for lost living people who need Christ and empower you to share the Gospel with them in an effort to bring them to salvation. Rather than seeking an evil ghost, God will guide you in seeking His Holy Spirit to empower and anoint your life in His strength and might.  You will find yourself investing your time serving God’s kingdom rather than exploring the paranormal domain of Satan’s kingdom.

Pastor Rick Smith

In marking some of the sovereign acts of God, the Psalmist declares: He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings…and He gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people (Psalm 135:10,12). The mention of land in this passage refers to literal real estate; a piece of geography on the sands of the Middle East. It is generally promised as part of what we call the Abrahamic covenant: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country…to the land which I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1). Later from a vantage point in Canaan, God said to Abram: Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendents forever (Genesis 12:14-15). In other words, as far as Abram could see in any direction, God said, “This land is for My people (Israel).”

Does the Bible get any more specific about the perimeters of this land? Indeed, it does – the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt (Nile) as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18). When God reaffirmed this promise to Joshua, He said, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you…from the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, will be your territory.” (Joshua 1:3-4). In Ezekiel 48, the prophet establishes the northern border at Hamath (100 miles north of Damascus), and the southern border at Kadesh (about 100 miles south of Jerusalem). So, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile river in Egypt to Lebanon (North to South) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (West to East). In terms of modern geography, that includes all of the land modern Israel currently possesses, plus all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised.

A modern Jewish rabbi has been quoted to say, “If you do not know how to read the Bible, you cannot understand the daily newspaper. If you do not know the Biblical story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you cannot possibly understand the miracle of the modern state of Israel.” It is easy to get caught up in the political peace-treaty and military cease-fire negotiations of the current Israeli-Middle Eastern conflicts. The liberal media loves to paint Israel as the bullies trying to push good families out of their homes and work places with bombs and guns. That is not at all the situation. Israel is simply striving to maintain possession of that which God promised to them thousands of years ago! Others have taken and occupy that which God said belongs to Israel.

It is important that we grasp the current ramifications of this ancient deed of conveyance. If not, we will find ourselves sympathetic with or in support of political leaders who use their offices and appointments to strike settlement deals which are against God’s stated legal description for Israel. That is theologically important, for the Bible clearly states that whoever is a friend to Israel is a friend to God, and God will bless those who bless Israel but will curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). Working for that which God promised them assures a nation’s right standing with God in relation to His chosen people, Israel. Our president and world leaders will serve their people well to remember this divine mandate. God has never broken a promise. Never in her history has Israel occupied all the land God promised her. That day is coming. She will!  The map at the front of this article shows an approximation of these Biblical parameters.  America will either be a part of that victory or an opponent to it. Pay careful attention to the statements and endorsements of our government to know which direction they are leading us. The result will be either a blessed nation or a cursed nation.

Standing with Israel,

Pastor Rick Smith

(Revised & reprinted from September, 2009)

I think one reason is because sexuality is a common basic human dynamic inherent with every living man, woman, boy and girl.  Sex is not a bad thing, for God created sex (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18-24), and God is incapable of creating anything bad.  Sexuality then, is a human dynamic that is mysteriously reflective of God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and, therefore, could not have been created for anything but divine goodness & beauty.  It cannot be overlooked, however, that God created this good and beautiful dynamic of human nature to be experienced & expressed within the context and confines of a marriage relationship between a man and a woman (an institution God also created).  That is God’s design for sex, a Biblical fact that cannot be argued, unless you are one who just doesn’t believe the Bible.  When sex is experienced outside the context of a Biblical marriage, it is a clear violation God’s intent.

Satan has always been in the business of doing all he can to distort & destroy God’s beauty, goodness and design.  His first argument with mankind in the Garden of Eden was to challenge the credibility of God’s creation and design, and claim God to be a liar (Genesis 3:1-5).  What happened consequently proved that Satan was the actual deceiver, and what God said was indeed the absolute truth.  Ever since that first act of rebellion against God’s will & ways, another natural dynamic of the human race has emerged – sin.  We are all born sinners.

The very first awareness Adam & Eve experienced of their fallen, sinful nature was in the area of their sexuality – they both realized they were nude.  Feeling embarrassment and shame for the first time, they covered themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7).  God’s original design for marital sexuality did not include this kind of guilt and shame (Genesis 2:25).  The marital intimacy of husband & wife was always intended by God to be honorable and undefiled in any way (Hebrews 13:4).  The effort of Satan to distort God’s beauty & goodness met with certain success, and the forces of evil & darkness have made this arena of human nature a battleground against God and His creation ever since.  Do you think it is mere coincidence that a vast majority of divorces, domestic abuse, abortion, rape, crime, job termination, public disgrace, sickness, disease and death involve sexual indulgence?  Hell is having a “hay day” with human sexuality!

One of the most popular lines of defense used by the gay community is that persons with homosexual orientation are born that way hence they have no choice but to follow their natural inclination.  This is based on recent scientific discovery of a so-called “gay gene” which was first isolated in fruit flies (I won’t even go there)!  The claim is virtually flawed because the genetic distinction is not found in large segments of other gay test subjects, and many heterosexual (straight) test subjects have also been discovered to possess the same gene.  Nice try, but fail!

So, are people born gay?  The answer is a qualified, “yes.”  As I stated above, since the first act of rebellion against God’s command in the Garden of Eden by mankind, all of us have been born with the same sin nature.  Therefore, we are all born with the capability of being a homosexual, a fornicator, an adulterer, a pedophile, an abuser, a liar, a thief, a murderer, a slanderer – you name it!  We are all born with the natural inclination to conduct our lives against God’s perfect design in any deviant way.  No one is immune.  We are all sinners by nature.  We are born with the ability to commit any imaginable sin.

But now I am in the same trouble as Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty).  I am now guilty of “hate language.”  I am judging.  Since God is the One who created human sexuality, it serves us best to turn to His Word for some authoritative knowledge & insight.  What does the Bible say about homosexuality?  Here are a few references:

• The first time we are introduced to homosexual behavior in Scripture – Two men (angels) came to visit Lot in Sodom, and the men of the city came to Lot’s house to demand that he bring the men out so that they could engage them in a homosexual gang rape (Genesis 19:1-7).  Lot begged them, “do not act wickedly.” (Genesis 19:7).  In describing the social & sexual culture of Sodom & Gomorrah (which included homosexuality), God said, “their sin is exceedingly grave.” (Genesis 18:20).
• God commanded in the Levitical Law – “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)…”If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.  Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13).
• Paul’s letter to the Romans – “God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them…God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error…God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” (Romans 1:24-28).

Notice that I have emphasized sixteen (16) adjectives God uses in His inspired Word to describe homosexuality.  These Scriptural references leave no room whatsoever in drawing the clear conclusion that homosexuality is sin.  It is a deviation and unnatural perversion from that which God created & designed marital, heterosexuality to be.  Not only that, God uses strong words such as abomination, detestable, indecent and depraved to describe homosexual orientation and activity.  How could anyone conclude anything differently, unless again, you just reject the Bible?

Yet, many in the gay community, especially those who profess to be Christian gay persons, claim that such Bible passages do not apply to them.  One gay “religious scholar” issued a long dissertation, for example, claiming that when Paul wrote the Romans 1 passage, he was not referring to committed, monogamous gay lovers.  Instead, he was attacking the promiscuous sexual acts of non-committed gay persons.  There is absolutely nothing in the context or the original language of Romans 1 that even implies such a distortion.  That is a classic example of twisting Scripture to say what you need it to say in order not to condemn your personal intent in conduct & character.  That would be like taking the commandment forbidding murder and claiming it doesn’t apply to certain persons committing murder, as long as they had a legitimate reason for killing someone.  In Leviticus 20:11-12, God forbids incest, but one could easily say that doesn’t apply to a father and his daughter who truly love each other and mutually desire to be with each other.  How absurd!  Again, nice try, but fail!

Several Christian music artists (Ray Boltz, Marsha Stevens, Justin Ryan) who are openly gay demand that their sexual orientation be viewed as a gift of God.  They claim God created them with the bodily, sexual inclinations they feel & desire, and since that is the way God made them, God blesses them with the right to celebrate, experience & express their homosexuality openly and freely to His glory.  In addressing the purpose of the Law, Paul stated to Timothy – “Realizing the fact that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…and homosexuals…and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.” (I Timothy 1:9-10).  As you can see, I have emphasized seven (7) more adjectives to describe homosexual behavior.  How is it possible that God would create someone with a sexual orientation that He diametrically opposes and condemns in His Word?  God is not inconsistent in His nature and in His Word.  Whatever “theology” anyone uses to justify their homosexual orientation and faith, Paul makes clear it is not sound doctrine, i.e., it is doctrine that is contrary to Scripture.

My critics will assert, “You are forcing your beliefs on others.”  The only belief we are talking about is my personal belief in the Bible as the true and authoritative Word of God.  I did not write these things; God said them.  If these words are “hate language,” you’ll have to take that up with God.  I’ve just quoted what Scripture clearly states.  Don’t attack me or anyone else who quotes the Bible; attack the Bible.  Attack God!  These are not personal judgments, these are Biblical teachings.  The problem with society today is that they don’t see or understand the difference.

So, it comes down to what you personally believe about the Bible.  Is it God’s authoritative Word, or not?  Do you believe it, or not?  You see, the answers to those questions dictate everything else about your life.  What you accept and believe about the Bible determines your viewpoints, your opinions, your values & convictions, and ultimately dictates your behavior, choices and decisions about everything else in life.  Culture and society may change in their views & values about human sexuality, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Word stands and never changes (Isaiah 40:8).  What He declared through His Word to be sin thousands of years ago, is still sin in the 21^st Century, no matter how much culture and society have changed to accept & accommodate alternate lifestyles.

If a person today insists that homosexuality is not a sin, he is in essence declaring that he does not believe the Bible.  Sex experienced & expressed in any other relationship other than the marriage relationship between a husband & wife, is sexual sin (I Corinthians 6:15-20).  The Bible declares it clearly, and you either believe it or you don’t.  People today who believe what the Bible teaches about sexuality are often ostracized for being closed-minded, out of touch with reality and the ways in which the world has changed, or hatefully judgmental & intolerant toward people who are different and have the right to be different.  We are criticized for not expressing love and respect for individuals and their rights.

Opponents often site the love, grace, compassion, mercy and kindness of Jesus toward people as the example we should follow.  No argument there.  We definitely need to emulate the character of Christ.  While Jesus often expressed these divine qualities however, He also never backed off from the responsibility to call sin what it was and point it out in those guilty of it.  The Gospels tell us that when Jesus discovered merchants in the Temple, that he drove them out, strew their money boxes and overturned their tables, while labeling them thieves (Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17).  The Jewish religious leaders who rejected Jesus and ultimately had Him arrested & crucified, were called by Jesus – “You brood of vipers, how can you being evil, speak what is good?” (Matthew 12:34).  If Jesus were alive today and spoke this way to certain sinners, He too would be ostracized as intolerant, unloving and an enemy to diversity.  No, we are not called to judge, but we are called to warn people of God’s impending judgment on them if they do not repent and come to Christ according to the dictates of God’s Word.

The point is, Jesus loved enough to confront.  It is not exactly correct to say Christians should not force their beliefs on others.  If that is the case, why do we have a Gospel to preach, and why do we engage a global evangelistic mission enterprise to spread that Gospel?  Jesus said that in order to be forgiven of sin and receive the gift of eternal life, you must believe in Him.  But, “How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).  Of course we have to urge, encourage, beg, plead – whatever is necessary to encourage lost persons to come to Christ.  Obviously, we cannot force someone to believe, but that doesn’t mean we don’t take the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) seriously and engage it aggressively and assertively.

I fear that someone, sometime, somewhere is going to turn to someone they love (and who supposedly loves them) and ask, “Why didn’t you tell me this was wrong?”  “Why did you not love me enough to confront me with the error of my life?”  Yes, we should love the lost, but some Christians are going to love the lost right into hell because they fail to confront them at the point of their sin for fear of offending or hurting them emotionally!  Through the prophet Ezekiel, God issues a sobering truth – “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand.” (Ezekiel 33:8).  James reminds us – “he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death” (James 5:20).  If we really love and respect the homosexual person (or any sinful person), we will be faithful to warn them in loving ways that God does not accept their lifestyle, and unless they repent, they will suffer the judgment of His wrath (I Corinthians 6:9).  That is a harsh truth in today’s world, but it is Biblical truth nonetheless.  The modern Christian’s mandate wasn’t to write it, but it is our mandate to faithfully proclaim it, even if it gets us fired, kicked off television shows, ostracized by our family & friends or someday, even land in jail.  Like Peter and the apostles, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29).  Standing for God often requires the sacrifice and persecution of standing against public opinion, cultural norms and sometimes even legislative laws.

The national and international militant effort to accept & accommodate in every moral & legal way this specific alternative lifestyle is puzzling.  Such a campaign is not forced on behalf of pedophiles, although they claim they have a right to their natural sexual orientation & expression.  Neither is it forced on behalf of incest proponents who insist they have a right to their sexual orientation.  This one sexual orientation has been singled out and forced on the American people in a demand for acceptance and accommodation in every moral, ethical and legal way.  Why?

This is hard to write about, folks!  You know what needs to be said, but you risk being misunderstood and being unloving & insensitive if you say it.  I am not insensitive to the ways this issue has touched the lives of many godly people.  I know families who have raised children in a Christian home, faithfully engaged them in the life of the church; where the parents themselves are godly people, actively serving God & His Kingdom.  They have helped their children to know God and His Word, and though not perfect, have done all they could be expected to do in providing their family a solid, Biblical foundation for life.  Yet, one of their children walks into the room one day and says, “Mom and dad, I have something to tell you.”  Out of the closet!  These parents are devastated, but this is coming from a child they dearly love.  What are they to do?  How do they love their child without compromising their faith?  How do they love their child without failing to uphold a Biblical standard?  It is an enormous challenge!  My heart goes out to them.

As this happens more and more across the religious landscape of our land, more churches are being pressured to grow more accepting & accommodating to these lifestyles and choices.  The faith of many is being challenged to accommodate more than is Biblically comfortable.  In many places, it is deteriorating the foundational values that have sustained our moral principles to now.  It is exactly what Satan and the forces of darkness want as they attack and seek to destroy God’s church, the institution of marriage as He designed it, and His people.

I think it is also prophetic in nature as an indication of the last days.  As one of the signs of the end of the Church Age, Jesus revealed – “at that time many will fall away…lawlessness will increase, most people’s love will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:10-12).  Paul reaffirmed this truth to Timothy – “But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage.” (I Timothy 4:1-3).  When Paul referred to “men who forbid marriage,” he was siting those who propose an alternative to God’s original design.  Modern alternate lifestyles and changing cultural values & norms need the distortion or rejection of the Biblical standard in order to justify and accommodate them.  As a result, the Bible is being abandoned as an outdated book that is mostly flawed in its truth & principles.  The modern generation referred to by demographers as the “Millennials” are mass-exiting the church in droves, claiming the church & religion no longer holds any relevance for their lives, despite being raised by godly parents & families who taught them otherwise.  What they are really saying is they cannot live their lives the way they want to live them and be constantly confronted with a Biblical standard that challenges & condemns their conduct and character.  So, they disconnect from the friction.  Unfortunately, many denominations & churches are emerging that attract & welcome these by putting on a show rather than a worship service, and offering a feel-good motivational speech instead of an unadulterated expository proclamation from the Word of God.  This “falling away” is one of the most glaring signs that the Rapture of the Church is closer than it has ever been.

Daniel’s prophecy provides a profile of the coming antichrist.  Some will criticize me for being a sensationalist in this regard, but one description the prophet gives for the antichrist is, “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the love of women.” (Daniel 11:37).  Many Bible students agree that this can mean he will be so obsessed with power that he will have no passion left for anything or anyone else; or, that he will be an openly homosexual man.  If the latter is the case, what would it take for a global acceptance of his leadership if his sexual orientation is not first embraced through widespread moral conditioning?  And if this is the situation, how revealing it is that the sexual orientation of the man deemed to be the antichrist (the opposite of Jesus Christ), and the one who is possessed by Satan himself during the Tribulation Period, is homosexual!

I believe that homosexuality, like all sin, is redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus and can be transformed in the life of any person to the likeness of Christ and the design intended by our Creator.  As this post has stated, apart from being born with the Adamic sinful nature, no person is born specifically as a homosexual.  In the nature of our sexuality, we are born with the goodness and beauty of the way God created sexuality – male & female becoming physically one in the marriage relationship according to God’s design.

The marriage relationship throughout Scripture has often been used to illustrate & reflect the relationship between God and His people and Christ and His Church (His Bride).  I may lose a few of you here, but when society perverts & distorts this image with a “same-sex” concept, I think it reverts back to the fundamental motivation of Satan in the Garden – to be “like the Most High God.” (Genesis 3:5, Isaiah 14:14).  Satan wanted to act like God, have the same rights as God, and enjoy the same power as God – to usurp God and be God himself (the antichrist will also put himself on the throne in the temple of Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period and proclaim himself to be God).  But Satan can never be God.  The Church can never be Christ.  They are two separates (the Bridegroom and the Bride), divinely unified in a compatible relationship of sacrifice and love, with a divine purpose both now and in eternity.  They each have separate but complimentary gender qualities, with differing roles that function according to the design created for them by the Heavenly Father.  For Satan to try to be God, or for the church to try to be Christ is an example of the same distortion inherent in a “same-sex marriage” concept and effort.  A wife cannot be a husband, nor can a husband be a wife; and a Biblical marriage cannot be a wife and a wife, nor can it be a husband and husband.  Same-sex marriage is a satanic distortion of the divine image & design of God built on the evil motivation to be the same as God.

When sexual orientation is distorted & perverted, it can be corrected and healed by the saving and transforming power of Christ like any other human, sinful distortion & perversion.  I submit that those who reject that idea have not availed themselves to all the options for discovering otherwise.  I believe it is a learned behavior associated with cultural conditions that eventually lead to behavioral choices which solidify strongholds on a person’s physical desires and emotions.  Those strongholds convince the person that he is simply that way by birth or nature, and he has no choice but to follow those natural inclinations.  In essence, that is the ultimate condition referred to as the “reprobate (depraved) mind” of Romans 1.  If that sinful pattern cannot be reversed, then Christ died on the cross in vain; but, it can only be reversed if the person wants it reversed.

That reversal must begin with the person becoming a new life in Christ.  Salvation brings about the forgiveness of sin (any sin and all sin, no matter the perversion) and eternal life, but it begins with confession and repentance.  Confession means agreeing with God that if His Word deems a lifestyle as sin, it is sin – no arguments, no justifications, no excuses!  Repentance means turning away from it (giving it up) and moving in the opposite direction (toward God and His Word, will and ways).  In this discussion, that means the person agrees that homosexuality is sin as God clearly declares it to be in His Word; and, makes the willful decision to turn away from homosexuality to heterosexuality in the design for which God created sex & marriage.  That’s a difficult choice for many gay persons, but through the compelling power of the Holy Spirit and the love & grace of God, that decision can be made.  In fact, it has been made by many formerly gay individuals.  Men and women, both believers and non-believers, have gained victory through Christ from sexual failures in their lives.  It often takes time, but submitting to the process of the loving discipline of our heavenly Father will allow the repentant person to be reconciled in a proper relationship to God and society without the encumbrance of immoral sin and weakness.  In Christ, we can truly be a new creature.

The process may also need the inclusion of professional counselors to help identify the cultural and domestic markers that contributed toward the orientation and the evolution of development that led to distorted choices.  Such counselors must be carefully selected, and Scripture admonishes us to choose Christian counselors who espouse Biblical truth and principles for guiding life’s conduct & character.  There are many secular humanists in the practice of counseling who will tell a person that it is an emotionally healthy choice to be who you feel you should be, and do whatever feels good.  They give ungodly behaviors a professional permission for indulgence without guilt.  A responsible Biblical counselor will honestly hold up the standard of Scripture and encourage a person’s submission & compliance to that standard.  Most homosexual persons have not given this option their sincere and best effort, I fear.

Families who are touched by this enormous challenge struggle with how to deal with their loved one.  No one with the Spirit of Christ and love of the Father would turn a child out of the house and disown him or her in this situation.  It is often said of God that He hates sin but loves the sinner.  Somehow, family members have to find a way to express the balance of that same sentiment.  To do so without compromise and concession in certain ways is most challenging, and must be carried out in the context of an intimate walk with God firmly established on the truth of His Word.  The relationship must be guided and guarded by a keen sensitivity to the leadership & power of the Holy Spirit, seasoned in the love & grace of the Father.  Constant, fervent prayer is the effectual practice that will accomplish much (James 5:16).  As confusing and difficult as it is, our gay family member or friend must feel loved & accepted, while at the same time, understand that his lifestyle choice is a condition condemned in Scripture and unacceptable to the Father.  Therefore, it is unacceptable to those who love and represent the Father.  I know – much easier said than done.  We just must remain faithful and trust the power of God to do that which we cannot do.

I said earlier in this post, these things are hard to write about.  No matter how Biblically accurate the words are or how sensitively & lovingly you attempt to say them, they will always stir anger, resentment and rejection by some, obviously today by many.  This issue involves people who have feelings and deserve respect.  That doesn’t mean they don’t also need and deserve Biblical challenge & direction.  Love must sometimes be tough.  The world doesn’t understand that.  To the world, love must always be accepting, accommodating, and approving.  That is why this issue is so explosive and dividing.  To anyone who might be offended at my thoughts and expressions, my intent has been not to hurt, but to point to Biblical truth that I am confident applies.  I hope my effort is received in that spirit.

In the Spirit of Christ,

Pastor Rick Smith

The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) stressed the importance of the high court’s decision by stating on its website: “Before the Court is an up or down vote to redefine marriage…what the Supreme Court decides regarding whether to redefine marriage will be on the same historic level” as the 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion, which legalized abortion in our country. “The outcome of this decision will shape the landscape of the church’s ministry in the United States for generations to come, and it will have significant consequences on the future of religious liberty,” says the ERLC. The commission has signed on to friend-of-the-court briefs urging the justices to uphold the authority of states to limit marriage to a man and a woman.

Dr. Moore and the ERLC have emphasized the following points of prayer being urged:

• Pray that all people, including governing authorities, would honor the institution of marriage.

• Pray for the Supreme Court justices, that they would be receptive to the arguments being made passionately before them.

• Pray for lead attorneys who will be arguing on behalf of the states seeking to uphold marriage. Ask God to give them clarity and wisdom, for their arguments to be persuasive, and for God to give them favor before the justices.

• Pray for those who disagree with us, that God would help them understand and respect the opinions of those whose definition of marriage is grounded in the biblical witness.

• Pray and hope for the best but plan for an adverse ruling. Even in the event of a bad decision, marriage will always be what marriage truly is.

In an April 8, 2015 article issued by Baptist Press, “The Supreme Court’s oral arguments will come in a case from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which became in November the first federal appellate court to rule that states have the authority to define marriage as only a heterosexual union. Five other appeals courts have invalidated state laws that prohibited gay marriage. The opinion by the Sixth Circuit Court, based in Cincinnati, took place in challenges to laws in the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in 37 states, nearly tripling the 13 states where it was legal in mid-2013. It also is legal in the District of Columbia. Court rulings have produced legal gay marriage in more than two-thirds of those states.

The expansion of same-sex marriage has resulted in a growing clash between the rights of gay couples and the religious freedom of individuals and organizations. Florists, bakers, photographers and other business owners who have conscientious objections to providing their services for same-sex ceremonies have been penalized or are facing penalties for their refusal.”

This will become a defining moment in the history of our nation. The Biblical design of marriage is divinely established and not the right or liberty of any culture or country to altar. Christian pastors, preachers and lay people are being challenged to take a stand for God’s Word and God’s institution in this demonic debate. I urge you to join me in doing so.

Pastor Rick