I've decided to share some excellent articles on various cults.  The introduction to Matt Slick of CARM.org is below.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.
Steve

Matt Slick

Matt Slick is President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.  Matt earned his Bachelors degree in Social Science from Concordia University, Irvine, CA, in 1988.  He earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, CA, in 1991.  He now resides in the Boise, Idaho, area with his family.  He is ordained.  Matt started CARM in October of 1995 to respond to the many false teachings of the cults on the Internet.

Daily Show anyone?

Matt currently hosts Matt Slick Live, radio program heard weekdays, 3-4 pm, M-F in the Boise area and over the Internet.  He welcomes you to call in with a question or challenge on any topic. 877-207-2276 or 208-377-3790.

Many people ask about Matt's testimony.  So here is Matt Slick's Testimony.  Also, here is a clarification of Matt's personal beliefs in the article "What I believe."

Don't miss Responding to Critics

There are a lot of critics who attack Matt personally.  For Matt's responses to them, go to Responding to Critics

Atheism

by Matt Slick

Dealing with atheists is actually easy to do.  They don't have any evidence for their atheism, and they can't logically prove there is no God.  They can only attack the Bible and attack Christians' ideas of God.  But, if you listen to them, you can soon find that their logic has many holes in it.  It takes practice, but you can do it.

The following statements are for copying and pasting into chat rooms.  Use them to see how atheists react.  Use them to learn how to respond better to atheists.  Please understand that these are not "stoppers."  But, they can be challenging to atheists.  Also, see how long it takes before they become condescending.  Do not return their condescension.  Instead, ask them to give rational reasons for their positions.  In the process of interacting with them, learn how to argue with them better.

1. Is Atheism a Worldview?
   1. A worldview is a perspective that someone has with which he interprets experience. Atheism is a worldview (or at least part of a worldview), because atheists have presuppositions with which they interpret the world. An atheists presuppositions necessarily include a conscious decision to exclude God as a possible explanation for experience. So, when seeking to answer questions related to our existence, rationality, purpose, morality, etc., atheists must automatically negate God as an explanatory option. This has huge philosophical implications. Therefore, atheism is a worldview since it is a perspective, or part of a larger one, with which a person interprets experience.
   2.  Is atheism a worldview or does a person's worldview include atheism?
2. Ways to Attack Atheism
   1. By asking questions
      1. Atheism is an intellectual position.  What reasons do you have for holding that position?  Your reasons are based upon logic and/or evidence or lack of it.  So, is there any reason/evidence for you holding your position that you defend?
      2. If you say that atheism needs no evidence or reason, then you are holding a position that has no evidence or rational basis?  If so, then isn't that simply faith?
      3. If you say that atheism is supported by the lack of evidence for God, then it is only your opinion that there is no evidence.  You cannot know all evidence for or against God, therefore you cannot say there is no evidence for God. Your atheism then, is nothing more than an opinion.  But, if it is, should you derogatorily argue against Christians and in favor of your opinion?
      4. If you say that atheism needs no evidence to support it because it is a position about the lack of something, then do you have other positions you hold based upon lack of evidence...like say, screaming blue ants?  Do you hold the position that they do not exist or that you lack belief in them, too? People behave according to what they believe, not what they lack belief in. So, if you are an atheist and you work against the idea that God exists, then aren't you behaving in a manner consistent with your beliefs?
   2. By using logic
      1. Atheist, how do you account for the laws of logic within your atheism? Isn't logic a process of the mind?  Yes. Isn't logical thought based upon the laws of logic?  If logic is conceptual (a process of the mind) and certainly appear to be universally true, then what are the conditions that must be in place in order for the laws of logic to be universally true so that you can cite them and use them?  How do the truth statements that we call the laws of logic obtain their universal nature? How do you know that the laws of logic are true?  Do you just assume they are true?
         1. This approach is a bit more complicated.  If you use this one, first be familiar with The Christian Worldview, the Atheist Worldview, and Logic.
         2. First of all, when using logic, you should be familiar with basic laws of logic and logical fallacies.  It is very useful to point out the various logical fallacies to atheists as they commit them.  Therefore, please be familiar with Logical Fallacies or Fallacies in Argumentation.
         3. The laws of logic are conceptual by nature and are always true all the time everywhere.  They are not physical properties.  How do atheists account for them from an atheist perspective?
      2. Everything that was brought into existence was caused to exist.  Can you have an infinite regression of causes?  No, since to get to "now" you'd have to traverse an infinite amount of time to get to now. But, it is impossible to cross an infinite.  Furthermore, without a first cause, there cannot be a second or a third, etc.  So, it seems that there must be a single uncaused cause.  Why can't that be God who is always existed and was never caused to come into existence?
      3. Examples of logical absolutes:
         1. Examples of logical absolutes are:  Something is what it is and is not what it is not (Law of identity). A statement cannot be both true and false at the same time and in the same sense (Law of non-contradiction).   A statement is either true or false (Law of excluded middle). If A=B and B=C, then A=C (Law of Proper Inference).
      4. If atheism is true:  The universe has laws.  These laws cannot be violated.  Life is a product of these laws and can only exists in harmony with those laws and is governed by them. Therefore, human thought, feelings, etc., are programmed responses to stimuli and the atheist cannot legitimately claim to have meaning in life or free will since his physical brain is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions that must always have a necessary outcome based on the physical laws of the universe.
      5. Human constructs?
         1. If the laws of logic are human constructs then how can they be absolute since humans think differently and often contradictorily?  If they are produced from human minds, and human minds are mutually contradictory, then how can the constructs be absolute?  Therefore, the laws of logic are not human constructs.
   3. The Universe exists
      1. The universe exists.  Is it eternal or did it have a beginning?  It could not be eternal since that would mean that an infinite amount of time had to be crossed to get to the present.  But, you cannot cross an infinite amount of time (otherwise it wouldn't be infinite).  Therefore, the universe had a beginning.  Something cannot bring itself into existence.  Therefore, something brought it into existence.
      2. What brought the universe into existence?  It would have to be greater than the universe and be a sufficient cause to it.  The Bible promotes this sufficient cause as God.  What does atheism offer instead of God?  If nothing, then atheism is not able to account for our own existence.
      3. The universe cannot be infinitely old or all useable energy would have been lost already (entropy).  This has not occurred.  Therefore, the universe is not infinitely old.
      4. Uncaused Cause
         1. Objection: If something cannot bring itself into existence, then God cannot exist since something had to bring God into existence.  Answer:  Not so.  You cannot have an infinite regression of causes lest an infinity be crossed (which cannot happen).  Therefore, there must be a single uncaused, cause.
         2. All things that came into existence were caused to exist.  You cannot have an infinite regression of causes (otherwise an infinity of time has been crossed which is impossible because an infinity cannot be crossed).  Therefore, logically, there must be a single uncaused cause that did not come into existence.
   4. Atheism lacks the ability to account for our existence.
      1.   Atheism lacks the ability to account for our existence. Where did the universe, and us, come from? Atheism can only offer an impersonal cause. But an impersonal cause that precedes the universe must have always possessed the necessary and sufficient conditions to bring the universe into existence. If this pre-existing cause always existed, then it always possessed these conditions. But this necessitates an automatic generation of the universe, because when the necessary sufficient conditions are there, the result is automatic. But this means the universe would have been created an infinitely long time ago. But the universe is not infinitely old, therefore the impersonal cause of the universe cannot be supported from the atheist perspective.
   5.  Atheism lacks the ability to account for moral absolutes.
      1. Without moral absolutes, all morality is subjective. Subjective morality cannot be defended as "the right" moral system.  Therefore, when atheists object to something on a moral basis, they must either offer their own personal opinions (why should their opinions be the right one?) or they must borrow from the Christian worldview's position on absolute right and wrong.  But, if they offer is their moral opinion, and why is it valid? Is this a society says something is right, then what happens when a society's opinions changes? Do truth values and morals change? If they appeal to any absolute right or wrong at all, there are going against their own worldview and assuming the validity of the Christian one. Either way, atheism lacks the ability to account for moral absolutes. It can only offer moral subjectivity which is, ultimately, anarchy.
3. Demanding Evidence
   1. When atheists asks for material evidence for a nonmaterial God, they are committing a logic error called a Category Mistake since immateriality (God) and materiality are different categories. The Christian God, by definition, is immaterial and transcends the universe and is not dependent upon it nor subject to its properties. Therefore, if atheists really want evidence for God (puerile mocking aside), then the atheists should look for evidence that has transcendental, immaterial properties.  Transcendental evidence would be phenomena that are not dependent upon the physical realm, or in other words, they would not be repeatable and or discoverable through examining the material world.  Transcendental evidences are those things not dependent on the physical realm, i.e., the Laws of Logic, absolute morality, super complex information structures. 
   2. First, the Christian God, by definition, exists outside of our space and time. He transcends them. When atheists require physical/repeatable evidence for God based on material phenomena, that is a category mistake. We don't find God under a rock or discover him in a chemistry lab.  Second, properties are attributes of things. If a property exists, it must be the property of something else. So, if we can find transcendent properties in the universe, then it would make sense to say we have found evidence of transcendent things. If we find transcendent abstractions, it implies a transcendent mind, since abstractions require minds. Third, some transcendent abstractions are such things as the Laws of Logic.  They are not based on human thought (lest they be conventions) nor are they properties of the physical realm (physical properties are measurable and the Laws of Logic are not).  These Laws are statements, abstractions.  Fourth, when atheists accuse the God of scripture of being a moral monster, they are appealing to moral absolutes that transcend our realm and apply universally; otherwise, atheists have no right to assert that God is wrong without appealing to their personal subjectivity which is meaningless.  But such an absolute moral appeal is an appeal to transcendent morals which are abstractions because they are statements of how things "ought" to be.  Fifth, when atheists appeal to such universal, transcendent abstractions, whether in Logic or Morals, they are working from the Christian perspective while arguing against the Christian perspective.  But this is self-refuting.  That which is self-refuting, cannot be true.  Therefore, the atheist ought to abandon his atheism.
4. Death's Under the Atheist watch
   1. Death's of people under the Atheists' watch: Joseph Stalin - 42,672,000; Mao Zedong - 37,828,000; Chiang Kai-shek - 10,214,000; Vladimir Lenin - 4,017,000; Hideki Tojo - 3,990,000; Pol Pot - 2,397,000 (carm.org/religion-cause-war)
5. Materialistic Atheism is self refuting
   1. The perspective of materialistic atheism is self refuting.  Here's why.  The human brain is restricted to physical laws.  Therefore, it will automatically respond in a predictable way based upon brain wiring and stimulus. This would mean that given the exact same circumstances, the exact same responses would always occur. This negates free will since every time the exact same circumstance arise, the exact same response must occur.  The person is not free to choose differently.  Furthermore, this he has no reason to trust his thoughts about reality, God, himself, others, or experiences since he cannot justify his own free will or that his conclusions are correct. Therefore, materialistic atheism is self-refuting. Materialistic atheism could never be known to be the right position to hold if the brain is merely reacting according to the physical requirements that govern it.
6. Responding to Atheist Statements about God
   1. "I lack belief in a God."
      1. If you say that atheism is simply lack of belief in a god, then my cat is an atheist the same as the tree outside and the sidewalk out front, since they also lack faith.  Therefore, your definition is insufficient.
      2. Lacking belief is a non-statement because you have been exposed to the concept of God and have made a decision to accept or reject.  Therefore, you either believe there is a God, or you do not, or you are agnostic.  You cannot remain in a state of "lack of belief."
      3. If you lack belief in God, then why do you go around attacking the idea of God?  If you also lack belief in invisible pink unicorns, why don't you go around attacking that idea?
   2. "I believe there is no God."
      1. On what basis do you believe there is no God?
   3. "I don't believe there is a God."
      1. Why don't you believe there is no God?
   4. "There is no God."
      1. You cannot logically state that there is no God because you cannot know all things so as to determine that there is no God.
   5. "There is no proof that God exists"
      1. To say "there is no proof for God's existence" is illogical because an atheist cannot know all things by which he could state that there is no proof. He can only say he has not yet seen a convincing proof; after all, there may be one he hasn't yet seen.
   6. "All of Science has never found any evidence for God."
      1. That is a subjective statement.  There are many scientists who affirm evidence for God's existence through science.
      2. Your presupposition is that science has no evidence for God, but that is only an opinion.
      3. Science looks at natural phenomena through measuring, weighing, seeing, etc.  God, by definition, is not limited to the universe.  Therefore, it would not be expected that physical detection of God would be found.
   7. "What is God?" or "Define God."
      1. God is the only Supreme Being who is unchanging, eternal, holy, and Trinitarian in nature.  He alone possesses the attributes of omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.  He alone brought the universe into existence by the exertion of His will.
   8. "Prove your God is real."
      1. I can no more prove to you that God is real than I can prove to you that I love my family.  If you are convinced I don't love my family, no matter what I say or do will be dismissed by you as invalid.  It is your presuppositions that are the problem, not whether or not God exists.
      2. I can no more prove to you that God is real than you can prove that the universe is all that exists.  Your demand of proof precludes acknowledgement of many types of evidence because your presuppositions don't allow it.
      3. The universe exists.  It is not infinitely old. If it were it would have run out of energy long ago. Therefore, it had a beginning.  The universe did not bring itself into existence.  Since it was brought into existence by something else, I assert that God is the one who created the universe.
         1. When the atheist complains, ask him to logically explain the existence of the universe.  Point out that opinions and guesses don't count.
7. Responding to Atheist Statements about the Bible
   1. "The Bible is full of contradictions."
      1. Saying the Bible is full of contradictions does not mean it is so. Can you provide a contradiction that we can examine in context? There are many websites that address alleged contradictions. Here is one: www.carm.org.
8. Responding to Atheist Statements about Evolution and Naturalism
   1. "Evolution is a fact."
      1. That depends on if it is micro or macro. Micro variations occur, but macro variations (speciation) have not been observed.  The best we have are fossils and they have to be interpreted.  Besides, there are plenty of gaps in the fossil record.
      2. Have you read any books that discuss the contrary evidence to evolution?  If not, then how can you say you are educated enough to say it is a fact?
   2. "Naturalism is true; therefore, there is no need for God."
      1. NaNaturalism is the belief that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.  If all things were explainable through natural laws, it does not mean God does not exist since God is, by definition, outside of natural laws since He is the creator of them.
9. Responding to Atheist Statements about Truth
   1. "There are no absolute truths."
      1. To say there are no absolute truths is an attempt to state an absolute truth.  If your statement is true, then it is self-contradictory and not true, and you are wrong.

Justification and Sanctification: What is the Difference?

by Matt Slick
11/23/08

Understanding the difference between justification and sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference between salvation and damnation.  Rightly dividing between the two is of crucial importance.  When you understand what they are, you can then draw a line in the sand and say, "This is what saves.  This is not what saves."

Justification is the work of God where the righteousness of Jesus is reckoned to the sinner, so the sinner is declared by God as being righteous under the Law (Rom. 4:3; 5:1,9; Gal. 2:16; 3:11).  This righteousness is not earned or retained by any effort of the saved.  Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life.  It is based completely and solely upon Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and is received by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9).  No works are necessary whatsoever to obtain justification.  Otherwise, it is not a gift (Rom. 6:23).  Therefore, we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1).

Sanctification is the process of being set apart for God's work and being conformed to the image of Christ.  This conforming to Christ involves the work of the person, but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified (Phil. 2:13).  Sanctification is not instantaneous because it is not the work of God alone.  The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (Gal. 5:22-23).  Significantly, sanctification has no bearing on justification.  That is, even if we don't live a perfect life, we are still justified.

Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous, sanctification is a process.  Where justification comes from outside of us, from God, sanctification comes from God within us by the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Bible.  In other words, we contribute to sanctification through our efforts.  In contrast, we do not contribute to our justification through our efforts.

Now, there is one more point of clarification.  To sanctify also means to set apart for holy use.  Therefore, we can have verses that talk about us being sanctified already because God has set us apart for holy use.

• John 10:36, "do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?"
• Rom. 15:16, "to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
• 1 Cor. 1:2, "to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours."
• 1 Cor. 6:11, "And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God."
• 1 Tim. 4:4-5, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."
• Heb. 2:11, "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren."

All that we need is given to us in Christ.  So there is one sense in which we are not yet completely formed into the image of Christ (sanctification of being made like Jesus), yet in another sense, we are because we are seen as "in Christ" and set apart for holy use where all our spiritual needs and purposes are met through Jesus.

Does this mean those justified by grace can sin as much as they want?

Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid.  How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it?"

1 Thess. 4:7 says, "God has called us not for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification."

The Scriptures teach us that we are to live holy lives and avoid sin (Col. 1:5-11).  Just because we are saved and eternally justified before God (John 10:28), that is no excuse to continue in the sin from which we were saved.  Of course, we all sin (Rom. 3:23); but the war between the saved and sin is continuous (Rom. 7:14-20), and it won't be until the return of Jesus that we will be delivered from this body of death (Rom. 7:24).  To seek sin continually and use God's grace to excuse it later is to trample the blood of Christ underfoot (Heb. 10:29) and to reveal the person's true sinful, unsaved nature (1 John 2:4; 2:19).  Other verses worth checking out are: Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; and 1 Pet. 2:21-22.

What the cults do with justification and sanctification

The cults consistently blur the meanings of the two terms and misapply the truths taught in God's word.  The result is a theology of works' righteousness--of earning their salvation, which only leads to damnation.  This is because by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified (Gal. 2:16).  Man cannot contribute to his salvation (Gal. 5:1-8).  Man is sinful, and even his best deeds are stained and filthy before God (Isaiah 64:6).  Therefore, making a person right before God can only be God's work (Gal. 2:20).

Typically, in cult theologies, a person is not justified (declared righteous in God's eyes) until the final day of judgment when his works are weighed, and a reward is given; or he is found worthy of his place with God.  Thus, a person with this errant theology can not claim 1 John 5:13 as his own which says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Contextually, "These things" refer to loving God, being obedient to Him, belief in Christ, and eternal life in Jesus. Therefore, 1 John 5:13 can be considered a test.  If you are believing and doing the right things, then you will know if you have eternal life.  Can a cultist know he has eternal life?  No, he cannot; but a Christian can.

People in cults don't understand the difference between justification and sanctification. Therefore, they must depend upon a cooperative effort with God to have their sins forgiven, which is, essentially, combining the filthy works of man (Isaiah 64:6) with the holy work of God.  They don't mix.  They can't.  Hence, salvation is by grace through faith believe anything else is to miss salvation.

What would happen if...

     We find ourselves at war with ourselves when we are in a quandary.  At least I do.  It's not the nicest of feelings and can take me off track in a moment.  What would happen if we were to find ourselves in God's perfect peace and then stay there?  The overwhelming peaceful feelings would be unnatural to us.  We might even reject the peace for what we know for sure.  But, what if we chose to accept God's peace and enjoy living in that space?  The Word tells us that we should be in his peace and yet many are not.  The Lord himself talked about being in his perfect peace.  The world wants to disrupt and destroy Christian's peace.  It may be as simple as a traffic accident or something more complex like the loss of a loved one.  Many issues we have let dictate our day seem to sit waiting to keep us off balance and our eyes off Jesus as we walk on the water.  Being in perfect peace means leaving all that attempts to take it away behind ourselves.  This doesn't happen overnight for most people  We have to get baggage out of the way so that peace can fill our beings.  Some of those things that need to be removed are easy while others make us struggle with letting go.  Take sin for instance.  Sin unconfessed and repented of will always be a hindrance to being filled with peace.  Just because we can choose to sin doesn't mean we should.  Another element that prevents our having the peace of God is our marriage to the world around us.  Being one person in the world and another person amongst the people of God.  Double mindedness keeps us away from God's peace because we cannot serve both the world and God.  If we are serving the world, we are not serving God.  If we are not serving God, we are in no way in the possession of God's peace.
     I've read many books about Christian martyrs.  Talk about the incredible peace of God!  As they stood tied to a post while the fire burned under them eventually consuming their body; they exhibited peace.  Even to the praising of God or singing of the love of God during their death.  Stephen. while being stoned to death, talked about the heavens opening and seeing Christ sitting at the side of the Father.  There is no report of any pain he felt as he was released from this world and into the freedom of the presence of God.  His focus was on Jesus alone.  That's part of the key to living in the peace of God.  Learning to be content in all situations as Paul shared to many churches.  The presence of God isn't something fearful or negative to the true believer.  There is "no sting of death" for those who are anchored in Jesus.  Why is that?  Because the true believer knows who they are in Christ and what to expect when they are called home.  Paul laments, as others have as well, that his wish is to go home and be with Jesus.  I know that's my lament as well.  For to be with Christ is far greater than to remain in the world.  The peace of God that keeps you during your tenure here on earth, will envelope you when you step into heaven.
     What would happen if we actually believed the Bible?  Would we believe that all things work for good for those who are called by Jesus?  Would we believe that all things work for good for those who love Jesus?  Would we believe that miracles happen through us?  Would we believe that Jesus is coming one day to take us home and be ready every moment of every day to meet him?  What would happen if we lived in the present, let go of the past and just focused on loving Jesus?  What would happen if...  It's your story and always your choice,
   

Christian living without compromise

     In the fall we have a separation from God that represents our willingness to compromise both the Gospel and the very faith that we so claim.  But compromise comes and steals away the closeness we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Rather than associate with the One who can and does save our soul, we flock to the world in minor as well as major ways.  Whether it's in our personal lives, our family lives, our work lives or our private lives compromise can be found in all of us.  It doesn't need to be that way though.  We have all we need to live a life of no compromise.  Yet, we don't.  Why is that?  I can answer that for myself in one word: "selfishness".  We are a selfish people with selfish desires that continually are trying to pull us away from unselfishness that is shown by Christ on the cross for all mankind.  Rather than stand on the promises of God, we stand in the swamp slowly sinking in cumulative sin.  The world clamors for our attention in regards to their standards of what we deserve and rationalize why we can enjoy those pleasures in spite of the claims of our faith.  I am saddened every time I'm reading what I am writing and see the number of times where "I" is used where "God" should be used.  I have nothing to offer anyone except the love, acceptance and approval of the Father.  Nothing.  When I make it about me, I sin.  When I make it about Jesus, victory is celebrated in Heaven.
     People in the world continually bombard us with all the reasons our faith is so offensive and not relative to the time and place we are living.  God knows this and wants us to have him live through us no matter what the situation.  We cannot not tell others about Christ.  Even if your work, relationships, and situations are dependent upon what they perceive as being what they want us to be, we deny Christ when we live by the worlds rules.  Putting up with coarse and vulgar talk and voiced insults of the Lord we claim is not being Christ to the world.  Who of us would put up with others speaking vile words about our loved ones?  The time is coming when the Christian will need to put his stand in place regardless of the consequence.  Have to accept the mark of the beast?  No, you don't have to.  Sufficient is the ability of God to care for us.  Have to be politically correct?  No, you don't have to.  The Lord didn't and we shouldn't either.  We should, instead, be Christ correct.  The time is coming when Christians will need to stand for their faith or disown Christ.  Both choices are ours.  In that time our children may be brought  before us and killed if we don't denounce Christ.  We may be killed in front of our families, loved ones and our children for not bowing to the world.  Like a frog put in cold water doesn't try to escape when the heat is applied, those who are compromising their faith (if they truly have one) we slowly accept the world around us and in the end provide no resistance to those who honor Satan.
     Sometimes when this blog or other writings by me are penned, I am vividly aware of the stringent message of separation of the Christian from the world.  Being set apart for the work of Christ is not just for some  Christians, it's for all.  The need to tell the truth trumps the need to let others continue on their path to hell.  My life is not perfect.  My life doesn't always reflect Christ's life through me.  My life often falls short of that which Christ has given me.  My life has missed the blessings of God due to my sin.  At times all I can see is my failure.  But...my day arrives and again the life of Christ is paramount in my connection with others.  Regardless of where you are, what you are and what you are doing, you have the love, acceptance and approval of God if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior.  Do you feel that way?  If not, ask yourself who is putting the negative thoughts and feelings in your life?  As a Christian we are called to have Christ live through our lives.  We will fail.  That's not the test.  We will get up again and rise to the occasion because of what Christ did for us.  Do you believe that?  If you do you know that your and my sin doesn't disqualify us from the race.  God has a plan for each of us and that's to be our focus not the plan the world has.  Christian!  Stand up and live Christ to the world!  Remember, it's always your choice.

Post Christmas for the Christian

     While a pastor in northern Minnesota I was preaching through the book of John when Christmas rolled around.  Jesus' birth is important but the real message was his conquering death and resurrection from the dead in order that we might do the same.  I was at a point in my preaching where the Scripture was all about Jesus' death and resurrection.  My choices were to stop the series and do the traditional stuff or to continue through the series.  I chose the latter.  Needless to say, the message was dead on for the Christmas day celebration of Christ's birth in light of his death and resurrection.  I'm sure that someone has preached the same way somewhere.  Well, maybe not.  It was unorthodox.  The message we have from the world, and in some cases fellow Christians, is for us to be traditional and not rock the boat.  Sorry but I'm not that kind of Christian.  The Gospel message is what it is and should cause those unsure of their faith to confront whatever makes them uncomfortable.  We entered Christmas this year in a way that didn't change much of how others think of Christians and Christmas.  The holiday has become a reason to celebrate commercialism and selfish greed.  Traditions trump the Gospel and Jesus is just a  byline to the season.  This shouldn't be.  People should be confronted and left with a decision to make.  That would be for Christian and non-Christian alike.  Instead the Christian (for the most part) participate in the lies conjuring up visions of Santa Claus at every turn.  Christians even teach their children that Santa Claus is real and they had better be good!
     There I go again raining on someone's parade and spoiling the fun.  While the nation spends billions of dollars trying to trap politicians, organizing hate groups, and failing to do what they need to do; the image of Santa Claus delivering gifts to little children everywhere dwarfs the message of Christ Christians are supposed to be presenting.  Christians miss the opportunity to set their faith apart from other's beliefs and sell the enemies message in Christian messages.  This shouldn't be the case for the Christian.  Post Christmas the Santa is dropped from our lives and will be replaced with the Easter bunny.  There will be groups that put the special direction of their message on the blessing of pets and of course various political dialogues will be present in many circles.  Just what does "fix our eyes on Jesus" mean to the post Christian?  Are we so lukewarm that we no longer are in love with the one who first loved us?  Our words and actions seem to reflect this.  Where is the Spirit of God in your life?  That Spirit is one which we are to listen to and incorporate into our lives on a daily basis.  The spirit of Christmas we see all around us isn't the Spirit of God at all.  When, if ever, will we wake up and take our commitment to Christ as seriously as he took his mission of love for us?  You matter to Him.  Does he matter to you?  Old school says put up or shut up.
     This post Christmas season why not let the Spirit of Christ reign through to Good Friday and then on to Pentecost followed by another celebration of the birth of  Christ.  This post Christmas season why not retell the story and continue to do so until he takes us home or you go home?  This post Christmas season why don't we teach our children the truth since no one else seems interested in doing so,  Let's not honor false gods with any part of our lives.  Instead of looking towards what we can get for ourselves, let's look at all the ways how we can give to others in word, thought and deed.  The difference will show fruits in the lives of others as well as yourself.  As always, it's always your choice.

Craigslist Christians

     What?!  I'm one of them and there are others as well.  I have lots of favorite places to go on Craigslist but my favorite is Free Stuff!  Who doesn't like free?  I've found lots of good to great free stuff.  Some is for myself, some are to fix and sell and yet others are there to put in my truck and take to the local mission.  People who know me know that I do this.  There are varied responses and most have become accustomed to my system and it's rewards.  There are certain areas where I look for specific items.  Want higher quality items?  Go to areas around you with more affluent residents.  Want good higher quality garden stuff?  Go to the rural areas.  Sometimes the item I like are next door and sometimes I've driven 50 miles to pick up.  I guess I'm a kind of "picker" in my own right.  This skill has been honed over the years and I no longer waste so much time online.  I went to one free items garage sale and arrived to find at least 8 tables lining the driveway.  I met the man overseeing the sale and learned that most everything was free.  He was a big guy and I'm a big guy so I did find a couple of things that would work for me.  BUT!  His wife and sister had left him with this dubious task and he was tired of sitting and waiting in his rural setting.  I give regularly to the local mission.  A plan was hatched and I drove away with almost everything he had to offer.  My Expedition was completely filled.  There was only room for me to drive.  I came home and put my couple of items in the house before going to the mission.  They were ecstatic!   There was a huge pile of clothing, kitchen goods, and personal items in the delivery.  It's what Jesus would have done.
     Craigslist also has other wonderful Christian opportunities.  Take for instance the community section.  I located a person in need recently.  She has cancer and was waiting for surgery and treatment.  Her husband couldn't handle it and left her without means to pay bills and take care of simple personal need.  She needed help with wood for her fireplace which was her only means of heat.  Because of my ability to find things, I located a man who delivered a cord of wood and stacked it near her house so it was easily acceptable.  I also located a shower chair for when she would come home from the hospital.  She was inquiring why I was doing this for her.  I answered that I was doing what Christ would do.  This baffled her for a bit but opened the door for additional witnessing.  She called one day and her sewer was backed up.  She wondered if I could find something in my bag of tricks to help.  I am retired so I went up and unplugged her pipes.  Not big deal for me.  A huge big deal for her.  Actions like this convince those who are wary that a Christ message was not only safe but also an open door.  Only if we are able and willing to be Christ to those around us.
     Finally, I have found that there are many people who are lost and alone seeking meaning for their lives and what's happening in their lives.  Since I love to listen and help when and where I can and I'm retired, it's become a wonderful ministry for me.  Most people know that there is help out there even if all that's needed is a listening ear.  I've connected with so many people who just want to be heard and to know that someone, anyone, is there to listen, believe and cares about them and their situation.  Some are on the verge of suicide while other's are just trying to struggle and survive another day.  There can be no misunderstanding that not everyone is capable of ministering in this way.  I've the training and experience to do so.  But everyone can listen!  You and I can listen to these folks just as we do so with our Christian environment.  When we come down to it, we are all just beggars looking for food.  Some have it and others know where these needs can be found.  No one is equipped to do everything.  Everyone is equipped to do something.  It's what Christ would do.  It's what we should do.  Remember that it's always your choice.

Merry Christmas to all!

     We have a white Christmas this morning.  The snow began falling yesterday afternoon and through the night.  I love the snow!  It's clean freshness is a reminder that God has washed me and I am whiter than snow!  Christmas should be all about Christ and the cleanness that he brings to all who have received him.  That doesn't mean that you have to love the snow or even the cold that comes along with the winter wonderland.  Just enjoy freedom and life in Christ today!
     With my last posting I have finished posting my upcoming book, "It's Always Your Choice".  I hope you have enjoyed the posting and the book.  I'd love to have feedback so please let me know what you think.  One of the books I'm currently working on is entitled "The Power of Silence" and I hope to have it finished mid 2018.
     The holiday season has once again bestowed upon the world a commercialism that has overtaken most peoples to honor Christ.  I don't like that.  While the focus and impact of Christmas is still Jesus, there are many who have celebrated this  holiday in a worldly way and not shared their faith in the process.  Christ's warning for us to be in the world but not of the world seem to have been dropped somewhere in the past.  In fact, everyday should be a Christmas celebration.  The lack thereof only shows our level of apathy to our faith in Christ.  We seem to have no problem with advancing the sports, shopping and wild living of the world and yet have no qualms about putting Christ in the manger and on the mantel in order to do so,
     The world isn't afraid to show who they are but somehow Christians are afraid to have that same energy and determination in their lives.  Christ isn't some relationship you can have by osmosis.  There is the need to hear, believe, and live the faith that we claim is so precious to ourselves.  If Christ isn't foremost in your life, change!    There can be no one who claims to be Christ that doesn't show that relationship in their lives.  It's not about putting up Christmas lights, sending cares and wishing others well.  It's all about being Jesus to the world so that they can be saved and not just entertained.  There IS a difference.  A parallel would be showing up for a church service in pajamas.  You may be there to worship Christ but the obvious pajamas would distract from Christ within you.  Distractions are just that.  Distractions.  Living with one foot in the world actually means living with both feet in the world because we can't serve the world and Christ.
     As we go through this season and enter the new year we will have chances to be that person whom others see Christ in.  That Gospel alone will cause a thirst for the message of salvation through faith in Christ.  Don't be side tracked by the illusions of the world.  There is nothing good in the world.  Be that reality that exposes the illusions and see the message of salvation go out to others.  Then there will be belief and saved souls.  Christmas...it's about the world seeing Jesus.  It's not about you or me, what we do and don't do, and certainly not just another commercial holiday.  It's Jesus.

Chapter 35. Strive to be happy. Galatians 5:22 against these there is no law

        It’s not against the law to be happy. So, why not be happy? Many people wait for happiness to come to them. Some wait all their lives for this event to unfold only to not see happiness come to them. My son Daniel has proclaimed for some time now that he doesn’t like sunny weather and prefers the cloudy, dark and rainy any day. I have absolutely no idea where he came up with that as a means to happiness. I don’t have anyone in my life who feels this way. I’m happy about a lot of events and items in my life. I try to thank God for them on a regular basis. Some are not very good for me. Like my love of chocolate (I’m overweight) and potatoes and meat for dinner. I like to take chances which drives my wife crazy. You see, there are qualifications for things to be truly happy making. Sometimes there are concessions we make in order to be happy. I really love my sister but I don’t look forward to driving from Olympia, WA to Bismarck, ND. Another element in reaching a state of happy is putting up with this or that until happy arrives. I love being able to eat fresh caught trout. However, the process of going about catching the fish isn’t something that gives me instant gratification. Instant gratification only supports temporary happiness. When the event is over, we are back to the way things were. So, even if I go to Safeway and buy a "fresh caught trout", the happiness factor is still going to be temporary. Being happy is a choice. Happy doesn’t come about by just thinking happy thoughts like Peter Pan. Why? Because we have situations that we will need to overcome if we want to find happiness in our lives. My grandmother’s death is an unhappy event but is made happy when I think of her in heaven with Jesus.
       There are so many different situations and events where our state of happy is stolen from us. It’s not like we let it happen; it’s like it happened and we are left to deal with the fallout. If we, for the moment, think about some negatives that rob us of happiness; we will see: jealousy, anger, guilt, shame, failure, to name but a few. I would imagine that even Dale Carnegie had his happiness stolen from time to time. Who or what has stolen your happiness? Perhaps you have succumbed to any number of addictions and they have stolen your happiness. Maybe it’s a mental health issue launched in your life for whatever reason. You know your own situation and probably aren’t too happy with me for bringing up the issue yet again. Our peace of mind was fragile to begin with and now lays shattered on the floor. I hate the saying; "What doesn’t kill you makes you strong." Want to bet? If life’s trials built strength and stamina in my life I would have been superman a long time ago. Not that I wouldn’t like to fly but it’s just not going to happen.

       Some people have fake happiness. You know who they are. The smile permanently on their face when amongst others. Always have pleasant things to say. I would imagine their firing would bring out a; "Well thank you!" from them. When they are alone their world crashes. People can only be fake for so long. Except for lawyers and politicians! But then they, for the most part are an unhappy lot. The fake happiness often has a companion brought along for the day. "Fabricated happiness" in their one pocket and denial in the other makes their day a lot easier to handle…at least for them. Some people have the fake happiness as a means of attracting people to them. "I admire your ability to smile when you are going through such awful circumstances." Sometimes we want to smack the smile right off fake happiness people. But that would only give us temporary happiness. We want to have as close to perpetual happiness as we can get and we want to come by it honestly. Fake happiness people cannot face the real issues in life. This fake world is but a corral for all the difficulties in their lives. We all know that in order to get a traffic jam moving, the cars or trucks in front must move first. For some the requirement of a tow truck is necessary. So it is with fake happiness.

       We’d love to be happy a majority of the time. It’s a desire inside each and every one of us. In fact we have a credo that states we are entitled to the "pursuit of happiness." We can do something. But only if we truly want to. Deciding whether unhappiness is beneficial to our lives or not is the first area we have the opportunity to deal with. Unhappiness does become part of the cycle of growing up and maturing. Little things as well as large things stand in the way and we need to be able to deal with them and move on. Sometimes the unhappiness ushers in a whole new level of happiness. Let’s look at a couple of examples. How about your life before Christ and now after having received Christ? I was on the verge of suicide when I surrendered to God. That’s pretty unhappy! After, my life was changed. I’m not always happy but I do find many instances which render me happy. Not a bad thing. Where are you in your life with the surrendering of your life? If you aren’t surrendering your will and circumstances to God then there is another reason why you are holding onto them. Do you really think you can do a better job than God? I’ve done that quite a few times so I’m qualified as an expert at that one. I’m doing less of this as I learn that what God has for me is way better than I can bring about.

       Our families should love and respect us. That being said, we know it’s not always true. We all have that person who wants us as miserable as them. Even Ruth Graham stated that she had times when she was irritated with her husband Billy. Some of the family source of discontent comes from the following feelings: grudges, jealousy, anger, guilt, shame, and failure. Anyone dislike family get together events and holidays? The more attendee’s the higher the stress level. Some families have overcome many of the problems that plagued them by setting rules, defining acceptable groups of who would attend, and other similar methods that seem to work for the short term. Being happy is not the same as being tolerant. Being happy is a choice in the midst of life. Being tolerant is living in the midst of a conflicting world and doing nothing about our choice. For the Christian, the realization of who the family of God is helps to gain a positive position in life. Whenever the guilt card is played, unhappiness is sure to follow. Wherever anger is the reigning emotion, unhappiness is holding angers hand. When guilt shows up at the family event or amongst friends, unresolved resentments bring unhappiness to the surface. Shame is a powerful tool used against those with a lesser sense of self-esteem. Shame is used in this context to be the king of the hill. Shame leaves both parties in an unhappy aloneness they are unable to escape. So too failure in its reality doesn’t have its foundation built on happiness. Those who herald someone’s failure has some insecurities they are unhappy about. Wanting to spread the misery; past wounds are cut open and everyone loses.

       Even so, jealousy, anger, guilt, shame, failure sometimes are necessary for our growth and to a greater happiness. Without the opposite there would be no way to judge just how happy or unhappy we really are or can really be. Until we have either been jealous or were the brunt of jealousy there is little one can say they have experienced. This is likewise true of anger, guilt, shame, and failure. These life experiences give us a vantage point or a point of reference by which we can either move into a better place or dig ourselves deeper into the hole already begun. The stages of development in a person’s life from infancy to adulthood are passed through with both failures and successes. Many people have gone on before us and we can lean on their successes for our own journey. There are also many people who haven’t gone through these stages to the detriment of themselves as well as those who are involved in their world. You all know someone who it is said, "he/she just never grew up." But then you’ve not heard one adult say to another, "Why don’t you just grow up?"

       There are different ways to grow up and be happy. Accepting that which you cannot change is one of them. Changing what you can is another. I’m not saying you need to go to a 12 step program; I am saying it wouldn’t hurt. Being addicted to sick people is not healthy. Unhappy people (outside the norm) are not healthy when they live their lives in this mode. When we intentionally attach ourselves to them on their terms we are unhealthy. Unhappiness with those persons is bound to be brought upon you whenever you are with them. You might be thinking that my statements are unfair. I would love to be wrong. Tell you what, you separate yourself from unhappy people for one month and tell me if your life isn’t better. Just think what one year would be like.

       Therein is part of the problem. If our world is full of negativity we will develop the belief that this is the way the world is and resign ourselves to this as the happy we want. If our world is full of genuinely happy people who have bad days or moments then our world would most likely resemble this lifestyle. Whatever we believe will affect how we choose to live. Whoever we believe will affect our view of God. However we perceive God in our lives decides which problem we give over to him and which problem we keep for ourselves. Sometimes it’s just because we don’t believe anyone can help us that we settle for "not good enough."

        I’ve used the example before and here it is again. I don’t know why but I thought all my life that Subaru cars made in Sweden. No one ever corrected me. Not until my son who is 16 mentioned in a family conversation that the Asian Subaru was…I didn’t catch the rest. After he left I remarked to my wife the confusion. So, I went to the internet and sure enough, he was telling the truth. All my 60 years believing something that was false! I’m still amazed. It went to reason that other things in my life may have the same truth. I didn’t lose my happiness. I still think they are a great car. What I did was recalibrate my happiness with the new information. Granted this isn’t a huge issue that was robbing me of life. What it was is symbolic of the other areas in my life where I have wrong information. I was 38 years old when I discovered what the real meaning of love was. Now, I know that these areas of my life and other areas are transitory and with the right focus become better and better.

       There are a lot of people in the church who are not happy. There are a lot of people at your work, on the train or freeway, at the baseball game or in the supermarket who are not happy. The host of examples is both long and sad. I’m happy I’m not attached to many of those. While it’s nice to have someone or something else to lay the blame on, it is always my choice. When I don’t let others or circumstances steal my happiness, I win. When I do let others or circumstances steal my happiness everyone loses. The more I live my life with the happy lot of life, the happier I am. Keep up your guard in a healthy way is not bad. Keeping up your guard allows you to have an escape hatch when your conscience says "get away from here."

       Jesus took himself away from people on a regular basis so that he could be refreshed, rested, commune with the Father. There is no reason we cannot do the same. In fact we should follow his example. Being tired, wore out, or decimated will not present a best picture of any of us to others. Striving is focusing on the happy in this context. The sentence is transitory in that if we strive towards happiness then happiness will come. Real happiness, not fake happiness. The kind of feeling that comes from a well-grounded soul. When we are grounded events have a tougher time taking away our happiness. Remember that there will be times when we should be unhappy. Life is about being unhappy too. If I’m unhappy with my weight; happiness with my weight won’t make me lose weight. If I’m unhappy paying my car payment, buying a different car will not result in my happiness over the car payment. If I am unhappy with personality issues in myself, divorce and remarriage will not make those personality issues go away so I can be happy. You get the idea. Our idea of what will make us happy is not what God knows will make us happy.

       God knows that we will be happy when our lives are voluntarily surrendered to God. God knows best for every area of our lives. What would your life look like if you gave over control to God? What would be different if you did exactly what God wanted in every circumstance? Life would definitely be different. However, God also gave us freewill. The single most destructive force in our life. Given the choice, we will be selfish in most everything we encounter. Don’t think so? Next time you are caught in traffic, late for work, and just realized your daughter left her lunch in your car tell me how happy you are. Praise God for all of this adversity in my life! No, that’s not the first response we have. There are consequences we need to deal with in order for happiness to return. I have yet to find a Christian who has not had times of unhappiness in their lives. We don’t like those times. The difference is we know that once through those times we will again have happiness. Hope is what gives our happiness a chance of being reborn down the road. The loss of someone close to us is an unhappy event. At the time we cannot see how we could ever be happy again. Time is a great healer of hurts. Time will return the happiness when we choose to have it again in our lives. Please remember that it is always my choice.

       James tells us that it’s because we ask with wrong motives that our prayers are not answered. He goes on to say that we seek to consume for ourselves. Simply put, our prayers are not heard because we ask them in selfish manners. Our choices have a lot to do with whether God is happy with our choice. However, God chooses to always love us regardless of the choice we make. Big difference. We have the same issue going on in our lives. We don’t have to like what someone does or doesn’t do. We are constrained and compelled to love people anyway. When we do this we step out of the horrible negative trap brought into our presence. It’s been said that living well is the best revenge. Not that we should look for revenge. Rather that people get what’s coming to them whether I do anything or not. Their happiness, if believers, is dependent upon their choice. We need not take responsibility for other peoples choices. We can however be a blessing or a curse to people. The choice is always our own.

       We have spent a lot of time looking at different areas of life which should be lived for God. To understand all of God’s ways is not going to happen in my life. It isn’t supposed to be understood! Knowing God’s will for my life is something I am supposed to do. Whether I take the initiative or not is my choice. Listening is important to all of us. I remember when my children went through their years of development. Selective hearing was rampant in their teen years. I guess I was that way as well at that age. When we come to God and surrender to him we are saved from ourselves. Well, actually only those areas where we give over to God the rights to our life. Sanctification is a big word meaning the process by which God takes us from sinner to looking and acting like Jesus. This is a lifelong process. How fast or slow we go is determined by the choices we make based on His will. If I just address what I see could be better; lots of areas won’t be addressed.

       It would be a lie to say that being God’s is an easy process. It’s not. As we’ve seen throughout these pages the need for daily focus on surrender of our selves. When nothing matters more to us that Jesus and his resurrection, we are on our way to being fully God’s. We have a lot of pressures from the world to not be what God wants us to be. The infiltration of the secular world into our lives dilute our ability to surrender to God. When we surrender the war is over. When we surrender the peace of God that passes all understanding is ours. When we surrender, the priorities of our heart are God’s priorities. When we surrender, people see Jesus living through us. We should surrender before it’s too late. Remembering where we came from is good for us. Knowing where we are going is great for us. Live for God. It is always my choice.

Chapter 34. Be careful. James 3 Wisdom produces that those who sow peace will reap a harvest of righteousness.

       Over the years I have had any number of people tell me to be careful, beg me to be careful, warn me to be careful and ask me to be careful. All before these people who cared for me took the ultimate step and prayed to God that I would be careful. In spite of all of this, there weren’t time then when I was careful. Sometimes I would be rewarded with positive consequences (I didn’t get hurt, in trouble, etc…) and sometimes with negative consequences (hurt, injured, life threatening accidents, etc…). Still there are times when I am careful and times when I throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Sometimes I even know what "it" is! I’ve kidded about wearing out and putting into retirement whole squads of angels. Somehow, God knew the kind of person I would be and was there for the negative and the positive.

       Wisdom would dictate that I would learn from my many misadventures and adventures alike. Eventually I usually do. Sometimes I learn the lesson just before the disaster. There is a reason why those around me are seeing gray hairs appear. I come from a family of 7 children. Of all the 7, I think I probably take the prize for either most injured or most likely to be injured. Of course there were times when not only did I surprise myself but everyone else by not taking the chance and avoiding the injury. You see, I too can learn! What do you think? Is there more wisdom in avoidance or taking a chance?

       I guess the outcome determines whether the chance of actions is from wisdom or not. This has been tried and true from the beginning of time. Well, almost the beginning! When harrowing events were unfolding in my life there was little peace for those who cared about me. I still took the chances often and still do. I would like to think I’m a bit wiser from the many years of checking out whether something was wise or foolish. In either case the outcome determines whether the activity was able to produce something positive or negative. Sometimes choices made many years ago came to fruition more recently. This could include having prayed for someone’s salvation years ago and they finally (in God’s time) surrender to Jesus. An old injury can act up later in life and we heal so much more slowly as we get older. Not that I am old or anything…

       What do we do about those times when being careful doesn’t apply? What! Yes, what about those times? We all know that we risk will life and limb in order to rescue someone from great physical harm. People have lost their own life saving someone else. Wait, that’s what Jesus did for us! My role model for not being careful! Not quite though as Jesus always knows the outcome of his actions. Jesus came to earth to NOT be careful but to be successful in providing a way for those perishing to be saved. His radical path the last three years of his life were increasingly intensifying as he moved closer and closer to the cross. When the time came, he went "as a lamb to the slaughter" the Bible tells us. He was reckless in a wise way for you and me! Then he left this message for you and me. He said throw caution to the wind and bring the Gospel to all the people of the earth. Go to the highways and byways and compel people to hear the Gospel.

       If my risk level is a 10 (1-10 scale) then Paul was off the chart! How about Steven who spoke the Gospel to anyone who would listen and even as he was being stoned to death? The Bible is full of those whose courage was fueled by confidence in the Lord. Taking a risk for God when he speaks is the right thing to do. The problem is Christians all over the world have every excuse in the world to not take a risk and bring the Gospel to others. I’ve had that problem from time to time as well. That doesn’t stop me from returning to where God wants me to be and risking yet again in order to bring Jesus to a hurting people. My friends and family are continually surprised by what happens in my life. There is this one thing I do that some are uncomfortable with. I’ll talk with anyone the Lord tells me to wherever I am. Checkout line, sitting on a park bench, shopping for anything, and just about anywhere else. When these moments happen a surprising even unfolds. For whatever reason, people love to talk to me about themselves and their problems. I’ve heard mini life histories waiting to pay for donuts! It’s not that I intend for this to happen…it just happens.

       My life has been punctuated with pockets of Godly wisdom that hopefully have made a difference in the lives of those who I’ve crossed paths with. God gives us words of wisdom where we have none. God provided prophets throughout the past so that His word could be heard by those who were listening. These words of wisdom were sometimes warning and also had time after time brought bad news. All of what God says and does is intended to accomplish one task. That task is to reap a harvest of righteousness in believers and non-believers. For the believer this harvest is the surrender of our lives on an ongoing basis. For the non-believer the harvest is the securing their soul in Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that the fields are ripe for the harvest. He’s telling us to NOT be careful and hold back the Gospel. He’s telling us to throw caution to the wind, believe what the Bible says, and to go forth to all men and preach the Gospel so that they might be saved from an eternity in hell. There is an urgency in His voice and a fervor to save mankind from their fallen state.

       But what about us? Will there be acclamation or condemnation when we enter into the presence of the Lord? Will we hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant?" Or will we hear, "Why didn’t you obey my commandment?" Which one would you like to hear? If you are a cautious person who fears offending others and are unable to proclaim the Gospel of the saving grace of Jesus; what will you hear? Jesus has told us to put our hands to the plow and never look back. Why? Having grown up on a farm I know the answer to this one. Too bad it wasn’t on a test when I was in school! The image of North Dakota is that it’s flatter than a pizza pan. It’s not that flat. There are rolling hills and if you drive through North Dakota awake you’ll see the hills. When we planted our crops in the spring we used a tractor followed by a plow which had the drill attached. The fields were very long and wide. We would set the tractor in the middle of the field and drop the plow into the soil and trip the drill so that seeds could drop and be planted. Then you look as far away as necessary and find a landmark that is straight from where you are. That landmark could be as close as the end of the field or a couple of miles away. As you put in the clutch you took the wheel by both hands, locked your eyes on the landmark and did not look back until you reached the end of the field. When you exited the field and looked back all you could see was a wide black line perfectly straight.

       Now I didn’t learn that lesson the first time or the second time that I plowed and seeded a field. Those first times when I would be going down the field my attention was sometimes diverted to the left or the right. Sometimes just to check the machinery to make sure it was doing okay. When I would pull out of the end of the field I’d look back, and much to my horror, would see this line that zigged and zagged right where I had taken my eyes off the goal. This wasn’t the end of the world but it came pretty close. It’s that way in life as well. Every time I have failed to present the Gospel, I was right smack in the middle of sin. Look again at the title to the book. It is always my choice whether I chose to serve the Lord or to sin against Him. Those zigs and zags represented lost opportunity to bring people to Jesus. In a lot of cases (I’m not proud of this) my actions actually moved people further away from Jesus. Not a lot of wisdom in that if you ask me. So, why did I look back? Why or what enticed me to choose other than Jesus? I don’t think there was any one reason but a series of rationalizations and justifications that worked me until I chose to sin. Like the prodigal son, when I came to my senses I would return to doing what God had wanted me to do submitting myself to Him who saves my soul. To all those I have sinned against, I am sorry. Please don’t use my behavior as representative of who Christians are and what they are to think, say and do.

       There were a lot of elements that determined the harvest on the farm. The soil type, rain or no rain, weeds, rocks, more weeds, hail, wind, and bugs. There are probably more but these will do. So, the ground took preparation before it was planted, care while the crop grew and understanding the right moment for the harvest. Within the community called the family on the farm we picked rocks forever! Where did all these rocks come from? The crops were planted and at the proper time sprayed for either weeds or bugs or both. The crop was waited upon and the community became anxious to see what the harvest would yield. When the grain was brought in the harvest was not over. The grain would either be stored until the price was right or would be trucked to town or sold right away. The straw and chaff would be harvested for the animals during the winter. When all of this was accomplished the harvest was done for that year. Preparation of the field for the following year was to do nothing through the winter. Sometimes the field would not be planted the following year so that it could lay "fallow" so that it could once again bear crops after its rest.

       You see, being careful means more than don’t run out in traffic! Being careful requires the wisdom of planting the seed, watering that planting and harvesting the soul. Each stage of the process may fall on different servants of God. There is never a time when it’s okay for anyone who professes faith in Jesus to not be part of the process. Our lives are the only Bible some people will read. The fields are ready and the workers are few. We need to be about the Fathers business and be farmers.

I can remember out in the field planting and hoping to finish a field before a rain storm would strike. There was an intensity with which the crops were put in the ground in time for them to germinate and grow and become harvest material. The emotional feelings of going out to tend to the fields after a hail storm was intense. Crops would be lost. Nothing anyone could do. Plan to do it over again the next year. The process is no different with the process of someone responding to the Gospel. Some Christians have chosen to keep their seed to themselves and there is not a planting or harvesting. Other Christians provide the seed by giving money to the church but follow up with the knowledge that, "It’s not my job." Still some will begin to do the planting but will not seize the precious moments when the seed is deeply planted. And so the excuses go. They were mine from time to time as well. Many times Satan would tell me that I was disqualified for the job because I was sinning. There were and are many excuses mankind uses to not fulfill their work for God. We have only one job to do for God. The Bible tells us to bring glory to God. How can that happen if we are not about His mission? How can that happen if we aren’t planting the seeds, tending the fields and harvest the souls who are ready to come to Jesus?

       Wisdom produces so that those who sow peace, will reap a harvest of righteousness. Not in the way you might think. Let me ask you this question. Do you recognize the wisdom of God at work in your life? Can you tell if the wisdom of God is being transferred to others around you? If people giving their lives to Jesus was a capital crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you and me? Wow, that’s a heavy question. So, what is your answer? Are you going to prison for life? After the rapture your life may depend upon it. Read the book of Revelation and see what’s in store for those who miss the rapture but thought they would go. Quite revealing and intense. Just how careful do we want to be?

       With all that is going on in the world, the assault on Christians and their beliefs, and the trend of being politically correct it would seem that the message isn’t what God intended. The Gospel is radical, confrontational, and intolerant and makes no excuses for itself. We need to do the same. There is only one way to heaven and that is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. There is no compromise on his command to go forth and make disciples of all the world. There is no excuse good enough for any of us to see our neighbor spend eternity in hell because we were afraid that we might offend them. We need to be careful when we use power tools, drive the car or ski down a mountain. We need to be careful when we drive on the highway, do our job as window washers on a high rise building, and any other job where the risks are high. Why can’t we see how high the stakes are for our family, friends and neighbors? For their salvation I would invite you to not be careful. I would urge you to speak your truth plainly and clearly. Take time to listen as well as talk as this is a two sided conversation. Be careful to not behave like the world behaves. Say Merry Christmas because it’s about Jesus. Don’t let a moment or day go by that you cannot contain the hope that is within you. Pray and pray and pray for all those around you. God is in the business of miracles. Let Him give his grace to others through you.

       In a perfect world all of this talk wouldn’t be needed. However, like Christ stood in place of us and took our punishment upon him so that we could be free; we must stand for Christ now. It’s not that hard once you get started. Like most things in life we can start with something little. How about saying hi to your neighbor, friend or co-worker? Nothing more and nothing less. After you have a return greeting for a while, move up the ante. Wish them a good day. Take the same path and don’t vary. As people we want to rely on things that are consistent. Be consistent. When they ask you, and they will, tell them that you are doing as well as you can. Don’t ever lie to people. When you do so you wipe away all creditability you may have worked long and hard to establish. People know that Christians have difficult, hard and even impossible days themselves. So be real! You know that the day is coming when you might take a break or lunch together. Wait. Get to know them and when you get the Holy Spirit nudge take talking to the next level. By now others will have watched and perhaps they too are at a level when they want to ask you questions. Let them ask questions. This is for real and thus it should be kept real.

       When we bring people to the place where they are free to share their feelings we have a high responsibility to be honest and forth coming. You have nothing to be ashamed of nor have anything you should be prideful of. You have something other people want and need. You have Jesus. Remember that all you have been doing was planting seeds. When they begin to ask you questions they are desperately needing water. Give them some water. God has his plan and timing he is working out through you. Relax, pray, and just do what Jesus would do. Maybe tell a joke while you were at it. Never stop believing in the power of God. There is an invisible spiritual war being fought for and against you. Satan’s demons are battling the host of heaven. We have the advantage of knowing who wins! Live like Jesus has won the fight. He has already won the war.

As you have been moving toward a relationship with that person in your life God has blessed you with; you too are being blessed. As you see the love of God being poured out, you will be changed. You won’t be able to help it. Give the glory and praise to God and keep moving forward. There is no vacation, weekend or day off for the Christian. Believe that the victory is the Lords. In the end you will have accomplished the will of the Lord even if you are not the one with whom they pray to receive Christ. Take heart and don’t worry about stats. The stats others have mean nothing. What means something is when we live 100% of our life for Jesus to others.