Author Archives: Barry

“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:25

The Church in America has become divided between those churches who maintain Biblical authority and those who don’t. It is the result of the acceptance of secular beliefs by many Christian churches in America. Four of the major Protestant denominations have split over this issue in the past 15 years (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopalian). The one thing that once united all Christians denominations was the adherence to Biblical teaching. But that is no longer true. Instead, there are many progressive and liberal churches today that are actually advocating and affirming sins that are part of our secular culture. This is what I would call Secular Christianity!

So, why have some Christian Churches in America removed Scriptural authority from their theology and doctrine? Why do they now more closely align with our secular culture than the Word of God? I believe that it is due to 4 major reasons which are science, reason, technology, and complacency. I will discuss them in turn.

Science

Belief in the Bible and its truth began to erode with the advent of scientific discovery in the 1500-1600’s. It began with Copernicus discovering that the sun was the center of the universe (1515). Then Johann Kepler discovered that the sun emitted a magnetic force that moved the planets in their courses (1609). Next, Galileo discovered the telescope and proved the acceleration of the planets is constant (1609). These discoveries led to Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity and the laws of motion in the heavens and the earth (1687). These all resulted in the recognition by man that our world was an orderly system that sustained life. The physical laws of nature made more sense than their previous belief in the supernatural and spiritual creation of our world by God.

Reason

The Age of Reason (1648-1789) followed scientific discovery and that was when mankind began to believe that they could attain knowledge about the earth and the heavens through science and reason. Instead of relying on the Word of God to guide them on this earth, they saw it the other way around, where man could determine by his own reason how to better live life in our world. This was the birth of secularism. This is the belief that humans are better able to determine truth and what is right and wrong by our own reason, not revelation from an unseen God.

Technology

Technology began with the Industrial age (1900’s) and the movement from an agricultural to a manufacturing-based economy and workforce. The mechanization of producing goods enabled rapid economic growth. Man saw that they could develop machines to do what man had to do by hand before on their own. Then the development of the personal computer, internet, and cell phone technologies over the past 50 years enabled people to have quick access to information at their fingertips. It also brought about instant global communication and the ability to see the news as it happens anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, many people thought that technology was from man’s own knowledge and not from God, further eroding the need for God.

Complacency

While this was all taking place in the world around us, the Christian Church became complacent and did not recognize the danger inherent in these developments. While some Christians may have recognized that these advancements were guided by the Hand of God, others attributed them to science and man’s own reason and intellect. Additionally, we began to see many churches adopt a “seeker sensitive” approach to evangelism, using secular motives to draw people to church instead of the truth of the Word of God. As a result, today most Americans (64%) do not believe the Bible is true and accurate in its teachings, and most Christians (58%) do not even read their Bibles anymore, according to a 2025 American Bible Society study. Consequently, with the Church divided on the authority of Scripture, it is effectively unable to speak out with God’s Word against what is happening around us in our culture and nation.

What we’ve seen happen is what many refer to as a “Slippery Slope”, the expression used to describe a slow decline in something over many years that has gone unaddressed until it’s too late. It’s the boiling frog example. If you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, they will jump out right away. But if you put a frog into a pot of tepid water and gradually turn up the heat they will eventually boil to death. I believe that is what is happening within the Christian Church today with the rise of Secular Christianity. We have not stayed true to our faith and Biblical teaching. As a result, Christian influence in our culture and nation has declined and deteriorated.

And while Christians were essentially “asleep at the wheel”, Satan has been “prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He has succeeded in reducing the influence of the Church in our culture, turning our nation against God and turning many American Christians against God’s Word.

So, what does the Christian Church in America need to do to reclaim its influence in our culture and nation? I believe that there are 3 things the Christian Church must do.

First, the Christian Church needs to call out and rebuke publicly those who are false teachers from within our ranks (1 Timothy 1:3-4). If they will not repent and embrace Biblical teaching, the Church needs to remove them from their pulpits and leadership positions so that the Christian Church is once again only teaching and preaching God’s Word and His Truth. This will set it apart from the culture and enable it to influence our nation towards Godly values and Biblical truth.

Second, the Christian Church must put a greater emphasis on discipleship and Bible reading. This is necessary to prevent Christians from succumbing to “what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). This will teach them how to discern true Biblical teaching from false teaching so as not to be led away from the Truth.

Third, the Christian Church needs to find new ways to connect with the current generation and become more effective in evangelizing them (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). The world is different today and the old methods of evangelizing aren’t working. If we desire to grow God’s Kingdom in America and reinstate Godly values and principles, it must be done through all true followers of Christ who will share God’s Word through God’s truth, God’s power, and God’s Spirit!

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

There are many religions in the world today. Besides Christianity, there is Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shinto, Taoism, Confucianism, and Caodaism, just to name the top ten. Of these, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism comprise about 75% of the world’s population (see above chart). Judaism is very small and only represents around 0.2% of the global population. Although most people are familiar with these 4 largest religions, they may not know what they actually believe and teach.

First, let’s look at when and how these major 4 religions began. Hinduism is the oldest and was founded between 1800-1000 BC in India, but there was no specific founder. Buddhism was founded by Gautama Siddhartha, or Buddha (meaning “Enlightened One”), around 500 BC in present day India & Nepal region. Christianity was founded around 30-33 AD in Jerusalem by the disciples of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion and resurrection. Islam was founded in Mecca, Arabia around 600 AD by its prophet Muhammad.

However, it is also interesting to note where these religious followers are located. Christianity is the world’s largest religious group with 33% of the world’s population identified as its followers. There are 120 nations where Christianity represents more than 50% of the population of that nation. Islam, which represents 21% of the world’s population, has 49 nations where Muslims represent more than 50% of the population of that nation. Hinduism, with 13% of the world’s population, has only two nations, India and Nepal, where its followers represent at least 50% of the population. And finally, Buddhism, with only 6% of the world’s population, has only 7 nations (concentrated in Southeast Asia) where its followers are above 50% of that nation’s population. It is clear that Christianity is not only the largest religion in the world but is also the dominant religion in the majority of the world’s 195 nations as well.

So, how did Christianity become so dominant in the world? One reason is that it is not tied to a specific culture or nation. Christianity is based on freedom of the individual to choose to follow it based upon its teachings. There is no forced acceptance of it by any nation. Another reason is that Christianity more closely represents the reality of our creation and our sinful nature. It comes directly from God through His Word and is not an ideology or a man-made belief system. A third reason for its dominance in the world has been its focus on spreading the good news of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ by its followers as well as its teaching to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19). A final reason is that Christianity was also the foundation of many of the prosperous western nations of the world. This helped propel economic growth, higher education, better medical treatments, scientific discovery, and equal rights for the individual. No other religion or belief system has benefited the nations of the world as much as Christianity!

Another question we should ask is that if Christianity has been so good for the world, why is Islam now the fastest growing religion in the world that is projected to overtake Christianity by 2070? I believe that it is primarily due to 3 reasons. First, the birth rates among Christians have been declining for years. As a result, many western nations are not replenishing their populations, especially their Christian population. Muslims, on the other hand, continue to have many children and so by demographic statistics alone they will overtake Christianity eventually. Secondly, Islam is a forced religion in nations where they have a majority or political control. Muslims will often kill those who leave Islam for Christianity (or another faith) and force their citizens to follow Islam under penalty of Sharia Law. And thirdly, Muslims do not assimilate in other cultures. They remain separate and distinct and wait until they have sufficient numbers to enforce Sharia Law and overtake the culture of a nation. The influx of Muslims in Europe and America provides ample evidence of this.

It is also important when comparing religions that we focus on what it teaches, and not what its followers do. It’s because humans are sinful and they often do things against or opposite of what their religion teaches. This is certainly true of Christians as well. If we truly want to compare religions, we must focus on its beliefs and teaching and not just the actions of its followers.

Christianity teaches that we should love our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). It commands us to be humble (Philippians 2:3), love & serve others (Galatians 5:13), and not to lie, kill, or take things that don’t belong to us (Exodus 20:13-17). Islam teaches that they must obey Sharia Law, that infidels (non-believers) can be mistreated, cast out or even killed. It also teaches that Muslims are allowed to deceive and lie to infidels to achieve their goals. Buddhism and Hinduism are more peaceful, spiritual and ritual focused religions. They are about self-realization and believing in many gods represented by man-made idols to achieve personal enlightenment.

But perhaps the biggest difference between Christianity and these other 3 religions is that in the other religions its followers must earn their salvation and hope they have done enough good to go to heaven. There is no assurance or guarantee of eternal life. In Christianity, God came down to us in the form of his Son Jesus to take upon Himself the sins of all of us so that we might live eternally with Him! In Christianity, God does it all and promises everyone eternal life by simply putting our faith and trust in Jesus alone (John 3:16). We can’t earn our way to heaven and so it’s not about what we do, but what Jesus did! Jesus alone is the one who earned our way into heaven! This is truly what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions.

So, when comparing different religions or belief systems, don’t just look at the actions of their followers whether good or bad. We must also consider their values, beliefs, and teachings and ask these questions: Does this religion reflect the reality of our world and the people in it? Is there physical evidence for their religion’s god in our world? Is it man-focused or God-focused? What does their religion’s god demand of these who believe in it?  Does this religion provide a guaranteed path to its god? What has this religion produced that has benefited our world?

Asking these questions will help us to discern if a religion is from God or from man.  We would be wise to place our faith in the one true God who created and loves us and represents the reality of our world and not in a religion that meets our definition of what a god should be or what we want him to be.

The choice is ours (but to me it’s also obvious).

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.”

1^st Corinthians 5:12-13

Christians today in our culture are often depicted and perceived to be judgmental of others. We are accused of judging the actions of others while often neglecting our own behavior. Being called judgmental is not a compliment. Instead, it is a condemnation of a Christian’s character if we point fingers at others for what they do while silently asserting our own righteousness. Sadly, this is sometimes the case and deservedly so.

While this characterization of Christians contains an element of truth, in my personal experience I have found that most Christians are not judgmental. Instead, they are generally faithful servants who are simply trying to explain and share God’s Word about sin with others. Non-Christians who are confronted with the truth about a sin usually react negatively to it and often respond defensively with something like “who are you to judge me?” They attack the person who mentions God’s Word about a sin as if they are accusing them of committing it and therefore judging them. And to be fair, sometimes Christians can come across that way. But the reality is that people don’t want their behaviors pointed out as negative or to be held accountable for them. This is true for Christians as well as non-Christians.

Why do non-Christians accuse Christians of judging them? One reason is that we live in a culture where God’s Word is not revered or respected and many people think the truth is relative. In other words, they think they have the freedom to determine what is right and wrong themselves. And they don’t like being challenged with a different viewpoint from a God they don’t believe in. They consider any reference to a behavior that conflicts with their personal values or choices to be a condemnation of them as a person and hence is judging them.

So, how should Christians speak the truth about sin and its consequences to non-believers without being perceived as judging them? I learned something years ago when I started writing my blogs which has helped me to avoid doing this. The key is to not make statements directed at an individual. We should always refer to issues in a general sense so that the person we are writing to or talking to does not take them as a personal attack. For example, we can write or talk about God’s view on abortion without attacking another person’s point of view or position on it. We need to respect different viewpoints while sharing our own and never make it personal. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

What I believe Jesus is saying here is that God’s law applies to everyone. We are all sinful and break God’s laws every day. We should be careful not to point out the sins of others when we ourselves are sinful too. Jesus said that before we tell someone else about the speck in their eye, we should remove the larger plank in our own eye (Luke 6:41-42).  Christians must not condemn or judge others but should gently speak the truth from God’s Word and let the Holy Spirit convict others of that truth. The Apostle Paul clearly says in 1^st Corinthians 5:13 above that we are not to judge those who are non-believers. That is God’s job, not ours. Our job is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and let God be their judge (and ours).

But what about judging other Christians? Do we have the responsibility to do that? According to Paul in 1^st Corinthians 5:12, the answer is yes and that we are to “judge those inside the Church”. In other words, Paul was telling the Church in Corinth to “judge” their fellow believers who were living in open rebellion to God’s Word. He was telling them to hold other Christians accountable for their faith and their behavior. We must do the same today!

Perhaps a better word to use than judge is to rebuke them. Rebuking refers to letting a fellow believer know that what they are doing is contrary to God’s Word, His standard for behavior, not ours. Rebuking someone is not judging them but rather reminding them of God’s commands and truth and encouraging them to repent and be restored in their faith. The goal of rebuking is to encourage obedience to God’s commands for their benefit!

All followers of Christ should already know that sin is what separates us from God. When we acknowledge and confess our sin, God will “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In other words, when we repent, our sins are forgiven, and we are restored into a right relationship with God. But Jesus also said in Luke 13:3 that “unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Without repentance, our sin remains unforgiven, and we are not in a right relationship with God. It is a clear warning to all of us that if we don’t repent of our sins, we too will perish!

As Christians, we are accountable to God, but we are also accountable to each other. The Bible tells us as followers of Christ to encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), love one another (John 13:35), confess our sins and pray for one another (James 5:16), and teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16). These are all ways that we as Christians can help each other to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received” (Ephesians 4:1) as His followers.

As Christians, therefore, let us not judge others. Instead, with non-believers, let us faithfully share God’s Word and Truth with them in the hope they too will find forgiveness and salvation in Jesus. With our fellow believers, let us humbly and gently rebuke our Christian brothers and sisters to encourage them to repent in order to restore them in their faith and walk with God.

“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” – Romans 2:8

Back in the 1950’s and 60’s, there was a television game show called Truth or Consequences. The premise of the show was that contestants would have to answer a trivia question and if they got it wrong, they had to face crazy or embarrassing consequences. According to Ralph Edwards, the original host of the show, most contestants preferred to get the answer wrong to perform the consequence! They preferred having fun over knowing the truth. The same seems to be true today as well!

Today, we live in a world where truth has become relative, and many believe that each person can make up their own truth. As a result, these people prefer to distort the real truth or ignore it altogether. What is this “real truth” that I speak of? It’s God’s truth contained in God’s Word – the Bible! It is the real truth because it comes from our Creator and not ourselves. In Isaiah 45:19 God declares that “I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” And in 2 Samuel 22:31 it says, “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

And while many people don’t recognize God’s truth, there are consequences to ignoring it. How do we know that? God’s Word assures us that there are. Romans 1:18 tells us that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” And 2 Thessalonians 2:12 says, “All will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” These are powerful warnings to mankind that there are consequences for denying or ignoring God’s truth!

Let me share 7 key truths from God’s Word that all people should be careful not to ignore.

1. God created the world and everything in it. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, details God’s creation of the world and everything in it. It also describes God’s purpose and role for mankind in His design, which is to be fruitful, subdue the earth, and rule over it (Genesis 1:28). Man has never been able to offer a credible alternative to this truth that we are God’s creation and not a cosmic accident. Every attempt to do so has essentially been to discredit or deny God.

2. God is sovereign over the world. As the Creator of all that exists, God is therefore sovereign over the world. Since He made everything, He determined how it should function according to His design and purpose. The Bible also clearly spells out what He expects of us who are made in His image. It is summed up in Deuteronomy 11:26-28 that says, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” In other words, not following God’s truth, design, or commands will not bless us!

3. All humans are sinful. God’s Word declares in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It also says in 1 John 1:8 that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” If anyone doubts this truth, they deny the history and reality of our world where mankind’s evil has known no boundaries.

4. Sin has consequences. Sin can be defined as disobeying God’s commands or anything we do that is contrary to God’s holiness and righteousness. The most obvious sins are from the Ten Commandments that include worshipping idols, swearing, murder, adultery, theft, lying, and coveting. God’s Word declares that there will be consequences for our sins. Ezekiel 16:58 says that “You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.” Make no mistake, God sees our sins (Proverbs 10:9) and will punish them (2 Peter 2:9-10).

5. Jesus is God’s Son. The Bible declares that Jesus was with God from the beginning (John 1:1-4, 14), that “This is my Son” and “with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus confirmed this in John 10:30 when He declared “I and the Father are one.”

6. Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins. God’s Word tells us the awesome truth that Jesus went willingly to the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind. As recorded in 1 Corinthains 15:3, the Apostle Paul wrote that “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” This is the incredible gift that God gave to us, the forgiveness of all of our sins through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus for all who would put their trust and faith in Him!

7. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting God. The truth is that God doesn’t send anyone to hell. People choose hell by rejecting God’s offer of salvation through Jesus (John 3:18). This is the ultimate consequence of denying God’s Word and His Truth. Instead of receiving eternal life, rejecting this truth results in eternal death and separation from God.

Throughout history, many people have refused God’s offer of eternal life and denied His Truth, existence, and sovereignty. But doing so has come with a steep price. That price is separation from God for all eternity. Hell is a place with no love, no forgiveness, no peace, no joy, and no hope. Just darkness, evil, and suffering. All day and every day.

The good news is that there is still time for those of us who are willing to accept the Truth of God’s Word and His promise of eternal life in Jesus. Everyone has a choice to make. You can either choose the door that leads to life or the door that leads to death and hell. There is no door #3. I suggest that we all choose wisely!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24

In this month’s blog I want to talk about the relationship between earthly economic systems and the Christian faith. There is a lot of misunderstanding about what these economic systems are and what the Bible says in relation to them.

So, first, let’s review the 2 basic economic systems in the world today. They include free enterprise and government-controlled systems. Many nations have a mix of both, such as China, the USA, and most of Europe. There are no examples of a totally free enterprise system I can think of but there are a couple of examples of a totally government-controlled system, such as North Korea and Cuba.

The free enterprise system is where individuals and companies buy and sell in a free market where each can determine what they are willing to buy or sell and at what price. This has proven to be the most efficient system for distributing goods and services that people want at the lowest cost. It does so through competition in a free market. With the millions of participants in this market it results in the best outcomes for all involved as no one individual or company can dominate or control this market to set prices or production.

The government-controlled system is where the products and services and their prices are controlled by the government of a nation. That government must determine the products and services that are available, their prices, their quantities, and who will be allowed to buy what products or services. This system requires the planning of what is needed or wanted for an entire economy which is nearly impossible to determine. So, it is very inefficient and results in higher prices and the likely lack of the right products and services desired by the market (the people).

The free enterprise system is often called capitalism because capital (assets & finances) is needed to build and grow businesses. In this system, capital is also in the hands of private sector individuals and financial institutions, who invest and risk it to produce a return (profit). It is also called a private enterprise system because it means that individuals and businesses own the capital and means of production, not the government. This “risk & reward” system is best because it depends on a free market of exchange, not some government edict or ideology.

In the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin accused these private “capitalists” of exploiting the masses. At the end of World War I, he took over the government and instituted a government-controlled economic system. He confiscated all the farms and businesses and put the government in charge of them on behalf of the people. This system produced plant & farm closings along with product & food shortages instead of economic growth. It was a catastrophic economic failure for the Russian people. They all shared equally in this misery and over 25 million Russians died from famine as a result.

I was fortunate to visit the Soviet Union prior to its fall in 1989 and saw first-hand the lack of products and economic choices of the Russian people in this type of system. They all had the same basic income and housing (which they did not own), and they could not improve their standard of living. Working harder made no difference.

The difference between these two economic systems is that the government-controlled system provides equality of outcomes and living conditions for everyone while the free enterprise system provides equality of opportunity for everyone to determine their own outcomes and living conditions. This difference is essentially the freedom for the individual versus control by the government.

So, what does the Bible teach us about God’s view of economics? I believe that God’s Word lays out 5 basic economic principles as follows:

1. Freedom of Choice – God is the one who gives us our freedom. He gave us free will to make our own choices. This is inherent in His design of mankind (Genesis 2:16, John 8:36).

2. Private Ownership – It is relatively clear throughout Scripture that people owned land and had property and possessions (Matthew 19:21, Acts 2:45, Hebrews 10:34).

3. Work is Required – The Bible says in Genesis 3:17 that because of Adam’s sin man must now toil in his labor. Paul said that “If a man does not work, he shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

4. Give to Others – The Bible says that we are to be generous and share what we have with others (Luke 3:11). This is voluntary and not compulsory.

5. Serve Others – We are called as followers of Christ to use our gifts to serve others (1 Peter 4:10), not to accumulate wealth for ourselves.

These principles are best displayed in the free enterprise system. In this economic system everyone has the freedom to make their own choices of what to buy and sell, not the government. Citizens are allowed to own property and have possessions of their own and use them as they each determine. Citizens must work to earn their own living and not rely on others or the government. As Christians, we are called to be generous and help those in need by giving of what we have and not relying on the government to provide those things. And finally, serving others is the foundation of every business when it starts. Someone sees a need not being met in the market and they start a company to serve that need. It is clear that the free enterprise system is better designed to benefit people individually and enable them to prosper according to their own choices and effort. A government-controlled system can never provide that. And while God’s Word does not prescribe a specific economic system we should use, it is abundantly apparent that the free enterprise system is more aligned with Biblical principles and is one that enables human beings to flourish

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”

Matthew 7:3-4

When two people disagree about an issue, sometimes one person will say to the other, “Why can’t you see what I see?” As humans, we often believe that other people should see things the way that we see them ourselves. But that is very often not the case. Look at the photo above. What do you see? Is it an old woman or a young woman? We also sometimes see what we want to see or ignore things we consider less important. It is well known that eyewitnesses to a crime often give very different details about what they saw, even though they all saw the same event.

The fact is that every person has a perspective on the world and how they see it is based upon their education, where they grew up, how they were raised, what they like to do, and their unique experiences. These factors form a worldview or a way of looking at the world that is different from ours and that of others. Our worldview shapes our opinions, our evaluation of what we see or hear, and our actions. We need to be aware of these differences so that we avoid conflicts or misunderstandings due to looking at an issue from a different perspective.

In Matthew 7:3-4 (see above), Jesus said we should remove the plank from our eye so we can see the speck in another person’s eye. He was acknowledging that we sometimes have blind spots that prevent us from seeing what others see and vice versa. For example, one person may look at an issue from a legal point of view whereas another person may look at it from a moral point of view. Our perspective and how we view the world will affect what we see and how we see it! Because of these differences, it is unrealistic to expect that others view an issue the same way that we do unless we know them well and share the same worldview.

I would like to address this problem for Christians as we interact with others in two common situations. One is when we are speaking to a non-believer and the other is when we are speaking to a fellow Christian.

Non-Believers

People who are not Christians either have a different religious viewpoint or a secular/pagan perspective. In either case we are likely to discover that they have very different viewpoints from ours as followers of Jesus. We need to be careful not to simply hurl Bible quotes at them and expect them to nod their head in agreement. We must learn to share Biblical concepts using everyday language and expressions so we can have effective communication. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:11, “If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.” So, when sharing Biblical principles or our testimony with non-believers we must speak in a way helps them understand our perspective.

When sharing the gospel with non-believers, we should first ask them what they know or have experienced with Christianity. This will help us to better understand what their level of knowledge is about God and the Christian faith. There’s also little point in presenting Jesus if they don’t believe there is a God. In that case, we must first present the evidence for a belief in God to be able to then present the gospel and the need for faith in Christ.

Similarly, if they believe in God but do not think they are a sinner, then presenting Jesus as the Savior to them won’t make much sense either. So, we first must present the evidence for sinful man in order for them to consider their need for salvation through Christ. As 1 Peter 3:19 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Remember that we are not called to argue for Christ, we are called to share Christ!

Christians

In our world today, we must also sadly recognize that Christians do not all believe the same things. Many Christians have become more secular and have abandoned the Bible as being authoritative for their lives. They have beliefs and viewpoints that do not come from the Scriptures (abortion, marriage, sex, etc.) and instead reflect what the culture believes (i.e. – what mankind thinks). As Paul said to Timothy, “For a time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (1 Timothy 4:3) Most of the major Christian denominations have had division and splits over Biblical authority and teaching.

When talking to other Christians, we must always use the Bible as our source of truth and discussion over the principles we are to live by as followers of Christ. Jesus Himself said “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The apostle John declared that Jesus is the Word when he wrote that “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) We cannot fall into the trap of letting other Christians misquote, misuse, or deny Scripture to form their human-focused opinions and beliefs about God or Jesus. We also cannot accept what pastors or other Christians say unless it is based on Scripture and sound Biblical teaching.

Our job as followers of Christ is to be examples of Jesus in how we live (Matthew 5:16) and to witness our faith in Him to others (Acts 1:8). We are not called to convert others. The Holy Spirit does that part! Just because others do not see things the way we do, does not give us the right to belittle, condemn, or judge others for their viewpoint. We are simply called to share the good news of salvation through Christ and to be His witnesses in our world.

Let’s remove the plank from our eyes so that we can help others see what we see so clearly!

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

1 Peter 2:12

Many people today are talking about leaving a legacy for themselves in this world. According to many surveys, people today want to live meaningful lives that have a positive impact on the world we live in. This often involves doing something that leaves a mark on our world, so they are remembered for what they did with their life.

This most often involves something they make, such as a product or invention that helps people; something they accomplish, such as an athletic or artistic award; or something they give to financially, such as an endowment, scholarship, or philanthropic gift. In each of these situations, the person is remembered for their contribution to the world. But notice that the focus is on the person and having their name on a product, an award, or an institution that they gave money to. It’s about them, not the people they helped or who helped them along the way to their accomplishment.

As time passes in our earthly world, memories fade and those who made significant contributions in the past are often long forgotten. For example, do you know who Helen Sharman is and what she is famous for? Or how about Ernest Lawrence? Or Guglielmo Marconi? These were all people who were known for their accomplishments or made significant contributions to our world, but you may not have heard of them. If you do not know who they are, google them and find out!

The point is that our earthly accomplishments and recognition will one day pass away and be forgotten. If we pursue a legacy in this world, it may be remembered for a while, but it will not last forever. In other words, it has no eternal value! The Book of Revelation records the fact that our world as we know it will cease when Jesus returns and there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). The earth and all of its sin will be gone! It will be replaced by a new earth free of sin and inhabited only by those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and built their legacy upon Him and not themselves!

The only legacy that lasts will be the legacy built upon who we were while we lived on the earth. It will be based on the way we lived our lives as Christian examples to others that will matter, not what we made, accomplished, or financially gave away! It is our faith in Christ and living a life of sacrifice and service to others that will last eternally. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If we truly want to leave a lasting legacy from our life on this earth, we must humble ourselves and “live a life worthy of the calling we have received.” (Ephesians 4:1-2) A lasting legacy is not something that we can produce ourselves. Instead, who we are and how we lived our lives as faithful followers of Jesus Christ is what will produce a legacy that will last. Our role in this life is to be “Ambassadors” for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20) and to point others to Him to find salvation and an eternal life.

Do you know who Edward Kimball was? You’ve probably never heard of him. But he is someone who left a legacy of faith that lives on today.

Edward Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Boston, MA in 1855 who had a young non-Christian boy attend his class one Sunday. He then sought him out at his place of employment in a shoe store and led him to place his faith in Jesus Christ. That boy was Dwight Moody, one of the great evangelists of the late 1800’s! In 1870, while traveling around the country, D.L. Moody (as he was more commonly known) led a young student at Lake Forest College near Chicago named J. Wilbur Chapman to the Lord at one of his revivals. J. Wilbur Chapman worked with Moody and became an evangelist himself in 1893. A well-known professional baseball player of that era, Billy Sunday, became a Christian, left baseball, and began to work with Chapman in Chicago as an advance man for his mission outreach. In 1895, Billy Sunday took over the mission from J. Wilbur Chapman and led those revivals until his death in 1935.

But in 1924, Billy Sunday held a crusade in Charlotte, NC that spawned a men’s prayer group. Ten years later in 1934, this prayer group invited a young preacher named Mordecai Ham to preach at their crusade. Attending this crusade in Charlotte was a young man named Billy Frank who attended the crusade for 8 nights and was spellbound by Mordecai’s preaching. That young man placed his faith in Jesus and later became known as Billy Graham, who has preached to more people (2.2+ billion) than any other evangelist in the world!

Edward Kimball simply taught Sunday School. But in doing so he produced a legacy of faith that was unknown to him in his own lifetime. It was truly a lasting legacy! He, like the original disciples, is an example to all of us who call ourselves Christians and seek to follow Jesus of what a life committed to following Jesus can produce (Proverbs 11:30)!

If we submit our lives to the Lord, live a life of faith as examples of Christ, and share Christ with those we encounter in this life, God will also use us to produce a legacy of faith like that of Edward Kimball.

Now that’s a legacy we can’t produce on our own that will last forever!

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and succeed.” – Joshua 1:8

Put it in writing! That’s a phrase we often hear in our culture today. It’s because we live in a very litigious society. In the past, a person’s word was sometimes all that one needed. But not anymore! Today, documentation is needed to provide evidence in legal disputes over financial transactions, medical procedures, large purchases, certifications, educational transcripts, and so on. Written documents have also become necessary to protect ourselves from fraud and scams.

But how often do we actually read the contracts and documents that we are signing? Often, they are lengthy and filled with legal jargon that we might not fully understand. But we sign these documents anyway to speed up the process of closing a deal or getting access to something, such as a bank account, website login, or medical care. For the most part, we trust those who are asking us to sign these documents. As long as they look normal and we don’t see anything that doesn’t look right, we go ahead and sign on the dotted line. If there is a problem, it’s usually in what we call the “fine print”, or the details that we don’t bother to read closely.

When God wanted to communicate to His human creation, He too created a document and “put it in writing”! It’s called the Bible, and it includes the evidence of who He is and what He’s done. It was written by about 40 authors who were led by God to write down what they saw and knew about Him through His revelation to them. The Bible is also the most printed and read book in all of history according to Guiness World Records. The Bible represents His “contract” with us and specifies His actions and our responsibilities. Therefore, we must read the Bible in its entirety, so we don’t miss the “fine print” of what He did for us and what we should do for Him! God signed this contract using the blood of His only Son Jesus on the cross, confirming His commitment to us. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we are signing this contract with God and indicating our commitment to Him. Today, 2.4 billion people worldwide have signed this contract, signifying their commitment to Jesus as well!

I believe there are 4 things that God wanted to communicate to us through His Word – the Bible:

1. To know His heart. It’s often said that we “really don’t know someone until we know their heart.”  So, to know God we must first know His heart. God is love (1 John 4:16), and he created us out of love (Genesis 1:27) He also gave us the freedom to choose to worship and obey Him. This was not to control us or force Himself on us. Instead, His desire is that we turn to Him for wisdom, strength, power, and blessings, which He so desperately wants to give freely to each of us who asks (Matthew 7:7-8). God is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:11), God is patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4), and God is forgiving and gracious (Nehemiah 9:17). This is the heart of our God!

2. To know His truth. Truth matters.Pontious Pilate once famously said, “What is truth?” to Jesus (John 18:38). Jesus had just declared to Pilate that all those on the side of truth listen to Him. But Pilate, like many people today, ignore Jesus’s words and refuse to accept that God’s Word is truth and instead make up their own truth. In the Bible, God communicated the truth of how the world began, how we were made, how we are supposed to function, how we fall short of His image through our sinfulness, and why He sent Jesus to rescue and restore us to Him. He also communicated the history of the Hebrew people and their continuous cycle of turning to God, then turning away from Him, and then turning back to Him again. The Bible says that “I, the Lord, speak the truth.” (Isaiah 45:19) We humans get into all kinds of trouble when we ignore or reject God’s truth and listen to other voices or the lies of this world!

3. To know His Son. We’ve all heard the expression, “like father, like son.” It commonly means that oftentimes a son will act like his father because of his genetics and how he was raised. But the son is not the father and differs from his earthly father in many other ways. Jesus, on the other hand, is the exact representation of His father (Colossians 1:15). Jesus also proclaimed that “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30). God did not abandon us nor leave us to our own self-inflicted demise. Instead, God provided a perfect lamb, His only Son, to be sacrificed for our sin, as well as the sins of all mankind. Jesus willingly did this so that we might be reconciled to God and restored to a right relationship with Him. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we receive God’s love, grace, and forgiveness so that we might live with Him forever (John 3:16)! We did not earn this grace (Ephesians 2:8). We did not deserve this grace (Romans 3:23). But we can receive this grace solely and simply by putting our faith and trust in Jesus!

4. To never forget the above 3 things. If I don’t write something down that I need to do, I usually forget to do it. When I talk to my daughter on the phone, she often tells me to write down what she asked me to do so I don’t forget to do it as I promised I would. We humans are far from perfect, and we often forget things we should know or do. But like the Apostle Paul, we also struggle to do the things God asks us to do (Romans 7:15). God alone is faithful and always keeps His promises. But He too also wrote them down in the Bible for us to know and remember! It is the Bible that shows us God’s heart, God’s truth, and God’s grace through His Son Jesus. And He promises to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and to trust in His Word alone (Proverbs 3:5). It is important that we read His Word to remember whose we are, what He’s done for us, and how we can live lives worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1).

We should all be thankful that God has not only written His Word on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10) but has also “put it into writing” so that we might know Him more and how to live for Him (2 Timothy 3:16)! The Bible is not complicated nor vague as some might argue. But through His Word God speaks plainly to us to help us understand who He is, who we are, and what He has done for us. If we want to know God more, all we need to do is to read the Bible! Because after all, God “put it in writing” for us to read and share with those who seek to know Him!!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Romans 12:1

We are now in the season of Lent in the Church. It is 40 days in which we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross to break the chains of our sin, make payment (atonement) for that sin, and enable us to be cleansed and made righteous before a Holy God. Lent is a time where we can consider the enormity of His mercy and grace and how we might live sacrificially for Him and what He has done for us.

The Bible speaks a great deal about sacrifice. In the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, God had set forth sacrificial requirements for the Hebrew nation for the atonement of sin or for uncleanliness. God is a holy God and a righteous God, and His desire was for the Hebrews to reflect that righteousness by remaining clean. And when they weren’t clean, they had to make sacrifices to remove their sin and uncleanliness. But the Old Testament also speaks of the sacrifices that the pagans made to appease their gods. That included human sacrifices, something that has always been detestable to God because mankind is made in His image!

Sacrifice is also at the center of the New Testament. Jesus came to make the ultimate and final sacrifice of His own life to atone for the sins of all people for all time. As a result, sacrifice has taken on a whole new meaning for Christians today. No longer are we called to make animal sacrifices for our own sins and uncleanliness. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross did that for us. Instead, we are called to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” according to Romans 12:1 above. And in Luke 9:23, Jesus calls His followers to sacrifice when he said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take ups his cross and follow me.”

How do we do that? We do it by sacrificing our desires for His will, sacrificing ourselves through our time and talents in service to God and others, and sacrificing our resources to help those in need. I would like for us to consider these 3 key areas of sacrificial living where we can demonstrate our thankfulness to God for His great and undeserved gift to all of us.

Sacrificing our Desires

All of us are born sinful and with an attitude of self-interest. We are also given free will to make our own choices. We all want to choose where we want to live, what we want to do, and what path in life we want to take. We all have a will and desire to control our own lives and our own destinies. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” God is essentially telling us to trust and follow his ways and His path and not our own. That means that we need to sacrifice our desires and choices for His purpose and plan for our lives! This requires us to be humble and willing to trust Him for our daily needs as well as our future. We all need to look at our lives and consider where we can sacrifice our desires for God’s will for us. If we submit to His will for our lives, we will not only be blessed (Luke 11:28), but we will also discover a greater purpose and plan for our lives than we could ever imagine on our own!

Sacrificing Ourselves

Our time and our talents are the means by which we can serve God and others. While God knows our time on earth, we do not. Every day and every minute is a gift from God to be used to glorify Him and to serve others. Time is also a precious thing that can never be re-used, so we must spend it carefully and wisely and not waste it frivolously on ourselves. He desires that we use (or sacrifice) our time to grow in faith and to serve God and others as Jesus served us (Matthew 20:28). We also need to invest our time in things that matter to God, such as worship, prayer, and serving & witnessing to others. If we spend all of our time on ourselves and what we like to do, we are not obeying His command to love God and love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).

Secondly, we can serve God and others with the gifts and talents that God has given to us. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:7 that we are each given spiritual gifts and 1 Peter 4:10 says that “each one should use whatever gifts they have received to serve others.” These talents and spiritual gifts are given to us to bless others and not to satisfy ourselves. When we sacrifice our time and talents to serve others, we are obeying Jesus and giving glory to God! (Galatians 5:13)

Sacrificing our Resources

There are two main resources that we are given that we can sacrifice to help those in need. First, there is our money. Money is a resource that is uncertain (1 Timothy 6:17) and that we must be careful not to squander or waste. The Bible also warns us against greed and the pursuit of money for our own gain. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that “you cannot serve both God and money.” The money we have or earn is a gift from God (James 2:17) and it should be used for His purposes. That includes our physical needs but also the needs of others. We are commanded to be generous and to share what we have been given to help others in need. If we are not willing to sacrifice some of our money to help others or to serve God’s purposes, we are choosing to serve money over God!

Secondly, we have also been given possessions that we can use to help others, including our homes, our vehicles, our clothes, our food, and other things. We can share our home with those in need of shelter. We can use our vehicles to give rides to those who have no transportation. We can give our old clothes to those who have little to wear. We can provide food for the hungry and we can donate our old electronics & appliances to those who don’t have them. Remember the words of John the Baptist in Luke 3:11 when he told the crowds “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

According to the dictionary, the definition of sacrifice means the surrender of something for the sake of something else. For the Christian, that means sacrificing something of ours for the benefit of someone else, and for the sake of Jesus! As it says in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

This Lent and every day, let us live sacrificially because of Jesus and for those He loves!

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

This month many Americans have been thinking about how best to show their love for the people who are in their lives. It is an annual Valentines Day tradition here in the United States. These people are boyfriends or girlfriends, spouses, children, parents, relatives, and close or lifelong friends. We shop for the perfect greeting card, the perfect gift, and the perfect words to express our love for them. We also want it to be memorable and special so that they know we truly love them!

But there is also someone else that we often forget to include in this expression of love. For Christians, we also need to include God & Jesus among those we love and cherish in our lives. While we believe in God and confess our faith in Jesus, do we also express our love for them? What words of love do we speak to the One who gave us life and the One who gave his life for us?  And what gifts do we give them to show them how much we love them?

So, let’s explore this love a little bit and then consider some ways that we can faithfully and genuinely express our love to both God and Jesus.

To begin with, we must acknowledge that it was God who loved us first. He created us in His image out of His love for us (Genesis 1:27). The apostle John said it more clearly in 1 John 4:19 when he wrote, “We love, because He (God) first loved us.” We humans had been separated from God since the Fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. But God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we might be reconciled to God and have everlasting life with Him (John 3:16).  Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.” Without God and Jesus, we stand condemned to eternal death. It was His love that gave us life and His Love that saved it!

Second, there is no love without God. God is love (1 John 4:16), so without Him there can be no love. God’s love is unconditional. As Christians. when we love others, it is God’s love flowing through us, not our own love. Sure, there is a worldly love that people have for other people. But if that love does not come from God, then it is either a romantic love or a conditional love. When our love is based only on our feelings for another person or on a condition of reciprocity, then relationships and marriages typically fall apart. When God and His love is at the center of a relationship, it becomes a “chord of 3 strands that is not quickly broken”! (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Thirdly, our first priority is to love God. We must love God above all others (Exodus 20:3). Our love for God must take priority over every other person or thing. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees which was the greatest commandment, He said we should “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) If we love others in this world more than God, then we are not acknowledging God’s love for us first. We are in effect taking His grace for granted and not reciprocating His love for us!

So, what are some ways that we can show our love for God and His priority in our lives? Here are four ways that we can express our love for God in meaningful and practical ways.

First, we can express our love for God through worship. Worshiping God is simply showing Him that we love Him above all others. We do this in church worship by singing songs of praise and adoration, speaking prayers of gratitude and faithfulness, acknowledging His Truth and Love for us through Scripture readings, and declaring our faith in Jesus through the Apostle’s creed or other statements of our beliefs.

Second, we can express our love by speaking His Truth in our world and sharing the gospel. The Old Testament declares that “All your words are true, all your glorious laws are eternal.” (Psalm 119:160) In other words, God’s Word is Truth. And Zechariah 8:16 says, “These are the things you are to do; speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgement in your courts.” In the New Testament Jesus tells us that we are to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Jesus also gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples all nations.” When we speak the truth and share the good news, we are demonstrating our love for God and the people He created!

Third, we can express our love by being obedient to God’s Word. Our obedience to someone is a sign of our love for that person. We are obedient to our parents because we love and trust them. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” When we disobey His commands, we sin. Thankfully, Jesus came to forgive our sins and when we repent, He will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Our obedience to God and what Jesus taught and commanded then is a way that we express our love for Him!

Fourth, we can express our love by loving others as God loved us. God sent His love to us through Jesus, and as part of the triune God, Jesus is also Love. He came into our world to also show us how to love others the way that God loves us. Jesus taught us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), to love one another (John 13:34), to serve God only (Matthew 4:10), and to serve others (Matthew 20:26). When we love and serve others the way that God loves and serves us, we are showing our love for Him!

God’s love for us is meant to be reciprocal and not just one-way. He desperately wants us to love Him as much as He loves us. Most of us have probably experienced what’s known as unrequited love, meaning that our love for another is not returned or reciprocated. It’s very painful. Can you imagine how God feels when His love for us is not reciprocated?

For the love of God, let us express our love for him daily and without hesitation!