Every person in America needs to see this video:

Are "good" and "evil" simply relative terms?

Once again, T.M. Moore, theologian at the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, has said a mouthful.  In his recent post, titled "Turning from the Truth," Moore emphasizes the fact that in the post-modern era, we have not only lost any concept of absolute truth, but also we have lost any concept of absolute evil. 

If evil does not exist, then by extension there can be no good, either.  If good and evil are relative terms, they are meaningless terms.  In the post, Moore quotes Andrew DeBlanco, author of  The Death of Satan:

"...if evil, with all the insidious complexity which Augustine attributed to it, escapes the reach of our imagination, it will have established dominion over us all." 

Remember that I have stated time and again that the battleground of the Spiritual War we are in is the human mind?  Well, here is corroboration.  When Satan gets us to believe that neither he nor evil exist, he will have complete dominion over us.

Jesus told us that the truth would set us free. (John 8:32).  He was talking about absolute truth as revealed to us by our heavenly Father in Scripture.  Jesus believed in Satan.  He spent 40 days in the desert with him. It was the truth from Scripture that set Jesus free from Satan. Perhaps, we should take a cue from our Commander-in-Chief, soldier.

Garbage in, Garbage out...

I have discussed in previous posts the fact that the battleground of the spiritual war we are engaged in is the human mind. How does what we put in our mind affect us spiritually? Does it matter what we watch or listen to or read? Does the cyber-axiom "garbage in, garbage out" hold true in life as well as computing?

The Apostle Paul tells us: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2). Apparently, he thought that it matters what we allow to influence us.

Today, Chuck Colson, erstwhile Nixon aide/apologist, and founder of Prison Fellowship ministries, wrote in his Breakpoint column about this subject. I recommend you read his article Film and Suicide. Then decide whether you want to put "garbage in."

Doing the right thing...

Here is a young, Christian leader who stands up for Jesus winsomely, humbly and articulately. Kirk Cousins is the quarterback of the Michigan State Spartans football team.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus

The war between good and evil, in which we find ourselves embroiled, rages on every side. It is a spiritual war, and it is not "... against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12). It is a war for the minds of God's people. This is a war waged by Satan and his minions for the minds and hearts of men and women and especially our children.

Our weapons I have discussed in previous posts. The full armor of God includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, feet shod with the Gospel of peace, the helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of Truth, which is the Word of God. Most of these are defensive weapons, designed to allow us to "...be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13). That is, God wants us to stand firm in His truth and not cede the ground we have claimed for Him in this war.

Specifically, these pieces of defensive armor are to protect us from the daily barrage of lies to which Satan subjects us. We are not to waiver in our steadfast stand against evil. But every general knows that wars are not won by defense alone. Holing up inside a fortified encampment will, at best, keep the enemy temporarily at bay, and at worst will encourage him to lay siege to the fortress and ultimately overcome it.

The final weapon that Paul details in Ephesians 6 is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Many times in Scripture, we read about the two-edged sword. It appears in Hebrews 4:12, where we read, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." We encounter it again in Revelation: "...out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword... ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword...'" (1:16; 2:12).

The sword of the Spirit is two-edged because it is both a defensive and an offensive weapon. During His temptation in the wilderness, as described in Luke 4, Jesus repeatedly defended Himself against Satan's attacks by quoting Scripture, beginning with the phrase, "it is written." As a result, "[Satan] left Him until an opportune time." (v. 13) Notice that Satan was repelled by the defensive capability of the Sword of the Spirit, but only until a better (opportune) time presented itself. He always comes back for another try.

It is imperative, if we are to be used in advancing God's kingdom, that we also learn to use the two-edged sword in its offensive mode. We cannot be successful cultural change agents, if we sit in our pews saying, "'it is written,' so leave me alone, Satan." For an "opportune" time will surely present itself, and he will be back.

In Psalm 40:10, David writes:

"I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly."

We cannot gain ground in this great spiritual war, if we hide our righteousness inside the walls of our church building. We must declare God's faithfulness and His salvation by demonstrating His lovingkindness and His truth for all to see. We cannot declare God's faithfulness and salvation, His lovingkindness and His truth, if we do not know what is in His word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

This truth applies to the faith of believers as well as unbelievers. No one can sustain his faith in God without immersing himself in the Word. Similarly, no one can come to faith in Christ, unless he hears the word of God. How will an unbeliever hear the word of God, Christian soldier, unless you put on the full armor of God, including the two-edged sword, that is the Word of God?

Hold the ground you have gained for the kingdom in your own life, by donning the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, and, yes, even the sword of the Spirit for defense. But let us never forget that our purpose for living is to glorify God by sharing His love, His wisdom, and a healthy fear of His wrath. We are called to holiness. (1 Peter 1:16). We cannot be holy without knowing the Holy God of Scripture. That is why He gave us Scripture, the two-edged sword. Forward into battle, see His banner go.

Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition

<sup>One of Satan's greatest weapons is his ability to make us complacent in our faith. We sit in our worship services on Sunday mornings. We are thrilled with the music. We are moved by the dramas or videos that are presented. We are convicted by the sermons our pastors prepare for us... And then we go out to Sunday brunch, head home, turn on the basketball game or dig in our gardens, or take a ride in the country or...

Now, taken individually, each one of these activities is good. Although, recently, I have been reminded time and again, as I read Scripture, of the Lord's insistence that we "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8). Nevertheless, we need to remember that, to our God, the saving of souls is serious business. Yes, He does want us to</sup>

[speak] to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-21)

But in addition, we are called to be salt and light to those around us whose lives are not characterized by the spice of life and those who are in darkness. (Matthew 5:13-16) Just as Jesus healed a man's withered hand on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-13), as salt and light in the world, we have been commanded to "heal" those who suffer among us, be it on the Sabbath or any other day.

God said to Ezekiel,

"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

"Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

"Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.

"However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself." (Ezekiel 3:16-21)

It is pretty clear that, as Christians, we have a solemn responsibility to those around us to look out for their well-being. Jesus put it this way, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39).

Christian soldier, we are engaged in a great spiritual war. Our foe is one of formidable strength and incredible cunning. Be wary that he does not lull you into a sense of complacency with your "religion." For all religion leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25) But God's gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). It is a gift that is meant by God to be shared.

If you have never progressed in your faith beyond John 3:16, you may be missing some of the blessings that Jesus promised in John 10:10, when He said, "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly." God has promised that if we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved to eternal life. (Romans 10:9-10) So, under the blood of Christ, we will not forfeit eternal life if we don't share the gospel with the lost or lovingly correct a Christian brother who has gone astray.

But consider this: in the final chapter of the final book of the Bible, Jesus tells us: "Look! I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done!" (Revelation 2:12) We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For those who are in Christ, this is not a judgment as to whether we "get in" to heaven. It is, rather, an evaluation to determine the eternal rewards we will enjoy.

Jesus told us to "lay up treasures in heaven." (Matthew 6:20) If you are not sure how to do that, read the Ezekiel passage again. Follow that up with Matthew 22:37-39, James 1:22, Ephesians 5:22-33, Mark 10:45, Matthew 18:15-18, and just as a foundation, exodus 20:1-17.

Does this all seem an ominous task? Be encouraged, Sergeant, for God has told us that He will carry the burden for us. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) John, the Beloved Apostle, wrote, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)

Why are these burdens "light" and "not burdensome?" Because we have a secret weapon. He is called the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth..." (John 14:15-16, emphasis added) Our battle is not to be fought in our own flesh; we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). That is, we are to live according to God's Word and then we receive the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) When we walk in the Spirit, i.e., according to God's Word, loving our neighbors as ourselves becomes not a burden but second nature.

Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition!!

Executive Unbound

In his Breakpoint column today, Chuck Colson warns of the gradual institution of an Administrative State in America. The Administrative State is one in which the Executive branch of government is all powerful and is not constrained by other branches. The liberal elite in America are embracing this shift in power, arguing that the checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution are obsolete, and an all-powerful executive is necessary in these times of complexity and rapidly changing circumstances.

One of the greatest lies that Satan has ever sold to humanity is that there can be a "benevolent dictator." Even King David, a man after God's own heart, and King Solomon, the wisest man the world has ever known, went astray and abused their power. Why? Because man is a fallen creature (Genesis 3) and totally depraved (Jeremiah 17:9).

It never ceases to amaze me how arrogant man is. Every generation has seen itself as the wisest, considering its ancestors to be somehow intellectually inferior, morally naive, and infinitely less stressed than itself. Satan loves this arrogance. He uses it to tempt man away from reliance on God and toward self-reliance. (Proverbs 3:5)

Are we truly intellectually superior to our ancestors? I offer you Plato, Socrates, Jesus of Nazareth, the Apostle Paul, Galileo, Michelangelo, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Pasteur and a host of others.

Are we truly morally superior? I offer you abortion; rampant divorce; rampant child abuse; a federal government bent on bankrupting our nation; a federal judiciary bent on obliterating Christianity and establishing secular humanism as the state religion in violation of the First Amendment; sexual perversion; Wall Street shenanigans; rampant adultery and fornication; rampant drug abuse; and on and on.

Are these times really more complex and stressful? I offer you the Hebrew captivity in Egypt; the Roman domination of Europe and the Middle East; the Visigoths and Ostragoths; the black plague in Europe; European colonialism in Africa and the new world; the American Revolution; the War Between the States; the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia; the Nazi holocaust; Stalin's purges of 20 million Russians; and on and on.

We are a legend in our own minds. Satan has got us believing that we are pretty hot stuff, when in fact, we are just as depraved, just as inept, just as fallen as every other generation before us.

Christian soldier, it is time to wake up and smell the sulfur. Satan is gaining ground, as he deceives and deludes us. Put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Be salt and light in your sphere of influence. Our brothers and sisters are dying for want of truth. The liberal elite in this country offer their lies; we need to counter it with the Truth of God.

Battle stations.

Radical thinking

Can't sleep. The Holy Spirit has got a hold of me tonight. He is keeping me awake and filling my head with ideas that will rock my world. I mean that in a good way. Here are some of the things He has been bringing up...over and over again.

Television is a waste of time...and money. Well, not all TV, but the vast majority. I found a plan on the internet for a fractal TV antenna that I can make for about $5 (that is, if I don't already have enough stuff in my shop to do it for free). I could eliminate the $82 a month I pay for satellite service. That is nearly $1,000 a year I could spend on feeding the poor or providing heat for a widow.

Our church recently did a book study of "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Many of our body were moved by this book to reconsider how we spend our time and money. As I lay awake in my bed this morning, I was thinking of how I might spend my resources differently. Here are a few of the thoughts that came to my mind:

1. Use my skills with tools to provide a free handyman service for people in my church (and possibly in the community at large).
   
2. Put together a group of men from the church who would be available to do the same thing. At a church where my wife and I were once members, there was a men's Bible study group that called themselves the "Wild Men of God." I like that. It reminds me of John the Baptist, who lived in the wilderness and wore camel hair clothing and ate locusts and wild honey. Maybe we could call our group "Crazy Men of God."
   
3. Scale down the landscape plans I have for my own home, in order to save money that I can spend on helping others.
4. Sell a car and spend the money I would have spent on gas and oil and upkeep, not to mention what I could get for the car, on helping the poor.
5. Start buying a bag of groceries a week to give to the food bank. Maybe even volunteer at the food bank.
   

Lest you think I have booked some kind of guilt trip and would do these things to curry God's favor, let me assure you that I know there is absolutely nothing that I can do to put God in my debt. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) But whenever I hear these verses quoted I think it a shame that verse 10 is so seldom tacked on: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

The modern church in America has retreated inside the sanctuary, where we feel safe from "the world" and from Satan. Nothing could be further from the truth. Satan is a spirit being; mere walls of brick and mortar will not keep him at bay. What does Scripture say? "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of God and He will lift you up." (James 4:7-10)

How do we resist the devil? It's right there in the next sentence: "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." Have you ever seen a vampire movie, where the hero is repelling the vampires by carrying a cross? Well, I am not sure the devil (d evil) cares about a physical cross. He is a spirit. But Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23, emphasis added) It appears that our Lord wants us to draw near to Him, but there is a price: "deny himself...take up his cross...daily...and follow Me."

Denying self is a thoroughly un-American thing to do in the 21st century. We deny ourselves nothing. We spend more each day on soda pop than half the people in the world have to subsist on. And what do we have to show for it? We are overweight, physically sick, morally bankrupt, emotionally drained. Consider the following:

1. "An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year."*
   
2. "In 2009, only Colorado and the District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%." (Most states have a rate of 25-30%)
   
3. "Estimates for the year 2006 are that 81,100,000 people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD)."***
   
4. "The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world."****

If NOT denying ourselves leads to these kinds of statistics, perhaps denying ourselves would have a positive effect.

The cross was, perhaps, the most grisly form of execution ever devised by the depraved mind of man. It was designed not only to kill, but also to torture and humiliate its victims. What does Jesus mean when he invites a man to "take up his cross?" I suppose He means ultimate denial of self: humility, sacrifice and complete disregard for self. In Matthew 22, quoting from the Pentateuch, He told his disciples: "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (vv.37-39)

Notice where "yourself" appears in this passage. Self is dead last, after God and your neighbor. Do you think Jesus was kidding around? Perhaps, He meant to get a big laugh by making this statement. I don't think so. He said, "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (John 14:10) Denying self is the only way to draw near to God. Just as you cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), so I cannot serve God and Tom. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other."

Finally, Jesus gives us the frequency with which we are to deny ourselves: it is "daily." We cannot draw near to God on Sunday morning and every other Wednesday at Bible study and expect to keep the devil at bay. "[T]he devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) The text doesn't say he only does this on Sunday mornings and alternate Wednesdays.

"Cleanse your hands, you sinners." That is, desist from doing that which is displeasing to God. "[A]nd purify your hearts, you double-minded." Jesus told us, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Being wishy-washy about taking up our cross is not going to cut it. Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." (Matthew 12:30) "Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom." I do lament and mourn and weep, when I think how much God has done for me, and how little I have done out of gratitude in return. "Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and He will lift you up." No more bootstraps, please.

In this spiritual war, we have a formidable enemy. And yet he is already defeated. We fight not FOR victory, but FROM victory. Resist the devil AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU! You have the power of the Holy Spirit living in your body, which is His temple. Satan wants nothing to do with that. But we must draw near to God as outlined above. The wonderful thing is He has promised that, when we do, He will draw near to us. A mighty fortress is our God! "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) Take that, Satan!

*http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml#Intro
**http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html
***http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4478
****http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States

"Equal" is not "the same"

The "sly ways" (2 Corinthians 2:11, The Message) of Satan, who is always "[prowling] around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV) are foiled by Christian soldiers who do not bow to his deceitful teachings. Secular humanists are fond of saying that men and women are "equal." What they mean is they are "the same." There is a vast difference between two things being equal and their being the same.

For example, an ounce of lean meat and an ounce of refined sugar have roughly "equal" caloric content, but I don't think anyone would say they are "the same." A ton of bricks and ton of feathers are "equal" in weight. If they are "the same," I am sure you would just as readily agree to having a ton of bricks dropped on you as a ton of feathers.

The fact is that men and women are "equal" in value in God's economy. "There is neither...male nor female; for all are one in Christ." (Galatians 3:28, NKJV) But men and women are not "the same." Beyond the physical differences, there are recognized differences in brain chemistry, not to mention readily observable differences in temperament. God tells us that women have "...the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4, NKJV). He tells us that husbands are to "...dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life..." They are not "the same."

Desmond Morris, in his book "Intimate Behavior," (Random House, 1971) wrote about the universal sexual progression that he observed in many diverse cultures worldwide. That progression from recognition to sexual consummation, according to Morris, universally follows this pattern:

1. Eye to person. (He notices her)
2. Eye to eye. (Their eyes meet. Magic in the air.)
3. Voice to voice. (Getting to know you. No overt sexual overtones. Happens in group setting.)
4. Hand to hand. (We are a couple. This is the first “sexual” contact.)
   
5. Arm to shoulder. (This is the first signal that “I want to protect you.”)
6. Hand to waist. (Vision, deeply held beliefs, values and life goals are shared. This is an opportunity to know one another rather intimately without sexual pressure.)
7. Face to face (Mouth to mouth. Kissing occurs for the first time.)
8. Hand to head. (This signifies complete confidence. Whom do you allow to touch your head? Only those you trust completely.)
9. Eye to body. (This is not sexual in nature. “I’ve grown accustomed to the tent you live in.”)
10. Hand and mouth to breast.
    
11. Hand to genital.
12. Genital to genital.

As you can see, Morris designates the first "sexual" contact to be holding hands (step 4). I seriously doubt that secular humanists consider this to be sexual. Why? Because it fits their agenda which is expressed succinctly by a Planned Parenthood staff member:

...the goal of Planned Parenthood is to help “young people obtain sex satisfaction before marriage. By sanctioning sex before marriage, we will prevent fear and guilt.” (Faye Wattleton, “Reproductive Rights for a More Humane World,” The Humanist, July/August 1986, p. 7.)

This is very different from the Seventh Commandment : "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14, KJV) God knows that sexual union is more than a mere physical experience. It is the engine that drives the biblical family. It makes a man and woman "one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) It creates an emotional bond that is real, no matter how much the secular humanists try to deny it.

All of the above is about bringing me to the point of this post. As reported by Jim Daly of Focus on the Family:

Last week, Cassy Herkleman was scheduled to wrestle Joel Northrup in the first round of the Iowa state high school wrestling tournament. But as you may know by now, Joel refused the match, walked off the mat and forfeited the round and his chance at a state title.

Why?

"As a matter of conscience and my faith,” he wrote in a statement, “I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner."

Joel, who is home-schooled, is also a pastor’s son. His father, Jamie, was strikingly blunt when speaking with the Des Moines Register about his son’s decision:

"We believe in the elevation and respect of women, and we don't think that wrestling a woman is the right thing to do. Body slamming and takedowns -- full contact sport is not how to do that."

[ESPN reporter] Rick Reilly was not convinced. He wrote that Joel was “wrong” to refuse the match and that “If the Northrups really wanted to ‘respect’ women, they should've encouraged their son to face her.”

Why? Because men and women are "equal," according to the prevailing cultural view. By refusing to wrestle Cassy, Joel was essentially saying, in the secular humanist view, that they were not "equals." In fact, by standing for the biblical view, Joel was not saying Cassy was not "equal" to himself, but rather that she was not "the same" as he is.

In our sex-saturated culture, the idea that two teen-agers of opposite sex should roll around on a mat, with their bodies in intimate physical contact and covered with sweat doesn't even raise an eyebrow. But given Morris's culturally universal observations about the power and meaning of physical contact between persons of opposite sex, I wonder if the secular humanists are not overlooking the obvious. Couple Morris's observations with the biblical assertions that men and women are indeed not "the same," and I think there is every reason to think that Joel did the right thing, no matter what your religion.

Did Joel disrespect Cassy, because he stood his ground where biblical truth is concerned? Or did he, rather, show deep respect for her in protecting her from making a spectacle of herself through inappropriate touching for unwed people of the opposite sex? The secular humanists, who by definition choose to value human wisdom above the divine (just as Eve did in the garden, at the behest of Satan), surely will have different answers to those questions than Joel did, standing on biblical truth. Chalk up one more for a soldier of Christ.

You can't have it both ways.

There is a cost involved with failing to take up arms against the lies of Satan. According to Chuck Colson, on his Breakpoint broadcast this morning:

In its 2003 Lawrence decision, the Supreme Court overturned Texas's ban on sodomy. Critics, I among them, warned that this precedent would open the floodgates to gay marriage, polygamy, incest, and a whole host of horribles. Justice Antonin Scalia issued a blistering dissent, charging that Lawrence "effectively decrees the end of all morals legislation."

Colson goes on to say that critics of Scalia's dissent at the time said that such a position was hysterical and homophobic. Well, now the Court is having to revisit the Lawrence decision. Why? According to Colson:

The occasion for revisiting Lawrence is the revolting case of Columbia University Professor David Epstein. Epstein is charged with third-degree incest for having a sexual relationship with his daughter. What made this case stand out, apart from Epstein's Ivy League credentials, was that his daughter was 24-yers [sic] -old and, by all accounts, a consensual partner to this repugnant union.

This fact prompted William Saletan of Slate to ask a question many people desperately wanted to avoid: "If homosexuality is okay, why is incest wrong?" Saletan isn't trying to justify incest-he's merely trying to get people to articulate a reason why, in light of Lawrence and similar arguments, society should distinguish between the two.

My question is a bit different: "Where were the Christian soldiers who should have stormed the Court demanding that the wisdom of God's Commandments rule the day, rather than the politically correct nonsense that seems to have a strange hold on our courts?"

Ideas have consequences. Morality is inextricably tied to theology. We either agree with God's design for sexuality, or we abandon all pretense of any sort of moral outrage, no matter how repugnant we find a given perversion.

Spiritual warfare is not an academic exercise; it is not a battle to be fought by clerics; it is not someone's fanciful imagination. It is real. Satan's primary weapon in the war is deceit. In the case of the Lawrence decision, a majority of the members of the Supreme Court of the United States were deceived into believing that we can allow a little bit of perversion, without opening the door to every kind of perversion that the totally depraved mind of man can invent.

Soldier, it is up to you to be salt and light within your sphere of influence. Get informed about what is going on around you. Understand what the consequences of ignoring God's precepts are, so you can winsomely engage in apologetic discourse with deceived unbelievers.

It is my belief that bombarding unbelievers with Scripture references to refute their worldly views is about as effective as reading them a few lines from the phone book. But understanding God's reasons for the boundaries He has graciously provided to protect us from the consequences of our total depravity, will allow you to argue irrefutably against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.

Failure to be thus prepared may result in your being put in the same untenable position as the SCOTUS finds itself in currently. According to Colson:

Epstein’s lawyer, Matthew Galluzzo, said [as] much in a television interview: “It’s OK for homosexuals to do whatever they want in their own home . . . How is this so different? We have to figure out why some behavior is tolerated and some is not.”

While defenders of Lawrence purport to be appalled by such arguments, this is exactly what Justice Scalia predicted in his dissent. According to Justice Kennedy in Lawrence, the fact that the majority “has traditionally viewed a particular practice as immoral” isn’t sufficient justification for outlawing the practice. This kind of disapproval doesn’t justify an “intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual."

As a result of one bad decision, compromising with moral absolutes SCOTUS faces this dilemma:

If Epstein raises the Lawrence decision in pre-trial motions or on appeal, judges will be caught in a dilemma: apply Lawrence and sanction perversity or tie themselves into knots trying to distinguish what, under Lawrence, is indistinguishable.

It’s a dilemma of the Supreme Court’s making: It usurped the prerogative of the people and their elected representatives and created a hole so big that any kind of perversity could drive through. (Colson)

Remember, soldier, put on the full armor of God, including the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; feet shod with the gospel of peace; the helmet of salvation; the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; the shield of faith; and above all, intercessory prayer. Know God's precepts and the implications of ignoring them, and then, sergeant, get into the fray.

Dismissed.

Planned Parenthood advises "pimp" on abortions for his underage sex slaves

If you think there is no evil our there, watch this video of a Planned Parenthood office manager advising a "pimp" about how he can have his underage prostitutes get abortions without their parents being notified.



Planned Parenthood, "The nation’s largest abortion seller received $363 million in government funding during fiscal year 2008." (Source) Your tax dollars are being used to murder innocent unborn children, and now we learn the same organization is aiding and abetting sex-traffickers who enslave young teen girls.

According to President Jim Daly of Focus on the Family, here's how this video came to be made:

The undercover operation was organized by Lila Rose of Live Action, a youth-led movement dedicated to building a culture of life and ending abortion. Ms. Rose, a student at UCLA, founded Live Action in 2006.

When the news of the sting operation broke, Planned Parenthood dismissed it as a hoax. The video of the incident had been edited, they claimed, and didn’t properly reflect the full context of the discussion.

Yet, as the news began to spread and spiral downward, Woodruff’s employment was terminated.

Here is some more information about Lila Rose, a Catholic and pro-life activist, who is obviously engaged in the war against Satan and his minions in a meaningful way. Are you ready to engage the enemy, soldier?

Arrows in the hands of warriors.

The Patriot Update reports today that:

Twenty years ago, the world had about 1.1 billion Muslims. Twenty years from now, it will have about twice as many – and they’ll represent more than a quarter of all people on earth, according to a new study released Thursday. That’s a rise from less than 20 percent in 1990.

Pakistan will overtake Indonesia as home of the largest number of Muslims, as its population pushes over 256 million, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life projects.

The number of Muslims in the United States will more than double, to 6.2 million, it anticipates.

Afghanistan’s population will nearly double, to about 50.5 million, making it home to the ninth largest Muslim population in the world.

Meanwhile, The Center for Bioethical Reform reports:

Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".

Birthrates in Europe have fallen below the replacement rate, and America is soon to follow. God has told us:

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.(Psalm 127:3-5)

And yet Born-again/Evangelical women, soldiers in Christ's army, represent 18% of the women who are killing their own children. How has Satan managed to deceive so many of us? When will we turn back to God? When will we confess our iniquity and repent of it? When will we start living for Him and take up our arms and march as to war? Or will we continue to kill our offspring, while the followers of a successful, violent, false religion take over the world by force and reproduction?

If children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior, shouldn't Christian soldiers have a quiver full of them and hone their points and preen their feathers and make sure their shafts are true? Think about it, soldier?

Satan's lies are beginning to catch up to him.

More information comes in almost daily, it seems, confirming that America is sliding down the slippery slope, which was first provided by Roe v. Wade, at an alarming rate. Chuck Colson's Breakpoint, this morning, reports:

The statistic has everyone reeling: According to a recent survey, forty-one percent of pregnancies in New York City end in abortion. Forty-one percent. Nearly half.

Now that is a shocking and sickening statistic, but the interesting thing about Colson's post is that it goes on to say:

But pro-choicers weren't too excited about this news either. The New York Times-hardly a pro-life bastion-reported, "No one is exactly celebrating. . . . Even abortion rights advocates expressed some concern about the numbers, trying to change the conversation to a broader one on reproductive health."

Colson makes the point that, when the pro-choice camp becomes alarmed at the statistics that their war on life have produced, it is a sure sign that they know instinctively that killing babies is wrong. In spite of the ongoing efforts of the pro-choice movement to tell us that a "woman's right to choose" is more important than the human being, imago Dei, that they are so interested in getting rid of, God has written on every human heart the message that human life is, in fact, sacred.

Satan and his minions, have had a heyday telling American women (and the weasely men who use them for their own pleasure, and are only too happy to pay for an abortion, instead of child support) to believe that the human being growing in that womb, is not really a human being at all. It is "fetal and uterine debris." Well, soldier, we know that Satan's primary tactic in this spiritual war is deceit. Oh, how willingly we swallow that deceit, when we want to indulge in a forbidden pleasure.

A woman has a right to choose, without doubt. But some choices are irrevocable. Once a woman has chosen to have sexual intercourse with a man, she had better be ready to accept the fact that the outcome could be a new human being (Psalm 139:13), a sacred being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). That's why God has instructed her to remain chaste until she is married to the man and they are ready and willing to take responsibility for nurturing that new little imago Dei. Otherwise, she may find herself contributing to the statistics that are now beginning to alarm even the pro-choicers. And she already knows, in her heart, that that is wrong.

(There are instances of rape and incest, in which the woman has not made a choice to have intercourse, and which may result in pregnancy. These cases present a moral dilemma, of course: should the woman be required to carry to term and rear a child who is not born out of love and responsibility, or should she be allowed to abort the pregnancy? The fact is that such cases account for only 1% of abortions in this country, whereas 93% of abortions are performed because the baby is "inconvenient." Another 6% are performed because of "health problems" of the mother or the baby (Source). According to AbortionTV.com these health problems leading to abortion break down as follows:

Risk to maternal health: 2.8%

Risk to fetal health: 3.3%)

Standing for the sanctity of life

January is national Sanctity of Life month. Many churches and Christian organizations are doing all they can to raise the nation's conscience and awareness regarding the slaughter of countless defenseless human beings, made in God's image, by supporters of abortion and euthanasia. Periodically, an individual stands out in this quest. The Catholic New Agency reports that one such individual has recently distinguished himself.

Mexican actor, Eduardo Verastegui, late of "Bella," has vowed to create the largest "pro-life" women's health center in--ready?--the U. S. While our national religion, secular humanism, continues to support the culture of death in the U. S. sacrificing over a million children a year to the god of "choice," this brave, Christian actor is putting his money and his name where his mouth is.

Speaking at the first-ever gala held by Mantle of Guadalupe, which he founded, and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Verastegui

...reiterated his commitment to defend life and announced that the organization’s new goal is the construction of “the largest women’s clinic in the United States.”

“I will not use my talents except to elevate my Christian, pro-life and Hispanic values,” Verastegui promised the guests. (Source)

Although he works in a business that is characterized by narcissism, shameless self-promotion and blind allegiance to the secular humanist culture of death, this young actor has chosen to stand up for Jesus, for life and for the millions of women, mostly minorities, who are victimized annually by the lies of Satan and his minions, who refer to unborn humans as "fetal and uterine debris." I consider him a hero and a true Christian soldier.

You may read the full story here.

The fruit of the Spirit is...kindness...

We now consider the next component of the fruit of the Spirit: kindness, the state or quality of being kind. Random House Dictionary (c) 2011 defines "kind" as "having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence." Hence, kindness is the state or quality of having, showing or proceeding from benevolence, that is, a "desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness." (From the same source.)

The Greek word from which "kindness" is translated in Galatians 5:22 is Chrestotes, which has the definition, "moral goodness, integrity; benignity, kindness." It is clear, that the word "kindness" is not one that has a controversial meaning. It amounts to having a benevolent or charitable nature. Now that is a pretty nice piece of fruit.

In looking into the uses of this word in Scripture, we find some interesting things. In the New King James translation, the word kindness appears 46 times. In 14 of those instances, we learn that kindness begets kindness. For example, after Saul, who hunted David relentlessly in order to kill him, was himself killed, David wanted to show kindness to his survivors, because Jonathan, Saul's son, had been kind to David. (2 Samuel 9)

I believe kindness is one of God's most powerful attributes, and as such, it is no surprise that the Holy Spirit would endow those whom He indwells with kindness. What is more compelling than kindness? One function of the Holy Spirit is to draw people to Jesus; another is to glorify Jesus. (John 16:14) That means to honor Him with praise, admiration, or worship. To whom are we more likely to be drawn, and whom are we more likely to honor with praise, admiration, or worship than someone who has shown us kindness?

In fact, no one in history has been a purveyor of kindness like Jesus, "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Jesus told His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13) May we agree that such an act can only come out of a spirit of "goodwill; charitableness?"

I glean from this discussion that acts of kindness are acts of love. Recall that the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I have argued in a previous post that LOVE had to be the first component of the fruit of the Spirit, and here is corroboration for that position.

So, how shall this part of the fruit manifest itself? It is easy enough for us to be kind to others who have been kind to us; or to those for whom we feel love. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the disciples,

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?^" Do not even the tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48, emphasis added.)

Am I wrong in believing that "love," "bless," "do good" and "pray for those" are words that suggest goodwill; charitableness? I think not. Jesus expects us to show kindness to our "enemies," "those who curse us," "those who hate us," and "those who spitefully use us." I don't know about you, Gunny, but I see that as a tall order. I don't think I can do that in my flesh. Perhaps, that is why the Holy Spirit endows us with His own kindness.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church,

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

Can you see the power of kindness? When I was practicing dentistry, I learned (and this may come as a surprise to you) that dental patients can become adversarial at times. The best defuser of such situations, I eventually learned, was kindness. The meaner, the nastier, the more abusive a patient would become, the more solicitous and humble I grew, even when the patient was being entirely unreasonable. "Kill 'em with kindness" was the phrase I encouraged my staff to remember. The end result was invariably that the patient calmed down, and we were able to get to the root of his problem (you should pardon the pun.) Heaping those coals of fire on his head (perhaps not intuitively) cooled him off.

So, Corporal, let us walk in the Spirit, that we might bear the fruit of the Spirit, including kindness which overcomes evil with good.

Courtesy in warfare

Chuck Colson wrote, in his Breakpoint feature today, about "Embracing Courtesy." "What," you may ask, "does courtesy have to do with spiritual warfare? This is war!"

Remember, Soldier, when I wrote about the fact that the battlefield of this spiritual warfare is the human mind? Colson makes the point in his article that "today's political correctness has become a sort of secular alternative to the old Christian virtue of courtesy." But there is a difference between courtesy and political correctness, for, as Colson writes, "The virtue of courtesy is rooted in the idea of the imago Dei, the concept that each of us was created in the image of a loving God."

Political correctness, on the other hand is rooted in Marxism, which seeks to foment class warfare. It is Marxist theory applied to social engineering instead of economics. In essence, political correctness says (my apologies to Orwell), "All men are created equal, but some men are more equal than others." That is, "If you don't believe as I do, you don't deserve the freedom to express what you do believe."

When we view the world with a Christian world view, we see others as Paul did when he wrote to the church in Philippi,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8)

Courtesy is not taking sides. That is the nature of political correctness. Courtesy is recognizing each human being as imago Dei and esteeming him for the intrinsic value that status imparts. Political discourse in this country has devolved from the level described in the immortal words, often attributed to Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Civility in the political arena has all but disappeared, largely because, in a post-Christian world, people see those who have different opinions as creatures inferior to themselves and deserving extermination, not courtesy. But you, Soldier, living in the Spirit, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above [yourself], not looking to your own interests but...to the interests of the others."

The Bible exhorts us saints to "be holy," be "set apart for God." We are set apart when we view the world from Christ's perspective, seeing each human being as imago Dei. Courtesy is one way we reflect that holiness. When we are walking in the Spirit, our whole lives will reflect God's holiness. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words."

Courage and Compassion

T. M. Moore, resident theologian at the Chuck Colson Center for Christian worldview, has written an article that we, as Christian soldiers would do well to read. It is titled, "The Courage to Oppose."

In the article, Moore explains something that true believers have known since Jesus taught his disciples:

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵ But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ (John 15:18-25).

The fact is that the world hates to be convicted of its sin. It hated it when Jesus did it, and it hates it when we shine our light on the darkness of this world.

Nevertheless, as soldiers in the Lord's army, we are called to

go...and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

I think, perhaps, the most important passage in Moore's article is this one:

But let’s make sure to observe how Paul did this – not in brash, loud, spectacular, or violent manner, but patiently, reasonably, dialoging and discussing the claims of the Kingdom against the false views of unbelief, inviting those with whom he spoke to consider the consistency and congruency of the Christian worldview against the backdrop of the inadequacy of their own. Paul argued gently and reverently with those he sought to persuade, and, if his conversation sounded like judgment, it was at least seasoned with grace and therefore more likely than not to be heard and pondered (2 Tim. 2:24-26; Col. 4:6).

How does the world view the modern church? Are we seen as the purveyors of a message of love and hope, or are we seen as narrow-minded, bigoted, uncaring fanatics who are not for anything but against everything? Where does such a viewpoint come from? Could it be, Sergeant, that we forgot in our fervor to spread the Word that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and not to belittle them with self-righteous judgment? Remember, when you are sharing John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,

to be constrained by John 3:17:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

As Paul wrote to his protege, Timothy:

But you, O man of God...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12, emphasis added)

We have the Truth on our side. We are fighting this war against the powers of darkness not for victory, but from victory.

Satan was defeated by our Commander-in-Chief on a hill called Golgotha, overlooking a garbage dump. He left us behind to mop up after the victory, to minister to those who have been wounded in the battle for their souls. Let us therefore, conduct ourselves with the courage of the Marine Corps and the compassion of the Medical Corps.