The Olympics of Bad Days

“But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net. “I cry out, ‘Help!’ but no one answers me. I protest, but there is no justice. God has blocked my way so I cannot move. He has plunged my path into darkness. He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished. He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree. His fury burns against me; he counts me as an enemy.” (Job 19:6-11)

Job had just been through the Olympics of bad days. He was a good man and yet God "wronged" him by allowing all his kids and grandkids to be killed and then all his his wealth and health to be taken away - and in case that wasn't enough, his wife tells him to curse God and die.

But does God really wrong good people for no apparent reason? Yes he does.

So how are we to deal with that? 

Well, Job told his friends what happened and that it was wrong for God to do so…they accused him of secret sin and counseled him to repent and walk the aisle next Sunday...to which Job replied...

"I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end?" (Job 16:2-3)

Job's friends did not like Job blaming God, because they could not believe God would do bad things to good people. God said Job was right and told his sorry friends...

“...I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has.” (Job42:7)

I am convinced God is still mad at religious people who self-righteously judge others.  However, even though Job felt "wronged" by God, he was not right in condemning God of injustice for doing so...

“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like His? Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty..Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.” (Job 40:8-14)

So, it is OK to feel "wronged" by God when bad things happen to a good person. However, it is NOT OK to question His justice in doing so unless “our own right hand can save” us.

Job was humbled, and his friends were put in their place and in Job's hands.  Job forgave them, and only after he prayed for his “miserable comforters” did God restore his fortunes…

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)

Some things I learn from the book of Job are:

God is Sovereign over the good, the bad and the ugly;

Friends suck sometimes, especially in accusing you of sin just because some bad stuff happens to us;

It is OK to get mad at God when bad stuff happens to good people.

Good people are blessed by God when they pray for their sorry friends who misjudge them.

The rest of the Bible assures me that when God is through with us, He will save us all!

"...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10)

Flipping A Coin

"God ... endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction...And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy... even us, whom He also called." (Romans 9:19-24)

We humans are rarely merciful to our enemies. However, God is both gracious and merciful to both His enemies and friends.

Christians often say “love the sinner, but hate the sin." It is a nice little catch phrase that justifies judging those we think are worse sinners than us, and sounding all righteous in doing so.

I know it is hard, but we need to try to spread a little mercy around from time to time like our heavenly Father.

"For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all...give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: His mercy endures forever..." (Romans 11:32; Psalm 136)

Sinful people are like a coin in God's hand, with Grace on one side and Mercy on the other.   The coin gets spent for both good and evil over a lifetime.  But when God flips that coin for the last time into the grave, no matter which side comes up, that sinner will come up and out of the grave the winner of the "free gift of eternal life".

"God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)...for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ephesians 2:4; Romans 6:23)

Outward and Inward Jews

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly…But he is a Jew who is one inwardly...” (Romans 2:28-29)

There are many who think believers in Jesus, which they refer to as the "church", are “spiritual Israel” based on this verse (ignoring the context). This false teaching assumes that because Israel as a nation rejected Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) God discarded Israel and the believers in Jesus among all nations are now the church, or “spiritual Israel”.

They are wrong.

A "Jew" who is one "outwardly" is simply a person whose linage can be traced back to Abraham through his son Isaac. A "Jew" who is one "inwardly" is any person who has ever believed what God says, just like Abraham did.

"Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galations 3:7-9)

The Bible reveals a plan for God's chosen nation, the outward Jews on this earth, and that plan is referred to as the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Bible also reveals the plan for all mankind to become inward Jews and that plan was revealed to the Apostle Paul and is referred to as the Gospel of Grace (which is the promise of the final reconciliation and salvation of all mankind to God at the close of the ages ).

Mixing up the two has been going on for almost 1800 years, the result being that the Old Testament books, and those books of the New Testament written specifically to Jews "outwardly" are misapplied to mankind in general. And that error has caused mankind to be split into divisions unknown in the Scripture -the eternally saved verses the eternally lost - those bound for heaven and those bound for hell.

It is no wonder there are so many disagreements among the various sects of Christianity. They are confused because many of their teachers have not "rightly divided the word of truth".

"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Knowing and believing God's plans does not save anyone. His plans for both will be carried out in His own time because He planned them. It is not up to us to fulfill them, only Jesus could, can and will do that.

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world." (1 John 4:14)

I do not think the confusion will be cleared up going forward, the error is too ingrained in our churches, but it will get worse...for Jesus himself lamented...

"When the Son of Man comes (returns), will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Inauguration Day -Thank You God!

Thank you Lord God! I pray you will supernaturally fill President Trump and Vice President Pence with all it will take to undo what those have done who have ignored You and the working people of America these many years. Please remove those who oppose Your will from public office and replace them all with those who submit to Your will in all matters of life. And for those who continue to oppose Your will, well please bless them also, and in that blessing may they be humbled and become thankful to You for making America once again the “Shining City Upon a Hill” radiating the glory of your grace for all the world to see and follow. Do so I pray in the name of Your only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Vanity of God's Creation

"For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God." 

How do sinful people become "children of God"?  By being "freed from the slavery of corruption" at the "deliverance of our body".

"For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the first fruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. For to expectation were we saved..." (Romans 8:20-24)

People are slaves to corruption.  By corruption I am not talking about the worldly idea of being corrupted by evil men.  I am talking about the biblical idea of the dying process.   We are all born of a women to die with all mankind, that is our lot.  We are "groaning and travailing" over it, but we still die along with all others we love because for now we are sons of men.  But one day this corruption will put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality and death will have been swallowed up in Victory,,,

"...according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren. Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also. What then, shall we declare to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:28-31)

Believers have a definite advantage over unbelievers in this evil age in which we live. For we are aware that we are "awaiting the sonship" and believe what God has planned, the deliverance of His creation from "vanity" into "the glorious freedom of the children of God". 

It enables us to be content in this present evil age as we look forward to our blessed expectation, the return of Christ Jesus the Lord to resurrect the dead.

Grace and Law...Reality or Illusion?

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth (aletheia) came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

The New Testament was written in Greek. I have read that in ancient Greek culture the Greek word aletheia was synonymous for “reality” as the opposite of “illusion”.

So, Moses received the Law, which had the illusion of providing a way for men to become righteous before God. But of course, it was only an illusion for mankind is not able to keep it, because…

“…it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…” (Romans 3:10-11)

Most of what is taught among Christianity and all that is taught in other religions of the world is the “illusion” that we can do stuff to please God and therefore become "righteous" by those good works. That broad and proverbial religious road leads to destruction for…

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” and “…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

The Law of Moses brings death to all who try to keep it and religious people who claim to succeed live in the “illusion” of self-righteousness. The "truth" (aletheia-reality) is that only by the grace of God will anyone become righteous, and that will occur for all when changed from flesh to spirit at the resurrection.  This “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”.

This unmerited favor is freely given to sinners because the "truth" (reality) is that the written law kills people but the “Spirit gives life” to those same people at their resurrection by the "grace" of God. The Spirit will indeed grant life to dead sinners, abundant and everlasting. YEA Jesus! We are to proclaim that truth as our message…

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life…for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:6; Romans 6:23)

To Hell With Them

“For sin shall not have power over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

What does Paul mean when he says sin shall not have power over us?

Well, the wages for sin is death, and all of us sin and die, so he means that death, the power sin has over us is temporary, for by the GRACE of God we sinners will be raised to eternal life. It really is that simple. ..

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23)

Christianity has managed to complicate the gospel of salvation, making it a matter of choice, not grace. I suppose we have done so because we have a hard time giving stuff to those we consider to be far worse sinners than ourselves.  To hell with them.  

But the biblical GRACE of God has to do with “unmerited favor”. The salvation of the most egregious sinner magnifies the grace of God, and distinguishes Him from us. Paul understood this and wanted us to understand…

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life...” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

I admit, as a self-righteous human being, I do not like the idea of the worst sinners getting saved for free. But then I am not God…and neither are you. We may not like it, but it is what we are commanded to teach, not the hell of "godless myths" taught by "demons"....

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons…Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales…we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:1, 7, 9-11)

Only a very few people believe the gospel of free salvation in this present age, and even we could not believe except for God giving us the faith to believe...

"For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God..." (Ephesians 2:8)

All will believe when they are resurrected to see the Lord who has raised them. Then...

"As surely as I live says the Lord, every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God" (Romans 14:11)