Archive for November, 2021

Freedom of Religion

Protestants from Europe streamed ashore in North America seeking freedom. England had a state church which restricted their freedom of religion. They sailed across treacherous seas and fought the formidable English army in search of such freedom. Overcoming such hazards, they sought to have amendments added to the new Constitution.

To do so James Madison and Baptist minister John Leland opposed each other in the race for a Congressional office. Leland was running ahead of Madison when the two met in Richmond at the corner of what is now Madison and Leland Avenues. Leland offered to withdraw and support Madison if he would assure him he would work to add amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing certain freedoms. Madison’s support for freedom of religion greatly influenced Leland and he agreed to withdraw and support Madison.  Madison, Leland, and Thomas Jefferson formed an alliance known as the “Virginia Experience,” based on their shared passionate belief in religious freedom. With the support of Leland and Jefferson, Madison was elected. Madison saw to it that the following First Amendment was proposed and approved. It reads:

“Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievance.”  

Settlers felt these new rights worth the risk of their lives. Not all were devout Christians, but Christian dogma was strong among them and influenced their system of law and the laws themselves. Unfortunately these principals have paled in our current culture.

Given our nation’s history, including the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act that passed the Senate unanimously, some may be surprised to learn that the US does not rank highly on global measures of religious freedom. According to the latest Pew Research Center data, there are 117 countries that place fewer restrictions on religion than the US.

There is even international concern regarding religious freedom. “Religious freedom” is defined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion…”

Recently Supreme Court Jurist Samuel Alito, in addressing the Federalist Society, opined regarding the “…assessment of individual rights. This is especially evident with respect to religious liberty. It pains me to say this, but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.” He continued, “For many today, religious liberty is not a cherished freedom … it can’t be tolerated, even when there is no evidence that anybody has been harmed.”

Supreme Court Jurist Neil Gorsuch recently observed, “We are also deeply concerned with preserving the promise of the free exercise of religion enshrined in our Constitution,” he wrote, “That guarantee lies at the heart of our pluralistic society.”

The Biden administration is being asked to divest Christian colleges, schools, churches, and Christian organizations of lawful rights if they discriminate.

The right of members of the LBGTQ must under law be valued, (and I do). However, that gives no right to abridge the long held meaning of the First Amendment.

Our predecessors paid a price to gain for us our First Amendment rights. What price are  you willing to pay to maintain it? Get well informed on what is meant by “bigotry” and “discrimination,” and how to defend yourself against such charges that are sure to come.

Remember,  “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion….”

What Is Faith?

What is faith? A study of words used to describe it will help our understanding  how we should understand it.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11: 1)

The Bible tells us how we are to live by faith.

“The just shall live by faith.” (Hebrews 10:38)

Our faith is based on the loving life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Confidence in Christ’s character is the basis of  ALL faith.

“Belief” and “trust” are two words used frequently in Scripture to identify how we should respond to the Lord.

One Hebrew word for “believe” is amen. It means “to use God as a foundation; to lean on Him.” Saying we trust God is one thing, but when we really trust Him and lean on Him, we enter His rest. 

Another word translated “trust” is batak. It was originally a wrestling term meaning to “body-slam” or in modern parlance “suplex.” Applied to our faith-life, it means to pick up your problems and body-slam them before the Lord. That is trust.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Our word “substance,” hypostasis, is made up of two words meaning: “to stand” and “under.” Substance is that which stands under.  It is the superstructure of life.

“Substance,”  is a scientific term opposite of theory or hypothesis.  It is used to describe a chemical which settles to the bottom in a test tube. It is the primary element in the formula. Thus, faith is seen as primary to all of life.

Substance also means “the title deed.”

New Testament believers had faith in God that was so strong they had such “assurance” that they responded as though the things promised were already a reality.

“Evidence,”elegchos, carries this further.  It is the outward evidence of the inward assurance.  The life is committed to what the mind believes.

Faith is not just a way to please God.   A lack of it is modern man’s way of attempting to deny God. In recent years man has become the measure of all things. Everything outside man’s experience or understanding is denied. Yet, who can understand how a sheep, cow, pig, and goose can eat grass in the same field and one grow wool, another hair, another bristles, and the other feathers?

Do you understand how a brown cow can eat green grass growing out of black soil and give white milk? No! Yet, we believe it.

I spent five painful weeks in the hospital recently. Faith did not vanquish my pain, but it enable me to endure it and eventually thrive.  God, His Word, and your faith are the formula for victory. 

Faith is belief God is as good as His Word, and His Word is as good as God.

Got a problem or need? Reflect on assurance given by God’s Word, employ it, and dependently relax in His grace. That is faith applied. If you do, don’t expect an answer to all your problems. Faith often means acting without answers, but with confidence God does have. Get comfortable not knowing. Get confident is acting by faith. Most tend to want to know now how things will work out. Faith is knowing they will work out. God has a plan.

Faith is a vitamin for the soul essential to your spiritual health. It enables you to bear your burdens, and thrive. Without it you suffer spiritual anemia resulting in weakness keeping you from bearing your burdens.  

There is a beautiful old hymn with this truth. “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.” A modern expression with the same meaning is body-slam your burdens before the Lord and leave them there. Thus, you win.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight..” (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Go on, do it.

Affliction

Reflectively the Psalmist wrote: “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)

There was no whiney, ”Why me.” Surely he didn’t understand, but he trusted the Lord. He knew there was a reason.

He also wrote, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes”  (Psalm 119:71).  Wooo! 

That is faith applied where it hurts — when it helps.

The Psalmist did not become bitter because of his afflictions. He realized they made him better. He was so convinced of God’s goodness that he asked the Lord to teach him more. That is an implied request for more affliction that would teach him more. He said, “You are good, and do good.” This reveals who God is, “You are good,” and what He does, “and do good.”

The focus is not on affliction, but on God’s character and conduct.

Today many people speak of the goodness of the Lord in good times, but switch emphasis in bad times to a complaining mode. These lines from a modern chorus need to be converted into conduct:

“God is good (all the time) And all the time (God is good).”

I have a similar quote of assurance of His goodness,

“Water is always wet, fire is always hot, God is always good. It is their nature, they can’t be any other way.”

God cares for each of us and wants to reveal Himself to us even through adversity. He wants to use our adversities to develop a better relationship in order to help us get through difficult times; to help us overcome adversity.

Adversity is designed to be a cure for flaws within our nature. David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I have kept Thy Word.” That is the case with many of God’s servants. They were inclined to one peculiar temptation, and though they may not have seen it, the chastening hand of God was aimed at that special weakness of their character.

Even Jesus learned through suffering: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.”  (Hebrews 5:8)

We can only learn experientially what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” That is not a pretty, painless picture.

All alike suffer. The difference is one learns from suffering and the other doesn’t. The suffering of one draws the one suffering closer to the Lord, and the other more distant. 

Martin Luther put the process in perspective when he noted: “I bless the Lord for the correctives of his providence by which, if he has blessed me on the one hand with sweets, he has blessed me on the other hand with bitters…I never knew the meaning of God’s word, until I came into affliction. I have always found it one of my best schoolmasters.”

We are all going to suffer adversity, it is part of the pattern of life. Therefore, why not learn from it. It is not good, but from its result we can learn from it.

Getting out of adversity is not as important as what we get out of it. Resolve to learn from your adversity. These benefits of affliction have been noted by Dr. D. Dickson:

1. It tries and calls forth the exercise of faith.

2. It enables us to exercise patience.

3. It tends to produce humility.

4. It makes us dependent and prayerful.

5. It tends to secure our obedience.

6. It teaches us to value our mercies.

7. It tends to make heaven very desirable. 

The prophet Isaiah is the bearer of this good news. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13) Extend your right hand confidently, He will help you.

Motivation for Life’s Race 10/1/00

Hebrews 12:1-4

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12: 13).

JESUS CHRIST is our worthy example. A appropriate goal of life is to be like Him.
If you wish to be disappointed, look at others.
If you wish to be discouraged, look at yourself.
If you wish to be encouraged and experience victory, look to Jesus Christ.

Athletes are objects of admiration and veneration globally. As Christians, that is, Christ partisans, let us by looking to Him; the ultimate one deserving our devotion.

Nations of the world send some of their finest athletes to compete in the Olympics. The Sydney games are the largest Olympics ever. They are larger than the Barcelona, and Los Angeles games combined. Athletes came from over 200 countries. We Americans can better understand the enormity of the size of the games by comparing it to hosting 10 Super Bowl Games a day for 17 days.

However, ancient Rome offers us an example of competition on an even larger scale.

The ancient Romans conducted contests in the Circus Maximus built by King Tarquin Priscus about 500 B.C. The arena was 700 yards in length and 140 yards wide. It consisted of three tiers. Before being expanded by Titus it seated 150,000. He enlarged it to seat 250,000. Later in the Fourth Century it was expanded to seat 385,000. Their water sports were conducted on artificial lakes. Whole flotillas contended. Fleets of ships with more than 19,000 seamen fought to the death in these contests.

Nearby Emperors Vespasian and Titus built the Flavian amphitheater known to us as the Colosseum because it was erected near the colossal statue of Nero.

In the 120 days marking the dedication of the Colosseum 12,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators died therein.

Come with me and enter the Colosseum!

Notice that special enlarged seating area. It is the place for the Caesar known in Latin as the “podium,” meaning “place of honor.”

On your left is the great arch of the PORTA SANAVIVARIA, “the Door of the Living.” Soon the procession of the gladiators will enter through it.

On your right is the PORTA LIBERTINA, “the Door of the goddess of corpse.” Through this arch the corpse of the fallen warriors will be dragged with hooks.

The parade of athletes is always a stirring moment. Enter the gladiators. In cadence they chant as they have hundreds of times: AVE, CAESAR; MORITURI TE SALUTANT!” “Hail, O Caesar; those about to die greet thee!”

How could they do it with such a sense of satisfaction?

They did it because they believed Caesar was divine. He was their god and they were willing to die for their god. What an example! What a challenge to us to live for our God. To live “looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

The expression “looking unto Jesus” means to be dependent upon Him for inspiration, support, encouragement, and strength.

There is a magnificent work of art that depicts a beautiful young woman in the arena being stalked by a hungry lion. She is stooping to pick up a single rose thrown into the arena at her feet. As though oblivious to the presence of the lion, as she stoops to pick up the rose, she is looking up into the stands for the one who loves her and tossed the rose.

Like her we must look to Jesus for our hope.

Part of the promotional theme of the Para-Olympics in Atlanta was “faith is a decision.” Won’t you make faith in Christ as Savior and Lord a decision. That means to profess your dependence upon Him to forgive your sins and give you new life. Look to Him for salvation and as the source of strength for life.

Into the Colosseum there began a march of a different kind of people. They bore the name of their benefactor, their God. They were mockingly called “Christians,” meaning “Christ’s partisans” or “belonging to the Christ.” That was their primary reason for being there. They refused to swear allegiance to any one but Christ.

The procession of devotees to Christ continues today.

Explore our text for insight and inspiration. It speaks of:

I. WITNESSES VS. 1
The “great cloud of witnesses” is a reference to the persons listed in chapter 11. The word “witness,” MARTUS, means one who bears witness by death. A casual reading of Hebrews has led many to think of these “witnesses” as heavenly spectators observing us earthlings. They are not noted as observers but as examples. They are witnesses in the sense they bear testimony. Their earthly lives are testimonies to the fact God will see you through.

They are not simply depicted as being in a stadium observing our acts to be inspired thereby, but to inspire us by their action. It is as though those who have gone before us are shouting words of encouragement. “God enables us to be winners. He will do the same for you. Don’t quit.”

By their lives they testify to the fact God is faithful.

II. WEIGHTS VS. 1
Weights is a reference to things that are not necessarily sins but they are hindrances to spiritual victory. They are things that restrict us like an athlete’s warm-ups would be a restriction in competition. They are to be taken off.

There are some things that are neither good or bad, but neither are they helpful. Remove them from your life. A good athlete doesn’t choose between good and bad, but better and best. A “weight” is anything that weighs us down, diverts our attention, saps our energy, or reduces our enthusiasm for Christ. Notice reference is made to “the sin which so easily ensnares us…” “The” means in every life there is an area of weakness. Satan desires to exploit it. As an athlete works on any area of weakness so we must know our area of vulnerability and work on it. Control it.

III. THE WAY VERSES 1, 2
Now comes the basic nitty and fundamental gritty of the race.

A. AN EXHORTATION = “run with endurance”
Almost anyone can enter the most difficult race. It takes endurance to finish. The Bible is full of stories of people who started the spiritual race and didn’t complete it.

John Mark who started on the missionary journey with Paul and turned back.

Demas of whom it is written, “Demas, has forsaken us having loved this present world.”

To endure and run to win requires:
DETERMINATION. Make the decision to compete for Christ.
DISCIPLINE. Submit to His life-long disciplines.
DEDICATION. Resolutely be dedicated to stay the course.

B. AN EXAMPLE = “looking unto Jesus”
Jesus Christ is the ultimate witness. He ran the same race course of life you are running. Verses 3 and 4 describe His racecourse:

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12: 3, 4).

“Looking unto” describes an attitude of trust. It speaks of a continuous attitude that prevails, not just a single act.

As Christ was motivated by pleasing the Father so we should be motivated by pleasing Christ. Then all that the Father was to the Son the Son will be to us.

Verse 3 contains the appeal to “consider Him.” That is, analyze your own life as compared to Christ.

To “consider Him” means to take Him into account and concentrate on Him; focus on Christ. Keep Him in mind.

He is the source and sustainer of our hope.

Come back to the Collosseum again. Hear the echo of the chanting gladiators, “Ava, Caesar; morituri te salutant.”

Let the two vast arched doors represent the door of eternal life or spiritual death. Through which will you enter into eternity?

Today, this very day, let’s take an imaginary walk into the arena.

There in front of the podium you will see a white cross erected around 1300. It bears this inscription: AVE CRUX SPES UNCIA, “Hail to thee, O Cross, the only hope!”

The many who died there had faith stronger than the hatred of those who killed them.

The cross which was in their day the symbol of their suffering is now the symbol of their victory.

The fallen faithful are part of the “great cloud of witnesses” that testifies: “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me” (Hebrews 13: 6).

For them the Colosseum was merely the foyer to heaven.

“Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12: 28). They served God as martyrs to demonstrate God’s sufficiency in the worst of circumstances. Historians record many gladiators were won to faith in Christ by the
radiance on the faces of the Christians.

In Christ we are more than conquerors.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

The expression “more than conquerors” translates the word “hyper-nikemos.” “Hyper” means “super.” The word “nike” means “victor.” In Christ we are more than winners.

We are eternal victors.

Belief in a Creator God

God created by His “rhema,” meaning “word,” His divine utterance. What did He create? Worlds, “aion,” plural, indicating the physical universe and the order which controls it, and its administration. The word also conveys the concept of ages. It includes time/space/matter/purpose.

There is no science that can disprove Hebrews 11: 3, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”  (Hebrews 11:3).

The things seen, everything there is, are composed of things which we cannot see, atoms. This statement was made long before scientists knew there were atoms.

Those who believe in evolution do so by faith. For a thing to be a science it must pass two tests: it must be observable and demonstrable. Evolution is neither. Therefore, it is not a science and those who believe it believe it by faith.

Likewise those who believe in creation believe it by faith and the fact Christ said, “from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.”

We live by faith.  We drink water from a faucet, eat in a deli, place our pay in a bank, fly in a plane, drive in the rain, undergo surgery, and take medicine by faith.

Evidence means proof.  Our faith is in the unseen but not the unknown.  A photon illustrates this. Scientists believe in photons. Yet, they have never seen one. They only exist when traveling at the speed of light, 185,000 miles per second. At that speed they have never been photographed. Though unseen scientists still believe in photons.

There is no science that can disprove, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible”  (Hebrews 11:3).

“Belief” and “trust,” two words used frequently in Scripture to identify how we should respond to the Lord.

The Hebrew word for believe is “amen.” It means “to use God as a foundation; to lean on Him.”

Another word translated “trust” is BATAK. It was originally a wrestling term meaning to “body-slam” or in modern parlance “suplex.” Applied to our faith-life, it means to pick up your problems and body-slam them before the Lord.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”  (Col. 2:8)