2Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold; all things have become new.”
To fully appreciate who we Christians are, we need to grasp the true meaning and thoroughness of the change God produces in one who has become a believer in Christ. The Scripture passage, 2 Corinthians 5:17, plainly describes this change as a transformation from an old to a new creation.
The Scripture passage first identifies what is the fundamental root-cause of this change. It is being “in Christ.” One must be in Christ to experience this change.
The Scripture passage is plainly making a distinction between people who are in Christ and people who are not in Christ. It is good to note the distinction is not between people who belong to a religious organization or church group and people who do not belong to a religious organization or church group. The distinction is clearly between being in Christ and not being in Christ.
What does it mean to be in Christ? According to the Scriptures, to be in Christ is to be taken into Christ to become a vital part of Christ.
Jesus used the parable of the vine and its branches in John 15 to illustrate this integral connection between Him and those who abide in Him. In the parable, the branches of the vine are so united with the vine as to derive their existence and all their nourishment from the vine. The branches are sustained by the vine and share the life and substance of the vine.
Jesus explains in the parable in John 15:4-6: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
According to Jesus, as the branches of the vine have no existence and cannot function if separated from or outside the vine, so no genuine Christian can exist or function as a true Christian outside or independent of Him. To be in Christ means therefore to be in union with Christ and to be in absolute dependence upon Christ. Any one who is in Christ is sustained by Christ with the life and strength of Christ and shares in the character and Spirit of Christ.
Therefore, being in Christ is a necessary condition or fundamental basis for being a new creation Christian. "If any man is in Christ" denotes all who are in Christ. Hence, all who are in Christ are transformed into new creation Christians. It implies that this profound spiritual change of a human being is universally possible.
Any one from any culture, nation, tribe, people, and religion can undergo that Christian transformation. But the necessary condition is that they must be in Christ.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
It Came To Pass
An interesting phrase that occurs in 179 verses in the Bible is "it came to pass." A dramatic instance in which the phrase occurs is in Genesis 8:13: "And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry." This marked the end of a disastrous flood which had covered the earth for more than a year tragically bringing an end to all living creatures including mankind, except Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives, and selected pairs of living creatures, who were saved in an ark that floated on the flood waters. The flood was unleashed by God to put an end to a culture of evil and sin which increasingly pervaded humanity for centuries on the earth.
And so, at last, this monumental disaster came to pass and with it an era of gross ungodliness among mankind upon the earth. A new era of opportunity for godly change stood before Noah and his family as they disembarked from the ark which had borne them over that fateful flood of mass destruction.
In the world we live in, things come and go. And so, very few things remain permanent. Experiences and events come to pass. History is an account of events which came to pass.
For instance, in the US election in November last year, a presidential campaign for change resulted in the first black US president, Barack Obama, coming into office in the new year, 2009. That world acclaimed political event demonstrated the possibility of socially fundamental change. A long social history of institutionalized black discrimination in the USA came to pass, at least in our awareness of political possibilities.
The thought that things change - they come to pass - gives excitement and hope. It's like sometimes the proverbial light at the end of a tunnel. It's a comforting hope for those who are in the midst of the gloom of sorrow, the pain of affliction, the torment of injustice, or the calamity of misfortune. It comes to pass. It is interesting that the moment at which things come to pass is also the moment at which things come to begin.
David wrote: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). For those of us who toil burning the late night lamp as students, grinding our nails to give the best in our jobs and careers, faithfully nurturing and tutoring our children, serving humanity and God in selfless vocations and missions, and in myriad of other wearisome callings in this life, David also writes in Psalms 126:5-6: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Yes, indeed, times of tearful sowing give way to times of joyful reaping.
Another year has passed away. A new year is here. The events and experiences of last year are behind us. They came to pass. It's a relief. Let us embrace this timely opportunity of change and newness. However painful, shameful, and stressful it was last year, the New Year rings in with the declaration on the old year - it came to pass.
And so, with the dawning of the New Year, let us let the past pass away and let us press forward into the present New Year. Too often our experience or enjoyment of the new is impaired by our still preoccupation with the old. We must let go of the old and move on into the new.
According to Paul in Philippians 3:13-14: "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
May the blessing and grace of God abound in you throughout the New Year!
And so, at last, this monumental disaster came to pass and with it an era of gross ungodliness among mankind upon the earth. A new era of opportunity for godly change stood before Noah and his family as they disembarked from the ark which had borne them over that fateful flood of mass destruction.
In the world we live in, things come and go. And so, very few things remain permanent. Experiences and events come to pass. History is an account of events which came to pass.
For instance, in the US election in November last year, a presidential campaign for change resulted in the first black US president, Barack Obama, coming into office in the new year, 2009. That world acclaimed political event demonstrated the possibility of socially fundamental change. A long social history of institutionalized black discrimination in the USA came to pass, at least in our awareness of political possibilities.
The thought that things change - they come to pass - gives excitement and hope. It's like sometimes the proverbial light at the end of a tunnel. It's a comforting hope for those who are in the midst of the gloom of sorrow, the pain of affliction, the torment of injustice, or the calamity of misfortune. It comes to pass. It is interesting that the moment at which things come to pass is also the moment at which things come to begin.
David wrote: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). For those of us who toil burning the late night lamp as students, grinding our nails to give the best in our jobs and careers, faithfully nurturing and tutoring our children, serving humanity and God in selfless vocations and missions, and in myriad of other wearisome callings in this life, David also writes in Psalms 126:5-6: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Yes, indeed, times of tearful sowing give way to times of joyful reaping.
Another year has passed away. A new year is here. The events and experiences of last year are behind us. They came to pass. It's a relief. Let us embrace this timely opportunity of change and newness. However painful, shameful, and stressful it was last year, the New Year rings in with the declaration on the old year - it came to pass.
And so, with the dawning of the New Year, let us let the past pass away and let us press forward into the present New Year. Too often our experience or enjoyment of the new is impaired by our still preoccupation with the old. We must let go of the old and move on into the new.
According to Paul in Philippians 3:13-14: "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
May the blessing and grace of God abound in you throughout the New Year!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Our Excellence Is Of God
The awesome challenge that confronts us is how can we please God - to please one being to satisfy one's expectation standard.
God's standard is without dispute excellence in all dimensions. And to us on the other hand belong infirmities, weaknesses, and failures. But the Holy Spirit has constantly helped me to realize that in the face of this challenge and in the light of our frail humanity, we need not despair. Hallelujah! God who wants us to please Him - yes, to meet His standard of excellence - did not leave us in despair and frustration.
One of the Scripture passages that have brought great hope, faith, and comfort to me in this is Philippians 2:13: "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Another is Hebrews 13:20-21: "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
These Scripture passages tell us if only we can allow God to work in us, if only we can depend absolutely upon God, then God Himself will produce in us and through us what meets His good pleasure in His standard of excellence. This is amazing but it is true.
The philosophy of living and achieving of the world is one of self-reliance. It is ego-centric - self esteem, self actualization, self help, and so forth. It is good for the world which ignores and rejects the supernatural resources of God. And so, they turn to themselves. Unfortunately, much of that philosophy is laced into our presentation of the Gospel and into our Christian life-style. This makes it hard for many Christians to truly and actually live by faith, which is living in absolute dependence on God.
Many professing Christians do not seem to appeciate that Christianity is a "non-me" life. Christianity is the life of Christ being lived in "me" (Galatians 2:20). This is contrary to the ego-centric philosophy of living. And so the extent to which the worldly philosophy of living directs our life-style we find that the "Christian" life we live is filled with apologies for our failures in terms of our human weaknesses or sometimes boastings for our successes in terms of our self efforts and cleverness, or even adulations of human heroes and despising of failed humans.
Paul overcame this worldly philosophy when he sought God with agonising apologies for his own human infirmities and asking God to take away these infirmities or the challenges he confronted. Instead God brought the human-centred Paul to the startling realization that it is not his human infirmities being taken way that will cause him to produce God's excellence but by Christ living in Him. Here is Paul's inspiring testimony in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
To know and do the good, acceptable and perfect will of God we will have to stop conforming to this world, especially in our mindset or philosophy of living, and let the Spirit renew our minds. Too many professing Christians accept and promote a humanist life-style of mediocrity and constant failing because their minds are hooked to the world's self-centred philosophy of achievement - I and Me and being just human. Salvation was designed by God as the answer to the cries and frustration of human failures and the solution to the sin or coming short characteristic of humanity. It was designed and presented by God in Christ to work effectively and it does if we will accept the mindset that God wants us to have of we being humbly and absolutely dependent upon the Christ who lives in us as Christians.
I love Paul's admonition along this line in Colossians 2:8-10: "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. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
God wants us to please Him without Him compromising His standard of excellence. And He has given us the principle and power to do so. The divine working principle is faith in God practised as absolute dependence upon God. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
If we will live and function according to God's principle of absolute dependence on the Christ who lives in us, then we cannot but genuinely meet God's standard of excellence and give God the glory in everything we do. Our Christian life will not be characterized by dismal self-efforts but the triumph life of Christ who lives in us. May God help us all to actually please Him in the standard of His excellence and glorify Him as the norm of our Christian walk inspite of our human infirmities.
God's standard is without dispute excellence in all dimensions. And to us on the other hand belong infirmities, weaknesses, and failures. But the Holy Spirit has constantly helped me to realize that in the face of this challenge and in the light of our frail humanity, we need not despair. Hallelujah! God who wants us to please Him - yes, to meet His standard of excellence - did not leave us in despair and frustration.
One of the Scripture passages that have brought great hope, faith, and comfort to me in this is Philippians 2:13: "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Another is Hebrews 13:20-21: "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
These Scripture passages tell us if only we can allow God to work in us, if only we can depend absolutely upon God, then God Himself will produce in us and through us what meets His good pleasure in His standard of excellence. This is amazing but it is true.
The philosophy of living and achieving of the world is one of self-reliance. It is ego-centric - self esteem, self actualization, self help, and so forth. It is good for the world which ignores and rejects the supernatural resources of God. And so, they turn to themselves. Unfortunately, much of that philosophy is laced into our presentation of the Gospel and into our Christian life-style. This makes it hard for many Christians to truly and actually live by faith, which is living in absolute dependence on God.
Many professing Christians do not seem to appeciate that Christianity is a "non-me" life. Christianity is the life of Christ being lived in "me" (Galatians 2:20). This is contrary to the ego-centric philosophy of living. And so the extent to which the worldly philosophy of living directs our life-style we find that the "Christian" life we live is filled with apologies for our failures in terms of our human weaknesses or sometimes boastings for our successes in terms of our self efforts and cleverness, or even adulations of human heroes and despising of failed humans.
Paul overcame this worldly philosophy when he sought God with agonising apologies for his own human infirmities and asking God to take away these infirmities or the challenges he confronted. Instead God brought the human-centred Paul to the startling realization that it is not his human infirmities being taken way that will cause him to produce God's excellence but by Christ living in Him. Here is Paul's inspiring testimony in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
To know and do the good, acceptable and perfect will of God we will have to stop conforming to this world, especially in our mindset or philosophy of living, and let the Spirit renew our minds. Too many professing Christians accept and promote a humanist life-style of mediocrity and constant failing because their minds are hooked to the world's self-centred philosophy of achievement - I and Me and being just human. Salvation was designed by God as the answer to the cries and frustration of human failures and the solution to the sin or coming short characteristic of humanity. It was designed and presented by God in Christ to work effectively and it does if we will accept the mindset that God wants us to have of we being humbly and absolutely dependent upon the Christ who lives in us as Christians.
I love Paul's admonition along this line in Colossians 2:8-10: "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. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
God wants us to please Him without Him compromising His standard of excellence. And He has given us the principle and power to do so. The divine working principle is faith in God practised as absolute dependence upon God. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
If we will live and function according to God's principle of absolute dependence on the Christ who lives in us, then we cannot but genuinely meet God's standard of excellence and give God the glory in everything we do. Our Christian life will not be characterized by dismal self-efforts but the triumph life of Christ who lives in us. May God help us all to actually please Him in the standard of His excellence and glorify Him as the norm of our Christian walk inspite of our human infirmities.
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Lord Gives and Takes Away
Stories of material success are often presented as the outcome of human cleverness, skill, and enterprise. At the same time, the less materially successful often are blamed or blame themselves for their lack of these human qualities and talents which are believed to produce material success. Arising out of these perspectives are usually boasting on one hand and scorn on the other hand. Without ignoring the importance of the virtues of human cleverness, skill, and enterprise in life here on earth, we must admit that the life's stories of men and women indicate material success is not consistently related to these admirable human qualities. There are many occasions when this sort of human philosophy does not explain earthly success and failure.
The dramatic account of Job's historic experience recorded in the Bible should convince us we should lay no personal claim on the material things of this life. Job was an icon of material success in his era. According to the Bible his material possessions were vast. The account boasts, "his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East" (Job 1:3). In addition, Job's character and reputation were impeccable. The Bible describes him as a man who "was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1).
Yet with immense wealth for possession and an underlying human character capable of rightly holding on to his vast wealth, Job lost everything in one day. Disaster and misfortune suddenly struck and plunged Job immediately into dire poverty.
This was an unusual catastrophe that had happened to a hardworking godly man. Like it would be today, many in Job's day would have produced their explanations for Job's sudden misfortune. And certainly not missing in the case of this obviously unexplainable disaster would be the spiritualistic speculation that some 'powerful' curse cast by an envious neighbour had struck this good man.
But we thank God the Bible did not leave us to speculate the true cause behind Job's sudden calamity. According to the Bible's account, the devil in an attempt to destroy Job had found that God had placed around Job a hedge which effectively prevented the devil or anyone else from destroying Job and his possessions. The devil approached God and accused Job of maintaining a godly life only because of the vast wealth God had given Job. He proposed that if God would take away the hedge He had placed around Job to allow him to destroy Job's possessions, Job would blaspheme against God. And so, God, being confident of Job's unconditional integrity and faithfulness, took up the challenge. He shifted the hedge around Job to allow the devil limited access to Job. The devil quickly took the opportunity and in one day unleashed extensive havoc on Job's property resulting in total destruction of all Job's possession and the death of his seven sons and three daughters.
What is of significant interest to us in this dramatic account is Job's keen spiritual insight in the midst of his adversity of the actual source of the wealth he had amassed and the calamity that had befallen him. The Bible tells us Job worshipping God declared: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).
This mindset displayed by Job in the midst of such personal disaster confounds all human philosophy of prosperity and calamity. Where can we fit there the principle of positive thoughts and actions for achieving material prosperity or preventing adversity? To Job, his prosperity was not the achievement of man nor was his present calamity the curse of enemies. His deep spiritual insight into what was happening to him excluded wicked men and demons. He saw only God.
Job saw God in his prosperity and God in his calamity. Yet God remained to him one who is consistently good in all He does. "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" (Job 1:22).
This is the amazing essence of the Christian faith in relation to earthly prosperity and calamity. God gives and God takes away and in either way He remains blessed forever in the hearts of those who trust Him. The Christian's lot is maintained by God and is not left to the manipulations of men or devils. David affirms in Psalms 125:3: "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity."
"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; Blessed be the name of the Lord!"
The dramatic account of Job's historic experience recorded in the Bible should convince us we should lay no personal claim on the material things of this life. Job was an icon of material success in his era. According to the Bible his material possessions were vast. The account boasts, "his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East" (Job 1:3). In addition, Job's character and reputation were impeccable. The Bible describes him as a man who "was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1).
Yet with immense wealth for possession and an underlying human character capable of rightly holding on to his vast wealth, Job lost everything in one day. Disaster and misfortune suddenly struck and plunged Job immediately into dire poverty.
This was an unusual catastrophe that had happened to a hardworking godly man. Like it would be today, many in Job's day would have produced their explanations for Job's sudden misfortune. And certainly not missing in the case of this obviously unexplainable disaster would be the spiritualistic speculation that some 'powerful' curse cast by an envious neighbour had struck this good man.
But we thank God the Bible did not leave us to speculate the true cause behind Job's sudden calamity. According to the Bible's account, the devil in an attempt to destroy Job had found that God had placed around Job a hedge which effectively prevented the devil or anyone else from destroying Job and his possessions. The devil approached God and accused Job of maintaining a godly life only because of the vast wealth God had given Job. He proposed that if God would take away the hedge He had placed around Job to allow him to destroy Job's possessions, Job would blaspheme against God. And so, God, being confident of Job's unconditional integrity and faithfulness, took up the challenge. He shifted the hedge around Job to allow the devil limited access to Job. The devil quickly took the opportunity and in one day unleashed extensive havoc on Job's property resulting in total destruction of all Job's possession and the death of his seven sons and three daughters.
What is of significant interest to us in this dramatic account is Job's keen spiritual insight in the midst of his adversity of the actual source of the wealth he had amassed and the calamity that had befallen him. The Bible tells us Job worshipping God declared: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).
This mindset displayed by Job in the midst of such personal disaster confounds all human philosophy of prosperity and calamity. Where can we fit there the principle of positive thoughts and actions for achieving material prosperity or preventing adversity? To Job, his prosperity was not the achievement of man nor was his present calamity the curse of enemies. His deep spiritual insight into what was happening to him excluded wicked men and demons. He saw only God.
Job saw God in his prosperity and God in his calamity. Yet God remained to him one who is consistently good in all He does. "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" (Job 1:22).
This is the amazing essence of the Christian faith in relation to earthly prosperity and calamity. God gives and God takes away and in either way He remains blessed forever in the hearts of those who trust Him. The Christian's lot is maintained by God and is not left to the manipulations of men or devils. David affirms in Psalms 125:3: "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity."
"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; Blessed be the name of the Lord!"
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Abominations of Nations
The occult may seem to be highly regarded throughout the nations of the world today. But in the Bible the Lord declares it to be among the abominations of nations.
The Lord made this pronouncement in Deuteronomy 18:9-14: "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you."
The Lord plainly forbade the Israelites to adopt any of the occult practices of the nations around them. These occult practices are called abominations by God. The occult practices which the Lord calls abominations have not changed in modern times since the time they were identified as abominations in the Bible. A look at the list of the occult practices identified in the Bible as abominations by God shows the practices are similar today.
Eight forms of the occult practices are listed in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. They are: (1) one who practices witchcraft (a witch or a warlock), (2) a soothsayer (a seer; a false prophet; a psychic), (3) one who interprets omens (a palm-reader; a fortune-teller; an astrologer), (4) a sorcerer (a witchdoctor), (5) one who conjures spells (a wizard), (6) a medium (spirit medium), (7) a spiritist (a seance leader), and (8) one who calls up the dead (a necromancer). Some of these practices in the list overlap. They are common practices today as they were in ancient cultures and remain abominations in the sight of God.
Apart from some aspects of the occult practices which are tricks, magic, and deceit, the occult consists of dark, sinister realities which are deeply involved in satanism and demons. Its popularity today, especially in once so-called Christian nations, is astounding. And it indicates the pervading influence of apostasy in modern Christian cultures.
Paul predicted in 1 Timothy 4:1, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
Widespread interest in witchcraft, astrology, psychics, and other forms of sorcery has made the occult a rich industry in modern times. Few people will go through a day without consulting their horoscope, or deal with the issues of life without inquiring from their psychics. Increasing numbers are attending seances, or are seeking to communicate with deceased loved ones. Satanist groups are competing today with Christian and other religious assemblies in membership and immense interest in demons is being generated among both Christians and non-Christians.
These practices, like they were in ancient times, are abominations to God. Instead of helping anyone, the occult practices weaken people and plunge those who adhere to them into sinister darkness and corruption. The Lord forbids His people to participate in them. The Bible declares them plainly to be the abominations of nations.
The Lord made this pronouncement in Deuteronomy 18:9-14: "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you."
The Lord plainly forbade the Israelites to adopt any of the occult practices of the nations around them. These occult practices are called abominations by God. The occult practices which the Lord calls abominations have not changed in modern times since the time they were identified as abominations in the Bible. A look at the list of the occult practices identified in the Bible as abominations by God shows the practices are similar today.
Eight forms of the occult practices are listed in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. They are: (1) one who practices witchcraft (a witch or a warlock), (2) a soothsayer (a seer; a false prophet; a psychic), (3) one who interprets omens (a palm-reader; a fortune-teller; an astrologer), (4) a sorcerer (a witchdoctor), (5) one who conjures spells (a wizard), (6) a medium (spirit medium), (7) a spiritist (a seance leader), and (8) one who calls up the dead (a necromancer). Some of these practices in the list overlap. They are common practices today as they were in ancient cultures and remain abominations in the sight of God.
Apart from some aspects of the occult practices which are tricks, magic, and deceit, the occult consists of dark, sinister realities which are deeply involved in satanism and demons. Its popularity today, especially in once so-called Christian nations, is astounding. And it indicates the pervading influence of apostasy in modern Christian cultures.
Paul predicted in 1 Timothy 4:1, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
Widespread interest in witchcraft, astrology, psychics, and other forms of sorcery has made the occult a rich industry in modern times. Few people will go through a day without consulting their horoscope, or deal with the issues of life without inquiring from their psychics. Increasing numbers are attending seances, or are seeking to communicate with deceased loved ones. Satanist groups are competing today with Christian and other religious assemblies in membership and immense interest in demons is being generated among both Christians and non-Christians.
These practices, like they were in ancient times, are abominations to God. Instead of helping anyone, the occult practices weaken people and plunge those who adhere to them into sinister darkness and corruption. The Lord forbids His people to participate in them. The Bible declares them plainly to be the abominations of nations.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Occult Weakens
Anyone who thinks the occult brings help is deceived. According to the Bible, the occult weakens those who practise it. God made that plain to the children of Israel.
The Lord warned the nation of Israel in in Deuteronomy 18:9-12: "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
God made it quite clear to the people of Israel that the ruin and downfall of the Canaanites were the result of their involvement in the occult. "For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
The Canaanites had appeared to be a formidable people to the Israelites. In fact, an entire generation of Israelites ended up perishing in the wilderness instead of going up against the Canaanites because of fear. As a preparation for advancing into Canaan, Moses had sent out spies to obtain intelligence about the condition of the land and the people. Most of the spies returned with a frightening report. "And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, 'the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight'" (Numbers 13:32-33). The report paralyzed the people of Israel with fear and they refused to go up against the Canaanites.
Now a generation after, the Israelites were about to embark on the conquest of Canaan and the general atmosphere in their midst was one of immense confidence and optimism. And already the Lord was instructing them about their conduct of life when they would occupy the land of Canaan. So victory was divinely assured.
However, it was important for the Israelites to know the basis on which they would over-run the Canaanites. It was not any superior military resources or strategies on their part. God was exposing to them the interestingly insidious destructive element which had already undermined the strength of the Canaanites. It had permeated the cultural sinews of the Canaanite society deceitfully weakening the people before the advancing Israelites. What had become the Canaanites' dominant traditions and culture, what the Canaanites had come to regard as instruments of mysterious power, were subtly a debilitating poison which had weakened them against their imminent conquerors. The occult was a dominant culture in Canaan but it had generated the Canaanites' eventual domination by a foreign nation.
And so, the Lord was solemnly admonishing the Israelites about the pervasive danger of such a culture and how important it was for them to keep extremely far from it, if they were to maintain their position of strength in the land they would conquer. "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.... For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
It is today a tragic reality that in our modern enlightened era this over 3, 000 year-old warning about the occult is as relevant as it was then. Many are today turning to the occult deceived, like the Canaanites were, that it is just culture and it provides power, protection, and fortune. But the fact is the occult remains a subtle infectious custom that will weaken and destroy any individual or people who get involved in its practices.
The Lord warned the nation of Israel in in Deuteronomy 18:9-12: "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
God made it quite clear to the people of Israel that the ruin and downfall of the Canaanites were the result of their involvement in the occult. "For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
The Canaanites had appeared to be a formidable people to the Israelites. In fact, an entire generation of Israelites ended up perishing in the wilderness instead of going up against the Canaanites because of fear. As a preparation for advancing into Canaan, Moses had sent out spies to obtain intelligence about the condition of the land and the people. Most of the spies returned with a frightening report. "And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, 'the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight'" (Numbers 13:32-33). The report paralyzed the people of Israel with fear and they refused to go up against the Canaanites.
Now a generation after, the Israelites were about to embark on the conquest of Canaan and the general atmosphere in their midst was one of immense confidence and optimism. And already the Lord was instructing them about their conduct of life when they would occupy the land of Canaan. So victory was divinely assured.
However, it was important for the Israelites to know the basis on which they would over-run the Canaanites. It was not any superior military resources or strategies on their part. God was exposing to them the interestingly insidious destructive element which had already undermined the strength of the Canaanites. It had permeated the cultural sinews of the Canaanite society deceitfully weakening the people before the advancing Israelites. What had become the Canaanites' dominant traditions and culture, what the Canaanites had come to regard as instruments of mysterious power, were subtly a debilitating poison which had weakened them against their imminent conquerors. The occult was a dominant culture in Canaan but it had generated the Canaanites' eventual domination by a foreign nation.
And so, the Lord was solemnly admonishing the Israelites about the pervasive danger of such a culture and how important it was for them to keep extremely far from it, if they were to maintain their position of strength in the land they would conquer. "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.... For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."
It is today a tragic reality that in our modern enlightened era this over 3, 000 year-old warning about the occult is as relevant as it was then. Many are today turning to the occult deceived, like the Canaanites were, that it is just culture and it provides power, protection, and fortune. But the fact is the occult remains a subtle infectious custom that will weaken and destroy any individual or people who get involved in its practices.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Voice of Truth
Jesus said this: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).
Whose voice are you hearing and believing in your present situation? There are many voices out there in this noisy world of diverse advices, opinions, and judgments. They call out to us everywhere we go, whatever we do or even don't do. They whisper, they request, they entice, they shout, they command.
They want to capture our attention. They want us to hear what they say we are; what they say we can or cannot be, and can or cannot do. They want us to hear what they say we must do and must not do, where we must go and must not go. Sometimes it is just incomprehensible noise, but there are times they catch our attention. And then we hear.
The danger is that not all voices that seek our attention tell us the truth. Many today are victims of hearing and believing voices of lies and deceits. Voices that have crippled them. Voices that have extinguished their ambition. Voices that have melted their true potential and discounted their esteem of who they really are. Voices that have dampened their joy and inflamed pain and sorrow. Voices that have disturbed their peace and kindled guilt, shame, and condemnation. Voices that have banished love and stirred up hatred and bitterness. These are evil voices which they should have never listened to. But these voices are out there and they are relentless. We all must beware.
Paul warns us, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).
But among the negative voices of evil and danger is the voice of truth. It is really the voice of God. The voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. It is good, positive, healing, comforting, and powerful. It makes us strong and bold.
This is the voice of truth. To hear it we must belong to God. We must be sheep of the Lord's fold. And when we hear it, we hear the truth of who we are, what we can be or do, and which way we must go. It dispels the cloud of depression and hopelessness. And it breaks the bondage of paralysis and sets us free with unlimited power and hope, giving us faith to believe we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
You will find the followiing words of Mark Hall in the song, Voice of Truth, very inspiring:
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand.
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story.
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory."
Out of all the voices calling to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
Whose voice are you hearing and believing in your present situation? There are many voices out there in this noisy world of diverse advices, opinions, and judgments. They call out to us everywhere we go, whatever we do or even don't do. They whisper, they request, they entice, they shout, they command.
They want to capture our attention. They want us to hear what they say we are; what they say we can or cannot be, and can or cannot do. They want us to hear what they say we must do and must not do, where we must go and must not go. Sometimes it is just incomprehensible noise, but there are times they catch our attention. And then we hear.
The danger is that not all voices that seek our attention tell us the truth. Many today are victims of hearing and believing voices of lies and deceits. Voices that have crippled them. Voices that have extinguished their ambition. Voices that have melted their true potential and discounted their esteem of who they really are. Voices that have dampened their joy and inflamed pain and sorrow. Voices that have disturbed their peace and kindled guilt, shame, and condemnation. Voices that have banished love and stirred up hatred and bitterness. These are evil voices which they should have never listened to. But these voices are out there and they are relentless. We all must beware.
Paul warns us, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).
But among the negative voices of evil and danger is the voice of truth. It is really the voice of God. The voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. It is good, positive, healing, comforting, and powerful. It makes us strong and bold.
This is the voice of truth. To hear it we must belong to God. We must be sheep of the Lord's fold. And when we hear it, we hear the truth of who we are, what we can be or do, and which way we must go. It dispels the cloud of depression and hopelessness. And it breaks the bondage of paralysis and sets us free with unlimited power and hope, giving us faith to believe we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
You will find the followiing words of Mark Hall in the song, Voice of Truth, very inspiring:
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand.
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story.
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory."
Out of all the voices calling to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
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