Author Archives: Delight in Truth

Jun 28 2013

Humanity Knows Truth

Just because unregenerate humanity suppresses the truth, that does not mean that they do not know the truth, at least on some level.

Apostle Paul makes reference to pagan Greek poets who make truthful statements in their writings, and their words will forever be found in God’s word.  Paul makes it clear that people who do not know God have a basic understanding about Him.

God has placed the longing for eternity in our hearts, and He has revealed Himself to every person in a general way. Everyone sees His majesty in creation, and everyone knows that there is something wrong with humanity and creation in general.

Take for example the following lyrics from the anger-driven rock band Linkin Park (I advise youth to not listen to this genre of music):

“I don’t know what’s worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream.
I don’t know why I instigate
And say what I don’t mean.
I don’t know how I got this way
I know it’s not alright.
I’m breaking the habit tonight”

In medicine we deal with symptoms which lead to a diagnosis and then a solution.

These lyrics provide the symptoms of a serious problem, but they do not provide the diagnosis nor the solution for this problem. These are the symptoms of the corruption sustained by humanity as a result of original sin. Everyone knows that humanity “it’s not alright,” but not everyone is willing to accept the reason why we do evil acts and the reason for the existence of death.

Paul tells us the diagnosis in Romans 5:12

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…”

And he tells us the solution in Romans 5:18-19

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Paul is of course talking about the sacrifice of Christ in place of sinners who believe in Him.

It is not enough to know that we are “not alright.”  That is the first step in acknowledging a fundamental truth, but it must be followed by two other steps: accepting the diagnosis of sin and embracing the solution.

The solution is none other than Jesus Christ.

In Him we receive righteousness by justification!

Jun 26 2013

DOMA Unconstitutional

image

It must be so.

If we are to believe the Bible, than this development is on course for the end times described in multiple places in the Bible.

Delight in Truth predicted here that the Defense of Marriage Act will be repealed making gay marriage an official institution in this country. It was inevitable given our moral slippage.

This will continue. LBGT rights will invade in the most unlikely of places: the church. The Body of Christ will be affected but not destroyed. It will continue to thrive spiritually but details such as loss of tax exempt status and hate speech legislation will become the mainstay of our lives going forward.

Preaching against the depravity listed in Romans 1 will become unlawful.

Denying a marriage ceremony to a same sex couple may become punishable by a revocation of license, a fine or worse… Jail time.

Repealing DOMA is just a step in a process that is leading to a final and glorious event: the second coming of our Lord.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

Jun 25 2013

The Curious Case of the 6-Year-Old Transgender Student

From the Christian Post:

“The Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled on Sunday that Coy Mathis, a transgender 6-year-old who identifies as a female, has the legal right to use the girls’ bathroom at his elementary school in Fountain, Colo.

The decision marks the first ruling in the nation holding that transgender students must be allowed to use bathrooms that match the gender with which they identify…

Mathis, who was born a male, began to express himself as a female at 18 months and was recognized as a girl at age 4 by his family.”

Delight in Truth is shocked NOT at the legal development but at the decision made by this family to alter this boy’s natural gender identity starting at age 18 months.  What child (in this case infant and toddler)  is capable of identifying themselves as the opposite gender without pressure from the outside?  What two or three-year-old boy is going to say “I am a girl” if the parents did not imprint that untruth into their little brain?!

I would like to present a theory with respect to this development, one that has been mentioned before but progressivists will suppress it at all cost.

There is a psychiatric disorder in the DSM V called Münchausen-by-proxy and it describes a behavior pattern in which a caregiver deliberately fabricates, and/or induces physical, psychological, behavioral, and/or mental health problems in those who are in their care.

Examples of this include benign stuff like adding blood to the child’s urine sample to deadly actions like administering insulin to toddlers to induce seizures in order to impress the medical establishment into undergoing massive medical work-ups.  Every case with this kind of diagnosis is unique and shocking because the parent or caregiver deliberately hurts a small child in their grandiose delusional frame of mind.

It may be that the Mathis family is guilty of Münchausen-by-proxy.  In this case the damage is not physical (yet), but psychological. They could have fed the boy the idea that he is a girl starting at the age of 18 months, in order to get to the national stage where they can receive the accolades of the LGBT community and our depravity-oriented society.

How sad is this if true?

The Bible tells us that in the last days moral behavior will get from bad to worse, just like in the days of Isaiah when he said “they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.” Isaiah 3:9

Peter warns us “that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” pushing an agenda in open rebellion towards God, and suppressing obvious truth.

Like the truth that an 18 month old boy is a boy.

The church needs to know these developments because they signal that the end time is near as told repeatedly in the Bible.

image: michaellbrown.com

Jun 24 2013

Do Not Put the LORD to the Test

In Matthew 4:7 Jesus says “You shall not put your God to the test.”

It is a grave sin to tempt God.

It is a grave sin to tempt God by putting Him on the spot and twisting His arm to do something in order to make one’s theology work.

A fanatical faith-healing family ended up committing such a sin leading to the death of their children.

Catherine Schaible and her husband Herbert will be charged with murder as their infant died of pneumonia as a direct result of their stubborn refusal of medical intervention.  Three years ago the same episode happened when this family refused medical help on another child who also died of pneumonia.

The family’s pastor advised them to call for help, but testified that the husband “said if he called anyone, it would be a denial of his faith that God could heal the child.”

We are dealing here with a situation that is very similar to what happened in Exodus 17 when Israel ran out of water in the wilderness.  After all that God has done for them, after numerous miracles and wonders they quarreled with Moses and tempted God.  They tested the LORD by asking “Is the LORD among us or not?” Ex 17:7

In Deut 9:22 the Bible tells us that this testing was actually a provocation: “you provoked the LORD to wrath.”

They put God on the spot with the attitude of You-better-help-us-or-else.  This led to a stern commandment from God in Deut 6:16 which was cited by Jesus as the devil was tempting Him “Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.”

By refusing antibiotic treatment for their children (on two deadly occasions) this family tempted God.  They were essentially saying we have these modern medications which will heal our children, but we refuse them… we are faith healers and we are making you LORD responsible to do this…

God will not be intimidated by Satan, much less a human.

He is sovereign over all, and His ways are not our ways.  His ways are perfect, and He will not allow Himself to be tested by fanatics who want to prove their theology right.

When we find ourselves in difficult situations, in dilemmas, or in poor health we must lift up humble prayers and allow God to sovereigntly intervene.

And never tempt Him.

Jun 22 2013

The Conservation of Patristic and Medieval Theology

Some people think the church died with John and began again recently with their favorite movement or their favorite denomination…

We are not by far the brightest; we have so much to learn from the great theologians of the past.

Just because we have the greatest exegetical software tools and books, and because we have the “grammatical-historical” method, that does not mean that we can dispense what others have said about the text over more than 2,000 years.

We are so unconsciously unaware how indebted we are to those who outlined the doctrines for us.

If someone claims that he or she got their doctrines just from the Bible, well my hat off to them. I cannot say that.

If we would have to come up with the doctrines we have nowadays, it would take us hundreds or even thousands of years … and none of us have that much time.

For example “The Doctrine of Trinity…” If someone would cast you away on deserted island with just your Bible, it would take you about 400 years to come up with the doctrine of the Trinity- that with the assumption that you possess the compounded theological minds of Athanasius, the Cappadocian fathers, and Augustine. Well, the truth is that we would never come up with the doctrine of Trinity on our own.

The same goes with Christology. Do you know anyone around us that would come up with the language of one person with two natures? That doctrine took another 400 years.

What about the doctrine of substitutionary atonement? It is so easy to preach it, but how long did it take the church to come up with this doctrine which most of conservative Protestants accept today? It took approximately 1,600 years.

Why do we need to study the history of doctrines? To keep us from re-inventing the “wheel,” to keep us from lapsing into heresy, to learn and appreciate good theology, to understand our roots…

Many claim to be conservative. I am wondering if they really understand the meaning. It would be good to understand, to know what is that we are conserving

authored by Cornel P,  M. Div. Biola University
Jun 20 2013

Odd ESV Commentary on Psalm 45

C. John Collins

Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm with trinitarian implications which presents Jesus as the anointed One:

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Before we examine the ESV commentary on this passage which was written by Old Testament scholar C. John Collins and passed the well respected editorial board of the ESV Study Bible (Grudem, Packer, etc), lets look at some INSPIRED commentary on Psalm 45.  This particular commentary was written by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Here is what the Holy Spirit has to say about the Supremacy of the Son using the quote from Psalm 45:

8But of the Son he [God] says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

It is abundantly clear from this Hebrews commentary on Psalm 45:6-7 that it is the intention of the Holy Spirit to clarify that “Your throne, O God” is “Your throne, O God the Son” and that “God, your God” refers to the trinitarian persons of the Son and the Father, respectively.

Having confirmed that the Holy Spirit makes this clear (Heb 1:8), let us examine the ESV comment below:

Your throne, O God. Many have supposed that these words must address the Davidic king, either as foretelling Christ or as a type that Christ would eventually fulfill. Although the OT does foretell a divine Messiah (e. g., Isa. 9:6), this kind of interpretation does not easily fit this context. It seems better to think that the song speaks to God about his throne (“your throne, O God”), namely, the one that the heir of David occupies, and then goes on to describe the divine ideals for a king’s reign (scepter of uprightness). Hebrews 1:8–9 cites these verses in Greek from the Septuagint as part of the author’s argument that the “Son” is superior to the angels. Hebrews 1 applies the term “Son” to Jesus, probably in his role as the heir of David. Thus Heb. 1:5 puts Ps. 2:7 with 2 Sam. 7:14, where “Son of God” is a title for the Davidic king (see note on Ps. 2:7). This also accounts for the use of the messianic 110:1 in Heb. 1:3, 13.

It would appear that in the first part of the comment, Collins is at odds with the straight-forward interpretation given by Hebrews 1:8: “But of the Son he says…”  It is the Son whose throne is forever and ever.  It is the Son who is anointed by God.  Collins states that it does not “easily fit this context.”

In the second part of the comment, Collins does not aim at the heart of the matter which is the divinity of Christ in this context.  He settles on the superiority to angels argument when the Psalm clearly says “God, your God.”

I use the ESV Study Bible and recommend it to the youth in my church, but I was disappointed by the intellectual play I found in this commentary.  The whole purpose of Hebrews 1 is to lay down the  SUPREMACY and DIVINITY of the Son as foundation for the rest of the book.

So much simpler and easier to just say just like the writer of Hebrews “But of the Son he  says…  “…God, your God, has anointed you…””

image credit

Jun 18 2013

Spiritual Aspects of Drug Abuse (1)

There is a plethora of Scripture to show the spiritual implications alcoholism and drug use.

It is important to realize that getting high on a substance creates an opportunity to connect into a dark spiritual world, which can then lead to addiction and physical and spiritual slavery to that substance.

I encountered elements of the spiritual aspect of drug use for the first time when I was in medical school on my psychiatry rotation. I learned about a patient who heard a clear, distinct and oppressive voice while driving. This voice commanded him to floor the accelerator and not release it. The patient helplessly complied and eventually survived the inevitable crash.

Where did this auditory hallucination in the form of a voice come from?

It was the direct result of a cocaine binge.

Cocaine, along with amphetamines, belongs to a class of drugs called stimulants. These produce an unnatural flood of dopamine and other excitatory neurotransmitters in critical areas of the brain. The victim’s thoughts become highly erratic and disorganized, their speech is pressured, they become manic, and they undergo auditory and visual hallucinations which I postulate to be demonic in nature.

Following the manic high from the stimulant, a “crash” ensues which can last days.  Disturbance in sleep and appetite, nightmares, psychotic episodes, suicidal ideation and other similar things follow.

Why is it that the victims of drugs and alcohol withdrawal only experience frightening hallucinations?  Why not see and hear something beautiful, uplifting?  The answer lies in the dark spiritual bondage where these people find themselves.

The process of getting high opens a gateway to demonic oppression.

That is why apostle Peter is so adamant about Christians maintaining sobriety:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Peter understands that Satan has spiritual access to non-sober individuals.  Furthermore, apostle Paul writes down a searing message to those who practice “pharmakeia” (Gal 5:20) that is sorcery and witchcraft using substances to get high:

“I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal 5:21

Salvation is at stake here!  People who get high on drugs will not inherit the kingdom of God!

There is a clear divide between the physical world and the spiritual world.  But our sinful actions in this physical world can open doors into the spiritual world which can allow demonic oppression to enter the soul and take hold.  Addiction to drugs, alcohol and pornography are examples of the physical and dark spiritual amalgam.

to be continued…

Jun 15 2013

Father, Where Are You?

It is Father’s day.

But unfortunately many homes resonate with the questions “where is daddy?” or “who is my daddy?”

As the feminist movement progresses, and as women have become liberated and independent over the years, more and more children are born out-of-wedlock.  The CDC released a report last year with shocking data showing that 40.7% of children in the US are born outside of marriage, and many of these children do not have a father figure in the home to shape a complete family that nurtures them to adulthood.

A boy needs a father  in his life to identify with and show him the world through a God-given priesthood installed in the family by God Himself.

A girl needs her father to give her confidence and a critical approach to future relationships. This is in addition to showing her Christ as the center of the family.

Many families (some Christian) do not have a father to provide this critical role, and this has become a national tragedy.  The National Fatherhood Initiative has compiled many studies (here) to show how devastating the absence of the father has become.  These are some of the conclusions:

  • Children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor.
  • Children born to single mothers show higher levels of aggressive behavior than children born to married mothers.
  • Infant mortality rates are 1.8 times higher for infants of unmarried mothers than for married mothers.
  • Even after controlling for income, youths in father-absent households still had significantly higher odds of incarceration than those in mother-father families. Youths who never had a father in the household experienced the highest odds.
  • Being raised by a single mother raises the risk of teen pregnancy, marrying with less than a high school degree, and forming a marriage where both partners have less than a high school degree.
  • The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth found that obese children are more likely to live in father-absent homes than are non-obese children.
  • Father involvement in schools is associated with the higher likelihood of a student getting mostly A’s.

And the list of such studies goes on and on.  America will suffer greatly in the coming generation(s) because fathers are no longer in the home.  Our children will not be complete socially without fathers, and they will also be a at severe spiritual disadvantage because the husband and father is the spiritual leader of the household.  Whatever the reason is for his absence, it will most likely leave the family unit in disarray.

So true sound the words of the wise man who says in Proverbs 20:7 “The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!” We must turn back to the God-ordained family unit of one father and one mother who raise their children in the fear of the LORD.

I wish all fathers who visit Delight in Truth a blessed Father’s Day!

image credit: istock/Andrew Penner
Jun 14 2013

Culture of Death: Pediatric Euthanasia

As Belgium is about to pass child euthanasia into law, Delight in Truth will offer a quick review of such practice in light of medical standards and Scripture.

Pediatric euthanasia is the practice of medically assisting in the suicide of a usually terminally ill or hopeless child.  In cases where the child is an infant or a toddler, the euthanasia is no longer an assisted suicide, but a “mercy” killing by a medical professional or the parents.

Pediatric euthanasia is legal only in the Netherlands under the following requirements:

  1. The presence of hopeless and unbearable suffering
  2. The consent of the parents to termination of life
  3. Medical consultation having taken place
  4. Careful execution of the termination

We must specify that euthanasia is NOT what we think about when we consider letting a loved one pass away as they succumb to disease.  I do not endorse aggressive medical interventions in someone who is at the end of the road.    Euthanasia instead is a volitional act of terminating someone’s life prematurely, in this case a child who may not even give their CONSENT to be euthanized.

That is outside of standard medical practice, common sense, and Christian faith.

We have come a long way in alleviating suffering using medications, nerve blocks, nerve and ganglion ablations, epidural and intrathecal medications and many other techniques.  Depression and psychologic hopelessness can also be treated using a variety of interventions.

But to terminate children based on the reasons above!?

That is abominable.

In his sermon in Acts 3, Peter makes a pro-life statement in accusing the Jews of killing Jesus: “you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.”  The Bible clearly states that God is the the Author of Life, the same author who raised Jesus from the dead.  He alone has power and rights over anyone’s life.

Euthanasia is a satanic act because it accomplishes the purpose of Satan which is stated by Jesus in John 8:44 “[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth”

On the other hand, Jesus came to give live, He came to regenerate, He came to bring hope and He came to save.

The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of Life” who along with the “Author of Life” and “the Way, the Truth and the Life” form a Holy Trinity of Life.

To allow a child to expire is natural, but to euthanize a child is an act of rebellion against the Author of Life.

 

Jun 11 2013

Shocking Statement Made by Jesus Applies Today

Social etiquette tells us that it is not very nice to call someone or something satanic.  The term “satanic” describes someone or something who belongs to Satan, or shares in his characteristics.

But our Lord Jesus was not shy in making this shocking statement and calling certain people satanic.  In His conversation with the Pharisees and scribes of His day, Jesus said to them:

John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!”

Jesus had to be harsh with these hyper-religious people of His day because they were representing Satan’s interests and opposing Jesus’s work of Redemption.  In fact, it was the truth which caused them to not believe!

This is a counterintuitive proposition, but on further analysis it proves the point that Jesus was making.  His opponents did not believe Jesus because He told them the truth, which consequently points to the fact that they belonged to the father of lies.

The same phenomenon is happening today with respect to the truth.

While the Holy Spirit is carrying out His work of Redemption, Satan is also carrying out his work of blinding people with respect to truth.

Not only do we have atheism, agnosticism, and other theisms opposing the Holy Spirit, we now have so-called Christian churches which no longer believe the Bible.  The Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America (4 million members) have just ordained their first openly gay bishop overseer covering a large segment of their church.  The Presbyterian Church USA (1.9 million members) has been accepting openly gay pastors for at least a couple of years.  These are acts of rebellion toward God.

It is a difficult statement to make, but certain members of the apostatic church today are exhibiting satanic behavior, that is they are representing Satan’s interests just like the religious leaders of Jesus’s time.

Delight in Truth is pointing out these developments because the authentic Church, the true Body of Christ across the world needs to realize the rapid decline in faith within the Christian establishment.  Jesus said that these events must occur, and He even wondered if there will be faith on Earth when He returns.

Because of this, the Church must be on guard and remain grounded in biblical truth.