Aug 28 2013

Bold Move to Fight Pornography

The Word of God tells us to “flee sexual immorality” in all its forms.  The word used in 1 Corinthians 6:18 for sexual immorality is “porneia” which is the root word for pornography.

One could say “flee pornography” as well, given the meaning of the passage.

As pornography has become the king of the internet in the last couple of decades, an interesting development took place this summer in England.  The conservative prime minister David Cameron, a Christian in the Church of England, has announced that most households in the UK will have pornography blocked by their internet provider by default.  A special request to the IP will be needed to activate the ability to have porn on a home computer.

If a secular British government came to a conclusion that happens to be biblical with respect to the destructive power of pornography, how much more literal should we, as born again Christians, take the verb “flee” in 1 Corinthians 6:18?

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

There are many articles out there from reliable sources documenting the fact that pornography is destroying families and slowly destroying the lukewarm church.  Such a move is long overdue here in America, but I doubt we will see it as the progressives will cry “freedom of speech and press” as an excuse to indulge in sin.

We must flee this type of sin.  It is the only reliable method to fight it.

Delight in Truth highly recommends the K9 internet filter (free here) to protect all household members as much as possible from the dirt lying around the internet.  This is a fight, and we must use all weapons at our disposal (spiritual and virtual) to ensure victory.

image credit

Aug 24 2013

Focus on the Big Picture

I still remember my first patient in medical school as if it was yesterday.

It was the summer of 2000 when I started my surgical clerkship in a large county hospital.  That place had anything and everything one could possible imagine with respect to the spectrum of disease and humanity.  Young, old, a ton of homeless patients, drug and alcohol addicts, psychiatric illness galore…  The Emergency Room was more like a zoo when one considers the noises and the smells there…

So with this context in mind, imagine my first week on the surgical rotation.  My first patient was a homeless 60-year-old man who smoked 1-2 packs per day for about 45 years.  As a result he had severe vascular disease and was in the process of losing his leg to dry gangrene due to lack of circulation.  To make the problem worse, he became addicted to narcotic pain medicine while in the hospital.

I walked into his room one day on rounds to examine him, and irritated he said to leave him alone because he needs to focus.  Focus on what?

Then I noticed he was holding his Morphine PCA (patient controlled analgesia) button in his hand and looking at the medication pump screen intensely.  He figured out the PCA formula down to the last detail, and was trying to maximize the amount of narcotic he would receive from the machine.

He figured out that the machine would dispense a morphine bolus only after a 10 minute lock out.  Furthermore, as a safety check, the machine was programmed to dispense a certain maximum amount each hour regardless of the lockout intervals and the number of times the patient pushes the button.  He learned the way the machine worked, and when I walked in he knew he had about 5 minutes before it would respond to another push.

He was so focused on counting down the minutes and seconds to the expiration of the lockout interval that he would not even talk to me about the grand picture, which was the upcoming surgery to fix the problem in his leg.

This world and the sin around us work in a similar way.

Those who have not found God are so entrenched into the world and into sin that they cannot grasp the big picture.  They would rather focus on the next vain pleasure than step back and realize that they are on the road to perdition.

Consider what Paul writes in Romans 6:23 about the outcome of being a slave to sin:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Focus on sin leads to death.

Salvation by the free gift of God leads to eternal life in Jesus.

Aug 19 2013

Simple Question, Is Abortion Morally Wrong?

Dear Delight in Truth readers, please glance at the above chart and be shocked.

Be amazed that professing Christians can hold neutral and perhaps even favorable views with respect to the abomination of abortion.

The Pew Research Center did telephone interviews in March/April 2013 with a random sample of 4,006 US adults and asked them various questions about controversial matters.  On abortion, 49% of Americans believe it is morally wrong with a few percentage points higher among women than men.

The statistics get interesting when broken down by race and religion (denomination of Christianity).

As expected, evangelicals (Baptists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, some Reformed, nondenominationals) view abortion as morally wrong in high numbers.  But 25% of them still view it as morally neutral or right despite the fact that evangelical churches overwhelmingly preach the pro-life position.

The most disappointing statistic is among white mainline Protestants (some Lutherans, United Methodist Church, Quakers, Presbyterian USA, United Church of Christ, Episcopalians).  Some of these churches also accept pastors who actively practice the homosexual lifestyle.

The disregard for life has become an abhorrent disease in some of these apostate churches.

How are we better than those in China where a camera captured a 2-year-old girl getting run over by two trucks and 18 people skirted around her while she lay bleeding and flailing?  One may say that this a stretch of a comparison, but I can attest that the unborn baby opens her mouth and SCREAMS in pain as limbs are torn off during abortion, and abortion is no accident like the trucks running over the Chinese girl.

The apathy towards life is becoming more prominent as we are approaching the end of the age.  We are reminded by Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1 that teaching, doctrines, positions and propaganda that are against God (and His Spirit Who is the Spirit of Life – Romans 8)  will become increasingly common:

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons”

To have people who think of themselves as children of God while holding anti-life positions is nothing short of demonic.

May God awaken his true children to realize the precious gift of life.

Aug 14 2013

Can We Call Christian Music, Christian?

In the Los Angeles area where I live there are two contemporary Christian music (CCM) radio stations, Air 1 and the Fish.

They play a variety of Christian bands and songs, including some Christian crossover bands like Switchfoot and also some more mainstream bands like Lifehouse (whose lead singer is a professing Christian).

Some songs have an overtly “Christian” worship message like songs by  Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman which we occasionally sing at church, while other songs seem to have positive lyrics without mentioning the name of Jesus.

I do not have a problem with their choice of artists and songs.  It’s a free country and radio stations are free broadcast what seems fit for their audience.

But these radio stations are labeled as Christian.

This is where the disappointment comes in.

The Fish advertises their music NOT as Christian music, but music that is “safe for the whole family.”  Why not call it Christian music for the whole family or CCM?

Air 1 advertises itself  as the “positive alternative.” Why not the Christian alternative? 

The answer most likely has to do with ratings and audience capturing. People are not as likely to listen to a station that plays Christian music, even if the music is really good.   So they compromise the message a little to avoid the Christian label.

Because it is offensive to be an exclusive, Jesus only, one-way-to-heaven believer which is how the evangelical Christian is viewed (and should be viewed).

We are diluting the way we are representing ourselves in society, to make ourselves more palatable for it.  Instead of Christian we call the music “positive.” Instead of using specific terms for God like Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit we resign to using generic, inoffensive terms like “god.”

90% of Americans or more believe in god, but just try to mention the name of Jesus in a secular context and see how poorly received it is.

Christian music now is positive music.

Because the term “Christian” is not politically correct.

It is in fact offensive.

Aug 10 2013

Avoid False Teachers and Prophets

shark-circles-520x580

This is an amazing image, one which we will try to spiritualize in this post.

This shoal of fish acts as one unit.  They are highly sensitive to each other’s movements and this capability allows them to move in the same direction at the same time.  When a predator attacks, they sense the intruder, and their tactile sensors allows the shoal to avoid immediate contact with it.

The body of Christ should act in a similar way.  We need to be highly in tune with each other and with sound doctrine in order to sense false teachers and prophets who bring in heretical teaching or sin.

We need to identify and isolate such intruders and avoid mingling in their teachings in the same way the shoal attempts to avoid the sharks.

Essentially every New Testament writer gives us warnings with respect to this issue.

2 Peter 2:1-2 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.”

Romans 16:17-18 “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Any teaching or prophecy that is against Scripture must be rejected, and the false teacher or prophet must be avoided.

image credit - Marine Life Center (FB)
Aug 6 2013

Treading on the Spiritual Edge

Moher Cliffs, Ireland

The Moher cliffs in Western Ireland (pictures here) are a stunning natural monument which attracts scores of daredevils every year.  Some of these adrenaline junkies walk or bike a tight path, sometimes less than a foot wide in order to satisfy the need for excitement knowing that they are inches away from death.

While only a few brave people will do in real life what the bikers in the photo are doing, there are many Christians who walk on the spiritual Moher Cliffs.   Spiritual disaster may be small step in the wrong direction because they are at the very edge of the cliff.

As Christians, we live in the world but we are not of the world.

When a Christian indulges in the things of the world, its philosophies, its entertainment, its pleasures, he is walking dangerously close to the cliff.  We are not called to see how close we can get to the edge without falling, but we are called to be hidden in Christ, far from the dangers of falling.  Hiding ourselves in Christ is the opposite of experimenting in the world.

Apostle John gives us a clear warning against flirting with sin and the things in the world in 1 John 2:

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

The spiritual Moher Cliffs are the association with the world and its elements.   By walking these cliffs, the Christian comes dangerously close to falling in love with the world.

The only reliable solution is to flee sin and hide ourselves in Christ.

Aug 4 2013

Jesus Can Forgive Even the Sin of Abortion

Jesus can forgive in fact any sin if the sinner repents.

As I review my patient’s surgical histories, I come across a high percentage of women who have had at least one abortion.  Many of them are remorseful knowing they extinguished a life, while others would not have a problem wearing a “I had an abortion” t-shirt at a pro-choice rally.

The following comment was left on my blog as a response to one of Delight in Truth’s most popular articles “Face to Face With the Reality of Abortion” (here) .  It comes  from a Christian woman who had an abortion in her youth.  It is an uplifting message of repentance and redemption.  She is an example that the blood of Christ can cover any sin, even one as horrific as abortion.  Her blog The Narrowing Path is here.

“For those who have posed the question…if you want to know how a woman could do such a thing [abort her baby], you could ask one directly. Some of us are more than willing to be honest about our experience.

It is one of the most horrendous things a woman can go through, and only the Lord himself can heal a person from the trauma of it. I know, I had one when I was a young adult. At the time, I was spiraling into a breakdown, and couldn’t even process the information about my “options”. I saw none, and with terrible dread every step of the way, went through with it, knowing it was an abominable thing to do, as my mum held my hand and bid farewell to her first grandchild.

I have wept more than I could have ever imagined over this experience, and it certainly was very poignant when my first son was born a decade later. My two children are such an undeserved gift from the Lord, given the fact that I killed my first child.

I share my story sometimes, as a support to others, and also to remind people who even Christians can backslide into terrible sinning and find themselves in this situation.

There are options, and as Christians, abortion is not one of them. It is humbling when you look at the ten commandments and have to admit to all of them, murder included. Thankfully we have a merciful and gracious God, who washes us clean with the blood of his precious Son.

From blood-red to snowy white.

The Lord has now healed me from that trauma, and forgiven me for that heinous sin. I pray that we can show the same compassion to others who have been through similar situations, without ever condoning the practice at any stage in a pregnancy.”

image credit

Aug 2 2013

60 Pounds of Burden

Shrek

This is Shrek the sheep.

He became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally found and shaved, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd.

This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and His followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think Shrek is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.

When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was finally removed. All it took was coming home to his shepherd.

I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

This is perfect.

by The Family - A Proclamation to the World (Facebook)
Jul 31 2013

Medical Miracle in Congress

HT jaime herrera baby nt 130729 16x9 608 Congresswomans Miracle Baby Defying Potters Syndrome Odds

Jaime Herrera Beutler is a US congresswoman, and she is a Christian and a pro-life hero.

The 34-year-old congresswoman gave birth two weeks ago to a baby with Potter’s syndrome, a baby who should be dead, but miraculously is alive.

During her pregnancy it was discovered that the baby’s kidneys were not developing and the baby was not producing urine.  Such a condition is not compatible with life because without urine production, there is no amniotic fluid, and without amniotic fluid the lungs will not develop.

If one consults an obstetrics textbook, one will see that Potter’s syndrome is basically an absolute indication for aborting the baby.   There is no way around it since the baby cannot survive without the renal and pulmonary systems.

That is what the medical textbook says.

But Herrera Beutler follows a different textbook.

One that says that the “fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Following experimental intrauterine saline infusions, Herrera Beutler gave birth to a baby with normal lungs!  In a recent picture, the baby is seen without ventilatory or oxygen support.  She will receive peritoneal dialysis until she can receive a kidney transplant and have a shot at normal development.

The congresswoman and her family believed in the sanctity of life and they were rewarded for putting their faith in God.

She said: “We are grateful to the thousands who joined us in praying for a miracle. But most of all, we are grateful to God for answering those prayers.”

The progressives will attack her for her godly decision against abortion.

But God has rewarded her courage with a beautiful daughter.

photo credit: FB

Jul 29 2013

The Wrath of God Was Satisfied

One of the most important doctrines of Christendom is the doctrine of substitutionary atonement or penal substitution.

It basically states that Christ took upon Himself the griefs, sorrows, transgressions, iniquity and sins of believers while dying of the cross,  thereby satisfying the wrath of the Father.   This teaching is beautifully states in Isaiah 53 where the prophet tells us that “it was the will of the LORD to crush Him.” Isaiah 53:10a ESV

It is highly disappointing that churches today reject part of this doctrine.

Today, my friend Romeo Fulga pointed out that the Presbyterian Church USA has publicly rejected one of the most popular hymns sang in our churches today, “In Christ Alone.”  To get an idea of how popular this song is, I typed “in ch” in my google search bar and the first item that popped up was “in Christ alone lyrics.”  This liberal denomination who also happens to ordain gay ministers is rejecting the song because of the following stanza which references the wrath of God in the context of substitutionary atonement:

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

Other Christian artists also have a problem with this line.  Some have recorded the song, but either left out the “wrath of God” stanza or changed it to “the love of God was magnified.”

Christianity today in some circles has become a lukewarm, love-only type of Christianity which avoids preaching such concepts as the wrath of God, the existence of hell, death as the penalty against sin, and many other unpalatable to the flesh doctrines found on the pages of the Bible.

It is time for the church to wake up and realize that an incomplete Gospel is a false Gospel.  We cannot have the love of God without the wrath of God.  We cannot have God’s love and mercy without His justice.  We cannot separate His attributes, nor pick and choose which ones we want to accept or reject.

It is time to accept the Bible as inerrant, and accept the teachings found there in their entirety.