Nov 10 2012

The Triune God Revealed in the Old Testament (part 1)

Other than the teaching of salvation by grace thru faith, the doctrine of the Trinity may be the most important doctrine of the Christian faith.  Some theologians would say that it is the primordial doctrine of Christianity.  Wayne Grudem defines it in his Systematic Theology as follows:  “God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.”

Well known passages in the Old Testament (OT) as well as obscure ones reveal the plurality of the Trinity.

Psalm 110:1 is the most frequently quoted passage from the OT in the New Testament (NT).  Here David receives a tremendous revelation from God to be able to write a glimpse of this amazing intra-Trinitarian conversation:  “The Lord says to my Lord:  “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”  Jesus challenges the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-46 to understand that David is referring to two separate persons as “Lord” in Psalm 110.  God the Father says to God the Son, “sit at my right hand.”

David’s revelation continues when he writes in Psalm 45:7 “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”  Jesus is the anointed One by the Father when David again reveals the Father and the Son Jesus as God.

The Trinity is also revealed in a less known passage found in Hosea 1:7 “But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God.”  God (Elohim) here is speaking about the Lord (Yahweh) who will save Judah.  The Scripture clearly indicates here that two separate persons can be called God and Lord, that is Father and Son.

In the context of God’s plan of redemption, Isaiah 48:16 has amazing trinitarian implications: “And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.”  In NT perspective Jesus is the Messiah the One send by the Father.  It follows that in the redemption context of Isaiah 48, the person “me” in verse 16 send by God is Jesus.  If this verse is spoken by Jesus, and I believe it is given its context, we now have all three persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit mentioned in this verse.   Amazing!

The doctrine of the Trinity is a blessing for us because by understanding it we understand God’s plan of redemption and how each person of the Trinity is involved in each aspect of salvation.  We will never grasp how God can co-exist in three persons and be One God, but if we are to believe the Bible, we must accept this doctrine.  CS Lewis attested its validity when he said that such a doctrine could never be made up by a human mind.  No one could have come up with this type of idea if it wasn’t for the revelation given in the Bible.

to be continued…

Nov 9 2012

In the Wake of Sandy: Is God Still Love?

In the case of people who do not know God, natural disasters present one of the most difficult barriers to believing in the Triune God revealed in the Bible.  If God is all-loving and all-good as described in the Bible, how can He allow such destruction as hurricane Sandy to ravage His creation and the people He loves?

How can a just, compassionate, loving, and caring God who died for His creation allow this level of pain and death?

Atheists and agnostics who ask these questions have not come to know the truth about our God, and truth about the fall of His creation.  They do not understand that God’s attributes cannot be separated, that His love is rooted in His justice, and His compassion streams out of His love.

The atheist loves to mock the believer with accusations that Christians worship a sadistic God who ordains atrocities and natural disasters.  He points to the unfairness of life, the death of innocent babies, the sorry state of humanity, and ultimately he blames a God in whom he doesn’t even believe!  All this without a single observation of the wickedness that exists in his own soul!

The Bible unveils the unfair reality of our world as a direct result of Satan’s action and the disobedience of man.  As a result evil prospers, and natural and biological calamities plague us.  Paul elucidated the fallen state of creation in this passage:

Romans 8: 20 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Then Paul proceeds to explain that the “whole creation has been groaning” as a result of man’s disobedience and fall into sin.  So what right does an ungodly man have to question the unfairness of the universe?  What right does he have to question God’s love?

The truth is that the single most unfair event that has ever taken place on this planet was not hurricane Sandy and the death and destruction it left behind.  It wasn’t the tsunami which killed hundreds of thousands.   It wasn’t even the dreaded Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were murdered because they were Jewish.

The single most tragic and unfair event that ever happened, the greatest crime and sin ever committed, but also the greatest act of love ever performed, was the torture and murder of a perfect, sinless and holy Man two thousands years ago on a cross outside of Jerusalem.  That Man was God Himself.  His name was Jesus.  Transcending the result of man’s fall, and the suffering that creation endures because of it, God showed his perfect love to us in redemption.

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Nov 8 2012

The New Normal: Recreational Marijuana

On Tuesday, the voters of Colorado took to the polls and voted an unprecedented amendment, one which legalized the personal growth, production and use of pot.  You may say it is not a big deal… there are other states in the Union who have legalized “medical” use of marijuana.

The issue here is that Colorado already had a law in place allowing the use of pot for medical purposes.  The new law enacts the legality of recreational use of this mind altering drug.  It is now OK to get high… or stoned… or whatever they call it.

How is this going to improve the lives of Colorado’s citizens?  It is not!  Rather, this is one of the many symptoms of a disease called moral decay, which is taking a hold of our society.  This may be the beginning of the process of legalization of other drugs of abuse.

Preventing driving “under the influence” and keeping kids off drugs will be this much more difficult to accomplish.  What kind of message are we sending our kids?  The message is clear: it is ok to use drugs and pollute one’s mind with psychedelics.

The spiritual implications are paramount.  The desire for an altered mental status whether that is accomplished via alcohol, marijuana, narcotics or other agents is an unholy desire from the bottom of hell.  Here is what Scripture tells us in Galatians 5:19

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The word sorcery in verse 20 is translated from the word pharmakeia according to Strong’s Concordance.  It refers to the use and administration of mind altering drugs, poisoning and magical arts in general.  This is why a child of God cannot participate in such practices.  We are specifically forbidden by God to even attempt to alter our state of mind by the use of marijuana, or other drugs for the purpose of so-called recreation.

On the contrary we must follow what Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8-9

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith…”

Nov 7 2012

How America Made an Ungodly Choice

America voted and the results were not only wrong and unwise, the critical choices made were ungodly. In most situations where a vote hinged on biblical principles, America decided to go against God.

I do not pretend that this is Christian country or that it ever was, but America was founded on Christian principles, and we have a large population of Christians. But their voice was drowned out by an increasingly secular majority.

Here is a list of what I mean:

1. Colorado has legalized the recreational use of the psychedelic drug marijuana. It is now legal to get high in the mile-high city. Three other states legalized marijuana for medical use.

2. Massachusetts joined Oregon and Washington in allowing assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia.

3. Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and Washington all voted in favor of gay marriage. This was a huge sweeping victory for LGBT activists in four out of four states. They succeeded in elevating this issue to the level of civil rights.

4. America re-elected Obama, who supports the pro-abortion agenda, the forced contraceptive mandate, the desecration of the traditional family, and has taken an anti-Israel stance on multiple occasions.

But ultimately we know that God is in control of past, present, and future, and everything that happens contributes to His mysterious plan.

He states: “for I am God, and… …‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10

We will now wait and see how His mighty plan will unveil itself in these last days.

Nov 6 2012

Voting and the Principles that Guide Us

What are we effectively doing when we cast a vote for an office, a measure, or a proposition?  We are in fact saying that we agree with the principles on which a candidate stands, or the proposal put forth.  We are not necessarily saying we agree with a candidate’s religion but with the principles he will draw upon to govern.

I have heard multiple objections with respect to Mitt Romney’s LDS theology and how he negates the Divinity of Christ and the Trinity the way orthodox Christianity proclaims it.  But let’s suppose Romney was a self-professed born-again evangelical who believes in universal atonement applied to all humans, and the fact that hell does not exist, along the lines of Rob Bell and Brian McLaren’s theology; or suppose he was a hyper-calvinist who discourages evangelism under the pretext that God can save without human participation… Wouldn’t those issues be almost as problematic?

That is why we must pick a candidate who stands on principles important to our Protestant faith, not necessarily his theology.  We must support a candidate who will have a pro-life stance.  We must vote in support of  traditional biblical marriage.  We must support family values set forth in the Bible.  We must support freedom of speech and religion.  These are the social and spiritual principles we must stand on and Romney, generally speaking, supports them.

However, it has been deeply disappointing to see how Obama’s administration has weakened each one of the above principles, and has elevated the LGBT lifestyle choices to the level of civil rights.  Furthermore, disguised under “hate speech” terminology, pastors and churches who proclaim biblical truth are labeled as intolerant, and potentially dangerous.  This assault will not let up in a potential second Obama term, but it will get worse.  As John MacArthur put it, he was shocked to see that the democratic national convention re-inserted God back into their platform, because their platform is a polar opposite to anything godly.  He labeled it the “Romans 1 platform,” and I agree with that.

Christians who made Jesus the Lord and Center of their lives cannot support such principles.  If they had reservations about Romney’s theology, it would be infinitely better for them to abstain from voting, than cast a vote for Obama, a professed “Christian” who believes that Jesus is not the only way to salvation, and who has advanced the abortion and LGBT agenda.  Here is what Paul tells us about people who support such an agenda:

Romans 1:32 “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

God forbid any Christian give support to a “Romans 1 platform.”

Nov 5 2012

How Should Christians Vote?

By tomorrow night or early Wednesday we will know who the next president of the United States will be.   When we go to the polls tomorrow, how should we cast our vote as Christians? Should the candidate’s faith or lack of faith be a concern for us?

Here is an excerpt from the Christian Post opinion page by Eric Metaxas on how Billy Graham and Chuck Colson view the issue:

“Billy Graham also has strong views about voting for the best candidate no matter what his private beliefs are.   A few days ago, the Rev.  Graham took out newspaper ads in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch urging people to vote for candidates who supported biblical teaching on some of the great moral issues of the day.

As Graham put it, “We are at a crossroads, and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and woman, protect the sanctity of life, and defend our religious freedoms.”

Chuck Colson also held strong opinions on the issue of voting and I was a bit surprised by his position with respect to the candidate’s faith:

“Chuck also quoted Martin Luther, who reportedly said he would rather be judged by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian. He meant that he’d prefer to choose the best qualified leader available than vote for someone less qualified who happened to share his religious beliefs.  We do this in other areas of our life all the time.  For instance, if you needed to undergo brain surgery, would you choose a Christian surgeon, or the best surgeon available no matter what his beliefs?

Chuck felt very strongly about the duty of Christians to vote-and to vote for the best qualified candidate no matter what his personal religious convictions.   He considered voting a spiritual duty.  On BreakPoint, Chuck noted that as voters, we are to choose the most competent people to be God’s magistrates to do justice, restrain evil, and preserve order.  He pointed to Exodus 18, where Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, told him to select men of good moral character who were competent to help judge the people.

I agree to a certain extent with Billy Graham, and Colson, who when it comes down to it… really are casting a vote for the lesser of two evils in order to support biblical principles.  But  we should always keep in mind that there are nonnegotiable issues Christians must endorse, like freedom of religion and speech, the sanctity of life and the institution of traditional marriage.

Now go vote! 🙂

Nov 4 2012

Face to Face with the Reality of the Holocaust

It can be difficult to grasp the reality of the Holocaust from books and history until one comes face to face with a survivor who has a real and palpable story to tell.  Only then one experiences shock, anger, grief, and compassion, all conglomerated in a mixture that is difficult to bear.

My patient was an 86-year-old Jewish woman from Poland who shared her story with me.  In 1941, around age 15 she was arrested along with her parents and five siblings, and taken to Auschwitz under the pretext that they would be given work and made productive members of society.  The pain, hunger, torture and tremendous loss this woman suffered cannot be put into words.

By early 1945 when Auschwitz was liberated, the Nazis had murdered her parents, two sisters and two teenage brothers.  She along with one brother were the only ones out of a family of eight to survive this unspeakable ordeal.  It was heartbreaking to hear the grief and pain she continues to bear after so many years, especially when talking about her teenage brothers whom she described as “the most beautiful boys you’ve ever seen.”

The Holocaust was nothing short of an example of depraved human nature at its worst.  If it wasn’t for God’s grace which put an end to the Nazi regime, many more Jews and other races would have been slaughtered.  And some have the audacity today to say that another Holocaust cannot happen because we live in a modern society who learns from past mistakes.  I say no, we are capable of another Holocaust and even worse!  And this is simply because of our fallen human nature and our depraved spiritual state without the salvation given through Jesus.

The Bible is clear about the state of humanity as David laments over our depravity in Psalm 14:

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good, not even one.

Remembering the reality and evil of the Holocaust leads us to understand the deep corruption of the human soul and the need for a Savior, which are the first steps in our restoration to where God wants us to be.  May God give each of us this great salvation available only through faith in Christ.

Nov 3 2012

Communicating With God in Solitary Confinement

Romanian evangelical pastor Richard Wurmbrand was severely persecuted in communist Romania for his faith.  He spent 14 years in prison, and three of those years were spent being tortured in solitary confinement and sensory deprivation.  He longed after fellowship with the Body of Christ, and he hungered for the Word of God, to which unlike us, he did not have access.  After years of not seeing the sun, stars, flowers, trees, women, children and the things we are blessed with through common grace… at his lowest moment… God spoke to him.  See his story below, the amazing part starts in the third minute at 3:20

Nov 2 2012

National Tragedy: Children Born Outside of Marriage

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a report about birth data in the US.  Beside the finding that the birth rate is currently at the lowest point ever recorded in the US, the most shocking statistic was buried in a table at the back of the publication:  40.7% is the overall percent of American children born out-of-wedlock!  They further break down the numbers of  babies born to unmarried moms by race: Asians 17.2%, Whites 29.1%, Hispanics 53.4%, American Indians 66.2%, and non-Hispanic Blacks 72.3%.

These are absolutely staggering statistics about the deterioration of family values in our culture.  Looking at America through a biblical filter or a Christian world view, it is not too difficult to see the symptoms of a decaying family structure, for example:  extremely high divorce rates, single parent homes, the redefinition of marriage, the adoption of young children in nontraditional family structure, and many others…  These are symptoms of a deep moral depravity that has corrupted us to the bone.

But the numbers quoted above are not just symptoms… These are the results of our society’s actions and their lack of the ultimate moral compass: God’s Word.  This is the result of departure from God as a society.  It is absolutely heart breaking to know that many of these children will not have access to a father figure to complete their family structure as ordained by God.  The Church needs to realize that this is a rebellion against God and His commandments, and a great tragedy which appears to grow unchecked.

Let’s remember that the Word of God is clear when it states that in the last days there will be an increasingly clear distinction between right and wrong, righteousness and wickedness, holiness and evil, and that we as believers need to differentiate ourselves from the wickedness of the world:

Revelation 22:11  “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

Nov 1 2012

Come, and you will enjoy… great “worship!”

On the way home today I heard a puzzling  ad on our local Christian station K-WAVE for a large but not quite mega “Bible” church in my area.  The ad invites you to join the church and “you’ll enjoy great worship.”  This is the same church whose pastor recently held a series of scathing cessationist Bible studies on the  radio, attacking Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians who practice gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy and speaking in tongues…  but that is a subject for another day.

The sound bite advertises the “great worship” that you will enjoy when you go there.  Really?  Enjoy the worship that someone performs?  Like when you go to a concert and you enjoy the performance?  Is this “worship” meant for the enjoyment of the audience?  Is this the same worship that is meant to be done in spirit and truth toward a holy and great God?

I believe this embodies some of the things that have gone wrong in the modern evangelical movement.  The main issue is that the holy and exalted God seen by Isaiah in his vision is no longer the center of many modern churches, much less the center of their worship.  Humanism, yes the same humanism that our parents tried to escape when they left the eastern communist block in the 70’s and 80’s, the one that puts the human being in the center, is becoming commonplace even in some churches.  It’s no longer only about exalting God, lifting Him up, giving Him all the Glory… we have to emphasize the spectator’s enjoyment of worship meant only for the King.

They were most likely referring to their music ministry, and I would have had no problem if the ad would have said “come and enjoy great music” because a large church may have the resources to build a professional choir/band and “worship team.”  Some more conservative than me would even have a  problem with that, but it really disappointed me to hear that worship, in whatever capacity, was being misplaced toward pleasing the listener.

Lets not forget that worship is not just singing songs in preparing our hearts and minds for a sermon.  Worship of our God is a lifestyle of reading and studying the Bible, attending fellowship with the body of Christ, singing praises and praying to Him, and as Ephesians 2:10 says, doing “the good works which, God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  The way you lead your life should be worship for the King!