Bible – Mind@Work

The Untold Consequences of Sin

As I was reading the book of Numbers chapter 22 awhile back, I came upon an instance that puzzled me. The verse in question is 28, where God causes a donkey to yell at his own rider, Balaam, after he had beaten his donkey three times.

The verse says that the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth. The key word for me here is “opened.” Before sin entered the world, I believe Adam, and eventually Eve, could talk to animals, which may be why a serpent talking didn’t surprise Eve when she was being tempted. When God opened the mouth of Balaam’s donkey, I believe He removed a barrier that allowed the donkey to speak.

I kept that instance in the back of my mind and have since found many more examples of animals speaking (or understanding words) to convince me that they once had the ability to talk. I also believe one more thing… When it says, “…every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11), it means animals too.

Here are some videos I’ve found that enhances this belief (and for your amusement too):

Cat talking

Cat understands “feisty”

Cat understands words

Cat understands “Why are you doing this?”

Cat understands “cat toys”

Cat understands a question

Dog understands barking quieter

Dog understands words from TV

Dog understands math

Why Is A Man Saved?

Similar to my post on “Why Did Man Fall?” I will answer this question the best I can prophesied by Ken Peters back in January 2019.

What is the “why” part of this question? Since I am not asking the question here is my best interpretation of it… What gives someone the right to enter through Jesus into Heaven (John 14:6)?

To answer this question, I believe we must look at two passages: The first is John 9:1-38. The second is Luke 23:41-43. In the first passage, we find a man, born blind, whom Jesus heals. For the purposes of this blog post, verses 1-34 are only for context. After the man has been thrown out of the synagogue in verse 35, Jesus finds him and after brief questions Jesus tells the man the Messiah is speaking to him. The man tells Jesus he believes and goes onto worship Him.

The second passage in Luke is about one of two thieves on the cross traditionally on either side of Jesus. In the short three verses, we find a repentant thief next to Jesus not making excuses for his sins but acknowledging the two criminals deserve to be up there.

We also see that same criminal recognizing Jesus and probably recognizing the sign nailed above Him (see John 19:19-20), But, the criminal is also seeing a very different picture (perhaps from Jesus’ radical forgiveness on the cross) than the criminal the Romans and Jewish leaders wanted to make Him out to be.

Then that same criminal takes a leap of faith and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” to which He replies, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” In both these passages, neither men were baptized but simply believed, one even worshiped Him. I believe these examples of heart transformation are key to understanding what it means to be saved.

As you read this post, you may have questions about how the rest of the New Testament addresses and discusses belief, just as I did. The following is one of those instances: James 2:18-19, “18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe (emphasis mine) that—and shudder.”

Demons can “believe”, or rather acknowledge, Jesus as the Messiah, but I believe they cannot be saved by Jesus’ blood because His blood doesn’t apply to them, as they’re not human but rather fallen angels (Revelation 12:9) and thus salvation is impossible. I strongly believe this is because demons fell through a voluntary association with Satan before man was created whereas humans fell through deception. However, where demons can’t undergo a heart transformation, these two men acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, underwent it, and were given everlasting life (John 3:16).

Money’s Corruptible Power

Not to sound like Captain Obvious, but money is very powerful. It can shape how we make decisions, how we see the world, the jobs we take, how we treat others, how we vote, even our identity. Are these facts good or bad? It depends how we use them. Let’s see what Scripture has to say about both sides.

Many people see money as evil. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” —1 Timothy 6:10 NIV

Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for money: “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.” —Matthew 26:14–15 NIV

We also see how money corrupted Israel leaders in the Old Testament, and the subsequent consequences:

“11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say,
‘Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” —Micah 3:11–12 NIV

But money is not inherently bad. Whether it be one trillion dollars or simply one dollar, that money is still a tool. Money is a lot like power. In November of 2021, Pastor Ben Stuart of Passion City Church DC gave a great explanation of what power does to a person in a sermon titled, “Inconvenient Obedience.” In it, he says, “Power is an accelerator of what’s already there in you.”

The same is true when we acquire large amounts of money. That’s why the formation of character is so critical before acquiring money because if you don’t know how to control it, it will control you. A more modern example of this corruption is Donald Trump. This can clearly be seen in three different ways:

1) The title of his niece’s book about him, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump, Ph.D.;

2) The decor of his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago: ‘Gold, gold, gold’: A look inside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and $100 million New York City penthouse; and

3) Charging the Secret Service “exorbitant” hotel rates to protect the first family.

So, how can you make money good and pleasing to God? Live by some money principles God has already outlined in His word. Here are 7 Money Principles from the Bible. Also, be content with what you have so that if money or wealth is added to you, it won’t change how you live your life.

Morality

I want to start this post off with a true story that explains why I stress and talk about morality so much. Years ago, I volunteered for a California police department. During my time there, I rode in about 20 ride-alongs. One day in the briefing room, the officer I was going to ride with grabbed a dictionary for the word of the day.

They held it while I closed my eyes. I opened it and, still having my eyes closed, put my finger on the page. It landed straight on the word “moral.” Even before that instance, I remember watching “Walker, Texas Ranger” and being inspired to pursue justice, morality, and righteousness by the theme song.

So why do I talk about it so much? Because I believe I’m called to talk about it. I truly believe the world in this day and age is sorely lacking in and starving for it. I also believe the church corporately and individually is failing miserably in preaching on the subject and living it out. Because of this, America and the world are suffering spiritually.

What Is Morality?

One definition of morality by Merriam-Webster is, “conformity to ideals of right human conduct.” Another definition by The Oxford English Dictionary is, “of or pertaining to the distinction between right and wrong, or good and evil, in relation to the actions, volitions, or character of responsible beings.” The Apostle Paul gives examples of these definitions in 1 Timothy 3.

While those are good definitions, the one I’ve always remembered (and have strived to live by) is The Golden Rule: “Treat others as you want to be treated,” which is also echoed by Jesus in Matthew 7:12: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…”

What Morality Is Not.

Morality is not legalism. I once attended a Christian church for a few weeks to see what it was like and if I would be a good fit there. I agreed with most of their messages and all of their beliefs until I had one question. I went to the pastor and asked him if the church would ever talk about morality, to which he responded, “No, we will never talk about legalism.” With that, I knew that church wasn’t for me.

While that church did emphasize God’s grace, I can only guess what the pastor defined as morality. But if it’s at all like Merriam-Webster’s definition, they probably thought that “right human conduct” meant abandoning God’s grace for the Law of God only. But I see this as flawed reasoning. God’s grace gives us the power to adhere to His Law when we can’t on our own. He wants us to love Him and obey His commandments without forgetting His Throne of Grace lest we become legalists like the Pharisees.

In chapter four of his book, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters, Sinclair B. Ferguson cites Geerhardus Vos, author of The Self-Disclosure of Jesus and The Kingdom and the Church, who says, “Legalism is a peculiar kind of submission to God’s law, something that no longer feels the personal divine touch in the rule it submits to” (page 82). I think that exactly describes the Pharisees’ conduct (John 9:26–28, John 18:19–24), but what Jesus has freed us from!

It is truly a shame that the Church avoids talking about morality and its companion traits (e.g., character, integrity, honesty, etc.) because the key to understanding the Laws of the Old Testament and Messages of the Prophets (and much of the New Testament) is to first understand morality.

How is this the key? Because the latter part of that verse from Matthew above is, “…for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” And most of the laws of the Bible revolve around the morality of relationships (e.g., our relationship with God, husband/wife, family, workers, neighbors (Luke 10:25–37, Exodus 20:16–17), foreigners, etc.) and practicing the aforementioned companion traits.

Why Is Morality So Important?

It helps us understand the ways of God. What do I mean by that? God is moral. He defines in His Word morality, immorality, and their consequences. Moses saw God perform all kinds of miracles in Exodus but still didn’t know God, so He asked to know Him through His ways. Scripture, and thus God’s ways and thus God Himself, is actually easier for me to understand because I’m seeing His Word through the eyes of morality.

Why Did Man Fall [in the Garden of Eden]?

The inspiration for this post (and “Why Is A Man Saved?” to follow) comes from the Prophet Ken Peters, who gave these prophetic questions from the Lord Jesus in January 2019.

The story of the Fall of humanity in paradise described in Genesis 3 is one of the most widely known stories in human history. We often reference it when trying to explain to others how and why the world we live in has all the suffering, pain, death, evil, and shame in it. But unraveling the story and gaining an understanding of the craftiness of the Devil/Satan, aka the serpent (Genesis 3:1, Revelation 20:2), and how he would distort the character and words of God, is a bit more complex.

The command the Lord gave Adam was, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'” (Genesis 2:16-17, NIV)

The serpent’s deviousness comes in chapter 3 verse 1, when it twists God’s command and makes it a question. Compare the command: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden…” to the question: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman does remember God’s commands in verses 2 and 3, but the serpent first lies in verse 4, and then “assault[s]… God’s generosity and His integrity”, as Sinclair B. Ferguson writes in “The Whole Christ” (page 68). The serpent was then saying God was “restrictive” (also page 68), implying that “being like God, knowing good and evil” was a good thing for her.

This deception also created a kind of tunnel vision where she focused on the fruit of the tree instead of God’s commands and the rest of the trees in the garden. She forgot she didn’t need to be like God, only with God. Jesus demonstrated this during His Earthly life because He was Emmanuel (“God with [man]”) and “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,…”.

Another critical point I believe can be missed is that God’s Word means what it says. We cannot interpret it to fit our own understanding or desires, and we certainly cannot dismiss it as if it’ll never happen. God will do what He says, including save those who believe He came to die for all of their sins, and rose again from the grave to bring them back into life with Him. I hope you’ll believe that truth and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Why Being Gay Is Not From God

I know that title looks bigoted, but it’s not. I’m writing this for the same reason I wrote point number five in the introduction to my previous post, “Who Is The Anti-Christ?”… to warn people of the second death (Revelation 21:8) that awaits them if they don’t turn back.

Unfortunately, many churches, denominations, and religious leaders have accepted the homosexual lifestyle justifying it as “that’s just who they were created to be.” But why would God create a lifestyle that is contrary to His very Word and intentions for humanity? After all, there are numerous verses God gives in His living Word to tell us this was and is not His will for anyone (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Romans 1:26-27, Jude 7). Another clear example of why homosexuality was never His intention for humanity is what He told Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 to “Be fruitful and multiply…” Why would He create someone for a lifestyle that is biologically impossible for His very command, and thus would lead to the extinction of humanity?

Around this time last year, I was in Canada on vacation with family. The local news station did a story about a woman of faith talking about how she had been “duped” by mainstream evangelical Christianity into believing being gay and/or the homosexual lifestyle was not a sin (Audio not great, use headphones, apologies): Sadly, she has been duped by today’s culture into accepting homosexuality as natural.

What Should Christians Do?

Many evangelical Christians and the Church did not handle this question correctly. I believe there’s a stereotype around that Christians would just yell at gays that they’re going to hell (see the infamous “Westboro Baptist Church”) or that they’d beat you over the head with a Bible, or any other extreme and ridiculous behaviors that most likely make God weep. I also believe that those evangelicals that didn’t do those things failed to stand their ground when God’s perfect Word said it was unnatural, and they lost the argument. Years ago, I accepted this lifestyle based on my conservative political views until I was deeper into God’s Word and prayer, and He showed me His view of the lifestyle.

What Should Have Been Done?

-In brief encounters, loving prayer for the person trapped in the lifestyle and a desire to seek God’s holy heart, face, and nature.

-Relationships. Being an example to the gay lifestyle that the Christian faith is about life and that Jesus came to give it more abundantly.

Why President Trump Will Never Make America Great Again

It’s been a while since I’ve made a blog post (but I have more in the works…). Whether or not Donald Trump is removed from office by the Senate after recently being impeached by the House of Representatives and whatever he does in the present, future, or legacy with the highest title in the free world, President Trump will never “Make America Great Again.” I say this with one thing in mind that most people don’t look too hard into as a reason… his character. At this point in his presidency, most have come to expect that Donald Trump is going to say or tweet something so abhorrent that it makes us Americans wonder how he made it to the final vote in 2016.

Back when he was initially elected, I tried to make another blog post titled “Morals over Money.” However, I never published it simply because his lack of morals, integrity, character, etc. is so screwed up that I felt I couldn’t do any type of justice with mere words in any post I wrote. (Even “screwed up” falls vastly short.) That being said, if I can’t address his morals specifically or in detail, I can try to write about his most well-known slogan on his red hat… “Make America Great Again.” Whether he wins or loses in the 2020 presidential election, one thing I’m sure of—he can never make this country great again.

Some of his supporters might say, “Look at the economy or the strengthening of the military” while others might simply ask, “What are you talking about?” I’m talking about something different… righteousness. I believe America is tearing apart at the seams because of a lack of God, and no policy, politician, or law can fix it. The problem lies in our very hearts, hearts only the Lord Jesus Christ Himself can mend by the blood of His forgiveness, essence of His unconditional love, and power only He possesses (2 Chronicles 7:14).

If President Trump spoke any form of truth or righteousness, people would take notice. But as it is, he only brings forth evil (Matthew 12:35) and every fruit contrary to that in Galatians 5:22-23. The last Scripture I want to give is why America, or any nation, is not immune from God’s wrath… “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.”-Proverbs 14:34 NIV

For a deeper look at the gross immorality of President Trump, and why his immorality is incompatible with Christian principles, please see the much-discussed lead editorial by Mark Galli of Christianity Today titled, “Trump Should Be Removed from Office.“

Counting the uncountable: God’s love for us!

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve longed for friendship with people. If someone mentioned or talked about me in a good way, it always uplifted and made me feel warm. Why wouldn’t it? This mentality even extended into areas one might not think of. If my name was used as a character’s name in a book, I would get giddy because I would think if someone I knew by chance read my name, they might think of me.

But I’ve come to realize that my priorities were out of place. Even that last example was a far stretch because it was “by chance.” Even if we consider our spouse, significant other, parents, or kids who think about us all the time (or vice versa), the quantities and depths of thought and love they give us is absolutely minuscule compared to the way God feels and cares for us.

In Psalm 139:17–18 (NIV), David says:

¹⁷How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with You.

That’s the love God has for us! The gravity is overwhelming and the amount is incomprehensible—and the only natural and proper reaction is to fall on our face and worship at His nail-pierced feet!

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

Live for today… or eternity?

The month of June was pride month. If you’re not aware, that’s the month where American society celebrates equality and the LGBTQ community. I used to be in support of this movement and community because of my conservative beliefs and this quote from Thomas Jefferson: “But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Also, I have friends who identify with this lifestyle. I do not denigrate the people of this lifestyle as human beings. However, their choices have eternal consequences and, thus, I cannot condone their choices.

But as my faith in Christ, knowledge of His Word, and prayer grew, I found I could not support the lifestyle any longer because I now care more about what God cares about—eternity—and therefore, I cannot ignore or support it just because it doesn’t affect me.

But now that my heart is closer to God’s heart, I can more clearly feel what He feels. So when I am watching the news and if an effeminate man is shown, my eyes want to just look away while my heart is sad for them. Some of the Church today has been deceived into thinking because someone is born with desires toward the same sex, that it must be natural. However, the Apostle Paul tells us otherwise in 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ESV): “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…”

About the movement…

One of the most distinguishing symbols of the pride movement is the rainbow flag, which represents different genders and sexual identities. This movement has evolved so much that there are now over sixty different “genders,” according to CBS News and Telegraph.co.uk.

I must be truthful with you—this movement is demonic. No, I am not homophobic (fearing, hating, or mistreating homosexuals). However, my heart breaks for them as does God’s because He doesn’t want to see anyone perish the Second Death.

Why do I believe it’s demonic? Because God has established laws and only two genders: male and female. When we believe we can establish our own genders, we are taking God’s authority upon ourselves when He has not permitted it. This act was what satan tried to do and what he convinced Adam and Eve of—that God was holding out on them and that they could become like God instead of with Him.

Satan’s kingdom in Hell is the place of lawlessness (where anything goes), and we can see this so evidently in the pride movement’s flag (where any gender/sexual preference goes). It doesn’t have to be this way, though; God’s grace is still available to all who want to be free from sin and have eternal life with Christ. The three-step path to redemption is admitting you’re a sinner (just like I am), believing Christ is the Son of God, and calling upon His Name to be saved! From there, He will give you the gift of eternal life* and will give you a new heart of flesh**!

* “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.”—Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)

** “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”—Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)

Sex, before or after marriage?

It is widely accepted in Western culture that it is okay to have sex before marriage, in wanting to explore what the experience of sex is like, to become skilled at it for your future wife or husband, and other reasons as well. One wonders, what could be wrong about that? It’s fun (from what I hear) and pleasurable, so what about it could be wrong?

Many people in our society think someone is crazy if they wait until marriage. A 2016 Huffington Post article presented the point of view of various couples who had waited to have sex until after marriage for personal (but nonreligious) reasons—and their opinions on the matter of waiting vary widely.

That article presented some of the nonreligious beliefs. But what indeed is the true form, fashion, and design of sex meant to be? To my mind, I say yes, it is designed to be wonderful, exciting, and fun, but most importantly, sacred!

Sex is one of the pinnacles of human experience on Earth, along with coming to know Jesus, experiencing true forgiveness, and building deep friendships. These are gifts from God that allow us to enjoy and connect with others and someone special. However, gifts from God come with instructions that are not to be violated because God is infinitely pure and perfect. We humans, being made in God’s image, are meant to reflect that purity… for each other, as well as for the rest for God’s Creation.

When we have sex before or outside of marriage, we have violated His gift. This is because sex was made to be enjoyed with a lifelong spouse of the opposite gender, and when we disobey the instructions we, whom God loves—and the law God cherishes—are tarnished. Our relationships with those we love are broken, as is our relationship with God… and He desires so greatly to have an intimate relationship with us.

To further justify why waiting until marriage to have sex is the best choice, I would like to echo something Mickey Robinson, pastor, international speaker, and author, said: “One day in the Lord’s favor is worth better than ten years of hard work.”

If being right with and blessed by God means He instructs us to wait until the right person comes along whereupon our souls are committed solely to each other and God, then I’ll happily wait!