Faith – Mind@Work

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).

Faith and Endurance

I’ve been wanting to write on this topic for a while, especially in these times when America’s future is uncertain and morality and true faith are a breath of fresh air. When times (personal or external) are tough and you feel like one thing after another is causing you heavy burden, the most precious thing we have to hold close is faith!

Now, I know that may sound much easier said than done, but when trying times burden my heart (making anxiety even worse with my OCD), I still know the Lord loves me and my future is in His all-powerful Hands. Before I came to know the Lord through His Word and a personal relationship with Him, faith was hard because without a relationship with God or a grasp of His character, faith is baseless. I’ve had a relationship with the Lord for a few years now, but only made this relationship connection a few months ago, and ever since then trusting in God has given me peace where I would not truly have it!

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT):

“You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in You,
all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”

But Psalm 34:19 and John 16:33, respectively, told us trials would happen… “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers them from them all.” (ESV) and “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

What is most important is how we react (who we lean on and trust in) when these trials come! But when we do come out unscathed on the other side (Daniel 3:28-29 (visual)) and, eventually meet the Lord when He either calls us home or calls His church home, our faith will be tested by the fire and glorifies the Lord Jesus to the world (1 Peter 1:7).

The Apostle Paul also tells us to be “…joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”—Romans 12:12 (NIV) and that we should “³rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”—Romans 5:3-5 (ESV, visual)

In his last letter and when he knows he’s about to die, Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT) what awaits those who endure to the end in victory… “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of His return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to His appearing.”

One of my favorite lines about faith came back in 2013 when “The Bible Series” aired. In the first episode, right before God calls Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, the narrator says, “After years of struggle, Abraham has learned that to be chosen by God is a blessing—and a test. He must prove his faith—again, and again.” (The Bible Series (2013),”Beginnings, Part 1,” 34:26 time marker)

If you needed any more reason to have faith in trials, there is a reward. In Revelation 3, Jesus has nothing to correct or discipline with the church in Philadelphia, but commends the church that they’ve “kept His command to endure patiently” and promises to “keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth” (3:10), which is most likely the Great Tribulation, or “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

The Apostle John, also called the “Beloved Disciple” (John 20:2), had “patient endurance” (Revelation 1:9) and was given the privilege of seeing and writing what God had concealed for ages. I truly believe that enduring patiently (trusting God and having faith) is the other side of the reward coin God promises!

Why I Can No Longer Sing or Listen To “God Bless America”

This may seem bold or un-American, but I’m aware of what I’m saying. I was born and raised in America and grew up playing, watching, and loving the nation’s pastime… baseball. I loved listening to beautiful renditions of “God Bless America” during major sporting events and holidays. But recently, I haven’t been able to sing or listen to it because I don’t believe it matches with our current reality.

Why do I believe this? Our Pledge of Allegiance contains the words “under God,” and if a nation wants God’s blessing, He expects them to take His laws seriously. If they don’t, they will be under a more severe penalty than of a nation that doesn’t claim allegiance—the more guilty nation did not fear Him or His laws as its people claimed.

But America has committed abominations—the legalized murder of innocents, legalized covenants of perversion and sexual immorality, and idolatry of presidents, to name a few. America has ignored the eternal laws of God engraved on the buildings of our highest courts. And if He doesn’t drop the hammer down, we’ll end up destroying ourselves.

We have abandoned our trust in God in favor of trust in presidents, politicians, money, and government. Many Americans, including the mainstream news, can’t believe how bad the leadership is under President Trump. We have turned away from the God of this nation. He is the only One who gives us a firm and uncompromising basis for morality and truth—both of which cannot be separated from Him and still work. Because we have compromised on truth, morality, and love, our only basis of reference for what was once good is history and traditions.

Like Moses calling his people back to their God after four hundred years of slavery, we need a mass spiritual revival—starting with God’s anointed and holy church.

I believe many things need to happen for the judgment of God to not come upon America, but these are just a few major issues America must see. This list is by no means comprehensive.

For Americans, especially those in high power and authority, to love the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
Repealing the 2015 legalization of same-sex marriage. (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26–27)
Total abolition of Roe v. Wade, on national and state levels. (Matthew 2:16–18)
God’s church adhering to and proclaiming His Word in His house.
Great repentance by the nation and call of prayer to seek His Holy face.

I have loved this country and what it stood for, but I can’t ignore blatant wickedness, perversion, and corruption. I do hope America repents of her wickedness and major wicked laws listed above, but my allegiance is now to the Lamb of God and His eternal Kingdom. Glory be to His Name and His Kingdom, now and forevermore!

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)

Overcoming Rituals of OCD

My struggle with OCD has been very difficult, and many rituals and habits have evolved and formed from it. At first, my process of overcoming OCD was a simple matter of trying to cope with it so that I was able to function in life. But this was not unlike trying to plug up the cracks in a dam, where water just keeps finding new places to break through.

That said, this doesn’t mean that I haven’t had some permanent success fighting it. One early example of my success was in my speech, where I was compelled to repeat specific words or sentences in reverse, just under my breath. Imagine having the compulsion to repeat everything you just said under your breath!

Sound exhausting? It was. That’s why, one day, I was so overwhelmed with it I quite simply just starting talking without repetition. As you can imagine it was a massive relief—not just on my mind but on my vocal cords as well! This begs the question as to why I can’t do the same with my other rituals and habits. What I realize is that while they are tiring, I am able to still function without being entirely overwhelmed. Since they are still tolerable, I find that I’m not as motivated by discomfort as I was with the speech repetitions and reversals.

Recently, I’ve made more progress on one of my oldest and most common problems through faith in God. As you might have read in my first post, one of the difficulties I have is picking up basic objects (pens, eating utensils, etc). What was really hard about that was my mind would go down one rabbit hole after another of unpleasant thoughts until I consciously broke the loop.

About a week or two ago, I was doing IT work in a bus on the bus lot. I was trying to pick up a pen and was about to get stuck in the rabbit hole again when I felt God’s still small voice say (not audibly) alongside the rabbit hole, “Do you trust that I am with you and in control?”

He then showed me (in my heart) how to respond in faith, by picking up the pen and my equipment without hesitation and continuing on. I did so, and I have continued to remember this and use it when I get stuck in similar situations!

All Glory to Him in the Highest!

Photo Credit: Ju On @juon via Unsplash

(Warning: Explicit) Porn Addiction and God’s Amazing Grace

Many years ago when I was in middle school, I was introduced to pornography and masturbation by a friend I went to school with. I had no idea what the latter word or act was until he asked if I did it. I was also taught in sex education in high school that this act was a good way to get to know myself. I had no idea how enslaving it would become.

My porn and masturbation addiction continued after high school and many years after. I became a believer of God around 2011, but just believing doesn’t mean I was instantly freed from this addiction. I still liked doing it and wanted to have sex (which to this day I have only done once and regret it). I knew each time I did it that it was wrong—but I couldn’t stop, and I repented many times. I kept pleading with God to make it stop, but it just wouldn’t.

Despite this, God has always had His hand heavily on me, keeping me safe. These sinful acts continued until summer 2016 when I returned from Kansas City after a mission trip with my church. I asked one of my church friends who also went on the mission to be my accountability partner. God’s grace was instantaneous!

What do I mean by grace? God wants us to be free from sin and shame. He freely gives His power (His grace) to overcome sin and temptation to those wanting to take sin seriously and make a real change for our lives. I went from having (and succumbing to) temptations and urges once or twice per week to zero of these in three weeks!

While this was a fantastic start, I still had a lot of work to do. Eventually the temptations and urges came back, and I would have slip-ups, as we called them. When they became more and more frequent, I thought, how can I keep myself away from this material when I’m weak on my computer? The answer was a porn blocking app for my iPhone and an explicit material filter for my computer. And what do you know, God empowered me with more of His grace. For many more weeks, I continued without temptation or urges.

As time went on, my slip-ups happened less and less frequently. I was being tapered off. I still have porn filters and blocking apps on my devices, and I still get unclean thoughts here and there, but I am so much stronger in resisting these temptations and urges even in my previously weakest of places. Years ago, I would consider being porn-free for two months impressive.

Now, a year and longer looks doable, but it’s not possible without God’s grace! I am now a firm believer that God helps those who can and do help themselves, and who take their sin and its destructive components seriously.

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!

The Start of a Relationship with God

I’ve recently been wondering how I can become closer to God and the Lord Jesus. I research near-death experiences (NDEs) and visions including both Heaven and Hell. I have seen Bill Wiese’s “23 Minutes in Hell” twice and recently watched Mary K. Baxter and her incredibly descriptive vision of Hell. As I finished watching the latter video, I was pondering what I just saw and the Lord started to play a song to me describing how I can dive deeper into a relationship with Him. The song is Take Me There by Rascal Flatts and the lyrics only scratch the surface of the depth of relationship God wants to have with you!

In full disclosure I was writing this post from the vantage point of someone who has told everything about his life to God in prayer and I got the small feeling I should stop because I was a hypocrite if I posted from that point-of-view. So I am taking a different approach, posting as someone who’s steadily growing in his walk with the Lord and sharing what I’m discovering along the way. With that being said, there’s some good advice on prayer and meditation in Richard J. Foster’s book “Celebration of Discipline” which also inspired the tip below, and what I’m just beginning to practice.

Find (or even better, create) time to be with the Lord in prayer; whatever comes to mind about absolutely anything in your life, tell Him about it. You may be thinking , “He already knows” (and you’d be right), but He wants to hear it from you. He wants you to trust Him to share everything about your life, past and present! How you present what you remember about your life is up to you. For me, I started telling Him about every girl I’ve ever had a crush on, then I moved on to the deepest desires of my heart as a kid.

To cement the importance of a relationship I refer you to what Bill Wiese said at the 53 minute mark of his testimony above, “You have no right [to move into God’s Kingdom with no relationship].” Also from John Bevere’s book Killing Kryptonite, “‘Then what is the thing I should seek for the most? What is first in importance?’ I heard the answer so clearly, ‘To know Me intimately.'” (251)

Homosexuality vs. God’s Word

The Canadian Parliament recently passed a law that nullifies the statute of criminalizing gay sex and homosexuality and reverses all convictions therein. While I do not believe that criminalizing such acts is the right course of action, I cannot and will not support gay sex or homosexuality. Today’s societal norms are far more accepting of homosexuals as equals under the law than in previous generations. They go so far as to convince churches that gay behavior is acceptable.

Homosexual attraction—a feeling of attraction toward a person of the same gender—is not a sin because we are not held responsible for our feelings or desires; we are held responsible for acting on those desires. While lust (mentally embracing and meditating on those desires for sin), pornography, and sexual actions outside marriage are sinful, the attraction, desire, or feeling is not. When I was in high school, and even up until a few years ago, I was also in favor of homosexuality because of my politically based belief in our country’s freedoms.

Recently, however, I have come to change my beliefs. I have come to a point in my life where my internal standards have shifted such that I no longer live for anything of this world, but rather for God’s eternal Kingdom of righteousness. I have even heard many believers cite Scripture of the Old Testament, using it to justify to others that homosexuality is now okay because that was a different era. The reason I am changing my decision is because of what is clearly stated in the Old and New Testaments, with supporting evidence found within current testimonies of visions of hell given by the Lord Jesus Christ.

1st Scripture: “26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”-Romans 1:26-27

2nd Scripture: “8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality…”-1 Timothy 1:8-10

3rd Scripture: “9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men”-1 Corinthians 6:9

4th Scripture: “22 “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”-Leviticus 18:22

5th Scripture: “13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”-Leviticus 20:13

The Church is to love as Christ loves, therefore, we are to love the sinner but hate the sin. That being said the Lord Jesus Christ is not coming back for a financially prosperous church or a compromising church, as are many churches in America which condone homosexuality, He is coming back for an obedient and Holy (which means “sacred, divine, like God”) church, one that keeps His commandments and endures to the end.

Is Life Vanity?

I’ve lived in College Station over four and a half years now. From the time I got here, I’ve been attending Breakaway Ministries, a weekly non-denominational Bible study that meets on the campus of Texas A&M. Breakaway brings in about 3,000–5,000 students each week during the fall and spring semesters for worship and study of the Scripture. Opening night each semester brings in on average 10,000–12,000 students. Breakaway also has a large online audience each week.

In spring 2017, we studied the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. It was likely written by King Solomon, who is considered to be one of the wisest men to ever live. He examines in-depth everything that the common person believes will bring lasting meaning, satisfaction, and fulfillment to our lives… and then flips it on its head!

There are two big truths that I have discovered in my study of this book: 1) God is good, perfect, and infinitely loving. As a specific example, I believe God allowed the Preacher to experience all the challenges of his life so that he could be an example to us. The Preacher’s example would help us steer clear of having to go through the same difficult experiences—or at the very least, that we would recognize the pointlessness of such endeavors.

The fact that God not only guided him through his travails, but also inspired him to become a preacher on our behalf, confirms to me just how loving and all-knowing He is.

2) This book has a hidden blessing: To show the reader what the wants and desires of this world bring us, and where they lead us in the end.

A perfect metaphor that illustrates where the desire for worldly things will lead us is the Dead Sea, which borders Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. Just as there are no natural outlets there, the blind pursuit of worldly things leads to a dead end where there is no free and healthy circulation of life. This is what happens when we live primarily to consume the things of this world and never give back.

This book could also be appropriately titled “Vanity” since the word is mentioned thirty-eight times. So, there must be some part of life that is utter vanity—but what?

In complete honesty, I was about to write out every instance where a vain feat had been set out, but I thought twice about it. So what I will do is give you a brief summary of the theme of each feat. Each vain task was rooted in selfishness or want in one form or another, and the author expounded on everything one could conceive of to an exponential degree.

What’s even more fascinating about Ecclesiastes is the author’s conclusion in chapter 12, verses 13 through 14:

13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

So back to the title question, is life vanity? If you only live for yourself and the pleasures of this world, yes. If you love and serve the Lord and your fellow neighbor, give to the poor, live for His coming Kingdom, and obey His commandments… then the answer is unequivocally, no!