Church Hypocrisy

This past Sunday April 16th I heard a sermon where the Pastor felt the need to apologize to unbelievers who may have been sitting in the congregation and those who may have been watching online. He did this because of the hypocrisy of Christians toward them - the unsaved. He said many unbelievers will not attend church due to Christians two-faced lifestyle. While I have to admit that many “Christians” live hypocritically, it is unfair to write a blank check and label all Christians hypocrites. A lot of us are living holy and faithful (never perfect) lives before God and man. 

I want to analyze some reasons why unbelievers do not attend church.

1. True worship and Bible teaching will convict them

·       The last thing a sinful person wants is to feel bad about the life they’re living. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). 

A person that is hostile toward God and His children is unwilling to sit still long enough to hear the word of God, have the Lord open their hearts to receive God’s love that is contained in His word

2.           They do not love God

·  The unredeemed hate God and the things of God for they love themselves. 2 Timothy 3:4 says evil people love pleasure and themselves rather than be lovers of God

3.           They are enemies of God

·         The Bible regards the unsaved as sons of disobedience and children of wrath in Ephesians 2:2-3. This is similar to what John the Baptist said regarding those who are not in Christ. He said the wrath of God abides on them (John 3:36). That means because they are enemies of God, God is angry with them

 

Actually, the unbeliever will attend a church that is user friendly. In other words, they will go to a church that has a concert atmosphere. They will play secular music with worldly theatrics so that the lost sinner can feel “comfortable.” The gospel message isn’t preached so there is no conviction of sin and salvation doesn’t occur. You are not commanded to repent of your sins and turn to God. The mass deception is the attendees believe they have received the best of both worlds. You attend “church” and you get a free concert experience in the name of Jesus. WOW! Two worlds for the price of one.

Truth be told, many of the lost will not attend Church because they simply do not want to. Church to them is dry and boring. They get nothing out of it. Many will attend Church if they are entertained. They want a performer rather than a responsible God fearing Bible teaching Pastor. I believe labeling the Christian as a hypocrite sounds to them like a legitimate reason to avoid the house of God.  For many unbelievers branding Christians hypocrites is their escape route not to face their own evil ways.

 

We do not need to apologize to the world

For a Pastor or any Christian to apologize to the unsaved is unnecessary. All we owe them is love and respect (Romans 13:8). That is something that they do not give to the Church - and especially not to the Lord. I am not saying the Church’s hands are always clean or have been clean throughout history. The biggest indictment against the Church to my knowledge was the Crusades during the eleventh to thirteenth centuries A.D. During that time wars were fought to reclaim lands - mainly Jerusalem that had been stolen by Arab Muslims. Just because many said these were Christians who committed these atrocities, doesn’t mean they were actually Christians. Many of them were Roman Catholics who fought.

If we are talking person to person then of course we as believers should apologize to a non-believer if we have wronged them. They should do the same toward us out of mutual respect. But corporate apologizing I completely disagree. There is no Biblical support for that.

The lost have and currently mock, persecute and murder Christians around the world. Are they willing to apologize for their sins? Of course not. The lost are also hypocrites everyday. They want to save the planet but kill the unborn. They are unfaithful to their spouses. Many of them hate the traditional family and promote LGBTQIA+ rights and same sex unions and marriage which is an affront to Almighty God. When we call it wrong, then we are labeled “phobic.”

Hmmmm…I thought the world said we are not to judge. Isn’t calling Christians “phobic” judging? Just sayin!

The lost bow their knees and worship at the altar of tolerance. In God’s eyes it is sin. There are two forces at work here. The kingdom of light vs the kingdom of darkness. It makes no sense for the Bride of Christ to apologize to the bride of the devil (John 8:44).

Admonition to the Church

Because of the complaints of the lost which some are legitimate, we need to check ourselves and tighten our spiritual belts so that we are better witnesses for Christ. 

Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields and compromises his integrity before the wicked.”

We must watch our conduct so that when the world attacks us for our faith they will be ashamed because their fiery darts will not land and burn us with guilt. 

1 Peter 3:15-17 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. Having a good conscience so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (i.e. being a hypocrite).

So to us as believers, let's stop being Pharisees and love our unsaved neighbors - not bowing down to their godless lifestyles, but not put unrealistic moral burdens on them that we are not even willing to handle ourselves. Do you expect an unsaved person to come to the house of God and not be who they are? They’re an unregenerate sinner. We all were one once too![1] Lets show compassion. For it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4;2 Timothy 2:25).

And to some Pastors and some religious “Christian celebrities” who feel the need to apologize to the unsaved, you’re out of pocket. Our job is to evangelize the lost so they will have the opportunity to repent of their sins, not apologize to them. To do so is to make the Church look weak. It's not hateful to condemn the homosexual, lesbian, queer, transgender, CRT and woke lifestyles, etc. As long as you provide the right Biblical reasons for that condemnation. To excuse it is sin; that is the epitome of Church hypocrisy.[2] Remember, the Church is the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16).

You can’t truly love someone if you do not tell them the truth. 

 

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[1] I need to express this caveat. Some people who are unchurched will put on their “moral hat” because they are in Church. They will exercise some respect-meaning they will leave their dirty lifestyle outdoors. Now for those who refuse to respect God’s house and defy the rules should be removed from the assembly. Just like we would not allow anyone to disrespect the rules in our own house, we cannot allow anyone to disrespect the rules in the Lord’s house.

[2] The last thing we want to do is think the unbeliever is off the hook for their sin. Apologizing to them on behalf of the Church for their ungodly lifestyle is exactly the message some are tragically sending. The apologizing must be made to the one who is the most offended of all, God Almighty.

 

Can These Bones Live?

A lament of the bankrupt soul

Breathe on me now Lord please renew my soul

Like you rose Lazarus from the grave

Display your power on me afresh for my inner man is a corpse

Dead man walking due to countless sins 

I see but I’m blind, I hear but I’m deaf

Quicken me now give me a new heart for the one that beats now is calcified 

Compel me to seek your way to delight in your laws

Shower me with your grace

Can these bones live oh Lord you know Naturally living yet spiritually dead 

My depravity is perfect as the Canaanite of old

Be pleased to save a wretch like me

Can these bones live the wind of your Spirit must hasten 

My transgressions necessitate your power

 For I was in born in sin shapen in iniquity I’m stillborn in spirit

All things are possible with the great I AM

You produce mighty works in me

My being is alive I’m among the elect What you’ve begun you’ll complete in me

They laugh at my affliction hopeless to save they say 

A fool petitions a God he can’t see

  Enduring a faith battle the whole life long 

Be pleased as I struggle to enter your glory

Praise God! A crown awaits me

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Written March 14th, 2023

House Money

      Careless of that which is not your own

Frivolous spender of the Master’s charity

Foolhardy you are sands of time falling swiftly

Expiration is near will you return to sender

Realize your time here is on loan

Will you use it prudently or cast lots with idols

The Almighty is watching do you value His trust in you

 Did He waste His time on you

What will you do with my Lord's house money

What Is the Gap Theory?

 The Gap Theory is the idea that between Genesis 1:1-2 there was a gap in time - some believe millions or perhaps billions of years. The reason for this idea is because of one word, the word “and." The verses read, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And verse two, and the earth was without form and void and darkness covered the face the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Tragically a false theology has been built on the one-word and. Proponents of the gap theory or gappists some call them, also have said that between these verses a cataclysm happened, a flood, Lucifer's flood as a result of him being kicked out of heaven. It is also believed this is when the dinosaurs died which resulted in all the fossils. This of course is impossible because if that were true, then you have death before sin entered into the world. Bible clearly teaches death is a result of sin (Romans 5:12).Also, why would God call what He created very good if disease, bloodshed and death had already occurred (Genesis 1:4,10,18,25,31)?

Gappists because of their misconception of a fall in verse two believe the word was means became. They also hold the erroneous view that the words formless and void are there to prove a catastrophe took place. The words formless and void in Hebrew are tohu and bohu. They mean the earth was unformed and unfilled, not that it was formless and void because of some prior destruction. God was dealing with a blank canvas and in six days He created the heavens and earth (i.e., the Universe). Gappists see verse one of Genesis as the creation and verse two as a re-creation because of their misinterpretation of the words formless and void.

This is how the word breaks everything down to disprove the gap theory. First, the word and in Hebrew at the beginning of verse two is either the letter W or V so it is spelled either waw or vav. It has several meanings: ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘now’ and ‘then’. And [(KJV) (waw)] the earth was without form and void (once again these words mean unformed and unfilled). The word and is a conjunction that according to a Grammarian by the name of Gesenius[i] (1786 – 1842) is what is called a ‘waw explicative’ which means serve to explain. It’s also described as ‘waw explanatory’ meaning verse two is explaining verse one – the earth was formless and void. The conjunction and at the beginning of verse two is not describing and undesignated period of time. If that were true, a verb would have followed the conjunction and making it a ‘waw consecutive’ instead of a ‘waw explicative’. The conjunction and in verse two is explicative because the noun earth follows it.

The word/conjunction and is a ‘waw consecutive’ in verses 3,6,9,14,20 and 24 because it connected to the verb said as in “and God said”… These verses clearly speak of time sequence. With each verse mentioned a new day occurs clearly indicating time is passing. In verse two there is no time elapsing between it and verse one. Again, verse two is describing the condition of the earth that God created in verse one – it was formless and void.

Another problem with the gap theory is that if the six days of creation are not actual 24-hour days but allegory or day-age, the Israelites / Hebrews would have never been able to keep the sabbath which was codified in the 10 commandments, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it (Exodus 20:11). God set a pattern for His people that they were to work six days and the seventh day, the Sabbath rest.

The gap theory attempts to destroy the Biblical truth of a six-day creation. Secondly, it comes up with the erroneous idea that between Genesis 1:1 and verse 2 there was a gap of millions / billions of years which no one can prove from the Bible. Third, gappists view verse two as a re-creation instead of the initial creation. Verse two cannot be separated from verse one as I explained earlier.

The gap theory only makes sense if one is an evolutionist. Evolution in relation to the creation is an impossibility and illogical. The formula for evolution is nothing times nobody equals everything. Evolution says we have an effect without a cause which is impossible.

 

My salvation does not hinge upon a correct view of the creation, does it?

Some do not make a big deal on how the universe was formed. In other words, the creation narrative is not important to some. As long as they believe in Jesus that is all that matters right? Here’s where people can and do get into trouble. If one does not believe in Biblical creation truth and treat it as allegory and not historical, then you have compromised God’s word. If we compromise here, what else are we willing to compromise in holy scripture, the flood, the exodus of the Hebrews out of Egypt,  the reality of hell which Jesus taught (Mark 9:42-48)? Or the most important events in human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Point being, if people are discounting the creation which is at the beginning of God’s revelation, why should anyone believe any portion of the Bible? All of scripture is true from Genesis to Revelation (Proverbs 30:5-6).

For more information on the Gap Theory vs Creation. I recommend this site: www.answersingenesis.org[ii]   

 

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[i] http://gloriouschurch.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-waw-conjunctions-of

[ii] Also take a look at the 4-part book series Answers in Genesis. Ken Ham is the general editor

Was Jesus a Black Man?

 The reason I ask the question is because of Revelation 1:12-15. It reads, “Then I (the apostle John) turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands, I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice the sound of many waters."

”A similar description appears in the book of Daniel 10:4-6, “On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was on the bank of the great river Hiddekel (which is the Tigris), I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose loins were girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. His body was also beryl

[i], his face had the appearance of lighting, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms, and feet like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words was the noise of a multitude.”

Scholars believe what Daniel saw was what is called a Christophany; a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.

Black activists like Israelite United in Christ and the Black Israelites and others have concluded based on two descriptions; hair like wool, and feet like bronze that Jesus was black.  That gives them pride that the Messiah is a man of color. What I find interesting is that the other descriptions said His head and His hair were white like wool. If Jesus were black based on these descriptions, why would you describe a black man with a white face or head? Remember this is a vision of the resurrected Christ. In another vision, John sees Christ as a lamb that was slain. Here Jesus is described with seven horns and seven eyes. So based on the vision, Jesus is some bizarre looking beast if one takes the vision literally.  Are we to take this description literally, or are we take it symbolically (Revelation 5:6)?

This is a classic case of eisegesis. This is when someone manipulates a text of scripture to make it say what they want it to say. In other words, one reads into the text what they want with their presuppositions and biases. This is the opposite of exegesis, interpreting the text by its original context.

The vision that John and Daniel saw was Jesus coming in His glory as judge. His face and hair appeared white because His face shined like the sun. Just because Revelation 1:14 says His hair was white like wool does not mean his hair was wooly or coarse which is often the texture of black people's hair.

So, I guess for many non-white people if Jesus was white, He would be rejected based on the color of His skin. That is what we call racism today. At the end of the day Jesus’ skin color is not relevant. He is the only Savior of the world. Despite His ethnicity, all must believe on Him for eternal life (John 14:6).

Finally, here is the wisdom of the Lord in Exodus 20:4, You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Point being is that when one makes any image of what Christ supposedly looks like, they become enamored with that image. It becomes their idol – whether they make Him black or white.

This matter is discussed in the movie Malcolm X played by Denzel Washington. Denzel portraying Malcolm is having a debate with the chaplain. The chaplain is claiming God/Jesus is white based on the portraits we see all over the world. Denzel-Malcolm is arguing that Jesus is a man of color based on Revelation 1:14-15, and where Jesus was born and lived - a region where people have darker skin; what we call the middle east, Israel. While I do not agree that one can use Revelation 1:14-15 as a proof text to determine Jesus' skin tone, Denzel's argument wins the debate against the chaplain in my opinion. Here’s the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU7V5NXdSkI

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[i] Beryl comes in different colors: Green, pink, blue, yellow, colorless. Perhaps Daniel sees this man (Christ) sparkling like a

Precious jewel.

 

What Is anti-Semitism?

I would imagine to most of the known world to be anti-Semitic means one has

hatred or is racist toward Jews. The word/phrase anti-Semitic does not appear

In the Bible. Reportedly it is an invented word that came into the English language

around 1879 by a man named Wilhelm Marr (1819-1904).[i] Wilhelm was convinced Jews were a threat In Germany and had to be eliminated during his time. Jews were considered inferior. He wrote an essay entitled: “Der Weg zum Siege des Germanenthums uber das Judenthum. (“The Way to Victory of Germanicism over Judaism”) The Anti-Semitism phrase caught on as new word phrases often do and it has been used to express hostility and or hatred toward Jews ever since.

 

Let us go back in history to see where the word comes from.

 

The prefix anti means against. The word Semite is a derivative of the Biblical name Shem. Shem was one of the Sons of Noah. These are the descendants of Shem:

 

And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. The sons of Shem were Elam (Elamites), Asshur (Ancient name for Assyria), Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram (Arameans/Syrians). The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. To Eber (where we get the name Hebrew[ii]) were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations (Genesis 10:21-31).

 We have another genealogy regarding Shem in Genesis 11. Abram (later Abraham) is a descendant of Shem (Genesis 11:26).

 From Shem we get what is called the Semitic languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Babylonian, Assyrian, Sabean, Ugaritic, Syrian, Phoenician, Canaanite, Samaritan, Akkadian, Ethiopic, et al.

 

 

So, for one to reference anti-Semitism as hatred to Jews alone is too narrow. As history clearly reveals, Semitic peoples[iii] covered North Africa, Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and parts of Turkey along with Lebanon and Israel.

The man Shem is also the physical blood ancestor of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:23-38). Jesus according to the flesh is a Semite and a Hebrew from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5).

 

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[i] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/wilhelm-marr

[ii] The word Hebrew means the other side or one who crosses over. Abraham was the first man to be called a Hebrew because he crossed over the river (The Euphrates). Abraham and is his family were immigrants in Canaan (Genesis 12:5;14:13); https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/what-does-the-word-hebrew-mean/

[iii] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Semitic-languages

Partakers Of The Divine Nature

 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us great and precious promises, so that through them you may be partakers in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world by evil desires.”                                                                                                                                                    - 2 Peter 1:3-4

I pondered this verse wondering what it means. Can we as sinful humans be partakers of God’s holy nature? Seems impossible. One commentator said that regarding our partaking is “that we do not become God, but we possess the righteousness that comes from God and share fellowship with the Godhead.”             

It is true. We who are in Christ are partakers of God’s nature because we are born again. It is the only way we can be accepted as children of God. Without God’s Holy Spirit we are dead husks. Understand the reason we have God’s Spirit is so that we can conform into Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). We were saved not to live unto ourselves, but to be holy and blameless in Christ (Ephesians 1:4).  

Being partakers of the divine nature means we have been transformed. We have gone from death to life. Wickedness to righteousness. From spiritual darkness to children of light (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13;2 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 12:36). As partakers of the divine nature, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. The old man has died with his deeds. God has retrofitted the new man and woman to serve God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The work of the new man is to always meditate on God’s word so that the truths of scripture do not become and dull and lose their vigor in one’s life. God’s word is the power unto salvation and that same word is what continues to cause us to look more like Christ when applied to our lives. I heard one person say a long time ago, “wisdom is knowledge applied.”  How does that axiom apply to us as believers? When we read and understand the word of God that is knowledge. When we put Godly knowledge to practice in our lives that is wisdom or being wise. Proverbs 1:7 says, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

As partakers of the divine nature, we have been lavishly graced. God has lovingly favored us with His own Spirit! This was an easy gift for God to give to us because Christ did the hard work when He died for our sins. In Romans 8:31 Paul says, “what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?”

Because of Jesus we have an eternal relationship with the Godhead and all the Saints forever.