Where is this coming from?

Acts 28 contains an interesting set of events. Paul was part of a shipwreck while he was being transported to Rome. The crew and all the prisoners ended up on the Island of Malta, and the natives received them warmly (verse 2). When Paul went to gather some sticks, a viper fastened itself to his hand (verse 3). Notice the reaction of the natives.

The text tells us that when the natives saw that Paul had been bitten, they thought, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow him to live,” (verse 4). Where did this idea come from? To some people, it must certainly mean something that a man survived a shipwreck and swam to shore only to be bitten by a venomous snake bite him. To the people of Malta, it seemed obvious that Paul is guilty.

Paul shook off the viper into the fire, and his hand did not swell up. The people of Malta then reasoned that Paul was a god (verse 5-6). Again, to some people it certainly must mean something that a person who already survived the shipwreck could also survive the snake bite. To the people of Malta, it seemed obvious that Paul must be a god if he could endure the bite without even any swelling.

Reading this text reminds me of Ephesians 4:14. This is where the brethren were told not to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. The people on the island of Malta were all over the map with their reasoning. They were too quick to draw conclusions, just as we see many people do today. Here is why people often think the way they do:

Their beliefs are not based upon fact. Whether superstitions or the traditions of men, people can easily convince themselves of things. Regardless of the conclusion, these ideas all come from the mind of man. In other words, they believe whatever they want (Matt. 15:9; 16:13-14). When you push people about where their beliefs come from, you will usually find that the ideas came from man and not the Lord.

They were impatient and wanted to believe quickly without inquiring. This is why Paul used children as an example in Ephesians 4. Christians were told not to be like children being tossed to and fro. Children are quick to believe and trust blindly. This is exactly what happened with the people of Malta when the viper bit Paul. They did not even ask Paul why he did not swell. Clearly, we need to ask (Matt. 7:7). We can have the truth if we seek it (John 8:32). It is far easier to just believe what everyone else does rather than verifying it.

 Their “logic” excluded other possibilities. The people of Malta concluded that Paul was a murderer and then that Paul was a god, yet neither were true. Rather than investigating, the conclusions were drawn quickly (and erroneously). This is a common problem today as well. People believe things to the point that their minds are closed, and there is no room for discussion. Without a willingness to consider other viewpoints, the odds of coming to a proper conclusion are zero! This is what our Savior was taught when He was punished: “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” (John 18:23).  Jesus was not rejecting the idea of being accused – He was rightfully demanding that it be proven.

They did not know any better. We should not be surprised when people believe falsehoods. The text in Acts 28 reveals that Paul healed and helped many people on Malta (verse 8). Eventually, Paul was able to talk about the God of heaven and how He gets the glory. It was never about Paul, and he knew that. Just because man does not know better does not mean they are without excuse – they all need to hear the truth (Rom. 10:14-16).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Chuck

Did Jesus care?

Jesus was on the cross next to two thieves, yet he only told one of them “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Imagine hanging on a cross near death, yet you hear the other person being told they would be with the Lord in paradise. Do you feel sorry for that thief? Jesus certainly did, since He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” (verse 34). That statement includes the second thief.

This article was sparked by a call I received this week. My mom was upset with the news that her sister’s husband died (my uncle Eric). I called my aunt Pat and expressed my condolences, but I found myself struggling with ways to offer comfort as I know the fate of those who do not care to follow the Lord – just as that thief.

Just as the Lord does not desire any to perish (II Pet. 3:9), we as His children should feel the same. That being said, many people will act like the harsh thief and refuse to turn to the Lord. Should we really feel sorry for someone who neglected such an opportunity? The answer is both yes and no.

It is terrible that anyone would choose the world’s broad way over the Lord’s narrow way. The unrepentant thief “got what was coming to him.” However, just because the faithful get to go to heaven does not mean they are getting what they deserve. No one deserves heaven. It was made possible by mercy and grace (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5). Even though we have loved ones that refuse to follow Jesus and leave this world unprepared, we still feel sorry for them.

My uncle went to Home Depot and bought some tile. He laid the second tile when he said he felt tired and needed to sit down. That was the last breath he took. We never know when we shall spend our last moments upon this earth. Let us do all we can to make sure we are prepared and have compassion on the lost. If you are not right with the Lord, take care of it immediately. Jesus does care! 

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How can we handle torment?

How many of us can identify with what Lot went through? Peter tells us that he was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the world (II Pet. 2:7).  The apostle went on to say that by living among worldly people, Lot “tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds” (verse 8). We can imagine how bad Lot felt seeing the corruption around him daily.

The interesting thing about what this godly man faced is what it reveals about the Lord. Peter’s thought concludes that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,” (verse 9). This lesson poses a challenge for us. Do we handle the wickedness around us as our Lord wants? Here are some thoughts to consider about living in a world of darkness.

Never get comfortable with sin

Let’s be honest – the day we begin to feel nothing concerning the sin all around us is the day we start to engage in it. Does this really happen? Can someone become numb to sin and then eventually start participating too? Certainly! What if a person becomes numb to sin but does not join in? This is also wrong! The Roman brethren were given a long list of sins to avoid. Then, they were told that any who “[know] the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32). Essentially, we approve sin if we know better and yet do not challenge it. 

Do not invite it into your home

If a person does not approve of foul language, sexual immorality or drunkenness, would you be wise to invite these things into your home and enjoy them? This happens all the time when families gather around the TV and watches a movie that is full of sin. John warned of this: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds,” (II John 10). There is no doubt that if a guest in their home started to cuss or tell dirty jokes, Christian parents would ask the person to stop. Yet this happens in most TV sitcoms today!

Keep the disgust alive

Christ Jesus never felt comfortable with sin. This did not stop Him from being around sinners – He even ate with them (Mark 2:16). Even so, the Lord’s disgust for transgression remained strong. Recall how He overturned the tables of the money changers and drove them out of the temple (Matt. 21:12-13). There is nothing wrong with disliking the ungodly behavior around us. Truthfully, when was the last time you were not exposed to any sin? I am not suggesting that our daily lives are as bad as what Lot faced. We do not have people coming to our home and demanding that our guests commit evil acts with them. Still, this does not make the sin we encounter daily any less evil.

Seek God’s deliverance

Just as He showed with Lot, God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation (I Cor. 10:13). If we do not abide by the first three points of this article though, then we are “not so godly” and thus should not expect to be delivered. A classic line applies here– God helps those who help themselves. When the Lord’s ways are on our minds, we can make a conscious effort to seek Him. We can have victory if we come out from the world and live differently (II Cor. 6:17-18). Lot lived in Sodom, yet he did not live like those around him – what about us?

                                                               Chuck

It is nothing new

Some people today insist that the way they treat their fellow people has no bearing on their relationship with God. There is something seriously wrong with this attitude. How we treat others is directly related to our relationship with our Father in heaven.

John, the apostle wrote that “if someone says. ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also,” (I John 4:20-21). I realize this is hard for people to accept. After all, it is easy to love a family member and hate someone who is not. I am not saying this is right. My point is that it is easy and sometimes even tempting to justify hating those who are distant or different from us..

John clearly teaches that this concept goes beyond our earthly relationships. To have fellowship with our God, we MUST comply with His desires by walking in the light (I John 1:3-7). Because our relationship with our Creator is directly related to our relationships with others, we must pay attention to how we treat everyone.

It might seem odd that I could miss heaven because I did not treat someone the way the Lord wanted me to. This lesson can be easier to understand if we use an earthly example. It is understandable for a wife to be upset with her husband if he wants nothing to do with her parents. He might tell her, “Honey I love you, but I just do not care for them.” Is she happy with that? Of course not.

The two greatest commands for Christians are “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…and, love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37, 39). It is easy to see how all Christian commands can be accomplished by first following these two. May we all remember that we show our God how much we love Him by also loving man in the way He has instructed us to.

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Neither the church or this country

are meant to be Israel

Now that the election has come and gone, I do not want to get into politics. However, it is vital for Christians to see the necessity of the separation of church and state. Many religious people want the United States to become like Israel of old. An examination of the New Testament leaves us with a necessary conclusion though – we will not succeed in creating a religious nation like the Israel was.

Genesis 12:1-3 contains the promises given to Abraham. One stated that a great nation (Israel) would be created out of his seed. They were promised a land, which was fulfilled during the time of Joshua (Josh. 23:14).  This nation of God’s people eventually had their own kings to rule over them – God was not pleased with this (I Sam. 8:4-7).

The ultimate purpose of these promises was revealed in the third one. Namely, someone great (Christ) would come from the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:10-29). Our Savior was not coming to build a physical nation like Israel. As a matter of fact, Jesus fled when people tried to take Him by force to make Him their king (John 6:15).  Nor was it His plan for the church to become a government for the people.

Few religious people today want the church to become an earthly government for all people, but many want the government to be religiously-based like Israel’s was.  Remember, Israel was guided by the Old Law and was expected to enforce it to the letter. Those who broke that law were punished. Is this viable today?

On the surface, this might seem like a good thing. If all government leaders including the President were Christians, we could do away with abortions and homosexual marriages as the Bible calls for. Great! However, we could not stop there. To be consistent, we would have to enact laws to punish every kind of sin. Would we arrest those who buy and sell liquor? All those who gamble? All those who commit fornication and adultery? Would pornographers be thrown in prison? What about those who curse, dress immodestly, lie, gossip, hate, and envy – do we throw them in jail too?

Do not get me wrong – abortion is murder, and murder is sin (Gal. 5:21). I would like for it to stop. As a matter of fact, I want everyone to stop all sin because of the consequences (Rom. 6:23). If our government were tasked with punishing sin though, this government would not work. If we follow the idea to its logical conclusion, this government would ultimately be tasked with trying to read people’s hearts. Only God can do this (1 Sam. 16:7, Prov. 21:2 Heb. 10:30).

Furthermore, who would decide how to correctly interpret and apply Bible verses? The religious division around us clearly shows that a single, centralized, earthly religious organization is unworkable.

If a forcibly “Christian government” is not workable, then what should Christians seek in government? To start, some nations give more earthly freedoms and rights than others. As Christians, we should want people in all 195 countries around the world to be able to worship God and live lives pleasing to Him.

There is a purpose of government. We are to respect it just like Christ did (Matt. 22:21).  As law-abiding citizens, we can expect to generally live quiet and peaceable lives (I Tim. 2:1-2). There may be times when we will suffer for being Christians (I Pet. 4:16), but this does not mean that we should seek to overthrow the government. Let us recognize the value in keeping Christ’s church out of the government, so to speak, and instead focus on serving the Lord directly.

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