Note: Here is a follow up article from my blog I had written on the subject of “Abstinence.” As you read this article, here is a new term you will need to know:
Polyamory (Greek word, “poly,” meaning “many” or “several” and Latin word, “amor” meaning, “love”). Thus it refers to the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.
In my blog, I wrote about the spiritual ramifications if abstinence is not practiced. In the article below, Chuck Colson describes the political and social side. Enjoy the insight.
In a recent edition of his "Breakpoint" commentary, Chuck Colson talked about a recent landmark study demonstrating that abstinence programs are the most effective sex-education available: "The study was undertaken by University of Pennsylvania professor John Jemmott III. [Six hundred sixty-two] young girls were randomly assigned to one of five groups, including a control group. Some kids were taught contraceptive-based 'safe sex' education; others were taught to delay having sex; some girls were given a comprehensive message that included contraceptive information. Others were given general health messages about diet and exercise.
"The result? Girls who received the abstinence-only message were far less likely to begin having sex than those given 'safe sex' messages--33 percent to 52 percent--far less likely than any of the other categories. That's a huge difference.
"The response to the study--which made the front page of the Washington Post--was muted, to say the least...The truth is--and this may shock you--many in the anti-abstinence crowd really don't care if 'safe sex' messages work or not. For these folks, sex ed has never been about the prevention of premarital sex, pregnancy and disease. It's about indoctrination into a Freudian worldview.
"In Touchstone magazine, Patrick Fagan writes that the culture of the traditional family, based on life-long monogamy, is competing with another culture--one that is polyamorous in nature. 'In the culture of monogamy,' he writes, 'men are anchored in their families and tied to their children and wives, through the free and deliberate focus of their sexuality.' By contrast, the culture of polyamory treasures sexual license. In fact, Fagan writes, any attempt to constrain sex 'would be the antithesis of the main project of the culture of polyamory'--sexual relations when you want, with whomever you want.
"That's why the culture of polyamory attempts to control childhood education, sex education and adolescent health programs. This control, Fagan warns, 'enables the polyamory culture to reach into the traditional monogamy culture and gradually dismantle it.'
"This is why--especially in light of the findings of this important new study--parents need to keep a close eye on what their kids are being taught. Better still, we should supplement those teachings at home with teachings that reflect the truth--that sexuality is designed not to be thrown away on one partner after another, but to nurture a deep and abiding bond between husband and wife. And teaching this works."
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The True Object of Worship
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh – Matt. 2:9-11 NIV
I read this passage last night and just had to comment on it. The story is about the Magi who were in search of Jesus by following a star that God had provided. At this time, Joseph had taken his family from a stable to a house where they lived until God instructed them to move elsewhere.
The passage above states that at this time, while in the house, “the Child was with His mother, Mary.” The Magi heard Herod’s lies about how he wanted to worship the Child and went on their way following God rather than the wicked king.
Now here is the part this refreshed me: Jesus is with His mother, Mary, right? So when the Magi enter Joseph’s home and see Jesus with His mother, Mary, what did they do?
1. They rejoiced (v. 10).
2. They assumed the posture of submission – “they bowed down”
3. They worshiped Jesus
4. They offered their gifts
So what is so significant about this? Mary, the mother of Jesus was not at all the object of their worship. Remember, the Child is with Mary His mother. But the Magi knew enough to know who to venerate. They knew enough that of the two – Jesus and Mary, Jesus was to be the object of their worship and not Mary.
Now I am not interested in doing a Catholic bashing, but this needs to be pointed out. What is all this “Hail Mary” sort of thing anyway, where a typical Catholic takes out his or her prayer beads and prays to the virgin Mary?
The commonly held teachings of Mariology can be derived from her function as Mother of God (Theotokos), a term first used around 320 and formally approved by the Council of Ephesus in 431. Mary worshipers argue that Mary, who enabled God the Savior to be born, has a position more exalted than any other creature. She is the Queen of Heaven. She is often pictured in heaven giving advice to her Son!
Moreover, since her motherhood was indispensable to God’s redemptive activity, Mary is essential to the final, spiritual perfection of every creature. Although Mary was not involved in the original physical creation, Mary is, in this ultimate sense, the Mother of God’s Creatures. This includes being Mother of Humans, a title found in Ambrose but popularized around 1100, and Mother of Angels, a term first found in the thirteenth century.
Mariolatry is still widely practiced and growing stronger. The leaders of the Catholic Church are doing a grave disservice to scores of their parishioners by venerating Mary over the sinless Son of God.
The Magi, the so-called wise men from the east and experts in the study of stars knew better in focusing own worship on the correct object.
Again, while together in the same room – both Jesus and Mary, the Magi bowed down and worship Jesus only presenting Him with their gifts and Mary was not even in the picture. Can it be more clearer than that? The worship of Mary is what happens when people believe that the bible is not enough in terms of giving us adequate information, but we also need to rely on church tradition and church authority – i.e. so-called wise men.
For us Christians, worship is always about Jesus – nothing less. Jesus is the focus and sole object of our worship. We believe Mary to be a good woman, a chosen vessel by God the Father to bring His Son into the world, a sinner like the rest of us (cf. Luke 1:46-47); and who ceased to be a virgin after Jesus had been born (Matt. 1:25).
For us Christians, we know who to worship. And we also know that worshiping Jesus is a matter of the heart. Below is a very insightful story contributed by Bill Hall that I want to pass along.
For years I have seen and heard about the division in churches over "correct" and "incorrect" forms of worship. I have seen it all from "you shouldn't smile in church because you should fear the Lord" to the Ringling Brothers Circus service. Each group seems to think the other has missed the mark and are often very uncomfortable worshipping together.
In the midst of one church crisis concerning this issue, I prayed, "Father, how should we worship You?" He answered using my own children to make the point.
The kids had been away at Grandma's house for a few days, and I missed them terribly. On my way home from work, all I could think about was seeing them. As soon as the front door slammed behind me I heard the sound I had longed for. The sound of small feet on the wood floor—my children were coming to greet me.
The first to arrive was Alex—my soon-to-be four year old. He was running and jumping and yelling, "Daddy's home, daddy's home!" He ran to me with arms open and hugged my legs as hard as he could. I bent down and told him how much I loved him and had missed him. He gave me a kiss and was off to other adventures.
Following closely was Anthony, my seventeen-month old. He filled the house with a steady "Dada, dada, dada, dada." As he neared, he looked up at me and raised his hands as high as they would go as a sign for me to pick him up. When I did he took my face in his hands and looked deeply into my eyes for a moment, then patted my face and kissed me like only a toddler can. The squirming that followed was his signal that our special moment was over, and in a flash he was gone.
Austin, my five-year-old, was not to be found in this parade, so I conducted an immediate search of the house. Alone in his room he sat, tears rolling down his cheeks. He had done something he knew was wrong and was fearing the worst upon my arrival. As he talked about what he had done, he began to cry uncontrollably, saying, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry." I felt as if I couldn't pick him up fast enough. I hugged and kissed him repeatedly and told him that I forgave him and would always love him no matter what. In no time we were playing and laughing as usual.
Each child's response to my presence was correct considering their circumstance. It was honest and from the heart.
How should we worship in church? The answer will most likely change from week to week but can always be found by assessing the condition of our hearts and focusing on the true object of our worship – Jesus, the Lamb of God.
I read this passage last night and just had to comment on it. The story is about the Magi who were in search of Jesus by following a star that God had provided. At this time, Joseph had taken his family from a stable to a house where they lived until God instructed them to move elsewhere.
The passage above states that at this time, while in the house, “the Child was with His mother, Mary.” The Magi heard Herod’s lies about how he wanted to worship the Child and went on their way following God rather than the wicked king.
Now here is the part this refreshed me: Jesus is with His mother, Mary, right? So when the Magi enter Joseph’s home and see Jesus with His mother, Mary, what did they do?
1. They rejoiced (v. 10).
2. They assumed the posture of submission – “they bowed down”
3. They worshiped Jesus
4. They offered their gifts
So what is so significant about this? Mary, the mother of Jesus was not at all the object of their worship. Remember, the Child is with Mary His mother. But the Magi knew enough to know who to venerate. They knew enough that of the two – Jesus and Mary, Jesus was to be the object of their worship and not Mary.
Now I am not interested in doing a Catholic bashing, but this needs to be pointed out. What is all this “Hail Mary” sort of thing anyway, where a typical Catholic takes out his or her prayer beads and prays to the virgin Mary?
The commonly held teachings of Mariology can be derived from her function as Mother of God (Theotokos), a term first used around 320 and formally approved by the Council of Ephesus in 431. Mary worshipers argue that Mary, who enabled God the Savior to be born, has a position more exalted than any other creature. She is the Queen of Heaven. She is often pictured in heaven giving advice to her Son!
Moreover, since her motherhood was indispensable to God’s redemptive activity, Mary is essential to the final, spiritual perfection of every creature. Although Mary was not involved in the original physical creation, Mary is, in this ultimate sense, the Mother of God’s Creatures. This includes being Mother of Humans, a title found in Ambrose but popularized around 1100, and Mother of Angels, a term first found in the thirteenth century.
Mariolatry is still widely practiced and growing stronger. The leaders of the Catholic Church are doing a grave disservice to scores of their parishioners by venerating Mary over the sinless Son of God.
The Magi, the so-called wise men from the east and experts in the study of stars knew better in focusing own worship on the correct object.
Again, while together in the same room – both Jesus and Mary, the Magi bowed down and worship Jesus only presenting Him with their gifts and Mary was not even in the picture. Can it be more clearer than that? The worship of Mary is what happens when people believe that the bible is not enough in terms of giving us adequate information, but we also need to rely on church tradition and church authority – i.e. so-called wise men.
For us Christians, worship is always about Jesus – nothing less. Jesus is the focus and sole object of our worship. We believe Mary to be a good woman, a chosen vessel by God the Father to bring His Son into the world, a sinner like the rest of us (cf. Luke 1:46-47); and who ceased to be a virgin after Jesus had been born (Matt. 1:25).
For us Christians, we know who to worship. And we also know that worshiping Jesus is a matter of the heart. Below is a very insightful story contributed by Bill Hall that I want to pass along.
For years I have seen and heard about the division in churches over "correct" and "incorrect" forms of worship. I have seen it all from "you shouldn't smile in church because you should fear the Lord" to the Ringling Brothers Circus service. Each group seems to think the other has missed the mark and are often very uncomfortable worshipping together.
In the midst of one church crisis concerning this issue, I prayed, "Father, how should we worship You?" He answered using my own children to make the point.
The kids had been away at Grandma's house for a few days, and I missed them terribly. On my way home from work, all I could think about was seeing them. As soon as the front door slammed behind me I heard the sound I had longed for. The sound of small feet on the wood floor—my children were coming to greet me.
The first to arrive was Alex—my soon-to-be four year old. He was running and jumping and yelling, "Daddy's home, daddy's home!" He ran to me with arms open and hugged my legs as hard as he could. I bent down and told him how much I loved him and had missed him. He gave me a kiss and was off to other adventures.
Following closely was Anthony, my seventeen-month old. He filled the house with a steady "Dada, dada, dada, dada." As he neared, he looked up at me and raised his hands as high as they would go as a sign for me to pick him up. When I did he took my face in his hands and looked deeply into my eyes for a moment, then patted my face and kissed me like only a toddler can. The squirming that followed was his signal that our special moment was over, and in a flash he was gone.
Austin, my five-year-old, was not to be found in this parade, so I conducted an immediate search of the house. Alone in his room he sat, tears rolling down his cheeks. He had done something he knew was wrong and was fearing the worst upon my arrival. As he talked about what he had done, he began to cry uncontrollably, saying, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry." I felt as if I couldn't pick him up fast enough. I hugged and kissed him repeatedly and told him that I forgave him and would always love him no matter what. In no time we were playing and laughing as usual.
Each child's response to my presence was correct considering their circumstance. It was honest and from the heart.
How should we worship in church? The answer will most likely change from week to week but can always be found by assessing the condition of our hearts and focusing on the true object of our worship – Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Good Health Means Rejecting The Crowd
Note: There is not a week that goes by that I do not spend valuable moments of my time reading the latest news from Mike Adams, a.k.a. the Heath Ranger. He has provided me throughout the years with invaluable insights and research data on good health. If your health means a lot to you – and by the way – if you are a Christian, your heath ought to mean a lot to you, since we are told that “we are not our own; for we were bought with a price, therefore glorify God IN YOUR BODY” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). How about this one: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and BE IN GOOD HEALTH, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).
Go to his website (naturalnews.com) and get his free newsletter sent to you and make changes to your life. Start off slowly, but do so consistently. You will be blessed. I cannot tell you how many people my age I see physically handicap because of poor heath. I talk to people who have told me recently, “my poor choices in the past have contributed to my poor health.” My father-in-law has stated: “I am 85 years old. Too late to change.” As this article states: “Reject The Crowd.” It is NEVER too late. Enjoy!
Heal yourself in 15 days by rejecting the crowd (part seven)
By Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, naturalnews.com
(NaturalNews) This article continues with part seven of our 15-day "Heal Yourself" series. It begins with the idea of observing the poor health of the mainstream crowd: Do you want to be as diseased as they are? If so, simply do what they do!
Let's face it: The "mainstream consumer" isn't very healthy. People who follow mainstream health information from the mainstream media are the most diseased people of all. They eat processed junk foods, they take lots of dangerous pharmaceuticals, they routinely get vaccinated and they completely fail to protect their health with nutritional supplements, superfoods or fresh living foods.
These are the people supporting the pharmaceutical industry, the cancer industry, the diabetes industry and the heart disease industry. Through their suffering and death, they keep the medical system alive and profitable. And if you want to be healthy, these are precisely the people you need to reject in order to be safe and healthy yourself.
Don't follow the crowd off the edge of the cliff
The mainstream crowd, you see, isn't very well informed when it comes to health. Crowd psychology tells us that people tend to follow whatever the crowd is doing for no reason other than the fact the crowd is doing it. The human mind figures, "Well, if the crowd is doing that, there must be a good reason for it," and so people just go along with practically anything as long the crowd supports it.
This is how people end up drinking sugary sodas, eating at fast food restaurants, drinking pasteurized milk and living on processed junk foods. This is how they end up eating microwaveable popcorn, or drinking diet sodas or consuming "processed cheese food."
This is what causes people to get vaccines that they don't need or take dangerous prescription medications that might harm them (or kill them). Crowds as a whole aren't very intelligent -- even when individual members of the crowd might be highly intelligent on their own! And if you follow the mainstream consumer crowd without thinking for yourself, you can only expect the same outcome the crowd is experiencing: Degenerative disease, pharmaceutical dependency and medical bankruptcy.
That's why achieving lasting health means distancing yourself from the mainstream crowd and in many cases doing the opposite of what they do.
You'll be healthier by doing the opposite of the mainstream
When the mainstream crowd rushes to get vaccinated against a hyped-up, non-emergency "pandemic", just do the opposite and don't get vaccinated.
When the mainstream crowd rushes to get free chicken at KFC because Oprah announced it on her show, do the opposite and go drink a smoothie or something.
When the mainstream crowd rushes to be subjected to mammography radiation (which actually promotes breast cancer), do the opposite and get a far safer thermograph (or just take a healthy dose of anti-cancer vitamin D and stop living your life in fear of cancer).
When the mainstream crowd pops pills for depression, cholesterol and high blood pressure, do the opposite and take nutritional supplements that nourish the body instead of poisoning it.
Basically, watch what the mainstream consumers do and make a conscious effort to do the opposite (in most cases, anyway).
Don't leap from one mindless crowd to another
While you're doing all this, be careful not to leap from one mindless crowd to another. In rejecting the mainstream crowd, in other words, don't fall blindly into following another crowd, even if it's a "healthy" crowd.
In my view, you should never follow any crowd just because it's a crowd. That includes the raw food crowd, the yoga crowd, the vegetarian crowd, etc. Instead, think for yourself about what makes sense to you. And then, if your conclusions match their conclusions, it's okay to join that group (or hang out with that crowd) as long as you continue to invoke a reality check from time to time. Make sure that what the crowd is doing always makes good sense to you and you won't be blindsided by crowd stupidity.
Crowds usually aren't very smart. But YOU are! You have the ability to think for yourself, to change your mind at any time, to improve your decisions, to upgrade or downgrade your lifestyle, etc. Exercise these gifts where appropriate, and don't be afraid to try out new eating habits, new exercise schedules and new approaches to self care. Find out what works best for you, regardless of whether a "crowd" exists that practices the same thing.
Don't be a mindless health nut, in other words. Be mindfully health conscious and go with what works best for you rather than what's popular or cool.
Check in with yourself from time to time
Most of all, if you ever find yourself going along with the mainstream crowd -- like waiting in line at a crowded vaccine clinic -- it might be a good idea to pinch yourself and engage in a little lucid thinking by asking questions like, "Should I really be here? Does this really make sense? Is there a safer, more natural alternative that I could explore instead?"
Think about this the next time you're about to get your breast pancaked at the mammography clinic. "Does irradiating my breasts really make good sense?" Of course it doesn't. People only do it because they are going along with the mainstream crowd. And the crowd is clueless about breast health, ionizing radiation, vitamin D or cancer prevention.
So be smart. Be an individual. And be brave enough to reject the crowd and do something different that's probably a whole lot safer and healthier.
Getting sunlight on your skin to generate vitamin D is rejecting the crowd. And yet it's the very best way to prevent cancer for FREE!
Go to his website (naturalnews.com) and get his free newsletter sent to you and make changes to your life. Start off slowly, but do so consistently. You will be blessed. I cannot tell you how many people my age I see physically handicap because of poor heath. I talk to people who have told me recently, “my poor choices in the past have contributed to my poor health.” My father-in-law has stated: “I am 85 years old. Too late to change.” As this article states: “Reject The Crowd.” It is NEVER too late. Enjoy!
Heal yourself in 15 days by rejecting the crowd (part seven)
By Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, naturalnews.com
(NaturalNews) This article continues with part seven of our 15-day "Heal Yourself" series. It begins with the idea of observing the poor health of the mainstream crowd: Do you want to be as diseased as they are? If so, simply do what they do!
Let's face it: The "mainstream consumer" isn't very healthy. People who follow mainstream health information from the mainstream media are the most diseased people of all. They eat processed junk foods, they take lots of dangerous pharmaceuticals, they routinely get vaccinated and they completely fail to protect their health with nutritional supplements, superfoods or fresh living foods.
These are the people supporting the pharmaceutical industry, the cancer industry, the diabetes industry and the heart disease industry. Through their suffering and death, they keep the medical system alive and profitable. And if you want to be healthy, these are precisely the people you need to reject in order to be safe and healthy yourself.
Don't follow the crowd off the edge of the cliff
The mainstream crowd, you see, isn't very well informed when it comes to health. Crowd psychology tells us that people tend to follow whatever the crowd is doing for no reason other than the fact the crowd is doing it. The human mind figures, "Well, if the crowd is doing that, there must be a good reason for it," and so people just go along with practically anything as long the crowd supports it.
This is how people end up drinking sugary sodas, eating at fast food restaurants, drinking pasteurized milk and living on processed junk foods. This is how they end up eating microwaveable popcorn, or drinking diet sodas or consuming "processed cheese food."
This is what causes people to get vaccines that they don't need or take dangerous prescription medications that might harm them (or kill them). Crowds as a whole aren't very intelligent -- even when individual members of the crowd might be highly intelligent on their own! And if you follow the mainstream consumer crowd without thinking for yourself, you can only expect the same outcome the crowd is experiencing: Degenerative disease, pharmaceutical dependency and medical bankruptcy.
That's why achieving lasting health means distancing yourself from the mainstream crowd and in many cases doing the opposite of what they do.
You'll be healthier by doing the opposite of the mainstream
When the mainstream crowd rushes to get vaccinated against a hyped-up, non-emergency "pandemic", just do the opposite and don't get vaccinated.
When the mainstream crowd rushes to get free chicken at KFC because Oprah announced it on her show, do the opposite and go drink a smoothie or something.
When the mainstream crowd rushes to be subjected to mammography radiation (which actually promotes breast cancer), do the opposite and get a far safer thermograph (or just take a healthy dose of anti-cancer vitamin D and stop living your life in fear of cancer).
When the mainstream crowd pops pills for depression, cholesterol and high blood pressure, do the opposite and take nutritional supplements that nourish the body instead of poisoning it.
Basically, watch what the mainstream consumers do and make a conscious effort to do the opposite (in most cases, anyway).
Don't leap from one mindless crowd to another
While you're doing all this, be careful not to leap from one mindless crowd to another. In rejecting the mainstream crowd, in other words, don't fall blindly into following another crowd, even if it's a "healthy" crowd.
In my view, you should never follow any crowd just because it's a crowd. That includes the raw food crowd, the yoga crowd, the vegetarian crowd, etc. Instead, think for yourself about what makes sense to you. And then, if your conclusions match their conclusions, it's okay to join that group (or hang out with that crowd) as long as you continue to invoke a reality check from time to time. Make sure that what the crowd is doing always makes good sense to you and you won't be blindsided by crowd stupidity.
Crowds usually aren't very smart. But YOU are! You have the ability to think for yourself, to change your mind at any time, to improve your decisions, to upgrade or downgrade your lifestyle, etc. Exercise these gifts where appropriate, and don't be afraid to try out new eating habits, new exercise schedules and new approaches to self care. Find out what works best for you, regardless of whether a "crowd" exists that practices the same thing.
Don't be a mindless health nut, in other words. Be mindfully health conscious and go with what works best for you rather than what's popular or cool.
Check in with yourself from time to time
Most of all, if you ever find yourself going along with the mainstream crowd -- like waiting in line at a crowded vaccine clinic -- it might be a good idea to pinch yourself and engage in a little lucid thinking by asking questions like, "Should I really be here? Does this really make sense? Is there a safer, more natural alternative that I could explore instead?"
Think about this the next time you're about to get your breast pancaked at the mammography clinic. "Does irradiating my breasts really make good sense?" Of course it doesn't. People only do it because they are going along with the mainstream crowd. And the crowd is clueless about breast health, ionizing radiation, vitamin D or cancer prevention.
So be smart. Be an individual. And be brave enough to reject the crowd and do something different that's probably a whole lot safer and healthier.
Getting sunlight on your skin to generate vitamin D is rejecting the crowd. And yet it's the very best way to prevent cancer for FREE!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
How To Select Missionaries
2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit. . . (Acts 13:2-4).
In Acts 13, Paul, along with his companion, Barnabas is being sent out on his first of three missionary journeys. But check out the process by which these two men were sent and then let’s compare how we send people out on missions today.
First, Paul and Barnabas were already actively serving in the church. Note Acts 13:2 states, “And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. . .”
Let’s stop at think this passage through. The word “minister” comes from a Greek work in the bible that describes priestly service. In other words, serving in the church is an act of worship to God, in that it offers spiritual sacrifices to God, in the form of prayer, worship, oversight, preaching, teaching, and helping – in essence using one’s spiritual gift. The idea is that these men’s service to the Lord was also their act of worship.
Therefore, the early church did not send anyone out on a mission trip who had not already proven themselves in the church through their sacrificial service of worship.
I wonder if we did that today, how many would we be sending out on mission trips? I think the numbers would go down considerably. It seems that when a mission trip is announced, people rise up to want to go. They are all excited. But when it comes to the weekly routine of attending church and serving in some capacity using their spiritual gift on a regular basis, they are seldom seen.
Perhaps, we church leaders think that going on a mission trip would make a considerable spiritual impact in a person’s life. So we give our blessing. I don’t doubt that. But if a person is not making an impact to a group of people before he or she leaves, what makes it so sure that when they come back all energized and excited that they will continue what they had learned on the mission field? After a short while, all they got are good memories and a photo album.
Next, take a look at this and don’t let this fly by. The text says that “they were ministering TO THE LORD.” You say, “So?” You see, that’s my point. You have to really look at this closely.
There is a huge difference between ministering FOR the Lord and ministering TO the Lord. Here is what I mean.
Think about this for a moment and be honest. Hasn’t most of your ministry in the church been “for the Lord” rather than “to the Lord?” I know mine has. We are so busy ministering FOR the Lord that we rarely minister TO the Lord.
Here is a verse taken from Ezekiel 44:16: "They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to Me, and they shall keep my charge."
You see, ministering to the Lord is an act of worship on our part. Ministering for the Lord is more of an act of duty. We tend to score ourselves on how busy we are and the amount of things we can juggle. The more busier we are the more spiritual we feel. We think to ourselves, “I must be really spiritual because look and see all that I am doing for the Lord.” But all of our serving must encompass a spirit or worship. We see not dwell on the amount of our service, but on the quality – why are we doing what we are doing? Is it for our self-image? It if for our own self gratification, to make us feel good? Or do we serve Jesus first as an act of worship – thus our service is TO Him and not merely FOR Him.
We become at times so geared up on letting God work THROUGH us (Serving For Him), rather than letting God work IN us (Serving to Him). Remember, God does not need us to get things done. He graciously chooses to allow us to partner with Him, but not because He is lost without us. He allows us to do so in order for us to express our praise and admiration to His Lordship. He puts us on His team not because He has no one else, but because He loving entrusts us with an important assignment. We therefore, take this trust given to us seriously and minister to Him (first, i.e. “in us”) and then for Him (second, i.e. “through us”), and direct all the results and fruit back to Him for His glory and honor.
So before Paul and Barnabas were sent out on their first missionary trip, they first had to been actively ministering TO THE LORD in the church. Now how many would still be eligible to go base on this?
“But,” you say, “how you would know of such a thing? How can you tell whether or not someone is ministering “to the Lord?”
“Fasting.” Notice how it adds that they were ministering to the Lord “and fasting.” Fervent Prayer is often connected with fasting (Neh. 1:4; Ps. 35:13; Dan. 9:3; Matt. 17:21; Luke 2:37). In verse 2, Paul and Barnabas are praying and fasting for God’s approval; and in verse 3, the church prays and fast for both God’s approval and confirmation.
Again, I ask: “How many of those we send out on missionary trips are sent out without going through the effort of fasting and praying?” What we tend to look for is a person’s desire to go and their willingness to do their own fundraising. But rarely do we look at a person serving record in the church and whether or not they and the church leaders have spend significant time in both prayer and fasting. And the purpose of doing all this is to verify that the Holy Spirit has chosen those who want to go.
In many Christian circles the Holy Spirit is either neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood. The One given to unite the body of Christ is the center of controversy...So often Christian work is so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him—yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing."
The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. But if the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference." (Source: "The Holy Spirit: Missing," Alan Redpath in Christian Life magazine. Christianity Today, Vol. 29, no. 18.)
Finally, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul FOR THE WORK which I had called them” (v. 2). Mission trips are about work. It is not a vacation trip, or sight-seeing trip or a business trip. It is a mission trip that involves work. What kind of work? V. 5 – “They began to proclaim the Word of God. . .” It is about proclaiming Jesus to those who are lost. It is about strengthening churches (cf. Acts 15:41).
So if we are to be brutally honest, I think we may not measure up to the task of selecting missionaries the way that the early church did. We see that the early Christians did the following:
1. They selected people who were already ministering in the church to the Lord.
2. They selected missionaries only as the Holy Spirit pointed them out through prayer and fasting.
3. And they selected missionaries only as the ones who were desiring to go and be used were also engaged in both prayer and fasting.
Having a desire to go oversees or some other place to serve the Lord is a start, but surely not enough. It is the Holy Spirit who must select the personnel, and it is the church and its leaders who must through prayer and fasting confirm those whom the Holy Spirit has chosen.
3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit. . . (Acts 13:2-4).
In Acts 13, Paul, along with his companion, Barnabas is being sent out on his first of three missionary journeys. But check out the process by which these two men were sent and then let’s compare how we send people out on missions today.
First, Paul and Barnabas were already actively serving in the church. Note Acts 13:2 states, “And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. . .”
Let’s stop at think this passage through. The word “minister” comes from a Greek work in the bible that describes priestly service. In other words, serving in the church is an act of worship to God, in that it offers spiritual sacrifices to God, in the form of prayer, worship, oversight, preaching, teaching, and helping – in essence using one’s spiritual gift. The idea is that these men’s service to the Lord was also their act of worship.
Therefore, the early church did not send anyone out on a mission trip who had not already proven themselves in the church through their sacrificial service of worship.
I wonder if we did that today, how many would we be sending out on mission trips? I think the numbers would go down considerably. It seems that when a mission trip is announced, people rise up to want to go. They are all excited. But when it comes to the weekly routine of attending church and serving in some capacity using their spiritual gift on a regular basis, they are seldom seen.
Perhaps, we church leaders think that going on a mission trip would make a considerable spiritual impact in a person’s life. So we give our blessing. I don’t doubt that. But if a person is not making an impact to a group of people before he or she leaves, what makes it so sure that when they come back all energized and excited that they will continue what they had learned on the mission field? After a short while, all they got are good memories and a photo album.
Next, take a look at this and don’t let this fly by. The text says that “they were ministering TO THE LORD.” You say, “So?” You see, that’s my point. You have to really look at this closely.
There is a huge difference between ministering FOR the Lord and ministering TO the Lord. Here is what I mean.
Think about this for a moment and be honest. Hasn’t most of your ministry in the church been “for the Lord” rather than “to the Lord?” I know mine has. We are so busy ministering FOR the Lord that we rarely minister TO the Lord.
Here is a verse taken from Ezekiel 44:16: "They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to Me, and they shall keep my charge."
You see, ministering to the Lord is an act of worship on our part. Ministering for the Lord is more of an act of duty. We tend to score ourselves on how busy we are and the amount of things we can juggle. The more busier we are the more spiritual we feel. We think to ourselves, “I must be really spiritual because look and see all that I am doing for the Lord.” But all of our serving must encompass a spirit or worship. We see not dwell on the amount of our service, but on the quality – why are we doing what we are doing? Is it for our self-image? It if for our own self gratification, to make us feel good? Or do we serve Jesus first as an act of worship – thus our service is TO Him and not merely FOR Him.
We become at times so geared up on letting God work THROUGH us (Serving For Him), rather than letting God work IN us (Serving to Him). Remember, God does not need us to get things done. He graciously chooses to allow us to partner with Him, but not because He is lost without us. He allows us to do so in order for us to express our praise and admiration to His Lordship. He puts us on His team not because He has no one else, but because He loving entrusts us with an important assignment. We therefore, take this trust given to us seriously and minister to Him (first, i.e. “in us”) and then for Him (second, i.e. “through us”), and direct all the results and fruit back to Him for His glory and honor.
So before Paul and Barnabas were sent out on their first missionary trip, they first had to been actively ministering TO THE LORD in the church. Now how many would still be eligible to go base on this?
“But,” you say, “how you would know of such a thing? How can you tell whether or not someone is ministering “to the Lord?”
“Fasting.” Notice how it adds that they were ministering to the Lord “and fasting.” Fervent Prayer is often connected with fasting (Neh. 1:4; Ps. 35:13; Dan. 9:3; Matt. 17:21; Luke 2:37). In verse 2, Paul and Barnabas are praying and fasting for God’s approval; and in verse 3, the church prays and fast for both God’s approval and confirmation.
Again, I ask: “How many of those we send out on missionary trips are sent out without going through the effort of fasting and praying?” What we tend to look for is a person’s desire to go and their willingness to do their own fundraising. But rarely do we look at a person serving record in the church and whether or not they and the church leaders have spend significant time in both prayer and fasting. And the purpose of doing all this is to verify that the Holy Spirit has chosen those who want to go.
In many Christian circles the Holy Spirit is either neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood. The One given to unite the body of Christ is the center of controversy...So often Christian work is so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him—yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing."
The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. But if the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference." (Source: "The Holy Spirit: Missing," Alan Redpath in Christian Life magazine. Christianity Today, Vol. 29, no. 18.)
Finally, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul FOR THE WORK which I had called them” (v. 2). Mission trips are about work. It is not a vacation trip, or sight-seeing trip or a business trip. It is a mission trip that involves work. What kind of work? V. 5 – “They began to proclaim the Word of God. . .” It is about proclaiming Jesus to those who are lost. It is about strengthening churches (cf. Acts 15:41).
So if we are to be brutally honest, I think we may not measure up to the task of selecting missionaries the way that the early church did. We see that the early Christians did the following:
1. They selected people who were already ministering in the church to the Lord.
2. They selected missionaries only as the Holy Spirit pointed them out through prayer and fasting.
3. And they selected missionaries only as the ones who were desiring to go and be used were also engaged in both prayer and fasting.
Having a desire to go oversees or some other place to serve the Lord is a start, but surely not enough. It is the Holy Spirit who must select the personnel, and it is the church and its leaders who must through prayer and fasting confirm those whom the Holy Spirit has chosen.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
End Time Church Attendees
Charles Swindoll gave the following story: Cynthia and I have a long-time friend who is fighting colon cancer. Following major surgery she is now undergoing extensive chemotherapy. The other day she and another woman went shopping at a mall in Fort Lauderdale. As they got out of the car, our friend was mugged. The attacker slammed her against the car, then brutally flung her to the pavement and began kicking her mercilessly---all in broad daylight. A stranger stepped in to rescue her, and the attacker punched him repeatedly, breaking several of his teeth. The motive? Rape? No. Robbery? No. Carjacking? No. The police said it's a new fad . . . randomly assaulting strangers for the sadistic excitement of bringing blood and causing another human being pain.
Here in the land of Paradise, an elderly woman who was found beaten in her Waialae Nui home on Jan. 21 has died, Honolulu police said. Mary Lee Koskinen, 85, died at 11:30 last night.
The city medical examiner listed her cause of death as "intracranial injury due to assaultive blunt force trauma to the head," and listed her manner of death as homicide.
Based on those findings, police will likely revise charges against two men in connection with Koskinen's beating.
Then on Tuesday, January 26, a 69-year-old woman, Teresita Pascua was attacked around midday on Tuesday, and it marked the third time in less than a week that an older woman on O'ahu was assaulted while at home.
What we are reading, seeing and witnessing are signs of the end times. Check out what Paul had foretold long ago: 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them (2 Tim. 3:1-5 NIV).
The word for “terrible” in the Greek means “fierce” or “dangerous.” As we approach closer to the time of Christ’s Second Coming, times will be more dangerous to live in.
Then notice the word “brutal.” In the original it means, “savage,” or “not tamed.” The idea is that people will become more and more out of control. They will commit crimes for no reason at all, except to fulfill their savage desires.
We are seeing these kinds of brutal acts occurring all the time. We are witnessing the utter brutality of what people do to one another. The unborn are striped out of its protective environment from its mother’s womb and the elderly are brutalize for no reason at all. We are living in fierce and dangerous times.
But here is something that caught my attention. Paul went on to say that such end times people have “form of godliness.” The word “form” is “morphosis” meaning “mere outward shape or appearance.” In other words, people will become good at faking their true self. They will put on a disguise and wear it well. They are empty inside, devoid of Christ, but outwardly, you would think they were of Christ. They talk the talk and to some extent they walk the walk. But they are empty waterless clouds.
Who is Paul talking about? Church attendees. There is no reason for non-church members to put on a form of godliness. Who are they trying to impress – other non-church members? No, these are wolves in sheep clothing trying to impress others in order to carry out their sinister agenda. They work undercover. Their modus operandi is to fulfill their desire which invariably goes contrary to sound teaching without risking detection. The end time devolution that Paul referred to is not only something that can be seen outside the church, but also within as well.
So what is the church suppose to do? First, “avoid such men as these” (2 Tim. 3:5). You are not supposed to try to get along with such creatures. The right thing to do is to avoid them as all cost. Don’t put them in leadership especially in places where they can influence others. If you do, they will search for those who are weak and seek to captivate them (cf. v. 6). Therefore, for the sake of those who are not yet established in the faith, avoid such men as these.
Second, stop trying to teach such people. Why? Because “they always are learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 7). You are wasting your time trying to teach these people. They have no interest in the Scriptures. They have no interests in learning the “whole counsel of God,” except for bits and pieces of what they choose.
Third, be prepared to be opposed by such people (v. 8). “And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses.” Who are these people? They are most likely the two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses with their own version of magic in the presence of Pharaoh. In other words, they will oppose the truth and those who are for the truth.
Furthermore, they will also oppose authority. Anyone who aligns himself up with God will be opposed. Their method is to start small and slowly, questioning small things. Then they build up to much larger and important things. All this will take time – perhaps months and years. Remember, they do not want to risk detection. So they go slowly for they believe that time and God are on their side.
Finally, know for certain that they will come to an end in due season (v. 9). “They will not make further progress; for their folly will become obvious to all.” God is a God of justice. He will not let these wolves go on without stopping them. They can fool others, but they cannot fool the Lord. He will expose them in due course. And then when their exposure is made known to all, those who were justifiably “pointing out these things to the brethren” (1 Tim. 4:6), will be exonerated.
Indeed, as we inch closer to the Second Coming of Christ, the world will become worse, but the true church will stand out in juxtaposition and shine much brighter.
Here in the land of Paradise, an elderly woman who was found beaten in her Waialae Nui home on Jan. 21 has died, Honolulu police said. Mary Lee Koskinen, 85, died at 11:30 last night.
The city medical examiner listed her cause of death as "intracranial injury due to assaultive blunt force trauma to the head," and listed her manner of death as homicide.
Based on those findings, police will likely revise charges against two men in connection with Koskinen's beating.
Then on Tuesday, January 26, a 69-year-old woman, Teresita Pascua was attacked around midday on Tuesday, and it marked the third time in less than a week that an older woman on O'ahu was assaulted while at home.
What we are reading, seeing and witnessing are signs of the end times. Check out what Paul had foretold long ago: 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them (2 Tim. 3:1-5 NIV).
The word for “terrible” in the Greek means “fierce” or “dangerous.” As we approach closer to the time of Christ’s Second Coming, times will be more dangerous to live in.
Then notice the word “brutal.” In the original it means, “savage,” or “not tamed.” The idea is that people will become more and more out of control. They will commit crimes for no reason at all, except to fulfill their savage desires.
We are seeing these kinds of brutal acts occurring all the time. We are witnessing the utter brutality of what people do to one another. The unborn are striped out of its protective environment from its mother’s womb and the elderly are brutalize for no reason at all. We are living in fierce and dangerous times.
But here is something that caught my attention. Paul went on to say that such end times people have “form of godliness.” The word “form” is “morphosis” meaning “mere outward shape or appearance.” In other words, people will become good at faking their true self. They will put on a disguise and wear it well. They are empty inside, devoid of Christ, but outwardly, you would think they were of Christ. They talk the talk and to some extent they walk the walk. But they are empty waterless clouds.
Who is Paul talking about? Church attendees. There is no reason for non-church members to put on a form of godliness. Who are they trying to impress – other non-church members? No, these are wolves in sheep clothing trying to impress others in order to carry out their sinister agenda. They work undercover. Their modus operandi is to fulfill their desire which invariably goes contrary to sound teaching without risking detection. The end time devolution that Paul referred to is not only something that can be seen outside the church, but also within as well.
So what is the church suppose to do? First, “avoid such men as these” (2 Tim. 3:5). You are not supposed to try to get along with such creatures. The right thing to do is to avoid them as all cost. Don’t put them in leadership especially in places where they can influence others. If you do, they will search for those who are weak and seek to captivate them (cf. v. 6). Therefore, for the sake of those who are not yet established in the faith, avoid such men as these.
Second, stop trying to teach such people. Why? Because “they always are learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v. 7). You are wasting your time trying to teach these people. They have no interest in the Scriptures. They have no interests in learning the “whole counsel of God,” except for bits and pieces of what they choose.
Third, be prepared to be opposed by such people (v. 8). “And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses.” Who are these people? They are most likely the two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses with their own version of magic in the presence of Pharaoh. In other words, they will oppose the truth and those who are for the truth.
Furthermore, they will also oppose authority. Anyone who aligns himself up with God will be opposed. Their method is to start small and slowly, questioning small things. Then they build up to much larger and important things. All this will take time – perhaps months and years. Remember, they do not want to risk detection. So they go slowly for they believe that time and God are on their side.
Finally, know for certain that they will come to an end in due season (v. 9). “They will not make further progress; for their folly will become obvious to all.” God is a God of justice. He will not let these wolves go on without stopping them. They can fool others, but they cannot fool the Lord. He will expose them in due course. And then when their exposure is made known to all, those who were justifiably “pointing out these things to the brethren” (1 Tim. 4:6), will be exonerated.
Indeed, as we inch closer to the Second Coming of Christ, the world will become worse, but the true church will stand out in juxtaposition and shine much brighter.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Choosing A Neighbor From Hell
Let me ask you a question: Suppose there was a person who lived in your neighborhood who was extremely violent and vile. He would frequent the tombs where he felt most comfortable and where he often stayed. This person was also demon possessed. Your neighborhood tried to deal with this man by binding him with chains and shackles, but he would break the chains and shackles and do others much harm.
Day and night he would visit the tombs crying out and gnashing himself with stones. This person was so horrifying and disgusting that everyone took great pains to simply avoid him.
Let’s say you had a visitor in your neighborhood who was able to cure the man. By cure I mean, this visitor was able to cast out the demons that lived in the man and restore the man to his right mind. The visitor was kind, compassionate, full of wisdom and a blessing to those who needed healing.
If you went around to your neighbors and took a poll and asked which person living in your neighborhood who they would most likely want to see leave, I am sure this demon possess man would be the front runner. But in Mark 5 that was not the case.
After Jesus cast thousands of demons out of one man’s body and restores a tomb dweller back to his rightful mind, the town’s people approached Jesus and ask HIM to leave.
“And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region” (Mark 5:17).
If this is not a display of rejection from sinful human hearts, what is? This flies in the face of logic, reason and human decency.
One man who wanted to follow Jesus said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus’ reply was stunning: “Let the dead bury the dead” (Luke 9:59-60).
In other words, let those who are dead spiritually bury those who are dead physically. Jesus was asked to leave town by those who were dead spiritually. They wanted to remain in that condition. They feared the demon-possessed man, but they also feared Jesus, the Son of God more. The town’s people could put up with an insane, violent, vile, disgusting, disturbing, aggressive, self-inflicting, man filled with thousands of unclean spirits, but they could not accept the sinless Son of God.
If you ever want to see how disturbing and how low the human heart would go in its sinful state, then here is a prime example.
Some people are born to be damned. Some will never have their eyes opened and their hearts filled with reverence for God. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels and for people such as these (Matt. 25:41). Although this is so bizarre and so utterly void of sound reasoning, it reflects a great deal of the age in which we find ourselves today. Scores of people would rather hang with the dead then turn to the living. Scores of people would rather simply remain dead. Finding life in Jesus is so out of the question. “I’ll take my bizarre neighbor any day, just get that church, get that preacher, get those Christians out of my neighborhood!”
But here is the real kicker of this story in Mark 5 that I want to leave you with. Pay close attention and NEVER forget this picture.
When the demons approached Jesus, they bowed down in worship -- 6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for WE are many."
And then there’s the contrast. When the town’s people approached Jesus, they asked Him to leave their region (v. 17). Even the sickest of the sick, the most evil of evil, the worse of the worse, the most unclean of the unclean – DEMONS, have enough sense to know that Jesus is one who is to be worshiped. Only man in his sinful, pathetic, degenerate heart does not know that much.
Therefore, here is my point: How hard is it for you to make time everyday to worship the Son of God in your devotions? How hard is it for you to show up to church on Sundays or attend Midweek, or even a small group bible study? I am afraid that there are times when demons have more sense on what to do in the presence of Jesus than some Christians.
Remember this: "How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever." The time you spend in the worship of the Son of God is time well invested. But don’t get too excited about that. Even demons do that much! What you need to zero in on is your motive for doing so? Demons worship Jesus out of fear. Christians should spend time with Jesus in worship from a heart full of love and reverence. Worship should never be viewed as a chore or quickly done in order to make time for something lesser.
With regards to worship, we are better than demons, aren’t we?
Day and night he would visit the tombs crying out and gnashing himself with stones. This person was so horrifying and disgusting that everyone took great pains to simply avoid him.
Let’s say you had a visitor in your neighborhood who was able to cure the man. By cure I mean, this visitor was able to cast out the demons that lived in the man and restore the man to his right mind. The visitor was kind, compassionate, full of wisdom and a blessing to those who needed healing.
If you went around to your neighbors and took a poll and asked which person living in your neighborhood who they would most likely want to see leave, I am sure this demon possess man would be the front runner. But in Mark 5 that was not the case.
After Jesus cast thousands of demons out of one man’s body and restores a tomb dweller back to his rightful mind, the town’s people approached Jesus and ask HIM to leave.
“And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region” (Mark 5:17).
If this is not a display of rejection from sinful human hearts, what is? This flies in the face of logic, reason and human decency.
One man who wanted to follow Jesus said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus’ reply was stunning: “Let the dead bury the dead” (Luke 9:59-60).
In other words, let those who are dead spiritually bury those who are dead physically. Jesus was asked to leave town by those who were dead spiritually. They wanted to remain in that condition. They feared the demon-possessed man, but they also feared Jesus, the Son of God more. The town’s people could put up with an insane, violent, vile, disgusting, disturbing, aggressive, self-inflicting, man filled with thousands of unclean spirits, but they could not accept the sinless Son of God.
If you ever want to see how disturbing and how low the human heart would go in its sinful state, then here is a prime example.
Some people are born to be damned. Some will never have their eyes opened and their hearts filled with reverence for God. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels and for people such as these (Matt. 25:41). Although this is so bizarre and so utterly void of sound reasoning, it reflects a great deal of the age in which we find ourselves today. Scores of people would rather hang with the dead then turn to the living. Scores of people would rather simply remain dead. Finding life in Jesus is so out of the question. “I’ll take my bizarre neighbor any day, just get that church, get that preacher, get those Christians out of my neighborhood!”
But here is the real kicker of this story in Mark 5 that I want to leave you with. Pay close attention and NEVER forget this picture.
When the demons approached Jesus, they bowed down in worship -- 6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for WE are many."
And then there’s the contrast. When the town’s people approached Jesus, they asked Him to leave their region (v. 17). Even the sickest of the sick, the most evil of evil, the worse of the worse, the most unclean of the unclean – DEMONS, have enough sense to know that Jesus is one who is to be worshiped. Only man in his sinful, pathetic, degenerate heart does not know that much.
Therefore, here is my point: How hard is it for you to make time everyday to worship the Son of God in your devotions? How hard is it for you to show up to church on Sundays or attend Midweek, or even a small group bible study? I am afraid that there are times when demons have more sense on what to do in the presence of Jesus than some Christians.
Remember this: "How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever." The time you spend in the worship of the Son of God is time well invested. But don’t get too excited about that. Even demons do that much! What you need to zero in on is your motive for doing so? Demons worship Jesus out of fear. Christians should spend time with Jesus in worship from a heart full of love and reverence. Worship should never be viewed as a chore or quickly done in order to make time for something lesser.
With regards to worship, we are better than demons, aren’t we?
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