Category: Culture & Conviction

Progressive Christianity- It Cannot Be!

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Every now and then, more often than not, something that someone says or writes grabs my attention. Sometimes in a great way and other times in a disturbing way. This past week, a blog was shared on social media that did just that. This particular blog post was written by Alisa Childers. Although I do not know her and have never met her, I found her blog post about what is called “Progressive Christianity” very interesting.

As I mentioned, I do not know her except what I read on her blog page. On this particular topic, I find myself in agreement with her. She wrote about how some churches have headed toward or are in danger of heading toward “Progressive Christianity”. I find myself wanting to not only suggest that everyone read her blog post, but I wish to bounce my thoughts off of her statements.

First, I will quickly summarize the points that she makes in her blog post. She offers a warning or at least a notice to the churches about what it means to be “Progressive Christians”. I will only give you the 5 points that she talks about, you should go read her post if you want to know what she says about them.

Childers points out that there are 5 things to look out for in a church to protect against falling into “Progressive Christianity”. Unless that is your desire, then it is probably already too late.

  1. A Lowered View of the Bible.
  2. Feelings are emphasized over facts.
  3. Essential Christian doctrines are open for re-interpretation.
  4. Historic terms are re-defined.
  5. The heart of the gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice.

After explaining each of these points, Childers goes on to explain a little about each of them. Read her blog post! All to conclude that there are some churches out there who are leaning toward this, have given over to it, or at least are in danger of it.

I point out all of this so that I can say this;

Christianity according to what I read in the Scripture, the absolute truth, can only be one thing. That one thing is what God says it is! No man has the authority to change even one word of God’s truth. Many in this world, over the history of man, have tried and delivered a message that is inconsistent with the truth of the Bible. This is nothing new.

The idea of something called “Progressive Christianity” is a contradiction in and of itself! The fact that God is Holy and has never changed should give the clue that His Truth would be the same way.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”   

2Timothy 3:16-17

So, to use the word “progressive” with the word “Christianity” would be likened to using the phrase “NO LORD”.  If God is to be our Lord, we would not ever say “NO” to Him. If we did, then he would not be our Lord.

The word “progressive” means “happening or developing gradually or in stages;” it is also defined as “(of a group, person, or idea) favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.” (MW Dictionary)

I will submit that what God has put in place is a finished product and is a perfect product! There is no need to add to, take away, or change any part of it. God is a Holy and perfect being who is the creator of all.

He has put in place a master plan of reconciliation of Himself to His creation. The only thing that changes, develops, or progresses along the way is man! You and me! We are the ones who will be changed.

For anyone to presume that the gospel is something that is an evolving or changing thing is one who is still living in the darkness, trapped in the snare of the lies of Satan.

The truth is simply this:

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; on God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”  

Galatians 4:4-6

 

There is only one Christianity. There cannot be various kinds of Christianity. The only one and true Christianity in existence is one that consists of Jesus as Lord and Savior, as well as an acknowledgement of sin and the consequences that come with it.

To Alisa Childers, I say thank you and God bless you for sending out yet another warning to us all! To those of us who are living the Christian life, I say God help us to cling to the truth in the Bible and stand firm in what God has put in place!

I have always believed that the ones who are in the most danger of being separated from God for eternity are those who believe that they are saved, yet for what ever reason do not truly know God!

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”   

Matthew 7:21-23

Violence and the Kingdom of God: What would you do?

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & Discipleship, Life & Perseverance1 Comment

An ethical and moral situation was presented in a college course as follows;

You wake in the night to hearing the loud crack of splintering wood. Thieves are breaking into your home. Your children are sleeping right down the hall and you can tell that the thieves will gain entry at any moment. You have a shotgun in your bedroom that is there for hunting and killing snakes. What would you do?
More information: A rebel group has become active in your area that is resorting to terror tactics in expanding their influence. They have begun the practice of attacking small villages. Raping women and children and randomly cutting off the arms and legs of their victims. They have even been known to force children to cut off the hands of their parents. Now, what would you do when you hear the people breaking in? Would you do something different?
What are some biblical passages that address the issue of the people of God resorting to violence when confronted with violence? Is there any situation where Christians would be justified in using force? Do you have any biblical support for your position?

The following was my response:

First things first, what is at the core of this ethical dilemma? The bottom line for all in this issue is how God sees the act of one person taking the life of another person. A secondary issue may be that some people demand a cut and dry ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

As with every ethical or moral issue, we must find the core of the issue. I have come to stand, and now submit, that at the core of the issue is the difference between the meaning of the word ‘kill’ and the meaning of the word ‘murder’. If we do the work, we can find that the majority of Bible translations show the word ‘murder’ in Exodus 20:13.

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“You shall not murder” Ex. 20:13 NIV

“You shall not murder”(NIV) “Thou shalt not kill.” (KJV). Most other translations agree with the NIV and a few agree with KJV. The point is that there is a difference in meaning between these two English words. I once heard a professor inform his students, me being one of them, that we do not get to define nor re-define words.

The meaning of the word is crucial. The following definitions are found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Kill- “to deprive of life: cause death of”
Murder- “the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought”

If we remain in research mode and open to the details of the facts, we can see the difference plainly. Both words mean to deprive of life, but they both do not mean the same thing. Most people, if not all people, have killed. All of us have deprived something of life at some point or another.

Even to eat vegetables is depriving something of life. Killing spider or a bee, or even taking cold medication to kill a virus has to be included. However, plenty of people yet not many have deprived of live in the form of murder. The difference is the word malice.

The dictionary defines malice as “the intention or desire to do evil; ill will”. Now we are getting to the heart of the issue. God is and always has been one who looks at the heart of man. That is why there will be plenty of ‘good’ people who end up separated from God for eternity. When God looks, He will see what is in the heart of every person who ‘kills’.

What He will notice is whether or not there is or was malice in the heart. This is why the translations use the word malice, because it is the more appropriate word of what was written. Moving forward, I will be assuming that it will be understood that I understand the scripture to say “ You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13 NIV.

January 2014, I had been 4 years into my first preaching ministry. I found myself presented with an opportunity to become the Chaplain at the local Police Department. It is not a requirement for a Chaplain to go through police training. However, after much prayer and thought over this very subject. I elected to go through the same training that the officers had gone through.

I felt that if I were to be riding with these officers, I wanted to know first hand what they do and why they do it so that if needed, I could better understand our conversations and hopefully offer the best help. Also, I felt that if I were to be with them on duty, I did not want them to be distracted by having to watch out for my safety, as well as having a desire to want to assist them should situations become life threatening. So I became a law enforcement officer.

Why am I bringing all of this up? Because many people did not understand what I was doing and questioned whether or not the preacher could be a cop. The simple answer and most direct is to point out that if a cop can be Christian, then a Christian can be a cop, even the preacher. The debate includes everything from physically fighting criminals to lethal force. It is true, any cop at any moment could have to use deadly force.

Many people refer to Romans 13:1-14 as it refers to the relationship between the believer and the governing authority and how that authority represents what God has put in place. Verse 4 particularly talks about this relationship as it applies to our debate.

“For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:4 NIV.

For the record, yes there are some “bad” cops out there. Also, this same application applies to military personnel as well. Oh, and for those who may disagree, just know that if we read all of Romans chapter 13, we find that the scripture instructs the believer to pay taxes that are due. Keep in mind, it is taxes that pay these men and women to do what they do so that the public will be able to live with less of a chance of facing the answer to our debate on a daily basis.

Having put all of that on the table, let me point out that about 97% of the time, when a threat is present, the police are not there. After all, they do not live in our homes or follow us around. Usually what happens is that people do bad things to other people and then the police are called. Sometimes they get there in the middle of it but usually the wrong doing is already done.

Therefore, each person should be responsible for defending themselves. Keeping in mind the core of the issue, the heart of men and women, we can come to a conclusion that the same would apply to the individual as it pertains to how God views it. It still comes down to the difference between killing and murdering. Since, as we concluded, the proper translation is “you shall not murder” Exod. 20:13, we can say that if one finds themselves in a threatening situation he or she could defend themselves against the threat.

The fact is, the Bible does not prohibit a person from acting in self-defense against any and all physical threat. In fact, I have spent much time in thought and prayer over this matter. I have concluded that what ever happens to those in my household, spiritually, mentally, or physically, I will stand before God about it.

I can say with confidence that should anything such as anyone breaking into our home to do us harm or a group of terrorists destroying communities, I will respond in whatever way necessary to be able to stand before God about how I protected my wife and child. I, my wife, and every other believer has been bought with the price of the blood of Christ.

Therefore, there is a responsibility to stand against this type of threat, the threat that is presented by the professor, or any like it. We can see in Luke’s gospel chapter 22 that Jesus sent out the disciples out and instructed them to obtain a sword before they went. It was not just for looks, it was because they were about to go into a place which exposed them to threats.

However, after saying all of that, I will present what may in fact be the exception to where I generally stand. As I read about Jesus and His arrest, trial, and brutal beating, it is impossible not to notice that as He was being physically assaulted, to say the least, He did not even say a word. Although He had all the power of the Kingdom of God at His disposal, nothing, even unto death.

So if we are to be like Christ, that must mean that there are times when physical, or even verbal defense of self is indeed not the way to go. What is the difference? The difference seems to be found in the motive of the aggressor from which the threat is coming.

These questions come to mind; Am I being attacked because of my faith in Christ? Or, Am I being attacked because I live in a world that has people who do wicked things and has nothing to do with me being a Christian?

Generally, people do not experience the threat of persecution unless they are presenting the Kingdom of God to the world. In other words, I would like to believe that I am willing to die without a fight for the sake of the gospel, yet I am not willing to die without a fight so that someone can just invade my home and rape my wife and murder my child.

To conclude, I think it is obvious where I stand in this ethical and moral dilemma, yet I will say in answer to the question, it depends. What I mean is that since the Bible does not forbid the act of self-defense, we then must conclude that every situation is different and there is not one answer that can be applied to all situations.

This is why we need the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and knowledge as we live our lives. Ultimately, God knows the hearts of people. None of us really know what we would actually do until the moment presents itself. I think it unwise to wait until that moment to seek the Lord about how to react.

Oh, and by the way, I do not believe that there is a right and wrong answer here, except for the interpretation of scripture. What ever the Lord leads each of us to do, that would be best.

Same World, Same Conflicts, Same God!

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. ” Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again. All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:1-11‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Never forget who you are. Wise advice given by many who have been around the block more times than others. Over the years, or generations, cultures change as well as political and social atmosphere. Yet as was found stated in the 1st chapter of Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun.”

Indeed, life may not be the same as it was yesterday, last year, or in our early days, but this is the way the sand flows through the hour glass. I too have found myself looking at the world and the events in it with great concern,sorrow and even anger at times. Regardless of my own personal worldview, beliefs, and political stance which all contribute to my own reaction. Which by the way is true for everyone.

The core of the problem is that people, all created equally by God, simply cannot find peace among ourselves. It seems that every people group, nationality, religion, political party, and even individual have some feeling of oppression, or persecution from most of the rest of the world. We scream out our complaints throughout social media until they pour out into our homes, workplaces and community streets. This goes on and on until we get distracted by the next offense or wrong doing against us.

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In the middle of it all, we all are fighting for the freedom to be who we are. Sometimes the problem is that most of us have forgotten, or at least from time to time forget, who we really are. For example, I just read an article titled: “Even ‘Sons of Belial’ Can be Saved” written by Christian Post Columnist Rev. Mark H. Creech. I will quote this article as follows;

“Antifa (Anti-fascist) are the very opposite of what they claim. They are the fascists – radical authoritarians characterized by despotism. These groups are like the “sons of Belial” described in the Old Testament, a phrase used for characterizing worthless, wicked, lawless, godless, idolatrous persons. They speak out against hate but personify it in their words and actions. They argue for equality, but marginalize, silence, and persecute anyone who differs with them. They are “scoffers,” hardened and at ease with their sin. God is not a part of their thinking. They believe his sovereignty is a kind of slavery from which to be freed.”

The statements made by Creech in this article some will agree with and others will not. I share this article to show that people often begin with a passion for what they believe and associate themselves with a mission accordingly, only to become something different.

I am using Rev. Creech’s comments to point out Antifa as one example out of all the many. The entire article is about that group and how they are not presenting themselves according to who they say they are. This is the point of my quoting him in this blog post.

No one, or group of people, have ever been able to truly stick to who they present themselves to be, not 100% of the time. No, not even the church! From Adam and Eve to Abraham and all throughout the New Testament accounts of the church there have been failure after failure when it comes to presenting who we are in Christ.

That is not to say that the Body of Christ has failed, I am simply pointing out that people fail from time to time. Every kind of people in every generation, nothing is new under the sun!

All of this to bring me to this point. The question must be for all of us is how do we do a better job at being faithful to who we are? Christian or not, this is the question we should all ask. However, since I am a Christian, I can only answer for myself and offer advise to other Christians who may believe the way I do.

I have recently started teaching through the book of Acts at the church. Although we are only in the 4th chapter at the moment, one major theme has demanded the attention of my mind and heart. As I study these people, who filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to function in their world in a way that they never had before, I am convicted as always.

These people, Peter and John as well as others, actually lived what they believed. Not because they tried real hard, but because they believed and submitted themselves to the Holy Spirit, they were able to BE the Kingdom of God in their world which was not unlike the wold we live in today.

Chapter 4 of Acts stands out at this moment due to the reaction of Peter and John as they are confronted by the powers that could have them thrown in jail and possibly killed. Yet they were bold as lions and wise as serpents when preaching Christ even to those who hated them the most! They did not stand firm in who they were, they stood firm in who Christ was and still is!

Sometimes, those of us who believe what Peter and John believed forget what they preached. Many times we find ourselves engaged with the rest of the world in an effort to prove that what we believe about Jesus is true and that what we believe is right. When  that is not at all who we are in Christ! When this happens, we surely have forgotten where we started.

We find ourselves in the same shoes as the likes of, to use Rev. Creech’s example, “Antifa”. What we present to the world is not at all who we believe we are, or are supposed to be! The sad part of it all is that who ever is guilty of this, usually cannot or will not see it as truth about themselves.

Rev. Creech’s article is simply making the point that was made by Peter and John in chapter 4 of Acts. Jesus died for all. Every person we come in contact with is who we are to somehow “preach” to. Even those who are given over to the ways of the world. Especially those who are given to the ways of the world! The key is to remember that Peter and John, and the others, did so while filled with the Holy Spirit!

“When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?””

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:7, 19-20‬ ‭NASB‬‬

That is who the Christian is. According to our faith, we are those who are saved by grace. Filled with the Holy Spirit with a task of sharing the Kingdom of God with the world. When we are true to that, we then can be guilty of allowing the Holy Spirit do great things in the world!

Above Reproach in a Blame Game World

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & Discipleship, Life & PerseveranceLeave a comment

Here it is October of 2018. As I had wanted to get up earlier than usual this morning, I found myself hitting the snooze on the alarm a few times. Eventually, my wife and I were up and going for the day. Naturally, I blame her for letting me sleep longer than I wanted to. Which she naturally denies any fault in the matter. Jokingly, we carry on this discussion throughout each day about something minor, who is to blame for what, all the while knowing that we are not serious.

However, there is a well established rule between the two of us which is simply that who ever is falsely accused by the other of anything, whatever that accusation was, the accused now is allowed to do or not do what was accused.

For example, if my wife accuses me of eating the last three cookies in the cookie jar and I then show her that those last three cookies have been moved into a bag in another place and I did not eat them, well then those last three cookies are now mine! This rule is intended to cause us to consider what we accuse each other of and limits the accusations.

So, my son shared a news article with me on October 1, 2018, which told the story of a Mother of a young man in high school. The Mother has filed a federal law suite against the school claiming age and gender discrimination.

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 Articles from News websites; click links

Apparently her son tried out for the varsity soccer team and did not make the team, the school has a rule that once that happens the player cannot return to the junior varsity team. ( click the links to see the news articles.)

ABC Action News 

New York Post

Yahoo

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USA Today

I will not give an opinion or thought on the details of that situation, however I will quote my son when he said, “Welcome to America 2018”.

This case along with countless others which seem ridiculous to some and warranted by others, including such cases like the Kavanaugh case. One of the underlying issues seems to be more about the ability to bring accusation against anyone so readily and aggressively regardless of the magnitude of the situation or the consequences of all involved. Understand that I do believe that there are certain rights afforded to each of the citizens of this United States of America and support those rights.

The issue at hand is not so much about who has the right to do what, the issue is more about how society as a whole and individually are becoming so soft, or so sensitive that any sign of friction or hardship in life triggers this knee jerk aggression that demands restitution, and demands it publicly!

At first I think to myself, “has it really come to this, are we really that spoiled, selfish, and sensitive?” And then I remember Jesus wondering how long he must endure the people. I remember Moses getting advise to appoint good men to help take the complaints of the people. On and on we see this same way of life throughout recorded history.

So, what instructions do we Christians have to guide us in living in this world and not of this world? The answer to that question which I find in scripture is simply to not participate in it. I do not mean that we should not participate in life and interaction with others, I mean that we should not participate in the ways of the world.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when yo were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1–6 (NIV)

This past Sunday our congregation studied how Adam and Eve were called out by God when they sinned against Him. Adam blamed God and Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. And since then, people have been playing the blame game until today.

In fact, we are getting to be masters at the game! The instruction given and what is expected by God through the scripture is that we are all found above reproach or blameless against accusation.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

Philippians 2:14–15 (NASB)

Living “above reproach” or “blameless” does not mean living perfect. Most understand the impossibility of that. The intended understanding should be that the people of God would live in such a way that when, not if but when, accusations come, the accusations cannot stand. Most of the time making the effort with the help of Christ to live according to what we read in Ephesians 4 and Philippians 2 will produce this effect.

However, let us not be naïve about it. It is quite apparent to anyone who is paying attention that one does not have to be actually guilty of committing an offense to be accused. If Daniel were here, we could ask him about that.

We probably could study the life of Daniel in the light of the idea of living above reproach and blameless. We can not only see what it looks like to be faithful to this way of life, but we also can see the results of living a life above reproach.

What makes it hard is that this way of life, the Christian way of life, often times means that we do not get to be paid restitution for the offenses committed against us. Nor should we even demand it. After all, is that not what forgiveness is all about? Shall I point out what should be obvious?

If we all get what we deserve, well let me just say that Jesus would never have been in this world and would not have given His life in the manner in which He did. Because we all deserve what He spared us from! Separation from God for eternity. But for His mercy and grace!

To conclude, let me say one thing about this mother and her federal law suite against the high school. Aside from what anyone thinks is right or wrong, and who has the right to do what or who is offended about what, what about this young man? What must he be experiencing through all of it?

What are going to be the long-term consequences for him as he goes into the world in which everyone knows about this incident? What is this action teaching him about life in this world? And then there is the ripple effect it is going to have throughout the school, community, and so on. I do not presume to know the answers to those questions.

What I do know is that we all live in a world in which we are only in control of how we act and re-act. For those of us who have committed ourselves to the Kingdom of God as ambassadors, that is we who believe and are being saved, we have an obligation, an expectation demanded of us by God to choose not to participate in the things of the world which do not honor Him! Even if it means we suffer. As we read in Philippians 2 earlier, we are to be lights in the world. To do so, we must be different. Ponder on these words found in Matthew 10:16.

“Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” (NASB)

“God Help Us All” And I Mean All

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Like most Americans, I too have been paying attention to what is going on with the Senate Judiciary hearing in regards to Judge Kavanaugh. I am not going to go into the right or wrong of any of the many aspects woven into this situation. I want to bring attention to something bigger than the United States Government. Something bigger than all of us put together. That is the Kingdom of God.

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

I, like many others, constantly offer prayers to God in regards to those who are our representatives and Judges, etc. However, I am also in prayer over the many Americans who are expressing emotional responses to what is happening via social media as well as other means of communication. As they have the freedom to do. In fact, that is the very thing I am doing with this blog post.

For those of us who consider ourselves to be Christians, who have committed our lives to the Kingdom of God through the blood of Christ, we have an obligation to conduct ourselves in a way that brings honor and glory to God. That does not mean we have to agree with everything, nor does it mean we cannot do things to try to participate or influence what goes on in this nation. After all, we are the people.

So how do we do that? As always, we find our guidance in the scripture. We are instructed to recognized that all governing bodies and the people who re a part of that body have been allowed by God Himself. This is apparent in teaching found in Romans 13; 1-2,

 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. “ (NASB)

Also we find similar teaching in 1 Peter 2: 13-14,

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers nether praise o those who do right.” (NASB)

There are other places in scripture that will guide us in how the Lord would have the Christian represent His Kingdom. The previous texts gives insight as to how each of us should respond to governing authorities as well as the governing authorities should respond to their authority.

Each person who truly seeks wisdom in what is “right” would take not of Jesus Himself as He taught His disciples that whoever wishes to be great should become a servant. (Matt. 20:25-28) We can also see Jesus’ example of submitting to what God has allowed when He instructed the disciples to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21 (NASB)

So, as we all watch and listen to the exchange of words within congress and participate in the exchange of words in our society, I would like to point out that the entire World is watching. Not only watching America as we struggle to remain the “UNITED” States of America, but more importantly the Wold is watching the body of Christ!

How are the Christians reacting to all of the many things that are going on in the United States of America? What does our behavior say about the Kingdom of God? How do we as citizens of this nation participate and yet maintain a witness for the Kingdom of God which is above reproach? The only answer I can offer is prayer.

The the Christian will pray before speaking, acting, re-acting, accusing, judging, defending, arguing, and so on. The Christian must pray about everything, and or everyone. Yes I said everyone. Whoever is doing or not doing whatever becomes the hot topic of the nation, they are created by the same God as we all are. They are all loved by God just as much as we all are. So much so that the same Jesus shed the same blood so that all of us, “they” and “us”, would have opportunity to escape the madness of sin’s captivity!

Many people, Christians, often say that we need God back in the White House or the Senate. No matter how much I could agree with that happening being a positive, I must point out that it is more important that God is allowed in the hearts of “the Church”! We cannot demand that our elected officials follow the will of God in their working life and their personal life while at the same time presenting a witness for the Kingdom of God which cannot be discerned from the rest of the world!

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Photo curteousy of FoxNews17onlin.com

The times we are living in are uncertain and the future of what God has blessed this World with are also uncertain. The fact is, there is no guarantee that the “UNITED” States of America will ever be what it once may have been. What is guaranteed is that whatever has happened, is happening, and will happen, God sees it all. He sees the doings of those which He allowed to have responsibility, as well as the behavior of those who whisper and murmured and hide behind social media and claim salvation through Christ while acting as if God does not exist.

I will finish this somewhat “rant” by quoting the Senator from South Carolina, Mr. Lindsey Graham as he spoke during the Senate Judicial Hearing on Sept. 28,2018. “God Help us All”! So as I spend the rest of this day celebrating the 21st anniversary of being married to my best friend and wife, I say to God be the glory and “God Help us All”!

A Look at How the Church Deals with Legalizing Marijuana- and I don’t mean medicinal use!

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Because I am a Preacher, many people have approached me with questions about smoking marijuana. Usually, people ask me what God thinks about medicinal use of marijuana. However, there have been quite a few who have come to me to ask about what God thinks about recreational use of marijuana. When this happens, the motive behind it is that the person is seeking permission to smoke weed and still be in good standing with God.

This is not unusual behavior when it comes to people in general. We all have spent our lives trying to figure out how we can be in good standing with God while continuing to do the things that we like to do. The problem is, we cannot have our cake and eat it too! At this time, I will set aside the use of medicinal marijuana because that in itself will be an entirely different discussion.

The latest form of the question today refers to the legalization of recreational weed use in some places in the United States of America. So, the question now is presented as follows;

“If smoking pot becomes legal, would it be OK with God?” or “If weed becomes legal, would it then be considered sinful by the church?” or even, “Can a person be saved if they smoke marijuana after it becomes legal?”. There are so many ways that this question comes about. All are the same question.

The problem here is, and it always has been, not so much the questions, but the answers and the conversations that follow the question. Yes, I am talking bout the response from the church. When I say, “the church”, I mean the Christians. The standard answer from the Christian is that smoking weed is sinful.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2013/november-online-only/what-would-jesus-smoke.html
Click on this image to see CT Pastors article

Back in 2013 Christianity Today published an article about what the church should do when pot is legalized. Ben Tertin, the author, brings attention to the failure of the church to properly address this topic. I will attempt to not copy his statement here. However, there may be similarities in the response.

Most people, who don’t use pot, look at anyone who does as a person who uses drugs. In a general sense, that is true. Marijuana is a drug. Not only that, in most places as of 2018, it is not a legal drug. These are the two issues that most Christians tend to focus on or notice. So, when the debate comes about for them, they immediately turn to scripture such as Romans 13 referring to Paul’s teaching on obeying the governing body of the land.

Not to mention how that same chapter gives instructions about not getting drunk. That’s it! That is as far as most Christians will go in the debate! Mostly because they really don’t know what the scripture says about the issue. The fact is, few Christians really know what the issue actually is!

The issue of marijuana and the use of it or the legalization of it is not really the core issue. Understand this; when man makes a law, in any part of the world, it in no way, shape, or form changes alters the stance of our Holy God about smoking weed!

Yes, it is true that obeying the laws of the governing body is there in the scripture. But that is not the issue. If it were, then the conversation would not only be about smoking pot, but speeding on the highway, texting and driving, or even fishing without the proper license and so on.

The other argument that is offered by the Christian is that since God does not permit drinking alcohol then smoking weed is similar and therefore should not be done. Hog Wash!

First, the bible never says, in any translation, that drinking alcohol is sinful or forbidden. What it says is that being drunk is frowned upon and looked at as debauchery by God (Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 5:17-18, 1 Peter 4:3-5, 1 Tim. 3:3, Titus 1:7).

Another fact is that people can consume alcohol without becoming drunk. Which would lead us to question if people can smoke weed without becoming high. Still the problem is that we are focused on the wrong thing.

As Christians, we are given the responsibility of introducing the world to the Kingdom of God. Nothing in the Bible instructs the believers to make people stop sinning. It especially does not instruct the believer to pass judgement on others for any reason!

So then, what is the issue, the real issue? The real issue is just this; The church has for way too long missed opportunities to love their neighbor because of their own judgmental approach to taking a stand against marijuana, and any other drugs for that matter.

The issue is that the church, those who profess to be Christian, continuously depend on the laws of man to force people to “act right”! The issue is not at all whether marijuana is legal or not, the issue is that neither side of the debate is talking about what the Bible really says about getting high on weed!

What the church should be focused on is the people. Not the actions of the people. The Christian, who believes that the Bible is truth, should focus on what the Bible talks about. There is some scripture that does apply to the activity of smoking pot, drinking alcohol, or any other drug activity.

“Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”     Ephesians 5:17-18

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”                                                                                      -1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

“The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.       -1 Peter 4:7-8

These are just a few parts of Scripture that instruct against drunkenness. No scripture speaks against consuming alcohol. Nor is there any part of Scripture, in any translation or interpretation, that speaks for or against marijuana! However, we can see that the Bible does teach the expectation of soberness. Being in our right mind in fact being filled with the Holy Spirit!

All of this should answer the question about the Christian who wants to smoke pot. It is in fact considered by God to be sinful to intentionally do something that would cause one’s self not to be of sober mind. Drunk, high, or otherwise.

As far as those who are not Christian who want to smoke weed recreationally for the purpose of getting high, as if there is another reason to do it, it really doesn’t matter. Oh, it is still look at the same way in the eyes of God, but there is a bigger issue in the hearts of these.

Deciding what a person believes about Jesus being the Son of God who was born in the flesh and died on a cross for the purpose of bring forgiveness to all who repent and believe. If the person never understands, reacts, and submits to this demand for a decision, well it doesn’t matter if they get drunk, get high, or anything else they desire. Smoking pot or doing drugs is the least of their worries!

If the Christians will focus more on talking about what the Bible really says, and less about how to make people stop sinning, it would be drastically obvious to everyone how God would deal with all of us when it comes to matters such as legalizing marijuana.

So even though I personally believe that legalizing pot would be the wrong thing to do, I would like to think if the laws do change that my approach to making disciples would not change. So, I say that it really should not matter to the church whether this activity is legal or illegal. What matters is what the Bible does talk about. Sober mindedness, that is what pleases God!

Karma and Christianity- Oil and Water- Just Words

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & Discipleship, Life & PerseveranceLeave a comment

Every now and again something will continue to catch my attention. Not really button pushers for me, just something that I cannot let stand.

 

In our culture and society, people have been building up common phrases and figures of speech since speech began I assume. I too have been one to use a figure of speech from time to time. However, I often wonder how much thought goes into the words that come out of our mouths. I mean, are we really thinking about what we are saying with the words that we are using?

 

Many times certain words or figures of speech may seem harmless or even simply something silly to say, when if researched, one might find the origin a bit offensive and the original meaning rude or even vulgar. Let’s take for example the seemingly popular style of men’s pants for example. The particular style I have in mind are most of the time really nice clean pants. The problem is that either the fitting room mirrors are broken or the manufacturers are not capable of making a size that covers the rear end of these gentlemen who purchase said pants. Yes I am aware that men and boys who wear their pants this way do so because of some cool factor or style. Not willing to accept the true origin of that particular style as coming from prison inmates making a statement to other inmates that I won’t go into at this time.

 

I digress. Also, I will get to the point. Often I notice on social media or even in person, believers attributing some event that happened to karma. Each time it makes me wonder if the person even understands what karma is and how it works. Do they know that it is a huge part of the belief system of the Hindu and Buddhist religions?

 

karma

ˈkärmə

noun

 (in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

    • informal

      destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.

 

 So on the surface level of these conversations, there seems to be a basic understanding with most people that karma is simply, what comes around goes around. For example; if I do something bad to my neighbor, something bad will be done to me at another time. Sometimes, this idea is even tied to “the golden rule”. You know, treat people the way you want to be treated. Although this seems like a nice thought, and makes sense on the surface, what is really being said?

 

Notice the actual definition from the dictionary. It states that the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. That means that the reality of karma is rooted in the belief in re-incarnation. Meaning basically, the way a person behaves now will dictate what will happen to them in the future and in other existences. Now if a person is a Buddhist or Hindi, well then karma is what it is all about.
However, for the Christian I don’t see how this idea of karma fits into who we are and who God is. After all if we believe in the creator God who is Lord of all and King of all, then how can we put so much faith in a person’s past actions to dictate or even have authority in any part of our lives. Sure, there are consequences and rewards for good and bad behavior and the whole cause and effect theory has some merit. Most of the problem lies in the idea of “previous states of existence.”

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” – James 4:14

” Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”– Hebrews 9:27

 

Karma is all about getting what is coming to you based on your previous actions. Christianity has something called grace. Grace is escaping what you have coming to you because of the actions of Jesus. We cannot live in the grace of God and accept as truth the ideas of other religions whose beliefs are drastically different from that which is found in the truth of God’s word. God will not be mocked.

 

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” – 1 Corinthians 8:6

 

I conclude that irresponsible use of words and phrases, although possibly used in jest but most of the time not, if they do not honor God are in fact sinful. I say that because even in James’ writings we see that the tongue is a double-edged sword. Guard your words that you do not harm yourself.

 

The truth is, words have meaning. None of us have the right to change the meaning of a word. We must accept the meaning of the words we choose and then choose the words we mean. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say. Especially if you say that you are a Christian.

Think about this before you make that New Year resolution

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Life & PerseveranceLeave a comment

Proverbs 24:3-5

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.”

New Year Resolutions or Commitments

Many of us each year have some things that we would like to be different or better in our lives. Therefore, we try to use the beginning of a year as a re-start button or an agent of momentum.

For example, some plan to read more or spend more time with family. Others may desire to go to church more or make God more of a priority in life. Let us not forget time-tested classic, getting in shape or losing weight. The list is endless and some are successful and other not.

Whatever it is for you, a resolution should be considered a commitment. To be resolved is to have made up or mind and to be committed to a thing. Just as Daniel while in captivity was resolved not to defile himself by eating what God said was unclean, we too should be that committed to our resolutions. After all, if the commitment is not there, then one is not really resolved now are they?

I want to point out just 2 things to focus on as the idea of being resolved. As we look at them, keep in mind this fact. If you continue to do the same thing you did in 2017, 2018 will be the same.

1 You are making a commitment to yourself.

You owe it to yourself to be honest with yourself. No one likes to be lied to so why would you lie to yourself. The only way changes are going to be made is if we are honest with ourselves. There is a reason that this resolution is on your heart. This desire to make the change or improve or stop something is there because you have a desire for things to be different. There is nothing left to do now but commit.

As we commit ourselves to these resolutions, we must keep in mind that without the commitment, (resolve) failure is inevitable. Not only will you fail yourself, but possibly even others who are close to you. This is why as a Christian I try to make all my commitments while asking the Lord for His strength and discipline.

2. As a Christian, you are not only making a commitment to yourself but also to God.

For those of us who are Christians, we need to understand that not only are we making these resolutions because we desire changes in our lives but we desire to honor God. We are not only making commitments to ourselves but also to God.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” Colossians 3:23

It is often time commendable when a person commits to a task and then works hard to be successful. In doing so, they stay true to themselves and represent themselves well, but what about God? Where does God fit into all of this? The point is this. We can all work hard on the first point made here. We can stay true to ourselves and even be successful. We may even feel proud of ourselves for the success achieved from all the hard work and commitment. But what about God? Where does He fit in?

As Christians, our main goal is to glorify God with all things in our lives. When we make promises to ourselves and others, the World is watching to see if we follow through. It is not sinful to fail nor does it even dishonor God. We must keep in our hearts and minds how our commitment level affects our witness as Christians. If we are not honest with ourselves, the World will assume that we are not honest people period. This is why we should work at everything as if we are working for the Lord. After all, we are.

Let me finish by saying this. We are all but human beings. We have strengths and weaknesses and good days and bad. There is never a time that we do not need God involved in what we are doing. My advise this year would be to commit your works to God and ask for His strength and courage. He will be faithful.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

 

be blessed

Archie L. Gilmer

Is it right or wrong to be open minded?

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & Discipleship, Life & PerseveranceLeave a comment

As I was browsing through my Facebook feed, I came across a meme that caught my attention, which is not surprising because that is what memes are supposed to do.

However, this is my response to the post simply because it provoked a need to respond with my thoughts. The following is the meme posted on Facebook.Screenshot_20180104-162719

There are a few statements being made in this meme. Although the overall statement that is being made here is one that I will disagree with, there are one, maybe two that I might agree with or at least not reject totally.

Before I talk about the overall statement, first let me break it down into a few smaller statements that are intended to support the overall statement. I will break it down into three statements and then finish with the overall statement.

“Open minded people don’t care to be right, they care to understand.”
Within this first statement there are two ideas that I will focus on. The first idea seems to address the type of person that everything said is directed toward. Because open minded people are mentioned and then proceeded to be described, this meme is intended to make a statement about people who are not open minded.

The first problem is that not everyone agrees with what in fact is an “open minded” person. It is obvious that this meme makes a general description of an “open minded” person. The actual definition of an “open minded” person is as follows according to Merriam-Webster dictionary.

                      “:a willingness to listen to or accept different ideas or opinions”

Therefore, I will conclude that an “open minded” person is one who can be described by the definition. This would cause me to agree with the latter portion of this sub-statement. It must be true that an “open minded” person would “care to understand”.

Notice that within the definition that it states that an “open minded” person has a willingness to “listen to or accept different ideas or opinions.” It is important that the word or is not ignored. Just because an “open minded” person listens, it does not mean he or she must accept what is heard. This is contrary to the viewpoint of this meme.

The problem lies in the first portion of the statement. If “open minded” people “don’t care to be right”, then why would they “care to understand”? It seems to me that the only people who really care to understand anything are the ones who genuinely care to know what is right and what is wrong with anything.

After all, if a person simply does not care about right or wrong, it would only be logical that person would not spend the time it takes to understand anything because it would not matter. Which leads me into the next sub-statement in the meme.

“There’s never a right or wrong answer.”
Here in this sub-statement, the word “never” is used. This word is one that has a deep meaning to it. Never is a long time. This word has a value that is absolute. This word leaves no room for change in what it is attached to. In this case, “right or wrong”.

What I mean is that once the word “never” is attached to something, the value of that word is attached to the statement being made. In this case, “a right or wrong answer”. Therefore, I can only conclude that this sub-statement in this meme is making an absolute proclamation that there is “never a right or wrong answer”.

The problem here is that by using the word “never”, the statement being made is one of factual information. In other words, by stating “There’s never a right of wrong answer.”, one is stating that this is true.

If in fact that this sub-statement is “true” then it would also be “right”. Now you see the problem. By proclaiming as a fact that this statement is true, then it would be “right”, therefore proving itself to be false, thereby proving it to be “wrong”. That is if, “There’s never a right or wrong answer”.

“Everything is about understanding.”
As I consider the last sub-statement in the meme, the first word pops out like a neon sign in the desert darkness. “Everything”, wow that is a lot. In fact, that word is all inclusive and leaves nothing out. Therefore, I can conclude that this statement is about what “everything is about”.

The statement says that “understanding” is what everything is about. Now, before I agree or disagree with this sub-statement, first let me consider what is being said in order to understand. After all, I do want to be open minded.

Let me say this. If the word “understanding” is used to mean to comprehend, then I can more than likely agree with this sub-statement. Everything at least can be about what we comprehend. How a person “understands” something dictates their comprehension.

Having said that, I do believe everything “can” be about our understanding and/or comprehension. However, if the meme is using the word “understanding” in a way that means accepting, well then I will have to disagree. Going back to the definition of “open minded”, I believe it said “listen to or accept” whatever is there to understand.

For example, I do understand that people murder other people, however I do not accept that it is an action that is “right”. In fact, based on my understanding of what it means to murder, I believe that it is “wrong”.

So, if this sub-statement is saying that everything is about “accepting”, which I believe that it does, then I open mindedly disagree.

Overall statement
After having carefully considering each of the sub-statements that make up the overall statement, I will briefly go over the overall statement.

The overall statement is simply that if a person is “open minded”, that person will accept everything and not consider anything right or wrong. Thus insinuating that a person who will not accept everything and does acknowledge “right and wrong” is not open minded.

Before I go any further, I would like to make it clear that I am in no way intending to be aggressive or hateful with these thoughts. I simply am responding to a statement that, in my opinion, represents the view point of many in our society today that I disagree with. I do not hate anyone who disagrees with me or understands different than me. I am simply expressing my thoughts.

To wrap this up, I would say that I am an open minded person. I also would say that there are many that would disagree with that. This is a conflict of understanding and/or comprehension between myself and some in today’s society.

According to the dictionary I could be “right”. But according to much of society, I could be “wrong”. And then again, if I am “wrong” and this meme is “right” then the meme is actually “wrong”, wait, what?

 

​Have we not learned anything from the Hatfields and McCoys?

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Culture & Conviction, Faith & DiscipleshipLeave a comment

As we all watch our par of this world become full of hate and chaos, some fully immersed and yet others knowingly participating. It seems that suddenly this volcano of hatred and wickedness has erupted in society. I mean this is not the world I grew up in. Sure there were always some people who were not pleasant, and of coarse there have always been criminals in the world. Maybe I was a bit naive but I don’t remember such disrespect for authority or each other when I was being brought up. Today it seems that any type of authority is under attack, from Law Enforcement, Government, Church, to even parental authority. What is going on?

I would be willing to say that most people in The United States know about what happened between the years 1863-1891. Yes, that’s right, the Hatfield- McCoy feud. feud-300x211This feud could be the “poster child” for promoting hatred. It is a shining example of how bitterness, unforgiveness, and jealousy can fester into full grown hatred in a person’s heart. Not only in one person’s heart but can be extremely contagious. You see, there has been much written about this feud and the hatred that gave it life for so long. There have been documentaries, and movies made about this sad and terrible display of broken humanity. What they all have in common is that they never can pinpoint how the whole thing started. Some say it was over a stolen pig. There are several different guesses as to how it all started but the fact is no one really knows. Why is that? I’ll tell you why, it’s because these two families were so full of hate for one another that they themselves couldn’t even remember how it got started. And there it is! The truth about hate. We need to understand that hate needs no foundation. Once it takes it’s place in a person’s heart, it no longer needs a reason to exist. This is why somewhere around 18 members of these families were killed, and several others spent their lives in prison. You see hate is like rabies, once it infiltrates the heart of a person, it is tremendously difficult to treat. The only antidote is love.

So, as we all are not only witnessing but participating in the ramped epidemic of hatred sweeping across our society, let us not continue to foolishly make the mistake of repeating history. The truth is, hatred has been around since Cain and Able. Only when Jesus returns for the final time will hatred be completely snuffed out. But until then, the only way to combat this wicked environment that we all now live in is simply to love. Love even when you are being hated. Especially when you are being hated. Jesus taught us in Matthew chapter 10 that we who are disciples of Christ will be hated because He is hated. So why should we be surprised when we are caught up in this whirlwind of hatred? The real question is this. What should the body of Christ do about what is going on in our society?

Well, I believe that there is a simple answer to a simple question. I believe that the body of Christ, The Church, should continue to do what The Church has always been doing. Love God, and Love people. I admit that sometimes The Church hasn’t been very good at that but if we are going to be The Church, we must love. Love God, Love your neighbor, and yes even your enemy!

Archie L. Gilmer

08/24/2017