Death

It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. 

~ Heb 9:27

Death.  For the most part we don't like to talk about it.  We don't like to think about it.  We prefer to keep it off in the distance.  Out of reach.  Out of sight.  Yet it is always out there, looming as it were.  Waiting.

For most it is something we wish to brush under the rug.  When it approaches we try to slam the door and bolt the lock.  But death.  It knows no boundaries.  It is stopped by nothing.  It is a relentless foe.  A fearless enemy.

You see, death entered this world when our first parents, Adam and Eve, bought the lie and chose self over obedience.  That fateful day in the garden they heard the lies of our great adversary, the devil, Satan, the enemy of our souls.  Though they had paradise they thought to grasp the Divine.  Instead of being satisfied to have been made in God's image they desired to be like God.  And though God reveals His glory in His creation of man He will not and does not share His glory with another.  So death came.  Spiritual death.  Physical death.  And not only physical death but decay.

The moment we were born we started to decay, to run towards our end.  Oh, we may live to 70, even 100.  Perhaps we'll only make it to 50 or just 15.  I've lived long enough to see a lot of death.  It started when I was about 19.  We were one of those group of kids that experienced the death of a friend at the hands of alcohol, who wrapped himself and two others in a twist of metal and an early grave.  Then death came closer to home and beat on my door.  At a mere 25 I watched my father wither and die in just 4 months time.  He made it to a young 57, and I'm not far from that number myself now.  Next was my stepfather about 6 years later.  Another early grave and a quick withering away.  More effects of the Fall.

Sin brought death. 

Just as through one man sin entered the world, 

and death through sin, and so death

 spread to all men, because all men sinned. ~ Romans 5:12

Now looking back just 20 years my life is littered with the death of family and friends.  Death cares not about age.  A 92 year old grandmother, 94 year old grandfather, 2 year old son of a boss, 15 year old son of a neighbor, 15 year old daughter of a friend.   At least 3 deaths last year and already a couple this year with another imminent.  I could go on.  I think you get the picture.  At least I hope you do.

So why do most avoid the topic of death?  Well, it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  For the sinner.  The unregenerate.  For he who has heard the truth about Christ, sin, the gospel, and rejected it.  And rightly so.  You see God has graciously put before us life and death.  He has planted within us a knowledge of Him.  He has revealed Himself in the work of creation.  Yet we, for the most part, have rejected it.  Why?  Simple.  We love ourselves more than Him.  We desire to be sovereign.  We bow to none.  So it is only right that we fear death.  Sin brings death and then judgment.

We desire to live 60, 70, 80 years apart from giving Christ His due.  We may live a moral life, moral on a horizontal scale not a vertical one.  We think that gains us favor and in the end we will 'be ok.'  Yet why when death is at the door do we fear?  Because we know it's not enough.  We know we have offended a Holy God and He demands payment.  That payment is satisfied in Christ.

So this brings us the contrast.  The Christian, the one who has repented of his sin, confessed his offenses, and believed upon Christ's work on Calvary has no fear.  Death is but an entrance into glory.  Glory with the eternal One.  Why?  This person understands that he is a sinner.  He is nothing but a vile wretch, full of hatred and self will.  He has nothing to offer because he is altogether corrupt.  Or should I say was?  By trusting in Christ's righteousness and not leaning on an iota of his own supposed righteousness he has received the imputed righteousness of Christ and been made new.  Entirely new.  He is a new creation who can now walk in the fullness of life.  Perfect love casts out fear.  So death for the godly one is precious in His sight.  And not only in God's sight but for the forgiven sinner.  He has a sure hope.  A confident assurance.  A place prepared for him.  And it shall happen!

Where do you find yourself?  Fearful of death?  Ignoring the elephant in the room?  Do you keep death out of reach?  When it comes do you grieve as one who has no hope?  Or do you look at death and say,

O, death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory? 
~ 1 Cor 15:55

He must increase,
Kevin

Once An Enemy

Over a year ago I renamed this blog to Once An Enemy.  I think it is a better description.  When I started this I had lots of thoughts running through my head, and still do, so my wife said, "why don't you start a blog?"  So I did.  But as I look back I realized I needed re-calibrating  So first I stopped writing and then took a new course.  One with less of a fighting and abrasive spirit.  Oh, my convictions have not lessened.  I believe the Lord has just beat me left and right with who I am, who I was, and Who is responsible for the good.  And, who is responsible for the bad.  Yep, me.  So I thought I'd go back and show you why the name resonates with me and why it is always in my head.  So let's start with where the phrase originates.

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend

The agonies of Calvary

You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son

Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin

Jesus, thank You

The Father's wrath completely satisfied

Jesus, thank You

Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near

Your enemy You've made Your friend

Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace

Your mercy and Your kindness know no end  

Words and music by Pat Sczebel © 2003 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)

No one knows the depth of my sin like me. This simple yet profound worship song epitomizes me.  You see, I was a mocker, a blasphemer, a proud, stubborn, self-centered rebel.  For 24 years.  But God.

I never heard the name of Christ as a child except as a swear word coming from a loved one.  I was raised properly yet at best a form of godliness in our family that was nothing more than moralism soaked in sin.  My parents divorced when I was about 13.  At that time I fed a deep loathe for my father that lived for a solid 5 years and I turned.  I turned to my own ways.  I was the "man" of the house and no one was going to tell me what to do.  So I ran into dissipation.  Oh I could have gone much further as some of my posse went.  Yet I went plenty far enough.  Life really was all about me.  It's the Sovereign grace of God I wasn't splattered on the road like another friend was at the mere age of 18.  We boys woke up that day, a little.  I can still see the scene.  A green hill.  Blue skies.  A casket.  But we only partly woke up. 

Years earlier I had started filling my life with music.  Bad music.  Aggressive, dark music.  One of my favorites loved to play on the macabre.  I won't go into details.  I never let myself go there.  It's gone, by grace.  God works in wonderful ways.  He used that wicked band to drive this young rebel into a Christian bookstore to purchase of all things, a bible!  This guy?  Really?!  I had to read the book of Revelation out of curiosity.  So I slinked in, hoping no one I knew would catch me. 

I took that bible home and searched it, mind you out of curiosity, nothing more.  That night I woke up and knew without a doubt I was damned and headed for hell.  I had the strangest dream.  Basically I was at a large table with lots of people.  The verdict came.  And I was doomed.  I was evicted from that table and told everlasting destruction awaited me. 

My mother found me, this 16 year old kid, on my window sill with a broken window, trying to escape the horrors I just saw.  (I do not remember my dreams.  This is the only one in 53 years that is still clear as day to me.)  But sin had a firm grip on me.  I said, later.  I'll become a Christian later.  So I ran another 8 years.  To the point that I openly laughed and mocked Christians.

The lyric by Stuart Townend (copyright 1995, Thankyou Music)

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

fits me perfectly! 

It's why if you're ever near me in church when we sing it, you'll likely catch me choking on these words. 

Because one night, I remember it well, I submitted to the truth I'd known for years.  And at 6:30 on a Tuesday night I prayed my first ever prayer.  A meager, measly prayer.  Not entirely sure what I was doing.  Oh, knowing I was asking for forgiveness.  Repenting of my wickedness. Asking for Jesus to receive me and turn my life from ruin to anything better.  Praying that I would follow Him and forsake all my sin.  But I felt like a ditch digger in an operating room.  What was I doing?  What did I know of prayer?  Of God?  But He didn't want nor expect me to know anything more than, Father forgive me!  I believe you died upon a cross for my sin.  Jesus change me!  And in an instant I was transferred from the kingdom of darkness and brought into His marvelous light! 

You see, Jesus did drink the bitter cup reserved for me.  I cannot comprehend the agonies He suffered on Calvary.  The perfect Holy One crushed His Son.  For me.  Oh the weight of that!  I could almost faint.  For me?!  You have got to be kidding?  Crushed?  For me? 

He's washed away my sins?  His wrath completely satisfied?  The riches of His glorious grace poured out on me?  The wretch?!  His perfect sacrifice has brought me near?

Surely His mercy and His kindness knows no end.

So I remind myself often to stay low, because,

"you were once an enemy but now you are seated at the table!"

Do you know this truth?  This Jesus?  If not, embrace Him, now.

He must increase,
Kevin

Redeeming The Time

I don't fire up the blog much anymore but since I have bachelor time while my beloved is away I thought I'd throw out what's bouncing around in my wee little head.  There are two reasons I have only written three times in the last three years; 

1. Being a bit of a perfectionist it takes me 2-3 hours to compose my thoughts in what I hope is clear and accurate and I was convicted I was simply spending too much time on this and not enough with my wife.
2. I'm just an average guy at best who barely made it out of English in high school.  I was the guy that skipped oral reports out of fear of public speaking and hated creative writing.  Plus, there are plenty of able men and women that can write far better than I and who possess far greater knowledge than I.  I'll likely butcher a noun or a transitive verb.  So don't laugh.  I'm just an English ogre.

That said, here's what's on my heart and mind.  Here is the bottom line right from the start:

You are one day closer to your death right now than yesterday, 

and so am I.

So I want to talk about redeeming our time.  Here are just a few definitions Websters provides, "to buy back, to get or win back, to change for the better."  We all spend our time doing a multitude of activities.  Some good.  Some bad.  Some profitable.  Some wasteful.  

My question is; are you spending your time wisely? 

My purpose here is to focus on how we spend our time in the marriage relationship.  So, are you spending your time with your bride wisely?  (Ladies, bear with me and just apply these words I'll say to you and your husband.)  I speak as a guy that has blown it more than nailed it and fooled himself into thinking that doing what I ought was pretty exemplary.  Like Jacob wrestled God one night, God wrestled me one night a few years ago and He body slammed me in order to break me.  Praise the Lord for faithful wounds that shape the adopted child of God into vessels that resemble Him more.

I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

~ Phi 3:13-14

Presently I can think of three ladies that have lost their husbands to heavenly glory in the last four months.  Perhaps you find yourself with a spouse that is battling a terminal illness or a chronic illness.  I could name a few of those too.  Friend, I'm not going to tell you anything new but perhaps something here can wake you from slumber as I needed waking from my slumber.

You are just a vapor 
that appears for a little while 
and then vanishes away. 
~ James 4:14

We don't know what tomorrow holds.  In fact, we don't know if we'll live through the night or make it out of work or the grocery store today.  Life is too short and the older I get the more clearly I see that reality.  Selfish desires are too present.  Petty disputes threaten to steal our joy and our time.  Bitter feelings are always at the door waiting to devour the marital relationship.  God's word says, "don't let the sun go down on your anger" and "don't give the devil the opportunity."  Yet how often do we allow trivialities to sow discord in our marriage?  I'm closer to death right now than I was an hour ago.  So guess what?  That means I have less time in the presence of my wife than the day I married her.  And quite frankly that doesn't excite me, that depresses me.

Can we be real here?  Why did you marry that girl?  That guy?  You who have been married 6, 10, 20 years, what changed?  There was a day you couldn't do anything but think of her.  Even if you tried she wouldn't get out of your head.  Then one day you planned how to ask her "The Question."  Where would you ask?  Would you kneel?  Would you trip over your tongue and make an idiot out of yourself?  Would you fumble the ring?  And since she said yes, those things didn't matter anyway because she couldn't stop thinking about you either.  She hoped you'd ask.  She too wanted to be around you so much she was willing to make the ultimate commitment... "til death do us part."  So what changed, if anything?  Oh dear reader, it is my hope that nothing changed.  It is my hope that she still makes your heart skip a beat, that her voice breaking through the silence makes your heart leap, that her smile melts you like wax.  Does it?  It should!

So husbands ought also to love their own 

wives as their own bodies. 

He who loves his own wife loves himself; 

for no one ever hated his own flesh, 

but nourishes and cherishes it. 
~ Eph 5:28–29

Husbands, we are to love our wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.  Marriage is a picture of Christ and His bride, the church.  Men, do we cherish our wife?  Is she the best thing ever?  Do we show her by our actions?  Are we selfless in our care for her?  Are we doing everything for her with joy or is it mere duty if at all?  Do we desire to be with her?  Or are we like some buddies I have known?  Out playing with the boys.  A golf weekend here.  Going to watch Monday Night Football.  A weekend out of town to catch Spring Training.    'Hey babe, love ya, see ya Sunday night but don't worry I'll catch up with ya on Monday.' Not working for me.  Stop loving yourself!

And you know what?  I've been guilty to some extent.  My wife has no desire for sports.  Often I'd find myself in the front room watching football, golf, basketball, soccer, you name it, while she was in the back of the house doing her thing and wishing I'd pay attention to her.  "The game is almost over!  Be right there."  "Oh, man, it's late, gotta get to bed soon and get to work."  Fool!  Instead of giving her my best time she got scraps.

There was a time in our first year of marriage that I decided to join my neighbor's soccer team in the "Viejo League."  My poor young wife had no idea I was a sports junkie when we met because when we met the world stopped and I wanted nothing else but to be around her.  I would often be sitting at the pool at her apartment waiting for her to get home when we were engaged.  Yet a year later when the invite came to play I accepted, hoping my beautiful new wife would love to see her stud boy <cough cough> shine in the net.  What an idjut! I eventually gave it up as she reminded me 3-4 years later that I had a family to care for and missing a week's work from a concussion wasn't the best thing for us.  (The last 4-5 years I've taken to watching the Tour de France with her.  She loves bicycling.  And these days she takes out her spinning wheel and makes yarn.  I would never in my life watch something as boring as TDF but now, I love it.  It's our time every July.)

As I matured, um got older, and she became chronically ill I would do my duty and run the errands on Saturday's or hit some during the week and make sure obligations were met.  Missing many I'm sure.  We never left the house together except for medical appointments.  I was always there to help her get everything out with the doctor and make mental notes of what he said.  I have been in the office with her through hundreds of appointments/procedures since 2006.  It was my passion to make sure she was cared for during those 8 years of home-bound misery.  (Still battling chronic illness 4 years later but it's far better.)  Yet I was still a degree or two off.  But God.  He power slammed me and said wake up boy!  Things started to be put away.  Old desires and interests began fading.  Sports in 2018?  Ha, meaningless.  Oh I can still talk a little but the desire is gone.  Should I say idol?  Yeah, idol.  Dishes started getting cleaned, without murmuring.  Vacuum?  I got it!  You want to just sit and talk?  Tea time, as in drinking, not tee time, became important.  Yeah, the girl I was infatuated with and I'd do anything for became my cherished gift again that I would put everything on hold for.  

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, 
coming down from the Father of lights.
~James 1:17

I called her my "Angel" when we met and in my youthful faith assigned this verse to her.  Now we know that context matters and verse 18 follows.  Yes God the Father brings forth His own and wills that they be regenerated.  Yet also note that every perfect gift is from His hand, from above, so she's still my "Angel."

And you know what?  I don't want to miss a moment with her.  I am losing how many moments I have left.  So are you.  As I mentioned earlier, three sisters in Christ have finished their last moment with their husband.  Some suddenly.  Others through long struggle.  It hurts my heart.  I guarantee you they'd give just about anything for another moment with them.  Another has a husband with terminal cancer.  He may live a few months, maybe a year and a half, unless something drastically changes.  

And that makes me weep.  I weep with them because we're supposed to.  God commands us to.  One day I may be in their shoes and that grieves me.  Oh I'll always have my Jesus.  He'll never leave me nor forsake me and one day I'll sit at His feet with joy inexpressible.  Yet in the meantime He has given us husbands an immeasurable gift we call a wife, flesh of my flesh.  And we're to enjoy that while we have breath.

As I've told many in recent months, cherish the time.  Don't bicker.  Don't let any strife come in.  Forgive quickly. Be selfless.  Give honor to your wife.  Cherish her.  You said "I do" didn't you?  You said, "in sickness and in health."  You said, "richer and poorer."  You said, "til death do us part."  You loved enough then so shouldn't your love be greater now?  Time is quickly slipping through the hourglass.  For the christian your salvation is nearer now then when you began.  The night is coming.  Will we live in such a way that it is pure joy to cherish the one whom the Father has given us?  If we do, marriage will be sweet, oh so sweet.  Just as He designed it to be.  If only we would get out of the way of ourselves and live in the marital relationship as He has described it in His infallible word.  Be careful how you walk and make the most of it.  Redeem the time you have while you have it because this life will soon pass and when it's over you don't want to wish you'd spent your time more wisely.

He must increase,
Kevin

Three Days

As I woke today my heart burned with thoughts of worshiping my Savior on yet another Good Friday.  It's nothing short of amazing that the day means anything at all to me.  You see for 24 years it was, Friday.  Just Friday.  It was the last day of the school week.  It was the day I got to "rest" my post teenage bones by running rampant starting at 3:30 in the afternoon until 2:00 a.m..  It meant I would sleep as long as I wanted the following morning and in the fall/winter months would arise a couple days later to immerse myself in an object that bounced oddly and reportedly came from a pig.  But in April it was just Sunday that was coming.  Nothing more.  Perhaps some brunch that caused me to roll out before 9:00 a.m.  But it was just, Sunday.  For the first 24 years of my life it was Easter weekend.  That meant one thing up until about 18.  Christmas 2.0

It meant chocolate and in large quantities.  Jesus?  Who's that?  Resurrection?  What is that?  I wish I had those questions but I really had no clue that Person or that event ever existed up until about 15 years old.  Yep, I grew up in one of those godless American Evangelical homes.  Later, much later, learning that we in fact were Christians because mom and grandma sang in a choir when they were around 8 and because we were moral folks.  So one Sunday per year was all about gifts from a fat man and another was about a rabbit that brought us huge, and I mean huge, baskets of chocolate.  Pagan?  I don't know.  Secular?  For sure.

But now.  Only through amazing grace and an opening of my heart and eyes to the truth of the gospel, the gospel that Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, God, very God, came down and dwelt among men.  That Jesus, God's Beloved Son, took on human flesh and tabernacled with us.  That Jesus, the Lamb of God, walked among us, lived the perfect life obedient to the law of God, the law that I failed at in immense proportions.  The gospel that this Jesus suffered shame and scorn, ridicule and mocking, abuse and hatred.  This Jesus willingly went to the cross of Calvary and was crucified by wicked men, by the decree of God the Father, that He might bear the righteous wrath against sin, my sin!  Your sin!  Your sin?  This gospel that flamed the tomb 2000 years ago with light that first Resurrection morning.  This gospel that conquered sin and death for all those who would believe upon His name, who would repent of their sin, who would follow Him.  

              I once was lost
                   but now I'm found
              I was blind
                   but now I see

Oh what a difference this day has been for nearly three decades now!  Can it be that I have gained an interest in the Savior's blood?  That He died for me?  That I woke in the dungeon of sin?  That my chains fell off?  That I rose?  That I went forth and followed Him?

It can!  And it is all of grace.  Grace that brought me forth.  Grace that leads me on.  Grace that will lead me home.  But God!  He was rich in mercy.  He made me alive.  He caused me to be born again to a living hope.  

'Tis mercy all, immense and free!

Wretched, vile and helpless was I.  A cross?  Church, on Friday?  Absolutely giddy about church on a Friday?  Totally excited about the coming Resurrection Sunday?  No, not me!  Not that kid that slunk into a Christian bookstore at 14 looking for a bible, hoping no one he knew saw him.  Not that kid who ran wild.  Not that kid who flashed the sign of the devil at Christians.  Not that reprobate young man who said, later! Later!

But God!  This gospel knocked me off my horse.  This gospel, the one I was NOT looking for.  This gospel has transformed my life.  This gospel has turned a wretch into a worshiper.  This gospel has proven trustworthy a million times over.  Can it be that I should gain?!  Jesus died for me?!  Jesus looked down at this pitiful human and stretched out His hand and pulled me out of my grave?!

What is Good Friday and Resurrection Day to you?  Is it just a day to avoid meat?  A day to get out of school?  Work?  Is Resurrection Day just Easter?  A secular "holiday"?  

Have you ever considered the magnitude of grace?  God, very God, came down from His lofty abode and dwelt among us, lived the perfect life we have failed to live, suffered and died upon the cross to bear the sins of the world, rose the third day for the justification of His people.

What do these three days mean to you?  

I hope they mean everything, absolutely everything.

He must increase,
Kevin








  

Things Taken For Granted

A father walking his two small children into church at 8:00 a.m., hand in hand.  A mother gathering snacks, bottles, and the kitchen sink to load up the diaper bags.  Two parents, one getting strollers and bibles in the car.  The other getting jackets on the littlest ones while the 7 and 9 year olds finish that last bite of breakfast and join the mad dash to get in the car.  

A family scurrying around church campus getting to their classes. Some together.  Some scattering.   A husband and wife, joining hands to hold a hymnal, then corporate prayer.  A child a little too fidgety as the pastor brings the Word.  A loving father gently putting a hand on his knee, without a word teaching reverence.  A mother handing a crayon to her 5 year old daughter who takes her own kind of notes about the truth being proclaimed.  A crying baby, again, that causes mom to exit worship and attend to his needs.  A stubborn child that requires dad to step away from the preaching to administer correction.  The shear joy of looking down the pew and seeing your wife and children fastened on the pastor, scribbling notes and flipping through their bibles.

Have you experienced any of these?  Are you experiencing any of these?

I’d like to turn our thoughts towards thankfulness in all of them.  I’d like to turn any reading this away from frustration in the challenging ones.  My goal is to cause you to look at the manifold blessings you’ve been given in this life and rejoice in them.  To exult in the Sovereign King for allowing you to experience all of them.  Because in an instant they can all be gone.  Either by the speed of time....

You know, where you blink and exclaim, “where did the time go?!”, as you see your 21 year old child drive away from home.  Or the speed in which health can take a drastic turn for the worst... Like when you hold your spouse’s hand in a hospital bed for the 15th time, wishing you had just one more day, one more year of youth and vitality.

Hindsight is a good teacher.  Scripture is a better teacher.  God tells us to make the most of our time, not being foolish, to be careful about it, being wise (Eph 5:15-16).  Now I know the context is Christians not walking in darkness, in the lusts of the flesh.  Yet there is a principle in there we shouldn’t miss.  To put it in my simpleminded vernacular, don’t be an idiot wasting your time on unfruitful pursuits.  Don't miss the blessing of normal.  But rather, be purposeful in doing good, walking in righteousness, being thankful in ALL things.  Because again, any or all of the routines of life could be gone.  In.  An.  Instant.

Some of the wisest words I ever heard were simple.  They weren’t deep theology, although we desperately need deep theology.  The friend that spoke them to me had no idea of the impact they would have on me.  But they were spoken to a 30 year old kid so try as I might, I failed too often to remember and heed them.  Oh, they’ve often been my intention and even practice but still, failure.  These were spoken by a brother in Christ in the hall of a hospital as my second preemie child was born.  

“Don’t be in a hurry for anything.  Before you know it they’ll be walking and then a teenager.  Enjoy each moment.  This is only a season.”

That’s it!  Pretty simple. Yet spoken by a friend 10 years my senior.  He’d been there.  He’d done that.  Hmm, as I write this I just got a picture of holding my children’s hands, wife alongside, both of us a bit frazzled, arms full of bibles and notebooks, after four full hours as we walked down the wide concrete ramp from our church campus to the parking lot.  Yep, 19 years.  Snap!  Gone!  Here we are going on 2018.  

Be thankful.  

Don’t complain.  

Praise God, with all your heart!  

Recognize His grace.  

Fulfill your calling as a parent, a spouse.  

Walk in wisdom.  

Walk in the joy of the Lord.  

And when tempted to miss the forest for the trees, smell the roses while you have health, the ability of your youth and the freedom to experience such things because one day you may be alone and wishing you could have it all over again to do better.

So nothing really rich theologically here.  No attempt to dig down into a text.  Just some words from an old guy with less gas in his tank and miles on his road than days gone by.

He must increase, 
Kevin

What Word is Going Forth?

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. 
~ 1 Thessalonians 1:8–10

As I read this passage my mind was directed to the sins of our society and what my witness before it looks like, what the witness of my church, your church, looks like.  Is the word of the Lord sounding forth or is it a watered down, twisted version of our own human wisdom?  Have we capitulated in our duty as men and women of faith in living the gospel?  If indeed we have been saved by the gospel, are we really living it or have we poisoned it with our sin?  Have we departed from the word of the Lord and infused our own word, the word of man?

I guess we need to start there, with the gospel.  So let's go for a short walk. Just what is the gospel?

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:3–4

It starts with the fact that man is born in sin (Psalm 51:5), separated from communion with their Creator and His Son Jesus Christ (Isaiah 59:2).  Every one of us is devoid of the Holy Spirit of God. You see our first parents sold the entire human race into sin (Romans 5:12) when they chose to disobey God's command to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” ~ Genesis 2:16–17

And die we did!  Humanity plunged in an instant into enmity with God.  It didn't take long for that hostility to work itself out in brother murdering brother. Cain lusted after approval and slew his brother.  Yes, his brother, of the same race, the same lineage, the same mother and father.  And today?  The issue still remains sin in the heart of man and nothing less (Jer 17:9).  So God the Father in His Divine Sovereignty and Omnipotent wisdom sent His Son to live the perfect life. Yes, the life man was no longer able to live apart from redeeming grace.  This Jesus not only lived for our righteousness but died for our transgressions, of which there are too many to number.  He was indeed raised to new life on the third day and taken up into glory.  My friends, without His shed blood applied to our sin no matter how much we desire heaven as our end it is not happening apart from repentance of our sin and placing our faith in Christ's work on Calvary and His work alone.

This is the word of faith we are preaching,

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

~ Romans 10:9–10

and when that occurs we are brought near and the enmity is over while peace is ushered in.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 

~ Ephesians 2:13–16

Is that you my friend?  If so, how glorious!  If not, how terribly sad!

So, back to the passage that got my brain thinking.  Is the word of the Lord sounding forth from our lips?  Is the work of Christ evidenced in our speech? Does the power of the Holy Spirit come out in our actions?  You see, we are not here to play church and just gather on Sunday's eating donuts and drinking coffee, smiling at each other through lives of hypocrisy.  This glorious gospel is powerful! (Romans 1:16)  Powerful enough to change our sin torn, wicked hearts into hearts of flesh that are moved by the gracious gift of our Redeemer. We now weep for those things that He died for and those who are still enslaved to sin.  We understand because we were that man! Therefore we speak boldly but with grace.  We now hate those things we used to do, and the world still does, because our disposition has been entirely changed.  We are made new! (2 Cor 5:17)  

Have we turned from idols?  Or have we deceived ourselves by a false gospel? Have we bitten the hook that the gospel is all about us, our best life now?  Have we drunk the poison that we just need to be a bit more moral, a bit more philanthropic, a good neighbor, attend church when we can, think nice things about others, allow for all people to do as seems best to them and not judge them, profess we believe in Christ but never really admit our own sinfulness?  Have we indeed made ourselves THE idol?  Have we placed our intellect above that found in the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God?

Oh church of the Living and True God, are we waiting for God's Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven? Are we filled with joy that we will not experience the wrath to be unleashed?  Are we warning others of the wrath to come?  Or have we closed our mouths so as not to rock the boat?  My brothers and sisters, who opened their mouth to point you to salvation?  Who risked ridicule to tell you that you were lost in sin and damned for hell?  Will we stand idly by and say, 'Not my job, preacher man can do that!'  It is only by grace that God sent His mouthpiece to us who are the called, the elect of God.  Will we obey the command to tell others? 

We are all called to be watchmen.  Wrath is coming.  Personally and quite possibly widespread upon this world.  Will He be a Lion or a Lamb to those we come in contact with?  Is the word of the Lord going forth from us or have we chosen to hide our lamp under a bushel?

How beautiful are the feet of those 

who bring good news of good things! 

~ Romans 10:15 

He must increase,
Kevin

A Mormon Refutation

Yesterday was a good day. It's true that I didn't get much sleep the night before. It's also true that, in my sleep deprived state, I still had to function at work somehow. Now, add into the mix college, family, and an ever-growing "To Do" list, it's easy to understand why you might be wondering how I can say my day was good. Truth is, I fibbed a bit. It wasn't just good. It was amazing!

I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity to meet with some Mormons. They had come to my house last week and talked for an hour. Some of that time was spent breaking the ice and getting to know one another while also trying to touch on the inevitable topic at hand. By the end of that meeting, we parted ways with an understanding that we simply didn't see eye to eye. I was a bit surprised when they said they wanted to meet again but I gladly obliged. As I already stated, that day was yesterday. However, this time, I had a homework assignment that I needed to present. At their last visit, they left a pamphlet with me titled "The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" and my task was the read it and pray about it. The result of that was an 8 page document typed up in 12-point Times New Roman font. That document is the very basis and inspiration for this blog post. While it's true that I felt it was necessary to discuss with my guests the points within, I feel there are many more people who simply don't understand what Mormonism teaches. I'm also convinced there are a great many who are aware of certain error but don't know how to adequately verbalize it. You, the reader, may be one of these. Sadly, this only leads to missed opportunities to share the good news of Christ when they land on your very own doorstep.

Below are a few of the points that I drafted up in the aforementioned document. I encourage you to download the full .pdf from the link below and read it in its entirety when you have the time. If it gives even one person the confidence to speak when the time comes, it'll be well worth the time I spent writing it. One thing I do know is that I look forward to hearing what they have to say when I meet with them again. Yes, they took a copy.

The format is fairly simple. The page numbers listed correspond to the pages within their booklet (you can find the link for this below as well). The bold lettering is where I quote the text from that page. I then pose a question which I intended on asking them in order to hear their explanation. Lastly, I close it out with my own thoughts and points of refutation.

PAGE 3 
Prophets…interpret the word of God.
What do you mean by “interpret the word of God”?

• 2 Peter 1:20-21 - But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 
• While the prophets of old did speak forth new revelation from God, they weren’t authorized to interpret it. This is why it was a “Thus saith the Lord” type of thing. It was never interpreted by them. It was only declared and spoken forth. For a prophet to enter into the realm of interpretation would be grievous error. However, we see history showing that Mormon prophets, while never revoking a prophecy, do sometimes reinterpret them. Again, this is dangerous territory.

  PAGE 4
 Prophets receive the priesthood. 
How do you reconcile this with the biblical account that the prophets weren’t priests and that priest/prophet were two very separate duties?

•  Priests were from the tribe of Levi only. One doesn’t have to look far to see this. In fact, Elisha was from the tribe of Issachar. Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah were all from the tribe of Judah. Clearly, in accordance with Numbers 3:10-12, these men wouldn’t qualify to be a part of the priesthood.

Revealed truths are lost as people reject the prophets. 
What do you use to test the words of your prophets?

• Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
•  Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
•  Joseph Smith made multiple false prophecies (such as always occupying the house in Nauvoo (Illinois) that is now destroyed, the Civil War being a war of all nations, etc). Instead of admitting these were false prophecies from a false prophet that isn’t to be feared (and thus crumbling the entire religion), these prophecies are merely reinterpreted by the new prophets. We spoke on the danger of this practice earlier. If the prophecy is truly of God, the wording will never change and the interpretation will remain.

  PAGE 8
 The Apostles were killed, and priesthood authority – including the keys to direct and receive revelation for the Church – was taken from the earth. 
Why do you say the priesthood was taken from the earth upon the death of the apostles?

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
• 1 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
• Hebrews 8:1-3 - Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.
• Scripture declares that we, as believers are now the priesthood. This isn’t because we have the qualifications of priest but because we are now in the body of Christ, our great High Priest. Our own bodies are the temple of God and God Himself dwells within us. The priesthood, as it stood, was abolished at this point. The veil was torn from top to bottom and the separation between God and man with an intermediary of priest no longer existed. We, as the priesthood of believers, now have direct access to God and have the illumination (not revelation) of the Spirit to guide us in all truth and righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) which is to be found in the Bible. Acts 17:11 praises the Bereans for searching the Scriptures to see if what was being proclaimed was true. The Bible simply doesn’t support the claims of Mormonism. Therefore, it is to be rejected as being contrary to the Word of God.

 PAGE 12 
conferred on him the Aaronic Priesthood……later appeared to Joseph Smith and conferred on him the Melchizedek Priesthood. 
Can you please go into more detail on this?

• If Smith was anointed as a prophet in 1820 (at the age of 15) by both the Father and Son, was he idle for the next 3 years until Moroni appeared to him by his bedside in 1823 (at the age of 18)? Furthermore, why did it take until 1827 before being shown the golden plates? Lastly, why did it take until 1829 to be given the priesthoods?
• Why did John the Baptist (who was indeed of the Aaronic line) give Smith the Aaronic priesthood at all if it was just going to be superseded by the greater Melchizedek priesthood shortly thereafter? More so, this would mean that Smith was of the bloodlines of both lines and would mean he was more in line for the priesthood than even Christ was as Christ wasn’t of the tribe of Levi which is why Hebrews 8:4 says even He didn’t qualify to be a priest. It’s only because He’s of the line of Melchizedek that He alone is our High Priest. If Joseph Smith were qualified to hold both priesthoods, he outweighs even the qualifications of Christ. Conversely, if he wasn’t of either line (which is in fact the case), it means he held neither priesthood because he was precluded from doing so. As we covered earlier, merely being a prophet doesn’t mean one is a priest and even the title of prophet doesn’t apply because Scripture says so.
• If Christ appointed Smith as a prophet in 1820 and all prophets carry the priesthood, why did he not receive the priesthood until 1829, 9 years later? This means he either wasn’t a genuine prophet until 1829, he was a faulty prophet until 1829, or he was never a prophet at all and didn’t truly understand what it meant to be either one. Hence, the oversight and inconsistency between his dates and the biblical teaching of the offices of prophets and priests.

  PAGE 15 
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. 
Who is Jesus?

•  The Mormon Jesus is:

1.  A created being
2.  Son of God but not God
3.  Not to be worshiped as God but merely revered as the Son
4.  Spiritual brother of Satan (though at opposite ends of the spectrum)

•  The Christian Jesus is:

1.  An eternal being never created
2.  Son of God yet also God Himself
3.  To be worshiped as God Himself
4.  The creator of all things including Satan the angel

•  Thus, the teachings of Mormonism don’t align with the Bible when it comes to the very foundation of who Jesus is. This means the Book of Mormon isn’t another testament of Jesus Christ but is rather (along with the other works of Smith) a testament of another Jesus Christ.
•  Galatians 1:8 - But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

…a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas…” 
Who were these ancient inhabitants?

•  Mormon doctrine calls them the Nephites. If they were of Nephi, this means they would be Jewish in bloodline as well as Jewish in characteristics. Even if, for the sake of argument, we want to say Native Americans (Lamanites) were cursed by God and given dark skin (thereby changing the physical characteristics), Native Americans don’t have matching DNA with the Jewish bloodline. Since the Lamanites and the Nephites were both of the same bloodline, this would mean Lamanite blood would be of Jewish ancestry as well. Beyond this, the curse was supposedly only that of dark skin. Native Americans have more differences than just this. They have Mongloid characteristics instead of that of Mediterranean Caucasoids. This is more reason to believe Joseph Smith didn’t understand biology well enough and that his claims are false. The Lamanites simply never existed and the existence of the Nephites would be equally as doubtful since the idea was hatched from the same thought bubble.

By now, I pray, if there were any confusion before, you'll now clearly see how dangerous Mormon teaching really is. While they claim to uphold the Bible, their own teaching is highly inconsistent with such a claim. Again, I encourage you to download the link below for the full paper I wrote and then gave to them for reading. Hey, if they can give me homework, it's only fair I be able to do the same.

http://www.fairladyz32.com/downloads/christian/books/Travis%20W.%20Rogers/Mormon%20refutation.pdf 

If you'd like to follow along with their booklet as well, it can be found at the below link:

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/manual/missionary/pdf/36920_the-restoration-eng.pdf 


~ Travis W. Rogers