Whatsoever Is True

An important thing for all of us to remember is that we're going to meet God someday.  Death is a guarantee (Hebrews 9:27).  With that said, the Christian shouldn't, in fact, be afraid.  In today's episode we cover a critical lesson from the Bible about our eventual and inevitable meeting with the Most High God and how this truth can and should change us.  

The subject of spiritual warfare is too often confusing for us.  Why?  Because we get sidetracked by auxiliary issues instead of the main one, which is personal holiness and the obedience of faith.  

All of us are under spiritual attack.  That's a given.  But rather than obsessing about demons and a thousand other things, Scripture teaches us what spiritual warfare really is and, importantly, how to fight it.  It's simple, yes, but not easy.  The Christian warrior is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and thus leads a life of gratitude, humility and submission to Him.  The world, the flesh, and the Devil will all conspire against us in  this regard.  

As we grow in personal holiness, becoming more like Him, we do this by staying in the Word, through biblical prayer, and, yes, corporate worship.  Many speak of doing great things for the Lord and yet eschew the basics.  That's actually a clear sign that we're losing the fight.  Real spiritual warfare is fought by Christians who spend time in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers - all learning through faithful teaching/preaching.  If we're living fleshly lives, dominated by sin - by envy, conflict, lust, anger, etc. - then we're "losing" the battle.  Fortunately, there's grace to be found if this is where you're at right now.  The goal of life is to become Christ-like; the goal of the Enemy is to prevent this.  That's the heart and soul of spiritual warfare right there.  

Because we're sinners we will hurt others.  And others will hurt us.  Scripture doesn't leave us without wisdom and witness on this account.  In today's episode we look at the reality of perhaps the Bible's worst atrocity - the mass murder of injured men by Simeon and Levi - and all that it teaches us about how we're to respond when offended or hurt by others.  Thankfully, Christ and His word/law provides for us the principles of how to deal with our sins and those of our brothers and sisters too.  

It's easy to stand in judgement of the secular culture - especially during pride month.  But the issue is deeper than we think.  In this episode we discuss how the church itself is awash in ungodly pride and presumption.  Convinced of its own righteousness rather than resting on grace, and living in radical faith, the church is shot through with polytheism.  The real response to Pride Month should be prayerful introspection and humble repentance.  It should be a self-audit of one's spiritual condition.  Yes, we should call the world to Christ but we must, especially in times like these, the days of Neo-barbarianism, bring our own sin to the cross as well.  

The story of Joseph is one of the most powerful ever told.  It's a tale of unbelievable barbarism, betrayal, hatred, and envy.  It's also a story of incredible faith through unimaginable suffering.  Joseph's life teaches us many huge lessons today.  Personal lessons about seeking contentment even in the face of trials.  Social lessons on the cost of envy and jealousy.  And most of all, it teaches us what true forgiveness looks like and how, in fact, it's achieved to the glory of God.  

There's a theological reason - a philosophical necessity, in fact - for why big blue cities in America are awash with crime.  The rejection of God as the ultimate authority leads us on a collision course with the reality of our sinful nature.  In this episode learn what's really happening.  We shouldn't be trying to fight the so-called culture war with the weapons of politics, but with the gospel.  As always, we start with the truth spoken from Scripture and end at the cross of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin.  The amazing thing is that even this issue - politics and crime - can only be truly understood (and solved) by the gospel of Jesus Christ!  

In 2 Timothy 4 we read about how Paul is utterly abandoned by Demas.  We learn how in Paul's darkest hour, facing execution, he's all alone - save Luke.  No one stood by his side.  The heartbreak and agony are dripping from the verses and yet Paul's response is amazing...and instructive.  What does Paul say?  He says, "may it not be charged against them."  The heart of Christ is exactly that!  And that's the goal of Christian living and sanctification.  

If you've been hurt by others, maybe betrayed, you know well the pain.  The thing is, though, we don't come close to what Jesus Himself experienced for the simple reason that we're sinners and He was/is perfection in the flesh.  To be conformed to the image of God's Son is to learn to suffer for the gospel and to love others even when they disappoint or, as in Paul's case with Demas, abandon you.  Life in the current age will have its share of sunsets and sorrows.  Paul's concern, though, should be ours too. He finishes with doxology.  He praises the God who will deliver him safely on that distant shore!  And he prays that others, even those that left him, will likewise be saved.   

President Biden doesn't seem to care about the southern border.  But instead of looking at this fact from a mere political perspective, in this episode we explain why this is happening - and why such anarchy stems from unbelief.  You see, America is a humanist country now.  The guiding principles of our government are purely secular and these ideas lead to the consequences we're seeing all around us such as rising crime.  

But Christians can use this (and every other issue for that matter) as a means of explaining the gospel.  We don't want to "win people" for a particular political party; we preach Christ because what ails us is sin and the only solution to that is repentance and faith.  So, as always, we hope that you're amazed by the end of the episode as you see how the principles of Scripture "make straight our paths" - even on an issue that many think has nothing to do with the Bible. 

Last week the New York Post ran a story about a young lady, Courtney, who claims to be a Christian porn star.  She's not, mind you, an ex-porn star.  No.  She professes that God doesn't want us to suppress our sins, but to indulge them.  In this episode we cover how such "silly myths" are gobbled up by "itching ears" in an age of apostasy and humanism.  Also, we go over how to answer such arguments as Courtney's with biblical truth and compassion.  

Tucker Carlson was recently "let go" from Fox News, which is very much like a team benching their star quarterback for no reason . So, the question begs: what's up with that?  In this podcast we cover the deeper issue of why there must be free speech in a fallen world, including the relevant Biblical context, and exactly why a country that rejects God will necessarily suppress speech.