"Time to CHANGE!"

Thursday, June 9, 2016.  That was the day that I decided that it was time to change.  In fact, those are the exact words I wrote in my copy of Michael Matthew's book: Bigger, Leaner, Stronger.  I knew something had to be done.  I was tired of feeling weak, tired, and slow.  I recognized that the direction my life had been heading was not right nor healthy.  I knew that in order to fix my unhealthy lifestyle I had to make a complete, 180 degree turn in my attitude.  

Before v. after; roughly the same weight. 

Today marks one whole year of following a weight training and nutrition plan, and I have never felt better physically.  My current personal bests at the three main compound lifts (Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift) are as follows: Squat - 315 lbs; Bench Press - 260 lbs; Deadlift - 350 lbs.  I didn't take my nutrition seriously until March of this year, but even so my body has changed drastically.

My note to self my first day.

Time to change.  That's certainly a powerful statement.  Just like I knew that physically something had to change we all must recognize that if we are not followers of Christ something has to change.  The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 3:23 that "all have sinned" and "fallen short of God's glory." That means ALL.  Every.  Single.  Person.  If you are not a Christian, something has to change.  The Bible calls this change "repentance." 

Jesus says in Luke 13:3, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  Peter the Apostle commanded those on Pentecost to "repent" of their sins and be baptized.  This repentance is a recognition: "Hey, the way that I've been living is displeasing to God.  God loves me so much that he sent Jesus to die for me.  I love him and recognize this truth and I don't want to displease him anymore.  Time to change."  

Just like I made a 180 degree change in my physical lifestyle, to be a Christian you must make a 180 degree change in your spiritual lifestyle.  If you are not a Christian, it is time to change.  Are you ready? 

COLOSSUS FITNESS INTERVIEW & future vision for the blog!

Colossus Fitness' logo, visit them at http://www.colossusfitness.com/

I first touched a barbell when I was 12 years old.  The moment our 7th grade P.E. teacher allowed us to enter the weight room, I was hooked.  I lifted weights every school day of my 7th and 8th grade years.  Unfortunately, an abdominal hernia decided to form and greatly slow my progress.  The years that followed were a seesaw of inconsistent training.  I would train until my hernia would get so sore that I had to quit.  Finally, at age 25, I conquered my fear and had my hernia repaired. From the moment my doctor cleared me to train, I hit the weights.  The past year has been a journey of growth and learning.  

As I've progressed on this fitness journey, I've come to realize how closely fitness and faith relate to one another.  Because of this, I have decided to take this site in a new direction: one that chronicles my faith and fitness growth together.  I hope to explore fitness truths to illustrate spiritual truths.  Just like solid Biblical information is crucial for your spiritual health, solid fitness information is crucial for your physical health.  And, coincidentally, just like with the Bible, there is a lot of misinformation floating around in the fitness community.  That is why I am honored to have been able to interview my fitness heroes for today's post.  

Colossus Fitness is composed of Josh Wilkinson and Kyle Grondin from Toronto, Canada.  They offer an online fitness coaching service that is customized specifically for YOU.  If reaching your fitness goals is important to you, then you can reach them by clicking here.  With nearly 36,000 YouTube subscribers, 55,400 Instagram followers, and 12,100 Twitter followers it is safe to say that Josh and Kyle have become successful with their business. 

What I like so much about them is that their content quality is second to none, and they are just sincere, good people.  Their YouTube has a family-friendly atmosphere and a laid-back style.  This is important, because I believe that the sooner people get into fitness, the better! With so much confusion and deception in the fitness world today, look no further than Colossus Fitness for information you can trust!

To follow them on social media:

Colossus Fitness on YouTube

Colossus Fitness on Facebook

Colossus Fitness on Twitter

Colossus Fitness on Instagram

ColossusFitness.com

Without further ado, here is the transcript of our interview. 

Kyle Grondin of Colossus Fitness

Jonathan: When did you start weight training, and why? 

Colossus Fitness: We both began weight training approximately 7 years ago. We've always been extremely athletic, and began lifting weights to become better at the sports we played and just gain overall muscle mass!

Jonathan: When did you decide to offer fitness coaching? 

Colossus Fitness: We decided to offer online fitness coaching approximately 2 years ago.

Jonathan: How did you two meet, and what influenced you to start a YouTube channel? 

Colossus Fitness: We both played on the same hockey team a long time ago.  A few years later we had met up for a workout. At this time, Josh had the channel but wasn't posting much. From there we decided to begin filming videos together and it all grew from there. 

Jonathan: Colossus Fitness is a cool name, how did you come up with it? 

Colossus Fitness: We were looking for a word that represented "big, aesthetic, strong, etc" and a lot of words were taken. We came across the word "Colossus" and fell in love with it.

Josh Wilkinson of Colossus Fitness

Jonathan: Who has been your biggest influence in life and why? 

Colossus Fitness: There are many influencers online that have completely changed my life. I give a lot of credit to personal growth gurus such as Darren Hardy and Grant Cardone. They've just overall changed my way of thinking in business, life and even fitness as they inspire me to be better every single day.

Jonathan: What are some of your biggest training mistakes? 

Colossus Fitness: I used to think spending 3 hours in the gym was correct. Or even "clean" eating to lose weight, and I would just end up binging very often. I've gone in circles for many years but I'm glad to know I've been able to find what works best for me.

Jonathan: Where do you see Colossus Fitness in the future? 

Colossus Fitness: We see Colossus Fitness growing continuously into the best online coaching business there is. A long term plan is to also invest in our own fitness studio where we can train clients and film our YouTube videos freely.

Jonathan: What is your favorite exercise and why? 

Colossus Fitness: Squat because it's all about standing back up when something heavy is taking you down! It's just an amazing feeling getting under the bar with hundreds and hundreds of pounds.

Jonathan: What are your all time PRs in the 3 main compounds? 

Colossus Fitness: Josh: Deadlift - 612lbs; Squat - 545lbs;  Bench Press-345lbs.
Kyle: Deadlift - 525lbs; Squat - 420lbs; Bench Press - 270lbs.

Jonathan: What advice do you have for people new to fitness? 

Colossus Fitness: Trust the process, learn to do everything correctly from the start such as proper form for each exercise. Don't compare yourself to others, especially those who have been lifting for years. Focus on yourself and stay consistent!

Where Are You Going?

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The idea for this post came from Our Daily Bread's devotional thought for September 1, 2016.       

     

            Paul writes to the Philippian congregation, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

            With this verse in mind, where are you going?  When you are scared, where are you going?  When you are sad, where are you going? When you are mad, where are you going? When you are happy, where are you going?  When you are nervous, where are you going?  If you are not going to God in prayer, then you are going to the wrong place.

            Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, appeared to be invincible.  He was the leading authority of the greatest world power of the day, and he had his sights set on the city of Jerusalem.  Hezekiah, the King of Judah that resided in Jerusalem, received a message from Sennacherib stating that Assyria was coming to take the city.  Considering his other victories, and the power of his mighty nation, this was a threat that probably shook Hezekiah in his boots.

The world was literally crashing down around Hezekiah and his kingdom.  Where did he go? Isaiah 34:7 tells us, “Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.” Hezekiah laid out everything to the LORD in prayer! Because of Hezekiah’s prayer, God stepped in and prevented Assyria from attacking Jerusalem.  The Assyrians were defeated before they even had the opportunity to attack.  Sennacherib would never come back to Jerusalem.

Far too often we attempt to go other places when we have issues.  So…where are you going?

3 Things You Can Learn From a Prostitute

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Yes, you read that right.  All of us can learn something from a prostitute.  In Joshua chapter 2, time has drawn near for the Israelites to begin their conquest of the Promised Land.  The first target on their list is Jericho, a mighty city with a seemingly impenetrable fortress.  As leader of the Israelite people, Joshua sends out two spies from Shittim to gather a report on the city (Joshua 2:1). 

When the spies arrive, they meet a prostitute named Rahab and stay in her home.  She was a prostitute and innkeeper whose house was built directly into the city wall (v. 15).  Rahab may have started out in life as a prostitute, but she’s living proof that people can overcome their surroundings.  She is mentioned three times in the New Testament, and all of them are positive.

The first time she is mentioned is in Matthew 1:5.  It reads, 

“and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,” (Matthew 1:5, ESV).  

 From this we can infer that she eventually gave up prostitution, married and had a family.  Her husband was a man named Salmon, and they had a child named Boaz.  Boaz married Ruth (Ruth 4:10) and had a child named Obed.  Obed then had a child named Jesse, who was the father of King David of Israel (1 Samuel 17:12).  That makes Rahab King David’s great-great grandmother and an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The second time she is mentioned is in Hebrews 11:31 in the so-called “Hall of Faith.” The Hall of Faith is a chapter in Hebrews dedicated to extoling the virtues of some of the Bibles most venerated figures of faith.  And this former prostitute is included! The passage reads, 

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” (Hebrews 11:31, ESV)

The third and final time she is mentioned is in James 2:25 which says, 

“And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?" (James 2:25, ESV)

So this prostitute is mentioned in pretty high regard in the New Testament.  Two of the three New Testament passages note an event in her life regarding the spies in Joshua chapter 2.  It was probably this event that changed her life forever, transforming her life of prostitution into one of faithful obedience to God.

Looking at this event in her life from Joshua 2, I believe there are three things we can learn from this prostitute: (1) No matter how bad you’ve been, God can and will forgive you if you turn to him! (2) If you truly believe what God says, you will obey him.  (3) Faith requires action.

1. No sin is too great for God to forgive!

The first lesson we can learn from Rahab’s life is that no sin is too great for God to forgive.  What a wonderful promise in Scripture: 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV) 

We see living proof of this in Rahab’s story.  The Bible picks no bones about the fact that she was a prostitute.  But she didn’t stay that way.  She repented, turned to God, married, and had a family.  We see her faith emerge in Joshua 2:8-11 where she makes the following assertions: 

(a) “I know the Lord has given you the land.” (v. 9) 

(b) “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea when you came out of Egypt.” (v. 10)

(c) “The Lord your God is God of the heavens above and the earth beneath.” (v. 11).   

No matter how bad you’ve been in your life, no sin is too powerful for God’s love and mercy to overcome if you bring it to Him!

2. If you truly believe what God says, then you will obey Him.

The second lesson from her life is this: If you truly believe what God says you will obey Him!  Rahab took in the spies and protected them when the king of Jericho came knocking at her door, demanding that she turn them over, saving them from definite execution. (Joshua 2:2-7)  If she had been caught lying to the king, she could’ve been beaten, or worse.  Yet the possibility of earthly retaliation didn’t matter much to her.  She’d heard the rumors of the God of Israel, and her faith began to grow.  She truly believed what she’d heard, and she acted on her faith.  Nothing the king could’ve done would’ve stopped her from assisting God’s people. 

The exact same thing is true for us today.  Rahab truly believed in God, therefore she acted on that belief.  If we truly believe in what God has revealed to us through His Word, then must act on it. The Apostle John quite vividly states the fate of those who do not obey God, 

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8, ESV)   

If we truly believe that, if we truly take God at His word, then we will obey Him. 

3. Faith must be accompanied by action.

The third and final lesson we can learn from Rahab’s life is that faith must be backed up by action. When James wrote about Rahab’s story in James 2:25, he uses her actions to illustrate the truth that he’s teaching in regard to faith and action.  Faith and action go hand-in-hand.  Rahab had heard and believed in God, but she didn’t have to help save the spies from the king.  She could’ve easily acknowledged her belief in the power and nature of the God of Israel, but if she hadn’t acted on that faith, then it would’ve been a worthless faith. 

We have to act on our faith, just as Rahab did.  If we say, “I believe in you Jesus” but do nothing, then our faith is absolutely and totally worthless.  Let us all learn to have the faith and obedience of this former prostitute and wonderful woman of God!

Never Thirst Again

Image from Google Images

In the beginning of John 4, we're presented with one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture. Jesus, on his way to Galilee from Judea, wearied from his journey stopped at Jacob's well in the Samaritan town of Sychar around the sixth hour. As the disciples go into town to buy food, a Samaritan woman approached the well in order to draw water. What happens next is nearly unthinkable: Jesus speaks to her, "Give me a drink." 

Jews and Samaritans weren't exactly on friendly terms. The Jews viewed the Samaritans as half-breed subhumans (they were the result of the intermarriage between the Assyrians and the remnants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after Assyria conquered them in 722 B.C.). The ensuing conversation is one of the most comforting in the Bible that culminates with Jesus saying, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14, ESV)

We all know the importance of water. The majority of the human body is water. According to the United States Geological Survey, 71% of the Earth is water. We drink water multiple times every single day and no matter how much we drink, one thing is certain: we will become thirsty again. What Jesus offers is an eternal quenching of our thirst. To those outside of Christ, there is a void that no material thing can fill. Only through Jesus Christ can we be truly complete. All humans need Jesus, regardless if they are wealthy or if they are a Samaritan woman.

That's Not How It Works!

Beatrice from the Esurance commercials.

 

You've probably all seen the E-surance Car Insurance commercial: three ladies in a living room, and you immediately notice there are an unusual amount of pictures on the wall.  Beatrice (pictured above) is proudly telling her friends how she has saved a ton of money on posted by posting all of her vacation photos to her wall (a reference to Facebook's wall).  She compares those savings to how she saved 15% in just 15 minutes on her car insurance (an obvious reference to GEICO, a competitor of E-surance). Her friend remarks, "I saved more than that in half the time!" Beatrice responds by saying, "I un-friend you!"  Her friend stands up and proclaims, "That's not how it works! That's not how ANY of this works!"

 E-surance is trying to communicate that they have set the new standard in insurance.  Poor Beatrice is portrayed as being behind the times and misunderstanding the new norm.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders at the crucifixion of Christ were a lot like Beatrice.  They didn't understand how things worked.  

"So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him." (Matthew 27:41-42)

It is at this time that Beatrice's friend shouting, "That's not how it works! That's not how any of this works!" would be appropriate.  The Jewish leaders of the day said that if only Jesus would save himself from the cross, they would believe.  But that is not how it works.  Jesus was meant to die that day.

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22)

The leaders of the day understood the connection between the shedding of blood and sins, but they had an incomplete view of it.  Their system up until that point had called for the shedding of blood of animals, not an actual human (despite God prophesying that the Messiah would come and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins, cf. Isaiah 53).  It is the blood of Christ that cleanses the sin of those who are obedient to God, let us never forget that.

 

The Gift of Life

Do you enjoy getting presents?  Receiving an item that you've had your eye on for days, months, or maybe even years is always thrilling.  I believe everyone would say that is something they enjoy.  For the past two years, I have spent as much time as I possibly can learning things about Ford trucks.  I'm obsessed with them!  The probability that my next vehicle will feature a blue oval somewhere on the body is pretty high (by the way, I LOVE getting gifts, and if anyone wants to give me an F-150 you're more than welcome).  But the point of this article is not to discuss Ford trucks.  It's much more important than that.  I want to offer a new outlook on life that has helped me tremendously.

I'm not ashamed to say that throughout my life since I was about 13 I've had bouts with depression and anxiety.  I don't believe it's a stretch to assume that I'm not alone in that struggle.  As some of you probably know all too well, it can be hard to get out of bed and enjoy anything when your down in the dumps.  You, like me, have probably tried many things in a failed attempt to remedy the situation.  What I want to offer today is a new way to look at life that will, Lord willing, enrich your life as much as it has mine.

Back to my original question, I love getting gifts.  The only thing I love more than getting my favorite gift is getting more than one of it.  Two boxes of Little Debbie's are better than one.  Two F-150's are better than one (sorry, couldn't resist).  You get the picture.  What is my point?  My point is that today is a gift!  Today is the most precious and perfect gift from the Almighty God.

The average life expectancy in the United States is around 78.75 years of age (I rounded up to 79 for this illustration).  79 years of life equals 28,835 days.  That's 28,835 of the greatest gifts you could ever be given.  I would be in "hog heaven" if I had 28,835 Ford F-150s.  Something so simple as life is often overlooked.  But it gets even better.  For the majority of people, the majority of those days are filled with good health and happiness.  I get happy just thinking about it.

Psalm 118:24 reads, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." We have an amazing blessing to enjoy today! Let's get to it!

Prescription Worship

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe you Lisinopril.  That is your prescription.  Legally you are not able to get any other medicine at the pharmacy than the Lisinopril on your prescription.  If you like another blood pressure medicine better, too bad!  Your doctor prescribed Lisinopril and that is what you are to take.  You are to take the correct mg at the time he prescribed you to take it.  I think that is something we all understand fairly well.  We understand the importance of taking the prescribed medicine at the right time with the correct dose.  Why then do we feel so much liberty to change the prescribed worship of God? David Platt, in his book Radical, poses this question:

"What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs?  What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed?  Would his word still be enough for his people to come to worship?"

The answer is "YES!" to whether or not the Word is still enough in this day and time! Unfortunately, if you take away the entertainment value, most people would abandon the church.  As A.W. Tozer noted in the 1960's, "Church members want to be entertained while they are edified."

If you attend most "churches" today, you will see all kinds of things: drums, guitars, flashing lights, smoke machines, etc.  It's hard to distinguish a church from a rock concert in a lot of the places.  My question is simple: can you find the prescription for all of these things in the Bible?  I invite you to look through the New Testament to try and find this prescription for church worship. 

Since none of those contemporary man-made ideas can be found, what can? (1) Prayer - Acts 2:42, (2) Breaking of bread - Acts 2:42, (3) Singing - Ephesians 5:19, (4) Preaching Christ - 2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7, and finally (5) Giving of our means 2 Corinthians 8:9.

We have the prescription -- why would we want to deviate from it?

3 Things About God

How often do you dwell on the God?  What I mean is his existence, character, and being.  The truth is, I don't think about God as much as I should.  I want to quickly discuss 3 truths in regards to our God.

1. God is Real

According to the latest Pew Research Poll on the demography of Religion in America, roughly 17% of the population either don't affiliate with any religion (atheist, agnostic, etc.) or don't know/refuse to identify.  Those numbers are disturbing.  What that says is that nearly 1 out of every 5 Americans have some kind of doubt about the existence of God. The good news is that we can use our logic to prove his existence.

 

Cause and Effect

Everything that happens must have a cause.  Simple enough, right? Science has all but proven that the universe has not existed forever. Dr. Robert Jastrow, a leading scientist at NASA, declared that "modern science denies an eternal existence to the universe."

If it is a fact that the universe has not always been here, then how did it come into being? We are left with 2 possibilities: (a) it created itself, or (b) it was created by something else not made of matter. Due to the Law of Conservation of Mass, we know that matter cannot be created or destroyed.  Option (a) is now off the table and we are left solely with option (b). 

 

Design

Take out your cell phone.  What are the chances, would you say, that your phone was assembled by random natural processes?  You're probably thinking, "that would be impossible, you big dummy," and you'd be right!  Our phones are based off of an intricate plan created by a designed, and then assembled by skilled workers who are familiar with the design.  Any modern luxury that we have works entirely the same way.  Why then do we try to force that illogical thinking on our universe?

 

 2. God Loves Us

For the sake of time, I will just quote one verse that says it all:

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8, ESV)

 

3. God Has Communicated With Us

We've established that God is real, and that he loves us.  It is only logical with that being the case that he has communicated with us.  He has spoken to us in two ways: (a) through nature, and (b) through his word.

 

Through Nature

We can look around and see the beauty of our Lord.  The trees and grass so green, the blue of the skies.  His glory is everywhere throughout the natural world.  The Apostle Paul took note of this great fact in Romans 1:20,

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

 

Through His Word

Think about it: the Bible is composed of 66 books united in perfect harmony and was written over a span of some 1500-2000 years with several different authors.  It is truly amazing the evidence our God has given to us for his existence.

Misogyny in the Lord's Church

There is a misconception out there that we in the Lord's church believe, teach, and practice misogyny in our worship.  Not only does this greatly hurt me personally, it is totally false.  I believe that both women and men are completely equal in all ways and are both created in the image of the Almighty.  My grandmother was the most godly woman I have ever met.  She never led in public worship in any shape, form, or fashion in her nearly 85 years of life here on this earth; yet she was far better than I, as a preacher, could ever dream of being!  My fiance, Staci, is also a much better person and follower of Christ than I ever hope to be.  I am surrounded by so many godly and wonderful women. 

However, the Bible is clear on the role of men and women in worship:

¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:11-14, English Standard Version)

³³ For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, ³⁴ the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (1 Corinthians 14:33-35, English Standard Version)

With that being said, do I like what Scripture teaches in regards to this subject? No, I don't like it.  Would I have done it differently had I been in charge? Probably.  Could some women do better than some men if they were to preach? No doubt.  My grandmother could've done much more for the kingdom in a leadership position than I ever can.  My fiance Staci, would be a much better preacher and teacher than I am.  But, it does not matter what I like or don't like, or what I agree or disagree with.  God laid out his plan, gave his commands, and I'm going to do my best to be completely obedient regardless of my own personal feelings.  God's commands supercede my feelings.  Unfortunately, it seems like many people have forgotten this fact.

Further, my grandmother's life of love, kindness, and servitude to Christ was far more valuable than anything that will ever come from the pulpit.  She led in other ways: Ladies' Day, Ladies' Classes, etc.  Just because God assigned women a different role in worship does not mean they are inferior to men in any way whatsoever.  Children have a special bond with their mother in a way they will never have with their father because their mother carried them for nine months.  As a father, I'll never be able to have that maternal bond with my kids.  I would love to bond with my kids at that level.  Does the fact that God gave women the ability to bear children and not men mean that men are inferior to women? Not at all, he just assigned us different roles!

Finally, Paul elaborates in 1 Timothy 2 on the reason why God assigned different roles for men and women in the church:

¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

It's not some ancient culture's misogynistic conception of deity that designed worship order in this way.  It is the simple fact that: (a) Adam was formed first (and then God saw that is was not good that he should be alone, and he formed Eve [Genesis 2:18]) and (b) Eve was deceived by the serpent to partake of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, whereas Adam was not.

Women and men are completely and unequivocally equal.  Women are of utmost importance and value. I hope I have cleared this matter up.  May God bless you all. 

For further reading on this subject, I highly recommend Wes McAdams' wonderful article over at RadicallyChristian.com: "I'm Tired of People Demeaning Women in the Church."

You Don't Know Your Bible

…And neither do I.  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “know” in this manner: “to apprehend clearly and with certainty” (emp. mine). But don’t tell that to 17-year-old Jonathan.  He would’ve had you to believe he was a top-notch biblical scholar.  I look back at those times and I laugh.  I knew so little, yet I boasted so greatly.  School peers would discuss religion and I would interject in a matter-of-fact manner with a know-it-all attitude.  The thought of my arrogance disgusts me.  Fast forward nearly 8 years, a bachelor’s degree in Bible, 3 years of ministry experience later, and I still know very little about the Word of God.

However, I’m not alone.  You are all in the same boat as I am.  The English Bible has 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses, and 807,361 words.¹  There is not a single person alive who knows (or can know) every single thing there is to know about the Bible.  Why do I bring this up? Simple: to believe you truly know the Bible is arrogant.  I’m sure everyone of you have encountered a preacher who thinks they have the final authority on biblical interpretation, and that anyone who disagrees with them is inferior. 

Am I arguing that all people have equal knowledge of the Bible? No, I am not meaning to imply that at all.  Am I arguing that it is impossible to be a student of the Word and have great familiarity with it? Absolutely not!  What I am arguing is that we must avoid having an arrogant and boastful attitude about how much we “know” the Bible, because then it becomes a matter of our personal ego.  What I am advocating is humility as we study the Word and grow as servants of Christ.  Both Testaments make frequent reference to an arrogant of proud spirit:

Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3)

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:16)

Let us all avoid boasting in our biblical knowledge, and with humility spend more time in the Scripture. There more I study and learn from the greatest of all books, the more I realize how little I know.

____________________________

¹  The Open Bible: New American Standard. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1977. p. 1227.

Death Is The End

Ask the majority of scientists, scholars, and doctors and you will receive a resounding affirmation that death is the end and resurrection is impossible.  Human beings unfortunately have not changed much in 2,000 years.  Apparently this same false teaching was spreading through some in the Corinthian church.  The Apostle Paul devotes the entirety of 1 Corinthians 15 to this topic. 

He reminds his readers of the gospel that he had preached to them (and that we in the 21st century have heard as well).  It is by this gospel that we are being saved, and it is to this gospel that we are to stay true (v. 2).  The next argument employed appeals to human reason:

1.     If there is no such thing as resurrection of the dead, then Jesus Christ can’t have been raised (v. 13)

2.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, we are all (past, present, and future) wasting our time (v. 14)

3.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, we are all still just as dead in sin as before his crucifixion (v. 17)

4.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, then once you’re dead you’re dead, and we are to be pitied even more than the rest of mankind (vv. 18-19)

Fortunately, Christ has conquered the grave!  We’ve all lost loved ones in our lives.  I recently lost my grandmother.  Death takes us all for a time.  Think about that: you, your mother, your father, your siblings, your friends, everyone that you have ever known, will know or come into contact with at any point in your life will die at some point.  If Christ had not been resurrected, this would be a great cause of mourning. 

Paul reminds us that Christ indeed has been resurrected.  One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is when he loosely quotes Hosea 13:14 and personifies death:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, ESV)

Death may take us for a time, but thanks to the resurrection of Christ, one day all who are in Christ will rise up in victory.  Death has no power, no weapon against those in Christ.  If you are not in Christ, what are you waiting for?