One of the most chilling questions a pastor receives is the simple question, "How do you know?" Usually this comes from an unbeliever, but I have also received this question from Christians. It's not a matter of knowing the answer, but a matter of explaining the answer in a way the questioner can understand. This situation is much like an elementary student or challenged adult asking about the solution of a complicated advanced math problem. If they don't have an open mind or very little basic math understanding, you don't have much to work with in an explanation.
How do you know about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, afterlife and anything pertaining to the spiritual world? If the person does not believe in God or Christ, nor angels or miracles, where do you start? If they are belligerent about the subject, it is probably best to discontinue the conversation. The person is not ready for spiritual information.
This is the first decision you must make, because you will probably get an argument from the person which will increase his belligerence. Remember, God searched quite a while before He found a man who would listen to Him. Not everyone will be called or chosen, and we must have patience in doing our charge of spreading the Gospel.
A willing listener is a must. I have heard people brag about all the people they have led to salvation. I don't want to be a doubting Thomas, but I look askance at these stories and question if the conversion really "took" or was just acceptance to get rid of the "nut." One way to get rid of an annoying know it all is to fake acceptance so they shut up.
A curious person differs from a willing listener, but both are prospects for success. Our scriptural instruction comes from Christ, in Matt. 7:7,8. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Need more assurance? See Rev. 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." We have the essential tools given us. We need to ask, then seek and find, which will give us the answer. You must follow the guidelines, and respond to Christ to receive the answer. Christ tells us to knock; if we diligently seek answers, they will be found. To knock is to address the door of knowledge, in this situation it is spiritual knowledge.
You need to be prepared for the experience. Your physical and emotional systems must be clear and free of doubt. You can't receive if there's static on the line. Receiving spiritual knowledge is much the same as receiving knowledge in other subjects. You must work from your manual, the bible, and other books of information. You must not have any preconceived ideas about possible answers, and you must not follow any personal inclination to arrive at an answer or solution. The Holy Spirit will speak to your mind. If you are saved, you will have at least the presence of the Holy Spirit, even if you are not "spirit filled." Occasionally God will speak out loud to you, but others nearby will not hear Him. This is very rare, but still does happen. Unsaved people can also speak to spirits, but unfortunately these are not Godly spirits. They are Satan's people, and they are very good at what they do. Satan's people are great imitators.
There is one factor you must have. You must believe in the Holy Spirit as the workman for Christ and God in this world. There is only one thing that can prevent your salvation, and, of course, the answers to your questions. That factor is given us in Matt. 12:31,32. Many people believe in God, but they are not saved. Some people have accepted Christ as Savior, and they are saved. But, as the scripture above states, your blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Christ died to cleanse us of sins, but He cannot grant us forgiveness for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Read Matt. 12:31, 32 very carefully. Christ left us the Holy Spirit when he left the earth, and the Spirit has been the workman since then. If you don't believe in the Holy Spirit and understand His place in our spiritual life, you will not get any answers.
The verses I quoted are known as "The Unpardonable Sin". "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." This may be a spiritual shock to saved people, but you see belief in the Holy Spirit is paramount in any conversation you desire with God or Christ. The Spirit very well may be the One to answer your question.
Don't misunderstand this to say you should pray to the Holy Spirit. You pray to the Father and Son as directed in scripture. They make the decisions and send your answers usually through the Workman, the Holy Spirit. You pray to the Father, with the message or question in the Name of your redeemer, Christ. The Holy Spirit does the work.
If you are not saved and/or do not believe in the Trinity--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--success in your quest for information is doubtful at best. There's no special formula in how you pray. God speaks and understands all languages and knows your thoughts. He requires only sincerity and belief. Don't always expect an answer, because there may be reasons we don't know about that can affect the answer. Be assured, the answer will come if the necessary conditions are present, even though it may be delayed.
There are billions of people in the world, and only a small number are Christians. That leads us to believe few people will actually hear from God. Satan, on the other hand, will be employing more and more demons to answer questions and give directions to the unsaved. It's easy to see that Christ has to come back to earth to save both the earth and mankind.
How do I know? Go to Psalm 23:1-4. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." How do I know? I've been there, and I know I don't walk alone.
The simple word LINE can mean many things about many subjects, and we all live following rules about lines. We wait in line to have groceries checked out, we wait in line for seats in a restaurant, we wait in line to do banking, and those of us who have been in the military know the saying, "hurry up and wait". There are dozens of ways this word can be used, but the most direct explanation is the one we get from mathematics. A line is the shortest distance between two points. It is, therefore, both straight and direct.
Many people who discuss science and religion frequently cannot tie the two subjects together. Before heading toward that line, I'll tell you why some people cannot reconcile the two subjects. Mathematics is the first clue. This subject deals with absolutes. Science is all about absolutes you can see, hear and feel. It is also a field of theories that are unproven, such as the Big Bang Theory and Evolution. They do not belong in science. They are not absolutes.
Religion has its absolutes, and we find them in scripture, which is our main textbook. Like mathematics, this subject has many supporting textbooks you need to study to receive a comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Just reading the bible does not take you through the course of study. The bible is much like the major textbook of any subject in that it gives you basic absolutes. The problem non believers have with religion is that they believe it represents only a theory, although they find no difficulty accepting something like evolution.
The problem here is that the core absolute is missing in both fields. What, you say! You don't believe in God? Of course I believe in God, but I understand why the theory believers do not believe in religion or God. We are still, after many years and extensive study, without knowing scientifically the birth of the universe or the origin of a supreme being.
There are some things we will never know no matter how thoroughly we study the subject. There undoubtedly is a library where we could find these answers, but we won't have access to it until we receive eternal life. In the meantime, we have absolute answers and explanations of life as presented in scripture. This textbook is not the pushover many Christians think it to be. If they are wise readers of the very Word of God, especially the New Testament, they will understand the bible is exactly what Christ tells us it is in Mark 4:10-12, Luke 8:9,10, and Matt. 13:10-17. You should also see the verses Christ referenced to from Isaiah 44:18, found in Matt. 13:14.
Many years have gone by since Isaiah prophesied, but God's message never changed, and neither has mankind. Before I finally get to the line in the sand, you need to study and understand Matt. 13:10-17. These verses are lengthy, but their message is something you must understand to know God and His Son.
And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull, Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.'
There will be a number of people who say they are Christians who will not understand the parables. Why? Because understanding the parables requires a heart purely tuned to God and Christ. The values of the heart must be those of Christ, not the values of men. Here's the first Line in the Sand, and you'd better examine your Godly values and your human values. If you refuse to interpret the Word as it is clearly given (if you follow the clues), you will fail the test of the heart.
To use the previous math example, a line is the shortest distance between two points. In a spiritual case, that means from your heart to God. It must be straight and clear. Christ did not teach us wavy or curved lines. He taught us Godly values, not human values. He did not teach us to deviate from His direct words, nor did He give us excuses for bending the line. If you want to miss the torture of end times, you had better study to understand these parables. There's no second chance.
Experience teaches us much about this line in the sand. We frequently cross or bend this line to suit our human purposes. Sometimes this causes us grief, and sometimes we gain an advantage over others. Because of our carnal nature, we usually consider this latter line bending a sign of outsmarting or out dealing someone. It is a step to human success. It is greatly admired by those who seem to have the riches of life--food, admiration, travel, homes, cars, the opposite sex, power, etc. For them it is a win-win situation.
God's line in the sand may be crossed or bent, but if you do this, you have actually crossed the line. Usually once you cross the line to suit your human appetite, you will enjoy your little journey, and cross or bend the line again and again. With no immediate action or punishment from God, you will probably do two things: think your transgression has slipped by God, and be encouraged to do "whatever it takes" to reach your goal.
This is where you open yourself to God's judgment, because His list is much more comprehensive and real than that of Santa Claus. If you accept Christ as Savior, you are expected to attempt to follow Christ's teaching. Everything Christ tells us is important and should shape the actions of our lives. This includes our emotions as well as physical things.
I've explained parables previously, but some people won't actually study the exact words of Christ, nor will they accept the clear meaning of each word. If the parable doesn't permit them to use their "bent" interpretation of the line, they arrive at their preferred goal by entirely wrong interpretation. This is obviously a "feel good" interpretation and usually offers something the person covets. If nothing else, it represents a "victory" of sorts over something they considered a problem.
While Isaiah was speaking about the trouble Israel had with departing from the Word of God to construct and worship idols, he used the same warning as the Apostles in the New Testament. He says the people lack understanding, and God has "shut their hearts" so they can't understand. Understanding and knowledge go together.
So, you ask, "if God gave His Son for us (John 3:16), why would He exclude us from heaven?" Because He gave us the freedom of choice between right, as Christ taught, and wrong as Satan teaches. He also warns us in John 8:31,32: Then Jesus said to those Jews, who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." You can't accept rumors, lies or hearsay. You must take the time and trouble to seek the truth in all things.
Whether or not you're a true believer in Christ, God has given us that line in the sand to make it a clear guide. That line is defined by the teaching of Jesus Christ. Scripture is the very Word of God, and contains the requirements we must meet to receive salvation. We are told salvation is free. It does not cost us anything material-wise, but there are spiritual strings attached. It would be so easy to repeat a few words and then enjoy the belief you have everlasting life without doing anything else or following the directions of Christ. Even someone who simply joins a club realizes there are certain obligations for membership.
Christ draws us that line in the sand. When we ignore His teaching, we cross that line. It can't be bent or curved. Point A is you. Point B is eternal life; Just simple math. The all-important line in the sand is described to us in Matt. 7:24-27. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. and great was its fall."
There has been a great concerted effort in the past few years for people in prominent positions to claim to be Christians; yet they ignore or distort the very words of Christ as given us in scripture. They not only cross the line, they deliberately blur it to attempt to snare you. If you don't get out your bible and carefully check the Word, it is likely you will become a victim of this deceit. One easy way to lead you across that line is to misrepresent the words of scripture. Another is to move your focus on primary teaching. This latter method has been very successful because it has changed America's symbol from the lofty eagle to the dollar sign. I hear, see and read all the manifestation of being a Christian believer, but the subject quickly changes to money.
Matt. 4:4 tells us there is a vast difference between spiritual and material basics. "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Notice that we have corrupted the meaning of bread to also mean money. It is an accepted slang term. Christ was born in Bethlehem. The word means "house of bread." Note carefully that Satan promised Christ unlimited power and riches if He would abandon God. The bread Christ refused was money; He already had the power of God. Christ knew the difference between power, money and the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is freedom from wrong or sin, virtuous, moral, just.
Christ teaches us the two great commandments in Matt. 22:37 and 39. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Unfortunately, America has become a nation that largely does not heed these very words of Christ. God has placed a line in the sand for us with the above verses. Many Americans are crossing that line with their "solution" to our national debt. There is a monster of hate toward the most unfortunate people in the land--the elderly, sick, retired, veterans, and those on welfare.
Some leaders want this group to pay off the deficit by having their financial and other aid expenses vastly reduced or terminated. They, who have the best benefits in the land at the expense of tax dollars, want to take away the support of millions of Americans who have made our nation great. The retired workers, who are the elderly, the veterans who enabled well-to-do Americans to become well-to-do, the sick and underpaid workers are supposed to sacrifice for all Americans. There is great jealousy among many of the so-called middle class because some people get welfare or retired people receive social security. The well-to-do encourage this emotion because they have no intention of contributing to relief with their money. The social programs need to be changed, but not at the cost to citizens who have protected our freedom or spent a lifetime in the work force. I now hear middle class Americans defending millionaires and their refusal to contribute to solve the deficit except by taking away assistance to the "bottom feeders".
There is a line in the sand put there by God, and supported by Christ's teaching, that we honor our elderly, care for the widows, orphans, sick and freedom fighters. There is also a warning in Matt. 19:23,24. "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The "bottom feeders" did not bring us the wars, nor do they vote and approve ridiculous foreign aid to hostile nations. You may look down your nose at the "bottom feeders", but they are your neighbors, whether dirty, lazy or whatever. The line in the sand has become blurred, but it still is there. God's Word and Christ's teaching never change.
This message is about babies, and the information you will read will be exactly as it is written in scripture. There will be no opinions, rumors or promises. It will be the Word of God as written in scripture. I say this so you understand it is not me writing a message, but the exact Word of God from the bible. To get to the message about babies, we need to know some background information you may have missed in the Old Testament concerning the understanding of God's people (Israel) about salvation and eternal life.That is where we shall start our message about babies.
Many Christians are smug about their knowledge and acceptance of salvation brought to us Gentiles (non Jews) by Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament Israelites practiced sacrifices for forgiveness and redemption, this practice was only the forerunner of the sacrifice Christ made for us. They followed the Law given to Moses and the expanded civil and criminal laws after the Ten Commandments. All Christians should know the Israelites knew about redemption from sin and eternal life. They knew about salvation and heaven and hell.
How can that be, you ask? This is a bit ahead of the message, but turn to 2 Sam. 12:22,23. David has just lost his baby son from Bathsheba, and he has turned from grieving to acceptance. He says, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." David knew he would be reunited with his son in heaven and eternal life. Did you think the great saints of the Old Testament would be denied eternal life because they were not redeemed by Christ? Think about scripture in the New Testament where deceased saints appeared and talked to Jesus (Matt. 17:3). Peter, James and John were with him and saw the deceased saints. They were Moses and Elijah. We smug Christians should look at the fact that we are newcomers, and could learn much from the Old Testament saints. Jesus often quoted Old Testament scripture.
We see that David, the priests and prophets knew much more about after life and our future in eternity. Christ tried to teach us, but I fear many of us haven't solved the "mystery" of the parables. You've been introduced to the first baby of our message, and it is a sad story. Why did God cause the baby's death? It was punishment for the sin David committed in laying with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and a valiant soldier. Not only was this adultery, but David coveted the woman so much he plotted the certain death of her husband. See 2 Sam., Chapter 11.
Now we go to, of all things, a parable in the Old Testament. You see, Christ isn't the only person representing God to deliver a clever message and teaching. I fear this parable will go over the heads of some Christians as many of the others appear to have. I admonish you to pay strict attention to the exact words of scripture and accept the clear directions given by God. This parable was given by God, Himself, to the prophet, Nathan. A prophet's life, in this material world, is not very comfortable. There is no big financial support, and sinning Christians do not readily accept blame or the direction of God's representatives.
It takes guts to do what Nathan did. It's an amazing story, and we're still on the subject of babies. In 2 Sam. 1:1-12, Nathan tells the story of two men. One is rich and has exceedingly many flocks and herds. The other man is poor and has but one ewe lamb he has purchased and nurtured, and it grew up with him and his children. The lamb ate and drank with the family and was like a daughter to him. A traveler came to the rich man, and the rich man refused to take from his own flock to prepare food for the traveler. Instead he took the poor man's lamb and killed it to provide food for the traveler.
David had sinned, taking Bathsheba while her husband was serving in the army. But God's anger was particularly directed to David's plot to kill Uriah. I already hear the Christian apologists excusing Uriah's death because David didn't personally kill the man. He was slain in battle by the enemy. God is not fooled. Uriah was placed in the front of battle where it was unlikely he could survive. It was a terrible sin. You won't get away with your hidden sins, either. You are taught your responsibilities by Christ in the New Testament. Are you a person like David who realizes and admits his sin, or are you someone who fashions a "reasonable" excuse for your failure to be a real Christian?
David understood the terrible sin of the rich man, and called for immediate punishment. When Nathan told him David was the rich man, David realized what he had done and confessed the sin. The Lord put away the sin (thank God for His mercy) from David, but the king never had any peace for the remainder of his years. He faced continuing adversity and problems in his household. David paid the price for his sin, but so did the baby. The baby we consider innocent, although like all babies, was born with the seed of sin within it. No baby has ever been born innocent except Jesus Christ.
By now you should have refreshed your memory about three things: all babies are born with the seed of sin within them--not one is innocent even though they may not have sinned yet; the pre-Christ worshippers of God knew about heaven and hell, and recognized eternity with God, and there is no excuse for any sin. You should understand your responsibilities, but do you?
It may be difficult to understand that an unborn baby is not innocent, but a human bearing the seed of sin. Romans 5:12 tells us, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned---" Every human enters the world at conception with the seed of sin within him/her. Only Jesus Christ entered the world blameless and without the seed of sin. His Father was the Spirit of God, and without blame or sin.
You may claim the baby has committed no sin and is guiltless. You are wrong, because every human from the instant of conception has been judged by God to be guilty. His mercy and grace enable us to be redeemed--sins forgiven--through the sacrificed blood of Christ. Without the acceptance of Christ as Savior, we retain our sins. We may be saved at any age, but until we understand enough to be accountable, we fall into God's saving grace for children. Children join Him upon death.
This all may seem harsh to you, and show a side of God you'd rather not see. It is part of the very Word of God, which cannot be separated or questioned. As a Christian, it is your responsibility to not only accept His Word, but abide by its direction and rules. You cannot alter or change it. We have a saying when something is not absolute, "it's not set in stone." Just recall that God's Word was set in stone, and delivered to Moses.
This message has been based purely on scripture, and I'm certain some of you will question it even though it is scriptural. While you may assume I'm in favor of abortion, you are wrong. I give you this personal conclusion based on the message written here. I am against abortion as a method of birth control, but believe preventing abortion when the life of the mother is threatened is akin to promoting attempted murder.
While I am a Christian, I recognize the threat some other "faiths" represent to other people. I also recognize that every attempt to rule the world through religious dogma have failed, including Christianity. Some Christians condemn other faiths and cultures for their treatment and practices concerning women. Yet, I see those very critics attempting to legalize similar or the same controls. This is a nation of freedom. Even God gave each of us the choice to make right and wrong decisions. Why would you think you could improve on God's wisdom?
Rev. Walbear
(Coming soon: mixed marriages, the fallout from abortion, and more)
