Archive for March, 2006

Heaping Coals of Fire

“If your enemy hungers, feed him, If he thirsts, give him drink; For in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:20).

In conversation with a wife who was embroiled in a domestic conflict I asked if she had ever tried heaping coals of fire on his head. She confessed she had not but that she tried throwing boiling water on him once.

What does it mean?

The two opening statements in this verse obviously teach we are to do more than is required to help those in need.

In the biblical ere fire was a valuable commodity. Often a person would go to a neighbor and ask for a coal with which to start his fire. This expression means don’t just give him the basic essential. Instead give him so many coals they are so heavy he has to carry them on his head as was the custom with heavy loads. Thus, we are taught a lesson in helpful generosity.

Health And Healing

Mark the following true (T) or false (F).

“If you were right with God you would not have high blood pressure (thyroid problems, arthritis, a cold, backache, etc.). T____ F____

“There must be sin in your life or you would not be sick” T____ F____

“God wants all of His children healthy.” T____ F____

“Christians aren’t supposed to be sick because “by His stripes we are healed.” T____ F____

After evaluating the following review your answers. You might even reverse your answers.

Jesus said of the sickness from which Lazarus died, “This sickness ….is for the glory of God” (John 11:4).

To the Philippians it was said, “Unto you it is given….to suffer” (Philippians 1:29).

Jesus encountered a man blind from birth (John 9) and critics asked Him, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” What a dumb question. If he was born blind how could the blindness be caused by his sin. Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents …” The blindness was not caused by sin “but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3). The man’s blindness was not caused by sin but simply gave occasion for the glory go God to be revealed through him. Often our sickness is not caused by sin but is simply an occasion for the works of God to be revealed through us.

Paul suffered from a “thorn in the flesh” and prayed three times for its removal. It was not removed. He continued to suffer.

In reality all healing comes from RAPHA, God, the God of healing. Sometimes He used human instrumentality, doctors and medicine, to achieve healing. Often He does it through natural process or by direct divine intervention.

If sickness in the life of Christians is a discipline from God then doctors are working against God. As such their profession should be shunned by believers. Theirs is an honorable profession to be respected. Many Godly physicians acknowledge they are willful agents of the Great Physician.

God in His sovereign will chooses to heal some while not healing others. Let those chosen to be made whole rejoice and not make others fell like second class Christians. Let those chosen to suffer for the glory of God not be offended. Both are loved by Him.

I believe in divine healing by the Lord God. I am one who has experience His supernatural healing. I was born with a hole in my heart and given six weeks to live. No medical treatment was offered but many prayed and miraculously the hole closes.

I am one who was not healed also. I prayed I would never be subject to cancer. I am. He has chosen not to heal me. God doesn’t love me now any less than He did when He healed me.

CONSIDER THESE MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS TO BE WELL AT ALL TIMES. SICKNESS REVEALS A PERSON TO BE OUT OF HIS WILL.
Paul had physical ailment (II Cor. 12: 7-10); Timothy had a stomach disorder (I Timothy) 5:23); his fellow workers, Trophimus and Epaphroditus became very ill (II Timothy 4:20, Philippians 2:26, 27).
There was no hint of sin in the life of any of these.

2. IF YOU HAD ENOUGH FAITH YOU WOULD BE HEALED.
The emphasis in Scripture is not in the strength of our faith but the object of it. Faith is not a means by which we manipulate God for healing. It is resting in His will and sufficiency.
Accusing Christians of not having enough faith to be healed causes much distress, often undermines God’s sovereign will, perverts the true meaning of faith, reduces compassion for the sick, and causes confusion and discouragement.
As long as we live in our fallen physical body we will be vulnerable to sickness and suffering (II Corinthians 4: 7-18).

3. BY CHRIST’S STRIPES WE ARE REDEEMED AND PHYSICALLY HEALED OF ALL SICKNESS.
Christ’s death did atone for our sin and guarantee a renewal of our body. Our salvation is instantaneous. The renewal of our bodies, their redemption will not fully be achieved until He returns (I Corinthians 15: 42-54; Romans 8:23).

4. ALL AFFLICTION COMES FROM SATAN AND SHOULD BE REBUKED AND OVERCOME.
The difficulty with a half-truth is the wrong half
gets emphasized. Some adversity is caused by the devil and some affliction comes from demons. To assume all comes from them is to misrepresent the truth. Adversity is part of life. Christ told us in this world we would have “tribulation.” It is part of life in our imperfect fallen world.

Read Romans 8: 18 – 15 to gain a good understanding of when the body of believers will be fully redeemed. Until it occurs we will travail.

Always put Scripture first and interpret experience by it.

There is an aspect to this needing consideration. Personal habits of some Christians do sometimes cause illness. Eating improperly, smoking, failing to exercise, exposing ones self to communicable diseases, such as STDs, and other abuses are contrary to the will of God. When done they are causes of self-inflicted illness. Persons need to confess and correct the conduct if they expect healing. Don’t expect God to do for you what He expects you to do for Him.

What About Halloween

QUESTION – IN DEALING WITH THE OCCULT WERE YOU ABLE TO DISCERN BETWEEN SATANISM AND WITCHCRAFT?

Answer – Yes. There is a difference within the various orders of Satanists there are white and black witches. These titles do not refer to race but rank. There are however witches who profess not to be associated with Satanism. They practice witchcraft and not Satanism. Thought the two religions are different, in reality the object of their veneration is most often the same.

QUESTION – ISN’T HALLOWEEN A HOLIDAY SHARED BY BOTH GROUPS?

Answer – Yes, it is considered by both groups to be a high “holy day.” It is one of the three days a year Satanist offer 33 living sacrifices; one of which has to be a human. One sacrifice is offered for each year of Christ’s earthly life. Witches have a special ritual for the occasional Only a small number of witch groups offer living sacrifices though they cast spells on the day.

QUESTION – WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN?

Answer – Within the occult world most celebrations are a perversion of a Christian event. Halloween predates the Christian holiday with which it came to be associated.

The word comes from “All Hallows Eve” referring to the evening before All Hallows. It is now the evening before the day Christians celebrate as All Saints Day. In parts of the country Christians mark this day by placing flowers on graves. Cemeteries bloom with such profusion on this day in parts of the country that florists say it is one of their three biggest days of the year.

QUESTION – WHEN DID IT ACTUALLY BEGIN AND BY WHOM?

Answer – Before the time of Christ, the ancient Druids in Briton, France, Germany and the Celtic countries had a celebration honoring some of their deities, Samhain, Lord of the Dead. Reputedly Samhain called together all souls of those who had died during the last twelve months and had been condemned to inhabit animal bodies. It was a celebration of the dead conducted on the first day of the Celtic new year, the last day of October.

Druids believed that on this night, the souls of the dead returned to their former homes to be entertained by the living. If acceptable food and drink was provided for these evil spirits, they would cast a spell causing havoc and terror; they would haunt the living. Thus the principle of “Trick or Treat” emerged.

QUESTION – HOW DID THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY GET INVOLVED IN THE CELEBRATION?

Answer – Around 100 AD the Roman Emperor Hadrian built the Roman Pantheon as a temple to the goddess Cybele and various other deities. It was the principle place where the pagan Romans prayed for the dead. When Rome was sacked by the pagans, the Pantheon fell into disrepair. Emperor Phocas recaptured Rome in 607 AD and gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. Boniface was trying to incorporate all of society into the church. He did not want to alienate the segment of society that revered the ancient practice of praying for the dead in the Pantheon. Therefore, to “Christianize” the place and custom, he reconsecrated it to the Virgin Mary. Roman Catholics were encouraged to gather there and pray for their dead. The mass said on this day was called “Allhallowsmas.” For two centuries the major celebration in the Pantheon occurred in May and was called All Saints Day.

In 834 AD it was moved to November to coincide with the ancient Druidic practice which had gone on for centuries. This was done to accommodate the recently conquered German Saxons and Scandinavian Norsemen. Thus, the merging of All Saints Day with Halloween was completed.

QUESTION – FROM WHERE DID THE JACK-O’-LANTERN COME?

Answer – Legend says a man named Jack tricked the devil into not bothering him during his life time. At death Jack was denied both heaven and hell. He groped his way back through the darkness by carrying a glowing coal in a carved out turnip. From this myth came the concept.

QUESTION – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HALLOWEEN TODAY?

Answer – Fright has become big business in the secular world. Occult worship has intensified in our society. Danger has increased. Most adults with children grew up in a time when Halloween and trick-or-treat was innocent fun. There is a natural tendency to interpret an event in light of our experience with it. However, in light of the danger involved and a current understanding of the nature of the event Christian parents would do well to find an alternative. A “Fall Festival Party” or an “All Saints Party” would be an alternative allowing children to costume and play games. Children could costume like “good guys” not evil or demented characters.

Guilt

Have you ever known a person who was talented, worked hard, acted wisely, made prudent judgments, and exercised insightful acumen to suddenly reverse him or her self and start making obviously unwise decisions?

When it happens friends often comment, “Anybody would have known not to do a stupid thing like that.” The reversal of judgmental skill and conduct leads to a failure and often disgrace. Comments about behavior out of character and illogical actions are expressed by disbelieving observers. Why?

Why would two nationally known coaches engage in conduct they knew would end or at least severely damage their image and careers if known? Why would they do what they surely knew would not work and would implode their careers?

There is a principle that often is in play in such cases. Whether it relates would require someone close to the situations and persons to decide. Such conduct as theirs is often explained by this scenario.

Persons with an unresolved moral failure complex often feel guilty. The more successful they are the more guilt they feel. They, like all of us, grow up with a pattern. You do something wrong, you get caught, you get punished. The link between the wrong and the punishment is imprinted in the psyche. Having an unresolved moral failure complex, sometimes called a guilt complex, they know they have done something wrong and they expect to get punished. They keep making unwise decisions and engaging in destructive conduct until they get caught and punished. Subconsciously they have sought punishment.

All of us do things that are wrong. That is not an excuse, it is a confession all can make. They simply respond in the wrong way. Instead of admitting it, admitting it to self and others who should know, and seeking spiritual renewal they set out to insure they are punished. For this to happen they have to get caught. Some business persons make foolish decisions they know deep down are likely not going to work. By making them they destroy their business and their persona.

Psychologists say it is a form of suicide. They don’t want to destroy their lives physically so they destroy what they are. Thus, they get punished.

There is even a school of thought that says this principle is one of the reasons people gamble. They don’t gamble to win but to lose. By losing they bring punishment on themselves for their unresolved moral failure complex. That is the reason so few quit when they are ahead. They keep betting until they lose.

Again I say this concept may not relate to the two prominent coaches but their conduct illustrates it. Unresolved moral failure complexes need to be dealt with. Often special counsel is needed. Many find release and renewal by applying spiritual truths related to forgiveness and deliverance from guilt. Once the guilt is confronted and dealt with the complicated complex is resolved. Being relieved of guilt the person is then free to achieve and be all he or she has the capacity to become without inflicting self punishment. I have seen many enjoy the sweet victory.

Graceful People

How many graceful people do you know? How many people who know you know at least one graceful person?

Most often when the word is used it describes the physical movements of a person. That is an applicable use. However, there is another use. It can describe a person full of grace; a lifestyle typified by grace.

When grace is uses descriptively of God it means His unmerited favor. It is rather uncommon today to see one person show favor toward another. This is especially true when the recipient obviously doesn’t deserve it. When did you last see a graceful act in traffic, in a crowed market place, in a TV sitcom, or within the family?

We seem trapped in the tyranny of the contemporary. The mood of the moment is often “me first.” Common courtesy is uncommon.

People look for a way to be recognized, known. Some do it with a distinctive hairstyle, some by clothes that call attention to themselves, many strive to over achieve, while others develop a mannerism that is offbeat. There is a positive and pleasant way to be seen as special. It is by developing graceful characteristics. That really makes a person standout. The competition is limited.

It begins by resolving not to respond in kind, but rather by being kind. “A soft answer turns away wrath” is an axiom written on a small piece of paper by my Mom and kept in my wallet for years. Such speech is a graceful thing to do.

Graceful acts include affirming others, giving preference to others, manifesting manners, being courteous, and simply helping others without being asked. Don’t forget the “magic words” taught to several generations by Captain Kangaroo: “Please and thank you.”

Persons who are full of grace act gracefully. In the heat of competition, amid conflict, in extenuating circumstances keep that personality trait in mind and respond gracefully. Make sure that those who come in contact with you will encounter at least one graceful person.