I had once been an atheist actor in the entertainment industry and my purpose in life had been defined by my resume. In 2004, Christ Jesus saved me from myself. I now preach GOD's Word and my purpose is found in dying to myself daily while living for others.
My previous video/article, “Proof That Christianity Is Harmful?”, was click-bait content in order to drive home a point: atheism is actually harmful for people, not Christianity. In response, someone wrote to me and said, “look up how many have died from 1800 to now by either the hand or command of atheists.”
That’s good advice. Now, for commands, there must be a commander — someone who commands the people who obey the commands. Well, this sounds like GOD and Christians, right? Certainly, atheists have no commander, right?
Secularists, agnostics, and atheists alike all tend to claim that the world would be a better place without religion. After all, who caused the Crusades? Religious people! Who was in charge of the Spanish Inquisition? Religious people! Whose was behind 9/11? Religious people! As if listening to John Lennon’s song “Imagine” on repeat, the godless who are anti-religion seem to sing their secular song that there would be no need for greed or hunger, nothing to kill nor die for, and we would all live in peace. But is this true? Do the facts support this claim? No.
Now, as Christians, we must first admit that manmade religion does possess the potential to create evil in the world. As Christians, we should admit that evil has been created in the name of GOD. However, it is also important to remember that even GOD told us that manmade religion can create evil and it’s detestable in His sight (1Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17; Matthew 23:27). Both the prophets and Jesus condemned the rigmarole of religious rituals and pious performances in the name of tiresome tradition, performed out from pride by super-saints. Not everything done in the name of GOD accurately reflects the true teachings of GOD. And that’s why what is descriptive in the Bible does not equate to being prescriptive. What GOD permits through our free will does not equate to what GOD prescribes us to do. There’s a big difference between allowance and approval. All the evil that has been created in the name of Christianity does not accurately reflect what Christianity actually teaches. Thus, if people actually do what GOD actually commands, people will not live evil lives. Instead, they would love GOD, love others as they would love themselves, and even love their enemies. In fact, do you know why I’m making this video? Because I love you enough to tell you the Truth.
Sadly, not all religions can say the same. Groups such as Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah are actively killing in the name of Islamic religion today. (There’s a big difference between Islam and Christianity.) Even some Hindu groups such as Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad result in violence as well. (There’s a big difference between Hinduism and Christianity.)
But what about all the violence done in the name of secularism? If religion has to apologize for all the violence done in its name, so should atheism. Manmade religion is not the only cause of evil in the world; in fact, it’s not even close to being the biggest reason for evil in the world. More people have been killed by atheist regimes in the 20th century than in all the religious persecutions of Western history. Mao was responsible for over 40 million deaths, Stalin for more than 20 million, and Hitler’s count is over 10 million. And those are just the big three atheists – we haven’t even mentioned other godless tyrants yet like Pol Pot, Enver Hoxha, Nicolae Ceausescu, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong-il. In a single century, atheism is responsible for the deaths of more than 100 million people. On the other hand, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the witch burnings together killed about 200 thousand people. That’s still horrible. But it’s only 0.2% of what godless people have done. Even when self-proclaimed Christians are at their worst, they don’t even achieve 1% of the evil the godless people have achieved. It is not violence done in the name of religion that has caused the most evil in the world, but violence done in the name of atheism.
Secularist violence is the result of humanity playing the role of GOD and doing a horrible job of doing so. All violence done in the name of atheism is in alignment with its beliefs that self-preservation is right because natural selection is survival of the fittest. All violence done in the name of Islam is because Islam teaches conquest. All violence done in the name of Christianity, however, is because those people are not actually practicing what true Christianity teaches. Many people claim to be Christians yet they are far from it. And for those people, the Lord will say to them, “I Never Knew You; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
Secularism sees humanity, not GOD, as the measure of all things. Instead of seeing humankind as sinful and in need of redemption (which is evident by their own violence and lack of love), secularism is convinced that humans can become perfect and create utopia here on Earth. Secularist regimes do whatever it takes to achieve this, including taking complete control of society and murdering anyone who gets in the way. Without GOD as the absolute moral standard, we cannot even distinguish between what is good and what is evil.
The facts of history reveal that religion is the cause of only a very small percentage of wars. Two different (one and two) comprehensive encyclopedias about wars (multi-volumes) examined 5 millennia worth of wars and found that only 7% were “religious in nature.” However, if we remove the 66 wars waged in the name of Islam, it cuts the number down to a little more than 3%. Politics and government control, on the other hand, has the secular body count at more than 100 million… in the 20th century alone. It is also the godless who have murdered over 63 million babies in abortions since 1973 Roe v Wade.
So, who are the evil commanders and the wicked people who act out those evil commands? The godless. Now, I do concede to the fact that manmade false religions do cause wars and create some evil in this world. But Christianity is not a ‘religion;’ rather, it is Truth. False religions that exist apart from Truth most certainly do cause wars. And just so you’re aware, the war is constantly waging in your mind. The adversary wants to cover Truth and disguise lies by creating counterfeits so that the lies appear to be true. And that’s why you have consumed propaganda and indoctrination while allowing woke celebrities, wicked professors, and self-professing experts to manipulate your mind and determine your direction. You are in a war whether you realize it or not and whether you like it or not. From advertisements, to entertainment, to “education,” the godless are destroying lives. Do you want the Truth? Here’s the Truth: Jesus is the Truth, the life, the light, and the only way. …The only way. And the Truth is the only way you will ever be set free (John 8:31-32; 14:6).
Now, it is true that the pages of history are stained with the blood of religious violence; however, those same pages are also covered in the blood of Jesus because of His perfect sacrificial love on the cross. So, why does GOD always get blamed when the godless are the cause of most evil in the world? Do you hate evil? Good! So does GOD. That’s why GOD commanded evil to be purged in the Old Testament and why Christ will be returning as the King to purge evil in His second coming. Do you want that utopian life you’ve always desired? Then put your faith in Jesus because He is the Commander who will command evil to be cast out! Jesus is the One who will separate all the evil from the righteous and then cast all the evil into eternal quarantine so that there will be no evil on the new earth under the new heavens (Genesis 1:4; Leviticus 10:10; Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 30:19; Job 14:4; Ezekiel 44:23; Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; 10:32-33; 12:30,33-37; 13:18-23,37-43,47-50; Luke 13:23-30; Revelation 3:15-16; 20:11-15).
Many atheists claim, “I am my own commander!” No. You are deceived and delusional. It is written in Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”
The godless are not the captains of their own ships; rather, they are the captives of the devil who is the slave owner. You are either a slave to sin or you are a servant of righteousness. The godless believe themselves to be the captains of their ships, but they don’t realize that without the Holy Spirit for a Christ-compass, they travel the wrong direction and sail right into the enemy’s hands. And when they least expect it, the enemy will make it known to them at that time that they were never truly in charge. [video: Captain Phillips, “I’m the captain now”]
The evidence is clear: my previous video revealed that atheism is harmful for people and this article reveals that the godless are the cause of most evil in this world. Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me, I will serve the Lord.
Perceived Problem(s):
In Numbers 5:11-31, a woman is seemingly forced to drink a concoction that will cause her to have an abortion. Also, the “law of jealously” states that the woman is “under the authority of her husband,” which is misogynistic and offensive.
Solution:
First, this act prevented the husband from sinning and taking the matter into his own hands by allowing the Lord to judge rightly. This also provided the opportunity for an innocent woman not to have her reputation destroyed or lose her life; adultery leads to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22; John 8:3-5).
Second, the text does not say that the difference in the guilty woman’s condition had a chemical or physical cause. In fact, it indicates the cause was spiritual or psychological. Many women have experienced “false pregnancies” where their stomachs and breasts enlarge without being pregnant. Psychosomatic conditions can affect someone who is guilty— especially if she has taken an oath under GOD to be cursed. And that would have been a big deal in that ancient culture where women were under the covering of men (Deuteronomy 22:30; Ezekiel 16:8; Ruth 3:9).
Third, the text does not ever say that the woman was pregnant, only that if she was guilty of adultery she would become a curse among her people. This entire passage centers around adultery. And this is just one reason why the translation of your Bible matters and why you should study the original Hebrew and Greek. No pregnancy or miscarriage is ever mentioned.
And finally, the wife being under the authority of the husband does not devalue the woman. Both males and females are equal by creation and equal by redemption even if they have different roles and functions (this is explained in detail in my article, “Can A Woman Be A Pastor?”).
Conclusion:
Despite what many critics claims, this particular passage is not anti-women nor does it advocate abortion. In fact, the Bible is against abortion and is not anti-women:
(Exodus 21:22-25) -NASB
“22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Perceived Problem:
According to some translations of the Bible, this text teaches that when fighting men cause a woman to have a “miscarriage” they “shall be fined” (v. 22, RSV). But, if the fighting men caused the death of the woman, the penalty was capital punishment (v. 23). Doesn’t this prove that the unborn was not considered a human being, as the mother was?
Solution:
First of all, this is a mistranslation of the verse. The NASB makes the meaning clear. It is a strong passage against abortion, affirming that the unborn are of equal value to adult human beings.
Second, the Hebrew word יָצָא (yatsa) [yaw-tsaw’] that has been mistranslated “miscarriage,” actually means to “come forth” or to “give birth.” It is the Hebrew word regularly used for live birth in the Old Testament. In fact, it is never used for a miscarriage, though it is used of a still birth. But, in this passage, as in virtually all Old Testament texts, it refers to a live, though premature, birth.
Third, there is another Hebrew word for miscarriage, שָׁכֹל (shakol) [shaw-kole’], and it is not used here. Since this word for miscarriage was available and was not used, but the word for live birth was used, there is no reason to suppose it means anything else than a live birth of a fully human being.
Fourth, the word used for the mother’s offspring here is יֶלֶד (yeled) [yeh’-led], which means “child; boy.” It is the same word used of babies and young children (Genesis 21:8; Exodus 2:3). Hence, the unborn is considered just as much a human as a young child is.
Fifth, if any harm happened to either the mother or the child, the same punishment was given, “life for life.” This demonstrates that the unborn was considered of equal value with the mother.
Sixth, other Old Testament passages teach the full humanity of an unborn child (Psalm 51:5; 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5). The New Testament affirms the same view (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:41,44).
Conclusion:
Despite what many critics claims, this particular passage is not anti-women or barbarism toward babies. In fact, the Bible is against abortion and is not anti-women:
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 7 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary.
In this message (Part 7), we will see that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. But in order to do that, we must be available. If we are able, we should also be willing. Superheroes need to be able and available.
With television shows such as American Idol, The X Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, etc., it’s obvious that our nation is infatuated with talent and entertainment. Even when our country went through a recession back in 2008-2009, box office sales for the movie theaters still boomed. With that said, I’m going to use the entertainment industry in order to help you better understand this message.
Actors Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both slated to play the lead role in the classic movie, “Footloose” (1984). The casting directors were impressed with Tom Cruise because of the famous underwear dance sequence he performed in “Risky Business” (1983); however, Tom Cruise was unavailable for the part because he was filming “All the Right Moves” (1983). Rob Lowe auditioned three times and had dancing ability and the ‘neutral teen’ look that the director wanted, but he pulled his knee; consequently, the injury rendered him unavailable and prevented him from getting the part. Kevin Bacon was offered the leading role for the Stephen King movie, “Christine” (1983) at the same time that he was asked to do a screen test for “Footloose.” The producers from “Footloose” convinced Kevin Bacon that turning down a sure role in “Christine” for a part he might not even get in “Footloose” was the wiser choice by telling him that if he did get the part for “Footloose,” the role would make him an instant star. And in just 30 seconds into the screen test reading, Kevin Bacon was offered the lead role in “Footloose.” However, it was the director of “Footloose,” who only after watching “Diner” (1982), convinced the producers to go with Kevin Bacon. And Kevin Bacon almost didn’t get the part in “Diner” because he was sick on the day of his screen test reading for the role of Fenwick. But Kevin Bacon had previously decided that his character (Fenwick) would probably be half-drunk during the entire movie anyway, so he forged ahead, auditioned, and then got the part. And because of all this, there is now what Hollywood refers to as the “six degrees of Kevin Bacon”:
Here is the same information (as above), but put into a different perspective: Kevin Bacon only got the part in “Diner” because he made himself available for the audition even though he was sick. Because he made himself available and got the part in “Diner,” the director of “Footloose” saw him in “Diner” and then had reason to push Kevin Bacon to his producers; consequently, Kevin Bacon got the lead role in “Footloose.” However, the only reason Kevin Bacon got the lead role in “Footloose” was because he turned down “Christine” and made himself available for “Footloose.” However, Kevin Bacon was only chosen after Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe had both been unavailable.
Now, the only reason I chose to use this example was because Kevin Bacon played the evil villain, Sebastian Shaw, in the 2011 movie, X-Men: First Class. Kevin Bacon is now forever a part of superhero history and because of that, he is now in my book about superheroes. So, let’s use this message of ability and availability to see how it applies to our lives according to GOD’s Word:
“One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field,and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.Then he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.For Solomon hasabandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.”‘ ” (1Kings 11:29-33) -NLT
Solomon was David’s son. Solomon started out as an average man, became the wisest man (1Kings 3:5-12), but then ended up crashing and burning due to his sins. The irony is that Solomon was wise enough to foresee his downfall, but he blinded himself to Truth because he chose to set his focus on personal pleasure. Solomon’s story saddens me and not just because he was David’s son or that he had once been so wise, but because his story is like many Christians of today’s culture. So many Christians today have taken their focus off GOD’s will and have become distracted by the pleasures that our sinful society offers. Let’s examine what tripped Solomon up and how it relates to us today: GOD’s Word tells us that Solomon abandoned GOD and worshiped Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech.
This deity was a mother goddess linked with fertility, love, and war. This deity was associated with carved trees or nature, as being the female deity of the moon, and also associated with sexual immorality. Sex and nature. Or as the hippies claimed, “it’s love and peace, man!” But as we learned in chapter 3, sex and love are not one and the same: sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. Love can survive and even thrive without sex, but sex without love is pleasure without purpose. Solomon ruined his life because he allowed sex to become his love. Ashtoreth was essentially the same ‘god’ that the hippies of the 1960’s worshiped. The goal was satisfaction for self. And so many of those misguided hippies of the 1960’s ended up being the people who influenced our politics and society; consequently, many of the dangerous indoctrinations and misguided beliefs have carried over into the present day in which we live. Nowadays, worship of Ashtoreth can be compared with the people who call themselves “ecosexuals” because they essentially worship ‘Mother Nature’ and center their lives on the pleasure of sex. The scattered remains of Ashtoreth are still evident in the entertainment and advertisement industries. If you haven’t noticed, sex sells. If you haven’t noticed, the lure of lust is the rust that causes a person’s stainless steel character to corrode and crumble.
Chemosh:
According to the Moabite Stone (the Mesha Stele), Chemosh was associated with the goddess Ashteroth. This deity was [in general] of the same nature as Baal (Baal-Hadid). The word baal means “lord.” Baal was most often associated with being the god of weather, war, or fertility. So, Baal was a god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children. Nowadays, our secular society who supports scientism essentially worships themselves as the only beings capable of ensuring the growth of crops and allowing/denying human fertility. The modern version of Chemosh or Baal is most likely celebrities and scientists. Many people idolize celebrities, viewing them as superhuman; many people essentially worship scientists, viewing them as our saviors.
Molech (Moloch, Molek, Melek, Malik):
Children were burned to death as a sacrifice while worshiping a false god. Nowadays, Molech can be compared to Planned Parenthood and the thousands of abortions (murders) that take place every day. As of 2018, it was estimated that Americans have aborted (murdered) about 60 million babies since our sinful society demanded the ‘right’ to do so in 1973. (Click here to read my logical argument against abortion.)
Ancient Sin Is Modern Sin:
There’s nothing new about sin; Satan is subtle, evil is deliberate, and the devil’s demons haven’t changed their tactics. Even today, people are still placing their focus on false gods and idols. And if a wise man such as Solomon was able to be beguiled by physical beauty and enticed and entranced by the temptations that surrounded him, you better believe that you are susceptible to falling as well. In fact, GOD’s Word tells us that we are not exempt from falling:
“These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face.” (1Corinthians 10: 11-13) -MSG
“God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1Corinthians 10:13) -NLT
“Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don’t enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don’t be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” (Mark 14:38) -MSG
“So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” (1Thessalonians 5:6) -NLT
But referring back to 1Kings 11:29-33, Ahijah the prophet tore his cloak into 12 pieces and announced that Jeroboam was to replace Solomon as king. Even if Ahijah had not told Jeroboam what the tearing of the cloak meant, the same thing was about to happen to Solomon and to Jeroboam regardless. Most of the time, we experience only signs and symbolism in our lives without any explanations. GOD doesn’t always tell us the ‘why.’ Therefore, we need to constantly and consistently keep our focus on GOD and the ways of GOD so that we can have our eyes open, alert, and ready to see the signs that GOD gives us when they arrive in our lives. We need to pay attention, be aware of where we are and if we’re living right before GOD. We need to keep ourselves in check at all times. Indeed — check yourself before you wreck yourself! We need to constantly self-examine ourselves to ensure we’re living the right way.
“But I have taken you in hand. Rule to your heart’s content! You are to be the king of Israel. If you listen to what I tell you and live the way I show you and do what pleases me, following directions and obeying orders as my servant David did, I’ll stick with you no matter what. I’ll build you a kingdom as solid as the one I built for David. Israel will be yours!” (1Kings 11: 37-39) -MSG
GOD declared a promise to Jeroboam while pouring out His heart and love. GOD chose Jeroboam. However, let’s be honest — GOD only chooses and works with whomever is available. Why? Because we have the great gift of free will. And if someone isn’t willing, that person would not be available. This is why GOD always promises things, but inserts special stipulations into the contract agreement. GOD can only follow through with the promise or the miracle if we do our part. This is the reason why so many people have come and gone as leaders. If there is only one choice to work with, GOD will use that person until someone better is available to use, and so on and so forth. If we are chosen as someone of great significance, as an anointed one, it’s important that we always do our best and try to continually improve. There will always be a chance that someone coming out of the shop will be better than you. A lot of people will make themselves available yet they lack ability. A lot of people have ability, but who will make themselves available? There will always be a chance that you will injure your knee at the ‘audition’ and render yourself unavailable to be chosen for the part. We don’t want to be replaced by someone because we didn’t try our best. It would be even worse if GOD replaced us with inanimate and inarticulate items such as a blue cord. We need to show up to the ‘audition’ even if we don’t feel 100%! However, if we do get replaced by someone when we do try our best, then it was simply for the best and we need to move on. But we must try our best. However, to do that we must first make ourselves available. Ability is useless without availability; if you have the ability to act yet are unavailable to act, you won’t act and thus your ability is useless.
Ponder on this: there are more chances for your replacement the higher you get up the ladder. Look at it this way: if your job is to crawl into pipes/tunnels and clean out the sewage and waste that clogged the pipes/tunnels, how many people do you think will be after your job? Not many. But if you are a celebrity with fame and fortune, how many people would want your job then? Almost everyone. The better the position you are placed in, the greater expectation of your work, and the greater the risk of being replaced if you do not meet the expectation.
“Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48) -HCSB
“But then Jeroboam thought, ‘It won’t be long before the kingdom is reunited under David. As soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, they’ll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as their ruler. They’ll then kill me and go back to King Rehoboam.’ So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he announced, ‘It’s too much trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these—the gods who brought you out of Egypt!’ He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan. This was blatant sin. Think of it—people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf!” (1Kings 12:26-30) -MSG
Jeroboam replaced Solomon as king and then wrecked himself as soon as he started because he did not check himself. Jeroboam didn’t check his motives or align himself with GOD’s Word — his focus was on himself instead of doing GOD’s will. That’s why GOD needs to always be first. If we do GOD’s will, then we will be blessed in the process.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) -NLT
Unfortunately for GOD and everyone under Jeroboam’s rule, Jeroboam was the man that GOD had to work with for the time being. Can you believe that?! That guy was the best man for the job as king even though he was not suited for the position at all! (I can believe it. I can think of at least a couple presidents in our American history who weren’t suited to be president.) But out of all people who made themselves available, GOD selected Jeroboam because he was the closest thing to a leader who was available. That would be unbelievable if only it didn’t match so many other descriptions of world leaders throughout our history; Jeroboam’s story matches the accuracy of what we already know to be true throughout world history. That means that the entire lot of people GOD had to choose from were just a bunch of lukewarm, fence-sitting, selfish sinners or worse. They lost their edge. Their fire went out.
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) -ESV
In Revelation 3, the church of Laodicea receives no praise from the Lord. GOD states that because they are neither hot nor cold and merely lukewarm, GOD is going to spit them out of His mouth. The people claimed that they needed nothing because they were wealthy, but GOD called them wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked, and shameful (Revelation 3:17-18). GOD proclaims His love, advises they accept His discipline, and admonishes them to repent. The insipid are intolerable; their indecisiveness leads to indigestion. Indifference leads to idleness. Fence-sitting, couch-potato, comfort-Christianity receives no praise (Hebrews 10:38; 12:4-13; Proverbs 3:11-12)! In Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells us that He stands at the door and knocks, simply waiting for someone to respond and allow Him in. And when that person allows Jesus within, He will have dinner with that person. Why is this important? In Mark 2:15-17, we see that this is how Levi — a tax collector — became Matthew, the disciple. Once we allow Jesus within and we fellowship with Him, hearing His Word in itself would be the meal we would be eating; consequently, being filled with the Bread of Life, life would exude out of our very pores and we would be on fire for Christ, thus incapable of being lukewarm. This letter to the church of Laodicea concludes with a promise to the victor that he/she will have the right to sit with Him on His throne. This promise is to say that we will be part of the family and will share in His glory.
I don’t know about you, but both the stories of Jeroboam and the church of Laodicea motivates me to act righteously. If I’m not chosen as someone of great significance, that means that there must be someone out there who is a better person than I am and that he/she was chosen for the job. GOD seeks ability, but works with who is available; therefore, we need to make ourselves available!
Are you available? Have you allowed your heart to be available to GOD? Once you make yourself available, you then put yourself in the running. If you don’t get chosen for a specific job, don’t get discouraged — that just means there is someone better suited for that particular job. No big deal. That doesn’t mean that you should drop out of the running though! You are perfect for a particular job, it’s just a matter of patience to discover where GOD needs you to be. GOD knows what you are best at, what you’re good at, what you’re alright at, and even what you’re bad at. GOD wants to use the gifts, talents, and abilities that He gave to you for how they would be used in the best way. Therefore, make yourself available. You cannot go to auditions if you don’t make yourself available for the auditions. You cannot get the part if you don’t audition. And when you audition, you should not give a halfhearted audition — you should put forth 100% effort and do your best while auditioning even if you don’t feel 100%. Every single new ‘audition’ is a new opportunity for you to prove that you are the right one to be chosen.
There are many roles in acting just like there are many roles that we Christians play in the huge ‘movie’ called Life. GOD is the writer, producer, director, script supervisor, executive producer, camera operator, the sound guy, the editor, etc… GOD is also the casting director. GOD created this ‘movie’ called Life; in addition, He knows who is best suited for what role. We need to place our trust in GOD (Proverbs 3:5-6). GOD places His trust in us just as a director places his/her trust in an actor/actress. It’s a mutual trust. The movie can’t be great without the actors — and the Director knows that. GOD still needs ‘actors’ and ‘actresses’ to fill the roles in Life. Are you available? Don’t concern yourself about when you will get chosen — it will happen. Patience… GOD has a specific role that He wants you to play, but there is a specific time in which He needs you to fill that role. Practice your ability, but be available always. Always go to your ‘auditions.’ Always try your best. Never get discouraged. Understand that it’s just a matter of time. And in the meantime, constantly try to better yourself as a person. There’s always room for improvement.
Jeroboam got cast as the part of the king, but I guarantee you that the audience was unhappy with the selection and the movie bombed. But Jeroboam got the part because he was the best one for the role who was also available to be used as that role. There were better men than Jeroboam (no doubt), but perhaps they were too far away in the world to be cast as the king for that particular place. Or perhaps those better men were already playing a role in GOD’s movie somewhere else. GOD knew that the movie wasn’t great with Jeroboam as king, but GOD had someone else in mind for the role of King, and His name was Jesus. That’s part of the storyline in this movie we call Life – GOD allowed bad kings so that we would appreciate the Good King. But GOD’s planning and timing had to be precise. So, GOD worked with who was available for the time being. Are you available? Let’s learn a lesson from the prophet Isaiah on how we should respond in life:
“Then I said, ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.He touched my lips with it and said, ‘See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.’ Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’ ”
(Isaiah 6:5-8) -NLT
Isaiah’s humility helped him realize he was a sinful man. Isaiah’s recognition of his sinful nature enabled him to repent of his sins and receive forgiveness. Isaiah’s willingness to do GOD’s will made him available to be chosen for anointed and appointed ability.
I challenge you to make yourself available! Be the most righteous person you can possibly be, be patient, and be persistent. GOD has a plan for you. To insure your availability, ensure that you are living in alignment with GOD’s Word. Live as righteous as possible. What happens when the right people aren’t available? GOD has to choose a Jeroboam or a blue cord. Be available. Don’t make GOD choose a Jeroboam because you weren’t available. Are you available? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero who feeds that homeless person on the street? Or are you going to be in the strip club thereby rendering yourself unavailable? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero who tells the truth when everyone else is too afraid to speak up? Or are you going to be hiding your head in the sand thereby rendering yourself unavailable? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero to speak a miracle over someone’s life and help heal someone? Or are you going to be intoxicated at a party thereby rendering yourself unavailable? If you choose to love, desire to do GOD’s will, seek solutions, and are willing to sacrifice, you have the ability. But are you available? And will you help others be ready and available for when Christ returns?
“Always be ready! You don’t know when the Son of Man will come.” (Matthew 24:44) -CEV
If you’re not ready and available when GOD calls you, how are you going to help others be ready and available when Christ comes? If you are able, you should also be willing. Be able. Be available.
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below:
“GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron: ‘How long is this going to go on, all this grumbling against me by this evil-infested community? I’ve had my fill of complaints from these grumbling Israelites’ ” (Numbers 14:26-27) -MSG
In other translations of the Bible, GOD called the grumbling Israelites “sinful” or “wicked,” but in The Message translation, they were called “evil-infested.” I believe that is a good paraphrase for a sinful or wicked people. But why did GOD call the Israelites evil-infested? Well, GOD had performed many miracles and signs of wonders in order to free them from Pharaoh’s captivity in Egypt. GOD freed them from slavery and yet they complained about being free! GOD eventually brought the Israelites to a land of which evil people inhabited. GOD simply told the Israelites to take over the land. Moses sent 12 people to spy out the land and to see what it looked like. When the 12 people returned, they all agreed that it was indeed the good land GOD had said it was and that it flowed with milk and honey; however, 10 out of the 12 who investigated the land lamented and said that the mission was impossible because the people there were big and frightening. An astonishing 83% of the scouting crew said that GOD’s request couldn’t be done! Only Joshua and Caleb were solution seekers and said that it could be done. And then the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb to death because of their optimism and faith. (What?!) So, let’s dig deeper and define what the community looked like to GOD and why they appeared to be evil-infested.
Infested: To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious.
A definition of infested says, “large enough to be harmful, threatening.” Wait – threatening? Why would the community be of a threat to GOD? They weren’t – the community of people were a threat to themselves! They chose to allow evil to corrupt their lives. Their decisions. Their choices. Their free will. And their choices were infecting others throughout the community. Negativity spreads like wildfire; fear and doubt spreads like a plague. And when GOD asked Moses and Aaron, “How long is this going to go on,” GOD wasn’t actually expecting an estimated time of the approximate expiration date of their evil ways. GOD basically said, “Moses. Aaron. The people in your community increase in wickedness as time goes on; the evil grows greater every day.” And when GOD said, “I’ve had my fill of complaints,” He basically said, “I can no longer accept anymore of their evil and ungratefulness and lack of faith. Due to their rebellion and lack of repentance, they have brought judgment upon themselves.”
“Not one of you will enter the land and make your home there, the firmly and solemnly promised land, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:30) -MSG
The only people GOD said He would allow to enter into the promised land were the two solution seekers. That’s how important it is to be a solution seeker.
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.’ ” (Numbers 15:37-40) -ESV
People often concern themselves with things that simply don’t matter. They worry, have anxiety, and stress. For those people, they need to have constant reminders as to what truly matters. Some people don’t live the right way; some people refuse to abide by GOD’s absolute moral standard. Those people need constant reminders as to how to live the right way.GOD was to the Israelites like a parent is to a child who constantly reminds the child, “No. Don’t do that. Don’t touch that. Don’t put that in your mouth! I know that’s what you want, but it’s not what you need. Stop it! Keep your hands to yourself! Put that back! If you don’t listen to me, you’re going to get in trouble!”
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) -NIRV
First and foremost, GOD’s Word is supposed to keep us in alignment with GOD’s will. If you’re not reading GOD’s Word, how would you know GOD’s will? It is of utmost importance that we read GOD’s Word. But apart from GOD’s Word, people are supposed to be our constant reminders; we are supposed to help each other out. Refer back to Numbers 15:37-40. The community was never meant to rely on a blue cord to remind them of how to live – they were supposed to set their hearts on GOD’s will and then continually remind each other so that they wouldn’t become the evil-infested community that they became.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) -NLT
How is one able to trust the Lord with all of his/her heart unless the Lord is already within that person’s heart? The grumbling Israelites – who witnessed many miracles! – simply did not have GOD within their hearts; otherwise, their faith would have cast out the doubt and their love would have expelled the fear that had stowed away within them. Perhaps they had GOD in their hearts when the Red Sea was parted and then closed up again on the Egyptians who had been pursuing them. But by this point in their journey, GOD was out of their hearts and fear and doubt was dwelling within them instead.
Unlike qualified U.S. Army infantrymen who receive a blue cord as an honor of completing their advanced individual training, GOD basically demoted the Israelites and put blue cords in charge instead of them. For the Israelites, receiving the blue cord was not an honor – it was a dishonorable discharge. That’s how lukewarm and mediocre the community’s faith had become. Ponder on that for a moment. How sad is that? Can you imagine getting fired from your job and your boss telling you that he was hiring a blue cord as your replacement? But that’s what happens when you become lukewarm because GOD detests lukewarm faith (Revelation 3:16). What I’m about to say obviously isn’t in the Bible, but imagine if the following conversation between GOD and the Israelites had existed:
GOD: “Grumbling Israelite, you’re fired! Blue cord, you’re hired!”
Israelite: “Wait! What?! The blue cord is taking my place? But it can’t even think! It doesn’t talk! It doesn’t do anything! How can a blue cord be my replacement?!”
GOD: “Truly, I tell you – that blue cord has more faith than you! The only thing that blue cord proclaims is my Holiness! That blue cord will proclaim that I am Holy, I am righteous, and I am faithful. Because every time you look at that blue cord, your very own mind will be reminded of how great and loving I am.”
In this present time in which we live, we have created our own versions of the ‘blue cord’ and they have become religious mediocre reminders of who a true Christian is supposed to be. We’ve created bumper stickers for our cars, book markers with scripture verses on them, bracelets, rings, picture frames, cross necklaces, and even t-shirts. These are all modern-day versions of the ‘blue cord’ – mediocre reminders as to how we should live. Now, I’m not saying that any of those items are bad. I am merely saying that we need to be the ‘Blue Cord Clan,’ not inanimate and inarticulate items! Items work as a reminder only for a short time and then they become camouflaged with the rest of the world because people become accustomed to seeing them. It’s called desensitization. It’s like the wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man that became popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s that is now completely ineffective in 2019. In fact, the shape of that item even resembles the cross; conversely, to many atheists, an image of Jesus on the cross might as well be the inflatable tube man. It’s sad, but true. Once people are so used to seeing these items on a daily basis, people tend to forget the meaning behind the items and they no longer serve as an effective reminder. We – the people – need to be personal reminders for other people.
I want to give you an example of a ‘blue cord.’ Back when I was a property manager of an apartment community, my regional manager told me that I had to put out balloons at the front of the property every single day in order to attract prospective residents. The balloons worked, but only at first. After a certain amount of time had passed, the balloons just became a part of the landscape and no one seemed to notice anymore. Why not? Because the balloons were always there and they never changed. They weren’t personal, engaging, or otherwise inviting. They simply existed. In addition, many of the other apartment communities in that city did the exact same thing. People became accustomed to them being there and no longer paid them any attention. In the same regard, our ‘blue cord’ items such as cross necklaces have lost the ability to gain attention and effectively remind people of GOD’s love. In fact, I have seen sinners wear the cross necklace simply because it was made of gold or filled with diamonds.Many people use these ‘blue cord’ items to enhance their sense of fashion, but the message of the Gospel has been lost in the sinful society who has accepted superficial icons yet rejected repentance and real relationship.
Celebrities, Honorees, and Guests arrive to the 2016 Black Girls Rock on April 1, 2016 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA Featuring: Rihanna Where: New York, New York, United States When: 01 Apr 2016 Credit: WENN.com
1679294 The always fashionable Rihanna sports a huge statement necklace laden with silver crosses while dining at Cafe Med at Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles, California today. The pop superstar made sure to strike the perfect pose to give photographers a clear shot of her jewelry! CR: ODuran/Fame Pictures FameFlynet, Inc – Beverly Hills, CA, USA – +1 (818) 307-4813
Rihanna, for example, though depicted wearing a cross in these images, is a self-proclaimed “good girl gone bad” and she promotes promiscuity proudly. In the pseudo-feminism ideology of today, behaving in such a degrading way is viewed as liberating; however, sexual sin is not GOD’s will (1Corinthians 6:15-20). To be fair, I acknowledge that only Rihanna knows if she has truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior; however, by her actions she is not an accurate reflection of Christ. Like it or not, Rihanna is a role model for all girls everywhere who have access to magazines, television, or the internet because Rihanna is a current celebrity. The truth is that the oversexualization of her songs and performances will cause girls to believe that girls should flaunt their bodies, use their bodies to get what they want, and that casual sexual intercourse is ‘normal’ and acceptable. But the truth is that sex matters. The truth is that sex is for marriage and marriage needs to be defended. The truth is that the oversexualization of our society produces the pervasive plague known as pornography and also contributes to the abhorrent act of abortion. The truth is that representatives of Christ are never to cause someone else to stumble into sin (Romans 14; 1Corinthians 8). And if you don’t believe me that we have a problem of oversexualization, then perform a Google image search for “oversexualization” and examine the multiple pages that showcase our problem.
Is this the same woman depicted wearing the cross (above)? Sadly, yes.
If Rihanna claims to be a Christian, then I’m going to call her out: she is not in alignment with GOD’s will and she is not an accurate reflection/representative of Christ and needs to repent. If, on the other hand, Rihanna denies being a Christian, she has only affirmed through her actions what I previously stated in regards to unbelievers accepting superficial icons yet rejecting repentance and real relationship.
“My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) -NIRV
Who are you? Are you a personal reminder to people about how to live for GOD? When people see you and the decisions you make, are they reminded that Christians are awesome and loving people? Or are you a ‘blue cord’ to be ignored? After all, the ‘blue cord’ is limited in its ability to call attention to GOD’s greatness. The ‘blue cord’ was only meant to be a reminder so that the people would wake up and start a revival. So, who are you? Are you someone who walks around with a cross necklace, hoping your fashion sense will remind people of how we should live, yet you pass by a homeless person without offering a meal? Are you someone who needs a personal reminder to remind you how to live the right way? If you’re a Christian, then act like it! You need to be an example to others, be a constant reminder, help them stay on track, and keep focused. We are to discern GOD’s will and not conform to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2).
Unlike a ‘blue cord,’ we are versatile and innovative and are not limited to our ability to be a reminder or reflection of Jesus. I don’t want to be a ‘blue cord’ that has lost all meaning to the world. Think about it! If you were to see an actual blue cord hanging from a shirt in this present time in which we live, would you be reminded of GOD? Probably not. You might be reminded of GOD now that I’ve told you this message, but I’m fairly certain that most of you wouldn’t think of GOD when seeing an actual blue cord. Not unless you’re super spiritual and are giving thanks to GOD for the materials that have been made available to us so that the blue cord you see could be there at the moment you see that cord. However, let’s be honest: how often do we give thanks to GOD while we’re out and about living the daily routines of our lives? (Your answer should be, “Not enough.”)
The ‘blue cord’ has lost its meaning to this world; it only serves as a reminder to those who know that it is supposed to actually be a reminder. If an audience were to be seated in an auditorium and a blue cord was dangling in front of a microphone, what would an audience get out of that? It is more than likely that the audience would not be reminded of GOD’s love, they would not understand the significance, and they would leave. A blue cord by itself says nothing. The meaning behind that blue cord has been lost in time. And how much more time is needed before the meaning of our fish symbol <>< gets lost in time? Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. But it’s just the same to unbelievers. The ‘blue cords’ have no power to change hearts of the unbelievers. I should know – I was once one of them! So, how did I get saved? By personal relationship. (See my other article, “Why I Am A Christian” for my testimony and defense of the Christian faith.)
The ‘blue cord’ items that we have created as Christians do not possess the power of reminding people of GOD’s love in the same capacity that we humans possess. We can speak and be heard. We can actually listen to people and help address their concerns. We are able to alter our approach in order to effectively convey the message to the listener. A ‘blue cord’ is limited in what it can do. We need to be the personal representatives of the Truth of GOD’s love.
I want to be a personal reminder, just as Joshua and Caleb were personal reminders to their community. And every single time someone sees me, I want them to think of Jesus and what they should be doing and how they should be living. If people see us and think of Christ, yet think horrible of Christ due to our horrible actions, we have failed to accurately reflect Christ. It is extremely important that we live out a life of love so that we will accurately reflect Christ. If people see us and think of Christ, and think good thoughts about Christ due to our good deeds, we can help those who are lost and lead them to Jesus.
The idea of this ‘Blue Cord Clan’ is so that people are reminded of GOD’s love, mercy, and grace every time they look at you! The only reason why the blue cord works as a reminder is because it stands out from the rest of the attire. I challenge you to stand out, speak out, reach out, and invite others in. Be the reflection and the reminder of Christ’s love. And if you do happen to wear the modern-day ‘blue cord’ items such as shirts, bumper stickers, hats, etc., you need to make sure that you’re not giving GOD a bad name! Don’t give love a bad name. If you’re representing GOD, do so the right way! Our symbols mean nothing to unbelievers. What matters is the way we live. If we do wrong while representing GOD’s name, the unbelievers will be quick to blame and proclaim that GOD does not have a good name thereby putting us to shame. We need to be the accurate reflection of Christ’s love in all that we do. Don’t allow a ‘blue cord’ to take your job! So, right now, I challenge you to find the nearest ‘blue cord’ item and to tell it, “You’re not taking my job!” And just for clarification, Jesus told us what we’re supposed to be doing:
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ ”
(Matthew 28:18-20) -NLT
We have a duty we are called to do. Not our bumper stickers; not our t-shirts. You. Me. Us. As Christians, we need to accept our call of duty and “go and make disciples.”
Quest For Truth 