Is Killing Canaanites ‘Kosher’?

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Objection: Is Killing Canaanites ‘Kosher’?

When we think about the horrors that occurred in places like Auschwitz, Rwanda, or Bosnia, it is difficult to understand how any human could command such abhorrent acts of evil or follow such evil orders. It is evident that evil is real. But can the existence and persistence of evil be explained? The perceived problem of pain and suffering prevents many people from believing in the GOD of the Bible as being holy, loving, and perfect. Many people compare modern genocide with the destruction of the Canaanites ordered by GOD in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; 20:16-17). How is the complete slaughter of Canaanite men, women, and children any different from the ethnic cleansing acts or terrorist attacks that occur today? It is true that humans are sinful and have the free will to perform evil acts, but how is it that the GOD who is perfect and loving could command mass murders? If GOD is love, His command to completely destroy the Canaanites needs to be explained as an act of love. But can this be done?

A Reasonable Response

The reason behind GOD’s orders for the destruction of certain groups can be made in the following bulletin points:

• GOD is Holy and perfect and the absolute moral standard.
• Out of GOD’s love, GOD created humans for the purpose of a loving relationship with Him (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:5; Isaiah 43;7; Matthew 22:37-40; John 15:14-15; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).
• GOD’s love gave humans the great gift of free will.
• The great gift of free will allows for the possibility of evil.
• Humankind used free will to reject GOD and rebel, which is sin.
• Sin always separates from GOD because Holiness and sinfulness never mix.
• GOD’s Holy nature demands righteousness.
• GOD’s love demands mercy.
• GOD’s Law demands justice.
• Humankind, while living in their fallen and sinful state, chose to persist in rebellion of the absolute standard.
• GOD’s mercy allows the opportunity for repentance and restoration.
• Certain groups of humankind refused to repent and allowed pride to puff them up, thus separating them from the Savior.
• Though GOD is patient and merciful, justice must ultimately be served.
• When judgment comes, it is to serve as an act of justice, which is the loving thing to do.

The Bible And Warfare

Because the conquest of the Canaanites is an act of warfare, we must first understand what the Bible teaches us regarding warfare before we can examine the specific order against the Canaanites. The Bible has much to say about war and the right of the state to use lethal force. The Old Testament is full of examples of GOD directing Israel to go to war against certain groups. Those were special occasions, but even long before Israel’s war campaigns, GOD specifically gave Noah and future governments the justified right to shed man’s blood as punishment for murder (Genesis 9:5-6). Ultimately, warfare in the name of GOD is justice for sinful rebellion with a greater purpose in mind in order to eliminate evil. Because this sensitive subject can easily be misconstrued, it needs to be expounded upon in order to bring clarification to an otherwise confusing command.

Many agnostics and atheists alike take GOD to court with the allegation that religion is the cause of most wars and that the Bible and history books alike affirm this claim. But is that really true? Is religion the cause of most wars? In fact, it is not. First, what do we mean by “most” wars? According to the dictionary, most means a majority. If that’s the case, religion would need to account for at least 51% of all wars. But the truth is that only about 7% of wars have been religious in nature. The truth is that most wars have been created due to secular humans who desired to play the role of GOD.

In New Testament times, the apostle Paul wrote that government has a GOD-ordained right and responsibility to protect its people and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1-5). The examples of both Noah and Paul relate primarily to keeping the peace within a nation, but may have application for war between nations.

Jesus had the heart of a peacemaker. Although He was not speaking about foreign policy, He taught that people should love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44). Christian pacifists take this to indicate that all wars are unjust and should be avoided. The New Testament has little to say about international conflict, perhaps because the world of Christ and the apostles was under Roman occupation at that time and there were no serious threats to the Roman Empire.

Christians should not blindly support their nation’s causes in war. Our kingdom is not of this world. When military action contradicts biblical commands or morals, the Christian should refuse to support war no matter the consequences. Conversely, when the government is in the right to wage war, as when it protects itself against aggressors or when it seeks to protect other nations from aggressors, Christians should support it. Unless of course, as a pacifist, you truly believe that we shouldn’t have gone to war against Hitler and the nazi regime. However, in all cases, Christians should take the lead in seeking peaceful resolution to conflict between nations if at all possible.

Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek on personal matters. Now suppose that the United States had an official policy to always turn its cheek to evil and oppressive governments. A government that allowed its people to be persecuted and killed by invaders would be irresponsible and immoral. For evil to succeed, overcome, and conquer, people who desire good need only to do nothing.

It is arguably the case that a strong, able and available defense is the best option as an offense for keeping the peace since would-be aggressors will think twice before starting hostilities against nations who are able and available to resist and rise above. A parallel is found in a father’s responsibility to protect his family. If an intruder comes into his home, he is justified in using violence in order to protect his wife and children. But if the would-be intruder possesses foreknowledge that the father is armed and willing to defend his family, that home is less likely to be invaded. Just as we see in nature, evil typically preys upon the weak.

The overall message of the New Testament is one of peace – this is true. But in John 2:13-22, when Jesus made a whip, ran people out of the Temple, and overturned the tables, He basically told everyone, “Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I will not tolerate evil in my Temple.” Even when war is justified, it should be fought in a just manner with a goal of achieving peace as well as making minimal impact on human life and the environment. When the nations of the world learn that another nation is suffering under a cruel, murderous dictator, world leaders must decide how best to stop the evil aggressions. Christians should encourage their leaders to seek peaceful solutions first, but in the event that such solutions are not possible, it seems biblically permissible to support a war whose aim is to put an end to evil.

Out With The Old And In With The New?

Some people find these Old Testament accounts of orders for warfare so disturbing that they reject them altogether. They say that the warfare stories are not accounts of the acts of GOD in history, but mere myths and legends. Does that mean we should apply the popular saying “out with the old, in with the new” to the Bible? Although it would certainly be convenient, doing so really wouldn’t make sense. For one thing, when we look closely at the New Testament, we find some passages (Revelation 6-8) that are just as bloody as the Old Testament warfare passages. Ultimately, either all Scripture is GOD-breathed or it isn’t. We cannot simply pick and choose the passages of Scripture we like and throw out the ones we don’t like. The Bible is not a buffet where you get to pick and choose only what you want. That would be both illogical and inconsistent.

People often say that the Bible is contradictory because the GOD of the Old Testament is violent and cruel while the GOD of the New Testament is loving and merciful. But the truth is that GOD’s character is consistent throughout the Bible and GOD does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Yes – GOD is love – we hear people emphasize His love all the time. And they should. After all, that’s true. But remember, GOD is also absolutely pure and holy, which means He cannot ignore sin. But many atheists argue that GOD’s order to destroy the Canaanites was a direct contradiction of His sixth commandment for the people not to murder. While it is true that the act would have been considered to be murder without GOD’s divine order, it was GOD’s divine order that made it lawful and therefore acceptable. Understandably so, many atheists will argue, “This is the problem with religion! Anything goes as long as some nutcase believes God told him to do it!”

The Problem Is Perspective

Because the story of our salvation through the Savior is told from Genesis to Revelation, we simply cannot separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. Like a covenant marriage, the two become one. If we try to understand the reasoning behind GOD’s order to destroy a certain group of people by magnifying the wrong area, the search team is going to come up empty handed in their investigative efforts. An investigative team needs to search the right area if they’re going to find the evidence for which they’re seeking. Also, even if one is magnifying something with meaning, that something of meaning can lose its meaning if you’re too close to consider the context. Think about it: If I were to put a penny under a microscope and have you look at the magnified image, you wouldn’t be able to tell me that what you’re looking at is a penny by simply examining a magnified image unless you had prior knowledge that you were looking at a penny. Sometimes we need to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Likewise, placing our focus solely on Deuteronomy 20:16-17 will not show us the entire picture. We need to zoom out so we can discover what area we truly need to magnify. Verse 18 even provides a good clue that we need to expand the area of our search.

The Bigger Picture

In order to understand GOD’s order to destroy a certain group of people, we must zoom out and view the bigger picture from an eternal perspective. The consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). When GOD caused the great flood in Noah’s days, He did so in order to cleanse the land from a wicked people who chose to contaminate the land with evil (Genesis 6:11-13). The Canaanites’ evil deeds originated from Ham, who gave birth to Canaan, who was considered evil (Genesis 9:18-27). Just as it is true in our present day that the influence of sinful parents typically leads children to follow their pattern of behavior, the same was true in the past. A parent’s adultery, substance abuse, manipulation, or other dysfunctional behavior establishes a pattern that children typically model as they mature. The results can be a repetition of their parents’ emotional brokenness leading to conflict, divorce, poverty, or other conditions that make their children’s, and even their grandchildren’s, lives difficult. Like ripples spreading across a pool of calm water, our actions have consequences for generations to come. Perhaps that’s why the Bible imparts some wisdom to us that we should from the very beginning direct our children on the right path so that they will walk in righteousness in their adult lives (Proverbs 22:6). The sad reality documented in the Bible is that the Canaanites – who came under GOD’s judgement – were wicked and refused to abide by GOD’s absolute moral standard.

The Wickedness Of The Canaanites

To understand GOD’s order to destroy the Canaanites, we need only to examine their wickedness. A basic knowledge of Canaanite culture reveals its inherent moral wickedness. The Canaanites were a brutal, aggressive people who engaged in deviant sexual acts. Even more abhorrent, various Greek and Latin sources bear witness to Punic child sacrifice. They also attest to a great bronze statue of Kronos, in whose arms children were placed over a fire. Textual and archaeological discoveries align with the assertions in 2Kings 23:10 and Jeremiah 32:35 that children were sacrificed to Molech in Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom. The Canaanites’ sin was so repellent that GOD said, “The land vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:24-28). Even so, the destruction was directed more at the Canaanites’ polytheistic religion than at the Canaanite people per se (Deuteronomy 7:3–5,12:2-3). The judgment was not ethnically motivated. Individual Canaanites – like Rahab in Jericho – discovered that mercy follows repentance (Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31). Another example is the Canaanite woman of great faith found in Matthew 15:21-28.

Justice And Mercy

The slaughter of the Canaanites represented an unusual historical circumstance, not a regular means of behavior. And unlike Islam who uses conquest in order to convert people into their religion by force, the Israelites were not converting people to Judaism; rather, they were administering judgment, which was an act of justice. GOD demands just laws and just rulers. GOD’s desire is that the wicked turn from their sin rather than die (Ezekiel 18:31-32, 33:11).  GOD literally pleaded with people to repent of their unjust ways that He might not judge them. When the Lord announced His intention to judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, Abraham boldly asked GOD if He would destroy the righteous right along with the wicked. In Genesis 18:23-33, we see that GOD would spare a multitude of wicked people in order to save a few righteous people. But the Canaanites were wicked; consequently, justice was necessary.

Understandably so, many people question the reasoning behind GOD’s order to destroy the whole group of people, including ‘innocent’ children. First, everyone is born into sin and is a sinner (Psalm 51:5; 58:3); no one but GOD is good (Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12; Mark 10:18); and all sinners deserve death (Romans 6:23). Second, if we believe – as I do – that GOD’s grace is extended to those who die in infancy or as small children, the death of these children was actually their salvation. The Kingdom of GOD belongs to such little ones (Matthew 18:1-10; Mark 10:13-16). Third, we should recognize that we are so invested into an earthly, naturalistic perspective that we forget that those who die are happy to quit this earth for Heaven’s incomparable joy.  Therefore, GOD did not wrong these children for taking their earthly lives. The children merely received a ‘fast-pass’ into eternal joy. And finally, we need to remember that these children were spared from growing up in the evil-infested community of the corrupted Canaanite culture where they might not have made it beyond child sacrifice anyway. And even if they managed to escape being sacrificed as children, how many of them would have grown up with a false belief that they needed to seek revenge on the Israelites for killing their parents? They wouldn’t have known the true evil of their parents, only that their parents had been taken away from them.

The Moral Argument Boomerangs Back Against Atheism

It’s ironic that atheists often present evil to be a problem and then ask why GOD never prevents evil or stops it. Yet when GOD does put a stop to evil, atheists try to call GOD evil for putting a stop to evil. Why do so many atheists raise up the flag to call out the flagrant foul of a moral atrocity? In fact, the weapon they aim at GOD backfires on themselves. The claim that GOD should not have issued such a command to destroy ‘innocent’ children doesn’t falsify or undercut either of the two premises in the moral argument as defended:

1. If GOD does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.
2. Objective moral values do exist.
3. Therefore, GOD exists.

In fact, insofar as the atheist thinks that GOD did something morally wrong in commanding the extermination of the Canaanites, he/she only affirms premise #2. The truth is that if an atheist is to live consistently with the naturalistic belief of survival of the fittest, the atheist should approve of and applaud any action taken in order to advance oneself – even if that means taking the life of someone else. But GOD did not do anything morally wrong. The truth is that GOD is the Creator of all life and He gives life and can take it away at will. GOD has the right to take the lives of the Canaanites if He sees fit to do so. How long they live and when they die is up to Him. In fact, no one actually dies – we all get moved from a temporary setting to an eternal destination of either Heaven or Hell. So, don’t allow yourself to flounder and fret over the so-called finality of death.

Specify What To Magnify

This argument that the prosecution brought against GOD began by magnifying the wrongness of destroying a certain group of people. The act of magnification wasn’t wrong; what the prosecuting people chose to magnify was wrong because they placed their focus on the wrong area of concern, which is the deaths of many Canaanite people. But how many of these prosecutors would also take the feminists and extreme liberals to court over their murders of babies via abortions? So, what I’ve done in this argument for the defense is zoom out from the wrong area of concern in order to see the bigger picture. And now that we can see the bigger picture, we’re going to zoom in and magnify the area that will reveal the truth and the reasoning behind GOD’s order. The truth we will see is sin and the reasoning for the response is justice.

In Genesis 15:13-21, Scripture reveals to us that GOD told Abraham what would happen before it ever happened. Some scholars hold that Moses, or a later editor of Genesis, is projecting knowledge of later history into the narrative in the guise of advance prophecy. The logic is that no one could possibly have known in Abram’s time that Israel would be in Egypt for 400 years and that they would be enslaved and oppressed for most of that period. Such a perspective is rooted in an anti-supernatural bias that flies in the face of the predictive biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled in amazing detail. And the Israelites’ 400 years of slavery is not the only prophecy that was fulfilled in the Bible. Prophecy is real because GOD is real and speaks to His people. The proof of prophecy is just one of the many pieces of evidence in the entire collection of evidence which reveals that Christianity is the most reasonable of all beliefs.

Ponder on this: GOD waited 400 years before judging the Canaanites because their wickedness had not reached the point of intolerability until then! This is the long-suffering GOD we know in the Hebrew Scriptures. GOD even allowed His own chosen people to languish in slavery for four centuries before determining that the Canaanites were ripe for judgement and calling His people forth from Egypt. Which, by the way, that means that GOD gave the Egyptians 400 years to let the Israelites go from slavery and to do what was right. But they didn’t; consequently, plagues came and then people who persisted in evil pursued after the Israelites and ended up drowning in their own sin. That loving and patient GOD matches the loving and patient GOD from the New Testament (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9).

By the time of their destruction, the Canaanite culture was, in fact, saturated in sin and developed deeds from all that is demonic, embracing such practices as ritual prostitution and even child sacrifice.  The Canaanites were to be destroyed so that they would not teach the Israelites to live according to all their abominable practices that they had done for their false gods (Deuteronomy 20:18). GOD had morally sufficient reasons for His judgement upon Canaan, and Israel was merely the instrument of His justice, just as centuries later GOD would use the pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon to judge Israel for their sins. Israel was not exempt from sinning simply because they were the chosen people of whom GOD would use in the ultimate plan of salvation.

The bottom line is that Israel had to be set apart as GOD’s chosen people in order to fulfill prophecies so that Jesus could save us from ourselves and unite Creator and creation once again in a loving relationship. From the beginning of this argument, the prosecuting people brought forth that if GOD is love, the command of destroying the Canaanites needs to be explained as an act of love. I have shown that GOD’s order was an act of love for three vital reasons:

1. GOD’s love demands mercy. Because GOD was loving, He waited 400 years to see if the Canaanites would repent so that they may be restored. But they did not repent; instead, they chose to rebel and live a life of sin, which included child sacrifice. For 400 years, GOD actively chose to be patient; 400 years of dedicated patience is an awesome act of love.
2. GOD’s Law demands justice. GOD cannot be loving unless He serves justice for what is evil. Because the Canaanites were evil, the judgment served was justice served, which was an act of love.
3. GOD’s judgment was loving because it was part of a bigger plan for Jesus to come through a chosen people in order to eliminate evil and redeem us from the Fall.

Conclusion:

In response to the question, “If GOD is love, why would GOD order the destruction of the Canaanites?”, the answer is as follows: “GOD ordered the destruction of the Canaanites because GOD is love. The destruction of the Canaanites was not an evil act ordered by an evil GOD; rather, it was an act of justice ordered by a loving GOD in order to eliminate evil.” The bigger picture from an eternal perspective reveals that GOD is less concerned with a current circumstance of a temporary physical condition because He is more concerned about saving souls. Because GOD is love (1John 4:8,16), there simply cannot be evil within Him.

“The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
(Psalm 92:15) -NIV

Superhero: Ability & Availability

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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.

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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 has abandoned 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.

Ashtoreth (Astarte, Ashtarte, Ashtaroth, Ishtar, Attar):

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You 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 in 2008-2009, box office sales still boomed. With that said, I’m going to use the entertainment industry to convey my message.

Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both slated to play the lead role in the movie, “Footloose” (1984). The casting directors were impressed with Tom Cruise because of the famous underwear dance sequence 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 got 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 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.

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” 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.

“One day Jeroboam was walking down the road out of Jerusalem. Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh, wearing a brand-new cloak, met him. The two of them were alone on that remote stretch of road. Ahijah took off the new cloak that he was wearing and ripped it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten of these pieces for yourself; this is by order of the God of Israel: See what I’m doing—I’m ripping the kingdom out of Solomon’s hands and giving you ten of the tribes. In honor of my servant David and out of respect for Jerusalem, the city I especially chose, he will get one tribe. And here’s the reason: He faithlessly abandoned me and went off worshiping Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of the Moabites, and Molech god of the Ammonites. He hasn’t lived the way I have shown him, hasn’t done what I have wanted, and hasn’t followed directions or obeyed orders as his father David did.’ ”
(1 Kings 11:29-33) -MSG

Solomon was David’s son. Solomon started out as the wisest man and 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 take a look at what tripped Solomon up and how it relates to us today:

Ashtoreth (Astarte, Ashtarte, Ashtaroth, Ishtar, Athtar) 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 was love and peace. Sex and love are not the same: sex needs love to be meaningful; love does not need sex to be 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 worshipped. 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 people worshiping ‘Mother Nature’ and centering 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 spirit to corrode and crumble.

Chemosh was [in general] a deity of the same nature as Baal (Baal-Hadad). Baal may refer to any god or even human officials, but was most often associated with being the god of weather, war, or fertility. Nowadays, the worship of Chemosh or Baal can be compared with people idolizing or worshiping celebrities. It can also be compared with people who base their emotions and actions off their zodiac signs and use whatever horoscopes they may read as a method of divination.

Molech (Moloch, Molek, Melek, Malik) was the god of child sacrifice. Children were burned to death as a sacrifice to this false god. Nowadays, the worship of Molech can be compared to Planned Parenthood and the thousands of abortions (murders) that take place every day. As of 2017, Americans have aborted (murdered) about 59 million babies since our sinful society demanded the ‘right’ to do so in 1973. (Click here to read my argument against abortion.)

There’s nothing new about sin; Satan and his 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.”
(1 Corinthians 10: 11-13) -MSG

“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.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:6) -NLT

So, 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!”
(1 Kings 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 can only choose and work with whomever is available. Why? Because we have the 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 constantly improve. There will always be a chance that someone coming out of the shop will be better than you. 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. 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.

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 would 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!”
(1 Kings 12: 26-30) -MSG

Jeroboam 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.

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 had to select Jeroboam because he was the closest thing to a leader that He could find. 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.

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:16) -ESV

I don’t know about you, but that makes me want to try harder to be righteous. 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 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 find 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 granted you with 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 chance 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. 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. 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, right?

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 in mind for the role of King, and His name was Jesus Christ. But GOD’s planning and timing had to be precise. So, GOD worked with who was available for the time being.

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 aligned with GOD’s Word. Live as righteous as possible. What happens when the right people aren’t available? GOD has to choose a Jeroboam. 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 person 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 person 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 person 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? Are you available? And will you 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

“Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.”
(Romans 12:2) -Voice

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”
(Ephesians 5: 10-11) -NLT

“So be careful how you live; be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiots as the rest of the world does. Instead, walk as the wise! Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times.”
(Ephesians 5: 15-16) -Voice

“Most importantly, be disciplined and stay on guard. Your enemy the devil is prowling around outside like a roaring lion, just waiting and hoping for the chance to devour someone.”
(1 Peter 5:8) -Voice

“Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping.”
(1 Corinthians 16:13) -MSG