Seth Hammond https://www.christcov.org Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:45:32 -0500 http://churchplantmedia.com/ 4 Differences Between Christianity & Islam https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-differences-between-christianity-islam https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-differences-between-christianity-islam#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0600 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-differences-between-christianity-islam For Christians, this is the biggest week of the year because we are celebrating Passion week: the week where Jesus was betrayed, arrested, crucified, and rose again from the dead. Millions of people around the world will celebrate Easter, millions will not. One large group that will not are Muslims.

The two largest religions in the world are Christianity and Islam (Pew Research Center). Based on my research and an interview with a local Muslim leader, I came up with 4 major differences between Christianity and Islam.

#1) A Different View of Holy Books

Christians view the Old and New Testament as the Holy Word of God. Muslims view the Quran as the Holy Word of God.

The word Quran means ‘recitation’. Muslims claim that the Quran has been preserved in its exact, original form in Arabic because large groups would recite it to other large groups with no variation. Muslims recognize the Torah (law) of Moses, Psalms of David, and Gospels of Jesus as books from God; however, they believe these writings have been corrupted over time due to many different translations. Muslims claim that no manuscript of the Quran in Arabic has any variation.

Christians believe that the Bible of the Old and New Testament in Its original language (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) is God’s Word without error. Our English Bibles today are still trustworthy and sacred because of textual criticism. To learn more about textual criticism, check out my blog “Why Our Bibles Today are Trustworthy.”

Muslims believe the Quran was formed when the prophet Muhammad received revelations from the angel Gabriel for a 23 year period beginning in 609 AD.

The Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 authors, covering a period of approximately 1,600 years, while the Quran was revealed to one man over a period of 23 years.

#2) A Different View of God

Christians believe in the Trinity: 1 God in 3 persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 10:30).

The God of Islam is one God, in 1 Person, not a Trinity. Here are some passages from the Quran that explain how the God of Islam is not a Father…

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Proclaim, “He is the One and only God. The Absolute God. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him.” – Surah 112:0-4

“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with (precise) determination.” – Surah 25:2

#3) A Different View of Jesus

Christians believe that Jesus is God (John 10:30). Muslims believe He was merely a prophet and miracle-worker (Surah 3:49; 5:110; 9:30).

Islam would claim that Jesus was born of a virgin, and that He was taken to Heaven (Surah 4:158). They do not believe that Jesus died on the cross (Surah 4:155-158).

Nabeel Jabour says:

“So they (Muslims) believe that God intervened miraculously and took Jesus up to Himself and that someone else was placed on the cross. It appeared to the Jews that it was Jesus, but in reality it was someone else. Some of them believe it was Judas (The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross).”

Although Muslims hold a high regard for Jesus, they don’t believe He is divine (How Muslims View Easter).

#4) A Different View of Sin

Christians believe every human is born with original sin (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1). Muslims believe when you are born, you have a ‘clean slate.’ Islam claims that sin exists because of human weakness and forgetfulness (Surah 4:28).

DiscoveringIslam.org states:

“The original sin concept is not fair…because no one should be made to bear the burden of someone else’s sin or mistake.”

According to Islam, Satan is responsible for sin, and there is no curse over Adam or creation. The Bible says Satan tempted Adam & Eve to sin and that God later cursed Satan, Adam, and Eve (Genesis 3).

One central truth of Christianity is that although we inherited Adam’s sinful nature, we were given a new nature in Jesus (Romans 5:12-21). Adam was our representative, and Jesus has now replaced Adam in that role. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded by living a perfect life, dying on the cross and bearing the punishment for our sins, and rising again from the dead (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

If you’re a Christian, as you approach Easter Sunday, embrace your faith from God’s Word. Be thankful that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

 

 

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For Christians, this is the biggest week of the year because we are celebrating Passion week: the week where Jesus was betrayed, arrested, crucified, and rose again from the dead. Millions of people around the world will celebrate Easter, millions will not. One large group that will not are Muslims.

The two largest religions in the world are Christianity and Islam (Pew Research Center). Based on my research and an interview with a local Muslim leader, I came up with 4 major differences between Christianity and Islam.

#1) A Different View of Holy Books

Christians view the Old and New Testament as the Holy Word of God. Muslims view the Quran as the Holy Word of God.

The word Quran means ‘recitation’. Muslims claim that the Quran has been preserved in its exact, original form in Arabic because large groups would recite it to other large groups with no variation. Muslims recognize the Torah (law) of Moses, Psalms of David, and Gospels of Jesus as books from God; however, they believe these writings have been corrupted over time due to many different translations. Muslims claim that no manuscript of the Quran in Arabic has any variation.

Christians believe that the Bible of the Old and New Testament in Its original language (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) is God’s Word without error. Our English Bibles today are still trustworthy and sacred because of textual criticism. To learn more about textual criticism, check out my blog “Why Our Bibles Today are Trustworthy.”

Muslims believe the Quran was formed when the prophet Muhammad received revelations from the angel Gabriel for a 23 year period beginning in 609 AD.

The Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 authors, covering a period of approximately 1,600 years, while the Quran was revealed to one man over a period of 23 years.

#2) A Different View of God

Christians believe in the Trinity: 1 God in 3 persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 10:30).

The God of Islam is one God, in 1 Person, not a Trinity. Here are some passages from the Quran that explain how the God of Islam is not a Father…

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Proclaim, “He is the One and only God. The Absolute God. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him.” – Surah 112:0-4

“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with (precise) determination.” – Surah 25:2

#3) A Different View of Jesus

Christians believe that Jesus is God (John 10:30). Muslims believe He was merely a prophet and miracle-worker (Surah 3:49; 5:110; 9:30).

Islam would claim that Jesus was born of a virgin, and that He was taken to Heaven (Surah 4:158). They do not believe that Jesus died on the cross (Surah 4:155-158).

Nabeel Jabour says:

“So they (Muslims) believe that God intervened miraculously and took Jesus up to Himself and that someone else was placed on the cross. It appeared to the Jews that it was Jesus, but in reality it was someone else. Some of them believe it was Judas (The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross).”

Although Muslims hold a high regard for Jesus, they don’t believe He is divine (How Muslims View Easter).

#4) A Different View of Sin

Christians believe every human is born with original sin (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1). Muslims believe when you are born, you have a ‘clean slate.’ Islam claims that sin exists because of human weakness and forgetfulness (Surah 4:28).

DiscoveringIslam.org states:

“The original sin concept is not fair…because no one should be made to bear the burden of someone else’s sin or mistake.”

According to Islam, Satan is responsible for sin, and there is no curse over Adam or creation. The Bible says Satan tempted Adam & Eve to sin and that God later cursed Satan, Adam, and Eve (Genesis 3).

One central truth of Christianity is that although we inherited Adam’s sinful nature, we were given a new nature in Jesus (Romans 5:12-21). Adam was our representative, and Jesus has now replaced Adam in that role. Where Adam failed, Jesus succeeded by living a perfect life, dying on the cross and bearing the punishment for our sins, and rising again from the dead (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

If you’re a Christian, as you approach Easter Sunday, embrace your faith from God’s Word. Be thankful that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

 

 

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A Changed Society https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/my-thoughts-on-racial-reconciliation https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/my-thoughts-on-racial-reconciliation#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2020 23:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/my-thoughts-on-racial-reconciliation The events of the past two weeks have been heartbreaking and eye-opening. I was horrified and heartbroken when I saw the video of the police officer who put his knee on the neck of George Floyd. I was heartbroken when I saw George die right before our eyes. I was heartbroken to see a man who was gravely mistreated and not valued. What a tragedy that should have never happened! 

Since the death of George Floyd it has been eye-opening for me to see how people have responded. Many have responded with anger while others have responded with fear. Still there are others who are, like me, sad. I'm sad that this man's life was taken. I'm sad that many people feel mistreated and unheard. I'm sad that there is racism today. I'm sad to know our nation's history of racial injustice. I'm sad to see monuments destroyed. I'm sad to see buildings and businesses burned down and people losing their jobs. I'm sad to see cars turned over and people getting killed or hurt.

We are living in some serious and sad times. We are dealing with a virus pandemic that this world has never seen. It's a pandemic that is taking lives and forcing people out of jobs. We are also dealing with a world where people are not treated with respect or love.

My friends, we need Jesus, and we need Him now! I long to see a society where the walls of hostility are torn down. I long to see a society where men and women of different ethnicities can respect each other and put the other person above themselves. I long to see a society where viruses are no more and people no longer live in fear.

The good news is there is such a society, and it's called Heaven. In the book of Revelation, we see a beautiful picture of Heaven:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10).'"

When John wrote the book of Revelation through the Holy Spirit, he saw a vision of Heaven in that a great number of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language were standing together before the throne of Jesus and holding palm branches (symbolizing salvation) and praising Jesus for their salvation as they were with Him and each other for all eternity! 

This, my friends, is what God intends. This is what life is all about! Different people from different places and different cultures all joining together under 1 God: Jesus Christ. It doesn't get any better than this! Boy, do I long for this day to come soon!

In the midst of my sadness this week, I was reminded of some great news. Although we are not in Heaven yet, we still are able to see glimpses of Heaven through the work of Jesus today. In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul described how Gentiles and Jews used to have hostility towards one another and were separated and segregated from each other. But, Jesus came to destroy the barriers and the walls of hostility between them.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:14, 17-18).

Did you catch that? Jesus is our Peace, and He is the One who brings people together. He preaches peace to us, and it is only through Jesus that we can get to God the Father and one day be in Heaven. Then, Paul says something powerful:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Because Jesus brings us peace and brings us together in His name, we are no longer foreigners of God's household, but we are fellow citizens and children of God. Jesus is the cornerstone that holds us all together. He is building us together to become a dwelling in which God's Spirit lives in us.

My friends, in a world of division, unrest, and chaos, we can find peace. We can find unity. We can find love. True peace, true unity, and true love is found only in Jesus Christ.

We need Jesus and we need Him now! We can begin to see a society where the walls of hostility are torn down. We can begin to see a society where men and women of different ethnicities can respect each other and put the other person above themselves. We can begin to see a society where people no longer live in fear. We can even begin to see glimpses of Heaven as described in Revelation 7:9-11.

Do you know how we can begin to see these things? Jesus Christ. 

If you have not committed your life to following Jesus today, please don't let another day go by without confessing your sins, believing He died on the cross to forgive your sins, and begin serving Him as your King. When you do this, you will begin to see, along with other Believers, a changed society.

 

]]>
The events of the past two weeks have been heartbreaking and eye-opening. I was horrified and heartbroken when I saw the video of the police officer who put his knee on the neck of George Floyd. I was heartbroken when I saw George die right before our eyes. I was heartbroken to see a man who was gravely mistreated and not valued. What a tragedy that should have never happened! 

Since the death of George Floyd it has been eye-opening for me to see how people have responded. Many have responded with anger while others have responded with fear. Still there are others who are, like me, sad. I'm sad that this man's life was taken. I'm sad that many people feel mistreated and unheard. I'm sad that there is racism today. I'm sad to know our nation's history of racial injustice. I'm sad to see monuments destroyed. I'm sad to see buildings and businesses burned down and people losing their jobs. I'm sad to see cars turned over and people getting killed or hurt.

We are living in some serious and sad times. We are dealing with a virus pandemic that this world has never seen. It's a pandemic that is taking lives and forcing people out of jobs. We are also dealing with a world where people are not treated with respect or love.

My friends, we need Jesus, and we need Him now! I long to see a society where the walls of hostility are torn down. I long to see a society where men and women of different ethnicities can respect each other and put the other person above themselves. I long to see a society where viruses are no more and people no longer live in fear.

The good news is there is such a society, and it's called Heaven. In the book of Revelation, we see a beautiful picture of Heaven:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10).'"

When John wrote the book of Revelation through the Holy Spirit, he saw a vision of Heaven in that a great number of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language were standing together before the throne of Jesus and holding palm branches (symbolizing salvation) and praising Jesus for their salvation as they were with Him and each other for all eternity! 

This, my friends, is what God intends. This is what life is all about! Different people from different places and different cultures all joining together under 1 God: Jesus Christ. It doesn't get any better than this! Boy, do I long for this day to come soon!

In the midst of my sadness this week, I was reminded of some great news. Although we are not in Heaven yet, we still are able to see glimpses of Heaven through the work of Jesus today. In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul described how Gentiles and Jews used to have hostility towards one another and were separated and segregated from each other. But, Jesus came to destroy the barriers and the walls of hostility between them.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:14, 17-18).

Did you catch that? Jesus is our Peace, and He is the One who brings people together. He preaches peace to us, and it is only through Jesus that we can get to God the Father and one day be in Heaven. Then, Paul says something powerful:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Because Jesus brings us peace and brings us together in His name, we are no longer foreigners of God's household, but we are fellow citizens and children of God. Jesus is the cornerstone that holds us all together. He is building us together to become a dwelling in which God's Spirit lives in us.

My friends, in a world of division, unrest, and chaos, we can find peace. We can find unity. We can find love. True peace, true unity, and true love is found only in Jesus Christ.

We need Jesus and we need Him now! We can begin to see a society where the walls of hostility are torn down. We can begin to see a society where men and women of different ethnicities can respect each other and put the other person above themselves. We can begin to see a society where people no longer live in fear. We can even begin to see glimpses of Heaven as described in Revelation 7:9-11.

Do you know how we can begin to see these things? Jesus Christ. 

If you have not committed your life to following Jesus today, please don't let another day go by without confessing your sins, believing He died on the cross to forgive your sins, and begin serving Him as your King. When you do this, you will begin to see, along with other Believers, a changed society.

 

]]>
3 Things to Do When Life Goes Haywire https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/3-things-to-do-when-life-goes-haywire https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/3-things-to-do-when-life-goes-haywire#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2020 01:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/3-things-to-do-when-life-goes-haywire What do you do when life goes haywire? How do you respond when life is erratic and out of control?

Right now, we are living in a time when the world has gone haywire. 

  • People are getting sick from COVID-19, and people are dying.
  • The economy is up and down, and many people have lost jobs.
  • Our emotional health is in jeopardy as we deal with stress, worry, fear, or depression. We have seen a rise in suicides in our nation during this pandemic.
  • Our relational health has taken a toll as people are getting irritated with each other. Unfortunately, we are hearing of more domestic abuse.
  • Our physical health is hard to maintain because we aren't able to go to the gym, and our sleep routine is out of sorts. Our hair is getting long, and many of us desperately need it cut!

These are interesting times, and our world has gone haywire. 

The good news is that we are starting to hear of talks of reopening and restarting. We are about to enter a new season of rebuilding. As we begin to rebuild, what things do we need to do before we rebuild? What things do we do when life goes haywire?

The book of Nehemiah is about rebuilding. Nehemiah, a God-fearing Jew, was living in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire. He was serving as Cupbearer to the King, which was considered of high importance and one of the King's greatest advisors. While serving in Persia, he received a gut-wrenching report from his brother, Hanani, about his own people's condition in Jerusalem. Hanani said:

"The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire (Nehemiah 1:3)."

Although the people of God who were under Persian rule were allowed back from exile to their homeland in Jerusalem, they were in great trouble and shame, and their walls were in ruins. In other words, their world went haywire.

When Nehemiah heard this bad report, he didn't immediately get to work and try to solve the problem, but notice the three things he did after he heard the bad news:

"As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven (Nehemiah 1:4)."

There are three things we can learn from Nehemiah of what we need to do when life goes haywire.

1. We Grieve.

A soon as he heard the bad report, he sat down and wept and mourned for days. He took the time to grieve. When crisis comes and our world has been shaken, we must take the time to grieve. Dr. Kenneth Haugk says, "Grieving is normal, it is necessary, and it is natural." 

Our world has been turned upside down these past few months. It's been tragic to see all the negative things that have come from this pandemic. We must grieve and mourn over what has happened to us. If we don't take the time to properly process our grief, it will come back and bite us. 

The same is true whenever crisis comes in life. Whenever you lose a loved one, a job, receive a bad health report, or whenever you have to move, you must take the time to grieve. If you bottle up your feelings and never process them appropriately, it will later hurt you.

2. We Fast.

Nehemiah didn't just grieve, he continued fasting. Fasting is denying something you enjoy and giving it to Jesus for a time so you can enjoy being in His presence. Fasting is a way to express sorrow and to humble ourselves before Jesus. 

When we fast, we are saying to Jesus, "Jesus, You must become greater, and I must become less (John 3:30)." Our every loss is for the sake of gaining Christ. Fasting reveals our utter dependance on God as we cry out to Him.

During this season of crisis, I would encourage you to take time to fast. It may be one meal or an entire day, but as you fast, spend your energy focusing on Jesus, confessing your sins, and asking God to guide you especially in the days to come as we begin to reopen and rebuild.

3. We Pray.

Throughout the book of Nehemiah, you see a consistent them of praying. Chuck Swindoll described Nehemiah as "A Leader -- From the Knees Up." Nehemiah heard the news in the season of Kislev which was between November-December (Nehemiah 1:1). When he approached the King and asked permission for him to leave and go to Jerusalem, it was the season of Nisan which was between March-April (Nehemiah 2:1). This tells us that Nehemiah spent 4 months praying to God before he took action. He spent 4 months asking God to guide him and help him before he began working.

Before we begin to reopen and rebuild, let's take the time to pray before our great God. As Nehemiah asked God for success (see Nehemiah 1:11), let's ask God for success by keeping the virus away and by allowing us to get back to work.

Nehemiah prayed a heartfelt prayer before God in Nehemiah 1:5-11. In this prayer, he includes prayers of adoration, intercession, confession, recollection, and supplication. 

I am calling our Church, Christ Covenant, to a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil of praying and fasting that incorporates these 5 elements of prayer beginning Thursday, April 30th through Friday, May 1st. If you are reading this and not a part of our church, you can join us during this time (just sign up for a 30 minute slot on our website). Here's a prayer guide to help you in your time of praying and fasting.

When crisis comes, be sure to take the time to grieve, fast, and pray. 

WATCH OR LISTEN TO FULL SERMON

 

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What do you do when life goes haywire? How do you respond when life is erratic and out of control?

Right now, we are living in a time when the world has gone haywire. 

  • People are getting sick from COVID-19, and people are dying.
  • The economy is up and down, and many people have lost jobs.
  • Our emotional health is in jeopardy as we deal with stress, worry, fear, or depression. We have seen a rise in suicides in our nation during this pandemic.
  • Our relational health has taken a toll as people are getting irritated with each other. Unfortunately, we are hearing of more domestic abuse.
  • Our physical health is hard to maintain because we aren't able to go to the gym, and our sleep routine is out of sorts. Our hair is getting long, and many of us desperately need it cut!

These are interesting times, and our world has gone haywire. 

The good news is that we are starting to hear of talks of reopening and restarting. We are about to enter a new season of rebuilding. As we begin to rebuild, what things do we need to do before we rebuild? What things do we do when life goes haywire?

The book of Nehemiah is about rebuilding. Nehemiah, a God-fearing Jew, was living in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire. He was serving as Cupbearer to the King, which was considered of high importance and one of the King's greatest advisors. While serving in Persia, he received a gut-wrenching report from his brother, Hanani, about his own people's condition in Jerusalem. Hanani said:

"The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire (Nehemiah 1:3)."

Although the people of God who were under Persian rule were allowed back from exile to their homeland in Jerusalem, they were in great trouble and shame, and their walls were in ruins. In other words, their world went haywire.

When Nehemiah heard this bad report, he didn't immediately get to work and try to solve the problem, but notice the three things he did after he heard the bad news:

"As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven (Nehemiah 1:4)."

There are three things we can learn from Nehemiah of what we need to do when life goes haywire.

1. We Grieve.

A soon as he heard the bad report, he sat down and wept and mourned for days. He took the time to grieve. When crisis comes and our world has been shaken, we must take the time to grieve. Dr. Kenneth Haugk says, "Grieving is normal, it is necessary, and it is natural." 

Our world has been turned upside down these past few months. It's been tragic to see all the negative things that have come from this pandemic. We must grieve and mourn over what has happened to us. If we don't take the time to properly process our grief, it will come back and bite us. 

The same is true whenever crisis comes in life. Whenever you lose a loved one, a job, receive a bad health report, or whenever you have to move, you must take the time to grieve. If you bottle up your feelings and never process them appropriately, it will later hurt you.

2. We Fast.

Nehemiah didn't just grieve, he continued fasting. Fasting is denying something you enjoy and giving it to Jesus for a time so you can enjoy being in His presence. Fasting is a way to express sorrow and to humble ourselves before Jesus. 

When we fast, we are saying to Jesus, "Jesus, You must become greater, and I must become less (John 3:30)." Our every loss is for the sake of gaining Christ. Fasting reveals our utter dependance on God as we cry out to Him.

During this season of crisis, I would encourage you to take time to fast. It may be one meal or an entire day, but as you fast, spend your energy focusing on Jesus, confessing your sins, and asking God to guide you especially in the days to come as we begin to reopen and rebuild.

3. We Pray.

Throughout the book of Nehemiah, you see a consistent them of praying. Chuck Swindoll described Nehemiah as "A Leader -- From the Knees Up." Nehemiah heard the news in the season of Kislev which was between November-December (Nehemiah 1:1). When he approached the King and asked permission for him to leave and go to Jerusalem, it was the season of Nisan which was between March-April (Nehemiah 2:1). This tells us that Nehemiah spent 4 months praying to God before he took action. He spent 4 months asking God to guide him and help him before he began working.

Before we begin to reopen and rebuild, let's take the time to pray before our great God. As Nehemiah asked God for success (see Nehemiah 1:11), let's ask God for success by keeping the virus away and by allowing us to get back to work.

Nehemiah prayed a heartfelt prayer before God in Nehemiah 1:5-11. In this prayer, he includes prayers of adoration, intercession, confession, recollection, and supplication. 

I am calling our Church, Christ Covenant, to a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil of praying and fasting that incorporates these 5 elements of prayer beginning Thursday, April 30th through Friday, May 1st. If you are reading this and not a part of our church, you can join us during this time (just sign up for a 30 minute slot on our website). Here's a prayer guide to help you in your time of praying and fasting.

When crisis comes, be sure to take the time to grieve, fast, and pray. 

WATCH OR LISTEN TO FULL SERMON

 

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Why Did Jesus Weep over Jerusalem? https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-did-jesus-weep-over-jerusalem https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-did-jesus-weep-over-jerusalem#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2020 10:37:11 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-did-jesus-weep-over-jerusalem Sermon "Weeping Over Jerusalem"

As we enter the week of Easter, we begin with the triumphal entry of Jesus. Jesus loved the city of Jerusalem, and every year He would go into the city as a visitor, participating in the annual Passover. The last time He entered Jerusalem, Jesus would not come in as a visitor but as a King to many.

As the people shouted out "Hosanna!" and waved their palm branches in the air, they were anticipating Jesus to be their military King who would lead them into war against the Roman government who was oppressing them, persecuting them, and imposing a heavy taxation on them.

After Jesus goes down the road of the Mt. of Olives, He then began to descend into the Valley of Kidron where He had a panoramic view of the entire city. As He looked down on the city, He burst into tears.

This cry wasn't a normal cry that we think about. The Greek word for weeping is klaio which means intense sobbing. It is the kind of weeping which suddenly seizes you that you lose control and cry out loud. Luke 19:37 tells us many people were there to see Him cry, and I'm sure they they were confused that in the midst of all the cheers would come tears from the King Himself.

Why did Jesus weep at the city He loved?

Luke 19:41-44 gives us two reasons. Let's look at the passage:

"And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

The text gives us two reasons why Jesus cried over the city.

1. The People Missed the Peace that Was Right in Front of Them.

Although the people thought Jesus was bringing peace through war, they didn't understand why He came to them. He came to bring eternal peace. He came to bring shalom. Shalom is the expression of God setting everything right. In a world of earthquakes, coronaviruses, cancer, and war, God's peace through Jesus Christ is the one place necessary for all these broken parts to ever be restored. Everything that is broken in our lives and in our world will be put back together and made whole again only in Jesus.

The Prince of Peace was standing right in front of them, and they missed it. They did not acknowledge Jesus as the King of all Kings, the God of all gods. Instead, they simply viewed Him as a human king who would lead them into victory.

Jesus said, "Now the peace is hidden from your eyes (Luke 19:42)."

2. The People Would Face a Future Judgment.

Jesus prophesied the city's future doom. In the next generation, Roman General Titus would come, and he constructed barricades and ramps in order to take the city. He brought troops to surround the city, and the troops waited til the Jews were famished from starvation. Then, they rushed in and slaughtered thousands of them. The Great Siege of 70 AD was the first holocaust ever recorded. Not one stone was left upon another, and the city was burned to the ground.

Jesus looked upon the city that He loved and wept because He knew the future judgment was coming. He told them a future judgment was coming because, "you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:44)." 

The word visitation in Greek is episcopas. Epi means super, scopas is an instrument that you use to look at things like a microscope, telescope, or a scope on a rifle. You put the two words together and get super-scope or supervisor. The word episcopas is where we get the word Episcopal or Bishop. A Bishop is one who is placed in charge to look after and care for his people.

The word episcopas comes from the Greek military community where from time to time, the General would drop in unannounced and review and inspect the troops to see if they were battle-ready. If the troops were battle-ready, they received the praise of the General. If they were not prepared, the General would bring a hard fist of judgment.

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because they weren't ready when the General came to town. They were not prepared and missed out on worshipping and following Him. God in flesh was standing right before their eyes, and they missed it!

Because they missed the General and weren't ready, a future judgment would come.

The triumphal entry foreshadows the final entry when Jesus will return, but when Jesus returns, this entry will be much different. When Jesus comes again, a new Jerusalem will come down to this earth, and Jesus will ride on a horse and not a donkey. Jesus will come and bring judgment to this world, and instead of bringing peace, He will bring war. This war will be against the rulers of darkness (Revelation 19:11-21:5). Jesus, the General, will come unnannounced.

Are you ready for the General to come? Are you missing the peace that is in front of you?

This Easter week, please spend time with the Prince of Peace and ask Him, "Lord, what would you have me do for you? Who would you have me be?"

]]>
Sermon "Weeping Over Jerusalem"

As we enter the week of Easter, we begin with the triumphal entry of Jesus. Jesus loved the city of Jerusalem, and every year He would go into the city as a visitor, participating in the annual Passover. The last time He entered Jerusalem, Jesus would not come in as a visitor but as a King to many.

As the people shouted out "Hosanna!" and waved their palm branches in the air, they were anticipating Jesus to be their military King who would lead them into war against the Roman government who was oppressing them, persecuting them, and imposing a heavy taxation on them.

After Jesus goes down the road of the Mt. of Olives, He then began to descend into the Valley of Kidron where He had a panoramic view of the entire city. As He looked down on the city, He burst into tears.

This cry wasn't a normal cry that we think about. The Greek word for weeping is klaio which means intense sobbing. It is the kind of weeping which suddenly seizes you that you lose control and cry out loud. Luke 19:37 tells us many people were there to see Him cry, and I'm sure they they were confused that in the midst of all the cheers would come tears from the King Himself.

Why did Jesus weep at the city He loved?

Luke 19:41-44 gives us two reasons. Let's look at the passage:

"And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

The text gives us two reasons why Jesus cried over the city.

1. The People Missed the Peace that Was Right in Front of Them.

Although the people thought Jesus was bringing peace through war, they didn't understand why He came to them. He came to bring eternal peace. He came to bring shalom. Shalom is the expression of God setting everything right. In a world of earthquakes, coronaviruses, cancer, and war, God's peace through Jesus Christ is the one place necessary for all these broken parts to ever be restored. Everything that is broken in our lives and in our world will be put back together and made whole again only in Jesus.

The Prince of Peace was standing right in front of them, and they missed it. They did not acknowledge Jesus as the King of all Kings, the God of all gods. Instead, they simply viewed Him as a human king who would lead them into victory.

Jesus said, "Now the peace is hidden from your eyes (Luke 19:42)."

2. The People Would Face a Future Judgment.

Jesus prophesied the city's future doom. In the next generation, Roman General Titus would come, and he constructed barricades and ramps in order to take the city. He brought troops to surround the city, and the troops waited til the Jews were famished from starvation. Then, they rushed in and slaughtered thousands of them. The Great Siege of 70 AD was the first holocaust ever recorded. Not one stone was left upon another, and the city was burned to the ground.

Jesus looked upon the city that He loved and wept because He knew the future judgment was coming. He told them a future judgment was coming because, "you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:44)." 

The word visitation in Greek is episcopas. Epi means super, scopas is an instrument that you use to look at things like a microscope, telescope, or a scope on a rifle. You put the two words together and get super-scope or supervisor. The word episcopas is where we get the word Episcopal or Bishop. A Bishop is one who is placed in charge to look after and care for his people.

The word episcopas comes from the Greek military community where from time to time, the General would drop in unannounced and review and inspect the troops to see if they were battle-ready. If the troops were battle-ready, they received the praise of the General. If they were not prepared, the General would bring a hard fist of judgment.

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because they weren't ready when the General came to town. They were not prepared and missed out on worshipping and following Him. God in flesh was standing right before their eyes, and they missed it!

Because they missed the General and weren't ready, a future judgment would come.

The triumphal entry foreshadows the final entry when Jesus will return, but when Jesus returns, this entry will be much different. When Jesus comes again, a new Jerusalem will come down to this earth, and Jesus will ride on a horse and not a donkey. Jesus will come and bring judgment to this world, and instead of bringing peace, He will bring war. This war will be against the rulers of darkness (Revelation 19:11-21:5). Jesus, the General, will come unnannounced.

Are you ready for the General to come? Are you missing the peace that is in front of you?

This Easter week, please spend time with the Prince of Peace and ask Him, "Lord, what would you have me do for you? Who would you have me be?"

]]>
Waiting While in Crisis https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/waiting-while-in-crisis https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/waiting-while-in-crisis#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2020 21:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/waiting-while-in-crisis Sermon "Waiting While in Crisis"

Our world is in a unique time as we fight this coronavirus. Do you know what has been the most difficult thing for me during this crisis? Waiting.

We can endure almost anything if we knew when it would end. The problem with this pandemic is we don't know when it will end. It's the not knowing that can wear us down.

Tom Petty wrote a song called, "Waiting is the Hardest Part," and he is right. Waiting is the hardest part. We as Americans have been conditioned to have it our way and to have it right away. We like having control over our lives, and right now, we have lost control to something that is outside of our control. We would rather do anything than wait.

The Bible is filled with people who had to wait.

  • Abraham waited years for God to provide him a son.
  • Joseph waited years for God to release him from prison.
  • David waited years for him to become King.
  • Job waited years for God to deliver him from his suffering.

One of the most interesting examples in the Bible on waiting is Noah.

After God told Noah to build an Ark, we know that it took Noah about 120 years to build it (Genesis 6:3). Then after Noah built the Ark, God told him to bring his family and animals into it for the next 7 days, and then God would bring the rain (Genesis 7:1-4). Once Noah and his family and animals entered the Ark, look at how many days they had to be cramped in the Ark...

  • For 40 days and nights it rained (Genesis 7:12).
  • The waters flooded the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:24).
  • When the waters began to recede, the Ark landed on top of the mountains of Ararat. 74 days later the tops of the mountains became visible (Genesis 8:3-4).
  • 40 days after this, Noah sends out a raven to see if there was dry ground (Genesis 8:6-7).
  • When the raven didn't return, Noah sent out a dove. The first time, the dove returned with nothing (Genesis 8:8-9).
  • Noah waited another 7 days to send out the dove again. This time the dove came back with a freshly plucked leaf (Genesis 8:10-11).
  • Noah waited another 7 days, and sent the dove out a third time, and the dove did not return (Genesis 8:12).
  • The fact the dove did not return must have given Noah some hope that there was an end in sight, but Genesis tells us Noah and his family had to wait another 85 days before God told them it was time (Genesis 8:13-17)!

When you add up the days that Noah and his family were in the Ark, it was around 370 days! 370 days in an Ark with no netflix, no cell phones, no buffet lines, no board games, or no music. Nothing but smelly animals and smelly people! Could you imagine?

Perhaps the hardest thing for Noah was that God appeared to be silent during the 370 days.

It's easy for us as we go through crisis to believe God has forgotten us. But, I'm here to tell you that God has not forgotten you! He is with you!

God did not forget Noah. Genesis 8:1 says:

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark.

God remembered Noah. This does not mean He forgot about Noah. The word remembered means that God takes actions on His promises. He remembered the promise He made with Noah (Genesis 6:18), and He sent a wind over the earth for the waters to recede (Genesis 8:1).

We are all asking the question right now, "When will this coronavirus end?" The answer is, it will end in God's time. Nothing can rush, change, or hinder God's plans.

But, because God acts on His promises towards His people, I'm excited to tell us that the dry ground will appear once again!

This pandemic will go away in time, but as we wait patiently, how should we respond?

Let's respond as Noah responded. Let's remember God during this crisis.

Noah remembered God while he waited on Him.

Noah was a righteous and blameless man (Genesis 6:8-9) who did what God commanded him to do (Genesis 6:22). Noah remained faithful, and he led his family during the crisis. He not only built the Ark, he also entered the Ark. It took faith to enter the Ark.

Just as it took faith to enter the Ark, so it takes faith for us to believe in Jesus. Noah led his family through the door of the Ark to save them from destruction. In the same way, fathers, we must lead our familes through the door of Jesus, and we will be saved from eternal destruction.

Jesus tells us in John 10:9:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

What better time for us as men to lead our families? This is a great time for us to step up and teach our children what it means to be strong during adversity.

Once the dry ground appeared, and God opened the door of the Ark, what was the first thing Noah and his family did? They worshipped God.

Genesis 8:20 tells us:

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 

Put yourself in Noah's shoes. What would be the first thing you would have done once you got off the Ark? I probably would have began looking around the mountain to find the best place for shelter and begin starting life. Not Noah. The first thing Noah did was he worshipped God for saving he and his family.

When this pandemic ends, I hope the first thing we all do is worship the Lord. I hope that the churches will be full and God will bring revival to this land.

Will you pray with me to this end?

 

 

]]>
Sermon "Waiting While in Crisis"

Our world is in a unique time as we fight this coronavirus. Do you know what has been the most difficult thing for me during this crisis? Waiting.

We can endure almost anything if we knew when it would end. The problem with this pandemic is we don't know when it will end. It's the not knowing that can wear us down.

Tom Petty wrote a song called, "Waiting is the Hardest Part," and he is right. Waiting is the hardest part. We as Americans have been conditioned to have it our way and to have it right away. We like having control over our lives, and right now, we have lost control to something that is outside of our control. We would rather do anything than wait.

The Bible is filled with people who had to wait.

  • Abraham waited years for God to provide him a son.
  • Joseph waited years for God to release him from prison.
  • David waited years for him to become King.
  • Job waited years for God to deliver him from his suffering.

One of the most interesting examples in the Bible on waiting is Noah.

After God told Noah to build an Ark, we know that it took Noah about 120 years to build it (Genesis 6:3). Then after Noah built the Ark, God told him to bring his family and animals into it for the next 7 days, and then God would bring the rain (Genesis 7:1-4). Once Noah and his family and animals entered the Ark, look at how many days they had to be cramped in the Ark...

  • For 40 days and nights it rained (Genesis 7:12).
  • The waters flooded the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:24).
  • When the waters began to recede, the Ark landed on top of the mountains of Ararat. 74 days later the tops of the mountains became visible (Genesis 8:3-4).
  • 40 days after this, Noah sends out a raven to see if there was dry ground (Genesis 8:6-7).
  • When the raven didn't return, Noah sent out a dove. The first time, the dove returned with nothing (Genesis 8:8-9).
  • Noah waited another 7 days to send out the dove again. This time the dove came back with a freshly plucked leaf (Genesis 8:10-11).
  • Noah waited another 7 days, and sent the dove out a third time, and the dove did not return (Genesis 8:12).
  • The fact the dove did not return must have given Noah some hope that there was an end in sight, but Genesis tells us Noah and his family had to wait another 85 days before God told them it was time (Genesis 8:13-17)!

When you add up the days that Noah and his family were in the Ark, it was around 370 days! 370 days in an Ark with no netflix, no cell phones, no buffet lines, no board games, or no music. Nothing but smelly animals and smelly people! Could you imagine?

Perhaps the hardest thing for Noah was that God appeared to be silent during the 370 days.

It's easy for us as we go through crisis to believe God has forgotten us. But, I'm here to tell you that God has not forgotten you! He is with you!

God did not forget Noah. Genesis 8:1 says:

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark.

God remembered Noah. This does not mean He forgot about Noah. The word remembered means that God takes actions on His promises. He remembered the promise He made with Noah (Genesis 6:18), and He sent a wind over the earth for the waters to recede (Genesis 8:1).

We are all asking the question right now, "When will this coronavirus end?" The answer is, it will end in God's time. Nothing can rush, change, or hinder God's plans.

But, because God acts on His promises towards His people, I'm excited to tell us that the dry ground will appear once again!

This pandemic will go away in time, but as we wait patiently, how should we respond?

Let's respond as Noah responded. Let's remember God during this crisis.

Noah remembered God while he waited on Him.

Noah was a righteous and blameless man (Genesis 6:8-9) who did what God commanded him to do (Genesis 6:22). Noah remained faithful, and he led his family during the crisis. He not only built the Ark, he also entered the Ark. It took faith to enter the Ark.

Just as it took faith to enter the Ark, so it takes faith for us to believe in Jesus. Noah led his family through the door of the Ark to save them from destruction. In the same way, fathers, we must lead our familes through the door of Jesus, and we will be saved from eternal destruction.

Jesus tells us in John 10:9:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

What better time for us as men to lead our families? This is a great time for us to step up and teach our children what it means to be strong during adversity.

Once the dry ground appeared, and God opened the door of the Ark, what was the first thing Noah and his family did? They worshipped God.

Genesis 8:20 tells us:

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 

Put yourself in Noah's shoes. What would be the first thing you would have done once you got off the Ark? I probably would have began looking around the mountain to find the best place for shelter and begin starting life. Not Noah. The first thing Noah did was he worshipped God for saving he and his family.

When this pandemic ends, I hope the first thing we all do is worship the Lord. I hope that the churches will be full and God will bring revival to this land.

Will you pray with me to this end?

 

 

]]>
Why Our Bible Today is Trustworthy: A Response to The Recent Newsweek Article https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-our-bible-today-is-trustworthy:-a-response-to-the-recent-newsweek-article https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-our-bible-today-is-trustworthy:-a-response-to-the-recent-newsweek-article#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2020 22:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/why-our-bible-today-is-trustworthy:-a-response-to-the-recent-newsweek-article Click Here for Sound Bite

I’m writing in response to the recent Newsweek article by Kurt Eichenwald titled, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” Eichenwald writes:

“No television preacher has ever read the Bible. Neither has any evangelical politician. Neither has the pope. Neither have I. And neither have you. At best, we’ve all read a bad translation—a translation of translations of translations of hand-copied copies of copies of copies of copies, and on and on, hundreds of times.”

Is Eichenwald correct in saying that none of us have actually read the Bible but simply bad translations?

Of course not.

There are poor translations out there, but there are trustworthy translations such as the ESV, NASB, NKJV, and 1984 NIV version.

What makes these translations trustworthy is the art of textual criticism.

Textual Criticism is a very exact science that compares various manuscript readings to determine the original as accurately as possible. Although we do not have any originals of the Bible, we have access to the original text through textual criticism.

The Church historically has affirmed that the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and that the original writers of the Bible were directed by the Holy Spirit to produce nothing less than God’s Word.

RC Sproul notes that we restrict inspiration to only the originals, and the Church has not taken the position that each and every copyists received the same guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Although the originals are only considered the true inspired Word of God, we can confidently say that due to textual criticism, we have good translations of the Bible.

Sproul goes on to say that there are thousands of copies of the New Testament, and some are considered more accurate than others.

“The copies don’t always agree at every detail. (The important thing to consider is regarding) the main substance of Scripture, more than 99% is in agreement in all the families of the copies. It is in less than 1% of the texts in the Bible that variant readings are found. No major doctrine of the Christian church is affected by those variant readings (Commentary on John – pp. 148-149).”

My Colleague Joel McCall says:

“It stands to reason that if the original text of a document is lost,the more copies of that document one can obtain, the better chance he has of eliminating copyist errors in his job to reconstruct the original text. It also stands to reason that the shorter the time gap between the original lost text and the earliest copy, the less chance of error there would be.”

Look at this chart and compare the # of copies and time span to other accepted books of history:

 Title  When Written Earliest Copy   Time Span  # of Copies
 New Testament  40-100 AD  125 AD  25 years  5,300 
 Illiad (Homer)  900 BC  400 BC  500 years 643 
 Annals (Tacitus)  100 AD  1100 AD  1000 years  20
 History (Pliny)  61-113 AD  850 AD  750 years  7
 Poetics (Aristotle)  384-322 BC  1100 AD  1400 years  49
Tetralogies (Plato)   427-347 BC  900 AD  1200 years  7

When it comes to the Old Testament, It was completed in 400 BC. The oldest complete text was found around 900 AD, making a time gap of 1,300 years. However, in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave 8 miles south of Jericho. These Scrolls contained 40,000 inscribed fragments that made up 500 books. One of the scrolls was a complete manuscript of the book of Isaiah, dating back to 125 BC. The Jews have accepted the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as their Bible for centuries.

Over the years, professional scribes translated the Old and New Testament. Eichenwald criticizes some of the scribes, calling them amateurs. One thing he needs to know is that the Talmudists (100-150 AD) and the Massoretics (500-900 AD) were extremely meticulous when making copies of the Old Testament. For example, they counted the number of times each letter of the alphabet occurs in each book. There were others, like Ezra in Old Testament times, who were professionals (See Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Now there are translations that are merely paraphrases (The Message). I would stay away from using paraphrases in your devotions. These are not God’s Word.

We must remember that God intended to circulate the Bible throughout the world, and the task of the Church was to make copies of the originals so they could be spread throughout the world and be translated into different languages.

There are good and accurate translations of God’s Word that are trustworthy and true. Don’t buy into the lie that there aren't.

The Bible

]]>
Click Here for Sound Bite

I’m writing in response to the recent Newsweek article by Kurt Eichenwald titled, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” Eichenwald writes:

“No television preacher has ever read the Bible. Neither has any evangelical politician. Neither has the pope. Neither have I. And neither have you. At best, we’ve all read a bad translation—a translation of translations of translations of hand-copied copies of copies of copies of copies, and on and on, hundreds of times.”

Is Eichenwald correct in saying that none of us have actually read the Bible but simply bad translations?

Of course not.

There are poor translations out there, but there are trustworthy translations such as the ESV, NASB, NKJV, and 1984 NIV version.

What makes these translations trustworthy is the art of textual criticism.

Textual Criticism is a very exact science that compares various manuscript readings to determine the original as accurately as possible. Although we do not have any originals of the Bible, we have access to the original text through textual criticism.

The Church historically has affirmed that the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and that the original writers of the Bible were directed by the Holy Spirit to produce nothing less than God’s Word.

RC Sproul notes that we restrict inspiration to only the originals, and the Church has not taken the position that each and every copyists received the same guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Although the originals are only considered the true inspired Word of God, we can confidently say that due to textual criticism, we have good translations of the Bible.

Sproul goes on to say that there are thousands of copies of the New Testament, and some are considered more accurate than others.

“The copies don’t always agree at every detail. (The important thing to consider is regarding) the main substance of Scripture, more than 99% is in agreement in all the families of the copies. It is in less than 1% of the texts in the Bible that variant readings are found. No major doctrine of the Christian church is affected by those variant readings (Commentary on John – pp. 148-149).”

My Colleague Joel McCall says:

“It stands to reason that if the original text of a document is lost,the more copies of that document one can obtain, the better chance he has of eliminating copyist errors in his job to reconstruct the original text. It also stands to reason that the shorter the time gap between the original lost text and the earliest copy, the less chance of error there would be.”

Look at this chart and compare the # of copies and time span to other accepted books of history:

 Title  When Written Earliest Copy   Time Span  # of Copies
 New Testament  40-100 AD  125 AD  25 years  5,300 
 Illiad (Homer)  900 BC  400 BC  500 years 643 
 Annals (Tacitus)  100 AD  1100 AD  1000 years  20
 History (Pliny)  61-113 AD  850 AD  750 years  7
 Poetics (Aristotle)  384-322 BC  1100 AD  1400 years  49
Tetralogies (Plato)   427-347 BC  900 AD  1200 years  7

When it comes to the Old Testament, It was completed in 400 BC. The oldest complete text was found around 900 AD, making a time gap of 1,300 years. However, in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave 8 miles south of Jericho. These Scrolls contained 40,000 inscribed fragments that made up 500 books. One of the scrolls was a complete manuscript of the book of Isaiah, dating back to 125 BC. The Jews have accepted the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as their Bible for centuries.

Over the years, professional scribes translated the Old and New Testament. Eichenwald criticizes some of the scribes, calling them amateurs. One thing he needs to know is that the Talmudists (100-150 AD) and the Massoretics (500-900 AD) were extremely meticulous when making copies of the Old Testament. For example, they counted the number of times each letter of the alphabet occurs in each book. There were others, like Ezra in Old Testament times, who were professionals (See Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Now there are translations that are merely paraphrases (The Message). I would stay away from using paraphrases in your devotions. These are not God’s Word.

We must remember that God intended to circulate the Bible throughout the world, and the task of the Church was to make copies of the originals so they could be spread throughout the world and be translated into different languages.

There are good and accurate translations of God’s Word that are trustworthy and true. Don’t buy into the lie that there aren't.

The Bible

]]>
Live by Faith, Not by Fear https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/live-by-faith-not-by-fear https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/live-by-faith-not-by-fear#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2020 17:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/live-by-faith-not-by-fear In light of the coronavirus that has shaken the world, will you be driven by fear or by faith?

As we continue to deal with this epidemic, here are 5 ways to keep your faith.

1. Fear Not

Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength (NIV)." 

With this growing epidemic on our hands, it would be easy for each one of us to be in panic mode and allow our worry to control us. God is calling us as Christians to remain calm, steady, confident, and hopeful in these times of trouble. He wants us to stay strong in our faith and not to be afraid.

Jesus tells us not to worry for worrying accomplishes nothing (Matthew 6:34). Todd Wagner recently wrote:

"Worry is not our friend, and panic is not our way. While we remain on alert against viruses, worry won't change our circumstances or lower our chance of infection....Worry about COVID-19 (or anything else) will only increase trouble ("Should Christians Be Anxious about the Coronavirus?")."

Worry does nothing but weigh us down (Proverbs 12:26). 

2. Acknowledge Christ's Power

God is on the throne. He is sovereign over all of this, and our lives are in His hands. Our days are numbered (Psalm 90:12). 

Jesus is stronger and more powerful than this virus. He is the one who can wipe this virus clean.

The coronavirus reminds us that we live in a fallen and broken world. This world we live in is infected with a disease called sin. Every single one of us is filled with sin and infected with it. Jesus left His perfect home in Heaven that was without disease, and He entered this defiled world and took on our disease. He placed our disease and sin on the cross and has forgiven our sins. He offers us to have a home in Heaven for eternity if we believe in Him. He has also given us His Spirit to be in us. His Spirit is powerful.

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us. Because Christians are united with Christ, we have the strength we need to stay faithful. 

3. Invest in Others

When crisis happens, the Church has the opportunity to shine brightly. There have been many stories in history of Christians who have helped people who were left behind when they were infected with disease.

  • The plague of Rome in 249-262 AD revealed many Christians who served the sick and even caught sickness and died. Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria wrote of these Christians:

"Most of our brother-Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of the danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ... ("What the Early Church Can Teach Us About the Coronavirus")."

  • When a great plague hit the city of Zurich, 1/3 of the population was affected and many died. Instead of fleeing the scene, Ulrich Zwingli stayed behind and cared for the people of his city. Although he got ill himself, he later recovered saying that God had more work for him. 
  • Charles Spurgeon stayed and helped the people in England when thousands were  dying of cholera.

We don't know how bad this epidemic can get, but I would love to challenge Christians to spend most of our time thinking, "How can I help others?" instead of merely thinking "How can I protect myself?"

One idea that Christ Covenant is working on is putting together a Care Response Team that will help our Elderly and others who are at greater risk. This team will be composed of younger people who will reach out to those at greater risk and ask how they can help in this time of need. There will be many needs in the days to come, and this is an opportunity for Christians to shine! Let's shine the light of Jesus to this hurting and broken world.

4. Take Care of Yourself

Although I am suggesting we as Christians need to care for those who are sick, I am not suggesting that we run and burst into the hospital rooms or homes of people who are infected with this virus. We can't do this, and we need to use caution and common sense. 

For us to be able to take care of others, we need to take care of ourselves. I would encourage us to use good judgment and diligently wash our hands, go to the doctor if you're feeling ill, and stay home if you aren't feeling well.

It has been suggested that we watch our physical contact such as hugging and kissing. I had to break the news to my wife that we need to not kiss as much as we do. She was disappointed in this! :)

In all seriousness, God has given us bodies to take care of, and we need to do our part in staying as healthy as we can (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) so we can serve others effectively and glorify God. 

5. Hope for Revival

Christ Covenant has been praying that God would bring revival to His people in America and in our community for over 7 years. A revival from God means that He wakes His people up, He stirs in our hearts a deep affection for Him, and He rallies His people to work together to make a significant impact in their society.

No person can orchestrate a revival. No person can schedule or manufacture a revival. Only God can bring it. God will choose to bring revival in His time and in His way. Perhaps God will use this crisis to bring about a revival. Perhaps He will use this epidemic to reignite and reinvigorate His people. I truly believe that when the people of God grow a burning passion for Him, then we will see a Great Awakening happen where more and more people become Christians. This is my prayer.

Will you join me in prayer that God will bring revival to our land?

It is my hope and prayer that a year from now, each one of us will not be asking, "Do you remember what that coronavirus did?" but instead be asking, "Do you remember what God did when that virus came?"

In the days ahead, Christian, don't falter in the days of adversity, but remain faithful and stay strong. Keep in mind these 5 things that will help us live by faith and not be fear:

Fear Not
Acknowledge Christ's Power
Invest in Others
Take Care of Yourself
Hope for Revival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
In light of the coronavirus that has shaken the world, will you be driven by fear or by faith?

As we continue to deal with this epidemic, here are 5 ways to keep your faith.

1. Fear Not

Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength (NIV)." 

With this growing epidemic on our hands, it would be easy for each one of us to be in panic mode and allow our worry to control us. God is calling us as Christians to remain calm, steady, confident, and hopeful in these times of trouble. He wants us to stay strong in our faith and not to be afraid.

Jesus tells us not to worry for worrying accomplishes nothing (Matthew 6:34). Todd Wagner recently wrote:

"Worry is not our friend, and panic is not our way. While we remain on alert against viruses, worry won't change our circumstances or lower our chance of infection....Worry about COVID-19 (or anything else) will only increase trouble ("Should Christians Be Anxious about the Coronavirus?")."

Worry does nothing but weigh us down (Proverbs 12:26). 

2. Acknowledge Christ's Power

God is on the throne. He is sovereign over all of this, and our lives are in His hands. Our days are numbered (Psalm 90:12). 

Jesus is stronger and more powerful than this virus. He is the one who can wipe this virus clean.

The coronavirus reminds us that we live in a fallen and broken world. This world we live in is infected with a disease called sin. Every single one of us is filled with sin and infected with it. Jesus left His perfect home in Heaven that was without disease, and He entered this defiled world and took on our disease. He placed our disease and sin on the cross and has forgiven our sins. He offers us to have a home in Heaven for eternity if we believe in Him. He has also given us His Spirit to be in us. His Spirit is powerful.

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us. Because Christians are united with Christ, we have the strength we need to stay faithful. 

3. Invest in Others

When crisis happens, the Church has the opportunity to shine brightly. There have been many stories in history of Christians who have helped people who were left behind when they were infected with disease.

  • The plague of Rome in 249-262 AD revealed many Christians who served the sick and even caught sickness and died. Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria wrote of these Christians:

"Most of our brother-Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of the danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ... ("What the Early Church Can Teach Us About the Coronavirus")."

  • When a great plague hit the city of Zurich, 1/3 of the population was affected and many died. Instead of fleeing the scene, Ulrich Zwingli stayed behind and cared for the people of his city. Although he got ill himself, he later recovered saying that God had more work for him. 
  • Charles Spurgeon stayed and helped the people in England when thousands were  dying of cholera.

We don't know how bad this epidemic can get, but I would love to challenge Christians to spend most of our time thinking, "How can I help others?" instead of merely thinking "How can I protect myself?"

One idea that Christ Covenant is working on is putting together a Care Response Team that will help our Elderly and others who are at greater risk. This team will be composed of younger people who will reach out to those at greater risk and ask how they can help in this time of need. There will be many needs in the days to come, and this is an opportunity for Christians to shine! Let's shine the light of Jesus to this hurting and broken world.

4. Take Care of Yourself

Although I am suggesting we as Christians need to care for those who are sick, I am not suggesting that we run and burst into the hospital rooms or homes of people who are infected with this virus. We can't do this, and we need to use caution and common sense. 

For us to be able to take care of others, we need to take care of ourselves. I would encourage us to use good judgment and diligently wash our hands, go to the doctor if you're feeling ill, and stay home if you aren't feeling well.

It has been suggested that we watch our physical contact such as hugging and kissing. I had to break the news to my wife that we need to not kiss as much as we do. She was disappointed in this! :)

In all seriousness, God has given us bodies to take care of, and we need to do our part in staying as healthy as we can (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) so we can serve others effectively and glorify God. 

5. Hope for Revival

Christ Covenant has been praying that God would bring revival to His people in America and in our community for over 7 years. A revival from God means that He wakes His people up, He stirs in our hearts a deep affection for Him, and He rallies His people to work together to make a significant impact in their society.

No person can orchestrate a revival. No person can schedule or manufacture a revival. Only God can bring it. God will choose to bring revival in His time and in His way. Perhaps God will use this crisis to bring about a revival. Perhaps He will use this epidemic to reignite and reinvigorate His people. I truly believe that when the people of God grow a burning passion for Him, then we will see a Great Awakening happen where more and more people become Christians. This is my prayer.

Will you join me in prayer that God will bring revival to our land?

It is my hope and prayer that a year from now, each one of us will not be asking, "Do you remember what that coronavirus did?" but instead be asking, "Do you remember what God did when that virus came?"

In the days ahead, Christian, don't falter in the days of adversity, but remain faithful and stay strong. Keep in mind these 5 things that will help us live by faith and not be fear:

Fear Not
Acknowledge Christ's Power
Invest in Others
Take Care of Yourself
Hope for Revival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
4 Things to Run the Race of Faith https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-things-to-run-the-race-of-faith https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-things-to-run-the-race-of-faith#comments Mon, 21 Oct 2019 10:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/4-things-to-run-the-race-of-faith The Apostle Paul loved Jesus, and he made it his goal in life to know Jesus more and to experience great fellowship with Him (see Philippians 3:7-11).

He said it this way:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:13-14).

Paul set his eyes on the prize, Jesus. He wanted to press on in his faith, and he encouraged his friends, the Philippians, to do the same. To press on means to run, to follow after, to push and push.

As we look at our lives, how do we press on in our faith? How do we run the race that God has marked out for us? We run the race by doing 4 things.

1. Recognize our Imperfections

None of us will be perfect. None of us will have “arrived.” When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he had been a Christian for 30 years, but Paul knew there was still so much for him to learn about Jesus. There was also much more to learn about himself. The more Paul learned about himself, the more he realized his sin (1 Timothy 1:15). As Paul realized his sin, he saw even more how Jesus loved him and forgave him of his sins.

As Christians, we must daily repent of our sins and cling to Jesus. We must always have the humble mindset that we have not arrived, and we are far from being perfect.

Paul said it this way: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own (Philippians 3:12)."

2. Actively Forget our Past

Paul says to “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).” To forget means to neglect, overlook, to care nothing about.

When it comes to our past, there are two dangers: we either beat ourselves up or we build ourselves up. We beat ourselves up when we relive every wrong thing we have done. Some of us have never forgiven ourselves for what we have done, and we allow our past mistakes to define us. I have great news: your past doesn’t have to determine your future.

Yes, there are consequences for past sins, but Jesus forgives us. To actively forget the past means that we repent of our sins, turn to Jesus, and move forward in faith. Please don’t allow your past to define who you are today.

The other danger in looking at our past is that we build ourselves up. We may think, “The older I am the better I was.” Some of us have a hard time not living in “the glory days”. Some of us have allowed our past successes to give us reason to coast the rest of our lives. We must remember that our past performance doesn’t guarantee our future success.

3. Concentrate on Jesus

Did you notice that Paul said, “But one thing I do.” Paul’s 1 thing was Jesus. Jesus was the main thing on Paul’s mind and on his heart. Paul made a continuous effort to pursue Jesus.

We often forget that Jesus is God. God is infinite, and because He is infinite there is always more of Him to be had. Imagine yourself going to a beautiful beach with a clear ocean. You put your feet in the water and look down and see beauty. As you look back up, you are enamored with the vast ocean the stretches on for miles and miles and realize, “I’m simply scratching the surface of exploring this beautiful ocean.” This is what it was like for Paul when it came to knowing Jesus. He felt that he was simply scratching the surface.

To press on in our faith, we must concentrate on Jesus and not get caught up in the ways of this world.

4. Encircle Like-Minded Christians

In Philippians 3:17, Paul says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

When Paul tells them to “imitate me,” he is not bragging. He is telling them, “Imitate me as I follow Jesus. The moment I stop following Jesus will be the moment you stop imitating me. The same goes for your friends. Surround yourself with like-minded believers who are actively following Jesus so that you can imitate them.”

It’s important for us to be around people who love Jesus and want what is best for us. To press on in our faith, we must be surrounded by people who love Jesus. When we are not around other authentic Christians, it makes our journey much more difficult.

So, how do we press on in our faith? We do 4 things:

Recognize our Imperfections

Actively Forget our Past

Concentrate on Jesus

Encircle Like-Minded Christians

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Listen to the sermon "Press On"

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
The Apostle Paul loved Jesus, and he made it his goal in life to know Jesus more and to experience great fellowship with Him (see Philippians 3:7-11).

He said it this way:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:13-14).

Paul set his eyes on the prize, Jesus. He wanted to press on in his faith, and he encouraged his friends, the Philippians, to do the same. To press on means to run, to follow after, to push and push.

As we look at our lives, how do we press on in our faith? How do we run the race that God has marked out for us? We run the race by doing 4 things.

1. Recognize our Imperfections

None of us will be perfect. None of us will have “arrived.” When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he had been a Christian for 30 years, but Paul knew there was still so much for him to learn about Jesus. There was also much more to learn about himself. The more Paul learned about himself, the more he realized his sin (1 Timothy 1:15). As Paul realized his sin, he saw even more how Jesus loved him and forgave him of his sins.

As Christians, we must daily repent of our sins and cling to Jesus. We must always have the humble mindset that we have not arrived, and we are far from being perfect.

Paul said it this way: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own (Philippians 3:12)."

2. Actively Forget our Past

Paul says to “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).” To forget means to neglect, overlook, to care nothing about.

When it comes to our past, there are two dangers: we either beat ourselves up or we build ourselves up. We beat ourselves up when we relive every wrong thing we have done. Some of us have never forgiven ourselves for what we have done, and we allow our past mistakes to define us. I have great news: your past doesn’t have to determine your future.

Yes, there are consequences for past sins, but Jesus forgives us. To actively forget the past means that we repent of our sins, turn to Jesus, and move forward in faith. Please don’t allow your past to define who you are today.

The other danger in looking at our past is that we build ourselves up. We may think, “The older I am the better I was.” Some of us have a hard time not living in “the glory days”. Some of us have allowed our past successes to give us reason to coast the rest of our lives. We must remember that our past performance doesn’t guarantee our future success.

3. Concentrate on Jesus

Did you notice that Paul said, “But one thing I do.” Paul’s 1 thing was Jesus. Jesus was the main thing on Paul’s mind and on his heart. Paul made a continuous effort to pursue Jesus.

We often forget that Jesus is God. God is infinite, and because He is infinite there is always more of Him to be had. Imagine yourself going to a beautiful beach with a clear ocean. You put your feet in the water and look down and see beauty. As you look back up, you are enamored with the vast ocean the stretches on for miles and miles and realize, “I’m simply scratching the surface of exploring this beautiful ocean.” This is what it was like for Paul when it came to knowing Jesus. He felt that he was simply scratching the surface.

To press on in our faith, we must concentrate on Jesus and not get caught up in the ways of this world.

4. Encircle Like-Minded Christians

In Philippians 3:17, Paul says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

When Paul tells them to “imitate me,” he is not bragging. He is telling them, “Imitate me as I follow Jesus. The moment I stop following Jesus will be the moment you stop imitating me. The same goes for your friends. Surround yourself with like-minded believers who are actively following Jesus so that you can imitate them.”

It’s important for us to be around people who love Jesus and want what is best for us. To press on in our faith, we must be surrounded by people who love Jesus. When we are not around other authentic Christians, it makes our journey much more difficult.

So, how do we press on in our faith? We do 4 things:

Recognize our Imperfections

Actively Forget our Past

Concentrate on Jesus

Encircle Like-Minded Christians

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Listen to the sermon "Press On"

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
A Win-Win Situation https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/a-win-win-situation https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/a-win-win-situation#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2019 10:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/a-win-win-situation There are a lot of people in this world who don’t want to live. There are a lot of people in this world who don’t want to die.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a rise in people who don’t want to live. Many people today don’t see their life as worth living. The National Center for Health has revealed that over 47,000 people in 2017 committed suicide in the US. Suicide ranks as the 10th leading cause of death, and it ranks as the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-34-year olds.  Depression, anxiety, and stress are real things, and people need the proper support system to help them through it.

This month is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month-long mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members have united to promote suicide prevention awareness. For people who are really struggling, I’m encouraged by all the groups and organizations that are trying to address the problem. I also am encouraged that God is raising up more Christian counselors and mental health professionals who are Biblically-rooted and clinically-effective to help encourage those in need.

From a Pastor’s standpoint, as I look at this, I want to remind us all that God has designed each person with dignity. God values each one of us, and we are all made in His image. Because every person is made in His image, we each have something of great value, worth, and dignity (See Genesis 1:26-27).

Because of the effects of the fall and sin, this world is full of brokenness. We all are born in sin, and we need hope (see Romans 5:12). That hope is found in Jesus.

If you trust that Jesus is God and follow Him, you will automatically have a greater purpose to live for, and that is to bring Him glory and to serve other people. People today, now more than ever need to hear the message of the gospel: that Jesus came to save sinners like you and me. Jesus came to give us abundant life with a greater purpose that is beyond ourselves (see John 10:10).

In Jesus Christ, we have a life that is worth living.

Just like there are many people in this world who don’t want to live, there are also many people in this world who don’t want to die.

Francis Bacon once said, “Men fear death, as children fear the dark.”

Death can be a scary reality. People are afraid with how they are going to die, they are afraid of what happens when they die, and they are afraid that the next life won’t be as good as this life.

Well, I am here to tell you that if you trust in Jesus and live for Him, the next life is something to get excited about. Not only will we be with Jesus, we will also be in a world that has unlimited time and unlimited love. Heaven is a world that is perfect and beautiful. It’s a place that will far exceed our expectations.

Christians don’t need to be afraid of death because it will be a glorious homecoming!

When the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippian church, he was in jail for 2 years. He was chained up to a Jailor that was 18 inches away for 24/7. He did not know the outcome of his life, whether he would come out of jail alive or dead; however, the uncertainty didn’t bother him. Paul knew no matter what situation he was in, he was in a win-win situation. He says, “For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).”

If Paul continued living, that would be a win because he would continue living for Jesus and would serve others. He described it this way: “…with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20).”

Paul’s main aim and purpose in life was to honor Jesus. The word honor in Greek (megalyno) means “to make big; to magnify; to enlarge.” When Jesus changed Paul’s life, Paul became a new man, and he began living for Someone that was greater than himsel (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). He wanted others to know Jesus. If Paul was released from jail, he would continue living a fruitful life. He said it this way: “If I am to lie in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me (Philippians 1:22).” Fruitful labor for Paul was to bring honor to Jesus and also to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus (see Philippians 1:24).

If Paul died, he knew that was a win because for Paul Jesus was the ultimate reward. The moment he would die would be the moment he would immediately pass into glory and be with Jesus. To die meant that Paul would possess Jesus in the fullest sense.

He said it this way: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better (Philippians 1:23).” He also described this in 2 Corinthians 5:8:

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Paul is saying he would prefer to be in heaven because it will be a homecoming for the Christian, and he will be at home with Jesus. For the Christian, the moment we die will be the moment we will fully live.

Jesus said it this way, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26).”

DL Moody, the great preacher once said it this way, “Some day you will read in the papers that L Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now!”

If you believe in Jesus, the moment you die will be the moment you will truly live in Heaven with Him. No wonder Paul said, “To die is gain.”

In Jesus Christ, we have a death that is worth dying.

So, if you are struggling today, remember the words of Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.” If you believe Jesus came to this earth for you, and that He loves you, you have a life that is worth living and a death that is worth dying. Find hope in Jesus today, and your life will dramatically change! Only in Him can you find true peace, purpose, and joy.

For more on this, listen to my sermon: "A Win-Win Situation."

 

 

 

 

]]>
There are a lot of people in this world who don’t want to live. There are a lot of people in this world who don’t want to die.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a rise in people who don’t want to live. Many people today don’t see their life as worth living. The National Center for Health has revealed that over 47,000 people in 2017 committed suicide in the US. Suicide ranks as the 10th leading cause of death, and it ranks as the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-34-year olds.  Depression, anxiety, and stress are real things, and people need the proper support system to help them through it.

This month is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month-long mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members have united to promote suicide prevention awareness. For people who are really struggling, I’m encouraged by all the groups and organizations that are trying to address the problem. I also am encouraged that God is raising up more Christian counselors and mental health professionals who are Biblically-rooted and clinically-effective to help encourage those in need.

From a Pastor’s standpoint, as I look at this, I want to remind us all that God has designed each person with dignity. God values each one of us, and we are all made in His image. Because every person is made in His image, we each have something of great value, worth, and dignity (See Genesis 1:26-27).

Because of the effects of the fall and sin, this world is full of brokenness. We all are born in sin, and we need hope (see Romans 5:12). That hope is found in Jesus.

If you trust that Jesus is God and follow Him, you will automatically have a greater purpose to live for, and that is to bring Him glory and to serve other people. People today, now more than ever need to hear the message of the gospel: that Jesus came to save sinners like you and me. Jesus came to give us abundant life with a greater purpose that is beyond ourselves (see John 10:10).

In Jesus Christ, we have a life that is worth living.

Just like there are many people in this world who don’t want to live, there are also many people in this world who don’t want to die.

Francis Bacon once said, “Men fear death, as children fear the dark.”

Death can be a scary reality. People are afraid with how they are going to die, they are afraid of what happens when they die, and they are afraid that the next life won’t be as good as this life.

Well, I am here to tell you that if you trust in Jesus and live for Him, the next life is something to get excited about. Not only will we be with Jesus, we will also be in a world that has unlimited time and unlimited love. Heaven is a world that is perfect and beautiful. It’s a place that will far exceed our expectations.

Christians don’t need to be afraid of death because it will be a glorious homecoming!

When the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippian church, he was in jail for 2 years. He was chained up to a Jailor that was 18 inches away for 24/7. He did not know the outcome of his life, whether he would come out of jail alive or dead; however, the uncertainty didn’t bother him. Paul knew no matter what situation he was in, he was in a win-win situation. He says, “For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).”

If Paul continued living, that would be a win because he would continue living for Jesus and would serve others. He described it this way: “…with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20).”

Paul’s main aim and purpose in life was to honor Jesus. The word honor in Greek (megalyno) means “to make big; to magnify; to enlarge.” When Jesus changed Paul’s life, Paul became a new man, and he began living for Someone that was greater than himsel (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). He wanted others to know Jesus. If Paul was released from jail, he would continue living a fruitful life. He said it this way: “If I am to lie in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me (Philippians 1:22).” Fruitful labor for Paul was to bring honor to Jesus and also to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus (see Philippians 1:24).

If Paul died, he knew that was a win because for Paul Jesus was the ultimate reward. The moment he would die would be the moment he would immediately pass into glory and be with Jesus. To die meant that Paul would possess Jesus in the fullest sense.

He said it this way: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better (Philippians 1:23).” He also described this in 2 Corinthians 5:8:

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Paul is saying he would prefer to be in heaven because it will be a homecoming for the Christian, and he will be at home with Jesus. For the Christian, the moment we die will be the moment we will fully live.

Jesus said it this way, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26).”

DL Moody, the great preacher once said it this way, “Some day you will read in the papers that L Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now!”

If you believe in Jesus, the moment you die will be the moment you will truly live in Heaven with Him. No wonder Paul said, “To die is gain.”

In Jesus Christ, we have a death that is worth dying.

So, if you are struggling today, remember the words of Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.” If you believe Jesus came to this earth for you, and that He loves you, you have a life that is worth living and a death that is worth dying. Find hope in Jesus today, and your life will dramatically change! Only in Him can you find true peace, purpose, and joy.

For more on this, listen to my sermon: "A Win-Win Situation."

 

 

 

 

]]>
The 2nd Commandment: Worship God the Right Way https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/worship-god-the-right-way https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/worship-god-the-right-way#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.christcov.org/seths-soundbites/post/worship-god-the-right-way    

I would like to address two questions regarding the Second Commandment:

  • What is the Second Commandment?
  • How do we break the Second Commandment?

What is the Second Commandment?

Exodus 20:4-6 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

The Second Commandment is not just saying, "Do not worship idols." It is saying, "Do not worship God through an idol."

Where the First Commandment tells us to worship the right God, the Second Commandment tells us to worship the right God the right way.

There are two good examples in the Bible of how people broke the 2nd Commandment.

1. The Golden Calf - In Exodus 32, when the people of God saw that Moses was taking so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him (v. 23, NAS)."

The people made the golden calf because it symbolized the strength and power of God. They ended up dancing around the calf (see Exodus 32:19), bowed down to it, and sacrificed to it (Exodus 32:8).

Because of their disobedience, 3,000 of them were killed (Exodus 32:28), and the people were struck with a plague (Exodus 32:35).

God does not tolerate idols, and He does not tolerate worshipping Him through an idol.

2. King Jehu - When Jehu became King of Israel (2 Kings 9-10), he demolished the sacred stone of the god Baal and tore down the temple of Baal. He essentially eliminated Baal worship throughout the nation of Israel, even killing off the Prophets of Baal (see 2 Kings 10:25-29). Jehu obeyed the First Commandment by not having any other gods.

So far so good. However, 2 Kings 10:28-29 tells us Jehu broke the 2nd Commandment:

2 Kings 10:28-29 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin - that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.

The golden calves were made in Bethel and Dan to worship God, but this was inappropriate and ultimately broke the 2nd Commandment. When we worship God through something, we are limiting our understanding of God and are making an idol that does not represent the totality of God. Jehu should have eliminated the golden calves.

How Do We Break the Second Commandment?

Although most Christians would say, "I don't bow down to idols that represent God," we may allow our personal views of physical images get in the way of true worship.

Recently, we took our cross off the stage because it was Christmas time, and we had other decorations for the season to put on the stage. I had a visitor tell me they were offended that we didn't have a cross on stage. They are no longer attending our Church. The cross is a great symbol of Christianity, and it symbolizes God's sacrificial love in Jesus Christ. I love what the cross symbolizes, but was it wrong for us to take the cross down for the Christmas season? No.

The problem is that we let our preferences like crosses or paintings or pictures turn into a must, so if we don't have these physical images in place, we think we are not truly worshipping the Lord. There are some who even worship the Lord through the crucifix. This is a way we break the Second Commandment. We worship the Lord through images that we want and we create.

The danger of images is that we often create Jesus to be what we want Him to be and not who He actually is. We see Him as we want to see Him. When we see God as the way we want to see Him, we have a narrow, limited view of Him.

Another way we may break the 2nd Commandment is when we have a "God-to-me" mindset. Pastor Randy Pope in his sermon "When a Picture Says Less Than Words" explained how some people think "God-to-me" is like the Godfather. I'm not talking about Godparents who become guardians of children when their parents die. I'm talking about the Godfather of the Mafia, aka Marlon Brandow.

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For those that view God as the Godfather, they see Him as a God who is out to get us. He is going to bring judgment and is angry with you. If your view of God is that of a Godfather, you will miss out on His love and mercy and compassion.

There are others who say, "God-to-me" is like a Grandfather. You know what a good grandfather is like? He says yes to his grandchildren before they even finish asking the question. He spoils them rotten and sends them home. He gives them ice cream and candy whenever they want. If your view of God is like a Grandfather, you will limit your understanding of Him and forget His attributes of holiness, justice, and righteousness.

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Instead of having a "God-to-me is..." mindset, we need to have a "God-in-the-Bible is..." mindset. How we view God matters, and our view of God can pass down to generations to come (see Deuteronomy 5:9-10).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I would like to address two questions regarding the Second Commandment:

  • What is the Second Commandment?
  • How do we break the Second Commandment?

What is the Second Commandment?

Exodus 20:4-6 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

The Second Commandment is not just saying, "Do not worship idols." It is saying, "Do not worship God through an idol."

Where the First Commandment tells us to worship the right God, the Second Commandment tells us to worship the right God the right way.

There are two good examples in the Bible of how people broke the 2nd Commandment.

1. The Golden Calf - In Exodus 32, when the people of God saw that Moses was taking so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him (v. 23, NAS)."

The people made the golden calf because it symbolized the strength and power of God. They ended up dancing around the calf (see Exodus 32:19), bowed down to it, and sacrificed to it (Exodus 32:8).

Because of their disobedience, 3,000 of them were killed (Exodus 32:28), and the people were struck with a plague (Exodus 32:35).

God does not tolerate idols, and He does not tolerate worshipping Him through an idol.

2. King Jehu - When Jehu became King of Israel (2 Kings 9-10), he demolished the sacred stone of the god Baal and tore down the temple of Baal. He essentially eliminated Baal worship throughout the nation of Israel, even killing off the Prophets of Baal (see 2 Kings 10:25-29). Jehu obeyed the First Commandment by not having any other gods.

So far so good. However, 2 Kings 10:28-29 tells us Jehu broke the 2nd Commandment:

2 Kings 10:28-29 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin - that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.

The golden calves were made in Bethel and Dan to worship God, but this was inappropriate and ultimately broke the 2nd Commandment. When we worship God through something, we are limiting our understanding of God and are making an idol that does not represent the totality of God. Jehu should have eliminated the golden calves.

How Do We Break the Second Commandment?

Although most Christians would say, "I don't bow down to idols that represent God," we may allow our personal views of physical images get in the way of true worship.

Recently, we took our cross off the stage because it was Christmas time, and we had other decorations for the season to put on the stage. I had a visitor tell me they were offended that we didn't have a cross on stage. They are no longer attending our Church. The cross is a great symbol of Christianity, and it symbolizes God's sacrificial love in Jesus Christ. I love what the cross symbolizes, but was it wrong for us to take the cross down for the Christmas season? No.

The problem is that we let our preferences like crosses or paintings or pictures turn into a must, so if we don't have these physical images in place, we think we are not truly worshipping the Lord. There are some who even worship the Lord through the crucifix. This is a way we break the Second Commandment. We worship the Lord through images that we want and we create.

The danger of images is that we often create Jesus to be what we want Him to be and not who He actually is. We see Him as we want to see Him. When we see God as the way we want to see Him, we have a narrow, limited view of Him.

Another way we may break the 2nd Commandment is when we have a "God-to-me" mindset. Pastor Randy Pope in his sermon "When a Picture Says Less Than Words" explained how some people think "God-to-me" is like the Godfather. I'm not talking about Godparents who become guardians of children when their parents die. I'm talking about the Godfather of the Mafia, aka Marlon Brandow.

Image result for

For those that view God as the Godfather, they see Him as a God who is out to get us. He is going to bring judgment and is angry with you. If your view of God is that of a Godfather, you will miss out on His love and mercy and compassion.

There are others who say, "God-to-me" is like a Grandfather. You know what a good grandfather is like? He says yes to his grandchildren before they even finish asking the question. He spoils them rotten and sends them home. He gives them ice cream and candy whenever they want. If your view of God is like a Grandfather, you will limit your understanding of Him and forget His attributes of holiness, justice, and righteousness.

Image result for

Instead of having a "God-to-me is..." mindset, we need to have a "God-in-the-Bible is..." mindset. How we view God matters, and our view of God can pass down to generations to come (see Deuteronomy 5:9-10).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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