Sovereign Election - How the Bible Speaks!

The key to understanding election is by holding the definition of God's Sovereignty in the back of your mind. It would be helpful to go back and read my latest blog on "God's Sovereignty and End of Life Struggles". The two most important ideas to remember concerning God's Sovereignty is God is the first cause and yet He is an uncaused cause. What this means is because God is an uncaused cause then nobody caused Him which means God answers to no higher authority. The fact that God is the first cause that caused all other things then He is above all of His creation and has no need of learning from or seeking wisdom or counsel from anyone. Therefore God does as He pleases and nobody gives God counsel or deters His plans.

The next logical question is to answer the Biblical terms of election, foreknowledge and choice. Nobody seems to care about how God made trees or animals. The biggest concern for man is how did God make man and how does He go about choosing them. Therefore I want to deal directly with God's salvation and how He determined to elect or chose people for salvation. How does the bible define election and foreknowledge?

Election is defined as "God Sovereignly choosing those who would become recipients of God's Heavenly blessing".  God has created and given all mankind all that He has created. However the Bible teaches that we have sinned and therefore are now under God's justice and must pay the penalty of our sin. But in God's grace, mercy and love He planned to send His Son Jesus Christ to the world to pour out His wrath upon His Son Jesus Christ in our place so that through simply receiving these truth claims we will receive from God not just the world in which we live but a redeemed world that God will remake and we will live eternally with Him in peace and harmony. The most debated and discussed doctrine in all of the Bible is this moment in history where man is saved by an agreement or decision to believe and know Jesus Christ as the Author of salvation. God uses several terms to define this election and by studying how God uses these terms will help us in understanding how the Bible speaks or how God speaks about Himself concerning His election.

The terms used by God to define His election are choose, elect, appoint, ordain, foreknow, foreordain, predestined, purposed, and prepared before hand.

Deut 4:37 “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them.”
Deut 7:6-7 “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous.”
2 Thess 2:13
 “from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth”
Eph 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
1 Thess 1:4 “we know that he has chosen you” (ASV, “knowing your election”)
1 Pet 1:1 “Peter, . . . to God’s elect”
Acts 13:48 “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Rom 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
Rom 11:2 “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.”
1 Pet 1:1-2 “To God’s elect, . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”
Rom 8:29-30 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. . . . And those he predestined, he also called”
Eph 1:5 “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will”
Eph 1:11 “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Eph 1:9 “. . . the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ”
Rom 9:23 “the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory”
Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

These verses speak of God's Sovereignty in that God speaks as the one who is in authority. God does not speak as though He is receiving counsel from another. God is not speaking as though there is someone above Him dictating what He must say and do. No, He speaks as though He is speaking from His own authority on the issue. These verses also speak as though He has not received or learned anything from human history. God is the great architect and He has written His blueprint and we are seeing His plan being erected or established. He elects solely on the purpose and pleasure of His Will. He does not find pleasure in our will. He finds pleasure in His will.

The verses that speak on human will leaves no room for man's will to change God's predetermined decision. Redemptive history is solely God's idea and He is the great architect and builder of this plan. When He speaks of choosing someone it is as if the choice has already been made.

He saves those with a precondition: His People.

Matt 1:21 “he will save his people from their sins”
John 17:2 “that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him”
Acts 18:10 “For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city [Corinth].”
 Eph 1:11 “the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”

Not the will of man:

John 1:13 “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”
Rom 9:16 “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

Not the works of man:

Rom 9:11, 16, “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand . . . It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Rom 11:5-6 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
2 Tim 1:9 “who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace”

Man Cannot:

Romans 8:7 "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot."
John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

God speaks to every issue as the Sovereign God of the universe. He speaks as though nobody is above Him and He speaks as though He has consulted nobody. He is not learning from history or deciding in response to another's actions. No, He is choosing and determining in accordance with who He is - the Sovereign God of the universe.

This is extremely encouraging because God does as He wishes and we should not pray with anything less than the Sovereignty of God in our minds. God has full authority to do anything in the universe He wishes and when He determines to do something it is set in stone forever. The reason that we are saved eternally is we receive everlasting life. The moment one believes He is saved for all eternity. Our hope is not in a prayer card or a prayer. Our hope is in God's Sovereignty. "If He began a good work in you then HE WILL carry it through to completion" (Phil. 1:6). Your salvation this morning or any morning does not depend on your ability to continue to believe but on God's ability to continue to save. When we pray for the lost we need to pray for God to save. Pray that God will intervene and interrupt their desires and will. If God does not draw them away from the direction they are heading they will continue in that direction to their destruction. Our only hope is God and His Sovereignty. There is not one person that God is not able to save. He can save as many as He chooses. Pray for God to save.
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Works Sited:

1.) http://wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Courses/Theology_3/Chapter_8--Foreknowledge_and_Election.pdf
2.) http://scripturetruths5.tripod.com/pande.html

The Sovereignty of God and End of Life Struggles

A Pastor once said "The most idolatrous hour of the American week is Sunday morning." The reason is most of us have created an image of God in our minds that we concocted rather than accepting the way God revealed Himself in Scriptures. In fact I write this before I get started because many reading this blog will not like some of the verses I will be quoting. God says some things about Himself that is hard for the human mind to grasp. However I encourage you to keep reading to the end of the blog because I think God reveals Himself not for fatalism but for our encouragement. In the end I will show you how the Sovereignty of God is an encouragement to every person in every situation.

A.W. Pink in his book titled "The Sovereignty of God" he says the following:
 
"The sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible."

There are two important aspects of God's Sovereignty. First, God is the first cause of all other things and He is an uncaused cause. This means that everyone and everything traces his/her cause back to the Source and Origin of their existence and everyone originates from God. Therefore God is the Supreme cause of all things and nobody caused Him. This means that God is self existing and nobody caused God. God is infinite and eternal and nobody is above Him. Therefore God freely does what He wishes with nobody above Him to consult or dictate what He can or cannot do. Secondly, since God is self existing and the cause of everything else He is all powerful and all wise. Therefore He never has to lower Himself to less wise humans to ask them what He should do. Neither does God have to wait for or ask humans anything to gain knowledge in making any decision. God is not waiting to see what we do so He knows what to do, neither is there any corridors of history to look down to make  the decision of election. God chooses, determines, elects, and ordains according to His Sovereignty.

2 Chronicles 20:6
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?"


God's Sovereignty actively ordains everything. Deuteronomy 32:9 reveals to what extent He Sovereignly rules all things. "‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand." God is the source of life, life originates from Him and life depends on God sustaining it therefore when God ceases to sustain life death occurs.

1Samuel 2:6-8
“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.  He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory."

Remember this revelation is for your encouragement not your fatalism. God doesn't want you to think this is God's Sovereign plan for my life so I have to just learn to deal with it... that's not much encouragement and God's Word is to edify us and encourage us. Let's look at several more examples of the extent of God's Sovereignty and then I will show you how this becomes encouragement. 

God's Sovereignty includes matters of "chance". I place chance in quotations because with God's Sovereignty there really isn't any fate, chance, good or bad luck just GOD and His Sovereign will. Proverbs 16:33  "The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord". Take Proverbs 16:33 with 1 Samuel 2:6-8 and you see a remarkable truth. Proverb 16 speaks of "casting lots". If you remember the soldiers cast lots at the foot of the cross to see who would get Jesus' clothing. Today we would say, dice are cast into the lap and every decision is from the Lord. If God makes rich and makes poor and the dice are cast and the decision is the Lord's then we see how Sovereign God is in delegating who is wealthy and who is poor. We can also now see the responsibility the rich have to help the poor. The riches are not yours. They are to be used for God's purposes. Where much is given much is required! (Luke 12:48)

God's Sovereignty includes the actions of wicked men. I just finished a two year study of the Book of Genesis and the last study was a study of the Life of Joseph. At the end of Joseph's life and the end of the Book of Genesis Joseph is encouraging and comforting his brothers. They were concerned about Joseph's revenge after his father passed away. Joseph tells his brothers do not be concerned because "what you meant for evil God meant for good" (Genesis 50:20). When the brothers placed Joseph in the pit they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. When the brothers sold Joseph into slavery they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Therefore the wicked and God have the same intent but they do not share the same motivation. God is motivated to goodness while the brothers motivation was evil.

God's Sovereignty includes the actions of evil spirits. 1Samuel 16:14-16 " But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.  Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

Most people think there are two Sovereigns in Heaven God and the Devil. Spiritual Warfare is the war between God and Satan and we are hoping good wins out. The reality is God is the Source and Origin of all things. Satan is Lucifer the most beautiful, majestic, and glorious angel God created. Therefore, God is the only Sovereign and Satan was created and is sustained by God Himself. The life of God gives life to Satan. If God wanted to put an end to Satan then He could stop sustaining him. God Sovereignly uses the evil spirits to do His will.

God's Sovereignty also includes the good actions of men. John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Philippians 2:12-13 " Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

God's Sovereignty includes the actions of good angels. Psalms 103:20 "Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word." Psalms 104:4 "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." It makes perfectly good sense that if God Sovereignly controls the actions of wicked Angels that He also controls the actions of good Angels".

God's Sovereignty includes the actions of animals as well. The most popular story in the Bible is Daniel and the Lion's den. God closed the mouths of the Lions so they would not harm Daniel (Daniel 6:22). God's Sovereignty includes all aspects of His creation (Psalms 104).

In conclusion I want to mention two important points. On the one hand the Bible tells us not to question God's Sovereignty. Job 33:12-13 "“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words." Remember God does not have to consult anyone above Him and He does not seek knowledge or wisdom from those less wise than He. We do not advice God or tell Him what He can or cannot do (see also, Romans 9:19-24).

On the other hand God's Word is for edification, comfort and encouragement so how does God's Sovereignty encourage and comfort us. I believe you have to take into consideration God's Omniscience and Omnipresence along with His Sovereign Omnipotence. Remember everything you've read about God's Sovereignty and then consider his Omniscience and Omnipresence.

Psalms 139:7-12
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You."
God can be found in any given situation!! God is Omnipotent. He is Sovereign over all areas of life. He is Omniscience: Wise beyond measure. He is Omnipresent in every and all situations. Therefore, Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near." Psalm 32:6 "For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found..."


If God is Sovereign and He wounds and heals then when you are wounded... where does your help come from? If He made you poor then who will lift you out? Where does your help come from? Where will you turn if you turn from God? Listen God sustains life, determined your days (Job 14:5), and it is appointed that all men die once and then face the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). But do not forget that God walks with you through the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4).

The most encouraging thing about end of life struggles is God is measuring out your situation by His wisdom, sovereignty and authority. He is present in your struggles and walking with you. He can be seen and found in your situation. The end of life is not a time to be bitter and resentful. It is a time to draw near to God!! Look for God's hand of Sovereignty in every aspect of your circumstance.

The Stages of a Dream

Abraham and Joseph are examples of what I want to call "The Stages of a Dream" or "The Stages of a Vision". It seems in both Abraham's life and in Joseph's life they experienced the same stages. The four stages are:

1.) The Birth of a Dream.
2.) The Life of a Dream.
3.) The Death of a Dream.
4.) The Resurrection of a Dream.

Now in these stages we see the Life of Jesus Christ. We see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and we can see this in each stage of Abraham's vision and in Joseph's dream. The first stage is the Birth of the Dream. Abraham and Joseph experienced this birth when God came to them sovereignly and providentially to tell them what He would do in and through their lives. In Abraham's case we see the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. In Joseph's case we see his boyhood dream in Genesis 37.

The second stage is the Life of a Dream. God gives life to the dream as we walk obediently to His vision or dream. In Abraham's case he leaves his family and moves to Canaan. He was being led by God. It seemed everything was going right. In Joseph's case we can get a clearer picture because Joseph follows the Lord and becomes the 2nd in command at home as Jacob places him in charge of his possession and brothers in Genesis 37-38. He is 2nd in command in Potiphar's house in Genesis 38-40. Joseph was 2nd in command in prison under the prison guard in Genesis 40-41. And in the end Joseph becomes 2nd in command over all of Egypt in Genesis 41 to 50. 

The third stage is the Death of a Dream. God gives death for the purpose of exaltation. As God continues to bless us in His vision or dream we may become prideful or self-centered. Therefore we begin to think God has no part in fulfilling the dream and its because we've done all the right things and God has nothing to do with it. In the Life of Abraham God causes Sarah to be barren and Abraham and Sarah start feeling the vision is dead and uses Hagar to give birth to Ishmael to help God out. Abraham takes matters into his own hands. God puts a vision to death for a time until you realize God is raising you up for His Name's Sake not yours. Joseph had the same experience. He found himself hated by his brothers. He was placed in a pit, sold into slavery, and put into prison. From Joseph's perspective he certainly was not seeing how God was fulfilling his dream in Joseph's life.

The fourth stage is the Resurrection of a Dream and it occurs when all things seems helpless. The disciples are hiding in confusion wondering what is going to happen now that Jesus is dead only to have their hopes resurrected when Mary brings word that JESUS IS ALIVE!! Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Joseph was 13 years in on a 20 year prison sentence and he gets word that the Pharaoh had a dream and wants to speak with him. Joseph could follow the Providence of God in his interaction with all the dreams in his life; two as a child, two different dreams of the butler and baker and now two dreams of Pharaoh. Joseph could also follow the Providence of God in the favor of God in his leadership as he was 2nd in command in every position he had in life. He was able at the end of his life to see the Life of Jesus all the way to the end that he could stand in front his brothers as they offered and apology and say, "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

If you've experienced an encounter with God in a vision or a dream the first thing you should do is make sure it is Biblical. God offers no further revelation and Satan is an Angel of light.  However God will call you through a vision from God's Word or from a dream. He may press something upon your heart that you just know God is going to do something through your life. It is nothing more than a conception or an understanding of the task God has called you too.  You want to follow that up with works for James said "faith without works is dead". Everything may go great for a while and you may get confident or a bit cocky about it. God will certainly put it to death moving you to uncertainty and frustration. You may take it further into your hands and work even harder and take on more responsibility trying to make the dream come about. God will wait until your done. He will let it die in your life. You will question whether you've heard God correctly. You will get to the end of yourself and turn yourself over to God. You will say with Jesus "Not My will but Your Will". It is at this point that God may choose to resurrect the dream. You've realized that it is about God's Name Sake not your own.  You will have a fresh new dependence upon God and you will once again find and see victory in your life. I hope you find this helpful. God Bless!

God's Providence in the Life of Joseph

Joseph himself tells us that the circumstances of his life represents God's providence. Joseph said in Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Therefore when you study the life of Joseph everything Joseph's brothers do to him is seen by Joseph as the hand of God in his life.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Meant:

transitive verb

1

a : to have in the mind as a purpose : intend

b : to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future

2 : to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate : signify 

3 : to have importance to the degree of

4 : to direct to a particular individual

 

intransitive verb

: to have an intended purpose

 

The interesting terms are intend or destine. In keeping with Scriptures we are familiar with the word predestined. Therefore we can say this was Joseph's destiny because God intended to predestine him to these situations. God meant it for good while Joseph's brothers meant it for evil. Therefore as we read and study the details of Joseph's life we are simultaneously reading and studying the predestined providence of God in the life of Joseph. In this story we are reading what Joseph was doing, what his brothers were doing and most importantly what God was doing.

The first thing we notice is Jacob setting apart Joseph from the rest of his children. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Genesis 37:3-4).

 

The second thing we see is God setting Joseph apart from the rest of his family by making Joseph the main character of two dreams. "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf".....Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me".”  (Genesis 37:5-7,9) I believe we see to "poster children" here. Joseph being the "poster child" of the elect and his brothers being the "poster children" of natural man. God shows favor and sets Christians apart and above the world and natural man hates it. God is providentially and sovereignly setting apart Joseph and his brothers want him dead. 

 

Joseph is a man of character and his father trusts him with supervising his brothers who have shown themselves untrustworthy. The brothers are off to Shechem to feed Jacob's flock and Jacob summons Joseph to go get a report from the brothers. Joseph gets to Shechem only to discover that they've moved on to Dothan. So Joseph leaves Shechem to meet his brothers in Dothan. Joseph was coming into Dothan and the brothers saw him and began to plot how they would kill him.

Reuben spoke up and said lets throw him in a pit with the hopes he could come back later and help Joseph out of the pit. But while Reuben was gone Judah spoke up and suggested that they sell him to slave traders from Egypt. So when they saw the Ishmaelite's coming they pulled Joseph out of the pit and onto the slave wagon for 20 pieces of silver. Once Joseph arrived into Egypt he was sold to the Potiphar on the auction block.

God placed His favor upon Joseph and he prospered and rose to be Potiphar's right hand man. He was trusted with all of Potiphar's possession except his wife. The Potiphar's wife lusted after Joseph and attempted to seduce him on several occasions. The last advance by the Potiphar's wife was the last because Joseph left the house running. The wife of Potiphar lied about the situation and Joseph found himself unjustly in prison.  

 

I don't know where you are this hour as you read this blog but when Joseph found himself in a pit his brothers meant it or intended it for evil but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was bound - in bondage. The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph also found himself in prison.  The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good and His.

 

So if your feeling like your in a pit or in bondage or in slavery remember God is providentially at work in your life to set you free. In fact you are free to trust and believe God is sovereignly and providentially working every thing for the purpose of good in your life. He is preparing you for glory - His glory. He is preparing you for Heaven. Do not succumb to your circumstances. Trust God to lead you in them and through them. There is no record of Joseph trying to escape or flee Egypt. Joseph simply obeyed God where he was. We are so quick to escape uncomfortable and hurtful situations and we lose the training trials were created to give. Stay faithful and trustworthy no matter what life offers you.

 

Judge Not... Is Not a Biblical Principle!!

There are several reasons why I do not believe the Bible teaches that we are not to judge.

1.) God would be the author of sin because He established Judges in the Old Testament in the Book of Judges.
2.) Paul himself judges a man guilty of incest and commands the church to excommunicate him (1Corinthians 5).
3.) The Bible tells us to exercise church discipline (Matthew 18).
4.) The Bible tells us we know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7).
5.) Jesus said He did not come to judge or condemn because "we stand condemned already". The Word of God judges you and condemns you. Therefore the Bible is a Book of Sin "if" God said do not judge (John 3:18).

So...

What does Matthew 7:1-6 teach us?

Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

First, notice that it says Judge not, THAT you be not judged. In other words it says judge not if you do not want to be judged. Then it continues by telling you why, for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Therefore there is a warning to be considered before you judge. Judge not for if you judge they will turn it around on you and make you look just as bad or guilty as they are.

This happens with my wife and I all the time. My wife will judge me in a situation and I will spin it around and explain my actions as an effect of her behavior. I will make all of my faults look like its her fault. I'll say well what about you. I may have done this but let me give you the list of your shortcomings. Therefore one thing to take into consideration before judging is the other person will turn it back on you.

Matthew 7:3-5
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

The second thing to consider is the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6. If this was a principle of do not judge then don't you think the Bible passage would say, You have a plank in your own eye so just focus on your plank and leave your buddy with the splinter to himself. But it does not say that. It says deal with the plank so you can better deal with the splinter. Your judging the splinter and Jesus is telling you how to better equip yourself to remove the splinter. So Jesus is not saying don't judge but rather equip yourself to be a righteous judge or better yet equip yourself to be spiritually discerning. Don't be a hypocrite or self righteous or condemning but allow your judgment to be redemptive and restorative in nature.

Third, we need to watch how we use this verse. When someone lovingly judges us we do not want to fire back "Judge not less ye be judged". Paul Washer said "Twist not Scriptures less ye be like Satan." We might respond, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Who said that? Cain said it (Genesis 4:9). Cain was hiding the murder of his brother Abel from God. I'm afraid when we say, "Judge not less ye be judged" we are simply trying to hide our sin from God. We should not quote murderers!! Less we see ourselves in the same camp as them.

Matthew 7:6
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

Four, as we continue the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6 notice that we must not "give what is holy to dogs" and we must not cast "pearls before swine". How can we not judge and know the pigs and swine of the world? How do we not break this command of Jesus if we are not able to discern pigs and swine? Jesus is talking about kinds of people. Pigs, I believe, are people like the Prodigal Son who spent his father's riches on the world ending up eating with the pigs or swine. IN other words do not encourage carnal and worldly Christians with God's Holy Word. Treat them as though they are not saved and evangelize them and get them to repent. Dog's are Christians who have returned to their sin. As Peter said in 2Peter 2:22, they are like dogs who return to their vomit as they keep repeating their folly. In other Words if you are a worldly person that habitually continues to repeat your folly then the Bible calls you a pig and a swine and you have no good reason to lay claim of God's Word or His promises.  

Judging is actually a beautiful thing. Judging one another is wonderful. However this can only be embraced by people who are serious about their faith and truly want to become holy - those who truly want to be conformed into God's image. Which is really the motive behind those who quote this verse - they really do not want to be holy, conform to Jesus or repent of their sin. They love their dog vomit to much. They love their folly. They love darkness rather than the light. They don't want to be judged because they do not want their sin exposed.

We have an incredible ability to overlook our own sin as we put others under a microscope. Therefore, we become self righteous and condemning in nature. There is no redemption or restoration in our motives - just condemnation. This is unbiblical judging and should be repudiated at every level. We should spend less time judging the world and more time judging ourselves in light of God's Word. To embrace this we have to want true holiness, true Christlikeness. The beauty of accepting biblical judgment is God made us dependent upon each other in the Body of Christ. If you can see splinters in others better than planks in yourself then others can see your sins more clearly than you can see your own. WHAT A GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AS WE PURSUE HOLINESS AND CHRISTLIKENESS!!!

A brother or sister or church who loves you enough to judge you righteously, redemptively, restoratively, mercifully, graciously, for the sake of the purity of the church and it's members is incredibly beautiful. Masterfully wonderful! So... it comes down to this, are you going to link arms with the Devil and continue to twist Scriptures and quote murderers or are you going to embrace God and His Word and seek holiness and Christlikeness within the context of the Body of Christ? I personally feel every believer should stop judging the world until the church is holy. And the only way we are going to do this is stop quoting Scriptures to justify our worldliness. Find someone who loves Jesus and truly loves the Body of Christ and wants to see it pure and holy and embrace the reality that you and I can see other's sin better than we can see our own and use that for the purpose of holiness and purification. Let's mortify the flesh together. Let's put to death and lay aside the sin that tangles. Hate your folly and allow your sin to be exposed by your brother or sister so you can bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Let's fight this fight together and win this war against sin!!

God Intends to Make You Humble To Make You Holy

Jacob was God's chosen to be the next Patriarch of Israel after his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. Rebekah was concerned about prenatal pain and activity she was experiencing. God intervened in her concern to inform her the struggle was between two male twins in her womb, two nations who would always be at odds with each other. He told Rebekah and Isaac the older would serve the younger going against customary practice and social norms. Though it would cause problems in the life of this family God is not held by any traditional or societal practices. It is more important for all of us to remember that God is Sovereignly orchestrating events outside of public opinion and expectations. The church is trapped by people who are concerned with "the way we've always done it."

As Jacob aged he began to realized he needed to make end of life decisions. He wanted to make sure he had a living will. He wanted to make sure after his death all of his property would go to the appropriate place. He had forgotten God's Word in establishing the birthright as going to the youngest. Isaac perhaps felt a little odd going against public opinion and customary practices. So he chooses to go against God and gives his blessing to his eldest son Esau.

God spoke directly to Rebekah concerning His arrangement. She had God on her side. But neither Isaac or Rebekah would seek God's will in establishing their final will and testament. Rebekah, whose favorite child was Jacob, plots a deceitful plan against God, Isaac and her son Esau. Jacob in accordance with his nature complies and joins Rebekah in her plan. They deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the birthright teaching us that man's wisdom never prevails for all of Isaac's senses failed him. Just as soon as Jacob leaves the room with the birthright Esau comes in from the field - stunned that he has lost the birthright to Jacob.

The Old Testament falls short in giving us what we need. Here was Isaac the father handing out the birthright. Once Isaac gave the birthright to Jacob there was nothing left for Esau; a father whose resources could be depleted! A birthright with limitations!! And a brother who is deceitful and selfish!!! We need an infinite and eternal Father whose resources are never depleted. We need an infinite and eternal resource that is never limited. We need a first born Son who unselfishly shares all of the Father's blessing. We have that in the Godhead. The infinite Father that is never depleted of His Heavenly blessings, An infinite birthright that is unlimited in quantity and quality, and an unselfish Son who would be an heir to the Father who would share His birthright with all of His brother and sisters. This is who we have in Jesus Christ. We are joint heir with Jesus. We have the right to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven!"

This event angered Esau so much he wanted to kill Jacob. Rebekah, once again scheming, sends Jacob to her brother's house for safety. She did not want to lose two sons in one day. She told Jacob, go to Uncle Laban's house and get your wife from his household and wait there until I send word that Esau is no longer angry. Well Rebekah's plan didn't work. She would die and wouldn't ever see Jacob again. The deceitful Jacob would be deceived by his Uncle Laban.

Jacob wanted Rachel but he would have to work seven years to get her. The seven years past by quickly because of the love Jacob felt for Rachel but Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah. She was given to Jacob and Jacob slept with her only to wake up the next morning to find Leah in his bed. Once again we see how our senses and sensibilities will deceive us. They cannot be trusted, not our senses and not our hearts. We can only trust God and his wisdom. Jacob should have been content and left with Leah, after all Leah was the Spiritual one. She is the one trusting in God but Jacob wasn't thinking with his brain so he agrees to work another seven years to acquire the woman of his dreams.

Jacob works another seven years and is finally given Rachel and the drama of family relationship continue. Jacob decides its time to head home when Laban manipulates him again into staying and working six more years. After these six years Jacob hears from God and is told to go back home and to reconcile with Esau. Therefore he leaves with the intent of meeting Esau first before going back to Isaac's place. He gets word that Esau is coming to meet him and Jacob knows nothing about him except he was angry and wanted to kill him 20 years ago. He takes precautionary measures and sends him gifts and a message of reconciliation. The messengers return with no word from Esau just that he is coming and he's bringing 400 men with him. Jacob's conclusion was he's going to be killed. He divides up his family and property into three groups. Three times Esau would meet Jacob's entourage with gifts and a message of restoration. Jacob runs to the river Jabbok and sends his wife and children to the other side of the stream and now he is all alone.

Alone, in the woods, left only to his own thoughts - thoughts of his deception, thoughts of his trickery, thoughts of his dishonesty not really sure he could count on God. At the end of himself God enters the scene and Jacob begins to wrestle with God. Jacob tried to convince Esau but he's still coming, still pursuing. Jacob feels scared and vulnerable and begins wrestling and pleading with God. He wants a blessing. He wants assurance. He wants help to find victory over the mess he made out of his life. He has a battle he must win and God..... dislocates his hip!!

Jacob thought he needed an army. He thought he needed strength. He thought God would summons the angels to come to his aid and God... dislocated his hip!!! Why does bad things happen to good people? Because God doesn't want to make you a proud, boastful, self sufficient person in this world. He wants to make you a humble, dependent, holy child of His. I am convinced death exists because of sin but it is also the one thing that will humble a sinner. Jacob would limp into what he thought would be a war. He was totally wrong for God prepared Esau for this meeting as well. Esau would be just as ready for reconciliation as Jacob was. God can be trusted. He wants you to humble yourself before him. The thing that we think we need to win in life may not be what we need to win in Heaven. Heaven is won by humility. Wars are won by strength. So the next time you are in a conflict that requires faith remember the blessing may come in the form of a dislocated hip. It may bring about a permanent limp. But God has to make you humble so He can make you holy.

If you are bitter with God because of some health issue or misfortune, relook at those things. See if you can see the Sovereign hand of God making you humble so He can make you holy. Look at your misfortune with an attitude of - God make me holy rather than making me strong and see if that doesn't change the way you look at your life. I've personally found many more "Spiritual Markers" where God intervened to make me humble by "separating my hip" to make me holy. I have to admit it wasn't the blessing I was looking for. I missed it because I missed God's purpose in this life. I don't want to be humble. I want to be successful, popular, famous or rich - none of these things prepare me for Heaven and God's presence the way humility does!! Thank God for the dislocated hips in my life!!

- Narrative of Genesis 26-33

End of Life Decisions and the Heart

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

I was at a prayer meeting listening to an older Pastor praying. He said, "I have been a Pastor most of my life and I am still amazed over the things that still come into my heart and mind." Listening to this prayer of confession from such an old and experienced Pastor reminded me how wicked the heart really is. In the last eight years I have come to realize there is no parent safe from the heart of man not even a child. I am aware of situations where the child of an elderly resident asked if the facility could euthanize. I am aware of another individual who asked the facility to "just cremate my mother and mail me the ashes". I am not aware of the situations of these families but I like to think I could never express those attitudes toward my mother or father. 

There are three areas of the heart that I believe come into consideration in every end of life decision. The first is greed. In many cases some feel their parent cannot die soon enough so they can receive the inheritance. Families are breaking up all over America fighting over their parents leftovers. It is a clear indication greed is a concern. We need to remember as Jesus said, even if we wish someone were dead then we are a murderer at heart (Matthew 5). If the heart could be exposed at the moment of decision perhaps we would see the reason someone decides to terminate their aging parent is because they want their parents belongings. Paul reminds us that "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1Timothy 6:9). 

The second sin of the heart is selfishness. It falls close behind the desire for money but with this I am thinking more in line with being relieved of the responsibility to care for the aging person. It is hard work caring for an aging love one. It will consume much of your time and resources. The desire to make a decision to end a love ones life may simply be a selfish opportunity to get out of the current situation. Paul says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, but especially to those who belong to our own household (Galatians 6:9).   

The third sin of the heart again seems to flow out of the previous two. It is the sin of carnality or flesh. Here I am thinking of our spiritual duties. We are to care for the aging. I remember being humbled by my inadequacies of caring for the needs  around the aging population. I remember being told, "Remember you are not carrying their burdens rather you are carrying their burdens to the Lord." Wow! What a timely word from a dear friend. We can get really confused if we carry the burden of our love one without realizing that as believers you are not carrying them yourself but carrying them to Jesus. The most important thing any person can do during these final days if pray and share your faith.

Anyone who runs a marathon will realize you set a pace to finish the race. You have paced yourself to give yourself a chance to win the race during the last few yards. It is these last few yards that people begin to cheer for you - edging you on to finish strong. I think life is like a marathon race where everyone who is aging needs to hear us cheer for them. It can be the most challenging and most difficult time of any ones life. They are facing death and the reality of dying. They are fighting their last battle with great pain and they need your prayers and words of comfort and encouragement. The decision may be to end their life but do not allow that decision to come without a fight. Fight your greedy heart. Fight your selfish heart. Fight your carnal heart. And pray about every decision and motive of the heart that it might be pleasing to God in whatever you decide.

What's Important When Considering The End of Life?

The reason one must embrace death before one can live through the last chapter of life includes several reasons. The first is entrusting the end of life to God. It is very important to understand that my times are in God's hands (Psalms 31:15). All of my days ordained for me were written in His book before one came to be (Psalm 139:16). He determines the times set for us and the exact places where we should live (Acts 17:26). Surely this would include God determining you shall live your final chapter at the local nursing home. In God's providences he orchestrates a multitude of forces to place one in their current situation. When Jesus calmed the storm he directed the jet stream long before the moment arrived and perhaps even affected the elements even to this day. Remember God knows the sparrow and when it falls from the sky and all the necessary things are in place for the hunter to be able to shoot the sparrow from the sky. The bird and the hunter had a divine appointment and the atmosphere was just right for the bullet to travel through the sky hitting the sparrow perfectly to remove him from the sky. God has your end determined precisely as well.

It reminds me of a story of a young man caught in the rip-tides during a hurricane. He was tossed by the waves as he rolled along the sand unable to come to the surface when someone grabbed him and pulled him to shore. The young man grasp for air breathing heavily as he said "God is good" at which time his rescuer whispers in his ear "God is good whether he spared your life or not." God's goodness is not based upon where you spend your final days or how you come to an end. You must embrace God's goodness despite your situation. Where else will you go? God is your only help.

You may not understand God's wonderful plan but certainly you have learned and trust that suffering has a God pleasing purpose. If not then trust Paul when he says "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Like a woman at child birth forgets her suffering the moment she hears the crying child you too will forget your suffering when you hear the Savior's voice. John told us emphatically "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). Remember when we are weak He is strong an shortening our suffering will also shorten His grace. Your opportunity to glorify God in your end of life suffering will come to an end. You will have missed the opportunity.

We also want to remember that the eternal rewards and eternal welfare of the soul is far more important than the short term good of the comforts of the flesh.  Paul said "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Perhaps we can say when visiting the hospital or nursing home it is far greater to think about how we will phrase our prayers and which Bible passages we will share with our loved one then how we can save them from the current painful situation.

I remember visiting a resident of a local nursing home when she went into the hospital. She laid there lifeless and I just whispered in her ear this is why you went to church all of your life to strengthen you for this moment so trust Jesus. Lean on him. Give him your life to him now. Believe on him and his goodness. Don't look at your current situation just embrace him. Trust him with your life. You've been taught this all of your life for this final moment. Exercise your faith as you have all your life and trust him. Trust and Obey. There is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to Trust and Obey. Submit to His Sovereign grace and trust him with your life.

Living Legacies One In A Million

I tell my wife when she spends money, "honey your on the wrong side of capitalism!" You either spend money to purchase what someone else creatively made or your the one being creative. Your either spending money to buy someone elses product or making a product to sell yourself. Why is it that some people can think of the craziest, silliest and senseless thing only to have people buy it up like crazy? Remember all those passing fads of yester-year? Remember Webkins? Every child had to have one. You bought the silly beannie pet then you'd name it, you'd go online and register it and then you had to feed and water it everyday or it would die and when it died you had to purchase another one to play on the website! Ugh!

I have an idea that I do not believe is crazy. In fact I believe it teaches us a very good lesson. If everyone does a little then we can accomplish a lot. I wanted to establish something that sets a small goal yet makes a person feel like a million bucks no matter how little they are able to give. This was the birth of a fundraising campaign that I am very excited about - the "One In A Million Campaign!"  

Do you remember the story of a guy who traded a house for one red paper clip?

Now that's a crazy idea! Who would ever believe that could happen? This has inspired me to start with something real simple where one person sends $1 per month to Living Legacies Inc, 213 Sawgrass Drive, Savannah, GA 31405.  I will place your name on my website and you and I can watch as it catches on around the world. Think of what you and I could accomplish if everyone would just give a little ($1 per month). The only question left to ask is who will be first? Who will start the campaign off with the first dollar?

Send your name, address and email so I can email a reminder each month of your commitment. I will also place your name, city and state on my website (http://www.livinglegaciesinc.net/) to track the giving to see how far and wide this program reaches. The money will go to the work of Living Legacies Inc - A nonprofit 501c3 ministry dedicated to honoring the aging population.  Living Legacies One in a Million Campaign - Will you be one of the million to give $1 per month? Come on! You can find that much change in the ashtray of your car. Go get it an send it in!

Understanding Death

IN the past seven years I have experienced a lot of death. I was a pastor of a small church near Tarboro, NC when Hurricane Hugo caused the eastern North Carolina floods back in the late 90's. I moved to Savannah, GA in 2002 and was here for the Sugar Refinery explosion back in the mid 2000's. I was an on call chaplain for a local hospital and worked in the extended care facilities as well. You can say death has followed me now for over seven years. Death has become so real and so certain in life that I find great comfort and satisfaction in helping aging people through this season of life. I like to say I have the ministry of walking people "through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4). I comfort people to "fear no evil" for God is with you (Psalm 23:4).

Even though these seasons are tough times nobody should be caught off guard by it. Death is a normal occurrence in this life and it will happen to every single person who will ever live (Hebrews 9:27). The quicker you can embrace the reality of death the sooner you can begin to live. The only two differences in the experience of death for each person are how each person will die and how long that person had to live -some die very young and others die very old. There are several truths pertaining to death that are very important to us in understanding life.

The first question is why? Why does death exist? Death exists because of the judgment of God (Genesis 2:17) against Adam's sin (Genesis 3: 19). Therefore death entered the world through Adam (Romans 5:12; 1Corinthians 15:21-22). Because of sin God appointed every man to die once. The next question is when, when will a man die? This is something that no man knows for sure. God has ordered our days. Job stated that "his days are determined" and that God has "appointed limits" that no man can extend their life (Job 14:5). In reality there is no reason or promise of one more breath. We must regard death as imminent and we must regard death as coming quickly (Psalm 39:4-5; 1Peter 1:24). We also must prepare ourselves for the inevitable (Psalm 90:12) by understanding that God is Sovereign and in control of life and death (Psalm 31:15; 139:16; Acts 17:26). There is great comfort in accepting death as coming from the Sovereign wisdom of God.

The first benefit is no sickness, disease, operation or person can take your life apart from God's wisdom. You can face surgeries and adversaries without fear knowing they have no control over whether you live or die. Remember Jesus facing his adversary Pilate? Pilate said, "Do You now know that I have the power to crucify You or release You? In which Jesus responded, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above" (John 19:10-11). Be comforted with this understanding - no one has the power over Life but One - Jesus Christ!

Serve Jesus Christ with boldness or face death with boldness for your God is Sovereign!!

Natural death is insignificant. There are things more important than natural death. The Bible says we are not to fear men who can only cause natural death but fear God who has the power to end life or give life(Matthew 10:28; 16:26). The Psalmist said "You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of man..." (Psalm 90:2-5). The Lord brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up (1Samuel 2:6). In order to face death we must give our lives completely over to the Lord Jesus.

It is my conviction God does not call anyone to always and in everyway attempt to keep a person alive. It is my conviction there comes a time when we can stop trying to save a loved ones life and let them die. Christians should view death as a door way into the presence of God and Jesus. We should live in such a way that we demonstrate to the fallen world that Heaven is a much better place to be and we are trying to get there not remain here forever.

Every decision should be made with much prayer and guidance from God. If you make a Biblical, Holy Spirit informed decision then I believe there is nothing wrong with trying to keep someone alive. On the other hand I equally feel there is a time when we begin to see all attempts to saving a life is futile and we should let them die. God will lead you to attempt to save a person's life and He will lead you when it is time to pull life support. Make sure the decision is bathed in prayer and you remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and you stay true to your convictions and conscience. God is in control of life and death. We never want to take part in causing death but there are times when we can stop trying to keep someone alive so they will naturally die. God is the Sustainer of life and when the Sustainer stops sustaining the only life one has at this point is an artificial life.

Are You One In A Million?

Living Legacies Inc is set to launch one of the most exciting fundraising campaigns ever - The "One in a Million Campaign". If you wish to be "One in a Million" and have your name listed as a contributor to Living Legacies Inc then continue to follow Living Legacies Inc to see how you can be involved.

The aging community will increase from 12 million to 86 million over the age of 65 in the next 50 years. When most people are planting churches to reach the next generation Living Legacies Inc is seeking to honor the legacies of the aging community. These individuals should be honored and not forgotten and Living Legacies Inc is established to make sure this will happen - and you will soon be able to be involved.

Pastors - this is a worthy cause for your church and it would be a great benefit to the Kingdom of God and the Glory of God if you would agree to be the arm of Christ in helping to extend a helping hand to the elderly through Living Legacies Inc. The first ministry of the church in the 1st century was the elders making the church aware that the widows were being neglected (Acts 6). I am repeating the call in the 21st century - the widows are being neglected. I hope the response will be that of the 1st century - a ministry has already been established to meet the need now we just need your financial support and prayers.

I am praying for one million people to simply be willing to place $1 each month in an envelope and send it too: Living Legacies Inc, 213 Sawgrass Drive, Savannah, GA. 31405. Upon receiving this gift you will be added to the list of "One in a Million" who contribute to Living Legacies Inc on a monthly basis. Please pray and follow the progress of Living Legacies Inc "One in a Million Campaign".

Immanuel by Charles Spurgeon

When once I mourned a load of sin; When conscience felt a wound within; When all my works were thrown away; When on my knees I knelt to pray, Then, blissful hour, remembered well, I learned Thy love, Immanuel. When storms of sorrow toss my soul; When waves of care around me roll; When comforts sink, when joys shall flee; When hopeless griefs shall gape for me, One word the tempest's rage shall quell-- That word, Thy name, Immanuel.

When for the truth I suffer shame;
When foes pour scandal on my name;
When cruel taunts and jeers abound;
When "Bulls of Bashan" gird me round,
Secure within Thy tower I'll dwell--
That tower, Thy grace, Immanuel.


When hell enraged lifts up her roar;
When Satan stops my path before;
When fiends rejoice and wait my end;
When legioned hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry, Immanuel.


When down the hill of life I go;
When o'er my feet death's waters flow;
When in the deep'ning flood I sink;
When friends stand weeping on the brink,
I'll mingle with my last farewell
Thy lovely name, Immanuel.


When tears are banished from mine eye;
When fairer worlds than these are nigh;
When heaven shall fill my ravished sight;
When I shall bathe in sweet delight,
One joy all joys shall far excel,
To see Thy face, Immanuel.

The Story of a Living Legacy

Ailene is a charter member of one of our local churches. She has been a christian most of her life. She just turned 100 this past August. I want you to experience Ms. Aileen's life so you can see why God touched my heart to start a ministry to the aging here in Savannah, GA called Living Legacies Inc - a ministry dedicate to honoring the aging.

I met Aileen back in 2006. She was just 94 and living in one of our local retirement facilities. I was her pastor and I preached every Sunday at that facility. She was at every church service - to not see Aileen meant something was wrong! She tithed faithfully and always had a kind word after my sermon. Even when her health began to go down hill she was a role model for me and the other aging men and women. She wasn't one to complain about her problems. She'd rather praise the Lord than anything else in her life.

It was in 2010 that her arthritis began to get the best of her. I watched her as she began to grimace in pain. It took a lot for her to get out of her chair and to her walker to make her way back to her room. As time went on my wife and I had to assist her to get up from the chair and once she was up she was able to make it back to the elevator and up to her room. After a while we even had to go to her room to get her and then take her back again.

Aileen now 98 was losing her independence and needed to count on other people to do what she once did for herself. At 94 Aileen moved into the retirement home just after her husband passed away. The next four years she lived by herself tending to her own needs. At 98 years old she no longer could do the things she once did. Now she had to move to an assisted living facility. Luckily she transferred to one of the five extended care facilities that I minister to in Savannah through Living Legacies Inc. Aileen told me after the move, "this is going to be quite a transition but with the help of your ministry I believe I can make it".

It in fact was quite a transition. 98 years and she never had a room mate - had her husband and didn't need anyone. She lived alone in the quietness of her retirement home. Now she enters a place of business where a room by yourself is not an option. The care givers come in regularly day and night, phones ring and voices come over the intercom "Susan, you have a call on line two." "Nurses needed on the west wing - room 294." You would think after the business day ended then you would get some rest but the second shift arrived and the cleaning crew arrived and now the buffers begin to run up and down the halls. Quiet to chaos overnight it seemed. Noises and voices always in your mind. It's enough to drive any man crazy!

Aileen is now 100 years old and very depressed. She doesn't read her Bible because there is no silence or solitude anymore. I have to comfort her often when she says "I am embarrassed to say pastor, I just wish it would all come to an end." I just have to stop what I am doing at that point and remind her that things can always be worse. You can always find someone worse off than you are. I took Ms. Aileen around and showed her other residents who did not even know we entered the room. "Alzheimer's Ms. Aileen", I told her. Then we went back to her room.

I said Ms. Aileen you are 100 years old and you have your mind intact. You can think about your children, and your grandchildren, and even your great-grandchildren. You know them when they come into your room and you can enjoy their laughter, many people are unable to do that you know. That always sparks a conversation and I get to hear about her life when she was 17, how she came to know Jesus Christ, when she met her husband and how long they were married, what careers her children chose, the wives they married and the grandchildren she loves. Oh! How Ms Aileen loves talking about her family!! It brightened her mood and her day.

It's little things like this that help the aging. It is little things like this that makes a ministry great. It's about honoring the aging by giving them a chance to tell their story. It's about being there for them and with them. Seven years ago when I began pouring my life out as a sacrifice of service for the elderly's faith I learned a very important lesson. Every person has two basic needs to love and be loved. I thought I was there for them and it was about me pouring out my love on them. But I quickly learned that I am not just there to love them but I am also there to give them someone to love. I am just one man loving the aging and I have found that the aging community loves me. I have found through this ministry that you cannot out give God. The more you sow the more you reap. Two of the best things about Living Legacies ministry to the aging is I get to love the aging community and I get loved in return.

I've already received more than I deserve but I want to continue being there for the aging community as they enter our extended care facilities. Everyone needs money and with the economy in the shape that it is in I've been told I am crazy for starting a business. I just trust God and want to continue what God has prepared me to do over the last seven years. It is people like Ms. Aileen who get me up each day and give me meaning and purpose in this life. I really covet your prayers in this matter. Pray that God would provide the funds for me to continue what I do. It's not really about the money. It's about people like Aileen. It's about pleading for her and advocating for her. It's about using my strengths and abilities to help those who are losing theirs.It's about being God's eyes, feet, voice, hands and heart. We are the body of Christ and I wouldn't want Ms. Aileen to think God abandoned her because the Body of Christ abandoned her. So I continue to go - In His Name and For His Glory. Thanks for keeping Living Legacies Inc in your prayers.

Message Given on 2/12/12

I started preaching through the Epistle to the Philippians at the beginning of the year in Savannah. One of the themes in Philippians is Joy. Therefore I have been giving the aging community principles of joy found in the Book of Philippians. Last week I spoke on the the third joy stealer PRIDE. Paul uses Jesus as an example of humility. If Jesus is God based upon His inward essence and He chose to hold onto that essence loosely or humbly then we who are sinners should not hold to firm to our pride. God did not make mirrors. Man did! God never intended for us to dwell on ourselves as much as we do. God has placed within each of us the desire to dwell on things much bigger than ourselves. We find a sense of wonder and awe when we look at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, or when we look through the Hubble Telescope and see the galaxies. God never intended for us to dwell on or focus on ourselves.

We think if people would make much of us then we would find joy and happiness but God creates true joy in a more profound way - by dwelling on His Son. In fact our esteem, our joy, our satisfaction are not found in looking in the mirror esteeming and making ourselves look and feel bigger than we really are but our esteem and joy are linked to how high we esteem Christ and how much joy we find in Christ. When we make much of Jesus then God makes much of us. We are joint heirs with Jesus. We are united to Christ in such a way that we receive exaltation from God the same way Jesus received exaltation from His Father. It was through His humility that God "highly exalted Him".

Paul challenged us to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). The key word in this text is "work out" because in Philippians 2:5-8 we studied the word "morphe". From this root word we get metamorphosis. This is the transformation we see in a caterpillar when it becomes a butterfly. There is the inward reality or essence of a butterfly in the caterpillar. After it is "morphed" it leaves the cocoon a butterfly. It could not have become a butterfly unless it had the essence or potential to become a butterfly. The inward essence or reality was there and the metamorphosis was the outward expression of the inward reality. Likewise Jesus was man yet He had the essence of deity within. He is God and the outward expression of humility and sinlessness are directly related to His inward essence. I believe in the impeccability of Christ which means Jesus could not have sinned because He did not have a sin nature as we do but rather He has the very essence and nature of God because He is God.

We must "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" because "it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure"(Phil. 2:13). The key words here are "works in". God works into us a true and real essence of a divine nature through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes a real reality in the believer. The outworking of this inward reality is proof we have a divine nature and saved. God will highly exalt us when we outwardly express a humble spirit.

What does this humble spirit look like? God highly exalted the name of Jesus Christ so that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). In other words Jesus' name was highly exalted so that whoever is saved will be humbled to bow the knee and confess Jesus as Lord. God works humility into us so that we will "will and act" according to His purpose and pleasure of bending our knees and confessing Him as Lord. No prideful man will enter Heaven!!

Obedience to His Lordship will be the test of true faith. The Philippians made Paul rejoice because he saw their salvation as consistent obedient Lordship. Philippians were not Paul pleasers but God pleasers. They expressed the inward reality of their salvation by outward humble obedience to His Lordship. Paul said to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling because if you were not expressing outward obedient Lordship then you did not have the reality of the inward essence of a divine nature by the Holy Spirit. The outward reality of Lordship reflected upon the inward reality of the Holy Spirit. If we are embarrassed to obey then perhaps we are not saved. If we are afraid to obey then perhaps we are not saved. If we refuse to obey then we are not saved. Faith without works is not true faith because faith without works is a faith with no inward essence or substance making it impossible to obey. You cannot reflect the Holy Spirit in your life until you have the Holy Spirit in your life.

Examples of humility:

1. Look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).
2. Jesus made Himself of no reputation (Phil 2:7).
3. Blameless and harmless children of God... being lights to the world (Phil 2:15).

Paul found joy in pouring out his life as a sacrifice. Paul also found joy when he saw others pouring out their life as a sacrifice. When people stop being rivals and hold onto themselves loosely/humbly then the Gospel advances because much is made of Jesus and the Gospel and little is made of self.

Living Legacies Inc is not a rival ministry in Savannah, GA. It is not in competition with other churches and ministries in Savannah. It is for the aging community as I pour out my life as a sacrifice to the aging by advancing the Gospel and preparing people to meet their maker. I preach the Gospel confidently, holding onto my theology humbly, seeking to see people come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. I desire to see everyman bend their knee in humility to Jesus' Lordship and to profess His Lordship with their tongue all for the exaltation of Jesus Christ.

Should I Be Cremated?

One of the questions often asked when contemplating end of life decisions is: Is it OK for me to be cremated? The Bible says we were made from the dust and we will return to dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 3:20). Cremation then speeds up the natural process of decay. If God made man from dust then He certainly can perform the task once again upon the resurrection. There are many ways in which men have died. They have burned to death, died in ship wrecks and left in oceans to be consumed by fish, mutilated beyond recognition in car accidents, and crushed in situations like the World Trade Center catastrophe. God will redeem and raise all of these bodies to eternal life or eternal punishment (1Corinthians 15:35-55; 1Thes. 4:16). Therefore although I do not believe anything is wrong with cremation there are several things each person should take into consideration when considering this option.

First, there isn't one account in the Bible of this kind of burial. In fact we find in the Old Testament dishonor in not giving a person a proper burial. Although some have suggested that burning to death was an act of punishment I do not see cremation as burning to death rather burning the already dead. I also believe you can give proper honor to a loved one and still cremate.

Second, cremation in many cases is more for selfish reasons than moral or immoral ones. The family cremates because it is less expensive than burial. The person dying wishes to be cremated because they can't think of themselves decaying in a grave.

Third, Living Legacies Inc is dedicated to honoring the elderly and Cremation does not allow for the honoring of that person's life. Where will the grave stone be placed in honor of your loved one? How will the life of your loved one be memorialized for future generations? Therefore the "Legacy" of the Christian should be honored in a very tangible way whether you choose burial or cremation. Cremation makes it possible for the ashes to be spilt, lost or stolen and each of these situations would be dishonorable to the deceased.

Finally, a believer should always be considerate of the living before the dead. It is part of the grieving process and the healing process to have a funeral. It gives the family members an opportunity to look the family member in the face and say their final good-byes. The family member who may have never asked for forgiveness may look into the casket and ask their loved one to forgive them. All of these opportunities may be lost if you choose cremation. Therefore I believe this is the strongest reason for not getting cremated - for the sake of those still living. A funeral is not just for the dead but for the living as well!

The Bible teaches us "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Many lost people ignore the reality of death and funerals make us confront death. A good Christian person's funeral can be the last testimony of a life well lived and it offers a visual for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think every true Christian who is concerned about their families salvation would want their life to be used for the salvation of their loved ones. It is why I always give counsel to the believer to consider not being cremated and allow your life to speak from the casket during your memorial service and pray before your death that God will use your death to bring Glory to God one last time. As Paul himself said "as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or death" (Phil. 1:20)

So, What's The Hype Concerning the Aging?

To understand the hype and why we need a Nursing Home Ministry that cares for the aging in Savannah, GA begins with understanding why there is an excessive increase in elderly adults. First we have to understand each generation and what has occurred within that particular generation's history. The generation we are most concerned about at Living Legacies Inc is the Baby Boomer Generation. This generation includes all people born between 1946 and 1964. Living Legacies is concerned about this generation because 1946 plus 65 equals 2011, therefore in 2011 the first of the Baby Boomers will reach retirement age. This still doesn't reflect the concern and need of a ministry that reaches out to the aging in Savannah, GA. Therefore lets look at some statistics.

In 1999 only 30% of the population was over the age of 65, only one in every eight people were 65 or older. Two million elderly lived in 20,000 Nursing Homes costing the tax payer $53 billion per year. However the estimates for the year 2030 is one in every five people will be over 65. Five million people will need Nursing Homes costing the tax payer $700 billion.
http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/Profile/2010/4.aspx.

Now lets do the math! In 1900 there were four million people over 65. In 2000 there were 12 million people over 65 therefore in the last 100 years there was an 8 million person increase in the aging community. The estimate for the future is staggering! There were 12 million people over 65 in the year 2000. The estimate for 2050 is 86.7 million people over the age of 65. In the first 100 years there were only an eight million person increase. But in the next 50 years there will be a 74.7 million person increase. (Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services)

The government is concerned because of Social Security. The plan for Social Security is people would put into Social Security every year while they worked until they reached 65 and then they could retire and begin to take out of Social Security while others are still putting into Social Security. The problem is there are more Baby Boomers taking out than the next generation is able to put in -bankrupting Social Security. The ultimate problem stems from abortion. We've killed 58 million unborn babies since 1973 wiping out our future. The Presidents' answer to the problem is give the aging pain medication so they can die painlessly treating millions of our people like non-persons. My response is if we are made in the image of God and Jesus Christ died for us all then those who believe in Jesus Christ should be the first to stand up and care for the aging, honoring them as Jesus commanded and treating them like the persons they are.

This is my heart beat. This is why I started Living Legacies Inc "dedicated to honoring the aging". This is why a ministry like this is needed in Savannah, GA. This is why I started this blog to inform you the reader on how you can support this incredible need. Living Legacies Inc is a front line ministry to the aging. The need is great and in the next 50 years it will become even greater. I hope by starting this ministry now we will be able to meet the needs of the future. I hope you will follow me on this blog as Living Legacies Inc begins it's ministry to the aging here in Savannah, GA.