Lord, crucify the pride in me. Permeate my soul, I pray, with light and let not one crevice in me continue in darkness. Renew, I beseech thee, your covenant in me today so that the only remaining desire that burns in me is the hope of your all satisfying glory and the never-ending bliss your grace affords.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Brian L Hunter is a ghostwriter, editor, literary critic, self-publishing consultant, music educator, and freelance writer. ~ The Ministry Of Writing Helps www.koalendar.com/e/meet-with-brian-l-hunter
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Incredible Lightness
The world says to give the offender the silent treatment, shun their Facebook page, and conspire with any sympathizers against him or her. God says to bless and to pray. The reactionary path I take defines whose servant I am and in whom I place all of my hope. Am I a new creation? Or, will I act just like I did way back when it was all about me, my vindication, and my feelings? Lord, wash me with the truth of your Word today and do surgery on my heart with your two-edged sword. Let no root of bitterness spring up and defile me today. Let me be so completely satisfied in you and in your goodness that I scarcely notice when evil is directed my way. I trust in the angels encamped round about me, in your faithfulness, and in your benevolence. You take delight in the prosperity of your servants, oh God, and I thank you. Let it be done in me and unto me according to your perfect will and according to the Word which you have spoken. Amen.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Got Hurt?
If you have hurt my feelings or insulted me, my reaction proves my spiritual character and the maturity of my relationship with God. Vengeance is not mine and perhaps it is by your insult that God will make me holier than I was before the affront. "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (Luke 6:28)
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Blessed To Be
I am indebted, in covenant with The Most High God, united to and in Christ alone, and forsaking all others... Cleaving to Jesus, my only hope, I joyfully contemplate the mystery of being baptized into His death and, having been planted together in the likeness of His death, I shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Glory!
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Romans 5:7-9
"When all we deserved was a great big slap in the face from God, God demonstrated His perfect love for us knuckleheads. While we were yet engaged in complete and foolish ungodliness, God sent Christ to die for us." (Romans 5:7-9 Three Stooges Version/2010 BLH)
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Rant 10/30/10
"For there is no respect of persons with God." (Rom 2:11) God is just and equitable in his dealings with man. Therefore, why should I be troubled when anyone has neglected me, knowing full well that the enemy of my soul loves nothing more than for me to be offended?
And, furthermore, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Proverbs 13:10) Whatever the cause of my 'attitude', how is that affecting heaven just now? Am I myself so important in mine own eyes? Balderdash!!! ...Let me tell you something, Cain; "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." (Genesis 4:7) Oh, I shall keep talking to myself about the goodness of the Lord.
I will delight in the infinite wisdom and benevolence of His grace. If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out... (Mark 9:47) Let us not be deaf and not hear the love of God amongst His people, nor be blinded not see the beam in our own eye (Luke 6:42) Place all of your hope, not in men who are made from the dust, but in things immortal, invisible, and eternal; for to the dust men and women shall return. Selah
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
And, furthermore, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (Proverbs 13:10) Whatever the cause of my 'attitude', how is that affecting heaven just now? Am I myself so important in mine own eyes? Balderdash!!! ...Let me tell you something, Cain; "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." (Genesis 4:7) Oh, I shall keep talking to myself about the goodness of the Lord.
I will delight in the infinite wisdom and benevolence of His grace. If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out... (Mark 9:47) Let us not be deaf and not hear the love of God amongst His people, nor be blinded not see the beam in our own eye (Luke 6:42) Place all of your hope, not in men who are made from the dust, but in things immortal, invisible, and eternal; for to the dust men and women shall return. Selah
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Utility
“And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?” (Mark 3:33)
As the prodigal son soon learned, people love you so long as you never require anything of them. When you make it known that you have a need, whether it be emotional, spiritual, financial, or otherwise, your so-called friends will prove to be false. Oh, they partied often to the break of dawn, most often at your expense. Greed loves a fool almost as much as misery loves company. Oh, when they needed you, you were there for them. Yet, they will never remember how you sacrificed to comfort and console them in the middle of the night when it seemed that no one else cared. They will not remember how welcome they were in your family’s home when you were young though, when you went to their parent’s house, you were never offered so much as a glass of water. They won’t remember how they called your mother to bail them out of jail instead of calling their own mother.
As soon as your utility has been exhausted in their lives, those folks who were once always at your side will scarcely give you a second thought. Such is the way of the world. However, I am called to be that friend which sticketh closer than a brother, who loves you unconditionally, who rejoices with you and mourns with you. When I have nothing to profit and yet I still keep in touch, then, my friend, you can come to certain educated conclusions about my character and my motives. I come to do the will of my Lord Jesus Christ even as He came to do the will of the Father. Jesus, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:21)
Am I believe that you love me when, clearly, faith without works is dead? The carnal mind cannot be expected to understand these things, and so, with loving hearts we pray for blind eyes to be opened until we all come into the fullness of understanding that is available in Christ our Lord. Does the sun not shine yet on the just and the unjust alike? Likewise is the blood of the Son of God available to all who will call upon His name in hope. Cain and Abel were, despite the atrocities of jealousy and murder, brothers by birth. We cannot erase the reality of our relationships as siblings, believers, countrymen, or human beings. Let those who have an ear hear what the Spirit is saying. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) Let’s get it together, after all. We are all a part of God’s family, a family for which He gave His only begotten Son’s life to save and redeem.
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesian 4:16)
As they say in Jamaica, one love… Lord, make us one (John 17:21) even as you intend for husband and wife to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Let us be the body, the church, the love. In Jesus’ precious and matchless name, amen. Contact somebody now, and, if you really mean it, tell them that you love and appreciate them.
© 2011 Brian L Hunter
As the prodigal son soon learned, people love you so long as you never require anything of them. When you make it known that you have a need, whether it be emotional, spiritual, financial, or otherwise, your so-called friends will prove to be false. Oh, they partied often to the break of dawn, most often at your expense. Greed loves a fool almost as much as misery loves company. Oh, when they needed you, you were there for them. Yet, they will never remember how you sacrificed to comfort and console them in the middle of the night when it seemed that no one else cared. They will not remember how welcome they were in your family’s home when you were young though, when you went to their parent’s house, you were never offered so much as a glass of water. They won’t remember how they called your mother to bail them out of jail instead of calling their own mother.
As soon as your utility has been exhausted in their lives, those folks who were once always at your side will scarcely give you a second thought. Such is the way of the world. However, I am called to be that friend which sticketh closer than a brother, who loves you unconditionally, who rejoices with you and mourns with you. When I have nothing to profit and yet I still keep in touch, then, my friend, you can come to certain educated conclusions about my character and my motives. I come to do the will of my Lord Jesus Christ even as He came to do the will of the Father. Jesus, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:21)
Am I believe that you love me when, clearly, faith without works is dead? The carnal mind cannot be expected to understand these things, and so, with loving hearts we pray for blind eyes to be opened until we all come into the fullness of understanding that is available in Christ our Lord. Does the sun not shine yet on the just and the unjust alike? Likewise is the blood of the Son of God available to all who will call upon His name in hope. Cain and Abel were, despite the atrocities of jealousy and murder, brothers by birth. We cannot erase the reality of our relationships as siblings, believers, countrymen, or human beings. Let those who have an ear hear what the Spirit is saying. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) Let’s get it together, after all. We are all a part of God’s family, a family for which He gave His only begotten Son’s life to save and redeem.
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesian 4:16)
As they say in Jamaica, one love… Lord, make us one (John 17:21) even as you intend for husband and wife to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Let us be the body, the church, the love. In Jesus’ precious and matchless name, amen. Contact somebody now, and, if you really mean it, tell them that you love and appreciate them.
© 2011 Brian L Hunter
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
His Voice
The voice of God is matchless,
Subliminally pure,
Incomparable and excellent,
Intrinsically and perfectly mature.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Subliminally pure,
Incomparable and excellent,
Intrinsically and perfectly mature.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Prayer Requests
If you don’t want to pray, that is between you and your God. “But, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) Successful servanthood requires obedience. Paul was a bondservant of his Lord Jesus Christ and Paul asked for prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:25, to mention just a few instances. James 5:14 instructs believers to request prayer and James 5:16 tells us that it is proper for us to pray for one another. One major problem we have in Christ’s church today is a malformed conformity to the world’s duty of independence. Too many Evangelicals think they can, or must, make it as a lone wolf.
The enemy of our souls delights to convince us that we are individual “super-Christians” whose faith is strong enough that we dare not need anyone else. In fact, the climate is now such that we look and talk down to anyone showing any signs of struggling in his or her walk with God, even if they don’t ask for prayer. Such a church does not resemble the Body of Christ which was purchased with His blood and called to watch and pray until He returns. In the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus prayed that we, His church, be one.
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:20-23)
Ephesians 4:16 says, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Speaking of Christ, our redeemer, Ephesians 2:21 goes on to say, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
In conclusion, Christ’s church is not contained within any number of walls. Many argue against ecumenism because denominationalism has somehow taken precedence over Scripture. If we are not one body, we are not one church in one Spirit. Therefore we are neither in The Word nor are we His. I will pray for you all and continue to ask for your prayers to include me. Am I also called to pray in my secret closet? Absolutely! I must meet my Father in the secret place and travail in prayer. However, Matthew 18:19 informs me that there is another dimension added so “that if two of you (us) shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they (we) shall ask, it shall be done for them (us) of my (our) Father which is in heaven.” If we heed God’s Word in its entirety, we shall be prosperous and have good success. (Joshua 1:8) Here is to our success.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
The enemy of our souls delights to convince us that we are individual “super-Christians” whose faith is strong enough that we dare not need anyone else. In fact, the climate is now such that we look and talk down to anyone showing any signs of struggling in his or her walk with God, even if they don’t ask for prayer. Such a church does not resemble the Body of Christ which was purchased with His blood and called to watch and pray until He returns. In the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus prayed that we, His church, be one.
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:20-23)
Ephesians 4:16 says, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Speaking of Christ, our redeemer, Ephesians 2:21 goes on to say, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
In conclusion, Christ’s church is not contained within any number of walls. Many argue against ecumenism because denominationalism has somehow taken precedence over Scripture. If we are not one body, we are not one church in one Spirit. Therefore we are neither in The Word nor are we His. I will pray for you all and continue to ask for your prayers to include me. Am I also called to pray in my secret closet? Absolutely! I must meet my Father in the secret place and travail in prayer. However, Matthew 18:19 informs me that there is another dimension added so “that if two of you (us) shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they (we) shall ask, it shall be done for them (us) of my (our) Father which is in heaven.” If we heed God’s Word in its entirety, we shall be prosperous and have good success. (Joshua 1:8) Here is to our success.
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Storms
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from which cometh my help. (Psalm 121:1) What do I see there? At times I see lightening as a hint of the intensity of the only omnipotent God. Neither tsunamis, nor earthquakes, nor hurricanes, nor tornadoes can demonstrate the fullness of His potential. In such phenomena, God, preeminent and eternal, is merely glancing over the horizontal veil of clouds to behold that creation which He so sovereignly saturates and permeates with the awesomeness of His majesty and perfection. God is that infinite continuum of possibility; making “His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sending rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
God has said, “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” (Deuteronomy 32:2, 3)
Now that we have been saved from the sin of unbelief and believed on the Word that became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14), let us praise Jesus even in the midst of the most violent storms. We will have to cry sometimes, that is a given. Yet, God is our sure anchor and He never slumbers nor sleeps. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7) We have the PROMISES of the One who cannot lie. He sanctifies us by the truth of His trustworthy Word (John 17:17) which even makes the simple-minded wise. (Psalm 19:7) Faith cometh by hearing, therefore, be careful who you listen to (Romans 10:17)…
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20, 21)
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
God has said, “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” (Deuteronomy 32:2, 3)
Now that we have been saved from the sin of unbelief and believed on the Word that became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14), let us praise Jesus even in the midst of the most violent storms. We will have to cry sometimes, that is a given. Yet, God is our sure anchor and He never slumbers nor sleeps. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7) We have the PROMISES of the One who cannot lie. He sanctifies us by the truth of His trustworthy Word (John 17:17) which even makes the simple-minded wise. (Psalm 19:7) Faith cometh by hearing, therefore, be careful who you listen to (Romans 10:17)…
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20, 21)
© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter
Friday, April 23, 2010
Worldview Discussion Continued
It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error... Oprah, Dr. Phil, and President Obama say we should embrace all faiths and all views. Not! Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth” in John 18:38. Anyone with an anti-Christian worldview today will try to convince you that truth is subjective and that whatever works for them is their truth. Was Pilate a humanist before his time? www.ministryofwritinghelps.com
If given a one hour interview with Pilate, what would I want to say to him? If Pilate had no authority at the time of my interview I would ask him why he had allowed the Jews to bully him into condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion when he himself had found Jesus guilty of no crime. It seems to me that Pilate would even have been converted had Jesus been willing to converse further with him, but He did not in order that the Scriptures be fulfilled. Jesus said, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). I would ask Pilate what he was really getting at when he asked Jesus “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Could Pilate's heart really have been so dark and jaded, having succumbed to the expediency of pragmatism which says whatever succeeds or prevails today is truth? I would assume Pilate was sarcastically insinuating that whatever gets us through today is truth.
It is clear that Pilate was quite annoyed with the Jews for putting him on the spot – a spot which taxed not only his executive skills but also, because Jesus was and is truth (John 14:6), burdened the finiteness of man’s ability to reason. Given the opportunity, I would then ask Pilate why he refused to honor the chief priests of the Jews’ protest when they said “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews” (John 19:21).
Furthermore, I would ask Pilate what happened to the guards that had been posted outside the tomb from whence Jesus was raised bodily by God Almighty from the dead. I would also ask Pilate if he knew where he would spend eternity if he were to die today and whether he wouldn’t rather be assured of spending it peacefully as a friend of the one who created him than to spend it in a state of ignorance and grief as an enemy of that one true supreme creator and divine ruler of the universe who reigns high above any other god or government, whether it be Brahman, Zeus, or Caesar.
Using Paul as my evangelistic example and seizing the opportunity for the gospel, I would then elaborate on the salvific necessity of the gospel until he either begged to know Jesus or ordered me to leave. I would be sure to read Isaiah 53 aloud and at least the prologue of John’s Gospel, having prayed beforehand for God to open Pilate's eyes and prepare his heart to receive the gospel truth. I would inquire about his wife and family and seek to assure him of God’s grace in healing those who trust in, believe on, and rely upon Him (who is fully God and fully man) and His means of salvation for all who believe on Him (Isaiah 53:5).
If given a one hour interview with Pilate, what would I want to say to him? If Pilate had no authority at the time of my interview I would ask him why he had allowed the Jews to bully him into condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion when he himself had found Jesus guilty of no crime. It seems to me that Pilate would even have been converted had Jesus been willing to converse further with him, but He did not in order that the Scriptures be fulfilled. Jesus said, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). I would ask Pilate what he was really getting at when he asked Jesus “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Could Pilate's heart really have been so dark and jaded, having succumbed to the expediency of pragmatism which says whatever succeeds or prevails today is truth? I would assume Pilate was sarcastically insinuating that whatever gets us through today is truth.
It is clear that Pilate was quite annoyed with the Jews for putting him on the spot – a spot which taxed not only his executive skills but also, because Jesus was and is truth (John 14:6), burdened the finiteness of man’s ability to reason. Given the opportunity, I would then ask Pilate why he refused to honor the chief priests of the Jews’ protest when they said “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews” (John 19:21).
Furthermore, I would ask Pilate what happened to the guards that had been posted outside the tomb from whence Jesus was raised bodily by God Almighty from the dead. I would also ask Pilate if he knew where he would spend eternity if he were to die today and whether he wouldn’t rather be assured of spending it peacefully as a friend of the one who created him than to spend it in a state of ignorance and grief as an enemy of that one true supreme creator and divine ruler of the universe who reigns high above any other god or government, whether it be Brahman, Zeus, or Caesar.
Using Paul as my evangelistic example and seizing the opportunity for the gospel, I would then elaborate on the salvific necessity of the gospel until he either begged to know Jesus or ordered me to leave. I would be sure to read Isaiah 53 aloud and at least the prologue of John’s Gospel, having prayed beforehand for God to open Pilate's eyes and prepare his heart to receive the gospel truth. I would inquire about his wife and family and seek to assure him of God’s grace in healing those who trust in, believe on, and rely upon Him (who is fully God and fully man) and His means of salvation for all who believe on Him (Isaiah 53:5).
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Hated
Why Jesus was and is hated (John 15:18) is simple; as Gabriel pointed out, " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) I agree the best defense as to why the Bible is true to you is because of one person; Jesus Christ. Is the gospel more difficult to believe or somehow less credible than evolution as taught to us in our schools? Bridgette, I applaud your citing of John 14:6 because a 100% error free knowledge of who Jesus Christ is predicates wisdom and salvation. Drug addicts and alcoholics have to hit rock bottom in order to know Jesus as a deliverer. Some will first come to know Him as a healer. Humanists must "meet" the Savior on their own Damascus road and our apologetics must be that signpost for the way to the Lord. Remember that before the term Christian was coined, discipleship was mereley called "the way" and believers were called people of the way. I think it is a more fitting nomenclature because acceptance of John 14:6 defines who and what we are as disciples of Christ, that is of course, "if we have love one to another." (John 13:35) Love is the box often left unchecked on our Christian identity cards and so many fail to fully qualify...
Personal Testimony of The One
It is easy to reject what is unknown. If grace is irresistible, then surely sharing the intimacy of our knowledge of Jesus, The Bread of Life, The Living Water, The Word of God, etc. might resonate with the emptiness inside the hearts of those deceived by the lies of secular humanism and spiritualism. They will want to focus on the failures and ills of religion, even citing religion as a major cause of war. We, however, must focus the discussion on questions that expose the issue of personal sin and present the perfection of The Savior whose resurrection points to our only hope of eternal salvation and peace. Our personal testimony is crucial - of how we have come to personally know that Jesus is really with us, that He is a person who loves and cares for us, and, that although He is divine, He is not merely some impersonal higher power mystically floating in an arbitrarily hostile universe.
Godlessness
I have read concerning the dilemma of atheism that “The atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman.” Atheists and humanists tend to cite human suffering as the wellspring of their lunacy. “If there is a God (See Psalm 14:1), how could he allow earthquakes, murder, poverty, tsunamis and cancer?” The humanist generally refuses to discuss anything he or she considers to be without merit and Scripture is at the top of that list. The bedrock of humanist reasoning is diversion and the art of inquiry. Genesis 3:1 and Matthew 4:3 give witness some of Satan’s favorite questions. In sales we learn that the person asking the questions is in control of the meeting. In witnessing to atheists and humanists it is imperative that we engage them in the questions all religions seek to answer. Opening with Bible thumping will fall on deaf ears.
Witnessing to Those with a Secular Humanist Worldview
Secular humanists, a subset of modern day spiritualists, are skeptics and largely atheists or agnostics who have supplanted the creator with the creature and thus worship an idyllic representation of themselves as scientific evidence and the pinnacle of an unsubstantiated evolutionary hypothesis. It would seem that secular humanists are on a mission to prove that man has no need of anything supernatural, mainly God. A skeptic begins with the assumption that all systems of faith are wrong. (Caner 2009, p. 43) This assumption, along with the humanist’s many other assumptions and presuppositions, must be questioned and dissected according to reason.
Debating humanists on an intellectual or argumentative basis is largely unproductive. An appeal to the need for an ultimate authority might be established after a heartfelt dissatisfaction with the status quo of unanswered questions is acknowledged and then one can present historical evidence for the superiority of the Bible as the God given source of such authority. The unanswered questions of science are a good place to begin (Caner 2009, p.43) as is a discourse on worldview questions such as
Such testimony by believers can only help spiritualists refine their worldview and learn that there is more to life and death than what meets the eye. There is mythological, philosophical, empirical, and historical evidence in favour of biblical truth and authority, and God desires an intimate fellowship with us because He created and loves us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It’s just that simple. I don’t ever want to be accused of being more in love with my interpretation of theology than I am with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The solution to the root of every problem in any life is a person named Jesus. The historical record of the life of the apostle Paul is a most useful, scripturally anchored introduction to the gospel. Why do men reject God and His Son, Jesus? It’s alright if Jesus is anything other than God. It’s alright with humanists if Jesus is just another prophet or just another great historical figure. In fact Jesus is just more fodder for their mountain of relativism which is akin to a pantheism where mere ideas are gods.
I think most people are longing for something that will resonate the general revelation of God’s existence within them and the God shaped hole inside that they try to ignore. They try to fill this abyss with alcohol, drugs, sex, philosophy, materialism, etc. All they know for sure is that they have not yet experienced that ultimate peace that we have learned is only made possible through what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.
The core ideology of Secular Humanism is anti-faith and therefore anti-Christian. It exalts reason as supreme as a way of knowing. The question is what is to be known? What does man need to know in order to “conquer” life. Secular Humanism developed in part as a direct antithesis to Christianity. The primary supposition must be that the universe is inherently hostile to mankind and survival is therefore man’s main pursuit in life. Man is viewed as victorious and superior in an adversarial relationship with nature. Admitting then that man needs anything outside of himself, such as a higher power, God, traditional dogma, etc. would undermine the basic presuppositions of the humanist manifesto and worldview. I doubt that anyone holding to this worldview would welcome prayer or an overt discussion of Scripture because any aspect of anything “religious” offends their sensibilities. One must approach reason from the perspective of either contextual apologetics or negative apologetics as did the apostle Paul in his Mars Hill Address in Acts 17.
Oprah, Dr. Phil, eastern mysticism, New Age fads, and ethical relativism fail miserably to apprehend the centeredness and peace of mind that is so lacking in this world of the twenty-first century schizoid man (King Crimson) where lives are so expendable as acceptable casualties of war and the love of money and prosperity gospels rule. This is perhaps the most world view most aggressively forced upon us in the mass media, schools, and ultra liberal churches teaching far to the left of Scripture in America today. This is the height of vanity and exalts vain imaginations above reason, believing that all that exists is what can be seen with the naked eye, while dismissing the validity of the supernatural. Everything is relative to the secular humanist, which is one reason why it leads to gross immorality and incredible insensitivity to the pain and suffering of others. 1 Corinthians 1:18-29 is also a good place to begin when discussing the gospel with humanists.
© 2010 Brian L Hunter
Debating humanists on an intellectual or argumentative basis is largely unproductive. An appeal to the need for an ultimate authority might be established after a heartfelt dissatisfaction with the status quo of unanswered questions is acknowledged and then one can present historical evidence for the superiority of the Bible as the God given source of such authority. The unanswered questions of science are a good place to begin (Caner 2009, p.43) as is a discourse on worldview questions such as
- Where did we come from? (Origin)
- Why are we here? (Meaning)
- What is good and what is evil? (Morality)
- Where is civilization headed? (Destiny)
Such testimony by believers can only help spiritualists refine their worldview and learn that there is more to life and death than what meets the eye. There is mythological, philosophical, empirical, and historical evidence in favour of biblical truth and authority, and God desires an intimate fellowship with us because He created and loves us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It’s just that simple. I don’t ever want to be accused of being more in love with my interpretation of theology than I am with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The solution to the root of every problem in any life is a person named Jesus. The historical record of the life of the apostle Paul is a most useful, scripturally anchored introduction to the gospel. Why do men reject God and His Son, Jesus? It’s alright if Jesus is anything other than God. It’s alright with humanists if Jesus is just another prophet or just another great historical figure. In fact Jesus is just more fodder for their mountain of relativism which is akin to a pantheism where mere ideas are gods.
I think most people are longing for something that will resonate the general revelation of God’s existence within them and the God shaped hole inside that they try to ignore. They try to fill this abyss with alcohol, drugs, sex, philosophy, materialism, etc. All they know for sure is that they have not yet experienced that ultimate peace that we have learned is only made possible through what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.
The core ideology of Secular Humanism is anti-faith and therefore anti-Christian. It exalts reason as supreme as a way of knowing. The question is what is to be known? What does man need to know in order to “conquer” life. Secular Humanism developed in part as a direct antithesis to Christianity. The primary supposition must be that the universe is inherently hostile to mankind and survival is therefore man’s main pursuit in life. Man is viewed as victorious and superior in an adversarial relationship with nature. Admitting then that man needs anything outside of himself, such as a higher power, God, traditional dogma, etc. would undermine the basic presuppositions of the humanist manifesto and worldview. I doubt that anyone holding to this worldview would welcome prayer or an overt discussion of Scripture because any aspect of anything “religious” offends their sensibilities. One must approach reason from the perspective of either contextual apologetics or negative apologetics as did the apostle Paul in his Mars Hill Address in Acts 17.
Oprah, Dr. Phil, eastern mysticism, New Age fads, and ethical relativism fail miserably to apprehend the centeredness and peace of mind that is so lacking in this world of the twenty-first century schizoid man (King Crimson) where lives are so expendable as acceptable casualties of war and the love of money and prosperity gospels rule. This is perhaps the most world view most aggressively forced upon us in the mass media, schools, and ultra liberal churches teaching far to the left of Scripture in America today. This is the height of vanity and exalts vain imaginations above reason, believing that all that exists is what can be seen with the naked eye, while dismissing the validity of the supernatural. Everything is relative to the secular humanist, which is one reason why it leads to gross immorality and incredible insensitivity to the pain and suffering of others. 1 Corinthians 1:18-29 is also a good place to begin when discussing the gospel with humanists.
© 2010 Brian L Hunter
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Sisyphus
Today is just tomorrow's yesterday reaching for a possession yet to come. In Christ we live and move and have our being now, while existing beyond the realm of time or mere historicity. My soul is steadfastly anchored and, despite the gray hair and the feeble knees, I press even more zealously toward the mark for the prize today as when I first held fast to this rock. As often as I am filled with God’s Spirit, is as often as I need another filling. As often as I reach the pinnacle of experience concerning the bliss of His merciful grace, I am just as constantly brought face to face with my need for more of Him. Whereas Sisyphus pushed the rock upwards in futility, I advance, being completely in the rock that pushes me, towards an inheritance gained by many stripes and the precious blood of the Lamb of God as He endured the Cross for my sake. So pressed upon am I by the tremendous weight of the glory my eyes have yet to see, that I can hardly contain the anticipation here and now. I can only respond with progressively more worship, obedience, submission, and adulation. Lord, please let it be done unto me according to the Word you have breathed forth from the beginning.
Spilled Milk
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19)
What the apostle John experienced was that some people profess commitment and pledge allegiance at some point and then change their minds, abandoning all consent and choosing enmity over fidelity. How many church and denominational splits are examples of this tendancy?
There is no use crying over spilled milk. Yes, we are disappointed when relationships are lost. However satisfying they may be, not every fellowship is ordained to continue throughout our lives. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) There are perhaps places and fellowships which were profitable for a season and to which you should not return again. If there is no forthcoming fruit, i.e. love, where then is the purpose? Could it be that what we sometimes label as drama might often be progress, deliverance, and growth in development to move us out of harms way? Why should we cry over having been forgotten or cast away? When we have been discarded, dissipated, dropped, dumped, eighty-sixed, eliminated, forsaken, given up, godforsaken, jilted, left in the cold, left in the lurch, neglected, passed up, pigeon-holed, or rejected, just remember that God is perfect in all His ways and He is 100% sovereign. God says, “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?” (Isaiah 51:12, 13) Seeming misfortune only becomes oppression in reality when the calamity outweighs the Word of God’s power in the forefront of our awareness. And so, in regards to spilled milk, as Dionne Warwick said, just walk on by.
What the apostle John experienced was that some people profess commitment and pledge allegiance at some point and then change their minds, abandoning all consent and choosing enmity over fidelity. How many church and denominational splits are examples of this tendancy?
There is no use crying over spilled milk. Yes, we are disappointed when relationships are lost. However satisfying they may be, not every fellowship is ordained to continue throughout our lives. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) There are perhaps places and fellowships which were profitable for a season and to which you should not return again. If there is no forthcoming fruit, i.e. love, where then is the purpose? Could it be that what we sometimes label as drama might often be progress, deliverance, and growth in development to move us out of harms way? Why should we cry over having been forgotten or cast away? When we have been discarded, dissipated, dropped, dumped, eighty-sixed, eliminated, forsaken, given up, godforsaken, jilted, left in the cold, left in the lurch, neglected, passed up, pigeon-holed, or rejected, just remember that God is perfect in all His ways and He is 100% sovereign. God says, “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?” (Isaiah 51:12, 13) Seeming misfortune only becomes oppression in reality when the calamity outweighs the Word of God’s power in the forefront of our awareness. And so, in regards to spilled milk, as Dionne Warwick said, just walk on by.
Friday, January 15, 2010
“Love is not puffed up…” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
It is a dangerous temptation for a disciple to become so impressed with his or her own spirituality that they lose sight of the fact that not a single one of us is worthy even to lift our eyes towards heaven. Not a single human being has ever arrived at perfect spiritual maturity and holiness. Paul told us he had not “arrived.” (Philippians 3:14) “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) Are we thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; or, are we thinking soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith? (Romans 12:3) There is so much self promotion going on in the church and marketing of self rather than the gospel seems to have overtaken many today. I am examining myself to see whether I be in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) Therefore, as my friend, if ever I seem out of line to you, spare not to whip me with the Word of God. Upset me if you must; just love me enough to tell me I am wrong. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) Help me, my brother and my sister, to do right in the sight of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Every Idle Word
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
If a personal criticism begins with the phrase “you always” then the speaker is clearly not in the Spirit when the criticism is spoken. Remember that accuser of the brethren is Satan’s primary job description. If the Bible is studied, then the student can come to no other conclusion than that love for our fellow man is to be sought “above all things.” So why do Christians so often dwell on the negative and the faults seen in others? It is not uncommon even for pastors and self proclaimed ministers of the gospel to focus more so on the wrong one has done instead of the infallibility of God’s word and God’s sovereign omnipotent triumph in the salvation of those whom He has chosen to conform to the image of His Son Jesus. I take my place in history among the worst sort of wicked men ever to have walked the earth. Yes, daily I fall short of perfect holiness and spiritual maturity. “But God…” I will not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto the complete turning around of my life. The fact that the process of my turn around, my sanctification, is not yet complete does not deter me from the confident hope I have of the future grace that has been promised and stored up for me by The Most High God who cannot fail to deliver. Daily I must examine myself to see whether I am in the faith, that Jesus Christ is in me, and that I am in Him. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
And so I admonish us all to be wary of criticism from our closest loved ones and even from our own minds. Let God be true… Greater is He that is in you, but be sure to let the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
The Word of God is the meat that strengthens us against all of our enemies. Forget what man has testified against you and cling to the thing which Mary knew was most needful; the Bread of life, the Living Water, the Anointed One and His Anointing, the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.
Remember that God’s words are not spoken idly. In the beginning, God, by His Word, created everything out of complete nothingness. Isaiah 55:11 lets us know that God’s Word shall not return unto him void but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto He sent it. I can clearly see the love and faithfulness of God throughout history. Where I need to find love now is in the way I treat my fellow man and in the measure of my obedience to God’s Word. I am truly going to have to give an account in the day of judgment for every idle word I have spoken.
Prayer:
Lord, please empower and enable me to fulfill your greatest commandment and love my neighbor as myself. Please help the body of Christ which is the church of God in Christ answer the prayer of Jesus from John 17 that we be one even as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
If a personal criticism begins with the phrase “you always” then the speaker is clearly not in the Spirit when the criticism is spoken. Remember that accuser of the brethren is Satan’s primary job description. If the Bible is studied, then the student can come to no other conclusion than that love for our fellow man is to be sought “above all things.” So why do Christians so often dwell on the negative and the faults seen in others? It is not uncommon even for pastors and self proclaimed ministers of the gospel to focus more so on the wrong one has done instead of the infallibility of God’s word and God’s sovereign omnipotent triumph in the salvation of those whom He has chosen to conform to the image of His Son Jesus. I take my place in history among the worst sort of wicked men ever to have walked the earth. Yes, daily I fall short of perfect holiness and spiritual maturity. “But God…” I will not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto the complete turning around of my life. The fact that the process of my turn around, my sanctification, is not yet complete does not deter me from the confident hope I have of the future grace that has been promised and stored up for me by The Most High God who cannot fail to deliver. Daily I must examine myself to see whether I am in the faith, that Jesus Christ is in me, and that I am in Him. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
And so I admonish us all to be wary of criticism from our closest loved ones and even from our own minds. Let God be true… Greater is He that is in you, but be sure to let the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
The Word of God is the meat that strengthens us against all of our enemies. Forget what man has testified against you and cling to the thing which Mary knew was most needful; the Bread of life, the Living Water, the Anointed One and His Anointing, the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.
Remember that God’s words are not spoken idly. In the beginning, God, by His Word, created everything out of complete nothingness. Isaiah 55:11 lets us know that God’s Word shall not return unto him void but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto He sent it. I can clearly see the love and faithfulness of God throughout history. Where I need to find love now is in the way I treat my fellow man and in the measure of my obedience to God’s Word. I am truly going to have to give an account in the day of judgment for every idle word I have spoken.
Prayer:
Lord, please empower and enable me to fulfill your greatest commandment and love my neighbor as myself. Please help the body of Christ which is the church of God in Christ answer the prayer of Jesus from John 17 that we be one even as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
My Salvation Has A First Name: It’s J E S U S
Salvation has a beginning, middle, and an end. All things, even our salvation, are of Jesus, through Jesus, and to Jesus. (Romans 11:36) Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the Word of God, is both the substance and the object of our faith. We are saved, as Ephesians 2:8, 9 clearly states, by grace through faith, not by works (i.e. baptism, charity, etc.). A good place to start, according to the apostle Paul, is confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Romans 10:9, 10) Remember that Peter couldn’t even testify that Jesus was the Christ until the Holy Spirit revealed this truth to him. (Mark 8:27 and Matthew 16:13) Hence, a person cannot decide out of the blue to be saved when and where they “feel” like it. When God chooses us and anoints our blind eyes to see, we then begin to seek Him and recognize that He is sovereign, omnipotent, and holy. Fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10) God says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3) All of my hope is in thee, oh God, and in your Word. I pray now that my faith fail not and that I continue to grow by leaps and bounds in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Unto Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
To Be Continued
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
Jesus, the divine Son and second personality of the triune Godhead who is one. God the Son, in total agreement with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is both the object of our faith and the contextual framework of love within which the seeds of discipleship can grow into faith that fails not. (Luke 22:31-33)
Hence, I propose that this Word or logos, this Word who was with God the Father in the beginning and who was himself God, is the primordial concept from which all subsequent reason came to be. Science, philosophy, and theology need not be at odds, although the goals of each are exclusive. The difference for the disciple of Christ is that the center, or ethos, is the Word of God and includes nothing outside of the truth that can be deduced from that Word. Jesus, this same Word of God who names himself Alpha and Omega, is the very God YHWH who said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)
Any truth that does not save is no truth at all and salvation is an all or nothing affair. Salvation, like time and reality as we know it, begins and ends with one whom alone claims to be the way, the truth, and the life. God alone has claimed to be The Most High God, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. This God talks! Though God, like Allah et al, has spoken through historical prophets, He alone has spoken directly to His creation. All other gods have remained silent because the dead cannot speak. Yet for those who believe and are hidden in Christ, the best is yet to come because Christ in them is the hope of a promised weight of glory to be revealed when He returns to claim His beloved bride and take them home. As I see it, it’s all about the picture that the language used is able to paint and the vehicle by which the transmogrification of nothingness into life is thereby achieved. I really cannot fathom it. My thinking on the glorious light of the world must for the moment come to an end lest in blindness I ramble aimlessly. Reason is finite.
Jesus, the divine Son and second personality of the triune Godhead who is one. God the Son, in total agreement with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is both the object of our faith and the contextual framework of love within which the seeds of discipleship can grow into faith that fails not. (Luke 22:31-33)
Hence, I propose that this Word or logos, this Word who was with God the Father in the beginning and who was himself God, is the primordial concept from which all subsequent reason came to be. Science, philosophy, and theology need not be at odds, although the goals of each are exclusive. The difference for the disciple of Christ is that the center, or ethos, is the Word of God and includes nothing outside of the truth that can be deduced from that Word. Jesus, this same Word of God who names himself Alpha and Omega, is the very God YHWH who said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)
Any truth that does not save is no truth at all and salvation is an all or nothing affair. Salvation, like time and reality as we know it, begins and ends with one whom alone claims to be the way, the truth, and the life. God alone has claimed to be The Most High God, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. This God talks! Though God, like Allah et al, has spoken through historical prophets, He alone has spoken directly to His creation. All other gods have remained silent because the dead cannot speak. Yet for those who believe and are hidden in Christ, the best is yet to come because Christ in them is the hope of a promised weight of glory to be revealed when He returns to claim His beloved bride and take them home. As I see it, it’s all about the picture that the language used is able to paint and the vehicle by which the transmogrification of nothingness into life is thereby achieved. I really cannot fathom it. My thinking on the glorious light of the world must for the moment come to an end lest in blindness I ramble aimlessly. Reason is finite.
Reflections
Remember that the purpose of your every breath, your every thought, and your every move is intended to glorify this Jehovah who saves. Make no mistake. We are talking about the Holy One of Israel who is a limitless, continuous, incredible weight of glory worthy of infinitely more praise than our feeble frames can muster. He is absolutely, one hundred percent holy and omnipotent. And yet, He knows your name and cares for you whom He has created in love. You can laugh it off, but God is still holy. You can deny that He exists, and He is still holy. You can play the harlot and worship another lover, and still, God is holy. Oh, to know what and who holiness is... Sing, child! Sing to the glory of the God who alone is the definition of splendor and light! Only in worship can you hope to contain, to hold, or accommodate the eternal weight of glory that is YHWH. He is upholding all things by the Word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). In him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given Jesus, that they may be one, as you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. Amen.
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