DEPRESSION. Make it stop!

I had a request to pray for someone who has a friend that is terribly depressed. She asked if I would please petition God to lift the gloom that has been torturing her friend for years. As I thought about her request for prayer, it dawned on me that over time I have received many queries to pray about depression. Depression is a horrible shackle. When you are sunk into the depths of depression, you feel constantly brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. I experienced deep depression as a young adult years ago so I can easily relate to the hold it has on people. Few things zap your strength like depression or feeling anxious. Everything seems overwhelming and impossible. Even the most mundane acts require a massive amount of effort. Are there Bible verses for depression? It depends on what you mean. The Bible is primarily the story of God's plan to redeem a people for Himself. However, the Word does speak directly to those engulfed in darkness and depression. There are verses which shine light into dark places, give hope to the hopeless, and allow the depressed person to have God's perspective rather than their own dismal view. I am honest when I say some people have a weird idea that the moment you read verses pertaining to depression, its gloom will suddenly and immediately lift. This couldn't be further from the truth, especially when it comes to mental illness. I've listed 12 Biblical verses below. Those who are depressed probably won't immediately FEEL any different after reading them. But here's the good news: all these promises are TRUE! They don't depend on you or your feelings. They are all about God and His mighty works on your behalf. As you read them, thank God that they are true REGARDLESS of what you feel. It took quite some time to list them all, so please, repeat these promises every day until your depression begins to lift, being replaced by hope and assurance.

1. Deuteronomy 31:8. Know that God will never leave you! "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Just as he swore to never desert the people of Israel, he will NEVER leave you or forsake you because you are in Christ. You are his child, and like a dad clearing a path through the woods for his small child, so God is going ahead of you, clearing the way.

2. Isaiah 41:10. God will strengthen and uphold you. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." In your depression, you feel like you can’t hang on to God. Like your weak and helpless, unable to do anything. Sometimes you can’t even get out of bed. The last thing you feel is "spiritual." Good news! You don’t have to hold on to God because he is holding to you. When you fall, he will uphold you with his righteous right hand. When you are weak, he will strengthen you. Even if you don’t have an assurance of your salvation, you can be assured that God has a firm hold on you. The reality is, you ARE weak, you’re just feeling it more acutely now. Take heart, because God loves to sustain the weak. God’s grace is sufficient for you, even in these deep, dark times. The reality is, you ARE weak, you’re just feeling it more acutely now. Take heart, because God loves to sustain the weak. God’s grace is sufficient for you, even in these deep, dark times.

3. Psalm 40: 1-3. God hears your cry. "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God." God hears your cries and sees your tears! He is not ignoring you and his heart breaks over your suffering. He takes no delight in the suffering of his people. You can be sure that God will respond to your pleas for mercy. Maybe not when you want or in the way you want, but he is your loving, merciful Father, and He can’t ignore the cries of his children. He will put a new song in your mouth and set your feet upon the rock.

4. Psalm 3:3. The Lord is your shield. "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."
God is your shield when you are weak, helpless, and hopeless. He is standing over you, guarding you, protecting you, keeping watch over you. Even though you are broken by depression, the almighty God is your shield. He will lift your head out of the dirt and set you on your feet again. He will move you to sweet places and green pastures. You can trust HIS sustaining, protecting power even though you have no strength in yourself.

5. Psalm 34:18-19. God is near to the brokenhearted. " The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." God has a special place in His heart for the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. When you find yourself under a crushing burden, God draws near to you. He sees you in the midst of your affliction and moves toward you with deliverance. Even though you can’t feel his presence, God is nearer to you now than ever, and he is working on your behalf.

6. Isaiah 40:31. The Lord will renew your strength. " …but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." The good news is that God is in the business of giving strength to those who have none. He loves to sustain those who are fainting and give life to those who feel completely depleted. Wait for the Lord and he will give you life. He has promised to renew your strength even though you don’t feel it now. He has good things in store for you.

7. Isaiah 42:3. God will not break you. " A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice." What does that mean?? A bruised reed is one that that is on the verge of breaking, and a faintly burning wick is a flame that is almost entirely extinguished. That’s a very apt description of depression. You feel as though you’re about to be completely broken or totally extinguished. And though others may judge you because they don’t understand what you’re experiencing, God most certainly does not. But doesn’t break bruised reeds or blow out flames that are sputtering and smoking. Rather, he nurtures them and heals them and brings them back to life. God doesn’t despise you in your bruised, broken, smoldering state. Rather, he is near to you, nurturing you and sustaining you.

8. Matthew 11: 28-30. Come, all who are depressed. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus gives rest to those who are crushed by the weight of the world. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and he doesn’t rebuke those who find themselves laboring under the overwhelming yoke of depression. Come to Jesus in your depression and find rest for your soul. Let him carry the heavy end of your burden. Confess your utter weakness and frailty and let him be the burden bearer.

9. Romans 8: 38-39. NOTHING can separate you from God. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." When you’re haunted by the chains of depression, you feel very cut off from the love of God. Everything seems dark and bleak, as if there will never be another good thing in your life. You feel as though God has left you to wallow in the mire. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are not outside of God's sovereign will and gracious love. Because you are in Christ, nothing can separate you from God’s love! The only way God will stop loving you is if he stops loving Jesus. Though you may feel alone and unloved, there is absolutely NOTHING, including depression, that can stop God from loving you. Your body may be a broken down temple, but that doesn’t diminish God’s love for you one bit!!

10. Psalm 34: 17. God hears your prayer, your cry, your petition. " When you are sunk into the valley of depression, it feels like you are totally and completely alone. Like no one cares like no one is listening. You feel isolated, cut off, and like God has abandoned you. But He has not, and could never abandon you. When you cry to Him for help, He hears and delivers. Maybe the deliverance won’t come tomorrow, but make no mistake, it will come. God does not leave his people to wallow and blunder their way through depression and hopelessness. He hears every cry you utter, sees every tear that rolls down your cheek. You are not alone. You have a good Father who is with you and for you.

11. Psalm 42:11. Hope is in God and God alone. "Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." Depression and hopelessness cause turmoil deep within your soul. You feel crushed, broken, downhearted, overwhelmed, and like there is no hope for tomorrow. But even though it feels like you have no hope for tomorrow, you DO have hope. Why do you have hope? Because God is your salvation. If your hope depended on you and your ability to pull yourself up, you would have no hope. But your hope depends on God. You shall again praise Him, even though it feels like that day will never come. Hope in God and trust Him to lead you out of the dark valley you find yourself in.

12. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4. Comforted by God. "Blessed be the God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the same comfort wherewith, we ourselves are comforted of God." When you’re in the midst of a bout of depression or hopelessness or anxiety, it feels like you’re all alone. Like no one understands and like no one cares about you. But there is at least one person who deeply loves you and desires to comfort you, and that is God. God is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Run to him in the midst of your brokenness. Flee to him for comfort and grace and strength. He desires to meet you and to comfort you and refresh you. Don’t try to make it through the darkness of depression on your own. Run to the God of all comfort. Take shelter in the Father of mercies. He is for you and on your side.

Don't fear the storms! In the midst of your depression, all you see are clouds that are black with horror. Remember, it is God himself who controls the storms and Jesus is with you in your boat. You may not feel His nearness and it may seem that He is asleep in the stern, but He is with you nonetheless. When the moment is right, He will deliver you. Until then, hold fast to these verses. Until next time, -Pat-

The Devil Made Me Do It

Take a moment and watch the video above. It is a short clip starring the comedian, Flip Wilson, who had his own show in the 70's. I always looked forward to watching his show but especially his skits "The Devil Made Me Do It (sin)." The video is appropriate for this blog, plus it gives us a moment to pause and laugh. After you view this 2 minute 44 second video please read the blog below.

How often after committing a sin have you used the excuse "the devil made me do it." Today I am asking, Does the devil make us sin? Let's look at some scriptures. When Eve succumbed to Satan’s ploy (Genesis 3:1-6), he played a role in her choices, but she had some faulty thinking about temptation and sin. The devil tempts us, but he doesn’t make us sin. We so often blame Satan for our bad choices but in reality, the Bible shows us he actually has no power over us! His power was crushed at the cross. Satan has been defeated! Colossians 2:14–15 describes what God did for those who trust his Son, when He died on the cross: “The record of debt that stood against us He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” AMEN! When Christ died for our sins, Satan was disarmed and defeated. The one eternally destructive weapon that he had was stripped from his hand, namely, his accusation before God that we are guilty and should perish with him. When Christ died that accusation was nullified. All those who entrust themselves to Christ will never perish. Satan cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:37–39). Though Flip Wilson said, "The Devil Made Me Do It," in reality, the choices we make are totally on us.

James tells us that God isn’t to blame either: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). Satan is a roaring lion, prowling and seeking to devour. Peter says, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8–9). In other words, “suffering” is the way Satan is trying to devour God's believers. But Peter says in 1 Peter 3:17, “It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” If God should will it so. This suffering, these jaws of the prowling lion, are opened and closed only according to God’s will. So who is to blame when we sin? Satan is the great tempter. He wants us to sin. Luke tells us that Satan was behind Peter’s three denials. He tempted him to deny Jesus. But could he do that without God’s permission? Listen to what Jesus says to Simon Peter in Luke 22:31–32: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Satan could not do what he wished with Peter without God’s permission. And when he had it, just like with Job, God had set him a boundary: “You will not destroy Peter. You will only make him stumble tonight.” This is why Jesus says, “When you have turned again (not if you turn) strengthen your brothers.” Jesus, not Satan, has the upper hand here. And Satan is allowed to go so far and no farther. The Bible makes it clear that we are NEVER tempted beyond what we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Temptations are trials, and though we may not like them, they are intended to make us stronger! Temptation is a lure to sin (and from Satan). God doesn’t do that, but He does test. Remember, sin is anti-God. Therefore, God will never lead someone to sin; doing so goes against His very nature.
However, He will test believers by putting them through difficult training that will both strengthen them and reveal their current conditions (like a refiner’s fire).

James tells us, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14). Just as a fisherman uses bait to lure his prey, our unchecked desires lead us to giving in to temptation and sin. When we disobey God by sinning (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23), let's not shift the blame or try to justify our actions with any faulty “the devil made me do it” theology. Instead, let us take full responsibility for our actions (2 Samuel 24:10), confess our sins to a gracious and forgiving Father (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5), and then pursue godly living again (1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 6:1-6).
Eight things to do with evil:
1. Expect evil. “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

2. Endure evil. “Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7; see also Mark 13:13).

3. Give thanks for the refining effect of evil that comes against you. “Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 5:3–5).

4. Hate evil. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

5. Pray for escape from evil. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

6. Expose evil. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

7. Overcome evil with good. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Finally, Resist evil. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Are you being tempted? Remember that God is not tempting you and He always provides a way out! Are you in a trial? Remember that God is allowing this for your good. You will come through this and you will be all the stronger for having resisted! Never doubt that God is totally for you in Christ. If you trust Him with your life, you are IN Christ. Never doubt that all the evil that befalls you — even if it takes your life — is God’s loving, purifying, saving, fatherly discipline. It is not an expression of His punishment in wrath. That fell on Jesus Christ our substitute! “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).
Until next time,
-Pat-

Judge Not Lest You Be Judged

This blog is based on Matthew 7: 1-3. In my opinion, it’s one of the most misused, misquoted, misunderstood verses in the Bible: "Judge not lest ye be judged." Why do I say that? When someone wants to justify their life choices to you, they pull out their trump card, “Judge not, lest ye be judged!” I hear it all the time. When this verse is misused, people expect you to immediately embrace and accept their affair, to accept they are a man trapped in a woman's body and therefore have rightful access to a ladies bathroom, to accept abortion in the 9th month of pregnancy, to accept that pedophilia is perfectly normal…whatever. Of course, if you’ve spent any time studying the passage, you know that when Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” He certainly wasn’t saying that we can’t evaluate whether someone’s choices are wrong. The world would have you believe this.

Notice the reason Jesus warns against judgment. The danger in passing judgment on someone is that we’ll have our own standard come back to haunt us. Jesus immediately goes on to say: "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure, you use it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2). When we condemn someone’s behavior, whether it’s blatantly sinful or just different than our own, we almost NEVER use the proper standard of judgment. We pass judgment according to our own strengths and opinions. For example, take the issue of gluttony. Because of my DNA, gluttony has never been a huge issue for me although a small stature has. Plus, I don’t gravitate toward things like stress eating (I cope in other explosive ways as I am not perfect either). When I see someone who struggles with overeating, I project myself onto them. It's printed on the human psyche. I have been guilty of assuming that they lack self-control and that all they need is a bit more discipline. This is complete sinful nonsense because I'm judging physical appearance. When God evaluates that person, He takes into account everything about that person – their biology, sinful tendencies, weaknesses, family history, current struggles, and a thousand other factors. God’s judgment is perfectly just, my judgment is terribly skewed. Without omniscience, all my judgments are going to be off kilter. For all I know, the person who struggles with gluttony may not actually be sinning in gluttony. They may not overeat at all, but because of their unique body makeup, just can’t lose weight (genetics). Or, they may have been neglected as a child and use food as a coping mechanism (psychological). Or, it could even be a challenge related to a diseased thyroid (medical). To be clear, I’m not saying that sin is relative. Sin is sin, no matter what the circumstances. But when God judges a person, His judgment flows out of His omniscience. That’s why it’s perfect. If I pass judgment on a person, I’m doing so based on really, really, really limited knowledge.


"Judge not lest you be judged" and held accountably! It’s a terrifying thing to think of God judging us based on the way we judge others. So often, our judgments lack mercy. They lack compassion. And they lack knowledge. Do I want to be judged by God and others with the same standard? No! That would be crushing. This is why Jesus warns about the dangers of judging others "appearance"... whether you think they are a glutton, a drunk, a cheat, etc. If we’re not careful, we’re going to end up being judged by own crushing standards. We can and should call out sin. Judging by "appearance," "opinions," or "assumptions" IS WRONG. However, there’s a massive difference between judging arrogantly (by our standards) and judging with humility (God's standard). John 7:24 tells us to not judge the appearance of others, but to "Judge righteous judgment." Did you know as God's child we are called to judge WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT? Oh yes. We can judge SIN when we see it, when we judge it by God's standard, by what He said, by what he taught, and by what He warned. THAT is righteous judgment. This may shock many of you, due to the fact that many Christians don't study their Bible aggressively and have become weak apologetic's in the defense of "the faith." Way too many times we hear people wrongly quote the Bible, saying the scripture, "says not to judge"! I hear this from believers but non-believers especially, like it's the only verse they know to exempt them from scriptural do's and dont's. The world will say it is not our job to say anything regarding sin in someone's life. Well, that's dead wrong because we are commissioned to speak up, 1 Corinthians 6:2 "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is going to be judged by you, are you, therefore, unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"


What is so unfortunate about many claiming to be Christians is that they ARE "living in sin" and when you come to them with biblical correctness (righteous judgment) they get irritated or defensive. Instead, they should receive the rebuke in repentance. Scripture teaches, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" Proverbs 21:7. If you look up the original Hebrew meaning of the word instruction, which in English is 'musar-moo-sawr,' it means discipline, chastening, correction. Those who claim to be Christians and don't receive 'musar-moo-sawr' (correction) are regarded as "fools," not by me, by the Bible. The word fool in Hebrew means one who despises wisdom, of one who mocks when guilty, of one who is quarrelsome, of one who is licentious. Ever notice when you approach a fellow brother or sister in the faith regarding a sin they know is wrong, how defensive they get? Many of you reading this, this may be you, while for others it's not, because they are humble and receive Divine correction. I’m not writing this blog to offend you but to enlighten you, because I care about your eternal security. We need to stop running away from the Spirit of God and receive his love and correction. So basically, if you reject God’s judgment upon you for your sin and you refuse to repent you are a bastard, a fatherless child. God is not your Abba like you claim if you don’t open heartedly receive his guidance and counsel. For one to pass judgment he or she must be practicing what they preach, otherwise, they have no authority from God because they are being a hypocrite. We cannot pass judgment upon others when we are living in sin ourselves, that’s a false type of judgment against someone. We are only being hypocrites. That’s the judgment Jesus was referring to in the Matthew 7:3, "And why behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? There are different types of "judgments" if you will. See if you can see the difference …


Arrogant judgment says, “What a despicable, vile, weak person.” Humble judgement says, “Apart from the redemption of Christ, I’d be joining them, and apart from God, I would lose my salvation.” Arrogant judgment says, “I would never do something like that.” Humble judgment says, “Though I may not struggle like they do, I sin in 10,000 other ways.” Arrogant judgment says, “I’m better than them.” Humble judgment says, “We both need Christ.” Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” as a gracious warning. If I start playing judge, jury, and executioner to people, I’m going to find myself on the business end of my own standard. That’s a frightening prospect. HOW SHOULD WE JUDGE THEN? When I see someone sinning, I can acknowledge that it’s sin in need of repentance, but I can also say, “Tell me more.” I can work to understand all that’s going into their behavior. How much of it flows out past experiences? What did they see modeled in their parents? What have they been taught by others? Compassionate judgment seeks to stay faithful to Scripture while also truly loving the person who struggles. It strives to identify the speck in someone else’s eye while simultaneously trying to rip the log out of their own. Jesus didn’t say, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” in order to make us meek and mild people who celebrate anything and everything. He said it so that we would be slow to judge and so that our judgment would be tempered by mercy. We are good at finding specks, but there is a saying that for every one finger we point at someone we need to point four back at ourselves. The more critical our attitude of others is, the more we will be blind to our own faults. May we seek the Lord and ask Him to do spiritual surgery on us first, so we may confess, repent and mourn over our own sin.
Until Next time,
-Pat-

Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin?

I was asked to address the question, "Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin?" The only possible way I can honestly answer, putting my own feelings aside, is to use scriptures that point to the misuse of alcohol. Before I get too deep into the subject, however, keep in mind that anything in excess no matter what it is cannot be good for you. As an example, food is absolutely necessary to sustain life but obesity and severe health problems can occur if it is misused. Water is necessary for the body, doctors recommend sometimes up to a half a gallon per day. However, there have been instances where people have died from water intoxication by consuming too much of it. Aspirin is good for arresting bodily aches and pains but if you ingest too many aspirins leading to an overdose, you will be in grave danger and possibly even die. Does that make aspirin a bad thing? Or food or water? The reason I received the question, "Is drinking alcohol a sin," is because someone was confused that if the answer was yes, then why did Jesus turn water into wine. Unfortunately, most confusion or doubt regarding scripture comes about due to a lack of knowledge, and that because people listen to someone else' opinion, or the one having questions has failed to study God's Word. You can read God's Word but without studying it, you may become doubtful, confused, and mistrusting, etc.

Let's break down what was going on when Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage feast at Cana. You can find the story in John 2:1-11. I suggest you read those 11 verses as they are much too long to include here. One point I want to highlight is, the text reveals the wedding guests were drinking freely. Do you think Jesus would give an alcoholic beverage to those who were already drinking freely to induce a state of drunkenness if the 'water into wine' were alcoholic? I don't think so. That doesn't make any sense seeing how God's Word speaks against the overindulgence of alcohol: Proverbs 20:1, "The one who drinks alcohol is not wise." Paul warns repeatedly against it in 1 Timothy 3:8, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Timothy 5:23. And look at this scripture from Habakkuk 2:15, "Woe to him that gives his neighbor drink, that puts his bottle to him and makes him drunk also..." I could list more scriptures, but I think you can see a pattern here. The condemnation is against DRUNKENNESS, an overindulgence of alcohol. The Bible addresses the Christian regarding drunkenness in Ephesians 5:18, "And don't be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." The message is, be filled with the more important things which concern the life of your soul, not the pleasures of the flesh. 1 Peter 4:3 reminds Christians how we once walked in past times before being saved and one of the things mentioned was excess of wine (or drunkenness). We are reminded throughout the Bible not to return to our former ways.

So, in reality, did Jesus turn water into alcohol? Years ago as an unlearned Christian, I did some research being curious myself. I had to refresh that knowledge for this blog and would like to share it today. There was a poet Horace, born in 65 B.C. who wrote, "There is no wine sweeter to drink than that of Lesbos; it was like nectar ... and would not produce intoxication." Too, the "Mishna," a collection of oral Jewish traditions, states that the Jews were in the habit of drinking boiled wine (Kitto's Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. 2, p. 447). Naturally, this wine would be entirely free of alcohol as a result of the boiling, if not also from the manner of preservation." Wine with alcohol content is made from grapes, but not just any grapes, FERMENTED grapes. So, therefore, in reality, we can produce 2 types of "wine" from grapes; fermented (alcohol) and nonfermented (grape juice). Since the guests at the wedding party were drinking freely, Jesus would not have given them a fermented wine from grapes, but rather grape juice since drunkenness is considered a sin, Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." We also know, no drunkard will enter the Kingdom of God (Revelation 22:15, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, Galatians 5: 19-21). Jesus would not have contradicted His own Word! Of note, I would also like to point out what Albert Barnes wrote in his commentary on the Gospel of John: "The wine of Judea was the pure juice of the grapes, without any mixture of alcohol. It was the common drink of the people and did not produce intoxication." AND Adam Clarke, commenting on Genesis 40:11, wrote, "From this, we find that wine anciently was the merely expressed juice of the grape without fermentation. The saky, or cupbearer, took the bunch (of grapes), pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it into the hands of his master.

Anyone with just a little amount of intelligence can determine that drunkenness is not good. You lose control, you stagger, you can become aggressive and mean, you can black out, and sensibilities are definitely altered. Excessive drinking can set in motion a myriad of illness and disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver, but it actually negatively affects brain cells too. It damages the ends of neurons, called dendrites, which makes it difficult for neurons to relay messages to one another. Without going into a lengthy medical rant I think you follow what I'm saying. We really don't require a Bible to get us to understand that drunkenness is bad. The Bible tells us that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to nurture it, not destroy it! We are made in God's image and we do not own our bodies: 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." WHY don't we own ourselves? We were bought with a price and therefore we are to GLORIFY GOD in our bodies and in our spirits WHICH ARE GOD'S (verse 20). As believers, we are instructed to constantly bring our minds into subjection to what the Word has taught us. It's called obedience. How can we do this if we are willfully under the influence of alcohol? And how can we bring every thought (1 Corinthians 10:5) into captivity when we are purposefully losing our inhibitions through excessive consumption of alcohol?

Not only can alcohol alter behavior, destroy the body and brain, but it also sets a poor example and has a destructive influence on both children and as a witness for Christ in a fallen world. The environment in which a child grows up can have a serious effect on their risk for alcohol issues in adulthood. Romans 14:21 tells us not to do anything that causes our fellow brother in Christ to be made weak, stumble or be offended and it specifically refers to, once again, drinking. If you are a Christian but have fallen away and are under the influence of alcohol, you need to bring yourself back into a right relationship with God. It's never too late to repent and turn around. A cold beer on a warm summer day is welcomed. If there is no excess, there is no sin.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Do Not Injure Or Kill Any Eagle Under Penalty of Law

The bald eagle is the chosen emblem to represent my country; the United States of America. Selected because it is free to soar the skies, this majestic bird represents freedom just as we fought for our freedom from England. Recently I have been watching live-stream videos of the nesting eagles in Decorah, Iowa. In the state where I live there are civil penalties for violating the Endangered Species Act which protects fish, mammals, birds - as well as plants - listed as threatened or endangered. The maximum fine is $5,000 or one-year imprisonment with $10,000 OR not more than two years imprisonment for a second conviction. Tell me, why is it a crime to harm or kill a bald eagle but not to kill a baby in the womb? How crazy is that? If you were reading closely, you caught that the Endangered Species Act also protects plants! In our backward society, plants are protected and babies are not! Does that make any sense to you? There are written rules to be followed and carried out regarding the protection of eagles. I want to briefly go over those as compared to the protection of human babies.
1. Report injured, killed, or dead bald eagles to your local conservation agent. We have no rights that allow us to report a baby about to be aborted/murdered.
2. Do not disturb active nests. We have no right to disturb or attempt to stop the actions taking place in an abortion clinic which will result in murder.
3. Support organizations that rehabilitate injured bald eagles. Nobody steps forward to help an injured baby that has survived an abortion. They are left on a table to die!
4. Learn more about eagles. No one seems interested enough to really know what takes place during an abortion. A human's life is being injured, tortured, and killed!
What a self-centered, backward society we have become. It is a shame that we cannot see the most basic principles of human life for what they really are. This is beyond the argument of abortion, this is murder without laws, without regret, without remorse!

One argument the pro-abortionist use is that what a woman is carrying in her womb is nothing but a lump of cells. I urge every reader to go see the movie "UNPLANNED." It will answer every question you ever had about abortion and "is it a baby?" In the meantime, I don't need a movie to know how God feels about aborting the conceived. It's in the Bible. Let's read it. It's located in Psalm 139: 13-15, "You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret ..." IT WAS GOD who made the process of life happen. God forms us, every part of us. From the moment of conception. Fertilization is a sequence of events. It's no different than the process of a seed becoming a plant. Within a seed is life, the ability to become a beanstalk, a beet, carrot, cucumber, pea, pumpkin, radish, etc. Here is the comparison: Once a seed (sperm) is planted into the ground (womb), the sequence of events begins (fertilization). A carrot seed becomes a carrot, a radish seed will produce a radish. From the moment of conception, a baby is being formed, "You formed my inward parts." It is a work of God. A miracle to be protected, not annihilated. It is God's way to make the process of life happen! There is a soul at the moment of every conception, and a purpose for every baby intended to be brought into this world. When we thwart that process, we mess with God's plan. We will not escape the punishment of these atrocities, either now or in life hereafter UNLESS WE REPENT!

We are to care for and respect animals for they were created by God as well, but human life is different because unlike the animals we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). When we pass laws that demand respect and protection OF PLANTS and not our own babies, we are truly deprived of senses. God is the giver of life (Acts 17:24-28). Have you ever flipped channels on your television where one station is telecasting a demonstration to protest the destruction of turtle eggs, only to flip to another channel and see people pushing for the right to murder their own babies inside them? This just recently happened as people cheered in New York to pass laws that allow babies to be killed by lethal injection, placing a needle in the back of the babies neck even as it is in the process of birth and 3/4 outside the mother!! Where is the logic in this madness?

When does life start? Ask yourself, then answer logically as taught in scripture. When does someone become human? To avoid obvious accusations of murder, those who advocate for abortion have long claimed that "it" is just a mass of tissue, with no purpose, no life, no rights, just a clump, lump minus the baby bump. Let me ask this, is an eagle's egg an eagle or something else? When a woman is expecting, we say she is "with child" and not "with a mass of tissue." And here is something you really need to mull over. If a pregnant woman is killed, the murderer is charged with double homicide because TWO HUMANS DIED, both mother and her "child" -- please read Exodus 21:22-24 if you read nothing else today. The baby inside the womb has value, and harming that baby brings consequences. When you read the Bible, you must read it carefully and with intent. Too often we read over answers and keys to important knowledge in our disinterest or haste to finish. Look at the following verse and tell me what knowledge you reap: "And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age..." The key here is that Elizabeth conceived a son (not yet born). How was the sex of the child known before Elizabeth gave birth? Because all human beings at the moment of conception have a soul. God chose the sex He wanted to place into this world, and He has a purpose for every baby intended to be brought onto this planet... whether male or female.

OH! Did you think it was you that determined the baby's sex? Really? Who allowed your body to produce sperm? Who made you fertile? Who designed your body to function in a reproductive way? It was God! The high ranking angel Gabriel KNEW when Elizabeth conceived she would bear a son according to God's plan. God has intentions for every human life conceived. What's interesting as well is that according to my Lexicon, neither the Hebrew or Greek terms make a distinction between a child conceived and a child born. What we are now witnessing across this globe is A TERRIBLE EVIL where human life is claimed to have less value than animals or plants; in fact, no value at all. The book of Romans lists what kinds of people would be living in what I believe is our society today because of the description of everything on the list from Romans 1:20-32. Verse 31 specifically mentions people "without natural affection." There is nothing MORE NATURAL THAN LOVING AN INNOCENT BABY and yet there are millions of people that do not regard life in the womb because they have no natural affection. It seems the only way to save an innocent baby today is to somehow get them placed on an endangered species list next to the bald eagles and turtles!
Until next time,
-Pat-

Who Do You Fear?

We are a society full of fear. We fear loneliness. We fear death. We fear intimacy. We fear rejection. We fear disease. We fear failure. We fear old age. We fear germs. We fear insects. We fear we'll become obese. We fear we'll lose our job, our spouse, our kids. On and on and on. I could probably fill this entire page with a list of fears and phobias if I had enough time. Fear of fear probably causes more problems in our lives than fear itself! We cannot flourish as a society with an undertone of fear. Well, at least not as God intended us to live. What do you fear? How big is your list?

Matthew 10:28 NIV says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." We can look at this scripture and realize it applies to more than literal killing, as in murder. So many things can "kill" us just through worrying and therefore occupy our minds, our time, and our lives. As Christians, we sometimes worry far too much about what others think of us. Our faith alone makes us a target for ridicule, hatred, rejection, persecution, etc. Family members often ostracize us for confessing our beliefs. They can call us crazy or out of touch with the real world. This disconnect can cost us comfort, peace, loss of a spouse or even a financial inheritance. A man's foes will be of his own household says Matthew 10:34-37. Even so, as Christs' followers, we must be willing to place Him first in our lives and the most important people in our lives in second place. I speak from experience on this one. Back in the early 1970s when I made my commitment to Christ, my over exuberance in my new found faith persuaded my parents to question my mental stability and in fact, they tried very hard to convince me that I needed intervention to "stop the nonsense." I stood my ground. Despite being ostracized, there was no fear of losing their love and support. I and have never looked back in over 40 years.

Besides our families rejection of us, governments also persecute us. State and federal laws have been passing and could continue to pass laws making it illegal to preach Christs' message or even share it on social media sites. Unfortunately, we have now come to a place where man-made laws over-ride God's written law. Freedom of religion is slowly being demonized. Religious statues are being removed, the 10 commandments ripped away from stone foundations, crosses taken down from soldiers memorials for being "offensive," and prayer has long been removed from schools, etc. The apostle Peter wrote of a similar experience between him and the Sadducees. The Sadducees were one of the three main political and religious movements of the day. Peter wrote in Acts 5:28-29, "Did we not straitly command you that you should not teach in this name? (referring to the name Jesus). And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Then Peter and the other apostles spoke up as we should do also today, saying, "We ought to obey God rather than men." It cost them though! They were beaten (verse 40). Still, they preached and taught Jesus Christ daily in the temple and in every house. They literally rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for their faith and belief in Jesus Christ (verses 41-42). They did not waver in their faith nor did they fear what the Sadducees would physically do to them. Rather, they knew to "be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Besides the government persecuting us, our employers threaten believers as well. If an employer requires you to "go along to get along" or lose your job, leave! What are some examples? Maybe your boss has asked you to do something unethical: lie to a client, sell a product you know to be inferior, or if you are told to mislead a customer, etc. Leaving a company seems like a tough proposition, but the Bible instructs us, "But seek first The Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). We are promised, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). GOD WILL PROVIDE WHEN YOU STAND TRUE TO BIBLICAL PRINCIPALS! I believe we need to have a determination to speak the truth and not go along to get along, and yet to do so in such a way that is different from the way non-believers engage those with whom they disagree. Should you fear what your employer will do? The truth is, no! If you stand up for Jesus Christ and His righteous teachings, you're going to be mocked, persecuted, made fun off, called choice names, etc. The Bible foretold us, "All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (Timothy 3:12) Notice the two words ALL and SHALL? You don't have to be persecuted though. There is a way out. Don't live godly. Just hobnob with the world and fail to take a stand for what's right and you won't suffer persecution. Just remember, persecution is the thermometer that registers your love and courage for the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist David wrote something interesting that he witnessed from his youth to his old age, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread."

WHO now are we to fear? The Bible says He who has the power to destroy both your body and soul in hell; GOD. If you live for Christ, if you read His Word, seek to understand, and obey what you understand you have nothing to fear. NOTHING! We are to cast all our concerns on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We are of infinite value to Him (Matthew 10:29-31). He knows every need you have even before you arrive there (Matthew 6:31-33). God absolutely hears you when you cry out, pray, or just talk to Him (1John 5: 14-15). That's not to say God will immediately grant every and any request we make. That would be silly because we could all ask God for a million dollars and immediately go and find it in our bank accounts. We know that prayer and providence don't work like that. However, when it comes to genuine NEEDS, we can sometimes be blown away by a "coincidence" whereby a need is met in an unexpected and surprising way. I've had dozens of these in my lifetime; literally! I do not fear rejection by family or friends for speaking and standing for truth. I do not fear social media silencing me. I do not fear my government putting an end to freedom of religion or personal worship. I do not fear a radical, misguided religion who wants to kill me for believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father in heaven. I do not fear if I'll run short on groceries or clothes to wear. I do not fear loneliness, sickness, or disease because I know "God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:19.

One last point I wish to make regarding 'fearing God.' Think of a child who has tremendous respect and love for mommy and daddy and who dearly wants to please them. He has a certain 'fear' of offending those he loves, not because he's afraid of torture or even punishment, but rather because he's afraid of displeasing the ones who, in that child's world, are his source of security and love. It is the same when we have a healthy adoration for God. I fear more that I might be displeasing to God than I am He will send lightning down to strike me dead. See what I mean? My desire is to always be pleasing to God, to walk in the way He has taught me, to be a light and witness to the world, knowing that regardless of any negative situation, God has my back and ultimately it is HE whom I live for and not the world.
Until next time,
-Pat-
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RELATED SCRIPTURES:

1. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
2. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
3. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
4.“Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
5. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4
6. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
7. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22
8.“'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:13-14
9. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
10. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118: 6-7
11.“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39

Jesus is King, Why Not Confucius?

Confucius, Buddha, Vishnu, Osiris, Baal, Moloch, Thor, Pan, Zeus, Odin, Krishna, Brahma, Shiva, Allah, Isis, Athena, Apollo, Horus, Aphrodite, Prometheus, Satan and so many more. All of these are worshipped as gods by people on every continent of this globe. But, only one is "King of Kings and Lord of lords ..." says Revelation 19:16. WHO? Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is "the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5). Jesus said, "All authority IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18). Nowhere in the Bible does it mention any of the names I listed above. Satan is the only name that plays a role in dealing with mankind. Did you know Satan has to ask permission to tempt you? He has no authority! We give Satan way too much credit. Look at this verse from Luke 22:31, Jesus speaking: " Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat" (NAS Bible). And consider the book of Job 1:6-22. Satan could not test Job's unwavering faith without God allowing Satan to do so. Although the 21 names above may be "considered" deities by themselves or by others, and maybe some in the 20th century have claimed to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, all have died, or will die, and none will raise from the dead! Satan is a spiritual being, a fallen angel (not a man) and his end is yet to come once everything is fulfilled (Revelation 20:10).

Jesus is my King because 1) He is GOD. 2) He is the Savior. 3) He is the all in all. How can I know this? The Word of God told us, "For in Him (Jesus) lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). Jesus was and is God. Today I'm going to give you scriptural truths why He is all of these to me. Before I begin, keep in mind that none of the names I mentioned when I began this blog ever raised from the dead. They had no power to do so being mortal men but Jesus Christ DID RISE FROM THE DEAD, proving He could only be one thing ... GOD! 1 Corinthians lists six appearances of Jesus after He rose, including 500 people at one time. While the apostles didn't always list how many saw the resurrected Jesus, they sure did mention that He was seen after He rose!

A. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY GOD. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD." (1 John 1-3) "And we know that the Son of God has come (Jesus), and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). Did you see that, or did you read over it? Jesus Christ is the true God and only He alone is Life eternal! Jesus wasn't just a good man or spiritual teacher during His time on earth, He was both the SON (John 3:16) and God Himself - God in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Yes, He was fully man, but He was also fully God (Colossians 2:9). Claiming to be something, as Jesus claimed to be God, doesn't make it true. Where's the evidence that He is God? Jesus' identity isn't based solely on what He said, but on what He did. And He left a lot of evidence that He is God. That evidence includes fulfilled prophecy and many recorded miracles in which Jesus reversed the laws of nature! He also lived His life without ever committing one sin-He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15), something no one else can do or ever has done. Then there's the fact He was crucified on a cross, His flesh experiencing death, yet He raised from death because His Spirit, being God, had power over the grave. Isaiah prophesied before Jesus ever came into the world, "For a child is born to us, A Son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder, And His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Did you see that one? Hopefully, you did not read over that either ... Jesus will be called "God;" and "Father." Thomas declared it when he touched the nail prints in Jesus' hands (note! this is after Jesus was crucified, proving the resurrection) " MY LORD AND MY GOD." Then we have Acts 2:32 which says God raised Jesus up and in John 10:17 it says JESUS HAD THE POWER to raise Himself. How? Because He was God! The One True God. Now watch this ... Galatians 1:1 testifies THE FATHER raised Him, Romans 8:11 testifies THE HOLY SPIRIT raised Him. Contradiction? OH NO! The only conclusion is that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are ONE ... GOD! See my previous blog titled "The Holy Spirit."

B. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY SAVIOR. I need a Savior because my sins merit eternal death (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23) and I cannot save myself based on my own merits, goodness, or kindness to others (Ephesians 2:8) ...it's God's gift to me and isn't earned by my own works or efforts. Matthew 1:21 tells us Jesus was coming into the world to save us from our sins. It was announced in Luke 2:11 "There is born to you a Savior WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST THE LORD" (emphasis mine). Jesus would be the Savior of us all (1 Timothy 4:10.) Jesus abolished death for all that believe and follow Him, and He brings life through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-10). The gospel, His WORD, renews our minds! Jesus can bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18), He is our propitiation ... to regain favor for us back to the Father (1 John 2:2). He was sent to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14), and Jesus proved to all of us that He is the Savior of mankind through His sinless life, death, and resurrection. He lives and reigns from the throne in heaven sitting on the right of His Father.

C. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY ALL IN ALL. It's because He is my God and Savior of my soul that makes Him my all in all. Romans 14:9 testifies Christ died, rose, and revived to be my KING and LORD of lords. I want to be His subject. I want to spiritually be crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20) so that I might raise in glorious victory over sin and death as He did (2 Corinthians 5:15). I want to serve Him and be under His rule because He has all authority (Matthew 28:18). In whose arms of the men mentioned earlier would you rather be resting? Jesus rules today (Hebrews 9:15). I want to be a part of His Kingdom because He is God (Matthew 16:18-19; Revelation 1:5-6). Jesus gave all for me and so I want to give all for Him! To Him be all the honor, power, and glory. Everything I blogged today is evident through study and acceptance of God's Word. One day it will be made plainly evident to all. However, one day it will be too late to have Jesus as your King if you have not accepted Him while on earth. Is Jesus your King?

If you are not a Christian, I invite you to enter The Kingdom today.
Hear the Word, Romans 10:17 "Faith comes in hearing by the Word of God."
Believe with all your heart, Hebrews 11:6 "For without faith it is impossible to please God."
Repent and turn from your sin, Acts 17:30 "God commands all men everywhere to repent."
Confess that Jesus IS THE SON OF GOD, Matthew 16:16 "Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God."
Be baptized for the remission of your sins, 1 Peter 3:21 "This water symbolizes baptism, not the removal of dirt, but of a clear conscience toward God."
In closing, I urge you to open a Bible read 5 sentences from Revelation 19: 11-16.
Until next time,
-Pat-