Give Us Some Men...

Effects of Sin

To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 3:16-19 (ESV)

These verses from Genesis poetically describe when our Lord God pronounced judgment upon the whole of creation (for the purposes of this post, I chose only the verses in which the Lord speaks directly to Adam and Eve.) I am sure most of us are familiar with these verses. Chapter three of Genesis is a very important chapter, it is here we get an explanation for all the decay, pain, turmoil and ultimately death that we see in the world. Adam and Eve did not guard themselves from the temptation of the serpent, which then became desire and their desire then brought forth sin and sin then lead to death (James 1:14,15.)

We are all well aware of the curse. For women, pain in childbirth and rearing and conflict with her husband (her wanting to usurp his authority and him ruling over her.) For men, hard work to provide food for our family. Not only do we have hard work, but the very ground is going to fight back with thorns and thistles. Our lives are now to work the dirt we came from to live until the day that we return to the dust from whence we came. Now, according to Dr. John MacArthur, these were special curses (on top the the general curse that fell upon all of creation) that are to remind us constantly of the exceeding sinfulness of sin and how God hates it so.

As of lately my eye has been drawn to another effect sin. I was recently flipping though a magazine and I suddenly stopped and could not pull my eyes from what I saw, a picture of a little girl with a cleft pallet. Sorrow filled my heart. As of recently, that has been happening more and more. I see mentally handicap children, children with deformities, babies dying in the womb and my heart breaks. I shake my head at how sin has permeated even our DNA! I also see the mentally challenged adults and my heart breaks for them as well. When I see these effects on the "innocent" it actually causes a tear in my eye, and I am not one who crys. Maybe having a child myself has caused me to be more sensitive to such things.

I have also been sensitive to people who are suffering from degenerative diseases. I was talking with a manager at one of my stores today who has rheumatoid arthritis, she is only 45 and was diagnosed 20 years ago. She is currently almost completely crippled in her hands and has virtually no wrist joints. Her knuckles are very inflamed and she says she is in almost constant pain. She has been offered wrist replacement surgery, but she has opted out for now (they would have to remove her hands!) When she walked way to help a customer, I could not help but fight back a tear! This is just one example of physical disease in our world not even counting sicknesses. Oh how sin has buried its tentacles in everything!

I recently watched Visual Bible: Matthew in which Bruce Marchiano portrays Jesus in fashion that I have not seen in any movie made about Him. Most movies of Jesus we see him as stern and fairly unemotional except for anger. This movie portrays Jesus' softer and compassionate side with out compromising His hard and stern language and emotion. In the scenes when Jesus is healing people you can see the pain in His eyes. Who could see the incredibly disastrous effects of sin? Mr. Marchiano does an amazing job conveying the sorrow and compassion that Jesus must have felt toward his fallen creation. How merciful of a God it is we serve! Not only do we have God's common grace all around us (the mere fact that we are all still alive,) not only did he heal people (when He was here on earth,) He also willingly died on a cross to atone for the elect's sins for complete spiritual and eventual physical healing!

I really had a lot more to say but that would have gotten me WAY off topic. Listening to John MacArthur's sermons on chapter three of Genesis has given me grat insight into those verses that i will explore in another post!

The Mirror of the Ten Commandments

Normally I would not post pictures here that I take for another website (Digital Photography School,) but the latest assignment made we think of a spiritual concept: abandonment of sin. The theme for this week was Abandoned, here is the description that I posted along with the photo:

I had to sit for a while and think about this assignment. Of course the idea of an abandoned building came to mind, but I wanted to go for a more abstract idea of abandonment. I started thinking about my life as a Christian and the things that I have abandoned. I came up with this composite photo. The mirror represents the mirror of the Ten Commandments (here are just four: lying, stealing, taking God's name in vain and adultery.) By looking through this mirror we see ourselves God sees us as lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterers at heart and that is only four! The reflection in the mirror is what I am in light of the Commandments a filthy, wretched, God-hating sinner. The close up portion represents how though Christ's death on the cross I can turn my back on, forsake, ABANDON my sin.

Memorial Day

With today being Memorial Day, I thought I would get back to writing some blogs. I know as of late my posts have been few and far between, for that I am sorry. Life has a way of getting in the way of things, as well areas of sin that need to be dealt with.

Traditionally, today is the day we remember our service men and women who have died in service to their country. It has also, over time, been a time we memorialize loved ones who have gone into eternity before us. Today is one of those days where we confront the fact that we are all going to die and their is nothing that can stop the flow of time. For some of us that end comes sooner than others; for some, the thought of what happens after we die terrifies them. If everyone is honest with themselves, it is plain to see why most people are terrified to die.

According the the Bible (Romans 1:19-31) all men know that God exists, and not just a god but the true God. And all men know that they have transgression against God. All men know that God is Good and Just. So Good and Just that He will not only punish murderers and rapists, but liars, thieves, adulterers (mental fantasies and physical,) the covetous, and those who dishonor their parents. God will not only judge them, but will also judge those who pay homage to other gods, who have fashioned and worship idols both physical an in their minds (by having an false view of God,) and those who blaspheme the name of God (with their mouth or by they way they live their life.) I think it is easy to see why most all people are terrified to die, they know that when they die they will face the Just Judge of all the earth and will have to answer to Him for what they have done. Most people will be found wanting that day, they will not have a payment for their crimes and will be punished.

However, their are some of us who may be frightened of the dying process,it be painful or slow, but not afraid of death. We are still just as guilty of everything that the first group is, but we have one more thing than they do: payment for our sin though the atoning work of Christ's (the Just Judge) death on a cross. We have responded (only by God's immeasurable Grace) to our sin and the cross in repentance (a contrite apology and turning from all sin) and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

If you are one of those people that are afraid of death, you do not have to be. Look at God's Law the ten commandments, you have violated every single one in spirit if not in action. Let those commandments crush you, see yourself though God's Holy eyes. you know God should crush you but he is willing to forgive. God is also Loving, he Sent Jesus, who is fully God, to pay the penalty for sin for all those who respond in repentance and faith.

As I said before, Memorial Day has become more than just remembering our fallen soldiers. So I propose to all Christians today, let us remember those who have fallen to give us freedom to worship our God, but let us also remember the ones who have preceded us into Glory. The great Heroes of the Faith. Those great men who dedicated their whole being to the Gospel, some died of old age, and most died for the faith. Let us also remember the persecuted Church. Our brothers ans sisters who daily are being beaten, tortured, and martyred for the name of Christ.

I humbly ask you all today, first if you are afraid if death, please follow what I said above and ask God for forgiveness, secondly I ask you all to pray and thank our God for all of those who have preceded us in death and for those who suffering great torment because they are faithful witnesses to Christ's Name.

Story Time...Again!

The basic structure of this story I heard an old Way of the Master Radio phone fisher, Aaron the Actor. He use a very basic version of this in a witnessing / open-air-preaching encounter. I have thought a while how to convert this to a story. I thought the basic concept of this was powerful, I hope you feel the same way. I have also loaded a new song in my music player that might help add to the story, if you have the time please listen to it after reading, it is called "Were You There?"

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I would like you to imagine something for me, you have a six year-old son; he is your only son and you are unable to have anymore children. He is the center of your life, you love him virtually more than anything. You two go almost everywhere together: museums, the city park, swimming, putt-putt golf, and even errands.

Today is not unlike any other, he joins you on your daily errands to pay bills, deposit money, get gas, and pick up dinner. So far you have gone to the post office and dropped off your bills and are now walking into the bank. The bank is awfully full today with fairly long lines, of which you join. The man in front of you is spewing obscenities like a fire hydrant, the people in the line next to you are talking about the immoral things they did the night before. Your son asks the man in front of you,"Excuse me sir, could you please not say those bad words?"

The man turns around laughing and says, "Shove-off kid, I will say what ever I want, whenever I want!"

Shocked you ask the man again to refrain from his foul and disrespectful language. The man responds with a string of curse words that you have not heard since high school. He starts to mock you calling you uptight and prudish. He calls attention to you and your son calling your son a brainwashed, snot-nosed, little brat. Gradually, more and more people join in the mocking. everyone is hurling insults at you and your son. You try to speak but the crowd is too loud. You try to leave, but as you head to the door you see something that makes you stop in your tracks. You see about five men run into the bank with masks and guns, the bank is about to be robbed.

Gunfire rings out and debris falls from the ceiling and everyone drops to the floor screaming. Your son, absolutely traumatized from the prior situation and now this, is next to you sobbing and shaking. He is inconsolable. The masked men eventually get everyone to quiet down. except your son. The man in charge yells at you to quiet your child, or he would do it. The men go from person to person taking all they have.

The masked-man in charged says, "Unless you choose someone to die, we are going to kill every single one of you. CHOOSE NOW!"

Almost instantly someone cries out,"That man and his son! Why not, he has brain-washed his son and they are in here trying to get us to stop acting like we want to! What right does he have to tell us to stop doing what we want?" Soon everyone is shouting in agreement.

You and your son are drug to the masked-man. As you stand in front of the man you can smell his stench. His odor reminds you of the rotting carcass of an animal on the side of the road. The man is filthy, everything about the man is absolutely repulsive. Laughing, he bends down and hugs your son ans wraps his jacket around him. He stands up and says to you, "Shoot your son and I will let everyone go, including yourself. If you do not, then everyone dies!" He then hands you a loaded pistol. The gun is heavy, you briefly contemplate shooting the masked-men, but that quickly goes away when you see the assault rifles pointed in your direction.

The crowd starts to shout, "KILL HIM, KILL HIM! SHOOT HIM!"

The masked-man says, "Do it NOW!"

Now, if you were this man would you kill your son to save the people who have mocked you and your son? Imagine that you are willing to do it. As you hold the gun and your son who is covered in filth, you hear your son's sobs. He is shaking as he clings to you leg.

You grab the slide of the gun and pull it back, chambering a round and cocking the hammer, then you turn the safety-off; the gun is now ready to fire. You kneel down next to your son and hug him and tell him how much you love him as people shout to just do it. Slowly you place the barrel of the gun against you son's head. "DADDY!" BANG!

The next thing you feel is the warm sticky blood of your son on your hands and soaking though your clothes. You hold your son close as he bleeds out on to the floor. The masked-man tells everyone to leave and as they all leave they trample on your son's blood, still jeering at you and your son. How do you think this man feels. Those that he sacrificed his son for not only still mocking him, but treading on the very blood at set them free. Would you do that, of course not. I wanted you to see this from this man's perspective, when in reality, you are a person in the crowd who, along with everyone else, shouted for the man to kill is son and disrespectfully walked on the son's blood as you left.

There are two ways one could respond to this. The hostages could just continue on with their lives and not ever think twice about it, or could apologize and thank the man for his sacrifice.

Though all analogies limp and cannot convey perfectly all theologies, this is a rough analogy of the cross and the response of men to that sacrifice. If you have rejected and not have responded to the cross in repentance and faith, you are just like those people who continued to mock the father while treading on the son's blood. Even those who have repented are still guilty until they repented, all humanity was in that crowd shouting "Kill Him!" or "Crucify!"

Have you repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ yet? If not why, why would you reject the offer of forgiveness of sins? Why would you increase the Wrath of God and you will experience in Hell? Please, repent (turn away from your sin and apologize) and then put your trust in the Savior, "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2)
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Please listen to the first song in my music player I have included the lyrics of the song below:

Were You There?

written by shai linne

Verse 1

This story starts at the climax, we find that time’s lapsed- don’t mind that
It’s kind of like a night cap filled with divine acts
We zoom in the lens on Christ's agony on the garden
Doomed for His friends- His tragedy for our pardon
Foreseeing the Father’s cup of wrath has Him stifled and weak
He’s sweating blood with His disciples asleep
The Prince of Peace knows the beef shall increase
Since the thief approaches with the soldiers and the chief priests
His arrest is not just- neither is the trial
While Jesus is being treated foul, He sees Peter’s denial
He’s sent to Pilate, to Herod, back to Pilate
The violence of humanity at its finest
So now He stands before the crowd doomed to die
An angry mob who’s yelling out “crucify”
The way they treat the Lord of glory is debased and it’s foul
But you miss the point if you don’t see your face in the crowd

Chorus

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there? Were you there? (4x)
Man, sometimes it causes me to tremble
Yo, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Verse 2

This story starts at the climax, we find that time’s lapsed- don’t mind that
It’s kind of like a night cap filled with divine acts
We zoom in the lens on Christ's agony in the garden
Doomed for His friends- it had to be for the pardon
And delivery from misery of kids who speak wickedly
Sinfully, inwardly slick with the iniquity
We see disciples sleep and mock today with a lot to say
But we do the same thing when we don’t watch and pray
Like Judas, we sell Christ out to get the treasure
Whether it’s the cheddar or forbidden pleasure
Like the chief priests, we want Christ to surrender
But we want Him out the way when He doesn’t fit our agenda
Like Peter, we have misplaced, fleshly confidence
But we’ll deny the Lord when faced with deadly consequence
Like Herod, we’re curious about Christ because He’s famous
But we quickly get bored with Him when He doesn’t entertain us
Like Pilate, we see Christ and find nothing wrong with Him
But when the world chooses the wicked, we go right along with them
Despite His kindness, we seek to do our Maker violence
The fallenness of humanity at its finest
So now He stands before the crowd doomed to die
An angry mob who’s yelling out “crucify”
The way they treat the Lord of glory is debased and it’s foul
But you miss the point if you don’t see your face in the crowd

Chorus

Verse 3

This story starts at the climax, we find that time’s lapsed- don’t mind that
It’s kind of like a night cap filled with divine acts
We zoom in the lens on Christ's agony on the garden
Doomed for His friends- His tragedy for our pardon
Foreseeing the Father’s cup of wrath- it has Him stifled and weak
He’s sweating blood with His disciples asleep
The Prince of Peace knows the beef shall increase
Since the thief approaches with the soldiers and the chief priests
His arrest is not just- neither is the trial
While Jesus is being treated foul, he sees Peter’s denial
He’s sent to Pilate, to Herod, back to Pilate
The violence of humanity at its finest
So now He stands before the crowd doomed to die
An angry mob who’s yelling out “crucify”
The way we treat the Lord of glory is debased and it’s foul
Ashamed, I bow because I see my face in the crowd


Chorus

Esater Special Update!

Oh and on a side note: My son and I made it on the front page of WretchedRadio.com!! Thanks Mike for letting me know about this!